Technology

• Marvel sleuths think Daredevil: Born Again's first trailer contains a Spider-Man reference
• Fans have long clamored for an MCU team-up between the two superheroes
• Some aren't convinced that the show's teaser has a Spider-Man Easter egg, though

Marvel fans have dreamed of a Daredevil and Spider-Man team up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – and now some are more convinced than ever that it'll happen sooner rather than later.

Yesterday (January 16), the first trailer for Daredevil: Born Again was finally released to the public. And, while there was a lot to unpack from the forthcoming show's two-minute-long teaser, there's one supposedly hidden detail that's got fans excited.

So, what is it? Some viewers believe that, right before the trailer ends, Spider-Man's iconic 'thwip' sound can be heard. And, when I say the very end of the teaser, I mean it, because fans think they can hear the sound of Spidey's webslinging cue right as the Disney Plus logo appears on the screen – you'll need to scroll all the way to the 2:04 mark to hear it.

Upon first viewing, I noticed that something was a little... different about the normal 'click' sound that accompanies the Disney Plus logo's appearance at the end of trailers for one of the streamer's new projects. I'll readily admit, though, that I couldn't work out why it sounded unusual, and it wasn't until I started scouring the internet for clues that I saw what other fans were saying.

what if we get a spider-man cameo toward the end of DD Born Again pic.twitter.com/KIxnEr8KiGJanuary 15, 2025

Long story short: there are a fair few people who've turned detective and claim that Spider-Man will appear in Daredevil: Born Again. On the ResetEra Etcetera forum, users including Miles Iz Ded, RayCharlizard are convinced that Spidey is loosing one of his webs as the trailer ends.

Unsurprisingly, that's sparked a revival of the conversations fans have had about Tom Holland's wallcrawler appearing in a Daredevil project or vice-versa. ResetEra user Gotchaforce said "[A] grounded Spidey movie [with Daredevil] vs [Wilson] Fisk... would be Avengers-level awesome". Similar sentiments were expressed on Reddit, with YNWA1616, Vekastu, and pseudoveritas all stating their desire to see the duo join forces to take down a common foe.

The devil's in the details

Some fans don't believe Born Again's trailer is hinting at a Spider-Man cameo (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

Other fans, though, are baffled by suggestions that Spider-Man will show up in Daredevil's standalone MCU TV show.

For starters, ResetEra member Pai Pai Master appeared to pore cold water on the claims that Spidey's 'thwip' sound can be heard at the end of the Marvel Phase 5 show's first trailer. Indeed, they suggest that it's Daredevil's billy clubs, which can be joined together by a cable that extends and retracts, are what's making the noise, which makes far more sense to me.

Other users are similarly unconvinced about Spider-Man's potential appearance, but for a whole different reason. Roxas and Nacho took to ResetEra to opine that Sony Pictures, which owns the rights to the webslinger, wouldn't allow him to appear in a Marvel TV series. Sure, we don't know the ins and outs of the deal that allows Holland's wallcrawler to appear in the MCU, but I'd be very surprised if Sony allowed him to appear any live-action MCU TV project. Holland has starred in TV shows, such as The Crowded Room on Apple TV Plus, so it's not as if he'd turn down the opportunity to pop up in a small-screen production. Nevertheless, Sony has a big say in where Spidey will appear, and I just can't see it happening here.

Some people don't believe Tom Holland's webslinger will show up in Born Again (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Sony)

Crowd-pleasing as it would be for me to see Daredevil and Spider-Man team up in Born Again, there is the odd fan or two who bizarrely don't want it to happen. Admittedly, ResetEra users like Uzzy are in the minority about this, but there are clearly people who either want a team-up to happen in a Marvel film, such as Spider-Man 4, or not at all.

Do you think Spider-Man will stun us all and actually appear in Born Again? Let me know in TechRadar's recently-reintroduced comments section below! Alternatively, get the complete lowdown on everything we know about the series by reading my Daredevil: Born Again hub.

Daredevil: Born Again arrives on Disney Plus, aka one of the world's best streaming services, on March 4 (US) and March 5 (UK and Australia).

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This Florida city has internet plans offering speed, reliability and simple service details. Here are the best ISPs in Palm Coast.

Nintendo Switch 2 leaks, rumors and speculation have been rampant over the last few months, but it's looking like we could get our first official announcement today (January 16). This comes from sources such as The Verge's Tom Warren, who teased a potential reveal this week.

In terms of concrete information from Nintendo itself, there is precious little. However, we do know that the console is to be revealed before the end of Nintendo's fiscal year, as stated by company president Shuntaro Furukawa. That gives us a hard deadline of March 31, 2025. There's still every chance Nintendo could play the waiting game a bit further, but signs are pointing to a debut announcement today.

As it stands, all unofficial information on Nintendo Switch 2 should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. That includes renders from accessory maker Genki at CES 2025, as well as the apparent logo for the console which leaked a few days prior.

In the run-up to any potential announcement today, we're bringing you all the latest Nintendo Switch 2 coverage. This will include official information from Nintendo itself, as well as the most prominent points of speculation and our own predictions and wishes.

What we know so far

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Wachiwit)

In terms of official Nintendo Switch 2 information, there isn't a whole lot to talk about. However, as mentioned in the intro, we do know that Nintendo “will make an announcement about the successor to [the] Nintendo Switch within the fiscal year” as per company president Shuntaro Furukawa.

Also confirmed by Nintendo is that the Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with original Switch games. Furukawa stated: “at today's Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch.”

Furukawa then added that the Nintendo Switch Online "will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well," so it's reasonable to expect your Nintendo account will also carry over to the new console.

What time should we expect?

(Image credit: Nintendo)

We're expecting the Nintendo Switch 2 to be revealed at some point today, but what time should you get ready for? Although there's obviously no word on an official reveal window, we can make an educated guess as to when it might be.

A lot of it depends on the current time in Japan, which is 9 hours ahead of coordinated universal time (UTC). At the time of writing it's almost 8PM, so we might even see some news in the next few hours before Japanese Nintendo fans head to bed.

That said, we suspect that that the reveal will be a bit later than that, potentially even tomorrow morning in Japan. 7AM Japan time would be about 5PM EST in the US, which would allow the news to reach two large audiences at once. Fingers crossed!

How will Nintendo reveal the Switch 2?

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The way in which Nintendo will reveal the Switch 2 remains a mystery even today, as we've still heard nothing in regards to what we can expect from that first reveal.

For the original Nintendo Switch console, we got a fairly comprehensive reveal teaser that showed the Switch's use cases. It demonstrated its docked and handheld mode capabilities while also showing off a number of unannounced titles like Super Mario Odyssey and a port of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. This was shortly followed by a full in-person presentation detailing specs, pricing and game announcements.

If Nintendo doesn't reveal anything concrete today, then an announcement of an announcement would be the next best thing - perhaps a social media post telling us exactly when a potential reveal will happen. We are still expecting a teaser video, potentially followed by a more in-depth Nintendo Direct presentation for the hardware.

Similarly, we don't expect Nintendo to just shadow drop a Switch 2 video or presentation. As with any Nintendo Direct, we do anticipate there will at least be some lead-up to the event itself.

What color will the Nintendo Switch 2 be?

(Image credit: Nintendo)

One of our biggest questions is of course what color the Nintendo Switch 2 is going to be. Based on recent leaks, we actually have a pretty concrete idea of how it might look.

Like the original Nintendo Switch we think that it will come in two colorways, one plainer black option for all the boring gamers out there and something more adventurous for those who love a bit of whimsy.

We suspect that the latter will be a striking combination of black, orange, and blue. The orange and blue elements will likely come into play most on the refreshed Joy-con, with colored rings around the thumbsticks and a bright rail where it attaches to the system.

What new Nintendo Switch 2 features should we expect?

(Image credit: Future)

As ever, Nintendo hasn't revealed anything official for Switch 2 features as of yet, but some leaks have given us things to speculate over.

First up is the mysterious 'C' button which surfaced in a Nintendo Switch 2 rumors Discord server (via Game Rant). It's suggested that this could stand for 'Campus', a feature that had been previously datamined. We're still not exactly sure what Campus could be, but folks are speculating it to be a new social feature that's potentially similar to the Wii U's excellently charming Miiverse.

As for the hardware itself, it's heavily rumored that the Switch 2 Joy-Con will feature magnetic connectivity, as opposed to the current Switch's rail attachment system. This should make the Joy-Con easier to disconnect and reattach while in handheld mode.

It's potentially going to be a bigger handheld, too, with rumors stating the Switch 2's display will be around 8 inches. That's slightly larger than the Nintendo Switch OLED's 7.2-inch display. That could be a great thing for overall image clarity, but will likely mean the device will be a bit less portable-friendly overall.

Nintendo Switch 2 is going to be backwards compatible

(Image credit: Nintendo)

One of the very few pieces of concrete information we have about the Nintendo Switch 2 is that it will be backwards compatible with Nintendo Switch software. This was confirmed in an X / Twitter post by a Nintendo corporate account on November 6 last year.

What does this mean? Well, you won't have to worry about your existing library of Nintendo Switch games not working on the new console. The company has also stated that Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2, too, so you should be able to carry over your save data via the cloud.

You can see the company's full statement below.

This is Furukawa. At today's Corporate Management Policy Briefing, we announced that Nintendo Switch software will also be playable on the successor to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch Online will be available on the successor to Nintendo Switch as well. Further information about…November 6, 2024

Will there be any Nintendo Switch 2 launch deals?

(Image credit: Future)

Unfortunately, it's very unlikely that we'll see any substantial Nintendo Switch 2 deals for the launch or pre-order phase. Nintendo will likely offer bundles with at least one major launch game included but this will almost certainly be at full price.

Your best chance to get a saving will be to trade in your current Nintendo Switch (or any other existing console) and put that towards an upgrade to the Switch 2.

As we saw with the recently released PS5 Pro, this was one of the better ways to get the console for less. In the UK, the phone network EE bumped up its trade-in rebate for the original PS5 by £30 to £260 when you also bought a PS5 Pro, making it one of the largest discounts from all retailers.

It's best to expect something similar to that trade-in discount whenever the Nintendo Switch 2 is up for sale – at least until the major end-of-year sales get underway in November for Black Friday.

Nintendo unveils its Switch successor

Nintendo has officially unveiled its Nintendo Switch successor, officially called the Nintendo Switch 2, via a new trailer posted to YouTube.

In the trailer we see the console showed off for the first time and it looks... almost exactly how we predicted! You can see it for yourself below.

Don't let rates up to 4.65% APY pass you by. Open one of these high-yield CDs now.

US president Joe Biden just issued a 40-page executive order that aims to bolster federal cybersecurity protections, directs government use of AI—and takes a swipe at Microsoft’s dominance.

Even if rates aren't as high as they once were, experts still recommend opening a HYSA.

Organizations increasingly depend on accurate insights from their data to drive decisions, fuel innovation and maintain their competitive edge. Yet, the ability to extract meaningful, high-quality insights from this data is dependent on effective data governance.

Implementing data governance is critical, but like all data initiatives, it requires internal adoption and organizational fit. Generative AI is emerging to transform the way organizations streamline data management processes.

Data governance and its challenges

Effective data governance is the backbone of data-driven decision-making, but it is more than just a process. It is a strategic framework that ensures data is accessible, secure and aligned with organizational goals.

Data governance relies on four core pillars for success. The first is having people to define and execute the policies and standards. Secondly, the process outlines the workflows for managing data while the third pillar, technology, provides the tools for tasks like ingestion, integration, security and compliance. Finally, standards ensure data consistency and interoperability across the organization, enabling effective collaboration and decision-making to maintain the quality and usability of data assets.

However, data governance is not a simple task and requires coordination and collaboration among stakeholders, such as business users, data teams and IT departments, along with the technical expertise and tools to implement, manage and monitor it. Managing data sources across platforms, applications and business departments requires a governance policy that is tailored to the complexity of the organization's structure.

Organizations face two primary challenges: the complexity of managing diverse data sources, and how to encourage widespread adoption of governance practices among users.

Organizations are required to handle data from various sources, such as customer databases, web traffic, or after acquisition, which can be formatted in many ways from structured and semi-structured to unstructured. This diversity, along with the growing volume of data, makes integration, management and effective use difficult.

However, data is only useful if it is being utilized to serve business initiatives, and yet many enterprises continue to wrestle with the fact that user adoption remains a challenge. Business users often see governance as a burden, rather than a benefit, limiting their access to data access and therefore ability to use it effectively.

They may also lack the skills to follow data governance policies. This can lead to non-compliance and the creation of data silos or shadow IT systems that compromise data quality and security.

How generative AI accelerates data governance

Leveraging generative AI helps organizations take a new approach to data governance. By automating, optimizing and simplifying core functions, generative AI enables them to realize the full potential of their data assets. Adopting techniques like deep learning and natural language processing, generative AI can also create relevant and accessible outputs including text, audio, and images.

It can transform data governance in several ways. By automating labor-intensive data management tasks such as ingestion, cleansing, classification and profiling to ensure data accuracy, it helps data teams efficiently scale data management. It also aids data discovery by providing metadata, lineage and context information, generating natural language summaries for all data assets to make it easier for users and businesses to understand data value.

This accessibility fosters a more inclusive data culture across a business and transforms data governance in several ways to achieve operational benefits. By providing natural language recommendations or suggestions alongside analysis results, Generative AI makes insights accessible to both technical and non-technical users, helping users optimize the impact of the data and ensure that it is effectively leveraged for decision-making and innovation.

By enabling users to interact with data effectively, generative AI can ultimately increase the adoption of governance practices, and foster a data-driven culture across the organization. This not only enhances data quality but also strengthens security and promotes seamless integration across systems.

Data trust and its role in governance

Data trust is the mission-critical consequence of effective data governance. In an environment where data is increasingly shared across departments and even external partners, ensuring trust in data for all purposes is essential. Trust is built through the transparency in data management practices, clear policies on data access and robust security protocols.

Generative AI can play a significant role in enhancing data trust by providing continuous transparent monitoring, automated auditing, and anomaly detection to ensure data integrity and compliance with standards. AI-powered insights can validate the data’s accuracy which helps to maintain trust as the data moves across different systems and teams.

Gen AI in decentralized data governance

As organizations adopt modern IT paradigms like data mesh and data fabric, data governance models are shifting from centralized to decentralized or federated frameworks.

In decentralized models, individual business units retain autonomy while following governance principles. Federated models strike a balance, with a central data team providing guidelines and decentralized teams managing data at the local level.

Generative AI is particularly well-suited for these frameworks, acting as a bridge between central governance bodies and decentralized teams. It facilitates communication, ensures alignment of goals, and provides localised, tailored insights while adhering to enterprise-wide standards.

Effective data governance is essential for unlocking the full potential of an organization's data, but managing complexity and encouraging user adoption remain significant challenges. Generative AI is a powerful tool for data teams to bring value from their organization's data to the business users efficiently and accessibly.

Generative AI bridges the gap between oversight and autonomy by ensuring data quality, bolstering security and supporting robust, bespoke data governance models. Embracing this technology enables organizations to overcome common governance challenges, drive innovation, and maximize the value of their data assets to ensure continued business competitiveness.

We show what we think are the best AI tools.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

With CDE Lightband available to every home in Clarksville, finding internet is a breeze. Looking for more options? CNET’s experts have the top options for you.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved into a cornerstone of technological and business innovation, permeating every sector and fundamentally transforming how we interact with the world. AI tools now streamline decision-making, optimize operations, and enable new, personalized experiences.

However, this rapid expansion brings with it a complex and growing threat landscape—one that combines traditional cybersecurity risks with unique vulnerabilities specific to AI. These emerging risks can include data manipulation, adversarial attacks, and exploitation of machine learning models, each posing serious potential impacts on privacy, security, and trust.

As AI continues to become deeply integrated into critical infrastructures, from healthcare and finance to national security, it’s crucial for organizations to adopt a proactive, layered defense strategy. By remaining vigilant and continuously identifying and addressing these vulnerabilities, businesses can protect not only their AI systems but also the integrity and resilience of their broader digital environments.

The new threats facing AI models and users

As the use of AI expands, so does the complexity of the threats it faces. Some of the most pressing threats involve trust in digital content, backdoors intentionally or unintentionally embedded in models, traditional security gaps exploited by attackers, and novel techniques that cleverly bypass existing safeguards. Additionally, the rise of deepfakes and synthetic media further complicates the landscape, creating challenges around verifying authenticity and integrity in AI-generated content.

Trust in digital content: As AI-generated content slowly becomes indistinguishable from real images, companies are building safeguards to stop the spread of misinformation. What happens if a vulnerability is found in one of these safeguards? Watermark manipulation, for example, allows adversaries to tamper with the authenticity of images generated by AI models. This technique can add or remove invisible watermarks that mark content as AI-generated, undermining trust in the content and fostering misinformation—a scenario that can lead to severe social ramifications.

Backdoors in models: Due to the open source nature of AI models through sites like Hugging Face, a frequently reused model containing a backdoor could lead to severe supply chain implications. A cutting-edge method developed by our Synaptic Adversarial Intelligence (SAI) team, dubbed ‘ShadowLogic,’ allows adversaries to implant codeless, hidden backdoors into neural network models across any modality. By manipulating the computational graph of the model, attackers can compromise its integrity without detection, persisting the backdoor even when a model is fine tuned.

Integration of AI into High-Impact Technologies: AI models like Google’s Gemini have proven to be susceptible to indirect prompt injection attacks. Under certain conditions, attackers can manipulate these models to produce misleading or harmful responses, and even cause them to call APIs, highlighting the ongoing need for vigilant defense mechanisms.

Traditional Security Vulnerabilities: Common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) in AI infrastructure continue to plague organizations. Attackers often exploit weaknesses in open-source frameworks, making it essential to identify and address these vulnerabilities proactively.

Novel Attack Techniques: While traditional security vulnerabilities still pose a large threat to the AI ecosystem, new attack techniques are a near-daily occurrence. Techniques such as Knowledge Return Oriented Prompting (KROP), developed by HiddenLayer’s SAI team, present a significant challenge to AI safety. These novel methods allow adversaries to bypass conventional safety measures built into large language models (LLMs), opening the door to unintended consequences.

Identifying vulnerabilities before adversaries do

To combat these threats, researchers must stay one step ahead, anticipating the techniques that bad actors may employ—often before those adversaries even recognize potential opportunities for impact. By combining proactive research with innovative, automated tools designed to expose hidden vulnerabilities within AI frameworks, researchers can uncover and disclose new Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). This responsible approach to vulnerability disclosure not only strengthens individual AI systems but also fortifies the broader industry by raising awareness and establishing baseline protections to combat both known and emerging threats.

Identifying vulnerabilities is only the first step. It’s equally critical to translate academic research into practical, deployable solutions that operate effectively in real-world production settings. This bridge from theory to application is exemplified in projects where HiddenLayer’s SAI team adapted academic insights to tackle actual security risks, underscoring the importance of making research actionable, and ensuring defenses are robust, scalable, and adaptable to evolving threats. By transforming foundational research into operational defenses, the industry not only protects AI systems but also builds resilience and confidence in AI-driven innovation, safeguarding users and organizations alike against a rapidly changing threat landscape. This proactive, layered approach is essential for enabling secure, reliable AI applications that can withstand both current and future adversarial techniques.

Innovating toward safer AI systems

Security around AI systems can no longer be an afterthought; it must be woven into the fabric of AI innovation. As AI technologies advance, so do the methods and motives of attackers. Threat actors are increasingly focused on exploiting weaknesses specific to AI models, from adversarial attacks that manipulate model outputs to data poisoning techniques that degrade model accuracy. To address these risks, the industry is shifting towards embedding security directly into the development and deployment phases of AI, making it an integral part of the AI lifecycle. This proactive approach is fostering safer environments for AI and mitigating risks before they manifest, reducing the likelihood of unexpected disruptions.

Researchers and industry leaders alike are accelerating efforts to identify and counteract evolving vulnerabilities. As AI research migrates from theoretical exploration to practical application, new attack methods are rapidly moving from academic discourse to real-world implementation. Adopting “secure by design” principles is essential to establishing a security-first mindset, which, while not foolproof, elevates the baseline protection for AI systems and the industries that depend on them. As AI revolutionizes sectors from healthcare to finance, embedding robust security measures is vital to supporting sustainable growth and fostering trust in these transformative technologies. Embracing security not as a barrier but as a catalyst for responsible progress will ensure that AI systems are resilient, reliable, and equipped to withstand the dynamic and sophisticated threats they face, paving the way for future advancements that are both innovative and secure.

We've compiled a list of the best identity management software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• I've counted three TWM launched or demoed over the past year or so
• Viewsonic's VG1656N costs under $300 and has a 4000mAh battery for an expected 3hr battery life
• Mirror or cast wirelessly, without the need for a separate app

True wireless, portable monitors have been steadily evolving, and we could count no less than three launched or demoed over the past year.

Enter ViewSonic’s latest release, the VG1656N (via TechPowerUp). This 16-inch portable monitor stands out with a sizable built-in battery and wireless casting capabilities at a reasonable price point of $299.99 USD.

The lightweight display weighs just under two pounds and is less than half an inch thick, making it easy to carry in a backpack. It also includes a smart cover which doubles as a protective case and an adjustable stand.

Highly portable display

It offers a native WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution, and it also supports a 4,000mAh battery which can power the monitor for up to three hours, depending on usage.

Users can mirror content from Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android devices without the need for additional apps or software using a USB-C wireless dongle.

ViewSonic’s VG1656N integrates a G-Sensor which detects the monitor’s orientation and automatically adjusts the screen to landscape or portrait mode.

This feature requires the vDisplayManager app for wired connections, and doesn't function at all with wireless casting.

The monitor also comes with two USB-C ports, offering 60W two-way power delivery, though the battery itself cannot be recharged via USB-C and users will need an AC adapter.

Elsewhere, the company plans to launch the TD1656-2K in the second quarter of 2025, featuring a 16-inch touchscreen display with a native 2K resolution.

"Our new desktop monitors, along with our current slate of portable display devices, showcase how ViewSonic continues to expand its display solutions to offer more choices, features, and functionality to any type of work or play lifestyle," noted Jeff Muto, Business Line Director at ViewSonic.

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Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 16.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections: Sports Edition No. 115 for Jan. 16.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for the Jan. 16 Strands puzzle, No. 319.

• Google Chrome's PermissionsAI test anticipates user permissions.
• PermissionsAI could reduce intrusive pop-ups by analyzing user behavior.
• It is currently in Chrome Canary for early testing now.

Google’s Chrome browser is testing a new feature dubbed PermissionsAI, which is designed to make those pesky pop-ups asking for access to your location or permission to send notifications much quieter.

The tool uses Google's “Permission Predictions Service” and Gemini Nano v2 to guess whether users are likely to grant a website’s request. If the answer is probably no, the feature tucks the request into a less intrusive UI instead of flashing it front and center like it currently does.

The idea is for Chrome to use AI to make browsing more pleasant by quietly handling the minor annoyances that can pile up when online. PermissionsAI analyzes your previous interactions with similar requests to predict your response. If you’re the kind of person who reflexively denies every notification pop-up, PermissionsAI won’t even bother you with a loud, in-your-face request. Instead, it quietly logs the request in a subtle UI where you can engage with it later.

PermissionsAI is currently being tested in Chrome Canary – the experimental version of the browser – and isn’t available to the public yet. It pairs well with the Safe Browsing security tool, which shields users from harmful websites and malicious downloads, meaning a wrong guess won't wreak havoc on your computer.

Browsing AI

This marks the latest move by Google to embed AI in Chrome. Gemini is now part of many of the browser's features, with the AI organizing open tabs, offering product comparisons, and helping to compose text. PermissionsAI, though, is less flashy than other features and may turn out to be one of the more appreciated improvements simply because it removes a common irritation.

While the concept is straightforward, the details of how PermissionsAI works remain vague. Google hasn’t disclosed exactly how its AI calculates the likelihood of you clicking “Allow” versus “Deny,” but it’s safe to assume the system leans heavily on machine learning.

By studying patterns in user behavior, Chrome could cut down on interruptions and make life a little easier for web developers who hear complaints about their pop-ups annoying people.

It’s worth asking whether PermissionsAI and other Gemini-powered features will strike the right balance between helpful and intrusive. While reducing the noise of pop-ups is universally appealing, AI-powered predictions aren’t infallible.

What happens if PermissionsAI incorrectly predicts that you wouldn’t want to approve a request and you miss an important pop-up entirely? Still, if PermissionsAI can reliably filter out the noise while giving users control over important decisions, it could become one of Chrome’s most welcome features yet.

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Bar association

NYT Strands today (game #319) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• RICE
• TRACK
• CORE
• MILK
• TASTE
• CART

NYT Strands today (game #319) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Mixed beverages

NYT Strands today (game #319) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 4th column

Last side: bottom, 1st column

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

NYT Strands today (game #319) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #319, are…

• ZOMBIE
• SIDECAR
• MARTINI
• STINGER
• COSMOPOLITAN
• SPANGRAM: COCKTAILS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

When I saw today’s theme I initially feared that it was going to be about boring legal words (and who’d want that), but my concerns were soon eased when the first Hint gave me ZOMBIE – which is both a slow-moving human whose brain has been eaten by an inexplicable virus OR a delicious beverage made from rum, lime and grapefruit juice.

Why it’s called a Zombie is uncertain although I suspect you’d find navigating stairs tricky if you had more than a couple.

Strands also included the classic cocktail COSMOPOLITAN – not a word that I use very often, but one that was strangely satisfying to connect letter by letter.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 15 January, game #318)

• BLUE
• RIGHT
• GRAY
• ORCA
• BALEEN
• HUMPBACK
• SPANGRAM: WHALES

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.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 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 #1088) - 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 #1088) - 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 #1088) - 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 #1088) - 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 2.

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 #1088) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• B

• T

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1088) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1088, are…

• PARTY
• BLUNT
• TWEED
• PLANT

Boom!

I employed a different technique today and achieved easily my best ever Quordle score, getting all four words after six guesses.

Instead of taking an overview of all four columns I decided to solve each word at a time – Wordle style, or in the way that Daily Sequence game works – and only move on once I guessed each correctly. I didn’t do the words consecutively though, just looked at which one gave me the most clues. After getting PARTY I moved on to the fourth word – PLANT – as I had a head start there, with two green letters and two orange.

TWEED was lucky. With no other vowels available I thought there could be a double E and TWEED was the only possibility.

Happy days.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1088) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1088, are…

• GULCH
• TORCH
• BEGIN
• GONER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1087, Wednesday 15 January: RISEN, PLATE, RURAL, ENVOY
• Quordle #1086, Tuesday 14 January: SWARM, SCRAP, ONION, BELCH
• Quordle #1085, Monday 13 January: EYING, GIDDY, CHEAP, PETAL
• Quordle #1084, Sunday 12 January: BRIEF, PETAL, WOMAN, FELON
• Quordle #1083, Saturday 11 January: ASCOT, FIBER, ROGUE, SMELL
• Quordle #1082, Friday 10 January: BIGOT, INLET, LEECH, TUNIC
• Quordle #1081, Thursday 9 January: RESET, HUMOR, TENOR, IMAGE
• Quordle #1080, Wednesday 8 January: MINCE, SADLY, RISEN, VOUCH
• Quordle #1079, Tuesday 7 January: CREED, FILET, ROUTE, TAPER
• Quordle #1078, Monday 6 January: PIVOT, WOOLY, GRUNT, GROOM
• Quordle #1077, Sunday 5 January: BORAX, JUDGE, CADET, SALON
• Quordle #1076, Saturday 4 January: CORER, CRATE, QUASI, EXIST
• Quordle #1075, Friday 3 January: PERKY, QUARK, NAVEL, SHEEN
• Quordle #1074, Thursday 2 January: UNIFY, SWORE, DEPOT, INTRO
• Quordle #1073, Wednesday 1 January: CLING, SUITE, WORRY, TONIC
• Quordle #1072, Tuesday 31 December: PLUMP, TUBER, IRATE, ICILY
• Quordle #1071, Monday 30 December: TODDY, GROIN, GROWN, VERVE
• Quordle #1070, Sunday 29 December: PURER, SPLAT, RABID, EMCEE
• Quordle #1069, Saturday 28 December: BUNCH, LABOR, TRIPE, BUNNY
• Quordle #1068, Friday 27 December: BRAWL, LYING, ORGAN, CRONY

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 clues.

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 #585) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MARKET
• SWITCH
• PLANT
• MALL
• TRADE
• GYM
• OUTLET
• ASSET
• RUG
• BUSINESS
• MOLE
• SCONCE
• PACK
• AGENT
• BASEBOARD
• COMMERCE

NYT Connections today (game #585) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Merchandise 
• GREEN: Room fixtures 
• BLUE: Undercover
• PURPLE: Add a rodent 

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 #585) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: BUYING AND SELLING 
• GREEN: INSTALLED ON A WALL 
• BLUE: SPY 
• PURPLE: RAT 

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

NYT Connections today (game #585) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #585, are…

• YELLOW: BUYING AND SELLING BUSINESS, COMMERCE, MARKET, TRADE
• GREEN: INSTALLED ON A WALL BASEBOARD, OUTLET, SCONCE, SWITCH
• BLUE: SPY AGENT, ASSET, MOLE, PLANT
• PURPLE: RAT GYM, MALL, PACK, RUG

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

I really struggled today, even though I got the yellow and blue groups fairly quickly.

My sticking point was INSTALLED ON A WALL, as I’d never heard of the word SCONCE before – which probably says a lot about my interest in interior design and home makeover shows.

Having said that, I really should have seen the words that had RAT in common.

Sheer guesswork got me over the line.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 15 January, game #584)

• YELLOW: MEANS MECHANISM, MEDIUM, TOOL, VEHICLE
• GREEN: LACKING LIGHT, LOW, SHORT, SHY
• BLUE: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS DIRTY, DRY, PERFECT, WET
• PURPLE: FICTIONAL MISTERS BIG, PEANUT, ROBOT, TOAD

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.