Technology

• Nanoleaf has launched a new lighting strip that syncs with your monitor
• It could provide an immersive boost to Mac gamers
• Apple has also patented a Magic Mouse with haptic feedback

Things have been looking up for Mac gamers in recent years, with Apple launching increasingly powerful hardware and AAA games coming to the company’s computers in increasing numbers. Now, there are a few new reasons why Mac gaming could be getting a touch more immersive.

The first is that Nanoleaf has just launched the PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip, which is a lighting strip for Mac and PC desktop monitors that provides rainbow effects for an immersive experience while gaming, listening to music, or watching TV shows and movies.

The strip connects to your computer over USB-C and needs to be paired using Nanoleaf’s desktop app. Once that’s done, its lights can actively match what is happening on your screen, providing a backlighting effect that extends the on-screen colors to your surroundings.

Nanoleaf’s Lightstrip costs $49.99 and can be pre-ordered from the company’s website. It’ll start shipping at the end of March.

Apple patent points to a haptic gaming Magic Mouse

(Image credit: Kaboompics.com / Pexels)

While Nanoleaf’s latest product is available to order now, there’s another idea that could give Mac gamers a boost that’s a little more experimental, and it comes in the form of a freshly uncovered patent (via Patently Apple).

The patent describes how a future Magic Mouse could be embedded with haptic sensors that mimic the effects of on-screen action. For example, it could enable you to feel the texture of moving through sand or sliding on ice, providing a much more immersive gaming experience.

Right now, Apple’s Magic Mouse is poorly suited to gaming due to its slippery top surface, unergonomic shape, and lack of customizable buttons. While the ideas discussed in the patent might help make it more viable for gaming, it will need a more wide-ranging overhaul before it becomes gamers’ pointer of choice. That said, the idea of a mouse embedded with haptic sensors could equally apply to creative and productivity tasks, so there’s a degree of flexibility here.

Being a patent, we don’t know when – or if – this will ever come to fruition. But it’s interesting to imagine how it could benefit Mac gamers and productivity lovers alike.

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• California Cryobank confirmed suffering a data breach in 2024
• Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers and more were stolen
• The company is offering credit monitoring services to some customers

One of the largest sperm banks in the United States has suffered a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive customer data.

California Cryobank confirmed the news in a filing with the Maine Office of the Attorney General, as well as in a data breach notification letter being sent out to affected individuals.

In the notification letter, the company said that it detected suspicious activity on its network on April 21, 2024, and isolated potentially affected devices from the network.

What about Donor IDs?

"Through our investigation, CCB determined that an unauthorized party gained access to our IT environment and may have accessed and/or acquired files maintained on certain computer systems between April 20, 2024 and April 22, 2024," the letter says.

California Cryobank is a sperm and egg bank that provides reproductive services, including sperm donation, egg freezing, and genetic screening. It is among the largest sperm banks in the United States, offering a diverse range of donors and services, and operating in all 50 states and more that two dozen countries around the world.

A more thorough investigation, which lasted almost a year, CCB concluded that different personal data was exposed for customers, such as names, bank accounts and routing numbers, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, payment card numbers, and/or health insurance information. It did not say how many people were affected.

It is unclear if donor information, such as donor ID numbers, was stolen in the attack, as well. When a person donates sperm, they are assigned an ID number, and their identity remains hidden until the child turns 18 and decides to learn more about their biological father. Leaking ID numbers could be a major privacy concern.

The company has offered a year’s worth of credit monitoring to people whose Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers were exposed in the attack.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon G Series of gaming processors
• They're primarily market for mobile and cloud gaming
• The most powerful of the lineup is capable of ray tracing and 1440p at 144Hz

Qualcomm has announced its new lineup of Snapdragon G series processors for the handheld market.

Announced in an official blog post, the Snapdragon G Series is made up of three different platforms: the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, Snapdragon G2 Gen 2, and the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2.

The company claims its latest chips are "designed with gamers in mind" to "deliver sustained graphics performance on handheld, dedicated devices". It promises "high-fidelity graphics" with "incredible ergonomics" for those wanting their mobile games at their best.

As the naming conventions may elude to, the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 is said to be the most powerful of the lineup, made for the "most demanding cross-platform gaming titles" whereas the Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 is instead primarily marketed for "cloud games across major ecosystems".

This is backed up by the technical specifications of the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3, which feature an eight-core Qualcomm Kyro CPU, Adreno A32 graphics (including ray tracing functionality), Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, and support for 1440p at 144Hz.

The Snapdragon G2 Gen 2 is similarly powerful, with the same eight-core Qualcomm Kyro CPU, but it features Adreno 22 graphics instead, with the same connectivity standards and output options.

Things only get more mainstream when analyzing what the Snapdragon G1 Gen 2 can do. Despite having the same eight-core processor as the others, six of its total cores are efficiency, with only two dedicated to performance.

Similarly, it has weaker Adreno A12 graphics, and only support for Full HD (1080p) at 120Hz with Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1. It's safe to say this could be the chip found in cloud gaming devices that do not require the same level of horsepower.

Some of its partners running the new chips include AyaNeo, OneXSugar, and Retroid Pocket, among others, as the hardware is primarily geared towards Android and cloud gaming performance rather than native rendering. However, given the prowess of the leading chip, that could change depending on who adopts the silicon.

A step forward for mobile gaming hardware

Qualcomm has had great success over the past year since its Snapdragon X Elite line, powering some of the best laptops and best ultrabooks, famed for their snappy performance and long battery lives when compared to traditional x86 alternatives. The company now seems in a position to take on some of the biggest processors from rivals, such as AMD's Z1 and Z2 chips that you'll find in some of the best gaming handhelds.

We may not see a similar level of compatibility and performance with Windows or SteamOS machines, but for what they are, the Snapdragon G Series could still be a viable alternative. Some handhelds hitting the market have already impressed featuring the Snapdragon G3 Gen 3 chip, like the AyaNeo Pocket S2, which is said to elevate Android gaming without the usual trappings of getting warm (via PCMag).

Just as Windows on Arm has evolved since it launched and was iterated upon as the big x86 alternative, the Snapdragon G Series could be the thing to push more handheld gamers into the arms of dedicated cloud-based and Android machines if the battery lives, displays, and ergonomics can outmatch what current-generation handheld PCs can do.

Competition is always a good thing as it pushes companies to continue innovating and improving on tech instead of stagnation, something the portable scene has been in danger of for years now. Will the Snapdragon G Series be enough to frighten AMD and Intel? It's not clear yet, but we've seen Qualcomm muscle in on their territory with its laptops, so why couldn't handhelds be next?

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With rising utility bills and the increasing cost of living, consumers need more support than ever—especially the most vulnerable. Acknowledging vulnerability isn’t enough; organizations must take action to ensure no one falls through the cracks.

Recent research from Focal Data highlights a growing number of UK adults who are either already in or on the verge of vulnerable situations. However, there is encouraging news: awareness is increasing, particularly among younger generations, and organizations now have clear, actionable guidance on providing meaningful support.

As consumer vulnerability evolves, technology leaders are crucial in driving solutions that ensure no customer is left behind. Their responsibility extends beyond deploying new tools; it involves strategically integrating AI to help customer service teams deliver scalable, empathetic, and effective support.

Additionally, as sectors such as financial services, utilities, and retail face increasing regulatory scrutiny and ethical concerns around data and AI usage, technology leaders must provide guidance to ensure compliance and responsible AI deployment.

35 million UK adults are potentially vulnerable

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) identifies four key drivers of vulnerability, a framework that extends beyond financial services and helps organizations understand the complexities behind consumer vulnerability:

1. Health issues (mental and physical illness)

2. Life events (including bereavement and job loss)

3. Low resilience (the inability to withstand financial or emotional shock)

4. Low capability and confidence (in dealing with financial matters)

Based on these criteria, the Focal Data research estimates that 35 million UK adults—approximately two-thirds of the adult population—are potentially vulnerable. Despite this, only 19% of those affected self-identify as vulnerable, and 34% of consumers would be uncomfortable disclosing mental health challenges.

Delivering support at this scale is an immense challenge, made even more difficult by low awareness and reluctance to discuss vulnerability. Many organizations believe they have sufficient processes in place to support vulnerable customers. Yet, when examined closely, the reality is quite different. On average, only around 3% of calls are screened for vulnerable customer support, and even fewer are routed to appropriate processes. This stark gap exposes many organizations to regulatory risks and, more importantly, leaves vulnerable customers without the support they need.

Younger adults show greater self-awareness, yet pressure remains

There is, however, some hope. Younger adults, particularly those under 34, are leading the way in self-awareness, with 31% identifying as vulnerable. This increased self-awareness is a promising step toward more open communication about financial and personal struggles.

However, organizations cannot rely on self-identification alone. This puts undue pressure on customer service advisors to recognize vulnerability based solely on soft skills and single interactions. Advisors are expected to identify a customer’s vulnerability while simultaneously searching for accurate information, leading to potential bias and missed signs. For example, a customer displaying subtle signs of stress may be perceived as just another frustrated caller rather than someone in genuine distress. Relying solely on human judgment to identify vulnerability is neither scalable nor sufficient.

Energy and utilities remain the top source of financial pressure

Financial pressures, particularly rising energy and utility costs, weigh heavily on UK households. A troubling 35% of potentially vulnerable consumers anticipate reducing or stopping their heating and hot water usage in 2025 due to financial strain.

With financial difficulties impacting consumers across all demographics, organizations—especially energy providers—must adopt solutions that build customer confidence and help consumers easily access critical information.

Vulnerable consumers are choosing digital support

Vulnerable consumers are increasingly turning to digital channels for support. Over a third (37%) prefer organizations to invest in improved digital services, such as AI-powered chatbots, over traditional in-person support, surpassing the general population’s demand (33%).

Digital channels provide an added layer of anonymity, which can be especially empowering for vulnerable individuals hesitant to discuss sensitive issues face-to-face. This presents a significant opportunity for organizations to leverage intelligent solutions that help customers resolve their issues efficiently and accurately.

AI and automation: the key to scalable, compassionate support

With a growing number of consumers at risk, outdated manual processes can’t keep up. Supporting vulnerable consumers at scale requires innovation. AI and automation can transform how organizations detect and respond to vulnerability, ensuring no one is left behind.

AI-driven solutions can analyze every customer interaction across voice and digital channels, detecting vulnerability in real-time based on language cues, sentiment, and behavioral patterns. This allows for timely intervention and ensures that customers receive the right support when they need it the most.

AI-powered chat services must go beyond surface-level interactions. Smart escalation pathways ensure that vulnerable consumers receive appropriate follow-up, whether through specialist advisors or seamless context capture—eliminating the need for customers to repeat distressing details.

However, AI insights are only valuable if they empower frontline advisors. Real-time AI guidance can equip agents with instant, tailored recommendations—whether offering alternative payment plans, government assistance, or mental health support options. This ensures that customers receive compassionate, personalized service without the risk of bias or oversight.

What’s more, by automating workflows, organizations can ensure vulnerable customers are always routed to the correct resources, specialist teams, or dedicated processes—minimizing the risk of anyone falling through the cracks.

The future of vulnerable customer support

Vulnerability is a human challenge, but technology is needed to solve it at scale. AI doesn’t just detect vulnerability—it enables organizations to move beyond recognition, delivering proactive, personalized, and truly supportive experiences.

For technology leaders, the message is clear: AI and automation must be embedded at the core of customer support strategies. By working closely with customer service, technology leaders can ensure that every consumer, especially the most vulnerable, receives the support they need with dignity, efficiency, and care.

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

In a shaky economy, CDs are a safe bet.

Today’s organizations rely on an extensive network of third-party vendors, partners, and service providers to enhance operations and fuel innovation. Whether leveraging cloud services, supply chain partners, or outsourced IT solutions, these external dependencies introduce complex cybersecurity risks.

The 2024 Change Healthcare cyberattack exemplified the devastating consequences of a third-party vulnerability, exposing the personal and medical information of nearly 190 million individuals—the largest healthcare data breach on record. This incident underscored how deeply vulnerabilities in a single third-party provider can ripple across entire industries, exponentially expanding attack surfaces and amplifying the consequences of a single security failure.

The escalating threat of third-party cyber risks

One year after the Change Healthcare cyberattack, third-party breaches continue to dominate headlines, with new incidents emerging almost monthly. In January, government IT contractor Conduent suffered a cyberattack due to a third-party system compromise on an operating system. The following month, Grubhub disclosed a data breach after detecting unusual network activity linked to a compromised third-party service provider. These incidents are not isolated; they reflect a growing trend where cybercriminals exploit a single point of entry to infiltrate one or more organizations' entire digital supply chain.

The repercussions of a third-party cyberattack extend far beyond immediate operational disruptions. They erode customer trust, trigger scrutiny from officials, and result in significant financial losses. The evolving threat landscape coupled with businesses expanding their reliance on external vendors increases the potential for third-party security failures, making it imperative for organizations to rethink their approach to vendor risk management. Third-party risk management (TPRM) is no longer a compliance exercise, it is a business-critical function requiring continuous oversight and modernization.

The shortcomings of traditional TPRM approaches

Historically, organizations have relied on manual assessments to evaluate third-party risks, often involving lengthy security questionnaires, periodic audits, and contractual agreements outlining cybersecurity expectations. While these measures establish a baseline for vendor security, they are largely static and offer little real-time insight into evolving threats. As cybercriminals become more sophisticated and exploit new vulnerabilities within days of being discovered, a point-in-time assessment is no longer sufficient.

The increasing volume of vendor relationships further complicates manual risk management. Security teams are often overwhelmed by the sheer number of third parties they must monitor, leading to inefficiencies, delays, and gaps in visibility. Traditional approaches rely on periodic assessments that provide only a snapshot, leaving organizations blind to threats that can emerge between evaluations.

Without continuous oversight, security gaps can go undetected until it’s too late. Addressing these shortcomings requires a shift from manual, reactive processes to automation-powered security operations, where real-time monitoring and AI-driven analytics provide the agility needed to stay ahead of evolving threats.

How AI and automation-driven security is transforming TPRM

AI and automation should not replace human decision-making; but rather augment it, empowering security teams with the tools and information needed to make better, faster, and more informed choices. A well-implemented AI and automation-powered strategy reduces operational fatigue, optimizes resource allocation, and ensures organizations stay ahead of evolving cyber threats rather than constantly playing catch-up. By automating TPRM, organizations can shift from passive risk management to proactive threat prevention.

Unlike traditional risk assessments that provide a static view of a vendor’s security posture, automation and AI can continuously monitor third-party networks, applications, and behaviors to identify anomalies and provide real-time visibility of external threat environments. AI-based third-party risk detection can also help organizations progress beyond known, rule-based security risk detection to a more heuristic detection capability.

While the risk of AI hallucinations and associated false positives can still be an issue, this is an emerging field for detecting software and network vulnerabilities that should not be overlooked. This proactive approach helps organizations move away from reactive security models, allowing them to address risks before they become crises.

Automation further strengthens incident response. When a security event occurs within a third-party environment, automation platforms accelerate containment by instantly analyzing the breach, assessing its impact, and triggering efficient notification of the appropriate practitioners which can be used to engage response protocols quickly and accurately. This rapid intervention significantly reduces dwell time, limiting the potential damage caused by an attack.

An automation platform with robust case management capabilities and highly customizable playbooks provides a centralized location for storing valuable information about TPRM-associated tasks, detections, software in use in the organization, asset criticality, and more. This helps not only in the defense of an environment but also can be leveraged for compliance audit readiness or demonstrating to insurers and stakeholders what measures have been taken to manage third-party risk.

The time for action Is now

Third-party data breaches, such as the recent GrubHub cyberattack, act as a wake-up call for organizations to prioritize proactive security measures. Cybercriminals will continue targeting external providers as a backdoor into organizations, reinforcing the need for a proactive, AI-enhanced approach to TPRM.

By integrating AI and automation-driven security operations, organizations can achieve real-time monitoring, automated threat detection, and rapid incident response, detecting anomalies before they escalate into full-scale breaches. In an era where cyberattacks are inevitable, resilience is built on preparedness. The time for action is now before your organization becomes the next headline.

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Commentary: With Apple not refreshing its iPhone SE line, I feel Google had an opportunity that it squandered.

This is going to be a tough one for Valve's portable.

The new software developer kit aims to help developers catch more bugs and give better in-game advice.

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 Wedneday, March 19 (game #647).

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 #648) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• GENIE
• BUNGEE
• STRAIT
• VOCAL
• SHIP
• EXTENSION
• DIRECT
• MESSAGE
• LOUD
• SOUND
• SPINAL
• CHANNEL
• UMBILICAL
• BAY
• LIGHTNING
• FRANK

NYT Connections today (game #648) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Confident speaker 
• GREEN: Ocean geography 
• BLUE: Common thread rhymes with “lord”
• PURPLE: Found inside

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 #648) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: OUTSPOKEN 
• GREEN: BODIES OF WATER 
• BLUE: KINDS OF CORDS 
• PURPLE: THINGS IN BOTTLES 

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

NYT Connections today (game #648) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #648, are…

• YELLOW: OUTSPOKEN DIRECT, FRANK, LOUD, VOCAL
• GREEN: BODIES OF WATER BAY, CHANNEL, SOUND, STRAIT
• BLUE: KINDS OF CORDS BUNGEE, EXTENSION, SPINAL, UMBILICAL
• PURPLE: THINGS IN BOTTLES GENIE, LIGHTNING, MESSAGE, SHIP

• My rating: Difficult
• My score: 3 mistakes

I used up three Mistakes today by convincing myself that VOCAL belonged in KINDS OF CORDS, trying every combination and getting “one away” each time before giving up and dropping it.

All part of the fun of Connections and hopefully I wasn’t the only person who fell for this trap.

This little niggle out of the way, the rest of the groups fell together easily. I might have even have gotten THINGS IN BOTTLES if I hadn’t completed OUTSPOKEN ahead of it.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 19 March, game #647)

• YELLOW: SIGNIFY CONVEY, EXPRESS, MEAN, SPELL
• GREEN: WEB BROWSER BUTTONS BACK, EXTENSIONS, FORWARD, REFRESH
• BLUE: PARTS OF A ROAD DIVIDER, LANE, MEDIAN, SHOULDER
• PURPLE: À/ A LA __ CARTE, KING, MODE, PLANCHA

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, March 19 (game #1150).

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 #1151) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1151) - 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 2.

Quordle today (game #1151) - 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 #1151) - 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 #1151) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• S

• W

• N

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

Quordle today (game #1151) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1151, are…

• RIPER
• STILL
• WAFER
• NOTCH

I was a WAFER away from a 7-guess finish in less than a minute today, gambling on GAMER instead.

Still, it was very pleasing to get home without any other issues, thanks to my 15-letter start revealing a handful of greens and yellows.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1151) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1151, are…

• FERRY
• CHUTE
• ANTIC
• HUMAN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• 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
• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER
• Quordle #1136, Wednesday 5 March: PLEAD, TWANG, MAJOR, RISKY
• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER
• Quordle #1134, Monday 3 March: FRILL, KAYAK, REBAR, WORDY
• Quordle #1133, Sunday 2 March: TUNIC, GLOSS, DEBUG, LARGE
• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL

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, March 19 (game #381).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Wetland patrol

NYT Strands today (game #382) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BONG
• DOLL
• STOP
• GRIT
• FINS
• GREET

NYT Strands today (game #382) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #382) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 3rd column

Last side: top, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #382) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #382, are…

• FLAMINGO
• STORK
• BITTERN
• IBIS
• EGRET
• SPOONBILL
• SPANGRAM: WADING BIRD

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who tapped out wading birds a couple of times before WADING BIRD.

A tangent, and this is a very niche irritation, but I don’t like it when the Spangram ends in the middle of the puzzle. It feels wrong.

FLAMINGOs are amazing birds. Not only do they look brilliant, but they also do lots of strange things – like eat with their heads turned upside down, stand on one leg and only fly at night. The best thing, though, is that the collective noun for a group of flamingos is a flamboyance.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 19 March, game #381)

• COVER
• FRAME
• STRINGS
• HAMMERS
• PEDALS
• KEYBOARD
• SPANGRAM: PIANO PARTS

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.

• Genshin Impact Version 5.5 launches on March 26
• It adds two new playable characters
• It also expands the Natlan map with a new area

With Genshin Impact Version 5.5, or 'Day of the Flame's Return', set to launch next week on March 26, developer Hoyoverse has shared some new details about what's included in the update.

Most significantly it introduces two new playable characters: Varesa and Iansan. Varesa is a 5 star Electro Catalyst user, with the ability to enter a Fiery Passion state to deal increased damage.

She's got quite a unique design, with cow-like horns and a tail. Outside of the battlefield, she has a very laid back personality and is almost never seen not nibbling on some kind of food.

Image 1 of 3

The Version 5.5 key art. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 2 of 3

Veresa loves snacking. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 3 of 3

Iansan is a fitness obsessed fighter. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)

Iansan is a 4 star Electro Polearm user and a fitness instructor with a variety of workout-themed attacks. She can smash enemies with makeshift dumbells while healing allies and enhancing their attacks.

The update will also expand the open-world, extending the Natlan map by allowing you to venture into the area surrounding the Great Volcano of Tollan. It contains a special hidden city, plus new mysteries to discover.

In the area, you will also encounter a new tribe - the Collective of Plenty. Devoted to fitness, they share an interesting culture founded in competitions to test their strength.

Occasionally, you'll be able to transform into the Tatankasaurus, a new Saurian from the Collective of Plenty that can smash from large Pulverite chunks and dash across water.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Genshin Impact update without a new event. This time it's the 'Tournament of Glory in Bloom' seasonal event which prominently features the new NPC character Ifa.

New optimizations are also being added, including a handy boss tracker and a revamped Artifact levelling experience.

Interested in diving in? Genshin Impact is available as a free-to-play title on mobile, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

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• Security researchers have developed a new technique to jailbreak AI chatbots
• The technique required no prior malware coding knowledge
• This involved creating a fake scenario to convince the model to craft an attack

Despite having no previous experience in malware coding, Cato CTRL threat intelligence researchers have warned they were able to jailbreak multiple LLMs, including ChatGPT-4o, DeepSeek-R1, DeepSeek-V3, and Microsoft Copilot, using a rather fantastical technique.

The team developed ‘Immersive World’ which uses “narrative engineering to bypass LLM security controls” by creating a “detailed fictional world” to normalize restricted operations and develop a “fully effective" Chrome infostealer. Chrome is the most popular browser in the world, with over 3 billion users, outlining the scale of the risk this attack poses.

Infostealer malware is on the rise, and is rapidly becoming one of the most dangerous tools in a cybercriminal's arsenal - and this attack shows that the barriers are significantly lowered for cybercriminals, who now need no prior experience in creating malicious code.

AI for attackers

LLMs have ‘fundamentally altered the cybersecurity landscape”, the report claims, and research has shown that AI-powered cyber threats are becoming a much more serious concern for security teams and businesses by allowing criminals to craft more sophisticated attacks with less experience and at a higher frequency.

Chatbots have many guardrails and safety policies, but since AI models are designed to be as helpful and compliant to the user as possible, researchers have been able to jailbreak the models, including persuading AI Agents to write and send phishing attacks with relative ease.

“We believe the rise of the zero-knowledge threat actor poses high risk to organizations because the barrier to creating malware is now substantially lowered with GenAI tools,” said Vitaly Simonovich, threat intelligence researcher at Cato Networks.

“Infostealers play a significant role in credential theft by enabling threat actors to breach enterprises. Our new LLM jailbreak technique, which we’ve uncovered and called Immersive World, showcases the dangerous potential of creating an infostealer with ease.”

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• The Sex Lives of College Girls has been cancled by Max after three seasons.
• There's a possibility the show may find another home on another streaming service.
• Co-creator Justin Noble released a statement on social media regarding the show's cancelation.

Max has canceled The Sex Lives of College Girls after three seasons, but the hit comedy series might find a new home on another streaming service.

The Sex Lives of College Girls wrapped its most recent season in January, which saw beloved cast member Reneé Rapp (Mean Girls) depart the series after the first two episodes. By the third season, the characters were only midway through their sophomore year and its cliffhanger-free finale left fans wondering if this was the end for the show.

But despite the coming-of-age comedy making it onto Max's top 10 list of most-watched shows over the years, the streamer has decided not to renew the series. However, there is still hope for The Sex Lives of College Girls as Warner Bros. Television is reportedly looking for another streaming service to pick it up, sources familiar with the matter told The Hollywood Reporter.

'We are living in an era where we need comedy badly'

Justin Noble, who co-created the series with Mindy Kaling, made an Instagram announcement (see below) regarding the cancelation. Although he was disappointed and surprised by Max's decision to ax The Sex Lives of College Girls, he wrote that there are “discussions with some new potential homes for the show".

He added that: "I can’t help but mention that it feels like there are fewer and fewer comedy series every month – and we are living in an era where we need that comedy badly. So I really hope that turns around, but I will always be proud of this show for being the things that we weren’t seeing enough of: a hard comedy ensemble where ladies get the jokes."

A post shared by Justin Noble (@thejustinnoble)

A photo posted by on

The Sex Lives of College Girls follows the lives of four 18-year-old college roommates as they navigate their sexually active lifestyle and the challenges of adulthood. The Guardian hailed it as a "modern-day Friends," but it unfortunately hasn't met the same success as some of the other best Max shows like Hacks or Barry.

This isn't the first time one of Kaling's projects has been canceled and moved to one of the best streaming services. Her sitcom The Mindy Project first aired on Fox in 2012, before being canceled after three seasons. The Mindy Project was then saved by Hulu and finished its six-season run.

If The Sex Lives of College Girls were to be re-homed on another streaming service, there's a potential it would attract a wider audience and be renewed for a fourth season. For now though, it remains as another canceled show on Max's scrap pile.

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• Windows 11 could get a feature to better inform you on how fast your PC is
• It’s still hidden in testing, but a new FAQ to help the less tech-savvy has just been discovered
• As this is still in the very early stages – and not an official feature at all yet – we should temper our excitement somewhat

Microsoft is developing a feature in Windows 11 that provides some easy to understand information on the spec of your PC, and how powerful the hardware inside the device is.

Neowin noticed that a regular contributor to the Windows rumor scene on X, PhantomOfEarth, uncovered some new work on this capability which remains hidden under the bonnet of Windows 11.

New Frequently Asked Questions list in Settings > System > About, hidden in builds 26120.3576 and 22635.5090. Has some questions related to the Windows version and device specs. (vivetool /enable /id:55305888) pic.twitter.com/AkaP8XR3PRMarch 17, 2025

PhantomOfEarth found the new FAQ section in preview builds 26120.3576 and 22635.5090, and they enabled the functionality using a Windows configuration utility (ViVeTool).

You may recall that this feature was first discovered in the background of Windows 11 back at the start of 2025, when the same leaker aired images of some ‘cards’ in the Settings app, which are compact info panels that display the specs of the PC so they’re easy to see at a glance.

These panels (in System > About, within Settings) display core specs such as the CPU, graphics card, and amount of memory and storage. On top of that, as we noted at the time, Windows 10 users already had this feature live, in testing, and it came with a FAQ section tacked on.

Now that FAQ has arrived in Windows 11, as mentioned, and it provides a range of questions and answers on elements of the spec of the host PC.

The nifty bit is that the FAQ is tailored based on the PC that’s running Windows 11. So for example, if you haven’t got a discrete GPU, and you just use the integrated graphics provided by your processor, Microsoft will provide info on exactly what that means for your prospects of running certain software or games.

Or if you’ve got a low amount of system RAM, you’ll be given details on how that leaner allocation might affect the running of apps on your PC.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: Shaping up nicely (albeit at a very early stage)

It’s good to see this FAQ section arriving in Windows 11, although it was expected to do so, given that it was present in Windows 10 (testing) already. (However, I’m not quite sure why Microsoft is developing this for Windows 10 at all, given that the OS is shuffling off its coil before too long, something Microsoft is now regularly reminding us about in, erm, creative ways, shall we say).

We still must remember that at least for Windows 11, this is a hidden feature and not yet enabled in testing, so there’s no guarantee it’ll ever arrive in the finished version of the operating system (the same’s true for Windows 10, for that matter).

I think it’s quite likely that it will be pushed through to Windows 11, though, given that this will be a helpful feature for computing novices who aren’t sure about the capabilities of their PC. The tailored nature of the new FAQ is particularly useful, so the info provided is guaranteed to be relevant to the user.

Still, the answers to the questions posed do remain a little generic, but I can see them being fleshed out by AI in the future. This could be a good use of Copilot in getting the assistant to be of more use to the less tech-savvy out there.

As I’ve discussed in the past, this new approach looks far superior to the Windows Experience Index, which computing veterans may recall from back in the day. The WEI, as it was known, was introduced with Windows Vista, and rated your PC’s performance in a bunch of categories – but it was convoluted and confusing, rather than helpful.

It looks like Microsoft is going to do much better with this fresh take on the concept, but the proof, as ever, will be in tasting the pudding – and this feature is still very much at the mixing ingredients stage right now.

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