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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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, February 21 (game #355).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Here we (don't) go again

NYT Strands today (game #356) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CONK
• SOCK
• LION
• CODE
• DRIFT
• ROVER

NYT Strands today (game #356) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Stuck on the road

NYT Strands today (game #356) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: right, 4th row

Last side: left, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #356) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #356, are…

• GRIDLOCK
• BLOCKAGE
• CONGESTION
• OVERCROWDING
• SPANGRAM: TRAFFIC JAM

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

I got the Spangram first for the second day in a row, with TRAFFIC JAM materializing in front of me as I was searching for hint words.

Even though there were only five words in this puzzle, I still needed a Hint to set me on my way and still struggled to untangle BLOCKAGE – oh, the irony.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 21 February, game #355)

• WHEEZY
• SLINKY
• TWITCH
• BUZZ
• WOODY
• ALIEN
• BULLSEYE
• SPANGRAM: TOY STORY

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, February 21 (game #621).

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 #622) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• YANKEE
• DOODLE
• GLITTER
• GOOSE
• PAPER
• FEATHER
• MACARONI
• ROD
• PARACHUTE
• PACKER
• CANADIEN
• CURL
• CELTIC
• TEASE
• GLUE
• CRIMP

NYT Connections today (game #622) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Trophy winners 
• GREEN: Plump your coiffure
• BLUE: Toddler’s collage kit
• PURPLE: Prefix with a word that rhymes with olden

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 #622) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: MEMBER OF A TEAM WITH THE MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS 
• GREEN: CREATE SOME VOLUME/TEXTURE IN HAIR 
• BLUE: SUPPLIES FOR MACARONI ART 
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "GOLDEN" 

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

NYT Connections today (game #622) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #622, are…

• YELLOW: MEMBER OF A TEAM WITH THE MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS CANADIEN, CELTIC, PACKER, YANKEE
• GREEN: CREATE SOME VOLUME/TEXTURE IN HAIR CRIMP, CURL, FEATHER, TEASE
• BLUE: SUPPLIES FOR MACARONI ART GLITTER, GLUE, MACARONI, PAPER
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER "GOLDEN" DOODLE, GOOSE, PARACHUTE, ROD

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I’m not a huge sports person – at least when it comes to American sports (I'm in the UK) – which is probably why I got CREATE SOME VOLUME/TEXTURE IN HAIR as the first group today, despite it not technically being the easiest. Although I note 'backcoming' is missing, the tried and trusted method during my goth years – now long receded.

However, I still managed to get MEMBER OF A TEAM WITH THE MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE SPORTS (rolls off the tongue) quickly, largely because of the spelling of CANADIEN rather than any actual knowledge.

Getting this in the bag helped me resist the urge to fall into the MACARONI-shaped YANKEE DOODLE hole.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, 21 February, game #621)

• YELLOW: WAY OF SOLVING A PROBLEM ANSWER, FIX, REMEDY, SOLUTION
• GREEN: COLLECT, AS FROM AN ORCHARD GATHER, HARVEST, PICK, REAP
• BLUE: PHOTOSHOP TOOLS ERASER, EYEDROPPER, LASSO, MAGIC WAND
• PURPLE: OBJECTS THAT MAY BE RIGHT- OR LEFT-HANDED BASEBALL GLOVE, CAN OPENER, GOLF CLUB, GUITAR

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.

• Fitbit could be getting a new sleep schedule feature
• Sleep Lab has leaked in code
• It could give you personalized recommendations for bedtime and wake time based on surveys

The best Fitbits could be about to get a major sleep upgrade in the form of Sleep Lab, a new leaked feature that could transform the way you monitor and maintain your sleep schedule.

While Fitbit models currently offer various sleep tracking metrics across its range, the new Sleep Lab feature could give you more personalized insight into what time you should go to bed, and what time you should wake up in the morning.

9to5Google reports that new code found in the latest Fitbit for Android app uploaded to the Google Play Store includes a new "Sleep need" experiment, with more details in tow. Here's what you need to know.

Fitbit's sleep schedule experiment

(Image credit: Andrew Williams)

According to the report, Fitbit's new Sleep Lab (or Sleep need labs) has three main aspects. Users will answer a few questions at different times during the day. Using those responses and your sleep data, Fitbit will calculate how much sleep you need each night. With that info, you'll get personalized bedtime and wake-up recommendations.

Surveys are done in the morning, midday, and evening, and you'll get a 1-hour reminder before your scheduled bedtime.

There will also be sleep debt metrics, as well as integrations to edit your alarms to keep you on schedule. You'll also need to wear your Fitbit for 5 days to get the most accurate sleep need and sleep debt data.

This sounds like an exciting upgrade that could turn your Fitbit into one of the best sleep trackers without the need to invest in something like a smart ring or dedicated sleep-tracking products.

This feature isn't live yet, but its presence in the Fitbit app's code suggests its release is imminent, so stay tuned to find out when it goes live.

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Cyberattacks strike organizations every 42 seconds, and it takes an average of 270 days to detect and contain a breach. With nearly half of all breaches involving data spread across multiple environments, security teams are under immense pressure to manage thousands of accounts and entitlements across both controlled and uncontrolled endpoints.

To safeguard their organizations, they deploy measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO). However, as cyber criminals can easily obtain stolen credentials from the dark web at low cost, it gives them part of the puzzle to enable them to by-pass MFA. With a user’s legitimate credentials they could, for example, bombard that user with MFA push notifications – hoping they accept one. Each push being caused by the attackers attempting to login with the stolen password.

By impersonating legitimate users, attackers infiltrate systems unnoticed. Given the increasing complexity of these threats, implementing adaptive, multi-layered identity security is critical. Modern identity security must extend beyond conventional methods, providing dynamic protection without adding unnecessary burdens to security teams. A proactive identity security strategy that evolves with the workforce is no longer optional—it’s fundamental to ensuring enterprise resilience and long-term security.

The growing attack surface requires innovative solutions

Shared accounts, weak password practices, and unrestricted admin rights leave organizations vulnerable to ransomware, malware, and data breaches. The problem is made worse by temporary or external workers, adding to IT teams’ workload with constant requests for onboarding, offboarding, password resets, account lockouts, and misplaced authentication devices.

Even organizations using identity security models often rely on disconnected solutions that fail to fully integrate, creating blind spots in user activity. A modern approach to identity security that treats every user as potentially privileged is essential. This requires implementing smart privilege controls that cover the entire user lifecycle, from onboarding and role adjustments to de-provisioning and beyond.

Equally important, these controls must strike a balance between security and user experience, enabling employees to work efficiently and without unnecessary friction, from login to logout. By balancing access and security on unmanaged devices, external partners and vendors benefit from a secure pathway with controlled browsing that prevents session hijacking and cookie theft, without disrupting workflows. Robust endpoint identity security controls offer comprehensive visibility into attack paths, credential misuse, and insider threats, while smoothly integrating with third-party solutions.

Workforce identity security: putting theory into practice

Centralized storage and management of identities and attributes should act as the single source of truth for all identity data. By combining MFA, SSO, lifecycle management, and endpoint security with browser, session, and password protection, the user is protected from endpoint to cloud. By eliminating identity silos and integrating controls from other areas like privileged access management (PAM), employees can securely & seamlessly access applications and resources without repetitive logins or complex authentication.

The result is scalable, adaptable security that grows with your organization, reducing the burden on internal teams by automating access management. With a combined approach to security, an employee logs in from a remote location using a single set of credentials that grants access to everything they need. No more juggling multiple logins or trying to remember yet another password.

With SSO, users log into one portal using their existing credentials, gaining access to all assigned apps with a single click. They can update profiles and reset passwords as needed—all without compromising security. Next, when they shift to web browsing, they have a range of passwordless authentication options. Since not all apps or sessions are the same, high-risk web sessions are secured with web session monitoring, recording, and controls that detect anything unusual in real time. This provides security teams with insight into user actions, safeguarding sensitive data, and creating a detailed audit trail vital for compliance and response.

A unified strategy for addressing modern threat

With credentials available to the highest bidder at minimal cost, the stakes have never been greater. The positive news is that organisations once burdened by sprawling endpoints, unsecured credentials, and outdated systems all have the potential to successfully transform their security strategies. By shifting from fragmented identity and access management (IAM) processes to a unified identity security framework, they can seamlessly adapt to the complexities of today’s threat landscape – it just takes a shift in focus and mindset.

Security cannot stop at the point of login; it demands a holistic, multi-layered defense strategy that can keep pace with increasingly sophisticated threats. The evolution of workforce identity security does not begin with complex security solutions but with a security-first mindset—one that prioritizes identities, operates through layered protections, and remains adaptable enough to secure the entire user journey.

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• Microsoft recently found and patched a high-severity bug in Power Pages
• The bug allowed malicious actors to log into target websites
• The vulnerability was fixed, but Microsoft warns potential victims to be on guard

Microsoft has fixed a high-severity vulnerability in its Power Pages product, and has warned users to be on the lookout for signs of exploitation.

The company recently published details about CVE-2025-24989, an improper access control vulnerability in Power Pages, which allows unauthorized attackers to elevate privileges over a network, potentially bypassing the user registration control. In other words, unauthorized attackers could use the vulnerability to log into other people’s websites. It was given a severity score of 8.2/10 (high).

We don’t know who is behind the attack, or how many websites are affected. According to Microsoft, Power Pages has more than 250 million active website users on a monthly basis including Britain’s National Health Service.

Patched flaws

Microsoft Power Pages is a low-code platform for building secure, data-driven websites, enabling users to create and customize sites with drag-and-drop simplicity while integrating with other Microsoft services like Power Automate and Dataverse.

It is designed for businesses and organizations that need external-facing portals for customers, partners, or employees without requiring extensive coding expertise. It is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), meaning all patches and updates are done by Microsoft on its servers.

The company already deployed the patch, but that doesn’t mean the trouble is gone. Apparently, cybercriminals discovered the flaw before Microsoft did, and used it to access at least a few websites. It is impossible to know what they did with the access. They could redirect people to malicious websites, serve malvertising, steal data, and more.

The company warned some users to be careful and look for signs of exploitation.

“This vulnerability has already been mitigated in the service and all affected customers have been notified,” Microsoft said. “Affected customers have been given instructions on reviewing their sites for potential exploitation and clean up methods. If you've not been notified this vulnerability does not affect you.”

Via The Register

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A new YouTube subscription tier could come sooner than you think, as Google could be going ahead with the relaunch of YouTube Premium Lite, a budget-friendly version of its YouTube Premium tier which lived for a short two years before being axed in 2023. The tier is designed for those who want to use YouTube for ad-free video content rather than music, creating a new subscription tier that separates the YouTube Premium and YouTube Music bundling.

According to Bloomberg ($/£), YouTube Premium Lite will be announced in the US, Australia, Germany, and Thailand soon, but has been testing overseas for months as reported by The Verge. Since news broke out, a YouTube spokesperson stated “as part of our commitment to provide our users with more choice and flexibility, we’ve been testing a new YouTube Premium offering with most videos ad-free in several of our markets”. At the moment subscription prices are not set in stone, however, a user on Threads posted a screenshot (see below) of a prospective price range for the US version of the tier back in October - around the time when YouTube confirmed it was in testing.

Post by @jonahmanzano View on Threads

It’s a no-brainer that YouTube Premium Lite will remove ads from videos, but from what has been said about its relaunch so far, that seems to be the only benefit it will bring to the table. Unlike the higher-priced YouTube Premium tier, which includes handy new tricks and additional benefits including offline downloads, background playback, and full advantage of YouTube Music, these features won’t be part of the lower-priced ‘Lite’ tier

As it stands, users who subscribe to YouTube Premium have full access to the music streaming service YouTube Music which allows you to stream music and podcasts and watch music videos without ads. As described by Bloomberg, YouTube Premium Lite is designed to ‘target viewers who primarily want to watch programs other than music videos’, therefore only music videos will still include ads. Though ads won’t be completely eradicated in the ‘Lite’ tier, it’s still enough to entice new customers who currently rely on music streaming platforms that aren’t YouTube Music.

A saving grace for non-YouTube Music users

For many people like myself, we’ve resorted to the best music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and even Tidal to get the most out of our listening experiences. I don’t know of anyone close to me who uses YouTube Premium for that matter, and the only thing I can pin it down to is because its bundling with YouTube Music seems a little pointless when they use alternative services. This is why I think that YouTube Premium Lite could provide that long-needed separation between video and music streaming.

YouTube Premium has always been one of those services that I’ve never seen the appeal for. That’s only because I’m a loyal Spotify user and therefore have no reason to use YouTube Music. However, after hearing the rumors that YouTube Premium Lite could be on the way, I’m prepared to surrender.

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• Seemingly leaked renders of the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro show both phones with three cameras
• The addition of a third camera could increase competition with Samsung
• The Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro are expected on March 4

The long-rumored Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro are due to launch on March 4, but thanks to a new leak we may already have a clear idea of what the new phones are going to look like.

Leaked renders shared by Android Headlines have seemingly given us a full view of both models from a variety of angles, with their respective frames and camera systems clearly visible.

The Nothing 3a and 3a Pro were heavily rumored to feature a third camera (in both cases an optically zoomed telephoto lens), and these renders corroborate that prediction, which should have expectant Nothing fans excited.

While the leaked 3a Pro render features a lens cutout in the recognizable elongated shape common to many telephoto lenses, the 3a features three circular lenses. According to Android Headlines, these differing shapes allude to a higher-powered 3x zoom on the 3a Pro (with up to 60x digital zoom), and a lower-powered 2x optical zoom on the 3a (with up to 30x digital zoom).

Image 1 of 4

The Nothing Phone 3a (Image credit: Nothing / Android Headlines)Image 2 of 4

The Nothing Phone 3a (Image credit: Nothing / Android Headlines)Image 3 of 4

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro (Image credit: Nothing / Android Headlines)Image 4 of 4

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro (Image credit: Nothing / Android Headlines)

The report adds that the camera systems are otherwise similar, with a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 50MP telephoto camera across both models.

The phones also apparently differ in their selfie camera resolution, with the Phone 3a sporting a 32MP selfie snapper and the 3a Pro bumping that figure up to 50MP.

These renders give us a good look at some other design elements of the upcoming Nothing phones, too. Specifically, the glyph design returns with three segments (similar to the glyph design on the Phone 2a), while both phones also feature a flat screen with a punch-hole selfie camera, a round camera island on the rear panel, and a ringer switch alongside the standard power and volume buttons.

The Nothing Phone 2a (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

In any case, the addition of a third camera on Nothing’s mid-range handsets puts the company in direct competition with Samsung, which is the only major phone maker to routinely fit three cameras to its mid-range handsets.

Granted, the third camera fitted to a mid-range Samsung Galaxy smartphone is rarely a telephoto camera – in fact, the only mid-range Galaxy that currently features one is the Galaxy S24 FE, which costs a not-insubstantial $649.99 / £649 / AU$1,099.

The current mid-range offerings from Nothing include the Nothing Phone 2a and 2a Plus. At launch, the Nothing Phone 2a cost $349 / £319 / AU$675, and the Nothing Phone 2a Plus cost $399 / £399 / AU$639.

So, unless the Nothing Phone 3a and Nothing Phone 3a Pro are substantially more expensive than their predecessors, there’s a solid chance they’ll become the cheapest globally available phones with an optical telephoto camera. That’ll give them a decent chance of making it onto our list of the best cheap phones.

What do you think of these leaked renders? Which features do you want to see come to the Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro? Let us know in the comments below.

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• US SEC launches new Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit (CETU)
• It replaces the three-year-old Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit
• Previous co-chief Laura D'Allaird gains new chief position

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has confirmed the appointment of Laura D'Allaird as chief of its new Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit (CETU), aimed at protecting retail investors from cybercrime amid a quickly evolving threat and cyber landscape.

CETU replaces the Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit, formed in 2022 and co-chiefed by D’Allaird for the three months leading up to the creation of the new body.

Around 30 fraud specialists and attorneys from multiple SEC offices are said to be leading the newly formed unit.

US SEC announced new cybercrime unit

“Under Laura’s leadership, this new unit will complement the work of the Crypto Task Force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce. Importantly, the new unit will also allow the SEC to deploy enforcement resources judiciously," noted Acting Chairman Mark T Uyeda.

“It will root out those seeking to misuse innovation to harm investors and diminish confidence in new technologies.”

The announcement details CETU’s workers’ “substantial fintech and cyber-related experience,” which will help it to address fraud using emerging technologies like AI and ML.

CETU will also cover crime across social media, the dark web, hacking, account takeovers, blockchain and crypto, and more.

The news coincides with the launch of a new crypto task force led by Commissioner Hester Peirce – one with the aim of establishing a “sensible regulatory path that respects the bounds of the law.”

Uyeda summarized: “The unit will not only protect investors but will also facilitate capital formation and market efficiency by clearing the way for innovation to grow.”

D’Allaird noted on LinkedIn: “Excited to lead this new unit!.”

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• Researchers found more than 35,000 compromised websites
• Sites were carrying malicious code that took over the browser window
• Visitors were being served casino landing pages

More than 35,000 websites have been compromised in a major hacking campaign that saw users redirected to malicious pages, or possibly even served malware, experts have warned.

A report from cybersecurity researchers at c/side, did not detail who the attackers are, other than saying they could be linked to the Megalayer exploit.

They also did not discuss how the threat actors managed to compromise these tens of thousands of websites, but once the attackers gained access, they used it to inject a malicious script from a list of websites.

Hiding from researchers

“Once the script loads, it fully hijacks the user’s browser window - often redirecting them to pages promoting a Chinese-language gambling (or casino) platform,” the researchers explained.

The attackers are most likely Chinese, since they’re coming from regions where Mandarin is common, and since the final landing pages present gambling content under the Kaiyun brand.

The tens of thousands of compromised websites were serving a few variants of gambling landing pages, it was explained. Some IPs and regions were being served a static page, saying access is blocked. This, the researchers believe, is to prevent security researchers from discovering the attack.

C/side believes the campaign is related to the Megalayer exploit, since it’s known for distributing Chinese-language malware, contains the same domain patterns, and the same obfuscation tactics.

To protect websites against these exploits, c/side advises IT teams to audit their source code, and block malicious domains, or use firewall rules for zuizhongjs[.]com,

p11vt3[.]vip, and associated subdomains. They should also monitor logs for unexpected outgoing requests to these domains, check for unauthorized modifications, restrict scripts to only trusted domains with a well-defined CSP, and frequently scan the sites with tools like PublicWWW or URLScan.

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• Rolls Royce's debut electric vehicle has up to 659hp for short bursts
• Chassis, steering and suspension have been revised for greater control
• 'Vapour Violet' color inspired by neon lights of 1980s club culture

If there was ever a combustion engined car that was primed for a switch to electrification, it would be a Rolls-Royce. Large, wafting and near-silent when sealed inside the cocooned cabin, the brand has found the EV transition easier than others.

Plus, with an increasingly younger audience, buoyed by sales in China and elsewhere, the British marque has been able to play on its image, with Black Badge products representing a more aggressive, street-savvy approach to traditional luxury – as if the brand entered The Upside Down with Skepta chilling in the rear.

It only seems natural, then, that Rolls-Royce has applied this thinking to the Black Badge Spectre Black Badge, its first fully-electric model. The sub-brand has proved surprisingly popular among buyers, with the company stating that the standard Spectre was “the most requested Rolls-Royce model in Europe last year”, according to Inside EVs.

Spectre Black Badge takes things up a notch, with an Illuminated Pantheon Grille, a new Vapour Violet colour inspired by the neon lights of 1980s and 1990s club culture and Illuminated Black Badge Treadplates.

Chrome has been ditched in favor of darker hues, with a painted Ice Black bonnet available for those that want to stand out further. The new 23-inch five-spoke forged aluminum wheel design can be optioned in black, while a carbon weave technical finish to the interior completes the look.

Perhaps more importantly, the company has seen fit to boost power output to 485 kW (659 hp) when drivers press a new infinity button on the steering wheel.

Image 1 of 4

(Image credit: Rolls-Royce)Image 2 of 4

(Image credit: Rolls-Royce)Image 3 of 4

(Image credit: Rolls-Royce)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Rolls-Royce)

The chassis, steering and suspension damping has also been reworked to help improve vehicle dynamics, increasing body control and reducing ‘squatting’ under acceleration or deceleration.

A good thing too, because there’s also a play on launch control, dubbed Spirited Mode, which propels the car from 0-60mph in just 4.1 seconds (down from the 4.4 seconds of the standard Spectre), thanks to a burst of 1075 Nm that’s temporarily made available.

In true fireside-chat style, British marque claims the new bursts of extreme power are a tribute to Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, found in the Supermarine Spitfire, which would allow pilots to obtain a burst of additional power by pushing a switch on the throttle quadrant. Tally ho!

Naturally, there is no word on price, as is the way with all Rolls-Royce models, but the company believes the Black Badge edition will prove popular.

It claims that early client demand prompted creation of a clandestine fleet of Black Badge Spectres, so it felt right to now offer it in a more official manner.

Analysis: EVs usher in a new era of luxury

(Image credit: Rolls-Royce)

Rolls-Royce remains tight-lipped about sales figures, opting to preserve the anonymity of its ultra-wealthy client base. That said, it appears that the company is finding the transition towards electrification much easier than many other automakers that operate in the luxury market.

Having the backing and knowhow of the BMW Group has clearly helped, which has offered up a white label version of its iDrive infotainment system (among other things) to propel the marque’s digital offering into the 21st Century.

Seemingly, because most Rolls-Royce owners don’t have to worry about dealing with charging cables, the Spectre’s relatively meagre 195kW max charge speed of the massive 120kWh battery doesn’t appear to be an issue either. The likelihood is, they have someone else deal with that sort of thing.

While the combustion engine under the bonnet of a Rolls-Royce has always been an engineering marvel, it hasn’t necessarily come to define the vehicles, which have become renowned for one of the most wafting, luxurious rides of anything on sale.

Adding electric motors and an ultra-large battery pack has only added to that feeling of opulence when kicking back in the exquisitely furnished rear seats – or when opting to drive.

Plus, with a younger, more eco-conscious customer demographic, the appeal of a less polluting and more forward-thinking Rolls-Royce appears to be paying off.

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• North Korea is hiding malware in GitHub projects
• The projects are then sent to developers as a coding test
• BeaverTail malware is then used to steal credentials and crypto

Freelance software developers are the latest target of North Korean hackers looking to spread infostealing malware, experts have warned.

The latest campaign, identified by ESET as DeceptiveDevelopment, involves the hackers posing as recruiters on social media to target freelance developers working on cryptocurrency projects.

The main aim of the attacks is to steal cryptocurrency, likely in an effort to supplement North Korea’s income.

Crypto theft and cyber espionage

The attackers copy or create personas of recruiters, and will reach out to developers through job recruitment platforms such as LinkedIn, Upwork, and Freelancer.com, offering them a job opportunity if they complete a coding test.

The test project is usually either a hiring challenge, cryptocurrency project, a game with some form of blockchain functionality, or a gambling project with cryptocurrency or blockchain involvement. The test files are hosted in private repositories on GitHub or a similar platform, and when downloaded and the project executed, BeaverTail malware is deployed.

The hackers will often copy entire projects, making no changes other than adding their malware and re-writing the README file. The hackers will usually try and hide their malicious code somewhere in the project that wouldn’t attract suspicion or be easily spotted, such as within backend code as a single line behind a comment that pushes it off-screen.

The Beavertail malware will target browser databases to steal credentials, and will also download the second stage of the campaign, InvisibleFerret, which acts as a backdoor allowing the attacker to install the AnyDesk remote management software for additional post-compromise activity.

Windows, Mac, and Linux users are all susceptible to the attack, with victims being observed across the globe. The attackers did not discriminate in targeting everyone from junior developers all the way up to experienced professionals. The campaign shares similarities to Operation DreamJob, which targeted aerospace and defense workers to steal classified information.

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• Netflix has reportedly canceled its Australian neo-Western drama Territory after one season
• Netflix has not officially confirmed why the show was canceled, but a statement has been released by the streamer's director of content for Australia and New Zealand
• The Yellowstone-like show follows rival factions fighting for control over the world's largest cattle station

Netflix has reportedly canceled the Australian neo-Western series Territory after one season and it's a shame to see the streamer's best attempt at Yellowstone end so quickly.

Paramount Plus' smash hit Yellowstone became a global sensation, so it's no surprise that some of the best streaming services are trying to emulate its success with shows about ranching families battling for control.

One of these was Netflix's Territory, an Australian epic set in the outback that sees rival factions fight for control of the world's largest livestock farm after it's left without a successor. It was met with huge success when it was released in October 2024, securing the second spot on Netflix's Global Top 10 English TV shows list within the first week of launch, receiving 6.4 million views in its first four days of airing.

With these huge figures, I would have thought this would be enough to warrant a second season of the best Netflix show, but alas, that's not the case as the series has seemingly been canceled.

Why was Territory canceled?

According to C21 Media, sources close to the production were confident that Territory would be renewed for a second season, with the first series ending on a cliffhanger. The publication also added that the ensemble cast was in place and ready for season 2 to be greenlit, but were told a few weeks ago that the show would not be returning.

Netflix hasn't issued an official statement on why Territory was canceled, but Netflix’s director of content for Australia and New Zealand, Que Min Luu, issued a brief statement on the matter, saying: "We are incredibly thankful to have had the chance to work with the wonderful cast and production team to bring Territory and the stunning Australian outback into the homes of millions around the world. Although we won’t be continuing with another season, we eagerly anticipate working with all of them again in the future.”

While Territory is another canceled Netflix show alongside The Sandman, you might be able to fill the Territory-shaped void in your life with Netflix's new western series Ransom Canyon which looks like an exciting mix of Yellowstone and Virgin River.

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• New reports suggest significant stock shortages for Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti
• There are claims the situation is even worse than the supply issues seen with the RTX 5080
• One UK retailer has put forward a worst-case scenario that it could take (up to) six weeks for restocking the RTX 5070 Ti

Nvidia's RTX 5000 series launch has become a memorable one, but for all the wrong reasons, as scalping, price inflation, and stock shortages continue to cause chaos for the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs - and the newly launched RTX 5070 Ti may face a similar, or perhaps even worse, fate.

If you've been considering the idea of buying an RTX 5070 Ti now that these graphics cards have just been released, you've doubtless noticed the scramble for stock, and the GPU selling out across the board.

As noticed by TweakTown, according to sources who spoke to Moore's Law is Dead, a reputable leaker on YouTube, the RTX 5070 Ti is facing even more troublesome supply issues than the RTX 5080.

Indeed, one source from a major US retailer claimed that there were fewer than 10 units of the RTX 5070 Ti in stock on launch day, hinting at a severe supply shortage. Another source at a big online retailer noted that stock levels were worse than the RTX 5080, and closer to the RTX 5090's supply at launch. (Check out the video below for the full details).

It looks like a similar picture in the UK, too. A separate report from Wccftech brings word from a major retailer in that country, Overclockers, which has informed customers that it could take up to six weeks (worst-case scenario) for fresh stock of the RTX 5070 Ti to come in.

It's worth noting that there is no Founders Edition version of the RTX 5070 Ti, but only third-party graphics cards made by Nvidia's partners. While the MSRP is officially $749 in the US, it's a big mission to find one of these new graphics cards at that price at any retailer. Indeed, as already mentioned, it's a mission to find one at all, because as we've already seen with the RTX 5090 and 5080, even though prices are way above MSRP in many cases, these GPUs are still sold out.

If you want more bad news, other recent buzz on the grapevine theorizes that the same shortage of supply could apply to the RTX 5070 and the (still-not-officially-announced) RTX 5060. The former GPU launches on March 5 (having already been slightly delayed by Nvidia), and with AMD's new Radeon RX 9000 series debuting in early March, Team Green has that on its plate to worry about, too.

A prime chance for AMD to get the better of Nvidia

With Nvidia's messy RTX 5000 launch seeming to continually stumble onwards, AMD now has a great opportunity to leap ahead of its fierce GPU rival. Even if Nvidia's new graphics cards end up being dominant in the battle of the best GPUs - and that remains to be seen, of course - it's not much use if you can't find those graphics cards at reasonable prices (or at all, right now).

AMD's initial RDNA 4 GPUs are now very close - rumors point to a launch on March 6, and what looks like a plan to overshadow the release of the RTX 5070 - and if those RX 9070 graphics cards end up with healthy stock levels, this could pose a real threat to Nvidia. Especially if AMD pitches its price tags to attack Team Green.

I find it difficult to believe that gamers will continue to fork out for inflated and overpriced third-party Blackwell GPUs, as we're seeing is the situation with the RTX 5070 Ti right now. So, it's the perfect opportunity for AMD to capitalize on the situation, and take advantage (even if only for a few months, perhaps, while Nvidia's stock woes continue).

Team Red has rather lost momentum coming off the back of CES 2025, where the RDNA 4 reveal was a fizzling disappointment, and we had all sorts of odd rumors flying around in its wake - with Nvidia grabbing the limelight as a result. Now is the time for AMD to really step up.

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• Fiio announces new flagship wired headphones, the FT9
• 106mm planar magnetic drivers and 94dB/mW sensitivity
• Coming later in 2025, for around $800

In the last few years, Fiio has taken a place in the hearts of TechRadar's audio team: excellent, refined, audiophile-class sound from products that usually massively undercut the competition. The brand has taken big spots in our list of the best hi-res audio players as well as our ranking of the best wired headphones – and now, it's got a new product to bother that second list.

I'm really excited by the sound of its new flagship headphones, the Fiio FT7, which are planar magnetic wired cans, which the company says "marks the pinnacle of the lessons learned and technology breakthroughs in all models" of its FT headphones.

Our Fiio FT5 review gave Fiio's previous highest-end headphones the full five stars, and said "They sound great, they’re built to last from tactile and hard-wearing materials, and they have an audiophile specification at a mainstream price."

The new FT7 headphones feature 106mm planar driver, with a 1μm diaphragm and 18 magnets on each side for a well-controlled magnetic field.

With a sensitivity of 94dB/mW, you're going to want to pair them with a headphone amp, but you probably already assumed that, given the general vibe here.

The grille is zebrawood, with the characteristic stripes of that particular material. You have the option to use lambskin or suede ear pads, depending on your sound profile and animal product preferences.

They weigh 427g, which is optimistically described as "lightweight" in the press release I received, though Fiio's good getting the weight distribution right on its headphones, so I expect them to be comfortable enough to settle into.

You get a storage case made from "YauLi linen" with them as well. What price for all this? Well, they're not due out until later in 2025, with a predicted price of around $800 (about £630 / AU$1,250) – the exact amount won't be confirmed until closer to launch, it appears.

(Image credit: Fiio)

As I said in the headline, $800 is definitely pushing beyond most definitions of affordable, but it's all relative – in the hi-fi headphones world, a pair of flagship planar headphones can easily cost $2,000, so if Fiio's headphones are even close to being that level of quality, they're a bargain, of sorts.

That's been the case with products such as as the Fiio M11S and Fiio M23 audio players, which rival high-end and expensive players from the likes of Astell & Kern for quality and specs for much less – the M11S is so good, we use it as our standard source device for testing wired headphones and earbuds.

So I'm excited to see if Fiio can step its headphones up another level successfully, especially since I've been a huge planar magnetic fan since the launch of the Oppo PM-1 years ago, which I still have in a cupboard.

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• Garmin just released a massive Fenix 8 update
• It adds a ton of new features for the premium smartwatch
• They include Passcode support, QWERTY keyboard, and more

Unless you're storming compounds and dropping behind enemy lines with the new tactix 8, the Garmin Fenix 8 is the best Garmin watch on the market, and it just got a huge update with new features.

In the 13.31 software update issued this week, Garmin has added a plethora of new software updates and changes that will vastly improve the user experience on the Fenix 8.

Naturally, the update includes a lot of fixes and patches for existing features. Notably, Garmin has fixed an issue where disabling the touchscreen for activities wasn't available, as well as an issue that saw emergency tones being suppressed. But it's the new features we're excited about, here's everything coming to your Fenix 8 in this update.

Garmin Fenix 8 update: Every new feature

(Image credit: Future)

The headline new features for the Garmin Fenix 8 include passcode support and Body Battery TrueUp. The former has been a mainstay on the likes of the best Apple Watch models for years. Now, when you take your watch off, you'll be prompted to enter a PIN to regain access to your watch for security.

The latter adds Body Battery data syncing for users who own multiple devices, so if you've got a dedicated Garmin for running or swimming, your Body Battery data will now encompass metrics from all your devices, not just your main one.

Garmin Run Coach and Garmin Cycling coach plans now support Strength workouts, so you can supplement your training with some lifting, there's also support for QWERTY keyboard layout and text prediction support in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.

Ocean-goers can look forward to a new Sail Race Activity, Advanced Snorkel Support, plus Trolling Motor app and sensor support.

While Garmin users might be upset about a lack of support for older models like the Fenix 7, there's no denying that this is a massive delivery of new features for the latest and greatest Garmin. The company will be keen to get its year back on track after a global outage rendered most of its devices useless for more than 24 hours last month.

See full release notes

• Garmin 13.31 Fenix 8 update
• Added Passcode Support: when enabled for extra security, you will be prompted to enter your PIN to regain access to your watch after it was taken off your wrist.
• Added Body Battery TrueUp: improvements to Body Battery data syncing across watches when users own multiple devices.
• Added support for Strength workouts within Garmin Run Coach and Garmin Cycling Coach plans.
• Added QWERTY Keyboard Layout.
• Added Text Prediction Support to the QWERTY Keyboard; currently available for English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish.
• Added Trolling Motor App and sensor support.
• Added Sail Race Activity.
• Added Jumpmaster Activity.
• Added CIQ System 8: Supports the latest Connect IQ apps, watch faces, and data fields.
• Added connection type information for paired sensors.
• Improvements to Training Readiness.
• Improvements to the icons that display with notifications.
• Added Respiration Graph to Meditation Activity Summary.
• Added Advanced Snorkel Support.
• Added Font Scaling Support to Workout Structure Card.
• Added Hint Button to Training Load Ratio Page.
• Added Insight Hint to Health and Fitness Apps.
• Added Layout Selection Menu to Keyboard.
• Added missing Map option in Mountaineering activity.
• Added Progress Bar on Music Selection List.
• Added Proximity Alert Option to All GPS Activities.
• Added Segments to Training Menu.
• Added Solar Intensity and Accumulation Data Fields (Solar models only).
• Added Stress Card to Gaming Activity Summary.
• Added Support for HRM as Speed and Distance Monitor for BLE Sensors.
• Added Support for Nautical Units.
• Added Support to Set Wind Speed and Direction in Jumpmaster.
• Added Temperature Data Fields to Skate Activity.
• Added Transparency to Pan/Zoom Bar on the Map.
• Added Trolling Motor App Nautical Units.
• Added Trolling Motor Datascreen Update.
• Fixed a possible issue where touchscreen input could not be disabled in activities.
• Fixed Apps that were Inaccessible from the Recents Menu.
• Fixed Auto Climb Data Screen Selection.
• Fixed Blank Calendar Card in Morning Report.
• Fixed Blank Map for Power Guide Preview.
• Fixed Breathwork activity not following selected technique.
• Fixed Broken 'Delete' Option to Delete Custom Activity Profiles.
• Fixed charging banner not clearing correctly.
• Fixed crash on map search results.
• Fixed Crash when Changing Bike Trainer Resistance.
• Fixed Current Time Indicator on the Tides Graph.
• Fixed Dive Tissue Load on surface not reflecting Conservatism changes.
• Fixed Do Not Disturb Smart Notification Setting.
• Fixed Duplicate iOS Notification Bug.
• Fixed Emergency Tones Being Suppressed.
• Fixed Emojis Getting Cropped.
• Fixed Errors Saving Wi-Fi Network.
• Fixed Event Countdown Page Not Correctly Including Location.
• Fixed Glance Folder Creation via Garmin Connect.
• Fixed Golf Green View Map Getting Stuck in Move Flag Mode.
• Fixed HIIT Activity Not Using the Correct Timer.
• Fixed Incorrect Weekdays Displayed on Training Readiness Graph.
• Fixed Invalid First-Time Tip for Weather Map Page.
• Fixed Map App to Allow Round-Trip Course Navigation.
• Fixed Meditation activity auto-saving at end of timer.
• Fixed Meditation setup menu layout.
• Fixed Morning Report Showing Stale HRV Data.
• Fixed Pool Swim Interval Details Page Layout.
• Fixed Potential Crash after Deleting Activities from the list.
• Fixed Potential Crash during Meditation Setup.
• Fixed Potential Crash on Body Battery Glance Folder View.
• Fixed Potential Crash on Fitness Age Page.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Dismissing Notifications.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Enabling Broadcast HR.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Holding the Down Key in a Water Activity.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Leaving Meditation Activity.
• Fixed potential crash when setting Heart Rate Zones.
• Fixed Potential Crash when Viewing Breathwork Preview.
• Fixed Potential Position Enhancement Crash.
• Fixed Power Control menu reordering through Garmin Connect.
• Fixed Power Save Activating in Dive Activities.
• Fixed Race Calendar Countdown Timer.
• Fixed Round Trip Routing Not Calculating Full Distance.
• Fixed Ski Difficulty Data Screen Only Showing Data From Last Run.
• Fixed Sleep History Graph after Traveling.
• Fixed Sleep Window Setup Sometimes Getting Skipped on Initial Setup.
• Fixed Swipe-to-Exit When Panning Charts.
• Fixed Turn Guidance Alerts Being Unintentionally Disabled.
• Fixed Weather App Accidentally Returning to Watch Face.
• Fixed Weight Not Being Displayed on Strength Workout Next Step Page.
• Fixed Weight Not Displaying on Workout Rest Page.
• Improved Countdown Glance Folder Info Text.
• Improved GPS Progress Bar Presentation when Beginning Search.
• Increased the Maximum Speed of Virtual Partner to 48.95 kph.
• Removed "Connect to Existing Smart Trainer" Message on Indoor Bike App.
• Removed Extraneous Power Controls (Enduro 3 & Fenix E Only).
• Updated Recent Sleep Scores Page.

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• A Metal benchmark for the M4 MacBook Air has just leaked
• It’s in line with the M4 chip in the iPad Pro, which makes a lot of sense
• The laptop is anticipated to launch within the next few weeks

The M4 MacBook Air is widely expected to launch imminently, with the new chip touted to bring performance and efficiency improvements to one of Apple’s best MacBooks. And it looks like we won’t even have to wait until its release to find out its performance.

That’s because a benchmark has just leaked on the Geekbench website. The test results were published on February 19 and show a device running macOS 15.2 and bearing a ten-core M4 chip and 24GB of memory.

In terms of performance, the M4 chip in this MacBook scored 54,806 in the Metal graphics benchmark. Compare that to the 13-inch iPad Pro with M4 chip, which scored a very similar 54,064. Considering both devices are known for their thinness and fanless cooling, the slim margins between them make sense.

Labelled as “Mac16,12,” the mysterious MacBook is thought to be Apple’s upcoming M4 MacBook Air because it doesn’t match any existing Mac codenames. It does, however, line up with a Mac identifier that Apple itself accidentally leaked – one that was attributed to an M4 MacBook Air.

A believable benchmark

(Image credit: Future)

It’s possible that this benchmark was faked to give the appearance of belonging to an unannounced piece of Apple hardware. That seems unlikely, though, as it’s broadly in line with what we’ve come to expect from the M4 chip.

We mentioned the iPad Pro score above as a comparison point, but we can also see how this leaked benchmark does against the M4 MacBook Pro. On Geekbench, a sample Metal test scored 57,596, an improved result versus the MacBook Air that shouldn’t come as a surprise given that the MacBook Pro has active cooling that can help boost its performance.

So, all things point towards this leak being a believable, perhaps genuine result for the upcoming M4 MacBook Air.

Aside from the new M4 chip, the next MacBook Air could get an improved LCD display (sadly an OLED panel is still a few years away), a better webcam, and stronger support for connecting multiple monitors.

It’s widely expected to launch this Spring (sometime between now and June), with Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claiming it will be on sale “by March at the latest.”

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• Spotify is partnering with ElevenLabs
• ElevenLabs offers human-like AI audio that can seamlessly narrate audiobooks
• Can we expect more AI-generated content on Spotify in the future?

Spotify audiobooks narrated by AI are set to increase as the streaming company enters into a new partnership with ElevenLabs, a company responsible for one of the best AI voice generators.

The expansion means that audiobooks on Spotify can now be narrated in 29 languages thanks to ElevenLabs' excellent natural-sounding speech technology. The AI software will give authors tools to control the voice and intonation of the narrator to create the best-sounding non-human audio possible.

AI-narrated audiobooks are nothing new for Spotify, the company has collaborated with Google Play Books to use similar software to that of NotebookLM for authors wanting to create audiobooks without hiring a narrator or doing it themselves. This partnership will increase the choice for authors and expand the amount of AI-narrated content on the platform for consumers.

In the partnership announcement statement Spotify said, "For authors looking for a cost-effective way to create high-quality audiobooks, digital voice narration by ElevenLabs is a great option."

The statement goes on to confirm that listeners will be able to differentiate between human voices and those generated by AI thanks to metadata information that will be visible on Spotify and all other retailers that use the platform. The description will also state, "This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.”

ElevenLabs audio on Spotify has begun rolling out, so keep an eye on your audiobook descriptions to check if your narrator is human or not.

Is this good for the listener?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

When CEO Daniel Ek said Spotify would 'double down' on music in 2025, there was concern as to what that exactly could mean. With an expected Spotify HiFi release and AI's looming impact on all tech companies, 2025 is going to be a huge year for the streaming service, and this partnership with ElevenLabs is the first taster of what to expect.

AI-generated audio is getting seriously impressive, so much so that I bet you've probably listened to an audiobook or a podcast voiced by artificial intelligence and not even noticed. There are obviously huge benefits to AI narration, allowing authors to get their books to a wider audience without the need for extra resources, but do we, as listeners, really want to start listening to voice software?

Could AI narration be the first step towards that 'double down' on music, with an end goal of AI-generated audio in your Spotify playlist to help expand the music offering on the platform? After all, many of us may already listen to AI-generated lo-fi beats and other background noise without even noticing.

AI audio is still in its infancy but it's rapidly evolving, and Spotify's push to increase its audiobook offering by partnering with a major AI voice generation company could just be the beginning.

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• Fitbit recently issued a vital software update to stop batteries overheating
• The Versa 3 and Fitbit Sense were reportedly a risk to their users
• The new update is cutting battery life from five or six days down to less than one.

Just a few weeks after Fitbit issued a battery overheating update for two of its most popular smartwatches, users of the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3, two of the best Fitbits on the market, are complaining that the fix is causing catastrophic reductions in battery life.

Google said the overheating problem could pose a risk to users and required an immediate firmware update. The company confirmed that the update would reduce the risk of overheating, but at the cost of some reduction in battery life, and even offered customers $50 if they were affected, however, that compensation figure appears to pale in comparison to just how much battery life users are actually losing now the update is complete.

Fitbit's battery life crisis goes from bad to worse

(Image credit: Future)

"Before doing the update my battery would last about 5 -6 days (depending on how much exercise I did)," one user told the Fitbit community forums, "Now since doing the update it lasts less than a day. That's with everything turned off too (eg. Notifications, snore detection, vibrations, etc)."

"The firmware update has caused an extreme battery reduction," another added, noting their device was also lasting less than a day, where previously it would deliver a week of charge.

Elsewhere on Reddit, users are reporting similar issues. "For a very long time, my Sense battery has lasted a very long time. I leave the screen off so I don't usually need to charge it but once a week," one poster wrote. "However, since about a week ago, the battery has started dying rapidly. Tonight it went from 46% to 22% in 3 hours. That used to take about 2 days."

"I’ve started experiencing the same thing since the firmware update they pushed through," said another.

All signs, then, point to Fitbit's recent planned firmware upgrade causing a catastrophic reduction in battery life. User outrage is widespread, and while Google confirmed that the overheating issue could be a safety risk to users, the trade-off in battery life following the firmware update appears to render devices almost unusable. "I had to charge mine twice in one day," one user in the forum said.

As noted, this should only affect the Versa 3 and Sense, the two models identified by Google as presenting an overheating risk. If you've been affected, drop us a line at stephen.warwick@futurenet.com. We've also reached out to Google for comment and will update this piece accordingly with any response.

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• Some IBM workers were told to return to the office three days per week in 2024
• All of the organization’s workers are now being given similar notices
• Unfair expectations for relocation have earned it the ‘stealth layoff’ title

IBM’s recently enforced return-to-office policy is disproportionately targeting older and long-term remote workers who are less likely to relocate.

According to one employee speaking with The Register, the scheme aims to reduce expenses by requiring employees to work from specific locations – or resign.

IBM is one of many now mandating that workers be in the office more frequently after the pandemic-induced rise in remote working, but its policies aren’t as tight as many of its rivals.

IBM’s RTO disproportionately affects older workers

As of 2024, IBM has required managers, executives and various other types of employees across the US to work from its offices at least three days per week, requiring them to relocate nearer to one of its eight sites across New York, Illinois, Texas and North Carolina.

The company is now rolling out in-person working policies for all of its workers.

Despite pushing the in-person agenda, IBM did not offer any relocation support, such as covering expenses associated with moving for work purposes, even though previous relocations (which earned it the 'I've Been Moved' acronym alternative meaning) did come with some support.

Speaking about the RTO policy, The Register’s unnamed source said: “This included all employees who started working from home during COVID as well as those who have been working from home for 15-plus years.”

IBM had already been sued in 2024 for discriminating against its older workers, but the company is facing similar allegations one year later as it intensifies its office-working efforts.

Workers affected by the changes are referring to the RTO as a stealth layoff – the company has already cut around 5,000 jobs across at least five different rounds (tracked by layoffs.fyi) in the past two years alone.

All being said, IBM isn’t the only company being accused of unfairly targeting certain worker demographics during its RTO calls. Other tech titans have found themselves in similar situations, including Amazon, whose workers are among the most vocal.

TechRadar Pro has offered IBM an opportunity to share its thoughts on the policy, but the company did not immediately respond.

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• Windows 11’s Snipping Tool looks to be getting an improved OCR feature
• New OCR option can more easily copy text from anything on the monitor screen
• It's still in testing but will hopefully come to the finished version of Windows 11 soon

Windows 11’s Snipping Tool could soon be powered up with an impressively easy new way to extract the text from anything on the screen.

This ability was uncovered in testing by regular contributor to Windows 11-related leaks on X, PhantomOfEarth. However, we aren’t told what build it came from, so presumably it was the latest preview release, or a recent one.

Snipping Tool is getting a fullscreen OCR text extractor that's essentially the PowerToys tool, inbox - making use of the better OCR models used by Snipping Tool! Here's a demo.Lets you copy text without having to take a screenshot to do so, Win+Shift+T will also be available. pic.twitter.com/zWteElK725February 20, 2025

You can see how it works to extract text (via OCR tech, or Optical Character Recognition) courtesy of a video of the feature in action in the above post on X.

To sum it up, the user invokes Windows 11’s Snipping Tool and then chooses the ‘Text Extractor’ function, drawing a box around the area of the screen that they want to pull text from.

Snipping Tool then highlights all the text inside the box and offers an option to copy it to the clipboard, and from there, it can be pasted to a document (or anywhere else).

It’s true that Snipping Tool already has an OCR ability, but it only works with a screenshot you’ve taken. This new approach is a much more streamlined and convenient way of working, as you can simply use the feature directly on whatever’s currently displayed on the monitor screen.

(Image credit: Getty Images) Analysis: A useful recruit from PowerToys

This gives Snipping Tool a lot of flexibility so you can, as shown in the above example, strip out all the text from a Windows 11 menu (should you want to). It’ll work for anything on the screen, and as you don’t need to take a screenshot anymore, this makes the OCR feature all the more convenient as noted.

This is something Microsoft has been working on for a while now, as PhantomOfEarth first observed the tool a few months back in November 2024. It has been considerably honed since then, and as the leaker points out, it’s now basically equivalent to the same functionality in Microsoft’s PowerToys suite of utilities.

With any luck, this slicker form of OCR for Snipping Tool could be arriving in the finished version of Windows 11 before too long.

Via XDA Developers

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