TechRadar News

• Google is asking keen users to pick their favorite feature descriptions
• Focus is on Ambient Screensaver info and Gemini Live on Google TV
• No details of launch date or device availability just yet

Google has been testing the waters for some interesting new Google TV features, and as a result it's revealed a lot about the upgrades coming to a Google TV set or streamer near you.

It's all happening at the Google TV Advisors Club, which launched in late 2024 to get feedback from Google TV users. And its first targeted survey of Club users asked users with help "trying to figure out the clearest way to describe some exciting new features".

So what's Google been cooking?

The updates are likely to come to the Google TV Streamer, as well as (Image credit: Google) What features has Google been asking users about?

We already reported on the fundamental updates coming to Google TV, including Gemini support – but we're getting a little more information about them from the survey.

As Android Police reports, the first feature in the survey is the Ambient Screensaver, which can provide information as well as art; Google's suggested marketing messages talk about how "when you get closer, it switches to an overview of helpful information like time, weather, and news headlines".

There's a lot about Gemini Live on Google TV too. The most detailed proposed messaging talks about having a "natural, free-flowing conversation" with Gemini that you can interrupt if you want to add more detail or change the topic; brainstorming out loud "from finding recipes to planning your next movie-themed party"; exploring new topics by chatting with Gemini; and most interestingly, "practice for interviews, presentations or other important moments with feedback from Gemini."

Again, we knew that Google TV would get Gemini, but the extent to which it support the full flexibility of Gemini Live was unclear – in combination with more far-field microphones in TVs, the idea is clearly that Google TV devices will work as an AI home assistant hub easily.

There's no indication of a release window for these features, or any detail regarding which TVs will get the features first, though they're expect to come to a lot of Google TV sets, which includes several of the best TVs. But if Google's at the stage of testing its marketing ideas, a release can't be very far away.

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What's in a name, especially one as evocative as "Air"? To me, it means light, floating, a breeze, and the distinction matters. In the case of the iPad, it's always meant lighter than the original, or at least it did. But Apple's recent iPad releases have muddied the definition of 'Air' and now Apple's made one change to the latest iPad Air M3 (11-inch and 13-inch) that makes it clear that the "Air" distinction likely belongs elsewhere.

There isn't much difference between the iPad Air 2024 with the M2 chip and the new Apple iPad Air M3 11-inch and 13-inch models unveiled today aside from the more powerful M3 chip. That bit of Apple silicon imbues the iPad Air with overall faster performance and better intelligence features thanks to a super-charged Neural Processor that better supports the Cupertino tech giant's Apple Intelligence ambitions.

'There is, though, one easy-to-miss design change. On the back, right above the three Magic Keyboard smart connectors, is nothing. In this case, nothing is something because I've noticed the absence of two words, "iPad Air," that were on the back of the M2 iPad Air.

I don't know why Apple removed those words, and Apple is not telling us, but it's a notable change. Here's why.

A question of weight

The iPad Air branding on the rear of the iPad Air M2. (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

It's been 15 years since Steve Jobs introduced us to the "post-PC" world and unveiled the first iPad. That remarkable and sturdy tablet weighed 1.5 pounds. At the time, we lauded it for its sveltness.

Two years later, Apple unveiled the first iPad Air, a skinny, 1-pound, glass and aluminum wonder. The product adopted the Air name from the original MacBook Air, an ultra-thin 3-pound laptop that, in a particularly theatrical flourish, Steve Jobs pulled from a manila envelope.

Since then, all 'Air' products have been dependably lighter and thinner than their base and even Pro counterparts. It's still that way on the MacBook side, but things have gotten fuzzier in the iPad space.

Image 1 of 3

Apple iPad Air M3 specs (Image credit: Apple)Image 2 of 3

Apple iPad Pro M4 specs (Image credit: Apple)Image 3 of 3

Apple 11th gen iPad specs (Image credit: Apple)

Since 2024, Apple's iPad Air has no longer been the thinnest or lightest iPad. That distinction goes to the M4 iPad Pro models. Introduced in 2024, the iPad Pro 11-inch and iPad Pro 13-inch use the new Tandem OLED screen technology. This sandwiches two OLED panels for better colors and deeper blacks, while also eliminating the need for a backlight, thereby making the 5.3-milimeter thickness possible. The 11-inch model weighs just under a pound (0.98 pounds), while the 13-inch Pro weighs 1.28 pounds.

Compare this to the new iPad Air with M3. The 11-inch model is 6.1 milimeters thick and weighs 1.01 pounds. The 13-inch iPad Air is the same 6.1 milimeters thick, and weighs 1.36 pounds. The iPad Air is still 0.9 milimeters thinner than the base iPad (which also got a refresh this week) and 17 grams heavier.

These are not vast differences, but it's also clear that until Apple brings the Tandem OLED technology to the iPad Air lineup, that tablet will still use an LCD-based Liquid Retina screen that requires a backlight, which naturally makes it thicker than the iPad Pro.

Will the real Air stand up?

There is nothing wrong with the previous or this new iPad Air lineup. The M3 I've previously experienced in the MacBook Air is an excellent chip and offers ample support for pro-level video and audio editing, AAA gaming, and, of course, Apple Intelligence.

What about it, though, makes it 'Air'-worthy? Without admitting it directly, Apple has given us a clue that maybe the 'Air' name means less than we thought. Taking the label off this new model is a none-too-subtle way of saying that the appellation doesn't mean what it used to.

Choosing which iPad is right for you will no longer be, "Obviously, I want the light and thin Air model." There are other, more nuanced reasons, like getting near-M4 power and a far more affordable price.

After all, the iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 11-inch model. The new iPad Air M3 starts at just $599. It's not the thinnest or lightest iPad you can get anymore, but that balance of price, performance, and support for the Pencil Pro and that new Magic keyboard may be enough – at least until Apple is ready for the iPad Air to reclaim the thin and light crown.

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• Trend Micro says hackers are using Microsoft Teams to get closer to their victims
• Through social engineering, they obtain credentials to remote desktop solutions
• This access is then used to drop advanced backdoors

Hackers are using advanced social engineering tactics to try and get flawed old .DLL files onto people’s computers which, in turn, would allow them to drop backdoor malware.

A new report from cybersecurity researchers Trend Micro claims the new attack starts on Microsoft Teams, where the crooks use impersonation to get close to the victims and trick them into providing a certain set of credentials. Through Quick Assist, or similar remote desktop tools, they gain access to the devices, where they sideload flawed .DLL files using OneDriveStandaloneUpdater.exe, a legitimate OneDrive update tool.

These .DLL files then allow them to drop BackConnect, a type of remote access tool (RAT) that establishes a reverse connection from an infected device to an attacker's server, bypassing firewall restrictions. This allows attackers to maintain persistent access, execute commands, and exfiltrate data while evading traditional security measures.

Commercial cloud solutions

BackConnect is apparently hosted, and distributed, using commercial cloud storage tools.

Trend Micro says the attacks started in October 2024, and have mostly focused on North America, where it observed 21 breaches - 17 in the US, five in Canada and the UK, and 18 in Europe. The researchers didn’t say if the attacks were successful, or which industries they targeted most.

Since most of the tools used in this campaign are legitimate (Teams, OneDriveStandaloneUpdater, Quick Assist), traditional antivirus or malware protection services will not suffice. Instead, businesses must educate their employees to spot social engineering attacks and report them in a timely fashion. Businesses could also enforce the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and limit access to remote desktop tools.

Finally, they should audit cloud storage configurations to prevent unauthorized access, and monitor network traffic for suspicious connections, especially those going to known malicious C2 servers.

Via Infosecurity Magazine

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• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 3 has been delayed two weeks
• The upcoming season will now be released on April 3 instead of March 20
• Activision says it's "taking the time to deliver a great experience"

Activision has announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 3 have been delayed by two weeks.

The news comes from a post on the official Call of Duty X / Twitter account, where it was confirmed that Season 3 will now launch on April 3 instead of March 20.

"Season 03 is a big moment for Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 6, and we’re taking the time to deliver a great experience starting on April 3," the post reads.

With Season 3 delayed by two weeks, this means that Season 2 could receive some sort of extension in the meantime, giving players more time to complete the current battle pass.

Season 03 is a big moment for Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops 6, and we’re taking the time to deliver a great experience starting on April 3. More to come following Call of Duty: Warzone’s 5th anniversary next week… pic.twitter.com/TmPJnoYBZSMarch 3, 2025

Activision also said that more details about the upcoming season will be revealed during Warzone's 5th anniversary next week on March 10.

Fans have speculated that Verdansk, the original Call of Duty: Warzone map from 2020, will make a return and be a highlight of the upcoming update to celebrate the game's 5th anniversary.

Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season 2: Reloaded launched on February 20 and currently features an ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle collaboration, complete with a themed map called Grind Ooze, as well as Operator skins designed after the four iconic brothers.

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When it comes to cybersecurity, most people think that creating strong, unique passwords is enough. A password gives access to a single account, or potentially several if you re-use passwords, which can make you vulnerable to attacks. But your email address is actually more valuable than your passwords. It's basically your digital passport. You wouldn't share your passport details every time you speak to someone or make a purchase in real life, so why would you share your digital passport everywhere online? If it falls into the wrong hands, the stakes are extremely high.

In 2024, the global average cost of a business data breach was $4.88 million. Identity fraud is on the rise and data breaches occur regularly, so we need to start protecting our email addresses to protect ourselves online.

The risk of using one email address

Your email address isn't just for communication, it's your digital identity. It's an incredibly valuable piece of personal information that can be used, sold and abused by companies, governments and scammers. Thanks to this data, spammers have been able to personalize phishing emails well enough to avoid sophisticated spam detection by Google and Microsoft.

When you give your email address to sign up to public WiFi, or to create a new account, that single piece of information can be used to create a detailed profile about you. It's attached to everything you do online, from online shopping to banking, from posting on forums to contacting healthcare professionals. By themselves, individual accounts contain some sensitive information about you, but your email address connects them all. In the hands of a bad actor, it's the key to a gold mine of personal data.

If, like most people, you only use one email address for all your online accounts, you're creating a huge potential risk. If you only use one email address for all your accounts, you will also find it harder to change it if (or when) it's exposed in a breach.

So many of your accounts will be associated with this email address that even if you realize that you've been affected by a data breach, it's not easy to fix. It means updating your account details on potentially hundreds of websites, a labor-intensive task that most people aren't willing to take on. This gargantuan task is reflected in our recent survey: 66% of Brits said they’d rather lose their passport than their email address.

What happens when your email address – your digital passport – is exposed?

If your email address is published online, you become a target for bad actors online. The two main ways that this can happen are through data breaches and data brokers.

Data breaches occur when businesses fall prey to cyberattacks or even just through mistakes, such as Ticketmaster, Microsoft, and Google experienced in 2024. Hackers downloaded and published troves of information, with more than 1 billion records being stolen. If hackers acquire your email address, they can target you with phishing scams, sending emails to convince you to give away sensitive information to help them to access your accounts.

Your email address can also be uncovered by data brokers. Data brokers trade in personal information as a commodity, selling it for marketing and advertising purposes. They combine data points such as your internet history, public records, and purchases. This data is incredibly easy to find online because it's all connected to your email address, and with enough of it, data brokers can sell a detailed profile of you to businesses for a profit. If you're affected, you'll likely find your inbox bombarded with spam from marketers and potentially scammers. You might also find hackers using your data to guess your passwords, access your accounts, and lock you out. Even governments can purchase this data to spy on their citizens using warrantless surveillance.

Anyone can fall victim to data scraping and breaches. Proton's recent study looked into politicians that had fallen victim to data breaches. 68% of MPs in the UK had their details compromised on the dark web – a national security issue waiting to happen.

A lesser-known solution – hiding your email address

The best way of protecting yourself online is not sharing any information in the first place – what companies don't have can't be used against you. But that's not realistic. So the best way to protect your real identity is to hide your digital identity.

Email aliases let you hide your identity from online services. An alias is a randomly generated email address that you can share with online service providers to mask your real email address, shielding it while still letting you receive emails. Despite being easy to create and manage, they're still underutilized.

For example, you can create an alias such as newsletters.perplexed753@passmail.net – a specific alias for receiving a newsletter. Without any identifying information, such as your name, it can't be traced back to you. Even if that business is breached, your personal identity won't be affected. You can create a unique alias for each account, covering your tracks online and protecting your privacy.

Without your email address, data brokers and scammers can't create an online profile for you. Your alias is only tied to one account, and since it doesn't contain any identifiable information, it reduces the amount of information you share online.

If one of your aliases is compromised in a data breach or begins receiving spam emails, you can simply deactivate it. Only one of your accounts is affected and you can create a different alias for that service. The inconvenience and risk associated with your real email address being leaked is eliminated. You can create as many aliases as you like to make sure that any risk is spread across multiple disposable addresses. Instead of a huge task to reset your email address, it becomes a thirty second fix.

Email aliases don't just allow you to receive emails — but send them too. If you want to create an account on a forum but don't want to use your personal email address, your aliases help you communicate with total privacy. You can create email aliases to help you manage a small business using your business domain or even just organize your inbox.

Email aliases are an easy, low-effort tool to combat cybercrime and protect our personal data. As navigating the internet becomes more risky, we need to rethink the way we freely give our personal email addresses to every online service provider. Instead, we should approach sharing your personal email address the same way as sharing your passport — with great caution. This shift in mindset will make it harder for bad actors to flourish online and help you take control of your privacy.

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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: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Threat actors seen abusing AWS misconfigurations to gain access to the instances
• They would use the instances to create new SES and WorkMail services
• The emails would bypass email security, while keeping the attackers hidden

Misconfigured Amazon Web Services (AWS) environments are being abused to run phishing campaigns that can bypass email filters and land right into people’s inboxes, experts have claimed.

Cybersecurity researchers from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 recently spotted a group tracked as TGR-UNK-0011 engaging in this type of attack.

The group, which Unit 42 says significantly overlaps with a separate group called JavaGhost, has been active since 2019. However, the group was initially focused on defacing websites, and only pivoted to phishing in 2022, when they started seeking out financial gain.

JavaGhost

The attacks start with the group obtaining people’s AWS access keys. This gives them access to Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) and WorkMail services.

"JavaGhost obtained exposed long-term access keys associated with identity and access management (IAM) users that allowed them to gain initial access to an AWS environment via the command-line interface (CLI)," the researchers said. "Between 2022-24, the group evolved their tactics to more advanced defense evasion techniques that attempt to obfuscate identities in the CloudTrail logs. This tactic has historically been exploited by Scattered Spider."

After confirming the access, the attackers would create a temporary account and access the console. Then, they would use SES and WorkMail to set up their phishing infrastructure, and would set up SMTP credentials to send the phishing emails.

"Throughout the time frame of the attacks, JavaGhost creates various IAM users, some they use during their attacks and others that they never use," the researchers explained. "The unused IAM users seem to serve as long-term persistence mechanisms."

Since the emails would be coming from a known, and legitimate entity, they would bypass email protections and reach their target’s inboxes. They would also sound more credible, since the two parties most likely communicated in the past, as well.

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The Assassin's Creed Shadows requirements for PC and Mac have finally been revealed. In general, you'll need to know the minimum and recommended specs to work out whether your setup can run the game, and how different levels of ray-tracing can be achieved in-game.

From what we've seen so far, Assassin's Creed Shadows looks to be a bold new step for the long-running action franchise. There are dual protagonists this time around, and even dynamic systems that will affect combat and stealth. We're still waiting to get ahold of the game, but it has a chance of ranking highly on our list of the best Assassin's Creed games from what we've seen so far.

Here's everything you need to know about the Assassin's Creed Shadows requirements for PC and Mac, including a breakdown of what you'll need for each level of ray-tracing in-game. We'll also explain whether AC: Shadows can run on Steam Deck, and some key info on everything from GPU requirements to the resolutions and frame rates that you'll be targeting.

Assassin's Creed Shadows requirements for PC

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Here are the Assassin's Creed Shadows requirements for PC, broken up by the kind of Ray Tracing you want to achieve:

Now, we have the PC requirements for Assassin's Creed Shadows with Standard Ray Tracing switched on:

For those who want to go for extensive Ray Tracing, you'll need the following setup:

Assassin's Creed Shadows requirements for Mac

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Now for the Assassin's Creed Shadows requirements from Mac, which will allow players using Apple silicon to get in on the fun.

Now, here's the requirements for those wanting to target Selective Ray Tracing on Mac:

Finally, here are the Assassin's Creed Shadows requirements for achieving Standard Ray Tracing on Mac:

Can you play Assassin's Creed Shadows on the Steam Deck?

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Unfortunately, Assassin's Creed Shadows won't be playable on the Steam Deck at launch. This was revealed in a Q&A posted to the game's official website:

"At launch, the game will not be compatible with Steam Deck, due to the fact it is below our minimum specs for PC." said Pierre F, Technology Director of Assassin's Creed Shadows.

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The push to ban TikTok was always disingenuous in the United States. Don’t get me wrong – the app’s spyware concerns are well-founded. However, banning one app while ignoring scores of other state-owned, questionable software and hardware is like plugging a leaky dam while water gushes through dozens of other cracks. It’s not a long-term solution to a deep-rooted problem.

For me, as a connected device user and maker of more than two decades, the social media ban (and rapid about-face) raises a bigger, overlooked security concern: the vast network of Chinese-manufactured smart devices in homes and businesses. While TikTok’s data collection makes headlines, the Internet of Things (IoT) captures far more intimate data about our daily lives.

As lawmakers now attempt to find American buyers for co-ownership of TikTok, I’m left asking myself: If this app requires home-grown investment and steering for security, shouldn’t the same apply to the millions of Chinese-made IoT devices?

We know about this threat

Chinese-connected devices have been making headlines for years. First, they’re cheap, which means they’re hackable. Tens of thousands of customers found this out the hard way when Hikvision, a state-owned surveillance camera manufacturer, left users exposed through unpatched software vulnerabilities and default passwords that leaked online.

Further, these devices aren’t just weak – they’re black boxes. Ownership is often unknown or state-linked, so what happens with device data is anyone’s best guess. Additionally, there’s no telling what these devices could do. The hardware, software, and platform are made in China. With full network access, rogue devices could monitor network traffic, inject malicious code, and create distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

What we can say for certain is that these devices – from robot vacuums to video doorbells – collect more intimate, real-time data than any social media app. This includes constant audio, video, and location data. Think about it: social media only sees what you choose to share, while these devices witness your unfiltered life. They come with eyes and ears – cameras and microphones – that can track daily routines, lifestyle, and, well, you.

While TikTok operates in the virtual realm of social media content, IoT senses and actuates with the real world around it. Connected cars with cameras can drive around and discover all kinds of infrastructure, even using sensors like WiFi to discover networks and digital mechanisms. This is just the tip of the surveillance iceberg.

More dangerous than TikTok

The TikTok ban and ownership decision opens up a digital can of worms. It’s just not true to say this app is a national security risk if countless other devices aren’t given the same distinction. This is especially so if the threat from connected devices is actually worse than one app.

Consider, for example, that devices directly connect to cloud platforms – again, determined by the devicemaker – with some even counting facial recognition. Not to mention, TikTok is usually tied to a mobile device, which adds an extra security layer via iOS or Android. Devices don’t have this. How is this not a security and geopolitical risk, again?

The truth is that TikTok’s ban and buyout is based on political posturing rather than consumer safety. For this reason, it’s highly unlikely governments will start divvying up ownership and operation of every dodgy company in Chinese IoT. There’s not enough political will and, ultimately, these devices do a lot of good for economies when onboarded – keyword – safely.

Of course, regulators are trying to encourage device security baselines in Europe (Cyber Resilience Act) and The United States (Cyber Trust Mark) regarding default passwords and patching guarantees. But they can’t and won’t move for outright bans or buyouts. After all, IoT offers excellent efficiency and management insights, and Chinese devices often deliver the best bang for buck. So, what can we do?

Protect yourself, your networks, and your data

Protecting yourself from this threat starts by weighing up the pros and cons of technology from this part of the world. There’s a real chance you’ll pay the price for discounted devices in the form of security backdoors and data loss. So, keep the overall bottom-line impact in mind.

If you decide to bite the bullet, ensure multiple security failsafes. Configure your devices with peer-to-peer communication and end-to-end encryption. Also, store them under your own lock and key at the edge. This way, they’re on their own segmented network closer to home with less latency and fewer intermediary servers.

For the record, I don’t think governments should get involved with the ownership of these companies. Nonetheless, it’s a worthwhile thought exercise with geopolitics moving at breakneck speed and devices entering our most private spaces. Regulations are the right move for the moment and let’s hope our lawmakers keep a close eye on this sector.

Whatever happens next, both consumers and companies need to move with the landscape. Between tariffs and TikTok, nothing is off the table, so be careful not to put your data in the line of fire.

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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 Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, March 4 (game #632).

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 #633) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BITE
• ONION
• SOFT
• KICK
• PICKLE
• SKIRT
• ALLERGY
• RELIEF
• PAINT
• DODGE
• EDGE
• CLIP
• BORDER
• FILE
• MELODRAMA
• FRINGE

NYT Connections today (game #633) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: On the outside
• GREEN: Cuticle activities
• BLUE: Things to make you blub 
• PURPLE: Add a rhyme with “wall” to make a game

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 #633) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: PERIPHERY 
• GREEN: THINGS PEOPLE DO TO FINGERNAILS
• BLUE: WHAT MIGHT BRING TEARS TO YOUR EYES 
• PURPLE: __BALL RECREATIONAL SPORTS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #633) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #633, are…

• YELLOW: PERIPHERY BORDER, EDGE, FRINGE, SKIRT
• GREEN: THINGS PEOPLE DO TO FINGERNAILS BITE, CLIP, FILE, PAINT
• BLUE: WHAT MIGHT BRING TEARS TO YOUR EYES ALLERGY, MELODRAMA, ONION, RELIEF
• PURPLE: __BALL RECREATIONAL SPORTS DODGE, KICK, PICKLE, SOFT

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

I’m annoyed with today’s Connections because I made a mistake with an answer that is technically also correct.

PAINT could have fitted into __BALL RECREATIONAL SPORTS as well as THINGS PEOPLE DO TO FINGERNAILS. The injustice! It’s not as if I tried to put PICKLE and ONION in a group together – I thought about it, though.

Paintball doesn't involve an actual ball as such, so I guess that justifies its exclusion. But what’s doubly annoying at missing out on an error-free clean run is that this was one of those rare puzzles where I actually understood what all the categories were, for a change.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, 4 March, game #632)

• YELLOW: ADJECTIVES FOR NICE SKIN DEWY, FRESH, GLOWING, SMOOTH
• GREEN: MESS OF HAIR MAT, MOP, TANGLE, THATCH
• BLUE: DICKENS CHARACTERS BUCKET, PIP, SCROOGE, TWIST
• PURPLE: ___CHAIN DAISY, FOOD, MOUNTAIN, SUPPLY

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, March 4 (game #1135).

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 #1136) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1136) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1136) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1136) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

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

Quordle today (game #1136) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• T

• M

• R

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

Quordle today (game #1136) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1136, are…

• PLEAD
• TWANG
• MAJOR
• RISKY

I smelled a rare (Q,X,Z, J) letter today but gambled on the wrong one, guessing RAZOR ahead of MAJOR.

Until this point I had been going pretty well, landing PLEAD and TWANG when there were other possibilities.

My error took me closer to the edge than I would have liked, but I’m just happy to get my winning streak back after Monday’s flop.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1136) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1136, are…

• GOLEM
• BEING
• LIBEL
• FEMUR

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER
• Quordle #1134, Monday 3 March: FRILL, KAYAK, REBAR, WORDY
• Quordle #1133, Sunday 2 March: TUNIC, GLOSS, DEBUG, LARGE
• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL
• Quordle #1130, Thursday 27 February: THIEF, CHAIR, ETHER, GRIME
• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER
• Quordle #1128, Tuesday 25 February: TWIST, TWEAK, MEANT, CLEAR
• Quordle #1127, Monday 24 February: LEASH, LEVER, TOTEM, CREME
• Quordle #1126, Sunday 23 February: RABID, RELIC, SCRAM, BASIS
• Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
• Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
• Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE
• Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE
• Quordle #1121, Tuesday 18 February: TAMER, SCRUB, BRICK, DRIFT
• Quordle #1120, Monday 17 February: SADLY, WAFER, LITHE, IDIOM
• Quordle #1119, Sunday 16 February: GHOUL, AFIRE, COVEN, FIERY
• Quordle #1118, Saturday 15 February: CREEP, CONDO, GRILL, FANCY
• Quordle #1117, Friday 14 February: MEDIA, ELUDE, THUMB, WIDOW
• Quordle #1116, Thursday 13 February: SCALP, DWELL, AMPLE, TRUNK

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, March 4 (game #366).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Ahoy!

NYT Strands today (game #367) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BOAT
• STORE
• WOLF
• TEAR
• TROT
• LICE

NYT Strands today (game #367) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Famous vessels

NYT Strands today (game #367) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: top, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #367) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #367, are…

• BEAGLE
• BOUNTY
• TITANIC
• VICTORY
• MAYFLOWER
• SPANGRAM: HISTORIC SHIPS

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

At 13 letters, today’s Spangram was a giant snake that took up a sizable chunk of the puzzle – and, wonderfully, it took the form of a ship, nodding to the answer of HISTORIC SHIPS. This is a lovely idea, but sadly one that would work in only a few Strands puzzles; if the NYT can assemble Spangrams that look like GLUTEN FREE or ENDEARMENTS it is a lot smarter than I am.

It probably says a lot about my lack of historical nautical knowledge that even though the only space I had left at the end was for MAYFLOWER, I still attempted to spell out a ship called Wolfyamre, before seeing the obvious.

Of all the ships listed only one remains intact today – the BEAGLE, on which Charles Darwin sailed, was broken up; the BOUNTY was burned by mutineers; the TITANIC hit an iceberg; and the timber from the MAYFLOWER was used to build a farmhouse.

Meanwhile, HMS VICTORY, which was built in 1758 and took part in the war of Independence and the Napoleonic Wars, survived the ravages of time and is preserved as a museum ship in Portsmouth, England. I visited it on a school trip once. All I can remember is that someone stole my packed lunch and I had to make it through the day on an apple. Hard times.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 4 March, game #366)

• STRING
• CURL
• RIBBON
• WISP
• FILAMENT
• THREAD
• TENDRIL
• SPANGRAM: STRANDS

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.

• A reputable Samsung-focused news site has suggested the Galaxy Z Flip 7 could get a decent battery capacity increase
• The Galaxy Z Flip 7 could ship with a 4,300mAh battery, up from 4,000mAh in the Galaxy Z Flip 6
• Samsung has yet to confirm that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is on the way

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 could be getting a welcome upgrade to a crucial bit of hardware over the current-gen Galaxy Z Flip 6, if a new rumor is to be believed.

According to Dutch site GalaxyClub, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will ship with a 4,300mAh battery, up from the 4,000mAh battery in the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

If this rumor is borne out, that would mark the second 300mAh boost in as many years for Samsung’s most accessible foldable, as the Galaxy Z Flip 5 launched with a 3,700mAh battery back in 2023.

Battery improvements of any kind are especially welcome for folding phones, which can struggle to provide the same longevity as their candy-bar counterparts due to the inherent inefficiency of splitting a battery cell between the two (or more as we start to see tri-folding devices) parts of the phone.

Indeed, our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review found the phone’s battery to be a rare downside to an otherwise impressively capable handset.

GalaxyClub notes that, due to the way battery capacities are advertised, the rated capacity of the phone will likely be lower, at around 4,174mAh. That’s still an improvement on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which the report states had a rated capacity of 3,887mAh.

As we previously reported, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is otherwise largely expected to follow the form and function of last year’s model, with recent renders suggesting the two will almost be identical in appearance.

That visual similarity tells us a bit about the phone’s hardware too – we’re still expecting two cameras, a contoured cover display, and an inner screen with a tall aspect ratio, though the displays are tipped to very slightly increase in size.

Still, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 already holds a spot on our lists of the best folding phones and best Samsung phones, so a boost to battery would probably be enough to secure those spots for its follow-up, too.

What do you want to see from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7? Is a battery increase enough to justify an upgrade? Let us know in the comments below.

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• Apple just upgraded the entry-level iPad, now dubbed the iPad (A16)
• The new A16 chip is up to 50% faster than the previous generation, but doesn't support Apple Intelligence
• It keeps the same price and doubles the starting storage

Alongside unveiling the next-generation iPad Air with the M3 chip, Apple also upgraded the entry-level iPad – but it might not be the upgrade you’ve been expecting. The good news is that it still comes in a few fun colors and keeps the same starting price. Like the iPad Mini (A17 Pro), it’s now iPad (A16), with the processor name in the title.

In the United States, it starts at $349. Instead of 64GB of storage, it comes with 128GB of internal storage for starters. This means you’ll have more space for apps, photos, and files, among other things.

It’s the first product launched by Apple in recent memory that doesn’t support Apple Intelligence. The new iPad is powered by the A16 chip, which should deliver even better performance for the entry-level model with a 5-core CPU, a 4-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine over the previous A14 Bionic chip. However, that chip is not capable of Apple Intelligence, so it is important to keep that in mind and weigh the importance of those features.

(Image credit: Apple)

Still, iPadOS 18 should run just fine here and be fit for gaming, streaming, editing, browsing the web, and FaceTime calls, among other things. Apple says that compared to the previous generation, it’s up to 50% faster and that the “A16 makes the updated iPad up to 6x faster than the best-selling Android tablet.” We just don’t know what Android tablet Apple is comparing to.

Even without Apple Intelligence, the now eleventh-generation iPad with the A16 chip still keeps a USB-C port for charging, a Touch ID sensor in the power button, and support for two key accessories – the Apple Pencil first-generation, Apple Pencil with USB-C and the Magic Keyboard Folio, which I happen to like the customizability of more than the proper Magic Keyboard.

Interestingly enough, the iPad (A16) appears to have a slightly larger display than the previous generation. It now measures in as an 11-inch Liquid Retina display (2360 x 1640 resolution) with support for True Tone compared to the tenth-generation 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display of the iPad.

Apple does note that the iPad still has rounded corners, so the “actual viewable area is less” on the ‘tech specs’ section of the site, but we’ll need to see once we can go hands-on if the bezels were shrunk.

The iPad still sticks with a 12-megapixel camera on the back and a 12-megapixel camera on the front with support for Center Stage to automatically keep you in the frame for calls. Rounding out the specs are landscape stereo speakers, dual microphones for capturing audio, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3. If you opt for the cellular model, it will still support 5G Sub-6GHz, but there is no mmWave support, similar to the iPhone 16e.

Like the iPad Air with M3, you can preorder the iPad (A16) right now if you’re already sold and it will formally launch on March 12, 2025.

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• Security researchers spotted a new ClickFix campaign
• The goal is to deploy the Havoc post-exploitation framework
• The framework is hosted on a Microsoft SharePoint account

Hackers have been seen abusing Microsoft SharePoint to distribute the Havoc post-exploitation framework in a new ClickFix phishing attack.

Cybersecurity researchers Fortiguard Labs, who have been tracking the campaign since last year, highlighted how ClickFix is a type of scam we’ve probably all encountered at least once. Cybercriminals would hijack a website, and create an overlay that displays a fake error message (for example: “Your browser is outdated, and to view the contents of the webpage, you need to update it”). That fake message would prompt the victim into action, which usually concludes by downloading and running malware, or sharing sensitive information such as passwords or banking data.

This campaign is similar, although requires a bit more activity from the victim’s side. The attack chain starts with a phishing email, carrying a “restricted notice” as a .HTML attachment. Running the attachment displays a fake error that says “Failed to connect to OneDrive - update the DNS cache manually”. The page also has a “How to fix” button that copies a PowerShell command to the Windows clipboard, and then displays a message on how to paste and run it.

Rising threat of ClickFix

Running this script then runs a second one, hosted on the attackers’ SharePoint server which, in turn, downloads a Python script that deploys the Havoc post-exploitation framework as a .DLL file.

Havoc is a post-exploitation framework designed for advanced red teaming and adversary simulation, providing modular capabilities for stealthy command and control (C2) operations. It offers features like in-memory execution, encrypted communication, and evasion techniques to bypass modern security defenses.

ClickFix has gotten insanely popular in these last couple of months. In late October last year, a new malware variant was observed compromising thousands of WordPress websites, installing a malicious plugin that would serve the ClickFix attack.

Just a few weeks prior, researchers saw fake broken Google Meet calls, which was also a variant of the ClickFix attack.

Via BleepingComputer

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• 11- and 13-inch iPad Air tablets get the M3
• This adds support for new Magic Keyboard
• Pricing unchanged since last models

Not even 24 hours after Tim Cook teased, "There’s something in the AIR,” Apple’s just made its next-generation iPad Air official. Along with getting the M3 chip, it still comes in several fun, poppy colors and now supports the ‘new’ Magic Keyboard, which was initially launched alongside the iPad Pro M4.

Now, this is a pretty early refresh for the iPad Air, considering it was upgraded to the M2 chip and a refreshed design on May 7, 2024. Still, it’s clearly popular within the lineup and is now getting an even more powerful chip to make all sorts of tasks even more fluid.

It’s still available in either an 11-inch or 13-inch size, allowing you to pick what best fits your needs, and there is no price increase year over year. The 11-inch model starts at $599 in the United States, while the 13-inch is $799 (starting), both start at 128GB storage and come in Blue, Purple, Starlight, or Space Gray.

The screens are still Liquid Retina displays, meaning no Dynamic OLED like on the iPad Pro. However, they offer a vibrant and crisp experience with an anti-reflective coating standard. They also support the P3 Wide Color gamut and True Tone, which will automatically adjust the color temperature to your space. This is all quite nice to have, and considering this still supports the Apple Pencil Pro, you can hover over the screen to see what impact a pen stroke might have before committing to it.

What the M3 means

iPad Air M3 with Magic Keyboard (Image credit: Apple)

As far as the M3 chip goes, it’s an 8-core CPU – split between 4 performance, 4 efficiency cores, a 9-core GPU with support hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Plus, Apple has even confirmed that the new iPad Air ships with 8GB of RAM out of the box. Suffice to say, this should be plenty of power for everyday performance in iPadOS 18, for the Stage Manager multitasking experience, and for Apple Intelligence features. Remember, the iPad Air with M2 was no slouch, but this should future-proof the device even further.

The iPad Air still sticks with a Touch ID sensor baked into the power button for easy authentication or unlocking, but it does keep the 12-megapixel front-facing camera on the horizontal spot, meaning that this device is best used in landscape mode.

And that's why ushering in a whole new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Air makes so much sense. It's still the same square footage and in fact, backward compatible with the M2 iPad Air's, but Apple's plopped in a larger trackpad and 14 function keys at the top. Think quick keys for brightness, playback, microphone, and volume.

Another welcome change is that USB-C passthrough port now supports faster charging, but we don't know how that impacts data speeds just yet. Still a win, though! It's also a bit cheaper at $269 for the 11-inch iPad Air and a bit more at $319 for the 13-inch, but it only comes in white.

True to the older Smart Keyboards and every Magic Keyboard that Apple has offered, you won’t need to worry about charging this accessory or a pesky pairing process as it has a Smart Connector built-in. Interestingly enough, the base iPad is still the only model supporting the two-part Magic Keyboard, so it sticks with the floating design here on the iPad Air.

Rounding out the iPad Air on the rear is still a 12-megapixel camera for taking photos or videos. As far as this refresh goes though, it’s pretty much focused on giving the iPad Air even more headroom and better performance across the board courtesy of the M3 chip. In the press release, Apple calls out its performance gains not on the M2-powered iPad Air but on older models – promising up to two times faster than the M1 iPad Air and a leapfrogging three and a half times faster than the A14 Bionic model.

We’ll be going hands-on and testing the new iPad Air with M3 just as soon as we can, but for now, if you’re sold, it’s up for preorder right now and will formally launch on March 12. But if you were hoping for one more thing, Apple also gave the entry-level iPad a bit of a spec bump, but maybe most importantly kept the price the same.

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• A number of RTX 5070 models have been listed at MSRP in the US
• This appears to hint that pricing for the GPU could come out favorably
• There are plenty of reasons to doubt that, though, sadly

Nvidia’s RTX 5070 graphics cards have been spotted complete with pricing at retailers ahead of their imminent release (tomorrow, March 5), and what we’re seeing is something of a pleasant surprise – on the face of it.

There are reasons to be very wary here, though, which I’ll come back to.

At any rate, first the prices themselves, and Wccftech reports that a regular hardware leaker on X, @momomo_us, picked up on B&H Photo over in the US listing a number of RTX 5070 models with price tags (which are still live at the time of writing).

https://t.co/0KwWX8yDbO pic.twitter.com/rjmn3m5JihMarch 3, 2025

These are RTX 5070s from third-party card makers which are pitched at the official MSRP, and while some are entry-level boards as you might expect, there are overclocked models in here too.

The latter are PNY’s RTX 5070 OC variant which is priced at the MSRP of $550, along with Gigabyte’s WindForce OC – and the entry-level WindForce is at the same $550 price, as well as the Asus Prime RTX 5070.

Previously, Best Buy has also listed the Asus Prime RTX 5070 at the $550 recommended price, too (and that product listing remains unchanged as I write this).

So, as mentioned at the outset, this could be read as an encouraging sign that the cost of RTX 5070 GPUs might fall reasonably in line with Nvidia’s recommended pricing.

As I indicated before, though, I’m not reading it that way, and let’s dive into why that’s the case.

(Image credit: Pixabay) Analysis: Getting real for a moment

Okay, there are a few bones to pick with this one (perhaps an entire carcass). Firstly, with the B&H Photo pricing, it doesn’t make any sense that the WindForce models would be the same – the entry-level and overclocked model – the latter surely won’t be at MSRP (the former should be, granted).

Just look at these same variants in the case of the existing RTX 5080 and you’ll see that Gigabyte prices the OC version at just over 25% more expensive. There’s no way this won’t be mirrored with the RTX 5070 (at least to some extent, anyway, even if it’s not as big a jump).

What this shows is that these are (at least partially) placeholder prices from B&H, though that said, it’s entirely likely that the entry-level Gigabyte WindForce, and indeed the likes of the Asus Prime RTX 5070, will be at MSRP. Remember, the latter is priced at the MSRP over at Best Buy as well, and these are entry-level boards that should be fixed at the base recommended pricing.

Anyway, the broad point here is let’s not get carried away with the notion that somehow overclocked RTX 5070 boards away from the baseline models will be at MSRP – they won’t. Hopefully entry-level flavors will – they absolutely should be – but there’s an obvious second problem here that looms large.

Namely that pricing might be kind of academic anyway, based on how the Blackwell GPU launches have gone so far – stock levels have been very low in general, and all RTX 5000 models have sold out in a flash. Going by the latest rumors, RTX 5070 stock is going to be much the same story, or maybe even worse than the RTX 5090 (which was particularly shaky).

The problem in that case is that pricing tends to be pumped above MSRP (even by retailers, not just scalpers) simply due to demand, as we’ve seen already with Blackwell.

And you can get pricing dynamics coming in such as MSI reportedly hiking its entry-level Blackwell boards well above MSRP (as VideoCardz noticed). This happened briefly in the case of the RTX 5070 Ti, but the card maker now seems to have thought better of it, and reduced pricing again at the MSI store. (Not at Newegg, mind, at the time of writing, where the Ventus 3X OC version of the 5070 Ti remains at its artificially inflated price of $900 – and MSI’s RTX 5080 boards remain well over their MSRP at its own online store, too, for now).

Not that you can buy these GPUs anyway, even if you wanted to pay that much.

In short, the whole situation around Blackwell graphics cards is a bit of a mess, and I’m going to be very surprised if things turn out much different with the RTX 5070. And definitely don’t expect any reasonable prices for overclocked 5070 models, that really is just pie in the GPU sky.

Meanwhile, AMD has RDNA 4 graphics cards sweeping in on March 6, apparently with healthier stock levels, causing an extra headache for Nvidia, potentially.

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• Lego's next castle set is themed after Beauty and the Beast
• It stands at over 20 inches tall and is built from 2,916 pieces
• Lego unveiled the set at Toy Fair 2025, closing out its reveals for the show

Whether you’re a fan of the animated original or the live-action remake, Beauty and the Beast is an iconic story within the Disney lineup. And if you’re equally a fan of Lego or of castles, the next set that the two brands have teamed up for will check off the boxes for you.

Making its debut at the 2025 Toy Fair – alongside the River Steamboat and a massive T-Rex – is the Disney Beauty and the Beast Castle building set. It’s the next castle within Lego’s lineup, joining the classic Cinderella’s Castle – as made famous by several Disney parks –, Hogwarts Castle, the Lion’s Knight Castle, which is a classic, and countless other Disney ones.

The Beauty and the Beast one, like the classic Disney one, looks like a beast in terms of size and piece count. It stands 20.5 inches tall, 12.5 inches wide, and 6 inches deep, all coming together courtesy of nearly 3,000 pieces – it’s 2,916 pieces, to be exact.

(Image credit: Future)

Once the build is complete, you’ll have an entire exterior front and a rear that reveals the interior. On the front, you’ll be able to see the four levels and a crest at the top, with a purple exterior brick front as the main color. It’s packed with a lot of intricate details on the front and on the inside.

Up near the top of the castle, though, you’ll find the first of many murals depicting the all important rose in various colors, though red is prominent here.

Flipping the Beauty and the Beast Castle around, you’ll be able to explore all four levels and a side room in which you recreate the iconic dance via a spinning floor title between Beast and Belle. And if you look at the very top, the actual enchanted rose is held under a glass cover on the interior behind the mural.

The various levels include the dining room and grand staircase, so the set will be a real treat for fans of the film, the characters, architecture and design, and Disney at large. Of course, alongside the actual set you get the all-important Minifigures. This set includes Belle, the Beast, Gaston, LeFou, Maurice, Lumière, Fifi, Cogsworth, Chip, and Mrs. Potts. I’d bet money that the Lego team had fun creating these, especially when you realize that Gaston is smiling while holding the torch.

(Image credit: Lego)

There seem to be a lot of easter eggs within stickers for murals and other elements, as well as the book that tells the story of Beauty and the Beast. You’ll get the instruction manual in the box, but as with more recent Lego sets, you can download the ‘Builder app’ for iOS and Android to view the manual digitally.

You won’t have to wait too long to get your hands on the Lego Beauty and the Beast Castle set as it will launch on April 1st for Lego Insiders members – we promise it’s not a joke, and the program is free to join – and April 10th for everyone else at $219.99 / £189.99 / AUS$449.99 at Lego’s online store or from a physical location. If you can’t wait until then we suggest streaming either the animated or live-action Beauty and The Beast on one of the best streaming services, Disney Plus.

You can also check out one of the many other castle sets on Amazon or Lego here.

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• $100 billion TSMC investment destined for US semiconductor manufacturing
• $65 billion has already been invested in Phoenix, Arizona
• Tens of thousands of jobs could be created

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced plans to invest at least $100 billion in the US semiconductor manufacturing industry over the next four years.

The move is set to fund three new fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and one R&D center, though details of planned locations have not yet been confirmed.

The company boasted that the project has now become the “largest single foreign direct investment in US history," and adds to its existing $65 billion investment in Phoenix, Arizona.

TSMC US jobs

Besides advancing the semiconductor market, much like any other similar announcement, TSMC highlighted the positive impacts of its investment on the workforce. The company estimates creating 40,000 construction jobs over the next four years as well as “tens of thousands of high-paying, high-tech jobs” across both manufacturing and R&D.

Its Arizona plant already employs more than 3,000 workers and supports US efforts to domesticate its supply chain.

TSMC also suggested a further $200 billion in indirect economic output could be achieved across the US as a result of the announcement.

“Back in 2020, thanks to President Trump’s vision and support, we embarked on our journey of establishing advanced chip manufacturing in the United States. This vision is now a reality,” commented company CEO Dr C C Wei.

Trump had recently declared, “If they did [the chips] in Taiwan to send them here they’ll have 25% or $30% or 50% or whatever the number may be… It’ll go only up. By doing it here, there’s no tariffs.”

The two-time President also criticized Taiwan of monopolizing the market, welcoming the Taiwanese company to its shores to conduct business locally.

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• The new hand luggage-compliant roller-case is available in three colorways
• It's part of Peak Design's ecosystem, with a new purpose-made XL Camera Cube
• Priced from $599.95, with crowdfunding campaign running from March 4 to April 17

Peak Design has unveiled its first roller-case, the premium Roller Pro, with innovative features and familiar design touches taken from its camera accessories ecosystem.

The hand-luggage compliant roller is available in three colorways – black, eclipse (a burgundy-ish shade) and sage – and is currently being crowdfunded from March 4 to April 17 with a backer price of $599.95, and is due to land on the Peak Design website from late June.

There's also a new dedicated Camera Cube (XL) that's designed to maximize the internal storage of the Roller Pro for camera gear that needs extra protection, which costs $139.95 (UK and Australia pricing for both items is TBC).

Of course there are no guarantees with crowdfunding campaigns, but I've already had my hands on a sage Roller Pro prototype for weeks (and I've tested numerous Peak Design products down the years, primarily camera gear, such as the Outdoor Backpack, Camera Cubes, Travel Tripod and Camera Sling), and I can imagine Peak Design's latest product becoming my go-to roller case for many years to come. Let's take a look at what it offers.

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(Image credit: Peak Design) A pricey roller that's a dream to handle, and built to last

Peak Design sent me a prototype of the Roller Pro several weeks ahead of its announcement, and I can tell you that it's an entirely different proposition to budget roller cases made from off-the-shelf parts.

This a premium Peak Design product through and through, with an ultra-smooth and agile four-set of wheels, plus a low-profile handle made from solid single pieces of carbon fiber, rather than rickety telescoping tubes. The handle slots into an aluminum chassis and takes up less space inside the roller case, meaning more space for your stuff.

The roller's exterior is a durable-feeling and expandable soft-shell type, with a familiar Peak Design look and an additional top soft handle (easing that temptation to hoist the loaded case up by the extending handle), while a polycarbonate hard shell structure inside provides rigidity and protection for what's inside.

I love how the main compartment opens for packing and unpacking. Unlike other rollers that double in footprint when you open them up, the Roller Pro's drawbridge top sits vertically up – ideal for when you're in tight spaces trying to access camera gear, or in an airport frantically searching for that thing you need.

With so many camera accessories in its portfolio, naturally Peak Design has put plenty of thought into gear storage. There are dedicated and secure compartments for items such as a laptop, small interior zipped pockets for important items like a passport and memory cards, plus a wide variety of protective Camera Cubes – including the new XL version, meaning you can customize how you split camera gear / personal items storage for your needs, for a each trip.

It's still early days for my Roller Pro testing, but I can already see it becoming my go-to roller case for many years of traveling and photography trips. The elephant in the room is the product's list price – around $600 for the case only is pretty steep, and that's before you add the cost of accessories for camera gear, such as Camera Cubes.

Still, if it's as durable and versatile as my time with it so far indicates, the Roller Pro could ultimately turn out to be excellent value. I'll share more thoughts further down the line by way of a long-term review.

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• Fans are calling Activision out for it's continued use of AI in promotional ads

Activision has just announced Guitar Hero Mobile with what appears to be an AI-generated artwork, but the game isn't even real.

The Call of Duty publisher revealed the first look at its new game for smartphones on its Instagram with a promotional advertisement. Guitar Hero Mobile's logo is front and centre, however, looking closer it's quite obvious that the rest of the image is AI-generated.

The artwork features four figures standing on a stage holding guitars but they're unrecognizable, the crowds on either side look sloppy, and the equipment in the background is misshapen. Not to mention the odd-looking colored guitar fret buttons that play a huge part in the rhythm game series.

A lot of fans were able to spot the post's inconsistencies, and are now calling Activision out for its use of generative AI.

"A.I. Hero looks awesome," one user said. "Gotta love a multi-million dollar company using AI to come back after their past banger games," said another.

Over on Reddit, the responses aren't much better.

"This genuinely looks horrendous. This is like 2-3 generations old as far as AI generated images are concerned," one Redditor commented.

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If the AI didn't put you off, then perhaps the fact that Guitar Hero Mobile doesn't even exist will.

The official download page on a website called Geeklab shows even more ai-generated images with a description that boasts a "fast-paced, competitve mobile rhythm game" where players "face off in real-time musical battles, hitting notes in sync with the music to climb the global leaderboards and become the ultimate rockstar".

However, after clicking the "GET" link, it will take you to a survey that will thank users for their interest.

"This isn't a real game, but could be some day!" it reads. "We'd love if you could answer this short survey, which could help inform the potential future of this game. Your feedback really matters to us!"

The Guitar Hero Mobile announcement is likely an attempt to gauge players' interest.

Similarly, Activision did the same thing last month for a new Call of Duty mobile game called Call of Duty: Zombie Defender.

The advertisement on its Instagram account used AI-generative images, and the install button also led users to a survey with the aforementioned statement that stated it wasn't "a real game".

In other related news, Activision has finally admitted to using generative AI for some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 assets (via IGN). After fans discovered evidence of the fact three months ago, Activision has now confirmed the use of AI to align with Steam's new AI disclosure rules.

"Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets," the game's Steam page now reads.

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