TechRadar News

I'm not buying that Apple is deeply invested in building a humanoid robot, but if this rumor is somehow true and the Cupertino tech giant is currently juggling actuators, servos, the mismatch of bipedal robot energy needs, and the still very real technological limits of current battery life technology, I have one hope: please let them be building a robot that looks and acts like the late Steve Jobs.

Jobs, who tragically died more than a decade ago, remains an icon of the industry and a lasting symbol of Apple's brilliance and technological drive. Tim Cook is an excellent CEO and supply chain tactician, but Jobs was a legend.

I know the idea sounds outlandish, but then, perhaps, so is the idea of Apple wading into the humanoid robot space.

No room at the robot inn

Based on the number of companies competing to deliver consumer-grade humanoid robots (and some industrial ones, too), it might appear easy, but to understand the humanoid robot space is to take a long view. Modern humanoid robotic development traces back at least a quarter of a century, with the Honda Asimo being what I'd consider the breakthrough bot. It was short but smart and agile, and over the course of a decade, it learned to shake hands, dance, climb and descend stairs, and run in a circle. Honda spent years developing it and then abandoned it.

1X Neo Beta home robot (Image credit: X1)

More recently, we have companies like Unitree, Figure o1, and 1x Neo beta. Some, like Neo, make outlandish claims like they're ready to put a robot in your home. Trust me, no one is ready to put C-3PO in your home yet.

Apple has tremendous tech expertise, which is clearly evidenced by the Vision Pro and all that Apple Silicon has, but it has, unless I'm missing something, little experience in robotics.

Many companies that enter the field start or dream of building humanoid robots. iRobot, maker of the popular Roomba robot vacuum, started in the late 1990s by building and trying to sell a robot baby. It failed and pivoted to utility robots.

Almost 30 years later, the tech landscape is far different. There are better tools and technologies to ostensibly make humanoid robots work easier and the end products more palatable. But even today, there is a wide range of capabilities and robots that can do the most, think fluid parkour moves, live, as Boston Dynamics Atlas does, in the realm of research. No one talks about when that robot will arrive in the home or how much it might cost.

Apple is exploring both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for its future smart home ecosystem, and these products are still in the early proof-of-concept (POC) stage internally. While the industry debates the merits of humanoid vs. non-humanoid designs, supply chain checks…February 12, 2025

You can blame Apple oracle and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo for the latest spate of Apple robot rumors. In a recent X post, he wrote, "Apple is exploring both humanoid and non-humanoid robots for its future smart home ecosystem, and these products are still in the early proof-of-concept (POC) stage internally."

Naturally, many fixated on the "humanoid" part while ignoring the more substantive phrase, "non-humanoid robots for its future smart home ecosystem."

It is not news that Apple is reportedly working on some sort of robotic Home Hub that's a mix of a HomePad, an iPad or display, and a robotic armature. It might be a desktop or kitchen top device that can swivel to "look" at you, take Siri and Apple Home Commands, play music and movies, run apps, and basically look like it has some emotional attachment to your needs.

Sophia Robot

I have no trouble believing Apple is hoping to use robotics as a hook for its flagging smart home strategy. Apple Home has failed to catch on as the ultimate intelligent home hub, but maybe it just needs a face. I think it needs more than that, but a little robotic animation that produces an imitation of life goes a long way.

As for the humanoid robot idea, well, if Apple is truly exploring something that it could deliver before the end of this decade, I say make it their own. Apple could partner up with Sophia maker Hanson Robotics. They could "skin" Apple's humanoid with a Steve Jobs face and then dress it in his classic black turtle neck, jeans, and white Reeboks.

They could even go further and program the bot with Job's attitude or personality. Who needs a cloying robot or a desperately polite one? Jobs Bot would have opinions and ideas, and he would push you to make them happen.

That's the humanoid robot Apple should build. If it were building one. Which it is not.

You might also like

• World's largest laptop vendor quietly releases robot with six legs ...
• Is it worth getting a robot vacuum?
• Samsung built a robot butt just to test its smartphones' durability ...
• And that's how it all started: AI managed to design a robot that walks ...

Yellowjackets is back, and the third season looks set to descend deeper into the supernatural and give fans some answers.

But first, a recap. For the uninitiated, Yellowjackets is split across two timelines: the first follows the lives of a girl's high-school football team back in 1996 and their battle to survive in the Canadian wilderness after their plane goes down on the way to a football tournament. The second tracks the survivors of the ordeal in the present day and the traumas and mysteries they carry with them.

Season one was a roaring success with hints of Lord of the Flies and some sprinkling of supernatural in the vein of Lost. Season two looked to continue that momentum but arguably fell a little flat. The season picked up towards the end, with a serious event closing it out and leaving a lot of room for speculation.

And so we arrive at season three, which makes its debut today (February 14 at the time of writing) and could be the perfect foil to a sickly sweet Valentine’s Day.

I got a preview look at the first four episodes of season three, and I’m chomping at the bit for more.

(Image credit: Paramount)

While there’s a lot of bouncing around between the past and the present, Yellowjackets feels like it’s back on form so far. In the wilderness, there’s a deeper sense that there could be a supernatural element involved, and that bleeds into the present day with a greater effect.

Previously more sidelined characters Callie and Jeff get more screen time, with the former diving deeper into the Yellowjacket’s wilderness story. At the same time, Jeff is both slightly goofy yet a good guy at the center of chaos. Christina Ricci is in superb form as the somewhat unstable Misty. However, I feel the relationship between her and Elijah Wood’s Warren seems less substantial, which is a shame as I do like seeing Wood playing a strange and obsessive person.

The rest of the cast is also on point, with the younger cast in the wilderness neatly threading the line between a need to survive and high-school dynamics.

There’s a lot to like here. The building of the supernatural element keeps the mind wondering what’s real and what’s not, while there are some darkly comic moments that act as a palate cleanser.

Expect answers and some big moments

One of the prevailing questions that’s been itching away at me over the past two seasons of Yellowjackets is whether we’ll get some answers to the mystery of if there’s indeed an entirety in the wilderness that’s exerting power over the past and present-day characters, or if it’s all imagined. After all, Lost went from a survival show to one that fully embraced a supernatural element.

While I don't mind the room to guess and ponder, I do feel this season will need to give at least some answers to the bigger mysteries of the wilderness to keep Yellowjackets feeling fresh.

I got a chance to attend roundtable interviews with four of the cast members – Sarah Desjardins, who plays Callie Sadeki, Warren Kole, who plays Jeff Sadeki, Courtney Eaton, who plays the teenage version of Lottie, and Kevin Alves, who plays the teenage Travis Martin – and get some more insight into where season three is heading.

For Callie, Desjardins noted she's going on a journey. “I think Callie is in a very different place,” Desjardins said. “But there’s a complete spectrum of emotions for all of us. There’s high jinks, there’s emotional moments; I really can’t wait for everybody to see it.” So that’s left me intrigued to see where her story goes, given it feels like she’s getting a bigger focus this season.

I asked Kole where he sees Jeff going, given the patriarch of the Sadeki can seem a tad bumbling and out of the loop.

“Jeff is a lot of fun. He is gullible, he is naive, he’s provincial or insulated in how he thinks. But there’s a lot of potential in an empty vessel; you can kind of fill that with anything.” said Kole. “And he is loyal and he’s really pure in a lot of his values. So to have those challenges and to have problems that need to be solved, he has to, you would imagine, grow a little bit and mature and evolve, or he’s just gonna get run over by the women in his family.”

I rather like Jeff and feel he’s a bit of an unsung hero in the present day setting of Yellowjackets, so to see him evolve gives me another reason to press on with the series.

(Image credit: Paramount Plus)

But onto the bigger mystery, and Eaton told me: “I will say we get answers this season regarding the wilderness; whether some people decide to take that information on is another story. I think this season does a really good job of riding the line until you learn something very specific as the season goes on.”

What those specifics are, I’ve yet to glean, as the first four episodes of season three still kept me guessing. Alves added that the show still wants you to figure out for yourself what’s in a similar vein to the first two seasons: “Even though it’ll give you answers, it’ll keep you questioning where you stand with it.”

While I angled for hints on whether there’ll be a season four for Yellowjackets, the cast didn’t let that information slip out. But I inferred that season three will leave some mysteries to be solved and next steps for characters, which makes me think there’s at least another season in the future of Yellowjackets.

So, with that all in mind, it feels that this season of Yellowjackets could go places, and there’s at least one big moment in the early episodes that commanded my attention and saw some excellent performances, all of which would be well worth a Paramount+ with Showtime subscription

I hope this season can stick the landing and give me a taste of the theory crafting I enjoyed in the early 2000s with Lost; a series I think is still worth your time today.

You might also like

• How to watch Yellowjackets season 3 online and on TV – stream twisted survival horror from anywhere
• 'It puts him in danger': Severance creator Dan Erickson discusses that big Mark 'reintegration' moment in season 2 episode 5 of the popular Apple TV Plus show

• Netflix has unveiled a trailer for its new romantic western series Ransom Canyon
• It's been described as "Virgin River meets Yellowstone" with its romance and escapist setting
• Ransom Canyon follows the intersecting lives of three ranching families in Texas

If you're missing the romance of Virgin River and the escapist drama of Yellowstone, then Netflix's new western series Ransom Canyon might be exactly what you're looking for.

Much like one of the best Netflix shows Virgin River, Ransom Canyon is a book-to-screen adaptation, in this case based on a series of romance novels by author Jodi Thomas. Described as "a romance-fueled family drama and contemporary Western saga" by Netflix, Ransom Canyon follows the intersecting lives of three ranching families in the rugged Texas Hill Country and will premiere on April 17.

In the trailer (see below) love, loss, and loyalty collide in the sprawling Lone Star State’s countryside, with Josh Duhamel (Transformers) playing Double K Ranch owner Staten Kirkland and Minka Kelly (Euphoria) as Quinn O'Grady, who returns to Ransom Canyon from New York to forge a new career path.

What is Ransom Canyon about?

The official logline for Ransom Canyon reads: “With three ranching family dynasties locked in a contest for control of the land, their lives and legacies are threatened by outside forces intent on destroying their way of life. At the center of it all is stoic rancher Staten Kirkland (Duhamel), who is healing from heartbreaking loss and on a quest for vengeance.

"Staten’s only glimmer of hope rests in the eyes and heart of Quinn O’Grady (Kelly), longtime family friend and owner of the local dancehall. But as the battle to save Ransom wages on, a mysterious cowboy drifts into town, dredging up secrets from the past. Vise tightening, Staten fights to protect the land he calls home, and the only love that can pull him back from the demons that haunt him.”

Ransom Canyon was first mentioned by Netflix's head of drama Jinny Howe in an interview with Deadline, where she likened the series to Virgin River and Paramount Plus' smash hit Yellowstone.

She said: "It’s a multi-generational family show set on a ranch, and we say it’s Virgin River meets Yellowstone. We think that it’s going to deliver on all the romance and again it will be a really beautiful vista and setting, very escapist."

It's no surprise that the best streaming service is trying to replicate the success of Virgin River, with the recent sixth season receiving more than 9 million views worldwide and staying in the streamer's top 10 for two weeks. With Netflix streaming Yellowstone and now its prequel series 1883 in mid-March (excluding the US), the platform is quickly competing with Paramount Plus to become the home of neo-Western dramas.

While Duhamel and Kelly lead the cast, they are joined by James Brolin, Eoin Macken, Lizzy Greene, Marianly Tejada, Jack Schumacher, Garrett Wareing, Andrew Liner and more.

You might also like

• 'Think Shōgun meets Squid Game': Netflix's new samurai tournament series sounds like my next binge-watch
• Netflix's #1 movie Kinda Pregnant is kinda bad – here are 3 better comedies with over 95% on Rotten Tomatoes to watch instead
• Netflix's new crime drama Apple Cider Vinegar is the latest female fraudster series that I can't get enough of

• A researcher has discovered a worrying YouTube security vulnerability
• The flaw allowed outsiders to gain access to all YouTube account emails
• This has since been patched, so users should update as soon as possible

Experts have warned that any email from a YouTube account could be pulled from Google with a ‘relatively simple exploit’

A researcher who goes by Brutecat managed to leverage several vulnerabilities across Google products to access the email address of any YouTube user, CyberNews reports.

Google has now patched the flaw, but this does represent a serious risk to the privacy of users, and could put them in danger of phishing attacks. Around 1 billion hours of YouTube is watched daily, with almost 2.5 billion users and 51 million channels - so privacy is important, here’s what we know.

Bounty hunters

The vulnerabilities were discovered because the researcher was "digging through the Internal People API (staging)" and noticed "something interesting". They found that by blocking if you block someone on YouTube, you can leak their Google account identifier.

To continue, the researcher discovered that by clicking the three dot context menu, the GAIA ID was included in the server response, so there was no need to block the channel - meaning this could be escalated to every YouTube account - all four billion of them.

Then, by looking into old Google products, they discovered that the Pixel Recorder contained a bug that would allow them to convert the exposed GAIA ID to an email address. At first, when they did this, the victim would receive an email notification - which lowers the impact of the vulnerability quite significantly. However, they discovered a work around;

“That's when we realized - if it's including our recording title in the email subject, perhaps it wouldn't be able to send an email if our recording title was too long.”

This worked - and when the recording title was lengthened to 2.5 million letters, "bingo! No notification email".

For the disclosure of the flaw, the researcher was awarded a $10,633 bounty. There’s a long standing tradition of software service providers offering bug bounties for security researchers, with Google handing out $10 million in bounties in 2023.

The report was sent on September15 2024 - and in November, the first award of $3,133 was given, with the rationale: "Exploitation likelihood is medium. Issue qualified as an abuse-related methodology with high impact."

By December, a further $7,500 was given, this time because "exploitation likelihood is high. Issue qualified as an abuse-related methodology with high impact" - thanks to an updated report from the product team.

The risk to users

Clearly, Google has identified a risk for the abuse of this flaw - but what is the risk for users? Well, since login credentials, passwords, or other personally identifiable information is not a part of this attack - that just leaves social engineering attacks via email.

We say ‘just’, but phishing attacks are a serious concern, and they claim millions of victims each year - and can lead to much more serious crimes like identity theft or fraud.

If a cybercriminal does email you, there are big red flags you can look out for. The first of all, is their email address - if it's G00gle or M1crosoft instead of their legitimate addresses, don’t open it. Or, if you get a completely unexpected email from a ‘friend’ from an account you don’t recognize - especially one that urges action (i.e. asks you to click a link, send over money, buy a gift card, etc) - then be very very suspicious.

If you’re automatically suspicious of the emails you receive, you’ll be in a better position.

To be safe, you should create strong and secure passwords for each account - and make sure to change them as often as you can remember to.

The final thing to look for is attachments - if the account who sent the account is unknown and the email contains images, links, or documents - this is suspicious. QR codes can be malicious, so don’t scan anything you’re not certain is safe.

You might also like

• Check out our list of the best firewall software around today
• Phishing clicks nearly tripled in 2024 as criminals aim for smarter attacks
• We've also rounded up the best malware removal software on offer right now

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 14 (game #614).

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 #615) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• POPULAR
• EMOTIONAL
• CHEESE
• DISH
• PAN
• RETURN
• SPILL
• CUP
• TELL
• COMMAND
• ALTERNATIVE
• OPTION
• SHORT
• PROGRESSIVE
• CONTROL
• BLAB

NYT Connections today (game #615) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Gossip
• GREEN: MacBook keys 
• BLUE: Types of music 
• PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “bake”

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 #615) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: DIVULGE 
• GREEN: WORDS ON A MAC KEYBOARD 
• BLUE: WORDS SHORTENED IN ROCK GENRES 
• PURPLE: __CAKE 

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

NYT Connections today (game #615) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #615, are…

• YELLOW: DIVULGE BLAB, DISH, SPILL, TELL
• GREEN: WORDS ON A MAC KEYBOARD COMMAND, CONTROL, OPTION, RETURN
• BLUE: WORDS SHORTENED IN ROCK GENRES ALTERNATIVE, EMOTIONAL, POPULAR, PROGRESSIVE
• PURPLE: __CAKE CHEESE, CUP, PAN, SHORT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I wonder if I found today’s puzzle so easy because I am a) a former music journalist (WORDS SHORTENED IN ROCK GENRES), b) addicted to CHEESECAKE, c) a lifelong Mac user (WORDS ON A MAC KEYBOARD), and d) used to write a gossip column for a pop magazine (DIVULGE).

My gossip column got me into lots of trouble back in the day. Mainly because I used to make everything up. I didn’t like going out or schmoozing (both of which are fairly essential to the gossip trade) and at this point there was no social media to steal from, so I would just use my imagination.

My theory was that if I made the gossip very tame – Madonna spotted buying peanut butter, Elton John likes to wash his underwear on a Tuesday, etc – then no one would complain. Sadly they did, a lot, not because my gossip was untrue but because it made them seem too boring.

Alas, my career giving the DISH on celebrity eating habits ended before it really began.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, 14 February, game #614)

• YELLOW: MOLLYCODDLE BABY, HUMOR, INDULGE, PAMPER
• GREEN: THINGS A RATTLESNAKE DOES HISS, RATTLE, SHED, SLITHER
• BLUE: WORDS SAID TO AN UNSUSPECTING PERSON BOO, GOTCHA, GUESS WHO, SURPRISE
• PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF BODIES OF WATER BAE, CREAK, SEE, STRAIGHT

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, February 14 (game #1117).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1118) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1118) - 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 3.

Quordle today (game #1118) - 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 #1118) - 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 #1118) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• C

• G

• F

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

Quordle today (game #1118) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1118, are…

• CREEP
• CONDO
• GRILL
• FANCY

I tried a change of tactics today and included a start word with three letter Es: GEESE. The idea was that without any other vowels in my first word, I was guessing that it must contain a double E, and so it proved.

Having two words beginning with C was also a big help. Sometimes things all just fall into place in this game.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1118) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1118, are…

• SOOTY
• SPOIL
• PHASE
• ROTOR

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1117, Friday 14 February: MEDIA, ELUDE, THUMB, WIDOW
• Quordle #1116, Thursday 13 February: SCALP, DWELL, AMPLE, TRUNK
• Quordle #1115, Wednesday 12 February: SHOOK, GRADE, POLAR, SEEDY
• Quordle #1114, Tuesday 11 February: HEAVY, CIRCA, PESKY, SCION
• Quordle #1113, Monday 10 February: TWIXT, FRESH, GUISE, TABBY
• Quordle #1112, Sunday 9 February: TAPIR, SHAKE, TOKEN, SEVEN
• Quordle #1111, Saturday 8 February: AFOOT, ALIKE, HUMUS, TOWEL
• Quordle #1110, Friday 7 February: PETAL, ABASE, AMONG, CORER
• Quordle #1109, Thursday 6 February: MADAM, SCAMP, FAUNA, TRACK
• Quordle #1108, Wednesday 5 February: SIXTH, VERVE, BLURB, CACTI
• Quordle #1107, Tuesday 4 February: BIRTH, DRAWN, MILKY, JOIST
• Quordle #1106, Monday 3 February: SLEET, TENSE, SEIZE, SCAMP
• Quordle #1105, Sunday 2 February: LOUSY, PENNE, CHUMP, SALVE
• Quordle #1104, Saturday 1 February: FACET, BLISS, FLUFF, FRANK
• Quordle #1103, Friday 31 January: PARER, SYNOD, BRAWN, BANJO
• Quordle #1102, Thursday 30 January: WEEDY, CHIRP, STALE, SUGAR
• Quordle #1101, Wednesday 29 January: CROWN, SCENE, AGILE, CRANK
• Quordle #1100, Tuesday 28 January: TOKEN, DAISY, INANE, PLIED
• Quordle #1099, Monday 27 January: ANGEL, GLOBE, MAYOR, BRAVE
• Quordle #1098, Sunday 26 January: WATER, ORBIT, BRIDE, TOUCH

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 14 (game #348).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Ice packs

NYT Strands today (game #349) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MAIL
• JAIL
• DEAL
• STAND
• TEAL
• VEST

NYT Strands today (game #349) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Best of puck

NYT Strands today (game #349) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 5th column

Last side: top, 2nd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #349) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #349, are…

• SHARKS
• JETS
• DEVILS
• WILD
• AVALANCHE
• LIGHTNING
• SPANGRAM: HOCKEY TEAM

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

I love how some HOCKEY TEAMs have very elemental names. Both of the examples in today’s puzzle – Tampa Bay LIGHTNING and Colorado AVALANCHE – sound very masculine and terrifying, which is very necessary for hockey teams. I wonder if they had to have a focus group to decide, and which options were dismissed. Wind maybe, or Drizzle.

If London ever got a NHL team they could keep with the theme and call themselves London Fog – the fans could call themselves The Fogies, people who’d stuck with the team over many years could call themselves The Old Fogies.

Anyway, I digress. Both of these names at least have some connection to ice, unlike many others including the JETS and the Flames – the latter being particularly concerning, seeing as heat melts ice.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 14 February, game #348)

• DARLING
• ANGEL
• LOVEBUG
• HONEY
• POOKIE
• SNOOKUMS
• SPANGRAM: ENDEARMENT

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.

• Big tech is tired of relying on Nvidia, so they're making their own chips
• OpenAI’s first AI GPU is nearly ready, heading to TSMC for tape-out
• If all goes well, mass-production could begin by 2026

Rising costs and a worrying reliance on AI behemoth Nvidia have led tech giants such as Microsoft, Google, and Meta to look at building their own artificial intelligence chips.

OpenAI, which is involved in the recently-announced $500 billion Stargate initiative, is also reportedly developing its own AI hardware to give it some freedom from Team Green.

A report from Reuters claims the company is in the final stages of producing this first chip - which could have cost OpenAI upwards of $500 million to design - and expects to send it for fabrication at TSMC in the coming months, with mass production likely to begin in 2026.

Deployed on a limited scale

OpenAI’s chip development has been ongoing for a while. We first reported in July 2024 that Sam Altman’s company was in discussions with Broadcom to design and build its own silicon and, more recently, that the AI firm was edging closer to this becoming a reality.

The report claims, “If the initial tape-out goes smoothly, it would enable the ChatGPT maker to mass-produce its first in-house AI chip and potentially test an alternative to Nvidia's chips later this year. OpenAI’s plan to send its design to TSMC this year demonstrates the startup has made speedy progress on its first design, a process that can take other chip designers years longer.”

Led by Richard Ho, who joined OpenAI over a year ago and previously played a key role in developing Google’s own custom AI processors, the team developing the chip is reportedly relatively small, consisting of just 40 engineers.

While the in-house AI chip will be capable of both training and inference tasks, Reuters’ sources say that it will initially be “deployed on a limited scale, and primarily for running AI models.” It will also have a limited role within the company's infrastructure. According to the news outlet, OpenAI views its custom AI chip as a way of improving its negotiating position with existing suppliers, including Nvidia.

The chip is being produced using TSMC’s advanced 3-nanometer process and will feature a commonly used systolic array architecture, HBM, and advanced networking capabilities.

OpenAI and TSMC declined to comment on the report.

You might also like

• OpenAI is talking to Broadcom to produce chip capable of rivaling Nvidia
• OpenAI edges closer to making its first AI chip to power your favorite new apps
• An incredible $100 billion bet to get rid of Nvidia dependence

OpenAI has already announced that it will simplify its ChatGPT product roadmap, which has become horribly splintered lately by too many obscure product names for the average consumer to care about. It’s ditching all its latest model names, such as o1 and o3, not to mention o3-high, to get behind a simple ChatGPT-followed-by-version-number branding style.

I think it’s time Google followed suit with Gemini, and if you want to know why, just look at this screenshot I took from the Gemini app on my phone today:

Talk about too many options... (Image credit: Apple/Google)

It’s hard to look at that screenshot and think that anybody at Google planned it to look that way; it’s just how it’s evolved, with little thought given to the person who has to use it.

As part of the Gemini Advanced subscription you get access to all of Google’s different language models, however having to choose between seven different models with very similar names is verging on the ridiculous. Not to mention that I think ‘Google Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental with apps’ could well win an award for the longest product name in history. What does that mean, anyway?

As a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, you also currently get access to an equally baffling number of different LLMs. Some, named things like o1, are deep reasoning models that take a while to really mull over the questions you ask them, while others are smaller and more lightweight, so you get quicker answers but less depth. It’s almost like Google and OpenAI are competing with each other in how confusing they can make their AI tools.

Too much choice

I get it; if you are involved in academic research or need AI to help you write code, you probably need access to a variety of different LLMs for different tasks. But if all you want to do is get AI to help you with your kid’s math homework or plan your next road trip, having access to such a diverse selection of LLMs is overkill.

OpenAI’s proposed solution is to settle down behind the ChatGPT name followed by a version number, so ChatGPT-4, then ChatGPT-5, and so on. The AI will then look at the complexity of what you’re asking and decide if it needs to use a deep reasoning model or a simpler LLM. To torture an analogy, most people don’t care how the sausage is made; they simply want a delicious-tasting hotdog.

Google should do the same with its different versions of Gemini. For example, the ‘2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental with apps’ model has the power to access things like YouTube videos, so it can answer questions about them or extract the key points from them. Why not just call it Gemini 2.0, and then, if you ask a question about a YouTube video, switch to the relevant LLM without having to get the user to choose it first?

Look at Apple

What we want is AI that just works, with simple naming conventions. If you look at the way Apple brands its products, it normally has up to three versions of a product with a simple name indicating the differences. It has two versions of its MacBook – the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro – and its latest iPhone – iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro – that's nice and simple.

We’re still right at the start of the AI revolution, and things are changing rapidly, and the consumer experience is often left as an afterthought. As OpenAI’s decision to simplify its branding shows, that situation is starting to change. I think we can expect the experience of using AI to get a lot slicker this year, let's just hope that Google get the memo, too.

You might also like

• Gemini just added one of ChatGPT's best features and I'm finally excited to use it
• Yes, Google's new Gemini 2.0 Flash is much better than the old 1.5 model – here's what I found
• I pitted Gemini 2.0 Flash against DeepSeek R1, and you might be surprised by the winner

• Apple has published a support document outlining what to do if your Apple Watch speaker isn't working
• It follows a spate of reports about problems with the Series 10's speakers
• Customers can clean, update, or re-pair their Apple Watch, along with other steps

Following a raft of reports that Apple Watch Series 10 users were having problems with their speakers, Apple has published a support document detailing how users can tackle some of the problems reported.

While the company has not officially responded to or acknowledged the speaker issues, the new document was published on February 13 and states:

"If the microphone or speaker isn’t working as expected on your Apple Watch

Try these steps if your Apple Watch microphone or speaker isn't working as expected. You can also use these steps if the sound is crackling, distorted, muffled, or intermittent."

As you might expect, it features the usual slew of troubleshooting, including updates, re-pairing the watch, and cleaning. Here's what you need to know.

How to fix your Apple Watch Series 10 speaker problems

(Image credit: Future)

Apple says that the first thing users should do is update their iPhone and Apple Watch software. If you're having speaker troubles, it's possible your issue has been solved by a software update, so this is a good starting point.

The next step is to clean your Apple Watch. Apple says you should check your Watch's microphone and speaker for obstructions. Because Apple Watches are water-resistant, you can run it under "lightly running, warm, fresh water until it's clean." Apple Watch Series 10 speakers can be cleaned with a soft bristle brush, just don't use cleaning liquids, sprays, or abrasives.

Apple also says you should check your Watch for water and dry it, as this can degrade speaker performance. "To check whether water is in the microphone or speaker port, place your Apple Watch microphone or speaker side down on a lint-free microfiber cloth," the company says.

If there's any present, you can dry it with a lint-free microfiber cloth; just don't use heat, compressed air, or sprays. A top tip: charge your Apple Watch overnight to speed up evaporation.

Apple also offers the classic options of restarting, unpairing, and re-pairing your Apple Watch with your iPhone.

Finally, there are suggestions to check Silent Mode, Do Not Disturb, and your Watch's sound settings in case you haven't inadvertently silenced your Watch.

Since reporting these issues, multiple Series 10 users have confirmed they've been experiencing the issue. While not limited to the Series 10, the problem is more noticeable because 2024's best Apple Watch is the first mainstream model to offer audio playback for media through its speakers.

If you try all these steps and still have issues, it might be time to contact Apple Support or your local Apple Store.

You may also like

• Apple could make buying the wrong size Apple Watch a thing of the past with this futuristic invention
• TechRadarWorking out this Valentine's Day? Here's how to score the limited edition Apple Watch workout for Heart Month
• Garmin finally has a diving-watch option to rival the Apple Watch Ultra 2: Meet the Descent G2

• Valve is warning users to check for malware or reset their PC
• PirateFi was taken off Steam just days after it launched
• Other games are also being infected with malware

Valve has started to contact suspected victims that they may have been the subject of a cyberattack just days after removing PirateFi from Steam after discovering it contained suspected malware files.

The game, which was released on February 6, was taken down by Valve within a week because they suspected that the game’s developer “uploaded builds that contained suspected malware.”

Although the number of affected users is believed to be very small, Valve is still recommending that anybody who installed the game perform a full PC reset, just in case.

Some Steam users might have to perform a full system reset

Valve has emailed users who played the game, advising them to run a full system scan and check for unexpected software and downloads.

The email, shared by SteamDB on X, reads: “The builds containing the suspected malware have been removed from Steam, but we strongly encourage you to run a full-system scan using an anti-virus product that you trust or use regularly… You may also consider fully reformatting your operating system to ensure that no malicious software remains on your machine.”

Valve specifically targeted users who played PirateFi (3476470) on Steam “while these builds were active,” stating that it’s “likely” that malicious files launched on victims’ computers.

The game’s community page also reveals suspicions around the game, with some suers stating that it wouldn’t launch or that there were too many bugs.

It’s unclear whether the malware was present at the time of launch or whether it was introduced in an update after the game was approved, but it marks an ongoing trend of increasing instances of malware attacks in games, with Cities: Skylines 2 recently being targeted, too.

You might also like

• Check out the best malware removal
• App stores are increasingly becoming a major security worry
• We’ve listed the best endpoint protection and best antivirus software

Being single on Valentine's Day can be depressing, but finding solace in conversations with an AI assistant is no less so. Not only do they lack a personality, but their one true desire is your personal data.

Privacy experts at Surfshark found that four of the five most popular AI companion apps on the Apple App Store may track your personal data utilization for profit.

"Instead of being there for us, they can feel more like surveillance tools," said Surfshark's cybersecurity expert, Miguel Fornés, pointing out how AI companions' tracking can shake users' trust while invading their privacy.

AI companions: which are the most data-hungry?

The team at Surfshark carefully inspected the data collection practices of the five AI companion services. These details were sourced from the Apple App Store and include the number, type, and handling of the data types collected by each app.

Among the apps analyzed – Kindroid, Nomi, Replika, EVA, and Character AI – 80% "may use data to track their users."

Tracking, experts explain, refers to linking user or device data collected from the app with user or device data collected from other apps and websites for targeted advertising purposes. Tracking also involves the sharing of user or device data with data brokers.

"This detailed data can lead to companies influencing your choices, which can have negative effects, like overwhelming ads, financial risks, or other unexpected issues," said Surfshark's cybersecurity expert.

Character AI was the service most in love with users' data. While the average was 9 unique types of data collected out of 35. Character AI rises above its competitors by collecting up to 15 of these. EVA was the second most data-hungry of the lot, gathering 11 types of data. Worse still, both of these applications collect users' approximate location info to deliver targeted ads.

Nomi was the only application to stand apart by claiming to not collect data for tracking purposes.

Not only the data collected by the service seems to be problematic, though. App developers, Surfshark explains, could access the data you willingly share during your conversation with the AI chatbot, too.

The danger here is that AI companion apps are designed to simulate human-like interactions such as friendship and love. You may be more willing to disclose even more sensitive information than you'd do with ChatGPT-like chatbots.

"This may lead to unprecedented consequences, particularly as AI regulations are just emerging," experts note.

This is why Surfshark strongly advises taking some precautions when using AI companion services to keep your personal data safe and minimize misuse.

Fornés said: "Make sure you are frequently checking what permissions these apps have and be mindful of what information you are sharing."

• Nvidia purportedly planned the release of RTX 5000 laptops for January 2025
• Rumor claims that original timeframe was pushed back to March (and April for lower-tier notebooks)
• This is seemingly wrapped up in chip production and tweaking issues where gaming GPUs are not a priority compared to AI graphics cards

Nvidia’s stock levels for its Blackwell GeForce GPUs are becoming an increasing source of concern, and the brows of PC gamers hoping to get an RTX 5000 graphics card won’t be any less furrowed by fresh news from the grapevine

This is actually on the topic of laptop GPUs, but it applies more widely to the overall situation with Nvidia’s Blackwell chips, as we’ll see.

With the RTX 5000 laptops, Nvidia already told us that RTX 5090, 5080 and 5070 Ti laptops are set to launch in March – with pre-orders going live on February 25 – and then notebooks with the RTX 5070 aren’t due until April

However, as VideoCardz noticed, a report from DigiTimes carries word from the notebook supply chain that Nvidia originally planned a January debut for high-end Blackwell laptops, which has been pushed back to March. And that the mid-to-low-end notebooks – presumably referring to those carrying the RTX 5070 – were originally scheduled for March but got pushed to April.

Add plenty of skepticism, as ever, and we wouldn’t exactly call a laptop packing an RTX 5070 anything like ‘lower tier’ by any means. Maybe translation issues are coming into play there a bit, unless the report is referring to RTX 5060 models as well (but those haven’t been announced by Nvidia yet).

At any rate, the really interesting bit with this article is that DigiTimes furnishes us with a reason for this apparent delay, which is unexpected by the industry at large, namely that Nvidia is having its R&D resources stretched too far in different ways.

Basically, the broad assertion is that the “debugging” (tweaking and honing) needed for Nvidia’s Blackwell data center and gaming products is pulling the firm this way and that, and something’s got to give. And guess what? It isn’t the AI or heavyweight GPUs that are getting the short end of the stick, as that’s where the big money lies – it’s the less profitable gaming graphics cards.

Or that’s the theory anyway, and it seems a believable enough piece of speculation.

DigiTimes reports that anonymous sources from the supply chain have said: “Nvidia, which has never been late [to launch a product] in the past, also encountered this situation. It is probably related to Nvidia’s full sprint to AI servers. Even though there are differences in server and PC chip design and manufacturing processes, the company’s resource allocation may still affect the debugging efficiency of new products.”

On top of this, further buzz about reasons for the laptop GPU delay point to performance falling short of expectations, and “screen problems after the hardware is turned on” (again, be very careful around potential translation issues here, and remember all of this is just rumors).

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: More stock woes?

This purported pushing back of the laptop GPU launch timeframe is unusual for Nvidia, then, which generally hits these dates bang on (even if stock levels aren’t always guaranteed to be healthy, as we’ve seen recently with the RTX 5090 and 5080 desktop GPUs, and in the past, too).

Indeed, I’d agree, it is unusual for Nvidia not to make an announced launch timeframe, and perhaps tellingly, this is exactly what has happened with the RTX 5070 desktop graphics card. Both this GPU and its 5070 Ti desktop sibling had been confirmed for February, and then suddenly we heard it’s now going to be March 5 for the RTX 5070, with Nvidia glossing over that. (The RTX 5070 Ti is still due in February, next week, fact).

All this, and various rumors about stock concerns for the RTX 5070 and 5060 desktop models, further fans the flames of worry around Blackwell gaming GPUs in general. And this DigiTimes report also notes that “no one can guarantee whether the release date [of RTX 5000 laptops] will be extended,” suggesting a possible further delay could even be in the cards.

Which all adds to the general doom and gloom of the Blackwell launch so far. The rumor peddlers are getting a bit too loud and consistent for my liking in terms of all this fretting, that’s for sure.

You may also like...

• Nvidia RTX 5050 was missing in action at CES 2025 – but the budget GPU might just have been spotted in a surprising laptop
• Nvidia's new Smooth Motion technology is exclusive to RTX 5000 series GPUs, but not for long - RTX 4000 series support incoming
• I saw Nvidia's new DLSS 4 in action on the RTX 5090 and it's a true game changer – here's why

We’re back again with another episode of the TechRadar Podcast, and this one is for the gamers (but you can still listen even if you’ve never picked up a game controller in your life).

This time, Josie Watson and I are joined by TechRadar Gaming Hardware Writer Dashiell Wood, and Editorial Director for the PC Gaming Show (and TechRadar alum) Jake Tucker, as we discuss what we’re excited to play in 2025, address the surge of gaming adaptations like the upcoming Last of Us season 2, and bemoan the price rises infecting every aspect of gaming from hardware to software.

There’s also some light ridiculing of my love of Horizon Zero Dawn (I don’t know what to say, folks, it’s a fantastic game – Dash and Jake need their brains checked if they think otherwise).

You can catch the episode in the video player above, or you can stream it directly via our YouTube channel, on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts.

While you’re there you can also catch up on all of our older episodes – including our CES 2025 and iPhone 16 specials – and if you’re on YouTube you can check out all our other amazing video reviews and features.

Next episode will be an MWC and Apple special, as we discuss the latest smartphone inovations and whatever the new addition to the Apple family is – I’m hoping for it to be that super cute Apple robot lamp, but it’ll probably be the iPhone SE 4. See you there!

You might also like

• TikTok is back on the App Store and Google Play Store
• I had my shoes stolen by virtual drunks in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
• Avowed is a captivating journey through a dreamlike fantasy world

I still remember the first time I ever uncovered YouTube back in 2005, my elder brother said he found a good site to watch football (soccer) highlights of a young player bursting onto the scene. In those days, it was hard enough to watch a short clip without buffering, so my 10-year-old brain was blown away by the concept of being able to find not only sports highlights but also just random home videos that people were uploading onto the internet.

At the age of 11, I made my first YouTube channel, speaking to a camera about WWE and reviewing matches to a tiny audience. It was because of YouTube that I ultimately became fascinated with technology, I’d watch countless hours of tweaking and tinkering videos of products I couldn’t afford as a young kid, unboxing videos, and everything in between. Over the years the platform has evolved, the YouTubers I watched as a kid have grown up on camera and had kids of their own, I’ve stopped making videos, and that young player became Lionel Messi, the greatest footballer of all time.

It’s been 20 years since YouTube went live, and it has stuck with me throughout my whole life as the one place where I can invest in my hobbies through short-form videos. I’ve seen it evolve over the years in good ways and bad, but ultimately it’s still the first place I go to watch entertainment.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Hamara)

Since my time at university, scarily about a decade ago now, I’ve primarily watched YouTube on my television. In the past, when I’d tell my friends that, they’d often look confused because, of course, YouTube is a website best experienced on a laptop or in a smartphone app. And because of their reactions, I’ve always thought I was an outlier, but it turns out I’m not.

Just this week, YouTube CEO, Neal Mohan, revealed that TV has surpassed mobile as the primary way to view YouTube in the US (by watch time) – last year, it had broken another milestone by becoming more popular than Netflix and Disney Plus on smart TVs. Even more impressively, YouTube has become the number one most-watched streaming platform (by watch time) in the US over the last two years. So not only am I not an outlier anymore, but it seems like the world has become as addicted to YouTube as I have been for the last two decades.

If you’re not convinced by watching YouTube on your TV yet, I’ve come up with three reasons why YouTube on a smart TV is worth it, trust me I’ve spent far too much time watching random online videos.

1. YouTube videos are more impressive nowadays

Back when YouTube started it was as amateur as a video could be, viral videos like 'Charlie Bit My Finger' ruled the roost and it wasn’t a potential career. Fast forward to today and the best YouTube channels have full production companies behind them creating movie-like content with high-end cameras and top-tier editing. While it might seem odd to watch short videos of dogs or cats doing funny things on your TV, watching 40-minute episodes of travel vlogs or in-depth reviews of the latest video game is so much more immersive on a TV instead of a smartphone.

The majority of YouTube videos I watch these days are either full-on episodes of content that in the past would’ve been shown on television, video game capture showcasing graphical fidelity, or highlights of sport that’s filmed in 4K, perfect for the big screen. There’s never a time where I think I’d rather opt for a smaller screen when it comes to consuming YouTube content these days and while I have my gripes about using a remote (I know I can use my iPhone but for some reason I don’t), I really love YouTube’s smart TV app and the way it breaks down the YouTube algorithm. YouTube ultimately gets better the more you watch it, and I find viewing the platform on TV incentivizes watching top-tier content over quick amateur videos.

2. With YouTube Premium it’s ad-free and awesome

(Image credit: YouTube)

I pay for most streaming service subscriptions, Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, you name it. But I can confidently say that YouTube Premium is the only subscription I pay for where I genuinely get my money’s worth. Even this week, where I’ve had a really busy time at work and I’ve been out most evenings with my partner or with friends, I’ve still somehow managed to spend 16 hours on YouTube. That might not sound like a lot, but that’s an average of over 3 hours a day since Monday, absolutely wild.

Now imagine watching that amount of video content and being plagued with ads, it would completely turn me away from the platform. Instead, paying $13.99 a month (£12.99 in the UK), gets me higher resolution videos, perfect for the TV, and no annoying ads can hinder my entertainment. Not only do you get those benefits for watching on TV, but YouTube Premium gives you loads of added features for the times where you’re away from your living room and watching on a smartphone or an iPad instead. Those features include downloading videos for offline viewing, YouTube Music, and background audio, which is perfect if you want to listen to a podcast while still using your phone.

YouTube Premium isn’t a reason to start watching YouTube on TV, but it does make your brain think differently about the content you consume and how you want to consume it. I’ve subscribed to YouTube Premium since I started watching YouTube on TV and it not only entices me to pick the YouTube app over other streaming services, but it makes the viewing experience that much more enjoyable.

3. It can save you money

(Image credit: LG)

Save you money? Okay, hear me out on this one. Consuming YouTube on TV makes you think about the platform differently, it becomes a subscription service in its own right, and like the statistics from above show, there’s so much to watch that you can spend endless hours consuming content on the platform. Watching YouTube on TV can quickly become your go-to evening entertainment, and there’s so much to choose from that you’ll inevitably find channels and series that you want to watch. Opting for the TV approach means you’ll spend less time on all the other streaming services, and in turn, you might even opt to cancel your subscriptions altogether.

What's even better is if you live in the US, then there's a great streaming deal available that lets you save more than 15% on the 'Base Plan' to access more than 100 live channels, making a great alternative to cable, too. This is a limited-time offer that expires at the end of March. See more about the YouTube TV deal available below.

YouTube TV 'Base Plan' with Max free trial: was $82.99 per month now $69.99 at YouTube TV
The most exciting part about this limited-time streaming deal is, besides having access to YouTube TV's catalog of over 100 live channels for $78 less than the usual six-month price, you'd be taking advantage of a seven-day free access to Max, which is a rare opportunity since the streaming platform discontinued its Max free trial. But be quick, because this offer ends on March 31.View Deal

I’m not lying when I say most evenings in my household where my partner and I are watching TV have some form of YouTube content involved. Gone are the days of quality content being limited to cable television, and nowadays depending on what you’re looking for YouTube is probably the best place to find it. I adore food content, basically, anything starring Anthony Bourdain is my gospel, and yet, in 2025 the best travel food content available isn’t on Netflix, it’s on YouTube. Whether you’re sitting down to watch a food vlog, or you’re watching a daily series like Ryan Trahan’s Penny Challenge, YouTube is far more compelling as a TV app than it ever was on your smartphone. So if you aren’t already on board with the YouTube TV app, give it a go, it might completely change your viewing habits.

You might also like

• Prime Video just launched another new exclusive streaming bundle
• Netflix just got more expensive – here's how much your next bill will go up by
• I've loved WWE for 25 years and there's no better time to start watching it

• Netskope's researchers uncover new phishing campaign
• Team says the campaign started in mid-2024 and has affected "thousands"
• Victims are promised important PDF documents in exchange for credit card data

A new phishing campaign has been discovered trying to trick gullible people into handing their sensitive personal and payment information to cybercriminals.

Cybersecurity researchers from Netskope Threat Labs detailed their findings, noted the target of this campaign is mainly people looking for PDF files online - whether books, documents, charts, or similar files. The criminals would host a fake .PDF file on the Webflow content delivery network (CDN), which the victims could then find through search engines.

The PDF file would then serve them an image that mimics a CAPTCHA, but is instead just a link to a phishing page. That page, in turn, hosts a real Cloudflare Turnstile CAPTCHA. Having a CAPTCHA on a phishing page serves two purposes: the first one is to lend legitimacy to the fraud, and the second one is to better bypass different web security protections.

Fake errors

Users who complete the real CAPTCHA are then redirected to a page with a “download” button which, after pressed, displays a popup. That popup asks the victims to provide their personally identifiable information (PII), as well as credit card data which are then relayed to the attackers.

The victims who enter their credit card details are then served a fake error message, stating that the payment was not accepted. Those that try multiple times, will eventually be redirected to an HTTP 500 error page.

Netskope says that the campaign has been ongoing since the second half of 2024 and has, since then, affected “hundreds” of Netskope customers and “thousands” of users. The researchers did not say what the criminals are using the stolen cards for, other than it’s for “financial fraud”. Most of the time, though, crooks would use credit cards to purchase ad space for malvertising campaigns, or to buy online gift cards which are difficult to trace.

You might also like

• Chinese hackers develop effective new hacking technique to go after business networks
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app

• Severance's creator has teased what'll happen next as part of Mark's 'reintegration' storyline
• Dan Erickson has suggested Mark's desire to combine his 'innie' and 'outie' personas poses all kinds of risks
• Erickson's comments come after season 2 episode 5's emotionally devastating ending

Severance creator Dan Erickson has a message for fans of the hit Apple series after season 2 episode 5's startling ending: be worried for Mark Scout.

Ahead of the Apple TV Plus mystery thriller show's return on January 17, I sat down with Erickson to pick his mind about Severance season 2's first six episodes. And, given what transpires in its fifth episode, titled 'Trojan's Horse', I couldn't pass up the opportunity to ask Erickson about where this particular Mark-focused narrative is heading. In short: in an ominous direction.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Severance season 2 episodes 3 and 5.

Turn back now if you haven't seen season 2 episode 5 yet! (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

One of this season's major storylines has revolved around Mark Scout's desire to undergo the experimental (and potentially unsafe) procedure known as 'reintegration'. It's an operation that, in theory, allows one of Lumon Industries' Severed employees to combine their 'innie' and 'outie' personas, thereby becoming a whole person again.

In season 1, we learn that the unorthodox and dangerous technique, which was developed by former Lumon scientist Doctor Asal Reghabi, has been used on Mark's fellow Lumon colleague Petey. Fans won't need me to remind them what happened to Petey as a result of his own 'reintegration' process. Unsurprisingly, Mark has resisted Reghabi's attempts to convince him to try and 'reintegrate', too.

Mark's stance on the matter changes in Severance season 2 episode 3. After the pair cross paths late on in that chapter, Reghabi stuns Mark by revealing his wife Gemma, who Mark's 'innie' has occasionally worked and conversed with at Lumon (she's called Ms Casey here, though), is still alive. Cue Mark performing a 180-degree turn and wanting to 'reintegrate' so his 'outie' can infiltrate Lumon, find Gemma, and rescue her.

"Welcome back, Mark. Been a minu- wait, you're not Mark S!" (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Things took a backseat on the 'reintegration' front in Severance season 2 episode 4 and you can learn more about that installment's explosive events by reading my Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained piece. Mark's 'reintegration' plan, though, takes center stage on three separate, not to mention hugely important, occasions in this season's fifth entry.

The first instance sees Mark's 'outie' briefly catch a glimpse of the Macrodata Refinement office that his 'innie' works in. Next, Mark's 'innie' experiences a split-second moment in the real world when his office desk is replaced by a kitchen tabletop and some pills. This is an interior shot of the home that Mark's 'outie' lives in, with the medication being the tablets he needs to take to help with the 'reintegration' process.

it wouldn’t be a season 2 severance episode without ms casey serving face for two seconds and then disappearing #severance pic.twitter.com/cxIQ9OUtC3February 14, 2025

Episode 5's biggest Mark-centric event (from an 'outie' perspective, anyway) is reserved for its final few minutes. After a brief chat with Reghabi in the basement of his home, Mark's 'outie' starts hearing Ms Casey's voice in his head, which subsequently starts to hurt. As he deals with the pain, he's suddenly transported to Lumon. After walking down the dark corridor that's become the object of one of many huge Severance season 2 fan theories, he finds himself in one of Lumon's sterile, brightly-lit passageways. There, in both a heart-warming and soul-crushing manner, he briefly comes face-to-face with Ms Casey before he's transported back to his real world home.

Clearly, the 'reintegration' process is working, otherwise Mark's two personas wouldn't be having visions of their counterpart's worlds. So, that's a good thing, right? If Mark can fully 'reintegrate', he can save Gemma and bring down Lumon from the inside, surely? It's not that straight-forward, Erickson teases.

The closer he gets to that catharsis, the more dangerous he becomes to Lumon

Dan Erickson, Severance creator

"I think we all agree that the healthiest thing for Mark would be to be whole again," Erickson told me. "He wants to make peace between these different versions of himself and be able to live as a whole person. But, the closer he gets to that catharsis, the more dangerous he becomes to Lumon and, therefore, the more danger he is in, because they don't want them to be whole.

"I think a lot of real-world companies don't want their employees thinking for themselves too much or having a holistic sense of who they are," one of the best Apple TV Plus shows' creator continued. "They like their automatons and, when you start to become less of an automaton, you become more dangerous to them.

"On a practical level, if Mark's plan was to succeed, he would suddenly be able to take information in and out of Lumon. But, just on a character level, it means that he's gaining a greater sense of himself, and it does put him in danger."

We'll find out just how desperate and threatening things become for Mark in season 2's final five episodes. In the meantime, read more of TechRadar's coverage of Severance below.

You might also like

• Severance director Ben Stiller says work is underway on season 3's scripts – and he hopes it won't take three years to make
• Severance season 2 has a brand new title sequence and I love it – here are the 5 major clues it gives us
• 5 of the best Severance season 2 goat theories I've seen, from the bizarre to the quite plausible

• You can score a limited edition Apple Watch workout award on Feb. 14
• The Heart Month limited-edition award is given after a 30-minute workout
• It falls on Valentine's Day as Feb. 2024 is Heart Month in the US

Apple might be channeling its Elvis with its latest limited-edition award for the Apple Watch. For the unfamiliar, for certain events of the year, Apple rolls out special digital awards you can unlock by completing with an Apple Watch – the catch is there’s a time sensitivity to scoring them.

If anything, it can encourage you to get active on a day when you might have taken a rest or push you to go the extra mile. This Valentine’s Day, rather than feeling the burn, Apple might have you feeling the love. Simply complete a 30-minute workout before the clock strikes midnight on February 14, 2025, and you’ll get the Heart Month limited-edition award.

After all, on top of February 14 being Valentine’s Day, February is Heart Month in the United States. It also might encourage you to check out some of the other heart health features on the Apple Watch, including monitoring general activity, performing a check-up in the Health app on your iPhone, and even enabling heart rate notifications.

(Image credit: Apple)

Like previous limited-edition awards, Apple isn’t locking this one behind a particular workout type. In fact, you can spend 30 minutes with any workout type – be it Dance, HIIT, Cycling, Swimming, Yoga, or any of the others – and you’re eligible for the award. This one’s design is green, and the exercise ring is well-completed with a heart in the middle and the numerals for 2025.

The Heart Month limited-edition award is animated, and you’ll also unlock some special stickers for Messages after earning the award. That’s par for the course with Apple Watch workout awards, as we saw with a celebration of National Parks in August and a custom one for Mental Health Awareness Day.

Considering the activity rings can gamify the experience a bit, this certainly acts as more encouragement and an honor for being active. It certainly works that way for me, as well. Alongside the award highlighting Heart Month, the Apple Watch – depending on your mode – also offers a few other heart-centric features.

These include the ability to monitor your heart rate and receive notifications in case the Apple Watch detects an irregular or high heart rate. You can turn on notifications for these on your wrist by going into the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and then tapping into Heart. There, you can turn on notifications for Irregular Rhythm and high and low heart rates. Additionally, the Apple Watch provides a rough estimate of your cardio fitness level and alerts you on your wrist and in the Health app if it is low.

If you have a new enough Apple Watch – it’s been around since the Series 4 – you can also take an ECG or Electrocardiogram on your wrist. For instance, the Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch SE second-generation all offer robust heart rate tracking capabilities with ECG functionality.

While not exactly a heart measurement, you can also use the Mindfulness app on your Apple Watch to take a break during the day to reflect or potentially reduce stress.

And if you're in the market for a new Apple Watch, check out our guide to the Best Apple Watches.

You might also like

• Instagram is feeling the love with a surprise set of Valentine's Day easter eggs
• 50 best Apple Watch apps: From health apps to games and everything in between
• Tim Cook says we'll meet the newest member of the Apple family on February 19 and it might just be the next iPhone
• Apple Watch Series 10 review – more than meets the eye from every angle

• Severance season 2 debuted with amazing viewing numbers
• It's the first Apple TV Plus show to crack Nielsen's top 10 since 2023
• Silo also hit big for Apple's streaming service in January

Full disclosure up front: I’ve never seen Severance. Shameful, I know. But I'm increasingly in the minority according to some seriously impressive new viewer numbers for Severance season 2, which show how big a hit it's been for Apple TV Plus.

The media analytics company Nielsen (via The Hollywood Reporter) has just released its first set of streaming charts since the Adam Scott-fronted, memory-wiping sci-fi’s second season hit screens, and Crew Cupertino are no doubt breaking out the party poppers at the resulting data.

The newly-released figures, which cover the week of January 13, are the first to pop up since Severance season 2 debuted on Apple TV Plus just days later on the 17th. The headline news from said data is that the head-trip drama has drawn some of the highest viewing numbers for an original series in the streaming service’s five-year history.

Despite having such a short timeframe to make the Nielsen original viewing charts, Apple’s mega hit managed to slide into the fourth slot in the top 10. An even more eye-catching number? It clocked up an impressive 600 million viewing minutes in that short period.

These figures are even more notable considering it’s reasonably rare for Apple TV Plus shows to sneak into Nielsen’s top 10 original rankings at all. There are a couple of caveats – the data is limited to US households and only includes TV watching, not phones or computers. Still, while it's only a limited snapshot, it does show how well Severance has been doing in the Netflix-dominated charts.

The last Apple TV Plus show to hit this big in the Nielsen streaming charts was Ted Lasso season 3 back in 2023 – quite possibly one of the worst collection of episodes I’ve ever committed my eyeballs to. Severance, I thank you. Oh, and Ted and the rest of your saccharine soccer players? In the event there’s ever another season of Lasso – unlikely, seeing as the ‘comedy’ ended on a fairly definitive note – I hope AFC Richmond get liquidated.

Silo & Stitch

(Image credit: Apple TV +)

The latest Nielsen numbers bring more good news for the bigwigs at Apple TV Plus, as Severance wasn’t the streaming service’s only big winner. The third week of January also saw stylish sci-fi drama Silo crack tenth on the Nielsen original charts.

That’s noteworthy, as this appears to be the first time that two Apple Originals have appeared in the same week of Neilson’s top 10 rankings (as noted by, 9to5Mac).

Bear in mind that even though Severance’s second season has enjoyed a barnstorming start in terms of ratings, we are talking about the Neilson original charts, not the overall ones that look at all TV viewing figures.

Placed into that context, the team at the fictional Lumon Industries and their accumulated 589 million viewing minutes look small fry next to the 1.5 billion minutes Squid Game season 2 racked up on Nielsen’s overall streaming charts. Then again, Netflix’s South Korean smash hit has a far greater reach because of the platform it’s on.

Still, these figures point to not only to the bewitching appeal of Severance, but Apple’s increasing reach among the best streaming services.

You can catch new episodes of Severance season 2 every Friday until the finale airs on March 21. Suffice to say, I’ll be starting the first season this weekend.

You might also like

• Best streaming service 2025: Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Max, Disney Plus and more
• Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained
• The best Apple TV Plus shows: 30 great series to stream in February 2025

The recent ban of TikTok sent shockwaves through its 170 million U.S. userbase, particularly among business owners and creators who depend on the platform for their business.

Although service was restored, the shutdown raises the larger issue of the dangers of relying on building a business on a third party platform controlled by another company.

It’s a form of digital sharecropping. This means that you’re working on another company’s platform, where you have no control and the rug can be pulled out from under you at any time. This leaves your business vulnerable to being cut-off and shut down at any time.

Even if you’re not shut down, the platform could change its algorithm and remove you from their searches or promote a competitor.

This is not the first time this has happened. Businesses once investing heavily in Facebook Pages, as a means of distribution when Facebook emphasized Pages. But Facebook later changed direction and those efforts were wasted. There were numerous other changes Meta and Facebook have made over the years that have affected companies. Some companies such as BuzzFeed, built their business on Facebook traffic, but after the traffic dropped, the company’s business suffered.

Renting versus owning

Twitter famously had API integrations that many startups used to build apps and companies, from mobile Twitter apps to general social media apps to monitoring apps. Later, Twitter shut down those integrations and built competitors to those products.

Building a business on someone else’s platform is like renting versus owning. Renting real estate leaves you vulnerable to new competition, the landlord raising the rent, the landlord selling the building or the landlord making changes to the building. With ownership, you maintain maximum control over the direction of your business. Similarly, with your own website, you control the creation and distribution of your content, your marketing and your long-term future.

So what can business owners and creators do to build a long-term, sustainable online presence to support their business? First, establishing your own website will ensure that you have a lasting, enduring presence online, where people can find you and learn about your business.

Strong presence and control

I’m not advocating avoiding social platforms. By all means, use TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and others. For small businesses that generate content, social platforms can drive critical attention to sustain their growth. But if companies invest in their own website, that can provide a key lifeline. Using tools like WordPress make websites easy for non-developers to update and manage, combined with a host like Kinsta to ensure security and performance. That in conjunction with any content produced on other platforms will build their brand and provide resiliency no matter what happens on those platforms.

Also, make sure that you aren’t putting all your efforts and focus solely on these platforms. You want to have a strong presence that you control through your own website. Then, make sure you link back to your website on your profiles on all those platforms and also like back to your website whenever you can in your social posts. That will drive people back to your site. You can also invest in a domain name that is easy to remember and will help support your site. Then people at your website can sign up for your newsletter and keep in touch. You will own that data, and you can control your future.

So if something happens and you are dropped from a platform such as TikTok or Facebook, customers can still find your website on Google because of your SEO efforts. You will also show up in ChatGPT or other AI search engines. But you will only be available if you have this website already set up.

This is an investment in your business. It’s not a major expense when you think about the long-term benefit for your business, but it is an investment. It’s like taking care of your health or your hygiene. Just like you brush your teeth to protect your teeth long term.

The website advantage

A website will also help you define your overall strategy as a business. It’s not the same as a clip on TikTok or reel on Instagram. It can even be as simple as a one-page website, where people can find you. This alone will give you real legitimacy as a real business. When people find your website online, they’ll see you as a real business.

Ultimately you want a long-term online presence, where no matter what happens, you will be able to control your brand and your message for your current and future potential customers. That’s what will support your business for the future.

We've featured the best small business software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro