TechRadar News

• A free Android VPN app with 1M+ downloads was caught hosting its service on Windscribe-stolen VPN servers
• JetVPN allegedly began using Private Internet Access (PIA) servers after Windscribe blocked its access
• According to Windscribe, this incident is a symptom of wider issues with Google Play

A free VPN, ranking among the most downloaded free apps in the Google Play Store with 1M+ downloads, was caught seemingly stealing from Windscribe.

Rated as one of the best VPN providers on the market by TechRadar's reviewers, Windscribe first realized that JetVPN – a new name in the industry – was using Windscribe-owned servers to host its VPN service at the end of July.

After blocking it, JetVPN allegedly turned to Private Internet Access (PIA) servers to keep hosting its service.

A JetVPN spokesperson told TechRadar that the team was completely unaware of the situation until Windscribe reached out. A third-party firm offering a "white-label VPN" solution allegedly provided JetVPN with Windscribe and PIA servers without the company knowing.

"This whole thing is basically scammers scamming other scammers," commented Windscribe's CEO, Yegor Sak, adding that, "it is not the first time this happened," suggesting this signals a wider problem with how Google deals with quality control on new applications.

Stolen VPN servers – how did it happen?

Windscribe and PIA are among a handful of VPN providers offering unlimited device connections. This means that once you subscribe to one of these services, you can use your VPN app on all of your devices simultaneously.

While everyday users may take advantage of this policy to protect their families and friends by paying only for one subscription, malicious developers can also abuse it to host their own virtual private network (VPN) software at no cost.

"How they do it is very simple: they buy a bunch of Windscribe accounts, and then mass-share them using their own app by distributing OpenVPN credentials," Sak told TechRadar.

Nothing to worry about if you have a Windscribe or PIA account, though. As Sak explains: "This does not affect any other Windscribe users, since they're just abusing their own accounts, which they paid for."

PIA also confirmed to TechRadar that the team was aware that a third party took advantage of its unlimited device offering.

"In line with our Terms of Service, we closed the offending accounts promptly," a PIA spokesperson told us.

When approached by TechRadar, JetVPN said the team promptly stopped using Windscribe and PIA servers as soon as the provider got in touch, removed them from its application, and moved to an infrastructure fully under the company's control.

"We want to emphasize that JetVPN never engaged in any intentional or unauthorized use of their infrastructure – the overlap came solely from the same third-party provider," said a JetVPN spokesperson.

A Google Play issue?

(Image credit: Google Play)

At the time of writing, JetVPN is unavailable on the Google Play Store. Until Friday, August 15, 2025, it was and amassed a 5-star rating within a couple of months. The VPN was never available for download on the Apple App Store.

Asked about this, JetVPN told TechRadar that the removal isn't directly related to this matter.

"We are currently in the process of updating and improving our service, and we look forward to making it available again in due course," said a JetVPN spokesperson, adding that it was the company's decision to launch the app solely on Android at first.

That said, the JetVPN saga is only the latest of such incidents, where unverified VPN apps managed to get into the top ranks on Google Play.

Google even launched a "Verified" badge last February to help users download only secure and trustworthy services. Yet this popular free Google Chrome VPN extension has recently been found to spy on its 100k users, despite having obtained such a security badge.

All in all, Sak told TechRadar: "Google has a serious problem on their hands with quality control, as well as obvious use of bots to mass-install and mass-review shady apps to get them into the top 10 lists. This is quite obvious, since this app [JetVPN] has a 5.0 rating, with 5k+ votes and zero written reviews."

As a rule of thumb, you should always avoid downloading unsecured freebies if you care about your privacy and security. If you're looking for a trustworthy application, we recommend checking our best free VPN guide – Privado VPN, Proton VPN, and Windscribe Free are today's top picks.

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Sometimes it feels like we are in the middle of a scam epidemic. From bogus investment schemes to phishing attacks, online fraud is becoming more frequent, more sophisticated, and more emotionally exploitative.

In the midst of it all, one type of fraud is grabbing more headlines than the rest: romance scams. Victims of these schemes are not only left financially devastated, but emotionally manipulated, tricked into believing they were in a real, meaningful relationship that turned out to be part of the elaborate scam.

The latest data from the City of London Police reveals that in 2024 alone, over £106 million was lost to romance scams, with victims losing an average of £11,222 each. And the problem is showing no signs of slowing down, with Barclays reporting a 20% increase year-on-year.

However, romance fraud is just the tip of the iceberg. Fraudsters are constantly changing their tactics, using new tools and strategies to deceive thousands of social media users into handing over substantial sums of money.

Evolving techniques

Romance scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, now turning to AI-generated deepfakes to make their stories more believable. They create hyper-realistic videos and audio, impersonating celebrities or trusted individuals to manipulate victims, by using easily accessible AI tools.

That’s what happened earlier this year in France, when a woman was scammed out of €830,000 by individuals who impersonated Brad Pitt using AI-generated images and videos.

In cases like these, scammers are particularly effective because they adopt a “slow-burn” approach, carefully nurturing online relationships over weeks or even months before making their move.

When the time is right, the ask for money is usually linked to a fake medical emergency, a golden investment opportunity, or a sudden family crisis.

While romance scams have grabbed the most headlines when it comes to social media scams, they’re just one example of a much bigger problem.

The tip of the iceberg

Stolen identities, deepfakes and other AI-generated techniques are driving fraud across social media. They are not used only for romance scams but also phishing campaigns, impersonation attacks, and social engineering.

Specifically, there has been a significant increase in scams using synthetic identities, where fraudsters create entirely fake personas using a mix of real, stolen, and fabricated personal details. These techniques are not just common to perpetrate romance scams, but are often used to secure loans with no intention to repay them as well as in money laundering schemes.

The use of deepfakes or synthetic identities is also on the rise in social engineering scams, where fraudsters impersonate trusted organizations or individuals to trick victims into revealing personal details, financial information or even transferring money. These tactics allow scammers to build up credibility with their victims, leading them to believe they are interacting with, and even giving money to, a credible entity.

Deepfake videos of celebrities are increasingly used to promote investment scams, tricking victims into handing over money for fake investments, promising high returns that never materialize. According to Hargreaves Lansdown, losses from investment scams rose by more than a third in 2024, reaching £144.4 million.

In one recent case, an organized network based in Georgia defrauded thousands of savers across the UK, Europe, and Canada out of $35 million (£27 million). The scammers used deepfake videos and fake news reports featuring money expert Martin Lewis to promote bogus cryptocurrency and investment schemes.

Tackling online fraud

Something that most scams have in common is their origin point. Three quarters of scams (75%) start online, whether that be on dating sites, social media or digital platforms.

Thanks to pre-built fraud kits that can be bought ‘off the shelf’ on the dark web, the entry barrier to fraud no longer exists, and being an expert has become irrelevant.

With AI tools to create deepfakes available online, and synthetic identities up for sale, anyone with an internet connection and bad intentions can now manufacture trust at scale to commit fraud, making digital environments an increasingly dangerous place.

To stem the tide of fraud, digital platforms and social media sites need to take proactive steps to prevent bad actors from operating on their sites.

Integrating technology that detects fraud before a conversation even begins would be a critical step in that direction. AI-powered digital footprint analysis and OSINT tools offer powerful ways to verify whether there’s a real person behind an account, not just whether the account looks real.

These technologies can instantly check whether a user's email or phone number matches the name they provided at sign-up and flag suspicious location mismatches. They can even detect AI-generated images or celebrity photos being used as profile pictures, as well as flag the use of disposable phone numbers or newly created email addresses.

These are simple yet highly effective measures that can make a huge difference in preventing not only romance scams but also investment scams, social engineering, phishing, and more.

Big Tech needs to step up its game

So why are we seeing a rise in scams across the board, when there is technology that could prevent them? In short, these tools are not being used to their full potential.

In recent years, some social media sites have introduced additional voluntary safeguards to verify users' identities and protect against scams, but there’s still more to be done.

If Big Tech can personalise ads with near-perfect accuracy, it should also be able to detect and disrupt romance scams and other forms of fraud. The reality is this simply hasn’t been made a priority.

Until it is, criminal exploitation scams will continue to massively proliferate on social media and other digital platforms.

The tools and resources to prevent scams are there. What we need now is the will to use them.

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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

• A YouTuber has shared a new concept video of 'Windows 12.2'
• This is a follow-up to their previous vision of Windows 12, and refines the concept
• There are some smart ideas, but Microsoft is likely to be thinking very differently about it's next-gen OS

Windows concept videos are quite popular these days, as it's intriguing to take a glance at what might be if Microsoft took a different tack with its OS - and another one just popped up showcasing 'Windows 12.2' no less.

BetaNews spotted this latest concept video from 'AR 4789', a YouTuber who regularly posts these kinds of visions of how Microsoft could spin Windows. If you're wondering why it's called Windows 12.2, this is because the YouTuber already posted a take on Windows 12 a few months back - so this is a refinement.

At any rate, have a watch of the video below and see what you make of the concept, remembering that it is just that - this isn't a mod, there are no installation files, and it isn't based on leaks within Microsoft or anything remotely official.

It's simply an alternate vision of how Windows 12 could look, so click play - maybe skip the beginning which is just the mock setup of the operating system, head to 3:20 if you want to miss that - then afterwards, I'll give you my thoughts on this idea (if you'll indulge me).

Analysis: a smart concept - but the future of Windows will probably look very different

Overall, the YouTuber's take on the Windows 12 interface looks really clean and streamlined, and I like that vibe. There's a cheeky reference to Apple's Liquid Glass design, as well, with the Aero (transparency) effect from Windows Vista in evidence (recall the whole Apple copied Microsoft battle of barbs, though as I've said before, I don't feel that's a very fair stance - and arguably, Apple did sneak in first with the Aqua design in the interface of OS X 10 at the turn of the millennium).

Indeed, the Windows 7 theme applied in the video looks tasty, too, and I also really like some of the nuances, such as the choice of taskbar implementations (two smaller versions, plus floating or docked taskbars, or even options for a Windows 7 or 10-style bar). The Start menu gets a similar treatment and a smart level of customization overall.

I wish Microsoft would adopt some of these ideas, but let's face it - the likelihood of that is remote-to-non-existent (and that's a charitable assessment).

Indeed, I'd argue that the likelihood of Windows 12 appearing in the near(ish) future is also low in the probability stakes. Why? While rumors of Windows 12 have continued to circulate here and there, I'm thinking that whatever step Microsoft takes with the next incarnation of Windows - whatever it might be called - is going to need to be a big stride forward.

This is because Windows 11 was seen as a reskin of Windows 10 when it arrived, and there's definitely some truth there. Under the fresh paint job, many of the features and core workings of Windows 11 remained much the same as Windows 10 (even though a lot was changed under the hood - even more so with Windows 11 24H2 - but you don't see that, despite there being benefits such as better security, for example).

And even today, there's a feeling that I see commonly when reading various online forums that Windows 11 really isn't much different to Windows 10 - so why upgrade? There's no major pressing reason to do so (and many of the shiniest new Windows 11 features are for Copilot+ PCs only, anyway).

Okay, so you have to upgrade soon, of course, with Windows 10's End of Life in sight - unless you sign up for extended updates, and I think there's a good argument for doing just that (as you can get an extra year of security updates for free).

Where am I going with all this? Well, if Windows 12 arrives relatively soon in the OS deployment timeframe, it's not going to be all that much different to Windows 11. Much like the concept we see here, it'll remain largely the same - though we can hope for design and customization innovations along the lines of what the YouTuber suggests.

In this scenario, though, Windows 10 kind of clatters into Windows 11 which sort of bumbles into Windows 12 - they're all much of a muchness, as they say. And yes, sure, maybe Microsoft will plump for more modest iterative upgrades for its desktop OS in the nearer-term in this vein. However, this isn't a great look in terms of innovation - and I think the software giant is looking to make a big splash with AI. Indeed, the company's execs are pretty much telling us this already.

Which is why Microsoft might simply not bother with Windows 12 - and just keep Windows 11 rolling on down the road on annual updates - while it works to make a big entrance with Windows AI, or Windows Copilot, or whatever a much more tightly AI-focused operating system ends up being called (it won't be Windows 12, I don't think - again, it'll be a statement of some kind).

If Microsoft really wants to sell AI - and I think there's an abundance of evidence of that, including key chatter from top execs - the next take on Windows will have Copilot's tentacles snaking into a lot more corners, and will push all kinds of new AI-related tricks on us.

As a result, next-gen Windows will probably look very different to the concept we see here - but I hope that Microsoft might take at least some inspiration from the ideas aired on YouTube here, as I'm a fan.

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It’s no secret that the use of AI has surged exponentially in recent years. New research found 96% of global organizations have deployed AI models and the technology is transforming business initiatives unlike anything we have experienced before. Despite this, concerns and frustrations persist for many organizations trying to unlock its full potential.

The pressure to deliver faster, more secure and more efficient applications is intense. Yet complexity, legacy practices and misalignment are undermining AI’s full scope of abilities. To stay competitive, organizations must align strategies across security, automation and deployment or risk digital transformation efforts becoming stagnated.

Legacy operations blocking AI adoption

The industry is laser focused on how AI and automation will transform everything, yet many IT teams still rely on manual steps. Although AI promises automated tasks like traffic optimization, nearly 29% of teams are still mired in scriptwriting and 56% rely on human operators to kick off processes, which often require multiple manual approvals and ticketing.

Legacy methods and manual interventions choke the pipeline. Even the most advanced AI can’t deliver results if the infrastructure relies on time-consuming, error-prone manual steps. This not only delays deployments but also saps team morale. 

Traditional deployment practices, such as reliance on human operators and cumbersome ticketing systems, cause significant delays, with 23% of IT leaders citing ticketing integration as a primary automation roadblock. Modern continuous integration and deployment pipelines are built for speed, but outdated processes slow them to a crawl. If companies aim for continuous delivery yet still depend on manual approvals, agile deployment becomes redundant.

AI fuels hybrid cloud adoption

As AI continues to gain traction, so too does the shift towards hybrid cloud architectures. Today, 94% of organizations deploy applications across multiple cloud environments, driven by the need for scalability, cost-efficiency, and regulatory compliance. The hybrid approach allows organizations to tailor their infrastructure to the specific needs of different workloads and business demands.

As 91% of IT decision-makers have identified adaptability to evolving business demands as a top advantage of hybrid cloud strategies. This adaptability is especially important for AI workloads, where data locality, latency, and cost control are key considerations.

Notably, more than half of organizations plan to run AI models across both cloud and on-premises infrastructure in the foreseeable future. Interestingly, a growing number of organizations are also reevaluating their public cloud strategies.

Approximately 79% have recently moved at least one application from the public cloud back to an on-premises or co-location setup. The reasons for this shift are varied, but commonly include the need for better cost management, enhanced security and increased predictability.

However, this hybrid model is not without its challenges. Fragmented security policies, inconsistent delivery policies, and operational silos can complicate AI deployment across environments. Misalignment across teams and platforms, whether due to differing security standards, outdated workflows or uncoordinated strategies, remains one of the biggest hurdles.

While AI can help optimize existing processes, it cannot compensate for fundamental strategic misalignment. To truly move forward, organizations must go beyond simply adopting new tools. They need to rethink whether their current workflows are still fit for purpose in the age of AI.

The path towards AI’s full potential

To fully harness AI’s potential, businesses need to commit to building modern, programmable IT environments. These environments should not only support automation but also standardize application delivery and security practices. By creating a more consistent and scalable foundation, organizations can eliminate many of the inefficiencies that currently limit AI’s impact.

By 2026, AI is expected to move beyond isolated task automation to orchestrating comprehensive, end-to-end IT operations. With platforms that feature natural language processing and programmable interfaces, traditional management consoles will give way to more intuitive, AI-driven control systems. This evolution will bring unprecedented accuracy, speed, and agility to IT operations.

In this context, flexibility and automation are no longer optional, but essential. Organizations that successfully modernize their infrastructure and align their strategies will be better positioned to unlock AI’s full capabilities. They will not only enhance operational efficiency but also deliver superior customer experiences and drive meaningful digital transformation, at scale.

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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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, August 21 (game #536).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Whodunit?

NYT Strands today (game #537) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MEET
• DEVIL
• REVOLT
• RAID
• POEM
• STRICT

NYT Strands today (game #537) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #537) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 1st column

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

NYT Strands today (game #537) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #536, are…

• DETECTIVE
• STRANGER
• LOVER
• RIVAL
• SPOUSE
• HEIR
• SPANGRAM: ITS A MYSTERY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today we had all the usual suspects of a classic whodunnit? plus, of course, the investigator who will unravel the clues and reveal the killer.

The first word I spotted today was DETECTIVE and at this stage I was uncertain exactly what we were looking for. The word STRANGER helped and then I saw the long snaking spangram.

ITS A MYSTERY is also the name of a rather cheesy new wave song from the early 1980s by Toyah Wilcox, the chorus of which is ingrained into my brain, particularly the line “a shot in the dark, a big question mark”. I couldn’t stop thinking of it during today’s search – which was mercifully brief.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, August 21, game #536)

• HULK
• WOLVERINE
• STORM
• DAREDEVIL
• THING
• ROGUE
• SPANGRAM: SUPERHEROES

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, August 21 (game #1305).

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 #1306) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* 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 #1306) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1306) - 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 #1306) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1306) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• S

• T

• B

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

Quordle today (game #1306) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1306, are…

• TROOP
• SCOPE
• TORSO
• BRINY

I decided to experiment today and play the Daily Classic as if I was playing Sequence and the Sequence as if I was playing Classic, with three starter words.

For the Classic it almost paid off: I was on track to get out in six turns. Then I floundered over a word with dozens of options, eventually getting BRINY but spoiling my score.

The Sequence really didn’t work using the Classic method. I still managed to get home after eight turns, but the thinking time was massively increased.

Daily Sequence today (game #1306) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1306, are…

• BIOME
• ELEGY
• BLUFF
• TERSE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1305, Thursday, 21 August: QUEST, SPARK, WHITE, ACUTE
• Quordle #1304, Wednesday, 20 August: DOLLY, MERRY, BUGLE, WORST
• Quordle #1303, Tuesday, 19 August: KNAVE, SMART, CARRY, MAMMA
• Quordle #1302, Monday, 18 August: FIBER, TRADE, RAYON, TEASE
• Quordle #1301, Sunday, 17 August: FUNGI, AMITY, DRIER, CHECK
• Quordle #1300, Saturday, 16 August: OWING, QUAKE, SLIDE, ELITE
• Quordle #1299, Friday, 15 August: WHALE, PRISM, DRAKE, TEPEE
• Quordle #1298, Thursday, 14 August: LAPEL, IDIOM, RENEW, LIVER
• Quordle #1297, Wednesday, 13 August: CACTI, HOMER, EMAIL, ALBUM
• Quordle #1296, Tuesday, 12 August: SPOOL, TITLE, JAUNT, OVINE
• Quordle #1295, Monday, 11 August: ADULT, BROOM, PURER, CRUEL
• Quordle #1294, Sunday, 10 August: SCRUM, PIPER, TROLL, SPORE
• Quordle #1293, Saturday, 9 August: NOOSE, INLET, ELEGY, VIRUS
• Quordle #1292, Friday, 8 August: KNEEL, KINKY, RALPH, BOOZY
• Quordle #1291, Thursday, 7 August: PLUNK, PROXY, CURVY, PEARL
• Quordle #1290, Wednesday, 6 August: RISKY, APART, FAUNA, HANDY
• Quordle #1289, Tuesday, 5 August: ROAST, SLICK, AUDIT, BILLY
• Quordle #1288, Monday, 4 August: MACAW, SINCE, COLON, CHIRP
• Quordle #1287, Sunday, 3 August: MOTIF, LEERY, LOFTY, BURST
• Quordle #1286, Saturday, 2 August: WARTY, PUPAL, CLEAR, SLICE

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, August 21 (game #802).

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 #803) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• LAS VEGAS
• STRIP
• AMY
• ADAMS
• TOM CRUISE
• WASHINGTON
• PRIVATE RYAN
• CHRISTOPH
• WALTZ
• JOHN
• MALKOVICH
• STUD
• GEOFFREY
• RUSH
• FORD
• ОМАНА
• GRANT
• DRAW
• CHEVY CHASE

NYT Connections today (game #803) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Four of the 45
• GREEN: Action surnames
• BLUE: Place your bets 
• PURPLE: Film names featuring verbs as nouns 

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 #803) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: U.S. PRESIDENTS 
• GREEN: ACTORS WHOSE LAST NAMES ARE ALSO VERBS 
• BLUE: KINDS OF POKER 
• PURPLE: PROPER NOUNS AFTER GERUNDS IN '90S MOVIE TITLES 

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

NYT Connections today (game #803) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #803, are…

• YELLOW: U.S. PRESIDENTS ADAMS, FORD, GRANT, WASHINGTON
• GREEN: ACTORS WHOSE LAST NAMES ARE ALSO VERBS CHEVY CHASE, CHRISTOPH WALTZ, GEOFFREY RUSH, TOM CRUISE
• BLUE: KINDS OF POKER DRAW, OMAHA, STRIP, STUD
• PURPLE: PROPER NOUNS AFTER GERUNDS IN '90S MOVIE TITLES AMY, JOHN MALKOVICH, LAS VEGAS, PRIVATE RYAN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Today’s purple group is one of those that will have people scratching their heads after the answer is revealed.

I had to do some Googling afterwards to learn that a gerund is a verb with an -ing ending that functions like a noun – like “saving’ for PRIVATE RYAN, “being” for JOHN MALKOVICH,  "leaving" for LAS VEGAS and “chasing” for AMY.

Thankfully, I’d already completed today’s puzzle, but not without several mistakes. The first was that AMY and WASHINGTON were linked by Whitehouse/White House along with STUD (surely there has to be White House stud farm) and LAS VEGAS (I was mistakenly thinking of the Little White Chapel).

I also put together the four actors who I guessed had won Oscars – I left CHEVY CHASE out of that group – before stopping and seeing the common link in their surnames.

Messy, but I got there in the end.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, August 21, game #802)

• YELLOW: BLUNDER BOO-BOO, FLUB, GAFFE, NO-NO
• GREEN: LANDS OF THE IMAGINATION DREAM, FANTASY, LA-LA, NEVER NEVER
• BLUE: THINGS WITH ANTENNA/E INSECT, RADIO TOWER, SATELLITE DISH, TELETUBBY
• PURPLE: ____ DOODLE CHEESE, DIPSY, GOOGLE, YANKEE

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.

• JBL has launched three new models in its Quantum headset series
• JBL Quantum 950, JBL Quantum 650, and JBL Quantum 250 are now available for purchase
• The upgraded headsets offer pro-grade audio technology, next-level comfort, an improved microphone, and more

During Gamescom 2025, JBL unveiled three new models in its Quantum headset series, sporting a new design and featuring upgraded audio technology.

Heading up the line-up is the JBL Quantum 950, alongside the JBL Quantum 650 and JBL Quantum 250, each bringing pro-grade audio technology to players and offering next-level comfort and elite audio precision.

The Quantum 950 was built from the ground up and features JBL’s brand-new 50mm carbon dynamic drivers that deliver rich, Hi-Res Certified Audio with ultra-low distortion.

With enhanced high-frequency response, players will be able to identify subtle in-game cues, like footsteps, reloads, and positional changes, that other headsets may miss.

It also boasts JBL Quantum Spatial Sound, powered by the new JBL QuantumENGINE, 3D head tracking, and active noise cancellation for an immersive gaming experience.

"No competitor offers this level of acoustic technology,” said Carsten Olesen, president of consumer audio at Harman. "Our expertise in audio innovation shines through in the new JBL Quantum headsets and the redesigned JBL QuantumENGINE software. We have developed professional-level gaming audio and made it accessible to everyone."

(Image credit: JBL)

The 950 also offers a lightweight design and JBL’s new patented hammock headband with a breathable mesh suspension for better weight distribution, and memory foam ear cushions for long gaming sessions.

JBL's latest model upgrades from a 4mm to a 6mm cardioid boom microphone, improving voice clarity and team comms, while also utilizing integrated AI Noise Reduction, optimised via the JBL QuantumENGINE software.

As for battery life, the Quantum 950 offers a hot-swappable dual battery system, which can be dropped on the included Base Station. It also includes the options to jump between low-latency 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3, or wired connectivity to suit the player's needs.

Meanwhile, the JBL Quantum 650 brings much of what the 950 offers, including JBL Quantum Spatial Sound, the new 50mm carbon dynamic drivers, and hot-swappable battery support. It also supports the same flexible connectivity: 2.4 GHz wireless, Bluetooth 5.3, and wired.

The JBL Quantum 250 is the cheapest model out of the bunch and is designed with "plug-and-play simplicity" in mind, and delivers wired performance across a range of platforms, including PC, Mac, console, and mobile. It’s lightweight like the other models and is built with the same modern, modular design and 50mm precision drivers that define the new JBL Quantum series.

Each model comes in either black or white and features purple and orange accents, as well as dynamic RGB lighting in the Base Station.

The JBL Quantum 950, JBL Quantum 650, and JBL Quantum 250 are now available for purchase at the JBL online store. They will cost £299.99, £129.99, and £49.99 respectively.

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Thanks to star Fiona Dourif sharing the first teaser trailer for The Pitt season 2 on her Instagram stories, fans of the breakout show quickly posted copies around the internet. Thankfully, this means that if you missed the 24-hour viewing window (it's only just been uploaded to the main HBO or HBO Max social media accounts), we've been able to watch and dissect it at our leisure. We know that season 2 began filming in April and is due to be released in January 2026, so HBO is running a pretty tight schedule.

While we've seen a few on-set interviews on YouTube and first-look photos of what's to come, the teaser trailer (which you can catch up with below) is our first proper understanding of what's to come. It picks up 10 months after season 1 ended, following another chaotic shift over the fourth of July weekend. Only Tracy Ifeachor's Dr. Collins definitely isn't returning for future episodes after it was revealed she was written out of the series.

However, that doesn't mean there aren't question marks over the other characters. Dr. Robbie (Noah Wyle) has essentially had a breakdown, Whitaker (Gerran Howell) has been revealed as homeless, and McKay (Dourif) was nearly arrested for tampering with her ankle monitor. Amazingly, none of these cliffhangers are the one I think has been ruined by the new trailer without anyone even realizing.

The Pitt season 2 teaser trailer shows Dana back at work after huge season 1 cliffhanger

Mild spoilers follow for season 1's finale episode of The Pitt.

Within the first five seconds of the above trailer beginning, Dana (Katherine LaNasa) is seen manning her intake station like it's another normal day. Brilliant news, the ER definitely couldn't run as effectively without her. So why is this a spoiler? In the season 1 finale of The Pitt, she's seen taking her photos down from her desk, confiding in Dr. Robbie that she is considering leaving the ER altogether. She can't take it anymore, and we don't blame her.

Even if this is going to be addressed relatively quickly, it's pretty dissatisfying to know we've no longer got such a surprising twist waiting to be revealed next year. My best guess is that Dana's reasons for staying will be answered in a throwaway comment, with The Pitt season 2 then moving forward as if nothing ever happened. We've got other pressing business to deal with, namely the outcome of Langdon's (Patrick Ball) ongoing drug problem. With so much going on at all times, it's unsurprising that The Pitt might have decided to kill some darlings... but don't let us down months before episodes air.

Personally, I'm thrilled Dana is staying put (at least for now). She's one of the only charge nurses that can stay grounded and organized during an onslaught of emergencies, and she's a very good influence on Dr. Robbie. I've got high hopes that The Pitt season 2 is going to have us holding our breath from beginning to end, and we're only just beginning to find out the new surprises HBO has in store.

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• Google has just launched the Pixel Watch 4 smartwatch
• It lets you contact emergency responders via satellite connectivity
• It means Google has beaten Apple to this particular feature

Satellite connectivity can be a life-saving way to get you out of a tight spot, especially if you’re off-grid with no cell phone signal. Plenty of the best smartwatches can call emergency services for you, but none are able to do so by relying entirely on orbiting satellites.

Now, though, Google says its new Pixel Watch 4 is the “first-ever smartwatch with standalone emergency satellite communications.” That means it’ll work even when you’ve left your phone behind or it’s otherwise unavailable.

Here’s how it works. If you’re in a non-cellular area, you’ll need to dial 911 directly from the watch’s interface. You then need to specify what your emergency is – an illness, injury, robbery, and so on – before the watch shows you a quick tutorial on how to connect to a satellite. You’ll have to orient your wrist as guided on the watch, which will help it align with a satellite and send your message to emergency responders.

When you’re using the emergency satellite system, the Pixel Watch 4 goes into battery saver mode in order to keep the device going as long as possible while you need help.

You also need to have the LTE version of the Pixel Watch 4, according to content creator DC Rainmaker, although you don’t actually need to have an LTE service plan. Google says you’ll get satellite connectivity free for two years, but we’ll see if this gets extended like it has been with Apple’s emergency satellite service.

Beating Apple to the punch

(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

Google has done well to bring satellite connectivity to the Pixel Watch 4 ahead of its rivals, but the proof is in the pudding.

After all, being first is all well and good, but we’ll have to see how it works in practice to know if the feature is up to snuff. That said, I’d like to see more watches gain this functionality, as anything that can save your bacon when you’re away from cell service towers should be welcomed.

Apple is supposedly going to add satellite connectivity to the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which is expected to launch this September. When (or if) that happens, it’ll be interesting to see if Apple does anything different compared to Google’s approach, or whether the feature is broadly similar across the devices.

The Google Pixel Watch 4 starts at $349 / £349 / AU$579, although you’ll need to pay $449 / £449 / AU$749 for the most affordable LTE version with satellite connectivity. You can order one right now, but it won’t start shipping until October 9.

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• Oracle's upcoming data center could need power from temporary gas generators
• West Texas data center could come online before it gets connected to the grid
• Oracle recently added a number of major customers for its cloud services

A new Bloomberg investigation into Oracle’s operations has revealed how the company has turned from a database pioneer to a major cloud service provider over the past decade – an unlikely transition when the then-CEO Larry Ellison (now CTO) called cloud computing “complete gibberish” in 2008.

Today, though, Oracle is responsible for powering xAI in Utah and building GPU clusters for Nvidia in Singapore, Japan and Indonesia, not to mention its joint effort with OpenAI worth 5+GW of computing power.

Then, in 2022, TikTok became an important customers for Oracle. Now routing all US traffic through Oracle, TikTok generates around $1 billion in revenue for Oracle every year.

Oracle’s future data center plans

All of this has come at a cost, though, and Oracle now needs to add more data center capacity to keep up with demand. The company has already committed to spending tens of billions on mega-sites despite supply chain hurdles, but OpenAI demand from the Stargate project has added even more pressure.

As a result, its West Texas ‘Frontier’ campus could need temporary gas power until grid connections arrive. Expected to boast a 1.4GW capacity, it could cost Oracle over $1 billion annually to power using gas generators (according to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the plans).

This comes at a time when Oracle faces financial struggles, even despite growth. For the first time since 1990, Oracle recently posted its first negative cash flow due to a spending surge.

“Oracle is going through a business model transformation,” Bernstein analyst Mark Moerdler noted. “We believe the margin will rebound and cash flow will be substantial once they get through this investment phase.”

Speaking about fiscal 2025, CEO Safra Catz said Oracle is expecting higher Cloud Infrastructure growth rates and total cloud growth rates this year despite a strong uptick last year.

“Oracle is well on its way to being not only the world's largest cloud application company – but also one of the world's largest cloud infrastructure companies,” Catz added.

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Insta360 has just announced the Go Ultra, its most advanced miniature action camera yet. With a new sensor and processing chip on board, the Go Ultra promises to outstrip all other tiny action cams on the market when it comes to image quality – including Insta360’s own Go 3S, released just last year.

Up until now, the Insta360 Go 3S has been our favorite miniature action camera – and possibly the most fun camera available. Its minuscule size and weight allow it to get into spots other cameras – even other action cameras – simply can’t go, and it was the first model in the Go series able to capture 4K video.

It’s a hard camera to beat, so how does the new Go Ultra top it? We’ve completed an in-depth Insta360 Go Ultra review and gone through the spec sheets with a fine-tooth comb to see where the differences lie – and determine why you might want to swap your Go 3S for a Go Ultra. Or not…

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar 1. Video and photo quality

(Image credit: Insta360)

The major glow-up comes on the image quality front, with the Go Ultra toting a new 1/1.28-inch sensor – that’s an astonishing 221% larger than the Go 3S’s 1/2.3-inch sensor.

Paired up with a 5nm AI chip (also new), this allows the Go Ultra to offer 4K at up to 60fps (the Go 3S topped out at 30fps), as well as special modes like PureVideo for low-light shooting and Active HDR (both of which require the frame rate to be dropped to 30fps or below). The Ultra also supports more efficient H.265 video encoding, while the 3S only supports H.264.

There’s good news for photographers, too: the Go Ultra can shoot higher resolution still photos at a maximum resolution of 8,192 x 6,144 pixels, as opposed to the Go 3S’s 4,000 x 2,250 pixels.

2. Audio quality

(Image credit: Insta360)

The Go Ultra also ups the specs on the sound recording front, with its built-in mics supporting 48kHz / 32-bit AAC audio. The Go 3S’s maximum audio quality is 48kHz / 24-bit AAC.

It’s also worth noting that the Go Ultra will support a direct connection to the new Insta360 Mic Air wireless microphone. The Go 3S does not support it currently, although we suppose compatibility could be added via a future update.

3. Size and weight

(Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

There’s one key area where the new camera doesn’t beat the Go 3S. Due to its larger sensor requiring more space, the Go Ultra standalone camera unit weighs 1.87oz / 53g and measures 1.8 x 1.8 x 0.7in / 46 x 45.7 x 18.3mm. The Go 3S is lighter and smaller: 1.38oz / 39g and 1.0 x 2.1 x 1.0in / 25.6 x 54.4 x 24.8mm.

For a camera where the tiny size and weight are a major selling point, the slight increase in bulk might well put some people off. I’m not saying the Go Ultra is big or heavy (it’s very small for a 4K 60fps camera), just that it’s not as brilliantly tiny as its predecessor.

4. Battery life

(Image credit: Insta360)

On paper, the Go Ultra wins this round. Its standalone camera features a 500mAh battery offering up to 70 minutes of recording runtime, while its Action Pod battery has 1,450mAh capacity offering a total of 200 minutes runtime.

That’s a lot better than the respective 310mAh / 38-minute recording runtime and 1,270mAh / 140-minute runtime of the Go 3S and its Action Pod.

5. Storage

(Image credit: Insta360)

There’s a clear difference in the two cameras’ approaches to storage. The Go 3S is only available with built-in storage, and buyers get a choice between 64GB and 128GB versions. The Go Ultra’s slightly larger design, however, means it has room for a microSD card slot so, while there’s no built-in space, it can be equipped with as much as 2TB of storage.

That could come in highly useful if, for example, you were travelling, as it could mean you wouldn’t need to delete or offload footage as regularly.

6. Price

(Image credit: Insta360)

It’s new and it’s shiny, so of course the Insta360 Go Ultra costs more than the Insta360 Go 3S. The Go Ultra Standard Bundle (which features the camera, the Action Pod, a magnet pendant, a quick-release safety cord and a magnetic clip) costs $449.99 / £389 / AU$759, and its Creator Bundle (all of the above plus a mini tripod, quick-release mount and a pivot stand) costs $499.99 / £429 / AU$839.

The Insta360 Go 3S has been recently reduced, with its Standard Bundle (which features a 64GB Go 3S camera and Action Pod, lens guard, magnet pendant, pivot stand and easy clip) now costing $319.99 / £279.99 / AU$719. That’s a great price for a 4K action camera that’s only just over a year old.

So there you have it – the key differences between the new Insta360 Go Ultra and its predecessor the Go 3S. What do you think? Does the Go Ultra’s larger size detract from its appeal, or are those extra video capabilities enough to convince you to switch? Let us know in the comments section below – and don't forget to read our full, in-depth Insta360 Go Ultra review first.

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• The FiiO M27 launches worldwide in Fall 2025, with pricing TBC
• Huge battery for portable playback and high power output at home
• aptX Lossless, Auracast and Bluetooth LE Audio

FiiO has announced a new flagship portable player, the FiiO M27. It's a high-powered, high-performance hi-res audio player with a very impressive specification.

The M27 is powered by a Qualcomm QCS6490 chipset, which uses the Snapdragon 770G architecture and features eight Kryo 670 cores, an Adreno 642L GPU and supports both LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

It has 8GB of RAM and twin microSD slots, each of which supports up to 2TB of storage. On-board storage is 256GB, and the OS is Android 13.

The player is one of the first portables to use the Qualcomm QCC5181 chipset, which enables it to support aptX Lossless as well as Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast. FiiO says that "Audiophiles can now enjoy reference-grade sound quality not only through wired connections but also wirelessly with a fidelity previously unimaginable in Bluetooth playback."

(Image credit: FiiO)FiiO M27: key features and specifications

Design-wise, the M27 looks similar to previous flagships such as the FiiO M23, but it's the first FiiO portable to use a titanium alloy chassis. The rear is made from "glass fiber".

The M27 is a dual-DAC design with twin ESS ES9039SPRO DACs and up to 5,000mW + 5,000mW of output power in Ultra Gain mode. There are 6.35mm, 4.4mm and 3.5mm headphone outputs, along with line-level and digital connections. And for going out and about, the M27 has a huge 9,200mAh battery.

The M27 also has FiiO's DAPS, which is short for Digital Audio Purification System and which integrates a high-capacity FPGA and dual RIVER femtosecond crystal oscillators that are claimed to reduce jitter and ensure timing accuracy.

Pricing hasn't been announced yet but the FiiO M27 will launch globally within the next few months, to challenge high-end players from the likes of Astell & Kern in our list of the best hi-res music players. We'll find out if the performance matches the elaborate spec list soon in our full review, as soon as we can get our hands on one.

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• Agentforce for Public Sector has already achieved FedRAMP High authorization
• It is hosted on AWS infrastructure for maximum security compliance
• AI agents get to work to boost human workers’ efficiency

Salesforce has introduced Agentforce for Public Sector, a new platform powered by agentic AI specially designed to assist in government agencies.

The branch of Agentforce promises to inject AI agents into government workflows where it matters the most, such as handling repetitive tasks, by improving responsiveness, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

It has also already received FedRAMP High authorization to guarantee security standard compliance, so may be a common sight in US Government services soon.

Salesforce's government-approved Agentforce platform

Salesforce noted the “staffing shortages and rising public expectations” faced by government agencies as a key attraction for Agenforce for Public Sector.

The company's recent Global AI Readiness Index claimed 90% of global constituents are open to engaging with AI‑powered government services, but concerns around privacy and security have slowed adoption within the sector. This FedRAMP approved platform hopes to change that.

The City of Kyle, Texas has already started using the platform. “It’s like having every aspect of town hall instantly accessible 24/7, whether you’re a city employee or a resident seeking help,” Assistant City Manager Jesse Elizondo said.

Among the first features to launch are three key systems – Compliance Management, Complaint Management and Recruitment Management. They use agents for summarizing and analyzing constituent complaints and detecting complaint trends, assisting compliance officers with violations and fee calculations, and screening job applications to match candidates with relevant agencies.

Job recommendation, benefit application and complaint filing bots will also become available from October 2025.

In a bid to provide clarity to government agencies, Salesforce stressed that Agentforce for Public Sector runs on AWS infrastructure, which is built to meet stringent security requirements for high-sensitivity organizations globally.

“With AI agents working alongside dedicated government workers and providing 24/7 support for constituents – helping with everything from routine inquiries to complex, time consuming tasks – Agentforce will power a more responsive, agile, and effective government,” Salesforce EVP and GM of Public Sector Nasi Jazayeri explained.

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• Google showcased new hardware at the Made by Google event
• This includes a mystery smart speaker we haven't seen before
• It could materialize at an event in a few months

The August 20, 2025, Made by Google event gave us plenty of new hardware to feast on – including (of course) the new Google Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro Fold Android smartphones. But in a quick (not-quite-blink-and-you ’ll-miss-it) segment, we caught a glimpse of an unannounced Google smart speaker.

The showcase was packed with cameos, and in one such star-studded showcase, we saw Formula One driver Lando Norris and NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo trade places – and use Gemini’s advice to better tackle the other’s sport.

Pixel 10 phones made an appearance, and Norris also used a new mini speaker with Gemini.

(Image credit: Google)

As you can see in the image above, the device isn’t like anything Google currently makes – our Audio Editor Becky Scarrott described its look as “like a HomePod mini in a Google dress but with an Echo Dot ring around the bottom,” which perfectly sums it up.

It also seems to possess Google Gemini’s reasoning powers based on how it was used, suggesting it might launch as part of the Gemini for Home upgrade Google has promised.

While the Gemini upgrade is also promised for existing smart speakers and displays, it certainly makes sense that Google would want to upgrade its lineup with some new hardware.

(Image credit: Google)

We haven’t had new hardware since the Google Nest Hub (2nd generation) in 2021, and before that, the last Nest speaker we got was the Google Nest Audio, which just squeezes into our best smart speakers list (but mostly because it’s the best for Google).

So we’re long overdue for an upgrade, and it seems Google is all set to deliver one in the not-too-distant future.

Most likely we’ll see something “in the fall" (so September through to November) as that’s when Google has promised a major update, which should also solve the many complaints Nest users have about their devices.

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In recent years, Honor has partnered with the likes of Moschino, Porsche Design, and Studio Harcourt on some of the best Honor phones, but the brand’s latest fashion-forward collaboration is undoubtedly its sparkliest yet.

Designed by the titular fashion designer, the Honor Magic V Flip 2 Jimmy Choo edition features a shimmering, glitter-coated rear panel and a metallic hinge embossed with Choo’s full name and academic title (that’s Professor Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat OBE to you).

Honor says the phone’s limited edition color evokes “crushed stardust scattered across a deep blue sea,” which is perhaps the most celestial description of a smartphone I’ve ever heard. But beyond its sparkles, the China-only V Flip 2 is a genuinely impressive rival to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 – for multiple reasons.

On the outside, it boasts a familiar 4-inch OLED cover display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is the same sort of cover screen you’ll find on both the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Motorola Razr Ultra 2025. Honor’s flip phone, though, gets a class-leading IP58 resistance rating, which means it’s slightly more resistant to dust than those two big-name models.

On the inside, the V Flip 2 sports what Honor describes as “the most invisible crease of any flip phone on the market right now,” and in our brief hands-on time with the device, this crease is indeed barely noticeable. It sits between a 6.82-inch OLED display that offers a 120Hz refresh rate and a rival-beating peak brightness of 5,000 nits.

Image 1 of 2

The Magic V Flip 2's rear panel (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

The Magic V Flip 2's 6.82-inch inner screen (Image credit: Future)

In terms of performance, Honor’s latest foldable is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and it ships with up to 16GB of RAM, which puts it in-between the latest Samsung and Motorola flip phones on the power scale (the former uses an Exynos chipset and has a lower RAM capacity, while the latter uses the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and the same 16GB of RAM).

The V Flip 2 does, however, boast an amighty 5,500mAh battery, which is the largest ever in a clamshell foldable at the time of writing.

Honor’s latest foldable also boasts some pretty impressive cameras: you’ll get a 200MP main sensor and a 50MP ultra-wide sensor, the first of which is unheard of in the flip foldable category.

So, even if the sparkly Jimmy Choo-ness of the Magic V Flip 2 isn't for you, it's hard to deny the phone's on-paper credentials. Honor has somehow managed to squeeze a class-leading crease, battery, camera, and resistance rating into its latest foldable, and while it’s not available for purchase outside of China, it certainly takes the fight to the best foldable phones on this side of the pond.

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• Asus announced and unveiled a Tandem OLED gaming monitor at Gamescom 2025
• The monitor will have two layers of pixels for better brightness, power efficiency, and OLED lifespan
• It will have a 520Hz refresh rate at 1440p and 720Hz at 1080p

Gamescom 2025 is well underway, after Opening Night Live hosted by Geoff Keighley revealed world premieres and updates to highly anticipated titles. However, Asus, known for some of the best monitors, is the star of the show so far with new hardware set to enhance gaming experiences – and no, it's not the ROG Xbox Ally.

As reported by The Verge, the new Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W was announced and unveiled at Gamescom 2025, a gaming monitor that offers users a 540Hz refresh rate at a 2560x1440 display resolution and a 720Hz refresh rate at 1080p. Both the Swift OLED PG27AQWP-W and LG's 4th Gen OLED are the fastest OLED and arguably the best gaming monitors on the market.

It's not just regular OLED either; Asus' new gaming monitor will use Tandem OLED technology, which is essentially two layers of pixels used to produce higher and (theoretically) more consistent brightness, deeper black levels, and a reduced risk of burn-in on its 'TrueBlack Glossy' display.

(Image credit: Future / Rob Dwiar)

Most importantly, this should result in lower power consumption compared to other OLEDs, since each pixel isn't working as hard as usual to produce high brightness and deep blacks. Asus claims that the Tandem OLED panel results in '15% higher peak brightness, 25% larger color volume, and 60% longer OLED lifespan'.

If these claims are accurate, this should address one of the biggest issues that OLED monitors suffer from, which is an Auto Brightness Limiter (ABL). Brightness limiting occurs whenever viewing brighter content in HDR or, for example, browsing on a pure white screen, which is done to control power consumption, and of course, reduce burn-in risks.

Since Tandem OLED is used to address OLED lifespan and brightness, it sounds like the ideal solution for ABL issues, and this could further widen the gap between OLED and mini-LED monitors, with the former in the lead.

Analysis: I was gradually getting frustrated with OLED care...

(Image credit: Asus)

The use of Tandem OLED technology may very well be used by a wide range of other monitor manufacturers, and that's fantastic news for me. For a long while, OLED care with constant pixel refreshes and ABL left me considering mini-LED, where neither of those issues (except for ABL, but it's a lot less common compared to OLEDs) exists.

Losing out on consistent high brightness and constantly worrying about burn-in with pixel refresh alerts shouldn't be an issue with Tandem OLED. Of course, it's very dependent on how manufacturers implement this technology on monitors, and whether the claim of a 60% longer OLED lifespan means OLED pixel refreshes aren't required as often.

However, it's already a step in the right direction in terms of the added benefits of deeper black levels and brightness (whether that's with ABL or not), without the cost of using more power.

There's no word on pricing or a release date yet, but I have no doubts that this will cost a fortune, so get your wallets ready if you're interested.

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• Windows 11's Copilot app just got an update for testers
• This introduces a powerful new natural language-based search
• There are also some useful changes for the app's home page

Windows 11's Copilot app is getting a deeper and more powerful search functionality, and more besides – although this is only in testing for now.

The Verge reports that Microsoft is rolling out an update for the Copilot app to Windows Insiders (those running test versions of Windows 11) who have Copilot+ PCs.

Those devices have the necessary NPU to drive this new AI search, which allows you to use natural language in queries, and will dive into files to find results for you.

So, as Microsoft points out, you can ask a conversational query such as 'find the file with the tiramisu recipe' and the Copilot app will hunt through the files on your PC to locate it. Or similarly, you could ask 'find pictures of my dog on the beach' and the AI will pick out those images specifically. Microsoft calls this functionality a 'semantic file search'.

Microsoft is also bringing in a rejigged home page for the Copilot app which surfaces recently used files, apps, and conversations, a move designed to make it easy for you to jump back into whatever you were doing previously.

You can also click on those recently-used files to query them with Copilot, or elect to get help with apps via a specific 'guided help' pane – this fires up a Copilot Vision session to guide you through said app.

Testers who want to give the new Copilot app a whirl should grab the latest update from the Microsoft Store in Windows 11.

(Image credit: Microsoft)Analysis: AI end game

Your immediate concern here may be privacy, and Microsoft has been quick to allay any fears along those lines in its blog post introducing these changes. The company makes it clear that Copilot surfaces recently-used files simply via the standard 'recent' folder that Windows 11 maintains – so the AI app isn't digging into your system any more deeply than the records which the OS keeps itself.

Microsoft clarifies that: "Copilot doesn't scan your entire system or upload anything automatically." However, when you're directly querying a file with Copilot, in that case it is uploaded for processing, but "nothing is shared unless you explicitly do so".

As for the semantic file-search capability, I assume that it functions similarly to the AI-supercharging of Windows 11's search itself on Copilot+ PCs (when Microsoft introduced natural language queries via the search box on the taskbar).

Microsoft seemingly wants to beef up search with AI across the board, and so on Copilot+ PCs we have that powered-up Windows 11 search, as well as Recall (a screenshot-based AI search leveraging the activity on your PC), and now an improved natural language search within the Copilot app itself.

What's the end game with pushing AI in search so strongly? Well, search is an obvious use case for AI, and I'd speculate that eventually, Copilot will take over all Windows search duties entirely.

There will be no basic Windows search at all, in other words – if you want to find stuff on your PC, you'll ask Copilot, end of story. And hopefully it'll complete the search without showing you 15 related 'suggestions' or 'recommendations' about what else you might need to complete whatever task the AI thinks you're carrying out.

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• Audio-Technica has revealed a new limited edition version of the ATH-M50xSTS
• It's in collaboration with virtual singer Hatsune Miku
• It will be available later this week

Esteemed audio brand Audio-Technica has unveiled a cute limited edition version of its best gaming headset in collaboration with virtual idol Hatsune Miku.

Officially called the ATH-M50xSTS-USB MIKU, it's a new variant of the excellent ATH-M50xSTS. The headset, which is based on the professional ATH-M50X monitoring headphones, scored close to full marks in our ATH-M50xSTS review.

It offers sublime audio quality that's particularly impressive for its upper mid-range price point, plus multiple comfortable ear-cup types in the box. Paired with a strong boom microphone, it's a fantastic option for gamers or streamers that want to get away from the usual gaming brands.

A post shared by Audio-Technica USA (@audiotechnicausa)

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The ATH-M50xSTS-USB MIKU comes in a special limited edition colorway inspired by the singer. This includes blue details on the headband meant to mimic her iconic hair and a colorful green ring on the outside of each earcup.

The headset is covered in little details, like the bright Hatsune Miku emblem on the inside of its ear cups and the futuristic-looking blue ring around the microphone module.

They come in special packaging featuring an illustration by the artist LAM created for the collab. It features a USB Type-A connection, so is definitely geared towards PC users, but does come bundled with a USB Type-C adaptor.

The headset will be available from August 22 for $279 / £239.

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• Users have spotted a new feature that allows free YouTube users to download videos for offline viewing
• It's the first major upgrade for free users – the feature has been exclusive to YouTube Premium subscribers until now
• However, it comes with several limitations, including video download quality

I’ve been using YouTube for free for years while harboring a lingering desire to upgrade to YouTube Premium, and now the platform has quietly rolled out a feature to free users that’s been exclusive to paying subscribers for years.

The video-sharing service has introduced a new download feature, which is the first major upgrade for free users. It was first spotted by a user on Reddit (see below), and allows free users to download YouTube videos and watch them without an internet connection.

New feature allowing users to download videos without premium (At not the best quality) from r/youtube

As well as video downloads, YouTube Premium subscribers have had access to a plethora of additional benefits, such as access to ad-free content and picture-in-picture playback. The company also recently relaunched its YouTube Premium Lite tier, which only offers subscribers ad-free viewing.

If you use YouTube’s free version and have been considering upgrading to Premium as I have, this feature could be a good reason to stick with the free plan for a little longer. However, the new downloads feature in the free version does come with a few catches.

Video quality limits is the biggest setback

Despite it being a big upgrade for free users, the biggest limitation to the feature is the download quality. If you’re using the free version of YouTube you can only download videos at 360p and 144p, which is borderine insulting compared to YouTube Premium’s 1080p and 720p resolution options – but it doesn’t end there.

Paying YouTube subscribers can reap the benefit of unlimited downloads, but if you’re using the free version there’s a capped limit on how many videos you can download, although what this cap will be isn't yet clear.

Since the YouTube Premium Lite tier only offers ad-free viewing for some videos and not an option to download videos, signing up to the cheapest plan doesn't currently grant you download access – although given that limited downloads are being rolled out for free users, YouTube may also be planning to roll out the feature to Premium Lite subscribers.

The final catch is that music videos are excluded from free downloads, and you’ll still be required to upgrade to YouTube Premium if you want to take advantage of this feature. This is particularly disappointing, especially if you rely on YouTube for music video playback as opposed to music streaming services, which I personally do.

With that said, the setbacks that come with YouTube’s latest upgrade don’t come as too much of a surprise, even if they are rather restricted. YouTube had to start somewhere with its first major upgrade for free users, and I’m hoping it will improve it's offering over time.

Is this enough for you to stick with YouTube’s free version? Or will you still consider upgrading to Premium? Let us know in the comments.

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