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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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, May 27 (game #450).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Top contenders

NYT Strands today (game #451) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TILE
• THEN
• FILE
• SAIL
• WINE
• SHINE

NYT Strands today (game #451) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #451) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 3rd row

Last side: bottom, 5th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #451) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #451, are…

• WINNER
• CHAMP
• TITLEHOLDER
• VICTOR
• MEDALIST
• SPANGRAM: FINISH STRONG

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I got off to a great start today, finding the word DINNER – which immediately led to WINNER. From there it was a fairly straightforward race to victory. 

I was convinced TITLEHOLDER was going to be the spangram as I was tapping it out, but that went to the marginally longer FINISH STRONG, which I’m not entirely sure works. You can finish strong and be a loser if you didn’t start well in a race, championship or game and equally if you finish badly but started well you can still be a CHAMP.

The reality of becoming a MEDALIST is that the quality that a competitor or team needs the most is consistency, which is why serial winners are often compared to machines.

Before that though, it’s important to lose a lot and almost win things, otherwise people will compare you to a robot and no one wants to cheer for a robot.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, May 27, game #450)

• FARM
• GAMES
• ANIMAL
• TALE
• HUNGER
• HANDMAIDS
• SPANGRAM: DYSTOPIAN NOVEL

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, May 27 (game #1219).

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 #1220) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1220) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 3.

Quordle today (game #1220) - 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 #1220) - 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 #1220) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• H

• B

• V

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1220) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1220, are…

• HELLO
• BEADY
• VIGIL
• PURER

A huge slice of luck got me over the line today, with a wild guess of BEADY coming off. 

HELLO took me a while to see – but I tripped up with PURER, going with PUREE instead, while VIGIL is one of those words that seems more common in Quordle world than it does in the real world. 

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1220) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1220, are…

• OPERA
• ULCER
• ASIDE
• FROST

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1219, Tuesday, 27 May: TWEET, RANGE, POPPY, RADAR
• Quordle #1218, Monday, 26 May: BLEAT, HOWDY, ASIDE, SCOOP
• Quordle #1217, Sunday, 25 May: OCEAN, AMBER, PIPER, GLEAN
• Quordle #1216, Saturday, 24 May: HUSKY, HEIST, FOGGY, POLAR
• Quordle #1215, Friday, 23 May: SHIRE, GIANT, AWAIT, CAPER
• Quordle #1214, Thursday, 22 May: LOSE, GLOVE, STINT, EXCEL
• Quordle #1213, Wednesday, 21 May: NOVEL, CHOSE, DIRTY, DONUT
• Quordle #1212, Tuesday, 20 May: DECOY, SHAKE, MAPLE, PURER
• Quordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVE
• Quordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ROACH, PURGE, DOWNY
• Quordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESE
• Quordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAK
• Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE
• Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER
• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, May 27 (game #716).

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 #717) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CHICAGO
• POPE
• MOONLIGHT
• BRIDGE
• WHEEL
• ROCKY
• CHAIN
• LINK
• BLUEST
• UNITE
• GLADIATOR
• PEDAL
• JOIN
• SADDLE
• SKAT
• CRASH

NYT Connections today (game #717) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Ways to attach
• GREEN: Bicycle bits
• BLUE: 21st century movies 
• PURPLE: Add a letter to see the scene

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 #717) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CONNECT 
• GREEN: PARTS OF A BIKE
• BLUE: BEST PICTURE WINNERS SINCE 2000 
• PURPLE: MUSIC GENRES PLUS A LETTER

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

NYT Connections today (game #717) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #717, are…

• YELLOW: CONNECT BRIDGE, JOIN, LINK, UNITE
• GREEN: PARTS OF A BIKE CHAIN, PEDAL, SADDLE, WHEEL
• BLUE: BEST PICTURE WINNERS SINCE 2000 CHICAGO, CRASH, GLADIATOR, MOONLIGHT
• PURPLE: MUSIC GENRES PLUS A LETTER BLUEST, POPE, ROCKY, SKAT

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 mistakes

I fell into two very obvious traps today. First I had CHAIN instead of UNITE in the CONNECT group. I was thinking of mechanical connections, like train compartments coupled together.

How stupid I felt when the next group I got was PARTS OF A BIKE.

My next mistake came in thinking that we were just looking for a general movie connection, without really knowing what the link was. With that in mind I had ROCKY instead of CRASH – although had the category been BEST PICTURE WINNERS SINCE 1977, then ROCKY would have been correct.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, May 27, game #716)

• YELLOW: ROUND FLAT THINGS COASTER, FRISBEE, PANCAKE, RECORD
• GREEN: AIRPORT FEATURES CAROUSEL, FOOD COURT, GATE, LOUNGE
• BLUE: GUITAR PLAYING TECHNIQUES BEND, PICK, SLIDE, STRUM
• PURPLE: WHAT CHARACTERS WERE TRANSFORMED INTO IN "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" BEAST, CANDELABRA, CLOCK, TEACUP

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.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the on-going bane of Apple's secrecy policies, Apple is not only planning to redesign iOS, iPadOS and macOS to more closely resemble the 'spatial computing' platform of the Apple Vision Pro – it's also planning to bring this new look to tvOS 19, the software that runs on the Apple TV 4K.

We don't know exactly what this will look like, but I actually love this idea – at least, in the version that I'm imagining. There are two things I'd expect that I think would be big improvements; one practical, and one aesthetic.

There is also, however, one huge potential pitfall – one that I broadly trust Apple to avoid, but that I still wouldn't bet money against.

First, the practical improvement. I think it's faintly ridiculous that tvOS still doesn't support picture-in-picture, so you can keep an eye on two sports games at the same time from different apps, or keep your eye on a Twitch marathon or live rolling news event while watching something else.

The floating windows of Vision Pro are an obvious fit for this in terms of design affordances and could give a really cool 3D look to that kind of layout. In software terms, an 'affordance' is something that lets you know what a piece of software design is supposed to do. So, for example, the faintly 3D look of a phone's keyboard indicates that these are buttons you can press.

Perhaps we'll not only get picture-in-picture, but also floating small versions of apps in the same way you get on iPadOS, so you can see sports stats while watching something else.

I don't know if we need to go as far as some Vision Pro sports apps go, but we should be able to make stuff like this happen, right? (Image credit: Apple)

The aesthetic idea I'm imagining is a home screen that has a 3D layering element, similar to that of visionOS. The app icons float at the front, with an image behind them – and hopefully something more interesting than a plain background.

I'd love to have the more gentle options from Apple's screensavers moving in the background here – a slow track through a forest, waves and fish gently washing past the screen – while the app icons shine in front.

You could choose your own videos to play in the background, too – but maybe something smart could be done with still images as well. Photos you take on your iPhone have depth data stored, so I wonder if Apple could do something subtle with the image's 3D elements, so they shift slightly at times to make the image look like a diorama within your TV.

Apple does this a little with thumbnails in the Apple TV movie and TV store, where some 'posters' for movies have a subtle 3D effect when you hover over them.

You can put yourself an all kinds of great ambient environments in visionOS – if the tvOS design is going in this direction, I hope it follows suit for the home screen. (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

However, this idea of background video is also the part that could become more annoying than delightful. You know how basically all the best TVs and best streaming devices have prominent ads for shows you have no interest in from streaming services? And how the best streaming services often have a nasty habit of auto-playing trailers when you're just browsing?

The worst version of this idea would have the trailer for Prime Video's latest mediocre spy thriller autoplaying full screen behind the apps while you're browsing. And in theory, this would then stop when you move to highlight another app instead, but if that other app also starts playing a trailer, that's not going to be any better. Your eyes will start melting in minutes if the background bounces from trailer-start to trailer-start while you're scrolling over to fire up Netflix.

I don't think Apple will go this route – it hasn't so far, and a big part of the Apple TV 4K's popularity with the home theater enthusiast community at large outside of Apple fans is because people are happy to pay more for an ad-free home screen.

However, with the threat of increased tariffs on Apple products in the US, Apple may find itself wanting to make more money elsewhere to cover any costs it has to eat. So while I don't think it's likely that Apple will allow intrusive trailers on the tvOS home screen, I'm not ruling it out.

But in general, I like the idea of a little more depth to my TV screen – and I already really love the nature screensavers on Apple TV, so I'd really love to have them appear even more often, as a window to another place around the world every time I turn my TV on.

We'll likely find out more at WWDC 2025, which is coming in early June.

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• It seems that Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is getting a physical release for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S
• ESRB has listed the game for PS5 and Xbox Series release with Limited Run Games as its publisher
• Hellblade 2 was announced for PS5 last week and is arriving on the console "this summer"

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is reportedly getting a physical release alongside the launch of the PlayStation 5 version.

On the game's first anniversary last week, Ninja Theory announced that the sequel to its award-winning game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice will be getting a PS5 release "this summer".

Although the developer didn't specify at the time, it now appears that Hellblade 2 will be getting a physical edition at some point, not just for PS5, but for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

As spotted by Wario64, the ESRB rating board has listed a version of Hellblade 2 with the physical games company Limited Run Games as its publisher. The page shows PS5 and Xbox Series as release formats.

There's no release date listed, but the physical versions could coincide with the PS5 launch this summer, suggesting a June, July, or September release.

A separate listing also shows that Limited Run Games is going to release a Nintendo Switch version of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, but it's also unclear when this will launch.

TechRadar Gaming has reached out to Limited Run Games for a comment.

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (Switch) & Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (PS5/XSX) physicals coming via LRG[image or embed]@wario64.bsky.social

Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 was originally released as a PC and Xbox Series X|S exclusive. Ninja Theory has confirmed that "new features" will be coming to the platforms through an update, presumably alongside the PS5 launch.

In a post on the studio's website, Ninja Theory said it has been "working hard to fully optimise Hellblade 2 for PS5 and PS5 Pro, to give you the very best experience we can", suggesting the game could receive some graphics and performance improvements.

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• The FBI is warning US law firms of ongoing attacks
• The crooks trick employees into granting access
• They exfiltrate sensitive data and then threaten to release it

Law firms in the US should be on the lookout for highly sophisticated phishing attacks coming from the Silent Ransom Group, the FBI is warning.

In a recent Private Industry Notification, the FBI said the group, which also targets other industries, has increased its focus on US law firms - and that it has also shifted its tactics slightly as well.

The FBI says over the last couple of months, the group started impersonating employees of the target law firm, posing as a member of the IT department to send an email asking the victim to join a remote access session, stating the work they needed to do was to be conducted overnight.

Chatty Spider

“Once in the victim’s device, a typical SRG attack involves minimal privilege escalation and quickly pivots to data exfiltration conducted through “WinSCP” (Windows Secure Copy) or a hidden or renamed version of ‘Rclone,’” the FBI explained.

“Although this tactic has only been observed recently, it has been highly effective and resulted in multiple compromises.”

Once the group exfiltrates sensitive data from the target system, they will leave a ransom message, threatening to sell or leak the data online, unless a payment is made. To put the victims under even more pressure, the threat actors will call them on the phone, as well.

Silent Ransom Group is also known as Luna Moth, Chatty Spider, or UNC3753. It’s been active since 2022, but pivoted more towards US law firms in spring 2023. According to BleepingComputer, the group was behind the BazarCall campaigns that gave Ryuk and Conti ransomware operators initial access to some of their victims. The group was formed after Conti disbanded in March 2022.

To defend against phishing, the FBI advises companies to use strong passwords, 2FA, and solid backup solutions.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Microsoft is implementing Copilot prompts on Edge’s New Tab Page
• It’s also rolling out an ability to trigger a web search to happen with Copilot rather than Bing
• Moves in testing to have Copilot take over the New Tab Page still appear to be in the pipeline

Microsoft Edge is getting more Copilot, with the AI assistant coming to the New Tab Page (or NTP) in a more prominent way.

The NTP is what you see in the web browser when you open up a new tab, serving as a place to start for exploring what you might want to do in Edge – which will usually, but not always, be a web search.

However, rather than that traditional query in the search box (which fires up a Bing search, unsurprisingly), Microsoft would prefer you to use Copilot, as there’s an icon for the AI assistant right next to said web search option.

Clicking that icon brings up Copilot on the web, ready for your query, but with the latest update for Edge version 136 (which was deployed earlier this month), Microsoft is rolling out a fuller integration of the AI in the NTP.

Windows Latest reports that Microsoft explains in the release notes for the update to Edge that: “Starting at the end of May 2025, users may see suggested work and productivity-related Copilot prompts by their search box on the NTP page.”

Those suggested prompts are efforts along the lines of ‘get advice’ or ‘write a first draft’ which invoke Copilot to achieve the indicated task.

Microsoft further notes that some Edge users may also see the Copilot icon in the search box, and when clicked this triggers the current search query, but sends it to Copilot rather than having Bing resolve it.

Analysis: Copilot context

(Image credit: Windows Latest / Microsoft)

In short, Copilot is slowly gaining a grip on the New Tab Page, although the mentioned capabilities are part of what Microsoft calls a “controlled feature rollout,” and I’d imagine this will be a fairly slow and tentative affair. I don’t have this feature yet on my Edge browser, and neither does Windows Latest.

The company will likely want to conduct this deployment at a leisurely pace because there are some Windows 11 users who are wary of seeing AI creep into more corners of the OS and its various apps, which is certainly a goal Microsoft’s intent on pursuing. So, moving slowly and regularly taking the temperature of feedback is likely to be the way forward for Microsoft.

More AI is likely coming to Microsoft’s browser, though, in the form of the Edge Copilot Mode spotted by Windows Latest (hidden in the flags menu, as an experimental feature in Edge).

This appears to be Microsoft’s plan that’s already been seen in testing, whereby the New Tab Page becomes far more Copilot-focused – read more about that here (and see the above screenshot for a glimpse of what this might look like). It also dumps the MSN feed in favor of Copilot, which I feel is a good trade-off (though your opinion on that may vary, of course).

A second part of this Copilot Mode may be a less popular addition, namely so-called ‘context clues’ that tap into the web page you’re visiting, and your web history, to allow the AI to provide better and more personal responses.

A fair few privacy red flags are appearing at this point, but we don’t know how (or even if) this feature will be implemented – though it certainly appears to be allowing Copilot to access your browsing history. As such, it’s surely going to be an optional (and opt-in) capability, if any of this is realized with Edge.

Remember, all this is still in testing, save for the changes to the NTP that Microsoft has confirmed are now rolling out with Edge v136.

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• B&O has reclaimed and refurbished some of its 1985 Beogram turntables
• Only 100 are available, complete with matching Beolab 8 speakers
• It's the third Recreated Classics offering – but you'll need deep pockets

Want to invest in a new hi-fi system in a more eco-friendly way? Bang & Olufsen's got it covered. Meet the Beosystem 3000c, a music system that reintroduces the Beogram 3000 turntable from 1985. And for 2025, it has been recreated and paired with contemporary Beolab 8 stereo speakers in a coordinated 'Artisan Walnut' finish.

And it's far from B&O's first planet-conscious rodeo. This is the third release in Bang & Olufsen’s Recreated Classics series, an initiative dedicated to reviving the firm's most iconic products through reacquisition, restoration and reengineering.

It's something B&O has long been championing under its 'cradle to cradle' approach (read: everything that goes into a product should be both removable and reusable), as noted extensively in the company's modular Beosound Theater soundbar, and more recently with the launch of the Beosound A1 3rd Gen.

As with B&O's two previous Classic (re)releases – the 1996 vertical CD player I heard just over a year ago and the similarly reclaimed Beogram 4000c turntable initially made in the 1970s – this series is strictly limited; just 100 individually numbered sets are available. And they'll likely sell out just as quickly as the other offerings did. Oh, how I'd love one!

The name of the game is (and has always been) restoration, reengineering and aesthetic reinterpretation. With the Beosystem 3000c, the company explains that hand-crafted walnut and re-anodized aluminum are here to "unite past and present through original materials that have been preserved, cleaned, upgraded, and future-proofed" by Bang & Olufsen’s trusted team in Struer, Denmark.

B&O champions sustainability and I love it – but upcycled doesn't mean cheap

The Beolab 8 speakers come with your purchase (Image credit: Bang & Olufsen)

If you want to buy second-hand hi-fi for a song, check out the tips in our feature on how to buy quality pre-owned audio kit (written as part of Sustainability Week 2025, a mere month ago), because the Bang & Olufsen Beogram 3000c does not fall into the 'cheap and cheerful' category.

Make no mistake, on top of the solid walnut back cover and refreshed aluminum panels, there's a new dust lid – and all updated while retaining the floating silhouette and pioneering tangential tracking technology that made the 1985 model special.

Why so pricey? Well, it's hard to completely refurbish a turntable – arguably even harder than building one from scratch. Here for example, all the original aluminum components have been taken apart, pearl-blasted and brushed at Factory 5 in Struer, where each unit is meticulously refurbished by hand.

And completing the system here, you also get a set of Beolab 8 stereo speakers with matching walnut lamellas and pearl-blasted aluminum shells.

Ready for the delicate topic of coin then? Brace yourselves friends: the Beosystem 3000c is priced $30,000 / £22,100 / €26,000 (so around AU$4,640, before shipping and associated duties) and is available from today, May 27, 2025.

Nobody said sustainable living would be the cheaper option…

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• Accessory maker PowerA has revealed its Nintendo Switch 2 line up
• It includes a wired controller with Hall effect thumbsticks, plus a case and screen protector
• All items are officially licensed and will be available in June

Gaming accessory brand PowerA has revealed its new line of licensed Nintendo Switch 2 accessories.

Available in June, the line includes the Advantage Wired Controller for Nintendo Switch 2, Slim Case for Nintendo Switch 2, and Screen Protector 2-Pack for Nintendo Switch 2.

The Advantage Wired Controller will be offered in three colorways: a plain Black, the Super Mario inspired Mario Time or the colorful Mushroom Kingdom. All variants feature Hall effect thumbstick modules, which should help prevent drift.

Nintendo has previously confirmed that the official Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller does not include Hall effect components, so this could be a huge advantage for PowerA. At $39.99, the PowerA offering is also much cheaper than the Nintendo one - though there is a big catch.

This is a wired-only controller, so can only be used when it's plugged in. It does, however, benefit from the addition of on-board audio controls, with multiple presets to choose from (including a Bass Boost mode) and the ability to quickly mute your microphone.

As you might expect, it comes with two remappable rear inputs. These can be adjusted on the fly without the need for any software.

The Slim Case is then a $19.99 carrying case, with a subtle dark grey aesthetic and subtle red stitching. It's got space for the Nintendo Switch 2 console in addition to up to ten physical games, plus includes a built-in play stand for tabletop mode.

Finally, the Screen Protector is, well, a screen protector. You get two in each pack plus a Nintendo Switch 2 branded cleaning cloth, which isn't a bad deal for its $12.99 asking price.

Although there will undoubtedly be generic cases and screen protectors available for slightly cheaper, I find that it's always worth paying a little more for licensed products for the added peace of mind.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch on June 5, 2025. It costs $449.99 / £395.99 on its own, or $499.99 / £429.99 for a bundle that includes a copy of Mario Kart World. Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders are live now in both the US and UK.

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• The De'Longhi La Specialista Touch is a new compact espresso machine
• It offers a combination of automated and manual coffee-making features
• It's on sale now for $999.95 and will be available on Amazon from June 1

De'Longhi has just launched a new compact espresso machine, the La Specialista Touch, which makes brewing well-balanced coffee as simple as possible while still giving you a taste of the barista experience.

I reviewed the machine when it launched in the UK earlier this year, and called it "one of the best espresso machines you can buy" for small kitchens. Despite its impressive features, it's surprisingly compact, fitting a high-quality grinder, generously sized water tank, and smart steam wand into a shockingly small package that won't dominate your kitchen.

It's also one of the best coffee makers if you want to make the jump from a fully automatic machine to a manual one. The La Specialista Touch can automate the trickiest parts of the espresso-making process, and let you take control when you feel confident.

Pulling a well-balanced espresso is a piece of cake with the De'Longhi La Specialista Touch (Image credit: Future)

For example, its Smart Bean system (accessible via the large color touchscreen) helps you pick the ideal grind size for the type of coffee beans you're using and achieve the ideal extraction time. Coffee is ground directly into the portafilter handle, which has a specially designed funnel to minimize mess and a calibrated tamping tool helps you press it down to create a well-formed puck with no channels or cracks.

Foamed to perfection

The De'Longhi La Specialista's steam wand is another highlight. After picking a drink from the menu and following the instructions to brew your coffee, you can either raise the wand fully to texturize your milk manually, or leave it angled down and let the machine do the work for you.

The machine's automatic steam wand does an impressive job texturizing dairy and plant milks (Image credit: Future)

Whether you want dry froth for a macchiato or creamy microfoam for a latte, with dairy milk or a plant-based alternative, the automatic system does an impressive job. See my full De'Longhi la Specialista Touch review for more details.

The La Specialista Touch is available now direct from De'Longhi for $999.95, and will go on sale at Amazon on Sunday, June 1.

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• The FTC finalized its orders for GoDaddy following security breaches
• The orders are part of an agreed settlement
• GoDaddy has different headlines for different operations

The US Federal and Trade Commission (FTC) has outlined almost a dozen requirements which hosting provider GoDaddy must fulfill in order to settle the charges of data security failings that resulted in multiple data breaches in recent years.

In a 14-page document, the FTC first stated that GoDaddy must no longer misrepresent its security and data protection practices, use of security technologies, or its participation in security and privacy programs (suggesting that the company actually misled users about its security practices).

GoDaddy then has 90 days to implement a comprehensive program that is documented and updated at least once a year (or after an incident), assigns a qualified person responsible, and assesses and manages internal and external security risks, among other things.

Additional requirements

The hosting giant also has 180 days to disconnect or secure unsupported software and hardware, monitor for unauthorized changes to the OS and app files, and to set up “phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA) for employees, contractors, and customers. APIs need to be secured with HTTPS, authentication, rate-limiting, and monitoring.

Other requirements include third-party security assessments, full cooperation with assessors, annual executive certification, incident reporting, and more.

GoDaddy is one of the best website hosting companies around, serving more than five million customers across the world.

Roughly two years ago, it was discovered that an unknown threat actor had been sitting in GoDaddy’s systems for several years, installing malware, stealing source code, and attacking the company’s customers.

The company's SEC filing at the time showed the attackers breached GoDaddy’s cPanel shared hosting environment and used that as a launch pad for further attacks. The company described the hackers as a “sophisticated threat actor group”.

The group was eventually spotted in late 2022 when customers started reporting that traffic coming to their websites was being redirected elsewhere.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Microsoft is adding an AI-powered Write feature to Notepad as part of Copilot Plus
• Write uses prompts to generate and refine text
• The update also enhances Paint with a sticker generator and the Snipping Tool with smart cropping

Microsoft Notepad is about as basic a tool as you'll find on Windows. Just a basic blank slate for writing. But, like everything else these days, Microsoft has decided to infuse Notepad with some AI.

The new Notepad feature is called “Write” and is part of a Windows 11 update currently being tested by Windows Insiders.

As the name implies, Write gets Notepad to write (and edit). You can submit a prompt, and it will draft text on your behalf, or rewrite something you've already put together into something more polished or of a different length or tone. You just have to right-click in a document, then click Write, and Windows Copilot will produce a prompt box.

You can submit the prompt and see what the AI comes up with. Then you can choose to accept it, refine it, or start over.

The feature builds on other AI tools that Notepad added in the last year or so. There's the Summarize tool and the Rewrite tool to let you tweak your text’s tone or structure.

Really, “Write” is the big one. It turns Notepad from a passive canvas into something a bit more active and encourages people to collaborate with one of Microsoft's many AI interfaces.

Snipping and painting AI

Notepad isn’t the only AI improvement added to classic Microsoft apps. Paint is getting an AI sticker generator that turns text into images and an object select tool that uses AI to figure out what’s foreground and what’s background. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Snipping tool can now automatically crop and resize your screenshots based on what it thinks you’re trying to highlight.

Now, all this AI magic doesn’t come entirely free. To use the new Notepad and Paint features, you’ll need to sign in with a Microsoft account and be running Windows 11 on one of Microsoft’s new Copilot Plus PCs. There’s also a credit system in place, meaning the AI tools will be metered, though Microsoft hasn’t announced how much this will cost yet.

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• Spider-Man: Brand New Day could feature another major Marvel superhero
• The latest cast rumor suggests one of the original Avengers will have a sizeable role to play
• If true, Marvel and Sony might retread old storytelling ground with their inclusion

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will apparently feature another major Marvel superhero – and, if true, I'm worried that the film will retread old storytelling ground in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Yesterday (May 26), a report from superhero fansite Nexus Point News suggested one of the original six Avengers will show up in Spidey's next big-screen adventure. Nexus Point News also indicated that said individual would have a substantial role to play in the Marvel Phase 6 movie, too. Potentially big spoilers immediately follow for Spider-Man 4, so proceed at your own risk.

Will we see the webslinger do battle with one of the OG Avengers? (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)

According to Nexus Point News's sources, Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk will have a large supporting role in Brand New Day. There's no information on how Banner or his gamma-irradiated alter-ego will fit into proceedings, but there are murmurings that he could be the latest scientific genius to mentor Tom Holland's Peter Parker.

Now, it's unclear if Nexus Point News' latest claim is true. For what it's worth, the outlet's overall track record can be described as pretty accurate. Per the ResetEra forums, they were the first website to break the news that Alex Garland was set to direct an Elden Ring film adaptation. That claim, which was made on May 6, was made almost three weeks before A24 and Garland were confirmed to be working on an Elden Ring movie.

If this Hulk rumor ends up being true, though, it raises two major concerns about the film's plot for me – both of which lean into some tired and cliched narrative beats that the MCU has already explored.

Please don't give us another Hulk versus fellow superhero fight, Marvel and Sony (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The first worry I have is that Holland's Spider-Man might get another mentor figure. After making his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War, the webslinger was taken under the wing of Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, until his death in Avengers: Endgame. It can also be argued that Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange temporarily assumed the role of a mentor figure, albeit a slightly antagonistic one, in Spider-Man: No Way Home, too.

The prospect of Ruffalo's Banner becoming the wallcrawler's third tutor-style figure in just four Spider-Man films to date would be overkill as far as I'm concerned. It would also undo the ending of Spidey's third solo outing in the MCU, with No Way Home being the hard reset that the webhead needs to not only grow up as an individual, but thrive as a hero without supervision.

Banner's (and, by proxy, Hulk's) inclusion also presents an uninspired storytelling situation we've seen before. That being, a Marvel hero potentially having to battle the big, green, lean machine.

Whether it's Avengers: Age of Ultron or Thor: Ragnarok, we've already seen the likes of Iron Man and Thor square off against Hulk. More recently, we've also witnessed Sam Wilson's Captain America go toe-to-toe with a similar foe in US President Thaddeus Ross' Red Hulk – the duo fighting in the final act of Captain America: Brave New World.

Smart Hulk (left) was last seen in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

Now, given their respective strengths, a Spider-Man versus Hulk fight could be interesting, but do we really want to watch another superhero brawl with Banner's superhuman alias? I certainly don't.

There are numerous Spider-Man villains who deserve to show up in his next film. In fact, three are reportedly set to feature in Brand New Day. That's before you look at other members of his rogues gallery who are rumored to feature, such as Mister Negative, Silver Sable, and Tarantula. Unless Spidey teams up with Hulk to defeat this collection of villains, what purpose would it serve to include the Savage Hulk side of Banner's persona as another 'bad guy' for the webslinger to deal with?

Of course, this is all speculation at this point, so we'll have to wait until filming gets underway (it's expected to start in August) to see if Ruffalo is spotted on one of Brand New Day's sets. If Banner does show up in Spider-Man 4, I really hope it's not in a new advisor capacity or as an antagonistic figure because the MCU needs to take some creative steps forward and not look back at what's worked before. So, Marvel and Sony, lean into the 'new' aspect of Brand New Day's title, please.

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• Nvidia’s GPUs are facing another bug causing black screen crashes
• This affects RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti GPUs and won’t let you boot to the desktop
• Nvidia has a fix to hand, but applying it could be a somewhat tricky matter for some folks – though the impact of this bug isn’t widespread, apparently

Nvidia has released a fix for owners of RTX 5060 and RTX 5060 Ti graphics cards who are seeing their PC boot to a black screen.

This is a nasty problem, of course, leaving those affected unable to use their PC unless they have some way of getting around the black screen that’s presenting itself and bringing the boot process to a screeching halt, instead of allowing people to get to their desktop.

VideoCardz highlighted Nvidia’s confirmation of this problem in a support document which also provides a tool to cure the showstopping bug, namely the Nvidia GPU UEFI Firmware Update Tool v2.0.

Nvidia makes it very clear that this patch – which is an update for the motherboard BIOS – should only be installed by those who are encountering black screen woes. If you aren’t affected by this issue, don’t grab this tool.

Of course, there’s a slight problem in terms of downloading and using the tool on a PC with this bug, given that as mentioned, you seemingly can’t get to the desktop in the first place.

Not with a normal boot, anyway, which is why Nvidia provides a list of workarounds to get your PC booted in its support material. That includes heading into the BIOS (which you can do before your PC starts to boot, following the instructions provided with your computer or motherboard) and ensuring you are in UEFI boot mode and not Legacy/CSM mode.

That’s because the latter can cause the black screen problem, but do note that some (older) PCs may not have a UEFI option, in which case, Nvidia advises you to “contact customer service of your graphics card manufacturer for a legacy VBIOS update.” (Not meaning Nvidia itself, of course, but the maker of your board, such as Asus, Gigabyte, MSI and so forth).

The other main trick that should work to get to the desktop is if you have integrated graphics (on your processor), you could switch to use that (in the BIOS graphics settings) instead of your Nvidia GPU. Or if your CPU doesn’t have integrated graphics, you could use an another (old or borrowed) Nvidia GPU in your PC temporarily.

Analysis: A frustrating issue with limited impact

(Image credit: Nvidia)

This is a knotty problem, then, or it could be in some scenarios, potentially requiring a bit of fiddling around to get to a place where you can install the patch to resolve it.

That’s far from ideal, but the good news is that there don’t seem to be many gamers affected by this bug, as VideoCardz points out. That’s comforting to hear in some ways – even if it may partially be a reflection of the lack of popularity of the RTX 5060 in particular for various reasons – but clearly some GPU owners will be hit by this snag, otherwise Nvidia wouldn’t be bothering with a patch to cure it.

Sadly, Nvidia graphics card owners have been facing black screen issues from boot, or black screen lock-ups during everyday use or gaming, ever since new GeForce drivers were released with support for Blackwell GPUs. And that doesn’t just extend to those RTX 5000 graphics cards, either, but RTX 4000 models have been affected too (or even the generation before that in a scattering of reported cases).

In short, there’s been a general wonkiness with Nvidia’s graphics drivers since the RTX 5000 series arrived, and this is the latest episode. All in all, it’s not a good look for Team Green.

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• Nintendo Switch 2 supports traditional USB mouse controls
• This was revealed in a presentation for Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening Complete Edition
• It opens up the possibilities for wider mouse and keyboard support on Switch 2

If you don't like the idea of dragging the Joy-Con 2 across your desk to access Nintendo Switch 2's mouse controls, it turns out you might not have to.

Michi Ryu, producer on Koei Tecmo's Switch 2 port of Nobunaga's Ambition: Awakening, has revealed that the upcoming game supports traditional USB mice on the new console (via VGC).

Ryu begins the demonstration, which you can watch for yourself in the video below, by playing the game in the Joy-Con 2's mouse mode. “The functionality is the same as the already released Steam version, allowing for left click, right click and wheel operations,” he says.

Around the 11-minute mark in the video, Ryu reveals that a USB mouse has been connected to the Nintendo Switch 2 system, taking priority over the Joy-Con 2 as the main method of control. Ryu can then still use various shortcuts that are mapped to the left Joy-Con 2.

While being able to use a USB mouse on Switch 2 is great news, it's still an unknown as to how widespread mouse support will be with other Nintendo Switch 2 games. For example, I can see USB mouse support being excellent for Civilization 7 and Cyberpunk 2077 on Switch 2.

It is worth noting, though, that some first-party Nintendo games might not be a great fit for traditional mice. That includes Drag x Drive and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - both of which have rather bespoke mouse control schemes that'll presumably be better suited to the Joy-Con 2 and its extra buttons.

Still, USB mouse support is a great thing to see regardless. It could even open up the possibilities of, say, a Final Fantasy 14 Online or The Elder Scrolls Online ports to Switch 2 - assuming the console also has keyboard support like the original Switch did.

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• Sony is reportedly working on its next PlayStation portable console, codenamed 'Jupiter'
• A leaker claims that the device's chip will be developed by AMD and use Samsung Foundry’s SF2P node
• It's said a deal hasn't yet been finalized

Sony is rumored to be working on its next PlayStation handheld console.

That's according to known leaker Jukanlosreve, who has claimed that Sony is currently working on its PlayStation Vita successor, which could be announced by 2028.

Sony is said to be "evaluating a new low-power gaming SoC [System-on-Chip] project", which is being internally referred to as codename "Jupiter", and the company wants AMD to develop it.

"The chip is expected to be developed by AMD and fabricated using Samsung Foundry’s SF2P node, with mass production targeted for post-2028," Jukanlosreve said.

The leaker also stressed that the deal hasn't been finalized yet as it's "still under review between Sony, Samsung, and AMD."

Exclusive: On the Sony PlayStation HandheldSony is currently evaluating a new low-power gaming SoC project—internally referred to as “Jupiter.”⁰The chip is expected to be developed by AMD and fabricated using Samsung Foundry’s SF2P node, with mass production targeted for…May 24, 2025

This isn't the first time we've heard of Sony developing a portable console. In November 2024, it was reported that the PlayStation company was developing a handheld that could run PS5 games natively.

Sources familiar with the project said at the time that the device would compete against the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox handheld that's currently being prototyped, and would be different from its PlayStation Portal.

It was said that the new console wouldn't rely on cloud gaming or remote play and would instead run PS5 games all on its own, like a more powerful PS Vita.

However, like the most recent leak, it was reported that Sony could still decide against bringing the handheld to market, and that it’s still "likely years away from launch."

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• Audio-only video playback is heading to Android Automotive
• The update should eventually reach Android Auto
• Google previously promised video apps for Android Auto

If you're an Android Auto user like me, you'll know there's currently no support for video playback. However, video apps are now on the way to the software, with a useful tweak for those times when your vehicle is on the move.

As spotted by 9to5Google, there's a new clip uploaded by Google to the Android Developers account: it shows the Android Automotive interface switching to an audio-only mode for videos while driving.

Android Automotive is the version of Android Auto that car makers can build into their vehicles, no Android phone required. This platform does already support video apps, but only when the car is parked.

Eventually, these same features should make their way to Android Auto on phones. Last week we got the news that video players are "coming soon" to Android Auto, so let's hope audio-only playback isn't too far behind.

A long time coming

I can understand why it's taken a while for video apps to make it to Android Auto, because there's the danger of distracting drivers – and with the software running from a phone, it's harder to detect when a vehicle is actually in motion.

However, I'm glad that Google is getting around to providing support for both video apps and an audio-only mode. As a YouTube Premium subscriber, I watch a lot of videos, and having access to them in my car will add a lot more entertainment to journeys.

Even with the video disabled, I can listen to live music gigs, video explainers, ambient music mixes, video podcasts, interviews, and much more besides. Then when I'm parked up, I can check out the football highlights too.

This is only just being worked on by developers for Android Automotive, so it may be a significant while before it makes it to the consumer version of Android Auto – but I'll be patiently waiting to use it as soon as it appears.

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• A major Indian job site was leaking recruiter emails
• The problem stemmed from a bug in the Naukri API
• The hole was quickly plugged, but users should be aware of scams

One of the most popular and widely used job portals in India has reportedly been found leaking recruiter email addresses.

A security researcher named Lohith Gowda recently discovered a vulnerability in Naukri’s API for Android and iOS apps, which exposed the recruiters’ email addresses when they were viewing profiles of potential candidates.

Speaking to TechCrunch, Gowda explained what the dangers of this vulnerability were: “The exposed recruiter email IDs can be used for targeted phishing attacks, and recruiters may receive excessive unsolicited emails and spam."

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2FA codes and session tokens

Gowda further stressed that the email IDs can be added to different spam lists and public breach databases, which are sometimes picked up by scraping bots. This, in turn, can lead to automated bot abuse and various scams.

Relevancy and a sense of urgency are key to a successful phishing email.

An attacker might reference an ongoing hiring campaign, a candidate's resume, or a job platform the recruiter uses, to make the email feel timely and legitimate.

Urgency, on the other hand, is how threat actors force the victims into making rash decisions that they later regret.

In this case, these could be claims of a top candidate being about to accept another offer or interview access links that are expiring.

After discovering the flaw, Gowda reached out to Naukri, who then plugged the leak. “All identified enhancements are implemented, ensuring our systems remain updated and resilient,” Alok Vij, IT infrastructure head at Naukri’s parent company InfoEdge, confirmed to TechCrunch. “Our teams have not detected any usual activity that affects the integrity of user data.”

Naukri.com is one of the most popular Indian job sites. According to SimilarWeb, it had more than 28 million unique monthly visits in April 2025, and ranks as the number one job and employment website in the country.

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The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recently published a document on 'Secure by Design' challenges that represents something we rarely see in government cybersecurity: a transparent acknowledgment of the complexities involved in implementing security from first principles.

Secure by design is a fundamental approach that embeds security into systems from the very beginning of the design process as opposed to treating it as a bolt-on feature later in development.

Having spent years advocating for the human element in security, it's refreshing to see an official recognition that technical controls are only as effective as the people implementing them.

Addressing the Security Skills Challenge

The MOD's first identified problem is "How do we up-skill UK defense in 'Secure by Design'?"

Their acknowledgment that effective implementation requires a "one team" approach across UK defense reflects the reality that security cannot be siloed within technical teams.

This aligns perfectly with what I've observed in organizations with mature security cultures—security becomes everyone's responsibility, not just the security department's concern.

The Knowledge Distribution Problem

Perhaps most intriguing is problem two: "How does 'Secure by Design' account for unevenly distributed information and knowledge?"

The MOD correctly identifies that information asymmetry exists for various legitimate reasons. What makes this assessment valuable is the recognition that not all information-sharing barriers stem from poor security culture; some exist by design and necessity.

Imagine a family planning a surprise birthday party for their grandmother. Different family members have different pieces of information that they intentionally don't share with everyone:

The daughter knows the guest list and has sent invitations directly to each person, asking them not to discuss it openly on family group chats,

The son has arranged the venue and catering, with specific dietary requirements for certain guests,

The grandchildren are handling decorations and have a theme they're working on,

And most importantly—nobody tells grandmother anything about any of this.

This isn't because the family has poor communication skills or doesn't trust each other. These information barriers exist by design and necessity to achieve the goal of surprising grandmother. If everyone shared everything with everyone else, the surprise would be ruined.

The MOD's approach

In the MOD's security context, this is similar to how:

Certain threat intelligence can't be shared with all suppliers because doing so might reveal intelligence-gathering capabilities,

Suppliers can't share all their proprietary technology details even with clients like the MOD, as they need to protect their competitive advantage,

Specific security controls might be kept confidential from general staff to prevent those controls from being circumvented.

These aren't failures of security culture—they're intentional compartmentalization that sometimes make security work possible in the first place. The challenge isn't eliminating these barriers but designing systems that can function effectively despite them.

This reflects the nuanced reality of human behavior in security contexts. People don't withhold security information solely due to territoriality or negligence; often, legitimate constraints prevent the ideal level of transparency. The challenge becomes developing systems and practices that can function effectively despite these inherent limitations.

The Early Design Challenge

The third problem addresses a familiar paradox: how to implement security at the earliest stages of capability acquisition when the capability itself is barely defined.

In other words, it's like trying to build a high-tech security system for a house when you only have a rough sketch of what the house might eventually look like - you know you need protection, but it's difficult to plan specific security measures when you're still deciding how many doors and windows there will be, what valuables will be stored inside, or even where the house will be located. As the MOD puts it, at this stage a capability might be "little more than a single statement of user need."

This connects directly to how humans approach risk management. When primary objectives (delivering military capability) compete with secondary concerns (security), practical compromises inevitably emerge. The MOD's candid acknowledgment that "cyber security will always be a secondary goal" reflects a pragmatic understanding of how priorities function in complex organizations.

Through-Life Security

Problem four addresses perhaps the most demanding human aspect of security: maintaining security rationale and practice across decades of a capability's lifespan. With defense platforms potentially remaining operational for 30+ years, today's security decisions must make sense to tomorrow's engineers.

The question of continuous risk management becomes particularly relevant as organizations encounter new threats over their extended lifespans. How human operators interpret and respond to evolving risk landscapes determines the long-term security posture of these systems.

Building a Collaborative Security Culture

The MOD recognizes that 'Secure by Design' implementation isn't merely a technical challenge but fundamentally about collaboration among people across organizational, disciplinary, and national boundaries.

The MOD's approach suggests a shift toward a more mature security culture — one that acknowledges limitations, seeks external expertise, and recognizes the complex interplay between human factors and technical controls. Their openness about needing help from academia and industry demonstrates a collaborative mindset essential for addressing complex security challenges.

This collaborative approach to security culture stands in stark contrast to the traditional government tendency toward self-sufficiency. By explicitly inviting external perspectives, the MOD demonstrates an understanding that diverse viewpoints strengthen security posture rather than compromising it.

Security isn't about having all the answers—it's about creating the conditions where people can collaboratively develop appropriate responses to ever-changing threats.

We've compiled a list of the best identity management software.

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

Agentic AI is one of the latest concepts in artificial intelligence, now gaining real traction beyond its early buzz. Ongoing advancements in Agentic AI are accelerating the development of autonomous business systems, building on the achievements of machine learning.

Operating as an independent ‘agent’, this technology is equipped to make informed decisions based on the multimodal data and algorithmic logic, and can then ‘learn’ and evolve through experience.

Even more exciting is its capacity to act independently. It’s this unique ability to adapt, plan, and carry out complex tasks without human oversight that distinguishes Agentic AI from earlier generations of AI tools.

In supply chains, for instance, AI agents can track market activity and historical demand trends to forecast inventory needs and implement measures to avoid shortages, such as by automating parts of the restocking processes. These agents shift their behavior in response to changing market conditions, boosting efficiency and performance. It's therefore no surprise that 26% of business leaders report their organizations are beginning to shape strategic approaches around Agentic AI.

However, as great as it sounds to outsource such tasks to Agentic AI, we also need to err on the side of caution. For all its autonomous power, how can the actions and outputs of AI agents be fully trusted? If we rely on Agentic AI to complete sophisticated tasks on its own, how do we ensure its decisions are truly grounded in what’s happening in the real world, or in the enterprise’s view of the world?

In the same way our brains use observation and extra inputs to draw conclusions, AI agents need to rely on a lot of external sources and signals to enhance their reasoning capabilities.

This need can be met by solutions and platforms that collect and present data in a way that’s accessible and retrievable. Here’s how:

The trust challenge in autonomous AI systems

As discussed, what sets Agentic AI apart from other AI systems is its ability to act autonomously, not just engage in a linear conversation. The complexity of the tasks agents complete typically requires them to refer to multiple, dynamic external sources. As a result, the risk of something going wrong automatically increases. For example, you might trust a chatbot to provide you with an update on the status of a claim or refund, but would you feel as trusting when giving an AI agent your credit card details to book a flight for you?

Away from conversational AI, task-based agents plan and change actions depending on the context they’re given. They delegate subtasks to the various tools available through a process often referred to as “chaining” (the output of one action becomes the input for the next). This means that queries (or tasks) can be broken down into smaller tasks, with each requiring access to data in real-time, processed iteratively to mimic human problem-solving.

The chain effect (in which decisions are made) is informed by the environment that’s being monitored, i.e., the sources of data. As a result, explainable and accurate data retrieval is required at each step of the chain for two reasons. Firstly, users need to know why the AI agent has landed on a particular decision and have visibility of the data source it’s based on.

They need to be able to trust that the action is, in fact, the most effective and efficient. Secondly, they need to be able to optimize the process to get the best possible result each time, analysing each stage of the output and learning from any dissatisfactory results.

To trust an agent to complete sophisticated tasks based on multiple retrieval steps, the value of the data needed to support the decision-making process multiplies significantly.

The need to make reliable enterprise data available to agents is key. This is why businesses are increasingly recognising the power of graph database technology for the broad range of retrieval strategies it offers, which in turn multiply the value of the data.

How graph technology strengthens AI reasoning

As Agentic AI drives decisions from data, the insights underpinning these decisions must be accurate, transparent, and explainable – benefits that graph databases are uniquely optimized to deliver. Gartner already identifies knowledge graphs as an essential capability for GenAI applications, as GraphRAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation), where the retrieval path includes a knowledge graph, can vastly improve the accuracy of outputs.

The unique structure of knowledge graphs, comprised of ‘nodes’ and ‘edges’, is where higher-quality responses can be derived. Nodes represent existing entities in a graph (like a person or place), and edges represent the relationship between those entities – i.e., how they connect to one another. In this type of structure, the bigger and more complex the data, the more previously hidden insights can be revealed. These characteristics are invaluable in presenting the data in a way that makes it easier for AI agents to complete tasks in a more reliable and useful way.

Users have been finding that GraphRAG answers are not only more accurate but also richer, speedier, more complete, and consequently more useful. For example, an AI agent addressing customer service queries could offer a particular discounted broadband package based on a complete understanding of the customer, as a result of using GraphRAG to connect disparate information about said customer. How long has the customer been with the company? What services are they currently using? Have they filed complaints before?

To answer these questions, nodes can be created to represent each aspect of the customer experience with the company (including previous interactions, service usage, and location), and edges to show the cheapest or best service for them. A fragmented and dispersed view of the data could lead to the agent offering up a discounted package when it was not due, leading to cost implications for the business.

As mentioned by the CEO of Klarna, “Feeding an LLM the fractioned, fragmented, and dispersed world of corporate data will result in a very confused LLM”. But the outcome is very different when data is connected in a graph: Positive results have been reported by the likes of LinkedIn’s customer service team, who have reduced median per-issue resolution time by 28.6% since implementing GraphRAG.

Why connected data is key to Agentic AI readiness

With every iteration, the LLMs behind AI agents are advancing quickly, and agentic frameworks are making it easier to build complex, multi-step applications. The next vital move is to make enterprise data as rich, connected, and contextually aware as possible, so it's fully accessible to these powerful agents.

Taking this step allows businesses to unlock the full value of their data, enabling agents that are not only more accurate and efficient but also easier to understand and explain. This is where the integration of Agentic AI and knowledge graphs proves transformational. Connected data gives agents the context they need to think more clearly, generate smarter outputs, and have a greater impact.

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