Technology

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, March 7 (game #369).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Two thumbs up

NYT Strands today (game #370) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SLOT
• STOP
• LINT
• ROOM
• POOL
• STAMP

NYT Strands today (game #370) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Oscar winners

NYT Strands today (game #370) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #370) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #370, are…

• PLATOON
• PARASITE
• MOONLIGHT
• CODA
• SPOTLIGHT
• SPANGRAM: BEST PICTURE

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

The film critic Roger Ebert, who died in 2013, coined the term “two thumbs up” as part of his grading system – a contemporary update on Roman Emperors giving gladiators a thumbs up or down depending on their performance.

What Mr Ebert would have made of this year’s Oscar nominees and BEST PICTURE Anora is unknown, but one doubts he would have been impressed with The Brutalist star Adrien Brody’s rambling, self-aggrandising acceptance speech.

As a Strands puzzle, this wasn't the easiest, because there are so many words that could be the answer; there have been 97 winners since the Academy Awards began in 1929. Finding the five included here therefore involved more than a little trial and error as much as movie knowledge!

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 7 March, game #369)

• CRIBBAGE
• POKER
• CANASTA
• RUMMY
• EUCHRE
• PINOCHLE
• SPANGRAM: CARD GAMES

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, March 7 (game #1138).

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 #1139) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 2*.

* 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 #1139) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1139) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1139) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1139) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• W

• L

• W

• H

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

Quordle today (game #1139) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1139, are…

• WATCH
• LAPSE
• WREST
• HEFTY

Seven turns is as good as it gets when you're doing the three-starter-word method – unless you get super-lucky, of course.

Today was one of those green-light days where everything fell nicely into place, with WREST being a stab in the dark that fortunately gave me the starting letter for WATCH.

Right, I’m off to buy a lottery ticket.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1139) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1139, are…

• COVET
• MEANT
• CRICK
• NERVE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER
• Quordle #1136, Wednesday 5 March: PLEAD, TWANG, MAJOR, RISKY
• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER
• Quordle #1134, Monday 3 March: FRILL, KAYAK, REBAR, WORDY
• Quordle #1133, Sunday 2 March: TUNIC, GLOSS, DEBUG, LARGE
• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL
• Quordle #1130, Thursday 27 February: THIEF, CHAIR, ETHER, GRIME
• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER
• Quordle #1128, Tuesday 25 February: TWIST, TWEAK, MEANT, CLEAR
• Quordle #1127, Monday 24 February: LEASH, LEVER, TOTEM, CREME
• Quordle #1126, Sunday 23 February: RABID, RELIC, SCRAM, BASIS
• Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
• Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
• Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE
• Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE
• Quordle #1121, Tuesday 18 February: TAMER, SCRUB, BRICK, DRIFT
• Quordle #1120, Monday 17 February: SADLY, WAFER, LITHE, IDIOM
• Quordle #1119, Sunday 16 February: GHOUL, AFIRE, COVEN, FIERY

March has arrived (does anyone else feel like they blinked and February was over?), and the third month of 2025 has already given us lots of exciting new movies and TV shows to watch at home. Admittedly, most of them have debuted on four of the world's best streaming services, but I'm trying not to judge their rivals, such as Apple TV+, especially when the latter has served up one of 2025's best shows so far in Severance season 2.

Anyway, aside from a new episode of Severance, there's plenty more to stream this weekend, including the revival of Netflix's Daredevil TV show. So, scroll on to see our seven top picks for the week. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 (Disney+)

The devil's work is never done – and that's certainly the case for Matt Murdock and his crimefighting alter-ego. Almost six years after Netflix canceled its beloved TV adaptation starring The Man Without Fear, Marvel has revived it with Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+.

Essentially, it's Daredevil season 4 is all but name, but that's a very good thing. The New York-based lawyer/vigilante's live-action series is not only as epic as it is brutal, but also one of my all-time favorite shows, so I'm delighted that it's had new life breathed into it as a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project. The first two episodes are out now but, before you stream them, read my Daredevil: Born Again review to see whether I think this Marvel Phase 5 program deserves to be added to our best Disney+ shows guide. – TP

• Watch Daredevil: Born Again season 1 on Disney+

With Love, Meghan (Netflix)

Looking for something a bit more wholesome? Why not cosy up on the couch with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, for eight episodes of cooking, gardening, and hosting advice on Netflix.

Originally due to air in January, Netflix delayed this series' release due to the wildfires that ravaged LA. Now, this show is out in full, but early reviews aren't overly favorable, which means it won't make the cut for our best Netflix shows guide. – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch With Love, Meghan on Netflix

Heretic (Max)

I’m so excited that more people can experience this horror gem on Max. Heretic's major selling point is that Hugh Grant swapped his typical charming bachelor character for a creepy loner, but it's so much more than that.

Stylish, tense, and full of theological questions, Heretic is a great addition to A24's catalog. There's plenty to enjoy here, and it does enough for it to stand out among the endless sea of new horror movies in March. I'm also keen to re-watch this and spot things I might've missed the first time around as it feels like the kind of movie which benefits from a second viewing. Even though it wasn’t my favorite horror movie of 2024, I still enjoyed it and feel like it deserves a spot on our best Max movies round-up. – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Heretic on Max

The Leopard (Netflix)

Netflix is somewhat of an expert when it comes to period dramas. That much is clear with Bridgerton, aka one of Netflix's most popular shows of all-time.

Now, the streamer has lined up a royal rival with Italian period drama The Leopard. Based on the classic novel of the same name by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the eponymous Leopard is Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina (Kim Rossi Stuart) who grapples with the impact of his family’s ancient privilege and revolutionary change in 1860s Sicily. I can’t wait to be transported back in time with this sumptuous historical spectacle and, with 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Leopard has a chance of gracing our best Netflix shows guide. – Grace Morris, entertainment writer

• Watch The Leopard on Netflix

Fear (Prime Video)

Fear is Prime Video's latest thriller series and it's got a truly terrifying premise. Line of Duty star Martin Compston leads the cast as a father who has relocated his family from London to an idyllic location in Glasgow, hoping for a fresh start. It's the kind of scenario that provides the backdrop for plenty of thrillers where, unfortunately, someone's dream home becomes a living nightmare.

Things go terribly wrong when the family begins to be stalked by their neighbor, who begins to accuse them of horrible things and becomes a terrifying presence in their lives. Throughout three episodes, you'll unravel what's going on, making it the perfect weekend binge-watch. It hasn't got a Rotten Tomatoes score yet so we'll have to see if it's good enough for inclusion in our best Prime Video shows article. – LB

• Watch Fear on Prime Video

The Righteous Gemstones season 4 (Max)

The Righteous Gemstones return as the televangelist family go on their final religious outing in the hit Max comedy. For the uninformed: one of the best Max shows follows the Gemstones, who commit sinful acts and hide shocking secrets while trying to build their religious empire.

With its witty parody on spiritual grandiosity and Succession-like family dynamics, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the six Max movies and shows we’re most excited to watch in March. After watching Walton Goggins in The White Lotus season 3, I'm excited to see him at his comedic best in The Righteous Gemstones season 4 along with the rest of the misfit family. – GM

• Watch The Righteous Gemstones season 4 on Max

Chaos: The Manson Murders (Netflix)

Looking for a new documentary this weekend? As part of Netflix's March 2025 line-up, the streaming giant has released a chilling docufilm that completely upends what we thought we knew about the infamous Manson murders.

Adapted from a book by Tom O'Neill with Dan Piepenbring, Chaos: The Manson Murders brings new evidence from years of research, interviews and never-before-seen documents. Acclaimed documentary maker Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line; The Fog War: Eleven Lessons from the life of Robert S McNamara) revisits these interviews, including with Vincent Bugliosi, the prosecutor-turned-author that chronicled the trial, to unravel a potential conspiracy involving the CIA and others that surrounds the killings. – AS

• Watch Chaos: The Manson Murders on Netflix

For more streaming recommendations, read our guides on the best Netflix movies, best Apple TV+ shows, best Paramount+ movies, and best Hulu shows.

Jim Sanborn’s inbox is flooded with amateur cryptographers who say they’ve cracked the code with chatbots like Grok 3.

• AMD is rumored to be planning a faster take on its RX 9070 models
• This ‘Ultimate Navi 48’ GPU is supposedly being readied for a Q2 release
• AMD is apparently aiming for a performance level of between the RTX 5070 Ti and RTX 5080

AMD could be releasing a faster take on its RX 9070 GPUs as soon as Q2 2025, according to a fresh rumor.

Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID) has a new video out on YouTube which discusses a range of topics across AMD’s new RDNA 4 GPUs, with the excellent RX 9070 XT and vanilla 9070 having gone on sale yesterday – and part of the chatter here is more reinforcement of what we’ve already heard about the MSRPs of these boards.

Before I get into that, though, the most interesting revelation here (in my book) is that AMD is purportedly set to produce a new RDNA 4 graphics card using the Navi 48 chip – the one RX 9070 models are built on – with the GPU pushed to the absolute max.

According to one of MLID’s sources at a big US retailer, AMD’s graphics card making partners have been briefed on an ‘Ultimate Navi 48’ GPU which could be released in Q2, though I’d guess this would be more towards June than April (as this is the first whisper of such a board).

Team Red is apparently shooting for a performance level of between the RTX 5070 Ti and the RTX 5080. Naming-wise, this GPU would presumably be an RX 9070 XTX (or 9070 XT Extreme Edition as MLID suggests).

MLID doesn’t have anything else to share about this theoretical graphics card in terms of how the spec might pan out, so this is an early-stage rumor, for sure.

As mentioned, the YouTuber also talks about the RX 9070 launch supply, which was apparently triple the volume of the entire amount of Blackwell GPUs (all RTX 5000 models) that have arrived so far since the end of January.

MLID asserts that the supply of RX 9070 boards is going to be more robust than Nvidia’s RTX 5000 models going forward – not just at launch – with one obvious caveat.

That catch is that only a percentage of the entry-level RDNA 4 graphics cards were sold at MSRP, and as we saw yesterday, once that initial batch was gone, those baseline boards got a fair bit more expensive.

If you’re hoping to grab one of AMD’s new graphics cards, don’t forget, we’re here to give you a leg up with securing your purchase courtesy of our guide on where to buy the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070.

Analysis: An explosive Q2 beckons – and AMD is clearly off to a better start than Nvidia

Presumably with the supposed RX 9070 XTX, or Extreme Edition, we’d be looking at beefed up clock speeds, and possibly more VRAM (perhaps with the memory notched up on the speed front, too, MLID speculates). Whatever the case, however AMD might go with the spec, the intention is clear enough – to produce a GPU that would be roughly equivalent to a (theoretical) RTX 5070 Ti Super, or thereabouts.

What’s also planned for Q2 officially, as announced by AMD at the RX 9070 reveal at the end of February, is the debut of RX 9060 models, bringing more wallet-friendly fodder to the GPU world. So, in theory there’s plenty to look forward to as we head into Q2 which starts in only a few weeks.

As for the RX 9070 launch, from what I saw, stock did appear to be present in reasonable quantities – even if MSRP-level graphics cards sold out quite quickly (but not in the blink of an eye).

Is it fair that there aren’t any MSRP boards left now, because AMD is only willing to subsidize a limited number of RX 9070 graphics cards to get them at that price level for the on-sale day, so the recommended launch price is technically correct?

Well, it’s not an ideal situation, of course. We’re told by MLID that the entry-level price for the RX 9070 XT is likely to be around $670 going forward in the US, and looking at UK pricing now, entry-level 9070 XT boards are actually in stock, but they’re now 10% over the MSRP (roughly the same as that expected US price).

However, as MLID points out, at least a 10% hike isn’t terrible – when the 9070 XT looks good value in the first place, certainly – and there is still stock available in the UK at least (not in the US, mind, that I can see at the time of writing).

With restocking expected to be more robust, too, with AMD’s RDNA 4 graphics cards, this is at least a lot better than the situation with Nvidia’s RTX 5000 GPUs. That said, it’d be difficult to imagine a launch scenario much worse than Blackwell has been, sadly.

Team Red has done okay here, then, on balance, but it remains disappointing to me that the MSRP of RX 9070 models has proved to be something of an illusion spell cast by AMD. Still, with some Black Friday or Prime Day magic, those asking prices may well return later this year…

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Forget stuffy garden parties and formal radio broadcasts, His Majesty is finding his groove by playing reggae and Afrobeats on Apple Music.

• A new Geekbench 6 benchmark hints at the M3 Ultra for the Mac Studio only being slightly faster than the M4 Max
• The benchmark reveals the M3 Ultra's supposed 8% performance lead in multi-core processes over the M4 Max
• Its 80-core GPU may be the highlight, specifically for gaming

Apple has finally introduced a new Ultra chip, not yet for its recent M4 lineup but rather for the M3 family. The new Mac Studio is slated for launch on March 12, with configurations using both the M4 Max and the new M3 Ultra - however, the latter may only be a slightly stronger processor, at least in some ways.

As reported by 9to5Mac, an early Geekbench 6 benchmark of the new M3 Ultra chip suggests it may only be 8% faster than the M4 Max in multi-core performance while being 20% slower in single-core performance. The benchmark indicates that this is the top-end configuration of the upcoming M3 Max Mac Studio (it utilizes a 32-core CPU and an 80-core GPU).

It's important to note that the comparison made here is with the MacBook Pro's M4 Max, with its top-end configuration using a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU. While we should wait for more benchmarks when the Mac Studio launches, it looks like the M3 Ultra's winnings over the powerful M4 chip could be present in its graphical processes, specifically gaming.

The high-end M4 Max model (using 1TB storage and 128GB of unified memory) is available for pre-order at $3,699.00 / £3,799.00 / AU$6,049.00, while the best M3 Ultra model (using 1TB storage and 96GB of unified memory) is available for pre-order at $5,499.00 / £5,699.00 / AU$9,249.00.

Based on the early benchmark (which should be taken with a grain of salt), the M3 Ultra may not be the ideal choice between the two chips for CPU processes (considering the supposed minor uplift and the significant gap in pricing), but should be right up the alley for gamers - and that may end up justifying its high cost.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Mykola Churpita) This might be the best Mac gaming experience yet...

While plenty of Apple's Mac devices have provided capable hardware for great gaming performance, it looks like the M3 Ultra Mac Studio may be the best yet.

An 80-core GPU is an exceptional amount dedicated to graphical processing (and its price doesn't surprise me in the slightest), which means it should be able to storm its way through demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077. That's not to say the CPU and unified memory won't matter here, but it's safe to suggest that the GPU will do the heavy lifting for gamers.

Now it's all well and good that gamers will have a monster GPU at their disposal, but there's still more that needs to be done for Mac gaming - games are often optimized for Microsoft's Windows operating system and games aren't coming to Mac devices day one.

The addition of titles like Cyberpunk 2077 is a great sign of the Mac gaming library's rapid growth, and I'm hoping the M3 Ultra is Apple's way of telling us that gaming is now one of its main focuses.

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If there’s one thing that entices music lovers to sign up to Spotify Premium, it’s the seamless ad-free listening. However, a recent bug in the Spotify app has snuck in ads in between music streams, proving that even the best music streaming services have their faulty moments.

First reports of the bug surfaced online four weeks ago in the Spotify Community forum, and it quickly proved to be a common occurrence for a lot of Premium subscribers, causing significant frustration among those who pay to hear ad-free music. A few days following the online complaints, Spotify acknowledged the issue and set about fixing the bug, sharing the following statement: “We have good news from our teams – a fix for the instances where Premium users noticed ads when listening to music has been deployed and you should notice a difference right away”.

But that was four weeks ago, and almost a month after the issue with ads in Spotify Premium was raised, it seemed many paying music fans were still finding ads playing between songs. Although Spotify has been vocal about running into promotional content mainly within podcasts, ads should still have no place in the Premium tier for those who subscribe.

At long last, Spotify finally addressed the issue (again) just this week by taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, March 6, to share the status of the problem (see below). This is the last update we’ve received from the company, therefore, we can only assume that Spotify is currently tackling the issue head-on.

We’re aware of some issues with the app right now and are checking them out! We'll keep you posted here: https://t.co/lOcqE1o9OeMarch 6, 2025

Could this bug indicate the arrival of Spotify HiFi?

Spotify has surely had its work cut out for it, especially following its crackdown on ‘cracked’ apps, but it’s awfully convenient that these bugs have surfaced - particularly in the wake of the recent rumors that Spotify HiFi could arrive later this year.

As opposed to launching a brand new tier for lossless audio, we can expect Spotify HiFi to be an add-on to its Premium tier. One of the more interesting parts of Spotify’s next business ventures is the possibility of a new ‘superfan’ tier, which promises enhanced fan experiences through deeper music catalogs and even deals on concert tickets.

Given that Spotify has experienced not one, but two bug issues within a short space of time, it only raises my suspicion that it could be in the middle of making room to introduce its next tiers and subscription add-ons. Spotify has borne the brunt of a lot of criticisms, not just because of its ads-in-Premium bug but also its five-year lossless audio delay. There’s a lot of pressure on Spotify to get it right, and I just hope it can redeem itself.

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• Microsoft says it discovered a major malvertising campaign
• The goal was to deploy infostealers as wide as possible
• The company removed an undisclosed number of GitHub repositories in response

More than a million PCs have been infected by infostealers through a massive malvertising campaign, new research from Microsoft’s security researchers has revealed.

The campaign starts on illegal streaming sites where people can watch pirated content. Apparently, cybercriminals injected ads into those videos, which sent visitors through a roller coaster of redirects, before landing on one of many GitHub repositories under the attackers’ control.

There, they would download the first payload which would run system discovery and collect system information (operating system data, screen resolution, memory size, etc.), exfiltrate it to a server under the attackers’ control, while deploying the second-stage payload.

Infostealers in action

The second-stage payload depends on the compromised device. In some cases, it will be a NetSupport remote access trojan (RAT), followed by the Lumma Stealer or Doenerium infostealer. This malware can grab people’s login credentials, cryptocurrency information, banking details, and more. In other cases, the malware will download an executable file which runs a CMD and drops a renamed AutoIt interpreter with a .com extension.

AutoIt then runs a few additional steps which ultimately lead to the same outcome - the exfiltration of sensitive files from the target system.

In most cases, the payloads were hosted on GitHub, and Microsoft said it took down an undisclosed number of repositories. However, malware was also hosted on Dropbox and Discord. It did not attribute the campaign to any particular threat actor, and said that the victims were found in a wide range of industries.

"This activity is tracked under the umbrella name Storm-0408 that we use to track numerous threat actors associated with remote access or information-stealing malware and who use phishing, search engine optimization (SEO), or malvertising campaigns to distribute malicious payloads," Microsoft said.

"The campaign impacted a wide range of organizations and industries, including both consumer and enterprise devices, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the attack."

Via BleepingComputer

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• The UK Government's guidelines no longer include mentions of E2EE
• The move follows a dispute between the British Government and Apple
• Apple recently pulled its encryption service in the UK after a backdoor request

The dispute between the UK government and Apple continues, with the former quietly deciding to remove its recommendation in using the tech firm’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE), also known as Advanced Data Protection (ADP).

The move, spotted by blogger Alec Muffett, comes weeks after Apple pulled ADP from the country following the Government’s alleged request to build a backdoor into the encryption for law enforcement - which would have allowed agencies to access protected photos, messages, and other data.

Previously, in advice from the NCSC and GCHQ, the agencies recommended barristers, solicitors, and legal professionals turn on encryption, including ADP for iOS - but the encryption advice is no longer available.

The importance of encryption

Apple doubled down on its encryption, promising to “never build a backdoor”, and privacy campaigners argue that this “jeopardizes the security and privacy of millions.”

Encryption is a tool that scrambles information, and end-to-end means that this is done both as the information is sent, and received. Apple’s ADP means that even Apple cannot access the data.

The tech firm argues that once a backdoor, or ‘master key’, is built, that leaves the risk that the key will be stolen by threat actors, or that the information could fall into the wrong hands.

“With Apple removing Advanced Data Protection (ADP) for UK users, consumers need to focus on alternative ways to secure their data,” said Matt Aldridge, Senior Principal Solutions Consultant at OpenText Cybersecurity.

“While iMessages, Facetime, Health data and iCloud keychain remain secure, users should review what they store in iCloud, especially with backups no longer being encrypted. Sensitive files and data may need to be stored securely elsewhere, such as on external encrypted drives or alternative cloud services that still offer end-to-end encryption.”

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• Android 16 beta 2.1 is reportedly causing major battery drain for some users
• Comments posted to Reddit complain about the need to charge as much as twice a day
• Android 16 is expected to release at some point between April and June

Android 16 is due to release some time between April and June this year, and as we get closer to that window Google is continuing to roll out beta versions of its latest mobile operating system.

However, these beta versions are still pre-release builds designed to trial and test new features, and as such can have unfortunate side effects – in fact, a recent Android 16 beta seems to be hitting users’ phone batteries’ harder than expected.

As Android Authority reports, users with Android 16 beta 2.1 installed have been reporting a serious impact on battery life as a result of updating.

A Reddit thread started by the official u/androidbetaprogram account in the r/android_beta subreddit contains multiple reports of this battery issue.

User u/jordanl171 said: “The battery life on 2.1 is so much worse than it was on 2.0 [on the] Pixel 9 Pro”.

Others complained of unspecified charging issues, while a now-deleted user said they were “forced to charge twice a day”.

Naturally, this isn’t the type of change you’d want to see with a newer version of any operating system, but I’m not particularly worried about this battery bug.

Beta versions of operating systems are bound to have some annoying or even experience-breaking issues every now and then – it’s part of the process, and much better for users and developers that these issues come to light before full release.

So long as Google follows up on its community outreach via platforms like Reddit and other social media, I’m fairly certain that this issue will be fixed before launch, and probably even in a later beta build.

Though I’ve not been affected by this battery drain issue myself – I don’t have a Google Pixel phone and at the moment you need one to access Android 16 betas – I don’t think this will still be a red light for anyone looking to update to Android 16 at release.

However, it might be worth skipping this particular build. Phone batteries are consumable components, with maximum lifespans that decay over time, so having to recharge more often might have an impact on your device’s longevity.

In any case, I’m still excited for Android 16 to make it to the best Android phones later this year. Let us know what you want to see from the new Android update in the comments below.

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• Google Maps has become the first app to support Live Updates in the latest Android 16 beta
• The new notification style allows some information to persist on the lock screen and status bar
• Android 16 is expected to release some time between April and June 2025

Though many of the best Android phones just recently got support for Android 15, beta versions of Android 16 are already available for Google Pixel users, bringing key upgrades to the operating system as well as to Google’s suite of default apps.

One of the most keenly anticipated upgrades coming with Android 16 is Live Updates, a new notification feature that allows notifications to display much more information as well as persist on the lock screen. A comparable feature, called Live Activities, rolled out to iOS devices last year.

As it turns out, Google Maps is the first app to support this new feature, with Android 16 adding the ability to see directions, time until your next turn, and your estimated time of arrival all in one Live Update notification.

This new Live Update is visible on the lock screen, and an estimated time of arrival persists in the status bar when the phone is unlocked, though as Android Authority notes, the new notification style is currently collapsed on the always-on display.

In a prior build of Android 16, Live Updates were available on the always-on display as an outline, so Google will likely re-enable this in the stable release or later betas.

Live Updates were technically introduced with the first beta of Android 16 back in January 2025, but as mentioned, no apps have supported them until now.

Android 16 is rolling out at a faster pace than normal, and we’ve previously heard that the next mainline update to Google’s mobile operating system will arrive sooner than usual in the second quarter of 2025 – that’s somewhere between April and June.

The update is due to bring Live Updates to a wide selection of the best Google Pixel phones as well as Android phones from other brands like Samsung and OnePlus. Of course, there’s much more on the way than a new style of notification – other keenly awaited Android 16 features include new camera tools and better app resizing for folding phones.

We’ll have the latest through our dedicated Android coverage, but for now, let us know what you’d like to see from Google’s next mobile operating system in the comments below.

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• Researchers find malicious browser extensions can assume the appearance of any other installed in the browser
• It can also disable other extensions, completely tricking the victim
• The extension can steal sensitive passwords, cryptos, and more

Cybersecurity researchers have found malicious shapeshifting Google Chrome browser extensions in the wild, able to change their appearance to pretty much anything else installed on the target device, opening the doors for credential theft, cryptocurrency theft, and possibly even wire fraud.

Researchers from SquareX said they spotted a malicious browser extension which at first, seems benign. It can be an “unassuming AI tool”, or pretty much anything else. When it’s first installed, it will behave as expected, for at least a while, while it analyzes which other extensions are installed in the browser.

If it spots anything particularly interesting (such as a crypto wallet, for example), the extension will completely transform its appearance, including the interface, the shortcut icon, and everything else, to look exactly the same. It will then disable the legitimate extension, so that it is the only one offering that particular functionality - meaning it is almost impossible for the victim to realize they are being targeted.

Feature, not a bug

To make matters worse, the researchers said that the malware just abuses the design of browsers and extensions.

There is no bug, no vulnerability being exploited, meaning that cybersecurity solutions, antivirus programs, and other endpoint protection tools, cannot flag it or remove it. It gets worse, too - the extensions only require medium risk permissions, the same ones required by password managers and similar tools. Therefore, the malware cannot even be spotted by Chrome Store and other security teams simply looking at the code.

They are calling them “polymorphic extensions” and believe they are an entirely new class of malware. They said the malware impacts “most major browsers, including Chrome and Edge”.

“Browser extensions present a major risk to enterprises and users today,” commented SquareX founder, Vivek Ramachandran.

“Unfortunately, most organizations have no way of auditing their current extension footprint and to check whether they are malicious. This further underscores the need for a browser native security solution like Browser Detection and Response, similar to what an EDR is to the operating system.”

Google has been notified, but has yet to respond.

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There seems to be a rather large elephant in the room of the smartphone industry right now. The likes of Samsung, Apple, and Google are investing heavily in the development (and marketing) of AI software, but consumers seem less than interested in a technology that has yet to be proven game-changing for their everyday lives.

At least, that’s the impression we get from reader comments, and a recent survey of more than 2,000 iPhone and Samsung Galaxy users found that 73% of iPhone-owning respondents and a whopping 87% of Galaxy-owning respondents feel that AI adds little to no value to their smartphone experience. That’s got to be tough reading for the technology executives who are collectively betting hundreds of billions on an AI-powered future.

Of course, adoption takes time, and Samsung, for its part, is committed to the long game. At MWC 2025, I spoke to Annika Bizon, Mobile Experience (MX) VP of Product and Marketing at Samsung UK, who spoke on the company’s “number one aim” with Galaxy AI – and whose own adoption figures paint a more optimistic picture.

“Last year we launched Galaxy AI into the market, and we've now got over 5 million people using it on a regular basis in the UK. It took the internet eight years to get to that figure," said Bizon. "Once you start using something, it becomes behavior, and our job is to change behavior, so people can see the benefits."

“Now,” Bizon continued, “you can only change behavior if people do see a benefit. So [that’s the] number one aim. The second thing for us: Galaxy AI is our hero messaging because we want to own that space and bring credibility to that space. But we also need to demystify it, right? Because AI means a million things. Look around today [at MWC]. What we're saying is: AI makes the mundane easier. It makes you more creative, giving you back time to do the things you love. However, you can't forget that people buy a phone for the camera, the battery life, the durability. Those are principles that will sit below every single product we bring to market.”

Galaxy AI was a key feature of Samsung's latest Galaxy Unpacked showcase (Image credit: Samsung)

It’s clear, then, that Samsung hasn’t forgotten about the importance of hardware to consumers – despite the dizzying number of Galaxy AI-related ads you’ve likely seen over the past year. AI is Samsung’s “hero messaging”, but it’s a matter of synergy, not prioritization.

“If you think about hardware and software, they work together,” Bizon told me. “AI optimizes the battery on your phone, AI optimizes the camera on your phone – you can always iterate through hardware, but when you start adding AI into that, you really take the whole experience up to another level.

“[Our customers are using AI] because it's making their lives easier, whether that be Circle to Search, Live Interpreter, or the fact that I can book a restaurant through my voice and send an invite directly to my friend's calendar. That's all about saving time. If you save time, and you’ve got the best hardware [working alongside] the best software, you start to really change the customer experience. And that’s the important thing. Working in a way where technology works for you rather than you working for technology. AI is the space where we see all of our [technology] coming together – it’s like a PA in your pocket.”

Democratization is key to adoption

The mid-range Samsung Galaxy A56 and Galaxy A36 launched with AI last week (Image credit: Future)

Where smartphone-based AI was the preserve of the very best phones only a year or so ago, companies have now pivoted to offering AI at almost every step of the price ladder.

Google, for instance, offers the same AI features on the budget-friendly Google Pixel 8a as it does on the premium Google Pixel 9 Pro, while Apple recently debuted the Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhone 16e, lowering the cost of entry to its AI feature suite. Removing the exclusivity from AI will allow these companies to refine and stress-test their AI features in a way that simply isn’t possible with a limited sample size, and Samsung, to its credit, realized this earlier than most.

After launching Galaxy AI in January 2024 on the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung rolled out the same features to the Galaxy S23 series just two months later. Galaxy AI compatibility now covers everything from the high-end Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to the mid-range Galaxy A55.

We've got over 5 million people using Galaxy AI on a regular basis in the UK.

Annika Bizon, Samsung

“AI for All is really important to us,” Bizon explained. “Everybody has a chance to use AI. Personally, I’m really proud of the fact that we took the step last year to take [Galaxy AI] onto previous-generation devices – that’s over 200 million devices globally, and we gave people the opportunity to experience it. You can only really get adoption when you've got a mass market to do that with.”

What’s more, the figures behind AI aren’t all bad. Those aforementioned survey results reflect the current sentiment towards smartphone-based AI, but recent research conducted by TechRadar publisher Future suggests people are increasingly swapping traditional search engines for AI tools such as ChatGPT.

Consumer habits are changing, and although Galaxy AI might seem gimmicky now, it won’t be long before millions of smartphone users really are using their voices to make restaurant reservations. Consider this: cars, laptops, and cheeseburgers were all perceived as dumb fads when they originally came to market. Now they’re crucial to the global economy.

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