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• The Prime Video series Cruel Intentions has been canceled after one season.
• Cruel Intentions is Prime Video's TV remake of the 1999 cult classic movie.
• The series received critical reviews when it was released in November 2024.

The Cruel Intentions TV show has been canceled by Prime Video after one season, and I can't help but think its ending isn't so cruel after all.

Prime Video's TV remake of the 1999 steamy teen drama movie Cruel Intentions premiered in November 2024. Although it became Prime Video's second most-watched show at the time, Cruel Intentions wasn't met with kindness and received a 24% Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics.

While Cruel Intentions isn't one of the best Prime Video shows, it was well-received by the audience, who gave it an impressive 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. But despite this, the show has ended up on Prime Video's scrap heap alongside the hit crime comedy series The Sticky.

In Cruel Intentions, step-siblings Caroline (Sara Catherine Hook) and Lucien Belmont (Zac Burgess) will do anything to stay on top of the social hierarchy at the elite Manchester College. After a hazing scandal, they plot to seduce Annie Grover (Savannah Lee Smith), the daughter of the Vice President of the United States, to maintain their power and reputation.

Prime Video hasn't officially confirmed why Cruel Intentions was axed, but low viewing figures are usually to blame for cancelations, with Variety also revealing that it "failed to make an appearance on the Nielsen Top 10 Streaming charts."

A kind outcome for a cruel TV remake

When the Cruel Intentions trailer was released in October 2024, TechRadar's Tom Power wasn't convinced that it would be any better than its film namesake, writing: "Heck, if Amazon's 2021 TV adaptation of another cult classic 1990s young adult movie in I Know What You Did Last Summer is anything to go by – it was a massive flop, for those wondering – the chances are that Cruel Intentions will, well, suffer a similarly cruel fate."

Adapting an iconic blockbuster into a TV series was always going to be a tricky business and it's often rare to see the remake do as well if not better than its source material. Unfortunately this was the case for Cruel Intentions, so while the show has come to a rather mean end, I think this may have been the kindest outcome for the drama series.

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The WHO declared a pandemic. The NBA shut down its season. President Trump banned travel from Europe. Tom Hanks tested positive. On one day five years ago, the coronavirus became very real in America.

(Image credit: Drew Angerer)

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, told reporters on Tuesday that he believes Republicans will be able to pass a partisan spending bill without the help of Democrats.

(Image credit: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

• The Russo brothers have revealed which 'Secret Wars' comic book series inspired the next two Avengers movies
• Two different comic runs, which were released in the 1980s and 2010s, bear the 'Secret Wars' title
• The films are influenced by both literary works

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars' cumulative story isn't influenced by one of the latter's comic book namesakes over the other, the Russo brothers have revealed.

Speaking to TechRadar for their new movie The Electric State, which lands on Netflix this Friday (March 14), Joe and Anthony Russo revealed that they'll "draw inspiration" from the 1980s and 2010s comic book series that bear the 'Secret Wars' moniker.

Avengers: Secret Wars is one of two Marvel films that the siblings will direct over the next two years. And, with two different comic runs called 'Secret Wars' – the Jim Shooter-written one, which ran from May 1984 to April 1985, and the Jonathan Hickman-penned version that released between May 2015 and January 2016 – fans have wondered which series will directly impact the fifth and sixth Avengers movies.

Robert Downey Jr returns to the MCU as Doctor Victor von Doom in Avengers 5 and 6 (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

"Well, we always create our own version of the story," Joe Russo replied when I asked if they sought inspiration from one comic run over the other. "So, we use the comics as loose inspiration.

"But, you know, I grew up on the original run. That's something that got me into Marvel comic books. The Hickman run is also fantastic [and they're] very different from each other in a lot of ways, so we'll draw inspiration from both of them."

What can Marvel's Secret Wars comics tell us about the plot of Avengers 6?

What can each of Secret Wars' comic book series tell us about what may happen in its movie namesake? (Image credit: Marvel)

Projects developed by Marvel Studios are secretive at the best of times. However, I suspect the Disney subsidiary is taking things to a whole new level from a confidentiality perspective when it comes to Avengers: Doomsday, which lands in theaters in May 2026, and its sequel film.

Well, if you ignore the most recent leak concerning the next two Avengers movies, anyway. Oh, and depending what you'll read into the Russos' response to my query about which Marvel heroes will appear in Doomsday and Secret Wars.

So, what do Shooter and Hickman's literary works tease about Secret Wars' overarching narrative? (Spoilers follow for both comic book series and, potentially, Avengers: Secret Wars!)

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Shooter's '80s run, whose art was produced by Mike Zeck and Bob Layton, tells the tale of The Beyonder, a cosmic entity who becomes fascinated by the heroes and villains that inhabit the Marvel universe. Determined to find out who is the best superpowered being of them all, he transports them to a distant galaxy to do battle on a world called *ahem* Battleworld.

As for the limited series from Hickman and artist Esad Ribić, it involves the destruction of the Marvel Multiverse due to an Incursion – a cataclysmic event that causes various universes to collide and destroy each other. The fragments of these realities that remain are stitched together to form a new version of Battleworld, which is ruled over by the God Emperor iteration of The Fantastic Four's iconic villain Doctor Victor von Doom.

With Robert Downey Jr set to play the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) version of Doom, it seems likely that Avengers: Secret Wars will primarily pull from Hickman and Ribic's comic series. That much is made even clearer by the fact that we've been introduced to Incursions in other Marvel films, such as Doctor Strange 2, too, so this won't be a foreign concept to cinemagoers when Doomsday and Secret Wars are released.

That doesn't mean we can discard the '80s era story, though. That comic series saw the introduction of Spider-Man's classic black suit, which paved the way for Venom in the comics. With Spider-Man 4 sandwiched between the next two Avengers films, Doomsday could pick up a loose plot thread from Spider-Man: No Way Home – i.e., a piece of Venom's alien symbiote being left in a bar – we could see it bind to Tom Holland's Peter Parker, who might use said black suit in Secret Wars. Looking further ahead, it may also set the stage for Spider-Man 5, which could explore Parker's dark side, liberation from the symbiote suit, and even lead to the creation of the MCU's Venom.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, but I'll refrain from spoiling anything else about both comic runs and their Marvel Phase 6 movie namesake. Principal photography on Doomsday will reportedly begin in April, so don't be surprised if we start to hear more rumors about its cast and plot in the weeks and months ahead.

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In most time loop films – think Groundhog Day or Palm Springs – when things get quite dark as the characters depression at having to face the same day over and over again becomes too much.

The prospect endlessly repeating the same experiences is a disturbing one – yet something that end user computing (EUC) teams face almost every day. Nearly half (45%) of EUC time is taken up fixing recurring problems, such as employee on-boarding or resetting devices to their proper state.

Moreover, as IT management has become more complex, troubleshooting requires increased amounts of human intervention and decision-making at every step, slowing down the Mean Time to Remediation (MTTR) and creating a frustrating situation for all parties.

Employees have to wait longer to have their problems resolved, EUC teams are stuck doing repetitive, unfulfilling tasks instead of taking on more strategically important projects, and businesses waste substantial amounts of resources merely trying to maintain the status quo.

It's déjà vu all over again

To break the cycle of repetitive tasks, businesses need to be able to optimize and automate as many of these workflows as possible. Indeed, for the average enterprise, a single automated workflow can save nearly 3,800 hours per year across 100,000 devices.

For instance, when users neglect to install important updates on their devices, it can lead to major compliance and performance issues. However, getting users to restart their devices is a perennial problem for EUC teams.

In this case, having an automated workflow that can identify devices needing a restart and Windows update, issue multiple reminders to the user in a 24-hour period and, if necessary, a forced reboot and update verification would remove this as an issue entirely. Not only does this solve for the immediate problem, but it also reduces the risk of additional performance and compliance issues in the future.

Stretched to breaking point

The reason that these automations haven’t been introduced is simple – EUC teams are spread far too thin to take on the task. Just meeting the immediate business needs of ensuring that employees have working devices and access to applications is a huge ask without tackling major structural issues.

And, even if the burden on EUC teams could be alleviated, coding comprehensive scripts for IT problems is a lengthy process that requires a high level of PowerShell expertise that isn’t always available, especially for more complex tasks. Given that EUC teams are already overstretched, it’s simply not feasible to add more resources. It doesn’t scale.

Taking the low code road

The way to break the cycle is clear – automation has to become far simpler. Rather than doing extensive writing, testing, reviewing, signing, and updating of PowerShell code, EUC teams need a low code way to build and communicate workflows to the rest of the organization.

Having a low code, drag-and-drop approach to workflow automation not only democratizes the process so that people with little to no PowerShell knowledge can build a workflow, but it also makes it far easier to test and iterate so that missing steps can be added in. In addition, businesses need access to a library of fixes for the most common industry issues that can be adapted as needed.

Being able to quickly and easily construct automated workflows for a whole swathe of repetitive tasks not only allows EUC teams to reclaim vast amounts of time, but also allows issues to be escalated and resolved more quickly. For example, when a troubleshooting issue comes in that was unable to be resolved by the automated workflow, the support engineer doesn’t have worry about all of the common causes because those steps have already been attempted.

And, because the results of each workflow are automatically recorded, the ROI of bringing in the necessary solutions can be quickly and easily demonstrated to leadership.

Automatic for the people

Ultimately, the Groundhog Day-esque situation that EUC teams is simply not tenable. IT environments are only becoming broader and more complex, to the point where addressing each repetitive issue manually is like trying to drain a lake with a leaky bucket.

Any opportunity to reclaim time by reducing the workload must be taken. Practically speaking, the only way to do this is through the automation of the most low-value processes. Therefore, businesses need to invest in solutions that are going to allow EUC teams to build, test, and adapt these automations as swiftly as possible.

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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

New York Times editor David Enrich talks about a wave of recent legal attacks on journalists — led by tech billionaires, corporations and political figures like President Trump.

Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G: two-minute review

Every lens comes with some kind of compromise, but Sony’s done well to disguise it on the FE 16mm F1.8 G. Yes, it lacks the versatility of a wide-angle zoom like the FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II. But if you’re in the market for a super wide-angle prime with plenty of creative potential, it’s a real box-ticker.

You’ve got the 16mm focal length favored by architecture and landscape fans, plus a fast f/1.8 aperture to satisfy night-sky enthusiasts. You’ve got speedy autofocus and a good set of manual controls. Then you’ve got the dimensions: Sony has cleverly packaged the FE 16mm F1.8 G to make it a lens that’s easy to travel with. All at a price that’s firmly in the reasonable bracket.

Sony might be marketing its 16mm prime at your traditional wide-angle users, but that list makes it a compelling proposition for anyone keen to experiment with a wider field of view. So where’s the catch?

In the minor category, there are a couple of marks against the FE 16mm F1.8 G. To achieve its low weight and matching price, Sony has used a fair amount of plastic in the build. And while it’s a moisture-resistant lens, it doesn’t have full weather seals. But this isn’t a G Master lens. For the money, neither one of those factors should be a dealbreaker.

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What could be is the barrel distortion. While prime optics mean the FE 16mm F1.8 G can shoot sharp in the center at its widest aperture, detail drops off to softness in the corners. This is because of how much correction is taking place at the very edges of the frame. Shoot in RAW and you’ll need to compensate quite heavily, costing you sharpness in the stretched pixels.

While this reliance on lens corrections might not sit well with purists, Sony is not alone in leaving software to address optical imperfections. Nor is it an issue which only affects prime glass. It’s a growing trend among wide-angle lenses as a whole, as we found in our review of the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM. Sony’s own FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II is guilty of it, too.

In reality, if you’re willing to live with some corner softness, the FE 16mm F1.8 G is an excellent super wide-angle prime for the price. Shooting at f/1.8 not only lets you make the most of the available light, but also allows you to play with defocused backgrounds when your subject is close to the lens.

It’s true that videographers and travel photographers will probably be better served by a 16-35mm zoom, even if that means accepting a slower maximum aperture. The Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II has the versatility to cover both wide angles and tighter 35mm street shots with edge-to-edge detail. For those who want get creative at 16mm, though, the FE 16mm F1.8 G isn’t far off the sweet spot.

Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G specs Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G: Design

• Compact and lightweight for a wide-angle prime
• Protected against dust and moisture
• Tactile focus and aperture control rings

It’s not a pancake prime, but Sony’s done some very clever packaging to keep the FE 16mm F1.8 G compact. By super wide-angle standards, this is about as small as they come with an f/1.8 aperture. It weighs in at a very manageable 10.7oz / 304g and measures just 73.8 x 75 mm (or roughly 3 inches on each axis). That makes it almost 10mm shorter than the Sony FE 20mm F1.8G.

Its lean build is achieved in part by use of plastic in the construction. The result is a barrel that doesn’t feel especially premium, but Sony hasn’t done a cheap job either. There’s no sense that corners have been cut here: the body is creak-free and the controls are nicely tactile. While you don’t get the weather seals of the G Master series, resistance against dust and moisture also adds to the sense of robustness.

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The overall impression is one of functionality. That extends to the controls, most of which are thoughtfully placed within a finger’s reach. This is an easy lens to feel your way around one-handed. A few touches help to elevate the user experience above that of a basic prime, too: you’ve got a switch which gives you the option of clicked or smooth aperture ring rotation, for example, plus a programmable function button.

Some users might like a little more weight to the manual focus ring, but the resistance of the aperture ring feels perfectly judged. Together with switches for focus mode and Iris Lock, the FE 16mm F1.8 G is a lovely lens to use. It paired neatly with a Sony A7C II body in testing for a convenient wide-angle shooting setup.

Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G: Performance

• Fixed ultra-wide 16mm focal length
• Fast f/1.8 maximum aperture
• Rapid autofocus with two linear motors

Frame up with the FE 16mm F1.8 G and you’ll instantly see just how wide a 16mm focal length really is. Whether you’re shooting buildings, interiors or landscapes, this is a lens designed to give you dramatic perspectives. And thanks to its wide maximum aperture, you can shoot those perspectives in a range of scenarios.

At f/1.8, this is pretty fast glass. Fast enough to capture sharp results in low lighting, whether that’s an evening street scene or a starry sky. Sony reckons the FE 16mm F1.8 G is a good option for astrophotography. Paired with a full-frame Sony E-mount camera, the 16mm’s light-gathering abilities certainly mean you can make the most of any available lumens.

The wide aperture also means you can play with a very shallow depth of field. The effect is strongest when shooting close-ups: with the right composition, you can draw a near subject into clear focus against a striking defocused background. This impression is enhanced by the fact that the wide field of view includes more of the backdrop than a standard macro lens.

Bokeh could be smoother and we did encounter some false color in blurred backgrounds. All the same, its close-focusing abilities add an additional string to the bow of Sony’s super wide-angle prime. It’s not a macro lens, but with a minimum focus distance of just 0.15m, the FE 16mm F1.8 G lets you get very close.

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It helps that the autofocus system is rapid in all conditions. Driven by dual linear motors, focusing response is pretty much instant. That’s just as true up close and in low light as it is when shooting big subjects in broad daylight. Paired with a Sony A7C II, the lens demonstrated a commendable hit rate, giving no reason to doubt that it would find its target.

All of that translates to video, too. It’s easy to see why Sony touts the FE 16mm F1.8 G as a lens with vlogging potential. Its ultra-wide focal length and close-focusing abilities are both well-suited to self-shot videography, allowing users to comfortably record themselves at arm’s length. The proportions of the lens itself also make it easy to wield when paired with a vlogging-first camera like the Sony ZV-E1.

Focus breathing is kept to a minimum: shift focus while recording and the field of view stays consistent enough for most eyes. If you have a compatible Sony body, you can use the breathing compensation function to eradicate it entirely by applying a slight crop. Shooting video with a 16:9 aspect ratio also crops out any softness in the corners from the application of distortion correction (see below).

Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G: sample images

Images shot with the Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G are broadly superb. As with most prime lenses, there’s a sweet spot in the aperture range that nets you edge-to-edge sharpness with no vignetting. That’s exactly what you’ll find at f/4.

Wide open at f/1.8, the story is a little bit different. There’s some minor vignetting evident in RAW stills, which can be addressed in post or reduced significantly by stopping down to f/2.8. That’s unless you want the effect to complement the wide-angle look, leading the eye to the center of the frame.

More problematic is barrel distortion. This isn’t a surprise for such a wide-angle prime, but the result is a loss of detail where correction stretches pixels in the corners. Whether this is applied in-camera to JPEG stills or in the edit for RAW files, the result is the same: softness at the far reaches of the frame.

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How much this loss of corner clarity is an issue will often come down to the composition. Naturally, the results of distortion correction are less noticeable when the area is defocused. In any case, you still get excellent center sharpness at f/1.8 and resolution remains decent across the frame up to f/11. Venture beyond that and you’ll find that sharpness drops off significantly, particularly as you approach f/22.

In stills captured facing into the sun, the FE 16mm F1.8 G displays a strong ability to deal with backlighting. There can be some washout at the widest apertures, but contrast is retained at f/4. The lens also keeps flaring under tight control and renders soft but attractive sunstars at narrower apertures.

Should you buy the Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G? Buy it if...

You want to shoot wide angles in different lights

Thanks to its fast maximum aperture, Sony’s super-wide prime has the light-gathering abilities to shoot sharp in dim conditions. It can handle the bright stuff too, with attractive sunstars and decent flaring control.

You want a wide-angle that’s easy to wield

Courtesy of a polycarbonate construction, the 16mm weighs in at a relatively light 304g. It’s also compact for a super wide-angle prime, making it a tidy choice for shooting both travel stills and video.

You want to experiment with soft backgrounds

Blurred backgrounds aren’t a speciality for wide-angle lenses, but its wide aperture and short minimum focus distance mean the FE 16mm F1.8 G can produce strikingly soft backdrops when shooting close to a subject.

Don't buy it if...

You need total sharpness across the frame

Center sharpness is good on the whole and strong at the center of the frame, but drops off heavily in the corners when shooting at wide apertures, resulting in softness and a loss of detail.

You want perfection out of the camera

Substantial barrel distortion is the trade-off for a compact design. In-camera correction takes care of this for JPEGs, but it needs to be fixed in post for RAW files, along with noticeable vignetting.

You want the versatility of a zoom

Prime optics might be brighter, but a fixed focal length is less versatile. Many users will find the Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM II zoom lens a more flexible choice for travel and video.

How I tested the Sony FE 16mm F1.8 G

• Tested comprehensively for a week
• Paired with a Sony A7C II body
• Used in a range of conditions

Sony was only able to loan the FE 16mm F1.8 G to me for a seven-day period, during which time I shot with it extensively. Thankfully the weather was good during my time with it, so I was able to fully assess how it handles different lighting conditions, from bright backlighting to dimmer evening scenes.

As a 16mm would traditionally be considered a lens for shooting landscapes and architecture, I did both of those. But because Sony’s super wide-angle prime also boasts the defocusing potential of a fast maximum aperture, I also made sure to shoot up close with a range of subjects.

I used the lens with a Sony A7C II body. By shooting with it heavily over the course of a week, I was able to get a good understanding of the build quality and usability of the lens, particularly the feel of its focus and aperture rings.

• First reviewed March 2025

• New York's Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Allstate for two data breaches
• The suit says the company did not notify customers and the government of the attacks
• Allstate denied any wrongdoing, saying it addressed the issue properly

US insurance giant Allstate has been hit with a lawsuit for allegedly losing sensitive customer data and not notifying victims about what had happened.

The State of New York has sued Allstate’s National General unit, with Attorney General Letitia James filing the lawsuit in a state court in Manhattan, claiming the company’s lax security practices resulted in two data breaches, one in 2020, and one in 2021, which weren’t even reported on until the lawsuit. The first breach, which happened between August and November 2020, apparently affected 12,000 individuals (9,100 New Yorkers). National General did not spot the attack for two months, and never notified affected customers, or state agencies of the attack.

The second attack, which happened in February 2021, affected an additional 187,000 customers (155,000 New Yorkers), and occurred after Allstate acquired National General in January 2021 for roughly $4 billion.

Violating the Stop Hacks act

These two attacks, and the way Allstate (failed to) tackled them, is in violation of the state’s Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act, James argued. Furthermore, the company violated state consumer protection laws, by misleading its customers about its data security practices.

Now, James seeks civil files of $5,000 per violation, plus other remedies, Reuters added.

"National General's weak cybersecurity emboldened hackers to steal New Yorkers' personal data, not once but twice," James said. "It is crucial that companies take cybersecurity seriously to protect consumers from fraud and identity theft."

In its statement, Allstate denied all wrongdoing and claimed to have addressed the incidents in a timely, proper fashion.

"We resolved this issue years ago, promptly securing our systems after finding vulnerabilities in online quoting tools that could have exposed drivers' license numbers," it said. "We promptly notified regulators, contacted potentially affected consumers and offered free credit monitoring as a precaution."

Via Reuters

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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, March 11 (game #639).

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 #640) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• ORANGE
• KETCHUP
• ELMO
• COTTON
• SUGAR
• EYE
• ROSE
• MONTH
• EGGS
• ROCK
• PURPLE
• BUTTER
• FLOUR
• CARDINAL
• JOHN
• SILVER

NYT Connections today (game #640) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Ready, steady, bake
• GREEN: A color in common
• BLUE: Impossible verse
• PURPLE: Link rhymes with “dandy”

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 #640) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: INGREDIENTS IN CLASSIC POUND CAKE
• GREEN: THINGS THAT ARE RED 
• BLUE: WORDS SAID TO HAVE NO EXACT RHYMES 
• PURPLE: CANDY 

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

NYT Connections today (game #640) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #640, are…

• YELLOW: INGREDIENTS IN CLASSIC POUND CAKE BUTTER, EGGS, FLOUR, SUGAR
• GREEN: THINGS THAT ARE RED CARDINAL, ELMO, KETCHUP, ROSE
• BLUE: WORDS SAID TO HAVE NO EXACT RHYMES MONTH, ORANGE, PURPLE, SILVER
• PURPLE: CANDY COTTON, EYE, JOHN, ROCK

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

Today’s puzzle took me down a nostalgia rabbit hole and gave me the munchies.

My two blind alleys were firstly thinking I was looking for pirates and then thinking there was a group connected to classic rock acts Elton JOHN and Deep PURPLE, which I gave up on after randomly adding SILVER and ROCK to that list and wasting a guess.

John and Silver also made me think about fish and chips – thanks to Long John SILVER’s restaurants – something which admittedly is never far from my thoughts.

The key that unlocked all four groups was CARDINAL. The lyrics “Cardinal landing in the dogwood” from Old Friends by Pinegrove popped into my head, I remembered they’re red and KETCHUP is red and from there everything fell into place and I needled my way home without another error – although I did think BUTTER, EGGS, FLOUR and SUGAR was a reference to pancakes, rather than pound cake.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, 11 March, game #639)

• YELLOW: VARIATION FROM THE NORM ALTERNATIVE, BREAK, CHANGE, DEPARTURE
• GREEN: THINGS THAT RING ALARM, BELL, INTERCOM, PHONE
• BLUE: THINGS TRADITIONALLY MADE OF LEATHER FOOTBALL, MOCCASINS, SADDLE, WALLET
• PURPLE: SINGER-SONGWRITER PIANISTS KEYS, KING, LEGEND, WONDER

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 11 (game #373).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Bearing gifts

NYT Strands today (game #374) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• POLL
• FAIL
• TALE
• LEAK
• TART
• SIGN

NYT Strands today (game #374) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #374) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #374) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #374, are…

• CHOPS
• FLAIR
• SKILL
• KNACK
• TALENT
• PROWESS
• STRENGTH
• SPANGRAM: PRODIGY

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

A mildly troubling search to get us over hump day.

One thing I know for certain after laboring over today’s puzzle is that I am no puzzle prodigy. I needed a Hint to get me going, but CHOPS didn’t help at all – what did cuts of meat have to do with gifts? Any other word and I think I would have gotten there quicker.

By my second word I had it and felt all kinds of foolish – I think I must have a special KNACK for making life hard for myself.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 11 March, game #373)

• TADA
• SHAZAM
• ABRACADABRA
• PRESTO
• ALAKAZAM
• SPANGRAM: CASTING SPELLS

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 11 (game #1142).

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 #1143) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* 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 #1143) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1143) - 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 #1143) - 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 #1143) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• A

• P

• R

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1143) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1143, are…

• AWASH
• PUSHY
• RALPH
• PROOF

I hesitated with my final guess today. Despite having all the letters and being unable to think of any alternatives, I asked myself “is RALPH really a word and not just slang? Surely there’s some mistake.”

But, no RALPH, which is one of our many words for vomit (what snow is for Finnish, puke is for English), is in the dictionary. Stemming from the 1960s, RALPH is an onomatopoeic and comes from the sound someone makes while throwing up, not from some very sickly person called Ralph.

On reflection not a great name for a supermarket chain.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1143) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1143, are…

• VAGUE
• FROCK
• FLUME
• GAMUT

Quordle answers: The past 20

• 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
• Quordle #1128, Tuesday 25 February: TWIST, TWEAK, MEANT, CLEAR
• Quordle #1127, Monday 24 February: LEASH, LEVER, TOTEM, CREME
• Quordle #1126, Sunday 23 February: RABID, RELIC, SCRAM, BASIS
• Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
• Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
• Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE

Fast-charging, MagSafe, lightweight, high-capacity and many more -- our CNET experts have tested them all and found which iPhone power banks would get you the power you need on the go.

• AMD’s RX 9070 GPUs are currently out of stock pretty much everywhere
• An AMD exec says that more supply of RX 9070 models is “coming ASAP”
• Some gamers are still worried about the prospect of entry-level RDNA 4 graphics cards not sticking to the MSRP, though

An AMD executive has promised that fresh stock of RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards – which are currently all sold out in the US, and seemingly most other regions besides – is winging its way to stores across the globe.

This news comes from Frank Azor, who is AMD’s head of consumer and gaming marketing, via a statement shared on X about the launch of these RDNA 4 graphics cards.

Azor assures us that: “More [RX 9070] supply is coming ASAP to partners all over the world.”

The use of the term ‘ASAP’ suggests that AMD won’t be messing around when it comes to restocking RX 9070 models, and that’s also suggested by what we’ve heard on the rumor mill recently.

Namely that AMD has a sizeable quantity of RDNA 4 stock rolling off the production lines, which has clearly not been the case with Nvidia’s Blackwell launch since the RTX 5000 GPUs debuted at the end of January.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: Better stock prospects all round (but what about pricing?)

Actually, the hope expressed via the rumor mill – and it is just a hope, mind – is that Nvidia’s RTX 5000 stock is also going to become more robust. Or at least RTX 5090 supply will increase – quite dramatically, the theory is – and perhaps other Blackwell graphics cards, too.

AMD’s Azor is generally pretty reliable, too, so we can hope that it’s the case that both RDNA 4 and Blackwell GPUs will benefit from a spike in supply in the near future.

Notably, Azor wouldn’t be drawn on MSRP pricing, though. If you scrolled through the comments on the exec’s latest post on X, you’ll have seen a few gamers calling out AMD over the MSRP, and the reported practice of only having an initial batch of (subsidized) RX 9070 graphics cards pegged at that official recommended asking price. (And that was indeed what seemed to happen at the RDNA 4 launch).

Previously, Azor has addressed this issue though, and said that “MSRP pricing will continue to be encouraged” beyond the launch, so we should see some (entry-level) RDNA 4 GPUs back at those baseline prices. That said, words like ‘encouraged’ and a feeling of slight evasiveness around the issue of pricing in the latest post from Azor leave some room for doubt as to exactly what policy AMD is pursuing here.

As ever, time will tell, and with any luck, we won’t have long to wait for the next batch of RX 9070 graphics cards to hit the shelves. Keep an eye on our guide to where to buy AMD’s RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 which highlights the retailers you should be watching to grab stock when the supply lines open up again.

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• Nvidia retiring PhysX for its RTX 5000 GPUs has made some gamers furious - but I don't think it's a complete dealbreaker
• AMD vs Nvidia: who is the graphics card champion?

Buying a Ninja Swirl is almost as good as having your own personal frozen yogurt shop.

Arkansas offers a wide range of broadband providers. Discover the top choices for speed or affordability in your area with CNET’s expert recommendations.

The movie has it all: Lin-Manuel Miranda songs, a Blue Ivy Carter performance and little CGI lions.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is coming to iOS and Android
• It will launch on April 15 and cost $8.99
• All DLC is included

Dotemu, Tribute Games, Paramount Game Studios, and Pladigious have announced that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge will hit mobile devices next month.

The game is a 2D beat-em-up with a stunning pixel art aesthetic that looks like it would be perfectly at home on one of the best gaming phones or a big-screen gaming tablet. It's coming to both iOS and Android and will be available via the App Store and Google Play Store respectively.

It features 16 distinct levels, with multiple playable characters which of course means the chance to punch goons such as the iconic ninja turtles Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo but also some more unusual ones like news reporter April O'Neil.

On top of this, the mobile version will come bundled with all DLC content at no additional cost. This means you're getting the Radical Reptiles (which introduces two new playable characters) and Dimension Shellshock (with new characters, game modes, and exclusive mechanics) expansions.

All of this will cost just $8.99 - a fraction of the $32.90 asking price over on PC. Better still, those who pre-order the game ahead of its April 15 launch date will benefit from a special 10% discount which takes it down to only $7.99.

A free trial will be available, which would be a good way to assess performance on your device.

The port will feature full Bluetooth controller support too, which is perfect if you have a spare Xbox Wireless Controller lying around.

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• GTA 6's console-only launch reminds me of how much I despise console exclusivity - is it worth waiting years for PC ports?
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Full spoilers follow for The Wheel of Time season 2. Mild spoilers also follow for season 3's first three episodes.

I have a complicated relationship with The Wheel of Time's (TWoT) TV adaptation. The first season of Amazon's live-action series was terrific – indeed, I said it was everyone's next fantasy show obsession ahead of its April 2021 launch.

The Wheel of Time's second season was less impressive. Yes, it belatedly found its feet as it raced towards its thrilling finale, but it wasn't the epic second chapter I expected it to be. The so-called 'sophomore slump' was most certainly in effect.

So, thank goodness that, based on its three-episode premiere, The Wheel of Time season 3 is a magical return to form for a show whose future rests on its ability to prove that The Rings of Power isn't the only terrific high fantasy program in Amazon's TV arsenal.

Aes Sedai: civil war

Season 3 kicks off with an almighty and brutal scrap in The White Tower's central chamber (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

One month has passed since Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski) was officially declared the Dragon Reborn in Falme. However, despite the defeat of Ishamael and his Seanchan allies, the Shadow looms larger than ever over The Wheel of Time's world.

To prepare for the forthcoming Last Battle, Rand, Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), and company need to divide and conquer once more. Cue our heroes splitting up to not only tackle the threat that the Dark One and his subordinates pose, but also acquire the knowledge, skills, and weapons to defeat them once and for all.

The Aes Sedai battle is an astoundingly cold-blooded and brave entry point to this season

Before those events are set in motion, there's the small matter of a civil war erupting among the Aes Sedai. Trouble has been brewing at the all-female magic wielders' stronghold in Tar Valon since the show began. And, like the merciless Thanedd Coup event in The Witcher season 3 on Netflix, episode 1 of TWoT's third entry is the stage for tensions boiling over.

The extended opening sequence of season 3's first episode is as incendiary as it is brutal (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

Season 3, then, wastes no time throwing us into the thick of the action. Political infighting (there's still plenty of this once the dust settles on this bout, FYI) between The White Tower's various factions makes way for bloody, One Power-based warfare as those loyal to the Aes Sedai's leader Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okenedo), aka 'Mother', fight literal fire with fire against Liandrin (Kate Fleetwood) and her Black Ajah compatriots – i.e., the Aes Sedai who've now sided with the Dark One.

A microcosm of the wider war that'll eventually envelop TWoT's universe, it's an shockingly cold-blooded and brave reintroduction to one of the best Prime Video shows around. Nonetheless, I welcome any and all courageously creative entry points to new movies and shows or, the latter's case, new seasons, so consider me highly satisfied by this venture.

A dune prophecy

Rand (middle right) and Moiraine (second right) travel to the Aiel Waste in season 3 (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

But the Prime Video show's primary heroes aren't side-lined for long. As the dust settles on the conflict within The White Tower's walls and before they part ways to cover as much ground as possible, Rand and company actually spent a significant – well, significant by TWoT's standards – amount of time together in episode 1.

It's a pleasing albeit temporary respite from the dangerous adventures they've embarked on and will soon undertake again. Not only that, it also serves as a reminder of the tight bonds – especially between The Two Rivers quintet of Rand, Egwene (Madeleine Madden), Perrin (Marcus Rutherford), Nynaeve (Zoe Robins), and Matt (Donal Finn) – that they forged before the show began and have been seriously tested since.

Season 3 sacrifices the frustratingly slow and meandering start of its forebear in favor of faster-paced storytelling

The lull between last season's finale and the beginning of season 3's questing doesn't disrupt the pacing, though.

Episode 1's explosive opening, plus the plot exposition dumps we thankfully receive through character conversations, which fill in the narrative gaps between seasons, season 3 hits the ground running. Sure, it might feel like we've skipped an episode, but I'm relieved that TWoT's latest chapter sacrifices the frustratingly slow and meandering start of its forebear in favor of faster-paced storytelling with perpetual forward momentum.

Matt, Nynaeve, Min (all pictured), and Elayne travel to Tanchico in the series' third entry (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

That much is clear in how quickly Rand, Moiraine, Egwene, Lan (Daniel Henney), and Aviendha (Ayoola Smart) journey to and arrive at the Aiel Waste. A vast and mysterious desert region that's steeped in history and home to the Aiel people (they call it the Three-Fold Land, FYI), its introduction in episode 2 is testament to propel the story into darker, narratively absorbing, and enigmatic territory.

Three episodes in, I'd argue this storyline is the most interesting so far in season 3. That might be down to the unmistakable parallels between this particular plot, and Frank Herbert's Dune book series and its live-action movie franchise – the pair of which I adore. After all, TWoT and Dune tell the tale of a prophesized messiah who reluctantly embraces their so-called destiny by traveling to an unknown land and unites its quarrelling factions. Stark comparisons between Rand and Paul Atreides notwithstanding, the Aiel Waste storyline is also full of compelling melodrama and fantastical revelations that'll please new and old fans alike.

The dark arts

Lanfear's return – and the arrival of more Forsaken – means nowhere is safe for our heroes (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

That doesn't mean season 3 prioritizes one storyline over its brethren. Rand's arc is particularly important – you know, what with him being the Dragon Reborn and all – but, aware of its overreliance and favoring of some plots over others last season, TWoT's latest installment takes a proactive approach to managing the time it spends between its multiple narratives.

Whether it's Perrin's cathartic albeit life-threatening return to The Two Rivers, Nynaeve and Elayne's (Ceara Coveney) appointment as Siuan's 'hounds' to track down the Black Ajah and The One Power-infused relics they stole from The White Tower, or Matt battling his inner demons, season 3 skilfully maneuvers between its various storylines with confidence. That was something its forebear lacked, so I'm glad this season doesn't suffer from the same issue.

Season 3 skilfully maneuvers between its various storylines with confidence

That said, I was vexed by season 3's penchant for dragging out problems that have affected certain characters since season 1's second half. Sure, only a month has elapsed in-universe, so it's understandable that traumatic events that impacted some heroes, such as Egwene's post-traumatic stress disorder from her Seanchan imprisonment and torture, and Matt's ongoing mental health issues, in season 2 would continue to afflict them.

However, plot threads like Nynaeve's ongoing struggles to channel the One Power are growing tiresome. True, this is dictated by the storylines and character arcs that comprise season 3, but it's frustrating that plot elements like this, which began in TWoT's first season, haven't been resolved yet, nor allow for much character evolution for individuals who sorely need it.

Season 3 makes more changes from the novels, such as a budding romance between Elayne and Aviendha, that might annoy some fans (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

TWoT devotees are sure to be disgruntled by further deviations from what's depicted in Robert Jordan's beloved book series namesake as well.

Again, such diversions are determined by the story that showrunner Rafe Judkins wishes to tell. That'll be of scant consolation to fans of Jordan's literary works, though, who may bristle at changes like Matt not being part of Rand's Aiel Waste-bound party. However, some tweaks to the source materials, such as the budding romance between Elayne and Aviendha – an evolution of the close friendship they share in the novels – feels less intrusive.

The natural expansion of TWoT's world and the character that inhabit it in season 3 is handled with purposeful precision, too. The introduction of new locations like Tanchico, Rhuidean, and Andor upscale the size and scope of Amazon's adaptation. Meanwhile, the live-action debut of Andor's royal family – aka Elayne's relatives – and more of Lanfear's (Natasha O'Keeffe) fellow Forsaken, plus devoting of more screentime to characters with bit-part roles in season 2 like Aviendha and Siuan, raise the stakes and suggest I should be worried for more characters than just Rand and Moiraine this season.

My verdict

With The Wheel of Time season 3, Prime Video not only conjures up the show's best season yet, but also finally cements its position as one of the greatest Amazon TV Originals.

Like many of the characters that inhabit its world, it's a coming-of-age success story that proves TWoT has the style and substance – and, whisper it quietly, longevity – to go toe-to-toe with Amazon's Lord of the Rings prequel series.

It remains to be seen if a wider audience will be receptive to the Prime Video series' bleakest and most daunting season yet. After all, TWoT's future hinges on how its third chapter performs on one of the world's best streaming services. Based on the spellbinding effect that its three-episode premiere had on me, though, I'm confident it'll perform well enough to keep its storytelling wheel spinning for some time yet.

The Wheel of Time season 3 launches exclusively on Prime Video with a three-episode premiere on Thursday, March 13. New episodes air weekly.