TechRadar News

• Bloomberg reports the contact is for Elon Musk's X social media platform
• xAi's Colossus uses 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPU and doesn't seem to be part of the contract
• Supermicro has had troubles, but is still a major player in AI hardware

The rising demand for computing power to support AI workloads has fueled rapid growth in the market for high-powered servers. It is a lucrative business for firms like Dell, Supermicro, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, who have all seen increased demand for their high-performance server products in recent years.

A report from Bloomberg claims HPE has secured a massive deal worth more than $1 billion to supply Elon Musk’s X social network with servers optimized for artificial intelligence work.

The report doesn’t specify exactly how the servers will be used, but since it’s for X, there’s a good chance some of the capacity will be for Grok, the social network’s AI chatbot. At the end of 2024, X announced that it was rolling out Grok-2 to all users for free, and it’s fair to conclude that extra capacity will require more server infrastructure.

Dell and Supermicro outbid

Bloomberg says X’s agreement with HPE was reached in late 2024, according to people familiar with the matter.

Musk’s companies, including xAI and Tesla, are major buyers of AI hardware. The Colossus supercomputer, built by xAI in Memphis, was previously declared by Musk to be the "most powerful AI training system in the world." The billionaire stated it was built "from start to finish" in just 122 days.

Colossus uses 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs, but there are plans to massively expand its operations. Supermicro has faced some challenges recently, including the resignation of its auditor and other related matters. However, as MarketWatch reports, it remains a "major player in the AI revolution" and recently established operations in Memphis to support xAI's goal of building a supercomputer facility with 1 million GPUs.

Supermicro and Dell provided the servers for Colossus originally, and Bloomberg says that while both firms did bid to supply the equipment for this new venture they were ultimately unsuccessful.

Bloomberg’s report notes, “HPE’s liquid-cooling technology may have played a role in the win,” wrote Woo Jin Ho, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. While good for sales, larger deals can be a drag on margins, he added.”

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• Survey finds nearly 70% of orgs leave critical vulnerabilities unresolved for 24 hours or more
• Managing vulnerability fog is a major challenge, as AI promises to make it easier for criminals to identify targets
• Zero-day and unpatched legacy vulnerabilities remain a major cause of cybercriminal proliferation

Over two-thirds (68%) of organizations take more than 24 hours to address critical vulnerabilities, new research has found, urging companies to up their game when it comes to dealing with threats.

A survey conducted by Swimlane highlighted how vulnerabilities remain a significant danger to organizations; exposing them to data breaches, regulatory penalties, and operational disruptions.

And the longer these vulnerabilities remain unaddressed, the greater the risk of exploitation, yet many teams struggle with inefficiencies that waste valuable time.

The challenge of vulnerability prioritization

Lack of accurate context was cited by 37% of respondents as a major obstacle to prioritizing threats and 35% considered incomplete information as a major culprit.

While 45% of organizations were found to employ a mix of manual and automated processes, the tools they rely on such as cloud security posture management, endpoint protection, and web application scanners often fall short of addressing the scale and speed of emerging threats.

Manual processes also pose a challenge, consuming up to 50% of workers' time on vulnerability management tasks. Over half of workers surveyed reported spending more than five hours each week consolidating and normalizing data from various sources.

Businesses lose an estimated $47,580 per employee each year due to manual tasks, noted Michael Lyborg, CISO at Swimlane, and this heavy reliance on manual effort not only slows response times but also diverts attention from more strategic cybersecurity initiatives.

Despite these challenges, the report does reveal that many organizations simply lack effective vulnerability management programs, with 73% of respondents expressing concerns about facing penalties for inadequate practices.

“Smarter prioritization and automation are no longer optional — they are essential to reducing vulnerabilities, preventing breaches and ensuring continuous compliance,” said Cody Cornell, Swimlane's Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer.

“By blending intelligent automation with human expertise, vulnerability management teams gain the clarity they need to act decisively," he added.

"Centralizing data and responding in real-time isn’t a luxury — it’s a business imperative that minimizes risk and frees up time to focus on the next challenge.”

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• Liquid Web survey explores how independent pros evaluate web hosting
• Being sustainable comes bottom, yet half of respondents would pay $50 extra per year for sustainability
• Firms spend on average just under $20 per month on web hosting services

Independent professionals are increasingly finding web hosting is a vital investment for business growth, though sustainability is often not their primary focus when picking a provider.

New research by Liquid Web found professionals spend an average of $214 annually on hosting, achieving a remarkable 2,319% ROI, with solopreneurs seeing up to 2,846%.

While more than half of respondents claimed they were open to paying extra for environmentally friendly solutions, they primarily sought services that offer tangible returns on investment.

Value for money in a hosting provider

Over half of respondents (54%) said they would pay an additional $50 annually for environmentally friendly hosting solutions, indicating that sustainable practices are an emerging consideration.

Meanwhile, 23% of respondents claimed to allocate more than $500 annually towards optimal performance and support.

Liquid Web found the provider migration process is both time-consuming and expensive, requiring an average of 6.6 hours or $115 worth of resources.

And yet, independent professionals were still found to be regularly switch hosting providers due to cost, performance or support issues. Nearly 7 in 10 reported switching at least once, with 13% doing so annually.

Hidden charges and unexpected billing are major triggers, with professionals experiencing these being 35% more likely to change providers.

“It’s fascinating to see how solopreneurs, freelancers, and digital nomads prioritize sustainability and customer support. It provides valuable insights to tailor our offerings to their evolving needs," noted David Eblen, Chief Product Officer at Liquid Web.

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The Wheel of Time season 3: key information

- Launching on Prime Video in March
- First trailer released at Brazil Comic-Con in December 2024
- Main cast bar one expected to return
- New actors and characters have been revealed
- Brief plot synopsis released
- Will primarily adapt the book series' fourth entry, aka 'The Shadow Rising'
- No word on whether a fourth season is in the works

The Wheel of Time season 3 will be with us soon enough, fellow Darkfriends. The high fantasy series is set to return to Prime Video on March 13, 2025, so it's time to stop spinning your wheels and catch up on the latest news and rumors about it.

In this guide, you'll learn more about The Wheel of Time's third season, including its teaser trailer, confirmed cast, story details, and what the future holds for Amazon's adaptation of Robert Jordan's popular book series. Full spoilers follow for The Wheel of Time's first two seasons. Potential season 3 and book spoilers are also discussed, so proceed at your own risk if you're avoiding them pre-release.

The Wheel of Time season 3 release date

We’ve seen a thousand, thousand futures, and in every one of them, The Wheel of Time returns March 13. Behold the official Season 3 teaser trailer. pic.twitter.com/ULZiKjWEHyDecember 7, 2024

As mentioned, The Wheel of Time season 3 will debut on Thursday, March 13. The series' return was announced at Brazil Comic-Con 2024, with the show's creator Rafe Judkins and members of its main cast confirming as much during Amazon's panel at the event.

There's little information on how many episodes will arrive on launch day. However, the past two seasons received three-episode premieres when they were released, so it's highly likely that the TV-MA-rated show's third installment will, too.

The Wheel of Time season 3 trailer

Receiving its world premiere at Brazil Comic-Con 2024, The Wheel of Time season 3's first trailer has me worried about what happens to Rand and Moiraine. This season's first round of footage is fraught with danger and ominous foreshadowing, with Moiraine claiming that in every universe and/or timeline she exists in and lives, Rand dies.

Will Moiraine give up her life, then, so Rand survives season 3's events? I'll answer this question in the spoiler-filled part of this article's plot section.

The Wheel of Time season 3 confirmed cast

Egwene and Rand are back for more bloody and fraught adventures in season 3 (Image credit: Prime Video)

Potential spoilers follow for The Wheel of Time's third season.

Per an Amazon MGM Studios press release, here's a full list of the returning cast for season 3:

• Rosamund Pike as Moiraine Damodred
• Josha Stradowski as Rand al'Thor
• Daniel Henney as al'Lan Mandragoran
• Zoe Robins as Nynaeve al'Meara
• Madeleine Madden as Egwene al'Vere
• Marcus Rutherford as Perrin Aybara
• Donal Finn as Matt Cauthon
• Ceara Coveney as Elayne Trakand
• Kate Fleetwood as Liandrin Guirale
• Natasha O'Keefe as Lanfear
• Ayoola Smart as Aviendha
• Kae Alexander as Min Farshaw

The above actors will be joined by plenty of new faces in this third chapter of one of the best Prime Video shows. Season 3's first newcomer was announced on December 11, 2024, with The Penguin and Arcane star Shohreh Aghdashloo confirmed as Elaida. Another member of the female-only magic-wielders known as the Aes Sedai, Elaida is a Red Ajah and a former occupant of the Amyrlin Seat.

The whispers were true. Shohreh Aghdashloo is officially an Aes Sedai. pic.twitter.com/11Z1xTXUMiDecember 11, 2024

One week later, Amazon MGM Studios revealed four more new cast members – three of whom are a part of, or have ties to, the Andor royal family and the other is a surprise relative of Rand.

Olivia Williams has been cast as Lady Morgase Trakand, aka Elayne's mother and Queen of Andor. Nuno Lopes will portray Lord Gaebril who, spoilers notwithstanding, may not be who he appears to be. Lastly on the Andor front, Luke Featherstone will play Lord Gawyn Trakand, Elayne's brother and next in line to be the nation's First Prince of the Sword.

And the individual with ties to Rand? That'll be Lord Galad Damodred. He'll be portrayed by Callum Kerr and, per The Wheel of Time novels, he's the Dragon Reborn's half-brother on his mother's side. He's also the half-brother of Elayne and Gawyn on his father's side. Oh, and let's not forget he's the Lord Captain Commander of the Children of the Light.

One more time...Meet the royal family.Luke Fetherston is Lord GAWYNCallum Kerr is Lord GALADNuno Lopes is Lord GaebrilAnd Olivia Williams is Morgase TrakandApologies for a Darkfriend tampering with our first tweet. pic.twitter.com/vpREINZONYDecember 18, 2024

Five more new cast members were announced on January 15. Isabella Bucceri is on board as Faile Bashere, a daring noblewoman from Saldea. Nukâka Coster-Waldau is Bair, one of the Aiel's Wise Ones, and is joined by Salóme Gunnarsdóttir as the Wise One Melaine.

Björn Landberg is playing Rhuarc, the clan chief of the Taardad Aiel, and Synnøve Macody Lund is Melindhra, a Maiden of the Spear who hails from the Shaido clan. Like Gaebril, you'll want to keep a close eye on her.

Sound the horn, it's #WoTWednesday.Isabella Bucceri is Faile BashereNukâka Coster-Waldau is BairSalóme Gunnarsdóttir is MelaineBjörn Landberg is RhuarcAnd Synnøve Macody Lund is Melindhra pic.twitter.com/FMA3VBjXsgJanuary 15, 2025

There are other characters who could feature throughout season 3. Hammed Animashaun's Loial wasn't announced as part of this season's cast in the Amazon press blast, but I'd be very surprised if he doesn't appear in an episode or two. Speaking at New York Comic-Con 2023 (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter (THR)), showrunner Rafe Judkins also confirmed that more of Lanfear's fellow Forsaken will make their live-action debuts in season 3.

One actor who won't be back for more high-fantasy action, though, is Fares Fares as Ishamael. He was killed by Rand in season 2's final episode so unless he appears in a flashback scene or nightmarish, vision-like sequence, he's run his race in this show.

The Wheel of Time season 3 story synopsis and rumors

Nothing bad will happen to Rand, I promise... (Image credit: Prime Video)

Potential spoilers follow for The Wheel of Time season 3.

Here's the official story brief for season 3: "At the end of season 2, after defeating Ishamael, Rand reunites with his friends at Falme and is declared the Dragon Reborn.

"But, in Season 3, the threats against the Light are multiplying: the White Tower stands divided, the Black Ajah run free, old enemies return to the Two Rivers, and the remaining Forsaken are in hot pursuit of the Dragon… including Lanfear, whose relationship with Rand will mark a crucial choice between Light and Dark for them both.

"As the ties to his past begin to unravel, and his corrupted power grows stronger, Rand becomes increasingly unrecognizable to his closest allies, Moiraine and Egwene. These powerful women, who started the series as teacher and student, must now work together to prevent the Dragon from turning to the Dark…no matter the cost."

You're not dreamwalking, the Daughter of the Night is back. pic.twitter.com/Lov1TJTepUDecember 8, 2024

That's both a lot and not much to go on. Sure, as story synopses go, it seems pretty meaty, but it doesn't disclose that much about this season's overarching narrative, character arcs, or which of Jordan's novels it'll adapt.

Thanks to the cast and crew, though, we have some answers to all of the above – starting with the last of those puzzles. Speaking at New York Comic-Con 2023, Judkins confirmed (per IGN) that season 3 would adapt the story that unfolds in books four and five – 'Shadow Rising' and 'The Fires of Heaven'. Season 3 will primarily focus on the fourth novel, with elements from its sequel book sprinkled on top.

The Wheel of Time's third season will, unsurprisingly, feature new locations first introduced in Jordan's literary works, as well as take viewers back to towns and cities previously visited in seasons 1 and 2. Per IGN, Judkins reveals we'll head back to the Two Rivers and the White Tower at some stage, while fan-favorite destinations including Andor, Tanchico, and Rhuidean will feature prominently throughout.

Hope there’s water and shade. pic.twitter.com/XpGz7gDquADecember 7, 2024

The last of those locations will be of particular interest to long-time fans, too, because it – and the above tweet – confirm our heroes (and villains) will travel to the Aiel Waste at some point. This is an important stop on these characters' journeys and a glimpse into the time before The Breaking of the World, i.e. the period that saw male Aes Sedai go mad and brought about the end of the Age of Legends.

The show's forthcoming installment will also bring the concept of 'dreamwalking' to life in Amazon's TV adaptation. "We also get to explore with some of our characters the world of dreams and dreamwalking," Judkins said at NYCC 2023 (via THR), "And I think that’s a really cool thing to get to do in season three because it is one of those unique elements in Wheel of Time that no other book series really has. So we really explore that world in season three."

Once you begin, you must continue to the end. pic.twitter.com/wTzwEIH4m4December 8, 2024

There are plenty more subplots, world-building aspects, and fascinating character arcs that'll be threaded through this entry's overarching narrative, too.

From the debut of a new world-trading faction called the Sea Folk and Egwene's Aes Sedai Accepted trials, to a mind-blowing action set-piece that Judkins calls "bonkers" (per Deadline) in The Wheel of Time season 3's first episode, it sounds like you and I are in for a real treat when the series returns.

Is The Wheel of Time season 4 in development yet?

Will Amazon *ahem* crown The Wheel of Time with a fourth season? (Image credit: Prime Video)

Not yet. Amazon hasn't officially renewed The Wheel of Time for a fourth season. There's no guarantee that it'll be made, either – especially after fansite WoTseries.com claimed that Amazon spent an eye-watering $260 million on its first two seasons.

According to The Wheel of Time YouTube fan channel WoT Up!, season 4 won't get the green light unless season 3's viewership is a marked improvement on its predecessor. As the video's presenter points out, this is just a rumor, so there's no way to confirm if Amazon is actually waiting to see how season 3 performs before deciding to renew or cancel the show. It's also worth stating that Amazon rarely releases viewing figures for its TV Originals. Indeed, the e-commerce giant's entertainment division only does so if one of Prime Video's new movies, or a new or returning TV show, performs better than expected.

For now, then, I can't say if The Wheel of Time season 3 will get a follow-up. Once I know more, I'll update this section.

For more Prime Video-based coverage, read our guides on The Rings of Power season 3, Invincible season 3, Mr and Mrs Smith season 2, and Reacher season 3.

• TikTok says it will shut down in the US on January 19
• There's uncertainty over the implementation of a ban
• The US is about to swap presidents on Monday

By now you've almost certainly heard that TikTok could be about to get banned in the US this coming Sunday, January 19. The latest update today is that the social platform will "go dark" amid uncertainty around what the White House will actually decide to do.

As per an official TikTok statement, "unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement", the TikTok lights will go off in the US tomorrow.

So is TikTok going to be outlawed in the US or not? No one really knows – and that's the point being made here. With so much uncertainty around what the incoming US president and the outgoing US president really want, TikTok has had enough.

No doubt there's more to come here, and it's likely to be a busy weekend for both TikTok and the US administration. As it stands though, don't expect to be able to download or even access TikTok from tomorrow, if you're in the US – though with a change at the top of the US government, the blackout might not be permanent.

The rather complicated story so far

Does TikTok have a future in the US? (Image credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

If you're just getting up to speed on the TikTok ban, it's been a long road to this point. You may remember WeChat and TikTok almost got banned from the United States back in 2020, during the first term of Donald Trump's presidency.

The issue has always been the close ties between TikTok, its developer ByteDance, and the Chinese government. Officials in the US are worried China is using TikTok as a way of influencing millions of Americans – or as a full-on spying tool.

Not true, says TikTok – but the US government isn't convinced, even if billions could be lost by businesses and creators. The US Supreme Court has upheld the original law to either ban or sell TikTok to US interests this weekend, and time has almost run out.

In recent days, TikTok CEO Shou Chew has taken to the platform to thank incoming President Trump for his support – Trump replaces Joe Biden in the White House on Monday – but the latest TikTok statement suggests the involved parties are going to have to act very quickly indeed to stop a shutdown.

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• More Galaxy S25 promo material leaks
• Video shows off AI improvements
• Better video capture is on the way

There's a very good chance the Samsung Galaxy S25 series will jump straight into our best phones list when it's unveiled this coming Wednesday, but until then we've got another leak hinting at some of the AI features we can expect to see arriving on these handsets.

An apparently official promotional video for the Galaxy S25 phones was posted and then pulled by Android Headlines, with Samsung obviously not keen for its big announcements to be spoiled ahead of time.

The video showed off the daily AI-powered morning briefing that's been leaked before, and there's a demonstration of an audio eraser to remove unwanted noise from video recordings (something you can already do on some Pixel phones).

There will also be hugely improved nighttime video capture capabilities, though it's not immediately clear how much of that is down to AI enhancements and how much is down to improved camera lens hardware.

AI and the S25 Slim

The leaked video also shows Google Gemini front and center, which is something we've been expecting. Samsung and Google have worked closely on AI recently: remember the Circle to Search feature made its debut on the Samsung Galaxy S24.

We've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 phones will feature a next-gen Bixby upgrade, as teased in the official promo video you can see above. It may be that Gemini and Bixby are going to be battling it out for your attention.

At the end of the video, there's a shot of four phones next to each other, as we saw on the Samsung Unpacked invite. However, it looks like two of these phones are the Galaxy S25 Ultra, front and back – so where's the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim?

The rumors have been that the Galaxy S25 Slim will go on sale later in the year – and based on this latest leak, it could well be that we only get to see the standard Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25 Plus, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra at the event this coming Wednesday.

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• Lighter, powerful and more affordable in-wheel motors are on the horizon
• Elaphe Propulsion Technologies revealed a 2,000bhp supercar concept
• Donut Lab says its motors can power an array of products

Most modern electric vehicles use an electric motor that powers either the front or rear axle – or both, if it is equipped with all-wheel-drive and two motors. This works perfectly fine, but it isn't the most efficient solution, seeing as energy (and therefore battery range) is lost to mechanical friction via the transmission, driveshafts and whatnot.

What’s more, car designers and engineers are relatively limited in the way they can package new vehicles, having to shoehorn in the required plumbing for a bulky electric drivetrain.

The next big thing in EV land is the introduction of in-wheel motor (IWM) technology, which has been around for decades but has taken a long time to refine to a point where it can affordably and realistically be introduced into production cars.

Donut Lab, a subsidiary of Verge Motorcycles – the futuristic electric motorcycle brand that pioneered in-wheel motor technology on high-performance two-wheeled transport – showcased the latest generation of its technology at this year’s CES 2025, and it has the potential to change the game again.

In-wheel motor technology has been considered too expensive, under-powered and too bulky for mass-produced cars, seeing as a huge amount of weight is essentially positioned in an area (the wheels) that need to be as light as possible – a concept dubbed ‘unsprung mass’ by automotive boffins that refers to anything that isn’t supported by the vehicle’s suspension system.

(Image credit: Donut Lab)

It plays a pivotal role in how a vehicle handles, but Donut Lab says its latest motor technology can be as light as 40kg, yet deliver a power-to-weight ratio that far exceeds anything that is currently on the market. Unsprung mass becomes a moot point.

The company’s CEO, Marko Lehtimäki, says that an automotive-spec, 21-inch version can deliver a gut-punching 630kW of power, which is 845hp. Multiply that figure by four, and the next generation of supercars could easily produce 3,380hp, if manufacturers can figure out how to transfer that power to the road beneath.

Silly supercar daydreams aside, the technology will more likely be used in a more restrained manner, with a couple of lightweight and less powerful in-wheel motors powering the rearmost wheels, which could still yield a heady 600-800hp, without the associated costs.

There’s a 17-inch application for motorcycles, which delivers around 200hp (that’s up there with most modern superbikes) that only weighs 21kg, while a 12-inch version weighs just 8kg.

Lehtimäki says that his company has managed to extract class-leading performance with “a smaller quantity of active materials,” meaning that manufacturers can jump on the in-wheel motor bandwagon and save as much as 50 per cent in manufacturing costs compared to traditional EV motors.

Analysis: The wheels are in motion

(Image credit: Italdesign)

Donut Lab wasn’t the only in-wheel motor pioneers on display at CES this year, as Slovenian firm Elaphe Propulsion Technologies also showcased its ultra-thin Sonic 1 hardware that’s capable of developing 268hp, while allowing enough space inside a 21-inch wheel for standard high-performance disc brakes.

This would make the motors suitable for use in high-performance driving situations, such as on the racetrack, where reliable and predictable braking power is essential.

The company showcased its tech in the Italdesign Quintessenza concept, which takes the form of a futuristic electric pick-up/SUV hybrid that packs a Sonic 1 motor in each wheel for over 2,000hp.

Elaphe says it is working on mass production concepts that it hopes it can develop alongside OEMs. However, don't expect to see a production version until 2030 or later.

(Image credit: Elaphe Propulsion Technologies)

Despite those lengthy time frames, the race is on to be the first to introduce in-wheel motors to the buying public. BMW announced last year that it was working with Munich-based electric motor engineers DeepDrive to develop in-wheel motor technology that could be scaled to a point where it makes financial sense for mass-produced EVs.

Similarly, serial innovator Hyundai Motor Group has been working on and refining its ‘Uni Wheel’ technology since 2023.

There’s been no update on recent progress, but the Korean company said that the technology could completely change the way it packages EVs in the future, helping it to improve battery range and massively increase the durability of its motor units.

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• Seagate study claims security and storage are top of agenda for AI infrastructure
• Energy is a distant last, preceded by LLM viability and regulations
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AI energy consumption is becoming an increasingly hot topic, with industry stakeholders and critics voicing concerns over the environmental impact of the technology.

But a recent survey from Seagate points toward more pressing concerns for IT leaders, claiming energy usage ranked bottom of the agenda behind regulatory considerations, the viability of LLMs, and network capacity.

Notably, security and storage were among the key focus points for business leaders looking ahead, with nearly two-thirds (61%) of respondents who predominately use cloud storage to host AI workloads said their cloud-based storage will increase by over 100% in the next three years.

Cost effective storage is key

This sharpened focus on AI adoption is expected to prompt a surge in demand for data storage, with hard drives emerging as the “clear winner,” said Roger Entner, founder and lead analyst of Recon Analytics, which carried out the survey.

“The survey results generally point to a coming surge in demand for data storage,” he said. “When you consider that the business leaders we surveyed intend to store more and more of this AI-driven data in the cloud, it appears that cloud services are well-positioned to ride a second growth wave.”

A key factor in this push is the cost efficiency of hard drives, the study found, which offer better scalability and improve per-dollar-per-terabyte cost.

Another contributory factor to the appeal of hard drives is data retention, the survey found. Organizations embracing AI typically hold data for longer periods of time to train and optimize AI models.

This lengthy data retention practice plays a critical role in ensuring accuracy when training models, with 90% of respondents already using AI believing that holding onto data for longer helps improve outcomes.

“With the vast majority of survey respondents saying they need to store data for longer periods of time to improve quality outcomes of AI, we’re focused on a real density innovation needed to increase storage capacity for each platter in our HAMR-based hard drives,” Entner said.

“We have a clear pathway to more than double per-platter storage capacity over the next few years.”

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Next week, we have Samsung's first Galaxy Unpacked event of 2025, but before we can get there, we've seen a week filled with tech announcements.

Leaks for the Samsung event were a dime a dozen, but we also saw the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 announcement, game-breaking Windows 11 updates, and kept up to date with the latest TikTok ban news.

Here's our recap of the week's biggest tech news in case you missed it. What a speedy overview.

When you're done, feel free to check out our picks for the 7 new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend (January 17).

7. Windows 11 24H2 broke games

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

It’s the same story again for Microsoft’s Windows 11 and its 24H2 update, causing problems for multiple users. This time around, gamers are frustrated with the functionality of their games, notably Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, after Valhalla and Origins received patches to fix constant crashes.

While some may point the finger at Ubisoft developers, the 24H2 update has been a long-lasting irritant to the user experience, with numerous bugs pushing some people away from operating systems (at least for now).

Valve announced that SteamOS will be coming to other handheld gaming PCs, providing gamers with a great alternative. Also, a native cloud image, Bazzite, running SteamOS but not affiliated with Valve, can be used on desktop PCs, so Microsoft needs to get its act together before potentially losing plenty of users.

• Read more: Windows 11 24H2 forces Ubisoft’s AC fixes

6. OpenAI predicted AGI in 2025

(Image credit: Getty Images)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicts we’ll achieve AGI (artificial general intelligence, also known as superintelligence) "as we have traditionally understood it" in 2025 – a bold prediction for the year.

AGI is a type of AI that matches or even surpasses a human’s cognitive capabilities across a broad range of cognitive tasks compared to current AI models, which can only attempt to match people in a few specific areas. It’s what sci-fi has trained us to imagine when we think of AI.

This would be a major advancement in the AI field, with many experts saying AGI would lead to a revolution unlike anything we’ve seen so far. For now, we’ll have to take Sam Altman’s word that AGI is almost here, but we could be in for a wild 2025 if his prediction is correct.

• Read more: Sam Altman predicts artificial superintelligence (AGI) will happen this year

5. Apple’s 2025 roadmap leaked

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

Speaking of leaks, Apple’s iPhone and iPad roadmap for 2025 was teased by reporter and reputable tipster Mark Gurman this week (via a paywalled Bloomberg article), with Gurman detailing what tech we should see in the next 12 months.

The first is the iPhone SE 4 with Apple Intelligence and Face ID, which will land in Q1 or early Q2. Then, alongside it, Gurman says we’ll get the iPad 11 with an A17 Pro chipset (just like the iPhone 15 Pro) and 8GB of RAM, which should mean it’s powerful enough to run Apple Intelligence.

Sometime in Spring, Gurman believes we will get a new iPad Air with an M4 chipset to bring it in line with the latest iPad Pro models, and then rounding out the year will be the blockbuster iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Air (or possibly just iPhone Air) launches.

• Read more: Apple’s packed 2025 iPhone and iPad roadmap just got tipped

4. DJI launched a first-of-its-kind drone

(Image credit: DJI)

DJI unveiled the new and unique Flip, a multi-use drone for beginners unlike anything we've seen before. Its Star Wars spacecraft-like body features folding propellors with guards, meaning you can fly safely up close, armed with auto-tracking flight modes and 4K videos up to 60fps, plus slow motion 100fps clips.

It's ultimately like a larger, pricier, and supercharged DJI Neo – although the latter offers FPV flight – so check out our DJI Flip vs DJI Neo article to discover the key differences. During testing for our in-depth DJI Flip review, we found that you get better 4K video and 48MP images than the Neo, with the quality approaching that of DJI’s Mini 4 Pro, but without quite hitting those same heights.

Ultimately, what’s most distinct about the DJI Flip is its first-of-kind folding design, which still falls within the 249g-and-lighter category of drones that's largely restriction-free.

• Read more: DJI Flip review a new breed of beginner drone

3. Samsung’s Unpacked announcements leaked

The first Samsung Unpacked event of 2025 might still be a couple of days away – it takes place on Wednesday (January 22) – but it looks like we already know everything there is to know about the phones that will be unveiled at the launch.

Multiple leaks – which feel like they're been ongoing since about this time last year – have shed light on almost everything, including the full specs and color options for the entire three-phone lineup (made up of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra), details of AI enhancements, including a new morning brief feature, and even the Samsung Galaxy S25's jazzy new ringtone (which Samsung itself released early).

As with all leaks, we should take these details with a pinch of salt until Samsung makes an official announcement, but on the plus side we don't now have long to wait until then.

• Read more: Samsung Galaxy S25 latest news, rumors and everything we want to see

2. TikTok faced its end… for now

(Image credit: Getty Images)

TikTok’s US ban has been looming for some time, but it came into focus this week as we approach January 19 – the day it will supposedly come into full force. Users afraid of losing the app took to rival services, but not just Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. Chinese-made alternatives such as RedNote and also Lemon8 (which is owned by ByteDance, just like TikTok) proved popular.

There were hopes that the US Supreme Court would stop TikTok’s app store execution, but they have not, and while at the time of writing there are reports the US Government might not enforce any fines related to the ban at first, that has yet to be confirmed. All TikTok fans have left to hold on to is that when Donald Trump steps in as President on January 20, he could work to overturn the ban – a ban which he has been a vocal opponent of, despite being one of TikTok’s original detractors.

We’re not holding our breath, but perhaps this time next week, we’ll all be back to sharing dances on the clock app.

• Read more: TikTok Ban updates live

1. Nintendo Switched things ups

After years of speculation, hype, and rumors, the Nintendo Switch successor finally broke cover, with Nintendo releasing a Nintendo Switch 2 trailer. Unoriginal name aside, the short teaser showed us plenty – it confirmed the console and its screen are larger than before (we’ve heard it’s now an 8-inch display from leaks), showed us the new button on the right JoyCon, and gave us a new kickstand design for the console, alongside clips of what could be a new Mario Kart title (while many are calling it Mario Kart 9, if Nintendo counts Tour as a mainline game this would be Mario Kart 10).

It’s light on specifics, though, and there’s still a lot we aren’t certain about. For one, it’s unclear how much the console will cost when it is released and what its exact specs are.

For those details, we’ll have to watch this space and wait to see what Nintendo announces over the next few days and weeks.

• Read more: Nintendo has officially revealed its next console!

We’re in Samsung season right now, as in a matter of days we’re expecting the Samsung Galaxy S25, Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to launch, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim might not be too far behind them.

This rumored new addition to Samsung’s Galaxy S line is – as the name suggests – supposedly a lot thinner than the company’s typical flagships.

But slimming down in size might not mean slimming down too many of the specs, as there’s talk of a 200MP camera, a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and more.

Below, you’ll find everything we’ve heard about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim so far, and we’ll update this article whenever more Galaxy S25 Slim news rolls in.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? A high-end, slim Samsung phone
• When is it out? Possibly May
• How much will it cost? Likely over $999 / £999 / AU$1,699

Likely landing in May

The Samsung Galaxy S24 (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

• Most leaks point to a launch in or around May
• Expect it to be priced somewhere between the S25 Plus and Ultra

We first heard talk of a Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim back in October, with a source claiming that this phone would probably land a few months after the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series. Since those phones are set to be announced on January 22, that would mean a launch in April or May.

This source cautioned though that the S25 Slim might only be released in limited quantities or regions, so Samsung can judge how much interest there is in it before committing to a wider release for a model next year.

Then, in November a model number for a phone believed to be the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim was spotted on the GSMA IMEI database. This told us a few things. For one, it provided more evidence that the phone existed, and for another, the model number ended with a ‘U’, which denotes a US model, so whether or not its availability is limited, it’s likely to land in the US at least.

This find also pointed to a release in or around May, as Samsung phones tend to get added to this database roughly six months before they launch.

Another model number for the S25 Slim has since emerged, this time with a ‘B’ at the end, which typically means a phone that Samsung will sell in every region it operates in. So the Galaxy S25 Slim might not be limited to certain regions after all.

In any case, in mid-December a source claimed the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim would land in Q2 (so between April and June), and in January of 2025 we heard to expect the Galaxy S25 Slim in May.

That said, one early rumor stated that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim was in the final stages of development, and that Samsung was hoping to have it finished in time to launch it alongside the rest of the Galaxy S25 line on January 22. So there's some disagreement.

As for the price, we haven’t heard much, but based on its rumored specs and model number it’s likely that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim will be positioned somewhere between the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

We don’t know how much those phones will cost yet either, but for reference the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra starts at $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199, so a price somewhere between those two is likely.

Can you trust these rumors?

Almost every Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim release date leak is pointing to the same launch window, with May sounding the most likely month.

While one source did suggest a launch in January, we’d think this is very unlikely to happen, since we haven’t heard this from other sources and as we’d expect to have heard far more Galaxy S25 Slim leaks and rumors by now if it was landing that soon. It’s believable that the phone might be teased during that Galaxy Unpacked event though.

A slim body and a big screen

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

• Expect a slim design and an other S24-like appearance
• Could be just 6.4mm thick
• The screen might be 6.66 inches

The biggest Samsung Galaxy S25 design leak so far takes the form of numerous renders shared by @Onleaks (a reputable tipster) in collaboration with SmartPrix.

You can see some of these below, and they show a phone that looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy S24, complete with slim bezels, a glass back, a flat metal frame, a flat screen, and a triple-lens camera.

The source claims that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim has dimensions of 159 x 76 x 6.4mm (rising to 8.3mm if you include the camera bump). For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (which this is expected to have a similar size screen to) is 158.5 x 75.9 x 7.7mm.

Image 1 of 2

A render of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim (Image credit: @OnLeaks / SmartPrix)Image 2 of 2

A render of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim (Image credit: @OnLeaks / SmartPrix)

While we’d take these claims with a pinch of salt, another source has also said that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim is somewhere between 6.0 and 6.9mm thick.

This might sound very thin, but yet another source has shown a comparison image revealing that the Galaxy S25 Slim might not be noticeably much thinner than the rest of the Galaxy S25 line. And indeed, however thin the Galaxy S25 Slim might be, it’s reportedly not as thin as Samsung was hoping to make it.

As for the screen, the source of the renders above claims that it’s somewhere between 6.7 and 6.8 inches, while another source got more specific, saying that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim has a 6.66-inch display. That would put it in line with the Galaxy S24 Plus, and probably also with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus.

Can you trust these rumors?

The source of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim renders has an excellent track record, so we’d say they’re likely accurate, and as all sources are broadly in agreement on the screen size and thickness, we’d think those details are probably more or less correct too.

Ultra-level cameras

The Samsung Galaxy S24 (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

• Multiple sources point to a high-spec camera
• A triple-lens snapper is likely
• Possibly a 200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, and 50MP telephoto

The earliest Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim camera leak suggested this phone would have an "Ultra" camera, which presumably means similar camera hardware to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Later, the same source similarly said that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim would have a “stronger” camera than the standard Galaxy S25.

Another source has since got more specific, claiming that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim will have a 200MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide, and a 50MP telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom. This claim likely fits with the leaks above, as a 200MP main sensor would see it match the S24 Ultra, and these specs are likely better than you’ll find on the standard S25.

Finally, we’ve heard elsewhere that the telephoto camera on the S25 Slim could have an ALoP (All Lenses on Prism) design, making it thinner than most telephoto lenses.

Can you trust these rumors?

We’re slightly skeptical of the claim that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim will have a 200MP main camera and two 50MP snappers, simply because the source doesn’t have much of a track record.

But this does line up with the other, vaguer camera claims we’ve heard from more credible sources, so it’s certainly possible.

At the very least, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim will probably have a triple-lens camera, as that’s what it’s shown with in the renders we’ve seen.

Top-end power

(Image credit: Qualcomm)

• Leaks point to a high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset
• 12GB of RAM also looks likely

Our first real Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim specs information came in December, 2024 when we heard that – like the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series – this would probably have a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.

More recently, the Galaxy S25 Slim appeared in a benchmark, with exactly that chipset and 12GB of RAM. Its scores weren’t as impressive as we’d expect from such a top-tier chipset, but that’s probably just because the phone’s hardware and software were still being developed and optimized.

Another rumor has since echoed that chipset and RAM amount for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim. So this could be an extremely powerful phone, offering performance that’s in line with the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series.

Can you trust these rumors?

Multiple sources have pointed to a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and 12GB of RAM. So there’s a good chance this is what we’ll get, especially as that’s what we’re expecting from the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus.

A worryingly small battery

The Samsung Galaxy S24 (Image credit: Future)

• Could have a very small battery
• Most leaks suggest it will be under 4,000mAh
• One source instead says it will be 4,700mAh or bigger

One area where the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim might not impress is its battery, with an early leak suggesting Samsung had failed at making the battery as energy dense as hoped, which – combined with the phone’s slim build – might mean a lower-capacity battery than you’d expect from a phone with a screen of this size.

That’s been echoed by a more recent claim that the Galaxy S25 Slim’s battery will be somewhere between 3,000mAh and 4,000mAh.

That said, the source of the renders above stated that its battery is “significantly” bigger than 3,050mAh, so it might at least be approaching 4,000mAh.

Or these sources could be wrong, as we’ve elsewhere heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim might have a battery of between 4,700mAh and 5,000mAh.

Can you trust these rumors?

While one source points to a big battery in the Galaxy S25 Slim they don’t have much of a track record, and it’s hard to believe Samsung would be able to fit such a big battery in such a slim phone.

So the claims that the battery is somewhere between 3,000mAh and 4,000mAh are more believable, but we’re hopeful that it will at least be at the upper end of that range.

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• El Capitan is a classified US government property that crunches data related to US nuclear arsenal
• ServeTheHome's Patrick Kennedy was invited for the launch at the LLNL in California
• AMD and HPE's CEOs were also part of the ceremony

In November 2024, the AMD-powered El Capitan officially became the world’s fastest supercomputer, delivering a peak performance of 2.7 exaflops and 1.7 exaflops of sustained performance.

Built by HPE for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to simulate nuclear weapons tests, it is powered by AMD Instinct MI300A APUs and dethroned the previous leader, Frontier, pushing it down to second place among the most powerful supercomputers in the world.

Patrick Kennedy from ServeTheHome was recently invited to the launch event at LLNL in California, which also included the CEOs of AMD and HPE, and was allowed to bring along his phone to capture “some shots before El Capitan gets to its classified mission.”

Not the biggest

During the tour, Kennedy observed, “Each rack has 128 compute blades that are completely liquid-cooled. It was very quiet on this system, with more noise coming from the storage and other systems on the floor.”

He then noted, “On the other side of the racks, we have the HPE Slingshot interconnect cabled with both DACs and optics.”

The Slingshot interconnect side of El Capitan is - as you'd expect - liquid-cooled, with switch trays occupying only the bottom half of the space. LLNL explained to Kennedy that their codes don't require full population, leaving the top half for the "Rabbit," a liquid-cooled unit housing 18 NVMe SSDs.

Looking inside the system, Kennedy saw “a CPU that looks like an AMD EPYC 7003 Milan part, which feels about right given the AMD MI300A’s generation. Unlike the APU, the Rabbit’s CPU had DIMMs and what looks like DDR4 memory that is liquid-cooled. Like the standard blades, everything is liquid-cooled, so there are not any fans in the system.”

While El Capitan is less than half the size the xAI Colossus cluster was in September when Elon Musk's supercomputer was equipped with "just" 100,000 Nvidia H100 GPUs (plans are afoot to expand it to a million GPUs), Kennedy points out that “systems like this are still huge and are done on a fraction of the budget of a 100,000 plus GPU system.”

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• AMD-powered El Capitan becomes the world’s fastest supercomputer
• HPE chooses AMD to power El Capitan supercomputer
• Intel says its unfinished supercomputer broke the exascale barrier

• Amazon's replacing 'Try Before You Buy' with a 'Virtual Try-On.'
• Swapping a physical try-on for a digital one is becoming somewhat of a theme in online retail.
• Virtual Try-On joins other features like AI-powered size recommendations.

Amazon would rather you try clothes on virtually instead of testing their fits at home. The company is officially retiring its “Try Before You Buy” program at the end of January, and in its place, Amazon wants you to trust its AI tools to find your perfect fit.

Try Before You Buy launched in 2017 as Prime Wardrobe and has let buyers get up to six items, try them on at home, and only pay for what they keep while sending back the rest. No dressing room with harsh fluorescent lighting is necessary. It's very popular, but Amazon has decided the program is not good enough.

Amazon believes its AI tools are all you need to find your best look. One might suspect this also has something to do with the company’s increasing investment in AI-driven shopping features. After all, why wait for a box of clothes when an algorithm can tell you which pair of jeans will love you back?

“Given the combination of Try Before You Buy only scaling to a limited number of items and customers increasingly using our new AI-powered features like virtual try-on, personalized size recommendations, review highlights and improved size charts to make sure they find the right fit, we’re phasing out the Try Before You Buy option," Amazon said in a released statement.

AI e-commerce

The tools Amazon points to are a different way of thinking about online shopping for clothes. Virtual try-on is an augmented reality feature that lets you see how shoes, glasses, or lipstick will look without leaving your couch. Meanwhile, the personalized size recommendation system uses your purchase history, return patterns, and feedback from other customers to predict your ideal size.

For a more conversational approach, there’s the Rufus AI chatbot, ready to answer all your questions and suggest products based on your shopping habits.

For fans of Try Before You Buy, this news might sting. The idea of confidently trying on clothes before committing is hard to replace, and AI, no matter how advanced, doesn’t have the tactile joy of slipping into something that just fits. Still, Amazon says that its free return policy will remain intact for most apparel purchases, so you can always fall back on the classic “order three sizes and hope for the best” strategy.

Amazon’s decision to swap physical try-ons for digital solutions isn’t just a company quirk; it’s part of a more significant trend in retail. AI is becoming increasingly popular as an aid to Google and other retailers' online shopping.

Whether shoppers will embrace this new era of virtual assistance or will long for the days of box-filled try-on sessions at home remains to be seen.

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• Amazon's AI personal shopper is sharing ads with its advice
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• ChatGPT's use in schoolwork doubled in a year to 26% among U.S. teens
• A majority of teens think using ChatGPT for research is fine
• Far fewer support using ChatGPT to write essays or solve math problems

I'm old enough to remember when teachers said we couldn't use a calculator in tests because we wouldn't always have one in our pockets, and they would check essays that seemed familiar against their entry on the Encarta CD-ROM encyclopedia. Teachers today are faced with the far more sophisticated tools offered by ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, whose popularity has skyrocketed among students, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. The percentage of teenagers using ChatGPT for schoolwork doubled from 13% in 2023 to 26% a year later.

Let’s face it: schoolwork isn’t always the most thrilling part of a teenager’s life. It's not shocking a lot of teens are turning to AI for a little academic assistance. But the details of how ChatGPT is used by students are a little more nuanced. Pew’s research found that a slight majority of 54% of teens are okay with using the AI chatbot for tasks like researching new topics, which is hard to claim is an attempt to cheat. That approval drops to 29% for using ChatGPT to solve math problems, and only 18% of teens think it’s acceptable to get ChatGPT to write essays for them.

ChatGPT's prominence makes it likely to be the most widely used of the many options. Even if all of the respondents were scrupulously honest about whether they used ChatGPT for schoolwork, that doesn't mean they haven't dabbled with Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Meta AI, Microsoft Copilot, or any of a million apps that serve as a wrapper for ChatGPT's model. The Digital Education Council released a survey in August that pegged the global use by students of some kind of AI at a far higher 86%.

Academic AI

Students who aren't just turning in ChatGPT-written essays may actually be improving their education in creative ways. With the right approach, AI can be a great educational supplement, but never a replacement. Even the best ChatGPT prompt won't replicate the experience of wrestling with an idea until you finally get it. There are already some experiments in that vein, with Arizona State University (ASU) working with OpenAI to incorporate ChatGPT and London’s David Game College running an AI-taught class as part of its new Sabrewing program.

There's reason for concern over students becoming overly reliant on AI and not learning to think critically and solve problems independently. On the other hand, AI in education can mean, if leveraged properly, offering students access to personalized resources they might not otherwise have. That's the tougher but probably best recourse since even the strictest policies are unlikely to stop students from using AI in any context they can. You'd need a school that replaces all homework with oral presentations and requires all research to be done using paper books to prevent it.

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• Your next professor at this college could be ChatGPT
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Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 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 #1090) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1090) - 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 1.

Quordle today (game #1090) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1090) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1090) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• I

• B

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1090) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1090, are…

• BLARE
• ITCHY
• BICEP
• PIPER

When you haven’t got a single word after the fourth or fifth goes, Quordle feels pretty unbeatable.

I got that sinking feeling today, spending far too long trying to guess BLARE. I almost got there, but was one letter out with PIPER.

Some very tricky words today, congratulations to anyone who completed it.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1090) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1090, are…

• UDDER
• YOUNG
• BLURB
• MOLAR

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1089, Friday 17 January: CATCH, WEARY, SWOON, LATHE
• Quordle #1088, Thursday 16 January: PARTY, BLUNT, TWEED, PLANT
• Quordle #1087, Wednesday 15 January: RISEN, PLATE, RURAL, ENVOY
• Quordle #1086, Tuesday 14 January: SWARM, SCRAP, ONION, BELCH
• Quordle #1085, Monday 13 January: EYING, GIDDY, CHEAP, PETAL
• Quordle #1084, Sunday 12 January: BRIEF, PETAL, WOMAN, FELON
• Quordle #1083, Saturday 11 January: ASCOT, FIBER, ROGUE, SMELL
• Quordle #1082, Friday 10 January: BIGOT, INLET, LEECH, TUNIC
• Quordle #1081, Thursday 9 January: RESET, HUMOR, TENOR, IMAGE
• Quordle #1080, Wednesday 8 January: MINCE, SADLY, RISEN, VOUCH
• Quordle #1079, Tuesday 7 January: CREED, FILET, ROUTE, TAPER
• Quordle #1078, Monday 6 January: PIVOT, WOOLY, GRUNT, GROOM
• Quordle #1077, Sunday 5 January: BORAX, JUDGE, CADET, SALON
• Quordle #1076, Saturday 4 January: CORER, CRATE, QUASI, EXIST
• Quordle #1075, Friday 3 January: PERKY, QUARK, NAVEL, SHEEN
• Quordle #1074, Thursday 2 January: UNIFY, SWORE, DEPOT, INTRO
• Quordle #1073, Wednesday 1 January: CLING, SUITE, WORRY, TONIC
• Quordle #1072, Tuesday 31 December: PLUMP, TUBER, IRATE, ICILY
• Quordle #1071, Monday 30 December: TODDY, GROIN, GROWN, VERVE
• Quordle #1070, Sunday 29 December: PURER, SPLAT, RABID, EMCEE

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… O ___! My ___!

NYT Strands today (game #321) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• READ
• BISON
• PANT
• NUDE
• ANGER
• TORA

NYT Strands today (game #321) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Leader of the gang

NYT Strands today (game #321) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 6th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #321) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #321, are…

• PLANET
• HOOK
• CRUNCH
• OBVIOUS
• KANGAROO
• UNDERPANTS
• SPANGRAM: CAPTAIN

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 hints

An intriguing theme today and it wasn’t until I saw HOOK that I cottoned on to the OBVIOUS.

I also experienced a bit of puzzling deja-vu and I’m convinced these words have appeared in Connections or Strands before – which is the only way I could possibly know about Captain KANGAROO. This niche kids TV character with the catchphrase “good morning Captain” didn’t penetrate the world beyond the USA.

Maybe if I’d seen UNDERPANTS sooner, I wouldn’t have struggled so much.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 17 January, game #320)

• MILLENNIAL
• ALPHA
• BOOMER
• ZOOMER
• GREATEST
• SPANGRAM: GENERATION GAP

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.

CES 2025 has come and gone with no official confirmation of the possible AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT flagship graphics card, though there is somewhat of a confirmation of RDNA 4 graphics cards.

Though AMD didn't have time to properly elaborate on RDNA 4 during its 45-minute CES 2025 keynote, according to Frank Azor (AMD’s head of consumer and gaming marketing), we know now that the tech is coming.

This especially applies to the RX 9070 XT, which most likely will compete with Nvidia's RTX 5070. It'll be exciting to see what this card has to offer in terms of performance and official pricing. But for now, we'll keep an ear to the ground for the latest news and rumors, and bring them all in one place to keep you up to date on the latest developments.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: Cut to the chase

(Image credit: YouTube / Michael Quesada)

• What is it? The possible AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU
• How much does it cost? Unknown at this time, as it hasn't been officially announced
• When can I get it? This has also yet to be officially announced, though there are rumors of a late January pre-order date for RDNA 4 cards.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: Latest news

• AMD exec drops hints on RX 9070 pricing and some PC gamers are panicking
• AMD and Nvidia could be set for epic GPU showdown with RX 9070 and 9070 XT going on sale at the same time as the RTX 5080
• AMD announces new Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 graphics cards at CES 2025

Click to read more of the latest news...

• What to expect from AMD in 2025
• AMD RDNA 4 GPU rumors flood forth, including possible name change to RX 9070

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: Release date rumors

(Image credit: AMD)

While there's no concrete news concerning a release date for the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, there are rumors of a general RDNA 4 pre-order date set for January 23.

The dates allegedly came from B&H Photo putting up early listings for some Asus RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards (TUF and Prime models). Luckily the listings were screenshotted by longtime hardware leaker @momomo_us before they were removed.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: Specs

(Image credit: AMD)

There haven't been any clear cut leaks, rumors, or reports about the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT's performance, or the performance of RDNA 4 in general. We can surmise, however, that the card won't be a 4K powerhouse thanks to its price point range.

The previous hope was that the flagship RDNA 4 GPU would be slightly faster than the 7900 XT. However, it seems to be slightly slower according to All The Watts (though take that with a grain of salt).

While it sounds rather risky in the face of Nvidia's own high-end 5000-series cards, not targeting that market makes sense from a business standpoint as the vast majority of gamers are playing on 1080p resolution, with some gaming on 1440p. Instead, AMD could be reaching for an overall much larger target audience by scaling back on the performance and therefore the price.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT: What to expect

Right now there isn't much concrete news on the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics card and on the RDNA 4 at large, due to AMD not having the time to elaborate on it during its CES 2025 conference.

While there are plenty of rumors and a few scant official details including a possible preorder date - the latter thanks to an interview and retailer leaks - we don't have a clear picture as to what this card will be like right now in terms of exact pricing, specs, and performance.

Hopefully AMD will give us the low down on the RX 9070 XT and any other RDNA 4-powered graphics cards in the future.

• Researchers say criminals are hiding malware in images hosted on reputable websites
• At least two different groups were seen deploying two types of infostealers
• The campaigns abuse an ancient Excel flaw, HP Wolf Security claims

Hackers are hiding malware in website images to go unnoticed and compromise as many computers as possible, experts have warned.

A new Threat Insights Report from HP Wolf Security, based on data from millions of endpoints, claims there are currently large campaigns active spreading VIP Keylogger and 0bj3ctivityStealer. Since the same techniques and loaders are used in both, the researchers suspect two groups are using the same malware kits to deliver different payloads.

“In both campaigns, attackers hid the same malicious code in images on file hosting websites like archive.org, as well as using the same loader to install the final payload,” the researchers explained. “Such techniques help attackers circumvent detection, as image files appear benign when downloaded from well-known websites, bypassing network security like web proxies that rely on reputation.”

Throwing GenAI into the mix

The attack starts with a phishing email pretending to be an invoice, or purchase order. The attachment is usually an Excel document designed to exploit CVE-2017-11882, an ancient bug in the Equation Editor, to download a VBScript file.

Alex Holland, Principal Threat Researcher in the HP Security Lab, said phishing kits, paired with Generative AI (GenAI) tools, have significantly lowered the barrier to entry, exacerbating the ever-present risk of malware: “This allows groups to concentrate on tricking their targets and picking the best payload for the job – for instance by targeting gamers with malicious cheat repositories.”

Discussing GenAI, the researchers said miscreants are using it to create malicious HTML documents. They also identified an XWorm remote access trojan (RAT) campaign initiated by HTML smuggling, which contained malicious code that downloads and runs the malware.

The loader was quite obviously written by an AI, they added, since it included a line-by-line description and the design of the HTML page.

Both VIP Keylogger and 0bj3ctivityStealer are infostealer malware which record, and exfiltrate, sensitive information such as passwords, cryptocurrency wallet information, sensitive files, and more.

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• Minisforum N5 Pro is unlike anything I've seen before: a powerful mini PC and expansive NAS
• It has a 10Gb + 5Gb LAN not unlike the MS01 I covered a while back
• Add in an OCuLink port and a PCIe x16 slot and you've got a pretty capable workstation PC

One of my favorite mini PC makers, Minisforum, best known for its compact workstation systems like the MS-01 and MS-A1, is expanding into the NAS market with the introduction of the N5 Pro, a 5-bay desktop NAS designed for performance and scalability.

NASCompares, which went hands on with Minisforum’s new device at CES 2025, says the N5 Pro is the first of three planned NAS devices expected to launch this year.

The N5 Pro is powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370 (Strix Point) processor, equipped with 12 cores and 24 threads, running at a base clock of 3.5 GHz and capable of boosting up to 5.2 GHz. Built on AMD's Zen 5 architecture, the processor includes an integrated AI engine delivering 50 INT8 TOPS for enhanced data processing. The NAS supports up to 96GB of DDR5 ECC memory across two slots, providing the sort of reliable error correction commonly found in enterprise solutions.

Modular motherboard

As you’d expect, storage options are extensive, with five hot-swappable SATA bays supporting up to 22TB drives each, suitable for both hard drives and SATA SSDs. The device also features three M.2 NVMe slots - one PCIe 4.0 x2 and two PCIe 4.0 x1 - along with U.2 SSD support for expanded capacity and faster performance. RAID configurations are software-driven, with compatibility for platforms such as TrueNAS and Unraid.

One particularly welcome touch is the N5 Pro’s modular motherboard, which can be removed with a simple button press. This approach, which follows Minisforum’s design for the MS-01 workstation, simplifies upgrades and maintenance, making it easier for users to access and replace memory modules, storage, and PCIe expansion cards.

The N5 Pro offers a solid range of connectivity options, including a 10Gbps Ethernet port and a 5Gbps Ethernet port for dual high-speed wired connections. Additional ports include three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports, one internal USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A port, a USB 2.0 port, and two USB4 Type-C ports with 40Gbps transfer speeds. The system also supports an HDMI 2.0 output, two USB-C ports with DisplayPort 2.0 Alt Mode, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Expansion options are further boosted with a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (operating at x4 bandwidth) and an OCuLink 4i port, allowing for external GPU support or additional storage.

With its powerful hardware, flexible storage options, and Minisforum’s usual clever, user-friendly design, the Minisforum N5 Pro is unquestionably a versatile NAS choice for both home and professional environments. Pricing and availability have not yet been revealed, but it should be available soon.

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• Apple M4 Mac mini users report issues with USB-C connections
• Accessories such as keyboards are reportedly disconnecting randomly
• Apple has yet to address the situation, and it's not clear what the cause is as of now

While Apple's latest mini PC is lauded as one of the best Macs ever which is highlighted in our Mac mini (M4) review, it is currently facing a big issue that seems to be annoying plenty of users.

Multiple users claim that they are experiencing random USB-C disconnections as reported by AppleInsider, with accessories such as keyboards suddenly disconnecting. This is corroborated by various reports from users, and one notable post on Reddit, which implies that the only way for the accessories to start working again is by disconnecting the cable and reconnecting which is an inconvenience, to say the least.

This could also cause problems when transferring files between the Mac mini and an external USB-C drive if disconnections are as frequent as reports suggest. It isn't exactly clear whether this is a fault on Apple's side, but all signs point towards this being the case - as AppleInsider highlighted, some users' errors stem from waking the Mac mini up from sleep mode which may be resolved by a future software patch from Apple.

(Image credit: Future) What's the best solution for now?

While there are plenty of accessories that can only be used via direct connections, the best solution, for now, is Bluetooth - which is also another worry, as M4 Mac mini users also reported Bluetooth issues last December in a MacRumors forum.

Issues like this can quickly begin to annoy users and undermine some of the things the Mac mini does so well, so Apple needs to address this as soon as possible.

In the case of an accessory like the Magic Mouse, you wouldn't even be able to use it wired anyway - its USB-C charging port is placed on the bottom of the mouse, a massive point of criticism for many since Apple has stuck with this design from the previous model. Fortunately, it's a wireless mouse, so it will suffice while you wait for Apple to address the situation.

The M4 Mac mini was only released late last year in November, so weird bugs are to be expected. We'll have to wait and see what the exact cause is, and let's just hope that the wait doesn't last too long.

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• Copilot is now included in Microsoft 365 Personal and Family
• Users can now access Copilot across Word, Excel, Outlook and more
• But subscription costs will rise to pay for the new features

Microsoft has revealed its Copilot AI offerings will now be available to more users across the world - but the launch will come at a slightly increased price.

The company has announced Copilot, along with Microsoft Designer, is now part of Microsoft 365 subscription for Personal and Family tiers worldwide, bringing AI tools to millions more users.

However the launch will mean an increase in subscription costs, with Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscriptions in the US set to rise by $3.

Microsoft Copilot for all

"Our plan has always been to make Copilot in the Microsoft 365 apps more accessible to a wider audience at a great price," Bryan Rognier, Vice President, Microsoft 365 Consumer, wrote in a blog post announcing the news.

"These changes bring the transformative power of AI to the personal productivity tools that millions of people use every day."

Microsoft believes the move will bring Copilot to "most of" its 84 million consumer subscribers for popular programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.

It will also open up Microsoft Designer, the company's AI-powered image generator, which can be used for photo editing, logo creation, and more.

The company says Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers will receive a monthly allotment of AI credits to use Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, which can also be used for Designer's AI image generation and editing.

For those unsure about the price rises, Microsoft says existing subscribers with recurring billing enabled with Microsoft can switch to plans without Copilot or AI credits, such as its Basic plan, or for a limited time, chane to the new Personal Classic or Family Classic plans.

The company had already recently announced a move to bring AI tools to all enterprise Microsoft 365 users with the launch of Copilot Chat, a secure AI chat service powered by GPT-4o which was an upgrade to the current free chat tool in its office software platform.

It also comes shortly after Google announced its Gemini AI offering would also be rolling out to all tiers of its office software.

The company revealed all Google Workspace tiers will now get access to Gemini for no extra cost, having previously had to spend more for an extra add-on - although some users will see their subscription costs rise as a result.

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