Technology

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X has left the board of GIFCT, an organization through which tech companies exchange information to keep violent content off the web. It's the latest in a series of episodes driving tension within the ranks.

There’s a tweet by John Moynes that’s been going around X.com for some time now that I can easily relate to. It goes like this: ‘Rage Against the Machine never specified what type of machine they were furious with, but I reckon it was probably a printer.’

Printing anything out at home remains one of the most frustrating experiences in modern life. Assuming you can actually get your PC to connect to your printer, who knows what you’re going to get out the other end because it rarely resembles the document you’re seeing on screen.

Spreadsheets mysteriously split themselves over several pages, and anything printed from a web page comes with an obligatory page or two of extra blank space at the end, maybe with a line or two random text at the bottom. Why printer companies haven’t managed to fix this yet is beyond me.

AI to the rescue

Well, perhaps it’s beyond human beings because HP has called Artificial Intelligence to fix it. Announced at its recent Imagine AI event, HP Print AI is here to fix the common problems associated with printing documents.

Its stand-out feature, Perfect Output, which is available now as a beta to select users, is designed to make what you see on screen the same as what your printer actually prints out. The first problem it’s designed to solve is to make printing from the web work, at long last.

HP estimates that half of all print jobs at home are from web pages, so it’s crazy to think it’s taken this long to sort it out. Perfect Output intelligently reformats and reorganizes the content of a web page to fit on the printed page. It also detects unwanted content like ads or web text and removes it.

More than that, it actually makes the pages look like they’ve been designed beautifully. Have a look at the before and after screenshots:

Here's what a web page looks like when you try to print it... (Image credit: HP)

... and here's how it looks after Perfect Output has reformatted it. (Image credit: HP)

Perfect Output also tackles the thorny issue of printing spreadsheets. These have traditionally been difficult to print out because they tend to be formatted in landscape. Perfect Output does the hard work of making them fit on a page for you, even integrating charts intelligently into the printouts.

HP is also using AI to help you set up your printer, but frankly, we just want better-looking printouts that don’t waste reams of paper when all we wanted was a recipe for spaghetti bolognese. If AI can do that, it’s winning.

While Perfect Output is available to select customers right now as a beta, HP says it will launch HP Print AI capabilities through 2025.

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In 2025, Carlo Acutis will officially become the first millennial saint. But will he help the Catholic Church reach a younger audience?

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 30.

Infostealer attacks are becoming an increasingly serious threat. Over the past few years, infostealer malware has increasingly become the weapon of choice for cybercriminals as a low-hanging fruit tactic to carry out high-impact data breaches due to their simplicity, vast availability, and low cost.

The Trustwave SpiderLabs Threat Intelligence team recently discovered a new version of the SYS01 infostealer during our ongoing research of malicious activity on Facebook. With over 2.9 billion monthly active users and 200 million business accounts on Facebook, this infostealer poses a significant risk.

In this campaign, hackers use malicious advertisements to steal account credentials to take over Facebook business and personal pages, as well as gain access to users' credentials, history, and cookies in web browsers. The captured information can include saved credit card info, passwords for accounts to other sites, and more. This can then lead to further rippling effects, including disruption of business operations and financial loss.

Expanded Facebook User Targeting

SYS01 represents a new wave of infostealer malware with more sophisticated capabilities and evasion techniques, making it a formidable threat.

Since its emergence in March 2023, SYS01 has dramatically evolved. Initially distributed through Facebook advertisements related to adult content and gaming, this new version which has been operating since September 2023, now includes ads for AI-tools and Windows themes. This evolution advances SYS01’s appearance of legitimacy and extends its reach to target the general population, making it more challenging for users to identify and avoid malicious ads.

As this malware continues to evolve and target a larger pool of potential victims, organizations should implement filtering systems to analyze ad content for signs of malware or malicious intent to help mitigate risks. It's also crucial for employees to improve their own ability to recognize spoofed ads and maintain good cybersecurity hygiene by staying informed about the latest trends and tools used by cybercriminals.

The Adaptive Nature of SYS01

SYS01 can manipulate antivirus software configurations to avoid detection and maintain presence on infected systems for extended periods. This makes it much more challenging for traditional security solutions to detect the malware. With the ability to identify virtualized environments used by security researchers for malware analysis, SYS01 can further alter its behavior or halt execution to prevent discovery by security tools.

Not only can SYS01 manipulate security tools to evade detection, but its adaptability also allows it to continue to morph and adjust to increase effectiveness with each malicious ad campaign. Leveraging calculated A/B testing, SYS01 adapts and refines its ads to maximize engagement and click-through rates and repeats use of the more successful advertisements.

Given the adaptive nature of SYS01, organizations should ensure they have host-based anti-malware tools to help detect and protect against malicious exploits. Security and IT teams can go a step further by keeping browsers and plugins up-to-date and configuring browsers and tasks to regularly delete persistent cookies to reduce the risk of session cookie theft of sensitive information. When prevention isn’t possible, audit controls can also help detect potential compromises.

One Infostealer After Another

As cybercriminals continue to innovate with their use of infostealers, maintaining vigilance and implementing robust security measures is critical.

SYS01 is just one of many infostealer threats. Many of its tactics exhibit striking similarities to other infostealers, such as Rilide. Disguising itself as a legitimate Google Drive extension, Rilide targets Chromium-based browsers – such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera – leveraging Google Ads to carry out attacks that monitor browsing history and capture screenshots before injecting malicious scripts to withdraw funds from cryptocurrency exchanges.

To protect against such threats, security leaders should enforce the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) across their organizations. This adds an extra layer of defense, making unauthorized access more difficult if and when users inadvertently click on malicious ads. Proactive monitoring with tools like endpoint detection and response, alongside MFA, enhances security by detecting anomalies and aggregating data across an organization’s IT infrastructure.

A Call for Proactive Defense

SYS01’s evolution and sophisticated capabilities underscore the growing threat posed by infostealers, particularly in its demonstrated ability to evade detection and continuously evolve. This flexibility highlights the need for cybersecurity professionals to stay ahead of the curve to effectively anticipate and mitigate future threats. By investing in robust defenses, monitoring solutions, and proactive threat hunting, organizations can better safeguard against the rising risks of infostealers and protect their digital assets from potential harm.

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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

They say the only constant in life is change. In the technology industry, that’s only partially true. By building and nurturing a series of constants, businesses can set themselves up to flourish for the long haul, no matter which technology revolution we may face next.

Organizations that implement fundamental engineering, architectural, and operational practices can undoubtedly weather times of change, having built the extensible IT infrastructure and processes to help them chart a necessary path forward. But what does it take to truly thrive in periods of uncertainty? The core attributes of organizations I’ve seen most successful with sustaining engineering excellence not only balance but artfully blend a sense of high ambition and resilience, a culture of continuous learning, and authentic approaches to leadership.

Cultivate High Ambition and Resilience Through Data

First, successful engineering organizations measure the right things and turn data into actionable insights and targeted learning paths focused on skill-building, growth, and professional development. For example, if teams are slow to detect an incident with their application, it may be due to improper monitoring and alerting. If cycle times are missing the mark, it might be that the engineer could improve test automation skills. If cloud storage or cloud costs are unnecessarily high, perhaps the infrastructure was poorly designed or overly complex. 

In all of these cases, metrics and a test-and-learn approach should be embedded into the natural rhythms of the organization such that data informs whether teams persist on the current path or pivot to different approaches. This continuous retrospection and feedback loop can help leaders to make impactful decisions, take action, and best support and coach their teams in the pursuit of excellence.

These data-driven insights are also key to identifying areas where engineers spend time on manual or rote tasks, much of which could be allayed with automation. Automation can be an incredibly powerful tool to help shift engineers’ capacity away from these tasks to focus on more creative problem-solving and career-defining work. Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) has added rocket fuel to this effort, enabling the automation of complex and time-consuming workflows and activities. With the bandwidth unlocked by automation, engineers can turn their sights to constant experimentation and innovation (which is an exciting prospect when you’re working to solve challenging problems in financial services, for example).

Key performance indicators and data should permeate beyond product performance, too. Implementing these metrics into an organizations’ performance and talent management routines can also help reinforce the health of the organization, which is particularly important as leaders continue to raise the talent bar. In my experience, it’s these engineering best practices - measuring what matters, striving for excellence in those metrics, and supporting engineers in hitting ambitious targets - that are not only the framework for pursuing bold innovations but they’re also the key to attracting and retaining teams of world-class talent.

Fostering a Growth Mindset and Culture of Continuous Learning

Put simply, great engineers want to work with other great engineers. They expect engineering excellence from the organizations they join (and stay in) because this high talent bar is the foundation for continuously shipping products with meaningful outcomes for the business and customers. For leaders of these high-performing organizations, the pursuit of top talent is “always on.”

All engineering leaders, regardless of level of expertise or career stage, must understand that their job also includes the continued pursuit of new personal skills and knowledge. Here, leaders must allocate time and capacity for all team members to seek tailored training, certifications, and mentoring to stay at the forefront of technology and AI skills. Establishing rituals like "Invest in Yourself Days,” where associates can take advantage of learning and professional development opportunities on meeting-light days, and creating access to user-friendly learning hubs with focused learning tracks are helpful tactics to foster a growth mindset within any organization.

Leading with Authenticity and Truth-Seeking

Finally, in addition to leveraging data to inform operations and creating skill-building rituals and platforms for learning, leaders should invest in building their teams’ confidence and sense of psychological safety by demonstrating healthy behaviors from the top. This means nurturing an engineering culture that embraces change as an opportunity, where teammates are comfortable seeking help in areas of weakness, and where they can embrace failures or mistakes as learning opportunities. 

It’s important to not only reinforce wins, but also to honor and elevate uncovered truths that help organizations or enterprises in scalable ways and for the long haul. By having difficult and honest conversations about gaps or failures in our systems and processes, we can promote a culture of individual success and a team mentality in which the focus is on solving tough problems for the greater good.

For me, the key to sustaining engineering excellence in a world of constant change is this three-pronged approach to leadership: using data to influence organizational rhythms and routines (the spine), elevating a passion for continuous learning and growth (the brain), and reinforcing authenticity and truth-seeking in work and interactions (the heart). When leaders possess all three - the spine, the brain, and the heart - they are well-poised to scale and lead great organizations in the long haul.

We can survive change or thrive in it. We can achieve one-time engineering excellence or continue raising the bar. By instilling a culture of data-driven innovation, a growth mindset and championing heart-centered leadership, technology executives can equip their teams to turn the complexity of change into a wellspring of competitive advantage.

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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

Acer has released a new AI-driven laptop designed with business professionals purely in mind.

The Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI comes with a choice of Intel Core Ultra 7 or Ultra 5 processors and it supports a suite of powerful AI tools to help businesses improve productivity and collaboration - including Copilot+ PC AI experiences available through free updates later in 2024.

The laptop’s AI-powered include boosted video conferencing with Acer PurifiedView 2.0, which can refine your appearance through AI-enhanced lighting, resolution, and color contrast adjustments, along with AI noise reduction to improve audio quality by suppressing background noise and enhancing the speaker’s voice during meetings.

A new AI-centric laptop

The TravelMate P6 14 AI offers two 14-inch display options to suit different user preferences. The first option is a WQXGA+ (2880x1800) panel with IPS technology, delivering high-resolution visuals with good color accuracy thanks to 100% sRGB color gamut coverage. The second option is a WUXGA (1920x1200) display, also featuring IPS technology and offering 400 nits of brightness for clear and vibrant images. Both displays feature a 16:10 aspect ratio, which maximizes screen real estate for more immersive viewing, and thin bezels that contribute to an 82% screen-to-body ratio.

In addition to the processor, this device offers up to 32 GB of dual-channel LPDDR5X SDRAM and storage options of up to 1 TB M.2 SSD Gen4x1, making it suitable for multitasking and handling large files.

Other key AI tools in this device include Acer Assist, a virtual assistant that leverages large language models to help with technical queries, document summarization, and troubleshooting. Acer LiveArt 2.0 allows users to easily remove photo backgrounds and generate depth maps from 2D images.

There is an AI logo on the touchpad that illuminates to indicate when the NPU is in use, making AI processing transparent to users and this laptop also supports an Experience Zone within the TravelMate Sense app where users can access these AI features.

The TravelMate P6 14 AI is equipped with the latest wireless technologies, including Wi-Fi 7, which offers speeds of up to 5.8 Gbps, and Bluetooth 5.4. It also includes two Type-C USB4 Gen2 (TBT4) ports with Thunderbolt 4, two Type-A 3.2 Gen1 ports, HDMI 2.1, and an audio jack.

This new laptop features a QHD IR camera for quick, secure facial recognition login and a privacy shutter to prevent unauthorized access. Acer User Sensing Technology adds an extra layer of security by using an AI-powered vision sensor to lock the screen when the user steps away and quickly wake the device when they return.

Acer ProShield Plus offers a suite of security and management features within a single platform, ensuring data is protected and the device is secure. The laptop is also MIL-STD 810H military-grade certified, which means it can withstand the rigors of life on the road. Furthermore, Acer Dust Defender helps minimize dust buildup that can affect performance, ensuring long-lasting durability.

The Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI comes with a 65Wh 4-cell Li-ion battery with fast charging capabilities and the company claims this battery can deliver up to 14 hours of battery life. Weighing only 0.99 kg and measuring 15.90 mm in height, this laptop is designed for mobility without compromising on performance or features.

The Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI will be available in North America and EMEA starting in January 2025. Prices will begin at $1,499.99 in North America and €1,349 in EMEA.

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The base model of the Amazon Kindle (2022) has been out of stock on the online retail giant's shopping sites in various territories for a while now and there's probably a good explanation why. It seems as though Amazon is ready to release a new Kindle ereader soon.

A Spanish retailer accidentally listed a new 2024 edition of the entry-level Kindle on its site (as spotted by Good e-Reader), with a release date listed for September 30. While the listing has since been taken down, it was up long enough for some of the upgrades to be revealed.

If this listing is true, the upcoming 2024 Kindle – which will be the 12th generation – will have a more eco-friendly build than any of the Kindles before it. The ereader is rumored to be made with 75% recycled plastic and 90% recycled magnesium. Amazon is also apparently changing its packaging for the new ereader, making it 98% wood fiber sourced from either recycled materials or responsibly managed forests.

And, if the leaked image is anything to go by, it's also going to come in a lovely match green colorway.

The leaked match green colorway of the 2024 Kindle (Image credit: MediaMarkt)

The listing has also revealed quite a bit about the device's specs, starting with a 300ppi screen – which is standard for grayscale ereaders today – with 25% more brightness than the current 11th-generation model.

Like the 2022 Kindle, the 12th-gen ereader will support dark mode and, according to the leak, will also offer faster page turns, but it's unclear whether the latter will be due to a better processor or if Amazon has adopted the latest E Ink Carta 1300 screen technology. This new display debuted in the 2024 Kobo Clara BW, making it one of the best ereaders in terms of legibility and performance.

It will also come with 16GB of onboard storage, will offer a battery life of up to 8 weeks, which is better than the approximate 4 weeks per charge we got in our Amazon Kindle (2022) review. According to the dimensions leaked, it's going to be the exact same size and thickness as the current model at 157.8 x 108.6 x 8 mm.

Amazon Kindle 2024: what I'd really like to see

The one major upgrade I would love to see on the new 2024 Kindle is the use of the E Ink Carta 1300 display. This screen tech increases page responsiveness by 25% and adds more contrast – I was so impressed with it on the Kobo Clara BW that I didn't care the Kindle competitor didn't get better battery life over its Clara 2E predecessor.

Better yet, I would love to see Amazon take the competition to Kobo and release a color ereader to rival the Kobo Clara Colour. Kobo now has two color ereaders compared to none from Amazon.

Adjustable warm light will also be a fantastic addition to the newest edition of the Kindle. Kobo's base Clara BW offers it already, but then it also costs more than the entry-level Kindle.

I would also like to see the base Kindle get waterproofing – the current model misses out the IPX8 rating the Kindle Paperwhite (2021) has, which also puts it behind all the current Kobo ereaders.

And lastly, I really would like to be able to sideload EPUB format ebooks without having to use the Send To Kindle app.

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Here are some hints, and the answers, for the Sept. 30 Strands puzzle, No. 211.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections No. 477 for Sept. 30.

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,199 for Monday, Sept. 30.

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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 Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

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 #477) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• DOROTHY
• ROAM
• ROSE
• STEAM
• VANILLA
• SOPHIA
• SHAGGY
• BLANCH
• CHARLIE
• BOIL
• КЕТО
• MUSK
• AMBERGRIS
• WALLACE
• SOUL
• POACH

NYT Connections today (game #477) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Stove-top cooking
• Green: Smells good
• Blue: Pet parents
• Purple: Sounds like somewhere

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 #477) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: COOK WITH HEAT AND WATER
• GREEN: COMMON PERFUME INGREDIENTS
• BLUE: CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS
• PURPLE: CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES

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

NYT Connections today (game #477) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #477, are…

• YELLOW: COOK WITH HEAT AND WATER BLANCH, BOIL, POACH, STEAM
• GREEN: COMMON PERFUME INGREDIENTS AMBERGRIS, MUSK, ROSE, VANILLA
• BLUE: CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS CHARLIE, DOROTHY, SHAGGY, WALLACE
• PURPLE: CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES KETO, ROAM, SOPHIA, SOUL

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Fail

This is my first Connections fail in a month, but I'm not devastated – because this is a tough one. That said, I'm annoyed that I didn't solve blue or purple, because once I saw the answers I realized that I knew them both and could have got them; I'm less bothered when the answer is revealed and I think 'Well, fine, I had no idea about that!'

This wasn't the case here: I've heard of all four CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES – KETO (Quito), ROAM (Rome), SOPHIA (Sofia), SOUL (Seoul) and have watched all four shows/movies for the CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS group – CHARLIE (Brown, Snoopy), DOROTHY (Wizard of Oz, Toto), SHAGGY (Scooby Doo), WALLACE (and Gromit). Clever stuff by the NYT, but a little too clever for me today.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 29 September, game #476)

• YELLOW: MAKE GOOD ON, AS A PROMISE FULFILL, HONOR, KEEP, UPHOLD
• GREEN: BEDDING BLANKET, SHAM, SHEET, THROW
• BLUE: ACTIONS IN CARD GAMES DISCARD, DRAW, PASS, PLAY
• PURPLE: CABINET DEPARTMENTS ENERGY, JUSTICE, LABOR, STATE

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.

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Words with weight

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• METER
• CUTER
• SLATE
• STALE
• FLEA
• EXIT

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Pugilism

NYT Strands today (game #211) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: right, 4th row

Last: left, 3rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #211) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #211, are…

• HEAVY
• MIDDLE
• FEATHER
• LIGHT
• WELTER
• BANTAM
• CRUISER
• SPANGRAM: BOXING

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

I've marked this one as moderate rather than easy, despite the fact that I solved it with no issues, because if you don't watch or know about BOXING you'll probably have found this a lot harder than I did. I'm not a massive fan these days, but I used to watch it a lot in my youth, back when the likes of Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield dominated the HEAVYweight division.

HEAVY is one of the easier words here; you might well have struggled far more with something like BANTAM, CRUISER or worst of all WELTER. So I suspect today's game will see plenty of easy solves like mine, and plenty where people either needed lots of hints or failed outright.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday 29 September, game #210)

• SQUASH
• PUMPKIN
• ONION
• APPLE
• RADISH
• KOHLRABI
• SPANGRAM: FALLHARVEST

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 nearly 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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

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 #980) - 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 #980) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #980) - 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 #980) - 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 #980) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• T

• T

• S

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

Quordle today (game #980) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #980, are…

• CRUSH
• TARDY
• TEACH
• STUMP

Today's Quordle was a very easy one for me, and probably for you too. My three set start words, STARE, DOILY and PUNCH, gave me all five letters for three of the quadrants and four for the other one, so my task was simply a matter of solving three anagrams and then adding one more letter to the bottom right. The Daily Sequence was just as straightforward; a stark contrast to yesterday's game.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #980) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #980, are…

• SNAKE
• BULKY
• BUDDY
• CHART

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #979, Sunday 29 September: SERIF, BORNE, WRITE, SLEEK
• Quordle #978, Saturday 28 September: BUSHY, CIVIC, SNOUT, EQUIP
• Quordle #977, Friday 27 September: GUEST, CHASM, ROOST, BASAL
• Quordle #976, Thursday 26 September: STAGE, VOGUE, CLUMP, HEATH
• Quordle #975, Wednesday 25 September: UMBRA, DADDY, GLAZE, PRANK
• Quordle #974, Tuesday 24 September: SPACE, INNER, SPAWN, BEGAT
• Quordle #973, Monday 23 September: GUILT, STERN, ANNEX, FIELD
• Quordle #972, Sunday 22 September: ZESTY, MEATY, ALIVE, DRAWN
• Quordle #971, Saturday 21 September: VITAL, FRAIL, SPEAR, EERIE
• Quordle #970, Friday 20 September: ELIDE, DITTO, SHAWL, BONUS
• Quordle #969, Thursday 19 September: MARRY, OWING, DICEY, LUCKY
• Quordle #968, Wednesday 18 September: CEDAR, VENOM, MIGHT, MEDIC
• Quordle #967, Tuesday 17 September: ETHOS, COUNT, PRINT, THREE
• Quordle #966, Monday 16 September: ROUGE, SWAMP, FUGUE, UNDUE
• Quordle #965, Sunday 15 September: VILLA, SMOKE, BULKY, THRUM
• Quordle #964, Saturday 14 September: ESSAY, GENRE, WIMPY, CHUTE
• Quordle #963, Friday 13 September: LEANT, ORGAN, FILLY, PLAIT
• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER
• Quordle #960, Tuesday 10 September: PLUMB, SEIZE, EARLY, ASSET

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US trade restrictions have created significant obstacles for Chinese companies, limiting their access to advanced AI hardware needed to remain competitive globally.

Nvidia’s H20 GPUs, scaled-down versions of the powerful H100, were developed to meet export control requirements but still come with a hefty price tag of around $10,000 per unit.

Even at that price, the availability of these GPUs is limited, compounding the difficulties Chinese companies face. This shortage has fueled a thriving black market for Nvidia’s high-end chips, such as the H100 and A100, where prices continue to rise due to overwhelming demand. However, global companies, particularly ByteDance - the parent company of TikTok, already under intense scrutiny in the US - cannot afford the legal and reputational risks associated with engaging in such illicit markets.

Two AI chips

ByteDance has made significant investments in AI, reportedly spending over $2 billion on Nvidia's H20 GPUs in 2024, and now according to The Information, the company is looking to develop its own AI GPUs to reduce dependency on Nvidia.

The report adds these chips will include one designed for AI training and another for AI inference, and both will be produced using TSMC’s advanced N4/N5 process, the same technology used for Nvidia’s Blackwell GPUs.

Broadcom, recognized for its AI chip designs for Google, will reportedly lead the development of these GPUs, which are expected to enter mass production by 2026. While several Chinese companies have developed their own AI GPUs to reduce reliance on Nvidia, most still depend on Nvidia’s hardware for more demanding tasks. Whether ByteDance can fully transition to its own hardware - and whether it would want to - remains to be seen.

The move will certainly not be without challenges. As Tom's Hardware notes, “The company now relies on Nvidia's CUDA and supporting software stack for AI training and inference. Once it goes with its AI GPUs, it must develop its software platform and ensure its software stack is fully compatible with its hardware."

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