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• Three in four developers see AI integration as a pain point when building apps
• GenAI and agentic AI is freeing up more time for creative tasks
• It's also democratizing app development to new skill sets

Integrating AI into applications as a significant or moderate pain point.

However, the strong momentum for AI continues, with CEOs especially interested in agentic AI and many businesses still exploring their generative AI strategies.

According to Gartner research, the AI application development platforms market could be worth $5.2 billion – a figure that's only expected to rise.

Engineers are fed up with integrating AI into apps

Gartner VP Analyst Jim Scheibmeir said: "Even with business leaders focusing more on this technology and despite the growing hype, execution is not easy."

On the flip side, artificial intelligence is starting to become more useful in the application development process, with AI agents allowing developers to focus on complex and creative elements instead of having to handle repetitive workloads.

AI is also democratizing app development, which Gartner sees as a positive thing. Traditionally, the industry has been dominated by those proficient in the STEM fields, however team members with a focus on design, psychology and the arts can offer new perspectives and approaches.

By 2028, 40% of software team members could come from "nontraditional software engineering or technical backgrounds," or double the number that we see today, and that's thanks to advancements in generative AI.

However, AI is best seen as a human aid and not a replacement, therefore hiring for strong foundational skills like logic building and algorithm development remains essential.

"The future will be dominated by composable or fusion product teams that consist of software engineers, UX designers, product managers and even data scientists coming from both technical and nontechnical educational backgrounds," Gartner Principal Analyst Nitish Tyagi added.

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It's hard to believe that almost seven weeks have passed since The Last of Us season 2 made its debut. But, with its finale set to be released very soon, it's nearly time to bid farewell to the dystopian survival drama once more.

So, when will the seventh chapter of The Last of Us' latest season be with us? Below, I'll tell you when the hugely popular HBO TV Original's next entry will come out. I'll also reveal where you can stream it in the nations with the biggest audiences.

What time can I watch The Last of Us season 2 finale?

Depending on where you live, The Last of Us TV show's forthcoming episode will arrive on different dates and at different times.

Here's when you can stream it in the US, UK, and Australia, and some other nations (NB: if your country isn't listed below, you can use the following launch times to work out when you can watch it):

• US – Sunday, May 25 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada – Sunday, May 25 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Brazil – Sunday, May 25 at 10pm BRT
• UK – Monday, May 26 at 2am BST
• India – Monday, May 26 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore – Monday, May 26 at 9am SGT
• Japan – Monday, May 26 at 10am JST
• Australia – Monday, May 26 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand – Monday, May 26 at 1pm NZST

Where can I watch The Last of Us season 2's final episode?

If I ever were to lose you… #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/1lgtQ2hxDsMay 20, 2025

In some cases, one of the best Max shows is unsurprisingly going to be released on Max.

However, one of the world's best streaming services isn't available worldwide. If you live in a region where you can't access the soon-to-be rechristened HBO Max, fear not, because HBO's live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog's hugely successful video game franchise is available on a variety of other platforms.

Read on to find out where you can stream it:

• US – HBO and Max
• UK – Sky and Now TV
• Australia – Max and Foxtel
• Canada – Crave
• Brazil – Max
• India – JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar
• Singapore – Max
• Japan – U-Next and Max
• New Zealand – Neon

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• Or read about all of the new Max movies that arrived in May 2025

• Shopify announced 150+ changes to its platform
• Many of the changes are AI-powered
• You can now use AI to generate site themes and edit blocks

Shopify, one of the best website builders, has just announced the Summer ‘25 Edition, a collection of major, minor, and mid-sized upgrades across its platform. The company promises easier and more efficient operations, improved shopping experiences, and more store customization as a result.

With the launch of Horizons, Shopify's new design foundation, themes take center stage. This includes the addition of 10 new store templates and an AI-powered block editor to help make them your own. Alternatively, you can use the new AI store theme builder to create a theme from a simple description of your brand - although you can only generate up to 3 personalized themes for free.

Shopify has added 10 new, free templates to its library. (Image credit: Shopify)

The ecommerce platform's assistant, Sidekick, has seen a significant update to offer enhanced reasoning abilities. According to Shopify, users will be able to ask things like “Why did sales decline last month?” and get thorough analyses with data from inventory levels, marketing campaigns, and seasonal trends.

Sidekick now also supports 20 languages, can be voice-controlled, and can be used to generate images.

'Multiplier of human ambition'

Other updates include the launch of AI shopping agents (connecting products to conversational platforms such as Perplexity), Shopify checkout in Roblox (allowing your customers to checkout physical products in the digital world of Roblox), and the Shopify Knowledge Base App, which automatically generates AI-readable FAQs based on the store's policies and settings.

Shopify unlocks a new sales channel with its Roblox integration. (Image credit: Shopify)

Shopify has also introduced Storefront MCP, a feature that allows developers to build AI agents that can make product recommendations based on a shopper’s intent. They can answer questions, create carts, and guide shoppers to the checkout.

“At Shopify, we believe AI is a great multiplier of human ambition, amplifying what's possible when entrepreneurs dream big,” the company said in its blog post. “That’s why we’re weaving powerful and intuitive AI tools into every part of our platform, so that building your business feels as natural as chatting about your dreams over coffee.”

As part of Shopify's bi-annual updates, there are more than 150 changes to the platform. So, if you’re a Shopify user, we recommend reading through the whole thing here to discover how the updates can help you.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Shopify is hiring ChatGPT as your personal shopper, according to a new report
• Check out our roundup of the best AI website builders on the market
• Learn more about Shopify with our full Shopify review

The president is putting pressure on the world's biggest tech company to move manufacturing stateside.

• Multiple US government agencies were targeted by Chinese hackers, Cisco Talos warns
• The hackers used a bug in Trimble Cityworks
• The vulnerability was fixed in February this year

Local government organizations across the United States were recently targeted by a Chinese threat actor looking to deploy various web shells and malware loaders. This is according to cybersecurity researchers Cisco Talos, who have been tracking the attacks since early 2025.

Cisco says the threat actors are tracked as UAT-6382 (usually short for Unknown Adversary Threat), and have been targeting organizations through a zero-day vulnerability in Trimble Cityworks.

Trimble Cityworks is a Geographic Information System (GIS) asset management and permitting software designed to help local governments and utilities manage infrastructure, maintenance, and operations efficiently.

In February this year, we reported the software was vulnerable to CVE-2025-0994, a high-severity deserialization bug with a severity score of 8.6 (high). The vulnerability allowed threat actors to perform remote code execution (RCE).

Cisco said the attackers used the zero-day to drop a Rust-based malware loader which, in turn, installed Cobalt Strike beacons and VSHell malware, which provided the Chinese with long-term, persistent access.

Patching the flaw

"Talos has found intrusions in enterprise networks of local governing bodies in the United States (U.S.), beginning January 2025 when initial exploitation first took place. Upon gaining access, UAT-6382 expressed a clear interest in pivoting to systems related to utilities management," Cisco said in its security advisory.

With access established, the attackers started dropping different web shells: AntSword, chinatso/Chopper, and more. All of these are written in Chinese. They were also dropping a custom loader called TetraLoader, which was written in Simplified Chinese.

As soon as news of the zero-day broke, Trimble released a patch, bringing Cityworks to versions 15.8.9 and 23.10 and mitigating the risk. It also warned about discovering some on-prem deployments having overprivileged IIS identity permissions, and added that some deployments haid incorrect attachment directory configurations.

At the time, there were no reports of victims or damages, but the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) still released a coordinated advisory, urging customers to apply the patches as soon as possible. In early February, the agency added it to KEV, giving Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies a deadline to patch.

Via BleepingComputer

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Sennheiser HD 550 review: One-minute review

The Sennheiser HD 550 headphones are some of the finest audiophile headphones for gaming I’ve ever tested. This open-back model excels in its audio prowess, comfort, and simplicity in every manner of my testing, and I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for a top gaming headset for console or PC.

While cut from the same cloth as other Sennheiser headphones aimed at those who value audio quality above all else, the HD 550 headphones are very much intended to appeal to gamers who crave high-quality audio. They absolutely succeed in this: across PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC, audio is a dream.

Combine this with the expected excellence Sennheiser has for enhancing music, entertainment, and easy listening, and it really is a winner. It also means the HD 550 is ideal for work and everyday use, too.

Price is perhaps one wrinkle on the score sheet, as it’s a little on the high side when you compare it to the immediate competition.

For example, you could bag a complete premium wired gaming headset like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro if you want more features and a built-in mic. You could even save money compared to the HD 550 while sticking with Sennheiser with slightly cheaper models like the HD 560S or 650 sets. Still, I think anyone buying them at their list price won’t feel any buyer’s remorse, such is the quality here.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)

That begins with a simple and elegant design, but one that’s also robust and very comfortable. The open-back cup covers are made of high-grade metal mesh, while the strong plastic frame elsewhere inspires confidence. The synthetic leather of the headband and velour of the earcups are wonderfully soft, providing the right amount of cushioning and support.

Coming in at just 8.35oz / 237g, the HD 550 are incredibly light. You’ll barely notice that you’re wearing them, even after long sessions. There’s simplicity onboard too with only a 6ft / 1.8m cable attached (a 3.5mm to 6.5mm adapter is also provided).

All this comes together to provide an audio experience that I’ve not experienced for a long time - if ever. The HD 550 excels in all that you throw at it, and really can be the audiophile gaming-focused headphones you’ve been looking for. I’ve heard details in games I’ve not heard before, and enjoyed rich, atmospheric, multi-layered audio in game worlds. Combine this with Sennheiser’s established excellence for music, easy listening, and everyday use, and the HD 550 offers it all.

Brilliant for everything, and perfect for immersion-heightening single-player gaming, the HD 550 might be the last multiplatform gaming headset you ever need to buy - even if it’s not a traditional gaming headset.

Sennheiser HD 550 review: Price and availability

• List price: $299.99 / $249.99 / AU$479
• Premium gaming headset territory
• Faces stiff competition from its Sennheiser brethren

At $299.99 / $249.99 / AU$479, the Sennheiser HD 550 headphones are pricey, but not wildly so. At this point, it’s pitched squarely against some great audiophile headphones and gaming headsets.

In terms of the latter, I see something like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro or the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro or 330 Pro headsets as comparable alternatives. These are different propositions in terms of feature set, target audience, and what they're built to do, of course, but if you’re looking for something in this price range that’s focused on gaming, then this is the sort of competition the HD 550 has.

On the other hand, the HD 550 does face a lot of competition its own Sennheiser brethren. For example, the HD 560S is a tremendous set of headphones that can still very much hold their own in the gaming sphere. In the US, these are around $20 cheaper than the HD 550, but in the UK, they are a staggering £99, which is extraordinarily good value and hard to ignore if saving cash is one of your top priorities.

Overall, the value the HD 550 offers is still superb. However, when price cuts inevitably come, the HD 550 are going to be very hard to beat and extremely attractive as a pair of top audiophile headphones for gaming.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)Sennheiser HD 550 review: Specs

Sennheiser HD 550

Price

$299.99 / $249.99 / AU$479

Weight

8.35oz / 237g

Drivers

38mm

Compatibility

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile (where audio jack is present)

Connection type

3.5mm audio jack; 6ft / 1.8m cable (3.5 to 6.5mm adapter provided)

Battery life

N/A

Features

38mm transducer, 150 Ω nominal impedance, 6Hz – 39.5kHz frequency response, synthetic velour ear pads

Software

N/A

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)Sennheiser HD 550 review: Design and features

• Open back design
• Lightweight and wonderfully comfortable
• No onboard controls or mic

The design of the Sennheiser HD 550 headphones is incredibly stripped back and sleek - there’s no overcomplication here, and if you’re familiar with Sennheiser’s style, then it’ll look satisfyingly recognizable.

It’s a symphony in black with metallic accents offered by the Sennheiser logo on the cups, and metallic edging adjacent to the ear cups punctuating that sleek look. The headband is made of faux leather and has a good amount of padding across almost its entire length to ensure head comfort, while the plush synthetic velour earbuds are delightfully soft and comfy around the ears, with the headphone’s clamping force being just right.

The ratchet on the headband for finding the right fit is also perfect, offering a good amount of resistance and hold, and you’ll also get a neat drawstring bag for the headset, too.

Under the hood, you have the 38mm, 150-ohm transducer (driver) offering a dynamic range of 6Hz to 39.5kHz. The driver is, of course, Sennheiser’s own, made in Ireland, and I’m told by the brand in terms of construction that “the diaphragm is made of a laminate plastic foil material. The voice coil is made of copper, and the chassis is made of plastic.”

Feature-wise, the HD 550 are equally simple and stripped back: there are no onboard controls here like you’ll find on gaming headsets, and there’s no microphone present either. All you have is the 6ft / 1.8m (non-braided, non-detachable) cable that ends in a slightly chunky 3.5mm audio jack connection, and that can also be fitted with a screw-on 6.5mm adapter.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)Sennheiser HD 550 review: Performance

• Superb Sennheiser quality audio for games
• Exceptional for music and entertainment
• Perfect for immersive single-player gaming

In short, the Sennheiser HD 550, as a set of gaming and entertainment-focused headphones, are nothing short of spectacular. The headphones may well have killed off using a gaming headset for single-player games for me, and I have nothing but praise for the gaming audio it’s given me throughout my testing.

On PS5, the booming soundtracks and sound effects of Doom and Doom Eternal have never been given to me so fulsomely and richly, with each heavy metal riff and combat finisher move sounding as raw and dense as they should. In Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, character dialogue was crisp and clear without ever being scratchy, and environmental noises were a joy.

Even the busiest of combat encounters in both translated well through the HD 550 headphones. The same was true for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Botany Manor on Xbox, but also the delicate and detailed audio in games like Frostpunk 2 on PC, and Control, with its atmospheric and spooky audio that emanates from the FBC building and its tenants.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)

The audio jack connection made it the easiest headphone set to use across all the platforms, too, which is a dream. Of course, you’ll be relying on your devices or an amp to really push the headphones as there’s no onboard volume dial, but simply managing them in such a way has provided me with some real excellence and memorable audio moments in games.

Using the HD 550 for work meetings and video calls is great too, though you’ll naturally have to team it with a standalone, separate mic. I did that with my SteelSeries Alias Pro, and the combination worked like a dream. There’s a warmth to ‘real life’ voices from the HD 550, and there were never ever any piercing peaks or rough troughs.

When I wasn’t in meetings, I kept the HD 550 on to soak up music, and I was treated to a truly fantastic experience here. Playing tunes from my usual playlists on Spotify, but also using hi-res audio on Tidal, and even down to browsing tracks and videos on YouTube, the HD 550 kept providing me with some of the finest audio I’ve experienced.

The excellent bass response is brilliant and almost gave me a new appreciation for Tool’s back catalog, and the mids and highs dealt beautifully with modern country and punk pop music, and even classical music such as Allegri’s Miserere and Jan Garbarek’s Officium record.

Taking all this sheer audio excellence and putting it in a sleek, comfortable, and lightweight headset like the HD 550 means Sennheiser has a real winner on its hands that is fantastic to wear and use at all times, and for a long time.

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)Should you buy the Sennheiser HD 550? Buy it if...

You want that sweet, sweet Sennheiser audio quality for games and everything else
The star of the show with the HD 550 is, unsurprisingly, the awesome Sennheiser audio. It’s so good that it’s easy to recommend the headphones for that reason alone.

You want a lightweight and supremely comfortable set of headphones for gaming
If you’re sick and tired of gaming headsets overcomplicating things, offering too much, or being focused on features rather than audio in your view, then the Sennheiser HD 550 will offer a simple yet fantastic and premium gaming audio solution.

You mainly play single-player games and are looking for immersive audio
Focusing on offering an audio-only experience, and not being a gaming headset with a mic, the HD 550 is absolutely perfect for those who almost solely play single-player games - or for those looking to add a dedicated single-player game device to their setup.

You want your next gaming headset or headphones to be multi-platform
It doesn’t get much more multiplatform than a simple audio jack connection, and if you’re looking for something that can be a one-and-done solution for all your gaming devices, as well as audiophile and easy listening needs, then the HD 550 has you more than covered.

Don't buy it if...

You really want a microphone for the price of admission
It’s an easy one to point out, but if you’re dropping more than $200 / £200 on some headphones and really want a mic too, then the HD 550 headphones won’t be for you.

You want Sennheiser audio, but the most bang-for-buck value
If I’m being ruthless, the HD 550’s price tag could be a bit of a hurdle, and at list price, you may find better value in other Sennheiser audiophile sets like the HD 560S or HD 650.

Sennheiser HD 550 review: Also consider

Still not sold on the Sennheiser HD 550? Here are two competing headsets for comparison.

Sennheiser HD 550

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro

Sennheiser HD 560S

Price

$299.99 / £249.99 / AU$479

$249.99 / £179.99 / AU$405

$229.95 / £169 / AU$339.95

Weight

8.35oz / 237g

16.08oz / 456g

8.46oz / 240g

Drivers

38mm

40mm

38mm

Compatibility

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile (where audio jack is present)

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile (where audio jack is present)

PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile (where audio jack is present)

Connection type

3.5mm audio jack; 6ft / 1.8m cable (3.5 to 6.5mm adapter provided)

USB, 3.5mm audio jack

3.5mm audio jack; 6ft / 1.8m detachable cable (3.5 to 6.3mm screw-on adapter provided)

Battery life

N/A

N/A

N/A

Features

38mm transducer, 150 Ω nominal impedance, 6Hz – 39.5kHz frequency response, synthetic velour ear pads

40 mm Neodymium drivers, Bidirectional microphone polar pattern, ClearCast Gen 2 microphone, GameDac Gen 2 control panel

38mm transducer, 120 Ω nominal impedance, 6Hz - 38kHz frequency response, velour ear pads

Software

N/A

SteelSeries GG

N/A

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
A premium wired gaming headset, the Arctis Nova Pro is one of my favorite tethered sets and the sibling of my favorite gaming headset ever made. The wired Nova Pro sports glorious sound quality, a host of attractive features, and a top microphone, and comes in at the same price range as the HD 550, so it is a direct gaming headset competitor to consider.

For more information, check out our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro reviewView Deal

Sennheiser HD560S
Cut from the same exquisite Sennheiser cloth as the HD 550, the HD560S might be a few years old now, but it’s an incredibly attractive option and offers exceptional value for money - particularly in the UK. Similarly priced to HD 550 in the US but often coming in cheaper, the HD560S offers wonderful sound quality in a similarly simple, lightweight, and comfortable design. You could even consider the Sennheiser HD650, too.

For more information, check out our full Sennheiser HD 560S reviewView Deal

(Image credit: Future/Rob Dwiar)How I tested the Sennheiser HD 550

• Tested over the course of several months
• Used in conjunction with PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, and PC
• Compared directly to the premium gaming headset competition

I have used the Sennheiser HD 550 headphones as part of my work and gaming setup for a few months now, integrating them into my setup and using them alongside a host of other gear to test them out.

On my two PlayStation 5 setups, I plugged the headphones into a standard DualSense Wireless controller to test them with my PS5 Pro and PS5 Slim. I used them on both consoles for hours at a time, and also plugged them directly into my PlayStation Portal, too.

On PS5, I played Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal, almost my full playthrough of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and all of my Indiana Jones and The Great Circle playthrough. I also gave the headphones a test on Xbox Series X, plugging them into a Victrix Pro BFG for Xbox controller or a Thrustmaster eSwap X2 controller to play games like Botany Manor and Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

When testing on my RTX 3090 gaming PC, I plugged the HD 550 directly into the machine to play Frostpunk 2, Control, and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, and then also teamed the HD 550 with a SteelSeries Alias Pro mic for work and video calls.

Putting the HD 550 set to test with music and entertainment, I used them as I normally would with the likes of Spotify and YouTube, but also hi-res audio providers like Tidal to really hone in on the audio offerings.

During my testing, I was able to compare the HD550 directly to the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wired headset, the wireless variant, an Arctis Nova 7, and an Audeze Maxwell.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March - May 2025

Ukraine and Russia have begun the exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war, the largest such swap since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

(Image credit: Military Administration of Kyiv City)

Dan Brown’s legendary symbologist/action-hero has a new home over at Netflix, with the streamer set to adapt the author's upcoming new Robert Langdon book, The Secret of Secrets.

The adaptation has been co-created by Brown alongside former Lost producer Carlton Cuse, who will also serve as showrunner, and marks the fifth live action appearance of Langdon after three blockbuster movies and a somewhat forgotten Peacock show.

The franchise kicked off with The Da Vinci Code back in 2006, after the original 2003 novel became a global smash, selling over 80 million copies and becoming the best-selling American novel of all time.

The film adaptation was directed by Ron Howard and starred Tom Hanks as Langdon, alongside the likes of Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno and Paul Bettany.

Despite mixed critical reviews, the film was a hit with audiences, generating $760 million worldwide and becoming the second-highest-grossing film of the year (after Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, if you're interested).

Two sequels followed, with Angels and Demons – based on the first book in the franchise – arriving in 2009, and the belated Inferno, based on the fourth novel, hitting screens in 2016.

Howard returned to direct both instalments but poor reception and disappointing box office results saw the cinematic aspirations for the franchise put to bed with Hanks' trilogy.

Langdon did return, however, in the form of Peacock’s The Lost Symbol in 2021. The show reimagined the source novel as a prequel of sorts, casting Ashley Zukerman (Succession, Fear Street) as a young Robert Langdon, hired by the CIA to solve a series of puzzles linked to the disappearance of his mentor Peter Solomon (Eddie Izzard). However, the show was met with poor critical response, and dwindling audiences saw Peacock cancel the series after just one season.

But there seems to be life in the franchise yet, with one of the best streaming services set to skip book five in the series, Origin, and instead deliver a big budget adaptation of the upcoming sixth installment, The Secret of Secrets.

What can we expect from The Secret of Secrets?

(Image credit: Penguin Random House)

While Peacock’s iteration served as a quasi-prequel to the films, Netflix look set to completely reboot the franchise, with neither Hanks nor Zukerman set to reprise their role currently (and it's incredibly unlikely that will change), and no involvement from Howard.

The novel doesn’t land until September, so there’s not a huge amount out there about what we can expect from the new series, but Netflix has teased: “In the upcoming novel, Langdon, an esteemed symbologist, races against ancient forces and time to rescue a missing scientist, whose groundbreaking manuscript contains discoveries that have the power to forever change humanity’s understanding of the mind. The yet-to-be-titled TV series will blend futuristic science with mystical lore, delivering on the heart-pounding suspense and international intrigue that have made the Langdon stories a global phenomenon.”

We do know from previews of the novel that The Lost Symbol’s Katherine Solomon is likely to appear, previously played by Valorie Curry, while settings could include Prague, New York and London.

If previous Langdon adventures are anything to go by, we’d expect a global treasure hunt, cryptic puzzles and terrifying henchmen wrapped up in a race against time with a final act twist that’ll make your head spin.

Whatever the case, it’s likely to be an addictive, binge-worthy series and potentially one of the best Netflix shows, and I can’t wait to see who’ll be next to strap on the Mickey Mouse watch.

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For more Netflix TV show-based coverage, read our guides on Stranger Things season 5, One Piece season 2, Squid Game season 3, and Knives Out 3.

The Marvel Rivals best controller settings can really make the difference when playing as certain Heroes. Depending on which character you prefer to use, your controller settings might be slightly different, with fast-moving characters like Spider-Man benefiting from high sensitivity and button mapping, while slower, more deliberate Heroes like Magneto will benefit from a tighter controller sensitivity.

Whether you're planning on jumping into Marvel Rivals' Competitive Mode or still experimenting in Quick Play, the tips below will give an overview of the main things to consider when setting up your controllers. I'll cover things like button mapping for those using pro controllers, what to consider when setting sensitivity, and how to apply custom settings for each Hero you use.

I've been playing Marvel Rivals since the beginning of Season 0, and have used my expertise to put together a Marvel Rivals tier list recently. Having toyed around with every Hero in the game, I'm confident that I'm able to give some advice on changes that'll help level the playing field in battle.

Marvel Rivals best controller settings: general tips

(Image credit: NetEase)

The best Marvel Rivals controller settings below cover some general tips for choosing your sensitivity and button mapping, as well as more tailored advice for specific class types and Heroes. Here are some general settings to consider:

• Horizontal Sensitivity: 180
• Vertical Sensitivity: 130
• Aim Sensitivity Curve: Linear
• Button Mapping: Jump on back paddle where possible
• Vibration: Tactical
• Trigger Effect Function: Off
• Wall-crawling: Advance toward crosshairs (Rocket, Venom, Spider-Man)
• Ally Health bars: On
• Aim Assist Window: 30
• Aim Assist Strength: 80

Choosing the best sensitivity for your play style

(Image credit: NetEase)

The sensitivity you choose is extremely important in Marvel Rivals and depends mostly on what character you pick. Generally, you'll want to increase your sensitivity from the default. I tend to apply a Horizontal Value of 180 and a Vertical Value of 130 to all Heroes, then tweak from there. There are some Heroes, like Spider-Man and Wolverine, that benefit from very high sensitivity indeed. On Spider-Man, I run 220 and 170, respectively, to allow for quick movement while web swinging.

If you're playing a slower character like Magneto, who generally fires simple projectiles and faces forwards while shielding enemies, you can crank the sensitivity down. I go as low as 150 and 120 when playing Magneto, though sometimes I'll increase sensitivity if I find myself having to protect my healers more in a given match.

(Image credit: NetEase)

Some of the Heroes in Marvel Rivals function like third-person shooters, like The Punisher. I find that a tighter sensitivity helps me hit my shots here. Experiment with different Heroes, then dial in your sensitivity based on their particular play style. With nearly 40 characters to choose from, there are a lot of different variables to consider. You might even look into Marvel Rivals Crosshairs, which will help dial in your Hero even further.

Marvel Rivals best Aim Sensitivity Curve

(Image credit: NetEase)

I recommend sticking with a Linear Aim Sensitivity curve, as it's likely what you'll be used to in other games. Personally, I've switched over to the Dual Zone S-Curve setting as I've gotten more and more used to Marvel Rivals, and Vanguard class Heroes in particular. Generally, I'm playing characters that need to stay locked onto enemies, only tilting the sticks gently to aim. I still swing the camera around occasionally to pivot my focus to my Strategists, so the S-Curve gives me a more gradual sensitivity increase above the midpoint.

Because of my play style, I like to have two distinct sensitivity portions to my sticks. Dual-Zone covers this, allowing me to use light movement to track enemies far away, and switch to a high sensitivity at a medium push of the sticks. After a while, I've learned to feel these parts of the sensitivity graph and can adjust my aiming accordingly.

Ultimately, you'll find that you'll naturally prefer one setting over another, but when starting out, I'd definitely stick to the default. This is especially suited to your early hours, where you're still experimenting with a wide variety of Heroes. Once you've found a main, you may wish to switch to another mode, like I have.

Dig into the Hero-specific controller settings

(Image credit: NetEase)

While in the Controller settings, and under 'Combat', you'll find the option to set specific settings per Hero. The majority of the Heroes in Marvel Rivals have exclusive settings. In the image above, you'll see that Magneto has options related to his shield, as well as his passive that lets him fall slowly from a height. Generally, I'd recommend turning on the option that lets you see the health bars of your allies. This is on by default when playing as a Strategist, but it's extremely helpful to have on most Heroes. The only exception here is for characters like Hela, where you'll want an unobstructed view for long-range kills.

Heroes like Spider-Man, Rocket, and Venom have climbing abilities, where I'd recommend selecting 'Advance towards crosshairs' for the direction. This is much easier to control than the default option. Speaking of Venom and Spider-Man, disable Auto-Swing, and you'll be able to web zip to the ground. Hold to Swing gives you more control as well. Whenever you're picking up a new character, spend some time in the Practice Range and dig into their Hero-specific settings, as some of them make a huge difference.

Make use of your back paddles

(Image credit: NetEase)

Now onto back paddles, which some of you will be using on certain controllers. I play Marvel Rivals using the DualSense Edge PS5 controller, so I have access to two back paddles. I have two different profiles set up, for different Heroes that I play as. The primary profile binds the 'X' button to the left back paddle, allowing me to jump without taking my hand off the right stick. This is my main recommendation for a button to map to a back paddle.

On the other I map either 'Square' for reload, and certain abilities like Spider-Man's Uppercut, or 'Circle' for Heroes like Mantis and Mr Fantastic, who have regular abilities that need to be triggered there. If you're lucky enough to have four back paddles, like with the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, I recommend sticking your general Ping onto one of them, and leaving the last one down to another one of your Hero's main abilities. For example, placing 'Triangle' onto a back paddle lets you activate Peni Parker's Symbiotic Team Up with Venom, without having to take your thumb off the right stick.

Setting your Trigger Effect Function and Vibration

(Image credit: NetEase)

Now onto vibration and triggers. It's usually recommended to switch off vibration completely while playing competitive games like Marvel Rivals, but I like having the Tactical setting selected. This gives cues when enemies are setting off ultimates, and generally just adds an extra level of immersion to battles. I find Marvel Rivals can get very visually messy, so audio and vibration can help me pick out what's happening more clearly.

For Trigger Effect Function, switch everything off. While the PS5's adaptive trigger features can be fun at times, they can be quite distracting when playing shooters. Similarly, I set my DualSense Edge to the lowest trigger input setting (smallest dot icon) using the switches on the back. They're closer to being buttons, meaning faster firing and simpler inputs.

Marvel Rivals best controller settings FAQCan you be good at Marvel Rivals on controller?

Yes, you can be very good at Marvel Rivals on controller. While you'll not have the precision of a mouse and keyboard player, Marvel Rivals is a Hero shooter, and is as much about understanding the game as it is about good aim. For this reason, Vanguards tend to be good choices for controller players, especially Doctor Strange and Magneto. The Punisher is also great, as the aim assist on controller really pairs well with his primary fire at range.

Ultimately, unless you're planning on getting into the top three ranks in Marvel Rivals, you'll do just fine on controller. Heroes like Cloak and Dagger and Jeff are good to start with, as they don't require precision aiming, and will help you learn the ins and outs of battle while playing.

What's the best controller to use for Marvel Rivals

The best controller to use in Marvel Rivals is the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. It features six mappable buttons (two on the bumpers, four on the back), and makes use of proprietary Razer PC gaming mouse tech for satisfying inputs. There's Hall effect thumbtacks too, eliminating the risk of stick drift. You can pick up either an Xbox or PlayStation version of this controller.

• Here's when to expect the next season of Marvel Rivals
• Best crossplay games to play in 2025
• Marvel Rivals best Graphics Settings

While tornadoes can obliterate communities, hailstorms cause damage across much larger areas.

(Image credit: Michael Swensen/Getty Images)

• Researchers found a huge database on the dark web
• The threat actors claim to have scraped it abusing a Facebook API
• Facebook says the database is years old

A hacker claims to have scraped 1.2 billion user records from Facebook, including people’s names, locations, and phone numbers. This is according to cybersecurity researchers Cybernews, who recently spotted a new thread on a dark web forum, promoting the gigantic database.

In the thread, the threat actor claims to have generated an entirely new database (rather than compiling information that was already available in the murky waters of the dark web), and that it contains user IDs, names, email addresses, usernames, phone numbers, locations, birthday data, and gender information.

Cybernews’ researchers analyzed parts of the data and confirmed that it is legitimate (at least the parts they looked at). This means that whoever grabs this database, can use the information found inside to launch highly convincing phishing attacks, engage in identity theft, and possibly even wire fraud.

Abusing extensions

But there are other things to consider. Cybernews, for one, says that the claim of 1.2 billion user records should be taken with a massive grain of salt, for a number of reasons.

First, the threat actor only posted once before, so their reputation is questionable. Secondly, there’s been a similar, but smaller leak, in recent history, prompting the researchers to suggest that maybe this is the same archive, only re-packaged with a little extra information thrown in.

The data was allegedly picked up by abusing a Facebook API. Meta, the social media giant’s parent company, did not deny it, but did suggest that the attackers are simple fraudsters trying to share an old database as something entirely new.

“This is not a new claim. We disclosed this years ago and have taken steps to prevent similar incidents from happening since,” a Meta spokesperson told Cybernews, and shared a link to a company’s blog on how it combats scraping.

The researchers believe this could be one of the biggest data scrapes to have come from Facebook, and a testament to the company’s poor sense of customer security and privacy:

“Repeated incidents show a pattern of reactive rather than proactive security measures, particularly when it comes to protecting data that’s publicly visible but still sensitive. The lack of stronger safeguards and transparency undermines trust and leaves millions potentially exposed to phishing, scam, possibly identity theft, and long-term privacy issues,” the team said.

Via Cybernews

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The relationship between cybersecurity and machine learning (ML) began with an ambitious, yet simple, idea. Harness everything algorithms have to offer and use it to identify patterns in vast datasets.

Prior to this, traditional threat detection relied heavily on signature-based techniques – effectively digital fingerprints of known threats. These methods, while helpful against familiar malware, struggled to meet the demand of the increasingly sophisticated tactics of cybercriminals and zero-day attacks.

In the end, this created a gap, which led to a wave of interest in using ML to identify anomalies, recognize patterns indicative of malicious behavior, and essentially predict attacks before they could fully wreak havoc. Some of the earliest successful applications of ML in the space included anomaly-based intrusion detection systems (IDS) and spam detection.

These early iterations relied heavily on observed learning, where historical data – both malicious and benign – was fed to algorithms to help them differentiate between the two. Over time, ML-powered applications grew to incorporate unsupervised learning and even reinforcement learning to adapt to the changing nature of the present threats.

Falling short of expectations

Recently, conversation has shifted to the introduction of large language models (LLM) like GPT-4. These models excel at summarizing reports, synthesizing large volumes of information, and generating natural language content. In the cybersecurity industy, they’ve been used to generate executive summaries and parse through threat intelligence feeds. Both of which require handling vast amounts of data and presenting it in an easy-to-understand form.

In line with this, we’ve seen the concept of a “copilot for security” surface – a tool intended to assist security analysts like a coding copilot helps a developer. The AI-powered copilot would act as a virtual Security Operations Center (SOC) analyst. Ideally, it would not just handle vast amounts of data and present it in a comprehendible way but also sift through alerts, contextualize incidents, and even propose follow up actions.

However, the ambition has fallen short. Whilst they show promise in specific workflows, LLMs have yet to deliver an indispensable and transformative use case for SOC teams.

Undoubtedly, cybersecurity is intrinsically contextual and complex. Analysts piece together fragmented information, understand the broader implications of a threat, and make decisions that require a nuanced understanding of their organization. All under immense pressure. These copilots can neither replace the expertise of a seasoned analyst nor effectively address the glaring pain points that they face. This is because they lack the situational awareness and deep understanding needed to make critical decisions.

This means that rather than serving as a dependable virtual analyst, these tools have often become a "solution looking for a problem.” Adding yet another layer of technology that analysts need to understand and manage, without delivering equal value.

A problem and solution: AI meet AI

As it stands, current implementations of AI are struggling to get into their groove. But, if businesses are going to properly support their SOC analysts, how do we bridge this gap?

The answer could lie in the development of agentic AI – systems capable of taking proactive independent actions, helping to combine automation and autonomy. Its introduction will help transform AI from a passive handy assistant to a crucial member of the SOC team.

By potentially allowing AI-driven entities to actively defend systems, engage in threat hunting, and adjust to novel threats without the constant need for human direction agentic AI offers a promising step forward for defensive cybersecurity. For example, instead of waiting for an analyst to issue commands, agentic AI could act on its own: isolating a compromised endpoint, rerouting network traffic, or even engaging in deception techniques to mislead attackers.

Have you put your trust in the machine?

Despite this potential, organizations have often been slow in adopting new autonomous security technology that can act on its own. And this uncertainty may be well founded. Nobody wants to stop a senior executive from using their laptop based on a false alert or cause an outage in production. However, with the relationship between ML and cybersecurity set to continue developing, businesses mustn’t be deterred. Attackers don’t have this barrier to overcome. Without a second thought, they will use AI to disrupt, steal and extort their selected targets. This year, it appears organizations will likely face the bleakest threat landscape to date, driven by a malicious use of AI.

Consequently, the only way for businesses to combat this will be to be to join the AI arms race - using agentic AI to backup overwhelmed SOC teams. This can be accomplished through autonomous proactive actions, which can enable organizations to actively defend systems, engage in threat hunting and adapt to unique threats without requiring human intervention.

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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

• Avengers: Doomsday may go head-to-head with another huge movie in late 2026
• The Marvel film's release was recently pushed back from May 2026 to December of that year
• Florence Pugh is expected to star in both movies

It's time to start preparing for the 2026 edition of Barbenheimer, everyone.

With Avengers: Doomsday being delayed until December 18, 2026, the highly-anticipated Marvel movie is set to do battle with another massive film late next year.

The film in question? Dune: Messiah, the third entry in the Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi epic franchise. At the time of publication, another of 2026's most exciting new movies is also set to land in theaters next year on December 18, and as long as Avengers 5 and Dune 3 keep their current release dates we could have another Barnerheimer-style movie viewing event on our hands.

For those who might need a reminder, Barbenheimer was the title bestowed on the event that saw the Margo Robbie-starring Barbie film and Christopher Nolan-directed Oppenheimer flick released on the same day in 2023. Their contrasting styles and genres, coupled with the sheer amount of talent involved in both productions, saw many fans flock to their local theater to watch back-to-back screenings of these films.

Timothée Chalamet will reprise his role as Paul Atreides in Dune: Messiah (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Messiah won't be as polarizing stylistically, but two of 2026's hottest commodities occupy different genres. The fifth Avengers film is unquestionably a comic book/superhero movie, while the Dune franchise – both Frank Herbert's books and its movie series namesake – sits squarely in the sci-fi realm.

In my view, that's enough to ensure they meet the criteria first laid out by Barbenheimer. That being, the stark contrast between both films is valid enough to create a similar movie-based phenomenon event around them. Avengers: Dunesday, anyone?

Of course, none of this will matter if Avengers 5 suffers another launch day setback. Alternatively, Warner Bros. Pictures and subsidiary studio Legendary might blink first and decide to delay Dune: Messiah's own release so it isn't forced to compete with the cinematic juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

If Dune 3 and the second Marvel Phase 6 film retain their current release dates, though, Christmas 2026 is sure to be a happy (and money-spinning) one for Florence Pugh.

Florence Pugh could end up starring in two of the biggest (and final) film releases of 2026 (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Pugh, who recently starred as Yelena Belova in another MCU movie in Thunderbolts*, was announced as part of the initial 27-strong cast for Avengers: Doomsday in late March. However, Pugh is also expected to reprise her role as Princess Irulan, who she first played in Dune Part Two, in Dune: Messiah.

As long as Irulan is part of the latter's cast, Pugh is set to appear in two of the most anticipated films that'll launch before the end of 2026 – not bad for someone whose breakout role only came in 2019's A24 folk horror indie flick Midsommar, eh?

Realistically, though, I can't see Doomsday and Messiah releasing on the same day.

Filming isn't underway on the latter yet, and won't be for some time. Meanwhile, since the 2023 Hollywood strikes, numerous Marvel films have been delayed at least twice, so Doomsday could suffer a similar fate.

I'm not sure which movie will be shunted back into 2027 but, as much as I want Avengers: Dunesday to be a thing, it's already looking like a pipe dream – and that's before any more release date delays are potentially announced.

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In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, the growing capabilities of hardware and software integration means unprecedented opportunity for innovative design. Yet with great innovation comes great responsibility. The need to act on climate change grows more urgent every day. The data is stark: natural disasters are increasing in frequency, wildlife populations have declined by 69%, and UN scientists are calling for a 43% emissions cut by 2030 to achieve the targets set out in the Paris agreement.

Despite these pressures, many companies are not yet up to standard when it comes to managing their environmental impact. Last year, hundreds of businesses that originally committed to the UN’s campaign were removed for failing to set sufficiently meaningful targets. Limitations around technology, geopolitical tensions and poor economic factors have all been cited as barriers for progress.

As the co-founder and CTO of TG0, I can see that one of the biggest opportunities we have to make a positive impact is in conscientious product design. EU Science Hub estimates that more than 80% of all product-related environmental impacts are determined during the design phase. Almost 70% of Apple’s gross carbon emissions are attributed to purchased goods and services. For BMW, it’s 81%, and for Siemens, it’s 96%.

As business leaders commit to sustainability initiatives and navigate regulations like the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products, it is crucial to recognize that genuine environmental impact begins at the design stage.

Consumer demand is also driving progress – a recent poll by Amazon found two in three UK shoppers prefer to buy products that have a more positive environmental impact.

The simplicity revolution

When Capgemini surveyed over 900 senior product designers and engineering executives, only 22% of companies had made sustainability a key component of their product design processes. Those that did reported remarkable benefits: 67% saw reductions in carbon emissions, 73% achieved higher revenue growth, and 70% experienced increased customer satisfaction.

But where to start? Through my work developing next generation human-machine interfaces, I’ve discovered that simplification at the design stage delivers benefits across almost every stage of the product life cycle. The choice of materials, for example, determines how easily a product can be repaired, recycled, or reused. The functionality dictates how many manufacturing steps are required. And the components and features will affect overall energy efficiency.

Materials reimagined

It starts with the materials that product designers choose. The environmental cost of our current approach is staggering: half of all global greenhouse gas emissions and around 90% of the world’s biodiversity loss is down to the extraction and processing of raw materials. Choosing recycled materials, reducing the complexity of a product’s bill of materials (BOM), and limiting the number of components significantly limits environmental impact without reducing any functionality.

Simplifying or rationalizing materials doesn’t have to mean sacrificing any sophistication of performance, especially in a world of evergreen products that are improved with regular software updates.

The economic case

Beyond environmental benefits, there are substantial economic advantages to simplified design. Fewer physical components means a more streamlined assembly process, reduced potential for errors, and lower production costs. Products become more durable with fewer points of failure, while digitization enables feature expansion without increasing material usage. And minimizing complexity often means the end products are lighter, which saves transport costs and associated emissions. This approach creates a virtuous cycle of sustainability and profitability. Conquering the E-Waste Crisis.

Perhaps most critically, these considerations address the growing issue of electronic waste. In 2022 alone, 62 million tonnes of e-waste were produced worldwide, with only 22% collected and recycled. When hardware consists of multiple materials, recycling becomes a challenge and often leads to products being discarded in landfill.

Reduced complexity means improved recyclability. When recyclers can easily separate different materials, products are less likely to end up in landfills. Smart design principles mean minimizing material types and creating products that are inherently easier to recycle at end-of-life.

More innovation at your fingertips

Beyond the cost savings and associated productivity gains, tackling these challenges can actually lead to more innovative products. This was something that Adidas discovered when it revolutionized its high-performance shoes by replacing twelve different materials with a single smart material. Assembly became easier, recycling more straightforward, and the company pioneered new manufacturing techniques using just heat and pressure rather than adhesives.

Similarly, in automotive, Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 exemplifies this approach with recycled PET bottle seat fabric, bio-based carpets derived from sugarcane and corn, leather interiors dyed with flaxseed oil, and doors finished with eco-friendly paint. These innovations demonstrate how simplification can lead to more sophisticated, sustainable outcomes.

The future of sustainable design

As designers create the next generation of products for the future, we must embrace innovation in our design approach alongside the features we deliver to customers. Simplifying product designs doesn’t mean compromising sophisticated functionality or a luxurious finish. Instead it’s a more streamlined way to deliver advanced capabilities, while minimizing carbon impact.

For technology leaders, sustainability can't be a check-box exercise. Only by embracing simplified design philosophy at every stage can we minimize costs, reduce environmental impact, and drive meaningful innovation. The future of product design isn't about adding more - it's about achieving more with less through intelligent design.

The time for this transformation is now. Our planet can't wait, and neither can our businesses.

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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

AAA predicts a record-breaking 45.1 million Americans will travel between Thursday and Monday, mostly by car and plane. Here's what to know if you're one of them.

(Image credit: David Paul Morris)

Here's how much installment payments would cost you to buy a sectional sofa, TV and robot vacuum.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, May 23 (game #446).

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 #447) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Flights of fancy

NYT Strands today (game #447) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• STOP
• STOOP
• POOT
• CLOP
• CLAWS
• COOL

NYT Strands today (game #447) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #447) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 2nd column

Last side: bottom, 5th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #447) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #447, are…

• CHAMPAGNE
• PILLOW
• LEGROOM
• PRIVACY
• TOWELETTE
• SPANGRAM: FIRST CLASS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I flew FIRST CLASS once when the friend I was traveling with managed to get us an upgrade. It was very much like that episode of The Simpsons when Homer discovers that there is a secret world that only beautiful people are allowed entry to.

I spent the entire flight feeling like an imposter. An imposter who was enjoying eating lobster and shrimps with fine CHAMPAGNE, of course.

Another time, the Icelandic tourist board bumped me up to business class, which was thrilling news except I got stuck in security and missed the flight and then got downgraded back down to coach. It was frustrating but I enjoyed the momentary “flight of fancy”, feeling like an important businessperson even though I didn’t get to enjoy the perks of being an important businessperson. I know my place.

Anyway, I digress. A straightforward search today and a reminder of the small things that make a big difference when it comes to comfort.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, May 23, game #446)

• FAVA
• KIDNEY
• BLACK
• GREEN
• NAVY
• CANNELLINI
• SPANGRAM: BEAN SALAD

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.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, May 23 (game #1215).

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 #1216) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1216) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1216) - 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 #1216) - 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 #1216) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• H

• H

• F

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1216) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1216, are…

• HUSKY
• HEIST
• FOGGY
• POLAR

I made hard work of finishing today’s Quordle, but I also had some bad luck guessing boggy instead of FOGGY.

My error was going for a word I wasn’t even sure was a word (LORAL) ahead of a very obvious one (POLAR), which for some reason I completely ignored. A bad case of Quordle blindness.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1216) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1216, are…

• NOBLE
• OPIUM
• RABID
• GLEAN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1215, Friday, 23 May: SHIRE, GIANT, AWAIT, CAPER
• Quordle #1214, Thursday, 22 May: LOSE, GLOVE, STINT, EXCEL
• Quordle #1213, Wednesday, 21 May: NOVEL, CHOSE, DIRTY, DONUT
• Quordle #1212, Tuesday, 20 May: DECOY, SHAKE, MAPLE, PURER
• Quordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVE
• Quordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ROACH, PURGE, DOWNY
• Quordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESE
• Quordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAK
• Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE
• Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER
• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, May 23 (game #712).

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 #713) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WALKER
• JET
• STROLLER
• JOGGER
• NET
• HOOKS
• RANGER
• MONITOR
• BUTLER
• MET
• BOTTLE
• SLACK
• GAY
• CAPRI
• JEAN
• BIB

NYT Connections today (game #713) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Stuff for little ones
• GREEN: Add a letter for popular trousers
• BLUE: Big Apple players
• PURPLE: Famous female writers 

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 #713) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: BABY GEAR 
• GREEN: KINDS OF PANTS MINUS "S"
• BLUE: NEW YORK SPORTS TEAM MEMBERS 
• PURPLE: BLACK WOMEN AUTHORS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #713) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #713, are…

• YELLOW: BABY GEAR BIB, BOTTLE, MONITOR, STROLLER
• GREEN: KINDS OF PANTS MINUS "S" CAPRI, JEAN, JOGGER, SLACK
• BLUE: NEW YORK SPORTS TEAM MEMBERS JET, MET, NET, RANGER
• PURPLE: BLACK WOMEN AUTHORS BUTLER, GAY, HOOKS, WALKER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I’m sure I wasn’t alone in toying with JOGGER, STROLLER, and WALKER – which in my mind are all varieties of baby buggy. Fortunately I didn’t find a fourth option so I switched focus.

Even though I’m in the UK and do not follow US sports, the branding of many teams is global and it’s probably easier to get jerseys for the METS, JETS, NETS and RANGERS in London than in some US cities. So the blue group was easy to see – easier than the purple group, which contained several BLACK WOMEN AUTHORS that I was ignorant of.

Fortunately by this point I’d connected KINDS OF PANTS MINUS “S” and BABY GEAR. 

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, May 23, game #712)

• YELLOW: QUITE THE PARTY BASH, BLAST, BLOWOUT, RAVE
• GREEN: ONE'S CONSTITUTION CHARACTER, FIBER, MAKEUP, NATURE
• BLUE: BRITISH IMPERIAL UNITS OF WEIGHT DRAM, OUNCE, POUND, STONE
• PURPLE: WHAT "CAT'S EYE" CAN BE USED TO DESCRIBE EYELINER, GLASSES, MARBLE, NEBULA

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.

The final weekend of May is upon us and, without wanting to sound hyperbolic, the fifth month of 2025 is aiming to go out with a bang.

Well, on the 'what to watch at home' front, anyway. The world's best streaming services have released plenty of new movies and shows to enjoy between now and the start of the new working week on Monday (or, for those of you in the US and UK, Tuesday due to the latest holiday weekend's arrival).

So, from the three offerings Netflix has given us this week, to various genre fare on a number of its streaming rivals, here's what you'll want to catch over the next few days. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Fear Street: Prom Queen (Netflix)

Following on from the success of the first three Fear Street movies, there's a new tale of terror to enjoy. Fear Street: Prom Queen seems to be channeling Stephen King's Carrie and, as such, I'm very excited for this one.

With the other three scoring highly enough to be on our best Netflix movies round-up, it'll be interesting to see if they get lucky a fourth time. This movie does sound promising and early trailers have caught my attention, but its current 44% Rotten Tomatoes critical score doesn't bode well.

Set during 1988, we follow the senior year at Shadyside High as they begin their prom queen election, which is a very cut throat competition. Unfortunately, it's cut throat in the literal sense as a serial killer targets all the candidates. Sounds like it'll be a senior prom to remember, for all the wrong reasons. – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Fear Street: Prom Queen on Netflix

Nine Perfect Strangers season 2 (Hulu/Prime Video)

Nine Perfect Strangers is back for its second season on Hulu (US) and Prime Video (internationally), and it's bringing an all-star cast along with it. That might not save it from receiving a mixed response, though, especially as season 1 holds a 59% Rotten Tomatoes score among critics.

This season, Nicole Kidman is joined by the likes of Mark Strong, Henry Golding, and Annie Murphy, with the plot centering around nine tourists who arrive in the Austrian Alps to embark on a transformative journey at a wellness resort.

Will Nine Perfect Strangers earn some rest and relaxation by making it onto our best Hulu shows and best Prime Video shows lists by way of its second outing? Time will tell. – LB

• Watch Nine Perfect Strangers season 2 on Hulu (US) and Prime Video (internationally)

Mickey 17 (Max)

Bong Joon-ho wowed us with the multi-award-winning Parasite a few years ago, but his latest movie is truly out of this world. While it didn't quite reach the heights of his Oscar-winning masterpiece, Mickey 17 still has a lot to say and should become part of our best Max movies list soon enough.

Led by Robert Pattinson, we follow a man (the titular Mickey_ who joins a space colony as an 'Expendable, i.e. a disposable worker who is cloned every time he dies. And yes, you guessed it, it's happened 17 times, which is pretty rough going.

However, a spanner in the works emerges when the 17th Mickey actually survives his apparent death as his replacement gets printed, meaning there are now two versions of Mickey vying to survive. Here, you get a brilliant dual performance from Pattinson, as well as an all-star supporting cast featuring Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo, the latter of who plays a very obnoxious politician character in this Max sci-fi flick. – LB

• Watch Mickey 17 on Max

Sirens (Netflix)

This new limited series has been compared to HBO's smash hit Succession but, in my view, the similarities begin and end with the the familial melodrama that's at the heart of Sirens.

A dark comedy-drama, it stars Meghann Fahy as Devon, who becomes increasingly concerned about the wellbeing of her younger sibling Simone (played by former House of the Dragon actor and soon-to-be Supergirl in James Gunn's DCU Milly Alcock).

Indeed, Simone works for enigmatic billionaire Michaela (the ever-excellent Julianne Moore), and the pair's creepy, cult-like relationship is clearly disconcerting enough for Devon, who's hardly the epitome of a well-rounded human, to rock up at Michaela's lavish home to hold an intervention for her sister. Cue an explosive weekend of discourse and revelations alike in this dark comedy program that's been positively received by all – TP

• Watch Sirens on Netflix

Fountain of Youth (Apple TV+)

With a critically-acclaimed back catalog of hits, Apple can seemingly do no wrong on the TV Original front. Things are quite different on the movie development side, though, with the tech giant's film library being more hit-and-miss than it would like.

Fountain of Youth, the next Apple TV+ flick, will hope to be the former rather than the latter. Guy Ritchie's Indiana Jones-inspired movie stars John Krasinski and Natalie Portman as siblings (and intrepid explorers) who, yep, you've guessed it, set out to find the fabled fountain of youth. Eiza Gonzalez, Laz Alonso, and Domnhall Gleeson are among the supporting cast.

Like Apple, Ritchie's movies tend to be great or pretty rubbish, so Fountain of Youth could go either way with fans and critics alike. Will we be adding it to our best Apple TV+ movies list in the next week or so? Or will its potentially old and cliched storytelling formula turn people off? We'll find out soon enough. – TP

• Watch Fountain of Youth on Apple TV+

Clarkson's Farm season 4 (Prime Video)

Everyone's favorite petrolhead-turned-agriculturist returns for another installment of his popular (well, well-liked in the UK, anyway) Prime Video series.

That's right, Clarkson's Farm is back for its fourth season. And, if the three previous installments were any indication, we can expect even more rural-based mayhem from Jeremy Clarkson, Caleb, and the rest of the gang down at Diddly Squat Farm.

As mentioned, this comedy-laced docuseries has been a huge hit for Amazon on British shores, so I suspect season 4 will shoot to the top of Prime Video's Top 10 TV chart in the coming days. Don't be surprised if it makes a return to our best Prime Video shows list, either. – TP

• Watch Clarkson's Farm season 4 on Prime Video

Big Mouth season 8 (Netflix)

Big Mouth is growing up. Indeed, the coming-of-age animation is bowing out with its eighth and final season, which follows the characters as they start a new chapter at high school.

You can expect plenty of cringe, crude adult humor once again, and the plot includes Nick going off to a different high school, becoming enamored with a new best friend while neglecting his old one, and Jay becoming a overprotective parent after being given a melon to look after as a school project.

With an impressive 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating, fans have loved this series and will no doubt be very sad to see it go. But, who knows, maybe the characters will return again down the line? – LB

• Watch Big Mouth season 8 on Netflix

For more streaming recommendations, read our guides on the best Disney+ shows, best Hulu movies, best Paramount+ movies, and best Max shows.