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• WhoFi uses Wi‑Fi signal distortions to fingerprint individuals without visual data
• Deep neural network maps signal changes to identify people with near‑perfect accuracy
• Academic research opens new privacy debates around biometric tracking via Wi‑Fi signals

Researchers at La Sapienza University in Rome have created WhoFi, a system which claims to be able to identify individuals by analyzing Wi‑Fi signals.

The system tracks people by interpreting how their presence disrupts Wi‑Fi patterns, offering a potential alternative to conventional biometric methods.

The technology works by examining Channel State Information, or CSI, which measures changes in Wi‑Fi signals caused by people and objects - and a deep neural network then interprets these disturbances as individual fingerprints.

No cameras or physical contact required

The researchers claim the system delivers 95.5% accuracy in identifying people even under different environmental conditions.

The team behind WhoFi includes Danilo Avola, Daniele Pannone, Dario Montagnini and Emad Emam, who previously proposed a system called EyeFi in 2020. The new system is more accurate and capable of re‑identifying people via non‑visual biometric signatures embedded in CSI.

WhoFi does not rely on cameras or physical contact. It needs only an existing Wi‑Fi network to sense human presence and movement.

The technology can operate in darkness, through walls, and even around obstacles, making it a discreet option compared to video surveillance systems.

The researchers stress that WhoFi does not collect personal data or reveal identities in the conventional sense, noting, “By leveraging non‑visual biometric features embedded in Wi‑Fi CSI, this study offers a privacy‑preserving and robust approach for Wi‑Fi‑based Re‑ID, and it lays the foundation for future work in wireless biometric sensing.”

Still, it’s clear that the ability to track individuals without their knowledge is a potential privacy nightmare.

Breaches of routine privacy can reveal patterns of daily behavior, such as regular locations or movements, potentially exposing sensitive personal habits.

So far, WhoFi remains an academic project with no known plans for commercial or government deployment. Yet the advantages in surveillance capability are clear. It can bypass poor lighting and crowded environments and is less conspicuous than cameras or visual scanners.

A number of similar Wi-Fi-based detection technologies have surfaced in various forms over the years.

Gamgee developed a fall detection system that could alert others if someone fell or if an intruder entered the home.

Comcast’s Xfinity service introduced Wi-Fi Motion, which turns everyday devices like smart fridges, printers, or TVs into motion sensors.

Other researchers have gone further, using Wi-Fi signals to "see" through walls. A UC Santa Barbara team created a system that outlines objects and even reads letters through barriers.

A similar study from Carnegie Mellon University demonstrated how standard Wi-Fi routers can detect a person’s location and body position inside a room.

You can read more about the research behind WhoFi in this paper published on the arXiv preprint server.

Via Tech Xplore

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• Copilot Mode turns the Edge browser into a voice-controlled AI experience
• It can read across all open tabs to get more of the context of what you're doing
• Future features will let Edge perform tasks, like booking tickets

Microsoft has just gone all-in with AI in its Edge browser, launching a new Copilot Mode. The new mode is an opt-in feature that completely changes the way you use the browser.

Now, Edge doesn’t just wait for you to click something, it anticipates what you might like to do next, and you can ask Copilot questions about the content you are currently viewing.

If this does remind you a little too much of Microsoft’s ill-fated Clippy, the ‘helpful’ paperclip assistant that would try and work out what you were doing in Office 97 and try to help you, then don’t worry – Copilot Mode is much less invasive, and can also easily be turned off if you don’t like it.

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the new Copilot Mode is a natural evolution of the browser, and feels like exactly the right direction for Microsoft to be heading in, especially given the positive reaction to other AI browsers, like Comet from Perplexity.

A stripped back look

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The first thing you notice when you’ve turned Copilot Mode on is that you see a clean, streamlined page with a single input box in the centre. From here, you can access chat, search, and web browsing:

But you don’t even need to type anything to browse the web with Copilot Mode. One of the standout features is that you can now talk to your browser using your voice, giving it commands that mean you can browse the web faster and without having to type at all.

You can do things like open a YouTube video and say something like “go to the section where it shows you how to build a website,” and Copilot will find that exact section in the video for you.

Or, if you’re watching a long video that has a recipe in there somewhere, you can ask Copilot to find the recipe and give it to you in text form:

Seeing the new Copilot Mode in action, it looks very impressive because (in a feature that’s coming soon) you’ll be able to instruct it to handle tasks for you, giving the browser agentic qualities.

So, you could ask Edge to search for something, and even book activities and services using your voice, all in the browser.

The big new features of Copilot in Edge are:

Multi-tab context

Copilot can use AI to get the full context of what you’re exploring online because it will have access to all your open tabs, so it can work out what your priorities are, then act on them.

Actions

This is Microsoft's name for the natural voice navigation I mentioned earlier. You can speak to Copilot about what you are trying to do on a page, so you can get it to compare prices or find particular information on the page.

A ‘coming soon’ addition is that you’ll be able to get Copilot to search your history and credentials for doing more advanced options like booking reservations.

Dynamic pane

Copilot doesn’t get in the way because it appears in a dynamic panel that doesn’t interfere with the web page you’re looking at. This way, your copilot interaction will also avoid being disrupted by pop-ups or advertisements on the web page.

Pick up where you left off

Another ‘coming soon’ feature is the ability for Copilot to continue with a topic you’re researching from the last time you used the browser. So, if you were researching how to start a business, you can just pick up from where you left off last time.

Privacy and security

Once a browser starts to exhibit agentic qualities (the ability to perform tasks like booking things for you), the issue of security naturally arises. To this end, Microsoft promises to only collect data needed to improve your experience. Your data in Copilot for Edge is safe, secure, and never shared without your permission.

How to get Copilot Mode in Edge

While not all the new features are available right now, you can still try out Copilot Mode in your Edge browser right now.

It will be available in the Edge browser on both Windows and Mac. Starting today, you can go to aka.ms/copilot-mode to opt in to Copilot Mode. Once you’ve done that, you can toggle Copilot Mode on or off directly in your settings.

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• Meta is said to be developing a new smartwatch
• It could feature a camera but be light on health features
• We might see it at Meta Connect later this year

Meta’s on-again-off-again relationship with smartwatches might be back on an upswing, as there are reports it will be releasing new wrist-based tech at Meta Connect 2025, which is taking place on September 17 to 18.

That’s according to Digitimes (behind a paywall), who claim Meta is partnering with Chinese manufacturers to bring its latest smartwatch iteration to life.

The device, however, might not be as health-focused as the competition, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 or Apple Watch 10. Instead, Meta, perhaps unsurprisingly, might be focusing on XR technologies.

Its watch would apparently incorporate a camera of some kind, and could complement Meta’s smart glasses, including its much-rumored upcoming pair, which would feature a display for the first time. This sounds like it might be an enhanced version of the wristband Meta Orion testers have used to control those glasses.

However, it’s unclear if the rumored smartwatch would enhance Meta's existing best smart glasses, like the Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta HSTN specs.

Light on details

As with all leaks, we should take these details with a pinch of salt. However, Meta has continued its development of wrist-based EMG technology, and so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that it would want to develop something more sophisticated using its research.

What’s more, as I alluded to earlier, this would hardly be the first smartwatch leak we’ve heard from the company, though some rumors were related to its cancellation and subsequent revival, suggesting some previously teased details may no longer be accurate.

Even if a Meta Watch is on the way, many questions remain when it comes to its cost, battery life, specs, affordability, and release date. Even if the device is part of Meta’s 2025 Connect opening keynote, it might just be a teaser of what’s to come rather than a concrete promise of a gadget releasing soon.

I, however, am interested to see what Meta can construct.

I would still rather the device served as an add-on to its smart glasses, much like existing smart watches with phones, rather than a more standalone device, which appears to be on the cards. But if it can incorporate health, fitness, and hand-tracking tools, I’m fine for it to also include a camera and worthwhile Metaverse tools, provided the cost doesn’t get out of hand.

We’ll just have to wait and see what it showcases when Meta’s ready to finally make this much-rumored wearable official.

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Twenty states and Washington, DC are suing USDA after the agency demanded states turn over sensitive data on applicants for food assistance by July 30.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt)

Steve Inskeep speaks with former U.S. Secretary for Transportation Pete Buttigieg about where Democrats went wrong, how they can regain public trust, and why so many Americans don't believe what the government tells them about the Epstein files.

Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.

This bonus episode of Up First was edited Reena Advani. It was produced by Phil Harrell. We get engineering support from Cena Loffredo. Our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.

Runway Aleph can remove objects and people from scenes, generate new camera angles, change objects in a scene and much more.

• A new SteamOS plugin allows gamers to use Lossless Scaling for better performance in games
• It has 2x, 3x, and 4x frame generation options and works with most games
• Input lag and ghosting is less noticeable compared to the previous Decky Framegen plugin

While we await the arrival of more powerful handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally and the MSI Claw A8, there's a significant performance booster available for SteamOS handhelds – and it breathes new life into portable gaming.

Available on GitHub via xXJSONDeruloXx, a new Decky Loader plugin, 'Decky Lossless Scaling', enables compatibility with Linux, allowing players to use frame generation via the Lossless Scaling application on Steam.

This allows gamers to use frame generation, either through 2x, 3x, or 4x (the amount of interpolated frames) frame generation for higher frame rates, with the latter essentially replicating Nvidia's Multi Frame Generation.

To install (once Lossless Scaling is installed via Steam), download the plugin ZIP folder, enable developer mode in Decky Loader's settings, then simply hit 'install plugin from ZIP', find the folder in the directory you placed it in, and you're done.

It's not the first time frame generation has become accessible to SteamOS, as the Decky Framegen plugin replaces Nvidia's DLSS DLL file with AMD's FSR 3.1 DLL – and this was great since Lossless Scaling wouldn't work on SteamOS. However, this was only available in games that support DLSS frame generation, and it felt sluggish due to increased input lag.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)

With Decky Lossless Scaling, the compatibility list of games is bigger. I've tested this on my Asus ROG Ally using Bazzite (a SteamOS clone) in Cyberpunk 2077, Stellar Blade, and Resident Evil 4 remake, and it's a breath of fresh air with frame rates easily hovering around 90 to 100 fps.

Performance is significantly improved while mostly using 2x frame generation, notably when frame rates are already high – and you'll need to adjust graphics settings reasonably to achieve smoother gameplay.

It's worth noting that 3x and 4x frame generation aren't very necessary (at least with the Asus ROG Ally), as input lag becomes unbearable in titles. You can also change this on the fly, without having to restart your game, making it a very convenient tool.

Analysis: Another reminder of why Windows 11 isn't great for handhelds

(Image credit: Future)

Despite the fact that Lossless Scaling on Steam isn't free, this has single-handedly revitalized my love for the Asus ROG Ally. Lossless Scaling has always been available on Windows, but I've avoided using it due to the constant errors with application windows when attempting to get it up and running.

On SteamOS / Bazzite, this isn't a concern, as all you'll need to do is open the side panel and change settings, instead of closing the game window like you would on Windows.

We also know that Windows 11 isn't great for game performance, with SteamOS having major uplifts in this region – which likely explains why I've had a better time using this plugin on Bazzite. For the first time, I've been able to push Resident Evil 4 remake above 50 fps on the ROG Ally, and without major input lag.

Of course, it won't come without ghosting during rapid camera movement, but in my experience, it's not too noticeable to spoil the visual enjoyment. I can only imagine how great this will be for the Steam Deck, or better yet (for those who can afford them), more powerful handhelds like the MSI Claw 8 AI+.

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• Numerous law enforcement agencies banded together to disrupt BlackSuit
• The ransomware operators had multiple websites seized
• No arrests had been made

Notorious ransomware operator BlackSuit has had its infrastructure disrupted by a major law enforcement campaign.

As part of the action, BlackSuit’s main website, accessed through The Onion Router (TOR), was defaced and left with a banner usually propped up by law enforcement after domain seizure.

"This site has been seized by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations as part of a coordinated international law enforcement investigation," the banner said.

Medusa claims responsibility

US Homeland Security, the US Department of Justic (DoJ), the FBI, and other agencies have not yet published an official announcement regarding the takedown, but the DoJ has confirmed the action was part of Operation Checkmate.

Besides the main site, other websites (including the leak site and negotiation site) were also shut down.

This was an international operation, conducted by the US Secret Service, the Dutch National Police, the German State Criminal Police Office, the UK National Crime Agency, the Frankfurt General Prosecutor's Office, the Justice Department, the Ukrainian Cyber Police, Europol, and others.

Bitdefender, a private cybersecurity company, also assisted, saying, "We commend our law enforcement partners for their coordination and determination. Operations like this reinforce the critical role of public-private partnerships in tracking, exposing, and ultimately dismantling ransomware groups that operate in the shadows."

A US Department of Health and Human Services report published in late November 2023 said BlackSuit was first spotted in May that year, showing “striking parallels with Royal, the direct successor of the former notorious Russian-linked Conti operation”.

Unfortunately, taking down websites and seizing infrastructure rarely stops ransomware attacks - it just slows them down a little bit. It usually takes a few weeks for threat actors to recover and continue where they left off, and usually won’t stop until they are arrested.

Via BleepingComputer

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Want to get a head start on preparing your Paramount+ watchlist for August 2025? We have you covered.

Aside from being the best streaming service for classics, Paramount+ offers a fresh schedule of new titles each month and it's just revealed the full list of the new movies and shows that will be available to stream in August, including over 50 movies on August 1 alone.

Paramount+ is getting ready for spooky season early this year, bringing six movies from the Paranormal Activity franchise, as well as Halloween II (1981). But there's a slew of other titles for those who think it's too early for the best horror movies just yet, including dramas like Adaptation (2002) and one of my top movies on Letterboxd, The Truman Show (1998).

Everything new on Paramount+ in August 2025

Arriving on August 1

A Time to Kill (movie)
Adaptation (movie)
Adventureland (movie)
Aeon Flux (movie)
American Hustle (movie)
An Invisible Sign (movie)
Annihilation (movie)
Blazing Saddles (movie)
Captive (movie)
Case 39 (movie)
Coming to America (movie)
Crawl (movie)
Death at a Funeral (movie)
Double Jeopardy (movie)
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (movie)
Event Horizon (movie)
Georgetown (movie)
Gone Baby Gone (movie)
Good Mourning (movie)
Love and Monsters (movie)
Masterminds (movie)
Milk (movie)
Miss Congeniality (movie)
Monster Trucks (movie)
Mother! (movie)
New Jack City (movie)
On the Line (movie)
Paid in Full (movie)
Paranormal Activity (movie)
Paranormal Activity 2 (movie)
Paranormal Activity 3 (movie)
Paranormal Activity 4 (movie)
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (movie)
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (movie)
Primal Fear (movie)
Project Almanac (movie)
Rat Race (movie)
Red Eye (movie)
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (movie)
Sexterior Motives (movie)
Shutter Island (movie)
Snake Eyes (movie)
The Assistant (movie)
The Brothers Grimm (movie)
The Ledge (movie)
The Little Rascals (movie)
The Ruins (movie)
The Sense of an Ending (movie)
The Town (movie)
The Truman Show (movie)
The United States of Leland (movie)
The Yards (movie)
Wayne's World (movie)
What Lies Beneath (movie)
Zodiac (movie)

Arriving on August 3

Don’t Knock Twice (movie)

Arriving on August 5

Murder 360 season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on August 6

Jersey Shore Family Vacation season 7, part 2 (TV show)
Blaze and the Monster Machines season 8 (TV show)

Arriving on August 13

PAW Patrol: Jungle Pups special (TV show)

Arriving on August 20

Baby Shark’s Big Show! season 3 (TV show)

Arriving on August 27

Liberation: D-Day to Berlin season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on August 29

Halloween II (movie)

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A touch screen case? Heart rate sensors? Improved noise canceling? Here's what might be coming to Apple's new noise-canceling earbuds later this year. Plus, there's one key feature I'd like to see.

• A new Marvel fan theory about Avengers: Doomsday is circulating online
• Fans think Robert Downey Jr is hinting that he'll play two characters in the MCU film
• A recent Instagram post from Downey Jr is to blame

Robert Downey Jr has sparked a new – and potentially huge – theory among Marvel fans about Avengers: Doomsday.

Last Saturday (July 26), the superstar actor, who'll portray Doctor Victor von Doom in the forthcoming movie, posted a seemingly innocuous video on Instagram.

A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. (@robertdowneyjr)

A photo posted by on

For the most part, the footage shows Downey Jr hitting play on one of his son's (Indio Downey) songs on Spotify. Then, the A-lister briefly hovers his phone camera over a couple of Marvel comics, before turning it on himself to mouth along to the aforementioned tune.

It's those comics that have whipped Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans into a frenzy.

Well, one of them, anyway. The first comic we see is a copy of 'Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars', aka the 12-issue run created by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton that ran from May 1984 to April 1985. That's one of two 'Secret Wars' comic series – the second one coming from Jonathan Hickman and Esad Rebic from May 2015 to January 2016 – that Joe and Anthony Russo told me they're taking inspiration from for Doomsday and its sequel film Avengers: Secret Wars. The fact that Downey Jr is reading said comic series for research purposes, then, is no great surprise.

It's the other literary work, titled 'Iron Man: Legacy of Doom', that's sent MCU devotees into a tailspin, though.

Considering Downey Jr played Tony Stark and his superhero alter-ego Iron Man in the MCU between 2008 and 2019, some observers might think this is just a nod to the two iconic Marvel characters he'll have played by the time Avengers: Secret Wars arrives in December 2027.

However, long-time Marvel fans are reading much more into it and have even crafted a new fan theory about Downey Jr's casting in the Marvel Phase 6 film – a hypothesis that I most certainly hope is wrong. Potentially big spoilers immediately follow for the next two Avengers movies. Turn back now unless you really want to know what fans are theorizing about.

Is Robert Downey Jr playing two characters in Avengers: Doomsday?

Please don't undo Iron Man's heroic sacrifice in Doomsday or Secret Wars, Marvel... (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

For the uninitiated, 'Iron Man: Legacy of Doom' is a four-issue comic series that features another showdown between the eponymous armored superhero and Doom. Okay, the latter is more commonly associated as an archenemy of The Fantastic Four, but he's also engaged in a few tussles with Stark in Marvel Comics.

Indeed, 'Legacy of Doom' is he third time they lock horns on the page. The first came in a two-part Iron Man story called 'Doomquest', which landed on shelves in 1981, while the second occurred in 'The Doctor's Passion', another two-part narrative that was released in 1989.

Fans have been discussing Downey Jr's potential dual in Doomsday on social media platforms like Reddit (Image credit: Reddit)

Okay, but what's this got to do with Downey Jr possibly having a dual role in Avengers 5 and its sequel, which is already one of 2027's most anticipated new movies? Some fans believe Downey Jr is indicating that he's either playing Doom and an Iron Man variant, or confirms his Doom is a variant of Stark himself.

The latter is a theory that's circulated online ever since Downey Jr was revealed to be playing Doom in the MCU at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Indeed, some fans have queried why Marvel would hire Downey Jr to play Doom if he wasn't an alternate universe's Stark who hadn't seen the errors of his ways like the MCU's Stark did, and who might have found a way to master dark magic and combine it with his self-developed technology. Hey, Ironheart already proved magic and tech can mix, so it's not as if someone like an evil Stark couldn't work out how to blend the two.

Matt Shakman revealed details about the epic #FantasticFour credits scene.Spoilers in this video clip!Full Director Debrief: https://t.co/tZdVt74Gvm pic.twitter.com/98jeSUE4rTJuly 28, 2025

It's the other theory about Downey Jr potentially playing Doom and another version of Stark/Iron Man, though, that's got me worried.

If – and it's a big if – Doomsday adapts some aspect of 'Iron Man: Legacy of Doom', we could have a situation where the aforementioned situation becomes reality. If it does, we could see Downey Jr's Doom and a Stark variant, who'd also be portrayed by the A-lister, fight it out to show how powerful Doom is and/or if Doom needs to acquire some tech that Stark has perfected.

The other possibility is that Downey Jr will reprise his role as Stark/Iron Man in Secret Wars. There have been murmurings that Chris Evans may return as Steve Rogers/Captain America in the sixth Avengers movie, which is reportedly being billed as a celebration of every Marvel comic book universe to ever exist before the MCU undergoes its soft reboot post-Secret Wars. That includes 20th Century Fox's X-Men franchises, Sony's three Spider-Man universes, and the MCU.

Should that prove to be the case, in Marvel's eyes, it wouldn't be a fitting commemoration without Downey Jr's Stark being a part of it. After all, he kickstarted the comic giant's cinematic universe.

Nevertheless, bringing back Downey Jr as Stark in any form would undo his heart-breaking yet heroic sacrifice in 2019's Avengers: Endgame. In my view, that was the fitting albeit bittersweet farewell that he deserved, and I'd be loathe to see him return as Iron Man in Doomsday and/or Secret Wars because of it. This is one fan theory, then, that I don't want to see materialize.

Avengers: Doomsday will be released in theaters on December 18, 2026.

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• NASCAR files reports with state regulators confirming April 2025 attack
• It did not say how many people were affected
• The company is offering free credit monitoring for affected victims

NASCAR has confirmed it suffered a cyberattack and a data breach in April 2025 which saw personal information of racing fans allegedly stolen.

The organization filed data breach reports with attorneys general in multiple US states, describing what had happened, and how it responded, noting the attack started on March 31, 2025, and was spotted - and stopped - on April 3.

During that period, the company said it secured its network, brought in third-party cybersecurity experts to analyze the incident, and notified the appropriate law enforcement.

The subsequent investigation determined that the attackers stole people’s names and Social Security numbers (SSN).

Medusa claims responsibility

While NASCAR did not discuss the nature of the incident, or the identity of the threat actors, ransomware operators known as Medusa had claimed responsibility several months ago.

In April 2025, the group added NASCAR to its data leak site and demanded $4 million in ransom, The Record reported, stating the deadline for payment expired on April 19.

It is unknown if NASCAR paid the ransom demand or not, but there is no evidence that the data leaked to the public.

Medusa is an active threat actor with numerous high-profile victims, including Toyota Financial Services (TFS), which was struck in November 2023, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), targeted in February 2023, and Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), which suffered an incident in September 2023.

Medusa engages in the usual double-extortion tactic, exfiltrating sensitive files from the system before encrypting the entire network. That way, if the victim decides to restore the files from a backup, the group can threaten to release them on the internet, which could bring regulatory fines, class-action lawsuits, and more.

It's not known exactly how many people were affected by the attack, but victims have been offered free credit monitoring services for a year, through Experian IdentityWorks.

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• A lack of panoramic glass roof and rear screen help cut costs
• Chinese automotive blogger snapped the disguised vehicles
• Cheaper Model Y is expected to go on sale in China later this year

Elon Musk let the cat out of the bag when he revealed that the company was readying a cheaper alternative to the Model Y during Tesla’s quarterly earnings call, putting an end to the rumors that the company was working on a standalone 'affordable' Tesla.

Instead, the upcoming, simplified Model Y was touted to hold back on some of the additional niceties in pursuit of a cheaper sticker price.

It appears that a popular Chinese blogger, dubbed Garage 42, has photographed some of the first budget Model Ys, with images and videos surfacing on Chinese social media site Weibo.

Although heavily disguised under black cloth, the images show that these cars lack the large panoramic sunroof that makes the current generation Model Y feel so bright and airy. There’s also a lack of infotainment display for rear passengers and the mammoth, full-width LED light bar has been removed from the front and rear.

(Image credit: Weibo)

Currently, the cheapest Model Y in China starts at 250,000 yuan (around $34,750) but it is facing increasingly stiff competition from home-grown talent, with the Xiaomi SU7 and YU7 proving runaway sales successes.

Car News China also points out that Xpeng, Li Auto, and Nio are all readying keenly-priced Model Y rivals in China for the second half of this year, which will continue to eat into potential Tesla sales.

It is not known whether this trimmed-down Model Y will be sold in other markets in this form, but Tesla’s sales are suffering on a global scale, so we’d expect to see a Model Y slot in somewhere between the current cheapest Model Y and the most expensive Model 3.

Tesla doubles-down on autonomous driving

(Image credit: Tesla)

Despite stripping back the Model Y in an attempt to boost sales, Elon Musk announced that Tesla recently signed a $16.5 billion deal with Samsung, which will see the Korean tech giant provide chip technology for upcoming generations of Tesla’s hardware array.

With the latest cars running Tesla’s Hardware 4 (or HW4, for short), this deal will ensure the company has the latest and fastest chipset when its vehicles move to HW6 – seeing as HW5 is already contractually covered by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

With each new generation of semiconductor, Software Defined Vehicles (SDV) become more intelligent and more capable, boasting the sort of processing power required for advanced levels of autonomous driving.

However, the news has irked many long-standing Tesla owners, as Elon Musk promised back in 2016 that even on version 2 of its hardware, all vehicles would be capable of full unsupervised self-driving – something the brand has yet to crack.

There have been multiple attempts by owners to demand refunds for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems over false advertising claims, which cost up to $15,000 on top of a car’s list price at points.

Tesla continues to promise more from its FSD systems, recently stating that "unsupervised" versions will come later this year. But with the company still investing so heavily in the next generation of computing, it has a number of critics skeptical about the true capabilities of Tesla’s technology.

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• The Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen) is coming soon
• Faster CPU/GPU running Google TV instead of Android TV
• HDR10+ and DTS:X as well as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

Xiaomi's Google TV streaming stick has been updated with some significant improvements. While the underlying hardware hasn't changed dramatically beyond a new CPU – RAM and storage are the same 2GB and 8GB as before – there are some key audio and video improvements.

The new Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen) has a new chipset built around a a quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU and Mali-G310 GPU, which Xiaomi says delivers 80% better CPU performance and a 150% boost to the graphics performance compared to the first generation of the 4K streamer. Wi-Fi is faster, and there's improved HDR and audio support too.

(Image credit: Xiaomi)Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen): key features and pricing

One of the most significant changes is that Xiaomi has swapped OSes: where the original TV Stick ran on Android TV, this one has Google TV. That means a more modern-looking, streamlined interface and better recommendations across the various streaming services you use.

The new second-generation TV Stick now supports HDR10+ as well as the previous model's Dolby Vision. And there's been a similar audio upgrade with the addition of DTS:X support alongside the existing Dolby Atmos support.

The Wi-Fi is now Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth is the same 5.2 as before. And the remote has been slightly redesigned with a new button for Xiaomi's own free live TV service.

What we don't know yet is what it'll cost when it officially launches, or when that launch will be. Android Authority has spotted it on AliExpress, where it's being offered with a claimed $86 discount that drops the price to around $49 (about £36 ex VAT).

The first generation TV Stick 4K is currently $56.99 on Amazon US and £49.99 on Amazon UK.

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The rush to adopt generative AI has reignited a legacy security problem that has long plagued enterprises: data sprawl. As organizations race to implement AI solutions, they're confronting the same challenges that plagued the industry a decade or so ago, but with significantly higher stakes.

Faced with an explosion of data from new mobile and IoT devices and more people with increased activities online, security leaders acknowledged back then that they were overwhelmed with trying to manage it all. A few years later, most of them threw up their hands in defeat. The problem seemed insurmountable: data was everywhere and multiplying faster than security teams could keep up.

Fast forward to 2025, and that unsolved problem stares us in the face again, and with a renewed sense of urgency. For organizations to get value out of generative AI solutions, they must supply it with corporate data and this corporate data could contain, and most likely does, very sensitive information. This is forcing organizations to finally confront their data sprawl problem.

The organizational challenge behind data sprawl

At the heart of the historic data sprawl problem is an organizational breakdown. Organizations recognized the need for chief data officers and comprehensive data governance, but most initiatives never materialized, or they quickly stalled. Promised data categorization systems were not implemented and strategic schedules weren’t established.

The failure wasn’t due to lack of intent or motivation. Leadership understood the problem and allocated resources, but the manual intensity required for data management proved overwhelming. Organizations typically assigned just a handful of people to categorize and manage data volumes that were growing exponentially.

These small teams were faced with an impossible task: manually processing and organizing data that was being created faster than humans could possibly manage it.

AI as a data creation engine

The challenge has intensified beyond mere data consumption. AI systems themselves generate vast new data streams that require management and protection. AI creates new versions of documents, reports, and analyses, and each interaction with generative AI tools produces logs and artifacts that accumulate rapidly within systems.

Model training and fine-tuning processes generate metadata that often goes unmanaged. AI-augmented systems create exponentially more analytical outputs that flow into storage without proper classification.

IT departments now struggle to manage this explosion of new data created across every corporate touchpoint – from employee devices and disparate systems to cloud and hybrid environments. Without proper governance, companies can find themselves drowning in a sea of both new and legacy data without knowing what's valuable and what's not.

Unmanaged data is a security blind spot

This growing data sprawl has become an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals. Poorly managed data poses critical security risks. Legacy data often contains sensitive information but lacks modern security controls, which makes it easy for attackers to get to. Unknown and unmanaged data repositories are blind spots in security architecture, preventing comprehensive protection measures.

AI systems may also expose sensitive data in their outputs to individuals who normally would not have access to such material, creating new vectors for data leakage. Security teams fundamentally cannot protect what they don't know exists, making invisible data stores particularly vulnerable.

Recent survey data illustrates how widespread the problem is. A 2025 report we commissioned showed 74% of surveyed IT and security decision-makers reported attackers successfully accessed and harmed their data, while 86% paid ransoms. Meanwhile, 68% of security decision-makers surveyed for the CyberArk 2025 Identity Security Landscape Report acknowledged they lack security controls for their AI implementations.

Real-world consequences

The data sprawl issue within organizations has enabled a particularly malicious cyberattack to flourish. Ransomware has evolved into a sophisticated criminal industry specifically targeting organizations with poor security and data hygiene. Intellectual property in long-forgotten databases often represents the crown jewels of an organization, making it a primary target.

Personal and financial information in abandoned data stores provides attackers with valuable resources for identity theft and fraud. Email archives containing sensitive communications offer insights into business operations and potential leverage for extortion. Backup systems that haven't been properly secured present attackers with opportunities to destroy recovery capabilities, increasing ransom leverage.

The reality is stark: if IT teams lack visibility into all organizational data – what's in it, where it's stored, and who's using it – they cannot properly understand its value as an asset nor secure it effectively.

How to mitigate data sprawl

The fundamental challenge that derailed previous data governance efforts remains: traditional manual approaches cannot scale to match modern data creation pace. Today's solutions must address this resource mismatch through automation and strategic organizational commitment. Forward-thinking security teams are implementing these practical solutions:

• Conduct data discovery and classification: Use automated tools to find, categorize, and tag data based on sensitivity and business value across all environments. This includes structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data, and even shadow IT data.
• Deploy robust backup and recovery Systems: Ensure critical data is protected while maintaining visibility into what's being preserved and why. Implement immutable backups and perform regular recovery drills.
• Establish zero trust data access controls: Implement least-privilege principles for data access, ensuring only authorized users can retrieve specific information. This extends beyond network perimeter to individual data objects.
• Create data minimization practices: Regularly review and purge unnecessary data to reduce attack surface and compliance risks. This includes personal data, outdated records, and redundant copies.
• Implement strategic data retention policies: When I worked at the State Department, we implemented a retention schedule to help reduce the risk associated with legacy data holdings that no longer had business value. Old data represents a significant liability and our historical analysis showed it was increasingly obsolete and useless after subsequent years.

Breaking the cycle

The storage costs alone should motivate action. Every piece of unused data represents ongoing financial burden through storage infrastructure, backup systems, and administrative overhead. Yet organizations continue accumulating digital debt because they've never successfully implemented the systematic approaches needed to break this cycle.

Success requires acknowledging that data governance cannot be delegated to a small team working with manual processes. The scale of data creation today demands commitment to automated discovery, classification, and retention enforcement. Without a systematic approach, organizations will find themselves having the same conversation in another decade, facing even more complex challenges with higher stakes.

The era of ignoring data sprawl is over. With AI accelerating both data creation and consumption, organizations must implement comprehensive data governance or face increasingly severe consequences. The companies that will thrive are those that treat data as both a strategic asset and a potential liability requiring careful management.

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

A lot of people have had really high hopes for The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the build-up to its release. I have been feeling more cautious – even as someone who rates Avengers: Endgame as one of the few movies I'd give five stars to – but in principle it definitely looked set to deliver what I'd want from it. Charismatic cast, cool retro-futurist production design, a very giant man – that kind of thing.

Sadly, when the credits rolled, the first words I used to describe it were "aggressively fine". Somehow, despite succeeding in giving me everything I mentioned above, I found it bland and formless.

[Spoilers for both Fantastic Four and Superman from here!]

Everything seems to come incredibly easily to Marvel's first family. Reed happens to have already been working on the technology they need to win the day. Johnny translates and learns a whole alien language in a couple of months (I assume? The timeline of events is also pretty slippery). Sue is exactly powerful enough for whatever needs to happen at the time.

I felt basically nothing about any of it. It wasn't thrilling, it wasn't exciting. Even the characters and the world they live in seem to feel the same way as me – everyone seems so flat and bored, inside the Baxter Building and outside it. I'd have assumed the America of Earth 828 is in a great depression or war, if the movie hadn't made clear that the Fantastic Four created a techno-utopia.

Footage of Sue Storm attempting to make the climax have any emotional impact on her own. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Obviously, I don't expect to go into a superhero movie and feel any genuine worry that a lead character is going to die, or that the world might end. Instead, these movies are supposed to leave you wondering 'How are they going to get out of this one?' and then surprise you with a cool result. First Steps tells you exactly how they're going to get out of this one in advance, and then they get out of this one in essentially the exact way they promised.

I can even get on board with that, if a movie is interesting along the way, thematically. If it does daring things with its character interactions and motivations, if it's exploring meaty themes, or if it least makes me think about something these movies haven't really tackled before.

Thunderbolts* has a good dose of this, and is Marvel's best movie in years as a result. First Steps can't get any theme beyond first gear, so there's nothing for me to chew on here.

But still, I found it to be a diverting one hour 55 minutes, even if it was disappointing as the hopeful 'Don't worry, Marvel's turning a corner' movie I'd expected it to be.

But then I went straight into my second viewing of Superman, and the contrast between them makes FF look even worse in my eyes, and Superman look even more impressive.

Tales from the Krypto keeper

Superman manages a more engaging character dynamic in its first three minutes than Fantastic Four manages in its entire run-time, and only one of the characters involved can speak.

Krypto's lack of obedience in the opening sets up that this movie will have the exact opposite to FF's problem, where everything comes too easy: in Superman, being the most powerful metahuman in the world doesn't stop things being really damn hard.

(In general, I think the writing around Krypto is genius. Having an obedient dog who's as strong as Superman basically means you have two Supermans. Supermen? In any case, that would be a lot for the first movie narrative to handle. Making Krypto a force of uncontrolled, chaotic good solves that problem.)

I love that the trailers depicted this scene as Superman being rescued diligently by his loyal pup, and the movie is Krypto breaking two more of his ribs before pulling him probably because he was being too boring to stay outside. (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Where Fantastic Four travels inexorably from plot point to plot point on rails, Superman swings between surprises. Lex has a pocket universe! Superman and Lois have a tense journalistic sparring! Now there's a kaiju! This one dude turns into kryptonite!

Why are all these things happening? Because it's a comic book movie, partly, and this is like flicking through a comics run where different issues have vastly different stuff going on. But it's partly also because this movie has a lot on its mind.

Without getting bogged down in taking any metaphor so seriously that it becomes a full-on allegory, Superman asks questions about the morals of intervening in the conflicts of other countries, of the motives of people who have the resources to manipulate the world in the background (okay, creating a literal rift between people might be leaning more towards allegory), and of how immigrants find their personal identity, among others.

These create a world where Superman's principles and morals make him a nuanced and interesting character. When fighting the kaiju, the recklessness of the Justice Gang (we'll assume they've settled on that name for now…) means he has to spend all of his energy not fighting the monster, and trying to persuade people he can't fight to be cool about it.

One of my favorite moments in the movie is when he tells Lois he's going to turn himself in to the government, but it's not because he's a Boy Scout who respects the process and the law – he casually throws out that it's the only way to find Krypto. Turning himself in is required to satisfy his morals, but not in the way we might've seen in the past.

Despite being a mile-a-minute movie that bounces through all kind of bonkers comic-book scenarios, it still finds the time to give you something to chew on when you leave the screen. It was worth watching a second time to dig into the themes I picked up the first time, and to see more seething nuance from Nicholas Hoult's fantastic performance as Lex Luthor, especially. It seems like it must be a three-hour movie, yet it's only 130 minutes.

Fantastic Four, by contrast, I can't believe filled 115 minutes. Events just slipped by me, like I was drifting down a lazy river in a floating ring. As someone who mostly goes hard for the idea that movies generally need to be shorter, maybe this one needed more time for there to actually be some friction in it. But maybe that wouldn't have helped either…

Is there any juice left to squeeze

"Your cinematic universe is now marked for death" (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Marvel has been down for a while, but I've hoped that with the right course correction we could see a return to form. A slower schedule, a willingness to be more daring, a narrower focus on the story of each movie… the one-two punch of Thunderbolts* and First Steps seemed like they should be the chance to showcase that, and build towards Doomsday being genuinely exciting.

Unfortunately, they've mostly convinced me that Marvel has lost its juice in a way that's maybe irretrievable.

I think Thunderbolts* is a good movie, and yet despite being built around this heavy metaphor for mental health (which I think it delivers really well), it left me with no impression after I left the cinema. Even though it's a more thinky film, I didn't really think about it. It said what it has to say about its themes, and asks no questions beyond them.

Fantastic Four doesn't even manage that. It has all the ingredients, but is totally unexciting and only just qualifies as charming. The Incredibles is 21 years old and does everything better than this movie, despite being a barely-concealed Fantastic Four rip-off.

Superman left me with things to talk about and think about – character motivations, themes, clever writing.

I don't particularly care if DC successfully launches its new cinematic universe off the back of Superman. I won't be excited just by the thought that a movie will tie into Superman. I'll get the thrill of anticipation if I trust a movie's going to be good.

I'm excited to see the next movie that comes from the DC creative team. I don't feel that way about Marvel any more, and First Steps is the final nail in that coffin.

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• Google warns of ScatteredSpider's advanced social engineering tactics
• The hackers gain privileged access and use it to deploy ransomware
• The group targets critical infrastructure, retail, airline, and other industries

The infamous ScatteredSpider ransomware group is using VMware instances to target critical infrastructure organizations in the US, researchers have warned.

Security researchers from Google Threat Intelligence Group (GITG) have found the criminals are targeting critical infrastructure firms, but also retail, airline, and insurance industries.

The campaign is described as “sophisticated and aggressive”, split into multiple phases that last no longer than a couple of hours, the experts warn.

On the hunt for vCSA

In the campaign, the hackers do not exploit any vulnerabilities, but instead go for “aggressive, creative, and particularly skilled” social engineering. They first reach out to their victim’s IT desk, impersonating an employee, and asking for a reset on the employee’s Active Directory account.

After gaining the initial foothold, they would scan the network to identify high-value targets, such as domain names, VMware vSphere admins, and other security departments that can grant them admin access into the virtual environment.

Then, they would reach out to IT again, this time posing as a more privileged user, again asking for a password reset - but for an account with higher privileges.

From there, they look to access the VMware vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA), a preconfigured Linux-based virtual machine that provides centralized management for VMware vSphere environments, including the ESXi hypervisor.

This, in turn, allows them to enable SSH connections on ESXi hosts, resetting root passwords.

From this point on, it is all about identifying and exfiltrating sensitive information, in preparation for the deployment of an encryptor. Locking down the entire network is the final stage of the attack, after which the victims are pressured into paying a ransom demand.

GTIG says that the entire attack happens quickly, going from initial access to ransomware deployment in “mere hours”, warning companies to tighten up on their security across the board, and to use phishing-resistant MFA.

Via BleepingComputer

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The rise of agentic AI is revolutionizing customer experience (CX) by introducing autonomous decision-making, real-time adaptability, and goal-driven intelligence. Unlike traditional AI, which primarily reacts to inputs, agentic AI takes initiative – anticipating customer needs, personalizing interactions, and optimizing business processes at an unprecedented scale.

This shift is redefining how businesses engage with customers, turning interactions into intelligent, dynamic experiences. While traditional AI has already streamlined operations, it often struggles with complex decision-making. That’s where agentic AI steps in. Rather than simply automating tasks or following predefined prompts, it operates autonomously – empowering customers to take control of their journeys while AI works alongside them.

By anticipating needs, making real-time decisions, and delivering hyper-personalized experiences, agentic AI strengthens customer relationships, enhances decision-making, and creates engagement that keeps customers coming back. In an era where expectations for personalization are higher than ever, companies that successfully integrate agentic AI gain a competitive edge, not just improving customer loyalty, but positioning themselves as industry leaders.

Agentic AI is more than just a tool for personalized recommendations – it enables businesses to create truly dynamic experiences that can change and enhance in real time. It doesn’t just react to past behavior; it proactively builds customer relationships. By anticipating preferences and needs, it shifts from being a support system to a driving force in customer engagement, transforming brand experiences and fostering lasting loyalty.

Making an impact across industries

Agentic AI crosses industry boundaries, making a difference in industries like telecom, finance, healthcare, logistics, and more. It isn’t just about enhancing efficiency but reshaping the way businesses operate.

For example, in telecom, customers are looking for speed and hyper-personalization everywhere they look. Agentic AI can transform customer service by automating issue resolution, predicting network outages, and delivering hyper-personalized support. AI-driven virtual agents can troubleshoot issues, anticipate service needs, and provide seamless, real-time assistance, enhancing both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Similarly, in the finance industry, agentic AI can become indispensable for fraud protection and autonomous trading. By detecting anomalies and preventing fraud in real time, agentic AI can strengthen security and trust. In healthcare, it can offer personalized patient care through personalized treatment plans, resource optimization, and enhanced diagnostics. Logistics companies can leverage agentic AI to autonomously manage inventory, forecast demand, and plan delivery routes to enhance overall efficiencies.

With agentic AI, businesses can unlock new levels of adaptability and responsiveness – using it not just as a tool, but as an active partner in driving innovation, solving challenges, and elevating customer experiences.

Ethical implications of Agentic AI

While agentic AI is a powerful solution, it also raises key ethical concerns, much like traditional AI. Because agentic AI operates with a higher degree of autonomy, strong security, compliance, and transparency measures are even more critical. Its ability to act independently requires enhanced human oversight to ensure these agents align with intended outcomes and don’t introduce unintended risks.

As these agents become more capable and influential, companies must develop clear policies to ensure their behavior serves their purpose, safely. Customers need confidence that agentic AI systems are acting in their best interest and that their personal data is protected. If these systems learn from biased data, they can unintentionally favor some groups over others. To overcome that challenge, companies must invest in their data programs and have ongoing monitoring and safeguards.

At the same time, human interaction still matters. While agentic AI can enhance efficiency by handling complex or repetitive tasks, customers still value real people for more nuanced conversations. Finding the right balance between automation and human support ensures businesses provide both speed and a personal touch.

Staying competitive in the age of Agentic AI

Agentic AI is at the forefront of the AI revolution, leading the charge in transforming customer interactions across industries. As its presence continues to grow and evolve, its role will expand further into business operations with even more intuitive AI assistants, deeper emotional intelligence, and enhanced real-time decision-making abilities.

Companies that don’t move fast enough risk falling behind. Agentic AI isn’t just another tool – it’s reshaping how businesses function. Business leaders need partners who can help them not only adopt the technology but also rethink their workflows to stay competitive. Big software companies may push expensive licenses, consulting firms focus on billable hours, and outsourcing companies may resist change to protect their revenue.

To effectively leverage agentic AI’s potential, businesses should seek partners committed to real improvements – ones who align their success with helping companies use it in meaningful, practical ways. Implementing agentic AI solutions is more than just new technology; it requires agility, responsible implementation, and a willingness to rethink how work gets done – all of which ultimately lead to more seamless, personalized, and satisfying experiences for customers.

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

Looking for a different day?

A new 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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, July 28 (game #1281).

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 #1282) - hint #1 - VowelsHow 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 #1282) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1282) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1282) - 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 #1282) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• T

• M

• B

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

Quordle today (game #1282) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1282, are…

• BATCH
• TOPIC
• MURKY
• BUNCH

Another tricky round – for me at least. I came unstuck rushing in and guessing hatch in the first column when it would be a better strategy to solve the other words first.

I also got very lucky with TOPIC after hesitating over whether or not to guess “toxic”. 

Daily Sequence today (game #1282) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1282, are…

• UNDUE
• BLURB
• INLAY
• TAPER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1281, Monday, 28 July: CANDY, TRYST, SHIRT, FORGO
• Quordle #1280, Sunday, 27 July: TRAWL, BALER, PIANO, MINCE
• Quordle #1279, Saturday, 26 July: MUDDY, SAINT, KINKY, POLAR
• Quordle #1278, Friday, 25 July: BONUS, RESIN, CEDAR, MADAM
• Quordle #1277, Thursday, 24 July: AGONY, VERVE, GLEAN, MINUS
• Quordle #1276, Wednesday, 23 July: OZONE, PENCE, ROOMY, WIDER
• Quordle #1275, Tuesday, 22 July: OPTIC, GIDDY, VOCAL, ADULT
• Quordle #1274, Monday, 21 July: KNEED, SNAIL, PINTO, FEAST
• Quordle #1273, Sunday, 20 July: GRACE, COUNT, EGRET, GIANT
• Quordle #1272, Saturday, 19 July: EARLY, CLICK, TRITE, SPREE
• Quordle #1271, Friday, 18 July: CINCH, FOYER, FUDGE, TAFFY
• Quordle #1270, Thursday, 17 July: CRESS, TABOO, POWER, HATER
• Quordle #1269, Wednesday, 16 July: UNCLE, NADIR, REMIT, BROOM
• Quordle #1268, Tuesday, 15 July: VILLA, FLECK, TIGER, CRANE
• Quordle #1267, Monday, 14 July: SURGE, PIZZA, PAPER, POPPY
• Quordle #1266, Sunday, 13 July: KAYAK, DECRY, RUDDY, HATER
• Quordle #1265, Saturday, 12 July: WREAK, NANNY, CLASP, STAIN
• Quordle #1264, Friday, 11 July: LAPEL, DRAIN, FROND, GROSS
• Quordle #1263, Thursday, 10 July: CROSS, WHEEL, UNDID, PENCE

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, July 28 (game #778).

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 #779) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SPECIAL
• BUG
• RAISE
• FIST
• STEAM
• PROMOTION
• IRON
• FOLD
• DEAL
• CHECK
• GAS
• RUFFLE
• CALL
• BRAKES
• NETTLE
• SALE

NYT Connections today (game #779) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Reductions
• GREEN: Annoy
• BLUE: All in 
• PURPLE: Apply some pressure

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 #779) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: DISCOUNT 
• GREEN: IRRITATE 
• BLUE: POKER ACTIONS 
• PURPLE: THINGS YOU CAN PUMP 

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

NYT Connections today (game #779) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #779, are…

• YELLOW: DISCOUNT DEAL, PROMOTION, SALE, SPECIAL
• GREEN: IRRITATE BUG, NETTLE, RUFFLE, STEAM
• BLUE: POKER ACTIONS CALL, CHECK, FOLD, RAISE
• PURPLE: THINGS YOU CAN PUMP BRAKES, FIST, GAS, IRON

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

If yesterday was Easy Street then today was closer to the Highway to Hell.

At least that’s what I thought as I labored over the final eight words. I could only see two groups of two – BUG and RUFFLE plus BRAKES and GAS – so it took a gamble and a mistake before I finally made it home.

It wasn't until later as I puzzled over IRON that I remembered Pumping Iron, the great bodybuilding documentary about the 1975 winner of Mr Olympia, aka Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, July 28, game #778)

• YELLOW: FOREMOST FIRST, INITIAL, ORIGINAL, PRIMARY
• GREEN: INDICATION EVIDENCE, HINT, SIGN, TRACE
• BLUE: ITEM IN A COLLECTION COIN, COMIC, RECORD, STAMP
• PURPLE: ____ MOVIE BUDDY, CULT, DATE, SILENT

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.