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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, March 17 (game #645).

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 #646) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• KINDER
• DICE
• SINGULAR
• DIE
• OXEN
• SPECIAL
• DEER
• LICE
• UNIQUE
• SHEEP
• SQUID
• ANGST
• MICE
• WURST
• REMARKABLE
• SHRIMP

NYT Connections today (game #645) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: One of a kind 
• GREEN: European language 
• BLUE: One sounds the same as some
• PURPLE: Some sounds different to one

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 #646) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: EXCEPTIONAL 
• GREEN: GERMAN WORDS 
• BLUE: PLURAL ANIMALS IDENTICAL TO THEIR SINGULAR FORMS 
• PURPLE: PLURAL WORDS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR SINGULAR FORMS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #646) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #646, are…

• YELLOW: EXCEPTIONAL REMARKABLE, SINGULAR, SPECIAL, UNIQUE
• GREEN: GERMAN WORDS ANGST, DIE, KINDER, WURST
• BLUE: PLURAL ANIMALS IDENTICAL TO THEIR SINGULAR FORMS DEER, SHEEP, SHRIMP, SQUID
• PURPLE: PLURAL WORDS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR SINGULAR
• FORMS DICE, LICE, MICE, OXEN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Maddening is the only way to describe today’s Connections.

I roared through the yellow and green groups, at first thinking “this couldn’t be as straightforward as just being GERMAN WORDS could it”? EXCEPTIONAL was equally unchallenging. But then I hit the wall.

Before I finally realized the connections were plurals, I initially thought it must be something unique to the animals, so I put SHRIMP, SQUID, LICE and MICE together, thinking they all had flexible bodies or something. Yes, fair enough, I was reaching.

Then, when I realized it was about linguistics, I still didn’t fully get it and included LICE instead of DEER.

As infuriating as this was (I’d argue OXEN is not that different to Ox) I admire how SINGULAR and DIE (the singular of DICE) were also in the puzzle.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 17 March, game #645)

• YELLOW: FILAMENT FIBER, STRAND, STRING, THREAD
• GREEN: UNINHIBITEDNESS ABANDON, FREEDOM, SPONTANEITY, UNRESTRAINT
• BLUE: KINDS OF TRUCKS DUMP, GARBAGE, MONSTER, PICKUP
• PURPLE: BANDS MINUS THE NUMBER FIVE BEN FOLDS, JACKSON, MAROON, MC

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.

• Seagate has announced a partnership with MiHoYo
• It has revealed the new Seagate Genshin Impact Limited Edition External SSD
• It is available now in the US, with a UK launch later this year

Storage giant Seagate has announced a partnership with MiHoYo to introduce a new Genshin Impact limited edition external SSD.

The 1TB SSD drive is an officially licensed piece of Genshin Impact merchandise and is designed to commemorate the upcoming version 5.5, or 'Day of the Flames Return', game update. It features an eye-catching purple print with some cute art of the character Cyno, plus bright matching LED lighting.

It's a great looking drive and definitely one of the coolest models I've seen from Seagate yet. With a 1TB capacity, it's far from the biggest model around but should be more than sufficient for most game libraries - especially considering its blazing fast PCIe Gen4 transfer speeds.

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A closer look at front of the new drive... (Image credit: Seagate)Image 2 of 2

and the back! (Image credit: Seagate)

The Seagate Genshin Impact Limited Edition External SSD is compatible with PC and mobile in addition to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S - in short, all major platforms where you are able to play Genshin Impact.

It is currently available as a Seagate web store exclusive for $139.99 in the US and is set to launch in the UK for £139.99 in May this year.

In addition to the limited edition SSD, an 18in / 45.7cm USB-C 3.2 cable is included in the box, plus a quick install guide, 3-year warranty, and 3-year Rescue Data Recovery Service.

Seagate is known for making not only some of the best Xbox Series X hard drives, but also a number of the best SSDs for PS5 and best PS5 external hard drives. While the design is definitely a winner, hopefully the performance of this new product will live up the company's lofty reputation.

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• Criminals are using stolen email addresses to distribute malicious OAuth Apps
• These apps steal sensitive data and redirect people to phishing pages
• The pages steal login credentials and deliver malware

Hackers are spoofing popular cloud and productivity apps to steal people’s Microsoft 365 login credentials and deliver malware, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers Proofpoint detailed their findings in an X thread, revealing unidentified cybercriminals used compromised Office 365 accounts and email addresses belonging to charity organizations or small businesses to launch the attacks.

It is unclear what the contents of the emails are, but apparently, the goal is to get victims to install malicious Microsoft OAuth apps pretending to be Adobe Drive, Adobe Drive X, Adobe Acrobat, and DocuSign.

"Highly targeted" attacks

Those that install these apps are asked to grant specific permissions: ‘profile’, ‘email’, and ‘openid’. Alone, these aren’t that destructive, since they only grant access to the user’s name, user ID, profile picture, username, and the primary email address (no access, just information about the account). The ‘openid’ permission also allows the attackers to confirm the victim’s identity and retrieve their Microsoft account details.

While these aren’t enough to steal data or install malware, they can be used in more personalized phishing attacks, the researchers said. The campaign itself was “highly targeted”, Proofpoint said, going after organizations in different industries across the US and Europe, including government, healthcare, supply chain, and retail.

After granting these permissions, the apps redirect the victims to phishing landing pages, collecting login credentials, and distributing malware. Proofpoint could not confirm the strain of the malware being distributed this way, but stressed that the attackers used the ClickFix social engineering attack.

Nowadays, ClickFix has grown quite popular. It starts with a browser popup, informing the victim that they cannot view the contents of the web page unless they update their browser (or something similar). The popup shares steps on how to “fix” the issue, tricking the victims into downloading malware instead.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Snap's fifth-gen Spectacles are getting a major update
• The update includes new location-based tools and better hand-tracking
• There are also new AR dog-walking and basketball-coaching apps

While Meta, Google, and Samsung take up a lot of the air in the next-gen AR glasses space with their lofty plans, they aren’t the only players – and Snap is making sure we don’t forget that, with a suite of new health-related updates and apps rolling out to its fifth-generation Snap Spectacles to celebrate six months since their launch.

The Snap Spectacles are developer-focused, so the changes focus around app-making tools, such as unlocking the ability to build new software that incorporates GPS, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and compass heading data, or is built for specific locations.

As an example of this in use, there's NavigatAR from Utopia Lab, which facilitates AR-enhanced navigation between two places, and Path Pioneer, which allows you to create customized AR walking courses to help keep people active.

If you want to see these tools used in a more finished state there’s Doggo Quest, which brings your furry friend into AR. SnapML (Snap’s machine learning) can recognize your dog and create a visual overlay that tracks metrics like the route you’ve taken and your pup’s step count – even gamifying the experience with virtual rewards.

Then there's Basketball Trainer which, as the name implies, is an AR basketball coach that can provide you with shooting drills, and track your shots using SnapML to provide you with a live score update. This tool sounds ideal for fledgling sports stars who want to improve their game between their in-person training sessions.

Beyond fitness, Snap is also adding new hand-tracking capabilities such as phone detector – so the glasses can recognize when you have a phone out – and an improved AR keyboard for more streamlined typing.

An exciting tease for the future

(Image credit: Future)

For now, Snap’s latest specs are only available through its developer program, which costs $99 plus tax per month (or €110 including VAT in the EU, around £90 / AU$190) unless you get a 50% educational discount. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get excited about the software being made for them today.

Consumer smart glasses are coming (for example, Meta’s Orion AR glasses are expected to launch in 2027, and I’m sure they won’t be alone), but it’s no use having impressive next-gen XR tech if it can’t do anything exciting.

These developer kits and early apps should mean that when the tech is rolled out to the public there will be a host of uses for our smart glasses out the box on day one that’ll make them feel like a worthwhile wearable – and not an overpriced fashion accessory.

We’ll obviously have to wait and see what Snap, Meta, Google, and the rest have up their sleeves when next-gen AR glasses make their consumer debut, but this update has me excited for an XR future which can’t come soon enough.

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• With Alpine’s input, the new R5 Turbo packs 540hp
• It will be one of the first production cars with in-wheel motors
• Renault’s halo model is limited to just 1,980 units

We are calling it: the award for the wildest electric vehicle of 2025 has already be scooped up by Renault’s 5 Turbo 3E - an all-electric homage to a 1980s icon that tore up race tracks and rally circuits, while simultaneously adorning the walls of hot hatch and car-tuning fanatics around the world.

But despite creating a serious amount of buzz when it was first teased at the end of last year, the full extent of its performance, innovation and utterly jaw-dropping looks have been kept under wraps until now.

We now know that it will feature an 800V electrical architecture that will allow it to charge from 15 to 80% in around 15 minutes from a 350kW charger.

Phillipe Varet, one of the chief engineers on the project, says that it will manage around 20-minutes of track time, before requiring a 20 minute charge before it will happily head back out on circuit again.

In terms of performance, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the dictionary definition of a pocket rocket, with the two-seat hot hatch using two innovative in-wheel motors that package most of the drivetrain inside the rear wheels.

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(Image credit: Renault)Image 2 of 6

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(Image credit: Renault)

Motorcycle-style brake calipers provide the stopping power, while the twin 200kW (540hp) motors have enough power to propel the sub 1,450kg hatchback to 62mph from a standstill in just 3.5 seconds... and then on to 168mph.

But more than simply a straight-line performance pony (aren’t most EVs?), Renault has leaned on the expertise of sister company Alpine to create a true driver’s vehicle.

The carbon fibre superstructure helps keep structural rigidity high and the weight down, the battery packs are mounted as low as possible for an optimal center of gravity, while aerodynamic splitters, spoilers and side scoops help channel the air to aid downforce and improve aerodynamic efficiency.

Sneak a look through the windows and you’ll find an interior that joyously plays on Renault’s quirky legacy, yet also propels the brand into the future. There’s even a vertically-mounted handbrake that helps driver’s initiate drifts and other rallying maneuvers.

“We didn’t want to just look back and create something retro,” Gilles Vidal, Design Vice President at Renault told us at the exclusive reveal event in France. “This had to appeal to our kids as much as it did to fans of the original cars."

It nails that brief and then some, taking plenty of styling cues from the even more banzai concept vehicle of 2022, but pairing it with a modern and practical interior... if you look past the roll cage.

There is a 10.1-inch driver display and a 10.25-inch OpenR infotainment system that’s found in the standard R5 E-Tech electric hatchback, which houses a bespoke digital dial design but still offers Renault's AI assistant.

Analysis: Renault ramps up the EV excitement

(Image credit: Renault)

The French marque has already won some serious accolades for its R5 E-Tech model, which I raved about after driving.

More importantly, it has gone on to win numerous global awards for its looks, affordable price and everyday practicality, while snatching the sales crown from Tesla's Model Y in its home country of France last year.

Building on this buzz, Renault is now flexing its design and innovation muscle, proving that electric platforms have the potential to produce truly exciting and interesting vehicles that have the power to bust genres.

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the same length as a practical city car, but sits as wide as most modern supercars. Its innovative in-wheel electric motors provide blistering performance, yet its engineers say it can still manage an electric range of almost 250-miles and be driven to the shops every day.

In that sense, it is the epitome of the coveted hot hatch of yesteryear - a pragmatic "shopping trolley” that could also prove an absolute blast on the right roads. But, seeing as this is a demonstration of Renault's technological prowess, it packs performance figures that would make most modern sports cars weep.

(Image credit: Renault)

Alas, only 1,980 will be available when the order books open later this year, with first deliveries expected to land in 2027. It’s also going to be a lot more expensive than the standard model upon which it is loosely based.

That said, Renault’s design chief Gilles Vidal claims that his team will be on hand to assist with creating truly unique cars for customers, with completely bespoke paint jobs, ‘Gentleman Racer’ liveries and wild interior finishes up for discussion. “If you want a Hello Kitty scheme, we can help with that,” he joked.

Above all else, it feels like Renault, and its current CEO Luca de Meo, have unwavering faith in electrification, to the point where it is comfortable experimenting. Just look at the R17 concept or the Filante Record 2025 rolling laboratory as examples.

At a time when a number of manufacturers are busy backtracking on pure EV plans, it’s a bold stance.

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Welcome to the live blog for Adobe Summit 2025 in Las Vegas, where I will be bringing you all the news, updates, and announcements in real time. I'm getting ready for everything to kick off on March 18, so bookmark this tab and be sure to come back to see all the biggest news and announcements as they happen.

Google’s plans to completely retire its Google Assistant software is officially under way following last week’s announcement that its AI-advanced Google Gemini will replace Google Assistant in Android smartphones by the end of 2025. This news doesn’t come as a huge shock to us, as Google has been phasing out some of its Google Assistant tasks since October 2024, however we’ve come to learn that it’s not just the best Android phones that are getting the Gemini treatment.

As well as smartphones, Google’s line of smart home assistants which includes the best smart speakers and best smart displays are also going through some changes, implying that they too will also receive a Gemini facelift. Since Gemini started supercharging Google Assistant on smart displays and speakers late last year, we could only guess that it would be a matter of time before this evolved into a complete Gemini takeover, and now it’s looking that way in light of Google’s recent decision to disable certain Google Assistant features from its smart home devices.

In order to get the ball rolling with Google’s big transition, the company is eradicating traces of Google Assistant bit by bit to make room for its more advanced Gemini software, which we guess will be fully rolled out by the end of 2025 - at least to Android smartphones. It may take a little longer for the case of Nest devices, but now that Google has removed functions such as Live Translation and Family Bell, it’s already got a leg up on making smart devices more Gemini-friendly. This isn’t to say that Gemini will have less functionality than Google Assistant, it’s simply a case of Google slowly removing one to make room for the other.

Google Photos capabilities

You’ll no longer be able to use voice commands to ask Google Assistant to favorite or share your photos, or ask specific questions regarding when and where they were taken. With that said, you’ll still be able to share them through the Google Photos app, and use your smart display to see where they were taken.

Smart display ambient screen settings

(Image credit: Google)

To enable photo frame settings or ambient screen settings on your Google smart display, you’ll have to refer to the Smart Display app to change these manually as Google Assistant will no longer support the voice command.

Live Translations

(Image credit: Google )

Since Google Assistant introduced its useful Interpreter Mode function in 2019, users have been able to translate live conversations from one language to another. This is no longer the case following Google’s decision to axe it from Assistant’s functions, however it’s still possible to translate singular words or phrases.

Birthday reminders with Routines

Routines is Google’s version of a personal task assistant which can automate tasks and actions by voice commands such as turning the lights off, playing music, or sending you notifications of important birthdays in your calendar. Google has now disabled the latter, but you can still use the Assistant voice control to set reminders about upcoming birthdays.

Family Bell announcements

Google’s Family Bell function was helpful for the whole family, allowing you to schedule reminders or announcements so that everyone in your household would be in the loop with family events.

As part of Google’s transition to integrating Gemini with smart home devices, you can no longer use Assistant to create or read your previously scheduled announcements. This was a favorite among Google smart home users, now Routines is its alternative.

Daily updates

(Image credit: Google)

This is a basic function, but a rather useful one that Google has just terminated. Just like you can set Alexa to give you daily updates, Assistant will no longer support voice requests such as ‘send me the weather everyday’. Instead, you’ll have to manually schedule updates when you create a custom Routine.

Google Assistant on car accessories

Google has disabled the ability to use Assistant on car accessories that support Bluetooth connection or have an AUX plug.

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• EU tech leaders want to move away from relying on foreign-owned infrastructure
• Establishing a Euro-stack would increase competition and innovation
• EU companies want common standards and less red tape

Several major European tech companies are pushing for greater action from the European Union to reduce the bloc’s reliance on foreign-owned infrastructure by buying and building locally.

In an open letter to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU’s digital chief, Henna Virkkunen, around 100 organizations called for greater adoption of EU-grown apps, platforms, AI models, chips, computing, storage, and connectivity.

The move comes as the Trump administration seemingly positions itself to burn an 80 year relationship that the United States has held with Europe.

Developing the ‘Euro-stack’

The European digital sovereignty movement has been gradually gaining momentum over the past few years, but has seen a massive increase in support and traction following the re-election of President Trump. Companies such as Airbus, Element, OVHCloud, Murena, Nextcloud, and Proton have all put their mark on moving towards EU digital sovereignty.

A paper [PDF] published in January 2025 by a number of prominent business heads and tech experts has given some foresight to how a “Euro stack” would work: “The objective is to reduce Europe’s current total dependency on non-European actors for service to European citizens, businesses, and institutions, to enhance security, create redundancy and resilience, improve opportunities for innovation and digital competitiveness while establishing European governance rules.”

Essentially, the European Union has become overly reliant on foreign-owned infrastructure - especially US Big Tech - and if nothing is done soon, EU countries will become subservient to foreign tech companies.

The solution therefore is to foster growth at home, with the letter stating, “Industry will invest if there are adequate demand prospects. Prioritizing areas where Europe can already deliver will be key to shifting resources fast to European suppliers, creating value and market in a virtuous circle.”

Among suggestions made on how to achieve a Euro stack are plans for the development of common standards to help EU companies compete and defend against US hyperscalers, establishing a ‘Sovereign Infrastructure Fund’ to publicly fund new digital infrastructure in the EU, and promoting innovation by cutting through the burdensome red tape of EU lawmakers.

Via TechCrunch

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• Google Gemin 2.0 Flash's image generator in AI Studio can remove watermarks from images
• It seems to lack the guardrails found in the full Gemini app
• Gemini 2.0 Flash in AI Studio can also generate images of celebrities

Google Gemini 2.0 Flash's new image generation capabilities enable it to remove watermarks from images so well that it could enable large scale copyright violation and that’s very concerning for all of us.

Lots of users on the X platform have posted examples of how they’ve been able to use the AI tool to easily remove watermarks.

New skill unlocked: Gemini 2 Flash model is really awesome at removing watermarks in images! pic.twitter.com/6QIk0FlfCvMarch 15, 2025

Digital watermarks on images enable digital creators to show a preview of their work before somebody decides to purchase it, at which point the watermarks are removed. AI tools that remove watermarks on images for free are nothing new but are deeply unethical, and can land you in legal hot water if you use the stolen images they create in any way.

Other users on X have noted that Gemini 2.0 Flash accessed via AI Studio can add celebrities into images, although in testing I found the results seem a little bit random, with Gemini often refusing the request.

left: my deskright: elon musk sitting at my deskI usually tend to think worries re:photoshop etc are overblown, but goddam, the internet is about to get a lot weirder pic.twitter.com/O9gXBaWgkYMarch 14, 2025

The power of AI Studio

Google recently released a new version of its Gemini 2.0 Flash AI model that can generate its own images. This sounds slightly confusing when you realize that we’ve all been able to go to gemini.google.com or fire up the Gemini app and ask it to create an AI image for well over a year now.

However, what the mobile app and browser-based versions of Gemini do is call upon Imagen 3, Google’s flagship AI image generator, to generate the image for them. Imagen 3 will not remove watermarks from images if asked.

Recently Google has enabled Gemini 2.0 Flash to create and modify images itself. You can’t access the image generation power of Google 2.0 Flash from the regular Gemini interface, instead you need to access it via Google’s AI Studio, a developer-focussed interface for interacting with its latest AI models.

An image created using Gemini 2.0 Flash (with images) in AI Studio. (Image credit: Created with Google Gemini) Cause for concern

AI Studio is free to access and just requires a normal Google account for registration. To test it out I uploaded a watermarked image and was able to easily remove the watermark.

The results weren’t perfect - the image became slightly degraded and it added its own Gemini star logo to the bottom left corner, but what is especially concerning with the new Gemini 2.0 Flash watermark removal ability is how well it does it.

It’s clearly not the purpose that Gemini 2.0 Flash was created for, but the fact that Google hasn’t put sufficient guardrails in place with its image generator is a concerning development and something that needs addressing urgently.

TechRadar has reached out to Google for comment on this issue and will update this story when we hear back.

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• Saber Interactive has issued a small update on its upcoming projects
• Its games are still in development, which indicates the Knights of the Old Republic remake is still being worked on
• It was initially teased all the way back in 2021

A brief flash of potentially good news for those of you excited for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake.

As reported by IGN, Saber Interactive CCO Tim Willits has shared an update on the developers' upcoming projects via X / Twitter. Willits doesn't mention the KOTOR remake outright, but insists that the studio's upcoming projects (which would presumably include the remake) are all still in development.

"Saber Interactive is one of the largest independent developers in the world," Willits wrote. "We are working on numerous games across many different genres. Everything that we have talked about is still in development. We will share information on upcoming games when we have something cool to share."

Becoming independent from Embracer Group as of last year, Saber Interactive managed to keep hold of its projects including the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake. However, given the tumultuous nature of Embracer's acquisitions and subsequent mass layoffs, things were looking fairly grim for awhile there.

While Willits doesn't outright state it's still a go-ahead, it's possible that we'll receive a more constructive update on the remake sometime in the future. When that'll be, we're not sure, and indeed we haven't had any concrete updates since that initial 2021 teaser.

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• Percy Jackson and the Olympians has been renewed for another season before season 2's premiere in December 2025.
• Season 3 will be based on Rick Riordan’s third book in his Percy Jackson series, The Sea Monsters.
• We'll also be introduced to fan favorite characters the Hunters of Artemis and Nico di Angelo for the first time.

Disney+ has renewed Percy Jackson and the Olympians for a third season ahead of its season 2 debut in December 2025.

Adapted from Rick Riordan’s best-selling novels of the same name, the hit teen fantasy series brings to life the epic tale of the 12-year-old demigod once more. Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) plays the titular character Percy, who is coming to terms with his newfound powers. When the sky god Zeus (Lance Riddick) accuses him of stealing his lightning bolt, Percy embarks on a dangerous quest to restore order to Olympus with the help of his friends Annabeth (Leah Jeffries) and Grover (Aryan Simhadri).

According to Nielsen, the hit teen fantasy series was one of the top five most-watched original series across all of the best streaming services after its December 2023 launch and received rave reviews by critics, with TechRadar contributor Laura Martin writing in her Percy Jackson and the Olympians review: "Percy Jackson and the Olympians' literal world-building is indeed impressive, with its rich mythos (underscored by its terrific ancient Greek representation), detailed cinematography, and real-world settings as a backdrop to the expansive storyline."

Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis said in a statement of the renewal: “From the moment Percy Jackson and the Olympians debuted, it was clear this series had struck a chord with fans of all ages. With season 2 set to premiere this December, we’re thrilled to announce that Percy’s journey will continue with a third season. Huge thanks to our incredible cast and creative team, our partners at 20th Television, and our visionary and talented producers who continue to bring Rick Riordan’s world to life with such depth and imagination.”

Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 3: what we know so far

While official details are being kept under wraps for now, we know that season 3 of one of the best Disney+ shows will be based on The Titan’s Curse, the third installment of Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series.

Riordan revealed to Disney+ that the third season "will be new territory for the screen, bringing fan favorites like the Hunters of Artemis and Nico di Angelo to life for the first time".

Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 is based on Riordan’s second book The Sea of Monsters which sees Percy go on a perilous journey to rescue Grover, who is on a quest to find the god Pan but is captured by the same Cyclops that once kidnapped Odysseus.

Turning a much-loved fantasy book series into a TV show was always going to be a big risk for Disney+. However, it's a decision that certainly paid off as the storming Disney show was renewed for a second season after Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1 became incredibly popular.

Disney boss Bob Iger shared that the first season was streamed for more than 110 million hours on Disney+ and Hulu, which is a remarkable feat for the young adult (YA) fantasy franchise after the movie adaptions flopped in the early 2010s.

Percy Jackson's two big-screen adventures in the early 2010s faced criticism from fans and even Riordan himself as he exclusively told TechRadar that the movies "just didn't resonate" with audiences and agreed to partner with Disney to do Percy Jackson justice and create a fitting on-screen adaptation, a project that has had (and going by the most recent renewal will continue to have) incredible success on Disney+ and Hulu.

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• Circular's Ring 2 is a new smart ring coming in 2025
• The company has just revealed it will add blood pressure monitoring before the end of the year
• It is also planning to add blood glucose trends in 2026

The Circular Ring 2 is Circular's brand new smart ring coming in 2025, and the company has just announced two massive health features we can expect to be added following the launch.

Unveiled at CES and arriving later this year, the Ring 2 is coming for the likes of the Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring as a contender for the best smart ring on the market.

Not only will it feature atrial fibrillation detection and ECG (a first for smart rings), but the company now says it is also getting blood pressure and possibly blood glucose monitoring.

"The Circular Ring 2 will soon help you track Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose trends over time—giving you deeper insights into your health in a completely non-invasive way," the company announced on March 17.

Circular says that an over-the-air update for the Ring 2 coming "at the end of 2025" will add blood pressure trend monitoring.

"By measuring Pulse Transit Time (PTT)—the time it takes for blood to travel through your arteries—the ring can estimate BP trends in a way that’s both convenient and reliable. A quick measurement (between 30 seconds to 2 minutes) will give you valuable insights into how your daily habits affect your blood pressure," Circular says.

But that's not all, the Ring 2 could get an even more exciting feature next year, and it's one that Apple has been trying to crack for years.

A smart ring with blood glucose monitoring?

"Circular is also working on something truly groundbreaking—blood glucose trend tracking," the company said.

By way of another over-the-air update "in late 2026", Circular says its feature will let users monitor fluctuations in blood glucose levels without finger-pricks of constant glucose monitors.

The feature will reportedly use advanced machine learning to analyze the way light interacts with blood through its PPG heart-rate monitors, to help understand how factors including diet and sleep impact glucose levels.

Crucially, Circular says the feature won't replace traditional glucose monitoring for those with diabetes or who need to track micro intraday variability. Rather, it will provide "trend insights to help users make more informed health choices."

Regardless, it's still a massive health upgrade and makes the Circular Ring 2 perhaps the most exciting health and fitness wearable launching this year, more so even than the Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Apple is expected to add blood pressure monitoring that can detect hypertension to its Series 11 and Ultra 3 later this year, but whether it will beat Circular to the punch is anyone's guess.

Accuracy and efficacy remain key questions, but Circular's announcement is the most exciting development in smart wearables for many years. The Circular Ring 2 is live now on Kickstarter, ahead of launch later this year.

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• Apple execs have called Siri's delay ugly and embarrassing
• Apple's top 100 executives will meet later this week, with Apple Intelligence likely to be a major talking point
• It's not too late for Apple's AI division to succeed, but time is running out

Apple Intelligence is expected to be the main topic of conversation at Apple's major exec offsite meeting later this week, as the company looks for a solution to its AI turmoil.

It hasn't been a great week for Apple's AI endeavors, with the company struggling to meet its launch window for the headline Apple Intelligence feature, a new and upgraded Siri voice assistant.

Apple officially delayed Apple Intelligence-powered Siri with personal context and on-screen awareness last week, removed an ad showcasing the voice assistant, and failed to give a launch window for a headline software that was expected to launch as part of the iPhone 16's first year of release.

On Friday, Mark Gurman reported for Bloomberg that Robby Walker, a senior director at Apple, "told staff that delays to key features have been ugly and embarrassing, and a decision to publicly promote the technology before it was ready-made matters worse."

Now Gurman is reporting that this week is going to be pivotal for Apple Intelligence, with Apple's top 100 executives meeting for a company offsite that's expected to have Apple Intelligence as its focal point.

Gurman also notes that a shake-up to Tim Cook's executive team because of these AI shortcomings is unlikely. Writing in his weekly Power On newsletter Gurman said, "Given the nature of this collective failure, it’s unlikely to result in management changes on Cook’s executive team. That would mean admitting fault, which Apple hates doing. A shake-up would also suggest that the company took one of the world’s preeminent names in AI — [John] Giannandrea — and failed to put him in a position to succeed, making yet another failed outside hire to Cook’s cabinet."

With all eyes on Apple and Apple Intelligence, the company has to make major changes and fast, but is too little too late? Or can Apple Intelligence still thrive like we all initially expected it to?

Apple Intelligence could still flourish

At WWDC 2024, Apple showcased an AI-powered Siri that was capable of personal assistant features we'd not seen anywhere else. With the ability to know what's going on in your life through your iPhone, while still maintaining Apple's industry-leading privacy features, the next generation of Siri was met with huge fanfare and excitement.

Fast forward nine months later and that fanfare and excitement has completely flickered out. With Apple Intelligence's lukewarm initial launch, and delays to the piece de resistance, with no one from the industry actually seeing Siri in action, it's fair to say that these are worrying times for Apple's AI division.

That said, if any company can take shortcomings and turn them into positives, it would be the Cupertino-based tech giant. With execs meeting later this week, and public perception of Apple Intelligence dwindling, now would be the time for Apple to make major moves and show its loyal fan base why they should still drink the Apple juice.

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• Details of an upcoming SwitchBot Hub 3 have appeared online
• The new hub will have a physical dial for controlling smart home devices
• SwitchBot has yet to announce the Hub 3, and there's no release date yet

SwitchBot, maker of some of the best smart home devices, is preparing to launch a new hub that will make controlling them all easier than ever thanks to one major addition: a programmable physical dial.

SwitchBot's gadgets (such as the little SwitchBot Bot switch pusher, and the SwitchBot Lock) are particularly smart because they don't require you to replace anything in your home. Instead, they attach to the electronics and objects you already own, whether that's your curtains, your door handle, or the power button of your coffee maker. That makes them a particularly great choice for renters who can't easily replace the items in their home, and want smart-home devices they can easily take with them to a new house or apartment.

Personally I use a trio of SwitchBot Blind Tilts to open the three small blinds in my bedroom in the morning, and close them automatically at night. SwitchBot now makes a smart roller blind, but the Blind Tilts are cheaper, work well, and took 10 minutes each to install.

Joined-up thinking

Your devices are connected to your home Wi-Fi network via a SwitchBot Hub, and there are currently two different models available. If you're just controlling a few devices in a relatively small space (like me) then the SwitchBot Hub Mini will fit the bill, but if you have a more complex system then the SwitchBot Hub 2 is a better choice thanks to its greater range, ability to control A/C systems, humidity and temperature sensors, LED display, and touch buttons to start custom scenes. It also supports the Matter smart home standard, allowing you to integrate your SwitchBot devices into a multi-platform ecosystem.

Now, HomeKit News and Reviews has spotted details of a forthcoming SwitchBot Hub 3 on the website for the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the organization behind Matter – and it should give you even more control thanks to the addition of a physical dial.

Post by @homekitnews View on Threads

The dial will let you control your A/C system, as well as media playback via services including Apple TV and Spotify.

The new smart hub will also have a motion-activated screen, similar to many of the best smart thermostats, which should prevent unnecessary light disturbing you at night. It will be able to show temperature and humidity in your home, and draw on third-party weather services to show current forecasts. It can also show the real-time status of SwitchBot smart locks

SwitchBot itself has yet to announce the new hub, so we don't yet know when it will be released or how much it will cost, but hopefully we won't have to wait much longer.

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• Huawei has teased a new folding phone with a smaller inner display
• This comes after rumors pointed to Apple working on a similar device
• No official information about the folding iPhone has been released yet

Throughout the past year we’ve heard plenty about the long-rumored folding iPhone, but at the time of writing we’re still without any official confirmation or announcement from Apple itself.

Despite this, it seems that rumors alone have inspired one company to produce an Apple-inspired folding phone – though getting ahold of one is an unlikely outcome indeed.

Huawei recently released a teaser on Weibo in which CEO Richard Yu is 'caught' with a new device that looks awfully similar to the iPad mini – albeit with a punch-hole selfie camera embedded in the display.

(Image credit: Huawei )

The new Huawei device, which GSMArena notes may fall into the brand’s Pura or Pocket families, is noticeably smaller than an iPad mini, but may feature a squatter display than a conventional folding phone.

As Innogyan reports, recent Huawei teasers have incorporate the tagline “1610 opens up your imagination [sic]”, which could suggest a laptop-style 16:10 aspect ratio.

This could be a response to rumors that Apple is targeting an iPad mini-type form factor for its first ever foldable device, rather than a flip-phone resembling the iPhone 17 when unfolded

As we recently reported, the latest rumors suggest an inner display size of 7.74 inches for the folding iPhone, not far off the 8.3-inch display found on the current-gen iPad mini.

Though these are just rumors for now, it seems Huawei is eager to get ahead of the game in its home market of China.

And though the phone in the new Huawei teaser may look small, an 8-inch 16:10 display would only measure around 4 inches wide when held vertically – which could fit the profile of the device shown.

Huawei is banned from doing business in the US and has withdrawn from selling phones in the UK and Australia, so it’s overwhelmingly likely this new folding phone won’t pose a threat to Apple in other markets – but I reckon it’ll be enough to turn heads at Apple HQ, as China is a huge market and Huawei’s efforts may inspire copycats elsewhere.

Dropping teasers like this is a known strategy for Huawei’s folding phone releases – the Huawei Mate XT tri-folding phone was also preceded by a number of conspicuously-well shot public photographs.

In any case, we’ll keep you updated with the latest on the rumored folding iPhone and Huawei’s ever-prolific foldable output through our dedicated phones coverage. Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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• Asus has introduced yet another price hike for Nvidia and AMD GPUs
• The ROG Astral RTX 5090 OC Edition is $1,360.99 more than MSRP
• The Radeon RX 9070 XT now costs $719.99, $120.99 more than its retail price

It's no secret that Nvidia's RTX 5000 series GPUs and AMD's Radeon RX 9070 series GPUs haven't had the best launch, with several issues ranging from scalping, low availability, missing ROPs (on Nvidia's GPUs), and obscene price hikes for board partner cards - and it appears as though the latter is getting worse.

As reported by VideoCardz, Asus has increased the prices of its RTX 5090 models, notably its ROG Astral OC Edition, which now retails for a staggering $3,359.99. This is $1,360.99 more than the RTX 5090's MSRP - and while this is a factory-overclocked GPU (which is typically expected to be more costly), it's yet another indication of severe GPU price inflation.

The same applies to the standard Asus TUF RTX 5090: it's being sold at $2,759.99, $760 more than the $1,999 MSRP. Considering that the TUF brand is supposed to be Asus’s more budget-friendly hardware, it’s a bit upsetting. Either way, consumers will have to dig deep to obtain these premium GPUs - and since Nvidia's Founders Edition cards are hard to come by, consumers are currently relying on third-party options.

It's not just Nvidia's RTX 5000 series either, as Asus has implemented similar price-hiking measures on AMD's Radeon RX 9070 series GPUs. If you're out to purchase the TUF Radeon RX 9070 XT OC Edition, you'll need to cough up $719.99 - that's a $120.99 price hike that arguably destroys the GPU’s main selling point of affordability. It's perhaps worse for those seeking the RDNA 4 experience over what Nvidia has to offer, as AMD does not offer a first-party reference card for either RX 9070 model.

So if it wasn't already clear, the GPU market is facing a significant inflation issue - Asus has just highlighted it all, yet again.

(Image credit: Aleksandr Grechanyuk / Shutterstock) As I’ve said before, this is the worst GPU market I've ever seen…

This is just another example of why the GPU market is in dire need of a major shift. Thanks to a combination of high demand, scalpers, and generally low availability, consumers are left to succumb to ridiculous asking prices and pay more than what GPUs are worth - or wait a long, long time for prices to plummet.

Based on the current retail and aftermarket pricing of Nvidia's RTX 4000 series GPU lineup, I’d bet that there will be little to no major price shifts for RTX 5000 series GPUs (especially for the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080) over the next year. If you're attempting to buy an RTX 4000 GPU right now, you'll likely still be paying more than MSRP.

Thinking of an RTX 3000 series GPU or AMD's Radeon RX 7000 instead? While you may be lucky on the Radeon end, you probably won't find many options for either lineup - at least, not for new-in-box cards that haven’t potentially served time in the crypto mines. Whichever way you slice it, this sort of incredible price gouging isn't what PC users want nor is it acceptable in any way, regardless of whether there is low stock or not - and now I'm just hoping that it doesn't get worse.

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• Doogee V Max Play packs a projector, camping lights, and a massive battery
• Samsung’s projector phone idea returns as Doogee refines it for today
• IP68-rated and military-grade protection withstands extreme environments

At the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 show, Chinese manufacturer Doogee unveiled three new rugged smartphones: the V Max Play, Blade GT Ultra, and S200 Plus, highlighting its focus on durable, high-performance smartphones with advanced capabilities.

Among these, the V Max Play stands out with its integrated portable projector, powerful camping lights, and massive 22,000mAh battery, making it a versatile tool for outdoor use.

With a 22,000mAh battery, the V Max Play provides extended usage, while 33W fast charging enables quick power replenishment, and 15W reverse wireless charging allows power sharing, making it an ideal business smartphone for long outdoor trips with limited access to power sources.

Doogee V Max Play

More than a decade ago, Samsung introduced business smartphones with built-in projectors and “large cameras”, including the Samsung Galaxy Beam and Galaxy Camera. However, high costs and limited adoption kept them from becoming mainstream.

Now, Chinese brands like Doogee have revived and refined the concept, following rugged smartphones such as the Oukitel WP100 and 8849 Tank 2 Pro, that integrate projectors.

The V Max Play features an LED projector with 480p resolution and automatic focus, allowing users to project images and videos onto any surface.

Its dual camping light system enhances visibility in dark environments, a first in the rugged phone market, while an ambient RGB light adds versatility with mood lighting.

Powered by the MediaTek 24M (MT7300) 4nm processor, the V Max Play includes 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage, while its 6.78-inch Full HD+ display has a 120Hz refresh rate.

The camera system includes a 108MP main sensor, an 8MP wide-angle macro lens, and a 20MP night vision camera, plus a 32MP front camera.

Running on Android 14, the V Max Play offers AI tool powered features for automation, image/video editing, and document processing while supporting dual-band WiFi (2.4/5GHz) and Bluetooth 5.4 for connectivity.

Like other rugged smartphones, it offers IP68 water and dust resistance with military-grade drop protection, ensuring durability in harsh environments.

Via Doogee

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• Microsoft Teams adds Real-Time-Text (RTT) to meetings and calls
• Feature gives users a way to comment and message even when others are speaking
• RTT set to launch in May 2025 across Microsoft Teams on Windows and Mac

Making sure your words are heard on a Microsoft Teams call could soon be easier than ever thanks to a new update.

The video conferencing service has announced it will be adding real-time text (RTT) capabilities, meaning users will have another way to put their message out.

The system allows for participants to type a message while someone else's speech is being transcribed, giving users who prefer typing to speaking another way to make sure their voices get out there.

RTT in Microsoft Teams

In a Microsoft 365 roadmap post announcing the feature, the company noted it could enable "effective collaboration for all users", adding it could be "especially useful in situations where speaking is difficult or not possible".

The company clearly sees RTT as an option for busy calls or meetings, where lots of opinions or thoughts are being thrown around, adding the feature will allow "seamless instant communication for everyone", adding it could also be a useful accessibility tool.

The feature is currently listed as being "in development", but has an expected rollout date of May 2025, meaning users won't have too long to wait to use it.

Upon release, it will be available across Windows and Mac platforms, to users across the globe.

The news is the latest addition to Microsoft Teams as it looks to be more useful and intuitive for users everywhere.

The company recently revealed it will be introducing transcription for multi-lingual meetings, supporting more languages than ever, even when it comes to meeting recaps.

The news will also see an improved version of document summaries, generated and supplied by Copilot, to help users stay on track with their chats.

However it also announced a new Copilot feature which will be able to suggest follow ups to, "keep the conversation going", when responding to a prompt, whether you like it or not, the company has revealed.

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• A new Huawei Watch Fit 4 could be on the way
• Filings have been spotted in Europe and the UAE
• It likely indicates a replacement for the Fit 3 is imminent

The Huawei Watch Fit 3 is a very cheap alternative to the best Apple Watches, and now a successor to our 4.5-star pick could be on the way.

As reported by The Tech Outlook, a new Huawei Watch Fit 4 has been spotted in filings in the databases of the European Economic Commission and the UAE's Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, a sign that the device could be just days away.

As the report notes, there are two model numbers, which could hint at two different sizes or a model featuring cellular connectivity. According to TTO, "Huawei Watch Fit 4" is explicitly mentioned in the certification.

Huawei Watch Fit 4: What do we know?

Registering a device with regulatory bodies is a necessary step toward launch in territories, but often gives away the prospect of imminent device announcements, which is why it only happens very close to the release date.

As such, a Huawei Watch Fit 4 seems close at hand, but what can we expect from the next iteration? Unfortunately, details are scarce about the next Huawei Watch Fit, save that it actually exists.

In our review, we loved the vibrant AMOLED display, the lightweight, comfortable design, and the impressive 10-day battery life.

Most of our gripes with it were software-based, notably limited support for third-party apps and an over-reliance on Huawei Health.

It'd be great to see these addressed in an upcoming iteration. Unfortunately, one thing that definitely won't be addressed is US availability, with the ban that precludes the sale of Huawei tech State-side still very much in effect.

As such, you'll likely be available to pick up a new Huawei Watch Fit 4 in the UK, EU, AUS, and of course China.

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• The iPhone 17 Air could start at $899
• That's the same price as the iPhone 16 Plus
• It might also have battery life that's on a par with current iPhones

While we don't yet know much about the iPhone 17 Air, we were concerned that its reportedly super-slim design would mean both a high price and poor battery life – but the latest iPhone 17 Air news suggests that neither of those things will be the case.

According to Apple watcher Mark Gurman, writing in his paywalled Bloomberg newsletter (via MacRumors), the iPhone 17 Air will start at $899 in the US. Now, that’s not exactly cheap, but it is exactly the same price as the iPhone 16 Plus, which would likely make it the second-cheapest iPhone 17 model after the base iPhone 17.

If this price claim is accurate, then there’s a good chance the iPhone 17 Air will also have the same starting price as the iPhone 16 Plus elsewhere, meaning £899 in the UK and AU$1,599.

In the same piece, Gurman says the iPhone 17 Air’s battery life will be "on par with current iPhones," despite the likely slim build presumably leaving less space for a large battery. Gurman doesn't say how this will be achieved, but another recent iPhone 17 Air leak suggested that it will use “high-density battery cells.”

The iPhone 17 Air could rival the iPhone 16's battery life (Image credit: Future)

In any case, Gurman also details some other specs, claiming that the iPhone 17 Air will have a Camera Control button like the iPhone 16 series, and that its bezels will be roughly as thin as those of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Additionally, he says the iPhone 17 Air will have a 6.6-inch 120Hz display, a Dynamic Island, a single-lens 48MP camera, and an A19 chip rather than the A19 Pro that we’re expecting the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max to have.

The first port-free iPhone

This is largely stuff that we’ve heard before – as is a claim that the phone it will be eSIM-only worldwide – but interestingly Gurman also adds (via Engadget) that Apple had originally considered making the phone “completely port-free” by not including a USB-C charging port.

This plan was apparently abandoned not for any technical reasons, but to avoid issues in the EU – which not so long ago forced Apple’s hand in switching from Lightning ports to USB-C. However, Gurman adds that we may yet see a port-free iPhone in future.

We're expecting Apple to unveil the iPhone 17 Air in September, alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup.

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