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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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 25 (game #1156).

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 #1157) - 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 #1157) - 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 1.

Quordle today (game #1157) - 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 #1157) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1157) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• L

• N

• N

• T

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

Quordle today (game #1157) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1157, are…

• LEFTY
• NOOSE
• NOISE
• TRIAD

Having two similar words in the same puzzle is so Quordle – today it was NOOSE and NOISE, with just one letter of separation between them.

It certainly made for an easier quiz, as did my guess of FELTY, which gave me all the right letters for LEFTY.

Far harder today was the Daily Sequence, which featured a no-vowel word and a word with a Z. I failed, obviously.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1157) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1157, are…

• SLYLY
• DEFER
• SWEET
• CRAZE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• 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
• Quordle #1141, Monday 10 March: AVAIL, THESE, TITAN, GAUGE
• Quordle #1140, Sunday 9 March: SKILL, IDEAL, WHERE, REHAB
• Quordle #1139, Saturday 8 March: WATCH, LAPSE, WREST, HEFTY
• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, March 25 (game #653).

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 #654) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PINOT
• CARD
• SHOT
• GLASS
• ROSE
• QUARTZ
• DRIVE
• THRUST
• CLOUD
• BOUNCE
• PLATE
• DISK
• NAPKIN
• FLEW
• GALLEON
• FORK

NYT Connections today (game #654) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Formal dining
• GREEN: Greater
• BLUE: Backed up
• PURPLE: Measurements with added element 

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 #654) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A TABLE SETTING 
• GREEN: INCREASED, WITH "UP" 
• BLUE: KINDS OF DIGITAL STORAGE 
• PURPLE: UNITS OF VOLUME PLUS LETTER 

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

NYT Connections today (game #654) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #654, are…

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A TABLE SETTING FORK, GLASS, NAPKIN, PLATE
• GREEN: INCREASED, WITH "UP" FLEW, ROSE, SHOT, THRUST
• BLUE: KINDS OF DIGITAL STORAGE CARD, CLOUD, DISK, DRIVE
• PURPLE: UNITS OF VOLUME PLUS LETTER BOUNCE, GALLEON, PINOT, QUARTZ

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

Initially I thought there was a silent letter category today and put QUARTZ, which on reflection makes no sense, with FLEW, PINOT, ROSE.

Then I saw KINDS OF DIGITAL STORAGE.

CLOUD storage once seemed incredibly hard to explain – my photos are kept where? In a cloud? Now it seems strange that we once stored things on a CARD.

Next, I got INCREASED WITH “UP” and was utterly blind to UNITS OF VOLUME PLUS LETTER – a classic Connections group that rewards people who can spot patterns in words and will confound people like myself who can look at the word BOUNCE for a lifetime without considering that it could also be ounce with an added B.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, 25 March, game #653)

• YELLOW: BLACK-AND-WHITE THINGS CROSSWORD, OREO, PANDA, TUXEDO
• GREEN: ANAGRAMS ABEL, ABLE, BALE, BELA
• BLUE: U.S. PRESIDENTIAL NICKNAMES ABE, CAL, DICK, TEDDY
• PURPLE: CLEAR AS ___ A BELL, CRYSTAL, DAY, MUD

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 25 (game #387).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… In the circle of life

NYT Strands today (game #388) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• ZANY
• TINGLE
• GROT
• TONE
• BARE
• WAGON

NYT Strands today (game #388) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #388) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 2nd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #388) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #388, are…

• ZEBRA
• MEERKAT
• WARTHOG
• HYENA
• ELEPHANT
• HORNBILL
• SPANGRAM: LION KING

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

Even though it was pretty obvious that today’s Strands was for The LION KING, I still snagged Lion as a hint word – not that any hints were needed in a straightforward word search.

I’d wager that ZEBRA was almost everyone’s first word, not that they feature much in the story, acting as extras and the butt of a couple of jokes.

Although it’s about the animal kingdom, including a flatulent WARTHOG, this classic tale of sibling rivalry is very Shakespearian. Indeed, screenwriter Irene Mecchi said that the idea for the movie was pitched to her as Bamblet – Hamlet set in the jungle with a bit of Bambi thrown in. Well, I suppose it's better than Disney's idea for a love story set in a farmyard – Rameo and Eweliet anyone?

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 25 March, game #387)

• SLIDERS
• POPPERS
• WINGS
• FONDUE
• NACHOS
• CALAMARI
• SPANGRAM: APPETIZER

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.

• Nvidia's Project G-Assist is now live in the Nvidia App
• It uses text and voice prompts to optimize games, control hardware, and provide diagnostics
• The tool is still experimental, with functionality being updated often

Nvidia's nifty Project G-Assist is now available inside the official Nvidia App, bringing the AI-powered assistant to everyone, a year after the tech demo first surfaced. Yes, it's for real this time, unlike the 2017 April's Fools video where it was a USB device shaped like a GTX 1080.

Nvidia's G-Assist can be used by all RTX graphics card users, and it utilizes those GPUs' Tensor Cores (AI cores) to perform a variety of services, such as optimizing game and system settings, in-depth in-game diagnostics reporting, and answering questions.

Similar to some of the best AI tools, such as Google Gemini and ChatGPT, Nvidia's G-Assist can answer voice and text prompts in the form of questions; you ask it to do things for you relating to gaming, and it tries to execute your commands.

Nvidia's official video goes through what's possible with its new assistant and how it interacts with compatible hardware and software. In the clip, we see a text prompt inputted asking how Frame Generation works, which supplies a succinct answer. Similarly, it's asked by voice if the GPU's drivers are up to date, and G-Assist checks the current driver installed. It works with a small language model built on a bespoke API.

Arguably more interesting than its diagnostics and optimization capabilities is how G-Assist interacts with the hardware. With support for third-party APIs from companies like Logitech, Corsair, and MSI, it's able to control not only supported lighting through a text or voice prompt but also the speed/performance of your fans.

We later see how Nvidia G-Assist optimizes Rust for the "best image quality", which happens near-instantly and then boots the game up with a voice command. Clearly, the experimental tech is in its infancy now, but we could see wider use as Team Green deepens its feature set and compatibility with more hardware and software in the future.

A nifty new use for AI in gaming

While Nvidia's Project G-Assist doesn't appear to be anything truly revolutionary, the tech does offer a few handy shortcuts for optimizing your games (and system hardware) with only a couple of lines of text or voice commands. It's obviously not going to work flawlessly with every game or piece of hardware available, but it's an interesting new way to streamline quality-of-life features.

Nvidia's new app is leagues better than the previous GeForce Experience (which we were thrilled to see). Anything to make installing drivers, optimizing games straight from the launcher, and having your hardware tick over efficiently is right by us. As an experimental feature, you can mess around with risk-free. It's worth seeing what it can do, even if its functionality may seem largely inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.

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• Zotac has hiked pricing with RTX 5090 models on its US online store
• Two of those, including the top-end board, now cost $500 more
• This follows similar moves by Asus and MSI with the Blackwell flagship on their own online stores

Zotac is the latest third-party graphics card maker which currently seems to be inflating the price of Nvidia’s Blackwell flagship GPU.

VideoCardz noticed a Reddit post (see below) which flagged up that over at the Zotac store in the US, its RTX 5090 models just became a lot more expensive – and these GPUs are certainly nowhere near the official MSRP.

Zotac 5090 Amp Extreme is now $3000 and the 5090 Solid OC is now $2700 from r/nvidia

As you can see, the Zotac RTX 5090 Amp Extreme now tips the scales at a wallet-worrying $3,000, and even the lesser RTX 5090 Solid OC model is a weighty, and equally concerning, $2,700 drain on your bank balance.

This represents a fresh increase of $500 on the price tag in the case of both graphics cards, according to the info divulged on Reddit here.

Zotac is one of the board manufacturers that sells their products directly from their own online store, with Asus and MSI also being in this club. Unfortunately, all three of these companies have hiked pricing, particularly with the RTX 5090 (which Asus recently inflated by a hefty amount, so its top-end GPU is even more expensive than Zotac’s Amp Extreme).

(Image credit: ShutterStock) Analysis: Hiking pains

You could argue that price is always going to be related to supply and demand, and if it isn’t crystal clear enough now, the supply of Blackwell GPUs has thus far been pretty terrible, and demand has way, way outstripped it. Even the demand for the expensive RTX 5090, with the flagship being hit with some of the most ridiculous price hikes that we’ve witnessed so far in this new generation of Nvidia graphics cards.

Further arguments, as VideoCardz points out, can also be piled on here, such as the import tariffs courtesy of Trump. But ultimately, what we’re seeing with RTX 5090 pricing goes beyond the pale really.

In this case, Zotac’s Solid OC is technically the entry-level RTX 5090 (it’s actually a step up, being the overclocked version, although it only has a very modest overclock applied – and apparently the base version isn’t listed on the US store any longer, anyway). The Solid OC really shouldn’t be much above Nvidia’s MSRP, which is $1,999 (the price of the Founders Edition), but this GPU is now a whopping 35% more expensive.

(I should make it clear that the Zotac store in the US is down right now, as I write this, for maintenance apparently. Could that mean pricing is being adjusted again, after these reports have popped up? Possibly, and I’ll keep an eye on that.)

At any rate, the other argument I’ve seen is: well, the RTX 5090 models are all out of stock anyway, so who cares what the price is – it’s kind of irrelevant. And while that’s certainly true, this is a short-term view and rather shortsighted as such. When inventory does start to filter back in, that jacked-up pricing is (presumably) still going to apply (for a time, perhaps, until supply and demand corrects further).

What’s unfortunate is that a robust uptick in RTX 5090 stock was predicted to happen towards the end of March, where we’re sat now, and there’s no sign of any such increase in supply. What’s going on with that? The rumor might have been plain wrong, or perhaps Nvidia has rejigged its chip allocation, and remains just too preoccupied with sales of heavyweight AI graphics cards (which use that same GB202 chip as the RTX 5090).

Meanwhile, there are tales on Reddit of waiting lists for pre-ordered RTX 5090 graphics cards that are so lengthy, those who’ve already put their money down are likely to be waiting at least another three months for the GPU to be shipped.

It’s all a bit of a nightmare, frankly, and with AMD’s RX 9070 stock also disappearing as soon as it arrives in stores, even if Team Red’s supply is a good deal better than Nvidia’s Blackwell graphics cards, it’s still a tricky situation for would-be buyers. And that’s exactly why a good number of PC gamers (myself included) are getting fed up with the situation, and have resigned themselves to a strategy of just waiting out this stock-and-pricing-storm for the foreseeable.

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• Access to social media platforms in Turkey has been restored after 42 hours of shutdown
• Proton VPN has recorded a spike of +1100% starting from March 19, 2025, the day restrictions were enforced
• Many X accounts have then been blocked upon Turkish authorities' orders

On March 21, 2025, Turkish authorities lifted the ban on social media platforms after 42 hours of being enforced. Yet, VPN usage remains high as mass demonstrations continue.

Citizens began turning to the best VPN apps to keep accessing the likes of X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and WhatsApp from March 19, the day restrictions were enforced. Proton VPN, for example, recorded a spike in signups of +1100%.

As protests sparked by the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the Mayor of Istanbul, and his opposition counterpart, continued, many X accounts of opposition figures and independent news outlets were reportedly blocked on government orders.

Turkey VPN usage skyrocketed

Experts at Proton have recorded a spike in VPN sign-ups following the arrest of Erdogan's main political rival and reports of social media blocks. (Image credit: Proton)

"Protecting free speech and fighting censorship is a core part of our mission, and we're committed to doing what we can to help people around the world. Unfortunately, Turkey is one such country with a poor recent history of censorship," David Peterson, General Manager of Proton VPN, told TechRadar in a statement on Friday.

The spikes in usage have occurred despite Proton VPN being one of the 27 VPN providers restricted in Turkey

This isn't the first time Proton VPN has recorded similar spikes in usage in Turkey.

Only in 2024 did Proton VPN signups skyrocket by 1,400% in October and 4,500% in August amid similar blocks on social media services. Also, in 2023, citizens increasingly turned to Proton VPN. The company recorded a staggering 15,000% increase in February after Twitter was blocked following a deadly earthquake and a 2,100% spike in May as citizens prepared for potential blocks ahead of the presidential elections.

The spikes in usage have occurred despite Proton VPN being one of 27 VPN providers restricted in Turkey, alongside NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and others. Specifically, their official websites are blocked in the country.

"Because of this, many people – especially those who aren’t familiar with VPNs – hadn’t heard of Proton VPN," Turkish journalist Ali Safa Korkut told TechRadar, explaining that interest in the software grew following a Swiss provider's tweet shared on March 22.

"I know people around me who are using Proton VPN without any issues," he added.

(Image credit: Future)

While access to social media was restored around 1 am local time on Friday, internet censorship hasn't completely stopped.

X blocked multiple accounts of political figures and students involved in the protests upon the government's request, alongside those of journalists and independent news organizations like Bianet.

Korkut, who closely tracked these blocks from the beginning, has counted 309 X accounts blocked so far. "These include well-known journalists with 1.5 million followers as well as anonymous accounts with no followers at all," he said, adding, "new accounts are being blocked by the minute."

Isik Mater, Director of Research at internet watchdog NetBlocks, explains that this trend aligns with past instances where X complied with takedown requests from the Turkish government, raising concerns about platform neutrality and freedom of expression.

She told TechRadar: "Access to social media is a fundamental pillar for freedom of speech and the right to information, especially in moments of political tension or crisis. Restrictions like these not only limit public discourse but also undermine citizens’ ability to organize, communicate, and stay informed during critical events."

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• iOS 18.4 could be right around the corner, as Apple has issued a pre-release version
• New features include Priority Notifications and a new style for Image Playground
• Additionally, Visual Intelligence comes to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

iOS 18.4 looks set to bring a major overhaul to the way notifications work on your iPhone, and the best part is we might not have to wait too long for the upcoming update to arrive.

As The Verge reports, Apple issued a release candidate version of iOS 18.4 on March 24, signalling that the stable release of the update is most likely on the way very soon. Notably, this iOS 18.4 beta finally brings Priority Notifications to select iPhones, an Apple Intelligence feature that automatically gives prominence to important notifications by highlighting them on your lock screen.

Personally, I think that sounds like a great addition to the iPhone’s notification system – my phone is frequently jammed up with all manner of notifications, so having the most important ones highlighted the second I reach for my device seems like a helpful addition. You will, however, need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer to access Apple Intelligence (and therefore Priority Notifications).

(Image credit: Apple)

Priority Notifications was first revealed in June 2024 alongside the announcement and release of the iPhone 16 series and iOS 18, but the feature seems to have fallen victim to the unusually messy launch of Apple Intelligence (see also the long-awaited Siri update).

A release candidate build is, as its name suggests, a close-to-ready version of a software update – literally a candidate for stable release. We can think of the release candidate as the intermediate step between beta versions and the real thing. It tracks, then, that Priority Notifications will be a key part of iOS 18.4 proper.

What else is coming with iOS 18.4?

Visual Intelligence comes to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max with iOS 18.4 (Image credit: Apple)

As 9to5Mac reports, iOS 18.4 will bring a handful of other software goodies to owners of the iPhone XS or newer, with the update encompassing all of the current best iPhones.

Significantly, iOS 18.4 will bring Apple Intelligence to the EU, ending a months-long gridlock due to officially unknown causes.

Furthermore, Apple’s environmentally aware Visual Intelligence AI scanning feature will come to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, having previously been exclusive to the iPhone 16 series.

The App Store will get review summaries generated by AI, too, while Image Playground will finally benefit from the Sketch style promised at launch.

Additionally, the list of supported Apple Intelligence languages will be expanded in iOS 18.4. Newly supported languages include:

• Simplified Chinese
• Spanish
• Korean
• Japanese
• French
• German
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Italian

And perhaps most crucially of all, users will get access to nine new emojis in iOS 18.4, including future classics like “face with bags under eyes”, “shovel”, “harp”, and “beetroot”.

In any case, let us know what you’re looking forward to in iOS 18.4 in the comments section below, and feel free to check out our iPhone 16 review and iPhone 16 Pro review for a look at how Apple Intelligence works in practice.

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• Check Point researchers found a new ransomware strain called VanHelsing
• It is an emerging threat, where affiliates need to pay a fee to get in
• Three organizations already fell victim

A new dangerous ransomware variant has been spotted, capable of encrypting Windows devices, Linux, VMware, ESXi systems, and more.

Cybersecurity researchers Check Point revealed the malware is called VanHelsing, and works on a service model (Ransomware-as-a-Service).

The RaaS operation kicked off on March 7, 2025, and the encryptor is still under development. So far, multiple infections were spotted, and the researchers managed to analyze a few variants, all on the Windows platform. Between them, there were incremental updates, it was said, proving VanHelsing is being actively - and quickly - developed.

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Russian group?

So far, three organizations fell victim to VanHelsing, each being asked for $500,000 in crypto, in exchange for the decryption key. We don’t know if the affiliates also engage in data exfiltration, but it’s safe to assume they do.

Check Point also said there appears to be different rules for wanna-be affiliates. Those that are newcomes to the cybercriminal scene need to pay a $5,000 fee to be included as an affiliate. More established names in the scene don’t have to pay at all.

Splitting the proceeds favors the affiliates, it was further explained. It’s an 80-20 split, with 20% going to the ransomware’s operators.

As for attribution, the operation is most likely Russian, since it is not allowed to target organizations in Russia or the Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet Union, basically).

"This is difficult to say, but usually they are operating under Russian territory," noted Antonis Terefos, a malware reverse engineer at Check Point.

The researchers also hinted the Russian government does not target cybercriminals, as long as they only attack organizations in the West.

If that really is the case, and VanHelsing is allowed to work freely, it can quickly become a prolific threat actor, rivaling the likes of LockBit, or RansomHub. Furthermore, it will become obvious that ransomware has become a tool in global power struggles, something we’ve seen North Korea doing for years now.

Via The Register

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• New Klipschorn AK6 and La Scala AL6 stereo speakers unveiled
• New compression drivers for even more power
• New active crossover with adjustable HF and LF gain

Paul W Klipsch made hi-fi history in the 1940s with his Klipschorn speaker, first sold from a tin shed in 1946. It's been in continuous production ever since, albeit with many improvements over the decades, and now it's been updated for 2025 alongside its 1960s sibling, the Klipsch La Scala.

The new Kipschorn AK6 and La Scala AL6 are the latest addition to the firm's Heritage range, and while they retain the speakers' iconic looks and unusual furniture-like design, they've been significantly improved once again – and there's a new colorway and optional external crossover too.

The Klipsch La Scala AL6 speaker. (Image credit: Klipsch) Kipschorn AK7 and La Scala AL6: new features and pricing

Design-wise, these speakers look just like their predecessors, although there's a new American Auburn finish to replace the previous Natural Cherry. And there's a newly designed input/output panel on both models with passive and active inputs and a passive output, making it easy to use the new Heritage Active Crossover in a plug-and-play setup.

Both speakers have a three-way horn-loaded design, and the K-771 compression driver is paired with a patented, wide-dispersion extended phase plug to minimize cancellations and deliver a wider, more consistent sound stage.

There's a new three-inch midrange compression driver, an inch larger than in the previous models. That larger area means the driver doesn't require as much energy to push the sound to the horn's throat.

Another key addition to both is Klipsch's Tractrix technology: there's a new K-604M modified Tractrix mid-range horn with a shorter two-inch throat for improved time alignment. And Klipsch's mumps design promises to improve coverage for all drive units to maintain an even frequency response to the horn's edge.

The La Scala also gets a new 12-inch K-281 woofer with a folded horn and a new enclosure. Klipsch says this provides richer and more robust bass from any room placement.

The new optional active crossover was designed by Klipsch’s VP of Technology and Innovation, Matt Spitznagle, and tuned by legendary acoustician Roy Delgado. It draws on the work done for the acclaimed Klipsch Jubilee and promises superior time and phase alignment, balanced EQ and true-to-source response.

According to Delgado "the Heritage Active Crossover unlocks performance enhancements that are simply unattainable with a passive design." They're a lot larger than most of the best stereo speakers that we test, but we can't resist something with this much heritage and a gorgeous finish.

The new models' prices are:

• Klipschorn AK7: $17,998 / €25,998 per pair (about £21,720 / AU$55,568)
• La Scala AL6: $14,998 / €19,998 per pair (about £16,700 / AU$34,282)
• Klipschorn Active Crossover: $3,499 / €3,999 (about £3,340 / AU$6,855)
• La Scala Active Crossover: $3,499 / €3,999 (about £3,340 / AU$6,855)

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• Now Bar is a key new feature in One UI 7
• More third-party app integrations are reportedly on the way
• One UI 7 is heading to older phones next month

Samsung launched One UI 7 (its take on Android 15) at the same time as the Galaxy S25 flagships back in January, and one of the key new features is the lock screen Now Bar – a feature which is set to get much more useful in the near future.

According to South Korean outlet ET News (via SamMobile), more third-party apps are set to support the Now Bar – though there's no specific timeframe for the integration. Two South Korean apps are mentioned specifically, Kakao T for booking taxi rides and Naver Sports for live sports scores.

Presumably, those efforts to add more third-party apps will extend internationally, though ET News doesn't namecheck any others. The more apps support the Now Bar, the more useful it becomes, which means more users will take advantage of it.

Samsung has been pushing the Now Bar as a major innovation in One UI 7, and we've also described it as one of the best features in the software. It's essentially Samsung's take on Live Activities on iOS, displaying useful information from apps right on the lock screen, which can be updated in real-time.

Making use of the Now Bar

Currently supported apps are from Google and Samsung (Image credit: Future)

If you have a Samsung Galaxy S25, you've got One UI 7 already – and the Now Bar is most likely already appearing at the bottom of your lock screen, displaying widgets for timers, the Now Brief summary, media playback, and more.

Head to Settings and choose Lock screen and AOD to find the Now Bar page. You'll see you can set which apps appear in the Now Bar from here: currently, the list is dominated by Samsung and Google apps, which is why third-party app integrations would be welcome going forward.

Google Maps is one app that recently added Now Bar support, so you can see turn-by-turn directions on the lock screen. Android already offers persistent notifications for this sort of real-time information, but the Now Bar makes it easier to get at on a locked phone.

We're still waiting for One UI 7 to make its way to Samsung handsets beyond the Galaxy S25 series, though the rollout is scheduled to get underway next month. It's not clear at the moment how recent a phone you're going to need to take advantage of the Now Bar feature, but we should get some clarity on that soon.

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• Sony has released a new PS5 firmware update
• Version 25.02-11.00.00 improves activities and adds new Unicode 16.0 emojis
• New parental controls have also been implemented

A new firmware update for the PlayStation 5 has been released, adding more system improvements.

This latest patch comes in a 1.3GB and is one of the more significant updates since the console's successor, the PS5 Pro, launched.

As the patch notes detail, it mainly targets the system's communications features and makes it easier for users to view activity details, which will now be displayed on cards.

Support for Unicode 16.0 emojis has been added for messages, too, along with new parental controls for Communication and User-Generated Content, which should now default to 'Restrict' when changing levels to Late Teens or Older.

Like previous updates, this patch sees some of the usual software performance and stability improvements to the system, messaging, and overall usability, as well.

PS5 Version 25.02-11.00.00 - Patch Notes

• We’ve made it simpler to view details about activities.
  • Activity details are now fully displayed on cards.
  • Potential spoilers will still be hidden.
• Unicode 16.0 emojis are now supported. You can use them in your messages.
• When you set the parental controls' restriction level to Late Teens or Older, Communication and User-Generated Content will now default to Restrict. If you have previously set the level to Late Teens or Older, your previous settings will not be affected and it will be shown as Customize.
• We've improved system software performance and stability.
• We've improved the messages and usability on some screens.

Last week, it was reported that the PS5 is still dominating in console sales, outselling the PS4 in the United States, as well as the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, which are currently falling behind the Xbox One by a signigicant margin.

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Netflix has announced that it's adding support for the HDR10+ advanced HDR format, which is a rival to Dolby Vision, and is supported on TVs from the likes of Samsung, Panasonic, Hisense and TCL.

You'll need a Netflix Premium account to access HDR10+, and Netflix said that initially it will be available on 50% of "eligible viewing hours", including new releases and existing movies and shows on the platform.

Exactly what is meant by "eligible viewing hours" is unclear, but I take it to mean that it's not necessarily on 50% of HDR titles, but rather that only half of the total number of hours content is possible to view in HDR.

In any case, Netflix says that its plan is to have HDR10+ support on every HDR movie and show by the end of the year.

This is great news for owners of the best Samsung TVs and best Samsung phones, because these don't support Dolby Vision HDR – in the world of TVs, Samsung is the only brand that doesn't support the format on its premium TVs.

Our TV of the year in 2024, the Samsung S95D, will benefit from Netflix's HDR10+ support. (Image credit: Future)

HDR10+ and Dolby Vision are superior to regular HDR (officially called HDR10) because they can support a wider dynamic range to make the most of today's brighter and bolder TVs, but they can also embed scene-by-scene tone mapping – meaning that instead of your TV having to work how best to get all the detail out of a super-dark or super-bright scene, this information is included in the video stream.

It should mean less blown-out highlights, fewer crushed blacks, and an overall look that's closer to the original master version of one of the best Netflix movies or one of the best Netflix shows.

Dolby Vision is generally considered to be technically superior, and is more widely supported in both hardware and on streaming services – but despite this, support has been growing for HDR10+ in recent years, and it's already become available on Prime Video and Apple TV+. Now Netflix has joined the party.

Don't expect a new dawn for HDR10+

Despite HDR10+ becoming available on the biggest streaming service in the world, I don't expect to see the long-term holdouts on the format – LG and Sony – supporting it in their TVs.

I asked LG about the potential for supporting it now that it's on more streaming services (and there are some big 4K Blu-rays that use it) directly during a launch event for its 2025 TVs – read our five-star LG C5 review if you're interested on more on that – and was told "we don't believe in that".

Sony hasn't announced its 2025 TVs yet, but we have seen a demo of its next-gen RGB mini-LED tech, and the company seemed unmoved by the idea of adding new formats during that launch event.

One thing LG noted is that while support for HDR10+ is growing, it tends to be an additional alternative to Dolby Vision on the best streaming services, not a replacement – so by supporting Dolby Vision the company is providing all the advanced HDR support it thinks is needed.

That approach backed up by how Netflix is adding its support: the company confirmed that it's asking production companies and studios to supply it with the Dolby Vision version, and is then adding HDR10+ support as part of its tech pipeline. This means that anything with HDR10+ must logically also have Dolby Vision support.

Still, this is great for Samsung owners in particular, who can get a nice image boost – especially for its less bright TVs, such as its lowest-tier OLEDs and budget QLED models, which don't have high-end brightness, and so tone mapping is really important for them.

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• MSI has listed an RTX 5080 24GB model on its website
• It's not the first time MSI has hinted towards a higher capacity card
• Some claim it's a mistake, others a sign of things to come

MSI has teased an RTX 5080 model featuring 24GB GDDR7 VRAM (up from the standard 16GB) of the 80-class card on its website.

Spotted by TweakTown, a compatibility listing of MSI's X870 Tomahawk Wi-Fi motherboard features support for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 model with "24576" under the Memory Size.

Before the RTX 5080's launch date on January 30, 2025, we previously covered rumors that an RTX 5080 24GB version could be "inbound" because Samsung's GDDR7 memory modules are shipped in 2GB (with 3GB configurations on the way). This is part of the reason why the RTX 5090 features 32GB GDDR7 (up from the 24GB GDDR6X of the RTX 4090).

This source also notes a previous occasion when MSI showcased an RTX 5080 Vanguard variant featuring 24GB GDDR7 in a promotional video, with the alleged memory pool seen on the packaging. However, it's been quiet (outside of rumors and speculation since then) until now.

It's possible that this could just be an error on MSI's part, but it also shows that the 80-class card could feature double the available VRAM. Interestingly, the listing does not feature the standard 16GB version in the specs sheet, so the company could have listed a placeholder amount based on pre-release information rather than the retail figures.

With that said, it's not the first time that we've seen different memory pool capacities of graphics cards, such as with the original launch window for the then-cancelled RTX 4080 12GB (which later became the RTX 4070 Ti). Similarly, the RTX 4060 Ti exists in both 8GB and 16GB configurations, proving that two versions of the same GPU can succeed in the market without confusing consumers.

A sign of things to come for the 80-class card?

Whether the RTX 5080 24GB listing is a genuine mistake or not, the possibility of having two options on the market is only a good thing for people as you'll have the option of two different GPUs, with a potential latter model more "futureproofed" for 4K gaming as releases demand more VRAM than what we typically see.

Some gamers have expressed disappointment in the RTX 5080 having the same memory pool as the RTX 4080 (despite the jump in GDDR7 from GDDR6X and the differences in bandwidth seen). This was seen with the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, both featuring the same respective 12GB and 16GB memory pools as their previous-generation counterparts.

After many months of speculation around an upgraded RTX 5080 24GB version, we may see it surface, or it could remain little more than a possibility, hinting towards the next generation instead. If it does release, it could be the half-step between it and the RTX 5090, which makes sense given the $1,000 difference in MSRP between the two; if we were to speculate on potential pricing, $1,200 (matching the original RTX 4080) seems most likely.

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• The Google Pixel 9a reportedly has an overheating issue
• This is apparently why Google delayed sales of the phone
• Supposedly it can be fixed with a software update

The Google Pixel 9a hasn’t had the smoothest of launches, with the discovery that it lacks various Pixel 9 features and an unexpected delay to its on-sale date. That delay was, according to Google, down to a “component quality issue”, but the company didn’t get more specific. Now, though, someone else has.

According to leaker @techauntyji posting on X (via Phone Arena), an unnamed “very high profile phone” was delayed due to “heating probs. Especially around the camera.” So, it sounds like the Google Pixel 9a was prone to overheating when the camera was in use.

We would, however, take this with a pinch of salt for a couple of reasons. First, the source doesn’t have much of a track record, and second, they claim a software update should be able to fix the issue, whereas Google’s comment about a “component quality issue” suggests a hardware problem.

Darlings,the controversy over sudden withdrawal of a very high profile phone from many reviewers evidently revolves around heating probs. Especially around the camera. Should be back in action in April after an update to fix bugs. I personally use Hit spray for the same, dearies.March 24, 2025

Of course, it’s possible that, when Google first delayed the Pixel 9a, it wasn’t sure whether the problem would be fixable with an update, and has now learned that it can be.

It’s also worth noting that, since the Google Pixel 9a isn’t mentioned by name here, it’s possible @techauntyji is referring to another device. However, this is very unlikely, as we can’t think of anything else this phrasing would apply to (also, in a reply, they joked: “don’t Google it”).

Pick one up in April

In any case, the leaker echoes Google itself in claiming that the Pixel 9a will be back in action in April, so you hopefully won’t have to wait too long to get one.

That said, with the Google Pixel 9a lacking some of its siblings' AI tools and even the potentially life-saving Satellite SOS feature found on other Pixel 9 models, you might want to think twice about whether you actually want the phone.

It still has a lot going for it, mind, including a bigger battery than even the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, the same chipset as its pricier siblings, and a lower price than those phones. Stay tuned for our full review in the coming weeks.

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• A new update for the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo has been released
• More ways to customize the alarm clock have been added including a way to set the device's time and mode for each day of the week
• Improvements have been made to system stability and alarm scene selection

Nintendo has released a new update for its Sound Clock: Alarmo, adding even more ways to customize the device.

As the latest patch notes detail, version 3.0.0 has introduced a bunch of new features that will allow you to modify the alarm clock in several ways, some of which users have highly requested.

Now, the Alarmo's ON/OFF, time, and mode can each be set separately for each day of the week, and Sleepy Sounds, which is the device's ambient music feature that will play after the 'Bedtime' you set, can now be set in one-minute increments between one and 60 minutes. A way to play Sleepy Sounds again even if they have already been played has also been implemented.

Alongside some system stability improvements, the new update also adds a way for scenes to be previewed on the alarm scene selection screen and a screen brightness option for darkness has been increased. The full patch notes can be read below.

Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo Version. 3.0.0 - Patch Notes

• The alarm's ON/OFF, time, and mode can now be set separately by each day of the week.
• Sleepy sounds play time can now be set in one minute increments between 1-60 minutes.
• Scenes can be previewed from the alarm scene selection screen.
• Improvements to the determining of when to play sleepy sounds.
• Ability to set up playing sleepy sounds once again even if they have already been played has been added.
• Screen brightness option for darkness has been increased.
• The device's MAC address can be checked when the device is offline.
• General system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience.

The Sound Clock: Alarmo's latest update arrives just before the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Showcase, which is scheduled to air next week on April 2. The broadcast is expected to announce the console's launch date, along with new details about the hardware and when fans can pre-order.

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• Interpol reveals successful law enforcement operation across seven African countries
• More than 300 people were arrested, and around 2,000 electronic devices seized
• Roughly $100,000 was recovered, Interpol says

Interpol and a coalition of seven African law enforcement agencies have recently arrested more than 300 people and seized almost 2,000 electronic devices in a major crackdown on cybercrime.

The agency said Operation Red Card, which was active between November 2024 and February 2025, aimed to “disrupt and dismantle cross-border criminal networks which cause significant harm to individuals and businesses”.

More than 5,000 people fell victim, Interpol said, adding that over $305,000 was stolen through social engineering scams in Rwanda alone. Just over $100,000 was recovered. The operation included Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo and Zambia.

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Help from cybersecurity experts

The individuals were involved in all sorts of criminal activity, Interpol said.

They were running mobile banking scams, investment fraud, online casino scams, SIM box fraud and smishing, malware-based phone hacking, impersonation, and more. They were laundering the stolen money through digital assets.

Interpol was also provided intelligence by three cybersecurity outfits: Group-IB, Trend Micro, and Kaspersky.

The latter firm said it analyzed a sample of Android malware allegedly used to target African users and shared it with law enforcement, together with data on related infrastructure.

Interpol added Nigerian authorities established, “some of the people working in the scam centres may also be victims of human trafficking, forced or coerced into criminal activities.”

The findings also led to the police seizing 26 vehicles, 16 houses, 39 plots of land, and 685 devices. It is not known if the assets were purchased with stolen money.

“The success of Operation Red Card demonstrates the power of international cooperation in combating cybercrime, which knows no borders and can have devastating effects on individuals and communities. The recovery of significant assets and devices, as well as the arrest of key suspects, sends a strong message to cybercriminals that their activities will not go unpunished, commented Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate.

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• Fiio FX17 in-ear monitors are extremely high-end in-ear monitors
• 8 electrostatic drivers, 4 custom Knowles BA drivers per ear
• 3 connection options, including USB-C with an elite DAC

I think FiiO's engineers may have been on the Red Bull: how, other than if you're absurdly over-caffeinated, do you decide to put 26 speaker drivers into a single pair of IEMs?

They don't look like they've got 13 drivers apiece, but the FiiO FX17 do – and they're there because FiiO wants to get the full benefit of their different sonic powers.

That means mixing up electrostatic, balanced armature and dynamic drivers to deliver what FiiO says is a "generational step forward in IEM design".

It looks like a weird motorcycle engine but we're assured this is the inside of FiiO's new flagship IEMs. (Image credit: FiiO) Drive, baby, drive

The FX17 have eight electrostatic drivers, four custom Knowles balanced armature drivers with extra vents, and a dynamic driver in each bud, made with a lithium-magnesium alloy. That's extremely light and extremely rigid, delivering very precise audio with significantly reduced vibration and resonance.

Those drivers are packed into good-looking titanium shells milled from a single block and polished by hand, and they're connected via a three-metal cable – gold, silver and copper – that comes with three swappable terminators: 3.5mm, 4.4mm balanced and USB-C.

That latter connection includes a built-in DSP audio decoding chip that supports up to 32-bit/384kHz high-resolution PCM. And it also enables you to customize the frequency curve of your FX17s via its eight-band high-precision PEQ, which you can control via the companion app or web interface.

The FiiO FX17 will be priced at £1,399 / $1,499 / about AU$2,873 which is a major high-end price to match the specs – we usually rate Fiio for the amazing value its products offer, such as the Fiio M11S or the Fiio FT5. These might still be good value, just at a totally different end of the market… we look forward to comparing them to the best wired earbuds after they’re available from April 14th.

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• Researchers spot critical vulnerability in Next.js
• If authorizations happen in middleware, they could be bypassed in older versions
• A patch, and a temporary workaround, are both available, so update now

Experts have warned there is a critical severity flaw in the Next.js open source web development framework which allows threat actors to bypass authorization checks.

Security researcher Rachid.A from Zhero Web Security posted an in-depth analysis of the findings, with the vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-29927, and receiving a severity score of 9.1/10 (critical).

Prior to versions 14.2.25, and 15.2.3, it was possible to bypass authorization checks in Next.js, if they happen in middleware.

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Patching or mitigating

Next.js is a popular React framework for building web applications, offering features like server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), and API routes.

It’s widely used for SEO-friendly and high-performance websites, including ecommerce platforms and dashboards.

Next.js is backed by Vercel and is used by major companies like Netflix, TikTok, and GitHub, making it one of the most adopted frameworks for modern web development. It counts more than 9 million weekly downloads on npm.

Middleware in Next.js is a function that runs before a request is completed, allowing developers to modify requests and responses, handle authentication, or implement redirects. The function is useful for tasks like user authentication, A/B testing, and localization without affecting page load speed.

It was also stated that just self-hosted versions, using ‘next start’ with ‘output:standalone’. Apps hosted on Vercel or Nerlify, or deployed as static exports, are not affected.

Ideally, users should patch to the above-mentioned versions to mitigate any chances of exploits. However, those that cannot apply the patch so fast are advised to prevent external user requests which contain the x-middleware-subrequest header from reaching the Next.js application.

“This vulnerability has been present for several years in the next.js source code, evolving with the middleware and its changes over the versions,” the researcher concluded, before stressing that Next.js is “widely used across critical sectors, from banking services to blockchain”.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Microsoft has kicked off a new set of Windows 11 preview builds in testing
• These will have “behind-the-scenes platform changes” for the OS
• Rumor has it that Microsoft will be tinkering with the current Germanium platform – rather than switching to an all-new base for Windows 11 – and that should mean fewer bugs

Microsoft is likely switching to work on the next big update for Windows 11, which would be 25H2, based on rumors and what’s going on with the latest preview build.

Microsoft itself has told us that the new builds in the 26200 range, which are now in the Dev channel for testing, are still based on 24H2 – the current version of Windows 11 – but that it’ll be “making behind-the-scenes platform changes in these builds” which might mean they have different issues to the 24H2 builds in the Beta channel (a later branch of testing).

According to Windows Central’s Zac Bowden, who regularly shares rumors relating to what’s going on at Microsoft, those Dev builds are “likely” to be about laying the “early groundwork for version 25H2” which is, of course, due to land later in 2025.

So, in other words, the Beta channel will continue to get builds based purely on 24H2, whereas the Dev channel is now going to get changes under the hood to set the stage for 25H2 (most probably).

Bowden further notes that the changes to the underlying platform Windows 11 is built on – the sprawling mass of code you never see, but is the glue that holds together all the bits that you do interact with – will incorporate the changes needed for Qualcomm’s incoming Snapdragon X2 chip.

Those changes have already been put in place in the Canary channel, apparently – which is the earliest test channel, before Dev – and now they’re coming to the Dev channel, this indicates that Microsoft is progressing towards making the finished version of Windows 11 compatible with devices powered by the Snapdragon X2 CPU.

Those devices, which are expected to usher in a new Snapdragon X Elite Gen 2 processor, should arrive later in 2025, alongside this new version of Windows 11, in theory.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: Sticking with Germanium?

You may recall that Windows 11 24H2 was built on an all-new underlying platform, dubbed Germanium by Microsoft. That major switch with the very foundations of Windows 11 was made to ensure compatibility with Arm chips (and to improve the performance and overall security of the OS), and the first generation of Snapdragon X processors.

However, that was a huge move, whereas the work now rumored to be underway is seemingly about fine-tuning Germanium for Snapdragon X2 – that isn’t a total change of platform, but a refinement of what was put in place last year. Or at least this is what Bowden feels is the most probable scenario, although it’s still possible Microsoft could switch to a different platform with 25H2, the leaker acknowledges.

If it’s true Microsoft is sticking with Germanium, this is important, because one of the reasons why Windows 11 24H2 has been so buggy is due to that migration to the all-new (at the time) Germanium, which I believe caused quite a commotion in the inner workings of Microsoft’s OS. And that’s the reason why some of the many glitches we’ve seen with the 24H2 update have been so odd (again, in my opinion – take it with caution, of course).

Because Windows 11 25H2 isn’t going to be such a big move, it should be much more smoothly implemented and less buggy overall – at least in theory, and that’s a hope I reckon a lot of folks will be holding onto for now.

At the same time, we have to face the fear that the bad run of bugs might continue, either because there are just that many to stamp out, this firefighting won’t have run its course – or that Microsoft will be switching away from Germanium, which again could mean more than the usual share of bugs winging our way.

Given how 24H2 has panned out – pretty terribly for bugs – hopefully Microsoft will be in a risk-averse frame of mind here.

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ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode just got even better with an upgrade to the voice assistant that makes chatting to AI more natural than ever before.

The free update, which has already started rolling out, has a more engaging, natural tone of voice and will interrupt you less, allowing for conversations to flow better.

The update was announced by Manuka Stratta, an OpenAI post-training researcher, who revealed the upgrade in a demo on the company's social media.

She says "The model interrupts you less, so you'll have more time to gather your thoughts and not feel like you have to fill in all the gaps and silences all the time."

In the demo, she started a conversation with Advanced Voice Mode and talked slowly with intentional awkward silences. Impressively, ChatGPT was able to listen and respond at the end of her speech, rather than interrupt during one of the lengthy pauses.

The update showcases another step forward for AI chatbots that allows for even more natural conversation and allows you to spend less time thinking about how to communicate with AI and just letting you chat like you would with a friend.

The new version of Advanced Voice Mode with less interrupting is available to all free users and ChatGPT Plus subscribers will get the same upgrade as well as access to the improved voice assistant personality.

Phone a friend

If you've ever wanted to chat with AI, now might be the perfect time to try. AI voice assistants are getting better by the day, and companies like ChatGPT and Google are constantly improving their offerings to enhance the user experience.

While I haven't tested this upgraded version of ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode yet, I was already impressed with the previous iterations. Chatting with AI can often feel less robotic and more engaging.

OpenAI also offers a version of Advanced Voice Mode that you can give camera access to, allowing the AI to essentially see and respond to queries based on what you show it. ChatGPT continues to improve at a rapid rate, and these additions to its voice mode only further that trend.

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