Technology

Here are hints -- and the answers -- for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 276, for June 26.

Here are hints -- and answers -- for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 480 for June 26.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,468 for June 26.

Your diet plays a bigger role in your vision than you think. These nutrient-rich foods can help keep your eyes healthy as you get older.

As you get older, taking care of your joints should be a top priority. Consider talking to your doctor about lifestyle changes like taking these vitamins and supplements to ensure healthy and strong joints as you age.

If you've kept up to date with my articles recently, then you'll be aware that I've been on the lookout for acquiring the MSI Claw 8 AI+ or an equivalent handheld with an 8-inch screen.

This is simply because I want a handheld gaming PC that has a bigger screen, without going overboard like some of the unappealing devices that look like a tablet and controller super-glued together.

Unfortunately, that's not possible, since the Claw 8 AI+ is almost non-existent across retailers in the UK and the US, and opting for the Lenovo Legion Go S or the original (both using the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme) would seem a little nonsensical since I'd miss out on the processor upgrade. So, I guess you can say I've been a little out of luck... or have I?

I say this because acquiring the Xreal One AR glasses for testing on the Asus ROG Ally has left me amazed at just how much better handheld gaming can be. With a micro OLED display, an X1 chip, adjustable screen size, and distance, including an ultrawide mode (up to a 32:9 aspect ratio), it's one of the best solutions for those who want a bigger screen. However, that's not all.

Neck and hand strain is no longer an issue...

The Xreal One AR glasses massively contribute to a reduction of neck and hand strain. As much as I love handheld gaming PCs, I'll admit it's difficult to get the same experience as you would with a desktop gaming setup – and no, I'm not talking about performance.

One way or another, most will find issues with neck and hand aches (especially with heavier 8-inch devices) after prolonged periods of gaming – trust me, I can already see the "touch grass comments" – but the Xreal One glasses completely alleviate these problems.

With its follow and anchor modes, you can easily move the projected display and lock it wherever you prefer. Essentially, I could use my handheld while lying in bed and have the action projected onto the ceiling, adjusting the screen size up to 147 inches with an adjustable distance for visual clarity.

With a transparency mode, I could easily darken the surroundings of the projected display, producing a theater-like experience, built for immersion. This is best used in a dark room without any light intrusion. It's not going to reproduce what you'd get with a full VR headset, of course not, but it does a great job at placing you in the world of your content.

It's not just gaming either. The ultrawide mode is fantastic for 21:9 movies and games, but don't expect much with the latter on handhelds. On Bazzite (a SteamOS clone), I couldn't manage to get an ultrawide resolution working in Stellar Blade (the game I tested most) – so while you can use the ultrawide mode with the ROG Ally, you'll be left with black bars in-game.

In all honesty, you should never expect to be playing at an ultrawide resolution using a handheld gaming PC. That's the realm of a more powerful gaming PC instead – and this introduces the gripes I do have with the Xreal One AR glasses.

Don't judge me... I'm in love with it (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)The Xreal One glasses are too expensive, especially for handheld-only usage

The biggest problem I have with the Xreal One glasses is their price. It retails at $499 / £499, which, if you're using it for a variety of devices, is still reasonable. However, if you're buying this strictly for your handheld (which is probably why you're even reading this) or desktop gaming PC, then it's hard for me to recommend.

This is because you'll most likely need to buy accessories like the Xreal Hub to simultaneously charge your handheld while also using a separate connection for display. For those that have handhelds like the Lenovo Legion Go or MSI Claw 8 AI+, you're in luck, as they have two USB-C ports, but the Asus ROG Ally doesn't.

It's no secret that the ROG Ally's battery life is pretty bad. So, without a dock that has Power Delivery with DisplayPort or the Xreal Hub, I couldn't use the Xreal One glasses to their full potential, as I had to keep charging my handheld after 30 to 45 minutes from full charge.

The same applied to my gaming PC, as you'll need an HDMI to USB-C or DP to USB-C cable (with USB-A power) to get the glasses working. What I'm trying to say is I don't like the fact that you have to spend more on accessories, as such to get the AR glasses working at their full potential, especially when it already costs a lot of money.

When you throw in the price of the handhelds themselves, it becomes a huge expense altogether, and overall, a tough recommendation. Don't get me wrong, these are a great set of AR glasses that I'd love to use for travel and the convenience of better multitasking, but just be ready to cough up a lot of cash for the best possible experience.

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• Best handheld games consoles in 2025: the top systems we've tried
• Xreal has changed the game with its One Pro AR smart glasses, and I think I'm in love

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, June 25 (game #1248).

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 #1249) - hint #1 - VowelsHow 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 #1249) - 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 #1249) - 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 #1249) - 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 #1249) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• R

• G

• M

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

Quordle today (game #1249) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1249, are…

• SLUMP
• REBUS
• GUAVA
• MONEY

It took me a long time to get to REBUS, trying several invented words first and resisting the temptation to type in REUSE, even though I knew it was wrong.

Meanwhile, GUAVA was arrived at through Quordle muscle memory of it appearing in the game before.

Nothing though could prepare me for another fiendishly tricky edition of the Daily Sequence, though. Who knew so many words ended A-U-N-T?

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1249) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1249, are…

• DAUNT
• FLECK
• PAUSE
• JUMBO

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1248, Wednesday, 25 June: SOGGY, CLASH, MODEM, SQUAD
• Quordle #1247, Tuesday, 24 June: QUALM, SQUIB, AXIAL, FLACK
• Quordle #1246, Monday, 23 June: PIXEL, FJORD, STEAL, EXIST
• Quordle #1245, Sunday, 22 June: WREST, CRAZE, PAPAL, SCION
• Quordle #1244, Saturday, 21 June: BUDDY, GROUT, BEGIN, MADAM
• Quordle #1243, Friday, 20 June: BRAID, DULLY, HASTE, LURID
• Quordle #1242, Thursday, 19 June: BRUSH, ISLET, FRUIT, PRIVY
• Quordle #1241, Wednesday, 18 June: MEDIA, SHARK, GUPPY, MOURN
• Quordle #1240, Tuesday, 17 June: LEAPT, PRISM, ADMIN, WHINE
• Quordle #1239, Monday, 16 June: RETRY, SCALD, DINGO, FEIGN
• Quordle #1238, Sunday, 15 June: SHOCK, STEIN, BROIL, COVEN
• Quordle #1237, Saturday, 14 June: STICK, FERRY, THESE, IONIC
• Quordle #1236, Friday, 13 June: REPEL, LARGE, SNIDE, CARRY
• Quordle #1235, Thursday, 12 June: SCANT, BATCH, UNDER, PARSE
• Quordle #1234, Wednesday, 11 June: CRAVE, ROOST, ANGLE, FLOOD
• Quordle #1233, Tuesday, 10 June: DECRY, CHEEK, FILET, EASEL
• Quordle #1232, Monday, 9 June: DERBY, LEMON, WRITE, HOVEL
• Quordle #1231, Sunday, 8 June: REBAR, ALERT, PAYEE, FLUME
• Quordle #1230, Saturday, 7 June: FLUNK, ESTER, SPITE, CHEAP
• Quordle #1229, Friday, 6 June: ELUDE, KHAKI, VISTA, SMOKY

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, June 25 (game #745).

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 #746) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• LOVELACE
• ENIGMA
• SEWING
• SUITS
• VENDING
• HAWKING
• DRESSING
• MCQUEEN
• GOLIATH
• PROTEIN
• PINBALL
• DAMAGES
• CHEESE
• BOJACK
• MATLOCK
• LETTUCE

NYT Connections today (game #746) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Think: Healthy cold dish
• GREEN: All mechanical
• BLUE: TV lawyers
• PURPLE: Top deck

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 #746) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: COMPONENTS OF A SALAD 
• GREEN: KINDS OF MACHINES 
• BLUE: LEGAL DRAMAS 
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH PLAYING CARDS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #746) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #746, are…

• YELLOW: COMPONENTS OF A SALAD CHEESE, DRESSING, LETTUCE, PROTEIN
• GREEN: KINDS OF MACHINES ENIGMA, PINBALL, SEWING, VENDING
• BLUE: LEGAL DRAMAS DAMAGES, GOLIATH, MATLOCK, SUITS
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH PLAYING CARDS BOJACK, HAWKING, LOVELACE, MCQUEEN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I’d like to say that I saw four words ENDING WITH PLAYING CARDS, but I thought I was making up a group of famous Stephens. This was entirely based on HAWKING and MCQUEEN. I guessed at BOJACK, but my one mistake came when I picked MATLOCK instead of LOVELACE.

Meanwhile, I am sure that the Connections debate of the day will be over COMPONENTS OF A SALAD – a category that could include many things, like tomato, cucumber, celery and indeed LETTUCE, but CHEESE? Is cheese that common a salad feature to warrant being a component?

I was pleased to see VENDING amid KINDS OF MACHINES. It is surely one of life’s great pleasures to buy something from a vending machine and see two items instead of the purchased one clunk down into the bucket.

Of course there is the equal irritation of putting your money in and nothing coming out – at which point you must resist trying to put your hand into the machine, Homer Simpson-style, and just remember that life is a balance sheet of gains and losses. And also, to sometimes let go.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, June 25, game #745)

• YELLOW: KINDS OF CHEESES BLUE, GOAT, JACK, SWISS
• GREEN: BEVERAGE SELF-SERVICE ITEMS CUP, LID, NAPKIN, STRAW
• BLUE: WOODWORKING HAND TOOLS CHISEL, PLANE, RASP, SAW
• PURPLE: BIRDS MINUS LAST LETTER CRAN, FLAMING, HERO, RAVE

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, June 25 (game #479).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Fowl business

NYT Strands today (game #480) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• HEAT
• PAGES
• MESH
• STIR
• GRAD
• GASP

NYT Strands today (game #480) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #480) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #480) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #480, are…

• TURKEY
• QUAIL
• GOOSE
• PARTRIDGE
• GROUSE
• PHEASANT
• SPANGRAM: GAME BIRDS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

“Fowl business” immediately had me searching for the letter K, as I was convinced our search would include chicken. Instead, we were looking for fancier GAME BIRDS than the common junglefowl.

The K search led me to TURKEY, which set me on the way for an easy stroll around the grid as I asked myself the questions: how many of these birds have I eaten (1).

PHEASANT was the only word that slowed me down, as I saw “birds” before seeing the accompanying “game”.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, June 25, game #479)

• WATCH
• HANDBAG
• JEWELRY
• PERFUME
• CONVERTIBLE
• SPANGRAM: LUXURY GOODS

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.

• Nvidia is pushing SSD makers toward 100 million IOPS storage target
• But Silicon Motion CEO says industry lacks memory tech to meet AI demands
• New memory may be needed to unlock ultra-fast AI storage

As GPUs grow faster and memory bandwidth scales into the terabytes per second, storage has become the next major bottleneck in AI computing.

Nvidia is looking to push storage to match the demands of AI models by hitting an ambitious target for small-block random reads.

"Right now, they are aiming for 100 million IOPS - which is huge," Wallace C. Kuo, CEO of Silicon Motion, told Tom's Hardware.

Looking for a media change

Today’s fastest PCIe 5.0 SSDs top out at around 14.5GB/s and 2 to 3 million IOPS in workloads involving 4K and 512-byte reads.

While larger blocks favor bandwidth, AI inference typically pulls small, scattered bits of data. That makes 512B random reads more relevant, and much harder to accelerate.

Kioxia is already preparing an “AI SSD” based on XL-Flash, that is expected to exceed 10 million IOPS. It could launch alongside Nvidia’s upcoming Vera Rubin platform next year. But scaling beyond that could require more than just faster controllers or NAND tweaks.

“I believe they are looking for a media change,” Kuo said. “Optane was supposed to be the ideal solution, but it is gone now. Kioxia is trying to bring XL-NAND and improve its performance. SanDisk is trying to introduce High Bandwidth Flash, but honestly, I don't really believe in it.”

Power, cost, and latency all pose challenges. “The industry really needs something fundamentally new,” Kuo added. “Otherwise, it will be very hard to achieve 100 million IOPS and still be cost-effective.”

Micron, SanDisk, and others are racing to invent new forms of non-volatile memory.

Whether any of them will arrive in time for Nvidia’s next wave of hardware is the big unknown.

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• The Concept AMG XX will take the brand into its next chapter
• Three axial flux motors can propel the slippery shape to 224mph
• An LED light panel at the rear is one of many futuristic features

Mercedes-Benz has lifted the lid on the future of its revered tuning arm with the all-electric AMG GT XX concept, which eschews thundering V8 petrol engines for an all-electric powertrain.

Where customers once flocked to the hand-built, naturally aspirated monsters that lurked under the hood, Mercedes-AMG has been trapped between a rock and a hard place of late, dabbling with smaller capacity turbocharged engines and hybrid powertrains that have failed to hit the mark with Affalterbach aficionados.

“The heart of an AMG was always the motor, we’re delivering a revolutionary new drive that is unparalleled in terms of power density, weight and packaging,” says Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Schiebe.

The new motor that Schiebe hopes will once again stir emotions is actually three axial flux electric motors that are around two-thirds lighter and 67% smaller than traditional radial flux motors that appear on most of today’s EVs.

(Image credit: Future)

Often referred to as 'pancake motors', axial flux drive units are made up of components that look like slim discs and, when stacked, can almost fit inside a pizza box, meaning they can be placed nearer the wheels for improved packaging.

Innovative rectangular copper wiring is then packed into tight coils, allowing for more copper per slot in the stator, creating an energy density that is almost three-times that of conventional, sausage roll-shaped radial motors, yet they take up just one third of the space.

To continue the food analogy, Mercedes-AMG likens the use of rectangular wiring to the Italian’s use of tagliatelle, rather than spaghetti, when cooking up a hearty Ragu, because “its flatter, broader surface carries more of the sauce”.

The Concept AMG GT XX uses three of these motors packed into two High Performance Electric Drive Units, one at the front that uses a single axial motor and a unit in the rear that features two.

(Image credit: Future)

Combined with all-new, cylindrical Nickel Cobalt Manganese Aluminum (NCMA) battery cells, the powertrain delivers staggering performance figures: 1,360hp, a top speed of 224mph and a top-up time of under five minutes thanks to 850kW charging capabilities.

Mercedes teamed up with charging experts Alpitronic to produce a prototype charging station that is capable of transmitting such a high current via a standard CCS connector.

It says it hopes to roll out its own 10,000-strong super-fast charging network using the technology by the next decade, although it wouldn’t say how many of those would be able to reach the 850kW output.

Aero everywhere

(Image credit: Mercedes-AMG)

Taking inspiration from the ultra-slippery Vision One-Eleven concept car, the AMG GT XX has a drag coefficient of 0.198 – about the same as a soaring eagle or a dolphin at full speed, according to AMG engineers.

Specially-designed contours under the body help channel airflow, while active cooling flaps open and close in the front bumper to either reduce drag or funnel cold air to the battery packs and electric drivetrain.

In another world-first, the all-wheel-drive AMG GT XX also features active aero in the wheels, which feature electronically actuated blades that open when the brakes require cooling but then close again to reduce drag.

Cleverly, the wheels act as giant dynamos that charge the system so it doesn't rely on the EV's batteries. However, Mercedes wouldn't go into detail about how much each wheel might cost if you accidentally curb it.

The overall fastback design is low and wide, the window steeply raked to help channel air over the car, with motorsport-inspired air outlets in the bonnet helping to dissipate warm air that is then funneled into the cooling system.

At the rear, there’s a monster diffuser that is finished in naked carbon fibre and a 3D pixel light panel that can display a variety of messages and graphics. During presentations, it gaudily flashed an animated AMG logo, the vehicle’s charge status or a series of naff messages.

I might not the be the target audience for this vehicle, but to me, it doesn’t feel very AMG. But that’s the point, right? This is the new AMG for the kids.

The concept vehicle is also finished in what Mercedes calls its “Fluid Light Paint”. This new-fangled pigment sees painted sections emit light in response to an electric current.

The result is an exterior light array, which runs along the flanks of the concept and visibility glows at nighttime.

It can even 'communicate' its battery level status when hooked up to a charging outlet, like a robotic vacuum cleaner or any other rechargeable electrical appliance, for that matter.

LEDs and loudspeakers

(Image credit: Mercedes-AMG)

The headlights don’t escape innovation either, as these house a loud speaker that will emit driving sounds and audible signals for pedestrian protection. Passive membrane technology embedded into the soundbar can emit more powerful bass notes, for more realistic, guttural AMG noises.

Inside, Mercedes has replaced the traditional steering wheel with a yoke, which alludes to the fact that the production version of the AMG GT XX Concept could be among the first to sport the German marque’s steer-by-wire system.

The interior features plenty of exposed elements that make it feel like a GT racer, with 3D-printed seat pads that can be tailored to fit the driver and swapped out with ease.

(Image credit: Mercedes-AMG)

These are clad in a Labfiber Biotech leather alternative material that is made from recycled GT3 racing tires, vegetable proteins and biopolymers.

It is an incredibly complex and scientific undertaking that results in a very hardy, leather-like substance, but there's no information on how energy intense the process is compared to, say, raising a cow.

Twin LED displays make up the infotainment package, with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch multimedia touchscreen integrated into the dash and angled towards the driver for that race car ambience.

Mercedes says its MB.UX operating system will underpin the entire digital offering, bringing the latest infotainment features, despite the racy ambience.

Head designer Gordon Wagener said the entire design process was much shorter than a typical car (around a year, compared with three) and CTO Markus Schäfer claims that much of the technology revealed today is production-ready.

In fact, there is a tentative release date for the road-going car of sometime in 2026, despite the fact we are yet to glean information on total power output, battery range and, perhaps more importantly, price.

Schäfer says that "hardcore AMG V8 fans" have already driven the car and were very positive about the performance. Similarly, he says the sheer weight of technology on the car will help protect residual values.

Whether or not combustion engine fans will be convinced by pixel panels and fake engine noises is yet to be seen, while poor resale values continue to blight high-performance, luxury EVs.

Mercedes only has to look at its recent electrified G-Wagon for proof that its current customer base perhaps isn't quite ready for the future.

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• Mercedes' new steer-by-wire tech is the next big EV trend – and I'll begrudgingly accept that it's the future

Let the final games begin.

All PlayStation Plus subscribers can play these games from July 1 to August 4.

Prime Video’s new Australian World War Two romantic drama has critics raving, but it seems audiences are still continuing to discover the epic show.

While the show was released on one of the best streaming services way back on April 18, The Narrow Road to the Deep North has struggled to gain viewership, with the show yet to top the charts in any of the countries it’s available in (it's not currently available to stream in the UK).

That’s no mark on its quality though, with viewers who have seen it praising the series, and critics hailing it as one of the best Prime Video shows around at the moment, crowning the drama with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Co-created and directed by Assassin’s Creed helmer Justin Kyrzel, The Narrow Road to the Deep North follows WW2 soldier Dorrigo Evans across three time periods: before his deployment, during his time as a prisoner of war and as an older man in the 1980s, with Jacob Elordi portraying the younger version and Ciarán Hinds playing the older Dorrigo.

Both beautiful and brutal, the series charts Dorrigo's love affair with his Uncle’s wife Amy (Odessa Young) pre-war and how that love both sustains and haunts him during his uncompromising time in a Burmese PoW camp. Later in life, Dorrigo is a revered surgeon and war hero struggling with ghosts of his past and the guilt he feels both over the affair and as a survivor of one of the most brutal theatres of the Second World War.

Based on Richard Flanagan’s novel of the same name, the show unfolds over five gripping episodes, jumping between the three timelines to tell an intricately woven story anchored by outstanding performances from Elordi and Hinds, which, at times, makes love seem as brutally painful as war.

What are the critics saying about The Narrow Road to the Deep North?

(Image credit: Amazon Prime)

With a perfect score over on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s no surprise the critical response has been glowing. The Guardian called the show “elegant and poetic” while praising the two lead actors’ complementary portrayals of Dorrigo, saying both “really feel like different reflections of the same person.”

The New York Times, meanwhile, called Elordi’s performance “terrific,” while stating the series overall masterfully “combines a sweetly doomed romance, a layered domestic drama and a harrowing World War Two tale.” The BBC also praised the young lead, saying the drama was a “stunning showcase for Jacob Elordi.”

What do the subscribers think?

(Image credit: Prime Video)

Rotten Tomatoes' Audience Score is perhaps not as strong, but still sits at a respectable 70%. Over on Reddit however, viewers are loving the show, with one post saying “that was perfect [...] worth every minute of my time.”

Another fan posted: “That was powerful [...] solid work,” while a third stated “I’m in awe at the story telling, the cinematography and the music.”

Comment from r/AmazonPrimeVideo

With the show available now on Prime Video in the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, and due to land on BBC iPlayer in the UK later in the year, this criminally underseen show needs to be added to your watchlist immediately.

Bleak, hopeful, brutal and uplifting, The Narrow Road to the Deep North is an emotionally charged must-watch.

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You'll be able to follow Wimbledon and other real-time events.

• Apple continues to fill its Sports tracking app with new sports
• Tennis is the latest entry
• Apple is also adding more customization and granularity

Apple just hit a smashing overhand, adding Tennis to its iPhone-only Sports app just in time for the sport's biggest competition: Wimbledon.

After launching in 2024 with the NBA, NHL, MLS, NCAA basketball, and NCAA football, Apple Sports quickly added the MLB and has since expanded to include the NFL, racing, and other leagues. Tennis, though, was a notable gap.

The sport arrives today and is now part of the free app, which is available in the US, UK, and Canada. As with other sports, game coverage will include live point-by-point coverage but not play-by-play. So don't expect line calls in the coverage.

One of the reasons people like me like Apple Sports is that it lives up to its real-time promise, offering, in baseball, for instance, almost instant updates about runners and the score. Tennis is, perhaps, an even faster-moving game.

In a release about the update, Apple is promising, "live scores delivered incredibly fast." We'll see.

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple Sports will, though, let fans track all matches that occur after the qualifiers. So it won't be just the top match at any given time, Apple Sports will cover all Wimbledon matches. The Tennis coverage will offer custom Sports Cards backgrounds for each match, featuring the grass or clay used in each tournament's courts (Wimbledon uses grass).

Tennis will also benefit from some other app-wide updates, including a refined home screen that now lets you customize the organization by league.

That'll come in handy even if you're not a tennis fan, too. Speaking of which, I'm especially excited about the small update coming to MLB coverage in Live Activities, which will now display the active pitcher and batter details below the score.

This has been a notable gap in Sports' baseball coverage. It's one of the chief reasons that, while I love Sports Live Activities, which can even appear on your lock screen, I've often had to switch to the MLB.com page for details about who's at bat.

Tennis elbowed

(Image credit: Apple)

With two weeks (June 30 to July 13) and dozens of matches, Wimbledon will provide a rich test for the Sports platform. You can't follow individual players, which may make the whole affair feel a little chaotic. Hopefully, Sports will eventually let you do that so you can quickly switch to a match for your "favorite" player.

Sports is still keeping the focus tight on actual league sports events and not yet covering things such as the upcoming MLB All-Star Game (July 15) or the NBA draft (June 25). In a way, this helps keep the app clean and efficient, but it also means that Sports is missing out on key moments in each sports league experience.

Additionally, while Apple Sports is available on the iPhone and visible as Live Activities on Apple Watch, there is no word on plans to bring it to the iPad...yet.

Are you a sports fan or, more specifically, a Wimbledon fan? Let us know what you think of this latest update and why you do or don't use the app in your comments below.

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• Surfshark has had its no-logs policy verified by Deloitte for the second time
• The independent verification, from a Big Four auditing firm, corroborates Surfshark’s no-logging claims
• Existing Surfshark subscribers can access the full report via their Surfshark accounts

Surfshark has reaffirmed its commitment to privacy and transparency with the release of its second no-logs assurance report on June 16, 2025.

Already rated as one of the best VPNs by TechRadar, this is the second time Surfshark has worked with Deloitte to verify its commitment to user privacy by auditing its no-logs policy.

(Image credit: Surfshark )Why Surfshark’s no-logs policy verification matters

Surfshark invited Deloitte to audit its no-logs statement for the first time back in 2023, illustrating the seriousness with which it takes user privacy.

However, a second no-logs assurance report in 2025 “demonstrates Surfshark’s proactive approach to privacy,” said Donatas Budvytis, Surfshark’s Chief Technology Officer.

It's a welcome update in an industry where plenty of VPN providers have yet to prove their own no-logs claims. Some VPNs, particularly free VPN services, do keep logs. In some cases, these can contain personally identifying information, putting user data and privacy at risk.

Only recently, TechRadar’s Chiara Castro reported that some 17 free VPN apps found in Google and Apple app stores have ties with China. VPNs operating in China are subject to strict data retention laws and may be forced to share data with the Chinese government upon request.

Surfshark’s decision to have Deloitte, one of the Big Four auditing firms, take a second look at its no-logs policy provides substantial credibility and, as Budvytis explains, “a big confirmation of privacy and transparency to our current and future users.”

It also proves Surfshark’s claims that it doesn’t monitor user activity or keep logs of their activities. That this is a second independent verification shows that this is an ongoing commitment on the part of Surfshark, and not simply a one-off.

Here’s what Deloitte was looking at

Deloitte’s independent audit provides assurance that Surfshark’s no-logs policy has been properly implemented.

As part of its evaluation, Deloitte examined internal systems and processes, conducted interviews with Surfshark staff, and reviewed supporting evidence.

Deloitte looked at Surfshark’s standard, static, and multiport servers while also analyzing how these servers are configured and deployed. Privacy settings and operational procedures were closely inspected to ensure they align with Surfshark’s privacy commitments.

Ultimately, Deloitte confirmed that the no-logs policy is consistently applied across all relevant Surfshark infrastructure.

If you’re already a Surfshark user, you can read the detailed report, ISAE 3000, which is accessible via your account.

Which VPN providers have had their no-logs policies independently audited?

Surfshark isn’t the only VPN provider to have subjected its no-logs policy to an independent audit.

NordVPN had its no-logs claims verified by PwC in 2018 and 2020 before having Deloitte conduct independent reviews in 2022, 2023, and 2025.

The VPN that has undergone more audits than most is ExpressVPN, having published 19 third-party audit reports to date.

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• SonicWall is warning hackers are distributing malicious VPN software
• NetExtender is being modified and distributed through fake websites
• The malicious software steals credentials and VPN configurations

Hackers have been spotted spoofing the SonicWall NetExtender SSL VPN client and distributing it through bogus webpages which mimic the official SonicWall site.

SonicWall and Microsoft Threat Intelligence (MSTIC) spotted the trojanized application and issued an advisory to warn users against downloading the fake software.

As NetExtender is used as a remote access VPN client, stolen VPN configuration data and VPN credentials can put both employees and businesses at risk of compromise.

Spoofed VPN client distributed through fake website

The fake VPN client is signed by "CITYLIGHT MEDIA PRIVATE LIMITED," giving it a limited level of authenticity which can fool some low level cyber protections.

The file was distributed using SEO poisoning and malvertising techniques which can make the fake website appear above the authentic site, especially in sponsored results.

(Image credit: SonicWall)

Therefore, SonicWall has reminded users to only download software from legitimate sources, in this case, sonicwall.com and mysonicwall.com.

In the research conducted by SonicWall and MSTIC, they found two modified binaries of their product being distributed by the fake website; NEService.exe which was modified to bypass digital certificate checks; and NetExtender.exe was modified to steal the configuration data and credentials.

(Image credit: SonicWall)

When all the necessary details are entered and the user clicks connect, the data which includes username, password, domain, and more, is extracted and sent to a remote server controlled by the hackers.

Both SonicWall’s and Microsoft’s cybersecurity tools can now detect the malicious software, but other third party software may not yet be configured to detect the files. It’s always a good idea to consult the best antivirus software to protect your devices from modified software and malicious files.

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