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Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 8, No. 288

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 8, No. 758.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle for July 8, No. 1,480.

Independent publishers are worried about Google AI Overviews, trained on fresh journalistic content, filling up search results.

The two-page memo outlines the "exhaustive review" the department conducted of the Epstein files in its possession, and also reiterates that Epstein died by suicide, contrary to some conspiracy theories.

(Image credit: Saul Loeb)

The final season of Netflix's global phenomenon is here... with mixed reviews.

The deadly floods in Central Texas were caused by extremely heavy rain. Climate change is causing even more rain to fall during the heaviest storms.

(Image credit: Julio Cortez)

We look at an Altadena resident who has made it her mission to help reunite keepsakes that survived the LA fires — photos, kids art, postcards — with their owners.

• Windows 11 24H2 is causing Windows Firewall to throw up false positives
• An event gets logged every time a user restarts their device
• Microsoft says the error message can be disregarded

Microsoft has reported a rather embarrassing issue with Windows Firewall after the June 2025 preview update of Windows 11 24H2, and the error remains a mystery for now.

In the known issues section of Microsoft's update on Windows 11 24H2 KB5060829 (OS Build 26100.4484) Preview, the company noted that "security event logs might include an error event related to Windows Firewall with Advanced Security."

Microsoft declared users can safely disregard the error, however details on why it's occurring are so far thin on the ground.

Windows Firewall is having issues with Microsoft code in latest Windows 11 build

"The event appears as 'Config Read Failed' with the message 'More data is available,'" Microsoft noted. "Although this event is logged in every time the device restarts, it does not indicate a problem with Windows Firewall and can be disregarded."

Despite the Event Viewer log, Windows Firewall is expected to function normally, with no impact to system processes. Nevertheless, false positives in the Event Log can still be a nuisance, especially for system monitoring.

"This event is related to a feature that is currently under development and not fully implemented," the company confirmed, however no estimated fix date has been provided.

"We are working on releasing a resolution and will provide more information when it is available," Microsoft added.

Compared to past problems seen with Windows 11 24H2, the issue is fairly benign – at least it's not causing system crashes – but it does raise concern about potential issues or unfinished code making it into public builds.

Microsoft also noted that the same build has an issue with Chinese, Japanese and Korean characters in certain conditions – particularly when displayed at 96 DPI in Chromium-based browsers including its own not-so-popular browser, Edge. The company claims to be working with Google on a solution.

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• Windows 10 users who don’t want to upgrade to Windows 11 get new lifeline from Microsoft
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Heath Druzin talks about what he learned about coexisting with wolves while making his podcast Howl, from Boise State Public Radio.

NPR's Pien Huang speaks with pediatrician Alexandra Cvijanovich and Professor Jason L. Schwartz about trying to shore up trust about vaccines.

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jennifer Senior has had insomnia for 25 years. Her new piece in The Atlantic is about her often futile attempts to fall asleep, and about the latest research into insomnia.

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The Center for Asbestos Related Disease in Libby, Montana, closed in May after a court judgment. The clinic's federal funding is also threatened. Patients with scarred lungs worry about what's next.

(Image credit: Aaron Bolton)

• A new, official GoPro Max 2 teaser shows it's finally gearing up for launch
• The 360-degree action cam has been in the works for years
• It'll compete with the recently-leaked DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5

The GoPro Max 2 has been in development for so long it's almost gained mythical status, but the 360 camera is finally ready to officially launch – as some new teaser images have just confirmed.

GoPro shared the two Max 2 images, which show two skydivers using the camera, across all of its social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter). They were accompanied by the one-word tagline "dropping", which suggests we could finally see the camera soon.

The images don't tell us a huge amount about the true successor to the original GoPro Max, which launched way back in 2019. Like the GoPro Hero 13 Black, the camera body has a finned heat sink on the front to help it avoid overheating. The Max 2's lens also appears to be more centralized than on its predecessor.

GoPro's long-awaited camera will be dropping into an increasingly crowded space. The battle for the title of best 360 camera has heated up recently, with the arrival of the Insta360 X5, recent leaks unmasking the DJI Osmo 360, and Akaso today revealing the cheapest 360 camera so far, the Akaso 360.

But despite the growing competition, GoPro remains the most recognizable name in action cameras – so we're looking forward to seeing what the incoming Max 2 brings.

Analysis: the competition can only be good for 360 camera fans

Back in February, GoPro released the Max (2025) – a barely-refreshed version of the original Max with a huge price cut. But now we're finally going to see a true successor. (Image credit: GoPro Max)

The GoPro Max 2's backstory isn't a promising one. GoPro originally told us its Insta360 rival was "in the works" way back in September 2023, almost two years ago. Then in May 2024 it was slated for a launch by the end of that year, only to then slip to 2025.

So why the long delay? GoPro hasn't yet gone into specifics, but it's no secret the company has been struggling recently. Earlier this year, CEO Nick Woodman voluntarily waived his salaryto help the company, but GoPro's stock and revenue have both tanked over the past year.

Still, it's good to see the Max 2 finally skydive in through some dark clouds. While it will likely struggle to eclipse Insta360's latest flagships (the Chinese company has launched four iterations of its flagship 360-degree camera since the original Max), the Max 2 will hopefully bring some new features like interchangeable lenses and improved software to make it a good fight.

The good news for GoPro is that the benefits of 360 cameras still can't really be replicated by smartphones. Shooting everything around you and then pointing the camera wherever you want afterwards is still a very helpful editing trick. And the 360 camera space will benefit from having a rejuvenated GoPro in the mix – even if its Chinese rivals have learned how to thrive in the post-action camera world.

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• Akaso unveils cheapest-ever 360 camera, but I'd pick the older Insta360 X3 with 45% off over Prime Day
• Don’t buy a 360 camera – the new DJI Osmo 360 just leaked again, and it’s expected to launch imminently

• Cybernews finds huge databse full of resumes and CVs
• It belongs to TalentHook
• The database apparently remains open to this day

Security researchers have discovered another large unprotected database which was leaking sensitive information to the general public.

Analysts fromCybernews found a misconfigured Azure Blob storage container available to anyone who knew where to look.

The archive contained almost 26 million files, and it was later determined that most of the files were resumes and CVs belonging to US citizens, including people’s full names, email addresses, phone numbers, education details, professional details, and employment history.

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TalentHook in trouble

While it might not sound like much, the cache is a treasure trove for cybercriminals. Knowing these people are actively seeking new job opportunities, they can create fully customized, highly relevant phishing emails, successfully tricking people into downloading malware or sharing login credentials.

For example, the North Korean state-sponsored group Lazarus often targets job seekers on LinkedIn and elsewhere, sharing fake job description files which are nothing more than malware.

In some instances, they would have the victim jump through multiple job interview hoops, before asking for “trial work” which includes downloading malicious code.

Cybernews later determined that the archive belonged to TalentHook, a cloud-based applicant tracking system that connects HR departments with individuals seeking work.

Usually, when the researchers find unprotected databases such as this one, they notify the owners and get it locked down fast. However, in this instance, there was no confirmation that TalentHook actually barred access.

Instead, the Cybernews team shared advice with TalentHook, inviting the team to “change access controls to restrict public access and secure the container”. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that the database remains unlocked and available for all to find. The researchers also did not mention if someone found it already, but this is always a strong possibility.

At press time, there was no evidence of the data already being found and abused in the wild.

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The TechRadar team is delighted to announce that the TechRadar Choice Awards 2025 are coming later this year, and as always, they'll give our reader the chance to help select the best technology and services of the last year. And these awards are bigger and better than ever, now including over 100 categories!

The final awards will be revealed later in the year, and before then, we'll give our readers the chance to vote for their favorite from a shortlist of options, which will be combined with our expert judges' votes to create the final winners.

At this time, we're accepting nominations from anyone who wants to suggest a product that should be on our voting shortlists when the time comes. Maybe you represent a product professionally, or maybe it's just something you've bought and love – your nomination is welcome either way! Our shortlists will be compiled by our editors who are the experts in each topic, but these nominations are your opportunity to ensure that a product you like or want to promote gets their attention.

You can fill out the form on our nominations page below to submit your suggestion. We'll be accepting nominations until August 8, 2024.

• Nominate your products for the TechRadar Choice Awards 2024

With more categories than ever before, that means more chances for our readers to choose their favorites than ever before! In some cases, we've added new categories to reflect the growing popularity of new types of product; in other cases, we've reworked existing categories to better reflect the current market. You can see all the main TechRadar Choice Awards 2025 categories here.

We'll also have some Editor's Choice categories not listed above, which are chosen solely by the TechRadar team.

To be eligible for the TechRadar Choice Awards 2025, products must have been released after September 1, 2024 and before September 30, 2025 – with some exceptions, which you can find here in our explanation of the TechRadar Choice Awards process.

If you want to see which products won in last year's awards, take a look at the TechRadar Choice Awards 2024 winners list. We look forward to seeing your nominations for this year's awards!

If there’s one thing that’s hard to dispute, it’s that Apple’s MacBooks can get pricey. There’s no doubt you get a top-quality product – they’re some of the best laptops money can buy – but you definitely pay for the privilege.

The good news, though, is that this could be a great time of year to start shopping around for a MacBook. With Amazon Prime Day kicking off this week, there are plenty of savings to be had if you’re in the market for one of Apple’s laptops.

Combined with a lack of imminent hardware upgrades, pulling the trigger now makes a lot of sense. Here, we’ll take a quick look at the reasons why.

Today's best Apple MacBook deals

The Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Pro) is one of the most powerful MacBooks available, with ample power ready to tackle intensive tasks. With a 14-core CPU and a 20-core GPU, productivity and gaming are a breeze, and it also helps that you'll have 24GB of unified memory. While still quite pricey on sale, it's a generous deal for a laptop that will serve you well for years.View Deal

The MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) is the newest version of Apple's popular laptop and it's now down to a great price at Best Buy. You get a great-looking 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display, while the boost to 16GB of RAM keeps all your programs running smoothly. It's just a shame Apple still insists on only 256GB of storage as standard, which feels a little miserly in 2025. Nevertheless, this is still one of the best laptops you can buy if you need a performance powerhouse for productivity and creative tasks – especially after this $150 discount.View Deal

It may essentially be just a larger version of the MacBook Air 13-inch, but if that's what you want, then that's what you get – and it's now reduced to its lowest-ever price at Best Buy. Our MacBook Air 15-inch review praised the display, performance, design and speaker array, although we did think the jump in size hurt one of the MacBook Air's key selling points – its portability. Nevertheless, this is still an impressive laptop that was awarded a full five stars.View Deal

On the hunt for savings

(Image credit: Apple)

Given the costs involved, buying a brand-new MacBook is not an impulse purchase for most people. The most affordable Apple laptop is the MacBook Air, which starts at $999. If you want to step up to the MacBook Pro, you’re looking at $1,599 for the entry-level model. That’s a lot of cash to be throwing around.

Sure, this is one case where you get what you pay for. MacBooks are built to last and are packed with top-tier components and features, from the mini-LED display to the incredible chips. You won’t need to worry about spending a heap of money on a lemon, that’s for sure.

And given that Prime Day sales on Apple kit have already begun, you might be able to spend a slightly smaller pile of cash than usual. We’ve seen plenty of eye-opening savings on laptops, and there could well be more around the corner. MacBooks don’t always go on sale, so it’s worth paying attention when they do.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

And there’s another good reason to consider buying a MacBook now: we’re not expecting any significant changes until the autumn. Right now, we’re in the quiet time between Apple’s software announcements at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June and its iPhone 17 range landing in September. It’s highly unlikely that the company will release new Macs any time between now and the fall.

That means there’s less chance of the kind of buyer’s remorse you might feel if you rush out and purchase a MacBook, only for a new one to come out the week after. That’s something you’re not going to have to worry about for a little while.

With all that in mind, it might be worth checking out some MacBook deals to see if you can save a wad of cash on a new laptop, as there are already plenty of savings to be had.

What to look out for

OK, so you’ve decided to scout around for a new MacBook. What should you be on the hunt for?

If you can afford it, a MacBook with an M4-series chip is a fantastic option. The base-level M4 chip – which you’ll find in both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro – is super-fast and can handle most tasks with ease. Its incredible efficiency also makes it a battery champion, blasting past the competition in terms of longevity on a single charge.

Stepping up, there are the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, which are found in the MacBook Pro. They’re ideal if you feel you need extra power or want to dabble in a spot of gaming (yes, MacBooks make great gaming machines these days).

(Image credit: Future)

But buying a MacBook doesn’t have to mean getting the latest, shiniest model. Instead, now is also a great time to find bargains on slightly older Apple silicon chips – indeed, MacBooks bearing the M3, M2 and M1-series chips are still excellent devices with plenty of power on offer. I have a MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip, for example, and am more than happy with its performance.

And aside from the chips, you get the same solid battery life, gorgeous displays and eardrum-pleasing speakers that Apple specializes in.

However, we do have a word of warning: avoid MacBooks with Intel chips unless your budget is very restricted. These laptops are all at least five years old now, given that MacBooks transitioned to Apple silicon in 2020. Intel MacBooks weren’t great to begin with, but compared to Apple silicon, they are really showing their age.

Still, if you can avoid that pitfall, you should be able to find yourself a deal on a MacBook that’ll make you very happy. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s Apple Prime Day deals page for the best savings on all the top Apple laptops.

More early Prime Day deals

• Amazon Prime membership: free 30-day trial
• Amazon Devices: 50% off TVs, Echo & Fire Sticks
• Apple: AirPods + iPads from $99
• Back to school: deals from $5.99
• Beauty: 80% off toothbrushes & skincare
• Headphones: $120 off Bose, Apple & Sony
• Health: electric toothbrushes from $24.99
• Kitchen: 54% off Ninja, Nespresso & Keurig
• Laptops: record-low prices from $175
• Tablets: iPads and Samsung from $54.99
• Toys: 40% off Lego, scooters & Toniebox
• TVs: cheap TVs from $59.99
• Vacuums: Shark, Bissell & Dyson from $49.99

Search efforts continue for people still missing after Friday's floods, as questions swirl over what went wrong. Here's what we know so far.

(Image credit: Jim Vondruska)

• The US government has identified and sanctioned a Russia-linked BPH provider
• Britain's National Crime Agency helped identify a UK front
• The sanctions might not affect Russian attackers

Aeza Group, a Russian bulletproof hosting provider, and four affiliates have been sanctioned by the US government for supporting ransomware and cybercrime, marking the second time this year the US has sanctioned bulletproof hosting providers.

Bulletproof hosting (BPH) providers are web hosting companies that knowingly allow and facilitate illicit or malicious activities by ignoring law enforcement requests, and Aeza Group has been linked to a handful of known attacks.

The group specifically provided infrastructure to ransomware group BianLian, which is believed to operate from Russia, as well as infostealer operations like Meduza and Lumma.

Russian BPH provider received US sanctions

It's believed that BianLian has targeted critical infrastructure in the US as well as notable organizations like Save The Children. Previously known for ransomware encryption, the attackers started focusing on data exfiltration and extortion in early 2024.

Apart from sanctioning the Russia-registered Aeza Group, the US has also sanctioned Aeza International, the group's UK affiliate, with thanks to the UK's National Crime Agency. Arsenii Aleksandrovich Penzev, Yurii Meruzhanovich Bozoyan and Igor Anatolyevich Knyazev are the three key faces associated with Aeza, each owning one-third of the company.

"Treasury, in close coordination with the UK and our other international partners, remains resolved to expose the critical nodes, infrastructure, and individuals that underpin this criminal ecosystem," acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T Smith explained.

The sanctions mean that US companies have been prohibited from engaging with Aeza Group, however with the BPH provider seemingly attracting a mostly Russian customer base, America's sanctions are unlikely to have a meaningful impact on how Russian attackers use the bulletproof host.

"Violations of US sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on US and foreign persons," a Treasury press release confirms.

Besides tackling the BPH provider, US authorities also recently dealt with Lumma by seizing five internet domains used for the information-stealing malware service.

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The president of one of Lima's largest parent-teacher associations says at least 1,000 schools in the Peruvian capital are being extorted and that most are caving into the demands of the gangs.

(Image credit: Ernesto Benavides)