Feed aggregator

• Pebble is teasing a major smartwatch announcement
• A countdown timer on its website confirms there's a reveal coming on March 18
• The company has previously confirmed its iconic smartwatches could make a comeback

Just weeks after confirming its iconic smartwatch would make a return, Pebble is teasing a major announcement for March 18 with a countdown timer on its website.

9to5Google reports that the company sent an email to those who signed up for updates on the company's anticipated new project which states:

Time to get excited!

Set your alarm for March 18 (tomorrow!) at 9am PDT – 12 noon EDT – 4pm GMT – 9:30pm IST – Midnight CST – 1am JST

If you want to keep track , you can watch the countdown timer here.

Pebble teases major announcement

(Image credit: Pebble)

As to what Pebble is going to announce on March 18, it's impossible to say, but we do have some ideas based on what the company has already said this year.

In January, Google Made Pebble's source code available for download, and founder Eric Migicovsky confirmed he was working on a new smartwatch using PebbleOS soon after.

In February, he confirmed that his latest project would be "a Pebble and almost exactly as you remember it." He's also confirmed it'll feature the always-on e-paper display, long battery life, buttons, simple user experience, and hackability that made the original Pebble line so iconic.

"Please don’t get your hopes up that the new watch will have X/Y/Z new feature," he said in February. "It’s going to be a Pebble and almost exactly as you remember it, except now with open-source software that can you can modify and improve yourself. More hardware details will be shared in the future."

With Pebble's announcement just hours away, we don't have long to wait and find out what the company has in store.

You may also like

• 'It's going to be a Pebble and almost exactly as you remember it' – beloved smartwatch founder reveals major progress on new venture
• Pebble was one of the best smartwatches ever and now it's a miracle if you can get one to work
• Pebble is back! The iconic smartwatch is returning with its OG founder and 'hackable' software

Corsair K70 Pro TKL: Two-minute review

(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)

Corsair is no stranger to the world of PC peripherals. Some of my favorite stock gaming keyboards, like the K100 Air, fly Corsair sails. So it's no surprise that the Corsair K70 Pro TKL comes with a certain air of polish and and premium feel that other boards strive to replicate but ultimately can't nail down.

However, this keyboard won't be making its way into my daily-driver arsenal, and it's for two main reasons: no hot-swap support, and a sharp, noisy typing sound.

If this keyboard's pre-lubed Hall effect magnetic switches were hot-swappable, it would solve both issues at once; I'd be able to change up the sound and feel at the pull of a switch.

But not everyone wants to buy and apply all new sets of switches and keycaps. Many gamers just want to take a keyboard out of the box, have it give them an edge over the competition, and look good doing it. The K70 Pro TKL is a fantastic option in that regard.

And, with Corsair's iCUE software, you do have quite a few options for customization when it comes to actuation, RGB lighting, macros, and more. Plus, it's actually pretty intuitive to use, which is more than can be said for most peripheral software.

If you prefer the freedom and safety of full customization, this isn't the board for you. I'd opt for something like the Keychron Q6 Max instead, which, despite its higher price point, offers the ability to repair a switch when it breaks rather than purchasing a whole new keyboard or breaking out a soldering iron. This doesn't give you the performance of Hall effect switches, but honestly, unless you're at the summit of competitive gaming, you're probably not going to notice a discernable difference.

But, if you want to plug and play with some of the best performance and features of any keyboard on the block, the Corsair K70 Pro TKL is your chance.

Corsair K70 Pro TKL: Price & Availability

(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)

• How much does it cost? $179.99 / £169.99
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

The price may be a bit hard to swallow at first glance - $180 for a keyboard definitely isn't cheap. But when you compare it to the best gaming keyboards on the market, that price really isn't too far off (in fact it's more affordable than many premium gaming keyboards).

There are two customization options you have before purchasing: choosing between Black and White colorways and selecting either ABS or PBT double-shot keycaps.

ABS keycaps are generally a bit cheaper to produce but the legends aren't as clear and may degrade over time more easily. PBT, which comes with a $10 upcharge, solves those issues.

Corsair K70 Pro TKL: Design

(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)

This Corsair board has a lot going for it in terms of design. My review unit came in the black colorway, and you can't get much more classic than that. It provides a nice contrast to the RGB lighting, which I'll touch on more later in this section.

Back to the chassis for now though. It's an interesting mix of plastic - which covers the outside of the keyboard - and an aluminum top plate that gives this TKL keyboard a satisfying blend of lightweight portability and hearty structural integrity.

Underneath that top plate is a sound-dampening layer of silicone, followed by the premium Hall-effect-ready PCB, and then another layer of silicone to keep things quiet.

Unfortunately, I can't say these silicone layers accomplish a whole lot. One of my main gripes with this keyboard is the loud, harsh clacking and pinging sounds as you type.

For some people, this won't matter at all because it's all about features and efficiency. For the mechanical keyboard geeks out there who love to crack open a shell and start stuffing tape and foam inside to get that perfect sound (looking at you, me) you'll probably pass in favor of something more customizable.

Similarly, this board is only available in a USB-C wired version - which won't matter for some and will make a world of difference for others.

Onto the stabilizers: they're plate mounted, which I've gone on record as saying aren't my favorite. While they are still pretty easy to replace, they don't offer the same level of security and acoustic accoutrement that screw-in stabs do. This is apparent every time you hit the rattly space bar and it screeches "ping!" back at you.

(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)

There are a lot of upsides, too. I love a vertical volume knob, especially one that lets me mute my audio with a tap. You can also configure this to change RGB brightness and zoom levels, or simply use it as a scroll wheel.

And to the left of that volume knob are two buttons that you can configure in iCUE, Corsair's customization app. These provide some nice functionality like locking into Gaming Mode (which disables the alt-f4 and the Windows key for accidental closures and alt-tabs), and whatever else you assign to the second button.

This is also where you can choose your RGB lighting effects to spice up your setup. There are prebuilt templates like breathing and wave effects, but you can also select individual keys and different effects to create your own designs.

(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)

Turning the board over, there are two feet you can flip out for a bit of added height framing a futuristic-looking back plate. These aren't bad, though I tend to go flat-footed with my keyboards anyway.

I'm also a big fan of the TKL form factor because I think it hits all the right areas without eating away all your desk space.

Plus, there's the star of the show: those MGX Hyperdrive magnetic Hall effect switches. While I don't think the average gamer needs them, they are very fast. And you can make them even faster by adjusting actuation levels in iCUE.

They also come pre-lubed, which is awesome to see more keyboard companies adopt. Keychron has been doing it for years, and it's an edge I always gave to its keyboards when reviewing them - it looks like that's changing in recent times, and I'm all for it. It just makes everything feel that much smoother - and doing it yourself is tedious.

The magnetic wrist rest is also a welcome and well-polished addition, and I found the keyboard comfortable to use both with and without it. That's the thing: this keyboard actually feels quite nice to type on if you like a quick, snappy switch - it just needs to clean up the sound and customization departments.

Corsair K70 Pro TKL: Performance

(Image credit: Future / Marcus Mears III)

This is where the Corsair K70 Pro TKL shines. It has all the cool gaming features you can think of and some I guarantee you didn't.

Starting with the formalities, I never noticed any ghosting, double-typing, or any other low-budget keyboard problems here. The K70 Pro TKL was solid through and through.

Onto the cool stuff. Starting with Corsair's "Rapid Trigger" tech, this lets you feed inputs one after the other in rapid succession without having to release the other key. In practice, that means you can "a" and "d" around a corner to jiggle peak quicker than someone using inferior hardware. You can take this even further with adjustable actuation points, which let you activate a keystroke at the drop of a hat.

There's also dual actuation, which lets you assign two functionalities to one key - like walking if you press the key down half way, or sprinting if you put the pedal to the metal.

With these lightning fast key inputs comes the potential for game winning plays, but also mind numbing mistakes. Say you accidentally fat finger your ultimate key in a MOBA or WASD in Counter-Strike 2 when you meant to be holding an angle - it's a double-edged sword.

Thankfully, Corsair thought of this ahead of time and implemented a neat feature that cuts down on those accidental inputs: FlashTap tech. FlashTap lets you "prioritize the first, last, or neither input" when clicking two keys at the same time, which can be a lifesaver. It's disabled by default but can be toggled on with FN + Right Shift.

Combine all of that with Corsair's Axon tech that gives this keyboard a polling rate of 8,000Hz, and you have one seriously speedy keyboard.

Should you buy the Corsair K70 Pro TKL? Buy it if...

You want peak performance

This keyboard is fast - seriously fast. 8,000Hz polling rate, custom Hall effect key switches, customizable actuation points up to 0.1mm... need I say more?

You want a solid plug-and-play experience

This keyboard comes with a pretty easy setup. Plug it in, download iCUE for any configuration work you want to do, and play.

You like the TKL form factor

I personally love this size board, but some gamers are going to want a numpad for extra functionality, whereas others are going to want to opt for something closer to a 65% layout to save on desk space.

Don't buy it if...

You like switching things up

I enjoy pulling switches out of my board and finding new favorites as I go, but there's no hot swapping here.

You're shopping on a budget

There are plenty of affordable options for great gaming keyboards - this is not one of them.

You care about how your keyboard sounds

If you can distinguish a "thock" from a "clack," your ears probably aren't going to like this one.

Corsair K70 Pro TKL: Also Consider

If our Corsair K70 Pro TKL review has you considering other options, I'd take a look at these...

Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX 65%

If you want Hall effect key switches on a smaller form factor, this board from Asus delivers.

Read our full Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX 65% reviewView Deal

Gamakay TK75 V2

If you don't mind sacrificing some gaming performance for a host of customization options and better sound and feel, the Gamakay TK75 V2 is a solid option that comes in at a fraction of the price.

Read our full Gamakay TK75 V2 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Corsair K70 Pro TKL

I replaced my daily driver gaming keyboard with the Corsair K70 Pro TKL for two weeks. I played games from all different genres, performed typing tests to assess n-key rollover and ghosting, and used it for general typing and web browsing.

I've been a PC gamer for more than a decade, and I've reviewed countless keyboards from OEMs like Corsair, Keychron, Das Key, and many more. I frequently mod and customize mechanical keyboards to nail down my favorite feel (until I find my new favorite).

First reviewed March 2025

Users will need an active Microsoft 365 account to access some of the new AI features in these apps.

Ronald Osborne was a firefighter for many years. Early in his career, while battling a house fire, his life was in danger. It was another firefighter's quick thinking that saved him.

Whether you’ve got the best Apple Watch on the market, a humble Apple Watch SE 2, or even an older model, watchOS is home to a plethora of options, buried in the nooks and crannies of the settings menus, that can make or break your Apple Watch experience.

There are some settings I always change when I’m using my Apple Watch, be it the notification sounds, raise-to-wake tweaks, and others. But there are also a few settings that people often overlook when using their Apple Watch.

I’ve been using Apple Watch for 10 years, both as a tech writer and an Apple employee, and these are some of the most common mistakes people make – myself very much included.

1. Not updating your fitness goals

(Image credit: Future)

Even beginner Apple Watch users will be familiar with Apple’s addictive Activity rings that track your move, exercise, and stand goals throughout the day. Closing your rings is a great way to stay healthy and active, with fun rewards and badges on offer to make taking care of yourself ever-so-slightly easier.

That being said, there’s one aspect you might have forgotten about, and that’s your fitness goals. You select your fitness goals whenever you set up a new Apple Watch for the first time.

If you don’t buy a new Apple Watch every year, or you restore your new model from a backup, there’s a chance that you haven’t looked at your goals in years, and as such it might be time to change them.

If you set relatively modest goals when you first got your Apple Watch, and find that you’re crushing them on the daily, perhaps it’s time to increase those targets and push yourself a bit more.

Suppose your move goal is a very low number of calories, or you set your stand goal to a paltry one hour because you just wanted to get on with using your Apple Watch. Why not revisit those goals and give yourself a boost? Conversely, if you're struggling to hit goals that are too ambitious, why not revise them to more modest levels to help increase your motivation?

To change your fitness goals, simply head to the Activity app on your watch, scroll down, and tap the -+ icon in the bottom right-hand corner to change your goals. Remember to apply the principles of progressive overload here. If you’re happily managing 10 minutes of exercise, maybe try 15 or 20, but don’t overdo it and go for 60-plus – even 15 is a 50% increase.

Not managing your notifications

(Image credit: Future)

Even the most basic notification management on your Apple Watch is going to save you a world of frustration. Having on-wrist dings and pings sounds great, but after 10 minutes you’re going to find Apple Watch notifications hilariously annoying.

Notifications from your Apple Watch, especially superfluous ones, are distracting and drain your battery. At the very least, use the Apple Watch Do Not Disturb to get some reprieve – just remember that this also silences your iPhone.

A more effective way to manage your notifications is to use the Focus Mode feature on your iPhone, which can help sift notifications while you’re at work, exercising, or just trying to get some personal downtime.

Finally, head to the Notifications section of the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and toggle which apps from your iPhone you want to see notifications from on your Apple Watch – I guarantee you’ll turn off half of them, and your wrist will thank you for it.

Not using your Emergency Contacts

(Image credit: Future)

Formulating this list, I settled on Emergency Contacts as my final pick with a chuckle. “Who doesn’t have Emergency Contacts set up on Apple Watch?” I scoffed to myself quietly.

Me. That's who. I didn’t have Emergency Contacts set up on my Apple Watch.

I thought I did, but I’m not sure why. Maybe I assumed it was automatic, or maybe I thought about doing it once and then never got around to it.

In your Apple Watch app head to Emergency SOS, scroll down to Emergency Contacts to check yours. If your Apple Watch automatically calls emergency services after a crash or fall, or if you do it manually by holding the Side Button, your Watch can also automatically notify relatives and friends of your plight, including information about your location.

You should absolutely check you have a list of contacts including friends and loved ones in there. You should also check that any contacts you've set up are still relevant, and that their numbers haven’t changed. The Apple Watch Emergency SOS feature is a vital safety tool even Tim Cook has used, so don’t be a plum like me.

You may also like

• How can we make wearables more sustainable, and is it even possible?
• I've been wearing an Apple Watch for 10 years – these are the 5 settings I change right out of the box
• New figures claim the smartwatch market just shrunk for the first time ever, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is to blame

Writer Clay Risen describes the anti-Communist frenzy that destroyed the careers of thousands of teachers, union activists and civil servants — and connects that era to our current political moment.

• Researchers uncovered a brute-forcing tool called BRUTED
• It was used since 2023 against VPNs and firewalls
• BRUTED allows for automated brute-force and credential stuffing attacks

The infamous Black Basta ransomware actors created an automated framework for brute-forcing firewalls, VPNs, and other edge networking devices.

The “BRUTED” tool has apparently been in use for years now, according to cybersecurity researchers EclecticIQ, who have been sifting through the recently-leaked Black Basta chat logs, which were leaked and subsequently uploaded to a GPT for easier analysis.

Besides being used to analyze the group’s structure, organization, and activities, researchers used it to identify the tools, too. Apparently, BRUTED was in use since 2023 in large-scale credential stuffing and brute-force attacks. The endpoints being targeted include SonicWall NetExtender, Palo Alto GlobalProtect, Cisco AnyConnect, Fortinet SSL VPN, Citrix NetScaler (Citrix Gateway), Microsoft RDWeb (Remote Desktop Web Access), and WatchGuard SSL VPN.

High confidence often leads to victimization

The tool first identifies potential victims by enumerating subdomains, resolving IP addresses, and appending prefixes such as “vpn”, or “remote”. It then pulls a list of potential login credentials and combines them with locally generated guesses, executing as many requests as possible.

To narrow the list down, BRUTED extracts Common Name (CN) and Subject Alternative Names (SAN) from the SSL certificates of targeted devices, as well, the researchers said.

Finally, to remain under the radar, BRUTED uses a list of SOCKS5 proxies, although its infrastructure is apparently located in Russia.

To protect against brute-force and credential stuffing attacks, businesses should make sure all their edge devices and VPN instances have strong, unique passwords, consisting of at least eight characters, both uppercase and lowercase, numbers, and special characters. They should also enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all possible accounts, and apply the zero-trust network access (ZTNA) philosophy, if possible.

Ultimately, monitoring the network for authentication attempts from unknown locations, as well as for numerous failed login attempts, is a great way to spot attacks.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Many workers are overconfident at spotting phishing attacks
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app

• Google unveils new AI initiatives, including expanding UK data residency for Agentspace and AI upskilling projects
• Chirp 3 will also be coming to Vertex AI
• Follows Google’s $1 billion commitment to building a new data center in 2025

Google has announced the expansion of UK data residency for Agentspace, offering extra security by allowing British businesses to store their information locally.

Speaking at the launch in its DeepMind’s London HQ, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian outlined the opportunities Google’s UK data residency extension brings for organisations that use Agentspace.

“It's an important element to give companies confidence that they can use our systems and their data will be private to their own use and that they have full control to keep the data where they need it," he noted.

Agentspace inclusion

The existing data residency programme in the UK gives Google Cloud users and customers the ability to conduct machine learning processing for Gemini 1.5 Flash, but Google has strengthened its commitment to UK AI by expanding this to include Agentspace.

“Recognizing the importance of the United Kingdom, we already have a cloud region here," Kurian added. "We're expanding our program with a new large scale data center, and we host these solutions and models here in the UK so that you can keep your data in the country and meet regulations to train and serve models right here.”

Agentspace is a business-specific AI agent platform, which combines Gemini AI, Google search, and company data all in one place, using emails, documents, tables, and even third party services like Confluence and ServiceNow within a multi-model search agent, designed to help answer complex questions and boost productivity.

That’s why its data residency is “super important”, said BT Group Chief Executive, Allison Kirkby, praising the move for offering “a bit more sovereignty and protection” for UK users.

“Because our overall mission as a company is to be the most trusted connector of people, business, and society. And considering the world we live in, certainly have customers that want to ensure that their data is safe and secure and it's on platforms that are encrypted in the right way with the right people handling it”

Skills investments

The news follows Google’s $1 billion commitment to building a new data centre, set to open later in 2025.

This comes alongside significant investment into skills and training initiatives, and a Google Cloud Startup Program, offering up to £280,000 for AI startups across the country - all part of a Google’s reinforced commitment to the UK market.

Google is looking to expand AI skill initiatives in the UK, having trained over a million students, educators, and developers in the last ten years. This includes 35 free Skills Boost credits per month for the Google Cloud Skills Boost programme, with a focus on generative AI in the workplace.

When polled, over half of TechRadar Pro readers (54%) said they use AI daily in their work, with a further 22% saying they use AI tools at least once or twice a week. This outlines just how crucial AI safety and skills training is, especially given only 17% of respondents told us they never use AI at work. If you want to take a look at our polls, or participate in the next one, you can do so by signing up to our Whatsapp here.

“We're investing heavily in startups,” said Kurian. ”For example, smaller companies who use models to run the business. There's a whole range of these that we're doing. We have programs at universities to teach computer science programs on how to use models as part of their work. There's a broad range of things.”

Over 60% of startups in the UK are already working with Google Cloud, and the “Gemini for UK” event confirmed cloud credits for UK startups, alongside technical resources and training. These startups will also gain a community of Google Cloud experts, as well as investors, partners, and other startups.

Chirp 3

Also announced at Google’s event was the introduction of Chirp 3 on Vertex AI - an audio generation model, available in 31 different languages. This ‘groundbreaking’ model will offer 248 distinct voices and eight speaker options, with detailed speech functionality that “captures the nuances of human intonation.”

Whilst impressive, this does raise some questions about its potential for harm. Chirp3 does currently come with significant restrictions in order to mitigate the risk of abuse, but Google is, "working through some of those things with [our] safety team,” Kurian confirms.

Deepfake AI calls have been on the rise thanks to the advancement of similar technologies, and although AI is frequently used in threat detection, accessible tools like these could lower the barriers for cybercriminals looking to impersonate trusted figures to trick victims into handing over personal or financial information.

Researchers recently hijacked AI agents into writing and sending phishing emails for them, proving that AI agents and tools can be a useful accessory for cyberattackers - so Google will have to ensure strict guardrails and safety controls are in place.

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the best AI tools around
• I've tested all the best AI agents including ChatGPT Deep Research and Gemini - these are the 5 top automated artificial intelligence tools you can try right now
• EU tech companies push for digital sovereignty, reducing reliance on US and others

The design would represent a handful of big changes coming to future iPhones, according to Bloomberg.

• Nintendo Switch 2 likely to have AI upscaling
• A patent has been updated with new information showcasing a 540p image upscaled to 1080p output
• New info on the console is scarce but this could mean older games look better on Nintendo Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch 2 is likely to have AI Upscaling which could drastically improve performance and graphics on Nintendo's upcoming console.

A patent that previously used vague language hinting that the Switch 2 would be able to "convert images through the use of a trained neural network." has now been updated to showcase how the Switch 2 would go about upscaling 540p to 1080p.

Initially reported by Mike Odyssey on X, the updated patent all but confirms Nintendo Switch 2 to be capable of upscaling for much-improved graphics when playing games. With the ability to double resolution from 540p to 1080p, handheld games could look significantly better on the Switch 2 than its predecessor.

Backward-compatible games like Super Mario Odyssey or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could run much better on this new hardware with AI upscaling. This feature would be a huge reason to upgrade for current Nintendo Switch owners.

Nintendo just released an update for Nintendo Switch 2 on AI resolution Upscaling. It's happening, folks! pic.twitter.com/6GZUEXeBliMarch 16, 2025

Better graphics, better performance

With the Nintendo Switch 2 likely to have AI upscaling similar to Nvidia's DLSS or PS5 Pro's PSSR there's a huge reason to be excited for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 reveal on April 2. At the time of writing, official information on the Nintendo Switch's successor is scarce following Nintendo's trailer reveal in February.

That said, we expect to hear more about performance and the console's hardware in April when Nintendo pulls the cover on one of the most-anticipated console launches of all time.

As a huge Nintendo fan, and a sucker for good performance, I think Switch titles that have been released over the last few years have struggled with the aging hardware. One of the main reasons I'm excited to upgrade to the Nintendo Switch 2 is to play my old Switch games because I hoped that Nintendo would find a way to improve them with better hardware.

Now, thanks to this patent there's a real possibility that Nintendo Switch games will look and play better on the new console. For me, even if there were no new games at launch, that would be enough to part with my hard-earned cash.

You might also like...

• Xbox is reportedly teaming up with a mystery manufacturer to launch a PC gaming handheld this year
• The next Xbox console is reportedly now 'fully in production' and targeting a 2027 release
• Lego just celebrated Mario Day in the best way possible, with an incredible Mario Kart set that's up for preorder now

TikTok wants to give people greater visibility and control over their accounts.

The law originally banned health care providers from forcing patients to agree to pay medical bills, no matter the cost. Consumer groups say an amended version doesn't go far enough.

(Image credit: AmnajKhetsamtip/iStockphoto)

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Grrr

NYT Strands today (game #380) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SOUTH
• REED
• ROVE
• SCAR
• SIRE
• SANK

NYT Strands today (game #380) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #380) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 6th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #380) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #380, are…

• TOUCHY
• GRUMPY
• PEEVED
• IRKED
• SURLY
• CRANKY
• VEXED
• SPANGRAM: CROSSWORD

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The words featured in today’s search perfectly sum up my feelings when I’m struggling with Strands.

Although not today, as I cheerfully breezed through the puzzle – with the only stumbling block being when I thought CROSS was one of the answers, before seeing it was the Spangram: CROSSWORD. Top punning.

I like to think of all of these words as being generational, with babies being VEXED by the complications of the world, children PEEVED by their parents’ invasions and teenagers SURLY without really knowing why before becoming TOUCHY if they’re misunderstood.

Then, as we age, there is the slow, almost inevitable progression from feeling IRKED, then GRUMPY, before the final era of Grrr – when your loved ones forgive you but your neighbors dislike you for being CRANKY.

It’s best to accept these emotions, but the more fleeting they are the better life is.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 17 March, game #379)

• CROW
• CHIPS
• WELLS
• BEDDING
• BLUSHING
• STRICKEN
• SPANGRAM: SPOONERISMS

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148).

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 #1149) - 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 #1149) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1149) - 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 #1149) - 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 #1149) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• N

• T

• C

• S

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

Quordle today (game #1149) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1149, are…

• NAVEL
• TREAT
• COPSE
• SLINK

When I said yesterday that three of that game's answers would make good start words, I was totally wrong.

Most of my problems came from not using any words containing O or A, which left me with some tricky gaps.

SLINK and COPSE came easily, but I struggled to get TREAT and it took a great deal of gazing before I finally got NAVEL.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1149) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1149, are…

• ILIAC
• BLAST
• SPLAT
• DEBUG

Quordle answers: The past 20

• 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
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL
• Quordle #1130, Thursday 27 February: THIEF, CHAIR, ETHER, GRIME
• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645).

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 #646) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• KINDER
• DICE
• SINGULAR
• DIE
• OXEN
• SPECIAL
• DEER
• LICE
• UNIQUE
• SHEEP
• SQUID
• ANGST
• MICE
• WURST
• REMARKABLE
• SHRIMP

NYT Connections today (game #645) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: One of a kind 
• GREEN: European language 
• BLUE: One sounds the same as some
• PURPLE: Some sounds different to one

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 #646) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: EXCEPTIONAL 
• GREEN: GERMAN WORDS 
• BLUE: PLURAL ANIMALS IDENTICAL TO THEIR SINGULAR FORMS 
• PURPLE: PLURAL WORDS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR SINGULAR FORMS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #646) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #646, are…

• YELLOW: EXCEPTIONAL REMARKABLE, SINGULAR, SPECIAL, UNIQUE
• GREEN: GERMAN WORDS ANGST, DIE, KINDER, WURST
• BLUE: PLURAL ANIMALS IDENTICAL TO THEIR SINGULAR FORMS DEER, SHEEP, SHRIMP, SQUID
• PURPLE: PLURAL WORDS THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR SINGULAR
• FORMS DICE, LICE, MICE, OXEN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Maddening is the only way to describe today’s Connections.

I roared through the yellow and green groups, at first thinking “this couldn’t be as straightforward as just being GERMAN WORDS could it”? EXCEPTIONAL was equally unchallenging. But then I hit the wall.

Before I finally realized the connections were plurals, I initially thought it must be something unique to the animals, so I put SHRIMP, SQUID, LICE and MICE together, thinking they all had flexible bodies or something. Yes, fair enough, I was reaching.

Then, when I realized it was about linguistics, I still didn’t fully get it and included LICE instead of DEER.

As infuriating as this was (I’d argue OXEN is not that different to Ox) I admire how SINGULAR and DIE (the singular of DICE) were also in the puzzle.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 17 March, game #645)

• YELLOW: FILAMENT FIBER, STRAND, STRING, THREAD
• GREEN: UNINHIBITEDNESS ABANDON, FREEDOM, SPONTANEITY, UNRESTRAINT
• BLUE: KINDS OF TRUCKS DUMP, GARBAGE, MONSTER, PICKUP
• PURPLE: BANDS MINUS THE NUMBER FIVE BEN FOLDS, JACKSON, MAROON, MC

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.

• Seagate has announced a partnership with MiHoYo
• It has revealed the new Seagate Genshin Impact Limited Edition External SSD
• It is available now in the US, with a UK launch later this year

Storage giant Seagate has announced a partnership with MiHoYo to introduce a new Genshin Impact limited edition external SSD.

The 1TB SSD drive is an officially licensed piece of Genshin Impact merchandise and is designed to commemorate the upcoming version 5.5, or 'Day of the Flames Return', game update. It features an eye-catching purple print with some cute art of the character Cyno, plus bright matching LED lighting.

It's a great looking drive and definitely one of the coolest models I've seen from Seagate yet. With a 1TB capacity, it's far from the biggest model around but should be more than sufficient for most game libraries - especially considering its blazing fast PCIe Gen4 transfer speeds.

Image 1 of 2

A closer look at front of the new drive... (Image credit: Seagate)Image 2 of 2

and the back! (Image credit: Seagate)

The Seagate Genshin Impact Limited Edition External SSD is compatible with PC and mobile in addition to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S - in short, all major platforms where you are able to play Genshin Impact.

It is currently available as a Seagate web store exclusive for $139.99 in the US and is set to launch in the UK for £139.99 in May this year.

In addition to the limited edition SSD, an 18in / 45.7cm USB-C 3.2 cable is included in the box, plus a quick install guide, 3-year warranty, and 3-year Rescue Data Recovery Service.

Seagate is known for making not only some of the best Xbox Series X hard drives, but also a number of the best SSDs for PS5 and best PS5 external hard drives. While the design is definitely a winner, hopefully the performance of this new product will live up the company's lofty reputation.

You might also like...

• The best mobile controllers 2025: upgrade your portable play
• These new Genshin Impact gaming mice from Logitech G could be one seriously cute addition to your PC setup
• The best SSD in 2025: top solid-state drives for your PC

Don't just load up on Amazon! Here are the best ways to find your favorite records on wax.

The price of eggs keeps rising, and if you want to save some dough, you should try this delicious and nutritious tofu scramble instead.

• Criminals are using stolen email addresses to distribute malicious OAuth Apps
• These apps steal sensitive data and redirect people to phishing pages
• The pages steal login credentials and deliver malware

Hackers are spoofing popular cloud and productivity apps to steal people’s Microsoft 365 login credentials and deliver malware, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers Proofpoint detailed their findings in an X thread, revealing unidentified cybercriminals used compromised Office 365 accounts and email addresses belonging to charity organizations or small businesses to launch the attacks.

It is unclear what the contents of the emails are, but apparently, the goal is to get victims to install malicious Microsoft OAuth apps pretending to be Adobe Drive, Adobe Drive X, Adobe Acrobat, and DocuSign.

"Highly targeted" attacks

Those that install these apps are asked to grant specific permissions: ‘profile’, ‘email’, and ‘openid’. Alone, these aren’t that destructive, since they only grant access to the user’s name, user ID, profile picture, username, and the primary email address (no access, just information about the account). The ‘openid’ permission also allows the attackers to confirm the victim’s identity and retrieve their Microsoft account details.

While these aren’t enough to steal data or install malware, they can be used in more personalized phishing attacks, the researchers said. The campaign itself was “highly targeted”, Proofpoint said, going after organizations in different industries across the US and Europe, including government, healthcare, supply chain, and retail.

After granting these permissions, the apps redirect the victims to phishing landing pages, collecting login credentials, and distributing malware. Proofpoint could not confirm the strain of the malware being distributed this way, but stressed that the attackers used the ClickFix social engineering attack.

Nowadays, ClickFix has grown quite popular. It starts with a browser popup, informing the victim that they cannot view the contents of the web page unless they update their browser (or something similar). The popup shares steps on how to “fix” the issue, tricking the victims into downloading malware instead.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• A flaw in Google OAuth system is exposing millions of users via abandoned accounts
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app

Bitwarden is open source and secure, has support for passkeys, and costs just $10 per year.