Technology

• A well-known leaker has said Apple’s 18.8-inch foldable is still inbound possibly as early as 2027
• Amazon also has a ‘similar’ large foldable in the pipeline, though
• With Huawei recently airing a foldable laptop, Apple may feel it’s falling behind rivals – and we still don’t even know the exact nature of its device

Apple’s rumored big foldable device – which might be a MacBook that’s all-screen and no physical keyboard, or a huge iPad tablet – has popped up on the grapevine once again with a claim that it could be here in 2027. However, Amazon might beat Apple to the shelves here, we’re told.

As Wccftech noticed, renowned Apple leaker Ming-Chi Kuo posted on X to let us know that Apple’s 18.8-inch foldable is still set to go into mass production in either late 2027 or 2028 (a timeframe he’s previously mentioned, and I’ll return to that point later).

Apple's competitors in the large-sized foldable device market may not be limited to Huawei. My research indicates that Amazon is also internally developing a similar product, which has not yet officially kicked off. If development progresses as planned, it is projected to enter…May 20, 2025

This comment came after Huawei revealed its MateBook Fold laptop at Computex 2025 earlier this week, which is an 18-inch device, so very similar in size to Apple’s theoretical product here. (I should note that both this and the rumored Apple foldable are 18 to 19-inches when fully unfolded, so that’s the total size of the device).

Kuo further observed that Amazon is developing a “similar product” which has yet to be made official, but it could be due to hit the production lines in late 2026, or perhaps 2027 (add plenty of seasoning with all of this).

Analysis: Falling behind rivals?

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The hint being dropped here, then, is that Apple is falling behind the pacemakers in the giant foldable device arena, with Amazon’s timetable apparently being a year in advance of Apple’s. Although that said, for something which isn’t even officially underway yet, the Amazon device debuting at the close of next year seems like a pretty fast track through development.

The key question, of course, is will Apple be producing an 18.8-inch foldable MacBook or iPad? (Incidentally, if a foldable laptop seems like an odd term – and it is, given that all notebooks fold up – it refers to a folding screen, rather than chassis. This is a notebook that doesn’t have a keyboard, and instead uses a virtual keyboard displayed on one half of the screen).

This is where things get a bit odd as rumors have suggested Apple’s foldable device could be either a laptop or tablet. Kuo comparing it to Amazon’s foldable – which is surely a Fire tablet – would seem to suggest it’s a huge iPad. But then a direct comparison is also made to Huawei’s foldable laptop. Furthermore, the leaker notably uses the neutral term ‘device’ rather than any hint of mentioning a laptop or tablet.

What that suggests to me is that Apple is working through concepts on both sides of the fence, tablet and laptop, and still hasn’t made the decision of which OS to go with, macOS or iPadOS, and what’ll be more useful: a MacBook with a folding screen (and virtual keyboard), or an iPad that can fold out to be a giant display.

Personally I think the MacBook idea is the frontrunner (and rumors about Apple working on a notebook with a virtual keyboard have been around for ages). Although more innovative and attention-grabbing, that is the riskier move, admittedly, in terms of getting Mac fans to accept the ditching of a physical keyboard in favor of a screen-based effort. It’d have to be a very good virtual keyboard, that’s for sure. A big iPad would be a safer avenue to tread when you look at these ideas in that light.

What’s also interesting is that Kuo hasn’t changed the release timeframe for this 18.8-inch foldable since talking about it in mid-2024, which could be read as Apple being on track with its development schedule here. Or Kuo simply hasn’t heard anything else, especially regarding that decision on whether to make the hardware a laptop or tablet.

All in all, that’s a bit of a worry, but if this large foldable device really is coming from Apple, we should receive some firmer hints soon enough. And it’s certainly true that plans from rival laptop (or tablet) makers will help spur Apple’s thought processes and the realization of this product, or I’d imagine so, anyway.

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It’s not often that two of the biggest names in tech get together to "completely reimagine what it means to use a computer”, but that’s what’s happened when Sam Altman’s OpenAI bought Jony Ive’s io design company recently and announced that they would be creating some new AI products together.

Jony Ive is perhaps most famous for designing the iPhone, and Sam Altman is the driving force behind ChatGPT, so my mind immediately hopped to the idea of the world’s first ChatGPT-powered smartphone, but it turns out that Ive and Altman have got something else in mind. Something that we might have seen before.

It was all revealed in a nine-minute video that OpenAI released yesterday called Sam and Jony introduce io:

The video starts with Altman saying, “I think we have the opportunity here to kind of completely reimagine what it means to use a computer”.

According to Ive, io is "formed with a mission of creating a family of devices that would let people use AI to create all sorts of wonderful things”. The video goes on to mention a new prototype of Ive’s that Altman has been testing.

Altman calls it “the coolest piece of technology that the world has ever seen”, but frustratingly doesn’t go into any details about it, although clues are littered throughout the video.

For example, in one segment, he talks about how cumbersome the process of using a laptop is because it has a screen.

It’s hard not to get swept up in the reality distortion field that surrounds these tech gurus, but creating an AI computer with no screen essentially means something small that you wear or carry around with you and interact with using your voice, and that concept has so far scuppered more than one tech startup.

Of course, I’m referring to the now legendary tech failures that are the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1.

Inspired by Star Trek? Wearing the Humane AI Pin (Image credit: Humane)Beam me up Scotty

The Humane AI Pin was basically like the classic Star Trek combadge. It clipped onto your clothing and stayed there in standby mode until you engaged with it. It was ahead of its time in many respects - you could ask it questions (like an AI-powered Siri or Alexa) and get it to play music. It also had a camera, so it could see what you were looking at and answer questions about it. It could also shoot out a laser onto your palm that brought up a menu system that you could interact with using hand gestures.

The Rabbit R1 was similar, except it was designed to fit your pocket, not be worn on your chest.

They were both good ideas, and ahead of their time, but good ideas don’t automatically turn into good products. They were each flawed in some fundamental ways.

Here are five classic mistakes that people have already made with AI devices that Ive and Altman will need to avoid:

1. Sometimes you do need a screen

The Humane AI Pin was built around the idea of replacing your smartphone, but that was never going to work.

In theory, combining the power of sophisticated AI and the entire Internet, in a way that means you could still be completely present in the moment and not bogged down by intrusive and addictive phone applications, was a good idea. In practice, it just didn’t work.

We live in a world where everybody has already got a smartphone, so if you want to interact with other people, who are all using screens and sharing visual information, then you are going to have to use a screen at some point.

Whether that means that the io device can co-opt the existing screens in your life, or it can attach to a screen in some way, I don’t know, but remembering that screens are still essential for some things will be key to its success.

2. It can't be too expensive

This is going to be key to the device's adoption. A major criticism of the AI devices released so far is that they were too expensive. We already have an expensive smartphone and a data plan to go with it, please don’t expect us to be able to afford an equally priced second device and a second data plan each month.

Jony Ive gave us the iPhone and the MacBook Pro - devices that defined technology for a generation, but those products have always had a premium price tag.

The man may be a genius, but if this product is to succeed, it needs a price point that makes sense, not one that alienates its target audience.

Jony Ive and Sam Altman (Image credit: OpenAI)3. The voice interaction has to be flawless

AI voice modes, particularly ChatGPT's Advanced Voice mode and Gemini Live, have come a long way in recent months. They feel a lot more natural to use, as if you are having a real conversation with a friend.

Delivering that experience with the new io device will be key to its success. If conversation with the AI is stilted in any way or if there are long pauses after you tell it to do something – a problem that has plagued previous AI devices – then it’s not going to take off.

The whole experience of using it will need to be as frictionless as possible.

4. It can't hallucinate at all

AI has a tendency to make stuff up, which is known as hallucinating, and it’s a problem that seems to be getting worse the smarter the AI gets.

According to its own reports, ChatGPT’s new o3 model incorporated hallucinations in a third of a benchmark test involving public figures, which is double the error rate of the earlier o1 model. The compact o4-mini model performed even more badly, hallucinating on 48% of similar tasks.

One theory that explains why AI is getting worse at hallucinating is that the deeper the reasoning method goes, the greater the chance it has to mess up. The older, simpler models stuck to higher-confidence predictions, unlike today’s complex models. When there are multiple paths to consider, the model has a greater chance of improvising and getting things wrong.

Whatever the issue, the Humane AI Pin, which could use any AI model, certainly hallucinated, and there needs to be no trace of the problem in any product released by io if it wants to be trusted.

5. It needs to work without an internet connection

This will be a tough one to implement for sure, but requiring a second data plan just for the device was one of the major problems with the Humane AI Pin. Without access to the Internet, it was useless. Perhaps the new io devices will be able to piggyback off your phone’s Internet connection, but ideally, they’d also be capable of some on-device processing, meaning that they could continue to function even in places where there’s no data coverage.

Back on May 7, Apple Exec Eddy Cue let slip that “you may not need an iPhone 10 years from now” whilst giving testimony at the Google Search antitrust remedies trial.

Clearly, the time is ripe for some kind of AI device, and the possibilities for reimagining a human and computer interaction are endless, but as we’ve seen, others have gone down this road before, and so far, it’s not ended well. Let’s hope that whatever io releases in 2026 (its promised delivery date for its family of AI products) can buck this trend because nobody wants to see another doomed AI device hit the market.

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• The DoJ announced seizing multiple domains used by Lumma Stealer
• The infostealer is linked to some of the biggest cyberattacks in recent times
• The malware caused millions of dollars in damages

The US Department of Justice, together with the FBI and Microsoft, disrupted the operations of Lumma Stealer, one of the biggest information-stealing malware variants out there.

In a press release published on the DoJ’s website earlier this week, it was explained that the law enforcement agencies seized five internet domains that were used to deploy LummaC2. The threat actors tried to relocate their operations and set up three new domains, which were quickly picked up by the DoJ, as well.

Furthermore, Microsoft independently took down 2,300 additional internet domains linked to LummaC2’s criminal activities.

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High-profile attacks

Lumma Stealer is a popular infostealer that grabs sensitive information such as login credentials, browser autofill information, and cryptocurrency wallet data. It is usually distributed through malicious websites and phishing campaigns, and was seen in numerous high-profile cyberattacks. The seized domains were used by different cybercriminals to access, and later deploy, the infostealer.

The FBI said the malware was used in at least 1.7 million instances since late 2023, and resulted in roughly 10 million infections. These infections resulted in losses of more than $36 million in 2023 alone. The DoJ is now offering a bounty of $10 million for information on cyberattacks against US infrastructure, conducted by foreign state-sponsored threat actors.

Lumma was involved in many high-profile cybercriminal cases, including the attack against Schneider Electric that happened in early November 2024. In that instance, researchers from Hudson Rock found, the criminals behind the attack claimed to have stolen “critical data”, including projects, issues, and plugins, along with 400,000 rows of user data, totaling more than 40GB compressed data.

The same infostealer was apparently also used to steal credentials that were later leveraged to break into people’s Snowflake cloud storage accounts, triggering one of the bigger supply chain attacks in recent times.

Via The Register

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When times are tough, the instinct of many executives is to squeeze existing assets: make platforms do more with less, reduce the total cost of ownership, and extract value through cuts.

One study found that 76% of CFOs said that challenging market environments increase pressure on them to drive cost efficiencies and hit short-term earnings targets. Those cuts can involve funding for long-term priorities; the same study found that 50% of finance leaders aimed to meet short-term targets by reducing investment in areas such as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).

It is the sort of approach taken from a playbook that’s been deployed in any major economic downturn, and in many ways, it feels a bit antiquated; nascent sustainability initiatives were some of the first cuts in 2008, for example.

Those companies that take this approach diminish the impact it can have on maintaining competitiveness in the medium and longer term. While it is easier to agree on a tactic that has previously generated the desired results, operating predominantly in the short term can leave businesses constantly reacting. This, in turn, limits their ability to be ahead of the competition.

Finally, there is only so much that can be cut.

But what if there was an alternative that could not only get more from existing investments, but provide a foundation for future innovation?

Turning to the circular economy for inspiration

This alternative is embedded in the circular economy. It is about a shift in mindset and approach that focuses on building extensible, modular, and low-waste digital platforms that evolve, rather than ripping and replacing every 18 months.

It draws from the circular economy, combining a commitment to sustainability with innovation and smarter design principles to create new value. It is a marked shift away from planned obsolescence; instead, the focus is on creating products and services that embody longevity.

The circular economy already draws heavily on technology to enable its operations.

For instance, companies like Rheaply and Too Good To Go provide digital marketplaces to connect those with resource needs to those with excess resources.

Rheaply was originally set up to link scientists with underutilized lab equipment and consumables and has helped organizations recapture $4.1 million in value in the last year.

Too Good To Go allows restaurants and retailers to sell unwanted food to consumers. An app allows customers to browse parcels of surplus, while a B2B platform helps food companies track, manage and distribute their goods.

Then there are those businesses that are taking the principles of the circular economy and embedding them into digital products.

For example, modular consumer electronics that can be repaired, that don’t struggle when new updates are pushed to them, and as a result last for far longer than industry averages. Fairphone, in the Netherlands, is one such manufacturer, producing smartphones and headphones that combine recycled materials with extended warranty and repair packages.

Embedding digital circular economy principles into product lifecycles

These approaches are not limited to businesses dealing in physical assets, either. Inspired by the principles of the circular economy, product teams can reduce tech debt, increase longevity and cut costs, without compromising on speed and performance.

This is achievable with a strategy that is biased for modularity, human centered design and a focus on releasing minimum lovable products (MLP) over minimum viable products (MVP), with continual iteration. It is about integrating circularity and long-term fitness into everything a team develops.

Specifically, that includes:

• Investing upfront to avoid downstream waste: A well-structured discovery phase prevents over-engineering and cuts both delivery time and long-term complexity.
• Embedding extensibility from day one: No one can predict what the future will bring, but efforts must be made to future-proof where possible. Using open APIs and scalable frameworks enables growth without costly refactoring later.
• Going modular, not monolithic: Designing in interchangeable modules allows for targeted upgrades and reduces the need for full rebuilds, extending the life of each component.
• Use smaller, cross-functional squads to stay lean and focused: Small teams reduce coordination overhead, speed up decision-making, and avoid layering in unnecessary processes or tech.
• Combine bespoke and off-the-shelf: Cloud-native and low-code platforms offer speed and savings, without sacrificing reliability, and can be augmented with custom tools for specific use cases.
• Treat sustainability as a design constraint: Restrictions fuel creativity, which can lead to fantastic design solutions. Challenging teams to think about what the lowest waste path to value is at each stage of the product life cycle helps decision-making that will cut carbon and costs.

Lean and focus over sprawling and wasteful

At its heart, sustainability is about optimizing resources, with no waste. That is what implementing digital circular economy approaches do; they are a constant process of making use of what is available to extract maximum value, with little to no waste. It is sustainability that pays for itself.

That includes looking at the teams developing products and services. Large teams with multiple layers can feel safe, but they can also be bloated, over-engineering for the sake of it. Smaller teams can reduce time-to-value, strip out excess and deliver modular builds that are easier to extend, maintain and evolve.

Small does not mean under-resourced; it removes the opportunity to become unfocused, sprawling and wasteful.

Combatting economic pressures with digital circular economy principles

There is no doubt that executives are facing significant economic pressures. The tendency will be to cut, but in doing so, there is a risk of waste and, more importantly, losing competitive advantage in both the mid- and long-term.

Instead, there is an opportunity to reframe the situation, to still do more with less, but in a way that does not sacrifice future objectives.

Turning to the digital circular economy means unlocking opportunities with products and services that really do extract every ounce of value. In doing so, companies will not only secure their future, but they’ll be better set up to achieve a form of growth that allows them as businesses to be both profitable and sustainable.

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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

Community and mid-size banks are the bedrock of local economies, but in today’s hyper-connected world, they are increasingly finding themselves on a dangerous digital battleground. While large financial institutions deploy formidable cyber defenses, smaller banks often grapple with limited resources, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals wielding ever more sophisticated weapons. Recent cybersecurity analyses reveal critical vulnerabilities and trends that demand immediate attention if these essential institutions are to protect their assets and maintain customer trust.

The compliance trap: reacting instead of preventing

One major hurdle is a tendency to prioritize reacting to breaches over proactively preventing them. In the heavily regulated banking sector, compliance with data breach notification rules is nonnegotiable. However, an overemphasis on ticking these post-incident boxes can divert critical resources and focus away from building robust, preventive security measures.

Neglecting fundamentals like comprehensive data encryption or rigorously tested incident response plans is like meticulously planning a fire escape route while forgetting to install smoke detectors — the focus is on the aftermath, not avoiding the fire itself. This reactive stance leaves banks perpetually vulnerable, always a step behind the attackers.

Third-party peril: the outsourced Achilles’ heel

The growing reliance on third-party vendors for IT functions, cybersecurity, and cutting-edge fintech solutions presents another significant risk. These partnerships offer expertise and scalability, but they also widen the potential attack surface. Worryingly, studies show a frequent lack of rigorous due diligence and ongoing oversight of these critical partners.

Banks may fail to thoroughly vet vendor security practices, secure strong contractual safeguards, or clearly define liability in the event of a breach originating from a third party. As sensitive customer data flows to external entities, ensuring vendors meet the same stringent security standards is paramount. Ultimately, the regulatory buck stops with the bank, making robust third-party risk management an underdeveloped but absolutely critical defense.

Calling for backup: bridging the expertise gap

The cyber threat landscape shifts constantly, with new attack vectors and complex regulations emerging at breakneck speed. Many community banks lack the dedicated in-house expertise to keep pace. This is where external cybersecurity specialists and legal counsel become invaluable allies.

Yet there is often an underutilization of this crucial support. Engaging seasoned experts provides vital guidance for developing comprehensive security programs, conducting realistic risk assessments, navigating compliance requirements, and effectively preparing for — and responding to — inevitable incidents.

Furthermore, involving legal counsel early can establish attorney-client privilege, offering essential protection during sensitive investigations or potential litigation. Ignoring this available expertise is like going into battle without all your available reinforcements.

The AI double-edged sword: hesitation and heightened threats

While banking giants increasingly harness artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced threat detection, fraud prevention, and anomaly identification, many community banks remain hesitant. Concerns about cost, complexity, and integration challenges are understandable, but this reluctance creates a widening gap in cyber resilience.

This hesitation is doubly dangerous because cybercriminals are embracing AI, using it to craft hyper-personalized phishing scams, automate attacks at unprecedented speed and scale, and develop malware designed to evade traditional defenses.

The AI threat to community banks is stark:

• Supercharged Social Engineering: AI crafts phishing emails and scams with uncanny personalization, making them harder for employees and customers to spot.
• Rapid Automated Attacks: AI enables attackers to scan for weaknesses and launch assaults faster than banks with limited monitoring can react.
• Evasive Malware: AI-driven malware can learn and adapt, potentially bypassing conventional security tools.
• “Swimming Away” Risk: As larger banks fortify themselves with AI, less-protected community banks become comparatively easier and more attractive targets.

The resource reality

Underpinning all these challenges is the fundamental reality of limited resources. Compared to their larger counterparts, community banks often struggle to fund cutting-edge security tech, hire specialized cyber defenders, or implement extensive, ongoing training. Employees frequently wear multiple hats, potentially diluting the focus needed for dedicated cybersecurity and third-party risk oversight.

Fortifying the front lines: a call for proactive defense

The message is clear: community banks face a formidable and evolving cyber threat. Weathering this storm requires a fundamental shift from reactive compliance to proactive, layered defense.

This means prioritizing robust preventive measures, implementing rigorous third-party vendor management, strategically leveraging external expertise, and thoughtfully engaging with new technologies like AI — understanding both their defensive potential and the threats they introduce.

By acknowledging vulnerabilities and taking decisive, strategic action, community banks can build stronger digital fortresses, safeguard their customers’ trust, and secure their vital role in our financial ecosystem.

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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

• Since 2022, Fancy Bear was targeting logistics organizations in the west
• The goal was to monitor foreign aid coming to Ukraine
• CCTV cameras at border crossings were monitored, as well

Fancy Bear, the infamous Russian state-sponsored threat actor, has been spying on “dozens” of organizations from Western and NATO countries, monitoring foreign aid moving into Ukraine. This is according to a joint cybersecurity advisory [PDF], published by 21 government agencies from the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

As per the report, Fancy Bear (also known as APT28) targeted logistics providers, technology companies, and government organizations involved in transporting aid to Ukraine.

All transportation modes were covered, including air, sea, and rail, and the organizations spanned different industries, from defense, to transportation, to maritime and air traffic management, and ultimately - to IT services.

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Credential stuffing

The targeted companies were operating in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States. What’s more, the hackers were also monitoring CCTV cameras on border crossings for the same purpose.

To gain initial access, APT28 relied on credential guessing and brute-force attacks. They also ran spearphishing campaigns, and took advantage of software vulnerabilities.

By leveraging CVE-2023-23397, they targeted Microsoft Exchange, Roundcube Webmail, and WinRAR, allowing them to infiltrate the systems. Finally, they went for corporate VPNs and vulnerable SQL databases, and after compromising a network, moved laterally with tools such as PsExec and Impacket.

The attackers manipulated email mailbox permissions, and used Tor and VPNs to remain hidden while keeping tabs on sensitive communication.

The Russo-Ukrainian conflict demonstrated just how much warfare has changed in recent years. Besides the usual fronts - land, sea, and air, cyberspace has become a major battleground, with hackers and cybercriminals on both sides targeting sensitive information, and critical infrastructure.

The attack should “serve as a reminder that cyber-physical systems are now strategic targets for adversaries,” commented Andrew Lintell, General Manager, EMEA, at Claroty. “To combat this, organisations need full visibility into these environments and a risk-based approach to securing them. Many of these devices, such as security cameras, weren’t designed with modern threats in mind, so are increasingly vulnerable entry points.”

Via The Register

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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, May 22 (game #711).

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 #712) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• STONE
• FIBER
• MARBLE
• EYELINER
• BLOWOUT
• MAKEUP
• POUND
• BASH
• NATURE
• GLASSES
• BLAST
• DRAM
• NEBULA
• OUNCE
• CHARACTER
• RAVE

NYT Connections today (game #712) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Going large
• GREEN: Your disposition
• BLUE: UK measurements 
• PURPLE: Feline style

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 #712) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: QUITE THE PARTY
• GREEN: ONE'S CONSTITUTION
• BLUE: BRITISH IMPERIAL UNITS OF WEIGHT 
• PURPLE: WHAT "CAT'S EYE" CAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE

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

NYT Connections today (game #712) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #712, are…

• YELLOW: QUITE THE PARTY BASH, BLAST, BLOWOUT, RAVE
• GREEN: ONE'S CONSTITUTION CHARACTER, FIBER, MAKEUP, NATURE
• BLUE: BRITISH IMPERIAL UNITS OF WEIGHT DRAM, OUNCE, POUND, STONE
• PURPLE: WHAT "CAT'S EYE" CAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE EYELINER, GLASSES, MARBLE, NEBULA

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

BRITISH IMPERIAL UNITS OF WEIGHT is something some people in the UK get bizarrely exercised over – or at least they did about 20 years ago, when greengrocers feared that measuring potatoes in kilograms would lead to the collapse of society, and bar owners fretted over serving 700ml of lager instead of a pint.

For people like this, accepting the metric system was tantamount to surrendering to Hitler, Napoleon and Julius Caesar.

Years on we remain in a weird limbo where things are measured in both British imperial and metric, where some people think they weigh 15 STONE and other people think they weigh 95kg. A similar inertia over the metric system exists in the US, but unlike the UK it’s not tied up in ONE’S CONSTITUTION.

Meanwhile, the inclusion of MARBLE in WHAT "CAT'S EYE" CAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE puzzled me initially, as I was thinking of the marble stone rather than the marble game.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, May 22, game #711)

• YELLOW: FINE PRINT ASTERISK, CATCH, CONDITION, STRINGS
• GREEN: CHARACTERS WITH GREEN SKIN ELPHABA, GRINCH, HULK, SHREK
• BLUE: FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL MALL IN D.C. CAPITOL, MALL, OBELISK, POOL
• PURPLE: FAMOUS RIDDLE-GIVERS BRIDGE TROLL, MAD HATTER, RIDDLER, SPHINX

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, May 22 (game #445).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… The musical fruit

NYT Strands today (game #446) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BEGIN
• DINT
• LANE
• BAIT
• DINK
• REEK

NYT Strands today (game #446) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #446) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 5th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #446) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #446, are…

• FAVA
• KIDNEY
• BLACK
• GREEN
• NAVY
• CANNELLINI
• SPANGRAM: BEAN SALAD

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The biggest challenge today was working out how to spell CANNELLINI. Other than that, this was one of the fastest games of Strands I’ve ever played – maybe because I eat so many beans.

I immediately knew what we were looking for from the theme “the musical fruit” as, well, beans do have a reputation of causing people to perform a few bum notes. The way to avoid this is to use dry beans that have been soaked overnight in a pinch of salt, but that’s quite a palaver if you’re just a casual BEAN SALAD chomper.

As to the argument over the classification of beans, the answer is that technically, beans are a type of fruit, specifically a legume. However, they are often categorized as vegetables and you’re unlikely to find them hanging out with bananas.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, May 22, game #445)

• STEWARD
• GUARDIAN
• PROTECTOR
• CUSTODIAN
• TRUSTEE
• SPANGRAM: TAKE CARE

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.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, May 22 (game #1214).

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 #1215) - hint #1 - VowelsHow 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 #1215) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1215) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1215 - 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 #1215) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• G

• A

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1215) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1215, are…

• SHIRE
• GIANT
• AWAIT
• CAPER

This was a no-hesitation, “first thought best thought” round for me, where I went with the first word that came into my head. 

Of course, breezing through games like this quickly has more to do with playing Quordle a lot than any actual skills, as all these words have appeared in the game before.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1215) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1215, are…

• DRAPE
• PRANK
• VALUE
• SWELL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1214, Thursday, 22 May: LOSE, GLOVE, STINT, EXCEL
• Quordle #1213, Wednesday, 21 May: NOVEL, CHOSE, DIRTY, DONUT
• Quordle #1212, Tuesday, 20 May: DECOY, SHAKE, MAPLE, PURER
• Quordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVE
• Quordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ROACH, PURGE, DOWNY
• Quordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESE
• Quordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAK
• Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE
• Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER
• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO

If you wake up multiple times a night to use the bathroom, you might want to take these five steps to save your sleep.

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• Thales surveyed more than 3,000 IT experts about Generative AI
• The researchers found plenty of concern about security
• Despite the worries, businesses are accelerating adoption

Despite seeing it as a major innovation driver, businesses are overwhelmingly concerned about the security threats of artificial intelligence (AI). This is according to the 2025 Thales Data Threat Report, the company’s annual report on the latest data security threats, trends, and emerging topics.

Based on a survey of more than 3,100 IT and security professionals in 20 countries and across 15 industries, the Thales report found that nearly 70% of organizations view the rapid advancement of AI as their biggest security risk. Generative AI, which can create text and images from simple text prompts, is a particular concern.

Drilling deeper into these ideas, integrity and trustworthiness issues emerge as major challenges. Almost two-thirds (64%) of the respondents worry about AI’s lack of integrity, while 57% cited ‘trustworthiness’ as a major challenge. Also, since different GenAI functions like training, inference, or content generation, depend on user-provided data, the respondents expressed their concerns about increasing exposure to data security risks.

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Regardless of these worries, organizations are still accelerating their AI adoption, the report further explains, hinting that this puts them at unnecessary risk. In fact, a third of businesses are actively integrating GenAI into operations despite not ensuring full security of their systems. Spending on GenAI has become one of the key priorities for organizations, second only to cloud security.

“The fast-evolving GenAI landscape is pressuring enterprises to move quickly, sometimes at the cost of caution, as they race to stay ahead of the adoption curve,” Eric Hanselman, Chief Analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence 451 Research, said. “Many enterprises are deploying GenAI faster than they can fully understand their application architectures, compounded by the rapid spread of SaaS tools embedding GenAI capabilities, adding layers of complexity and risk.”

Almost three-quarters (73%) of professionals reported investing in AI-specific security tools with either new or existing budgets, Thales’ report concluded.

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Doctor Who season 2 – or season 15 for anyone who's watched the show since its 2005 revival – is almost over. With two episodes left before the legendary sci-fi series departs our screens once more, you'll want to know when this season's penultimate chapter will be released.

Below, I'll tell you when season 2 episode 7, titled 'Wish World', will be available to watch. You'll also find a full release schedule for Doctor Who's latest season, which includes details on when its finale will arrive.

What time can I watch Doctor Who season 2 episode 7?

Doctor Who season 2's second-to-last episode will be available to stream on BBC One and BBC iPlayer (UK) and Disney+ (internationally) on Saturday, May 24.

Depending on where you live, 'Wish World' will be released at different times. Here's a rundown on when you can watch via the BBC on British shores and Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services, if you live outside of the UK (NB: if you live in a country that isn't listed below, use one of the following times to work out when you can watch it).

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST (BBC iPlayer) / 7:10pm BST (BBC One)
• Australia – 5pm AEST
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Brazil – 4am BRT
• India – 12:30pm IST
• New Zealand – 7pm NZST
• Japan – 4pm JST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT

Where can I stream Doctor Who season 2 episode 7?

A post shared by Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho)

A photo posted by on

As I mentioned above, UK viewers can tune into BBC iPlayer or BBC One to catch 'Wish World'. If you want to avoid any major spoilers, I'd recommend watching it as soon as it's released on iPlayer. Otherwise, stay off social media so you don't have any big surprises ruined before you catch it in the evening on BBC One.

As for the rest of the world, Disney+ is the only place you can stream Doctor Who's next episode. So, no matter whether you live in the US, Australia, or any other nation that's not the UK, you can watch the penultimate chapter of one of the best Disney+ shows' latest season on that platform.

Doctor Who season 2 full episodic release schedule

Meet the Unholy Trinity.... Archie Panjabi joins #DoctorWho as legendary character the Rani! pic.twitter.com/byGN0vC1keMay 17, 2025

Unless you've skipped to the end of this article, you'll know that 'Wish World' is the second-to-last episode of Doctor Who season 2.

So, with only one chapter, titled 'The Reality War' left after this week's entry, when will episode 8 be available to watch? Read on to find out more:

• Doctor Who season 2 episode 1 – out now
• Doctor Who season 2 episode 2 – out now
• Doctor Who season 2 episode 3 – out now
• Doctor Who season 2 episode 4 – out now
• Doctor Who season 2 episode 5 – out now
• Doctor Who season 2 episode 6 – out now
• Doctor Who season 2 episode 7 – Saturday, May 24
• Doctor Who season 2 episode 8 – Saturday, May 31

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• Vertagear announces new collaboration with Audi to launch a gaming chair collection
• Three chairs, including the SL3800 Audi Edition, SL5800 RS Edition, and PL4800 Audi Sport Edition, are now available for pre-order
• The gaming chairs are fitted with Vertagear’s patented ergonomic innovations and are expected to ship by July 15

Vertagear, the ergonomic gaming chair specialist, has announced a new partnership with Audi to launch a gaming chair collection.

This new collaboration is said to combine Audi’s precision craftsmanship with Vertagear’s industry-leading expertise in adaptive seating design for both gamers and professionals.

Right now, there are three gaming chairs available to pre-order. There's the black and red SL3800 Audi Edition for $499, designed for everyday comfort, featuring plush microsuede and Audi's signature aesthetic.

The white and black SL5800 RS Edition for $599 for high-performance seating enhanced by HygennX technology for lasting freshness and comfort, and finally, the black and red PL4800 Audi Sport Edition priced at $699. This chair is designed specifically for tall users and offers durable microsuede and Audi Sport’s iconic design elements for maximum support and style.

Each chair is fitted with Vertagear’s patented ergonomic innovations to ensure superior comfort and support for extended gaming or work sessions.

These include ContourMax Lumbar support for the user's posture, which reduces tension and promotes natural spine alignment.

A VertaAir Seat system with air cushioning technology to enhance breathability, improve circulation, and provide optimal weight distribution, as well as the aforementioned HygennX Technology, for odor control and quick-drying, combined with antimicrobial silver-coated embroidery for long-lasting freshness.

All the gaming chairs are expected to ship out by July 15, 2025.

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• Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 is out now
• This includes Android's big Material 3 Expressive redesign
• However, these changes won't roll out with the first version of Android 16

Hot on the heels of Google’s Android Show, the company has now rolled out its new look Android in beta form.

If you have a compatible handset (meaning a Pixel phone from the Google Pixel 6 onwards), you can now download Android QPR1 (quarterly platform release 1) Beta 1, the headline feature of which is the new Material 3 Expressive redesign.

This gives Android a whole new look, with major visual changes to the lock screen, the launcher, the quick settings screen, and notifications. And these aren’t just static visuals, as Material 3 Expressive also includes new motion effects.

Examples of Material 3 Expressive (Image credit: Google)More sizes, more tiles, and new effects

Beyond that, this beta also features various other changes, many of which have been dug up by 9to5Google. These include things like new grid size options for the home screen, a reduction in the size of the At a Glance widget, the option to add more quick settings tiles, and the ability to add various effects – such as animated weather effects – to any wallpaper.

So there’s quite a lot here, though the main thing you’ll likely notice is just how different everything looks to on Android 15.

If you’ve signed up for the Android 16 beta program and have a Pixel 6 or newer then you should automatically gain access to this beta. If not, you can opt in on the Android beta page.

That said, this being a beta it won’t be as stable as a finished release, so unless you’re desperate to try out Android’s new look, we’d suggest waiting.

Android 16 is expected to roll out in finished form in the second quarter of the year – so by the end of June, but the Material 3 Expressive redesign seen in this beta won’t land until the first QPR update, which should land later this year.

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• Google Health Connect will soon support Garmin
• Mi Fitness and Runna will also be supported from June
• A few other updates are coming to Google Health Connect for developers

Google I/O always kicks off with an opening keynote, but the developer conference features big software announcements across its various talks and events – and one such reveal at Google I/O 2025 is that Google’s Health Connect will soon be compatible with Runna, Mi Fitness, and Garmin.

Google Health Connect, which launched back in 2022, is Android’s Apple Health equivalent. It allows you to easily share health metrics and fitness data across devices and between apps, while privacy controls allow you to choose what data is and isn’t shared.

Starting in June, Mi Fitness (Xiaomi’s fitness wearable app), Runna (the excellent running coach app that Strava recently acquired) and Garmin will be able to share data with Health Connect, as revealed on its Android Stage, and spotted by Android Central.

Google Health Connect can interface with many apps (Image credit: Google)

That’s not the only change coming to Health Connect. As is the case with most I/O announcements, these are app developer-focused, but there are some features we wanted to highlight.

First, Health Connect will support new medical records APIs. Users will be able to directly enter details into apps to highlight their allergies and immunizations, and apps can be designed to interface with clinics and practices to use a person’s medical records as a source for information

History reads should allow apps to more easily spot health trends over time, to keep users better informed.

These features will require app updates before they can be implemented, and will in most cases require you to grant permission for your data to be shared, but they mark a solid upgrade to Google’s Health Connect services.

They should help us squeeze more usefulness out of the best smartwatches, best smart rings, and perhaps soon (thanks to Android XR) best smart glasses that many of us are now wearing so we can monitor our health a little better.

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• Project Starline becomes Google Beam, and will be for enterprises only
• AI turns feed from six cameras into 3D video, while AI translates from supported languages
• We'll see the first HP hardware to support Google Beam at next month's InfoComm conference

After around four years of very few apparent developments, Google confirmed that its Project Starline is still going ahead at its annual developer conference, I/O, in 2025.

This time under the new and public-facing name of Beam, the concept revolves around life-like video calls that use advanced hardware, computer vision and machine learning to create 3D video conferencing experiences with no glasses or headsets needed.

Rather than gathering data from tens of cameras (it still uses six), Beam will use a state-of-the-art AI volumetric video model to convert 2D video into a realistic 3D feed.

Google's Project Starline becomes Beam

Besides six cameras, Google has confirmed that Beam will use a light field display for true depth and a sense of dimension. The AI merges the six video streams, tracking head movements and rendering the video call at 60fps. Beam can also support natural eye contact and subtle expression recognition to make the video call hyper realistic.

Being a flagship video conferencing tool, it should come as no surprise that this 3D holographic platform will get the same real-time speech translation that Meet gets, with the system able to maintain voice, tone and facial expressions for natural multilingual communication.

However, there's a big catch, and it's not the price (which is unconfirmed). It's that general consumers won't get to experience the tech unless they work for one of Google's enterprise clients. It'll launch to select customers later this year, with the first HP hardware devices being showcased at InfoComm next month.

For context, Logitech's Project Ghost, a similar pod-based system that aims to curb Zoom fatigue with a slightly less advanced 2D system, costs around $15,000-$20,000 per booth.

Google confirmed that Deloitte, Salesforce, Citadel, NEC, Hackensack Meridian Health, Duolingo and Recruit have all already registered their interest in Beam. Google Beam General Manager Andrew Nartker added: "We’re working with industry leading partners like Zoom and HP to bring Google Beam to enterprises."

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