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• Windows 10's extended support offer is currently rolling out
• A fair few people aren't seeing it, though - myself included
• Microsoft has said that the rollout is happening 'slowly' but that it will be available for everyone before Windows 10's End of Life in October 2025

If you're running Windows 10 and hoping to get extended support for the OS in order to avoid having to upgrade to Windows 11 come October 2025, you may be wondering exactly where the offer of that support is.

While it's officially rolling out, as of a month ago in limited form, Windows Latest reports that the extended security updates (ESU) scheme hasn't reached many people yet.

The button to kick off the enrolment wizard that allows you to sign up for the scheme - which can be done for free, as you may have seen - should appear in the Windows Update panel. However, a good few people - including Windows Latest readers - just aren't seeing this button at all, so they can't sign up.

The tech site contacted Microsoft about this and was told by the company that the enrolment wizard is indeed rolling out currently - as was officially announced recently - it's just that this is happening "slowly".

There's nothing you can do to prompt the button to appear in Windows Update; you just have to wait.

(Image credit: Shutterstock - Wachiwit)Analysis: a seemingly cautious rollout

I am still running Windows 10, and I'm planning to take the offer of extended support (for reasons I've discussed in-depth recently), but I also haven't yet seen it on my PC. There are scattered reports on various online forums from people wondering where the offer is, so it does seem like the rollout is on the cautious and slow side, as Microsoft indicates.

The good news is that Microsoft has assured Windows Latest that the enrollment wizard will arrive on all Windows 10 PCs before the End of Life of the older operating system, which is mid-October 2025. So, it's just a case of being patient, although personally I'd rather not leave signing up for the program until the last minute.

Hopefully, Microsoft will kick the ESU rollout into a higher gear with the next big update for Windows 10, which arrives on September 9, 2025. We shall see, and perhaps ironing out bugs in the wizard has been part of the issue here - there was a notable glitch whereby the sign-up process was failing for some folks, a problem Microsoft resolved the week before last.

Meanwhile, as Windows Latest points out elsewhere, Microsoft is stepping up its full-screen nags being displayed to Windows 10 users, urging them to upgrade to Windows 11, as of the most recent August update. These are pop-ups that have been seen before, and it's likely they'll be fired out again next month and when October rolls around, when support is cut off for those who haven't signed up for the ESU.

I'm going to avail myself of the free option for extended updates, which requires syncing PC settings to OneDrive, as this is something I already do anyway. For those who'd rather not do so - and remember, it is just your Windows settings, not your files and data that's synced - they can still pay $30 (or equivalent in their currency) to join the ESU (which was the only option initially).

A third route is to cash in 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points, provided you have accumulated that many.

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When we sit down to watch our favorite TV series online, we rarely consider the streaming process – we just hit play. In reality, there’s a video codec seamlessly managing the compression and decompression of the data to deliver that effortless, high-quality viewing experience. For example, High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC or H.265) has been one of the more widely used video standards across streaming platforms and consumer devices for the last decade.

In more recent years, Versatile Video Coding (VVC or H.266), the next generation codec launched, offering significantly improved video compression efficiency and performance over HEVC. The benefits of using VVC include streaming higher resolution content at lower bitrates, improved data efficiency and better visual quality.

However, while VVC delivers a superior performance to HEVC, widespread adoption of new codecs often takes time due to standardization process timelines, compatibility conditions and hardware requirements.

VVC is gaining traction, particularly around the development of software decoders but hardware support is still playing catch up. Several steps must now happen for VVC to achieve full industry endorsement.

The benefits of VVC and catalysts to adoption:

As viewer expectations for quality increase and streaming platforms continue to develop, VVC is well positioned to meet future video compression needs. The codec has a robust technical architecture and clearly established intellectual property policies. It also delivers an impressive 50% bitrate reduction compared to HEVC, for the same perceived quality. The result? Reduced buffering and improved delivery of 4K and 8K content, without high data costs.

VVC can be used across many applications rather than one specific use case driving adoption. Technologies that would benefit most from VVC, such as 8K, VR (Virtual Reality), and volumetric video are growing in use cases, but are not yet widely adopted by consumers and businesses. While they definitely show promise, they haven't yet reached the scale of demand needed to drive immediate uptake of VVC.

The area showing most promise so far in driving VVC adoption is broadcast. VVC's superior compression efficiency makes it particularly valuable here, as bandwidth limitations mean that improved compression directly impacts cost efficiency.

In the broadcast sector, there's growing momentum from both European (DVB) and North American (ATSC) standards bodies supporting VVC, with Brazil launching experimental VVC-based transmissions in May, in advance of a subsequent commercial rollout. ATSC has recently incorporated VVC into its 3.0 specification.

Removing VVC adoption roadblocks:

Despite clearly demonstrating the capabilities of VVC, one obstacle to implementation is that firmware in some devices – such as certain Smart TVs - will require updating to enable it, despite already having the necessary hardware. This can create market fragmentation where some devices are provided with updates while others remain without VVC support.

In terms of mobile platforms, VVC has been proven to run efficiently on older mobile devices in software, easing concerns about its computational demands. However, this is an area where adoption is still slightly behind.

That said, creating a viable option to enable VVC via firmware updates in consumer electronics presents an opportunity to accelerate rollout without requiring hardware refreshes. But integration in devices must be accompanied by the availability of VVC content and services.

Overcoming regional differences:

Some markets have already integrated HEVC into their landscapes, meaning a new migration could take time and further investment. Yet regional discrepancies can also work as an advantage for VVC. For instance, broadcast markets such as Australia haven't yet completely migrated to Advanced Video Coding (AVC) - the codec that came before HEVC. This might mean that they bypass HEVC entirely and move directly to VVC, potentially speeding up uptake in these specific areas.

VVC also faces competition in the video codec landscape, particularly from AV1 (AOMedia Video 1). Developed by the Alliance for Open Media, AV1 has achieved significant adoption in streaming platforms and web-based applications, and the next generation codec, AV2, is expected to be finalized soon. However, AV1's performance characteristics make it less suited for complex content, meaning that, in terms of coding efficiency, AV1 and VVC aren't direct competitors in high-end applications.

The future for VVC development looks bright

We’ve recently seen VVC being demonstrated publicly. Most notably, the technology was used to power 8K trials at the Paris Olympics, with a private demonstration delivered to premier broadcasters. The practicality of VVC for streamers has been enhanced by Fraunhofer HHI’s release of the VVdeC/VVdeC software decoder (Versatile Video Encoder/ Decoder) in 2020. This software has been ported to various platforms and web browsers, so that developers wishing to integrate VVC don’t necessarily need to start from scratch.

Real-world deployment of VVC is still in its early stages. However, continued market education, industry collaboration, and integration into a variety of devices and applications will help drive implementation throughout 2025 and beyond. As a doorway to widespread VVC adoption, major streaming platforms need to begin offering VVC streams.

Even one major service adopting VVC could create a significant domino effect, where competitors follow suit and create momentum across the entire ecosystem. So the next time you sit down to stream your favorite series, you may just be pioneering the very latest video codec, in full 4k or even 8k glory.

VVC’s unique position at the intersection of broadcast, streaming, and emerging immersive media makes it a pivotal technology in the evolving digital video landscape. As content delivery networks face increasing bandwidth demands, VVC's compression advantages could become increasingly valuable, potentially reshaping how video is distributed across global networks. For businesses in these industries, it’s certainly a technology to monitor.

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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 and sophisticated threat actors known collectively as "Scattered Spider" have emerged as one of the most concerning challenges facing organizations worldwide. These groups – including UNC3944, Oktapus, and Muddled Libra – have, yet again, fundamentally transformed the attack paradigm by prioritizing human psychology over traditional malware deployment.

A new breed of cyber adversary

What sets Scattered Spider groups apart from conventional cybercriminals is their masterful exploitation of human vulnerabilities rather than system weaknesses. These threat actors have perfected the art of social engineering, employing sophisticated techniques such as voice phishing (vishing), SMS phishing (smishing), and chat-based manipulation to convincingly impersonate legitimate employees and trusted contacts.

The success of these groups lies in their ability to establish initial network access through carefully orchestrated human interactions. By studying organizational structures and employee behaviors, they craft highly personalized approaches that bypass traditional security measures through the simple act of conversation. This ‘human-first’ methodology is proving remarkably effective against even well-defended networks.

The mechanics of deception

The true danger of Scattered Spider operations becomes apparent when examining their sophisticated approach to multi-factor authentication (MFA) bypass. Through strategic SIM-swapping attacks and carefully orchestrated helpdesk manipulation, these criminals exploit the inherent trust relationships within organizations. They convince IT support personnel to reset MFA credentials or transfer system control, often using information gathered through extensive reconnaissance to appear legitimate.

Once inside target networks, Scattered Spider groups demonstrate exceptional operational security by employing "Living off the Land" tactics. This approach involves leveraging legitimate administrative tools already present within most enterprise environments – including PowerShell, PsExec, AnyDesk, and even credential-harvesting utilities like Mimikatz. By utilizing these ‘authorized’ tools for malicious purposes, the groups effectively operate beneath the detection threshold of traditional security solutions.

This minimal malware approach presents a significant challenge for organizations relying heavily on signature-based detection systems. Traditional antivirus solutions and legacy security tools may never register suspicious activity, allowing attackers to maintain persistent access while conducting their operations with impunity.

The attack unveiled

The Scattered Spider groups’ attack methodology follows a predictable, yet highly effective pattern. The process typically begins with extensive reconnaissance and credential harvesting, where attackers gather detailed information about target organizations, their employees, and internal processes.

Following this intelligence-gathering phase, the group leverages AI-driven phishing techniques and sophisticated voice cloning technology to craft highly personalized smishing campaigns. These messages appear remarkably authentic, often incorporating specific organizational terminology, recent company events, or industry-relevant information scraped from LinkedIn and dark web data, which lends credibility to their deceptive communications.

The social engineering component represents perhaps the most insidious aspect of their operations. By impersonating legitimate employees, these criminals manipulate helpdesk staff and telephony personnel into performing security-compromising actions. They skillfully exploit the helpful nature of IT support teams, often creating artificial urgency or leveraging apparent authority to bypass standard verification procedures.

Once initial access is established, Scattered Spider groups focus on persistence through strategic deployment of remote management tools, using credential dump tools such as Mimikatz, secretdump, and ADRecon to escalate access. They also utilize internal tools and tunneling such as Ngrok, RSocx to hide movement, ultimately leading to data exfiltration or ransomware deployment, depending on the group's specific objectives for each engagement.

The warning signs

Security teams must develop heightened awareness of specific indicators that may signal Scattered Spider activity within their environments. Sudden increases in remote-access sessions, particularly those involving tools like AnyDesk or ScreenConnect, warrant immediate investigation, especially when these sessions occur outside normal business hours or originate from unfamiliar geographic locations.

Multiple MFA reset requests channeled through phone-based support within compressed timeframes often indicate systematic attempts to manipulate helpdesk personnel. Organizations should also monitor for unrecognized SIM-swap alerts or unexpected one-time password deliveries to employees, as these frequently signal active credential compromise attempts.

Perhaps most concerning are instances where security tools experience mysterious disabling or unauthorized administrative actions appearing in system consoles. These events, particularly when coupled with anomalous lateral movement patterns involving valid employee credentials used in atypical ways, strongly suggest advanced persistent threat activity.

Industry impact and future implications

While recent intelligence suggests Scattered Spider groups have begun targeting the aviation industry following successful retail sector exploits, security professionals must recognize that no industry remains immune to these sophisticated attacks. These groups’ methodology proves effective across diverse organizational structures and business models, making widespread vigilance essential.

Building defense strategies

Protecting against Scattered Spider groups requires a carefully orchestrated multi-layered approach that simultaneously addresses technical vulnerabilities and human factors. Email security solutions are needed to provide crucial frontline defense by intercepting phishing attempts, credential-harvesting campaigns, and smishing attacks before they reach employees. Advanced anti-impersonation features within these solutions help reduce CEO and CFO fraud schemes commonly leveraged in these sophisticated campaigns.

Modern endpoint security and endpoint detection and response solutions are the next layer of defense required for essential visibility, as they detect unauthorized remote access tools, identify credential dumping attempts, and flag unusual lateral movement patterns from compromised endpoints. Additionally, advanced behavioral analytics can identify "Living off the Land" techniques even when traditional malware signatures are absent, catching attackers who rely on legitimate system tools for malicious purposes.

However, technology alone cannot adequately address this rapidly evolving threat. These sophisticated attacks underscore a fundamental shift in cybersecurity: humans, not machines, have become the new perimeter that organisations must defend. Therefore, security awareness training serves as a critical human-layer defense, empowering staff to recognize deception tactics early in the attack chain.

The emergence of Scattered Spider groups represents more than just another type of cybercriminal outfit – it signals a paradigm shift requiring organizations to layer traditional technical controls with identity safeguards, behavior-based detection systems, and continuous employee education to create truly comprehensive protection against human-centric cyber threats.

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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

A critical development in artificial intelligence is agentic AI, and these tools are becoming a part of everyday life faster than we realize. Unlike traditional AI models that follow predefined rules, agentic AI systems can make decisions, perform actions, and adapt to situations based on their programming and the data they process, often without human input.

In comparison, traditional AI models are unable to adapt to unexpected changes without a form of retraining, testing and validation, which requires human intervention. A traditional AI model will typically be built to fulfil a specific role, such as a classification task where it will identify if a person is likely to default on a loan payment or not.

From self-instructed house robots to focused data analysis, agentic AI promises convenience and efficiency. However, with that shift comes much deeper access to our personal data, which raises new concerns over transparency, trust, and control.

Agentic AI: The shift from support to self-direction

Agentic AI behavior is goal-driven – it must determine how to achieve its primary goal and sub-goals, requiring it to prioritize tasks and solve problems independently of humans. For example, a house robot might be instructed to “keep the house clean”. The system will then act independently to assess different areas of the home and undertake tasks where appropriate, without requiring constant human intervention. As part of this process, the robot will identify individual sub goals, such as tidying the living room or vacuuming dirty floors, while making its own decisions to achieve the objectives.

Alternatively, businesses might employ agentic AI to analyze datasets over a specified period and identify trends and preferences, which can then be applied to other company strategies. For instance, creating targeted email campaigns. Automating the process brings instant access to valuable insights, increasing human capacity for time spent on more strategy-focused tasks.

These examples illustrate the power agentic systems have to identify opportunities, execute strategies, and adapt to different goals. But as the use of agentic AI increases, businesses and developers should carefully evaluate our trust in them and how they influence our human-machine relationships.

The evolving human-machine link

Agentic AI is fundamentally transforming the human role in tasks through automation, creating a more balanced human-to-machine relationship. As agentic systems utilize deep learning and complex image and object recognition, they can operate in increasingly dynamic environments and solve complex problems autonomously, without any human involvement.

Reduced human intervention not only offers greater efficiency in work, both at home and in businesses, but also frees up time to focus on more strategic initiatives. However, as trust builds towards these automation tools, reduced human oversight comes with a potential risk of over-reliance. While we benefit from agentic AI’s efficiency, we must also ensure we have the opportunity to upskill and educate ourselves.

Whilst agentic systems can operate independently, they still require value and goal alignment to maintain control over the outputs and ensure it aligns with the desired outcome, not just what was instructed of them. Otherwise, there is concern that these systems may take dangerous shortcuts or bypass other infrastructure to achieve efficiency.

The future of AI ethics and privacy demands

In turn, this raises numerous ethical concerns surrounding agentic AI. One key debate is data privacy and the security of sensitive data – this can vary in severity depending on the industry in which the organization operates.

For example, agentic AI has already been deployed by cybersecurity companies to detect and correlate threats by analyzing network activity in real-time and then autonomously responding to potential breaches.

However, organizations who implement this must provide data to the system, raising questions over the security and privacy of their information. Without human oversight, organizations must consider if they are comfortable with agentic AI making business-altering judgement and being on the frontier of their most valuable assets.

Bias in agentic AI can occur because of human input and data. When such a system is entrusted with making moral decisions that have real-world consequences, it faces significant ethical considerations. While existing or emerging legislation provides guidance, there is still much to be done to unpack and implement these concepts within operationalized AI systems fully.

Furthermore, systems with access to highly sensitive data have raised security concerns as they can have vulnerabilities exploited. This has been highlighted by recent cyber attacks, and information within digital environments is at risk. In such complex systems, who is held accountable if things go wrong?

Key considerations for ethical AI use

While we are guided by ethical principles and emerging legislation, it is essential that we have safeguards in place for both agentic and traditional AI systems. When automating manual tasks and analyzing datasets, it is crucial to identify and mitigate bias in both data and algorithms with consistent human oversight. Organizations that utilize agentic AI should strive for ethical practice which can be supported through training and continuous auditing. This helps ensure fairness and prevents harm while creating transparency around how automated decisions are made.

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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

• Alfie Allen shares 3 Body Problem creators have "pretty epic" plans for season 2 episodes
• He's one of the main new additions to season 2's cast
• Production is still in its early stages

3 Body Problem season 2 is currently in production, with an expected release date yet to be confirmed (though common sense tells us we can expect it in mid 2026 at the earliest). I've already been honest about not being able to remember the Netflix show's complex lore now, let alone by the time new episodes do eventually appear. But someone who is going to need to get their head around it all very quickly is Alfie Allen.

The Game of Thrones actor has been cast in a currently unknown role, alongside fellow newcomers David Yip, Jordan Sunshine, Claudia Doumit and Ellie de Lange. I'm speaking to Allen about his new series, Atomic, starring alongside Shazad Latif as a drug deal who runs into trouble when the cartel wants him to smuggle uranium. Hopefully, there's not too many similarities between the two shows, but 3 Body Problem season 2 is certainly going to pile on some unexpected pressure.

But what that pressure is exactly is unknown. We left season 1 with civilization threatened to be wiped out by the San-Ti, with the launch of Will's brain towards their fleet failing to stay on course (that will make more sense when you watch it). The conflict is far from over, and I can't help asking Allen what we can expect from upcoming episodes.

3 Body Problem season 2 episodes set to be 'pretty epic' according to new star Alfie Allen

“I'd second that without a doubt,” Allen tells me as I ask the pair about the two major projects they have on the horizon. “I'm just starting on 3 Body Problem season 2, I've only done two days [of filming]. But it's great. The stuff they've got planned out is pretty epic. It’s all so good.”

Given that we currently have no idea who Allen is playing or exactly how he's involved with the show, this literally could mean anything. It's less likely, but not impossible, that he's going to be on the side of the San-Ti, with the alien fleet needing new foes to fact as their ominous threat looms ever closer.

“The tone really changes once you get to the second season,” co-creators, writers, and executive producers David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo said in a statement to the streamer. “It’s much bigger. Things get wilder, the conflicts get more cosmic. Once people see it on the screen, they’re going to understand why we’ve been so excited for this season, in particular.”

It's not even much help to read the original book series given how much changed between season 1 and the first installment. It also presents another question – if production is only just beginning and season 2 is going to be even more involved than the first... how long are we actually going to be waiting for it?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that season 2 won't be a repeat of Stranger Things season 5, but the fact that they have a similar level of sci-fi visual output, I'm nervous. Still, the cogs are moving, and I'm pretty sure we're all only just beginning to understand what we're letting ourselves in for.

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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, August 25 (game #540).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Bee friendly

NYT Strands today (game #541) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BULB
• FAME
• RAIL
• CLAY
• GAMES
• MALE

NYT Strands today (game #541) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #541) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 3rd column

Last side: top, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #541) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #541, are…

• DAISY
• BLUEBELL
• PRIMROSE
• MARIGOLD
• CHAMOMILE
• SPANGRAM: WILDFLOWER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

When I saw the theme “Bee friendly” I automatically thought of nectar and flowers and quickly spotted the WILDFLOWER spangram.

Despite this being a relatively easy game I still struggled putting together a couple of the words.

I got DAISY and BLUEBELL easily enough, but it took me a while to see that the space between them was occupied by CHAMOMILE, which I associated with tea rather than flowers.

PRIMROSE I discovered in two parts – first “rose”, which even I know is not a wildflower, and then “prim”.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, August 25, game #540)

• LAPTOP
• NOTEBOOKS
• FOLDERS
• BACKPACK
• CALCULATOR
• SPANGRAM: SUPPLIES

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, August 25 (game #806).

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 #807) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TOAD
• RIDE
• TATTOO
• BAR
• MOLE
• FOOT
• HEEL
• BADGER
• RAT
• HARRY
• STEP
• SCAR
• CREEP
• PIERCING
• BUG
• SKUNK

NYT Connections today (game #807) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Useful ID features
• GREEN: A contemptible person
• BLUE: Nag, nag, nag
• PURPLE: Add a sit down word that rhymes with “fool”

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 #807) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
• GREEN: A REAL JERK
• BLUE: PESTER
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "STOOL" 

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

NYT Connections today (game #807) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #807, are…

• YELLOW: DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS MOLE, PIERCING, SCAR, TATTOO
• GREEN: A REAL JERK CREEP, HEEL, RAT, SKUNK
• BLUE: PESTER BADGER, BUG, HARRY, RIDE
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "STOOL" BAR, FOOT, STEP, TOAD

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

It took me two goes to get A REAL JERK, because I included MOLE instead of CREEP thinking this was a group made of criminal-related slang. And before that I foolishly lumped together HEEL, FOOT, and STEP (plus BAR) in the mistaken belief that there was some kind of podiatry connection.

After giving away these two mistakes I made progress with the green and blue groups, although I wasn’t sure how RIDE made it alongside BADGER, BUG, and HARRY.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS was probably a lot easier if you work in the emergency services or watch a lot of crime procedurals, but it took a lot of staring at the final eight tiles for the penny to drop for me. Arduous.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, August 25, game #806)

• YELLOW: PREDICAMENT FIX, JAM, MESS, PICKLE
• GREEN: SMALL SPHERICAL THINGS MOTHBALL, PEA, PEARL, POM-POM
• BLUE: PIPE-SMOKING ACCESSORIES FILTER, LIGHTER, PIPE CLEANER, TAMPER
• PURPLE: WHAT "DOWN" MIGHT MEAN FEATHERS, GUZZLE, SAD, WILLING

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, August 25 (game #1309).

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 #1310) - hint #1 - VowelsHow 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 #1310) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1310) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1310) - 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 #1310) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• W

• H

• I

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

Quordle today (game #1310) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1310, are…

• BEGET
• WRATH
• HEARD
• INDEX

I had a nice trouble-free run today until I hit my last word.

I had four letters with one in the correct position, but was struggling to think of anything that would fit. It was by moving the letters around that I finally got INDEX, although it always feels risky using a rare letter.

Daily Sequence today (game #1310) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1310, are…

• TWEET
• ADAPT
• OUGHT
• MYRRH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1309, Monday, 25 August: GEEKY, SHALT, CHIEF, JIFFY
• Quordle #1308, Sunday, 24 August: ROVER, GONER, ANTIC, OUTDO
• Quordle #1307, Saturday, 23 August: DEMON, GRATE, FLYER, SHEEP
• Quordle #1306, Friday, 22 August: TROOP, SCOPE, TORSO, BRINY
• Quordle #1305, Thursday, 21 August: QUEST, SPARK, WHITE, ACUTE
• Quordle #1304, Wednesday, 20 August: DOLLY, MERRY, BUGLE, WORST
• Quordle #1303, Tuesday, 19 August: KNAVE, SMART, CARRY, MAMMA
• Quordle #1302, Monday, 18 August: FIBER, TRADE, RAYON, TEASE
• Quordle #1301, Sunday, 17 August: FUNGI, AMITY, DRIER, CHECK
• Quordle #1300, Saturday, 16 August: OWING, QUAKE, SLIDE, ELITE
• Quordle #1299, Friday, 15 August: WHALE, PRISM, DRAKE, TEPEE
• Quordle #1298, Thursday, 14 August: LAPEL, IDIOM, RENEW, LIVER
• Quordle #1297, Wednesday, 13 August: CACTI, HOMER, EMAIL, ALBUM
• Quordle #1296, Tuesday, 12 August: SPOOL, TITLE, JAUNT, OVINE
• Quordle #1295, Monday, 11 August: ADULT, BROOM, PURER, CRUEL
• Quordle #1294, Sunday, 10 August: SCRUM, PIPER, TROLL, SPORE
• Quordle #1293, Saturday, 9 August: NOOSE, INLET, ELEGY, VIRUS
• Quordle #1292, Friday, 8 August: KNEEL, KINKY, RALPH, BOOZY
• Quordle #1291, Thursday, 7 August: PLUNK, PROXY, CURVY, PEARL
• Quordle #1290, Wednesday, 6 August: RISKY, APART, FAUNA, HANDY

The detention, which was expected, happened after Abrego Garcia walked into the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Baltimore for a check-in after being released from custody on Friday.

(Image credit: Andrew Harnik)

• Gadhouse launched retro-inspired USB-C Wesley headphones: $68 / £59
• The launch comes days after Google called wires 'sloppy' and 'embarrassing'
• Wireless buds typically last 2 years; I own wired cans that are 15 years old

Sometimes a product just launches at a great time, doesn't it? A pertinent time; an important time.

Now, I could fashion a perfectly worthy news piece just about the Gadhouse Wesley. They are, after all, beautiful new retro-inspired headphones that wouldn't look out of place over Max's ears in Stranger Things (or, in fact, in any show set in the 80s).

And thanks to their lovely USB-C wire, they can offer 48kHz Lossless Audio – which is something even the best Bluetooth codecs within the very best wireless earbuds still can't truly do, but that the best wired earbuds and wired headphones certainly can.

You could also get that level of audio detail using your AirPods Max wired up with their USB-C wire, of course, but Apple's 2020 cans still cost a lot of money – $549 or £499 for quick reference. And the Gadhouse Wesley cost just $68 / £59 (or around AU$123). I love the retro-meets-now look of these headphones, and I'll certainly be buying them when they arrive in September, to partner with my Android.

But this is about something much bigger, for me. In fact, it's about Big Tech and what Google said at its Made By Google Pixel event on Wednesday, August 20. In case you missed it, I'll link the two-minute sponsored segment from Kareem Rahma's popular talk show and podcast Subway Takes, which Google cut away to during its event, here…

Wired is ‘sloppy’? Surely li-ion batteries in buds are sloppier

Where to start? One could take issue with the notion that wired headphones look "sloppy" or "embarrassing" (although the two wires from those mics to get decent voice pickup look absolutely fine, though, I'm guessing?) or the blunt statement that "they don't do anything that you want them to do". Actually, mine play hi-res music with virtually no latency, and that is exactly what I want, thanks.

Or there's the slightly more sinister notion that if your daughter started wearing wired headphones, she'd be "kicked out of the house… until she got some buds in".

I struggle to believe that, in 2025, we're advocating throwing away battery-free headphones that might last your child long into adulthood in favor of wireless earbuds that only last as long as the lith-ion battery squirrelled into them. Let me be clear: however good the audio quality and feature-set is, this battery will gradually deteriorate to the point of failure within around three years from the time of purchase, depending on use.

And you can state that earbuds are recyclable all you want (Apple absolutely does affirm this, with its AirPods), the truth is that many buds will still end up in landfill, because people don't always recycle – and with such tiny components, it is difficult to recycle every small component of a set of earbuds. It can also become expensive, since it requires actual human disassembly.

(Image credit: Gadhouse)

OK, so Google has announced that its new Pixel Buds 2a do have a replaceable battery in the case, but it's the batteries in the buds that tend to go first. And let's not forget, this is a company that has made a huge and much-touted pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. So this clip? Not a good look, Google.

I have been a full-time audio writer since 2019, and I still own three pairs of wired IEMs from that first, glorious year when I decided this was my future and forte. How many pairs of wireless earbuds do I still own and use from that time, six years ago? I'll give you one guess.

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• Ghost guns highlight the darker side of modern 3D printing technology
• Fingerprinting systems can embed timestamps, geolocations, and printer identification data
• SIDE offers break-resilient embedding methods for forensic data recovery

The rise of 3D printing has offered new ways to produce tools, spare parts, and even art. Yet its darker use has gained attention through “ghost guns.”

These are firearms produced outside regulatory systems, which are difficult to trace and have already been implicated in violent crime, including the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Thankfully, researchers now believe that even if someone smashes such an object, investigators could still recover valuable forensic information.

Building a system of hidden fingerprints

The idea of fingerprinting in 3D printing is not entirely new. Various approaches embed unique information into printed items, often including details like timestamps, printer identification, and geolocation data.

Until now, a weakness has remained: what happens when a printed object is broken into pieces or deliberately tampered with?

A team led by Netanel Raviv at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a system designed to withstand such attempts.

Its framework, named Secure Information Embedding and Extraction (SIDE), uses mathematical methods that allow fragments to retain enough encoded detail for investigators to recover key information.

The SIDE system is built on earlier work presented at the IEEE International Symposium on Information Theory in 2024, which focused on encoding methods resilient enough to reconstruct data from partial remains.

By extending those ideas, the current study adds security mechanisms that can require 3D printers to include such fingerprints automatically.

According to the researchers, SIDE does not just add markings but uses loss-tolerant embedding techniques. This means that even a weapon deliberately broken into pieces may still yield identifiable data during forensic analysis.

On one hand, fingerprinting techniques could make it harder for illicit weapons to circulate undetected.

On the other hand, this raises questions about the scope of surveillance, control over personal manufacturing, and the balance between security and privacy.

A beginner 3D printer used for harmless home projects might soon be subject to the same requirements as industrial machines if regulators decide to mandate such systems.

While the debate will likely focus on ghost guns, SIDE has potential uses far beyond weapon tracing.

Any item produced with a 3D printer could, in theory, carry this invisible signature.

Combined with AI tools for pattern recognition and data recovery, investigators could reconstruct timelines and identities from fragments of plastic or resin.

"This work opens up new ways to protect the public from the harmful aspects of 3D printing through a combination of mathematical contributions and new security mechanisms," said Netanel Raviv, assistant professor of computer science & engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.

"While SIDE has limitations in defending against resourceful attackers with strong expertise in 3D printing, it raises the level of sophistication, prior knowledge, and expertise required from the adversary to remain undetected after committing the crime."

Via Techxplore

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Sega's legendary ninja Joe Musashi returns in the Shinobi revival.

Review information

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release date: August 29, 2025

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is an all-new side-scrolling action title from Streets of Rage 4 and Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap developer Lizardcube. As someone who’s loved the dev’s previous works, I’m happy to say its take on Sega’s legendary Shinobi series is nothing short of a slam dunk.

The Lizardcube staples are all here. Sublime hand-drawn visuals, slick and responsive combat, and plenty of replay value after you’ve rolled credits. Art of Vengeance is a game that - much like Streets of Rage 4 before it - is maddeningly hard to stop playing.

Each and every stage offers a unique flavor, in terms of both setting and gimmicks. There are some light metroidvania elements, with opportunities to explore off the critical path for vital upgrades and abilities, but that’s (perhaps thankfully) not the main focus. Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is more linear than, say, a Hollow Knight or a Metroid Dread, and that’s no bad thing.

The bulk of gameplay here, then, is a careful mix of platforming, light puzzle-solving, and that oh-so moreish combat, which quite honestly is some of the best-feeling and most satisfying I’ve had the pleasure of playing in a side-scroller in a long while. It mixes Shinobi staples like throwing kunai and powerful Ninpo spells with combo-happy melee combat that constantly thrills, especially in boss fights and optional challenges.

While Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master will likely always be my favorite game in the series, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance can absolutely be mentioned in the same breath as that Sega Mega Drive classic.

A-to-Z of vengeance

(Image credit: Sega)

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance puts players back in the role of series protagonist Joe Musashi, head of the Oboro ninja clan. The game’s subtitle is adequately portrayed in its opening chapters, as a powerful warlord named Ruse and his ENE Corp forces raze the clan’s village to ashes and wipe out just about everyone, save Musashi himself. Thus does his road to vengeance begin.

The plot is thin, but accomplishes what it sets out to do, taking a backseat to the action. Some cutscenes and fully-voiced interludes between stages add a good amount of flavor, but certainly don’t overstay their welcome. Musashi only communicates in vaguely threatening grunts, which leads to the odd bit of humor as other characters attempt to get the gist of what he’s saying.

If this is your first exposure to the Shinobi series, you might be surprised by its futuristic setting. Things start out simply enough in the rustic Oboro clan village, but Musashi will also make his way through neon-drenched city skylines, a fish market, lantern festival, and even a high-tech laboratory as just some of the stops on his journey. Each level is jam-packed with detail, too, and eagle-eyed Sega fans will spot plenty of loving references and cameos (be sure to check the background of the fish market stage for a Shenmue-themed surprise!).

Art of the kill

(Image credit: Sega)

Musashi’s combat abilities are the bread and butter of the game. He’s an incredibly powerful force of destruction, with a broad list of melee attacks and combos; more of which can be unlocked in shops with coins collected from defeated enemies and optional challenges.

Musashi can also toss kunai to dispatch distant foes, Ninpo spells that achieve a variety of effects (such as countering powerful attacks or breathing flames for massive damage), as well as screen-clearing Ninjutsu arts to get yourself out of a bind.

Best bit

(Image credit: Sega)

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance does several things expertly, but nothing quite beats clearing out rooms of goons with Musashi’s surprisingly robust move set. Enemy variety is excellent, too, making for several thrilling encounters that properly make you feel like a master ninja.

Supplementing Art of Vengeance’s combat is the Execution gauge, which all enemies have. Filling it will allow Musashi to instantly kill a foe regardless of their remaining health. Chaining several of these together isn’t only satisfying, it provides Musashi with health and kunai refills as well as an abundance of coins.

Enemy variety in Art of Vengeance is superb, and you’ll need to change up your approach depending on the types of baddies you encounter. Some toss shuriken from afar, while others will rush you with combos of their own. Some enemies can fly or even control space with a rain of arrows. Later on in the game you’ll also encounter armored foes which resist staggering until fully depleted, and these are best handled with particular moves or Ninpo abilities.

Above all, combat in Art of Vengeance just feels fantastic. There’s a satisfying amount of hit stun on Musashi’s attacks, and his nimble movement makes darting between targets a joy. Stealth and subtlety are simply not part of the Musashi playbook.

What I will say is that Musashi is so incredibly powerful that the game isn’t particularly hard. There are some challenging boss fights and optional encounters (and some of the late game platforming challenges truly tried my patience), but Art of Vengeance is a pretty forgiving game overall with unlimited lives and generous checkpointing - even on normal difficulty. I think the game could benefit from a harder difficulty option, perhaps as part of a post-launch update.

Lastly, I did run into a small handful of bugs during my playthrough. In one level, the map stopped updating Musashi’s location after exiting an Ankou Rift challenge. Another completely froze the game upon executing a Ninjutsu technique. Both were solved by simply resetting the game, but I naturally hope small issues like this will be patched out on or close to launch day.

Should you play Shinobi: Art of Vengeance?Play it if...

You want some of the best side-scrolling combat in years
Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is endlessly satisfying to play thanks to its slick combat and dense enemy variety. No two stages offer quite the same experience, and there’s plenty of optional challenges to slice your katana through.

You’re a big Sega head
Lizardcube clearly has reverence for Sega and its history, and this is apparent with plenty of background references for keen-eyed players. A couple of bonus stages pay loving tribute to past Shinobi games, too. Some Sega-themed DLC is also on the way, including a boss fight with Sonic the Hedgehog’s Dr. Eggman.

You want a compact 100% completion experience
At around 15-20 hours for full completion, you can get through Shinobi: Art of Vengeance in a pretty slick amount of time. But if you want more, you’ll also get access to Arcade and Boss Rush modes after rolling credits. There may be a secret, high-difficulty boss fight, too…

Don't play it if...

You want a high level of challenge
Art of Vengeance is fairly forgiving in the difficulty department, outside of a select few optional challenges and some tricky boss fights. I’d say it’s still very much worth playing regardless of this, but if you’d prefer a more hardcore experience, you may wish to hold off until a potential harder difficulty option gets patched in.

Accessibility

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance doesn’t have much in the way of robust accessibility options, sadly. You can fully remap controls, however, and custom difficulty options exist including variants on enemy damage and attack frequency.

How I reviewed Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance took me around 16 hours for 100% completion. That included a full campaign playthrough, as well as full completion achieved on all stages. I fully explored each level’s map, uncovering secrets like upgrades, abilities and Ninpo techniques. I also took some time to play some stages via the unlockable score-based Arcade mode as well as Boss Rush for an extra challenge.

First reviewed August 2025

Smeg Mini Milk Frother: two-minute review

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother is extremely easy to use, and would be a great choice for anyone who finds a steam wand tricky to use, or those who want to prepare cold drinks

It has three modes: Hot Milk Foam, Hot Milk, and Cold Milk Foam. As with all other Smeg devices I’ve tested to date, its controls are refreshingly straightforward. There’s a single button on the front, which you press once, twice, or three times to choose a setting. There’s no need to confirm your selection – just wait a few seconds and the frother will start.

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother has a single button, which you press once, twice, or three times to choose a mode (Image credit: Future)

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother’s 500W motor is remarkably quiet, and during my tests it was barely audible, registering only 40dB on my sound meter, with the occasional soft tick from the heating element on the hot foam mode. It was about the same volume as my fridge, and much quieter than texturizing milk with a steam wand. When your milk is ready, the Mini Milk Frother will beep to let you know.

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother is intended to be used with chilled full-fat dairy milk. In tests, hot foam was super thick, and best suited to topping a cappuccino or an espresso macchiato. It wouldn’t be suitable for a caffe latte, which requires milk to have a similar texture to emulsion paint. Unlike the Dreo Baristamaker or Smeg Multi Milk Frother, there's no choice of foam textures.

Whether prepared hot or cold, full-fat dairy milk produced a thick foam suitable for cappuccinos, but not for pouring latte art (Image credit: Future)

The Cold Milk setting also made very thick and stable foam, which would work well for an iced cappuccino, while the Hot Milk program produced sweet milk ideal for night time, or for pouring onto hot chocolate powder.

When using the Hot Foam or Hot Milk mode, milk is heated to a consistent temperature of 140F / 60C, which is optimal for coffee – hot enough to keep the milk sweet without scalding it and denaturing its proteins.

The frother heated milk to a consistent temperature of 140F / 60C, which is optimal for coffee (Image credit: Future)

The instructions don’t mention plant milk, and unlike some other milk frothers, the Smeg Mini Milk Frother has no separate modes for non-dairy drinks. I did test it with oat and almond milk for comparison with frothers such as the Dreo Baristamaker, but since these aren’t explicitly recommended by Smeg, I didn’t factor its performance with plant milks into my final score.

In these tests, barista-style oat milk turned out very well – perhaps more so than dairy – producing a smooth, glossy foam. As is often the case, almond milk produced quite a stiff, dry foam, but it was very stable whether prepared hot or cold.

Image 1 of 2

Smeg only recommends using the Mini Milk Frother with full-fat dairy milk, but oat milk turned out thick and glossy foam using the Hot Foam setting (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

Almond milk produce a more stiff, dry foam (Image credit: Future)

The carafe has a non-stick lining that helps your foamed milk slide out easily, and that makes washing it up a breeze. Just bear in mind that it’s not suitable for use with metal utensils; if you need a tool to remove any foam, use something like a soft silicone spatula to avoid scratches.

The lid and whisk can be washed in the top drawer of a dishwasher, but the carafe and its base should only be cleaned carefully by hand using a cloth, and not immersed in water.

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother isn’t recommended for making drinks such as shakes or hot chocolate (there’s no mention of that in the manual), so I stuck with milk alone. If you’d like a quick and easy way to make frothy hot chocolate or other drinks, the Smeg Multi Milk Frother would be a better choice.

Smeg Mini Milk Frother: price and availability

• List price £99.95 (about $140 / AU$210)
• Not currently available in US or Australia
• Costs much less than the Smeg Multi Milk Frother

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother has a list price of £99.95 (about $140 / AU$210), but at the time of writing it’s not available in the US or Australia.

For comparison, the Smeg Multi Milk Frother, which has six functions and is also suitable for making drinks like hot chocolate, costs $249.95 / £179.95 / $299 and is available globally. The Dreo Baristamaker, which I reviewed last year and has dedicated modes for plant-based milks, is $99 / £119.99 (about AU$150).

Smeg Mini Milk Frother: specifications

Dimensions (H x W x D)

7.9 x 3.7 x 3.7 inches / 200 x 93 x 93mm

Minimum capacity

2oz / 60ml

Maximum capacity

6oz / 180ml for hot foam or 4oz / 120ml for cold foam

Motor

500W

Modes

3

Noise

40dB

Smeg Mini Milk Frother: design

• Minimalist 1950s-inspired design
• Available in six colors
• Non-stick lining for easy cleaning

The Mini Milk Frother is one of Smeg’s 1950s-inspired kitchen appliances, with a minimalist design and clean lines. It comes in six colors (black, cream, pastel green, pastel blue, red, and white), and has a glossy finish.

Image 1 of 3

The Smeg Mini Milk Frother has a carafe with non-stick lining and transparent lid, a power base, and a magnetic whisk (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

The base uses induction to power the Mini Milk Frother (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

The whisk is attached to the bottom of the carafe and rotated magnetically (Image credit: Future)

It comprises a carafe (which is shaped like a squared-off cylinder with rounded corners), a transparent plastic lid, a removable whisk that’s held in place magnetically, and a base that powers the frother using induction, similar to an electric toothbrush. Note that there’s no rechargeable battery, so you can’t use the frother when it’s not on its base.

The carafe has a non-stick ceramic lining, with raised markings on the inside showing the maximum and minimum fill levels. These are quite far down, and are a little difficult to see unless the light is just right.

The markings inside the Smeg Mini Milk Frother can be tricky to see unless the lighting is just right (Image credit: Future)

Each corner of the carafe can serve as a pouring spout – a smart choice that makes it easy to decant your prepared milk. It doesn’t have a fine pouring spout, so you won’t be able to use it to create latte art; but in tests, the hot milk foam was rather thick for that.

Should you buy the Smeg Mini Milk FrotherBuy it ifDon't buy it ifSmeg Mini Milk Frother: also consider

If you're not sure whether the Smeg Mini Milk Frother is the right device for you, here are two alternatives to bear in mind.

Smeg Multi Milk Frother

If you want to prepare drinks other than just milk, the Smeg Multi Frother is more versatile, with six options for foaming and/or heating milk. You can also add other ingredients for preparing drinks such as shakes or hot chocolate, and it has a larger capacity than the Mini Milk Frother. It looks just as good, too, but is considerably more expensive.

Dreo Baristamaker

Unlike the Smeg Mini Milk Frother, the Dreo Baristamaker has modes for creating foam at different consistencies, including a fine option suitable for latte art. It wasn't quite as good as a steam wand in my tests, but was a reasonable alternative.

Read our full Dreo Baristamaker review

How I tested the Smeg Mini Milk Frother

I tested each of the Smeg Mini Milk Frother's modes using fresh, chilled whole milk in accordance with Smeg's instructions.

I also tried it with chilled oat and almond milk , since these are both popular choices for making coffee at home. However, I only tried this for the sake of comparison. I didn't factor the frother's performance with plant-based milks into my scores, since such milk alternatives aren't explicitly recommended by Smeg.

I cleaned the non-stick carafe using a damp cloth as directed by the manual, and washed the whisk and lid by hand using warm water and dish soap.

Read more about how TechRadar tests, reviews, and rates products.

First reviewed August 2025

• The AirPods Pro 3 are predicted to launch this year
• They could come with heart rate monitors
• It's been three years since the Apple AirPods Pro 2 launched

There have been a lot of conflicting reports around whether Apple would get around to launching the AirPods Pro 3 this year, but one of the more reliable reporters on the Apple beat says the wireless earbuds are indeed coming before the end of 2025.

That reporter is Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who says the AirPods Pro 3 will also come with a significant upgrade: built-in heart rate monitoring. The same tech has previously been integrated into the Powerbeats Pro 2 which launched in February.

With the Powerbeats Pro 2, LED optical sensors pulse at over 100 times per second, measuring heart rate via blood flow. Presumably the AirPods Pro 3 will work in a similar way, and feed the stats back to the Apple Health app.

Gurman also reiterates his previous assertion that Apple is working on a paid Health+ subscription option for users, which may include the services of an AI fitness coach. The idea is you would get personalized advice on diet, exercise, and more.

Three years later

The AirPods 4 launched in September 2024 (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

We've been waiting a long time for the AirPods Pro 3 to arrive, considering the Apple AirPods Pro 2 made their debut back in September 2022. The wireless earbuds market has changed quite a bit in that time – and we've since had the Apple AirPods 4, of course.

Most of the leaks and rumors we've heard around these earbuds are concerned with when they'll actually see the light of day. There have been hints in iOS 26 that the AirPods Pro 3 would arrive in 2025, though one reliable source has suggested a 2026 launch.

It seems clear that Apple wants health tracking to be a primary focus of the AirPods Pro 3, besides getting high-quality audio into your ears, and we may see the wireless earbuds able to track other vital statistics besides your heart rate.

The wireless earbuds are one of several devices "in the pipeline" for Apple "as early as this fall", which is typically September, October, and November. We're also of course expecting the iPhone 17 and the Apple Watch 11 sometime next month.

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Trump threatens to send National Guard troops to Chicago, similarly to what he has done in the nation's capital. And, Trump and South Korean President Lee will meet today in Washington.

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

• A Microsoft designer imagined a new Copilot wearable without a display and HUD
• The Copilot Veja concept transmits information entirely through audio feedback
• Dual cameras give the wearable stereoscopic vision and potential depth awareness

Microsoft designer Braz de Pina has created an unofficial concept for a Copilot-powered wearable that reimagines what a successor to the Hololens headset could be.

Called the Copilot Veja, the device is not a headset but instead takes the form of ear-worn stems equipped with cameras, microphones, and buttons for interaction.

Although the name Veja comes from the Portuguese word for “see” (making the absence of any eye cameras appear especially odd), not having a heads up display was a deliberate decision. Most people already have screens in their pockets and on their wrists, and adding another was considered unnecessary by de Pina.

(Image credit: Braz de Pina )Audio-first

De Pina describes the Copilot Veja as a “fan-made concept”, designed around the idea of making Copilot portable, conversational, and practical without the need for a head-up display.

Instead of delivering information visually, the Veja uses audio as its main channel.

“I keep thinking about how AI has changed the course of the metaverse hype and the AR/VR universe. I know Meta is heavily investing in smart glasses and similar devices, not to mention all the exciting VR and AR headsets out there. But my question is: with capable agentic AI, do I really need to see what the AI tells me? Or is it enough to just hear it,” de Pina asked in a post on Instagram.

"In that case, glasses wouldn’t be necessary," he continued. "We’d simply be fixing one of AI’s flaws: the inability to read context in real time. An AI that can see what you see and provide instant feedback about your surroundings would allow for quick, natural communication. That’s what Copilot Veja is about.”

The ear stems are designed with comfort in mind. Each one carries a set of controls, including a power button, a volume knob, a Copilot button, and a camera trigger.

De Pina imagined the dual cameras working together to replicate stereoscopic vision, giving the AI the ability to analyze the world in depth while also allowing the user to capture content.

Although this isn't something that Microsoft would ever likely make, it's a great idea and one we'd love to see go beyond being a mere concept.

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ManageEngine OpManager is an enterprise-ready network monitoring solution trusted by over 1 million IT administrators worldwide. It provides comprehensive visibility into network health and performance across switches, routers, servers, and other critical infrastructure components. For organizations evaluating network monitoring options, OpManager deserves consideration alongside the solutions featured in our best network monitoring tools roundup.

TechRadar reviewers spend several weeks researching each major IT platform in the market, analyzing everything from feature depth to pricing structures. During our evaluation process, we found that while LogicMonitor remains our top pick for network monitoring in 2025 thanks to its AI-powered suite for day-to-day IT network automation, OpManager offers a compelling alternative for budget-conscious enterprises.

OpManager's strength lies in its end-to-end approach to network infrastructure monitoring, supporting both traditional and hybrid environments including VMware, Hyper-V, and cloud-based networks. Its proactive alert system and real-time dashboards provide IT teams with the visibility needed to prevent outages and resolve issues quickly, making it a practical choice for organizations prioritizing network uptime and performance.

ManageEngine OpManager: Features

OpManager delivers a feature-rich monitoring platform that covers nearly 3,000 metrics across network devices, servers, and applications. It is particularly well-suited for mid-to-large enterprises managing complex hybrid infrastructures, offering solid core monitoring functions like device discovery, performance tracking, and alert management.

While OpManager includes essential capabilities like network topology mapping, bandwidth monitoring, and automated workflows, it notably lacks some advanced features found in competitors such as sophisticated machine learning integration and multi-threshold alerting. But given the competitive pricing at $245 for 10 devices, the feature set provides excellent value for organizations seeking comprehensive monitoring without premium-tier costs.

Real-time network monitoring

OpManager excels at continuous performance monitoring across routers, switches, firewalls, and servers, tracking availability and health metrics in real-time. The platform supports multiple monitoring protocols including SNMP, WMI, and CLI, ensuring compatibility with diverse network hardware. Users consistently praise the real-time dashboards for providing clear visibility into network performance without latency issues.

Automated device discovery

It automatically discovers network devices and builds topology maps, significantly reducing manual configuration time. OpManager can detect newly added devices in subnets and immediately begin monitoring them, though some users report challenges with older legacy devices requiring manual SNMP OID mapping. The discovery process supports hybrid environments including cloud and virtualized infrastructures.

Alerting and notifications

OpManager's multi-channel alerting system sends notifications via email, SMS, and SNMP traps when thresholds are breached. The platform allows customization of alert thresholds and escalation procedures, though users note limitations in setting multiple threshold levels for the same parameter. Real-time alerting capabilities help IT teams identify and address issues before they impact end users.

Performance analytics and reporting

ManageEngine generates comprehensive reports on network performance, bandwidth utilization, and device health trends. Built-in dashboards provide visual representations of network data, while customizable reports support compliance and capacity planning requirements. Most users appreciate the intuitive graphical interface and NOC dashboard building capabilities.

(Image credit: ManageEngine)ManageEngine OpManager: Ease of use

OpManager has a user-friendly interface that simplifies network monitoring for IT administrators of varying experience levels. The web-based console features intuitive navigation and customizable dashboards that allow users to quickly access critical network information. New users can typically navigate the basic monitoring functions within hours, though the extensive feature set may require several days to master fully. Plus a graphical approach to network topology mapping and performance visualization reduces the learning curve compared to command-line alternatives.

However, initial setup can be time-consuming, particularly when integrating legacy devices or complex hybrid environments. Some users report that adding older network equipment requires manual configuration and SNMP OID mapping, which demands deeper technical knowledge. The default report templates may also need customization to meet specific organizational requirements, occasionally requiring scripting or external tools for advanced reporting needs.

ManageEngine OpManager: Pricing

Plan

Starting price (paid annually)

What's included

Standard Edition

$20.42/month

10 devices, basic monitoring, web-based console, email alerts

Professional Edition

$28.75/month

10 devices, advanced reporting, mobile app, workflow automation

Enterprise Edition

$38.52/month

25 devices, distributed monitoring, business views, enhanced security

OpManager's pricing structure offers competitive value compared to enterprise-grade alternatives, with transparent per-device licensing that includes unlimited interfaces, nodes, and sensors. This allows organizations to start small and scale up as monitoring needs grow, though the jump from Professional to Enterprise edition represents a significant price increase for advanced features.

While more affordable than premium solutions like LogicMonitor or Datadog, OpManager's pricing can become substantial for large-scale deployments, with the Enterprise edition reaching $11,545 for 250 devices. The inclusion of all monitoring capabilities within the base license helps avoid unexpected costs, making it easier to budget for network monitoring initiatives.

ManageEngine OpManager: Customer support

ManageEngine provides comprehensive support options through both Classic and Premium tiers, with Classic support included free with subscription licenses. Classic support offers email and chat assistance during regional business hours, with acknowledgment within 8 hours and access to product upgrades and online resources. The support team is knowledgeable and responsive for most technical issues, though response times can vary depending on case complexity and geographic region.

Premium support significantly enhances the experience with 24/7 multi-channel assistance including telephone support, single point of contact, and faster response times with acknowledgment within 3 hours. This tier includes additional services like health checks, custom product support, and online training sessions. However, Premium support requires additional investment beyond the base license cost, and some advanced customizations may still require professional services or partner assistance.

Phone support is available across multiple regions including the US (+1 877 834 4428), UK (0800 028 6590), and Australia (1800 631 268).

ManageEngine OpManager: Alternatives

OpManager occupies a solid middle-ground position in the network monitoring market, competing directly with solutions like Paessler PRTG, Auvik, and SolarWinds NPM. The platform is best suited for mid-to-large enterprises seeking comprehensive monitoring capabilities without the complexity or cost of premium alternatives like Datadog or LogicMonitor.

Key competitors include Auvik, which offers superior ease of use and cloud-native architecture, and Paessler PRTG, which provides more flexible sensor-based pricing and stronger customization options. Premium alternatives like LogicMonitor and Datadog offer more advanced AI/ML capabilities and extensive integrations but command significantly higher prices.

ManageEngine OpManager: Final verdict

ManageEngine OpManager delivers reliable network monitoring fundamentals at a competitive price point, making it an attractive option for enterprises seeking comprehensive infrastructure visibility without premium costs. It excels in device coverage, real-time alerting, and hybrid network support, providing teams the essential tools needed to maintain network health and performance.

While it may lack some advanced features found in higher-end competitors, OpManager's combination of functionality and affordability creates strong value for budget-conscious organizations. And its proven track record with over 1 million administrators worldwide demonstrates its viability as a long-term monitoring solution.

FAQs

What devices can OpManager monitor?

OpManager supports monitoring of switches, routers, firewalls, servers, wireless devices, load balancers, and virtualization platforms including VMware, Hyper-V, and Citrix XenServer. The platform can monitor nearly 3,000 different metrics across these device types using protocols like SNMP, WMI, and CLI. It also supports cloud and hybrid network infrastructures, making it suitable for modern enterprise environments.

How does OpManager pricing compare to competitors?

OpManager offers competitive pricing starting at $245 for 10 devices annually, significantly less expensive than premium alternatives like LogicMonitor or Datadog. The per-device licensing model includes unlimited interfaces and sensors, providing predictable costs. However, large-scale deployments can become expensive, with Enterprise edition pricing reaching $11,545 for 250 devices.

What support options are available with OpManager?

ManageEngine provides Classic support free with subscription licenses, including email and chat during business hours with 8-hour acknowledgment times. Premium support offers 24/7 assistance, phone support, faster response times (3-hour acknowledgment), and additional services like health checks and custom support. Phone support is available globally across multiple time zones and languages.

Can OpManager integrate with other IT management tools?

OpManager supports integration with other ManageEngine products and third-party systems through APIs and standard protocols. The platform can send alerts to external systems via SNMP traps, email, and webhooks. However, the integration ecosystem is more limited compared to cloud-native competitors, and complex integrations may require custom development or professional services.

Is there a free trial available for OpManager?

Yes, ManageEngine offers a 30-day free trial of OpManager that includes full functionality for evaluation purposes. The trial allows organizations to test the platform with their actual network infrastructure before purchasing. Trial users receive evaluation support with 2-business-day acknowledgment times, though some advanced support features are reserved for paid customers.

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