TechRadar News

• Scammers are using legitimate website to post their malicious 'tech support' phone numbers
• It's called search parameter injection or reflected input vulnerability
• Attackers modify legitimate URLs with dodgy details

Fake tech support scammers are injecting fake phone numbers into legitimate websites, with major companies like Apple, PayPal and Netflix affected by an emerging type of threat that could put customers' data at risk, experts have warned.

The scam is especially deceptive, because it bypasses the usual security checks that savvy Internet users can make like verifying the web address, but injecting malicious phone numbers onto the official sites.

Online advertising spaces are behind the attack vector, with scammers purchasing Google Ads to pose as major brands.

Watch out for these fake tech support hotlines

Click on the ad might lead to the official site, but the scammers use malicious URL parameters to modify the content displayed on the site – such as displaying fake phone numbers into support sections. Because the browser shows the legitimate domain, users are less likely to be suspicious.

Researchers at Malwarebytes describe the attack as search parameter injection attack – or reflected input vulnerability.

"Once the number is called, the scammers will pose as the brand with the aim of getting their victim to hand over personal data or card details, or even allow remote access to their computer," the researchers explain.

Other affected sites include HP, Microsoft, Facebook and the Bank of America.

Malwarebytes is urging users to be weary of fake tech support lines by checking if the phone number is embedded into the URL (in which case, it's almost certainly malicious), searching for unusual and high-pressure terms like 'Call Now,' scanning the URL for encoded characters like '%20' (space) and '%2B ('+') and exercising caution if search results are shown before they've entered a search term.

Users can also navigate to the website's official top-level domain (eg www.apple.com) and find their own way to support, rather than trusting ads – companies don't typically purchase online ads to sell tech support.

You might also like

• Over 16 billion records leaked in "unimaginable" major data breach – here's what we know
• We've listed the best antivirus and best endpoint protection software
• Protect your digital footprint with our list of the best VPNs

Samsung's best earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro could be said to a bit overpriced at launch – but at half price, they're a bargain. And that's what they are over at Woot, where the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are down from their $249 MSRP to just $119.99.

In our in-depth Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review we praised their "fantastic sound", comfortable fit and excellent ANC, and our only real niggle was the price: at just shy of $250 they were "some of the most expensive earbuds designed for general consumers". We suggested the $219 Sony WF-XM10005 instead, but at $119 the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 are now $100 cheaper than the Sonys and they deserve your cash: at this price, they're a steal.

Today's best Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro deal

I'm not being dramatic here: at this price the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 are an absolute steal. By making them half-price Woot has made them $100 cheaper than their closest rival, Sony's WF-1000XM5, and less than you'd pay for many less capable earbuds. At full price the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro get four out of five stars. At half price, they get six out of five. View Deal

As we said in our review, " these are top-end earbuds, especially in the audio quality and noise cancellation departments". They are up there with the very best earbuds we've ever tested in terms of sound quality, and theyr'e capable of up to 24-bit/96kHz with compatible phones and tablets. Their adaptive EQ is very effective, and the sound stage is exciting and wide. Immersive audio is excellent too.

The ANC is "really great", we said. "the buds throw a blanket over whatever background noise is going on when you’re trying to listen to music." And you can dial down the intensity when you need to be aware of what's going on around you. Battery life is a decent 6 hours with ANC on, and seven with ANC off. With the charging case you get a total of 26 hours with ANC and 30 without.

I'll be honest. At $249 I don't think the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are good value: they're great earbuds, but the market for non-Apple earbuds is packed with very good buds that cost considerably less. But at half price I think they offer superb value for money.

• ASAF offers Dolby Atmos-style spatial audio, with more effects
• Available for all Apple platforms bar watchOS
• Focused primarily on Vision Pro

Apple has introduced a new format for head-tracking spatial audio: ASAF. Apple Spatial Audio Format promises "truly immersive audio experiences" and was unveiled quietly at last week's WWDC 2025 event – not in the keynote, but in a session for app developers.

As FlatpanelsHD explains, there are two components here: ASAF, which is used in audio and video production to position audio elements in a three-dimensional space, and APAC (Apple Positional Audio Codec), which is the codec that's used to deliver it.

If you're thinking "not another audio format" you're not alone: Samsung and Google are promoting Eclipsa Audio as a Dolby Atmos rival, too.

However, Apple's both is and isn't a Dolby Atmos rival – FlatpanelsHD reports that Dolby Atmos can be delivered within Apple's new format, which is then able to add some additional spatial audio tricks on top of it. So this appears to be less about replacing Atmos than expanding… though providing an alternative could be a big part of Apple's plan.

(Image credit: Apple)What does ASAF mean for the future of audio?

That's a very good question, because at the moment ASAF is for Apple devices: tvOS, iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS. The iPhone 16 able to be used to capture ASAF audio, and that ease of capture is probably something to pay attention to.

Initially, according to Apple's presentation, it looks like the focus – pun very much intended – is on the visionOS headset. Apple has mandated the use of APAC with all Immersive Video titles, although the codec can be used as a container for Dolby Atmos data instead of ASAF if the creator is already using that format.

The idea with ASAF's extra 3D skills are that they can alter the spatial sound not just based on your own head tracking and positioning, but also based on the virtual environment you're in, changing elements such as the volume and reverb to make the sound seem like it matches the world you're in. So you can see why it goes beyond Dolby Atmos, which just assume you're sitting still in the center of a virtual theater.

However, a further appeal here may not be technical; it may be financial. Dolby Atmos requires royalty payments from producers, and Samsung told us that one of the goals of Eclipsa Audio was in part to ensure that smaller-scale content creators could create and deliver spatial audio videos easily as well.

Apple may be able to offer a similar approach: where previously it kept its formats proprietary, it's become more open in recent years and its Apple Lossless Audio Codec dropped its royalty scheme back in 2011. ASAF can apparently be created using industry-standard software and plugins.

The APAC codec reportedly works at bitrates as low as 64kbps and maxes out at 768kbps, which may seem low, is the same maximum bitrate that Apple, Netflix and others use to stream Dolby Atmos at the moment, so it'll match current quality standards.

You might also like

• Samsung and Google have unveiled their Dolby Atmos rivalTechRadar
• Samsung told me why Dolby Atmos isn't the sole future of spatial audio
• Google TV devices will get 4 great free upgrades this year ...TechRadar

• James Gunn has teased why Jason Momoa's Lobo is vital to Supergirl's plot
• His inclusion helped the DC movie's creative team to crack the story they want to tell
• Gunn also confirmed which actor will play the film's primary villain

James Gunn has confirmed who'll play the villain in Supergirl – and opened up on the importance of Jason Momoa's Lobo in the forthcoming DC Universe (DCU) movie.

In a broad-ranging interview on episode 15 of the official DC Studios podcast, Gunn revealed that Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts will portray Krem.

For the uninitiated: Krem is the Big Bad in 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow', an eight-part graphic novel series that the second DCU film, which releases on June 26, 2026, is heavily inspired by. In fact, the movie bore the title of its comic book namesake until very recently, with Gunn admitting Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow was now known by its much simpler and cleaner title Supergirl.

But back to Krem. Last October, Deadline claimed Schoenaerts had been cast as the movie's terrifying antagonist, but it's only now that Gunn has admitted The Regime and Amsterdam star is part of its cast. For more details on everyone else you'll see in Kara Zor-El's first feature film outing in over 40 years (the first, 1984's Supergirl, is available to stream on Max, FYI) , check out my dedicated Supergirl guide.

Krem is the central antagonist of Superman: Woman of Tomorrow and the DCU movie it's influenced (Image credit: DC Comics)

That's not the only interesting information that Gunn discussed. Indeed, the DC Studios co-chief also provided more details on why Milly Alcock was cast as Supergirl, how director Craig Gillespie positively fought to include certain scenes in the superhero flick, and the initial text that Jason Momoa sent to Gunn to persuade him to let Momoa play Lobo.

It's a continuation of that final conversation that'll pique the interest of DC devotees. Indeed, as co-host/comic book expert Coy Jandreau mentioned during the podcast's latest installment, the original draft for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow's eight-part literary series was set to feature the immortal, motorbike-riding bounty hunter. Tom King, who wrote the graphic novel, confirmed this was the case in an interview with ComicBook.com in February 2023.

The invulnerable mercenary known as Lobo will have a small but important role in Supergirl (Image credit: DC Comics)

Given Lobo was due to appear in King and Bilquis Evely's comic book series before he was eventually cut from the story, plus the fact that Momoa will play the last surviving Czarnian in Supergirl, Landreau asked if the forthcoming DCU Chapter One film would incorporate "some of the [comics'] original draft ideas" concerning how Lobo fits into the story that Supergirl will tell.

"Woman of Tomorrow, in the comics, is a bunch of little stories," Gunn said, "And we needed to create one through-line, one three-act, more traditional story. So, Lobo helps us to do that.

"It's not an amalgamation of him and Krem," Gunn added about rumors that Lobo and Krem would somehow be combined into a single character. "He [Lobo] is a totally separate character. I love Lobo. I always thought he was a great character to adapt and, maybe, in some way, the biggest comic book character that's never been in a film. So, I think it was a cool thing to do [include him in Supergirl], yeah."

Are you happy that Lobo is in Supergirl? And what do you make of Schoenaerts playing its main villain? Let me know in the comments.

You might also like

• First image for Supergirl shows Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El in a place that'll be very familiar to DC comic book fans
• Superman will include characters who haven't been revealed yet, James Gunn says – and I think I know who one of them is
• 'We were blown away by this guy': Clayface lands unlikely star for its lead role as DC's budget horror movie continues to take shape

Tech giants are locked in an arms race to dominate AI-powered ecommerce. At Google I/O, we saw a preview of AI Mode in Search – a search experience where agents recommend products, populate visual panels, and complete purchases.

Next up is Apple’s WWDC, where the company is expected to provide an update on Apple Intelligence, but is believed to be taking a more incremental approach to AI in contrast to the rapid-fire rollouts from other companies racing to define the future of ecommerce.

These developer conferences, previously intended for insiders and engineers, are now mainstream moments because they’re shaping the future of shopping in real time.

Beneath the product demos and flashy interfaces, there’s a problem: today’s internet was counterintuitively built for humans, not machines.

AI Search Is Running on Outdated Infrastructure

The web we use today is a patchwork of skimmable layouts and visual cues meant to guide people, not machines, through a shopping experience. AI agents don’t browse like people do, and they need structured metadata with real-time pricing, inventory and clear product attributes.

When the data is inconsistent, unstructured, or breadcrumbed across interactions, AI agents struggle to extract meaning or skip over it entirely. This means that for brands and shoppers products could become harder to find with AI, even if they are the best choice.

As AI-driven search platforms increasingly mediate product discovery, brands are losing visibility, traffic, and the ability to influence how they show up in the customer journey. The internet isn’t being rebuilt for AI, it’s being retrofitted. Many new interfaces look advanced on the surface but are layered over brittle, outdated infrastructure that machines struggle to understand.

Discovery Is Disappearing

We’re already seeing the early signals. Traffic from generative AI sources increased by 1,200% between July 2024 and February 2025, reflecting increased interest from consumers turning to AI tools for product discovery. The wave is arriving, but most brands aren’t yet positioned to take advantage of it because their websites aren’t designed to continue the AI user journey. Interfaces and product data often aren’t structured for agent interactions or optimized for LLM workflows.

Google’s AI Overviews can siphon off up to 64% of organic traffic, depending on the industry. It’s a dramatic shift in how discovery happens. For brands, it means fewer clicks, fewer opportunities for engagement, and far less control over how they're presented in the shopping journey.

As consumers increasingly use AI agents for shopping and product recommendations, they’ll discover a narrower range of brands and products. Those that are optimized will be more easily found because AI models prefer sources that provide clean, well-structured, commerce-ready data like real-time pricing, inventory, and agentic checkout capabilities.

Without that data, AI agents may surface outdated or absent production information, forcing shoppers back into traditional, clunky checkout processes. The brands that proactively become AI-friendly will significantly benefit, making the path forward clear for their shoppers.

Some platforms are starting to recognize the problem. Shopify’s new Catalog API gives agents access to structured product data, making it easier to surface listings in agent-led environments like Perplexity. The API improves visibility, but not interactivity. One way infrastructure allows agents to access existing product data like descriptions and pricing, but the interaction ends there.

Two-way systems enable brands to proactively influence the experience, maybe by offering a discount, surfacing related products or offering free shipping depending on the customer interaction. Without two-way systems, brands will lose out on the control and context they’re accustomed to having.

What Brands Stand to Lose

AI innovation moves too quickly for brands to rely on incremental website updates. New model capabilities and consumer expectations emerge weekly, and without a flexible foundation built for constant adaptation, brands risk permanently falling behind.

Brands depend on search as the backbone of their visibility strategy to reach shoppers. Organic and paid search drove up to 80% of website traffic until Google’s AI overviews launched a year ago. Now, with AI Mode, agents are changing how information is retrieved and displayed, threatening not just traffic but the entire infrastructure of how brands reach, understand, and convert consumers.

This amounts to more than a visibility problem. As AI agents handle more of the customer journey, brands are losing the direct connections they’ve spent years building and the rich data that comes along with it: No more behavioral signals, preference data, or owned loyalty loops. When agents become the interface, the relationship gets rewritten.

Without traffic to their own websites, they forfeit first-party analytics, personalized engagement, and long-term insight into customer behavior. Without clear data connections, they can't optimize experiences, measure ROI, or retain relevance. And without direct visibility, even brand affinity is at risk of erosion. In an AI-mediated internet, consumer choice gets collapsed into a single output. Unless a brand is structurally positioned to appear in that output, it might as well not exist.

A Programmatic Commerce Layer

This demands intelligent infrastructure. Brands should already be thinking about how they present their product information to make it legible to two important audiences: people and machines. Structured, real-time data is not optimization. It’s the baseline requirement for visibility, participation, and growth in an AI-first ecosystem.

In the AI internet, new subdomains like ai.brandname.com serve as intelligent storefronts that can serve both human customers and AI agents in one unified experience. Unlike traditional websites, which are updated piecemeal and built for human browsing, AI storefronts are built for speed, natural language, and agent-friendly architecture.

It’s time to rebuild now

Brands know they’re losing clicks, but the big picture is that they’re losing the ability to participate in the next era of commerce. AI agents are rewriting the script for how discovery and conversion happen; brands that aren’t structurally visible won’t be outcompeted, they’ll be invisible. In the AI internet, visibility is engineered. This starts with rebuilding digital storefronts for humans and machines.

We list the best website monitoring 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

• Over 160,000 people had their data leaked from Krispy Kreme
• The victims are mainly employees and their family members
• The perpetrator is still unknown

Krispy Kreme has revealed exactly what details were exposed in the breach that hit the donut company in November 2024.

161,676 people were affected by the breach, with most being staff and their family members, the company has said in a filing with Maine's Office of the Attorney General.

The breach saw a very wide range of sensitive information stolen, putting many of the victims at risk of credit fraud, identity theft, and more.

A hole lot of data

The full list of data stolen in the breach includes:

• Names
• Social Security numbers
• Dates of birth
• Driver's license or state ID numbers
• Financial account information
• Financial account access information
• Credit or debit card information
• Credit or debit card information in combination with a security code, username, and password to a financial account
• Passport numbers
• Digital signatures
• Usernames and passwords
• Email addresses and passwords
• Biometric data
• USCIS or Alien Registration Numbers
• US military ID numbers
• Medical or health information
• Health insurance information

While not everyone involved will have had all of the above data leaked, it does illustrate just how important it is to properly protect sensitive information, especially when it comes to credit card and payment details.

It appears that all of the data may have been lumped into a single database, making it far easier for the attackers to steal such a trove of information.

The victims were offered 12 months of credit monitoring and identity theft protection, which has become tradition for large companies hit by sensitive data breaches.

Krispy Kreme now shows a statement laying out the details of the data breach, “On November 29, 2024, Krispy Kreme became aware of unauthorized activity on a portion of its information technology systems. Upon learning of the unauthorized activity, we immediately began taking steps to investigate, contain, and remediate the incident with the assistance of leading cybersecurity experts.”

“On May 22, 2025, our investigation into the incident determined that certain personal information was affected. There is no evidence that the information has been misused, and we are not aware of any reports of identity theft or fraud as a direct result of this incident. This notification has not been delayed as the result of a law enforcement investigation,” the statement says.

There is no confirmation on who was behind the breach, but immediately following Krispy Kreme’s disclosure, the Play ransomware gang claimed responsibility.

BleepingComputer claims the Play gang claimed the allegedly stolen files contain "private and personal confidential data, client documents, budget, payroll, accounting, contracts, taxes, IDs, finance information," and more - but did not provide any proof of its activity.

You might also like

• Here are my picks for the best antivirus software
• Krispy Kreme orders across the US disrupted after cyberattack
• These are the best password managers I could find

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, June 20 (game #740).

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 #741) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BRANDY
• MALT
• FIRM
• BUTTER
• STOUT
• CIDER
• PORT
• HOUSE
• LUXE
• OUTFIT
• THICK
• SAUCE
• SQUAT
• GERM
• CONCERN
• SOLID

NYT Connections today (game #741) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Sturdy
• GREEN: Business
• BLUE: Could be an iPhone?
• PURPLE: Roman could be another

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 #741) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: STOCKY
• GREEN: COMPANY
• BLUE: APPLE PRODUCTS
• PURPLE: STARTS OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

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

NYT Connections today (game #741) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #741, are…

• YELLOW: STOCKY SOLID, SQUAT, STOUT, THICK
• GREEN: COMPANY CONCERN, FIRM, HOUSE, OUTFIT
• BLUE: APPLE PRODUCTS BRANDY, BUTTER, CIDER, SAUCE
• PURPLE: STARTS OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES GERM, LUXE, MALT, PORT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 mistake

I made harder work of this than I probably needed to, but in fairness the NYT did throw in some classic misdirection today, with FIRM seemingly going with SOLID, SQUAT and STOUT, in my head at least, when really it was THICK that I was looking for to complete the yellow STOCKY group.

Surprisingly, I got purple first. This was a clever one, with GERM, LUXE, MALT and PORT all forming the starts of European nations – Germany, Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal, obviously.

I should really have got blue, Apple products, given that I spend my life writing about them. But rather than iPads and MacBooks, it was BRANDY, BUTTER, CIDER and SAUCE that I needed here.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, June 20, game #740)

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

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, June 20 (game #1243).

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 #1244) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1244) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1244) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1244) - 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 #1244) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• G

• B

• M

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

Quordle today (game #1244) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1244, are…

• BUDDY
• GROUT
• BEGIN
• MADAM

A bit of a harder Quordle for me today, not least because my three set start words – STARE, DOILY and PUNCH – didn't give me nearly as many letters as I'd had in previous games.

A couple of the words were tricky, too: BUDDY with its repeated Ds and with the alternative word MUDDY, and MADAM with its repeated Ms and As. I got there in the end, but it was a challenge.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1244) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1244, are…

• TEACH
• PENAL
• TWEED
• LIMIT

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1243, Friday, 20 June: BRAID, DULLY, HASTE, LURID
• Quordle #1242, Thursday, 19 June: BRUSH, ISLET, FRUIT, PRIVY
• Quordle #1241, Wednesday, 18 June: MEDIA, SHARK, GUPPY, MOURN
• Quordle #1240, Tuesday, 17 June: LEAPT, PRISM, ADMIN, WHINE
• Quordle #1239, Monday, 16 June: RETRY, SCALD, DINGO, FEIGN
• Quordle #1238, Sunday, 15 June: SHOCK, STEIN, BROIL, COVEN
• Quordle #1237, Saturday, 14 June: STICK, FERRY, THESE, IONIC
• Quordle #1236, Friday, 13 June: REPEL, LARGE, SNIDE, CARRY
• Quordle #1235, Thursday, 12 June: SCANT, BATCH, UNDER, PARSE
• Quordle #1234, Wednesday, 11 June: CRAVE, ROOST, ANGLE, FLOOD
• Quordle #1233, Tuesday, 10 June: DECRY, CHEEK, FILET, EASEL
• Quordle #1232, Monday, 9 June: DERBY, LEMON, WRITE, HOVEL
• Quordle #1231, Sunday, 8 June: REBAR, ALERT, PAYEE, FLUME
• Quordle #1230, Saturday, 7 June: FLUNK, ESTER, SPITE, CHEAP
• Quordle #1229, Friday, 6 June: ELUDE, KHAKI, VISTA, SMOKY
• Quordle #1228, Thursday, 5 June: CHIDE, RABBI, GUSTY, LANCE
• Quordle #1227, Wednesday, 4 June: BANAL, STOUT, SEDAN, HIPPO
• Quordle #1226, Tuesday, 3 June: FUGUE, SYRUP, FLACK, WORST
• Quordle #1225, Monday, 2 June: THINK, BELLE, CRONE, BOULE
• Quordle #1224, Sunday, 1 June: POINT, MERIT, WHOOP, APHID

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, June 20 (game #474).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Goose eggs

NYT Strands today (game #475) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TANG
• STAG
• DARN
• DARE
• HATING
• THING

NYT Strands today (game #475) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #475) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #475) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #475, are…

• NADA
• ZERO
• NOTHING
• ZILCH
• ZIPPO
• NAUGHT
• BUPKIS
• SPANGRAM: DIDDLY SQUAT 

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

I spent a fair bit of today's Strands thoroughly baffled by what I was needing to do. For starters, I've never heard the phrase 'Goose eggs' – which apparently means 'nothing', but which I think might mainly be an American sports term, and therefore of no use as a hint to people like me, who don't have any interest whatsoever in US sports. That said, it seemingly comes from the British term 'duck's egg', which then found its way into cricket – a sport I love. So maybe I should have guessed.

Anyway, my first hint gave me NADA, and with no idea at this stage what the hint meant I was still in the dark. A second hint gave me ZERO, at which point I realized what the objective was.

Finding the answers was not that easy though, particularly BUPKIS – another word that was entirely alien to me until today.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, June 20, game #474)

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

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

It's the end of another working week and you definitely deserve a well-earned rest in front of the TV.

Thankfully, there are plenty of exciting new movies and shows to watch at home, too. From the return of fan-favorite series to the official streaming debut of one of the most memorable films of 2025, there's lots to check out on the world's best streaming services before Monday rolls around. So, read on to learn more about the seven biggest new things you should stream this weekend. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

A Minecraft Movie (Max)

I don't think anyone expected A Minecraft Movie to be one of the biggest movie hits of the year. As evidenced by my two-star review of A Minecraft Movie, I certainly didn't – and I even took Mojang's best-selling video game namesake's worldwide fanbase into account, too.

And yet, whether it was down to the game series' enduring popularity, its starry cast, or those viral TikTok videos of chaotic screenings – you must have seen those 'Chicken Jockey!' memes by now – A Minecraft Movie has become one of the highest-grossing films of 2025. Not only does that mean it deserves a spot on our best Max movies list, but also that it's worth checking out on Max this weekend. You'll be pleasantly surprised by what's on offer or, like me, wonder what all of the fuss is about, and I say that as someone who's enjoyed the odd Minecraft gaming marathon! – TP

• Watch A Minecraft Movie on Max

The Waterfront (Netflix)

If you're in the mood for a twisty drama, Netflix's latest TV Originals might hit the spot.

Inspired by true events and set in coastal North Carolina, The Waterfront explores family dynamics and the lengths people will go to when their legacy is on the line. The series follows the Buckley family, who has ruled Havenport, dominating everything from the local fishing industry to the town’s restaurant scene. But, all that has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan recovers from two heart attacks.

It's giving similar vibes to Succession in a way, but will this be as popular as that hit series and carve out a space as one of the best Netflix shows? – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch The Waterfront on Netflix

The Buccaneers season 2 (Apple TV+)

Dust off your bustles and bowler hats, because it's finally time to step back into the Gilded Age for season 2 of one of the best Apple TV+ shows: The Buccaneers.

The last time we saw sisters Nan and Jinny St George alongside sisters Lizzy and Mabel Elmsworth in this Apple TV Original, the group were only just starting to settle into London high society after traveling to England for the wedding of Conchita Closson. Now, the American heiresses are practically running the place, which is precisely where the first episode of this Apple TV+ show's sophomore season starts off.

Expect the remaining eight episodes of this Bridgerton and My Lady Jane rival to be released weekly until the finale premieres on August 6. – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch The Buccaneers season 2 on Apple TV+

We Were Liars (Prime Video)

We Are Liars is an interesting one. It's got a positive 75% Rotten Tomatoes critics score (at the time of publication), but it remains to be seen if the Prime Video young adult drama will similarly appeal to general viewers.

If you love a psychological thriller, you may be keen to see which side of the debate you fall on this weekend. This eight-part Amazon TV series follows a 17 year old girl from a wealthy family, who spends summers on a private island.

However, when she suffers a terrible accident, she struggles to remember events that happened in her past, and it goes from there. Expect lies, deception and shocking truths with this one, which could yet join our best Prime Video shows list. – LB

• Watch We Were Liars on Prime Video

The Gilded Age season 3 (Max)

It's a big weekend for period drama fans, because there's also the return of HBO's hit historical drama The Gilded Age gracing our screens.

Following the end of the Opera War at the end of season 2, New York high society has never been more in flux. Will the Russells be the new top dog in town? Can Agnes come to terms with Ada's new position as the lady of the house? There's a lot at stake.

This season's first episode debuts this Sunday (June 22), with new episodes of one of the best Max shows scheduled to be released weekly through August 10. – AS

• Watch The Gilded Age season 3 on Max

Kpop Demon Hunters (Netflix)

I love movie soundtracks. They're among my most listened to albums, purely because they always have a way of transporting me back to the film. So, it's exciting to see Netflix put this front and centre in KPop Demon Hunters.

One of June's new Netflix movies features music from K-pop icons, including Danny Chung, IDO, Vince, KUSH, EJAE, Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk, Lindgren, Mark Sonnenblick and Daniel Rojas, as well as original songs from Jeongyeon, Jihyo and Chaeyoung of TWICE, giving it all the star power to make it one of the best Netflix movies.

K-pop superstars by day, demon hunters by night, the film follows a famous ensemble that fights off supernatural forces, including a new rival boy band of demons that's out to steal the limelight. – AS

• Watch Kpop Demon Hunters on Netflix

Underdogs (Hulu/Disney+)

I love a good nature documentary. I enjoyed Secrets of the Penguins narrated by Blake Lively, and now her husband Ryan Reynolds is following in her footsteps with Underdogs.

In this five-part Hulu and Disney+ docuseries, we examine the weird and unsung heroes of the animal kingdom. You can expect to see questionable parenting strategies, nature's con artists, and how these animals use various tactics to get by.

Each episode is around 40 minutes and is packed with witty commentary and up close footage that's perfect for any nature lover this weekend One for our best Hulu shows and best Disney+ shows guides, perhaps?. – LB

• Watch Underdogs on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

For more stellar streaming suggestions, read our guides on the best Hulu movies, best Prime Video shows, best Paramount+ movies, and best Disney+ movies.

• Network Solutions is integrating the Web.com brand
• It will offer Web.com's services, including the AI-powered website builder
• Network Solutions is one of the oldest domain registrars out there

Network Solutions, one of the oldest domain registrar and web services companies out there, is integrating Web.com, a popular website builder and web hosting platform into its Network Solutions brand.

The news was announced earlier this week and described as a move that aims to create a “stronger, more seamless digital experience for customers.”

Network Solutions was founded in 1979, as a company that offers domain name registration, website hosting, email services, and website building tools. In 2011, it was acquired by Web.com for $405 million in cash, plus 18 million shares. Both companies are owned by Newfold Digital, a company that was formed in February 2021 when Web.com and Endurance Web presence merged to form a joint-venture company owned by Siris Capital and Clearlake Capital.

With this integration, Network Solutions sought to create a “secure and stable platform” that will mean peace of mind for the customers, it said. Web.com’s customers will now benefit from Network Solutions’ 45 years of technical support, the company added.

Website builder in the spotlight

"This strategic consolidation brings together decades of innovation, reliability, and top-tier support, offering customers a comprehensive experience under the globally recognized Network Solutions brand," said Christina Clohecy, CEO of Network Solutions. "It's the same trusted service our customers know, now powered by the best of both brands, making it easier than ever for businesses to grow online."

In the announcement, Network Solutions stressed that its portfolio of services is now richer for Web.com’s AI Website Builder, offering a more streamlined way to build professional websites in minutes.

AI in web design is growing more popular by the day, and all of the best website builders out there have implemented the revolutionary technology. Bluehost, Wix, Hostinger, Squarespace, 10Web, and many others, have announced variants of AI-powered website builders, offering AI-enhanced experience that minimize the need for coding knowledge.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Read about why our Website Builder Editor is moving his website away from Wix
• Learn more with our full Wix review
• Check out the best AI website builders on the market

• 30.1% of US Python code is written by AI coding assistants
• Newer developers are even more likely to use AI
• Tech firms are also using more AI-generated code

A new research paper entitled "Who is using AI to code? Global diffusion and impact of generative AI" has found US software developers are the most intensive users of AI coding assistants globally.

By December 2024, artificial intelligence was believed to have generated nearly one in three (30.1%) Python functions by US developers on GitHub.

This puts US developers far ahead of their global counterparts in terms of AI usage, with countries like German (24.3%), France (23.2%), India (21.6%), Russia (15.4%) and China (11.7%) lagging behind.

US developers use AI coding assistants the most

The researchers also noted more experienced developers are less likely to use AI (28%) compared with newer GitHub users (41%) who might be more receptive to the platform's latest additions.

Despite coming with huge productivity promises, AI doesn't seem to have made such a great impact.

Moving to 30% AI-generated code has only correlated with a 2.4% increase in quarterly commits. The researchers place the economic value of AI-assisted coding in the US at anywhere between $9.6 billion and $96 billion annually, depending on the realistic productivity gains seen.

However, Daniotti et al noted at AI usage could be linked to greater experimentation, with a 2.2% increase in new libraries and a 3.5% increase in new library combinations observed, suggesting the tech could be helping developers expand into new programming areas.

The trend correlates with major tech firms like Google, Meta and Microsoft, which now admit that a large proportion (up to around a third) of their code, depending on project and use case, is generated by AI.

However, in the case of this study, the researchers admitted that the analysis focuses exclusively on open-source Python projects on GitHub, therefore the model effectively assumes that AI usage rates in Python are seen across other languages.

Still, they hope that quantified research could help AI sceptics make better-informed decisions about how they see themselves using AI and its effects on the labor market.

You might also like

• These are the best AI tools and best AI writers developers can use today
• Need an upgrade? Ask your boss for one of the best programming laptops
• Developers aren't thrilled about having to add AI into everything they build, study shows

Netflix's new drama Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft. is a true story that feels like it's been ripped from the fictional drug drama Narcos – and that's something the filmmakers themselves are the first to admit.

Speaking of the four-man arrest that's at the centre of the story, director Olivier Bouchara told Variety that "it’s like a spinoff of Narcos, except that none of the four fit the profile. Two pilots, former air force heroes, family men. And two passengers with no criminal records, not even for stealing potatoes".

The story begins on the 19th of March, 2013, as a Falcon 50 business jet gets ready for take-off in the Dominican Republic. But before it can fly the anti-drug squad swoop in, because there are 26 suitcases full of dope on board.

Alongside two passengers the pilots are arrested. They protest their innocence and ignorance of their cocaine cargo – "we're pilots, not baggage handlers" – but they and the accused passengers are thrown in jail.

Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft. tells the story of how they ended up there and what happened next, and it has soared to second place on Netflix's global top 10 for non-English content, putting it in the running to be one of the best Netflix shows.

What are people saying about Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft.?

As with many Netflix documentaries, there's an argument that the material has been stretched longer than it needs to be to tell the story over a too-long period; Decider definitely felt that at three 45-minute episodes: "it's majorly stretching its material." But the mystery at the heart of the story – were the men guilty as charged, or was it a setup? – is intriguing, so much so that the case was a media sensation in France with alleged connections to the rich, famous and powerful in that country.

Over on r/netflix, top commenter LKS983 "thoroughly enjoyed it – and even laughed out loud a few times at some of the 'porkies' being told!". It's "one of those stories that gets crazier each episode," agreed the excellently named Elegant-Leg540, who "started out thinking the pilots were naive innocents then ended up not so sure."

Telerabbit9000 couldn't believe that the pilots didn't know what was in their cargo. "When they say 'I didnt care what the cargo was, as long as I was paid' they had to be getting paid so much that they would have known what the cargo was. (And if they werent getting paid 1 million, they are even bigger fools, taking such a risk for no money.)"

And the also excellently named 60percentsexpanther loved it too, and was equally dubious about the pilots' evidence. "Imagine putting 34 days worth of blow for the entire city of London in a single plane and then claiming you thought it was all bikinis, knickers, flip flops and sunglasses and you never knew."

Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft. is streaming now on Netflix.

You may also like

• Netflix’s best thriller of 2025? This new show has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and is a nail-biter
• This Gerard Butler ‘popcorn thriller’ movie has become a high flyer on Netflix’s most-watched list, and it’s a great action flick
• I’ve watched every #1 Netflix TV show in 2025 and these are the 7 actually worth streaming

• NordVPN faces a class action lawsuit in the US over alleged "deceptive and illegal" auto-renewal practices
• A US law firm has already brought lawsuits on behalf of four plaintiffs so far
• The auto-renewal system used by NordVPN isn't dissimilar to that used by other major VPN providers

A US law firm has filed a class action lawsuit against NordVPN over alleged "deceptive and illegal" auto-renewal practices.

The lawsuit, which is still active at the time of writing, also accuses NordVPN of making it difficult for consumers to cancel their subscriptions.

Despite some exceptions, almost all the best VPNs on the market have a similar auto-renewal system in place to handle users' subscriptions.

Four legal complaints

Wittels McInturff Palikovic is the main legal firm behind the ongoing class action against NordVPN S.A., Tefincom SA d/b/a NordVPN, and Nordsec B.V.

As mentioned, the class action questions how the provider manages user subscriptions.

Specifically, lawyers are accusing NordVPN of using "deceptive and illegal 'automatic renewal' practices to dupe customers into unknowingly paying for unwanted, pricey subscriptions," the class action's main page reads.

The lawsuit also accuses the provider of employing so-called "dark patterns" when customers seek to cancel their subscriptions. These refer to deceptive design techniques aimed at manipulating user actions.

"As a result, the lawsuit alleges that NordVPN customers paid tens of millions of dollars more than they would have if NordVPN had not used deceptive and illegal automatic renewal practices," concluded the lawyers.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Freedomz)

Wittels McInturff Palikovic has already presented legal complaints on behalf of four former NordVPN customers so far – and seeks compensation of up to $100 million.

The first case TechRadar could find goes back to April 2024 and was filed in the Northern District of California. Two more cases were also filed last year, one in the Western District of North Carolina in July and another one in November in a Colorado federal court. NordVPN was dragged into Court again in the Southern District of New York last March on the same grounds.

In one of these cases (July 2024), allegations against NordVPN also include shady practices around cancellations during the 30-day money-back guarantee period.

According to the lawyers, "Nord Security did not adequately disclose to Plaintiff that it would retain his $131.76 payment despite his cancellation during the 30-day trial unless he affirmatively requested a refund."

It is worth noting that, in at least two cases, NordVPN has already issued a refund to plaintiffs for the unwanted subscription charges.

What NordVPN is saying

When approached by TechRadar, a NordVPN spokesperson said that the company complies with legal requirements, while striving to provide excellent customer experience.

"Our auto-renewal practices are clear and straightforward. We are and always have been very clear about the recurring nature of our services, and we also send charge reminders to customers with long-term recurring subscriptions," said NordVPN in a statement.

"Our goal is to provide our customers with services they use and enjoy every day; therefore, as a customer service matter, we may issue refunds even if customers have exceeded the 30-day money-back guarantee window. That said, two of the customers who brought lawsuits had received refunds before they sued."

A virtual private network (VPN) is security software that encrypts (Image credit: BlackJack3D/via Getty Images)

The class action is still active at the time of writing, and lawyers are urging all NordVPN customers who were charged for a subscription they did not want to get in touch.

The Wittels McInturff Palikovic firm has previously opened investigations into auto-enrollment practices against ExpressVPN, Proton VPN, and Private Internet Access (PIA).

Yet, no lawsuit was ever filed against these providers.

If you're looking to sign up for a VPN service but don't want to get locked into auto-renewing subscriptions, I recommend looking into Mullvad VPN. Besides being one of the most secure VPNs on the market, the provider axed all recurring subscriptions in 2022 to better preserve users' privacy.

You might also like

• These free VPNs may have ties to China’s military – and they are still hidden in Apple and Google app stores
• To pay or not to pay? Nearly 1 in 4 TechRadar readers say they use free VPNs despite the risks
• Windscribe CEO speaks out against global threats to no-log VPNs

• Cerebras' X account was hacked to push (fake) new $CEREBRAS coin
• Company execs have confirmed this was a "scam"
• Cerebras is working with the US military

The official X account of AI chip maker Cerebras was recently hacked, with the malicious actor(s) behind the attack using the platform to share a fake cryptocurrency, the company has confirmed.

The breach was used to promote a fraudulent crypto scheme involving a fake coin, named $CEREBRAS, however the news was met with scepticism even before the company regained control over its X account and confirmed the scam.

Industry experts had already suspected $CEREBRAS of being a scam or a rug pull (and instance where a project gets abandoned after the company or individual responsible has raised assets from the public), and doubt was also raised when people started to notice that the fake coin had only been launched days earlier, on June 15, raising red flags among crypto observers.

Cerebras fake cryptocurrency scam

Responding to one request on X, CEO Andrew Feldman wrote: "No. We did not. This is a scam." Company Director James Wang also responded to speculation: "Cerebras is not launching a token. It’s a scam. Do not click."

Ceberas has since regained control over its X account, and no recent suspicious activity has been reported.

"Please be aware: Cerebras does not, and will never, launch or endorse any cryptocurrency or token. We are working to regain control of the account. Stay alert and protect yourself from scams," the company wrote.

In other news, the company recently boasted record-breaking LLM inference speeds using the Llama 4 Maverick 400B model – we're talking 2,522 output tokens per second – nearly 2.5x Nvidia's 1,038 output tokens per second.

"Cerebras has led the charge in redefining inference performance across models like Llama, DeepSeek, and Qwen, regularly delivering over 2,500 TPS/user," Feldman wrote.

Cerebras also won a joint $45 million US government contract with Canadian chip startup Ranovus to speed up inter-chip connections.

You might also like

• Here's the best identity theft protection software
• Mystery of M&S hack deepens as TCS claims none of its systems were compromised
• The best authenticator apps and the best password generators can help secure your account

Amid all the debates about how AI affects jobs, science, the environment, and everything else, there's a question of how large language models impact the people using them directly.

A new study from the MIT Media Lab implies that using AI tools reduces brain activity in some ways, which is understandably alarming. But I think that's only part of the story. How we use AI, like any other piece of technology, is what really matters.

Here's what the researchers did to test AI's effect on the brain: They asked 54 students to write essays using one of three methods: their own brains, a search engine, or an AI assistant, specifically ChatGPT.

Over three sessions, the students stuck with their assigned tools. Then they swapped, with the AI users going tool-free, and the non-tool users employing AI.

EEG headsets measured their brain activity throughout, and a group of humans, plus a specially trained AI, scored the resulting essays. Researchers also interviewed each student about their experience.

As you might expect, the group relying on their brains showed the most engagement, best memory, and the most sense of ownership over their work, as evidenced by how much they could quote from them.

The ones using AI at first had less impressive recall and brain connectivity, and often couldn’t even quote their own essays after a few minutes. When writing manually in the final test, they still underperformed.

The authors are careful to point out that the study has not yet been peer-reviewed. It was limited in scope, focused on essay writing, not any other cognitive activity. And the EEG, while fascinating, is better at measuring overall trends than pinpointing exact brain functions. Despite all these caveats, the message most people would take away is that using AI might make you dumber.

But I would reframe that to consider if maybe AI isn’t dumbing us down so much as letting us opt out of thinking. Perhaps the issue isn’t the tool, but how we’re using it.

AI brains

If you use AI, think about how you used it. Did you get it to write a letter, or maybe brainstorm some ideas? Did it replace your thinking, or support it? There’s a huge difference between outsourcing an essay and using an AI to help organize a messy idea.

Part of the issue is that "AI" as we refer to it is not literally intelligent, just a very sophisticated parrot with an enormous library in its memory. But this study didn’t ask participants to reflect on that distinction.

The LLM-using group was encouraged to use the AI as they saw fit, which probably didn't mean thoughtful and judicious use, just copying without reading, and that’s why context matters.

Because the "cognitive cost" of AI may be tied less to its presence and more to its purpose. If I use AI to rewrite a boilerplate email, I’m not diminishing my intelligence. Instead, I’m freeing up bandwidth for things that actually require my thinking and creativity, such as coming up with this idea for an article or planning my weekend.

Sure, if I use AI to generate ideas I never bother to understand or engage with, then my brain probably takes a nap, but if I use it to streamline tedious chores, I have more brainpower for when it matters.

Think about it like this. When I was growing up, I had dozens of phone numbers, addresses, birthdays, and other details of my friends and family memorized. I had most of it written down somewhere, but I rarely needed to consult it for those I was closest to. But I haven't memorized a number in almost a decade.

I don't even know my own landline number by heart. Is that a sign I’m getting dumber, or just evidence I've had a cell phone for a long time and stopped needing to remember them?

We’ve offloaded certain kinds of recall to our devices, which lets us focus on different types of thinking. The skill isn’t memorizing, it’s knowing how to find, filter, and apply information when we need it. It's sometimes referred to as "extelligence," but really it's just applying brain power to where it's needed.

That’s not to say memory doesn’t matter anymore. But the emphasis has changed. Just like we don’t make students practice long division by hand once they understand the concept, we may one day decide that it’s more important to know what a good form letter looks like and how to prompt an AI to write one than to draft it line by line from scratch.

Humans are always redefining intelligence. There are a lot of ways to be smart, and knowing how to use tools and technology is one important measure of smarts. At one point, being smart meant knowing how to knap flint, make Latin declensions or working a slide rule.

Today, it might mean being able to collaborate with machines without letting them do all the thinking for you. Different tools prioritize different cognitive skills. And every time a new tool comes along, some people panic that it will ruin us or replace us.

The printing press. The calculator. The internet. All were accused of making people lazy thinkers. All turned out to be a great boon to civilization (well, the jury is still out on the internet).

With AI in the mix, we’re probably leaning harder into synthesis, discernment, and emotional intelligence – the human parts of being human. We don't need the kind of scribes who are only good at writing down what people say; we need people who know how to ask better questions.

Knowing when to trust a model and when to double-check. It means turning a tool that’s capable of doing the work into an asset that helps you do it better.

But none of it works if you treat the AI like a vending machine for intelligence. Punch in a prompt, wait for brilliance to fall out? No, that's not how it works. And if that's all you do with it, you aren't getting dumber, you just never learned how to stay in touch with your own thoughts.

In the study, the LLM group’s lower essay ownership wasn’t just about memory. It was about engagement. They didn’t feel connected to what they wrote because they weren’t the ones doing the writing. That’s not about AI. That’s about using a tool to skip the hard part, which means skipping the learning.

The study is important, though. It reminds us that tools shape thinking. It nudges us if we are using AI tools to expand our brains or to avoid using them. But to claim AI use makes people less intelligent is like saying calculators made us bad at math. If we want to keep our brains sharp, maybe the answer isn’t to avoid AI but to be thoughtful about using it.

The future isn't human brains versus AI. It’s about humans who know how to think with AI and any other tool, and avoiding becoming someone who doesn't bother thinking at all. And that’s a test I’d still like to pass.

You might also like

• OpenAI's high-minded approach to AI-human relationships ignores reality
• AI can write a hit song, but it can’t lift your soul or break your heart
• Audible’s AI narration sounds impressive, but I'd rather hear the story told by a human

• We have leaked renders for Samsung's next foldables
• There are a couple of key design changes
• It's likely that the phones will be unveiled during July

All the indications are that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 are going to get their grand reveal next month – possibly on July 9 – and freshly leaked renders may have given us a better idea of the designs of these handsets.

First up we've got the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 renders, courtesy of the team at Android Headlines. There aren't too many design changes, but it looks like the foldable is going to be thinner than ever, as has been previously rumored.

Exclusive: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Renders Show Slimmer Design, Bigger Displays https://t.co/bYpU7Fuyy5June 19, 2025

The cover display is apparently getting wider too, so the phone will feel a bit more like a standard phone when it's closed, and we've got two colors to look at here: Blue Shadow and Jet Black (a few other colors could be on the table too).

Perhaps the biggest surprise in these renders is that the punch-hole camera seems to be back on the main display, replacing the under-display camera on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – perhaps due to the thinner frame. That's a step back in terms of technology, and arguably aesthetics, though the captured photo and video quality could be boosted as a result.

On the flip side

Exclusive: Galaxy Z Flip 7 Leaks with Full Cover Display — Finally Catching Motorola https://t.co/aWkrS2P4TOJune 19, 2025

We've got another batch of leaked renders showing off the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, and again these come from Android Headlines. The same Blue Shadow and Jet Black colors are on show, which will most likely be joined by other shades.

The big upgrade when it comes to this phone compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the larger cover display, meaning it looks more like the Motorola Razr series of flip foldables – and the upgrade should make the outer screen more useful.

As with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, these renders show a phone that's thinner and lighter than its predecessor. According to this leak, many of the specs will stay the same, though there will be a faster processor on the inside.

All that remains is for Samsung to announce a date for its next Galaxy Unpacked event, and reveal these phones officially – which will almost certainly be sometime in July. At the same showcase we're expecting to see a couple of Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 models, and perhaps a tri-fold phone as well.

You might also like

• Samsung's foldables could come with a Google AI Pro subscription
• These are the best foldable phones right now
• The next Galaxy foldables will come with One UI 8 on board

AI agents are fundamentally reshaping businesses and how work gets done by augmenting them with autonomous, context-aware execution. If you’re not leveraging AI agents, here’s why you should.

Recognizing that managing AI agents is becoming an essential skill in the workforce, I predict that before 2026, every person at my 1,000+-person company will be using an agent on a daily basis. AI agents are evolving businesses rapidly, and while tech adoption rates can be slower for some organizations, the momentum and interest in agentic AI is building rapidly and proving its business value.

As organizations continue to grapple with complexity, speed, and the pressure to do more with less resources and staff, AI agents offer a path to operational agility: automating routine decisions, surfacing real-time insights, and accelerating strategic outcomes. This shift marks more than a ‘tech upgrade’—it’s a redefinition of the business operating model, where the ability to harness intelligent, data-driven agents will distinguish tomorrow’s leaders from those stuck in yesterday’s workflows.

Real agents

First, what is a real agent and why is it different?

In sales and marketing, there is a lot of chatter about building agents that save time and allow companies to send personalized content at scale. That’s absolutely an efficiency that should be taking place, but we’re probably talking about a database trigger in Salesforce that kicks off IF-THEN logic that, in turn, uses an API call to ChatGPT for purposes of drafting the content.

That is not an agent.

By definition, an agent is more resourceful, proactive, and helpful, able to pursue goals, and achieve more results on behalf of employees than either a chatbot or conventional automation. Although the concept of autonomous agents has been around for years, we’re just getting to the point where the technology is becoming widespread, with tools for the creation of agents improving rapidly.

Rather than trying to give a formal definition of what constitutes an agent, let me describe what makes the best formula for purpose-driven AI agents. They possess:

1. Tools to search the web and social media, gather information, and provide data analysis. It’s not a simple report on findings that is helpful in this context, it is an analysis of the findings and a strategy to move forward. Investing in tools is important: think of it like sharpening your knife, if it’s dull, it’s not going to cut as intended. You need to structure the tools to be efficient and flexible so your agent can use them properly.

2. Knowledge, particularly knowledge of you and your goals, the expectation of your outcome for the role you sit in, your writing style, and how to be successful. Context is key, make sure the agent has the relevant knowledge to do its intended job. This could include embedding knowledge from sales decks, website and app data and customer call transcripts.

3. LLM vs LLM evaluation, to ensure reliability, the most effective AI agents will use one model to generate an output and a different model to critique it. For example, if you're relying on an AI agent to draft a report, this approach helps prevent mistakes or awkward phrasing that another reviewer—human or AI—might otherwise catch.

4. A Playbook so the agent learns standard protocols about your company's data and requirements. The playbook should be prescriptive and specific but also leave room for the agent to adapt and change as it gets more information and is able to perform better.

How AI agents are leading business transformation

Across industries, AI agents are beginning to take on specialized roles within business workflows, offering practical support in areas like SEO, sales, and market analysis. For example, some agents now generate pre-meeting briefs by pulling together public digital signals, company data, and CRM information—work that previously required extensive manual effort.

For example, I worked on an AI Meeting Prep Agent for salespeople that one customer told us gave him a complete briefing within seconds that would have taken him at least a half hour to do himself, if he could even find the time — and this is someone who meets with multiple customers and potential customers every day.

Other agents analyze competitive keyword trends to recommend SEO content strategies, or track sudden changes in search behavior to surface emerging market shifts, providing more depth and speed of analysis than would be possible otherwise.

In sales, agents can be used to craft personalized outreach based on real-time data, helping teams engage prospects with greater relevance. Rather than replacing teams, these agents handle the groundwork—searching, summarizing, and connecting data—so people can spend more time making strategic decisions and less time on prep work.

Results

The result isn’t just increased efficiency, it’s business transformation. These agents free up talent from information-gathering and task repetition, enabling teams to focus on high-impact work: crafting strategy, building relationships, and driving innovation.

As these agentic workflows become embedded across functions, companies gain a more adaptive, data-responsive operating model—one that scales insight, improves agility, and accelerates decision-making across the board.

In short, AI agents don’t replace teams—they amplify them, creating a multiplier effect that turns data into direction and strategy into execution.

Technology is moving faster than ever, and now is the time to be an innovator, set your brand apart from the rest and stay ahead of the curve.

We list the best client management 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

• Microsoft Teams rolling out keyboard shortcuts for users
• New addition should mean faster and more effective typing for all
• All Microsoft Teams users should benefit upon launch

Unlocking true productivity on your morning Microsoft Teams calls should soon get a bit easier thanks to a new update rolling out now.

The video conferencing platform has revealed it is working on adding configurable keyboard shortcuts for users.

Once included, this should mean users can quickly and easily access the symbols, icons and much more more they may use regularly on a daily basis, but sometime are not close at hand when typing in a work environment.

Microsoft Teams keyboard shortcuts

Microsoft says the new addition will allow users to, "set your own keyboard shortcuts to match your work preferences."

In a Microsoft 365 roadmap post, it noted the feature can be found by clicking on the ellipsis in a Teams chat window, and selecting "Keyboard shortcuts" from the menu. Users will be able to create and customize their own shortcuts, and edit them once completed.

The feature is rolling out now, and will be available to users across the world using Teams on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.

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

This includes rolling out "enhanced spell check", giving users the tools to make sure their messages are as accurate as possible.

It also recently announced a tweak that will allow multiple people to control slides being presented in a meeting or call.

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

And the platform also revealed it is working on adding noise suppression for participants dialing in to a call, which should spell an end to potentially ear-splitting call interruptions, or participants being deafened by background noise from another person on the call.

You might also like

• Microsoft Teams is finally adding a tiny but crucial feature I honestly can't believe it never had
• Microsoft Teams will now let companies block people for good — so you'd better behave
• We've rounded up the best productivity tools around right now

• Digital scams are now perceived as just as much of a threat as other crimes
• Avast survey claims 1 in 3 Brits have fallen victim to online scams
• Phishing has seen a 466% rise quarter-on-quarter

If you think digital scams are on the rise, you’re not alone - a new survey from Avast and Neighbourhood Watch has revealed 92% of Brits believe that cybercrime is as much of a threat as other types of crime.

Just over one in three respondents say they have been personally victimised by cybercriminals, and many of these have suffered financial loss at the hands of digital scammers.

In particular, phishing scams are on the rise, with a 466% rise quarter-on-quarter. The rise in phishing scams is largely attributed to AI, with criminals leveraging AI tools in order to send more frequent and more sophisticated social engineering attacks. With AI, it takes fraudsters just a few minutes to craft campaigns that would have previously taken days.

Save up to 68% on identity theft protection for TechRadar readers!

TechRadar editors praise Aura's upfront pricing and simplicity. Aura also includes a password manager, VPN, and antivirus to make its security solution an even more compelling deal.

Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

More financial loss

Unsurprisingly, Brits are losing more money too, with 59% of victims losing up to £500. Women more commonly lose under £500, and men are more likely to suffer higher losses (between £501 and £2000, and £2000+).

“As cybercriminals use increasingly sophisticated tactics, staying vigilant online is no longer optional - especially as scams are becoming harder to spot and now lurking around every digital corner,” said Luis Corrons, Security Evangelist for Avast.

To protect yourself from cyberattacks, especially engineering attacks, the key is staying vigilant. Make sure to thoroughly check any unsuspected communications, especially emails or texts that include a call to action (i.e. ‘change your password now’).

Be very wary of anyone claiming to be a family member or friend, especially given the developments in deep-fake technologies. Voice and images can be cloned or faked, so don’t send money to anyone you aren’t 100% sure is real.

Particularly important is to remember to never click any links or attachments that you don’t trust, and if you need recommendations on how to create a secure password, we’ve listed some of our top tips here.

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the best malware removal software around
• Check out our choice for AI tools
• Identity fraud attacks using AI are fooling biometric security systems