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AI has dominated headlines, product strategies, and investment for the past two years, but as businesses reflect heading into 2025, an uncomfortable question lingers: where is AI’s financial impact, really?

Amidst the AI hype climate, businesses have been eager to invest in emerging technologies that promise the world. So eager, in fact, that the market is now saturated with hastily-developed products designed more to showcase adoption than to deliver measurable impact.

While AI tools have existed for some time, the rise of generative AI — starting with the release of ChatGPT just over two years ago — has captured broader attention and rekindled a frenzy of innovation, akin to the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. Generative AI's accessibility is lowering barriers to entry, sparking both a rush to investment and concern across industries.

When applied strategically, it’s clear that AI can revolutionize user experiences at places like websites, where the potential for customer experience enhancement is unparalleled. But to keep up with lofty AI predictions and heavy investor demands, many businesses today are investing first and looking for ways to measure return on that investment later — an approach that’s led to over-promised and under-delivered initiatives, followed by disappointment among customers and teams alike.

AI has the potential to deliver transformative outcomes when businesses align it with strategic goals, such as improving website functionality and user satisfaction. Rather than integrating AI first and looking for a problem to solve later, it’s time to return to the tried and true formula for innovation: find a problem, figure out how to solve it.

The AI Paradox: ROI vs. FOMO

ROI must be the central factor in AI investment decision-making.

While the number of senior business leaders investing $10 million or more in AI is set to double next year, a Gartner report found that at least 30% of AI projects will be abandoned by the end of 2025. These circumstances — high costs and low success rates — make prioritizing business needs and ROI critical.

AI is an expensive, time consuming endeavor — so in order for an AI product to be worth it, especially in consumer-facing applications, it must add real value to customers. Rushing to bring high-potential technology to market can often hinder, rather than enhance, user experience — particularly in the case of websites, where users increasingly demand seamless interaction.

The early surge of businesses racing to adopt AI chatbots is a prime example. In the push to get the latest feature onto their websites, a critical question was often overlooked: will this actually improve our customer service? Despite their high-potential, chatbots were introduced widely before the technology was developed to the point of adding proper value, often resulting in frustrating user experiences and failing to provide accessible support.

Consider Watsonville Chevy’s viral failure, where a chatbot offered to sell a customer a brand new Chevy vehicle for only $1. Rather than helping customers buy cars, the under-developed technology — despite its high-potential — caused an embarrassing headache for the dealership. More than the technology itself, this failure underscores the critical importance of businesses putting appropriate guardrails in place. Effective AI implementation requires not only understanding the potential of off-the-shelf solutions, but ensuring they are adapted to the specific needs and limitations of the business environment.

In another recent counterproductive AI use case, Spotify whiffed on its perennially popular Wrapped feature by going all-in on AI. While removing features like top genres, the music streaming giant opted to add experiences like an AI-generated podcast. Listeners, predictably, were critical, highlighting the importance of using AI to enhance user experience rather than diminishing features that made products popular in the first place.

Businesses must ask themselves: is this AI use case truly adding to the customer experience? Investments must prioritize functionality and customer needs over hype. By focusing on thoughtful, ROI-driven AI adoption, businesses can avoid costly mistakes and improve outcomes.

Solving Problems, Driving Results

But of course, not every AI investment is destined to fail or hinder customer experience. There are many examples of how AI brings clear value-adds when implemented strategically, especially in ecommerce and content.

In a crowded online environment, frustrated users are a sales killer — customers have access to limitless products and content online, so when their search fails to draw results, they leave.

Netflix, Google and Amazon have all dominated their respective verticals for several years in no small part because of their use of natural language processing. In 2017, more than 80% of the TV shows users watched on Netflix were discovered through its recommendation system. In 2012, 35% of purchases on Amazon came from product recommendations. Google has utilized AI since 2015 to process and provide more relevant search results.

All of these use cases have had a tangible impact on customer experiences — an impact that has long differentiated them from competitors with less resources.

More recently, the rise of generative AI is amplifying this trend — as the current AI frenzy has led to not only the development of cutting-edge technology by major AI players, but also made it more accessible for businesses of all sizes. These advancements enable even mid-market players to leverage tools once exclusive to industry giants, creating new opportunities for differentiation and growth.

In short, these technologies are no longer limited to just big tech like FAANG — AI democratization is unlocking more cost effective tools for SMBs and mid-market companies to optimize their websites. The potential of AI is immense when businesses choose the right product, and legacy examples in e-commerce and user experience, like Netflix’s recommendation engine or Amazon’s personalized shopping, offer a blueprint for websites leveraging AI to create transformative, ROI-driven outcomes. AI-driven smart search and recommendation technologies already exist; businesses just need to evaluate problems and responsibly implement solutions to unlock AI's transformative potential.

Starting with the pain point — such as low conversion rates — and answering with AI empowers better business outcomes. Implementing AI technologies can help bridge the gap between mid-market companies and enterprises, drive higher conversion rates and justifiable ROI for the cost of AI.

Thoughtful AI integration has the potential to revolutionize industries, and in some cases, already has. These use cases underscore AI’s potential to add real value, making a tangible impact on conversion rates and customer experience.

We've listed the best sales pipeline software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• MagStor's Thunderbolt 5 LTO drive builds on its 2020 Thunderbolt 3 model
• TB5 certainly adds speed but what's the real-world benefit for tape?
• There's no word on pricing, but it's unlikely to be cheap

MagStor introduced the world’s first Thunderbolt 3 LTO tape drive back in 2020, blending traditional tape-based storage with modern connectivity, and now, the company has announced the world’s first Thunderbolt 5 LTO tape drive.

The company describes its latest product as the next step in offering flexible, high-speed backup and archival solutions for professionals working with large volumes of data.

Tape storage continues to be a standard for long-term archival needs due to its durability and capacity, and the Thunderbolt 5 LTO drive is designed for use in data-heavy environments such as media production and enterprise IT. By integrating Thunderbolt 5, MagStor hopes to offer a faster, more streamlined connection between tape hardware and modern computing systems.

Increased speed

The new drive works with both macOS and Windows and while Thunderbolt 5 offers higher bandwidth than previous versions, tape speeds remain limited by the format itself.

Although MagStor hasn’t provided many technical specifications, it’s a given the new product will support LTO-9 tapes (18TB native / 45TB compressed capacity), as its predecessor does.

There's no confirmation yet on compatibility with next-generation LTO-10 tapes, expected to arrive in the second quarter of 2025, which offer up to 36TB native and 90TB compressed capacity, but it would be a missed opportunity if that support isn’t included.

Thunderbolt 5 achieves data transfer rates of up to 80Gbps (10GB/s) bi-directionally in standard mode, and up to 120Gbps in one direction when using Bandwidth Boost mode.

LTO-10 is expected to deliver read speeds of around 472MB/s, which is a step up from LTO-8 at 360MB/s and LTO-9 at 400MB/s.

MagStor says the Thunderbolt 5 LTO drive will be released by the end of 2025. Pricing has not yet been announced, but it's unlikely to be cheap.

The company’s LTO-9 Thunderbolt 3 drive retails for $6,299 and whether the added speed of Thunderbolt 5 will justify the inevitable price hike remains to be seen.

“At MagStor, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in data storage,” said Tim Gerhard, VP of Product at MagStor. “After revolutionizing the market with the first-ever Thunderbolt 3 LTO drive, we’re excited to raise the bar again with Thunderbolt 5, ensuring our customers have access to the most powerful and flexible storage solutions available.”

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Look, I love Windows, I do, I really do. It's one of those things that I just can't live without at this point. I've tried MacOS, I've tried Linux, I've even dabbled in the world of Android and Chromebooks during my time, and yet, none of it compares to Windows; it just doesn't.

There's a certain amount of familiarity, of indoctrination into that Microsoft cult that's rife in me. I grew up using Windows 98, and onwards, it was what I gamed on, what I studied on, what I made lifelong friends on—you name it. 98, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and finally we're here at Windows 11, at least until Microsoft inevitably tells us that its "final" operating system isn't its final operating system.

The thing is though, it really is a bag of spanners at times, and I've kinda developed this habit of going thermonuclear on my own machine at quite regular intervals over my lifetime.

Mostly by flattening and reinstalling Windows onto my PC every other month or so. Why? I'm glad you asked.

The need for an occasional refresh

Well, the thing is, although Windows gives you a lot of freedom and has broad compatibility with more programs than any other operating system out there, it does make it somewhat susceptible to bugs. Lots of them.

These can be inflicted by Microsoft directly through Windows Updates or drivers accidentally corrupting files or programs, or well, any number and manner of avenues.

The worst culprit, of course, is the classic "upgrade from the previous Windows version to this version." Just don't; it's never worth it.

Windows is great, but no operating system is designed to run perfectly forever. (Image credit: Microsoft)

See, registry files corrupt, file directories get mislabelled, and inevitably you'll end up with programs you forget about sitting in the background sucking up critical resources. It's just a bit crap like that, and ironically, although I do have a massive disdain towards macOS, I can't deny its closed-off ecosystem does avoid a lot of these pitfalls.

Whenever anyone asks me about a system bug or help with troubleshooting, my first and often instant reaction is to suggest just flattening the machine entirely and reinstalling a fresh version of Windows on top.

That's why I advocate tying a full-fat Windows license to your Microsoft account so you can easily reinstall and activate Windows 11 on your machine on a dime.

An arduous task

It does require some getting used to this salting-the-earth kind of strategy, but the benefits are just too great to ignore.

The first thing I recommend is splitting up your storage solution. In every build I've ever done, I've almost always recommended a two-storage drive system. The first and fastest of the two should be used as your main OS drive, and the second, usually slower, cheaper, and larger, being your media/games/back-up drive. Any valuable documents, assets, or big downloads live here.

What that allows you to do is keep all your games and important files on your D: drive, and then, whenever that re-install time comes a-calling, allow you to quickly flatten and re-install Windows on your C: drive.

If you've got slow internet or just can't be bothered to re-download everything, it is a huge time-saver doing it this way. You can get away with partitions, but it's far easier to accidentally delete the wrong one on your next Windows install.

Laptop, desktop; it doesn't matter, just give your hardware an OS break now and then. (Image credit: Sergey Kisselev / Behance.net / Microsoft)

It also helps really reduce program and document clutter and encourages good back-up practice too. If you know you're going to flatten a machine every 2-3 months, then the likelihood is you'll keep all of your important files and documents safely stored in the cloud, or off-site, backed up with solid authentication procedures as well.

You'll end up with a minimal desktop that's stupidly rapid, clean, up-to-date, and as error-free as Microsoft can muster. If you're building a new PC or transferring an old one to updated hardware, save yourself the hassle and just back up and move your most important files, download a fresh USB Windows Installer, and get cracking. I promise you it's worth it.

A new lease on (virtual) life

With that, and good internet education and practice, plus a solid VPN, you can then dump aftermarket antivirus as well and rely on good ol' Windows Defender. It's one of the best antivirus programs out there, and lacks the resource vampirism many third-party solutions have.

Worst-case scenario, you get tricked into opening a dodgy email or land on an odd website, and your machine gets whacked with some crypto-scam; just flatten it. Job done. Although again, I'd highly recommend just being a bit more internet savvy first.

The only thing I'd say if you do go this route, be careful on the device you do it on and prep accordingly. Some motherboards won't support ethernet or wireless connectivity without drivers too.

Grab your USB stick, get the Windows Installer setup on it, and then stick a folder in it called DRIVERS. Head to your motherboard's product page, grab the relevant drivers, then once you're finally on the desktop, you should be able to install all your chipsets and drivers and get that internet connectivity back, no sweat.

If you do get stuck on the "need to connect to the internet" Windows 11 install page, hit Shift + F10, click the command window, type OOBE\BYPASSNRO, and hit enter. The installer will reboot, and you'll now have the option to tell Microsoft you "don't have the internet" and continue with the installation regardless.

So yeah, PSA complete. I got 99 problems, and most of them are Microsoft-related. At least for about 20 minutes anyway.

• Solidigm shows off purple-colored, liquid-cooled SSDs at GTC 2025
• The design put me in mind of its limited-edition Lego SSD made for #122Day
• The Solidigm D7-PS1010 E1.S for AI servers will launch in late 2025

For the reveal of its 122.88TB D5-P5336 SSD on #122Day (January 22nd), Solidigm created a custom, limited-edition Lego version of its high-capacity drive for journalists and customers to build.

That promotional product, timed to also coincide with International Lego Day on January 28, feels like a fitting prelude to what the company showed off at GTC 2025.

Although there was nothing toy-like about Solidigm’s compact rack of liquid-cooled NVMe SSDs on display, it had the same visual flair, with a funky purple color scheme and a 9.5mm form factor.

Eliminating air cooling entirely

The demo featured the Solidigm D7-PS1010 E1.S mounted in a dense mini rack setup. Although the SSDs were liquid-cooled it wasn't done in the traditional sense.

There’s no fluid flowing through the drives themselves. Instead, they rely on server-mounted cold plates that make contact with both sides of the SSD casing.

ServeTheHome explains, “Instead of bringing the liquid into the SSD, and having to deal with quick disconnects and potentially losing a drop or two of fluid with each change, the server has coldplates. Then the SSDs are inserted into these coldplates which then cover a face of the SSD’s case, thereby keeping it cool.”

Unrelated, but very relevant, is the fact Nvidia showed off Kyber-based NVL576 racks at GTC.

Expected to launch in the second half of 2027, these could draw up to 600kW, and Nvidia hinted that future racks could require full megawatts of power.

In that kind of environment, every component - including storage - will need to shed heat efficiently, something Solidigm’s solution achieves without the need for fans.

As well as eliminating air cooling entirely, it will cut HVAC costs and support hot-swappable eSSDs.

The fun purple housing and small-scale rack configuration certainly made the display stand out among more conventional server demos at the event, but this isn’t a consumer product.

Solidigm designed the D7-PS1010, with input from Nvidia, specifically for enterprise and AI workloads, and plans to offer it in two versions: a 9.5mm model with liquid-cooling support and a 15mm version for air-cooled systems.

Launch is targeted for the second half of 2025.

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• Galaxy Watch 8 firmware models have appeared
• New smartwatches could appear in July
• It's not clear what upgrades the new watch could have

Given how regularly Samsung launches new smartwatches, we were already expecting a successor to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 this year, but now there's some actual evidence of the Galaxy Watch 8 actually being in development.

Tipster @theordysm (via SamMobile) has spotted firmware versions for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, and as you would expect there are different model numbers for versions with extra cellular connection capabilities on board.

It also looks as though there are going to be two sizes of the flagship smartwatch again this year. The current model is available in both 40 mm and 44 mm sizes, so you can pick the one that best matches your wrist size.

And that's just about all the information we can glean from this particular leak – that the Galaxy Watch 8 is indeed on the way. We'll have to wait for further leaks to get details on the upgrades and any design changes that might be in store.

Classics and Ultras

No surprises here, we know they're coming, Samsung's prepping for themHere are the latest test firmware infoBT/WI-FI:SM-L320/L330 ("GW8"): U0AYC4SM-L500 ("GW8C"): U0AYC4LTE (US):SM-L325U/L335U ("GW8"): U0AYC6SM-L505U ("GW8C"): U0AYC6 pic.twitter.com/CA3HZoc52xMarch 29, 2025

This isn't quite the first Galaxy Watch 8 leak we've seen. Back in December, the device name "Galaxy Watch 8 Classic" was spotted in an industry database – suggesting a Classic model, with a rotating bezel, could make a return in 2025.

There was no Classic model in 2024, but we did get the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra alongside the Galaxy Watch 7. Samsung may well launch a Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 this year as well, but there's been no sign of it so far.

We've also seen a patent suggesting Samsung is working on a watch strap that's more adjustable and more secure than the one on the current models – though it's unlikely the upgrade would be ready for this year's watches.

If Samsung sticks to its schedule from last year in 2025, we can expect the Galaxy Watch 8 to show up sometime in July – most likely alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7, so there's the potential for another big Unpacked launch event.

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ChatGPT is rapidly changing how we write, how we work – and maybe even how we think. So it makes sense that it stirs up strong emotions and triggers an instinct to figure out what’s real and what’s not.

But on LinkedIn, the hunt for AI-generated content has gone full Voight-Kampff. According to some, there’s now a surefire way to spot ChatGPT use: the em dash.

Yes, the punctuation mark officially defined by the width of one “em.” A favorite of James Joyce, Stephen King, and Emily Dickinson. A piece of punctuation that’s been around since at least the 1830s. So why is it suddenly suspicious? Is it really an AI tell or punctuation paranoia?

Describe, in single words, only the good things you know about the em dash

Rebecca Harper, Head of Content Marketing at auditing compliance platform ISMS.online, doesn’t think so: “I find the idea that it’s some kind of AI tell ridiculous. If we start policing good grammar out of fear of AI, we’re only making human writing worse!”

She’s right. The em dash isn’t some fringe punctuation mark. Sure, it’s used less often than its siblings – the en dash and the humble hyphen – and it’s more common in the US than the UK. But that doesn’t make it automatically suspicious.

Robert Andrews, a Senior Editor, explains that this is a difference in style rather than a smoking gun: “It’s not just a marker of AI, but of US English and AP Style. It’s quite alien to UK journalism training and style, at least my own, albeit long ago. But increasingly encountered in AP Style environments - (or –, or —) unsurprising that this would flow into LLMs.”

I’m not getting into the weeds of when and why you’d use an em dash over a hyphen. It’s boring, and despite writing professionally for close to two decades, I’m not sure I even know. But I can vouch for the fact that I’ve written for plenty of US outlets where the em dash was simply house style – years before ChatGPT turned up.

And that’s likely why it’s become a so-called “tell.” The em dash is ChatGPT’s default dash. Probably because it was trained on mountains of US English content, where that style is totally normal.

Still, because it’s slightly less common in some circles, people have latched onto it as a tell. Chris McNabb, Chief Technology Officer at eGroup Communications, makes this case: “I think it's a strong indicator, especially when you see it being used often by one person. Typically most people aren't going to long press the dash key to even use the en dash BUT AI such as ChatGPT uses it by default in a lot of cases. So yes when you do see an em dash particularly more than one in a message it's a pretty safe bet for a majority of posts.”

So now, some people are actively scrubbing their em dashes to avoid suspicion. Editors, marketers, and content folks are switching them out for commas or full stops just to avoid being mistaken for a ChatGPT user.

Lauren Kennelly, Brand Services Director at brand agency Manifest Group has felt that pressure: “I had this chat with a colleague recently. Proper use of an em dash is not just grammatically correct, which is important in our industry, it's also part of our Manifest brand ID. But I've now programmed ChatGPT to drop it from anything I'm using to help me edit for fear of losing engagement or being judged for using AI.”

Capillary dilation of the dash response

So—is the em dash a tell? No. Well, maybe. But not in isolation. “It depends on the context,” says Will Moore, Manager of Communications and Brand Awareness at networking company Tailscale. “If it's from a writer or someone I know who cares deeply about well-written content, no. If my 12-year-old son uses them in his homework, it paints a different picture,” he tells me.

And that’s the real issue here, context. There are signs of AI-generated content. Especially the kind we often call AI slop. Like clunky syntax, emoji-stuffed bullet points, bizarre transitions, and overly chirpy marketing speak. But even those aren’t as reliable anymore.

Some say better AI detection tools are the answer. In theory, maybe. In reality? Not so much. I ran a completely human-written paragraph through one just before I wrote this article and it flagged it as “probably AI.” Unless this is the anticlimactic moment I discover I’m a replicant, the tools just aren’t good enough.

There have been efforts to watermark AI-generated content or embed metadata, but whether that’s technically feasible (or even a priority for the companies building these tools) remains to be seen.

What actually makes AI-generated content obvious, more often than not, is bad prompting. Rushed inputs lead to rushed outputs. But a thoughtful prompt, a decent edit, a personal touch? That’s much harder to detect.

So maybe we’re not flagging AI at all. Maybe we’re just flagging laziness. Because most people I know who use AI tools regularly aren’t handing over the entire process to ChatGPT. They’re using it for headlines, phrasing, and proofreading. It's helping them to do their work, not doing it for them.

But we live in a world of automation, productivity hacks, and hustle culture. So of course people use AI for everything, under the (sometimes false) belief that it saves time.

As a writer, I get the frustration. I’ll spend hours carefully crafting a piece, then watch something clearly half-baked and AI-churned rack up the views.

There’s also the elephant in the room: AI tools don’t come free. They carry a significant environmental cost and, depending on who you ask, a massive ethical one, too.

Still, the witch hunt is exhausting. And kind of pointless. Because even if someone has used AI if they’ve also put in the work – refined it, edited it, made it their own – you probably won’t be able to tell anyway.

I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe… like the em dash being cancelled

Maybe we’ll look back on this moment and laugh. Or cringe. Maybe the AI bubble will burst, and human-made content will feel valuable again. Or maybe AI will become so deeply embedded, so seamless, that trying to tell the difference will feel quaint.

Until then, let’s stop blaming punctuation. Because what we’re really afraid of isn’t the em dash. It’s the slow, creeping erosion of what’s real. And honestly? It’s painful to live in fear. Isn’t it?

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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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 30 (game #1161).

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 #1162) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1162) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1162) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do 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 #1162) - 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 #1162) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• M

• W

• B

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

Quordle today (game #1162) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1162, are…

• RECUT
• MOODY
• WHERE
• BRACE

After a run of checking out after seven guesses, I hit a small bump in the road today but still got lucky and completed Quordle with a line to spare.

RECUT was very tricky as it wasn't the most obvious word from the letters I had available (but both truce and cruet were not possible) and it took me a while to realize there were no other possibilities.

Meanwhile, a huge slice of good fortune getting a word in two goes helped me beat my Daily Sequence hoodoo and return to winning ways.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1162) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1162, are…

• FLANK
• JUICE
• ALOOF
• THRUM

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1161, Sunday 30 March: CRIME, DRINK, CLOVE, TRUER
• Quordle #1160, Saturday 29 March: LATER, ODDLY, CUMIN, AGREE
• Quordle #1159, Friday 28 March: TERSE, MUSHY, PROVE, FROND
• Quordle #1158, Thursday 27 March: CRONE, APNEA, LIGHT, AWOKE
• Quordle #1157, Wednesday 26 March: LEFTY, NOOSE, NOISE, TRIAD
• Quordle #1156, Tuesday 25 March: SNEER, WATCH, FLORA, STAIN
• Quordle #1155, Monday 24 March: FLOUT, SMASH, RAZOR, SMALL
• Quordle #1154, Sunday 23 March: ALLEY, GAMUT, GEESE, RADII
• Quordle #1153, Saturday 22 March: PICKY, BRACE, BOOZE, SURLY
• Quordle #1152, Friday 21 March: DITTY, VALOR, TOWER, AMISS
• Quordle #1151, Thursday 20 March: RIPER, STILL, WAFER, NOTCH
• Quordle #1150, Wednesday 19 March: FLAME, CARAT, SPAWN, TUNIC
• Quordle #1149, Tuesday 18 March: NAVEL, TREAT, COPSE, SLINK
• Quordle #1148, Monday 17 March: INFER, FLINT, CHUMP, SHEER
• Quordle #1147, Sunday 16 March: INPUT, RUMBA, ELUDE, BLANK
• Quordle #1146, Saturday 15 March: SPEED, CLASH, RISKY, GRATE
• Quordle #1145, Friday 14 March: BELIE, SPEAR, GROWL, ADOBE
• Quordle #1144, Thursday 13 March: AMISS, METAL, TEARY, SHORT
• Quordle #1143, Wednesday 12 March: AWASH, PUSHY, RALPH, PROOF
• Quordle #1142, Tuesday 11 March: LINGO, JUICE, SHARP, REVEL

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 30 (game #658).

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 #659) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• FORE
• WORD
• DEPOSIT
• TOO
• PUT AWAY
• SCREEN
• ATE
• BALANCE
• BESIDES
• HORSE
• TRANSFER
• TO BOOT
• HAD
• AS WELL
• TOOK IN
• WITHDRAWAL

NYT Connections today (game #659) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Absorbed 
• GREEN: An addition
• BLUE: Banking
• PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “say”

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 #659) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CONSUMED 
• GREEN: ALSO 
• BLUE: ATM OPTIONS
• PURPLE: __PLAY 

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

NYT Connections today (game #659) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #659, are…

• YELLOW: CONSUMED ATE, HAD, PUT AWAY, TOOK IN
• GREEN: ALSO AS WELL, BESIDES, TO BOOT, TOO
• BLUE: ATM OPTIONS BALANCE, DEPOSIT, TRANSFER, WITHDRAWAL
• PURPLE: __PLAY FORE, HORSE, SCREEN, WORD

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

After my worst ever Connections yesterday I was relieved to return to winning ways, but also experienced that rarest of pleasures (for me at least) of actually getting the purple group.

I wasn’t particularly thinking ATM OPTIONS, more just banking terminology, but I was happy to begin with the blue group – even if this seemed a very easy blue group.

Initially I was thinking the word “silver” was a link for SCREEN and HORSE (I’ve got a vague memory of silver horse being used to describe a motorcycle), before I realized _PLAY was the connecting word.

I should be feeling quite clever, but not seeing the yellow group at all suggests this run was down to luck rather than Connections skill.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 30 March, game #658)

• YELLOW: AVERAGE MEAN, NORM, PAR, STANDARD
• GREEN: PICTURED ON THE U.S. GREAT SEAL ARROWS, EAGLE, OLIVE BRANCH, SHIELD
• BLUE: PROPER NOUNS IN BROADWAY MUSICAL TITLES THAT ARE SPOKEN
• PHRASES BIRDIE, DOLLY, KATE, YANKEES
• PURPLE: __MAN BOGEY, CRAFTS, GENTLE, SPOKES

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 30 (game #392).

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 #393) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… That's an equine of a different shade!

NYT Strands today (game #393) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• LOSS
• LOSE
• LION
• RUNS
• BUSH
• HOOK

NYT Strands today (game #393) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 14 letters

NYT Strands today (game #393) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 5th column

Last side: bottom, 2nd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #393) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #393, are…

• ROAN
• DAPPLE
• BUCKSKIN
• CHESTNUT
• PALOMINO
• SPANGRAM: HORSE COLORINGS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 4 hints

Even with four hints I still struggled with today’s word search. I guess I have spent my entire life ignoring HORSE COLORINGS.

The only color I tapped out with confidence was CHESTNUT and this is only because Chestnut Mare by The Byrds is my fourth favorite song about horses. Give it a listen, it’s quite mad.

My top three, incidentally, are Crazy Horses by The Osmonds (for the giggles), the theme tune to the 1960s TV show White Horses (for the innocence of youth), and Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones (for the melancholy majesty).

Also, as previously discussed, Spangrams that begin in the center of the puzzle are an abomination and should be banned by the international puzzling authorities.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 30 March, game #392)

• BASS 
• ALTO
• SOPRANO
• TENOR
• TREBLE
• BARITONE
• MEZZO
• SPANGRAM: CHOIR PART

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.

Severance season 2 may be over (read my Severance season 2 ending explained piece and Severance season 3 hub for more details on where things may go next) but you won't want to cancel your Apple TV+ subscription just yet.

Indeed, there are plenty more fantastic TV shows to enjoy throughout April on one of the world's best streaming services. Okay, there aren't any new movies for the film buffs among you to be entertained on the platform. Apple's specialty is creating unmissable TV Originals, though, and it just so happens that you'll be well stocked on that front between now and April 30.

From new episodes of Apple's latest TV hit The Studio to brand-new offerings including Your Friends & Neighbors and Government Cheese, I'm certain you'll find something worth watching with the aid of this guide. So, read on to find your next favorite Apple TV+ series!

April 2

There aren't many episodes left of Berlin ER to enjoy (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Berlin ER episode 7
• The Studio episode 3

April 4

Dope Thief will be halfway through its episodic run in early April (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Dope Thief episode 5
• Surface season 2 episode 7

April 9

There'll be many new episodes of The Studio to enjoy throughout the month (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Berlin ER episode 8
• The Studio episode 4

April 11

The Surface season 2 finale airs in mid-April (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Dope Thief episode 6
• Surface season 2 episode 8
• Your Friends & Neighbors episodes 1 and 2

April 16

Government Cheese arrives with a four-episode premiere in mid-April (Image credit: Apple TV+)

• Government Cheese episodes 1 to 4
• The Studio episode 5

April 18

The third episode of Your Friends & Neighbors will be released on April 18 (Image credit: Apple TV+)

• Dope Thief episode 7
• Jane's Animal Adventures season 3 episodes 1 to 5
• Your Friends & Neighbors episode 3

April 23

Five episodes of The Studio down, five more to go! (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Government Cheese episode 5
• The Studio episode 6

April 25

Dope Thief's final episode will launch on Apple TV+ before April ends (Image credit: Apple TV+)

• Dope Thief episode 8
• Your Friends & Neighbors episode 4

April 30

Careme makes its streaming debut on the final day of April (Image credit: Apple TV+)

• Carême episodes 1 and 2
• Government Cheese episode 6
• The Studio episode 7

For more Apple TV+ coverage, read our guides on the best Apple TV+ movies, Ted Lasso season 4, Slow Horses season 5, and Foundation season 3.

• Google says new Nest devices are in the pipeline
• We can expect the gadgets "in the coming months and years"
• Two older pieces of hardware have been discontinued

If you were getting the impression that Google's focus on Pixel phones and AI models meant that the company was ignoring its Nest smart home kit, think again: Google says "more helpful home devices" are on the way "in the coming months and years".

That promise of future hardware was made in a blog post (via 9to5Google) that also announced that the Nest Protect smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector, and the Nest x Yale Lock smart lock, were being discontinued.

It's perhaps no surprise that it's the end of the line for those two pieces of hardware, which haven't been updated in several years – but it seems Google remains committed to smart home devices and to the Nest brand in general.

The blog post points to the Google TV Streamer and the 4th-gen Nest Thermostat (both launched last August) as evidence that it's still interested in hardware for the home, even if there haven't been a huge number of launches in recent times.

New Nests

The Nest Audio was launched in 2020 (Image credit: Future)

Besides the streaming box and smart thermostat, the current Nest range of devices covers security cameras, video doorbells, smart speakers, and smart displays. It sounds as though at least some of those gadgets could be updated this year.

We know that Google is busy swapping out Google Assistant for Google Gemini on its devices and in its software, so that would appear to be a good reason to push out some updated Nest speakers and displays as well.

New models are certainly due: the last new smart speaker we had was the Nest Audio, launched in September 2020, while the most recent smart display to arrive was the 2nd-gen Nest Hub, which made its debut in March 2021.

Amazon is busy upgrading Alexa on its smart home hardware, which might push Google into action – and there are even reports that Echo speakers and displays could be rebranded as Alexa devices in the near future.

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• CIA-backed In-Q-Tel invests in Cerabyte, showing interest in long-term storage
• Cerabyte’s tech offers 5000-year durability using ceramic plates
• In-Q-Tel's support aligns with government need for secure archival storage

We’ve written about Cerabyte a few times in the past, as the storage startup is developing ultra-durable, high-density archival data storage based on ceramic nanolayers.

Although it’s still in the relatively early stages of development, Cerabyte’s technology is pitched as a sustainable, scalable alternative to magnetic tapes and optical discs for long-term data preservation.

In 2024, Pure Storage made a strategic investment of $5 million in Cerabyte, with founder John “Coz” Colgrove joining Cerabyte’s board of directors as part of the deal. Now company has now announced a strategic partnership with In-Q-Tel (IQT), the nonprofit strategic investor for the US national security community, founded in the 1990s by the CIA.

Meeting national security needs

Unlike traditional magnetic or flash-based media, Cerabyte’s approach uses laser or electron beam writing to encode data onto ceramic glass plates that are resistant to heat, radiation, water, and electromagnetic interference.

The company claims this medium could offer data retention for over 5,000 years, making it ideal for cold storage in data centers, scientific institutions and government archives.

Details of the size of the investment haven’t been revealed but the backing from IQT suggests growing interest in long-term archival storage solutions from both government and commercial sectors.

“Cerabyte’s innovative technology can significantly enhance storage longevity and reliability while also reducing long-term costs and complexity,” said Greg Shipley, Managing Director, IQT Munich.

“This strategic partnership aligns with our mission to deliver advanced technologies that meet the needs of the national security community.”

The National Academies recently conducted a Rapid Expert Consultation on archival data storage technologies at the request of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

IQT’s support comes at a time of increasing governmental concern around the need to manage and preserve vast amounts of classified data over periods of 25 to 50 years (the typical time before declassification).

“As the world enters the age of AI and the use of digital information becomes unprecedentedly versatile and volatile, the need for permanent, immutable records has never been greater,” said Christian Pflaum, co-founder and CEO of Cerabyte.

“The strategic partnership with IQT validates our mission and fuels our ability to deliver accessible permanent data storage solutions.”

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• New video of 'revolutionary' ceramic storage technology emerges

Harry Potter TV show: key information

- Will debut on HBO in 2026 or 2027
- Filming begins in mid-2025
- No official trailer released yet
- John Lithgow confirmed to play Albus Dumbledore
- Rest of the cast still under wraps
- Plot will follow J.K. Rowling's books
- Show will last ten consecutive years

The Harry Potter TV show will debut on HBO in 2026 or 2027. Magical news, though we're wishing it were sooner.

It's been well over a decade since the final Harry Potter movie graced our screens, and whilst Fantastic Beasts has carried the torch somewhat, the prospect of a TV adaptation is incredibly exciting. It's a billion-dollar franchise that has captured the hearts of fans across the world and with one of the best streaming services taking the reins, there's a lot of anticipation around what they will do.

If you've not watched the movies, well, we don't quite know what to say. In the briefest way we can describe it – it's all about the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter as he joins Hogwarts to fulfil a destiny much larger than he could've ever imagined - against the incredibly powerful he who shall not be named.

And fans can breath a sigh of relief after Max's global rollout in 2024 means watching the series when it finally comes out is going to be a lot easier for everybody. Unsurprisingly, with one of the biggest book and movie franchises to ever grace the big screens, there's a lot of hype around it coming to our small screens. So, wands at the ready, here's everything we know so far about the Harry Potter TV show from release date, to predicted cast, to plot snyopsis, trailers, news, rumors and more.

Full spoilers to follow for all the Harry Potter movies.

Harry Potter TV show: is there a release date?

Wands at the ready. The upcoming HBO Original Series, #HarryPotter, will be filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden with production beginning in Summer 2025 and coming to Max. pic.twitter.com/6JSOA20w52December 5, 2024

Unfortunately, there's no release date to share just yet. Though Deadline have revealed that the series is expected to be released in 2026 or 2027, following an announcement by Warner Bros. Discovery global streaming chief, JB Perrette.

It has also been confirmed, as shown in the above tweet, that filming will commence in Leavesden this summer, in the same location as the previous eight movies. So, while there's time to wait, it gives us plenty of opportunity to dust off our wands and brooms for its arrival.

Harry Potter TV show: has a trailer been released?

With filming yet to commence, there's no trailer to share. For now, only a short teaser has been released by Max when the show was first announced, showing little but floating candles assembling the boy wizard's name.

As we loom ever closer to the eventual Harry Potter TV show release date though, we'll be sure to update here when we get even a hint of magic to share.

Harry Potter TV show: confirmed and predicted cast

A post shared by Harry Potter (@harrypotter)

A photo posted by on

Potential spoilers follow for the Harry Potter TV show.

First and foremost, in June 2024, it was revealed that Harry Potter TV show lands a magical creative duo with a showrunner in Francesca Gardiner and head director in Mark Mylod. And they've been busy ever since casting magical hires to play the iconic roles of the franchise in a total revamp from the movies. Though only two actor have been confirmed so far and one of them is John Lithgow as Professor Albus Dumbledore.

As revealed by Screen Rant, Lithgow revealed the offer to play the iconic Hogwarts headmaster "was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited." Adding: "I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes."

The second confirmed cast member so far is Nick Frost, who – according to an exclusive feature from Deadline – will play Rubeus Hagrid. And while that hasn't been officially announced by HBO, Frost himself has given cryptic clues to suggest that it is the case.

A post shared by Nick Frost (@friedgold)

A photo posted by on

The biggest question that everyone's asking though is who will play Harry, Ron and Hermione? In September 2024, an open casting call started circulating online, and it's authenticity was then confirmed by HBO to Variety. And reportedly some 32,000 kids auditioned for the leading trio. No surprise given the sheer success of the franchise.

Though casting is now closed, it read: "Please prepare a short poem or story of your choosing. It can be from your favorite book, a poem that you love, a monologue from a play or something you've created yourself. Please, nothing from 'Harry Potter'. Please use your own accents. 30 seconds maximum!" Alongside a request for a longer self-tape with more information about the actor.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Other than Dumbledore's casting, there are plenty of actors that have been predicted to join the cast, though these are unconfirmed at time of writing. As per Deadline though, it has been reported that HBO is closing on Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall, though Sharon Horgan was also in consideration, and Paapa Essiedu is the next potential Professor Severus Snape, first exclusively reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Though HBO commented: "We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals."

And we'll hold confirm these deals as soon as we hear more. With filming taking place this summer though, we're sure these announcements will come thick and fast.

Harry Potter TV show: story synopsis and rumors

The Harry Potter TV show will follow closely alongside the books (Image credit: Warner Bros)

Full spoilers follow for Harry Potter.

It's been years in the making as we first reported rumors surrounding a Harry Potter TV adaptation in January 2021. But, news of the Harry Potter TV show was first officially announced in April 2023 by Warner Bros. Discovery. As reported in Deadline, the show will have J.K Rowling as an executive producer, and will be "a faithful take on her classic Harry Potter books with a new cast." So, when it comes to the plot, if you've read the books or seen the movies, you'll know exactly what's about to happen.

For the TV show though, it'll be another long-running adaptation, but this time even longer, with CEO David Zaslav saying: "It's really moving, for ten consecutive years, people will see Harry Potter on HBO; I mean it's really something." Which means the story that J.K. Rowling told over seven world-building novels will have an opportunity to unravel across countless hours.

Deadline also revealed that the show will stick to the "canonical" ages of its characters, which unlike the movies means that certain characters will be much younger than their movie counterparts. The report divulges that showrunner Gardiner had described the show as offering up a "bigger sandpit to play in", as well as including more activity from Hogwarts staff and "having fun with Peeves in the corridor". Mylod also added that he will "dig into the depths and crevices of Hogwarts".

With ten consecutive years to play with, there's obviously a lot more room for storytelling given the film franchise adapted the seven books into eight movies and the TV show is reportedly going for ten whole seasons.

Will there be more seasons of Harry Potter?

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Absolutely. As discussed above, the Harry Potter TV show will follow closely alongside J.K. Rowling's books in the same way the movies did and, as confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, will run for "ten consecutive years". Ten years of more Harry Potter? We're feeling utterly spoilt.

Though there has been some mixed feelings surrounding the show regarding J.K. Rowling's criticism of transgender rights and transgender issues in recent years. Onboard as an executive producer for the TV adaptation, her continued comments could affect the show overall. But Warner Bros. has stood behind her continued collaboration in the franchise with a clear statement to Variety: "J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement."

If, like us, the impending arrival of the Harry Potter TV show has left you contemplating another (or first ever) run through of the iconic movie franchise, then here's how to watch the Harry Potter movies in order and you can always delve into the ever-contentious discussion of the best Harry Potter movies ranked, from worst to best.

For more Max-based coverage, read our guides on The Last of Us season 2, House of the Dragon season 3, and Euphoria season 3.

• DapuStor joins Solidigm and co with 122.88TB high-capacity enterprise SSD
• Only available in China for now, the new drive is an upgrade of the 61.44TB J5060 SSD
• Firmware and DRAM upgrades boost throughput and responsiveness

Remember when 122.88TB SSDs were a rarity? Solidigm was the first to launch one, and since then Samsung, Phison, SanDisk, and Kioxia have followed with their own high-capacity enterprise drives.

Now joining that illustrious club is DapuStor. When we covered the Chinese company’s 61.44TB J5060 SSD (developed with input from Solidigm) we noted that a 122.88TB version was planned for 2025. That drive has now been officially revealed, sort of.

If you visit DapuStor’s Chinese homepage, you’ll see the 122TB QLC J5060 briefly appear before vanishing as the site redirects to its English version. With a bit of digging, however, it’s possible to access the official announcement.

Not just a capacity milestone

“For personal users, this SSD can store 11,000 90-minute 4K movies,” DapuStor says.

“While that sounds more like a fun fact, it reflects the strong combination of technology and convenience. For enterprise customers, especially those dealing with high-density deployments, the J5060 122TB provides at least five times the usable storage space compared to a 24TB HDD, helping save rack space and deployment costs.”

DapuStor continues to use the U.2 interface for easy drop-in HDD replacement and energy efficiency is a big focus.

The company's announcement says the J5060 consumes just 13W during operation, with idle power as low as 2.5W. This “helps data centers reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining performance.”

That performance gets a bump over the 61TB model thanks to DRAM and firmware optimizations.

Sequential reads hit 7.3GB/s, writes reach 6.8GB/s, 4K random reads top out at 1500K IOPS, and 16KB random writes land at 45K IOPS. Latency stays under 100μs.

“As one of the earliest adopters of QLC in the enterprise space, DapuStor continues to push boundaries. 122.88TB is not just a capacity milestone - it reflects the company’s confidence in the maturity and reliability of QLC technology," the announcement crows.

"With strong validation behind its QLC SSDs, DapuStor is helping customers confidently transition into the era of ultra-high-capacity storage.”

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• Insecure solar systems allow cybercriminals to steal data and ransom access
• Millions of solar inverters remain vulnerable to severe cybersecurity threats
• Forescout – Vedere uncover flaws allowing attackers to take full control over solar systems

The increasing use of solar power has exposed critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities in inverters, cloud computing services, and monitoring platforms, creating an insecure ecosystem where hackers can manipulate energy production, disrupt power grids, and steal sensitive data, posing serious risks to global energy infrastructure, experts have warned.

A study by Forescout – Vedere Labs identified 46 new vulnerabilities across three major solar inverter manufacturers, including Sungrow, Growatt, and SMA. Previous findings showed that 80% of reported vulnerabilities were high or critical in severity, with some reaching the highest CVSS scores.

Over the past three years, an average of 10 new vulnerabilities have been disclosed annually, with 32% carrying a CVSS score of 9.8 or 10, indicating that attackers could fully compromise affected systems.

Millions of solar power systems face security risks

Many solar inverters connect directly to the internet, making them easy targets for cybercriminals. Attackers can exploit outdated firmware, weak authentication mechanisms, and unencrypted data transmissions to gain control.

Exposed APIs allow hackers to enumerate user accounts, reset credentials (ideally stored in password managers) to default values, and manipulate inverter settings, leading to power disruptions.

Additionally, insecure object references and cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities could expose user emails, physical addresses, and energy consumption data, violating privacy regulations such as GDPR.

Beyond grid instability, compromised inverters create further risks, including data theft, financial manipulation, and smart home hijacking - some vulnerabilities allow attackers to take control of electric vehicle chargers and smart plugs.

Cybercriminals could also alter inverter settings to influence energy prices or demand ransom payments to restore system functionality. As a result, the report recommends that manufacturers should prioritize patches, adopt secure coding practices, and conduct regular penetration testing.

Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and adhering to cybersecurity frameworks like NIST IR 8259 could help mitigate risks.

Regulators are also urged to classify solar inverters as critical infrastructure and enforce security standards such as ETSI EN 303 645 to ensure compliance with best practices.

For solar system owners and operators, securing installations requires isolating solar devices on separate networks, enabling security monitoring, and following guidelines from organizations like the U.S. Department of Energy to reduce risks.

Installing the best antivirus software adds an extra layer of defense against threats, while deploying the best endpoint protection solutions further safeguards connected devices from cyberattacks targeting solar infrastructure.

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• Adapting the UK’s cyber ecosystem

Welcome to our live coverage of World Backup Day, which starts early on Sunday, the 30th (midnight GMT, but there is already 1300 in Auckland, New Zealand). We will update this live blog a few times today, with our real-time coverage of the day starting at 0830 UK time with regular updates throughout Monday, March 31st.

Making sure your data is safe and protected has never been so important as we continue our way in the wild world of digital transformation, but with so much to do these days, it can sometimes go forgotten. Don't worry though, we've rounded up

• advice from our experts to make sure your data is protected.
• horror tales from our team and elsewhere to remind you of what can happen
• exclusive deals from our backup partners to keep your data safe
• backup content from our extensive archive
• data backup stories around the world
• And much more!

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What is World Backup Day anyway

World Backup Day was founded by Ismail Jadun on a subreddit back on the 30th of March 2011, the day before April's fool. That date was not chosen randomly as it gave birth to the event's tagline, Don't be an April Fool. Backup your data. World Backup Day is now an annual fixture in the global tech calendar with tens of thousands of articles and mentions every year and a multi-lingual website(ed: Unfortunately, we couldn't find the original Reddit post).

Back in the days, backup was solely mostly on shiny discs because they were so cheap (Image credit: sattahipbeach / Shutterstock) The World Backup Day Pledge

It's almost the start of World Backup Day in New Zealand where it is 1 minute past midnight on Monday 31st of March, the last day of the first quarter of 2025. WBD even have a semi-official pledge: “I solemnly swear to backup my important documents and precious memories on March 31st. #WorldBackupDay”. Backup, of course, applies both to consumers and businesses as well and in large enterprises, falls under the remit of the CDO or Chief Data officer. Maybe someone should write such a pledge for businesses after all.

• Chinese company DapuStor builds high capacity ultra-fast enterprise SSDs
• Its 1-DWPD Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB SSD seriously impressed in a new review
• An "engineering masterpiece," the SSD delivered record read speeds

DapuStor is a Chinese start-up specializing in the development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade SSDs - and although you’ve possibly never heard of it, it makes very large - and very fast - storage products.

At the start of 2025, TweakTown tested DapuStor’s J5060 61.44TB SSD against a number of enterprise SSDs, including Solidigm's same size beast, and came away impressed with the drive’s superior read performance, declaring it to be “the most efficient SSD of its capacity point currently in circulation”. A new 122.88TB version of that SSD has been spotted online, and we look forward to seeing how it compares.

Before that, however, TweakTown managed to get its hands on another DapuStor product, the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB Enterprise SSD. It may not be anywhere near as big as the J5060, but – spoiler alert – it is incredibly fast.

An engineering masterpiece

Introducing the new drive, TweakTown says, “The new SSD is built on DapuStor's in-house developed DP800 controller and firmware. The new series features a PCIe 5.0 interface and 3D eTLC NAND Flash. Supporting the NVMe 2.0 protocol, it delivers twice the performance of PCIe 4.0 SSDs.”

The 1-DWPD (1 Drive Write Per Day) SSD proved to offer blistering performance in the tests that TweakTown put it through, leading the site to declare the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB PCIe Gen5 x4 U.2 SSD to be an “engineering masterpiece”, scoring it 100% for performance, quality, features and overall.

In summing up his findings, TweakTown’s Senior Hardware Editor Jon Coulter gushed, “The drive delivers a record breaking 3.62 million 4K random read IOPS at QD512. This is a whopping 10% more than anything we've encountered previously. Additionally, its 14,600 MB/s sequential read throughput is right up there with the best of them, as is its over 11,000 MB/s sequential write throughput.”

That level of throughput alone would be impressive, but it’s only part of the story.

“Then there is its mixed workload prowess where our 1-DWPD test subject delivers more than anything in its class at queue depths of up to 64. Its mixed workload performance is so good that it can hang in with 3-DWPD SSDs at queue depths of up to 16. And finally, as perfectly illustrated by our preconditioning charts, the R6101 7.68TB delivers QOS that is as good as we've ever seen,” Coulter concluded.

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• These are the fastest SSDs that you can buy right now
• And these are the largest SSDs and HDDs on the market
• Is this the faster 61.44TB SSD out there? DapuStor J5060 is a speed freak

• Chinese company DapuStor builds high capacity ultra-fast enterprise SSDs
• Its 1-DWPD Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB SSD seriously impressed in a new review
• An "engineering masterpiece," the SSD delivered record read speeds

DapuStor is a Chinese start-up specializing in the development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade SSDs - and although you’ve possibly never heard of it, it makes very large - and very fast - storage products.

At the start of 2025, TweakTown tested DapuStor’s J5060 61.44TB SSD against a number of enterprise SSDs, including Solidigm's same size beast, and came away impressed with the drive’s superior read performance, declaring it to be “the most efficient SSD of its capacity point currently in circulation”. A new 122.88TB version of that SSD has been spotted online, and we look forward to seeing how it compares.

Before that, however, TweakTown managed to get its hands on another DapuStor product, the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB Enterprise SSD. It may not be anywhere near as big as the J5060, but – spoiler alert – it is incredibly fast.

An engineering masterpiece

Introducing the new drive, TweakTown says, “The new SSD is built on DapuStor's in-house developed DP800 controller and firmware. The new series features a PCIe 5.0 interface and 3D eTLC NAND Flash. Supporting the NVMe 2.0 protocol, it delivers twice the performance of PCIe 4.0 SSDs.”

The 1-DWPD (1 Drive Write Per Day) SSD proved to offer blistering performance in the tests that TweakTown put it through, leading the site to declare the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB PCIe Gen5 x4 U.2 SSD to be an “engineering masterpiece”, scoring it 100% for performance, quality, features and overall.

In summing up his findings, TweakTown’s Senior Hardware Editor Jon Coulter gushed, “The drive delivers a record breaking 3.62 million 4K random read IOPS at QD512. This is a whopping 10% more than anything we've encountered previously. Additionally, its 14,600 MB/s sequential read throughput is right up there with the best of them, as is its over 11,000 MB/s sequential write throughput.”

That level of throughput alone would be impressive, but it’s only part of the story.

“Then there is its mixed workload prowess where our 1-DWPD test subject delivers more than anything in its class at queue depths of up to 64. Its mixed workload performance is so good that it can hang in with 3-DWPD SSDs at queue depths of up to 16. And finally, as perfectly illustrated by our preconditioning charts, the R6101 7.68TB delivers QOS that is as good as we've ever seen,” Coulter concluded.

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• These are the fastest SSDs that you can buy right now
• And these are the largest SSDs and HDDs on the market
• Is this the faster 61.44TB SSD out there? DapuStor J5060 is a speed freak

ITX has had a hell of a battle over the years.

It's a form factor that naturally draws quite a bit of ire depending on which side of the great PC gaming form-factor debate you sit. For those that love it, ITX and SFF machines are the stuff of legends. Intricately complex builds, ungodly power, and a real David-vs-Goliath kinda gaming rig.

For the full-tower fans, they're pointless, overly hot, and lack the full connectivity that you'd find in a more robust, balanced chassis and form factor.

For me, I 100% live life in that first category. In fact, I wouldn't have a career in hardware journalism if it weren't for building a machine inside of Bitfenix's now legendary Prodigy ITX gaming chassis from way back when in 2013 and showing it off to PC Format's editor back in the day.

It's not all been glamorous, of course. Motherboards have often been lacking, case design has been pretty terrible at times, and there are all manner of cooling and cabling problems that have needed to be overcome. But I honestly feel like we're in a position now that, technologically at least, ITX is in a place where for the vast majority of power users, there's no major difference between it and a big boy build.

The challenges of building in compact cases

That's the big thing too: a lot of the problems that ITX initially faced, even less than a decade ago, stemmed from how we managed hardware.

For instance, ATX builds once used to be able to house multiple graphics cards running in SLI or Crossfire, but over time that was whittled down to just two cards, until finally, with Nvidia's 30 series, support was removed entirely.

There's no major difference between running an RTX 5090 in an ITX build than there is in a full E-ATX setup, and in fact, you'll notice that pretty much every motherboard now only comes with a single (usually reinforced by some "armor" or gimmick) PCIe x16 slot up top for the graphics card. But just one.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Then there's the M.2 conundrum, and again, ITX used to be massively disadvantaged here as well.

Yet similarly, as NAND density has increased and cost decreased, along with some clever and quite intuitive raised PCBs and M.2 slot designs, it's quite easy to find ITX motherboards with two or even three M.2 slots.

Combine that with one of the best SSD you can get your hands on for your OS drive and a nice chunky backup SSD for your secondary storage, and once again, you're already well-equipped to compete with larger mid-tower cases for the vast majority of people.

I could go on, but the fact is that ITX today, from cases to coolers to the hardware we use, is really nowhere near as limited as it used to be. Even processor performance, with auto-turbo galore, isn't exactly held back anymore. But the question remains: Why bother? What's the point? Why do I care so much?

Power in small packages

It matters because ITX represents that defining principle of modern-day technology of the last 30 years. In my lifetime, I've seen tech shrink and become more powerful time and time again. It might be because I'm a short(ish) fellow, but there's something quite admirable I find about a tiny but mighty build.

That Moore's Law-esque power creep, or the sleeper build housing ungodly performance in a form factor that could fit in an entertainment center in a living room. It's like rocking up to a drag race with a seemingly clapped-out VW Caddy Mk1, only to know you've got a 500-horsepower engine under the hood. It has that vibe, and I love it.

(Image credit: Geekom)

Over the years, I've built countless PCs and published hundreds of build logs, pursuing all manner of hardware launches and gimmicky headlines designed to entice the reader in pushing the limit of what's possible with off-the-shelf hardware. And time and time again, the builds that stick with me aren't the crazy $10,000 dream machines or the full-fledged RTX 5090 E-ATX monsters; no, it's the ITX ones.

Don't get me wrong, I'm screaming at them each and every time I build them as I struggle with cable management or liquid-cooling runs, but deep down, I love that form factor more than anything else. And if you haven't given it a shot and are looking for a PC building challenge, and a rig that not only delivers on the performance but also takes up a fraction of the space, I highly recommend giving it a go.

You might also like...

• I’m suddenly really excited about Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 – but probably not for the reason you’re expecting
• PC case sizes explained: all form factors available in 2025
• The Asus ROG NUC carries the torch for Intel's mini gaming PC dreams, but the cost of entry is still too steep

ITX has had a hell of a battle over the years.

It's a form factor that naturally draws quite a bit of ire depending on which side of the great PC gaming form-factor debate you sit. For those that love it, ITX and SFF machines are the stuff of legends. Intricately complex builds, ungodly power, and a real David-vs-Goliath kinda gaming rig.

For the full-tower fans, they're pointless, overly hot, and lack the full connectivity that you'd find in a more robust, balanced chassis and form factor.

For me, I 100% live life in that first category. In fact, I wouldn't have a career in hardware journalism if it weren't for building a machine inside of Bitfenix's now legendary Prodigy ITX gaming chassis from way back when in 2013 and showing it off to PC Format's editor back in the day.

It's not all been glamorous, of course. Motherboards have often been lacking, case design has been pretty terrible at times, and there are all manner of cooling and cabling problems that have needed to be overcome. But I honestly feel like we're in a position now that, technologically at least, ITX is in a place where for the vast majority of power users, there's no major difference between it and a big boy build.

The challenges of building in compact cases

That's the big thing too: a lot of the problems that ITX initially faced, even less than a decade ago, stemmed from how we managed hardware.

For instance, ATX builds once used to be able to house multiple graphics cards running in SLI or Crossfire, but over time that was whittled down to just two cards, until finally, with Nvidia's 30 series, support was removed entirely.

There's no major difference between running an RTX 5090 in an ITX build than there is in a full E-ATX setup, and in fact, you'll notice that pretty much every motherboard now only comes with a single (usually reinforced by some "armor" or gimmick) PCIe x16 slot up top for the graphics card. But just one.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Then there's the M.2 conundrum, and again, ITX used to be massively disadvantaged here as well.

Yet similarly, as NAND density has increased and cost decreased, along with some clever and quite intuitive raised PCBs and M.2 slot designs, it's quite easy to find ITX motherboards with two or even three M.2 slots.

Combine that with one of the best SSD you can get your hands on for your OS drive and a nice chunky backup SSD for your secondary storage, and once again, you're already well-equipped to compete with larger mid-tower cases for the vast majority of people.

I could go on, but the fact is that ITX today, from cases to coolers to the hardware we use, is really nowhere near as limited as it used to be. Even processor performance, with auto-turbo galore, isn't exactly held back anymore. But the question remains: Why bother? What's the point? Why do I care so much?

Power in small packages

It matters because ITX represents that defining principle of modern-day technology of the last 30 years. In my lifetime, I've seen tech shrink and become more powerful time and time again. It might be because I'm a short(ish) fellow, but there's something quite admirable I find about a tiny but mighty build.

That Moore's Law-esque power creep, or the sleeper build housing ungodly performance in a form factor that could fit in an entertainment center in a living room. It's like rocking up to a drag race with a seemingly clapped-out VW Caddy Mk1, only to know you've got a 500-horsepower engine under the hood. It has that vibe, and I love it.

(Image credit: Geekom)

Over the years, I've built countless PCs and published hundreds of build logs, pursuing all manner of hardware launches and gimmicky headlines designed to entice the reader in pushing the limit of what's possible with off-the-shelf hardware. And time and time again, the builds that stick with me aren't the crazy $10,000 dream machines or the full-fledged RTX 5090 E-ATX monsters; no, it's the ITX ones.

Don't get me wrong, I'm screaming at them each and every time I build them as I struggle with cable management or liquid-cooling runs, but deep down, I love that form factor more than anything else. And if you haven't given it a shot and are looking for a PC building challenge, and a rig that not only delivers on the performance but also takes up a fraction of the space, I highly recommend giving it a go.

You might also like...

• I’m suddenly really excited about Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 – but probably not for the reason you’re expecting
• PC case sizes explained: all form factors available in 2025
• The Asus ROG NUC carries the torch for Intel's mini gaming PC dreams, but the cost of entry is still too steep