Technology

• Gemini in Workspace presents unique opportunities for fraud, researchers warn
• The AI tool can be tricked to display fake security warnings
• Businesses should make sure invisible text is not processed by the AI

Cybercriminals have found a creative new way to abuse Google’s Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to steal people’s Gmail accounts.

Google introduced Gemini, its AI-powered chatbot assistant into its Workspace suite of productivity apps some time ago, and one of the things Gemini can do is summarize incoming emails - so when a person receives an email, they can bring up a vertical pane on the right-hand side of the screen, asking Gemini for assistance with different things, such as bringing up vital email information, adding calendar entries, and more.

However experts have warned this also opens up the Gmail accounts for so-called “prompt-injection” attacks - so if the incoming email message contains a hidden prompt for Gemini, it can be executed in the pane.

Is Gemini phishing for your password?

According to security researcher Marco Figueroa, this is exactly what the email provider is now susceptible to.

By using HTML and CSS, threat actors can add a prompt for Gemini, with its font size set to zero, and its color to white. Therefore, the victim will not be able to see it, but Gemini will act on it. If that prompt makes Gemini display a phishing message, it will do just that, and since the message would come from a trusted source, it increases the chances of success.

Figueroa showed how a malicious prompt could notify the victim that their email account has been compromised, and that they need to “call” Google on a phone number displayed in the message to resolve the issue.

To protect against future prompt injection attacks, companies should make sure their email clients remove, neutralize, or ignore content that is styled to be hidden in the body text. Furthermore, they could include a post-processing filter that scans the inbox for “urgent messages”, URLs, or phone numbers.

Finally, businesses should educate their employees that summaries provided by the Gemini tool should not be a replacement for security alerts.

Via BleepingComputer

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The eventual unification should help Google-based devices run more in concert with each other

We won’t be able to watch it until 2027, but HBO has confirmed production for the Harry Potter TV show is officially underway. It’ll be available on HBO and HBO Max, respectively, in the US – though where it will be available to stream globally is yet to be confirmed.

We might not know what Hogwarts is going to look like in 2025, but we do know that the cast is absolutely stacked. Paapa Essiedu (Snape), John Lithgow (Dumbledore), Nick Frost (Hagrid), Janet McTeer (McGonagall) and Paul Whitehouse (Filch) lead the names we’ll recognise alongside a trio of newcomers Dominic McLaughlin (Harry), Alastair Stout (Ron) and Arabella Stanton (Hermione).

The original Harry Potter movies are never going to be forgotten, but it’s fair to say that the new TV show will likely become one of the most-watched programmes of 2027. If the first-look at one lead character is anything to go by, fans are going to be thrilled with what’s to come.

Harry Potter looks like a young Daniel Radcliffe as HBO TV show starts filming

Our new Hermione, Harry and Ron. (Image credit: HBO )

Fresh from their first days on set, McLaughlin looks as though Daniel Radcliffe’s 11-year-old self has jumped forward in time from The Philosopher’s Stone to start filming for HBO. From what we can already see, we’ve got exactly the same level of detail as the Harry Potter movies, but that shouldn’t be a surprise given the budget for the entire series is allegedly between $2 billion and $8 billion.

It’s a hefty price tag, but if we’re to follow the filming timeline of the movies, our cast is locked into this project for at least a decade. This also means McLaughlin and his peers are about to grow up in front of our eyes, so we’re literally witnessing history here by seeing him at the very beginning.

As for everyone else, it remains to be seen how faithful the TV show will stay to the movies or the novel series it’s based on. Author J.K. Rowling is on board as an executive producer, having previously commented on X/Twitter that she "couldn't be happier" with the casting choices for our leading trio. If writer Francesca Gardiner’s previous projects are anything to go by – namely the most recent adaptation of the His Dark Materials trilogy – we might be getting something as dark as Deathly Hallows from the very start.

The release window of 2027 is also newly confirmed, though we don’t have an exact release date at the time of writing.

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• The Topping DX5 II has a double-DAC design with three-stage amplification
• Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC and aptX Adaptive/HD
• $299 / £299 – available now in the US, during July 2025 in the UK

Topping's new desktop DAC is surprisingly affordable for its specification: the list price is just $299 / £299. It's a hi-res DAC, preamplifier and headphone amplifier that's designed for dual duties as either a stand-alone desktop amp or as part of a component hi-fi system.

The DX5 II is the successor to Topping's highly acclaimed DX5, and it's built around two ES9039Q2M DAC chips from ESS Technology’s 32-bit Sabre range. One chip is dedicated to the left channel and the other to the right; because the ES9039Q2M is a two-channel DAC chip, that means there can be two differential signals per channel, which Topping says means a lower noise floor, improved channel separation and better clarity.

(Image credit: Topping)Topping DX5 II: key features

The DX5 II supports PCM data to 32-bit/768kHz over USB (24-bit/192kHz via the coaxial and optical inputs) and DSD to 22.5792MHz (DSD512). It also supports DoP (DSD over PCM).

There's a new 32-bit, 16-core XMOS chip for USB data and a high-performance driver for Windows; other platforms don't require a driver. And there's Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC and aptX Adaptive up to 24-bit/96kHz and aptX HD at up to 24-bit/48kHz. The Bluetooth module also supports Low Latency, plain aptX, AAC and SBC.

There are three hi-res digital inputs – USB, coaxial and optical – a 12V trigger in/out and three headphone outs: balanced XLR, balanced 4.4mm and single-ended 6.35mm.

And the headphones are powered by Topping's new X-Hybrid headphone amp, which is a fully balanced four-channel design that's based on Nested Feedback Composite Architecture (NFCA) with a three-stage design: input, op-amp gain stage and output.

Topping says it's powerful enough to drive even difficult planar magnetic headphones, with power output of 2x 7,600mW into 16 ohms, 2x 6,400mW into 32 ohms and 2x 990mW into 300 ohms through its balanced outputs.

The DX5 II DAC/headphone amp will be available in the UK this July in a choice of black, white or silver, and is already available online in the US.

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Eight of baseball's biggest hitters will slug it out in Atlanta this evening ahead of the All-Star Game on Tuesday.

I tried popular baby monitors and these were the ones that passed the test.

The Sun Day app, just out in beta, will prompt you on how to prep for being out and about.

Are you ready for some football... headset improvements? NFL coaches are.

• A test eSIM profile used by billions of devices carried a major flaw
• It allowed malicious actors with physical access the ability to deploy applets
• A patch is now available, so users should upgrade now

Security researchers have discovered a vulnerability in eSIM technology used in virtually all smartphones and many other internet-connected, smart devices.

In theory, the flaw could have been abused to intercept or manipulate communications, extract sensitive data, inject malicious applets, and more.

There are more than two billion eSIM-enabled devices that could be potentially impacted by this flaw, which includes smartphones, tablets, wearables, and countless IoT devices that rely on Kigen’s eUICC technology.

Updating the bug

The bug allowed anyone with physical access to the compromised device to install custom programs - applets - without proving they weren’t malicious.

Discovered by Security Explorations, a research lab of AG Security Research, the bug was discovered in the GSMA TS.48 Generic Test Profile (v6.0 and earlier), a standardized eSIM profile that supports device testing and certifications, especially for devices with non-removable embedded SIMs (eUICCs).

In other words, it was discovered in a test version of a SIM card, used just for checking if the device worked properly or not.

Kigen has released a patch to mitigate the issue, with the GSMA TS.48 v7.0 specification the first clean version - with the company saying the patch has already been distributed to all customers.

The silver lining here is that the bug was not that easy, or straightforward, to exploit. Besides having physical access to the device or eUICC, the attacker would also need a way to trigger test mode activation. Furthermore, the device would need to use unprotected, legacy test profiles, with RAM keys still intact.

Kigen’s patch and GSMA TS.48 v7.0 update now block RAM key access in test profiles by default, prohibit JavaCard applet installation altogether on test-mode profiles, randomize keysets for future RAM-enabled testing, and harden OS security against unauthorized remote loading. An attack should now be virtually impossible to execute.

Security Exploration was subsequently awarded $30,000 for its troubles.

Via The Hacker News

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• Several leakers have made claims about the iPhone 17’s Dynamic Island
• A new report says it will undergo a “significant evolution”
• But the claims are so vague that they actually tell us very little

If you’ve been keeping up with all the latest iPhone 17 rumors, you’ll probably have heard that Apple’s next iPhone could come with a redesigned Dynamic Island. That idea has just been bolstered by a prominent leaker, although their post is frustratingly short on solid details.

In a new interview with Spanish-language site AppleX4, leaker Majin Bu has chimed in with their thoughts on the upcoming Dynamic Island changes. There, they said the feature is set for a “significant evolution.”

They added: “Apple appears committed to making [the Dynamic Island] more functional and integrated, turning it into a key element of the user experience. This development could mark a step forward in device interaction, but for now, I’ll keep further details under wraps. Stay tuned to see how this innovation unfolds.”

This information comes after Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station commented on the Dynamic Island last week, saying that it would get a new-look design. Digital Chat Station has previously claimed that the Dynamic Island will be shrunk down to its smallest-ever size in the iPhone 17, but that contradicts the belief of Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who argued in January that the Dynamic Island would remain “largely unchanged” in this year’s iPhones.

Is this anything new?

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

While it is a somewhat divisive feature of modern iPhones, I’m a big fan of the Dynamic Island. That means I pay close attention whenever someone talks about how it might change in future Apple devices.

I’d love to see a slimmer Dynamic Island, or even one that disappears entirely until it is needed. The latter would require the use of under-screen cameras and Face ID sensors, but could combine the beauty of an uninterrupted display with the functionality of the Dynamic Island.

Unfortunately, we don’t get anything like that from Majin Bu, whose latest claims are extremely vague to the point of being basically unverifiable. They’ve not shared anything of note, other than saying that the Dynamic Island is due to change in some nebulous, important way, which feels like a safe way to say very little.

Apple, surely, would also argue that the Dynamic Island is already both “functional and integrated” and “a key element of the user experience.” While Majin Bu might have some exclusive information here, their elusiveness and refusal to share solid details could be an indication that the opposite is actually true.

Majin Bu has a mixed track record when it comes to Apple leaks. Some of their predictions have been on the money, while others have been wide of the mark. That, combined with the vagueness of their latest Dynamic Island claims, means we should treat this latest rumor with a healthy degree of skepticism until more reliable information emerges.

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• CitrixBleed 2 was discovered in mid-June 2025
• But there were quickly reports of abuse in the wild
• CISA is now urging FCEB agencies to patch immediately

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added CitrixBleed 2 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, alerting Federal Civilian Branch Agencies (FCEB), as well as other businesses, that the bug is being actively exploited in the wild.

On July 10, CISA added CVE-2025-5777 to the catalog - a critical-severity (9.3/10) insufficient input validation vulnerability that leads to memory overread. It affects Citrix NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway devices, versions 14.1 and before 47.46, and from 13.1 and before 59.19.

It can be abused against vulnerable NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway appliances to extract sensitive memory contents, including session tokens, credentials, and potentially other user data, without authentication. Given its similarity to a previous Citrix vulnerability called CitrixBleed, security researchers dubbed it CitrixBleed 2.

"Significant risk"

The bug was first discovered in mid-June 2025, and by early July, there were already reports of abuse in the wild.

Citrix released a patch but apparently, the majority of instances have not yet been patched, presenting a unique opportunity for cybercriminals.

Multiple security researchers, including ReliaQuest, watchTowr, and Horizon3.ai, have warned users of ongoing exploitation campaigns. Akamai also added that it observed a “drastic increase” in scanning for potentially vulnerable NetScaler endpoints.

Now, CISA also confirmed the reports of in-the-wild attacks.

“These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise,” it said in a short security advisory.

What’s also interesting is the tight deadline it gave FCEB agencies to patch their endpoints. Usually, agencies have 21 days to apply the patch or stop using the affected software altogether. In this case, the deadline was - just 24 hours.

Citrix has not yet unequivocally stated that the bugs were being exploited. It did, however, urge everyone to apply the patch without delay.

Via TechCrunch

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Recently, a team from Hotwire sat on a roundtable, discussing an uncomfortable truth about data centers. While they are imperative for the digital society that is emerging, the industry has so far failed to build the public trust that is needed to support their necessary expansion.

Communities worldwide protest any construction close to their homes, evolving regulation requires frequent changes, and environmental scrutiny places huge pressure on operators.

We often see articles in the media that react to assertions and claims against data centers and their suppliers, but this reactionary approach to communications is rarely the best method. Instead, it is better to employ proactive communications, shaping public perception and building and scaling trust before it’s needed.

Why proactive communication matters

Research from Hotwire's Frontier Tech Confidence Tracker demonstrates the need for better, more proactive business communication by highlighting a fundamental disconnect between industry optimism and public skepticism around frontier technologies, many of which are enabled by data centers. While business leaders scored tech confidence at 77/100, the public gave it just 48/100.

This trust gulf matters enormously to data centers. They don’t just host servers; they are the driving force behind transformative technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, edge technologies, and, soon, quantum computing. If the public doesn’t trust these foundational technologies, then the case for constructing, upgrading, and maintaining data centers becomes harder to justify and support.

The research also showed just 36% of the public trust companies using frontier technologies without transparency. So, is transparent communication the answer we’re looking for?

Default to transparency

To move from reactive to proactive communications, the first and most crucial step is to embrace transparency as a standard practice. This doesn’t mean disclosing intellectual property secrets or publicizing every client relationship. Rather, it involves consistently sharing clear, relevant information that fosters understanding, builds credibility, and demonstrates a genuine commitment to openness.

For example, data centers are under huge scrutiny for their carbon footprint. It’s vital to get in front of this argument by publishing regular environmental performance data, highlighting efficiency improvements and displaying sustainability initiatives. Share updates on renewable energy procurement and waste heat recovery solutions, and make these reports accessible. Remember your audience. If you’re speaking to the public, bin the jargon and use plain language alongside colorful data visualizations and summaries that bring the data to life.

Another common concern is the economic impact of data centers and their component technologies. Frontier technologies, and specifically AI tools, are regularly tied into debates about job markets and local investment. Communications teams can flip this narrative by producing content that demonstrates a facility’s contribution to the local economy, job creation, tax contributions, and community partnerships. When communities understand the value a data center brings, they are more likely to become advocates than detractors.

It’s also helpful to clear up misunderstandings about what happens inside a data center. While the public may not care about the technical details, content that explains operations and the digital services enabled by data centers, using analogies and local examples, can bolster understanding and support.

Leveraging credible voices

Returning to the confidence tracker, it revealed that 43% of the public places the greatest trust in scientists and researchers when seeking reliable and accurate information about technology. This insight should be applied when shaping how businesses craft and deliver their communications to key stakeholders.

Whether communications are handled internally or externally, there is value in collaborating with universities and research associations on studies relating to data center efficiency, environmental impact, or economic contribution. These are the societal implications that matter to the public, and peer-reviewed research carries more weight than corporate content.

Partnerships like this can also be promoted via other channels. Businesses might consider hosting forums or expert panels that educate and inform, while also demonstrating a commitment to objective analysis.

They might also consider how to elevate executive communications to promote environmental initiatives. The key is to show that leadership genuinely cares about the same issues as the wider community. Being green mustn’t be seen as just a box-ticking exercise; it should appear as a shared value.

The path forward

The data center industry is experiencing a pivotal moment in its history, marked by rapid technological advancement and growing societal expectations. To be successful, it needs to embrace its role as a responsible steward of the digital world. This requires proactively fostering public understanding and transparency.

When a business invests in proactive communications, it creates competitive advantages that build over time. Facilities with strong community relationships, for example, face fewer disruptions and more cooperative regulatory environments. They attract the best talent and find expansion easier.

The trust deficit shouldn’t be seen as a challenge but as a call to action. The data center operators and suppliers who answer with sophisticated, proactive communications strategies will define the industry’s future.

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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

• IO Interactive is working to fix the performance issues in Hitman World of Assassination on Nintendo Switch 2
• This was confirmed by franchise director Jonathan Lacaille
• The updates are planned for the "summer"

Developer IO Interactive has confirmed that it's working on fixes for the performance issues in Hitman World of Assassination on Nintendo Switch 2.

This was revealed in a discussion between franchise director Jonathan Lacaille and VGC. “So for Hitman, the team is working on some of those performance issues right now, and they are addressing it over the summer,” Lacaille said.

Although he falls short of providing a specific date, the fact that the fixes are planned to come out "over the summer" suggests that we should start seeing them fairly soon.

I awarded the Nintendo Switch 2 port four out of five stars in my recent Hitman World of Assassination – Signature Edition review, praising the incredible level design and sheer amount of things to do.

It's a game that can keep you occupied for thousands of hours, though I did note some choppy performance at times. While handheld mode is acceptable, some levels struggle when the console is docked.

Hopefully upcoming updates will smooth things over, and help cement it as one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games to play right now.

Interestingly, Lacaille went on to discuss future IO Interactive projects on Nintendo Switch 2 - specifically the upcoming James Bond game 007 First Light.

He described the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Hitman as “good learning for us to bring to First Light as well – so all of this will be learnings we bring to the next title.”

“We had [previously] brought Hitman as a cloud version on the first Switch, and now, the Switch 2 is a powerful device – powerful enough for us to bring First Light to it natively," he added.

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, July 14 (game #1267).

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 #1268) - 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 #1268) - 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 #1268) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo 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 #1268) - 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 #1268) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• V

• F

• T

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1268) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1268, are…

• VILLA
• FLECK
• TIGER
• CRANE

There’s a thing that occasionally happens sometimes when you play Quordle a lot and you see the words instantly and type out your first thought confidently and without checking.

Today was one of those days for me. Helped massively of course by not even having to stop to think with TIGER. 

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1268) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1268, are…

• ASCOT
• REBUS
• BOSSY
• SPECK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1267, Monday, 14 July: SURGE, PIZZA, PAPER, POPPY
• Quordle #1266, Sunday, 13 July: KAYAK, DECRY, RUDDY, HATER
• Quordle #1265, Saturday, 12 July: WREAK, NANNY, CLASP, STAIN
• Quordle #1264, Friday, 11 July: LAPEL, DRAIN, FROND, GROSS
• Quordle #1263, Thursday, 10 July: CROSS, WHEEL, UNDID, PENCE
• Quordle #1262, Wednesday, 9 July: SHIRE, SIXTH, SINGE, IMAGE
• Quordle #1261, Tuesday, 8 July: PLIED, PRANK, GAWKY, OXIDE
• Quordle #1260, Monday, 7 July: DROLL, TRUCE, TWIRL, SINCE
• Quordle #1259, Sunday, 6 July: AMPLY, SPAWN, EXTOL, RIDGE
• Quordle #1258, Saturday, 5 July: HAVEN, SNAKE, DREAM, TORUS
• Quordle #1257, Friday, 4 July: FAVOR, SKUNK, GAWKY, FLUFF
• Quordle #1256, Thursday, 3 July: DANCE, EYING, GLAZE, EGRET
• Quordle #1255, Wednesday, 2 July: INANE, SCOUR, ELITE, ULCER
• Quordle #1254, Tuesday, 1 July: REBAR, YEARN, FORTH, CROWD
• Quordle #1253, Monday, 30 June: INGOT, INFER, TAPIR, CLUED
• Quordle #1252, Sunday, 29 June: MIRTH, APTLY, SCRUB, SMACK
• Quordle #1251, Saturday, 28 June: AWOKE, SMOKY, DEVIL, SWING
• Quordle #1250, Friday, 27 June: SPEAK, EAGLE, AVERT, SUING
• Quordle #1249, Thursday, 26 June: SLUMP, REBUS, GUAVA, MONEY

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, July 14 (game #764).

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 #765) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PEARL
• POWER
• BOOT
• PLAY
• VAULT
• BOUNCE
• SHOE
• BARS
• SMILE
• BEAM
• EJECT
• SCREAM
• RINGS
• FEATHERS
• NOPE
• REMOVE

NYT Connections today (game #765) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Simone Biles’s equipment
• GREEN: Pushed out
• BLUE: Films from three years ago
• PURPLE: Precede with a racing animal

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 #765) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: GYMNASTICS APPARATUS
• GREEN: FORCE TO LEAVE
• BLUE: HORROR MOVIES FROM 2022
• PURPLE: HORSE__ 

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

NYT Connections today (game #765) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #765, are…

• YELLOW: GYMNASTICS APPARATUS BARS, BEAM, RINGS, VAULT
• GREEN: FORCE TO LEAVE BOOT, BOUNCE, EJECT, REMOVE
• BLUE: HORROR MOVIES FROM 2022 NOPE, PEARL, SCREAM, SMILE
• PURPLE: HORSE__ FEATHERS, PLAY, POWER, SHOE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

I made both mistakes today trying to put together HORROR MOVIES FROM 2022. 

This was a classic case of knowing three connections but being clueless about the fourth and even though there were only eight words left I still struggled. NOPE, SCREAM, and SMILE were all familiar, but I tried POWER and FEATHERS before finally guessing PEARL.

It had all been going so well too after breezing through the yellow and green groups. Then came the horror show.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, July 14, game #764)

• YELLOW: SHADES OF BLUE BABY, ICE, POWDER, SKY
• GREEN: ADJECTIVES FOR A SPORTS CAR COMPACT, FAST, SLEEK, SPORTY
• BLUE: WORDS BEFORE "ROGER/S" GINGER, JOLLY, MISTER, ROY
• PURPLE: DISNEY ANIMATED CHARACTERS PLUS A LETTER ABUT, BELLED, FLOUNDERS, SCARY

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, July 14 (game #498).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Come one, come all!

NYT Strands today (game #499) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• DRONE
• SEEN
• FUSS
• VOTE
• VOICES
• STUN

NYT Strands today (game #499) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #499) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #499) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #499, are…

• GAMES
  MUSIC
• RIDES
• LIVESTOCK
• VENDORS
• PRIZES
• SPANGRAM: COUNTY FAIRS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

The phrase “come one, come all” is not one I am familiar with at all. It sounds like the sort of thing people would whisper to each other in Handmaid’s Tale – but I can see how it would work as a rallying cry for COUNTY FAIRS.

Not knowing what I was looking for and finding only non-game words it took two hints before I started making headway – GAMES and MUSIC didn't narrow things down, but RIDES confirmed that we were looking for some kind of fair.

Getting the top to bottom LIVESTOCK revealed the spangram and from here on I was virtually home. No PRIZES for me today, hope you deserve a rosette at least.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, July 14, game #498)

• TEACHER
• MAYOR
• JANITOR
• LIBRARIAN
• FIREFIGHTER
• SPANGRAM: COMMUNITY

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.

Poor Elmo. The adorable, perpetually 3-year-old Sesame Street character loves us, but someone clearly does not love the furry red guy back. Hackers took over his popular X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday and posted some decidedly un-Elmo-like content. It's surprising for a character and platform that are focused on teaching us likely missed a basic rule of social media: always set up Two-Factor Authentication.

All the deeply offensive posts have since been removed from Elmo's account, which has over 684,000 followers, and while Sesame Street has publicly commented on the hack, Elmo's account has been silent for the last 48 hours.

To think, this probably all could've been avoided if Sesame Workshop, which runs the account, had learned one simple lesson.

T is for Two-Factor Authentication.

If you have a Blue check (or any color official check) on your X account, you're likely a target. Elmo's account is verified, though we think it should be a red check. For a time, it was hard to identify verified accounts because X CEO Elon Musk removed them in 2023, demanding that anyone who wanted one pay $8 a month. He relented a year later, and accounts like Elmo's got their checks back. It was good news, except for the fact that hackers instantly knew again exactly who to target.

Tied up in verification was Two Factor Authentication, or rather, how you could verify. X ended SMS (text-based) verification for non-paying members and instead favors codes and security keys.

But I digress. It helps to explain two-factor authentication (also known as 2-factor-auth and 2FA) in a way that Elmo can understand.

Elmo likes to learn

Elmo. Elmo, look at me. Please stop playing with that puppy and look at me.

Yes, yes, I know, "Elmo loves me." Please, listen.

You know that X account that you love using so much, the one where you offer hugs and ask us all to come outside and play?

I know, right, it used to be called "Twitter." No, I do not know why they changed the name.

Let's focus.

Your X account has your name, and you use it by signing in, right?

Yes, Elmo, you've done a very good job with that. I see you on the account every day, so you clearly know how to sign in. That's very good, Elmo.

But, Elmo, your account is missing something.

No, wait, Elmo, do not go running off to look for it. It's not something you dropped.

You need to make it harder to log in. You need to add something called "Two-factor authentication."

Harder is sometimes a scary word, but not this time, and, yes, "authentication" is a big word. I can help.

The ABCs of security

It's simple, Elmo, when you sign into your account, you will also need your phone with you to generate a code.

Yes, Elmo, I do see your phone. It's very nice. I know you don't use it all the time. You're good about that.

Two-factor authentication simply means, Elmo, that when you sign in, there is a second step (or factor) you need to accomplish before you can use your account again.

First, you should enable Two Factor Authentication on your X account. This does mean you'll need the email you used to create the account. Ask the adults at Sesame Workshop to find it. They will also need to enter the password and then verify the use of a secondary login method.

Now, Elmo, here's where it gets a little complicated. Once this is set up, after you sign in – Elmo, stop playing with Tango for a second and look at me – Twitter will ask you for a code.

I use, and I think you could too, Google's Authenticator
App. Once this is set up, after you try to log in (you or a trusted adult, Elmo), you'll be asked for a code. You simply open the Google Authenticator app and grab the code that is shown for X, and then enter it in X.

After that, Elmo, you're done.

Yes, yes, Elmo, it is exciting. No, I don't think it's fun, but it's fine if you do.

Give 2FA a hug

Okay, I think Elmo gets it.

Hopefully you do. The technology here is simple: a hacker can't sign into your account without that secondary verification system. They need that code, which is only coming to the app and the phone in your hand.

I promise that hackers will try, and you may get emails about their attempts, but they will likely fail because hackers do not have that code and cannot complete the login. Also, 2FA isn't just for X; it's a valuable security tool for any online account, including email, banking, and work accounts.

One more thing for you and, oh, Elmo, come back here for a second. Everyone should change their passwords every six months. This makes it difficult for hackers who have hoovered up your information in a data breach to use old passwords to access your accounts.

I know, Elmo, you love us. We love you, too.

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• Tizen 9.0 is rolling out to 2024 Samsung TVs
• European owners are already receiving the update
• Availability for 2023 TVs is still unknown

One of our favorite things about Samsung's best TVs in 2025 is the upgraded Tizen operating system, which we think is the best version it's offered so far. So Tizen 90's recent arrival on 2024-model TVs is a very welcome upgrade.

My colleague James Davidson went into great detail about Tizen 9.0 here, praising the updated Gaming Hub, the apparently LG-inspired Quick Menu and the redesigned home screen.

It isn't quite the best smart TV platform – we reckon LG's webOS still has the edge, and the update removes the HGiG Game HDR option, which is used for some livestreaming – but it's really good, and will be welcome on older sets.

Which Samsung TVs are getting the Tizen 9.0 upgrade?

According to FlatpanelsHD, owners in Europe started getting the firmware version 2106.0 this month, July 2025. That takes their operating system from Tizen 8.0 to Tizen 9.0.

That's the good news. The bad news is that it's going to be a slow rollout, with Samsung adding additional TVs to the upgrade program fairly gradually – and that means it could be some months before all compatible TVs are upgraded. If your TV isn't one of the flagship models that could mean waiting a bit for the firmware to become available.

There's also uncertainty over 2023-model TVs, as Samsung hasn't yet committed to a timescale for upgrading those models. However, Samsung has promised seven years of updates to all models from 2023 and later, so it's not a question of if those TVs will get the update; it's just a matter of when.

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• Nvidia's Smooth Motion tech is inbound for all RTX 4000 GPUs
• Previously this frame rate-boosting feature was only for RTX 5000 cards
• It's still in beta for RTX 4000 models, but it shouldn't be long before the full release

Nvidia is providing its Smooth Motion tech for boosting frame rates across all PC games to RTX 4000 graphics cards in a new driver.

This is great news for gamers with those GPUs – previously Smooth Motion was only an option for RTX 5000 models – but the catch is that for now, this is still in testing with Nvidia's beta driver.

It shouldn't be too long before the tech makes its way through to a release driver, though.

This development was picked up on X by Huang514613, who pointed to a post on the Guru3D forums, as flagged by VideoCardz (with the tech site verifying that the new beta does indeed carry the feature, and briefly testing it out).

Smooth Motion is essentially the equivalent of frame generation (FG) – adding in extra frames to boost the frames per second count, and make the game run artificially smoother – but it works at the driver level (doubling the frame rate).

What that means is that it can work with any DX11 or DX12 game (in theory) across the board, whereas with frame generation (and DLSS 4), developers must code their game to make use of the tech. That obviously limits the usefulness of the latter considerably.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)Analysis: smooth operator – but be patient

Smooth Motion is a big deal because it means that a pile of older PC games, which are never going to be updated for frame generation at this point, can get the benefit of a similar feature.

The catch is that word 'similar', and Smooth Motion won't offer results which are as good as frame generation in terms of image quality (or the frame rate boost). Still, for games that don't have DLSS or FG support, this is clearly a lot better than nothing.

As you may be aware, Smooth Motion is Nvidia's equivalent of AMD's Fluid Motion Frames (which came way before Team Green's take, and was recently improved).

With any luck, Nvidia will bring this feature to RTX GPUs that predate the RTX 4000 lineup in the future.

I'd be wary of trying to get this working on the mentioned beta driver, by the way, as there are reports of crashes or even total PC lock-ups being caused by those experimenting with the tech (which must be enabled via the Nvidia Profile Inspector tool).

If you have an RTX 4000 graphics card, just be happy that Smooth Motion is on the way, and wait for the official release in the finished driver – it shouldn't be too far off at this point.

Early results are (generally) promising for Smooth Motion on RTX 4000 GPUs, by the way, going by reports from the more intrepid gamers who've gone ahead and tested this tech while it was in beta.

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Full spoilers immediately follow for 2025's Superman film.

Superman is doing more than simply making us believe that a man can fly.

With a $200 million+ haul at the global box office on opening weekend, plus the critical and commercial acclaim it's received, James Gunn's Superman movie has made us believe in DC comic book movies again. The DC Universe's (DCU) first film – find out how to watch the DC movies in order while you're here – also gave us a wildly entertaining, eye-popping, and heartfelt story filled with household names and unfamiliar characters alike.

It's also where I think Superman succeeds best. From Mister Terrific and The Engineer, the DCU Chapter One movie spotlights numerous underappreciated DC comic book characters who deserve their time to shine in Gunn and Peter Sarfran's rebooted cinematic franchise. However, it's another metahuman – one who'll be recognizable to some viewers, but not others – that Superman really does right by, even though she's only on camera for 30 seconds or so: Supergirl.

Milly Alcock will play Kara Zor-El/Supergirl in the DCU (Image credit: James Gunn/Twitter)

She only briefly cameos, but Milly Alcock's Supergirl – real name Kara Zor-El – is everything I wanted from a live-action adaptation of Superman's cousin.

I'm not throwing shade at Meg Donnelly, who was one of the final contenders for the role of Supergirl before losing out to Alcock in January 2024, by saying that, either. I'm sure Donnelly would've been a great Supergirl, but there's just something about Alcock's albeit brisk time on the screen that captures the rebellious, reckless side of Clark Kent/Kal-El's relative that we've seen really seen in the comics.

Take her crashing through the wrong part of The Fortress of Solitude because she's drunk (yes, she's slightly inebriated, but she's not an alcoholic or a frat girl, as some have incorrectly disparaged Gunn and company for) and then blaming Supes for moving the door in an apparent redesign of his secret headquarters. Or, how about her lack of concern for how Kal-El is or what he's been up to, and only returning to Earth to collect her disobedient pet Krypto?

Then there's the enjoyment she gets from being thrown about by Krypto – a far cry from how Supes handled similar situations throughout the film. Oh, and let's not forget that she's humorously rude to Clark – she calls him "b***h" after sarcastically thanking him for babysitting Krypto – before she flies off to a whereabouts unknown.

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Combine the above with her authentic Supergirl costume, plus the beige-colored coat she wears in 'Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow' – the eight-issue comic series run that her forthcoming solo film is heavily inspired by – and Alcock's Kara could be the most fully-formed version of the character we've seen yet. Indeed, couple the above with the strong sense of justice and caring nature she's displayed in prior big- and small-screen re-imaginings, make me even more confident that those involved in Supergirl will knock it out of the park.

Of course, it's hard to read too much into Alcock's cameo and determine if she can carry a tentpole movie.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, whose title was recently shortened to simply Supergirl, will not only be the Kryptonian's first standalone film in over 40 years, but it's also the first flick Alcock is the lead star of. The pressure is certainly on, then, to ensure Alcock was the right pick for the role, and that Gunn and Safran made the correct call to prioritize a Supergirl movie over a solo Batman or Wonder Woman DCU flick, both of which are in early development.

We got our first look at the DCU's Kara Zor-El, albeit from the back, in March (Image credit: James Gunn/Instagram)

The DCU is off to a good start with Superman, but it'll need other projects like Supergirl, Peacemaker season 2, Lanterns, and Clayface to similarly perform well. If they do, the DCU will be worth investing in. If, for whatever reason, Supergirl struggles, though, we could have a post-Avengers: Endgame situation that's seen Marvel fans have love one project but dislike the next.

Those two slight concerns notwithstanding, I'm confident Supergirl will be a big hit and Alcock's performance will be a big reason why. She's already commanded the screen in season 1 of House of the Dragon, while her natural, unquestionable talent has been on full display in the aforementioned HBO Max show and recently Netflix TV Original Sirens. So, there's no reason why Alcock can't deliver a similarly fantastic display in The Girl of Steel's next cinematic outing. If anything, her solitary scene in Superman confirms she will.

Supergirl flies into theaters worldwide on June 26, 2026. For more on one of next year's most anticipated new movies, read my ultimate guide on Supergirl's next big-screen outing.

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