TechRadar News

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, July 21 (game #505).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Pet store purchase

NYT Strands today (game #506) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TIRE
• QUOTA
• PURE
• SLAP
• TUSK
• TRIP

NYT Strands today (game #506) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #506) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 4th column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #506) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #506, are…

• FISH
• PUMP
• ROCKS
• TANK
• FILTER
• PLANTS
• THERMOMETER
• SPANGRAM: AQUARIUM

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

It always amazes me how well words are hidden within Strands. THERMOMETER, for example, is a pretty long word – but I was totally oblivious to its existence, hanging around in the bottom right-hand corner, until the very end of my game.

When I first started looking I thought that we were searching for animals you might buy at a pet shop, so after getting FISH I was searching in vain for dogs, cats, hamsters… Then after getting PUMP I joined the dots and found a home for the letter Q.

An AQUARIUM must surely rank as one of the most neglected items in western homes – second perhaps to exercise bikes, purchased with grand plans of creating an exotic world filled with beautiful fish but then abandoned as they all eat each other and you realize fish aren’t as beautiful as you first thought.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, July 21, game #505)

• KITE
• FROG
• FISH
• CRANE
• BUTTERFLY
• SPANGRAM: ORIGAMI

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 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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, July 21 (game #771).

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 #772) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CHESS
• CHEEK
• WHOOPIE
• CUSHION
• TEMPER
• CHECKERS
• HUMBLE
• ATTITUDE
• LIP
• SOFTEN
• HONEYCOMB
• CUTIE
• DAMPEN
• CAMO
• MOUTH
• STRIPES

NYT Connections today (game #772) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Talking back
• GREEN: Calm things down
• BLUE: Repeating shapes 
• PURPLE: With pastry mainly

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 #772) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: SASSINESS
• GREEN: MITIGATE 
• BLUE: PATTERNS 
• PURPLE: ___PIE 

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

NYT Connections today (game #772) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #772, are…

• YELLOW: SASSINESS ATTITUDE, CHEEK, LIP, MOUTH
• GREEN: MITIGATE CUSHION, DAMPEN, SOFTEN, TEMPER
• BLUE: PATTERNS CAMO, CHECKERS, HONEYCOMB, STRIPES
• PURPLE: ___PIE CHESS, CUTIE, HUMBLE, WHOOPIE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I had never heard of a CHESS pie or a WHOOPIE pie before today – both look highly calorific and delicious – so I think I can be excused for not seeing the purple group. Congratulations if you did.

The other three quartets I found quite straightforward after sidestepping putting together CHECKERS and chess.

SASSINESS was my last collection, in part due to me harbouring the mistaken belief that there was a group about faces. Getting no further than LIP, MOUTH and CHEEK I turned my attention elsewhere.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, July 21, game #771)

• YELLOW: ADDITIONAL PERK BONUS, EXTRA, GRAVY, ICING
• GREEN: PHASE TRANSITIONS FOR LIQUIDS CONDENSATION, FREEZING, MELTING, VAPORIZATION
• BLUE: CONCEPTS FROM "SEINFELD" FESTIVUS, REGIFTING, SHRINKAGE, YADA YADA
• PURPLE: WHAT ' CAN INDICATE CONTRACTION, FOOT, POSSESSIVE, QUOTE

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, July 21 (game #1274).

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 #1275) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1275) - 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 #1275) - 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 #1275) - 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 #1275) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• O

• G

• V

• A

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

Quordle today (game #1275) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1275, are…

• OPTIC
• GIDDY
• VOCAL
• ADULT

It’s a wonderful feeling when you enter a word into Quordle and you don’t even have to wait for it to turn green as you know it’s right. That was the case for three of my words today, but the last one was a pure guess.

With O locked in as the second letter and L-A-C all in incorrect positions, I thought a word ending O-C-A-L was the most likely, but I had three options with focal, local, and the one I picked, VOCAL – purely because I know how much Quordle loves the oft-overlooked letter V.

Daily Sequence today (game #1275) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1275, are…

• PLAIN
• RISKY
• MONEY
• LITHE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1274, Monday, 21 July: KNEED, SNAIL, PINTO, FEAST
• Quordle #1273, Sunday, 20 July: GRACE, COUNT, EGRET, GIANT
• Quordle #1272, Saturday, 19 July: EARLY, CLICK, TRITE, SPREE
• Quordle #1271, Friday, 18 July: CINCH, FOYER, FUDGE, TAFFY
• Quordle #1270, Thursday, 17 July: CRESS, TABOO, POWER, HATER
• Quordle #1269, Wednesday, 16 July: UNCLE, NADIR, REMIT, BROOM
• Quordle #1268, Tuesday, 15 July: VILLA, FLECK, TIGER, CRANE
• Quordle #1267, Monday, 14 July: SURGE, PIZZA, PAPER, POPPY
• Quordle #1266, Sunday, 13 July: KAYAK, DECRY, RUDDY, HATER
• Quordle #1265, Saturday, 12 July: WREAK, NANNY, CLASP, STAIN
• Quordle #1264, Friday, 11 July: LAPEL, DRAIN, FROND, GROSS
• Quordle #1263, Thursday, 10 July: CROSS, WHEEL, UNDID, PENCE
• Quordle #1262, Wednesday, 9 July: SHIRE, SIXTH, SINGE, IMAGE
• Quordle #1261, Tuesday, 8 July: PLIED, PRANK, GAWKY, OXIDE
• Quordle #1260, Monday, 7 July: DROLL, TRUCE, TWIRL, SINCE
• Quordle #1259, Sunday, 6 July: AMPLY, SPAWN, EXTOL, RIDGE
• Quordle #1258, Saturday, 5 July: HAVEN, SNAKE, DREAM, TORUS
• Quordle #1257, Friday, 4 July: FAVOR, SKUNK, GAWKY, FLUFF
• Quordle #1256, Thursday, 3 July: DANCE, EYING, GLAZE, EGRET

• UK NCSC details use of a piece of Authentic Antics malware
• It is attributed to APT28 and allegedly used against Western companies helping Ukraine
• The UK sanctioned 20 individuals suspected of being involved

Russian cybercriminals are targeting Microsoft 365 accounts with specialized malware, the UK government's cybersecurity arm has warned.

The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published a new technical deep dive, detailing a “sophisticated piece of malware” called Authentic Antics, first spotted in 2023, but only now attributed to APT28 - a known, state-sponsored threat actor from Russia, working for the country’s General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).

APT28 is also known as Fancy Bear or Forest Blizzard and has been attributed to many high-profile cyber-espionage campaigns throughout the West.

Faking Microsoft login

While the NCSC doesn’t detail how the malware gets deployed, it speculates that it’s most likely through phishing emails or malicious Outlook add-ins.

Once running on the target machine, it targets Microsoft Outlook, looking to steal login credentials and OAuth 2.0 tokens for Microsoft services such as Exchange Online, SharePoint, or OneDrive.

It works by sporadically showing fake login prompts that mimic Microsoft’s authentication windows. It uses environmental keying to make sure it only activates on specific machines, and once the victims try to log in - the information is relayed to the attackers.

For exfiltration, Authentic Antics uses the victim’s email inbox, sending the information in an email that later gets deleted from the “Sent” folder.

Authentic Antics is part of a broader cyber-espionage campaign, targeting western organizations - especially those who support Ukraine in their war effort against Russia.

While names weren’t mentioned, the NCSC did say APT28 targeted logistics and transport organizations, tech firms with access to Microsoft’s cloud services, government entities in NATO countries, and broader infrastructure such as internet-connected cameras at border crossings, used to track shipments to Ukraine.

As a result of the findings, the UK has sanctioned GRU operatives, which included three units and 18 officers, Reuters reported.

Via The Register

You might also like

• Global Russian hacking campaign steals data from government agencies
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

• 200 million Amazon Prime subscribers got a warning email about scams
• Most attacks centered around fake price hikes
• Social engineering is an attacker's best friend

With Amazon Prime Day now behind us, Malwarebytes has revealed new research showing old trends repeat themselves – every year, we see a surge in scams and attacks on unsuspecting victims, and 2025 was no different.

This year, around 200 million Prime customers received warnings from the company about ongoing attacks, with some handy pointers on what to look out for.

"Scammers are sending fake emails claiming your Amazon Prime subscription will automatically renew at an unexpected price," the company said.

Amazon Prime Day scams

By making genuine subscribers believe that costs are rising, attackers are able to instil a sense of urgency as many seek to prevent price hikes or cancel altogether. Customized and personal information in emails, such as a user's name, may also aid in mimicking authenticity.

In many cases, attackers include a link to a page for victims to cancel their subscription or change account settings, leading them to a lookalike site where they enter their credentials. Some cases also saw attackers direct victims to sites that deliver malicious payloads, including malware that could put far more than just their Amazon accounts at risk.

"The fake site might also request payment information and other personal details which, when entered, will go straight to the scammer who will be quick to use or sell them on," Malwarebytes continued.

Fake messages about Prime membership renewals, bogus refund offers and calls claiming Amazon accounts have been hacked were among the most popular scenarios Amazon workers were forced to deal with during this month's Prime Day sales.

Thankfully, the same advice still applies when it comes to protecting accounts, because social engineering remains the most effective attack vector.

Some common steps include checking the sender's email address against a verified list, enabling two-step verification on accounts, not repeating passwords on multiple accounts and not following links unless it is absolutely necessary.

Amazon also repeats its messages in the Message Center, so if a message is received by email only, this could be a sign of an attack.

You might also like

• These are the best password managers and best authenticator apps
• Downloaded something dodgy? Here's the best malware removal
• Hunting for early Prime Day deals? Beware, scammers have set up thousands of fake Amazon sites - here's what to look out for

It’s only Monday and we’ve already started the week with disappointing news – there’s no episode of One Piece coming out this week. Why? To make space for coverage of the Japan elections, which has a knock-on effect for what international fans can see too.

Don’t panic just yet, though. It’s the perfect time to catch up with any previous episodes you’ve not yet seen on Crunchyroll, or switch over to Netflix for the live-action version before further One Piece season 2 announcements start to roll out.

But what if you’re not in the mood for more of the Straw Hats’ shenanigans? Even though One Piece is undoubtedly one of the best anime shows of all time, it isn’t the be all and end all. New anime shows are also paving the way for unmissable TV this year, and I think there’s three you absolutely cannot miss this week.

The Apothecary Diaries

Having just wrapped up its explosive second season, The Apothecary Diaries is a must-see anime you might not have heard of. First airing back in 2023, the show follows Maomao, a young pharmacist kidnapped and forced into servitude in the emperor's palace. That sounds pretty bleak, but even though the story is inspired by ancient China, what we see on screen is all about unravelling conspiracies.

Maomao uses her medical knowledge to solve the mysteries haunting the palace, where a dangerous political landscape begins to be revealed. By the end of season 2, the suspicion turns on Maomao herself, embroiled in a kidnapping case she had nothing to do with. No spoilers here, but there’s also a huge identity reveal you need to keep your eye out for, and it’s directly related to Maomao’s romantic relationship with Jinshi.

The Beginning After the End

If you’re looking to start a series that’s brand-new in the 2025 release slate, look no further than The Beginning After the End. Our leading man King Grey dies and is reincarnated as Arthur Leywin, essentially beginning a second life again as a baby. It’s this kind of off-the-wall narrative thinking that I really love in an anime series, and this one strikes the perfect balance between unique intrigue and taking things too far.

Season 1 is only made up of 12 episodes, so you can easily binge it within a week while One Piece is AWOL. There’s a great balance between plot action and anticipation. It also scratches a little deeper under the surface than other new anime shows have tended to. If you’re looking for endless epic fight sequences, though, you won’t find them here, but that is far from a bad thing.

Dr. Stone Science Future

Dr. Stone Science Future is the ideal choice for anime fans who want to jump into the same level of pre-existing lore that One Piece has built up over the years. Rather than functioning as a spinoff from the main series, Science Future is just another title for the main show’s fourth and final season. We’ve already seen half of it and the second cour premiered on July 10.

This time around, our gang of misfits is focused on establishing a new nation with a million inhabitants, called Corn City. The Perseus crew and the Americans, led by Brody, are working together to build it, with Senku and Stanley playing their ideologies off against each other. It’s likely that future episodes will show the pair working harmoniously together, but it’s going to be a messy and chaotic ride in order to get there.

You might also like

• Netflix is giving Solo Leveling the live-action treatment, but I’m worried for season 3 of the hit anime
• Netflix’s #1 movie is a K-pop demon hunting anime with 97% on Rotten Tomatoes that I can’t get out of my head
• Netflix's tease for One Piece season 2 hints loudly at which arc the show will adapt next

• Chinese engineers have apparently worked on sensitive DoD systems
• Microsoft has since stopped this practice
• Many in the department are unfamiliar with the system

Some of the most sensitive data the United States has to offer is currently being maintained by engineers from China, often considered, especially in the tech field, its biggest adversary.

A report from ProPublica has claimed Microsoft is using these engineers to maintain the Department of Defense’s computer systems, with ‘minimal supervision by US personnel’.

This arrangement has changed as of now, Microsoft says, as the firm has revised its practices to ensure Chinese engineers no longer provide technical support for services in an effort to mitigate the risk to national security.

Digital escorts

“In response to concerns raised earlier this week about US-supervised foreign engineers, Microsoft has made changes to our support for US Government customers to assure that no China-based engineering teams are providing technical assistance for DoD Government cloud and related services,” said the Microsoft’s Chief Communications Officer, Frank Shaw, in an X post.

The workers were supervised by ‘digital escorts’, barely-over-minimum wage workers who are often less skilled than the engineers they oversee - many are former military personnel with very little coding experience.

One of these escorts told ProPublica; ‘we’re trusting that what they’re doing isn’t malicious, but we really can’t tell.’

Whilst this system has been in place for almost ten years, many former government officials told the publication that they were unfamiliar with the practice.

'Literally no one seems to know anything about this, so I don’t know where to go from here,” said Deven King, spokesperson for the Defense Information Systems Agency.

The ongoing tech and trade war has seen the two states introduce strict regulations and national security policies, restricting access to markets and opportunities on both sides. Chinese hackers have even targeted local US governments in malware campaigns, highlighting the security risk posed by state-sponsored actors.

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the best malware removal software around
• Check out our choice for best antivirus software
• US government wants to ban Chinese technology in submarine cables

• Two stars in The Fantastic Four: First Steps had very little time to build chemistry before filming began
• The actors behind Galactus and The Silver Surfer didn't film scenes together, either
• They only had a 24-hour period to gel as a pair and met just once on the movie's set

The actors behind The Fantastic Four: First Steps' antagonists have revealed they had very little time to build rapport between their characters.

Ralph Ineson and Julia Garner told TechRadar that they only had 24 hours to craft the complex relationship that exists between Galactus and The Silver Surfer, who they respectively portray in the Marvel Phase 6 film.

Considering how important it is for actors to build chemistry before and during filming, I was pretty shocked to learn Ineson and Garner weren't given more opportunities to do that.

My surprise was elevated by the fact that the duo were present on set for large parts of the Marvel movie's shooting schedule, too. Garner, who, unlike Ineson, got to act opposite those playing The Fantastic Four, wore a motion capture (mocap) suit to portray Galactus' Herald in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film.

Marvel is holding back Galactus' full reveal for the film itself (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Meanwhile, Ineson was fully kitted out in a practical suit so he could appear on set – albeit not in the same scene as other actors – as the immortal planet-devouring space entity. That way, the film's crew could capture Ineson's movements in real time and incorporate them into specific scenes in post-production. He could also be scaled up or down in said sequences, depending on how big the size-altering Galactus needed to be.

Given the complicated dynamic at play between Galactus and his surfboard-riding lieutenant in the comics, many fans might have expected Ineson and Garner to spent time discussing how to bring that to life in a live-action capacity. As I said earlier, though, the opportunity to do so hardly presented itself to them.

"Because of the way you shoot a character like Galactus, who can be 50 foot tall or even larger, you have to shoot under bright lights [to fully capture his likeness]," Ineson said. "So, everything you do as an actor is a solo thing. We [Ineson and Garner] did so little work together, we hardly ever crossed paths –"

"So, there was no collaboration at all?", I interjected.

"Not really, no," Ineson replied, before Garner chimed in to say: "We had a tent day! We had one day to check in to see what each other was doing and read some offlines [parts of an actor's script that don't need a live acting partner] together."

Garner spent some time on set starring opposite Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and the rest of Marvel's First Family (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

"From my point of view, there was something quite nice about playing Galactus," Ineson mused. "I'd come in once a month for costume fittings and they [the rest of the cast] would be going to set and having this really incredible bonding session as a family, and I'd have this lonely acting experience that actually helped me to tap into Galactus' mindset as this one-of-a-kind space god."

"I was also coming in and out [of scenes with the Fantastic Four]," Garner added, "So I didn't have much time to bond with them, either. I'd swoop in and be like 'Hey guys, this is what's going on' or 'Hey, my boss said this, okay, bye!'"

First Steps, one of 2025's most anticipated new movies, arrives in theaters on Friday, July 25. Before it does, check out my ultimate guide to The Fantastic Four: First Steps or read the section below for more coverage of the final MCU film of the year.

You might also like

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman has no time for negative fan reactions to the Marvel movie's VFX: 'The visuals are beautiful'
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast and character guide: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and who else you'll see in the Marvel movie
• The final trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps is here – and I'm growing increasingly concerned about one character's fate in the Marvel movie

• Last week, Fitbit users experienced an outage that prevented app logins and watch syncing
• The issue was resolved quickly, but problems have persisted for a seemingly small percentage of users
• We've been getting more emails over the weekend, both about this persistent issue and other problems Fitbit users are having

Last week, starting on July 17, Fitbit users reported problems in droves, as the app was preventing users from syncing up their watches and fitness trackers – and when users followed Fitbit's recommended troubleshooting steps and logged out of the app, it wouldn't allow them to log in again.

The issues cropped up regardless of whether users were rocking one of the best Fitbits, an older model, or a Google Pixel Watch, and I covered the outage extensively with a live blog. Google reached out to confirm that the issue was resolved later that same day, and Downdetector reports returned to normal.

However, even after the blog ended, we've been getting emails from readers who say their devices that still won't sync with the Fitbit app.

Wendy emailed on July 19, two days after the outage was reported to have ended, to say "I’ve been trying to sync all day. I have Covid so have been tracking my blood oxygen level... I don’t know what my number was last night as it won’t sync."

Lloyd emailed to let us know his Fitbit wouldn't sync with the app on his iPhone 11, Ann was unable to set the correct time on her watch (also likely the result of a syncing issue, as this is done by pairing with your phone), and other users chimed in to say their best fitness trackers wouldn't sync properly either.

In a thread on Reddit titled Anyone else still having sync issues? another eight people chimed in with their comments, all affirming that they're still having problems after the fix was rolled out. In another thread titled How are Fitbits now? the most-upvoted comment was this one:

"The last few weeks have been horrible. Nonstop sync issues with the app and they had a major outage yesterday which they say is fixed but I'm still having issues... I'd honestly go Garmin at this point."

Unrelated issues

(Image credit: Future)

It's important to put these issues in perspective: while it's very unfortunate that all the users mentioned above have devices they're temporarily unable to use (some of them likely with Fitbit Premium subscriptions they're paying for) it seems they're a relatively small minority of users, with Google appearing to have fixed the broader issue.

However, that doesn't help you if your device can't sync, or is bricked. Quite a lot of people reached out to us in the end, many with ongoing issues that seem to be separate from the outage.

Phil in Hong Kong wrote in to tell us: "My Fitbit has not been working for a week. It does strange things like after I wake up it says I’ve hit 10,000 steps or doesn’t read my sleep.

"It’s actually really annoying and this is the third time I’ve had issues with Fitbit and I keep thinking should I switch to an Apple Watch."

Phil's response is echoed by Linda, stating: "I have tried every troubleshooting method with the same results. About two weeks ago, I ordered an Apple Watch SE 2nd generation."

The reason people are so disappointed when their devices don't work is that people love using their Fitbits. It creates an engaged community of like-minded users looking to keep fit, track their sleep and health, and enjoy exercise.

It's a great tool, and for most people it works very well. There are many reasons why, even in the face of some persistent issues, Fitbit remains synonymous with activity tracking.

For those who are experiencing ongoing difficulties that can't be solved by the usual troubleshooting, the best thing to do is reach out via the Fitbit Help Center.

You might also like...

• The latest Google Pixel Watch 4 leaks point to a price freeze
• The Google Pixel Watch 4 is rumored to sport a bigger battery – but I'm hoping it's not just for a brighter screen
• How to use heart rate zones on your smartwatch to smash your fitness goals, according to research

• YouTube Music has brought out a new feature that allows you to resume music playback across different devices
• It's similar to Spotify Connect, which gives you more controls in addition to cross-device playback
• The 'Speed dial' carousel in the YouTube Music app also shows playback progress bars, which is another new addition

YouTube Music isn’t just a handy way to go ads-free in its standard video player platform, it’s one of the most popular music streaming services out there – and its new playback feature marks a long-awaited addition to its interface. Unfortunately, it's one that Spotify has had for years.

In the latest version of the YouTube Music app (version 8.26.51), you can now resume music playback on different devices, allowing you to smoothly move between your mobile device, tablet, and computer to pick up where you left off. This means that you can start streaming from YouTube Music on your phone, stop mid-listen, and resume on another device.

As well as YouTube Music’s latest feature, those over at Android Authority spotted another small addition to the YouTube Music interface. In your ‘Speed dial’ carousel, (a section where you can pin songs, albums, and playlists you want to listen to frequently) you’ll see that there are new progress bars that represent your listening activity on other devices.

When you tap on one a new ‘Resume’ option will appear, allowing you to pick up playback where you left off.

(Image credit: Android Authority )A helpful feature, but it’s still early days

While you’ve always been able to keep track of your listening habits as you move between devices, the ability to pick up from where you left off isn't as smooth as the likes of Spotify Connect, which is YouTube Music’s biggest rival. The new feature has definitely been a long time coming for YouTube Music, but it still has a long way to go.

In the case of Spotify, not only can you resume playback between devices, but it gives you even more power by allowing you to control music playback on one device using another. For example, Spotify could be streaming music out of your smartphone, but you can still navigate its desktop version to control what comes out of your phone by tapping the ‘Connect’ icon in the playback bar, which will show all of the available devices.

This feature applies to devices such as the best smart speakers, which you can also control from your smartphone or computer. I find this particularly helpful and use it constantly, and Spotify Connect makes it a lot easier to switch from my smart speaker back to my smartphone when I need to leave the house but still want to listen to music on the way.

There’s no denying that the new Resume feature is a big upgrade to YouTube Music’s ecosystem, which will hopefully evolve over time to allow you to have more power over your playback. Right now, it’s still very fresh, so we’ll have to see what loyal YouTube Music users think of the change.

You might also like...

• YouTube removing the Trending page looks out of touch – it needs to fix these 3 much bigger problems first
• I used Google Gemini to analyze YouTube, and the results were seriously impressive - 4 ways you can use video integration to get the most from AI
• Spotify HiFi: release date rumors, price predictions, and everything we know so far

• Microsoft is collecting more data on performance issues with Windows 11
• This is happening via feedback from testers using preview builds
• Hoovering up a whole lot more logs relating to performance hitches will hopefully help Microsoft stamp out sluggishness on the desktop

Microsoft has promised to improve Windows 11's overall performance levels, ensuring the operating system runs more nippily all round, and it'll use data from the PCs of testers to do this.

Windows Latest spotted that in a new preview build in the Dev channel, Microsoft announced the scheme, which urges testers to report incidents of system sluggishness.

Microsoft informs us: "As part of our commitment to improving Windows performance, logs are now collected when your PC has experienced any slow or sluggish performance. Windows Insiders are encouraged to provide feedback when experiencing PC issues related to slow or sluggish performance, allowing Feedback Hub to automatically collect these logs, which will help us root cause issues faster."

Essentially, Microsoft is attempting to expand the quantity and scope of logs relating to performance issues that it's receiving, in order to better deal with speed-related niggles in Windows 11.

The logs pertaining to performance issues are stored in a temporary folder on the system drive, and Microsoft says they're only sent across to the company when the user submits feedback (via the Feedback Hub, where there's a new section for reports of 'system sluggishness').

Analysis: exploring new avenues of improvement

(Image credit: Future)

There have been a good few complaints about performance hiccups – or indeed more serious failings – with Windows 11, so it's good to see Microsoft launch a fresh initiative to help combat these issues (with any luck – the results, of course, remain to be seen).

Sluggish search functionality and wonkiness with File Explorer performing sub-optimally have been a couple of obvious problems that Windows 11 has caused for some users. Granted, not everyone has suffered from these kinds of woes, although I've certainly experienced File Explorer sluggishness on my Windows 11 laptop (but not on my desktop PC).

These are frustrating issues to be faced with, given that they're key pieces of the interface which really shouldn't be going awry, and hopefully testers will get behind this effort, as it would be good for all concerned if Microsoft can get a better handle on improving the performance of Windows 11 for those who find it lacking (especially on older PCs – like my notebook, which is a venerable Surface model – where any shortcomings are more likely to be noticeable).

Finally, it's worth making clear that data on incidents of sluggish performance is only being collected through preview builds of Windows 11, so those logs are just kept on the PCs of testers, not normal users of the release version of the OS.

And, as noted, logs from testers are only sent to Microsoft voluntarily, so even if the data itself is collected automatically, it doesn't leave your drive until and unless you submit a feedback post.

You might also like...

• Windows 11's handheld mode spotted in testing, and I'm seriously excited for Microsoft's big bet on small-screen gaming
• No, Windows 11 PCs aren't 'up to 2.3x faster' than Windows 10 devices, as Microsoft suggests – here's why that's an outlandish claim
• macOS Tahoe 26: here's everything you need to know about all the new features

We've had confirmation on when you can watch the first trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash – and you'll be able to get your next glimpse of Pandora this week.

The trailer will run in front of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which not only means that you'll be able to watch it from Thursday (July 24), but also means you can potentially watch the trailer in 3D, as it's obviously meant to be seen.

It's availability in 3D might depend on your location – we know for a fact that the trailer is available in 3D, which shouldn't surprise anyway, but whether it's actually shown in 3D even in a 3D screening of First Steps obviously isn't something I can promise you.

And even then, my local movie theater is only doing one 3D showing of Fantastic Four per day, so I guess I know which one I'm going to…

I've long since given up on 3D movies in general – barely any are shown in 3D where I live anyway, and they never feel like they're making good use of it (though I did like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' 3D effects).

But obviously an Avatar movie is a special case – and the trailer is genuinely enough to make me fit my schedule around that one 3D showing of Fantastic Four: First Steps. What can I say; I love James Cameron.

What to expect from Avatar: Fire and Ash

Much as Avatar: The Way of Water introduced us to water-loving Na'vi, the third movie will introduce us to fire-friendly Na'vi.

According to director James Cameron, this movie "goes to darker places than the previous ones did", and the fire Na'vi will be an aggressive clan – it sounds like the story may focus more on conflict between the Na'vi than with the human RDA.

We've been promised hard turns and plot twists, and more character development – and that in particular Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) will find herself questioning her beliefs as a result of whatever's coming in what I assume will be another three-hour epic.

I expect the trailer will appear online at some point, but for now, it looks like seeing Marvel's latest will be your only option. That's recently been the case with other new movies like the trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey playing in front of Jurassic World: Rebirth – and heaven help me, I dragged myself to that. At least I was already enthused about seeing Fantastic Four!

You might also like

• The Fantastic Four: First Steps director gives blunt response to fan criticism
• Want to prepare for First Steps? Skip the movies and watch this Disney+ show
• 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' cast and character guide

• A major IT outage has affected Alaska Airlines
• Its full fleet was grounded, and 11 flights were in the sky at the time
• It's not the company's first IT-related fleet grounding

Alaska Airlines flights are back up and running after a mysterious IT outage grounded flights for several hours.

The outage resulted in all of the company's flights being grounded as well as affecting Horizon Air flights – a subsidiary of the Alaskan company.

Besides the flight disruptions, residual delays are expected as the airline repositions aircraft and crews to resume at normal capacity.

Alaska Airlines IT outage

"It will take some time to get our overall operations back to normal," the company explained in an X post.

It's believed that around 11 flights were in the air during the outage, which was resolved several hours after first being detected.

No official explanation of the root cause has been provided, but some signs point toward the Scattered Spider ransomware group, which has recently targeted other victims in the aviation sector including Qantas, Air Serbia and WestJet.

Hawaiian Airlines, which has also been under Alaskan ownership since late 2024, also experienced a cyber incident earlier this year.

In June 2025, Hawaiian Airlines shared in an X post: "Hawaiian Airlines is addressing a cybersecurity event that has affected some of our IT systems."

For Alaska Airlines specifically, this marks the second IT-related fleet grounding in a little over a year. In April 2024, an issue with the system that calculates aircraft weight and balance also caused a full grounding.

Interestingly, Microsoft also declared it was experiencing "active attacks" on server software on July 20 (via Reuters), but few details have been shared regarding that incident either. It's unclear whether the two incidents are related.

TechRadar Pro has asked Alaska Airlines for more information on yesterday's incident, but we did not receive an immediate response.

You might also like

• Downloaded something dodgy? Here's the best malware removal
• The best endpoint protection helps ensure your systems are safer
• Qantas reveals massive data breach - 6 million customers possibly affected, here's what we know

• Popular search engine DuckDuckGo has added a new AI image-filtering tool
• Users can now remove AI-generated images from their search results
• It's available for free at duckduckgo.com

Popular privacy-first search engine DuckDuckGo is rolling out a new feature that lets users remove AI-generated images from their search results.

On X, the company tweeted, "Our philosophy about AI features is "private, useful, and optional.” Our goal is to help you find what you’re looking for. You should decide for yourself how much AI you want in your life – or if you want any at all.

To that end, we’ve added a new setting to hide AI-generated images in your results when you’re searching for images on DuckDuckGo."

The new AI filter feature has already started rolling out, and you can access it simply by searching on DuckDuckGo and selecting "hide AI images" from a new drop-down.

Considering the rapid rise of image- and video-generation tools on the internet, this new feature could be a compelling reason to finally switch from Google to DuckDuckGo.

If you're sick of all the AI content hogging your image searches, DuckDuckGo might be the way to go. That said, the company says, "The filter relies on manually curated open-source blocklists, including the ‘nuclear’ list, provided by uBlockOrigin and uBlacklist Huge AI Blocklist."

This means it won't catch 100% of all AI-generated content, but DuckDuckGo says, "it will greatly reduce the number of AI-generated images you see.”

New setting: hide AI-generated images in DuckDuckGoOur philosophy about AI features is “private, useful, and optional.” Our goal is to help you find what you’re looking for. You should decide for yourself how much AI you want in your life – or if you want any at all. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/pTolmsEQlQJuly 14, 2025

Taking back control

DuckDuckGo is planning to add more filters in the future, which should improve the rate at which the company's algorithm is able to weed out AI-generated content.

I've started to notice more and more AI-generated images in Google search over the last few months, and with tools like ChatGPT's image generation and Google's Veo 3 video generation easily accessible, online platforms are becoming more and more littered with AI slop.

While DuckDuckGo won't solve all your issues with AI images overnight, this new feature is the first step in giving users the choice on how they want to experience AI. If you can't stand AI images, DuckDuckGo might be the solution you've been waiting for.

You might also like

• AI is tricking people into traveling to places that don't exist, and we all need to learn to avoid these scams
• I tried using ChatGPT Agent to plan a date night, and it worked surprisingly well
• Netflix uses generative AI VFX in a show for the first time

• An update to Fast Pair for Android is on the way
• The new interface has been spotted in hidden code
• It makes it easier to see battery life levels

If you've paired one of the best Android phones with one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds then you've got a helpful software upgrade to look forward to, according to hidden code spotted in the latest Android update.

The team at Android Authority did some digging into the Google Play Services app that's updated alongside Android, noticing some changes to the Fast Pair interface – that's the easy Bluetooth connection service that's built into Android.

When this update actually gets enabled, you'll see color-coded circular battery progress bars, clearer labels so that you know which earbud is which, and battery indicators so you can see at a glance how much juice you've got remaining in your buds.

You'll still see the left earbud, the charging case, and the right earbud as before – but these tweaks mean the necessary information is presented in a more visually engaging way, and in a way that's easier to quickly assess.

Android vs iOS

The new-look battery indicators (Image credit: Google / Android Authority)

Hidden code like this is typically used for features that are about to be rolled out, or are in testing on a limited number of devices – most Android users aren't going to see these updates yet, but the altered functionality is there deeper down.

Google hasn't said anything about this update, so we don't know exactly when the new-look interface is going to show up – and it may even be tweaked further before Google decides it's ready to be pushed out to the masses.

Of course, Fast Pair is up against the very slick and speedy connection process you get with AirPods and iPhones. There too, all users have to do is open up the earbuds charging case and a connection prompt appears on the iPhone screen.

Apple has also implemented a neat iOS battery status screen for AirPods, with neat and tidy graphics and battery-charge indicators – but the updated interface coming to Android might be the best yet at presenting this information in an intuitive way.

You might also like

• Android 16 is out now but is missing its big upgrade
• These are the best phones you can buy right now
• We're impressed by Audio-Technica's new wireless earbuds

• The iOS 26 public beta could launch this week, a new report claims
• It’s slightly delayed compared to the usual public beta launch date
• That’s unlikely to push back the full iOS 26 release, expected in September

The iOS 26 developer beta has been out since Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2025, but if you’ve been itching to get your hands on the beta without requiring a developer account there's good news, as the iOS 26 public beta is rumored to be launching as soon as this week.

That’s according to the latest Power On newsletter ($/£) from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. There, Gurman revealed that “All indications are that iOS 26 should go into the public beta phase this coming week.”

That will bring the updated iOS operating system to a much wider audience than it currently has, although it’s not the full, ready-to-go release – that’s expected in September, alongside the reveal of the iPhone 17 range.

In a post on X last week, Gurman said that the iOS 26 public beta could launch on or around Wednesday, July 23, and the subsequent Power On update seems to suggest that Gurman remains confident with that timing.

New features coming soon

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

Gurman’s report also briefly touched on iOS 27, which is due out in 2026. Gurman believes that Apple has already started development on this software, which he says will focus on features destined for Apple’s foldable iPhone.

That’s rumored to be launching in the latter half of 2026, or perhaps early 2027, and will mark Apple’s first attempt to unseat the current best foldable phones on the market. There’s therefore a lot of pressure on Apple to get it right, perhaps explaining the early start on iOS 27.

In the past, Apple has tended to release its iOS public betas around the middle of July, so the mooted July 23 launch date is a little later than usual. Gurman ascribes this to the full-blown Liquid Glass redesign in iOS 26, saying “it makes sense that Apple would want to take a little extra time to get things right.”

But Gurman is not concerned about any knock-on effect of this delayed public beta release date, adding that it’s unlikely to push back the unveiling of the full version of iOS 26.

Aside from iOS 26, Apple will almost certainly release the public betas for macOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and an update for the HomePod’s operating system at the same time.

The iOS 26 upgrade brings in a radically overhauled look and feel thanks to the Liquid Glass redesign, as well as increased protection from spam callers, a new Games app, updates to Apple Intelligence, and more.

And with the public beta supposedly launching this week, you’ll soon be able to try them out for yourself – just make sure you remember to back up your iPhone first in case anything goes wrong.

You might also like

• The iOS 26 public beta now has a possible release date, and it’s later than usual
• How to download the iOS 26 developer beta
• iOS 26: new features, a new design, and everything you need to know

Many industries continue to navigate the complexities of hybrid work and shifting workforce dynamics driven by necessary digital transformations. However, there is one critical issue quietly challenging and reshaping the field services industry in particular. Field service professionals serve as the unsung heroes of modern IT infrastructure. They keep the lights on, the networks connected and the systems running. But behind the scenes, a demographic shift threatens to disrupt these operations.

Veteran technicians, who have spent their careers mastering the nuances of complex systems, are exiting the workforce in large numbers, and there is no clear plan for passing on their knowledge. To make matters worse, younger generations are not joining the industry at the rate needed to replace retiring workers. What’s left is a widening skills gap that threatens to slow operations, increase costs and compromise service quality.

The Retirement Wave Is Real — and Risky

Baby Boomers make up a significant portion of the field service workforce, and their retirement creates more than a staffing issue — it’s a knowledge crisis. These professionals hold a wealth of practical, hands-on insights, including how to troubleshoot legacy equipment, navigate customer preferences and solve problems that aren’t covered in manuals.

To make matters worse, a recent survey from Service Council found that nearly half of field service engineers do not anticipate having a life-long career in the field. Of those engineers looking to leave, half expect to do so in the next three years, which would mean the loss of invaluable institutional knowledge.

The potential consequences will be far-reaching for organizations across all industries, with longer resolution times, higher error rates and diminished customer experience. And while companies will hire new talent, it won’t be enough to truly fill the knowledge gap.

Replacing Workers Isn’t Replacing Wisdom — AI Can Help

New technicians, no matter how well-trained, need time to build the kind of intuition that comes with experience. Research shows that 70% of skill development happens through hands-on work, while just 10% is a result of formal training. Without structured systems to capture and transfer knowledge, organizations risk leaving new hires to learn through trial and error — a costly and inefficient approach in today’s fast-paced environment.

However, emergent technologies, such as AI, offer a promising path forward. Rather than replacing human expertise, AI can supplement it and accelerate training by providing real-time support, predictive insights and guided troubleshooting to technicians in the field. These systems can analyze equipment data, flag anomalies and suggest next steps, helping less experienced workers make informed decisions quickly.

Advanced AI tools go even further, integrating telemetry, service logs, vendor documentation and industry best practices into a single, intelligent interface. The result is a personal digital assistant that is always available, up-to-date and ready to help. This type of support is invaluable to a newcomer in a fast-paced industry with high customer expectations.

Digital Twins: a Living Library of Expertise

Across industries, employees report difficulty accessing the information they need to do their jobs effectively, with only 12-16% of employees saying the critical information they receive from leaders is helping them do their jobs well. This is a critical issue, as it shows that traditional knowledge management tools that previously worked are falling short because they’re either fragmented, outdated or otherwise ineffective in breaking down silos.

Digital twins offer a dynamic solution. Serving as virtual replicas of physical assets and systems, these AI-powered models transmit real-time data to virtual environments. This allows new technicians, who may lack critical knowledge, to simulate scenarios, monitor performance and optimize maintenance strategies. In practice, this means that new technicians will have the opportunity to learn and practice their skills in a controlled environment.

But digital twins are not only advantageous for new technicians. All employees in the field service industry, regardless of employee experience, can benefit from digital twins, as they serve as an intuitive, on-demand source of expert guidance. They reduce learning curves and ensure that critical knowledge is preserved and accessible — regardless of who’s on the job.

The Time to Act Is Now

The field service industry is at a turning point. Organizations that invest in AI and knowledge-preserving technologies today will be better equipped to navigate tomorrow’s challenges. By proactively addressing the knowledge gap, companies can maintain operational excellence, safeguard institutional knowledge and build a more resilient, future-ready workforce.

Now is the time to bridge the gap and lead the next era of field services confidently, properly equipped with the latest cutting-edge technology.

We've listed the best COBOL online courses.

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

• Battlefield content creators are reportedly receiving packages from EA
• Said packages seemingly confirm the name of the series' next game
• Battlefield 6 will allegedly be revealed officially on July 29, 2025

The title of the next Battlefield game seems to have been revealed, as content creators familiar with the series have reportedly been receiving special packages from EA.

As reported by Eurogamer, Battlefield content creator Rivalxfactor posted to X / Twitter, following a since-deleted post featuring a physical box emblazoned with the Battlefield 6 title.

"Content creators are receiving packages from EA," writes Rivalxfactor, who also states that: "Battlefield 6 will be the title name and the preview to the world will probably be by the end of the month."

In a follow-up post, Rivalxfactor claims that Battlefield 6 is to be officially announced on July 29, spanning a three-day event that will encompass not only the reveal of the game, but also interviews with the developers. Rivalxfactor also says an open beta will take place "shortly after" this event, though no specific date is given here.

I have confirmed with another person that there is indeed a 3 day EA event starting on July 29th. This is where Battlefield 6 will be revealed, devs will be interviewed in a somewhat fixed format, and the game will be featured with content creators.The open beta will launch… https://t.co/OmLRH3Gg3ZJuly 19, 2025

Previously, publisher Electronic Arts has suggested that the next Battlefield game will launch before April 2026, and we've also seen what is allegedly a leaked clip of the upcoming title's campaign mode.

If the footage indeed belongs to Battlefield 6, it looks like it's going to return to the series' roots, offering a more contemporary warfare setting and thus ditching the futuristic escapades of Battlefield 2042 and the historic battlegrounds of Battlefield 5 and Battlefield 1.

While we naturally encourage you to take any and all leaks with a healthy pinch of salt - we won't truly know anything concrete until EA officially reveals the game itself - it'll be worth marking July 29 on your calendar just in case the current crop of rumors turns out to be accurate.

You might also like...

• This is not a drill: one of the best strategy games ever is free right now – here's how to get it before it's gone
• The latest Turtle Beach Rematch controller sports a lenticular Donkey Kong theme and yes, it's compatible with Switch 2
• Ubisoft names the company CEO's son Charlie Guillemot as co-CEO of new Tencent-funded subsidiary – 'What matters now isn’t my name, it’s the work ahead'

• While fixing exploited flaws, Microsoft may have also introduced new bugs
• The issues affected multiple SharePoint on-prem variants
• Hackers are already exploiting them in the wild, so users should patch now

Microsoft has released an urgent patch to fix a zero-day vulnerability affecting on-premises SharePoint servers.

The vulnerability is already being exploited in the wild, which is why users are urged to apply the patch immediately and secure their assets.

Three Microsoft products were said to be affected: SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, SharePoint Server 2019, and SharePoint Server 2016. SharePoint Online (Microsoft 365) is not affected.

How to secure your endpoints

The vulnerability being addressed is described as a deserialization of untrusted data in on-premises Microsoft SharePoint Server, which allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network. It is tracked as CVE-2025-53770, and carries a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical).

“Microsoft is aware that an exploit for CVE-2025-53770 exists in the wild,” the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) said in its advisory.

To secure the endpoints, Microsoft recommends applying the July 2025 security updates immediately, as well as enabling Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) for SharePoint and making sure Defender Antivirus is deployed.

After patching, or enabling AMSI, users should rotate their ASP.NET machine keys, deploy Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to detect post-exploitation activity, or upgrade to supported SharePoint versions, if needed.

The vulnerability was actually introduced while fixing a pair of bugs that were also being exploited in the wild. Tracked as CVE-2025-49706 and CVE-2025-49704, these two were fixed in July, but introduced two new flaws - CVE-2025-53770, and CVE-2025-53771, a 6.3/10 (medium) path traversal bug that allows spoofing over a network.

The new bugs were quickly spotted by threat actors, and abused in attacks since July 18, with at least 85 organizations apparently being hit, including several multi-nationals and government entities, such as a private university and a private energy operator in California, a federal government health organization, and a private fintech firm in New York.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Top satellite communications company Viasat was also hit by Salt Typhoon – which shows just how widespread this massive attack was
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

• Nvidia's GH200 chips are at the core of Britain's Isambard-AI supercomputer
• It's the 11th fastest in the world, and 10x faster than Britain's second-fastest
• The UK government hopes it'll aid in drug discovery and more

The UK's most powerful AI supercomputer, Isambard-AI, is now fully operational at the Bristol Centre for Supercomputing (BriCS), with some serious Nvidia power at its core.

With 21 exaFlops of AI performance backed by 5,448 Nvidia GH200 Grace Hopper superchips, Isambard-AI now ranks 11th on the Top 500 list of fastest supercomputers, making it one of the global leaders.

Nvidia declared the British supercomputer is now 10x faster than the next UK supercomputer, and more powerful than all the others in the UK combined.

A giant leap forward

Besides being the 11th fastest supercomputer globally, Isambard-AI also ranks fourth globally on the Green500 list for energy efficiency, demonstrating the progress being made to reduce the environmental impact of AI machines and data centers.

Its eco-credentials are endless, including carbon-free power, waste heat recycling and a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of below 1.1 – among the best in the world.

Build in collaboration with Nvidia, HPE and the University of Bristol, Isambard-AI received £225 million in government funding in the hope that the supercomputer would go on to aid across important humanitarian issues like drug discovery and climate modeling.

"And as we press this switch to activate the UK’s most powerful supercomputer, we are embarking on Britain’s super future where AI contributes towards the delivery of better public services, greater public prosperity, deeper scientific discovery and stronger national security," UK Secretary of State Peter Kyle commented.

Among its first projects are Nightingale AI, trained on NHS data to support earlier diagnoses and personalized care, BritLLM, designed to promote inclusivity and better public service delivery in the UK's languages, including Welsh; and UCL Cancer Screening AI for prostate cancer detection.

You might also like

• There are the best AI tools and best AI writers
• Nvidia briefly became the first ever $4 trillion company
• Access powerful chips via the best cloud computing providers