Technology

• High-tech Eight Sleep pods allow Elon Musk and DOGE staff to rest at work
• But a researcher found security flaws, including an AWS key and remote access
• Hackers could exploit the beds to infiltrate home networks and connected devices

Whatever you think about Elon Musk, and his role heading up DOGE (Department of Government Expenses), he’s certainly not slacking off. According to Wired, the divisive billionaire has reportedly been working long hours (as have his staff who are apparently putting in 120-hour weeks) and is so committed to the cause of cutting costs, he’s been sleeping in the DOGE headquarters at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, just down the road from the White House.

To help everyone with the inevitable fatigue, Musk has accepted a consignment of Eight Sleep pods. These smart beds offer sleeping, reading and custom positioning, snoring mitigation, and come with a hub to keep the sleeper cool or cosy, depending on their preference. These beds appear to have been supplied FOC, but they aren't cheap if you want to buy them – the top of the range Cali King Pod 4 Ultra costs $5,000 and requires a monthly subscription of $17 or $25 – not a problem if you’re a billionaire of course.

For such a big outlay you’d expect the beds to be safe to sleep in, but now, a top security researcher has claimed the pods have a worrying flaw.

An active AWS key

Dylan Ayrey of Truffle Security uncovered a major vulnerability in his smart bed, exposing critical security flaws in Eight Sleep's internet-connected mattress. The researcher says he found an active AWS key within the bed’s firmware that seemed to be streaming data directly to Amazon.

Digging deeper, he also discovered a remote backdoor that he says gives Eight Sleep engineers SSH access to every customer’s bed, allowing them to run arbitrary code without oversight. He says employees could theoretically track sleep patterns, detect occupancy, or even control bed functions remotely.

Beyond personal privacy, the security implications extend to entire home networks. With unrestricted SSH access, hackers or malicious insiders could pivot through the bed to infiltrate smart fridges, laptops, or other connected devices. Ayrey compared the access level to Uber’s controversial "God Mode," a tool the ride-hailing company was found to have misused to monitor users without consent.

The AWS key was revoked shortly after Ayrey reported it, so its exact purpose isn’t known. “We can tell from the surrounding context that the key had write access to Kenises, but beyond that, it’s unclear,” Ayrey says. “What we do know though, is an attacker could have used that key to send 5,000 `PUT` requests per second into Kinesis and racked up a $100,000 per month bill for Eight Sleep.”

Unhappy with what he found, Ayrey came up with his own, safer, alternative to the smart bed using an aquarium chiller, which he said provides the same temperature control with “none of the apps, subscriptions, internet connectivity, backdoors, and security liabilities of an Eight Sleep”.

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The mid-table Andalusians welcome title-chasing Los Blancos to the Estadio Benito Villamarín.

Commentary: Sleep Awareness Month is here. Now's the time to reflect on the importance of sleep.

Amazon has a wide range of products, including high-quality mattresses from top brands. These are CNET’s picks for the best mattresses available from the online retailer.

It’s already been a busy year for Samsung. The Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra hit shelves in January, and the all-new Galaxy S25 Edge is seemingly just around the corner – but it seems there’s one rumored phone that Samsung fans are even more excited for.

For the past few months, we’ve been hearing more and more about a supposed tri-fold Samsung Galaxy phone, tentatively known as the Samsung Galaxy G Fold. Though Samsung has given but one brief hint of its multi-fold ambitions, tipsters and leakers have been exceptionally active in sharing hints and rumors about what could be the next new product line in Samsung’s mobile portfolio.

Though Samsung isn’t exactly the first phone maker to produce a tri-fold phone – see the jaw-dropping(ly expensive) Huawei Mate XT – it does have a solid chance of being the first to produce a globally available tri-fold phone. Huawei is banned from doing business in the US, so the Mate XT won't be released there any time soon.

And, as the original pioneers of folding phone technology, many fans will be looking to Samsung to take the reigns on the nascent tri-fold sector. We might be waiting a while yet for more official news, but until then, here’s a roundup of the five biggest Samsung Galaxy tri-fold rumors.

A whole new way to fold

(Image credit: Future)

As above, Huawei has already released its tri-folding Mate XT device in certain regions, but rumors suggest Samsung may implement an even more unique folding mechanism on the G Fold.

While the hinges on the Mate XT fold in two separate directions, with a cover screen that’s technically just a piece of the inner display, the G Fold could utilize a pamphlet-style form factor, with two panels that fold inwards and lay on top of one another over the central panel.

This would certainly be a bold move, but Samsung’s official teaser Galaxy Unpacked did show a Huawei-style silhouette rather than this pamphlet-style design, so the G Fold might not necessarily be a first-of-its-kind device.

An absolutely huge display

The rival Huawei Mate XT may give some idea of how large the Samsung tri-fold's display could be (Image credit: Future)

If the latest Galaxy tri-fold display rumors are correct, then the phone will come with a truly massive inner screen.

According to a report from Korean news outlet ET News, the G Fold will boast a 6.49-inch cover screen and a huge 9.96-inch inner display. That’s almost as large as the base-model iPad, which clocks in at 10.2 inches diagonally, though the G Fold is likely to feature an inner screen with an even wider aspect ratio.

For reference, the current-gen Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 sports a 7.6-inch inner display, while the class-leading Oppo Find N5 sports an impressive 8.12-inch display. Keep in mind that a wider aspect ratio means you’ll have more useful space for multitasking and video playback, even if the rumored diagonal length of the G Fold doesn’t seem much longer.

Additionally, a 6.49-inch cover screen would be the largest on a globally available folding phone, beating the 6.3-inch cover displays on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, OnePlus Open, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Out with the Z, in with the G

(Image credit: Future)

As mentioned, Samsung might position its tri-fold phone as the first device in an entirely new product line, rather than as the third model in the Z family, which is currently made up of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Several rumors have referred to the device as the Galaxy G Fold, which may reflect its novel G-shaped folding mechanism or simply be a way to differentiate the phone from its Z Fold contemporaries.

If these rumors hold true, the name change could reflect Samsung’s desire to market the new phone as a different class of device to the Z Fold series, one that could be more appealing to enterprise customers.

The larger screen, versatility, and software familiarity of a tri-folding Samsung phone could make the device an appealing choice for businesses and professionals, and a new name could help Samsung appeal to this demographic.

Alternatively, Samsung might just want to play up the novelty of its new device. It’s worth noting that during the first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2025, the device was referred to as the “multi-fold” rather than tri-fold – another new name, this time for the product category.

Brand new battery tech

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

One of the biggest challenges behind designing a folding phone is developing a batter that’s big enough to support three huge inner screens.

Thus far, foldable phone makers have opted to split batteries into two cells – one on each side of the hinge – but this brings downsides for battery life as two cells are never as efficient as a single cell of the same size.

However, Samsung has at least one patent for a new technology that could allay this chronic foldable problem.

Specifically, Samsung holds a patent for a folding battery – that’s a battery that could itself bend with the hinges of a folding phone.

Whether or not this idea would work in practice is another matter entirely, as the batteries would need to be able to withstand thousands of bends in order to be safe enough to use.

Such a battery would also be larger and heavier than a split battery, so we’re keen to see how Samsung tackles this problem.

A reveal at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked (but maybe not)

(Image credit: Future)

Within the hallowed halls of the rumor mill, there’s debate over when, exactly, the Samsung Galaxy tri-fold phone will launch.

A report from Korean news outlet ET News suggests we’ll be getting an official announcement for the Samsung Galaxy tri-fold via the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, which we’d expect to happen sometime in mid-to-late 2025.

If this turns out to be true, we could see the Galaxy tri-fold announced alongside the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7.

However, as we previously covered, a more recent tipoff suggests the Galaxy tri-fold won’t arrive until later in the year, though the tipster provided little context for this claim.

In any case, it’s hard to say when the tri-fold will launch with such a glaring lack of official information and rumors pointing in both directions.

If and when a Samsung Galaxy tri-fold phone does launch, it’s likely to rocket into a spot on our lists of the best Samsung phones and the best foldable phones – we’ll have the latest updates via our dedicated Samsung phones coverage. Let us know what you’re hoping to see from a Galaxy tri-fold phone in the comments below.

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Pep Guardiola's side look to keep alive their last chance of silverware.

Whether you’re pushing your kid down the street or running on a trail, we have a stroller for you.

Now we know that an AI-powered Alexa+ is coming to your Amazon device very soon (assuming you live in the US of course – international release dates are still to be confirmed), we can welcome Amazon back to the virtual assistant race with open arms. Alexa, where have you been?

Despite leading the charge on virtual assistants way back in 2014, Alexa effectively dropped out of the development race for a year or two there while Silicon Valley’s young AI upstarts, like ChatGPT and Gemini, took over the virtual assistant space. While they were adding voice modes and starting to interact with our calendars and inboxes, Alexa was still stuck as being nothing more than a glorified egg timer that could talk.

It’s not like Amazon’s main virtual assistant competitor, Apple’s Siri, has really done anything to take advantage of the stall in Alexa’s development. Apple was equally wrong footed by the AI equivalent of the Cambrian explosion, but at least Apple has made some attempt to get into the AI wars with Apple Intelligence, even if it seems to be endlessly playing catch-up, tied to a yearly release schedule when the rest of the AI market was simply reinventing itself every three months.

Alexa+ on a Fire TV. (Image credit: Amazon) Alexa is back, baby

But now Alexa is back, and it’s got a bit of an attitude. One thing I noticed about yesterday’s Alexa+ demo from Amazon was that the presenters, like Amazon Devices lead Panos Panay, frequently referred to Alexa as “her”, and there was absolutely no mention of changing Alexa to a different voice, or even changing “her” gender. (I still find it weird to call an AI either “he” or “she”, so I’m sticking with “it” in this article. Don’t cancel me, please.)

In contrast, when OpenAI introduced ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, adding a realistic voice for the first time to ChatGPT, it put a lot of effort into showing off all the different voices you could get it to use, half of which are male and half of which are female. Apple’s Siri is also very cosmopolitan. It can talk in multiple accents and offers a choice between male and female voices.

To be clear, I think it’s unlikely that Amazon won’t offer a way to customize the voice of Alexa+ – you can get the current Alexa to change voices by simply saying “Change voice” – but Amazon is clearly trying to present Alexa in a more personal and human way than the other big tech companies have so far with their talking AIs.

Fun to talk to

Not only does Amazon refer to Alexa as “her” but she (damnit, see how easy it is to start thinking of Alexa as a person?) has much more of a personality than the responses you get from ChatGPT, Siri and Gemini. Alexa even makes jokes and throws in funny comments. In the videos of the demo of Alexa+ you can see that she (OK, I give in) sounds light, breezy and fun to talk to:

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

Alexa+ even manages to crack a joke or two:

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

Incidentally, talking of changing Alexa voices, Amazon used to offer celebrity voices for Alexa as downloads. The US-only feature cost $4.99 each for Samuel L Jackson, Shaquille O-Neal and Melissa McCarthy, but the company pulled them all in 2023. I would love to have been able to talk to a Samuel L Jackson version of Alexa+ with this enlarged range of responses and attitude. Can you imagine how cool it would be if Samuel L Jackson Alexa+ could channel some of the energy from his movie roles into your Alexa device? Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction telling me what’s on my calendar today and that yes, "I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers", would pump start my day in a way that no amount of caffeine could ever match.

In contrast, talking to ChatGPT or Siri at the moment lacks the same sort of emotional spark that even basic Alexa+ has. They are functional, yes, but not as fun as the direction Amazon is taking Alexa+. By making an AI chatbot with a bit of personality Amazon might have just found a niche that means it can recover from its slow start in the AI arms race. Not to mention that Alexa+ is designed primarily to be on a device that sits in your home, not on a phone in your pocket or a computer at your desk. While that might not be much of a technical difference, the difference in the way you use Alexa+ means you’re in a different location, at a different distance, and ultimately in a different frame of mind when you use it. Nobody is expecting Alexa+ to be able to produce C++ code, for example. Alexa+ is simply there for all the fun things in life like playing music, watching movies and reading your kids a story. Sure, it can do clever things like book a meal at your favorite restaurant and organize your diary, too, but while Apple or OpenAI are going to own the AI in your pocket or at work, it’s looking like Amazon is going to own the AI in your home. I just wish it would bring back the custom voices, so Alexa+ can truly be his or her brother's keeper.

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• OpenAI is reportedly going to add Sora to the ChatGPT app
• As yet there's no timeline for the integration
• The full Sora experience will continue to be a separate app

Having launched in the US last December, and going live for a bunch of European countries earlier this week, OpenAI's video generation tool Sora is expanding quickly – and the plan is to eventually put it inside the ChatGPT interface.

That's according to discussions at a company meeting, as reported by TechCrunch. Right now, Sora lives on its own separate website, and isn't part of the ChatGPT apps on web or mobile – apps that do include image generation capabilities.

Sora product lead Rohan Sahai apparently said that OpenAI has plans to put Sora in more places, as well as to build on the features and tools of the AI video maker. However, it seems likely Sora would also remain as a separate, standalone experience too.

The version of Sora put inside ChatGPT may not be as comprehensive as the current web tool, Sahai admitted. Part of the reason the integration isn't already in place is to avoid cluttering up the ChatGPT interface too much.

More on the way

The Sora web interface (Image credit: Future)

Right now there's no timeline for any of this, though Sora inside ChatGPT could help drive more paid subscriptions: right now, you need to be a ChatGPT Plus ($20-a-month) or ChatGPT Pro ($200-a-month) subscriber to be able to use Sora.

You get different limits on video resolution and the number of videos you make, depending on how much you pay. Every user gets a certain number of credits each month, and videos that are longer and of higher quality cost more credits.

The same user credentials are used to sign into both ChatGPT and Sora, so some of the work is already done. However, the Sora website has elements like a featured video showcase that would be difficult to cram into ChatGPT.

Sahai reportedly also said that an improved version of the AI model running underneath Sora is on the way, and said that OpenAI was also working on an image generator powered by Sora that could produce more photorealistic images. Stay tuned.

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Whether you’re lounging around at home, running errands, or going on a hike, we’ve got the perfect option for you.

Jorge Martin will attempt to fend off title challengers Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez.

It's time for Netflix's monthly changeover! You can read everything new on Netflix in March 2025, but the platform is once again removing a handful of titles. But don't you worry, you won't be saying goodbye to a lot of movies as Netflix, as usual, has kept it short and sweet this month.

One of the better things about its monthly clean-out is that the best Netflix movies are, more often than not, untouched. While the same can be applied to its March list, some of our favorites – including Inception (2010), Still Alice (2014), and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – have limited time left on one of the best streaming services.

There's only a matter of days left to catch these so, as I'd always suggest, it's best to act fast to avoid disappointment. But don't let that put you down, as Netflix is making up for its lost movies and shows with even more titles that are brand new to the platform – I have my eye set on Saoirse Ronan drama The Outrun (2024).

Everything leaving Netflix in March 2025

Leaving on March 1

21 Bridges (movie)
A Haunted House (movie)
A Haunted House 2 (movie)
Aloha (movie)
Blended (movie)
Cinderella Man (movie)
Due Date (movie)
Free State of Jones (movie)
Green Lantern (movie)
In the Heart of the Sea (movie)
Inception (movie)
Legends of the Fall (movie)
Little (movie)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (movie)
Oblivion (movie)
Scooby-Doo (movie)
Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (movie)
Seven Years in Tibet (movie)
Sixteen Candles (movie)
Stand by Me (movie)
Still Alice (movie)
The Angry Birds Movie (movie)
The Other Guys (movie)

Leaving on March 2

Ravenous (movie)

Leaving on March 15

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (movie)

Leaving on March 16

A Walk Among the Tombstones (movie)

Leaving on March 23

The Machine (movie)

Leaving on March 24

Oldboy (movie)

Leaving on March 25

No Escape (movie)

Leaving on March 27

Happy! seasons 1-2 (TV show)

Leaving on March 30

Godzilla vs. Kong (movie)
Mad Max: Fury Road (movie)

Leaving on March 31

The Windsors seasons 1-3 (TV show)

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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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, March 1 (game #1132).

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 #1133) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1133) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1133) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1133) - 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 #1133) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• G

• D

• L

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

Quordle today (game #1133) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1133, are…

• TUNIC
• GLOSS
• DEBUG
• LARGE

Lots of educated guesses got me home today – and by educated I mean things that have appeared in Quordle before, not actual education.

I got myself into a bit of a corner with my start words. I was aiming to cover as many letters as possible, but took a long time trying to think of a decent word that had R and U in it. Fortunately the one I chose got me off to a great start with all five letters of TUNIC.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1133) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1133, are…

• BELLE
• PLUMP
• SLINK
• MEDIA

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL
• Quordle #1130, Thursday 27 February: THIEF, CHAIR, ETHER, GRIME
• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER
• Quordle #1128, Tuesday 25 February: TWIST, TWEAK, MEANT, CLEAR
• Quordle #1127, Monday 24 February: LEASH, LEVER, TOTEM, CREME
• Quordle #1126, Sunday 23 February: RABID, RELIC, SCRAM, BASIS
• Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
• Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
• Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE
• Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE
• Quordle #1121, Tuesday 18 February: TAMER, SCRUB, BRICK, DRIFT
• Quordle #1120, Monday 17 February: SADLY, WAFER, LITHE, IDIOM
• Quordle #1119, Sunday 16 February: GHOUL, AFIRE, COVEN, FIERY
• Quordle #1118, Saturday 15 February: CREEP, CONDO, GRILL, FANCY
• Quordle #1117, Friday 14 February: MEDIA, ELUDE, THUMB, WIDOW
• Quordle #1116, Thursday 13 February: SCALP, DWELL, AMPLE, TRUNK
• Quordle #1115, Wednesday 12 February: SHOOK, GRADE, POLAR, SEEDY
• Quordle #1114, Tuesday 11 February: HEAVY, CIRCA, PESKY, SCION
• Quordle #1113, Monday 10 February: TWIXT, FRESH, GUISE, TABBY

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, March 1 (game #363).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Getting closure

NYT Strands today (game #364) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PEEL
• TENT
• ROCK
• SLAVE
• LOCK
• GAMER

NYT Strands today (game #364) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Lock together

NYT Strands today (game #364) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #364) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #364, are…

• ZIPPER
• VELCRO
• BUTTON
• SNAP
• BUCKLE
• CLASP
• MAGNET
• SPANGRAM: FASTENERS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

I have a relative who would have been triggered by today’s puzzle, as they suffer from koumpounophobia.

In their case it is not so much a fear of the BUTTON as much as disgust for its tiny plasticness with the itty bitty holes.

You’d think this would result in them having no clothes that feature buttons and that they’d commission an entire wardrobe of clothes utilizing the wonder of VELCRO, but you’d be wrong. It’s very confusing.

On probing their condition it turned out their real phobia wasn’t buttons at all – it was toggles, and those are far easier to avoid, so long as you avoid campsites and the deep-sea fishing industry.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 1 March, game #363)

• HUMAN
• CROCODILE
• LION
• ORCA
• TYRANNOSAURUS
• SPANGRAM: APEX PREDATORS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, March 1 (game #629).

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 #630) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WIN
• SHOE
• SHAKE
• WEST
• VIBRATE
• LOSE
• HAM
• DRAW
• HEART
• AIRPLANE
• TUNGSTEN
• DODGE
• DO NOT DISTURB
• WATT
• ESCAPE
• RING

NYT Connections today (game #630) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Settings
• GREEN: Ways to get away from someone
• BLUE: 23rd letter of the alphabet
• PURPLE: Add a ropey word that rhymes with “thing”

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 #630) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CELLPHONE MODES
• GREEN: EVADE 
• BLUE: WHAT "W" MIGHT STAND FOR 
• PURPLE: ___STRING 

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

NYT Connections today (game #630) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #630, are…

• YELLOW: CELLPHONE MODES AIRPLANE, DO NOT DISTURB, RING, VIBRATE
• GREEN: EVADE DODGE, ESCAPE, LOSE, SHAKE
• BLUE: WHAT "W" MIGHT STAND FOR TUNGSTEN, WATT, WEST, WIN
• PURPLE: ___STRING DRAW, HAM, HEART, SHOE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

I can’t help but think that today’s puzzle was the work of someone who follows the machinations of the English Premier League, considering how it contained the words WEST and HAM beside the word LOSE (West Ham United are a London football club having a fairly indifferent season).

The EVADE group came together quickly but it was just guesswork that got me ___STRING after initially thinking I was looking for objects from Dr Seuss stories (HAM in Green Eggs & Ham, SHOE in Wacky Wednesday).

Meanwhile, my lack of knowledge of the periodic table meant that WHAT “W” MIGHT STAND FOR was a mystery until Google helped me out with my confusion – W being the symbol for TUNGSTEN, as it is also known as Wolfram in many countries.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 1 March, game #629)

• YELLOW: ASSOCIATED WITH GOOD LUCK HORSESHOE, LADYBUG, PENNY, SHAMROCK
• GREEN: TO-BO- COMPOUND WORDS TOLLBOOTH, TOMBOY, TOOLBOX, TOWBOAT
• BLUE: BROADWAY MUSICALS, FAMILIARLY FIDDLER, MERRILY, PHANTOM, SUNSET
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "COWBOY" IN FILM AND MUSIC DRUGSTORE, MIDNIGHT, RHINESTONE, SPACE

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

The GX87 brings innovations from the custom keyboard space to a much more affordable price.

• Framework says Laptop 12 is the “purest manifestation” of company vision
• It will come in a choice of five colors and be hard to break, easy to repair
• No word on pricing, but pre-orders start in April, with shipping in the middle of 2025

Do you remember the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project? The super-ambitious initiative, which launched in 2005, looked to provide low-cost, durable laptops to young students in developing countries at a time when an estimated one billion children had little access to education and no access to computers.

OLPC introduced the XO-1 laptop in 2007, featuring a unique energy-efficient design, a sunlight-readable screen, and mesh networking capabilities. The goal was to sell it for $100 per unit - although costs ultimately far exceeded expectations. There were also logistical challenges, such as limited internet access and a lack of teacher training.

Now, Framework, the company behind a range of modular laptops, has introduced the Framework Laptop 12, a “durable, repairable, upgradeable” 12.2-inch touchscreen convertible notebook that reminds me of that project. It’s surely no coincidence that Framework’s founder and CEO, Nirav Patel, worked on OLPC, creating open source camera and computer vision libraries for the Sugar OS on the XO laptops.

"Purest manifestation" of Framework vision

Patel says the new Framework Laptop 12 is, “the purest manifestation of our vision and product philosophy at Framework, and is in many ways the product I started the company to create.”

Available in five colorways, each with an optional color-matched stylus, it features an overmolded shock-absorbing TPU over rigid PC/ABS plastic, with an inner metal structure for durability. And because it comes from Framework, if you do break it, it will be easy to repair.

It might be small, but it's also mighty. As Patel explains, “Instead of using a typical small-core processor, we brought in the full 13th Gen Intel Core processor in i3 and i5 variants. We enabled support for up to 48GB of DDR5-5200 RAM, 2TB of NVMe storage, and Wi-Fi 6E, all of which are modular and upgradeable.” The 1920×1200 display delivers >400 nits of brightness along with touch and stylus support.

“Even though we had students in mind when we began developing this product two years ago, we found as we iterated through prototypes that every adult who tried it wanted one too!” Patel says.

There’s no word on pricing yet (it certainly won’t be $100), but we should know more soon, as it’s expected to be available for pre-order in April, with shipments in mid-2025. As always, you’ll be able to choose between Windows or Linux.

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Daredevil: Born Again is almost here, everyone. The highly anticipated Marvel TV show, not to mention sequel to Netflix's live-action Daredevil series, will arrive on March 4 (US) and March 5 (UK and Australia). While some actors will reprise their roles from Netflix's adaptation, many others will make their debut in Matt Murdock's first standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adventure. So there's no better time to get the scoop on them all.

Below, I've compiled a list of the Disney+ show's confirmed cast, the characters they'll play, and where you might have seen them before. I won't be discussing any actors who are rumored to appear in cameo or supporting roles, though – if you want to read about those, my dedicated Daredevil: Born Again guide is the place to go.

One last thing before you proceed: full spoilers follow for all three seasons of Daredevil on Netflix, plus Echo on Disney+. Light spoilers are also incoming for Born Again.

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil

Matt Murdock moonlights as the blind vigilante known as Daredevil, aka the Devil of Hell's Kitchen (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

The protagonist of Netflix's Daredevil show and now the lead character of his own MCU TV series, Charlie Cox returns to play Matt Murdock and his superpowered alter-ego in Marvel's sandbox.

While Cox has had small roles in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Echo and was effectively the co-star in episode 8 of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, this is the first time he'll have a more substantial role in a Marvel Studios production.

So, what's Murdock up to at the start of Born Again? Picking up events after the season 3 finale of the Netflix series, he's become the co-owner of law firm Murdock, Nelson, and Page – teaming up with long-time friend and fellow lawyer Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson, and former reporter/Murdock's perennial love interest Karen Page... and that's all I'll say for now!

As for Cox, you might have seen him in other TV shows, including Kin, Treason, and Boardwalk Empire. He was also the male lead in the cult classic fantasy film Stardust.

Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk

Wilson Fisk is making a play to become New York mayor in Daredevil: Born Again (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

Like Cox, Born Again isn't Vincent D'Onofrio's first rodeo in the MCU. Reprising his role as Fisk from Daredevil on Netflix, he had a small but important role in Hawkeye ahead of his primary antagonistic role in Echo.

Thanks to events that transpired in the latter's finale, we know that the former crime lord, who used to go by the pseudonym Kingpin, will be running for New York City's Mayoral office at the beginning of Born Again. If he's successful, it'll spell bad news for Murdock and his fellow crimefighters.

D'Onofrio will be a familiar face to film and TV fans alike, with the long-time actor appearing in Full Metal Jacket, Jurassic World, Men in Black, Godfather of Harlem, Ratched, and many more besides.

Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page

Woll's Page (left) was brought into the fold after a substantial creative overhaul of Born Again's plot (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

One of the three individuals who owns Murdock, Nelson, and Page, Karen Page is a former investigative journalist-turned-business owner. She's part of Daredevil's core acting quartet who have returned for this Marvel sequel.

That wasn't always the case, mind you. Originally, Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson weren't part of this show's cast; Marvel intended Born Again to be an entirely new series that would only reference the Netflix show in passing. However, after Marvel decided to creatively overhaul Daredevil: Born Again in October 2023, Woll and Henson were asked to return as their respective characters. Marvel hasn't publicly acknowledged how big of a role Page will have in this series. However, fans fear for her safety after leaked Born Again footage suggested that she may be targeted by a returning villain (more on him later).

Some readers will know Woll from the popular vampire TV show True Blood. She's also appeared in more of Netflix's Marvel series like The Defenders and The Punisher, as well as horror flicks including Escape Room.

Elden Henson as Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson

Henson (left) is back as Nelson in Daredevil: Born Again (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

Like Woll, Elden Henson only officially joined this show's cast after a Daredevil: Born Again image confirmed their return last January. As I mentioned earlier, his character is one of the three owners of the Murdock, Nelson, and Page law firm. Marvel hasn't revealed if Nelson will play a big part in this Marvel Phase 5 show's story, either.

As for where you may have seen Henson previously, he appeared in both installments of Lionsgate's live-action adaptation of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Apple's Killers of the Flower Moon film, and shows like Smith and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.

Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn

Glenn (right) is the latest woman that Matt Murdock falls for (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The first of many new faces to enter Matt Murdock's orbit, Margarita Levieva will play Heather Glenn, a therapist and Murdock's new love interest. Her character profile and backstory differ from how she's presented in Marvel comic books, which depicts Glenn as a socialite. By the way, if you want to learn more about Glenn and any other Born Again characters you're unfamiliar with, check out our exclusive offer below for Marvel Unlimited, the comic giant's digital subscription service that's home to over 30,000 comic books – but, be quick! The deal expires on March 4.

Anyway, some people may remember that Levieva played Mother Koril in last year's Star Wars: The Acolyte (which isn't one of the best Disney+ shows). Others might know her from main roles in The Deuce, Litvinenko, Allegiance, and Vanished.

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Nikki M. James as Kirsten McDuffie

Kirsten McDuffie (right) becomes Matt Murdock's (left) new law firm partner in Born Again (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

Joining Levieva on the newcomer list is Nikki M. James, who'll portray Kirsten McDuffie. In the comics, she's a deputy district attorney whose close friendship with Murdock eventually led to them becoming romantically entangled. Oh, and they also set up their own law firm in Marvel's source material.

It remains to be seen if Born Again will authentically adapt this part of Daredevil lore but, given Glenn will be Murdock's paramour in the show's first season, nobody should expect Murdock and McDuffie to fall in love. Don't be surprised if they cross paths professionally, though!

James will be instantly recognizable to anyone who watched season 1 of mystery thriller series Severance on Apple TV+, where she played Alex. She's also featured in Proven Innocent, The Good Fight, and BrainDead among other TV programs.

Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher

Marvel fans were delighted to see that Jon Bernthal is back as Frank Castle (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Switching back to some actors who are returning from Daredevil, aka one of the best Netflix shows. Jon Bernthal, who made a name for himself in The Walking Dead, is back as Frank Castle, a US Army veteran-turned-vigilante who fights the criminal underworld using lethal force. Like Woll and Henson, I can't say how integral he'll be to season 1's overarching narrative. Whatever role Castle has in proceedings, it's sure to be a bloody and brutal one.

The Walking Dead notwithstanding, Bernthal has appeared in other acclaimed TV shows, including The Bear on Hulu, and numerous movies like The Accountant, Sicario, and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Wilson Bethel as Benjamin 'Dex' Pointdexter/Bullseye

Bethel's Bullseye also returns in Daredevil: Born Again (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The secondary antagonist of Daredevil season 3, Wilson Bethel's Pointdexter is a mentally unstable former FBI agent who was molded into a cold-hard killer by Fisk in the hit show's final chapter. Indeed, he even impersonated The Devil of Hell's Kitchen in a bid to tarnish the eponymous vigilante's name and reputation. Ironically, Bullseye was near-beaten to death by Fisk in the season 3 finale after he learned that Fisk was responsible for his wife's death.

Unfortunately for Murdock and Fisk alike, Bullseye will return, with Bethel making a brief appearance in Daredevil: Born Again's gritty and brutal first trailer. Who knows who he'll be gunning for first.

Bethel was last seen starring in All Rise, but he's also appeared in The Astronaut Wives Club, Hart of Dixie, and The Young and the Restless.

Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk

Vanessa Fisk is having marital issues with her husband as Born Again's story begins (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Another star who was asked to return following the show's creative reinvention, Ayelet Zurer will reprise her role as Wilson Fisk's wife Vanessa, who'll reportedly be estranged from her husband at the start of Born Again. Per Business Insider, she's taken over his criminal empire in his absence, too.

Outside of Daredevil and its follow-up series, Zurer is known for her performances in Moonhaven, Losing Alice, and Money Heist.

Zabryna Guevara as Sheila Rivera

Rivera helps Wilson Fisk win the New York City mayoral election (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Zabryna Guevara is set to play a character who doesn't exist in Marvel comics, Sheila Rivera. She's believed to have ties to Fisk in Born Again and based on the footage and images I've seen so far, I suspect she'll be part of the team trying to help him win New York City's mayoral position.

Guevara is most famous for appearing in Gotham, a DC Comics TV show that served as a Batman prequel and reinterpreted many of the Dark Knight's seemingly infinite number of characters. More recently, she's been part of the casts of New Amsterdam, Emergence, and Castle Rock.

Arty Froushan as Buck Cashman

Froushan is part of Wilson Fisk's mayoral office team (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Another individual I expect to be part of Fisk's campaign team is Buck Cashman, played by Arty Froushan. Cashman will differ from his comic book counterpart. In Marvel literature, he's a mercenary who works for the US government under the alias Bullet, but it's unclear if the MCU's Buck Cashman will eventually become Bullet.

Best known for playing Jonah Breakspear in Prime Video's Carnival Row, Froushan has also featured in House of the Dragon and Downton Abbey 3 among other projects.

Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blade

Wilson Fisk reportedly takes Daniel Blake (pictured) under his wing (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The son of The Sopranos star James Gandolfini, Michael Gandolfini is set to play Daniel Blade, who was revealed to be Fisk's protege in a previous edition of SFX Magazine. Blade is another original character created for Born Again.

This series is far from Gandolfini's first role, though. He's appeared in shows like Extrapolations and The Deuce, but his most famous role came in The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel movie to The Sopranos that saw Gandolfini play a younger version of Tony Soprano, aka the same character his late father portrayed in one of the best Max shows.

Kamar de los Reyes as Hector Ayala/White Tiger

White Tiger is one of the newer vigilantes who's appeared in New York City recently (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The first Hispanic superhero to appear in Marvel's illustrious history, Hector Ayala is more famously known as his superpowered counterpart White Tiger, whose enhanced physical abilities manifest when Ayala wears a mystical amulet.

Kamar de los Reyes will play the character in Born Again, which marks White Tiger's live-action debut in any big- or small-screen Marvel production. It also marks de los Reyes' final acting performance. The Puerta Rican actor died in December 2023 after a short battle with cancer. Other projects he appeared in before his death include the TV adaptation of Sleepy Hollow, The American, and The Rookie.

Genneya Walton as B.B. Urich

Walton will play the daughter of Ben Urich, who featured in Daredevil's TV show on Netflix (Image credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

A young, on-the-beat investigative reporter, B.B. Urich is the daughter of the murdered Ben Urich, who was killed by Fisk in Daredevil season 2. Will she find out that Fisk was responsible for her father's demise and, if so, will she attempt to prevent him from taking office? Only time will tell.

Known for her roles in BlackAF, Never Have I Ever, and Candy Cane Lane, Genneya Watson's star is certainly on the rise. Don't be shocked if you hear more about her following her supporting role in one of 2025's most exciting new shows.

Clark Johnson as Cherry

Cherry is a former New York City police detective who's on retainer at Matt Murdock's law firm (Image credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

A retired New York police officer who works as a freelance investigator for Murdock, the character simply known as Cherry will help the titular lawyer/vigilante crack some of his most important cases.

Last seen as part of the cast of Evil, Clark Johnson has also had acting roles in The Wire, Bosch, and The Shield.

Jeremy Earl as Cole North

Cole North is put in charge of the Anti-Vigilante Task Force in Born Again (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Another individual whose Marvel comics backstory has been slightly altered for Daredevil: Born Again. In the source material, Cole North is a highly-regarded police detective who transfers from Chicago to New York and is ordered by Fisk to track down and arrest any vigilantes operating in the city. In Born Again, North will be a corrupt cop assigned to lead the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (per Inverse), which may or may not be set up by Fisk. So, as I say, it's a slight tweak to his comic book origins story.

As for Jeremy Earl, he's been a part of the cast of Empire, NCIS: Hawaii, and Chicago PD.

Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne/Swordsman

Tony Dalton's Swordsman will have a small supporting role in Daredevil: Born Again (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

First appearing in Hawkeye, Tony Dalton's Jack Duquesne, aka Swordsman, was the fiance of Kate Bishop's mom Eleanor. He was framed by Eleanor Bishop, who was working for Fisk at the time, for killing his own father Armand. In the end, Duquesne walks away a free man after Eleanor is arrested for Armand's murder. Nobody knows why Dalton will cameo in Born Again, but my best guess is that he'll be one of Murdock's clients who needs a hand to evade the law and/or clear his name.

An actor who's only recently started appearing in English language projects after many years starring in Spanish language films and TV shows, Tony Dalton is best known for playing Lito's agent in Sense8 and portraying Lalo Salamanca in Better Call Saul.

Mohan Kapur as Yusuf Khan

Kamal Khan's father will also appear in Born Again season 1 (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Another of Murdock's likely clientele, Yusuf Khan is the father of Kamala Khan, aka Ms Marvel. He made his MCU debut in his daughter's self-titled Disney+ show before cameo-ing alongside the rest of their family in The Marvels, aka one of the lowest-ranked films on my best Marvel movies list.

Another actor who only made their English-language production debut in recent times, Mohan Kapur has been part of the cast for movies including Life's Good and The Vaccine War, as well as numerous Indian Hindi-language projects.

??? as Muse

We still don't know which actor is playing Muse in Daredevil: Born Again season 1 (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Now this casting is an interesting one. A recent addition to Daredevil's rogues gallery in the comics, Muse is a serial killer who uses the corpses and bloody remains of his victims to create grotesque artworks across New York City. If there was any doubt that Daredevil: Born Again would be fully TV-MA (that's 18-plus in the UK and M in Australia), Muse's inclusion proves it will be.

Anyway, we know that Muse will be a secondary antagonist in the forthcoming show. What we don't know, however, is who's been hired to play them. There have been rumors that Hunter Doohan, who was last seen starring in Netflix's hugely successful Wednesday TV series, has been secretly cast as Muse, but that's still speculation at the time of publication. Once I know more, I'll update this article.

For more Marvel coverage, read my guides on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, Spider-Man 4, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Marvel Phase 6.

It can be next to impossible to get your money back from a digital payment app scam. Here's how to avoid becoming a victim.

Bombarded by social media ads promising the “perfect” T-shirt whatever your shape, WIRED put these claims to the test with world-famous Savile Row tailors Gieves & Hawkes.