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Sony upgraded the design and performance of its flagship noise-canceling headphones, pushing them slightly ahead of the competition. But not surprisingly, their price has also increased.

Sony WH-1000XM6: two-minute review

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are here to try to cement Sony's status as the go-to brand for headphones, three years after the release of its previous flagship model.

Sony says that the WH-1000XM6 are “the best noise cancelling product on the market” as well as being “improved in every single way” over previous models – talk about setting a high bar. But thankfully, they manage to jump that bar on almost every metric.

As you may expect, the Sony WH-1000XM6 offer expressive and clean audio from a new 30mm driver alongside a new QN3 processor, featuring a ‘noise shaper’ that levels up digital to analogue conversion and pre-empts sudden sound changes, resulting in a more controlled listening experience. There’s also a more balanced sound signature out of the gate, which doesn’t compromise on punchy bass, rich mids or energetic treble.

The new QN3 processor also harnesses the power of 12 microphones – four more than last time – to serve up truly incredible noise cancelling capabilities. These supply better ANC than the majority of the best noise cancelling headphones out there. Yes, they even stand up to the critically acclaimed Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, which have ruled the noise cancelling roost since their launch. When on public transport, walking near traffic or working away in the office, I had either near-silence or total silence, enabling me to indulge in beautifully isolated listening sessions.

But that’s not all. There are a ton more features to get your teeth sunk into via Sony’s Sound Connect app. There’s adaptive sound control, LDAC and DSEE Extreme, extensive EQ options, Cinema mode for immersive audio, and Auracast – among others. Almost everything you could want from a premium pair of cans is here, all in one place.

On top of that, there’s an updated design, which compiles the best of what the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Sony WH-1000XM4 had to offer. See, foldability is back from the XM4 era, and I think the majority of people will be grateful for that.

There are new, more durable hinges (the XM5 had a hinge issue) and a slightly smaller magnetic carry case as well. But the sleeker look of the XM5 has still been largely maintained.

There’s an evolution of what came before too, with a wider headband for increased comfort and a more snug fit around the neck when the headphones are out of use. Overall, you’re getting a fantastic combination of style and comfort, though some may still feel that the earcups are a tad chunky.

(Image credit: Future)

Other incremental improvements include the ability to charge while streaming over Bluetooth, refined touch controls and better call quality. And when all the little adjustments come together, it’s clear – these are the best Sony headphones produced to date.

Still, there are a few areas in which the WH-1000XM6 fall just short of their rivals. You get 30 hours of battery life with ANC, which is by no means bad, but lots of rivals (even much cheaper ones) beat that, and some can double it.

On top of that, they are quite expensive. At $449 / £399 / AU$699, these are $50 / £20 / AU$50 pricier than their predecessors were at launch. And given the WH-1000XM5 are now widely available for around $300 / £250, some may be a little tentative at taking the plunge on Sony’s newest flagship headphones.

Finally, the newly released Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 are the same price in the UK (US release and pricing tbc), but sound even better than these Sony over-ears. Sure, they don’t quite match the XM6 on ANC or features overall, but they're clearly better sound for the price.

All in all, though, the Sony WH-1000XM6 still have a strong claim to be some of the best headphones around, with their noise-crushing ANC being the real highlight. Their treasure trove of features and talented audio performance also help them to stand tall in a convoluted market, and the design tweaks meld all the highlights from their ancestral lineage. Sure, they’re pricey, but if you’re willing to splash the cash, you’ll almost certainly love Sony’s latest release.

(Image credit: Future) Sony WH-1000XM6 review: price & release date

• $449 / £400 / AU$699
• Launched on May 15th, 2025

The Sony WH-1000XM6 launched in May 2025, three years after the preceeding WH-1000XM5 model. Sony is unclear on the exact release date at the time of publishing, stating just that they'll be available "from May" in the UK/US, while Sony Australia says you can get them "from June 2025. Pre-order available from May 16th, 2025."

At launch, they’re available in three colorways: Black; Silver; and Midnight Blue. However, there could be scope for more color variants in the future – we saw the XM5 adopt a new Smoky Pink only back in September 2024.

At the point of release, the Sony WH-1000XM6 cost $449 / £399 / AU$699. That’s $50 / £20 more than their predecessors launched at. This price puts Sony’s flagship cans up against the likes of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 – more on those later, but basically they're very much in the premium range.

Despite the slight price bump over their predecessors, these are still notably cheaper than the Apple AirPods Max – which have a huge list price of $549 / £549 / AU$899.

(Image credit: Future) Sony WH-1000XM6 review: Specs

Drivers

30mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

30 hours (ANC on)

Weight

254g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm

Frequency range

Not listed

Waterproofing

None

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: features

• Super-impressive active noise cancellation
• The best touch controls I’ve used
• Battery life may not wow, but in-use charging is now here

When I attended the launch of the Sony WH-1000XM6, Sony described its new flagship headphones as “the best noise-cancelling product on the market”. And the ANC is far and away the standout feature these headphones have in their arsenal.

You’re getting some of the best noise cancellation that any headphones can offer with the XM6. ANC has been improved over the XM5 thanks to Sony’s new QN3 noise cancelling processor, which harnesses twelve microphones to shut out the world around you.

Even when compared to the awesome Bose QuietComfort Ultra, the XM6 perform exceptionally well. I tried both pairs of headphones while vacuuming my home and walking in high-traffic areas, among other tasks, and each dealt with external noise fantastically.

But in my experience, the XM6 performed ever so slightly better, producing a minimum of near-silence from the outside at 60-70% volume in each test. Rest assured – these really are the real deal as far as ANC is concerned.

I also tested the XM6’s noise cancelling capabilities at Sony’s 5020 studio in Madrid, before doing real-world testing. While there, I played a song at about 50% volume with a bunch of people chatting around me and the outside world was totally shut out – it was just me and my music. At one stage, a super-harsh static sound was blasted at the studio and that slightly crept through. It was dampened severely, though, and I was barely disturbed.

If you want to be more aware of your surroundings – fear not – there’s a very fleshed-out Ambient Sound mode. This includes a slider that ranges from 1 to 20 and lets more exterior noise seep through the higher you go. On top of that, there’s a voice passthrough checkbox, which filters through speech while still suppressing other noises.

Ambient mode worked very nicely for me; I could easily hear the sound of typing in my office, murmurs from a nearby conversation and doors opening. Also, it’s worth noting Auto Ambient Sound mode, which adjusts volume of ambient sounds depending on noise levels around you.

But another one of my favorite features on the Sony WH-1000XM6 is their excellent touch controls. Something that may seem gimmicky, but is actually incredibly helpful, is that you can cup your hand over the right earcup to smoothly, yet drastically reduce media volume and dampen noise cancelling effects.

This isn't new to the XM6, but it's really worth highlighting. I found it incredibly useful in an office environment when a colleague wanted to talk with me, or if I was in a story and didn’t want to rip the cans off. In fact, I didn’t even bother turning on the Speak-to-Chat function, because this option is so responsive.

Generally, the XM6 have the most consistent, intuitive touch controls I’ve ever used on a pair of headphones. On the right earcup, you can slide your finger up or down and hold it in position to continually raise or lower volume respectively. That’s an improvement over the XM5, which required you to constantly flick up or down to amend loudness.

You can also double tap to pause music and flick forwards or backwards to skip or return to the previous track. Touch controls are locked to the right earcup only, much like the WH-1000XM5 model.

And there are plenty of returning features from the previous model to enjoy. Of course, you’ve got the likes of multi-point connectivity, wear detection and a good app in Sony Sound Connect.

But there’s more: adaptive sound control, which adjusts audio output depending on your environment and movement; head gesture monitoring for taking or rejecting calls; and voice assistant compatibility.

There are a few new nuggets to uncover as far as features go, however. Perhaps one of the biggest inclusions is Auracast. This is a type of Bluetooth technology that enables you to tune into an audio broadcast transmitted from a phone, TV or similar device without any pairing.

Furthermore, you can now mute the mic on the XM6 by simply double pressing the noise cancelling button. You’ll need to enable this in settings, but it’s ultra useful when on a Microsoft Teams or Slack call, for instance.

There’s only one real area where the Sony WH-1000XM6 failed to impress me as far as features: its battery life. You’re getting 30 hours of playtime from this model, which is by no means bad – it’s the same you’ll get on the XM5 and a whole host of rivals. But there are some cans that are capable of more. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, for example, can go 60 hours with ANC on – now that’s impressive.

Still, you can charge the XM6 while using them now, and even get three hours of playtime from just three minutes of charging – that is if you have a USB PD charger around.

If you’re looking for over-ears with highly astute call quality, you can trust the XM6 to deliver. The strongest example of this was a demo at Sony’s 5020 Studio in Madrid, in which someone make a call in an artificially noisy environment – and after placing the XM6 on, their voice was totally separated from clamoring and noise littering their surroundings.

In my real-world use, my own speech came through cleanly when making phone calls to family and friends, with vocals sounding crisp. That’s in part thanks to the additional beamforming mics used on the XM6 – there are six this time and they help to shift focus towards the mouth – while AI also enters the fray to scoop out external sounds.

• Features score: 5/5

(Image credit: Future) Sony WH-1000XM6 review: sound quality

• Beautifully rounded and immersive audio
• DSEE extreme and LDAC for improved Bluetooth streaming
• Default tuning is great, but great EQ options also available

Like their predecessors, the Sony WH-1000XM6 use a 30mm driver, rather than the larger 40mm one used for the legendary XM4 model. But the driver itself is new and improved, designed to offer more balanced audio across all frequencies.

That QN3 processor I mentioned earlier also includes a ‘noise shaper’, which refines digital to analogue conversion and enables the cans to anticipate sudden sound changes, intended to reduce distortion and produce a more controlled listening experience.

So, yes, there’s plenty of flashy new tech in the XM6 headphones, but do they actually deliver a premium audio performance? Short answer: yes. You’ll get a rhythmic, detailed, and well-balanced listen with the Sony WH-1000XM6 that still doesn’t skimp on punchy bass and exciting treble output. And that’s regardless of whether you’re listening with ANC turned on or off.

For instance, I tuned into Fluffy by Himiko Kikuchi – a laid-back jazzy track – and expressive piano sounded pleasantly forward, while full-sounding smooth bass and tightly controlled percussion accompanied subtle strings dancing through the track.

The balanced output across all frequencies is really pleasing, and there does seem to be a bit less emphasis on the low-end compared to Sony’s previous pair of flagship cans – at least out of the box.

The default EQ calibration is certainly even enough to ensure you can hear those finer details across the frequency range. No need to worry about overbearing bass, harsh treble or overly recessed mids.

When tuning into I Want You by Moloko, I was struck by the breathy vocals, impactful and response cymbal hits and pumping, yet disciplined bass output. This song adds instrument after instrument as it unfolds, resulting in a densely layered climax. Yet the XM6 had the capability to keep things in check, maintaining clear, distortion-free audio throughout.

There’s some incredibly stiff competition for Sony’s new headphones. I tested out a number of rivals, including the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.

Vocals and some finer details sounded slightly clearer on the XM6 compared to Bose’s effort, though the latter did still sound great considering you can now regularly scoop them up for closer to $350 / £350.

The Px7 S3 launched mere weeks before the XM6 at essentially the same price-point (at least in the UK) and I found they had a slightly more luxury sound. They could lift vocals out of the mix and push them forwards a little more precisely than the XM6, and their open, spatial-sounding audio output was truly hypnotizing.

You get slightly better ANC from the Sony XM6, plus I found the Sony cans to be more comfortable – but if we’re talking pure sound, you could do a little better for the same price.

But still, there are plenty of ways to get a sound that matches your style with the XM6. To truly adapt them to your palate, head over to Sony’s Sound Connect app and get playing with EQ adjustment.

You have a few options here: Find Your Equalizer, which lets you pick the sound signature that suits your tastes best; presets, including Heavy, Clear and Game; or custom EQ, which lets you manually create your own calibration with a 10-band equalizer.

And there’s even more to experiment with in the Sound Connect app that can elevate your listening to the next level. Specifically, you get access to DSEE Extreme, a technology that up-mixes lower quality audio files to bring out the most detailed, quality-sounding audio possible. This works really well on music platforms such as Spotify, which is yet to offer higher-resolution streaming.

There’s also LDAC, which enables you to access ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth listening. And if you want to keep it old-school, there’s also a 3.5mm port on the headphones, as well as a cable in the box so you can engage in wired listening.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 are designed for more than just music listening, though. There’s improved width to the XM6’s soundstage, which is useful if you’re watching movies or TV series on your phone, for instance. And on top of that, there’s a cinema listening mode, which harnesses Sony’s 360 Reality Audio Upmix and can convert a stereo signal into an immersive, wraparound sonic experience.

I tried watching The Boy and the Heron on Netflix in Cinema mode and was impressed by the expansiveness and directionality of audio. Voices, for instance, may not have been as crystal clear as Standard mode, but if immersion is what you’re chasing, it’s well worth checking out.

There’s also a Background Music option, which can make your music sound as if it’s playing in a café or living room. Spatial audio and head tracking are included too – but will only work on certain devices that support Android's built-in head tracking, and this doesn't include Samsung phones (and obviously rules out Apple devices).

• Sound quality score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Sony WH-1000XM6 review: design

• Foldability is back and better than before
• Ultra-comfortable headband
• Some may find them to be a little bulky
• New magnetic case is much more convenient

The WH-1000XM6 may not look drastically different to their predecessor, but Sony’s made a handful of small tweaks that I really appreciate.

Stitching on the front of the headband is gone in favor of a smoother, more premium look, and the headband itself is a little wider for improved comfort.

The earcups also fit more seamlessly around the neck in a downward facing position, which is super useful if you’re on the go or just need to stop for a chat.

There’s one major difference between the XM6 and the XM5, though, and that’s the reintroduction of a folding headband. Controversially, the XM5 ditched this in favor of a single-hinge, slimmer look – but XM4 fans, it’s your lucky day.

There are new, more durable hinges on the XM6 that enable them to neatly fold into a new magnetically closed carry case – this isn’t the smallest or the most flashy, but is still assembled to a high standard.

They also don’t fold up as compactly as headphones like the Marshall Monitor III ANC or Anker Soundcore Space One Pro, say, so are not quite pocketable – but it's nice to packing in a bag.

But how do the headphones look and feel in-use? Pretty good all round! They’ve been designed in a way that makes them appear more straight on your head, rather than curved inward. That wider headband I mentioned also goes a long way in improving comfort for multi-hour listening sessions. Pair that with beautifully padded earcups and easily accessible buttons and there’s not much more I could ask for.

There are a few minor things I don’t love about the design of the XM6, though. First of all, the earcups look quite bulky, meaning you’re not getting the most sleek, stylish look compared to something like the Sonos Ace.

The color options, while classy, also feel a little bit safe. I would’ve liked to see a more vibrant option thrown in there, or even the Smoky Pink variant – which was released as a late addition to the XM5 lineup – available from the get-go.

Finally, there’s still no waterproofing on this new model. That’s usually the case for over-ear headphones, but it would’ve been nice to see Sony lead the way with some kind of water resistance rating.

All in all, though, there’s still so much to love about the XM6 design-wise. They have a premium-looking, almost paper-like matte consistency to the casing’s finish. And they’re nice and light once again, weighing in at just 254g.

There are two physical buttons – one to turn the headphones off and on or pair via Bluetooth and one to toggle between noise cancelling modes or mute the mic during calls.

• Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Sony WH-1000XM6 review: value

• A very premium price, no question
• Truly awesome noise cancelling and great audio quality
• Best of both worlds from previous two gens

Let’s address the elephant in the room. The Sony WH-1000XM6 are a pricey pair of headphones. And they’re also more expensive than their predecessor at launch. Yep, these come in at $449 / £400 / AU$699, which is $50 / £20 / AU$50 more than the XM5 at the point of release.

Of course, there have been economic issues for Sony and co to deal with, and there are a number of significant improvements on this model. But nonetheless, it’s a lot to pay for some over-ears considering there are so many excellent competitors floating around for considerably less.

For example, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra – which offer incredible noise cancelling capabilities, adept audio and a nice selection of smart features – are now more than a year-old, so you can find them on sale for under $350 / £350 pretty regularly. That's a great deal less than the new XM6.

Even the WH-1000XM5 are now widely sold for around $300 / £250. And spending that extra $150 / £150 to get the newest instalment, won't be a clear-cut decision for everyone, though I think the XM6 make the case for themselves.

But let’s give the XM6 their flowers. In terms of ANC, it really doesn’t get much better than this. You get top-tier isolation as well as fantastic sound quality, a boat-load of features and a design that marries the best of the XM4 and XM5 together. Sure, you may prefer the Bowers & Wilkins Px& S3 for sound, but the WH-1000XM6 are still, undoubtedly, among 2025’s very best over-ear headphones.

• Value score: 4/5

Sony WH-1000XM6 next to their predecessor, the Sony WH-1000XM5 (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Sony WH-1000XM6?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

In-use charging is neat, but incredible ANC and smart features steal the show.

5/5

Sound quality

Expressive, impactful audio that is more tuneable than ever.

4.5/5

Design

A touch chunky, but pleasingly foldable and highly comfortable.

4.5/5

Value

A little more than the XM5 and there's hot competition, but hard to beat as all-rounders.

4/5

Buy them if…

You want incredible noise cancellation
The Sony WH-1000XM6 plate up seriously impressive noise cancellation capabilities. Seriously, I could barely hear anything other than my favorite tunes when using these cans, even when walking in areas with heavy traffic or while vacuuming. If you’re sick of hearing the clicking and clacking of the train on your daily commute – or maybe your neighbor’s non-stop DIY projects, it might be time to snap these cans up.

You want top-tier features
These Sony cans supply no end of features to mess around with. You get adaptive noise cancelling, cinema upmixing, ‘hi-res’ music streaming options, Find Your Equalizer… need I say more? Pretty much everything you could ever want from some headphones is at your fingertips with the XM6. Just download the Sound Connect app and you’re off.

Don’t buy them if…

You’re on a budget
At $450 / £400, these over-ears are hardly wallet-friendly. You can get a lot of the features from the XM5 for far less, and there are some awesome affordable options out there such as the 1More Sonoflow Pro HQ51, which pack ANC, solid sound and wonderful battery life for less than $100 / £100.

You want bundles of playtime
Now don’t get me wrong, 30 hours of playtime with ANC on isn’t too bad. It’s just not anything special either. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless deliver an astonishingly high 60-hour battery life. And that’s with ANC on!

(Image credit: Future) Sony WH-1000XM6 review: also consider

Sony WH-1000XM6

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3

Bose QuietComfort Ultra

Price

$449 / £399 / AU$699

$TBC / £399 / AU$699

$429 / £449 / AU$649

Drivers

30mm dynamic

40mm dynamic

35mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

30 hours (ANC on)

30 hours (ANC on)

24 hours (ANC on)

Weight

254g

300g

250g

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm

Frequency range

Not listed

10Hz-20kHz

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproofing

None

None

None

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3
I tested the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 during the course of this review, and they blew me away. Their ability to lift vocal performances to the forefront while still delivering pounding bass and tight treble is something that you have to hear to believe. ANC isn’t quite as good as the XM6 and some features, like spatial audio, are only coming via update. But for £400 – US release and pricing is TNC – you really are looking at top-tier sound. Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 review.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Even though it’s been more than a year since the Bose QuietComfort Ultra came to market, they’re still among the best over-ear headphones money can buy. Why? Well, it’s really all about ANC. You’re getting phenomenal isolation from the outside world here and with their price now slashed a fair amount, they’re a seriously strong candidate to be your next audio companion. Read our full Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones review.

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: How I tested

• Tested for a week
• Used while travelling, in the office, and at home
• Predominantly tested using Tidal streaming

I tested the Sony WH-1000XM6 over the course of a week. I used the over-ears in a variety of environments, including Sony’s 5020 Studio in Madrid, on walks near built-up roads and on public transport. I mainly connected the headphones to Tidal with the LDAC codec enabled for the best quality audio. But I also tried Cinema mode on Netflix and used DSEE Extreme on Spotify music files.

When listening to tunes, I went through the TechRadar testing playlist, which includes tracks from a number of genres, before expanding to a wider music selection. I also tested the headphones with my Windows laptop to trial quality using a wired connection. On top of that, I compared the WH-1000XM6 to a number of competitors we recommend, including Sony’s own WH-1000XM5, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3.

• First reviewed: May 2025
• Read more about how we test

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• While in-game, players can bring up the Quick Settings menu and easily remap the buttons to whatever they want
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Nintendo has revealed a new way for players to customize the Switch 2's GL/GR buttons.

In a new post shared on the Nintendo Today app, the company offered an instructional overview video showing how the Switch 2's GL/GR buttons work and can be easily remapped for any game (via GameSpot).

Using Mario Kart World, Nintendo demonstrated that after launching the game to the start menu, players can bring up the Quick Settings menu, scroll down, and map the GL and GR buttons to whatever button they want, like A or B.

After assigning buttons, players can exit the menu and return to the game, making the process fast and simple.

[Switch 2]Use the Quick Settings menu to map the GL and GR buttons to whatever you want.These buttons are available on the Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip and the Pro Controller 2.(Also, day 1 patch confirmed for Mario Kart World. The title screen says it is on version 1.1.0.)[image or embed]@oatmealdome.bsky.social

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The handheld's magnetically attached Joy-Con 2 controllers don't offer the feature.

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches globally on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

The Pro Controller 2 will cost $79.99 / £74.99, and the Joy-Con Charging Grip will be priced at $40 / £30.

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• Garmin has announced the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Garmin Forerunner 970, along with a new HRM 600
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Garmin Forerunner 570

(Image credit: Garmin)

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Garmin Forerunner 970

(Image credit: Garmin)

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Garmin HRM 600

(Image credit: Garmin)

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Names and addresses

Google is warning retailers to take note, however, Silent Push reported that in 2025 some of Scattered Spider’s victims included Chick-fil-A, Forbes, Instacart, New York Digital Investment Group, News Corporation, Nike, Twitter/X, Tinder, T-Mobile, and Vodafone.

Among the retailers targeted this year, BleepingComputer singled out Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods. In all of these attacks, the threat actors used DragonForce - a ransomware operation that emerged in December 2023 and gained some notoriety since then.

In April 2025, the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) published new guidance, helping UK firms defend against Scattered Spider better. The organizations urged the retail sector to “wake up” and tighten up on security.

"Whilst we have insights, we are not yet in a position to say if these attacks are linked, if this is a concerted campaign by a single actor, or whether there is no link between them at all," the NCSC said. "We are working with the victims and law enforcement colleagues to ascertain that."

Via BleepingComputerd

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The Allianz Risk Barometer, an annual report detailing the risks businesses are most concerned about for the year ahead, has seen companies rank political risks and violence as a top 10 global risk for the past three years. Businesses’ concerns have been exacerbated by 2024’s record-breaking number of elections, the developing conflict in the Middle East, and ongoing war in Ukraine.

The negative impact of political violence on companies can manifest in many ways, from endangering employee and customer safety to operational disruptions caused by material damage to premises or assets. As technology advances, uncertainty grows, and political tensions remain high around the world, businesses must consider their vulnerabilities, particularly in the cyber realm.

According to Allianz Commercial’s new Political Violence and Civil Unrest Trends 2025 report, cyber breaches represent one important way that political violence activity can impact businesses. This year’s report identified a key trend: that “new tech versus old tech” has increased the threat of rogue state-triggered damage and disruption, alongside increased reliance on technology around the world and ongoing instability in the geopolitical landscape. Addressing areas of vulnerability will be essential as companies grow operations in an increasingly volatile cyber environment.

New tech, new threats

Advances in technology and global connectivity have increased production and dissemination of misinformation and disinformation. To sow discord, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors, which are usually sponsored by rogue nations or organizations, leverage cyber-attacks to disseminate false information, using techniques such as manipulated online news platforms and compromised social media accounts to instigate real-world events such as aggravating political polarization, promoting social unrest and riots and undermining democratic elections.

APT groups often engage in sophisticated cyber espionage, such as in the case of the Southport attacks and subsequent far-right riots during 2024 in the UK, which spread disinformation and caused social disruption.

Increased digital reliance and geopolitical instability are also heightening the risk of cyber-attacks that inflict physical harm at the same time.

Exposures in critical infrastructure

Critical infrastructure, including energy, transportation, and manufacturing, faces growing vulnerability to disruptions, equipment damage, and threats to human safety via cyber means.

To manage physical processes at these large installations, complex Industrial Control Systems (ICS) or operational technology (OT) systems are used for control and monitor purpose. Typically, these systems are legacy in nature and have obsolescence issues. That means they are vulnerable to attacks that can disrupt physical processes which can lead to potentially hazardous scenarios. For example, in refinery operations manipulation of ICS and safety systems can lead to catastrophic fire, explosions and can cause major environmental damage due to hydrocarbon releases.

Utility companies, too, depend extensively on OT systems. The prevalence of outdated, internet-unsecured devices within such networks poses a major security challenge due to infrequent updates. The utility sector’s cyber security weaknesses render it highly vulnerable. Exploiting internet-accessible OT and ICS devices, including those in the wastewater and water sectors could affect millions of people, with potentially severe consequences for public health and safety.

The vulnerability of transportation systems to cyber threats also raises critical concerns regarding the potential for cyber-physical attacks to cause tangible damage. While modern aircraft possess strong security protocols, vulnerabilities within airport infrastructure, including baggage handling and air traffic control, present a tangible risk of physical damage stemming from cyberattacks. Cyber-attacks targeting other transportation infrastructure also pose a significant risk of physical damage, with disruptions to signaling systems capable of triggering collisions or derailments. In August 2023, a cyber-attack on Poland’s railway system, where hackers manipulated unsecured radio signals to activate emergency train stops, demonstrates the susceptibility of outdated infrastructure to digital threats.

Addressing cyber vulnerabilities

Assessing the robustness of cybersecurity for key infrastructure demands a multi-faceted approach. Companies should engage with their insurance providers through cyber risk dialogue to discuss potential threats to the industry, as well as the insured’s weaknesses in people, technology and processes. Beyond traditional IT defenses, evaluations also include scrutinizing vulnerabilities, including legacy systems which are often ill-equipped for modern cyber threats, as well as an end-to-end assessment of the insured’s value chain.

Key weaknesses often reside in unpatched, poorly secured legacy systems, and the convergence of IT and OT networks. Supply chain vulnerabilities, inadequate incident response plans, and a lack of robust security awareness training further exacerbate these risks. Human error, particularly in access management and patching protocols, remains a significant entry point for malicious actors.

The convergence of Artificial Intelligence, social media, phishing, and Business Email Compromise attacks creates a potent and evolving threat landscape. These technologies are being weaponized to create more convincing and effective cyber-attacks.

How an organization will recover and maintain critical functions during and after a disruption is key. A robust business continuity plan encompasses a business impact analysis to pinpoint critical functions, defined recovery strategies and procedures, clear communication protocols, reliable data backup and recovery systems, flexible alternative work arrangements, and regularly conducted testing and exercises. Comprehensive audits encompass physical security, incident response protocols, and supply chain resilience. Regular penetration testing and threat intelligence integration are also crucial for identifying and mitigating emerging risks, ensuring the continuous protection of essential services.

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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

Steve Jobs was a design and materials guy. He grew up around homes built by legendary architect Joseph Eichler. Even if you don't know the name, you're likely familiar with their signature feature: floor-to-ceiling glass exterior walls. Eichler's influence on Jobs can be seen to this day in dozens of iconic Apple Stores around the world and at Apple Park, where the Steve Jobs Theater is, above ground, wrapped in 22-foot-tall glass panes.

Job's love of glass is the reason your iPhone 16 screen is covered in Corning's Gorilla Glass. As recounted in Walter Isaacson's biography of the late Apple CEO and founder, Steve Jobs hopped on the phone with Corning execs and convinced them to start making Gorilla Glass again, specifically for the first iPhone.

The rest, as they say, is history. How, though, might Apple celebrate this history when the iPhone turns 20 in 2027? According to multiple rumors, the iOS-running device is due for a major makeover, one that might include a significant increase in the use of glass.

Glasserversary

According to GSM Arena, for this anniversary handset Apple might do away with the bezel, the thin black bar that currently runs around your Super Retina XDR display, completely. With the glass running not only to the edges of the phone but seemingly spilling over them to the sides, the effect would be as if the handset were made entirely of glass.

This rumored design decision might have pleased Jobs. His love of glass never diminished, and most of his designs were built around the concept of mass-produced beauty. Jobs, according to his biography, once took his team to a Tiffany Glass exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum in New York to show them how to build repeatable beauty at scale.

What made Apple special almost 20 years ago is no longer unique among smartphone manufacturers.

Like Jobs, I appreciate beautiful design and exquisite materials. Job's decision to build the first iPhone chassis out of glass and aluminum is why I had such a strong emotional reaction when I first held the phone in 2007.

What made Apple special almost 20 years ago is no longer unique among smartphone manufacturers. They all use Gorilla Glass and some form of steel, aluminum, or even titanium. The battle for smartphone supremacy is now less about aesthetics and more about features, performance, and photography.

That alone might justify Apple completely overhauling the design for the iPhone 19. But making it virtually all glass is not the right way to go.

Never scratchproof

For as good as Gorilla Glass is (most phones now use the Victus 2 formula, and some add a Ceramic covering for more strength), it's still not as strong as metal, or even as resilient as plastic.

Every phone I've tested and owned has scratches, sometimes significant ones, on the screen. I haven't dropped these phones from a great height or dragged them across concrete, and yet they still have these blemishes.

Most people carry their iPhones in thick shock-proof cases to protect the comparatively fragile front and back glass. Like most smartphones, iPhones remain especially vulnerable at the corners; drop your iPhone just right on the pavement and it could shatter.

Broken glass

Now imagine what it would be like owning a phone that's all but dipped in glass. Glass along the edges, even if they're curved, will be far too exposed. No one would ever dare carry such a phone unprotected, would they?

So why would Apple do this? As I said, they want to celebrate 20 years of the iPhone, and what better way to do it than with a design that's too precious to hold or use. I could see a 'Special Edition iPhone 19', one that's covered in glass and which costs twice as much as the most expensive flagship. Few will buy it, but some will end up in museums and behind more glass inside glass-encased Apple Stores.

Those will be the perfect home for those iPhones, if Apple does insist on building them.

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Staying ahead of potential cyber threats is a constant challenge with ransomware, phishing and AI just a few risks organizations must guard against. But what about quantum computing?

While not an immediate threat, quantum computing is one of the most complex and far-reaching challenges on the horizon. Thanks to its ability to perform complex calculations exponentially faster than classical computers, quantum will revolutionize numerous scientific fields – including chemistry, physics, and materials science. It also poses a significant cybersecurity risk due to its ability to break modern encryption methods and expose sensitive data – with ‘collect now, decrypt later’ attacks underscoring the urgency of preparing for a future where current cryptographic standards may be rendered obsolete.

So how can we protect against the cybersecurity threat this technology poses, both now and in the future?

The cybersecurity risks posed

Current encryption protocols, such as ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) and RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman), either rely on the difficulty of factoring large numbers or solving discrete logarithm problems for security. However, quantum computers using advanced methods like Shor’s algorithm – which can factor large numbers faster than any other algorithm – could efficiently solve these problems, leaving traditional encryption methods vulnerable to attack.

While a sufficiently powerful quantum computer capable of breaking modern encryption is unlikely to be available within the next decade, this window is narrowing with each quantum-led innovation. The issue is, threat actors are already collecting and storing sensitive data for future decryption, highlighting the need for proactive measures to safeguard information against post-quantum threats now.

To address this demand, the global cybersecurity community is actively developing quantum-safe encryption standards. This includes The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which has spearheaded the Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardisation project. This aims to evaluate and standardize quantum-resistant algorithms, helping to pave the way for the widespread adoption of quantum-safe encryption.

Organizations in the UK are also being urged to prepare for the cybersecurity risks posed by quantum computing, with a recent report by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) identifying data privacy concerns posed by the technology. The government has also established a Quantum Regulatory Forum to promote safe and responsible development. While significant progress is being made in the development of safe and secure quantum computing, specifically mitigating the cybersecurity threats is crucial. But how can this be done?

Addressing these threats

Adopting quantum-safe encryption strategies is one mitigation technique. This refers to cryptographic protocols designed to resist quantum attacks. Unlike traditional encryption, which depends on computational complexity, quantum-safe encryption is rooted in mathematical problems believed to be insurmountable even for quantum computers.

Three major approaches are already being explored, with the first being Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) – a secure way of sharing encryption keys using the principles of quantum mechanics, ensuring only the intended recipient can access the key. In cryptography terms, these entangled quantum particles or ‘qubits’ are encoded with cryptographic keys and transmitted between a sender and a receiver. If an eavesdropper attempts to intercept these particles, their quantum states will be disturbed, alerting the sender and receiver to an intruder. This ensures any attempt at unauthorized interception is immediately detected.

Despite facing challenges related to scalability, transmission distance and integration with existing infrastructure, this encryption method is already being put into practice. One example is JPMorgan Chase (JPMC), which used QKD to secure multiple high-speed virtual private networks traversing a single 100 Gbps fiber connecting data centers.

Other quantum-safe solutions include Quantum-Safe Encryption, which ensures a secure key exchange resistant to quantum attacks, and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). This implements cryptographic algorithms believed to be difficult for quantum computers to solve, such as lattice-based encryption.

While these approaches offer a means of securing data against quantum computing, we must remember that adopting quantum-safe solutions and protecting data poses several challenges. Interoperability, performance impact, and backward compatibility must be considered and leaders need to carefully assess existing infrastructure and devise a roadmap for migration to quantum-resistant encryption.

The future quantum landscape

As cyber threats continue to evolve, ensuring the long-term security of sensitive information is paramount. This includes for quantum computing. While no single technology will solve this challenge alone, harnessing the power of quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms and QKD technologies can help protect data while allowing organizations to stay resilient in the face of continued technological advancements.

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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

The watch's X-Tap sensor makes it simple to get an overview of your health. But it won't be available in the US.

• Nucor confirmed suffering a cyberattack
• It was forced to shut down parts of its operations to contain the incident
• No threat actors claimed responsibility yet

Nucor, one of the biggest steel manufacturers in the United States, was forced to shut down parts of its operations to address an ongoing cyberattack. The company confirmed the news in a new 8-K form filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

In the filing, Nucor said it recently observed an “unauthorized third party” accessing “certain information technology systems.” When it spotted the intrusion, it activated its incident response plan, brought in a third-party cybersecurity company to assist, and notified relevant law enforcement agencies.

However, it also took “potentially affected systems offline” to implement “other containment, remediation, or recovery measures”.

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Was it ransomware?

Nucor told the SEC that it “temporarily and proactively” stopped certain production operations at various locations “in an abundance of caution”. It is now restarting those operations, it added.

Usually, when a company shuts down its operations to contain a cyberattack, it usually ends up being a ransomware attack. While the company did not explicitly say so, the fact that it halted operations could suggest this is the case.

Furthermore, The Register tried reaching out to the company’s facilities around the US, but found many phone numbers “either shut down or unobtainable.” Sometimes, a ransomware attack also results in inaccessible phone lines.

The importance Nucor plays in supporting the US critical infrastructure would also make it a prime target for ransomware attackers. No threat actors have claimed responsibility just yet, and we don’t know if any sensitive data was taken in the breach.

Nucor is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is widely considered as the largest US steel producer, and one of the top recyclers. It operates more than 300 facilities across the US, Canada, and Mexico, and manufactures a wide range of steel products. Last year, it reported annual net sales of $30.73 billion.

Via The Register

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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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, May 15 (game #1207).

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 #1208) - 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 #1208) - 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 #1208) - 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 #1208 - 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 #1208) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• S

• D

• B

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

Quordle today (game #1208) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1208, are…

• SHEEP
• SNUCK
• DRIFT
• BREAK

Ramen, which was one of my old start words, featured in yesterday’s Sequence game so I thought I’d re-introduce it into my starting trio.

I’m not sure whether this brought a change of fortune or if today’s round was easier than usual, but I breezed through.

Guessing SNUCK was a gamble, but that aside I had no other options for the other three words.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1208) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1208, are…

• DRINK
• CRISP
• SHEET
• THIEF

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE
• Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER
• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO
• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE
• Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNT
• Quordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDE
• Quordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICK

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, May 15 (game #438).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… To a degree

NYT Strands today (game #439) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CHIP
• CHEEP
• SPORES
• SINS
• SORT
• RACES

NYT Strands today (game #439) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #439) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 8th row

Last side: right, 1st row

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

NYT Strands today (game #439) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #439, are…

• GOWN
• PHOTO
• SPEECH
• DIPLOMA
• TASSEL
• PROCESSION
• SPANGRAM: GRADUATION

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

There are many universal traditions associated with GRADUATION ceremonies, from paying far too much to hire a GOWN to posing for a PHOTO that will be given pride of place in your parents' house until the zombie apocalypse – and even then it’ll still be there, just with added cobwebs and a splatter of green blood.

There is also a whole legend surrounding the tassels on the mortarboard hat. Traditionally, tassels are worn on the right side and moved to the left during a special portion of the ceremony for high-school graduates. For college graduates, Bachelors again wear tassels on the right side until their degrees are conferred, then move to left. 

Goodness knows what might happen to you if you move your tassel from the left to the right – maybe you get burdened with a lifetime of debt or something awful like that. Erm, hang on a sec…

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, May 15, game #438)

• BEETLE
• BRONCO
• MUSTANG
• RABBIT
• IMPALA
• JAGUAR
• SPANGRAM: AUTOMOBILES

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, May 15 (game #704).

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 #705) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• RODEO
• HOURGLASS
• KUBRICK
• SUNSET
• TREE
• SCRAP
• WALL STREET
• VINE
• MICHAEL JORDAN
• HOLLYWOOD
• HERB
• TAURUS
• END
• SHRUB
• NEUROPLASTIC
• DISSOLVE

NYT Connections today (game #705) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Greenery
• GREEN: It’s over
• BLUE: An animal connects them
• PURPLE: Hidden raw materials 

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 #705) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: KINDS OF PLANTS 
• GREEN: DISCONTINUE 
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH BULLS 
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH BUILDING MATERIALS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #705) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #705, are…

• YELLOW: KINDS OF PLANTS HERB, SHRUB, TREE, VINE
• GREEN: DISCONTINUE DISSOLVE, END, SCRAP, SUNSET
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH BULLS MICHAEL JORDAN, RODEO, TAURUS, WALL STREET
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH BUILDING MATERIALS HOLLYWOOD, HOURGLASS, KUBRICK, NEUROPLASTIC

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

Seeing HOLLYWOOD and VINE beside each other along with SUNSET convinced me we were looking for famous Los Angeles streets.

Unable to think of a fourth I added KUBRICK to the group, reasoning that the great director must have a road named after him somewhere – it turns out he does, but Stanley Kubrick Avenue is in Denham just outside of London, England rather than California.

After this ding I went for the more obvious KINDS OF PLANTS and DISCONTINUE – which discontinued my search for streets.

I failed to see the very obvious connection with MICHAEL JORDAN and BULLS – a classic Connections group of four very different things with something in common – but instead saw the less obvious ENDING WITH BUILDING MATERIALS after staring at the word HOURGLASS for far too long.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, May 15, game #704)

• YELLOW: RATIONALE BASIS, FOUNDATION, GROUNDS, REASON
• GREEN: TYPES OF SNOW CRUST, ICE, POWDER, SLUSH
• BLUE: LAST WORDS OF FAMOUS OPERA TITLES BESS, BUTTERFLY, FLUTE, SEVILLE
• PURPLE: REAL ___ DEAL, ESTATE, MADRID, WORLD

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.

The world's largest retailer says it won't be able to absorb all the costs from higher tariffs on imported goods, particularly from China. Already in April, shoppers began tightening their budgets as retail spending did not grow much compared to March.

(Image credit: David Zalubowski)

The more deeply integrated system will come to older Aston Martins in a few weeks, and is also set to roll out to Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles.

Aston Martin has become the first automaker in the world to offer deeper integration of Apple CarPlay in its vehicle’s infotainment system with the debut of the new Apple CarPlay Ultra.

Having been in development for a number of years, both Porsche and Aston Martin revealed in 2023 that they would be among the first to offer Apple’s latest infotainment offering, but the British sports car maker has beaten all other manufacturers to it.

Apple CarPlay Ultra builds on the existing CarPlay platform by taking over both the infotainment head unit and the vehicle’s digital instrument cluster for the first time.

The new CarPlay will initially be limited to the new Aston Martin DBX on models ordered in North America and Canada, but is coming to other Aston cars and regions over the next 12 months. Apple also says it's working with Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis to bring CarPlay Ultra to more models.

Want to know what all the fuss is about? Here are four things you need to know, plus a gallery of images to show what CarPlay Ultra looks like in Aston Martin's latest drive...

1. It offers a more personal experience Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)

Now, drivers can select between a number of Aston Martin-designed digital options for the speedometer and tachometer dials, while the ability to toggle between live maps from a preferred navigation provider, as well as media applications, gives owners a way to "curate their own multi-screen set-up," according to James Bond's favorite brand.

What’s more, the British marque has also provided a number of different instrument cluster themes, as well as the ability to tailor wallpapers, color schemes and the general look to their personal tastes.

The key to making the tie-up work was to ensure Aston Martin had full control over design, with Apple claiming CarPlay Ultra allows automakers to "express their distinct design philosophy with the look and feel their customers expect".

2. It offers everything in one place Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)

One of the biggest bugbears about the current CarPlay environment is that users often have to leave it in order to interact with key vehicle functionality, such as changing driving modes or adjusting the climate control, for example.

Apple CarPlay Ultra banishes this sort of behavior to the naughty step and finally allows drivers to tweak the radio station, adjust the climate control or fire up the heated seats from within the Ultra interface via touchscreen controls, physical buttons, or by using Siri voice commands.

Better still, the British marque talks about “Punch-through UI”, which essentially means its has been able to bring very vehicle-specific menus and settings into the CarPlay environment for the first time.

So, if you wan’t to adjust the balance and fader on the swanky Bowers & Wilkins, it is possible to do so through a specific menu screen that is housed within the CarPlay Ultra environment.

3. It has a highly customizable cluster with more info Image 1 of 1

(Image credit: Apple / Aston Martin)

Aston says customers can also select from a number of widgets that can reside on either the 10.25-inch infotainment screen or on the digital driver display for a highly customizable cluster. This could include things like tyre pressure monitoring, weather forecasts or advanced driver assistance system settings.

Although it is not explicitly mentioned by Aston Martin or Apple, it is understood that owners will need to initially pair an iPhone 12 or later (running iOS 18.54 and later) either by plugging it in or choosing the wireless option.

The system will the automatically recognize the handset and the driver every time they enter the vehicle, even going to far as to knowing the region they are from, adjusting the units of measurement accordingly.

Of course, it opens up easy access to things like email, WhatsApp messages and the ability to hop on Zoom calls, all without having to juggle between interfaces.

4. It's coming to other car brands Image 1 of 9

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Unfortunately, Android users won’t be able to enjoy a similar sort of Android Automotive experience in the car, seeing as this is a specific Apple tie-up.

Instead, Aston Martin provides physical buttons and switches for most of its functionality and explains that its next-generation infotainment system, which debuted on the all-new DB12 in 2023, is perfectly a perfectly decent digital offering as it is.

Also, CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to the new Aston Martin DBX, and only those models ordered in North America and Canada for now. Although it will be rolled out to other Aston models and markets in the coming 12 months.

What’s more, Apple said it is working with a number of automakers to bring CarPlay Ultra into a variety of new models soon, including those from Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.

Aston Martin's 10.25-inch Pure Black touchscreen technology is relatively modest compared to many rivals, so it will be interesting to see what other manufacturers can do with larger and more impressive screen arrays.

Apple Arcade while waiting to charge up, anyone?

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Wednesday season 2 is almost upon us after a three year gap. Indeed, fans of one of the best Netflix shows don't have to wait much longer after its release dates were confirmed. As part of the Netflix Upfront presentation, the streaming service has confirmed the new season will arrive later this year.

Netflix has revealed that Wednesday season 2 will be split into two parts, with the first arriving on August 6, and the second on September 3. And yes, aptly enough, both of those are Wednesdays!

We've all been waiting patiently for the return of Jenna Ortega's child of woe, and now it's only a couple of months away. If you missed the trailer, you can watch it below.

Who's in the cast of Wednesday season 2?

Gwendoline Christie has left the Wednesday cast, and the new school principal is played by Steve Buscemi. (Image credit: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix)

Perhaps the better question is, who isn't? Seriously though, it's a stacked line-up and as well as returning names like Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Isaac Ordonez, Fred Armisen and Luis Guzmán, we've got plenty of great new stars joining the macabre Tim Burton series.

Joanna Lumley joins the Addams Family this season, playing the role of Morticia's mother, Hester. Following the departure of Gwendoline Christie's principal, Nevermore has a new one in the form of Steve Buscemi, and I'm so excited to see how he steps into the role.

The faculty is huge this season with Billie Piper and Christopher Lloyd joining the ranks and, of course, we have returning students such as Emma Myers and Joy Sunday, so fans will be pleased to see the cast has increased in size, with plenty of favorites coming back.

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