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Sales of vinyl are higher than they have been for 40 years, and these are over 20 of the best-sounding albums.

• Miele has launched Guard L1 Comfort XL cylinder vacuum
• Features a companion app, LDC screen, and automatic floor detection
• Available now in UK and Ireland, RRP £499

Miele has launched a new cylinder vacuum that boasts a range of cutting-edge features for a more efficient and low-effort cleaning routine. The Guard L1 Comfort XL vacuum features Wi-Fi integration, a companion app, and automatic floor detection – all features that appear on today's best cordless stick vacuums, but (until now), nowhere else.

The LCD screen – like you'd find on one of the best Dyson vacuums on the market – provides a useful way to convey information at a glance. It'll tell you what percentage full the dust bag is, so you don't have to worry about overfilling it and can make sure you're prepped with spares before you need them. It'll also tell you when the exhaust filter needs replacing, and provide warning notifications – for example, if there's a blockage that needs attention.

You can also access this information via a companion app. I'm not sure if you must have the companion app downloaded to use this machine effectively, but I hope not.

(Image credit: Miele)

Another useful feature ported in (rather late) from cordless stick vacuums is automatic suction adjustment. The Miele Guard L1 can tell what kind of floor it's on, and change the suction level in response. So it'll ramp up to pull dust from deep in your carpet fibers, but drop to a lower-power mode for hard floors, where the dust is just on the surface.

Even though you don't have to worry about preserving battery (as you might on a cordless vacuum) it's a win when it comes to not wasting power, and also ensuring an efficient clean with minimal effort. If you want to manually change suction, you can do so via a switch on the handle rather than having to return to the canister.

Each data point that the app and LCD screen show focus on highlighting common issues that cause a loss in suction power, both immediately and that can cause longer-term performance issues over the course of the vacuum's life.

Dan Young, Floorcare Manager at Miele GB

"The Miele Guard L1 vacuum cleaner is designed to make your cleaning routine smarter and more efficient," Dan Young, Floorcare Manager at Miele GB, told TechRadar. "Each data point that the app and LCD screen show focus on highlighting common issues that cause a loss in suction power, both immediately and that can cause longer-term performance issues over the course of the vacuum's life."

The Miele Guard L1 Comfort XL cylinder vacuum is available now in UK and Ireland, at an RRP of £499. It's one of several new 'Guard L1' vacuums, but unfortunately, it looks like it's only the range-topping Comfort XL that comes with the screen, app connectivity, and automatic suction adjustment. Miele has a presence in both the US and Australia, but no news yet as to whether the new model will make it over there.

Why the wait?

Cordless, bagless stick vacuums remain the floor cleaner du jour, and I can see why. It's certainly convenient not to have to dodge cables and plug and re-plug into power outlets as you go about your cleaning routine. But there are downsides to this style of vacuum. Upright vacuums or cylinder vacuums almost always have more suction power, and last far longer overall.

Bags are a minor hassle but have their benefits too. One of my regular vacuum cleaner testers swears by bagged vacuums, and there are benefits for allergy sufferers because there's less chance for dust and other particles to escape back into the air once they've been sucked up.

In short, these alternative vacuum types aren't a dusty (pun intended) relic of a bygone era, and there's no reason why stick vacuums should be getting all the attention. Miele is known as a more traditional premium brand, and I'm pleased to see it has finally stepped up to the plate to deliver a cylinder vacuum for the modern era.

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Just months into 2025, and the global race to innovate around AI has already delivered a slate of major developments. Most recently, the launch of (DeepSeek in China) set off discussions about the downward trend on the costs of AI for businesses, and that was just weeks after the UK government laid out its plans to make the country an AI superpower.

We’re seeing a collision of AI policy and business response, and the UK government’s promised infrastructure improvements will create a newfound urgency to create or implement solutions that can take advantage.

But are businesses ready? While organizations may already be using AI in different capacities to boost productivity and make better decisions, for those gains to improve in line with the technology’s rapid development they need to consider one key factor: the caliber of their data.

The three elements of ‘good’ data

There are three pillars that underpin strong data foundations - quantity, quality and context - which leaders across business functions will need to understand to reap the benefits AI promises for their teams. As the pace of innovation quickens, the sooner these principles can be applied, the earlier companies can start extracting value from their AI adoption journeys.

1. Quantity

Many data stores rely heavily on manually entered data, which opens the door to human error and inconsistencies. These existing data gaps cannot be ignored any longer or organizations risk letting them continue to widen, putting them further and further behind the pack as others adopt AI.

For example, a tech firm that solely uses CRM data to drive sales for a new product might overlook signs of buyer hesitation that were never entered into its platform. Scale this across processes in a world where AI is integrated throughout organizations, and soon you’re left with a lot of misguided decisions. However, an AI solution that automatically captures data from multiple sources like calls and emails – wherever prospects engage with them – could get deeper insights into how they can better communicate the product’s benefits.

Businesses need to be bridging the data gap today, adopting tools and processes that enable automated data capture across various touchpoints. Even within functions that haven’t yet integrated AI, effectively collecting data now is the first step on the roadmap to eventually doing so.

2. Quality

Having lots of data means little if it isn’t objective and trustworthy, and this is where human error or unintentional bias can prove a pitfall. If the dataset powering a model is incomplete, biased or outdated, even the most powerful AI’s outputs will be flawed and impact any decisions made that are based on them.

Organizations will only be able to take advantage of the rapid pace of AI innovation if they adopt automated data capture to minimize manual inputs. Otherwise, they’ll continue running into the same issues over and over: outputs that reflect the assumptions and biases of whoever first entered the data, rather than reality.

3. Context

AI only becomes truly powerful when it can merge lots of high-quality data with the specific context it is being used for. A work landscape where processes are AI-enhanced across functions, ultimately the vision many have for the technology, cannot be achieved if organizations don’t map their discrete data to the relevant business context.

Say a customer wants to churn because they are unhappy with the service they’re getting. An AI model that doesn’t understand the business or customer won’t generate a meaningful response to their concerns. Arming it with the right contextualized data, however, would allow the AI to account for past interactions, the length of the relationship and available products or services in order to generate a tailored response that will actually help the customer.

Why data matters - now and in the future

No amount of government support will change the fundamental principle that in order to deliver accurate and actionable outputs, enterprise-grade AI solutions need to have the right data feeding into them. Without a strategic approach to gathering data and applying the right context to it, even the most technically advanced AI platform will come up short, even with the infrastructure gains countries are racing to put in place.

Limited or inaccurate data will lead an AI application to produce unreliable or superficial results, like advice for engaging with prospects based on incomplete CRM data that, as a result, could be biased. On the other hand, an AI strategy built on strong data foundations lets organizations tap into deeper, more relevant insights with unmatched speed in the short-term, while setting the stage to take advantage of new advancements as they emerge from different parts of the world.

There’s no shortcut to success with AI. Anything built on shaky foundations is at risk of underdelivering from the start, and that’s where we are with AI. There is still so much potential to unlock but many organizations still aren’t putting themselves in a position to fully realize it.

Organizations that get it right will be able to apply AI to existing operations more effectively and give themselves a competitive edge in capitalizing on the global race to build out the necessary infrastructure.

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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

The world's best players are set to take on the Copperhead Course's infamous "Snake Pit."

• Anti Social Social Club has revealed a new Assassin's Creed collection
• It features designs inspired by Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Products include hoodies, t-shirts, and accessories

Fashion brand Anti Social Social Club (ASSC) has announced a new collection in collaboration with Ubisoft. Intended to celebrate the latest entry in the Assassin's Creed franchise, Assassin's Creed Shadows, it includes a range of streetwear items that actually look remarkably good as far as gaming merchandise goes.

The highlight of the collection for me is easily the slick white hoodie, which features a striking Assassin's Creed Shadows logo on the front and a bright red graphic featuring heroes Yasuke and Naoe on the back.

The contrast is excellent and the overall design strikes a good balance between minimalism and prominent artwork from the Assassin's Creed game.

If those colors aren't your style, there is also a distinct maroon hoodie with a front print showing a manga-style interpretation of Naoe and Yasuke plus Japanese kanji text on the arms. This is in addition to a few black hoodies, with their own unique graphics.

There are plenty of t-shirts in many different colors, with designs ranging from an illustration of Yasuke's helmet to shurikens inside the ASSC logo.

For something a little more unique consider the football jersey - which blends a sports style with prominent Assassin's Creed Shadows and ASSC logos. Similarly sporty are the tracksuit sets, featuring more bright logos and kanji.

I quite like the coach jacket too, with a cool white and grey design that shows Yasuke and Naoe wielding their trademark weapons.

Some accessories will also be available alongside these items of clothing, including a range of Assassin's Creed Shadows-inspired hats. On top of this, the brand will be releasing a ceramic sake glass set in limited quantities.

The products will be available via the Anti Social Social Club website from March 29, 8:00 PST / 11:100 EST / 15:00 GMT. Prices range from $40 to $125.

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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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, March 20 (game #1151).

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 #1152) - 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 #1152) - 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 2.

Quordle today (game #1152) - 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 #1152) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1152) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• V

• T

• A

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

Quordle today (game #1152) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1152, are…

• DITTY
• VALOR
• TOWER
• AMISS

I’ll put this down to a lucky win as I had several options instead of DITTY, but for some reason guessed the correct word.

I also made a mistake with AGISM, ignoring the far more obvious AMISS – a word that has cropped up a few times in Quordle. That’s one of the big differences between this game and Wordle, previously used words will return again and again.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1152) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1152, are…

• SIEVE
• AWAKE
• BLOCK
• WEIRD

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1151, Thursday 20 March: RIPER, STILL, WAFER, NOTCH
• Quordle #1150, Wednesday 19 March: FLAME, CARAT, SPAWN, TUNIC
• Quordle #1149, Tuesday 18 March: NAVEL, TREAT, COPSE, SLINK
• Quordle #1148, Monday 17 March: INFER, FLINT, CHUMP, SHEER
• Quordle #1147, Sunday 16 March: INPUT, RUMBA, ELUDE, BLANK
• Quordle #1146, Saturday 15 March: SPEED, CLASH, RISKY, GRATE
• Quordle #1145, Friday 14 March: BELIE, SPEAR, GROWL, ADOBE
• Quordle #1144, Thursday 13 March: AMISS, METAL, TEARY, SHORT
• Quordle #1143, Wednesday 12 March: AWASH, PUSHY, RALPH, PROOF
• Quordle #1142, Tuesday 11 March: LINGO, JUICE, SHARP, REVEL
• Quordle #1141, Monday 10 March: AVAIL, THESE, TITAN, GAUGE
• Quordle #1140, Sunday 9 March: SKILL, IDEAL, WHERE, REHAB
• Quordle #1139, Saturday 8 March: WATCH, LAPSE, WREST, HEFTY
• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER
• Quordle #1136, Wednesday 5 March: PLEAD, TWANG, MAJOR, RISKY
• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER
• Quordle #1134, Monday 3 March: FRILL, KAYAK, REBAR, WORDY
• Quordle #1133, Sunday 2 March: TUNIC, GLOSS, DEBUG, LARGE
• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR

A Pentagon official not authorized to speak publicly said its review to scrub websites of DEI content was too hasty and also used search terms like "gay," leading to the flagging of Enola Gay images.

(Image credit: ‎)

The UK recently announced its AI Opportunities Action Plan, outlining the next phase of AI development for Britain. The ambition is to use AI for economic prosperity, improved public services, and increased opportunity. The UK already has the groundwork to be a leader in AI as it benefits from high-quality research and engineering talent, particularly in AI for science and robotics. As the UK makes a concerted push on AI, the US has announced $500 billion in private capital funding to grow AI infrastructure.

This increased focus from plans and investments will impact the way that AI is utilized. As AI grows increasingly pivotal in technology, offering tools and methodologies that can enhance precision and adaptability across various domains, there are three areas where we can anticipate growth: generative AI, verification & validation, and control system designs.

GenAI moves onto block diagrams, 3D models, and flow charts

While the initial focus on text-based GenAI continues to influence software-centric workflows, its impact on tools with higher-level abstractions is lagging. In 2025, we expect continued progress in applying GenAI to “no code” tools such as block diagrams, 3D models, and flowcharts. These tools enable organizations to graphically represent complex systems, effortlessly edit components, and manage the inherent complexity.

Furthermore, they are essential to productivity and validate confidence in system-level performance. Integrating GenAI with these tools will further increase their productivity while keeping the interfaces familiar to end users. More tools in this space will integrate AI copilots that can understand engineering models and assist in their design and management.

Leveraging verification and validation for AI compliance

Industry governing bodies are introducing AI compliance requirements, frameworks, and guidance as the integration of AI into safety-critical systems in automotive, healthcare, and aerospace applications accelerates. In response, technology leaders must prioritize the introduction and implementation of Verification and Validation (V&V) processes to ensure their AI components are ready for deployment under all conditions and can meet potential reliability, transparency, and bias compliance standards.

V&V is crucial for verifying the robustness of deep learning models and detecting out-of-distribution (OOD) scenarios, particularly in safety-critical applications. Robustness verification is crucial because neural networks can misclassify inputs with minor, imperceptible changes, known as adversarial examples. For instance, a subtle perturbation in a chest X-ray image might lead a model to incorrectly identify pneumonia as normal. Engineers can provide mathematical proof of a model’s consistency and test these scenarios using formal verification methods, such as abstract interpretation. This process enhances the model's reliability and ensures compliance with safety standards by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities.

Out-of-distribution detection is equally important, as it enables AI systems to recognize and appropriately handle unfamiliar inputs. This capability is vital for maintaining accuracy and safety, especially when unexpected data leads to erroneous predictions. The ability to discern between in-distribution and out-of-distribution data ensures that AI models can defer uncertain cases to human experts, thereby preventing potential failures in critical applications.

Focusing on V&V allows organizations to comply with AI frameworks and standards while advancing product development within their industry. A proactive compliance approach ensures that AI systems are reliable, safe, and ethically sound, maintaining a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The rise of AI-based reduced order models in engineering

The trend of using AI-based Reduced Order Models (ROMs) is expected to grow, driven by advances in AI technology and computational power. Organizations leveraging these models will enhance system performance and reliability, as well as the efficiency and efficacy of system design and simulation.

The primary driver behind this shift is the need to manage increasingly complex systems while maintaining high levels of precision and speed. Traditional computer-aided engineering (CAE) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are accurate but computationally heavy and suboptimal for real-time applications. AI-based ROMs address this by cutting computational demands while maintaining accuracy. Organizations can use these models to simulate complex phenomena more quickly, facilitating faster iterations and optimizations.

Furthermore, AI-based ROMs' highly versatile ability to adapt to varying parameters and conditions enhances their applicability across different scenarios. This adaptability is particularly valuable in the aerospace, automotive, and energy fields, where engineered systems often involve intricate physical phenomena that require detailed modeling and simulation. For example, businesses that design and test aircraft components, such as wings or engines, can simulate aerodynamic properties and stress factors more efficiently, allowing engineers to iterate and optimize designs quickly. Additionally, AI-based ROMs can adapt to various flight conditions, making them versatile tools for testing multiple scenarios using the same model. This capability accelerates the development process, reduces costs, and enhances the reliability of the final product.

AI breaks down barriers in complex system control

AI’s continued integration into control design will transform the field, particularly in managing complex systems and embedded applications. Traditionally, control system design relied on first-principles modeling that required deep knowledge and understanding of the system. Data-driven modeling was largely limited to linear models that are valid only in a small part of the design envelope. AI is transforming this landscape by enabling the creation of accurate nonlinear models from data. This enables the creation of highly accurate models that combine first principles and data and are valid over the entire operating range. This advancement allows for better control of complex systems.

Simultaneously, the growing computational power of microcontrollers is facilitating the embedding of AI algorithms directly into systems. This integration is particularly impactful in the consumer electronics and automotive industries, where highly responsive systems are becoming the norm. For instance, AI is embedded in power tools to monitor and react to environmental changes, such as sudden material density shifts that could pose safety risks. These tools use embedded AI to autonomously adjust their operation, enhancing safety and performance.

The convergence of AI with complex system control and embedded systems ushers in an era of more robust, adaptive, and intelligent control design. Organizations can now create systems that learn and adapt in real-time, providing unprecedented precision and efficiency. This creates an environment where AI-driven solutions address traditional control problems, paving the way for smarter, more integrated systems across various engineering domains.

There should be excitement about AI’s continued maturation and progression. The fusion of physics insights with AI models will enhance transparency and adaptability, reducing the “black box” nature of traditional approaches. The democratization of AI tools enables organizations to access advanced capabilities more easily. These advancements will elevate AI's role in engineering and enable technical professionals to build better engineered systems more rapidly and effectively.

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT 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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, March 20 (game #382).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Ode to the aubergine

NYT Strands today (game #383) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SAME
• TILL
• APRIL
• GEAR
• GAIN
• DIES

NYT Strands today (game #383) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #383) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 4th column

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #383) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #383, are…

• STUFFED
• MOUSSAKA
• PARMIGIANA
• RATATOUILLE
• SPANGRAM: EGGPLANT DISH

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Although initially confused by today’s theme (is there a song called Ode to the aubergine?) I quickly saw the Spangram EGGPLANT DISH in the puzzle and found the vital words with little difficulty.

Well, apart from – even with help – struggling to spell RATATOUILLE, MOUSSAKA and PARMIGIANA.

Far harder today was finding some Hint words.

My favorite eggplant dish didn’t make the cut, but then perhaps Baba Ganoush (a fun thing to say instead of a swearword) being a dip doesn’t qualify as a dish.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, 20 March, game #382)

• FLAMINGO
• STORK
• BITTERN
• IBIS
• EGRET
• SPOONBILL
• SPANGRAM: WADING BIRD

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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

More mobile companies, including Samsung and Google, have embraced satellite texting to keep customers connected off the grid.

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, March 20 (game #648).

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 #649) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• COMPASS
• ICON
• SOAP
• WORLD
• LEGEND
• EXAM
• STENCIL
• CHART
• SCENE
• RULER
• MITZVAH
• CIRCLE
• GREAT
• SPHERE
• LION
• T-SQUARE

NYT Connections today (game #649) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: A person’s environment
• GREEN: Notable  
• BLUE: Building plans 
• PURPLE: The word that connects them rhymes with “car”

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 #649) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: MILIEU
• GREEN: LUMINARY
• BLUE: ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING TOOLS
• PURPLE: __BAR

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

NYT Connections today (game #649) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #649, are…

• YELLOW: MILIEU CIRCLE, SCENE, SPHERE, WORLD
• GREEN: LUMINARY GREAT, ICON, LEGEND, LION
• BLUE: ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING TOOLS COMPASS, RULER, STENCIL, T-SQUARE
• PURPLE: __BAR CHART, EXAM, MITZVAH, SOAP

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

A very rare Connections where I saw the Purple group well before the end. MITZVAH was the biggest clue but I still used up a Mistake. I knew the common thread was the word __BAR but stupidly I included LION as there is a UK candy called Lion Bar and I thought maybe it was a worldwide thing. This daft decision aside, I'm pleased to have completed today’s puzzle.

I almost included CIRCLE among the ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING TOOLS before remembering it’s the same thing as a COMPASS.

In another rarity I didn’t get the Yellow group at all, seeing LUMINARY first – including LION was a stretch, but I didn’t see any alternatives.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, 20 March, game #648)

• YELLOW: OUTSPOKEN DIRECT, FRANK, LOUD, VOCAL
• GREEN: BODIES OF WATER BAY, CHANNEL, SOUND, STRAIT
• BLUE: KINDS OF CORDS BUNGEE, EXTENSION, SPINAL, UMBILICAL
• PURPLE: THINGS IN BOTTLES GENIE, LIGHTNING, MESSAGE, SHIP

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.

Popular podcasts in the "manosphere" helped sway young men to go MAGA in the 2024 election. New Yorker writer Andrew Marantz explains how Democrats can win them back.

• New data reveals that the PS5 is outselling its predecessor the PS4 in the US
• The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, however, are falling behind the Xbox One by 19%
• The PlayStation Portal was also the best-selling gaming accessory of February 2025

New sales statistics have shown that the PS5 is outselling the PS4 in the United States, but the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S units are falling behind Xbox One by a significant margin.

That's according to new data from Circana's video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella who recently shared that after each console's first 52 months in the market, the PS5 is outpacing the PS4 in sales by 7%.

Sony's current-gen console just had its best financial quarter on record, shipping almost 10 million units at the end of 2024, so the fact that it's way ahead of its predecessor isn't surprising.

As for Microsoft's systems, sales for its current-gen consoles seem to be lacking as both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are being outsold by the Xbox One by 19%.

It's also said that the PS5 was the best-selling hardware platform of February 2025 "across both units and dollars" and that the Xbox Series systems ranked number two in both measures.

Sony continued to have a successful February as its PlayStation Portal base model was once again the month's best-selling gaming accessory in consumer spending, while the PS5 Portal Remote Player - Midnight Black ranked third overall, and the PS5 DualSense Edge Wireless Controller - Midnight Black placed fifth.

The reason for lower Xbox Series X and S sales can't be determined from the data we have, but it could be in part due to Microsoft's PC presence, especially when you factor in Xbox Game Pass, which hit 34 million subscribers in February 2024.

Last year, it was reported that the PS5 was massively outselling the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and had shipped 4.5 million units between January and March 2024. From the latest data, it's clear that the PS5 is still dominating console sales and that's not counting PS5 Pro units.

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The new phone, which costs just over $1,000, has a wide display and does not include Google's Android software.

The Israeli military expanded its ground offensive in Gaza, and killed at least 80 Palestinians in a new wave of strikes Thursday. Hamas fired its first rockets since Israel broke a recent ceasefire.

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• A German news site has published detailed information about the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE series
• Two new midrange tablets are said to be slated for release by mid-April
• Samsung has yet to confirm this release window or any of the rumored specs

Samsung has had a busy few months, with the launch of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra flagship phones, as well as the behemoth Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra late last year.

However, it seems like there’s no slowdown in sight for the Korean tech giant, with a major rumor suggesting the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is on the way by mid-April - and by the looks of its specs sheet, it could prove to be a strong rival to Apple’s iPad Air.

The information comes courtesy of German tech news site WinFuture (via GSMArena), and details the specs, European pricing, and color options for both the base Galaxy Tab S10 FE and larger Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus.

According to the WinFuture, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE sports a 10.9-inch display with a 2304 x 1440 resolution, Exynos 1580 chipset, RAM configurable to 8GB or 12GB, and 128GB and 256GB storage options. The Galaxy Tab S10 FE also supposedly sports an 8,000mAh battery.

A render supposedly showing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE (Image credit: WinFuture)

As for the larger sibling, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus sports a 13.1-inch display with a 2880 x 1800 resolution, the same Exynos 1580 chipset, and the same 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. It also sports a 10,00mAh battery.

The pair are seemingly the same tablet other than their display size and resolution and battery size.

A render supposedly showing the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus (Image credit: WinFuture)

Both tablets support the S-Pen stylus, but we aren’t sure if they ship with one yet. Both support 45W wired charging and are likely to run a version of One UI 7, based on the pattern of recent Samsung releases. Both sport a 13MP rear camera and 12MP selfie camera and have one USB-C port.

Additionally, renders shared by WinFuture show both tablets as coming in a light-blue color, as well as a black and white option.

The WinFuture report also includes European pricing for the tablets, which we can convert to get estimates for pricing elsewhere.

According to these rumors, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE costs €579 for the model with 128GB of storage, and €679 for the model with 256GB of storage. That’s roughly $630 / £490 / AU$1,000 for 128GB, and $740 / £570 / AU$1,200 for 256GB.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus supposedly costs €749 for the model with 128GB of storage and €849 for 256GB, which is approximately $810 / £630 / AU$1,300 and $920 / £710 / AU$1,470 respectively.

If these prices turn out to be accurate, then the Galaxy Tab FE series could offer users a cheaper alternative to the iPad Air, which comes in similar 11-inch and 13-inch models. The Exynos 1580 chipset is, admittedly, nowhere near as powerful as the iPad Air’s M3 chipset, but it’s still likely to be a compelling choice for budget-conscious buyers who want a premium-feeling device.

Keeping in mind that all of the above is based in rumors, what do you think of the rumored Galaxy Tab S10 FE? Would you ever choose one over an iPad Air? Let us know in the comments below.

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• WhatsApp patches vulnerability used to deploy Graphite
• Graphite is a commercial spyware built by Israeli devs Paragon
• Around 90 people were targeted, WhatsApp said

WhatsApp says it has fixed a zero-day vulnerability which was apparently used by nation-states to spy on journalists, dissidents, political opponents, and others.

After being tipped off by security researchers from Citizen Lab, WhatsApp addressed a bug which allowed threat actors to deploy Graphite, a sophisticated spyware tool developed by the Israeli company Paragon Solutions.

Graphite was deployed in a “zero-click” attack, meaning no interaction from the victim was required.

Protecting your Android phone

"WhatsApp has disrupted a spyware campaign by Paragon that targeted a number of users including journalists and members of civil society. We’ve reached out directly to people who we believe were affected," a WhatsApp spokesperson told BleepingComputer.

"This is the latest example of why spyware companies must be held accountable for their unlawful actions. WhatsApp will continue to protect people’s ability to communicate privately."

A CVE was not assigned to the vulnerability.

WhatsApp further said it notified some 90 people, located in more than two dozen countries, including Italian journalists and activists.

In theory, the attack was very simple. After obtaining their target’s phone numbers, the threat actors would add them to a WhatsApp group, before sending a weaponized PDF. Since the device automatically processes PDF files, the endpoint gets compromised without any action from the user. The next step is to escape the Android sandbox and install the spyware, which grants the attackers access to the device’s messaging applications.

Citizen Lab was analyzing Graphite’s infrastructure and found “potential links to multiple government customers,” including Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Israel, and Singapore.

Governments in Europe and the United States have been quite vocal in their opposition to commercial spyware. In February 2022, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) recommended banning the use of Pegasus spyware within the EU, citing concerns over fundamental rights and freedoms. Pegasus’ developer team, NGO Group, was blacklisted in the United States on November 3, 2021.

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JLab JBuds Open Sport: one-minute review

The JLab JBuds Open Sport are affordable wireless earbuds that, as the name implies, offer an open-ears design. What this means in practice is that unlike in-ear buds, they don’t have tips that block your ear canal, instead leaving your ears free to hear the world around you. That makes them a great option if you prefer to be able to hear oncoming cars on your daily run, or if you hate having to stop your music simply to hear what someone’s saying.

For such affordable buds, the JLab JBuds Open Sport offer genuinely decent features. Not only does their app offer a couple of sound profiles to amp up treble and bass, but it also includes a 10-band EQ, something that even more premium products don’t offer. While not necessarily essential, hearing protection features and ambient sound generators for relaxation are definitely nice to have.

According to JLab, these buds should last you a full nine hours off a single charge, with the case bringing this up to a combined 26 hours. Wanting to put this to the test, I drained the buds from 100% to 0% by streaming music continuously until they died – I found JLab’s prediction was pretty much bang on. So the Open Sport should easily see you through a full-day's use before needing to be put back in the case.

The JLab JBuds Open Sport aren’t a huge departure from the template adopted by many of the best open-ear headphones – they’re made of smooth matt plastic with a flexible hook that holds them in place in front of your ear canal. But they certainly do the trick: they’re secure, even if they wobble a little during vigorous exercise, and their open-ear design meant I could hear oncoming traffic even when running along busy roads. In addition, their IP55 water-resistance means you don’t need to worry about a bit of sweat or the occasional shower.

Unfortunately, their sound does display some compromises. The Open Sport’s soundstage was genuinely impressive; listening to Grown by Kiasmos, the track’s shimmery trebly synths swayed noticeably from left to right, while the strings had a decent width. But I found their balance across the frequency range a bit uneven: treble occasionally gets a little brittle, while mids didn’t really have enough room to breathe, forcing some elements to compete for your attention. It isn't bad per se, but you are sacrificing some fidelity on the altar of situational awareness, so it’s worth being aware of this.

Ultimately, opting for cheap open-ear buds such as the JLab JBuds Open Sport will involve some tradeoffs. To get a pair of earbuds that not only leave your ears open but that also come in at a budget price, you’ll likely have to drop your expectations when it comes to sound. If you do, you’ll find these buds do a perfectly adequate job. But if you’d rather not scrimp on audio quality, paying more for a pair of open-ear buds such as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds or opting for a closed-ear pair from the best wireless earbuds might suit you better instead.

(Image credit: Future) JLab JBuds Open Sport review: specs

(Image credit: Future) JLab JBuds Open Sport review: features

• Decent EQ settings and listening modes
• Good, if average, battery life
• Not a huge fan of the controls

Getting started with the JLab JBuds Open Sport is straightforward, even if the process is a little idiosyncratic. Triggering pairing mode is as simple as removing the buds from their case: their lights will immediately begin flashing, allowing you to connect them with your prime device. However, utilizing their multi-device connectivity is more unorthodox – to retrigger pairing mode, you’ll need to switch off Bluetooth on your prime device and then once the JBuds are paired with your second device, you can you reactivate the first. It’s an odd dance to have to sashay your way through, but it works and connectivity seems stable.

Once you’re set up, most of the features you’ll access will be through the JLab app, which offers a decent selection of settings, even if it isn't quite as comprehensive as you’d expect from a more premium pair of earbuds.

First off, the app offers access to the JBuds’ EQ settings. This comprises two preset profiles: Balance, which lightly boosts the bass and treble; and the more aggressively sculpted JLab signature, which ducks frequencies around 500Hz – 2,000Hz to significantly boost bass. You also get a single custom profile – while that doesn’t sound like much, it’s a full 10-band EQ, something even some pricier buds don’t offer. There’s also a couple of dedicated listening modes bundled in – Music mode and Movie mode – that further tweak the sound to suit your source.

There’s some more unusual features bundled in the app as well. Safe Hearing mode allows you to set limits on playback volume according to the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 85dB (for a max listening time of eight hours) or 95dB (max listening time of one hour). As someone who has already ruined his hearing attending many clubs and gigs, I appreciate the thought here. The app also offers an Ambient Sounds mode, where you can choose to play anything from bird song to fan noise. Admittedly, this isn't anything you can’t find on most streaming services these days, but I welcome not having to do all the legwork in finding decent quality soundscapes.

Each of the Open Sport buds has only a single-touch capacitive button on it, meaning that control is through tapping out those morse code rhythms to play / pause music, increase and decrease volume, skip tracks or adjust EQ. I’ve been upfront about this before: I'm not the biggest fan of these kinds of control systems, as I think it’s too easy to mis-tap and I hate skipping tracks when I just wanted to crank up the volume. However, the Open Sport soothe my ire somewhat by allowing you to customise which functions are programmed to a single-, double- and triple-tap or a long press, making it marginally easier to set them up in a way that suits me.

JLab estimates the JBuds Open Sport’s battery life to be nine hours in the buds and over 26 hours in total with the case. My battery tests seemed to bear this out – playing music continuously until the battery dropped from 100% to 0% took nine hours and four minutes, which is pretty spot on. It's notable that the right earbud actually died sooner, at around eight and a half hours, leaving lefty to struggle on alone; but I imagine this is more down to quirks related to the battery’s first few cycles rather than a persistent issue.

• Features score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future) JLab JBuds Open Sport review: sound quality

• Provide great situational awareness
• Wide-open soundstage
• Relatively humdrum sound

Let’s start with the obvious. The JLab JBuds Open Sport don’t offer any sound isolation by design – their key feature is their ability to leave your ears clear of obstructions and let outside sounds in. So if you’re going to be using them in an office environment, you better be relaxed about hearing every tap of your co-workers' keyboards or their Severance fan theories. On the flip side, when I used the Open Sport while out on a run, the buds allowed me to hear the noise of oncoming cars and the hollered instructions of maintenance workers on the roadside. However, this awareness does come at a cost: the Open Sport can’t really compete with the volume of traffic, so running alongside roads I often found that tunes were drowned out by the thunder of vehicles.

A less predictable benefit of the JBuds open design is their soundstage. Playing Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes by Paul Simon, I was immediately struck by how open the buds’ stereo field is – in particular, Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s choral style vocals bounce from left to right with impressive accuracy.

However, where things start to come undone is the expression of individual instruments. During St. Thomas by Sonny Rollins, I found that the bass, piano and sax were constantly competing with each other for prominence. While they sounded clear enough during solos, when all three were playing at once, they all somehow amounted to less than the sum of their parts.

It’s only really by probing the sonic balance further that I came to understand what was going on. Listening to Nothing Left To Lose by Everything But the Girl, there’s definite crispness to that saw-edged bass, but unfortunately, the sub that gives it that cocoa-on-a-cold-day resonance was lacking. Conversely, treble is occasionally bright, and I mean that to a fault: Young Blood by The Naked and Famous actively hurt my ears, with the bouncy, distorted melody off its synth quickly grating and making for an unpleasant listening experience.

You’d think that anything that doesn’t sit toward one of these two extremes would fare better; but, if anything, the opposite is true. While I Want You by Moloko at least displayed enough bass and treble to give it some presence, the mids felt severely neglected. Elements such as the strings, rapid guitar strokes and vocals felt cluttered in a way that I'm not used to: like an hourglass, the Open Sport’s sound is pinched tightly in the middle, meaning every instrument is forced to compete for attention, harming overall cohesion.

Fortunately, the Open Sport’s EQ modes can mitigate some of the worst of this, but we're talking more about damage control rather than adding real polish. Listening to Otomo by Bonobo on the buds’ flat profile left me pretty disappointed – it came across as rather tinny, while the spectral profile of the tribal chorus was so strident it almost scintillates in an unpleasant manner. Enabling JLab Signature performed a quick nip-tuck to suture up some of the flabbiest areas of this sound, ducking the problem frequencies around 1kHz to 2kHz and boosting the bass to compensate. This is definitely a blunt tool, but it does the trick of compensating for some of the inevitable aural shortcomings of open-ear buds.

Given you’re likely to use these buds when out and about, you may well be wondering how their microphones fare in noisy settings. Well, when recording a voice note while streaming the sound of a Delhi traffic jam in the background, I was impressed with how well the mics filtered out the background noise – although they did lose some of the treble of my voice, making the final result a bit muddier than I’d expect. Conversely, when making some trial phone calls not far from a busy road, my long-suffering girlfriend reported my voice came across perfectly clear.

• Sound quality: 3.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future) JLab JBuds Open Sport review: design

• Comfortable to wear
• Decent dust- and water-resistance
• Secure, but not always stable, fit

When it comes to looks, the JLab JBuds Open Sport are fairly conservative. Compared to the more outré designs adopted by some open-ear buds, these aren’t that distinguishable from many of the best workout headphones – you’re not getting the square-bracket shape of the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, or earring-aping form factor of the Huawei FreeClip. Instead, they offer a traditional hooked design with a rectangular driver unit that’s positioned just in front of your ear canal. It’s practical yet entirely unexciting, like a pair of sweatpants for your ears.

If I’m being honest, I’m pretty hook agnostic when it comes to workout earbuds – I’ve never found that I struggle to keep in-ear buds wedged in place. But with buds that don’t enter your ear, some kind of hook or band is essential. And even though the Open Sport aren’t really my thing, I found the hooked design here to be pretty comfortable, allowing me to wear them for multiple hours without discomfort.

Ironically, though, given hooks are supposed to keep your earbuds secure, I did find they sometimes felt less stable than I was used to. Using them on runs, they wobbled more than I was prepared for – I couldn’t stop myself from periodically repositioning them just to make sure they were still on right. However, I don’t think they’d actually come loose and without being anchored in your ear, I guess it’s natural that open ear buds are going to shift around a little as you move.

On the plus side, they should be hardy enough to survive most workouts. Not only does their construction seem solid – the matt black plastic they’re constructed of is hard enough to resist marks and scratches yet the earhooks are flexible enough to make them easy to slip on – but their IP55 rating should see off dust, sweat and even a bit of rain. Of course, we don’t just take brands at their word at TechRadar, so I put these claims to the test, liberally flicking them with water from our testing tank until they’d had a thorough sprinkling. They shrugged off this spritzing like champs and, once dry, there was no impact on their performance or sound. So, while they won’t survive you dropping them in a puddle, neither perspiration nor precipitation should cause them too many problems.

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

JLab JBuds Open Sport review: value

• Affordable price
• Better sound will definitely cost you more

While I’ve made no bones about the fact the JLab JBuds Open Sport have some shortcomings, there's one factor that should probably recontextualize everything you’ve read above: their price. Premium open-ear buds massively outstrip their MRSP – for example, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds go for a hefty $299 / £249.95 – and even mid-market brands such as Shokz can range from the $119.95 / £94 OpenFit Air to the $179.95 / £129 OpenFit 2. So at $49.99 / £79.99, these are firmly priced at the budget end of the market.

Viewed through this lens, some of the Open Sport’s weaknesses become more palatable. Making open-ear buds sound unimpeachable is a much bigger technical challenge compared to buds with either passive sound isolation or active noise cancelling – and, inevitably, you'll need to spend premium prices to get premium results. As such, if your biggest priorities are situational awareness and an affordable price, these buds are a wise investment. But if you value sound quality above all else, you may need to spend a fair bit more or go for a closed-ear design.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the JLab JBuds Open Sport? Buy them if…

You need to hear your surroundings
If you cycle along busy roads, need to stay aware at work or just like to be able to eavesdrop on strangers’ conversations, these buds won’t stifle your hearing, making it easier to be conscious of what’s going on around you.

You don’t want to spend too much
At $49.99 / £79.99, these are seriously affordable as open-ear buds go. There are even more bargain-priced buds out there, but they’re unlikely to have quite as decent features.

Don’t buy them if…

Sound quality is your top priority
The Open Sport buds sound okay, given their open-ear design. But you can get much better performance if you spend more or switch to some closed-ear buds of a similar price.

You want rock-solid fit
These earbuds definitely won’t fall off, but they’re not completely immune to wobbling during a vigorous workout either. If you hate feeling your buds trembling while you bounce about, an alternative with a neck band might suit you better.

JLab JBuds Open Sport review: also consider

Shokz OpenFit Air
The Shokz OpenFit Air cost a little more than the Open Sport but, in return, offer more reliable sound, with bass in particular getting a significant boost. They’re also nice and light, and are comfortable to wear once you’ve positioned them correctly. Unfortunately, their battery doesn’t last quite as long as the JLab: they’ll only give you seven hours playback before needing to be popped back in the case. Read our full Shokz OpenFit Air review.

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
If you can stretch to spending a fair bit more, the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds are the ones to choose. They sound fantastic – even when compared to closed-ear rivals – and even more impressively offer truly immersive spatial audio. They’re also comfortable to wear and intuitive to use. Really their only drawback is their high price, but you absolutely get what you pay for here. Read our full Bose Ultra Open Earbuds review.

How I tested the JLab JBuds Open Sport

• Tested them for two weeks
• Trialed them in a range of quiet and noisy settings
• Assessed their water resistance by spraying them with water

I tested the JLab JBuds Open Sport over a period of two weeks. I used them to listen to a wide array of music, not only listening to the TechRadar testing playlist multiple times, but also trialing them on some of my own go-to testing tracks. I also tested out their microphones by recording voice notes accompanied by background noise and making multiple calls outside in an urban environment.

I also tried them out in a range of settings, listening to them everywhere from a busy office environment to traveling alongside congested main roads. I made sure to test out their fit and comfort by using them during several runs, while I tested their water-resistance by lightly spraying them with water and monitoring whether this had any impact on their performance.

Having spent more than a decade writing about tech, I have a lot of experience when it comes to weighing up the efficacy of different gadgets. Additionally, as an audiophile and music producer, I have a lot of experience assessing the performance of speakers and headphones, while my regular workout regimen means I’ve used a lot of different earbuds for exercising over the years.

• First reviewed: March 2025
• Read more about how we test

• New details regarding the recently announced God of War 20th anniversary vinyl box set have been revealed
• It costs $300 / £250 to pre-order now
• Three limited edition double LP releases are also on the way

Laced Records has revealed new details regarding the recently announced God of War 20th anniversary vinyl box set.

It features a whopping 13 discs, with 150 remastered tracks from across the series. This includes the original soundtrack for God of War, God of War 2, and God of War 3 in addition to the 2018 reboot God of War and its sequels God of War Ragnarok and God of War Ragnarok Valhalla.

On top of this, there are a selection of songs from spinoffs God of War: Ascension, God of War: Chains of Olympus, and God of War: Ghost of Sparta. There are even some from the God of War Ragnarok: Lofi Beats to Journal to promotional album.

The box set features a dual rigid board outer slipcase, with a leather effect and gold foiling to give it a sleek black and gold look. Each set of discs comes with widespined outer sleeves, plus a printed inner sleeve with artwork from Santa Monica Studio.

Pre-orders are open now via the Laced Records website and cost $300 / £250. With that high price tag, this is definitely an item for the most dedicated collectors.

In addition to this, three limited edition double LP releases are also on the way. They feature the God of War, God of War 2, and God of War 3 soundtracks respectively, and come in at $42 / £36 each so could be a fantastic alternative if you don't want to drop $300 / £250 on the whole package.

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