Feed aggregator

Users will need an active Microsoft 365 account to access some of the new AI features in these apps.

Ronald Osborne was a firefighter for many years. Early in his career, while battling a house fire, his life was in danger. It was another firefighter's quick thinking that saved him.

Whether you’ve got the best Apple Watch on the market, a humble Apple Watch SE 2, or even an older model, watchOS is home to a plethora of options, buried in the nooks and crannies of the settings menus, that can make or break your Apple Watch experience.

There are some settings I always change when I’m using my Apple Watch, be it the notification sounds, raise-to-wake tweaks, and others. But there are also a few settings that people often overlook when using their Apple Watch.

I’ve been using Apple Watch for 10 years, both as a tech writer and an Apple employee, and these are some of the most common mistakes people make – myself very much included.

1. Not updating your fitness goals

(Image credit: Future)

Even beginner Apple Watch users will be familiar with Apple’s addictive Activity rings that track your move, exercise, and stand goals throughout the day. Closing your rings is a great way to stay healthy and active, with fun rewards and badges on offer to make taking care of yourself ever-so-slightly easier.

That being said, there’s one aspect you might have forgotten about, and that’s your fitness goals. You select your fitness goals whenever you set up a new Apple Watch for the first time.

If you don’t buy a new Apple Watch every year, or you restore your new model from a backup, there’s a chance that you haven’t looked at your goals in years, and as such it might be time to change them.

If you set relatively modest goals when you first got your Apple Watch, and find that you’re crushing them on the daily, perhaps it’s time to increase those targets and push yourself a bit more.

Suppose your move goal is a very low number of calories, or you set your stand goal to a paltry one hour because you just wanted to get on with using your Apple Watch. Why not revisit those goals and give yourself a boost? Conversely, if you're struggling to hit goals that are too ambitious, why not revise them to more modest levels to help increase your motivation?

To change your fitness goals, simply head to the Activity app on your watch, scroll down, and tap the -+ icon in the bottom right-hand corner to change your goals. Remember to apply the principles of progressive overload here. If you’re happily managing 10 minutes of exercise, maybe try 15 or 20, but don’t overdo it and go for 60-plus – even 15 is a 50% increase.

Not managing your notifications

(Image credit: Future)

Even the most basic notification management on your Apple Watch is going to save you a world of frustration. Having on-wrist dings and pings sounds great, but after 10 minutes you’re going to find Apple Watch notifications hilariously annoying.

Notifications from your Apple Watch, especially superfluous ones, are distracting and drain your battery. At the very least, use the Apple Watch Do Not Disturb to get some reprieve – just remember that this also silences your iPhone.

A more effective way to manage your notifications is to use the Focus Mode feature on your iPhone, which can help sift notifications while you’re at work, exercising, or just trying to get some personal downtime.

Finally, head to the Notifications section of the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and toggle which apps from your iPhone you want to see notifications from on your Apple Watch – I guarantee you’ll turn off half of them, and your wrist will thank you for it.

Not using your Emergency Contacts

(Image credit: Future)

Formulating this list, I settled on Emergency Contacts as my final pick with a chuckle. “Who doesn’t have Emergency Contacts set up on Apple Watch?” I scoffed to myself quietly.

Me. That's who. I didn’t have Emergency Contacts set up on my Apple Watch.

I thought I did, but I’m not sure why. Maybe I assumed it was automatic, or maybe I thought about doing it once and then never got around to it.

In your Apple Watch app head to Emergency SOS, scroll down to Emergency Contacts to check yours. If your Apple Watch automatically calls emergency services after a crash or fall, or if you do it manually by holding the Side Button, your Watch can also automatically notify relatives and friends of your plight, including information about your location.

You should absolutely check you have a list of contacts including friends and loved ones in there. You should also check that any contacts you've set up are still relevant, and that their numbers haven’t changed. The Apple Watch Emergency SOS feature is a vital safety tool even Tim Cook has used, so don’t be a plum like me.

You may also like

• How can we make wearables more sustainable, and is it even possible?
• I've been wearing an Apple Watch for 10 years – these are the 5 settings I change right out of the box
• New figures claim the smartwatch market just shrunk for the first time ever, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is to blame

Writer Clay Risen describes the anti-Communist frenzy that destroyed the careers of thousands of teachers, union activists and civil servants — and connects that era to our current political moment.

• Researchers uncovered a brute-forcing tool called BRUTED
• It was used since 2023 against VPNs and firewalls
• BRUTED allows for automated brute-force and credential stuffing attacks

The infamous Black Basta ransomware actors created an automated framework for brute-forcing firewalls, VPNs, and other edge networking devices.

The “BRUTED” tool has apparently been in use for years now, according to cybersecurity researchers EclecticIQ, who have been sifting through the recently-leaked Black Basta chat logs, which were leaked and subsequently uploaded to a GPT for easier analysis.

Besides being used to analyze the group’s structure, organization, and activities, researchers used it to identify the tools, too. Apparently, BRUTED was in use since 2023 in large-scale credential stuffing and brute-force attacks. The endpoints being targeted include SonicWall NetExtender, Palo Alto GlobalProtect, Cisco AnyConnect, Fortinet SSL VPN, Citrix NetScaler (Citrix Gateway), Microsoft RDWeb (Remote Desktop Web Access), and WatchGuard SSL VPN.

High confidence often leads to victimization

The tool first identifies potential victims by enumerating subdomains, resolving IP addresses, and appending prefixes such as “vpn”, or “remote”. It then pulls a list of potential login credentials and combines them with locally generated guesses, executing as many requests as possible.

To narrow the list down, BRUTED extracts Common Name (CN) and Subject Alternative Names (SAN) from the SSL certificates of targeted devices, as well, the researchers said.

Finally, to remain under the radar, BRUTED uses a list of SOCKS5 proxies, although its infrastructure is apparently located in Russia.

To protect against brute-force and credential stuffing attacks, businesses should make sure all their edge devices and VPN instances have strong, unique passwords, consisting of at least eight characters, both uppercase and lowercase, numbers, and special characters. They should also enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all possible accounts, and apply the zero-trust network access (ZTNA) philosophy, if possible.

Ultimately, monitoring the network for authentication attempts from unknown locations, as well as for numerous failed login attempts, is a great way to spot attacks.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Many workers are overconfident at spotting phishing attacks
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app

• Google unveils new AI initiatives, including expanding UK data residency for Agentspace and AI upskilling projects
• Chirp 3 will also be coming to Vertex AI
• Follows Google’s $1 billion commitment to building a new data center in 2025

Google has announced the expansion of UK data residency for Agentspace, offering extra security by allowing British businesses to store their information locally.

Speaking at the launch in its DeepMind’s London HQ, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian outlined the opportunities Google’s UK data residency extension brings for organisations that use Agentspace.

“It's an important element to give companies confidence that they can use our systems and their data will be private to their own use and that they have full control to keep the data where they need it," he noted.

Agentspace inclusion

The existing data residency programme in the UK gives Google Cloud users and customers the ability to conduct machine learning processing for Gemini 1.5 Flash, but Google has strengthened its commitment to UK AI by expanding this to include Agentspace.

“Recognizing the importance of the United Kingdom, we already have a cloud region here," Kurian added. "We're expanding our program with a new large scale data center, and we host these solutions and models here in the UK so that you can keep your data in the country and meet regulations to train and serve models right here.”

Agentspace is a business-specific AI agent platform, which combines Gemini AI, Google search, and company data all in one place, using emails, documents, tables, and even third party services like Confluence and ServiceNow within a multi-model search agent, designed to help answer complex questions and boost productivity.

That’s why its data residency is “super important”, said BT Group Chief Executive, Allison Kirkby, praising the move for offering “a bit more sovereignty and protection” for UK users.

“Because our overall mission as a company is to be the most trusted connector of people, business, and society. And considering the world we live in, certainly have customers that want to ensure that their data is safe and secure and it's on platforms that are encrypted in the right way with the right people handling it”

Skills investments

The news follows Google’s $1 billion commitment to building a new data centre, set to open later in 2025.

This comes alongside significant investment into skills and training initiatives, and a Google Cloud Startup Program, offering up to £280,000 for AI startups across the country - all part of a Google’s reinforced commitment to the UK market.

Google is looking to expand AI skill initiatives in the UK, having trained over a million students, educators, and developers in the last ten years. This includes 35 free Skills Boost credits per month for the Google Cloud Skills Boost programme, with a focus on generative AI in the workplace.

When polled, over half of TechRadar Pro readers (54%) said they use AI daily in their work, with a further 22% saying they use AI tools at least once or twice a week. This outlines just how crucial AI safety and skills training is, especially given only 17% of respondents told us they never use AI at work. If you want to take a look at our polls, or participate in the next one, you can do so by signing up to our Whatsapp here.

“We're investing heavily in startups,” said Kurian. ”For example, smaller companies who use models to run the business. There's a whole range of these that we're doing. We have programs at universities to teach computer science programs on how to use models as part of their work. There's a broad range of things.”

Over 60% of startups in the UK are already working with Google Cloud, and the “Gemini for UK” event confirmed cloud credits for UK startups, alongside technical resources and training. These startups will also gain a community of Google Cloud experts, as well as investors, partners, and other startups.

Chirp 3

Also announced at Google’s event was the introduction of Chirp 3 on Vertex AI - an audio generation model, available in 31 different languages. This ‘groundbreaking’ model will offer 248 distinct voices and eight speaker options, with detailed speech functionality that “captures the nuances of human intonation.”

Whilst impressive, this does raise some questions about its potential for harm. Chirp3 does currently come with significant restrictions in order to mitigate the risk of abuse, but Google is, "working through some of those things with [our] safety team,” Kurian confirms.

Deepfake AI calls have been on the rise thanks to the advancement of similar technologies, and although AI is frequently used in threat detection, accessible tools like these could lower the barriers for cybercriminals looking to impersonate trusted figures to trick victims into handing over personal or financial information.

Researchers recently hijacked AI agents into writing and sending phishing emails for them, proving that AI agents and tools can be a useful accessory for cyberattackers - so Google will have to ensure strict guardrails and safety controls are in place.

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the best AI tools around
• I've tested all the best AI agents including ChatGPT Deep Research and Gemini - these are the 5 top automated artificial intelligence tools you can try right now
• EU tech companies push for digital sovereignty, reducing reliance on US and others

The design would represent a handful of big changes coming to future iPhones, according to Bloomberg.

• Nintendo Switch 2 likely to have AI upscaling
• A patent has been updated with new information showcasing a 540p image upscaled to 1080p output
• New info on the console is scarce but this could mean older games look better on Nintendo Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch 2 is likely to have AI Upscaling which could drastically improve performance and graphics on Nintendo's upcoming console.

A patent that previously used vague language hinting that the Switch 2 would be able to "convert images through the use of a trained neural network." has now been updated to showcase how the Switch 2 would go about upscaling 540p to 1080p.

Initially reported by Mike Odyssey on X, the updated patent all but confirms Nintendo Switch 2 to be capable of upscaling for much-improved graphics when playing games. With the ability to double resolution from 540p to 1080p, handheld games could look significantly better on the Switch 2 than its predecessor.

Backward-compatible games like Super Mario Odyssey or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could run much better on this new hardware with AI upscaling. This feature would be a huge reason to upgrade for current Nintendo Switch owners.

Nintendo just released an update for Nintendo Switch 2 on AI resolution Upscaling. It's happening, folks! pic.twitter.com/6GZUEXeBliMarch 16, 2025

Better graphics, better performance

With the Nintendo Switch 2 likely to have AI upscaling similar to Nvidia's DLSS or PS5 Pro's PSSR there's a huge reason to be excited for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 reveal on April 2. At the time of writing, official information on the Nintendo Switch's successor is scarce following Nintendo's trailer reveal in February.

That said, we expect to hear more about performance and the console's hardware in April when Nintendo pulls the cover on one of the most-anticipated console launches of all time.

As a huge Nintendo fan, and a sucker for good performance, I think Switch titles that have been released over the last few years have struggled with the aging hardware. One of the main reasons I'm excited to upgrade to the Nintendo Switch 2 is to play my old Switch games because I hoped that Nintendo would find a way to improve them with better hardware.

Now, thanks to this patent there's a real possibility that Nintendo Switch games will look and play better on the new console. For me, even if there were no new games at launch, that would be enough to part with my hard-earned cash.

You might also like...

• Xbox is reportedly teaming up with a mystery manufacturer to launch a PC gaming handheld this year
• The next Xbox console is reportedly now 'fully in production' and targeting a 2027 release
• Lego just celebrated Mario Day in the best way possible, with an incredible Mario Kart set that's up for preorder now

TikTok wants to give people greater visibility and control over their accounts.

The law originally banned health care providers from forcing patients to agree to pay medical bills, no matter the cost. Consumer groups say an amended version doesn't go far enough.

(Image credit: AmnajKhetsamtip/iStockphoto)

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Grrr

NYT Strands today (game #380) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SOUTH
• REED
• ROVE
• SCAR
• SIRE
• SANK

NYT Strands today (game #380) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #380) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 6th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #380) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #380, are…

• TOUCHY
• GRUMPY
• PEEVED
• IRKED
• SURLY
• CRANKY
• VEXED
• SPANGRAM: CROSSWORD

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The words featured in today’s search perfectly sum up my feelings when I’m struggling with Strands.

Although not today, as I cheerfully breezed through the puzzle – with the only stumbling block being when I thought CROSS was one of the answers, before seeing it was the Spangram: CROSSWORD. Top punning.

I like to think of all of these words as being generational, with babies being VEXED by the complications of the world, children PEEVED by their parents’ invasions and teenagers SURLY without really knowing why before becoming TOUCHY if they’re misunderstood.

Then, as we age, there is the slow, almost inevitable progression from feeling IRKED, then GRUMPY, before the final era of Grrr – when your loved ones forgive you but your neighbors dislike you for being CRANKY.

It’s best to accept these emotions, but the more fleeting they are the better life is.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 17 March, game #379)

• CROW
• CHIPS
• WELLS
• BEDDING
• BLUSHING
• STRICKEN
• SPANGRAM: SPOONERISMS

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 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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148).

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 #1149) - 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 #1149) - 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 #1149) - 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 #1149) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

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

Quordle today (game #1149) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• N

• T

• C

• S

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

Quordle today (game #1149) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1149, are…

• NAVEL
• TREAT
• COPSE
• SLINK

When I said yesterday that three of that game's answers would make good start words, I was totally wrong.

Most of my problems came from not using any words containing O or A, which left me with some tricky gaps.

SLINK and COPSE came easily, but I struggled to get TREAT and it took a great deal of gazing before I finally got NAVEL.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1149) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1149, are…

• ILIAC
• BLAST
• SPLAT
• DEBUG

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1148, Monday 17 March: INFER, FLINT, CHUMP, SHEER
• Quordle #1147, Sunday 16 March: INPUT, RUMBA, ELUDE, BLANK
• Quordle #1146, Saturday 15 March: SPEED, CLASH, RISKY, GRATE
• Quordle #1145, Friday 14 March: BELIE, SPEAR, GROWL, ADOBE
• Quordle #1144, Thursday 13 March: AMISS, METAL, TEARY, SHORT
• Quordle #1143, Wednesday 12 March: AWASH, PUSHY, RALPH, PROOF
• Quordle #1142, Tuesday 11 March: LINGO, JUICE, SHARP, REVEL
• Quordle #1141, Monday 10 March: AVAIL, THESE, TITAN, GAUGE
• Quordle #1140, Sunday 9 March: SKILL, IDEAL, WHERE, REHAB
• Quordle #1139, Saturday 8 March: WATCH, LAPSE, WREST, HEFTY
• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER
• Quordle #1136, Wednesday 5 March: PLEAD, TWANG, MAJOR, RISKY
• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER
• Quordle #1134, Monday 3 March: FRILL, KAYAK, REBAR, WORDY
• Quordle #1133, Sunday 2 March: TUNIC, GLOSS, DEBUG, LARGE
• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL
• Quordle #1130, Thursday 27 February: THIEF, CHAIR, ETHER, GRIME
• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645).

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 #646) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• KINDER
• DICE
• SINGULAR
• DIE
• OXEN
• SPECIAL
• DEER
• LICE
• UNIQUE
• SHEEP
• SQUID
• ANGST
• MICE
• WURST
• REMARKABLE
• SHRIMP

NYT Connections today (game #645) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: One of a kind 
• GREEN: European language 
• BLUE: One sounds the same as some
• PURPLE: Some sounds different to one

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 #646) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: EXCEPTIONAL 
• GREEN: GERMAN WORDS 
• BLUE: PLURAL ANIMALS IDENTICAL TO THEIR SINGULAR FORMS 
• PURPLE: PLURAL WORDS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR SINGULAR FORMS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #646) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #646, are…

• YELLOW: EXCEPTIONAL REMARKABLE, SINGULAR, SPECIAL, UNIQUE
• GREEN: GERMAN WORDS ANGST, DIE, KINDER, WURST
• BLUE: PLURAL ANIMALS IDENTICAL TO THEIR SINGULAR FORMS DEER, SHEEP, SHRIMP, SQUID
• PURPLE: PLURAL WORDS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR SINGULAR
• FORMS DICE, LICE, MICE, OXEN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Maddening is the only way to describe today’s Connections.

I roared through the yellow and green groups, at first thinking “this couldn’t be as straightforward as just being GERMAN WORDS could it”? EXCEPTIONAL was equally unchallenging. But then I hit the wall.

Before I finally realized the connections were plurals, I initially thought it must be something unique to the animals, so I put SHRIMP, SQUID, LICE and MICE together, thinking they all had flexible bodies or something. Yes, fair enough, I was reaching.

Then, when I realized it was about linguistics, I still didn’t fully get it and included LICE instead of DEER.

As infuriating as this was (I’d argue OXEN is not that different to Ox) I admire how SINGULAR and DIE (the singular of DICE) were also in the puzzle.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 17 March, game #645)

• YELLOW: FILAMENT FIBER, STRAND, STRING, THREAD
• GREEN: UNINHIBITEDNESS ABANDON, FREEDOM, SPONTANEITY, UNRESTRAINT
• BLUE: KINDS OF TRUCKS DUMP, GARBAGE, MONSTER, PICKUP
• PURPLE: BANDS MINUS THE NUMBER FIVE BEN FOLDS, JACKSON, MAROON, MC

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.

• Seagate has announced a partnership with MiHoYo
• It has revealed the new Seagate Genshin Impact Limited Edition External SSD
• It is available now in the US, with a UK launch later this year

Storage giant Seagate has announced a partnership with MiHoYo to introduce a new Genshin Impact limited edition external SSD.

The 1TB SSD drive is an officially licensed piece of Genshin Impact merchandise and is designed to commemorate the upcoming version 5.5, or 'Day of the Flames Return', game update. It features an eye-catching purple print with some cute art of the character Cyno, plus bright matching LED lighting.

It's a great looking drive and definitely one of the coolest models I've seen from Seagate yet. With a 1TB capacity, it's far from the biggest model around but should be more than sufficient for most game libraries - especially considering its blazing fast PCIe Gen4 transfer speeds.

Image 1 of 2

A closer look at front of the new drive... (Image credit: Seagate)Image 2 of 2

and the back! (Image credit: Seagate)

The Seagate Genshin Impact Limited Edition External SSD is compatible with PC and mobile in addition to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S - in short, all major platforms where you are able to play Genshin Impact.

It is currently available as a Seagate web store exclusive for $139.99 in the US and is set to launch in the UK for £139.99 in May this year.

In addition to the limited edition SSD, an 18in / 45.7cm USB-C 3.2 cable is included in the box, plus a quick install guide, 3-year warranty, and 3-year Rescue Data Recovery Service.

Seagate is known for making not only some of the best Xbox Series X hard drives, but also a number of the best SSDs for PS5 and best PS5 external hard drives. While the design is definitely a winner, hopefully the performance of this new product will live up the company's lofty reputation.

You might also like...

• The best mobile controllers 2025: upgrade your portable play
• These new Genshin Impact gaming mice from Logitech G could be one seriously cute addition to your PC setup
• The best SSD in 2025: top solid-state drives for your PC

Don't just load up on Amazon! Here are the best ways to find your favorite records on wax.

The price of eggs keeps rising, and if you want to save some dough, you should try this delicious and nutritious tofu scramble instead.

• Criminals are using stolen email addresses to distribute malicious OAuth Apps
• These apps steal sensitive data and redirect people to phishing pages
• The pages steal login credentials and deliver malware

Hackers are spoofing popular cloud and productivity apps to steal people’s Microsoft 365 login credentials and deliver malware, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers Proofpoint detailed their findings in an X thread, revealing unidentified cybercriminals used compromised Office 365 accounts and email addresses belonging to charity organizations or small businesses to launch the attacks.

It is unclear what the contents of the emails are, but apparently, the goal is to get victims to install malicious Microsoft OAuth apps pretending to be Adobe Drive, Adobe Drive X, Adobe Acrobat, and DocuSign.

"Highly targeted" attacks

Those that install these apps are asked to grant specific permissions: ‘profile’, ‘email’, and ‘openid’. Alone, these aren’t that destructive, since they only grant access to the user’s name, user ID, profile picture, username, and the primary email address (no access, just information about the account). The ‘openid’ permission also allows the attackers to confirm the victim’s identity and retrieve their Microsoft account details.

While these aren’t enough to steal data or install malware, they can be used in more personalized phishing attacks, the researchers said. The campaign itself was “highly targeted”, Proofpoint said, going after organizations in different industries across the US and Europe, including government, healthcare, supply chain, and retail.

After granting these permissions, the apps redirect the victims to phishing landing pages, collecting login credentials, and distributing malware. Proofpoint could not confirm the strain of the malware being distributed this way, but stressed that the attackers used the ClickFix social engineering attack.

Nowadays, ClickFix has grown quite popular. It starts with a browser popup, informing the victim that they cannot view the contents of the web page unless they update their browser (or something similar). The popup shares steps on how to “fix” the issue, tricking the victims into downloading malware instead.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• A flaw in Google OAuth system is exposing millions of users via abandoned accounts
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app

Bitwarden is open source and secure, has support for passkeys, and costs just $10 per year.

GameSir X4 Aileron: one-minute review

The GameSir X4 Aileron is a mobile controller purpose-built for cloud gaming on an Android phone, turning your device into a glorified handheld. The typical Xbox layout is present and correct here, with the familiar face buttons and asymmetrical sticks. The all-black colorway does little to liven its appearance, although the RGB rings around the sticks are a nice touch.

The build quality of the X4 Aileron is excellent. Every part feels solid and premium, and the material of the sticks is ultra smooth while offering enough grip. The same is true of the rubberized rear of each pad’s handles.

These portions also have a relatively sharp edge that cuts through the middle of the curve. I found this as comfortable to grip as many of the best Xbox controllers, and the angle these edges create allowed me to secure my fingers better, which in turn made the back buttons easier to use.

Connecting the X4 Aileron to my smartphone was quick and simple, although having to disconnect and reconnect by unclamping and re-clamping is a somewhat clunky process. The clamping mechanism of the X4 Aileron is secure, although it’s not the most elegant. It’s understandably tight, but this makes it hard to move it up and down when attaching and detaching a phone. I often found it best to slide my phone in and out rather than move the clamp by hand. It just about fit my phone in its case, although the lips of the clamp didn’t quite overhang the edges of my device, as they were supposed to.

Still, my phone stayed in place, although it was noticeably looser when attached without my case. Optional pads are included to remedy this, although these require sticking to the X4 Aileron, so this is a permanent solution rather than a removable one, which is a shame.

Customizations and tweaks can be made using the GameSir mobile app, but it’s disappointingly limited in scope. There’s no option to remap inputs, and while you can alter the deadzone for both the sticks and triggers, you can’t adjust their curve profile. There is a Hair Trigger mode, though, which is useful when rapid taps are called for.

The overall performance of the X4 Aileron is pretty good. The buttons are very snappy, especially the D-pad, which is very fast and easy to use, while the Hall effect joysticks and triggers are smooth and precise.

However, my major contention concerns the right stick, which I found hard to reach without sacrificing my grip. This is particularly problematic when using the right trigger at the same time, as you’ll be doing when playing shooters.

Battery life doesn’t seem particularly impressive either. After a couple of hours, each pad lost about 15% charge. However, the battery readouts in the GameSir app were a little erratic, flitting up and down in an instant, and changing quite drastically on occasion when reconnecting to my phone. Hopefully, this is something a firmware update can fix.

In terms of price, the X4 Aileron sits towards the higher end of the mobile controller sector, with many cheaper alternatives available. The Backbone One, which nominally is priced the same as the X4 Aileron, can often be found for less, and has the advantage of being compatible with iOS as well as Android systems. However, it’s cheaper than the Razer Kishi Ultra, but we do think that is among the best mobile controllers right now, so is deserving of its price tag.

Regardless, if you were to opt for the X4 Aileron, you won’t be disappointed, so long as you don’t need iOS support and can live with the placement of that right joystick.

(Image credit: Future) GameSir X4 Aileron review: Price and availability

• $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$169
• Available in black only
• Expensive compared to rivals

The GameSir X4 Aileron costs $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$169 and is available now in one colorway (black). It comes with a carrying case, two extra sets of joystick caps (one of which is smaller), an extra D-pad hat, and optional rubber cushions that can be stuck onto each pad to fit thinner phones.

The X4 Aileron is priced towards the top end of the mobile controller market. However, it’s still cheaper than the Razer Kishi Ultra, which is one of the most expensive models around. That controller excels in virtually every aspect, though, and unlike the X4 Aileron, it’s compatible with iOS as well as Android devices, and can even handle tablets up to eight inches. It doesn’t have Hall effect sticks, though – only its triggers use this technology.

With the same list price as the X4 Aileron, the Backbone One is another close competitor. However, you can often find it for a lot less than this. We think this is another very capable mobile controller and is again compatible with both Android and iOS phones and tablets. However, it doesn’t use Hall effect technology.

GameSir X4 Aileron review: specs

(Image credit: Future) GameSir X4 Aileron review: design and features

• Premium and clever design
• Clamping mechanism can be awkward
• Limited mobile app

The X4 Aileron adopts a fairly typical mobile controller design, although it protrudes less than some others, both lengthways and outwardly. There’s some subtle but vibrant RGB lighting around both analog sticks, which helps to liven up the total black finish.

The grips felt very comfortable in my hands, offering plenty of security thanks to the rubberized finish. One quirk of their design, though, is the sharp line running through their center.

This was initially jarring, but I quickly found this created an angle that allowed my fingers to get more purchase, which helps a great deal when using the two back buttons, as these are quite small; I would’ve struggled to use them comfortably otherwise. Overall, the X4 Aileron makes gaming on your phone feel similar to the best handheld games consoles.

It’s also built to a high standard, with premium materials used for the buttons and sticks. The latter of these feels especially smooth to the touch, while at the same time offering plenty of grip thanks to the texture of their outer edges.

The magnetic attachment for storing the X4 Aileron is well-engineered too, with both sides slotting together with a strong hold that’s also easy to remove when needed. This also helps to save space when traveling, as they fit snugly in the included hard-shell carrying case, which is similarly well-made.

(Image credit: Future)

The X4 Aileron just managed to fit over my phone with a case attached, although the ledges of the clamps didn’t quite hang over the sides as they’re seemingly designed to do. Regardless, the attachment was sufficiently secure to prevent any undue movement.

However, the same can’t be said when clamped to my phone directly, as the X4 Aileron is prone to sliding and tilting back and forth. In normal use, this wasn’t much of an issue, and rubber pads can be installed to prevent this scenario. It’s a shame, though, that these pads aren’t removable once stuck in place; a removable or adjustable method would’ve been welcome, especially at this price.

The clamp system in general isn’t the most elegant solution, and while its tightness is reassuring, lifting it by hand is a little awkward, as there’s no real place to grip it with your fingers. Consequently, I often found myself mispressing my phone’s screen when attaching and detaching the X4 Aileron.

This is a small usability issue in the grand scheme of things, but worth mentioning. I found the best way to attach and release the X4 Aileron was to slide my phone in and out of both portions – although I can’t say this is a method GameSir condones.

What’s more, the fact that turning on and off the X4 Aileron involves lifting the clamps is somewhat inconvenient if you need to reconnect for whatever reason.

Various customization options are available for the X4 Aileron via the GameSir app, including deadzone alterations for the triggers and sticks, as well as a quick trigger mode for binary rather than analog inputs. There’s no button remapping, though, which seems like a fairly big oversight, and no curve profiles for the sticks to more finely tune their responsiveness and sensitivity.

The only other adjustments are a few other minor functions and tweaks to the RGB, so it falls behind adjustments other peripherals allow for. Compared to many other controllers, including those made by GameSir, this is quite the paucity of options.

At least the app is stable enough, although oddly there were certain menus and sections that couldn’t be navigated with the X4 Aileron, and other areas where it could. Certain sections had no English text either, although thankfully this was a rarity and didn’t affect usability. A firmware update also failed to install despite several attempts, only succeeding after I re-paired the X4 Aileron to my phone.

(Image credit: Future) GameSir X4 Aileron review: performance

• Clicky buttons
• Poor stick placement
• Battery life not great

Despite its looks, the X4 Aileron doesn’t exactly feel like a traditional console controller. The buttons aren’t damped: instead, they actuate with an emphatic click, which provides plenty of feedback, but if you’re someone who prefers the silent, softer feel of standard gamepads, then these might not be to your liking.

The D-pad is especially clicky but very satisfying to use. Presses are easy in all directions and the rebound is very quick. The stock hat design is very amenable to rolling in multiple adjacent directions, which I appreciated when playing Mortal Kombat 11.

Both the triggers and the sticks use Hall effect technology, which offers greater precision than their standard potentiometer counterparts. When playing Forza Horizon 5, the steering was smooth and accurate, while the triggers provided plenty of control over acceleration and braking, thanks to their well-weighted resistance.

The triggers don’t have as much travel as those on the best Xbox controllers or best PC controllers, so I didn’t quite get the same level of granular control over inputs, but I was still impressed. However, they do curve around to follow the contours of the X4 Aileron itself, which increases their surface area and makes for a more natural and comfortable finger placement.

One major gripe I have with the X4 Aileron, though, concerns the right joystick. Owing to the asymmetrical design, it’s positioned low down, which isn’t a problem on standard gamepads. But since there’s no middle portion to the X4 Aileron, it’s also much closer to the edge of each pad, rather than further inward.

This combination makes for awkward thumb placement, forcing me to either bend it uncomfortably to reach it, or grip the entire right pad much lower down than usual and therefore sacrifice a secure hold.

I found this especially problematic when playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, as you need that secure hold when using the right trigger to fire. I reckon even ardent Xbox controller fans would find an issue with this, and if you’re a fan of the best PS5 controllers, then the issue may be even more egregious.

Connecting the X4 Aileron was straightforward enough, although waking it from sleep wasn’t always that seamless, as I had to re-clamp it to reconnect on occasion.

Battery life isn’t particularly impressive, as, after only a few hours of testing, each pad seemed to drop by about 15%. However, the readout provided in the GameSir app was inconsistent, sometimes oscillating in an instant and changing more drastically when reconnecting.

There were also occasions where only one of the pad’s battery readouts was displayed, requiring the other to be reattached for it to show. Perhaps these issues can be fixed in a firmware update.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the GameSir X4 Aileron? Buy it if...

You want precise controls
The clicky buttons are satisfying and responsive (especially the D-pad), while the Hall effect triggers and sticks confer plenty of accuracy and smoothness.

You want something easy to carry around
The clever magnetic attachment to keep both sides of the X4 Aileron together when detached from your phone makes it a cinch to travel with.

Don't buy it if...

You have an iPhone
Unfortunately, the X4 Aileron isn’t compatible with iOS devices, so you’ll need to be an Android user.

You don’t like asymmetrical layouts
Like many gamers, I usually like asymmetrical joysticks, but here I found it uncomfortable to use the right stick, given its positioning.

Also consider...

Razer Kishi Ultra
We think the Rishi Ultra is the best mobile controller, thanks to its excellent comfort levels, performance, and software. However, it’s more expensive than the X4 Aileron, and only has Hall effect triggers, not sticks, but we still think it claims the top spot all things considered. It’s also compatible with iOS in addition to Android and fits tablets up to eight inches as well as phones.

Read our full Razer Kishi Ultra review

Backbone One
For the same price as the X4 Aileron (or cheaper if you hunt around), you could also grab the Backbone One, a similarly capable mobile controller that’s also compatible with both iOS and Android systems. It has clicky buttons like the X4 Aileron, as well as a compact form factor, but can also handle tablets. There’s no Hall effect technology here, though.

Read our full Backbone One review

How I tested the GameSir X4 Aileron

• Tested on Google Pixel 7a
• Played various games on Xbox Cloud Gaming
• Plentiful gaming experience

I tested the X4 Aileron for several days, during which time I used it on my Google Pixel 7a, both with and without a case. I also used the GameSir mobile app for customizing and tweaking the controller.

I played a variety of games via the Xbox Cloud Gaming app, which GameSir claims the X4 Aileron is designed for. I played Forza Horizon 5 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to test the trigger and stick accuracy, as well as Mortal Kombat 11 to test button response.

I have been gaming on multiple platforms for decades, including mobile and handheld systems. I have also reviewed numerous controllers compatible with mobile devices.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2025

The company's new chips can power Android handhelds from small retro devices to the next Steam Deck competitor.