Technology

• Witchbrook, the new magical life-sim from Chucklefish, finally has a release window
• It's arriving in Holiday 2025 for Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PC
• A new gameplay trailer offers an in-depth look at the game's playable city, customization options, and spell-binding mechanics

Almost 10 years after its initial reveal, Chucklefish has finally announced that its magical life-sim Witchbrook will launch Holiday 2025 for Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PC this holiday season.

The news comes from the latest Nintendo Direct Showcase alongside a fresh gameplay trailer showcasing the bustling seaside city of Mossport, the surrounding woodlands, and Witchbrook College, where they will be able to enroll as a witch-in-training.

Making friends, finding romance amidst a cast of characters, and spending time between classes by foraging in the deep woodland are just a few aspects the game offers.

You can also sell crafts at the Sunday Market, take part in seasonal events, and renovate and customise your cozy woodland cottage and garden, with customisable clothing, hair, and accessories available.

The game will also feature up to four-player online co-op, allowing players to craft their own unique stories and experience witch academia together, something I find incredibly appealing on top of Witchbrook's beautiful pixel art aesthetic.

"Witchbrook is the most exciting project I've ever worked on, and it's been a long time coming, but I'm very eager to get the game in the hands of the players soon," said Chucklefish CTO Rodrigo Braz Monteiro.

"I don't think that the level of simulation and fidelity we've aimed for in this game is expected of any games short of AAA, and to see it realized in a pixel art indie game has been very satisfying to us. For now, we're only sharing a small glimpse into a vast game, and I can't wait for the community to see what's coming over the next few months."

"Witchbrook is our love letter to thoughtful living, the quiet magic of slow moments, and the connections we share with each other and the world around us. Whether players are exploring solo or sharing in the adventure, we hope Witchbrook becomes a space to relax and make lasting memories," said art director Steph Caskenette.

The Nintendo Switch Direct Showcase was filled with reveals and trailers, including the announcement of Virtual Game Cards, a new Switch feature that makes it easier for players to lend out their digital games.

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• StreamElements confirmed a data breach happening at a former third-party
• Hundreds of thousands of customers lost sensitive information
• Hackers are already using the data to send phishing emails

Cloud-based streaming tools provider StreamElements has confirmed suffering a data breach after a hacker compromised one of the company’s former third parties.

“We recently became aware of a data security incident involving a third-party service provider we stopped working with last year,” the company said in an announcement on X. “We can confirm no StreamElements servers have been breached.”

In mid-March 2025, a threat actor with the alias “victim” opened up a new thread on BreachForums (a popular forum for all things cybercrime) and claimed to have stolen sensitive information belonging to 210,000 StreamElements customers. The archives included people’s full names, postal addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers, and their authenticity was confirmed by journalist Zach Bussey, who found his own information in the database.

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Fake updaters

StreamElements is a cloud-based platform that provides tools for livestreamers, including overlays, alerts, chatbot automation, and tipping services.

While it claims no foul on its side, and shifts the blame on the unnamed third party, the threat actor says that they actually compromised a StreamElements employee with an infostealer.

That gave them enough access to exfiltrate the data, with the archives containing information generated between 2020 and 2024.

While there are not many things a threat actor can do with names, email addresses, and phone numbers, they can still engage in identity theft, or run custom-built phishing campaigns, whose success rate is usually better than generic ones.

To that end, StreamElements is already warning its customers that phishing emails started going out, tricking people with fake “data breach” emails.

“Heads up: Scammers are using this 3rd-party breach as bait to send fake “data breach” emails,” a new X post says. “These are not from StreamElements.

Do not open, don’t click, just report & delete. The breach is under investigation, and we’ll share updates via official channels when more information is available.”

The company said it started reaching out to affected customers to warn them about the possibility of attack. In the meantime, BleepingComputer reports that the original post on BreachForums has been deleted.

Via BleepingComputer

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A year on from the M3 MacBook Air, Apple has announced the latest version of its lightweight laptop. Launched alongside the ultraportable MacBook Air 13-inch (M4), the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) adds a few key improvements to a proven formula.

Like its predecessor, the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) is a streamlined large-screen laptop with a silent design and excellent performance, courtesy of Apple’s cutting-edge M4 chip. In a rare twist, it also comes in cheaper than the previous edition: prices start at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099.

But does the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) offer good value for money? And is it worth upgrading if you already own the M3 MacBook Air?

We’ve pulled together the biggest reviews from across the web and distilled the results below, to help you decide which MacBook is best for you. First up is the feedback from our own experience…

The MacBook Air M4 reviews TechRadar: "An excellent thin and light laptop, and one of the best 15-inch laptops you can currently buy"

(Image credit: Future) The good

• Impressive performance
• Lower entry price
• Silent fanless design

The bad

• Not a major upgrade
• Lack of Wi-Fi 7

Our MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review concludes that it’s “the best 15-inch laptop you can buy”. We complimented its “brilliant thin and light design” and found that it offers a “more immersive sound experience” than the 13-inch version. We also acknowledged that the lower price makes it “a better model for less money.”

We did observe that it’s “more of a refinement than a complete reimagining” and noted that the improved performance of the M4 chip, while “very good,” doesn’t justify the upgrade if you already have an M2 or an M3 MacBook.

That said, we still found it “a solid performer that can handle any day to day task”, with battery life good enough for “several work days on a single charge.” Together with webcam improvements and the usefulness of a larger screen, we rated the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) as “excellent value for money.”

The Verge: “Continues to nail the fundamentals at a fairly affordable price.”

(Image credit: Future) The good

• Full-day battery life
• Thin, light design
• Excellent everyday laptop
• Loud speakers

The bad

• Limited basic storage
• Not enough ports
• Throttled performance

The Verge’s MacBook Air (M4) review agrees with most of our feedback. It notes that the new version offers “even better value”, making it an “excellent choice for most people’s everyday needs.” The main reservation relates to the “lackluster spec” of storage on the base-level version, though it does note the increase from 8GB to 16GB of RAM.

Unlike us, The Verge reviewed both the 13-inch and 15-inch versions together at the same time. Like us, it found that “the two extra speakers on the 15-inch” allow it to “get quite loud without sounding distorted.”

It concludes that the new models “don’t do anything groundbreaking” but continue to “nail the fundamentals at a fairly affordable price.” That includes “some solid performance gains over the M3”, along with “exceptional battery life” and “a great keyboard.” The Verge also comments that the “haptic trackpad is the best around.”

CNET: “Sits in the Goldilocks Zone of Apple's MacBook lineup”

(Image credit: Future) The good

• Screen size and weight
• Efficient performance
• Cheaper starting price

The bad

• Expensive storage
• Costly RAM upgrades
• No ProMotion display

CNET’s review shares many of those opinions. It sees the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) as an update that “adds incremental improvements to an already fantastic laptop,” awarding it an impressive 9/10.

It echoes the view that “the performance gains aren't enough on their own to necessitate an upgrade” from an M2 or M3 model but identifies “the lower price and bigger screen” as two reasons to change. CNET has plenty of praise for the 15.3-inch display, which offers more space for “open windows and Chrome tabs,” as well as streaming.

Like The Verge, CNET has a word to say about the M4’s storage options, balking at “the semi-outrageous charge of $200 to double the storage to a 512GB SSD.” Even so, it thinks the “roomy display, trim design and new lower starting price” mean the 15-inch M4 “should be viewed as the default Air.”

Wired: “The 15-inch MacBook Air has finally come into its own.”

(Image credit: Future) The good

• Lower price
• Sharper webcam
• Powerful M4 chip
• Keyboard and trackpad

The bad

• Extra storage is expensive
• One-sided port layout

Wired joins CNET in awarding the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) a score of 9/10, noting that it “improves upon the previous model in noteworthy ways while also dropping the price.” The key takeaway is that it’s a “more well-rounded option” overall, with an “increase in performance and capabilities, paired with a lower price.”

It notes that the core design hasn’t changed, but that “people are still marveling at it”, including “the excellent keyboard and trackpad”. Wired does bemoan that “all the power connections are on the left side”, but applauds the addition of “support for up to two external displays”.

Wired notes “no discernible performance difference between the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air”, but find that the “extra screen real estate” of the larger model makes a huge difference, “without giving up sharpness”. In summary, it rates the 15-inch M4 as “a clear winner.”

Engadget: “The ideal ultraportable for most users”

(Image credit: Future) The good

• Rapid performance
• Streamlined design
• Strong battery life
• Great touchpad and keys

The bad

• Not enough ports
• Screen refresh rate

Like others, Engadget notes that “the M4 chip isn’t a transformative upgrade” for the MacBook Air, reporting that it “couldn't actually feel a difference.” But it still finds the new 15-inch model “a no-brainer purchase” and rates it as “a nearly flawless ultraportable.”

As elsewhere, Engadget praises several aspects of the Air’s “impressively thin” design, describing the keyboard as “a dream to type on” and stating that “it has one of the best trackpads around.” It also commends the battery life and appreciates the tracking feature of the Center Stage camera, even if the upgrade “isn’t exactly earth-shattering.”

Like The Verge, Engadget reviewed the 13-inch and 15-inch versions of the MacBook Air M4 together. It acknowledges the benefits of both, finding that “the smaller one is definitely easier to travel with” but the larger has the more “immersive screen”. The Engadget review does wish for “more ports and a faster screen refresh rate” but fundamentally sees the new MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) as “heads and shoulders above the competition”.

The MacBook Air M4 verdict

(Image credit: Future)

While opinions on finer details might differ, there’s a strong consensus in the MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) reviews: every reviewer felt that Apple’s new 15-inch laptop gets close to the sweet spot in terms of price, performance, and screen size.

Every review commented favorably on the model’s new lower price and the general sentiment is that it offers better value and a superior everyday user experience than the previous edition. That includes an excellent trackpad and keyboard, plus extra speakers.

Most of the reviews agree on the drawbacks, which will be familiar to owners of previous verions of the MacBook Air. Apple hasn’t been generous with the ports, while the base-level storage capacity is limited and the cost of upgrading is high.

The main audience for the smaller MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is students and regular travelers. The 15-inch otherwise offers fuller sound and a larger display without much additional weight.

Almost all of the reviews conclude that the performance improvements delivered by the M4 chip don’t warrant upgrading if you already own a MacBook Air 15-inch (M3). But for everyone else, this is one of the best 15-inch laptops you can buy.

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PIA is a great cheap VPN that doesn’t sacrifice privacy, but it’s looking long in the tooth.

It's not an item you can purchase, but the hardware seen in the Apple TV Plus show is featured in the Mac Store, presumably for mysterious and important computer work.

We love comedy here in the UK – as a stereotypically serious nation, those amongst us that can break through the noise of day-to-day life by giving us something to laugh about are often elevated to national treasure status, and while some rely on scripted jokes and pre-planned routines, many of our comics are seemingly just very funny people by nature.

So when I heard about the Japanese game show LOL:Last One Laughing getting a UK version, courtesy of Prime Video, I knew we’d be in for a good time. The show is a bit like Live at the Apollo meets Big Brother, with a dash of The Hunger Games in there for good measure – 10 of Britain’s best comedians are locked in a room for six hours and banned from laughing or even cracking a full smile.

The series condenses this into six half-hour episodes, so it strikes a nice balance between real-time suspense and moving at pace. Each contestant gets one chance to laugh with a football-style card system, and the last one to laugh wins a gaudy plastic trophy – it’s all very classy.

That’d be difficult enough for any group of people, but for the cast Amazon has assembled it’s a pretty mammoth task. Alongside legends like Richard Ayoade and Sara Pascoe are TV staples like Judi Love and Daisy May Cooper – the full cast also includes Lou Sanders, Joe Lycett, Joe Wilkinson, Harriet Kemsley, Bob Mortimer, and Rob Beckett.

Moderating (and instigating) throughout are Jimmy Carr and Roisin Conaty, who issue the cast with prompts and commands to keep things reasonably chaotic and entirely not safe for work.

As well as conversation starters and guest performers, each cast member can be compelled to play their 'joker', a unique performance lasting several minutes – I’d be remiss to spoil any of them, but they are unfailingly ridiculous and pose the biggest challenge for both our cast and anyone playing along at home.

Taking the challenge

Jimmy Carr (right) and Roisin Conaty (left) serve as the show's presenters and mastermind challenges for the contestants (Image credit: Amazon)

That’s exactly what me and my family (of adults – again, this isn't for kids) did for the show’s first three episodes – and after valiantly trying to hold it together through the Judi Love’s straight-faced flirting with Richard Ayoade, and Lou Sanders needling Joe Wilkinson with nonsense rhyming slang, I can confidently say Last One Laughing UK is the funniest show I’ve ever seen.

As someone who grew up watching Shooting Stars on BBC Two, I’ve got a weakness for this kind of off-the-cuff absurdism. I’m not exaggerating when I say a certain joker sequence made me laugh harder than I ever have before, the kind of paralyzing, breathless howling that leaves you completely catatonic for a few minutes while you try to piece together exactly what’s going on.

And sticking with Shooting Stars, Last One Laughing UK confirms the theory that Bob Mortimer is like some kind of comedic weapon of mass destruction. His impish poise and disarming aura make him completely intolerable to most of the cast through the first episode – I nearly broke at him asking, with totally misplaced sincerity, whether Rob Beckett had a kitchen island in his house. I may be biased, but a fair bit of my viewing experience was spent watching him patrol around the room like a lifeguard tracking a wandering shark.

I’d truly recommend going all in and trying to play along. The suspense of following the challenge at home, especially with others, makes even the small glances and petty comments hard to get through – and the big set pieces dizzyingly hilarious. It’s worth it just for Daisy-May Cooper’s stoic screw-face as things become increasingly tense.

If you’re feeling a bit down after watching some of the other new shows out on streaming services this month (specifically Adolescence), this is one of the best Prime Video shows that’ll lift your spirits with Olympic force.

Last One Laughing UK – who I'd want to see in series 2

Big Narstie would be a perfect fit for a potential second season (Image credit: Netflix)

So, there we have it – the new funniest show I’ve ever seen. While I’m looking forward to getting into the remaining episodes of the series, which released today (March 27), I’ve already got some ideas as to who I’d like to see appear in a second outing.

Firstly, let’s get Big Narstie in there. Though not a comedian by trade, rapper and media personality Big Narstie is a true one-of-one whose confidence and liberal approach to language fills any room with personality. Not to mention one of the most famous and infectious laughs you’ll ever hear, creating a Pandora's box situation for the other contestants.

I also think the ironic powers of Diane Morgan (known for her character Philomena Cunk) would make her a good fit for this format – I can see Morgan and Ayoade getting into a sort of war dance with one another as each tries to deliver droll remarks with the least expression.

And how about another newcomer? Britain’s Got Talent winner Axel Blake is enjoying a career renaissance at the minute via social media – I’d be up for seeing if his new, fast-paced approach to character work could crack some smiles in that high-pressure room.

The full series of Last One Laughing UK is out now on Prime Video – once you’re through all six episodes be sure to check out our list of seven great new shows and movies out on streaming services this week for more recommendations.

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Bold predictions claim AI will boost productivity, generate game-changing insights, and streamline operations - from risk management and compliance to the front office and beyond. Yet behind the headlines, a more uncomfortable question lingers: can AI truly meet these lofty expectations, or is it at risk of collapsing under the weight of its own hype?

The heart of the challenge isn’t AI itself, it’s data. In many institutions, outdated infrastructure, fragmented architectures, and siloed legacy systems continue to dominate. These setups were never intended to handle the scale and urgency that modern AI demands. Without an overhaul of data foundations, even the most powerful AI models will produce inaccurate results, create false confidence, and leave firms ill-prepared to respond to market developments.

The missing link in data readiness

AI algorithms crave completeness, accuracy, and consistency. Yet firms often rely on data systems that are anything but unified. It’s no surprise many financial institutions struggle to reconcile different feeds or update data in real time. As a result, data quality quickly degrades. AI then ends up basing its decisions on stale or inconsistent information, leading to questionable outputs at best - and costly mistakes at worst.

Recent research by Gresham, polling firms split over the US, the UK and the DACH region, found that while nearly all firms are starting to use AI to some degree, just 41% said they had extensively deployed AI across business operations. This discrepancy is telling: where data remains siloed or inconsistent, AI efforts stay small-scale or purely exploratory. Where data strategies are robust, AI initiatives advance more rapidly.

Investments in data management are also rising. In the same survey, 63% of senior decision-makers employed by financial services firms globally said that AI would result in an increase in the cost of data within their organization, reflecting a need for new tools and expertise to ensure data is ready for advanced analytics. Notably, 40% of the sample predicted a rise in operational headcount, contradicting the common assumption that AI automatically reduces numbers employed.

Scoping the barriers

These challenges come into sharp focus when we consider the underlying systems and structures found across financial institutions. Many companies have spent years building proprietary back-office platforms and custom integrations, and layering AI into these older environments is far from simple. Communication breakdowns between AI models and legacy platforms can lead to inconsistent data flow and unreliable outputs.

The question of talent is another barrier. AI in finance demands more than coding prowess, it requires a deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, specialized financial products, and institutional processes. This mix is hard to find, leaving the field short on people who can develop, implement, and maintain AI solutions at scale.

Legal and licensing matters add further complication. As generative AI begins to analyse text, images, and market data, firms must handle intellectual property constraints and commercial usage rights with great care.

Licensing agreements for market and reference data, for instance, were not designed with AI’s evolving capabilities in mind. There are also concerns about inadvertently exposing confidential information through AI-driven tools. The legal and operational frameworks that govern these new technologies continue to lag behind AI’s rapid adoption.

Shifting concepts of data quality

Data quality is no longer just about whether a field is correct or incorrect; it’s about understanding whether you’re allowed to use certain data in the first place, and whether it makes sense to do so. Permissions, provenance, and the potential for biased or ambiguous outputs all come into play. Large language models, for instance, can provide confident but factually inaccurate answers, making rigorous testing and validation essential.

Older data cataloguing and governance tools can’t keep pace with these evolving requirements. A static dictionary that flags ownership or acceptable values doesn’t capture the contextual nuances that AI demands. Instead, modern cataloguing must account for data lifecycles, usage restrictions, and the need to red-team or pressure-test models to reveal potential flaws.

Moving forward - Why bother?

It’s easy to see why some remain skeptical. Retooling data infrastructure, refining governance, and hiring specialized staff can be expensive and time-consuming.

However, the benefits of AI are too significant to dismiss. Smart algorithms excel at spotting patterns in massive data sets, exactly what financial institutions need for fraud detection, real-time market insights, and predictive risk analysis. Institutions that manage to integrate AI properly often find themselves making decisions faster and catching opportunities that competitors overlook.

Efficiency gains can be especially compelling. Routine tasks, like reconciliation and document processing, can be automated, freeing human teams to focus on high-value, analytical work. Moreover, AI-driven personalization can deepen customer relationships. Tailored product offerings and proactive service tweaks help retain clients in an industry where loyalty can’t be taken for granted.

Making AI work

If the industry wants AI to live up to its potential, it must address data issues head-on. This means modernizing legacy architecture, ensuring data quality is consistently maintained, and creating clear guidelines around privacy and licensing. It also requires investing in people who can bridge the gap between software engineering, finance, and regulation. Meanwhile, legal teams must keep pace with changing models, usage restrictions, and licensing obligations.

So, can AI truly deliver in financial services? The short answer is yes: provided institutions build the necessary groundwork. These tools can overhaul how data is processed, accelerate complex decisions, and uncover meaningful insights in a realm where timing and accuracy matter. But unless firms commit to cleansing and modernizing their data, AI may never advance beyond flashy proofs of concept. Genuine success demands reliable foundations.

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• Nintendo Virtual Game Card is a new Switch feature arriving in April
• Virtual Game Cards make it easier for players to lend out their digital games
• The feature will also be available on Switch 2 at launch

Nintendo has announced a new Switch feature called the Virtual Game Card, making it easier to lend out digital games.

Revealed during the March 27 Nintendo Direct Showcase, the new Virtual Game Card feature lets players easily manage their digital Nintendo Switch games, and it's arriving in late April as a new system update.

This feature will also make lending to Nintendo Account Family Group members straightforward.

When the update goes live, players will be able to see their digital Switch games as Virtual Game Cards. They can then be virtually loaded and ejected from their library, just like physical game cartridges.

Players can only lend out one game at a time on a Nintendo Account family group member’s console, and it will automatically be returned to the owner after 14 days; however, save data will be stored afterward.

"This optional feature allows you to view virtual game cards or eject them from your console," Nintendo said. "The digital game can also be lent to a Nintendo Account family group member’s console via local wireless connection."

Nintendo has also confirmed that this Virtual Game Card feature will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2 at launch.

The announcements don't stop there. On April 2, the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Showcase will air and will likely reveal the pricing of the console, as well as showcase new software, like the new Mario Kart.

We are also expecting preorder details, although the latest leaks suggest that Switch 2 pre-orders will go live on the same day, April 2.

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• Nintendo is launching the Nintendo Today app later today
• It will detail the latest Nintendo news on a daily basis
• The app will be available on both iOS and Android devices

The latest Nintendo Direct presentation ended on something a little different, as the company announced a brand new smartphone app.

Called Nintendo Today, it's available today for iOS and Android devices. The app was introduced by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, who said "it functions like a daily calendar," adding that it's a convenient way to keep track of various Nintendo events.

It's not just a one-stop shop for the latest Nintendo news, however, as it appears to feature comics and fun information on Nintendo games and characters on a daily basis.

More crucially, Miyamoto explains that after the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct on April 2, news on the upcoming console and its games will be "delivered daily" via the Nintendo Today app.

The app is now available to download on both Google Play and the App Store. Simply type the name of the app into your phone's store and you'll be able to download it right away.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Personally, Nintendo Today is giving me Smash Bros. Dojo vibes. This was a website that, in the run-up to Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii, delivered daily news and tidbits on characters, stages, items, and the like.

Naturally, Nintendo Today is going to be a bit more broad in the news and features it covers. But it's certainly not Nintendo's first take on a daily news delivery system such as this.

Once I've had some time with the Nintendo Today app, I'll be sure to deliver my thoughts in a more thorough feature to see if it's worth downloading and keeping track of. Which, with Switch 2 on the horizon, I'm going to assume it will be.

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• Security researchers from Reversing Labs find two malicious packages on npm
• These serve as downloaders and target software developers building on the Ethereum blockchain
• The malware opens a reverse shell and grants attackers access to target computers

Two malicious packages were recently discovered on the npm repository using dubious backdoors to target their users.

Cybersecurity researchers from Reversing Labs discovered two packages WHICH were uploaded to the popular repository in early March 2025 named “ethers-provider2”, and “ethers-providerz” - names carefully chosen to trick victims into thinking they have something to do with a legitimate package called “ethers”.

The ethers package on npm is a JavaScript library for interacting with the Ethereum blockchain, allowing developers to send transactions, deploy smart contracts, and read blockchain data. It provides a simple and secure API for working with Ethereum wallets, smart contracts, and decentralized applications (dApps).

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Fake updaters

The two malicious packages served as downloaders, “updating” the legitimate package and turning it sour.

“These were simple downloaders whose malicious payload was cleverly hidden, with a second stage that “patches” the legitimate npm package ethers, installed locally, with a new file containing the malicious payload,” the researchers explained. “That patched file ultimately serves a reverse shell.”

With a reverse shell, the attackers force the victim’s computer to initiate a connection back to the hacker’s machine, granting them the ability to run commands, steal data, or install malware, while successfully bypassing firewalls and similar security measures.

For the researchers at Reversing Labs, the approach is “highly sophisticated”.

Since the malware targets the ethers package, it’s safe to assume that the victims here are blockchain developers working on the Ethereum platform. And since the malware can act as an infostealer, it’s also safe to assume that the threat actors are going for people’s cryptocurrencies.

As usual, the best way to mitigate the threat and protect against these attacks is to be extra careful when downloading open source packages.

Via BleepingComputer

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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, March 27 (game #655).

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 #656) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CHUCK
• MONTY
• BRACKET
• CITY
• SKIRT
• PITCH
• FLANK
• BADGE
• STUDY
• SASH
• SLING
• BOOKEND
• SURROUND
• BINGO
• BERET
• PELT

NYT Connections today (game #656) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Fling something 
• GREEN: Left and right 
• BLUE: “Do a good turn daily”
• PURPLE: Add a roomy word that rhymes with “wall”

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 #656) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: HURL 
• GREEN: BE ON BOTH SIDES OF 
• BLUE: PARTS OF A CLASSIC GIRL SCOUT UNIFORM 
• PURPLE: __HALL 

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

NYT Connections today (game #656) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #656, are…

• YELLOW: HURL CHUCK, PELT, PITCH, SLING
• GREEN: BE ON BOTH SIDES OF BOOKEND, BRACKET, FLANK, SURROUND
• BLUE: PARTS OF A CLASSIC GIRL SCOUT UNIFORM BADGE, BERET, SASH, SKIRT
• PURPLE: __HALL BINGO, CITY, MONTY, STUDY

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 mistakes

I got the yellow and green groups mixed up today after convincing myself that the words had something to do with medieval battles — I was thinking PITCH being poured through castle devil holes and soldiers being PELTed with arrows with their army SURROUNDed.

After getting “one away” after my second failed guess, I finally saw the light and a far more straightforward group of throwing words.

I was convinced that the link between BINGO, CITY and STUDY was __ HALL, but took a chance on MONTY — although I should have got it as the Monty Hall Problem, a brain teaser named after the TV legend, was a dumbfounding Connections category back in January (car, goat, door, host).

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, 27 March, game #655)

• YELLOW: AFFECT MOVE, REACH, SWAY, TOUCH
• GREEN: YOU GOT IT! BINGO, CORRECT, DING, RIGHT
• BLUE: SLANG FOR MONEY CHANGE, GREEN, PAPER, SCRATCH
• PURPLE: OBJECTS WITH THE PREFIX "MICRO-" CHIP, PHONE, SCOPE, WAVE

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, March 27 (game #1158).

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 #1159) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1159) - 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 #1159) - 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 #1159) - 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 #1159) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• M

• P

• F

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

Quordle today (game #1159) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1159, are…

• TERSE
• MUSHY
• PROVE
• FROND

After struggling this week, I managed to equal my PB today, getting all four words after seven goes.

Barring a miracle this is the best you can hope for with the three-starter-word method, which today worked a treat – giving me plenty of correct letters and not many alternatives to the correct guesses.

The only answer I hesitated over was MUSHY, which I didn’t feel was a Quordle-esque word.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1159) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1157, are…

• BRINY
• INGOT
• GAILY
• PURSE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1158, Thursday 27 March: CRONE, APNEA, LIGHT, AWOKE
• Quordle #1157, Wednesday 26 March: LEFTY, NOOSE, NOISE, TRIAD
• Quordle #1156, Tuesday 25 March: SNEER, WATCH, FLORA, STAIN
• Quordle #1155, Monday 24 March: FLOUT, SMASH, RAZOR, SMALL
• Quordle #1154, Sunday 23 March: ALLEY, GAMUT, GEESE, RADII
• Quordle #1153, Saturday 22 March: PICKY, BRACE, BOOZE, SURLY
• Quordle #1152, Friday 21 March: DITTY, VALOR, TOWER, AMISS
• Quordle #1151, Thursday 20 March: RIPER, STILL, WAFER, NOTCH
• Quordle #1150, Wednesday 19 March: FLAME, CARAT, SPAWN, TUNIC
• Quordle #1149, Tuesday 18 March: NAVEL, TREAT, COPSE, SLINK
• Quordle #1148, Monday 17 March: INFER, FLINT, CHUMP, SHEER
• Quordle #1147, Sunday 16 March: INPUT, RUMBA, ELUDE, BLANK
• Quordle #1146, Saturday 15 March: SPEED, CLASH, RISKY, GRATE
• Quordle #1145, Friday 14 March: BELIE, SPEAR, GROWL, ADOBE
• Quordle #1144, Thursday 13 March: AMISS, METAL, TEARY, SHORT
• Quordle #1143, Wednesday 12 March: AWASH, PUSHY, RALPH, PROOF
• Quordle #1142, Tuesday 11 March: LINGO, JUICE, SHARP, REVEL
• Quordle #1141, Monday 10 March: AVAIL, THESE, TITAN, GAUGE
• Quordle #1140, Sunday 9 March: SKILL, IDEAL, WHERE, REHAB
• Quordle #1139, Saturday 8 March: WATCH, LAPSE, WREST, HEFTY

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, March 27 (game #389).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Wise ones

NYT Strands today (game #390) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• RINGED
• SIDE
• GUISE
• DIRE
• PRIDE
• SHED

NYT Strands today (game #390) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #390) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 3rd column

Last side: top, 5th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #390) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #390, are…

• THINKER
• VISIONARY
• SAGE
• ELDER
• PHILOSOPHER
• SPANGRAM: GUIDING LIGHT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A nice bunch of words today that were easy to spot and didn’t present me with any spelling difficulties – although I probably would have put a double L in PHILOSOPHER if left to my own devices.

Becoming wise with age is all very well, but growing older does not necessarily mean that you are bestowed with wisdom, dispensing SAGE thoughts about humanity and the future dilemmas of civilization.

Usually, in my experience, it just means you have some interesting advice on how to get from one place to another and save money using some coupons. "Never pay full price," an elderly taxi driver told me the other day. “It’s always cheaper somewhere.” Wise words.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, 27 March, game #389)

• DODGER
• PIRATE
• BRAVE
• MARLIN
• GIANT
• BREWER
• SPANGRAM: NATIONAL LEAGUE

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.

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• ESET discovers multiple new variants of SparrowDoor, a piece of malware used by FamousSparrow
• The investigation uncovered group's activity between 2022-2024
• It was targeting government agencies, researchers, and financial institutions

FamousSparrow, a Chinese state-sponsored threat actor thought to be retired, is not only active, but has been targeting government, financial organizations, and research institutes, for years now, experts have revealed.

Cybersecurity researchers at ESET recently stumbled upon a new variant of FamousSparrow’s malware, leading them down a rabbit hole exposing the group's activities across the globe.

ESET said that it was brought in by an unnamed trade group in the United States, operating in the financial sector, to assist with a malware infection. The investigators found two previously undocumented versions of SparrowDoor, FamousSparrow’s flagship backdoor.

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SparrowDoor

ESET said that the group hasn’t been heard of since 2022, which made the cybersecurity community think it was inactive.

However, during that period, FamousSparrow targeted a government institution in Honduras, and a research institute in Mexico.

In fact, the latter was breached “just a couple of days prior to the compromise in the US” (both had happened in July 2024).

“Both of these versions of SparrowDoor constitute marked progress over earlier iterations, especially in terms of code quality and architecture, and one implements parallelization of commands,” ESET said.

“While these new versions exhibit significant upgrades, they can still be traced back directly to earlier, publicly documented versions. The loaders used in these attacks also present substantial code overlaps with samples previously attributed to FamousSparrow,” says ESET researcher Alexandre Côté Cyr, who made the discovery.

The investigators said they couldn’t determine the initial infection vector, but added that the company used outdated versions of Windows Server and Microsoft Exchange, both of which have multiple, publicly available exploits.

Whichever vulnerability they used, FamousSparrow deployed a webshell on an IIS server, gaining access and the ability to deploy additional payloads.

Besides SparrowDoor, the group used ShadowPad, and other tools capable of running commands, keylogging, exfiltrating files, taking screenshots, and more.

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• The Backbone One: Xbox Edition has been revealed
• It's a special variant Backbone One 2nd Gen mobile controller with an Xbox-inspired design
• It costs $109.99 and will be available via the Backbone website and Best Buy Drops

Gaming peripheral maker Backbone has announced a new special edition variant of its Backbone One 2nd Gen mobile controller.

The Backbone One: Xbox Edition is, as the name would suggest, part of the brand's partnership with Xbox. It's set apart by its striking translucent green shell, which gives you a glimpse at the inner black PCB boards which seems particularly reminiscent of the nostalgic Crystal Green version of the original Xbox.

(Image credit: Backbone)

The controller's screenshot button has also been replaced with a new Xbox button, adorned with the brand's logo. It's a pretty striking design overall, though honestly, I would have preferred something with a few more changes. Adding the iconic blue, yellow, red, and green button colors from the Xbox Wireless Controller would have definitely improved the look and really helped sell that Xbox element.

The Backbone One is nevertheless an excellent fit for not only native mobile gaming in titles like Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile or Zenless Zone Zero, but also Xbox Cloud Gaming as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. I've been holding out for the long-rumored Xbox handheld console, but this could very fill that niche for me, especially given its relatively modest $109.99 asking price.

The controller may be a little bit tricky to get your hands on though, as it will only be available via the Backbone website and Best Buy Drops (part of the Best Buy mobile app).

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