Technology

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, June 14 (game #734).

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 #735) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• FATHER
• LANGUAGE
• SODA
• BLAST
• SMOKING
• MUD
• ACTION
• BURST
• CRUD
• POPULAR
• FUDGE
• BREW
• ROCKET FUEL
• NUDITY
• JAVA
• CURSES

NYT Connections today (game #735) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Cafe culture
• GREEN: Low level anger
• BLUE: PG rated
• PURPLE: Different meanings for a word that rhymes with “stop”

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 #735) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: SLANG FOR COFFEE 
• GREEN: "AW, HECK!" 
• BLUE: CONSIDERATIONS FOR MOVIE RATINGS 
• PURPLE: WHAT "POP" MIGHT MEAN 

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

NYT Connections today (game #735) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #735, are…

• YELLOW: SLANG FOR COFFEE BREW, JAVA, MUD, ROCKET FUEL
• GREEN: "AW, HECK!" BLAST, CRUD, CURSES, FUDGE
• BLUE: CONSIDERATIONS FOR MOVIE RATINGS ACTION, LANGUAGE, NUDITY, SMOKING
• PURPLE: WHAT "POP" MIGHT MEAN BURST, FATHER, POPULAR, SODA

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Fail

I used up three lives trying to pin down SLANG FOR COFFEE today. I knew that BREW, JAVA, and ROCKET FUEL had coffee in common, but had no clue on the fourth and had never heard of anyone calling it MUD.

I’ve since learned it’s a very basic method of brewing coffee that means everything has to settle before you drink it. For a while I thought that MUD and FUDGE could form a group as they are both words that feature in famous deserts.

Four words eliminated, WHAT “POP” MIGHT MEAN came together after a shuffle put FATHER, POPULAR and SODA beside each other and I guessed what we were looking for. 

From here, though, my good fortune deserted me and I failed to collect “AW, HECK!”, thinking instead that we were looking for something to do with emojis. 

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, June 14, game #734)

• YELLOW: GODDESS DIVA, ICON, LEGEND, QUEEN
• GREEN: ELEMENTS OF A CLASSIC "MOM" TATTOO ARROW, HEART, MOM, RIBBON
• BLUE: DOGS OF THE SCREEN ASTRO, BLUE, HOOCH, TOTO
• PURPLE: __ TERRIER BORDER, BOSTON, BULL, RAT

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, June 14 (game #468).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Here's to him!

NYT Strands today (game #469) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SCORE
• PEACH
• THERE
• HAIL
• PROLE
• CROP

NYT Strands today (game #469) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #469) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #469) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #469, are…

• CHALUPA
• CRAWDAD
• POPCORN
• PAPARAZZI
• POPSICLE
• SPANGRAM: FATHERS DAY

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

As obvious as it seems in hindsight it took me two words before I realised that today’s theme was a homage to the world’s fathers, with a selection of words featuring either pa, papa, dad or pop.

I spent a while wondering what Mexican food (CHALUPA) has got to do with shellfish (CRAWDAD) before I got it.

Although there is a sentiment that FATHER’S DAY is merely a holiday to generate some summertime cash for the greeting card industry, I say any day that allows you to appreciate family is a good thing.

I do, however, think that some companies go too far trying to climb on board that dad train – chocolate and whisky is one thing, but a department store I was in last week had a sign beside a desktop printer that said “Give your father what he really wants this Father’s Day”. I think I can speak on behalf of most fathers when I say that what we really want is not a printer.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, June 14, game #468)

• CROSS
• MOON
• TRIANGLE
• STAR
• STRIPE
• CROWN
• SHIELD
• SPANGRAM: FLAG SYMBOL

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

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Make earning crypto mindless with the latest Coinbase card.

Gen V season 2: key information

- Releasing in mid-September
- Launching with a three-episode premiere
- First trailer arrived in June
- Most of season 1's main cast set to return
- Two characters from season 1 won't be back
- Characters from The Boys could cameo
- Story synopsis revealed
- Will pick up after Gen V season 1 and The Boys season 4
- Yet to be officially renewed for a third season

Gen V season 2's release date (it's September 17, for those wondering) is fast approaching – and, if you're a fan of The Boys and/or its college-based spin-off, your attendance this semester is compulsory.

Gen V's next installment will pick up where its first chapter and The Boys season 4 left off. So, you'll want to be in class on time to immerse yourself in Amazon's live-action reimagining of The Boys.

For now, you'll have to make do with revising everything we know so far about Gen V's sophomore season. From its trailer and confirmed cast to its plot and the future of The Boys franchise, there's a lot to learn about in this guide.

Full spoilers follow for The Boys 4 and Gen V season 1.

Gen V season 2 release date

A post shared by Gen V (@genv)

A photo posted by on

Gen V season 2 will be released worldwide on Prime Video on Wednesday, September 17.

The reveal was made on June 2 at Mexico Comic-Con (CCXP) 2025, while an Amazon press release confirmed it'll launch with a three-episode premiere. New episodes will air weekly until the season finale drops on October 22.

Gen V season 2 trailer

The first trailer for Gen V season 2 was also unveiled at CCXP 2025, which revealed how the series' next installment will tie into events depicted in its predecessor's final episode and The Boys' fourth season.

I'll speculate on what this season's first round of footage tells us in this guide's plot section, so scroll on to learn more.

Gen V season 2 confirmed cast

Welcome back?? pic.twitter.com/Kho4rwD5cTJune 1, 2025

Full spoilers follow for Gen V season 1.

Here are the actors (and their respective characters) who'll appear in Gen V season 2:

• Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau
• Lizzie Broadway as Emma Meyer
• London Thor and Derek Luh as Jordan Li
• Maddie Philips as Cate Dunlap
• Asa Germann as Sam Riordan
• Sean Patrick Thomas as Polarity
• Hamish Linklater as Dean Cipher

The first six actors – or, rather, seven, because the gender-swapping Supe student known as Jordan is played by two people – all featured in season 1.

Meanwhile, Linklater will portray Godolkin University's new Dean following the death of Indira Shetty in season 1 episode 7. Some of Jaz, Jordan, Emma, Cate, and Sam's fellow students are also expected to return, but Amazon hasn't announced which ones will yet.

Given this show's ties to the wider universe of The Boys, there'll be plenty of cameos from characters who populate the main series, aka one of best Prime Video shows. Season 2's first trailer already confirmed Valerie Curry's Firecracker will make an appearance, but it's unclear which other Supes or members of the titular Supe-fighting team may show up.

pic.twitter.com/vgFxUvmI6lMarch 30, 2024

One actor who definitely won't appear is Chance Perdomo, who played Andre Anderson in season 1.

Perdomo died in a motorcycle accident last March, but Gen V's creative team released a statement (see above) 24 hours later to confirm Andre wouldn't be recast. Instead, this season's narrative has been altered to reflect Perdomo's passing and, by proxy, Andre's in-universe death, which will occur off-camera between seasons 1 and 2.

Gen V season 2 story synopsis and speculation

Marie will be integral to the story woven through this season's eight-episode arc (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

Full spoilers immediately follow for Gen V season 1 and The Boys season 4.

Here's the official plot brief for Gen V season 2: "School is back in session. As the rest of America adjusts to Homelander's iron fist, back at Godolkin University, the mysterious new Dean preaches a curriculum that promises to make students more powerful than ever. Cate and Sam are celebrated heroes, while Marie, Jordan and Emma reluctantly return to college, burdened by months of trauma and loss.

"But, parties and classes are hard to care about with war brewing between Humans and Supes, both on and off campus. The gang learns of a secret program that goes back to the founding of Godolkin that may have larger implications than they realize. And, somehow, Marie is a part of it."

That's quite a spoiler-filled synopsis, but it doesn't explain the events leading up to this season. For more on those, read my Gen V season 1 ending explained and The Boys season 4 ending explained articles.

Cipher (center) is charged with turning its students into Supe soldiers for Homelander (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

As season 2's blurb confirms, Cipher has been hired as Godolkin's Dean for one reason only – creating a new army of Supes for Homelander. The latter is, as of The Boys 4's finale, the shadow leader of the so-called Free World. Steve Calhoun may be the outward-facing US President, but he swore his allegiance to Homelander in episode 8 of the main series' fourth season. So, Calhoun is just a puppet ruler whose strings are being pulled by Anthony Starr's homicidal Supe.

Now effectively the commander-in-chief of the western world's greatest superpower, Homelander wants to use Godolkin's students as superpowered enforcers to maintain the autocracy of the United States. To that end, Godolkin's pupils will have to train and hone their superhuman abilities by battling one another. We catch a glimpse of this in season 2's first teaser, with Marie preparing to duel a fellow student in an audience-filled arena.

Homelander became the shadow president of the United States in The Boys season 4 episode 8 (Image credit: Prime Video)

Gen V season 2's plot synopsis also teases a "secret program" that Marie and company will unearth. Predictably, there's no word on what this clandestine (and likely experimental) initiative is, so we'll have to wait for the season to launch before this particular mystery is unraveled.

It's not the only one that'll need solving. We'll also learn more about what happened to Andre Anderson between seasons 1 and 2, and the events that led to his off-camera death. I suspect we'll also see how Andre's death will lead his father, Polarity, to side with Marie, Emma, Jordan, and any other allies they may accumulate this season, to lead a rebellion against Cipher and, by proxy, Homelander.

Lastly, it's plausible that Gen V's sophomore season will set up storylines for The Boys' fifth and final installment. Again, I'm unsure how this will be achieved, but I'd be shocked if one or more of Hughie, Starlight, Butcher, Mother's Milk, Frenchie, and Kimiko don't cross paths with Marie's renegade faction. If they do, that would set up a thrilling finale for the main series.

Has Gen V season 3 been announced yet?

In my view, Gen V's future will be determined by The Boys' final episode, which should wrap up Butcher's (pictured) story (Image credit: Prime Video)

Not yet. Truth be told, Gen V's future largely hinges on three things: how well its second season is received, whether people tune in to watch season 2, and how The Boys' story ends.

Where the last of those is concerned, The Boys season 5 will be the mainline show's last hurrah and is likely to bring Homelander, Butcher, Hughie, Starlight, and many other characters' stories to a close. If season 5 wraps up every major plot thread, including any outliers from Gen V's second outing, Amazon could decide to call it quits with its reimagining of The Boys there and then.

That said, The Boys is one of the biggest and most-watched Amazon TV Originals of all time, so I'd be equally surprised if Prime Video executives don't want it to continue in some form. Should that prove to be the case, Gen V might be renewed for a third season.

Of course, The Boys' universe has plenty more stories to tell. Other spin-off projects, such as a rumored Mexico-based one that'll reportedly star Andor's Diego Luna, could be developed alongside, or instead of, Gen V season 3, then. Until The Boys' final season debuts on Prime Video, though, we don't know what'll happen next.

For more Prime Video-related coverage, read our guides on The Rings of Power season 3, Invincible season 4, Fallout season 2, and Mr and Mrs Smith season 2.

• Lenovo ThinkSmart One Pro combines PC power, AI, and conferencing gear into one surprisingly compact wall unit
• AI framing and video fencing promise a clearer call, but they’re hardly industry firsts
• Eight microphones with DSP aim to eliminate echo, background noise, and meeting confusion

In an age of hybrid work and increasingly remote collaboration, Lenovo has unveiled what it claims is a groundbreaking all-in-one meeting solution.

The ThinkSmart One Pro is a compact device merging compute, audio, and intelligent video into a single wall-mounted bar.

Technically, the ThinkSmart One Pro is a full-fledged PC, but Lenovo is positioning it as a mini PC for modern conferencing, as it features a Full HD, high-definition camera with AI-powered functions like dynamic framing, intelligent zoom, and video fencing.

AI-enhanced collaboration in a compact form

These tools enhance visual clarity, but they are not unique. Many of the best webcams on the market already offer AI framing and noise filtering.

At the heart of the ThinkSmart One Pro is an embedded Intel Core i5 processor with Intel vPro, running Windows 11 IoT Enterprise, but its value may lie more in its integration than in introducing radically new capabilities.

The 10.1-inch touchscreen controller, available in two models, provides intuitive access to video calls via leading video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, or Google Meet.

The display supports anti-glare and anti-smudge features, and with support for HDMI and PoE, it addresses common concerns about lag and connectivity.

The device's primary selling point is its audio capabilities, which include eight integrated microphones with 180-degree coverage and advanced DSP functions for echo and noise cancellation.

It also has stereo speakers capable of producing 15 watts.

This raises the question of whether such an audio array is truly necessary for the small spaces for which it is intended.

Lenovo has also included Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) compatibility, allowing users to connect their laptops and benefit from the ThinkSmart One Pro’s antivirus capabilities.

“Knowledge workers everywhere highly value well-equipped spaces enabling the latest AI-powered features and applications for meeting and collaborating,” said Marcus Kennedy, General Manager of Commercial Solutions at Lenovo.

Lenovo also includes deployment support and a ThinkSmart Premium license for the first year.

Pricing starts at $2,999 for the USB controller bundle, rising to $3,499 for the IP version.

This device is not cheap, and it appears Lenovo is targeting organizations that prioritize seamless, enterprise-grade collaboration tools.

Still, at these price points, potential buyers may want to consider whether bundling these features into one unit truly adds value over using separate high-quality components already available.

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• Images of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 have leaked
• They show off a thin frame and thick camera bump
• A launch is expected sometime in July

It looks increasingly likely that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 are going to get their grand unveiling next month, and a couple of new image leaks have given us a better look at how the former handset is going to look.

First up we have an image of a Galaxy Z Fold 7 case posted to Reddit (via 9to5Google) which shows how thin the phone is going to be – even when folded – and the significant protrusion the camera module bump is going to add around the back.

Samsung has already confirmed that the foldable is going to be the thinnest one yet in the series, while other rumors have pointed to the possibility of a significant camera upgrade as well, which would explain the camera bump.

Another leaked image, also posted to Reddit (also via 9to5Google) again shows off the thinness of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. This picture seems to be of a stand made for an event – possibly the Unpacked launch event rumored for July.

A lot to look forward togalaxyfold from r/GalaxyFold/comments/1laduur/fold_7_camera_bump_is_huge

When it comes to the successor to the 2024 model, which you can read about in our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review, we've already heard plenty in the way of leaks and rumors over the past few months.

Yesterday we heard that the foldable could get an improved version of Samsung's ProVisual Engine AI image-processing tech, which will bring with it improvements to photo quality, digital zoom quality, and video stability.

Other rumors have been a little more vague: a well-placed source has said the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is going to bring with it 'industry-first' features, without being specific about what they are. Substantial screen, camera, or battery upgrades could be involved.

Samsung itself has been teasing an "Ultra" foldable that's coming soon, which may mean this phone gets rebranded, or has a lot in common with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. It would seem there's a lot to look forward to with the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

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At Summer Game Fest, I got to play (and get schooled by) the man who turned Cloud, Sephiroth, Aerith, Terra, Yuna and others into Magic cards.

The next time you're talking about AI over dinner or drinks, know these terms to sound smart.

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• LG launches 40-inch 5K2K monitor with Thunderbolt 5 connectivity
• Designed for finance and IT, it supports advanced multitasking features
• High refresh rate and color accuracy support complex visual workflows

LG Electronics is expanding its B2B display offerings with the launch of the UltraFine 40WT95UF, a new 40-inch curved business monitor targeting enterprise customers in finance, IT, and other data-focused sectors.

The monitor features a 5K2K resolution (5120x2160) with a 21:9 aspect ratio and is the first display of its kind to support Thunderbolt 5.

The screen uses an IPS Black panel with a 2000:1 contrast ratio, supports up to 450 nits brightness, and offers DisplayHDR 600 certification. It delivers 95.0% to 99.0% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut and a 5ms response time.

Two Thunderbolt 5 ports

A 120Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync Premium should help keep visual output smooth, making the monitor useful for both data analysis and visual content tasks.

The UltraFine 40WT95UF offers professionals an expanded digital workspace suited for working with large datasets or multiple applications. Picture-in-Picture and Picture-by-Picture functions allow multiple inputs to be viewed simultaneously, without the need for a second screen.

LG says financial analysts can view dashboards and charts together, while IT professionals can manage code, timelines, or development environments more easily.

Connectivity options include two Thunderbolt 5 ports, one DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, one USB-C upstream, four USB-C 3.2 downstream, two USB-A 3.2 downstream, an RJ45 port, and a headphone out.

Thunderbolt 5 supports up to 80Gbps data transfer and 96W power delivery. Support for daisy-chaining allows for simpler setups and fewer cables.

“LG is committed to developing advanced displays and integrated IT solutions that meet the evolving needs of enterprise customers,” said YS Lee, head of IT Business at the LG Media Entertainment Solution Company.

“We will continue to offer industry-leading monitors tailored to each sector’s unique requirements, as well as a diverse range of IT products designed to help boost productivity across industries.”

Via Videocardz

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From data centers to AI to satellites, the internet has a much bigger effect on our Earth than we might imagine.

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Real Madrid, PSG, Man City, River Plate and Inter Miami are among the teams battling for a world title -- and a share of a $1 billion prize pool -- in this revamped cup tournament.

It's been a massive week for tech news, with Apple's WWDC taking place and a raft of big announcements in the gaming world.

Missed it all? Never fear – because you can catch up on it by scrolling down for our handy recaps of the week's seven biggest tech news stories.

And once you're all up to speed with that, be sure to also check out our picks for the 7 new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend.

7. Xreal told us more about Project Aura

(Image credit: Xreal)

We already knew Xreal’s Project Aura glasses would bring Android XR features to Xreal’s lineup, but we didn’t know too much about the hardware itself. Now we do.

For a start, the device will apparently boast a 70-degree field of view – which is much larger than the FOV found on the 57-degree Xreal One Pro and which will give the Project Aura glasses a massive virtual screen.

It’ll also be tethered to a compute puck which will run Android XR using a Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm, though the glasses themselves will still have a “modified” X1 processor.

The glasses won't land until sometime in 2026, but when they do this pair of Android XR specs could be something special.

• Read more: Xreal just teased its Android XR specs

6. Garmin found its Apple Watch Ultra 2 rival

(Image credit: Garmin)

Surprise! Garmin has revealed the Garmin Venu X1, an "ultrathin" smartwatch with a massive 2-inch AMOLED display and up to eight days of battery life.

The new model packs 32GB of internal memory, presumably for on-watch music, plus Garmin's updated Elevate v5 heart-rate sensor, most recently used on the Garmin Forerunner 570 and 970.

Unfortunately the Garmin Venu X1 doesn't come cheap, costing $799.99 / £679.99 / AU$1,499. We'll be testing it as soon as possible to see if it justifies that price tag.

• Read more: Meet the surprise new Apple Watch Ultra 2 rival

5. New Bose earbuds were cleared for launch

(Image credit: Bose)

The best noise-cancelling earbuds you can buy right now are made by Bose (which makes sense – the company created the first ever active noise cancelling headphones), and right now we’d suggest not buying them. Why? Because there's a newer version incoming, and Bose says they’ll be even better.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen will launch later this summer with a price tag of $299 – which is around £220 or AU$460, although these are guesses since pricing and availability for these regions has yet to be officially announced.

What can we expect? AI algorithms for better filtering of sudden noise spikes via Bose’s ActiveSense system, plus improved voice pickup and call quality, The latter is particularly good news, because that was a weak spot compared to rival earbuds from Technics and Bowers & Wilkins.

Also, the new case will be able to charge wirelessly – the first-gen Ultra Earbuds needed a sleeve to pull off this feat, but it'll be here by default now.

• Read more: Bose unveils next-gen QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

4. Summer Game Fest 2025 wrapped up

(Image credit: SUMMER GAME FEST)

Summer Game Fest 2025 has been and gone, and between PlayStation, Xbox and the event’s own showcase, there was plenty to be excited about.

Some of the most thrilling game announcements came in the form of world premieres such as Resident Evil Requiem, Marvel Tōkon Fighting Souls, Scott Pilgrim EX, and Street Fighter 6’s Year 3 Character Pass.

We also got new looks at anticipated upcoming games like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Clockwork Revolution and The Outer Worlds 2.

There’s loads to look forward to, then, and that’s all before we’ve even had a chance to see what Nintendo is cooking up with a new Direct showcase that will likely happen soon.

• Read more: Everything else announced at Summer Game Fest 2025

3. Xbox announced a handheld

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Finally, after years of rumors, Microsoft has announced an Xbox handheld: the ROG Xbox Ally. In fact it gave us two.

Unlike Asus' current ROG Ally and ROG Ally X, the Xbox version has a tweaked design with contoured grips that echo the shape of the current Xbox Wireless Controller. And as one would expect, both Xbox Allys sport the Xbox 'ABXY' button layout and a dedicated Xbox home button.

We don’t yet know when it will launch, nor how much it’ll cost, but we expect it’ll be about as pricey as the existing Ally.

• Read more: Microsoft has revealed the ROG Xbox Ally

2. Apple told us what went wrong with Apple Intelligence

Months after Apple admitted publicly that the Apple Intelligence-infused Siri was harder to deliver than they thought, the tech giant reiterated the statement during its WWDC 2025 keynote, adding almost cryptically that it’ll arrive “in the coming months”.

Most of us still had lots of questions. Fortunately, Apple's Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi and Apple Global VP of Marketing Greg Joswiak sat down with us (and Tom’s Guide) for a wide-ranging and revealing podcast that finally explains what happened with Siri development, why the smarter version was delayed, and what happens next.

There’s a lot to learn about over-promising and under-delivering and how to avoid similar mistakes, and the full podcast ranges far beyond to cover Liquid Glass, and that surprising iPadOS 26 reveal. Speaking of which…

• Read more: What really happened with Siri and Apple Intelligence, according to Apple

1. WWDC 2025 unleashed Liquid Glass

Apple’s software event clued us into what’s in store for the next generation of software from the tech giant and a big change is that every OS will now be version 26 – with Apple explaining that this will simplicity and clarity to its somewhat confusing software lineup.

For iOS 26, and every Apple OS, the major update is Liquid Glass, a new foundational design philosophy inspired by visionOS – which is itself getting a slew of enhancements, such as mixed-reality widgets.

However, the real star of the show for many was iPadOS 26, which finally brings some of the Mac’s best features to the tablet – and it nearly made one of our writers cry with joy (that may be an exaggeration).

There was plenty more to dig into from Apple's big event, so for the full details check out our guide to the 15 biggest stories from WWDC 2025.

• Read more: WWDC 2025 as it happened

The Apple Watch’s fitness features have been getting consistently more impressive in recent years, between new running metrics, the recent addition of Training Load, and integrations with third-party apps such as TrainingPeaks. And yet, despite these advanced tools at my fingertips and as someone who tests the best Apple Watches as part of my job, I’m still lacking in the running department.

After a long day of work, as a man in his mid-thirties with a very active six-year-old, the last thing I feel I want to do is get my shorts and underlayer on and head out the door, and that’s even with some lovely running routes nearby.

Tracking my workouts is great, but how can I outsource my motivation to my Apple Watch? As it happens, Apple's new AI Workout Buddy might be the answer.

Workout Buddy could became my favorite new watchOS feature in years

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

I should stress that I have no such issues getting to the gym, . My hesitance to run (which takes a lot less work and time than lifting weights) feels very much like a problem of my own making, so it’s gratifying that Apple may have a solution for me and could make me feel less like I’m the only “reluctant runner” out there.

As revealed at WWDC 25 this week, watchOS 26 will offer Workout Buddy, a “first-of-its-kind fitness experience with Apple Intelligence that incorporates a user’s workout data and their fitness history to generate personalized, motivational insights during their session, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more.”

It’s that word “motivational” that piqued my interest, and while I’m wary of the use of AI (especially as a journalist who makes his living using words) a helpful few words of encouragement in my ear when I’m pushing myself out the door for a 5K could make all the difference.

I recently completed my first 10k running event following some heart health issues in recent years, and having an AI assistant tap into my heart rate data and advise me how much further I could push myself every now and again could have stopped the fearful questions I was asking myself, such as “am I going too fast?” or “am I pushing too hard?”

Matching my style of running

When I do get out for a run, I try to avoid looking at my Apple Watch Ultra. I often don’t want to know what my pace is like, because I try to be more intentional with exercise. Namely, keeping my mind on the whole ‘moving my legs’ part of the workout rather than keeping an eye on my pace.

Looking at my pace and seeing it slower than anticipated is a bit of a morale-buster, while checking the distance run and seeing I’m less than halfway around my circuit has a tendency to have a negative impact on my pace, as if I’m willing it to be over.

If I can tweak what the AI offers as encouragement, then I feel I’ll be having my proverbial cake and eating it, pushing me further without laying on too thick how far I’ve fallen since my prime a decade ago. Think less “here are your splits”, and more “keep going, you’re doing great!”.

I’ve tried AI coaching apps like Zing in the past, and as promising as they are, they can often feel overly complex when you just want to track some exercises or your step count. Having something like Workout Buddy running natively on my devices that I can call upon when I need it, and minimise when I don’t, really does feel like the best of both worlds. Roll on September!

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Mattel is partnering with OpenAI to build AI‑powered toys, which might lead to some amazing fun, but also sounds like the premise for a million stories of things going wrong.

To be clear, I don't think AI is going to end the world. I've used ChatGPT in a million ways, including as an aide for activities as a parent. AI has helped me brainstorm bedtime stories and design coloring books, among other things. But that's me using it, not opening it up to direct interaction with children.

The official announcement is very optimistic, of course. Mattel says it’s bringing the “magic of AI” to playtime, promising age‑appropriate, safe, and creative experiences for kids. OpenAI says it’s thrilled to help power these toys with ChatGPT, and both companies seem intent on positioning this as a step forward for playtime and childhood development.

But I can’t help thinking of how ChatGPT conversations can spiral into bizarre conspiracy theories, except suddenly it's a Barbie doll talking to an eight-year-old. Or a GI Joe veering from positive messages about "knowing is half the battle," to pitching cryptocurrency mining because some six‑year‑old heard the word “blockchain” somewhere and thought it sounded like a cool weapon for the toy.

As you might have noted from the top image, the first thought I had was about the film Small Soldiers. The 1998 corny classic about an executive at a toy company deciding to save money by installing military-grade AI chips into action figures, leading to the toys staging guerrilla warfare in the suburbs? It was a satire, and not a bad one at that. But, as over-the-top as that outcome might be, it's hard not to see the glimmer of chaotic potential in installing generative AI in the toys children may spend a lot of time with.

I do get the appeal of AI in a toy, I do. Barbie could be more than just a doll you dress up, she could be a curious, clever conversationalist who can explain space missions or play pretend in a dozen different roles. Or you could have a Hot Wheels car commenting on the track you built for it. I can even picture AI in Uno as a deckpad that actually teaches younger kids strategy and sportsmanship.

But I think generative AI models like ChatGPT shouldn't be used by kids. They may be pared down for safety's sake, but at a certain point, that stops being AI and just becomes a fairly robust set of pre-planned responses without the flexibility of AI. That means avoiding the weirdness, hallucinations, and moments of unintended inappropriateness from AI that adults can brush off but kids might absorb.

Toying with AI

Mattel has been at this a long time and knows what it is doing, in general, with its products. It's certainly not to their advantage to have their toys go even slightly haywire. The company said it will build safety and privacy into every AI interaction. They promise to focus on appropriate experiences. But “appropriate” is a very slippery word in AI, especially when it comes to language models trained on the internet.

ChatGPT isn’t a closed-loop system that was built for toys, though. It wasn’t designed specifically for young kids. And even when you train it with guidelines, filters, and special voice modules, it’s still built on a model that learns and imitates. There’s also the deeper question: what kind of relationship do we want kids to have with these toys?

There’s a big difference between playing with a doll and imagining conversations with it, and forming a bond with a toy that independently responds. I don’t expect a doll to go the full Chucky or M3gan, but when we blur the line between playmate and program, the outcomes can get hard to predict.

I use ChatGPT with my son in the same way I use scissors or glue – a tool for his entertainment that I control. I’m the gatekeeper, and AI built into a toy is hard to monitor that way. The doll talks. The car replies. The toy engages, and kids may not notice anything amiss because they don't have the experience.

If Barbie’s AI has a glitch, if GI Joe suddenly slips into dark military metaphors, if a Hot Wheels car randomly says something bizarre, a parent might not even know until it’s been said and absorbed. If we’re not comfortable letting these toys run unsupervised, they’re not ready.

It’s not about banning AI from childhood. It’s about knowing the difference between what’s helpful and what’s too risky. I want AI in the toy world to be very narrowly constrained, like how a TV show aimed at toddlers is carefully designed to be appropriate. Those shows won't (hardly ever) go off script, but AI's power is in writing its own script.

I might sound too harsh about this, and goodness knows there have been other tech toy scares. Furbies were creepy. Talking Elmo had glitches. Talking Barbies once had sexist lines about math being hard. All issues that could be resolved, except maybe the Furbies. I do think AI in toys has potential, but I'll be skeptical until I see how well Mattel and OpenAI navigate that narrow path between not really using AI and giving the AI too much freedom to be a bad virtual friend to give your child.

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• OpenAI has upgraded ChatGPT's Projects feature to remember past chats, tone preferences, and files
• Projects now offers deep research, voice mode, mobile file uploads, and more
• OpenAI wants Projects to function more like smart workspaces than one-off chats

ChatGPT's Projects feature has been a useful way to organize conversations with the AI chatbot since it debuted, but it has had its limitations. A major set of upgrades released by OpenAI this week has transformed Projects from a simple file folder into a highly focused version of ChatGPT as a whole.

The Projects feature debuted as a way to organize related chats and files into one digital shoebox. But now, that organization means ChatGPT will remember that those chats and files are related. So, if you start a chat within a Project, the AI will remember things from other chats in that project, referencing your past messages within the same workspace.

If you start a new Project, you can upload your notes, chat about the topic with ChatGPT, ask for online comparisons, and then come back three days later to continue the conversation without rehashing everything or having the AI cite unrelated discussions. ChatGPT won’t just remember the topics either. It will remember your formatting preferences, as well as your tone of voice.

And those can be a lot more complex conversations now that Projects includes the Deep Research tool, which lets you run multi-step tasks in ChatGPT, blending your files and instructions with live information from the web.

You can also now use ChatGPT's voice mode in Projects. Tap the microphone inside any project and start talking about the files within or anything else, and you'll see it appear. And if you're using the mobile app, you can now upload files directly and switch between GPT-4o or other models on the fly.

Other upgrades are more minor but still significant. For instance, if you have a Project that you don't want to share in its entirety, but it includes a particular ChatGPT conversation you wish to send to someone, you can do that now. And if a discussion with ChatGPT suddenly inspires you to start a Project, you can now drag it directly into a project folder or convert it instantly from the sidebar.

Not everyone can use the upgraded Projects features as of yet. You have to be a ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscriber for now. However, based on many other ChatGPT features that were once exclusive to subscribers, I wouldn't be surprised if these become accessible to free users at some point in the future.

AI project power

As impressive as ChatGPT Projects could be now, I wouldn't expect to see offices throwing out their Notion or Trello programs anytime soon. They still lack some of the common elements of those tools, like calendars. But, for personal or just smaller efforts, it's a nice enhancement of the AI assistant, one that might at least help OpenAI compete with the AI infusions Google has been adding to its ecosystem.

OpenAI has been clear that they don't just want to be a chatbot provider. They want to be your go-to for life and work. These upgrades feel like the early sketches of something more ambitious. OpenAI might someday pitch ChatGPT as an alternative to toggling between ten apps. Instead, you might one day just open ChatGPT and say, “Let’s pick up where we left off on the next work presentation.”

A little experimentation on my part found the upgraded Projects seemed more efficient almost immediately, but not without some hiccups. One large collection of conversations I've organized for testing other features was a little too eager to dredge up the initial interactions rather than pull from more recent discussions about ChatGPT's capabilities. And while Projects can now reference past chats, the actual search and navigation between those chats still isn’t perfect. There's no Boolean logic to use to isolate certain phrases yet, so you might have to do some scrolling to find what you're looking for.

Still, even with the inevitable friction, I can see the value of making Projects more of a self-organizing AI data source, rather than simply a file folder for documents, as it has been. Whether compiling research, analyzing data, or plotting the perfect party, it could make using ChatGPT a lot less chaotic.

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• Gigabyte's AI TOP 500 TRX50 is a desktop built for AI developers working on massive LLMs
• Older Threadripper CPU included but motherboard supports newer upgrades
• GeForce RTX 5090 GPU paired with software for model tuning

Gigabyte has quietly launched the AI TOP 500 TRX50, a high-end system aimed at developers working on AI models and advanced multimodal tasks.

The machine is powered by AMD’s 24-core Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX processor and cooled by an AORUS 360 AIO liquid cooler. This combination allows it to outperform Gigabyte’s previously announced Arrow Lake-S-based AI TOP 100 Z890.

Interestingly, as TechPowerUp reports, the AI TOP 500 still relies on AMD’s current-generation "Zen 4/Storm Peak" architecture, even with the Threadripper PRO 9000 series expected to launch in the near future.

Ports galore

Fortunately, Gigabyte’s TRX50 motherboard supports future upgrades, which could appeal to those planning longer-term builds. VideoCardz suggests that a version using the 32-core 7975WX might be released soon.

Like the AI TOP 100, the 500-series prebuild also includes Gigabyte’s own GeForce RTX 5090 Windforce graphics card.

Internally, the desktop (which bears a striking resemblance to the Cooler Master HAF 700) supports up to 768GB of DDR5 R-DIMM memory across eight slots.

Storage comes in the form of a 1TB AI TOP 100E cache SSD, built to endure heavy write cycles, and a 2TB AORUS Gen 4 SSD for primary use. Power is provided by a 1600W AI TOP Ultra Durable PSU rated at 80 Plus Platinum and compatible with ATX 3.1.

The AI TOP 500 offers a wide range of connectivity options. Up front, users get four USB 3.0 ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, audio in and out jacks, and both power and reset buttons. On the rear are six USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two USB4 40Gbps Type-C ports, dual RJ-45 LAN ports, a DisplayPort input, and two additional audio jacks.

The workstation also supports multi-node expansion through Thunderbolt 5 and Dual 10G LAN, making it a practical option for research labs or development teams.

The system is tightly integrated with Gigabyte’s AI TOP Utility software platform which helps users manage AI models, build datasets, and monitor hardware performance in real time.

With support for up to 405 billion parameter models, Gigabyte is targeting users who require serious local compute performance without relying on cloud resources…. And, gamers too, apparently, if its tagline of “Premium gaming & AI empowered desktop” is to be believed.

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