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There's a real mix of new movies and shows to explore on the best streaming services this Mother's Day weekend for those in the US and Australia, and Netflix is leading the charge with its slate of new releases.

We've picked out a romantic slasher, feel-good comedy and dark fantasy animation out of everything new on Netflix, but there's also the new teen drama series inspired by Judy Blume's Forever novel from 1975 that's worth a watch from what we hear.

Remote at the ready? Great, because here's our top streaming picks out of all the latest new releases. – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor.

Heart Eyes (Netflix)

Recently, I described Heart Eyes as the best horror-romance movie of the year and I’m so excited that it’s available to stream on Netflix this weekend. If you’re looking for the right amount of romance, comedy and horror, this movie blends it all perfectly and has an impressive 81% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, making it just as worthy of some of the best horror movies.

While it was originally released in time for Valentine’s Day, I think it’s perfect horror viewing any time of year! With some great gory moments and a mystery at the heart of the plot, it’s a gripping watch and thoroughly entertaining. Netflix horror movies can be quite hit and miss but this is one of the best ones on there.

Need more horror recommendations this month? Check out eight new horror movies on Netflix, Shudder, Max and more in May 2025. – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Heart Eyes on Netflix now

Poker Face season 2 (Peacock)

This tale of a casino worker turned human lie detector performed incredibly well after season one Poker Face, which has a near-perfect 99% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating. After loving her work in Netflix’s Russian Doll and Orange is the New Black, Natasha Lyonne impressed me here too and I’m so excited to see what the second season of this mystery-a-week show brings.

Season 2 picks up with Charlie hitting the road once again after receiving a call from crime boss Beatrix Halp. She’s back on the road and there’s some amazing guest stars such as Wicked’s Cynthia Eviro and The Office star BJ Novak, so the cast just keeps getting bigger and better.

In Rian Johnson we trust. We'll have to wait and see if it returns for season three but for now, you've got the second installment to dive into. – LB

• Watch Pokerface season 2 on Peacock

Octopus (Prime Video)

This week's first documentary pick is a nature series that delves into the lives of octopuses. That might not sound instantly thrilling but with Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag; Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) narrating the series, we're expecting her signature humor to keep the pacing lively.

Octopus! is a two-part series that sees an eclectic mix of characters, including scientists, explorers and enthusiasts, share their connections with the eight-limbed sea creatures that could easily become one of the best Prime Video shows.

I loved Netflix's My Octopus Teacher and National Geographic's Secrets of the Octopus on Disney+, both of which scored highly with critics, so I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes an instant hit. – AS

• Watch Octopus! on Prime Video now

Nonnas (Netflix)

Looking for a good comedy movie? Nonnas should whet your appetite, perhaps literally, as it follows a man who opens an Italian restaurant with actual nonnas aka grandmothers as the chefs.

Feast your eyes on this great cast too: Vince Vaughn leads a great line-up, including stars like Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Joe Manganiello and Linda Cardellini. This has all the key ingredients to become one of the best Netflix movies, indeed.

It's based on a true story, inspired by the life of Joe Scaravella, the owner of the Staten Island restaurant Enoteca Maria, where grandmothers are invited to work as chefs. This one should be a great watch. – LB

• Watch Nonnas on Netflix

Blood of Zeus season 3 (Netflix)

The third and final season of Blood of Zeus, aka one of the best Netflix shows, is here, so you're sorted if you need your adult animation fix this weekend. It's an action-packed one, focusing mainly on two storylines.

This time around, expect to see Cronos and Typhon’s rampage across Greece, as well as Heron helping Seraphim to get his lover, Priestess Gorgo, into the Elysian Fields. So there's a lot going on and plenty to wrap up before the season finale.

This mythical ancient Greece inspired series has had a good run, but it doesn't look like it'll be returning any time soon. If you need more animation in your life, check out these Adult Swim shows including one with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. – LB

• Watch Blood of Zeus season 3 on Netflix now

Long Way Home (Apple TV+)

Broom broom, motorheads! It's finally time to watch Ewan McGregor's and Charley Boorman's latest biking adventure on Apple TV+, Long Way Home.

This new Apple TV+ adventure series is an awe-inspiring ride that will see the best friends reunite for a fourth season to travel across 17 European countries on customized classic motorcycles.

As one of the best Apple TV+ shows, I'm excited to saddle up for the first four episodes of this 10-part travel documentary series. Trust me, it's a lighthearted watch that's sure to delight. – AS

• Watch Long Way Home on Apple TV+

Summer of 69 (Hulu)

The latest new Hulu movie to grace our screens is Summer of 69. The film's premise might make it sound like another raunchy teen comedy akin to the likes of Superbad and Bottoms, but this coming-of-age story is said to be much more heartfelt.

What starts of as a story about an awkward teenager called Abby (Sam Morelos) enlisting the help of a stripper (Chloe Fineman) to teach her how to have sex soon becomes a lesson in confidence.

Early reviews look promising for Jillian Bell's directorial debut, but we'll have to wait and see if it becomes one of the best Hulu movies. – AS

• Watch Summer of 69 on Hulu now

For more streaming recommendations, read our guides on best Prime Video movies, best Paramount+ movies and best Max movies.

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 9 (game #1201).

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 #1202) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* 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 #1202) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #1202) - 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 #1202) - 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 #1202) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• B

• C

• S

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

Quordle today (game #1202) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1202, are…

• RELIC
• BADGE
• CHAMP
• SATIN

Back when I started playing Quordle it would take me at least 10 minutes to crack. These days, when all the stars align and there’s no rogue words or rare letters, it often takes me less than 90 seconds.

I say this not to brag, but out of embarrassment that it took me so long to realise how much easier this game is once you use three start words with 15 different letters.

Meanwhile, as Quordle gets easier the Daily Sequence seems to get harder to crack. Why is that?

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1202) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1202, are…

• DIRGE
• WATER
• VAULT
• REBEL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• 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
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO
• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE
• Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNT
• Quordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDE
• Quordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICK
• Quordle #1187, Friday, 25 April: SHALT, WRATH, MAMBO, HUMPH
• Quordle #1186, Thursday, 24 April: CHOKE, COLOR, FRAME, CAIRN
• Quordle #1185, Wednesday, 23 April: VALET, PUPAL, CREEP, DRIFT
• Quordle #1184, Tuesday, 22 April: POUTY, CHEST, BROOM, TEPEE
• Quordle #1183, Monday, 21 April: SHARD, PRINT, SUMAC, LEACH
• Quordle #1182, Sunday, 20 April: DINER, HORDE, SHONE, FUGUE

• Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.3 launches on May 21
• The update expands the game's story, and introduces new characters Hyacine and Cipher
• New events and relics revealed, too, as well as a major expansion to the Divergent Universe game mode

The time has rolled around again for Hoyoverse to reveal exactly what's coming up in the Version 3.3 update for Honkai: Star Rail.

'The Fall at Dawn's Rise', which launches later this month on May 21, will introduce two new five-star characters to the game, a new story chapter, several new events, new relics, an expansion to the Divergent Universe game mode, and more optimizations to the ever-growing RPG.

The first of the two new characters is Hyacine: a five-star Wind character on the Rememberance path. Based on the footage from the recent livestream, she looks like a strong support unit who can restore HP and increase the maximum HP of your party members with help from her summon, Little Ica.

With all the HP scaling characters we've got in the game in the last couple of patches, it seems she will be a natural fit alongside Castorice and Tribbie – and a worthwhile upgrade to those teams currently running Luocha or Gallagher in the sustain role.

The second playable five-star in Cipher. She is on the Quantum element and follows the Path of Nihility. Her gimmick is all based around marking a single high HP opponent on the battlefield, performing follow-up attacks when allies damage that target, and using her ultimate to unleash a devastating amount of damage based on the total recorded damage the target has received.

Image 1 of 3

Hyacine pairs up with her memosprite Little Ica to heal allies (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 2 of 3

Cipher applies a mark to targets and unleashes a huge amount of damage based on ally attacks (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 3 of 3

A Mario Kart-style racing game is one of the events coming in Version 3.3 (Image credit: Hoyoverse)

It's a kit that makes a lot more sense in practice, with Hoyo showing off her effectiveness in combat with Acheron and Jiaoqiu in one party, and Castorice in another.

I had no plans to pull her for my account, but now I could be tempted. However, anyone thinking of going for new characters will also have to consider that The Herta and Aglaea will also re-run during Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the patch, respectively.

While the new characters are the main draw, Version 3.3 will also introduce the next chapter in the game's story that builds towards the final battle of the Flame-Chase Journey. That will be a confrontation with the Sky Titan, a hundred-eyed giant bird named Aquila, who will also serve as a new end-game boss.

Other new additions include a bizarre-looking racing event, the return of a combat event that looks to take inspiration from the item evolutions of Vampire Survivors, new relics to farm, and an expansion to the roguelite Divergent Universe mode that adds more buffs, rewards and mechanics.

Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.3 launches on May 21. The free-to-play RPG is available now on PC, mobile and PlayStation 5.

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Apple TV+ has unveiled the first trailer for new golfing comedy Stick and it looks like just the thing to scratch the sports comedy itch while we await Ted Lasso season 4.

A coach pinning success on a lower league star while going through a divorce, accompanied by a grumpy, beared sidekick? Stick sounds an awful lot like the streamer’s soccer sitcom, but Apple TV+ latest feel-good comedy switches things up with an entirely different kind of club.

The new show sees Owen Wilson starring as “Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After the collapse of his marriage and getting fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store, Pryce hedges his bets, and future, entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom named Santi (Peter Dager). Stick is a heartfelt, feel-good sports comedy about a found family and their relationships set within the world of golf as it has never been shown before.”

As you can see from the trailer below, the 10-episode series looks to be another example of the type of hilarious and heartfelt comedy one of the best streaming services have become masters of. With Wilson pitch perfect as the down and out Cahill looking for one last chance at glory, and with Peter Dager nailing the role of would-be golfing sensation Santi Wheeler, it’s like Ted Lasso coaching Happy Gilmore.

Also stepping out on to the green are Judy Greer as Pryce’s soon-to-be ex-wife Amber-Linn and Timothy Olyphant as his former rival while Marc Maron returns to the world of sports-com after Netflix’s GLOW, playing Cahill’s sardonic pal Mitts.

The new trailer comes amid plenty of exciting updates for fans of Apple TV+ comedic output. While the streamer was once considered the home of big budget sci-fi with the likes of Foundation and For All Mankind, it’s quietly been making a name for itself as the home of hilarious, emotional character driven comedy.

While Rob McElhenney’s Mythic Quest was cancelled after four seasons, Stick arrives on the heels of hit movie making satire The Studio, which has just been renewed for a second season, while it’s also been confirmed that parenting sitcom Trying will be back for a fifth season. Meanwhile, the streamer's OG comedy hit Ted Lasso is also set to make a return.

Is Ted Lasso still returning?

(Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

While many assumed we’d said goodbye to Jason Sudekis’ soccer coach at the close of season three, back in March, Apple TV+ confirmed one of the best Apple TV+ shows would be returning for a fourth outing. Sudeikis is confirmed to be back, alongside Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein and Jeremy Swift. The rest of the cast are yet to be announced, but we’d imagine we’ll see more familiar faces re-signed to AFC Richmond.

Plot details are thin on the ground at the moment, but it’s heavily rumored that Ted will return to London to coach the Richmond women’s team announced in the season three finale. In the season four announcement, Sudeikis teased: “As we all continue to live in a world where so many factors have conditioned us to ‘look before we leap,’ in season four, the folks at AFC Richmond learn to LEAP BEFORE THEY LOOK, discovering that wherever they land, it’s exactly where they’re meant to be.” For more on Ted's comeback, you can check out everything we know so far about the return of the hit Apple TV+ show.

In the meantime, Stick looks like a show Ted Lasso fans are going to love, and if you’re missing the antics at the soccer club, well this should go a fair way to filling that hole.

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In 1998, a handful of companies focused on wire replacement for mobile voice and data came together to form the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), an entity that would grow to include tens of thousands of members who would spend the next two and half decades working to create a better world through connection.

However, 15 years before Bluetooth® technology began helping to create a healthier, smarter, more productive, and more sustainable world, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the use of unlicensed spectrum in the 2.4 GHz band, laying the foundation for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and other short-range wireless technologies to come into being.

“The FCC’s decision to open up the 2.4 GHz band for unlicensed use sparked four decades of wireless innovation, powering technologies like Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi that have transformed how we connect, work, and live,” said Andrew Zignani, senior research director for ABI Research. “As we look to the future, the continued evolution of these technologies will be essential in driving digital transformation, enriching user experiences, and delivering impactful services across consumer, enterprise, and industrial sectors — all while helping create a better, more connected world.”

Deregulating the 2.4 GHz band

On 9 May 1985, the FCC opened up the 2.4 GHz spectrum for public innovation without needing a license. The deregulation of the 2.4 GHz band meant that anyone could develop wireless technologies in that band. This created an environment that allowed for a 1W power limit that was greater than previous unlicensed limits.

“The proposed policy was new — radio systems operating at the relatively high-power level of 1 watt could be brought to the market without an FCC rulemaking or the grant of an FCC license,” said Mark Fowler, FCC chair in 1985. “Looking back, it is clear that adoption of these rules was one of the significant achievements of the…FCC.”

The impact on Bluetooth connectivity

This decision made in 1985 to deregulate the 2.4 GHz band directly enabled the creation and global adoption of Bluetooth technology in 1998, and it is considered to be a turning point in wireless communication history.

“40 years ago, the FCC made a great decision to open up the 2.4 GHz band,” said Eric A. McLaughlin, VP/GM connectivity solutions group at Intel Corporation. “As one of the pioneering companies of the Bluetooth® SIG, Intel is happy to have been able to contribute to the standard’s evolution, which helped propel this technology to near ubiquity across numerous new device categories and industries, and we look forward to the continued Bluetooth® innovations that will further enhance user experiences in the years to come.”

"The FCC's 1985 decision to allow public access to the 2.4 GHz spectrum without a license marked a significant milestone in wireless communication,” said Daniel Cooley, CTO and SVP of technology and product development for Silicon Labs. “This pivotal move led to the development of Bluetooth and has fueled decades of innovation at Silicon Labs. As we look to the future, this historic ruling continues to drive advancements in wireless technology, heralding even more connectivity and innovation."

This FCC decision:

• Enabled affordable innovation: Without licensing costs or complex regulatory hurdles, companies could experiment freely with wireless communication, making Bluetooth connectivity economically feasible to develop as a low-cost, short-range wireless technology
• Defined technical direction: Because devices sharing the 2.4 GHz band had to minimize interference (due to multiple users), early Bluetooth specifications adopted a unique frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) technique allowing a Bluetooth connection to rapidly switch frequencies hundreds of times per second and making connections robust even in the crowded 2.4 GHz environment
• Created global potential: The 2.4 GHz band was deregulated (or lightly regulated) in many other countries, not just the US — which meant that Bluetooth technology could be designed as a single global standard rather than having different versions for different regions
• Stimulated a broader ecosystem: Other important wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi and cordless phones, also emerged in the 2.4 GHz band, pushing companies to standardize and optimize co-existence mechanisms — boosting the development of Bluetooth technology through industry collaboration

“The FCC’s decision to open the 2.4 GHz band was the spark that set wireless innovation in motion,” said Oyvind Strom, EVP short-range at Nordic Semiconductor. “Bluetooth rose from that moment, and, ever since, Nordic Semiconductor has helped drive ultra-low-power wireless technology, making it easier than ever for developers to innovate. We continue to push boundaries with Bluetooth® LE, delivering higher performance and greater power efficiency for a sustainable world. Happy Anniversary!”

Shaping a wireless future

That day, 40 years ago, when FCC Chairman Fowler and the FCC/OET team deregulated the 2.4 GHz band, changed the world. Wireless audio made us more productive, made our roads safer, and forever changed the way we experience music and media. Wearables help us take better care of ourselves and each other. Tags and trackers make sure what’s lost can always be found. And billions of other incredible Bluetooth innovations simplify our lives, freeing us to focus on what matters.

And Bluetooth® expanded beyond the personal, powering commercial and industrial solutions that cut energy costs, reduce factory downtime, and minimize waste — helping businesses and industries work smarter and more efficiently. From smartphones to headphones, fitness trackers to asset trackers, the industrial IoT to the Ambient IoT, Bluetooth technology is the most widely used wireless standard in the world — connecting people to who and what they love, businesses to new opportunities, and industries to greater possibilities.

"Collaborating with Bluetooth SIG has been an incredible journey, and, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the FCC's ground-breaking decision, we reflect on its significant impact on wireless communication,” said Dino Bekis, VP/GM of wearables and mixed-signal solutions at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “This not only paved the way for the development of Bluetooth® technology but also played a crucial role in shaping a future where wireless connectivity is seamless, reliable, and ubiquitous."

The FCC’s decision created an environment where Bluetooth technology could be invented, thrive globally, and evolve competitively — giving our community the tools it needed to create a better world through connection.

We've listed the best Bluetooth headsets.

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

• Chinese chatbot DeepSeek is banned for Microsoft employees
• Security and propaganda concerns cited by Microsoft
• Government agencies have also banned the model

In a Senate hearing addressing US AI capabilities, Vice Chair and President of Microsoft Brad Smith has revealed the company's employees are not permitted to use the DeepSeek app.

Citing data security and propaganda concerns, Smith noted Microsoft also does not offer DeepSeek in its app store, arguing there is a risk user data will be stored in China and that DeepSeek’s responses to user enquiries could be influenced by “Chinese propaganda.”

Multiple government agencies have also banned the controversial AI model, including the US Department of Commerce and US Navy - and the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act” could soon see this expanded even further.

Security risks

AI models such as DeepSeek and ChatGPT have been criticized for being a bit of a privacy nightmare, especially given the information users feed into the chatbots - and the personal data that the models collect and store.

The US Congress specifically described DeepSeek as a “profound threat” to national security and privacy, collecting vast amounts of data including "chat history, device details, and even the way a person types."

"Closer inspection reveals that the app siphons data back to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), creates security vulnerabilities for its users, and relies on a model that covertly censors and manipulates information pursuant to Chinese law," the Congress report outlined.

DeepSeek’s privacy policy confirms it does store data on Chinese servers, and the data is subject to Chinese law, which does ensure co-operation with Chinese intelligence agencies.

The model also heavily censors topics sensitive to Chinese security.

The chatbot also suffered a significant data breach, which exposed over a million records and fed into the concerns about AI models and the management and protection of user information.

Via TechCrunch

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Souter was appointed to the Supreme Court by President George H. W. Bush in 1990. He retired in 2009.

(Image credit: Hulton Archive)

President Trump has repeatedly described the U.S.-Canada border as an "artificially drawn line." But experts say just because it was man-made doesn't mean it's not legitimate.

(Image credit: Planet Observer)

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• FBI report warns on risk targeting outdated routers
• Numerous models have known vulnerabilities and are no longer supported
• FBI claims hackers are assimilating the routers into two botnets

Cybercriminals are targeting old and outdated routers that are no longer supported by their vendors, the FBI has warned.

The agency noted how hackers are exploiting known unpatched vulnerabilities to deploy malware on such devices, assimilating them into botnets which are later used for attacks, or rented out as proxy services to other criminals.

These devices are being targeted to be pulled into 5Socks and Anyproxy network, two services who didn’t start off as malicious, but ended up being hijacked by criminals.

Chinese threat

5Socks is a proxy service that offers a large pool of rotating SOCKS5 and HTTPS proxies. Its primary use case was web scraping, anonymity, and bypassing geo-restrictions.

Anyproxy, on the other hand, is advertised as a lightweight, open-source HTTP/HTTPS proxy tool designed for debugging and modifying web traffic in real time. It was often used by developers and testers for intercepting and analyzing requests.

The FBI did not detail which threat actor groups were abusing the two services, but it did mention that the routers were being targeted by “Chinese actors” interested in “establishing botnets to conceal hacking into US critical infrastructures.”

As per the report, the devices currently vulnerable to compromise include a number of Linksys and Cisco models:

E1200
E2500
E1000
E4200
E1500
E300
E3200
WRT320N
E1550
WRT610N
E100
M100
WRT310N

The agency urged all users to unplug and replace the outdated equipment as soon as possible. If they cannot do that, then they should at least disable remote administration features and reboot affected devices to minimize the chances of getting compromised.

Routers, being the gateway of all internet traffic on a network, are the first and most common target in a cyberattack.

Via BleepingComputer

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• A future Apple Watch is expected to feature a camera
• Previous rumors indicate both the Series and Ultra models could use AI to provide context to the world around the user
• A new report says Apple's chips for the products could be ready in just two years

Following reports that Apple could add a camera to its Apple Watch lineup in future, a new report claims chips for the device could be ready for launch by 2027, suggesting the major upgrade could be much closer than we thought.

Previously, it was revealed that Apple is planning a major upgrade to its best Apple Watches turn it into a device with onboard cameras. The report indicated that Apple Watch would use onboard cameras and microphones that would "help the device see the outside world and use AI to deliver relevant information."

Now, the same source, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, says the chip that powers that device could be just 18 months away. "The company is developing a chip called Nevis for the camera-equipped Apple Watch and a component named Glennie for the similarly outfitted AirPods," Gurman wrote in his latest Power On newsletter. "Apple is aiming to have those chips ready by around 2027," he continued.

Apple Watch cameras close at hand?

(Image credit: Future)

While we knew the expected 2025 best Apple Watch lineup – the Apple Watch SE 3, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 – wouldn't feature cameras, as Gurman had previously suggested a camera-equipped Apple wearable was "generations away." Turns out, he might have only meant two generations away, which means that for most users, the next Apple Watch you buy might have a camera.

As we've previously noted, a wearable AI smartwatch could provide users with contextual information about landmarks they see on holiday, directions, and more. It's a concept that underpinned some failed wearables like the Humane AI Pin, and would lean heavily on Apple's excellent existing Apple Intelligence Feature, Visual Intelligence.

Longer-term, it could be part of a future recently alluded to by Apple's Eddy Cue, who remarked off the cuff that we might not need the best iPhones 10 years from now. Cue made his comments in the context of the rapidly evolving AI industry, so it's important not to extrapolate too much from them. However, an AI-powered smartwatch, or perhaps lightweight smart glasses (which Apple is also working on), could well be one such device that unlocks that iPhone-less future.

A more cynical approach would reveal that Apple and Cue's comments are probably just a ruse to stop the US Department of Justice from blowing up its $20 billion deal with Google for the default spot as the iPhone's search engine, presumably in the hope the court is less likely to intervene if it thinks the iPhone is a dying breed.

It seems unlikely Apple would jettison its obscenely successful iPhone ecosystem in favor of a niche wearable that remains an iPhone accessory at this stage. More likely, a camera-equipped Apple Watch would just be one more feature on the iPhone's already comprehensible companion – in other words, another reason for users to consider forking out for one of the best iPhones.

Still, mark your calendars for 2027, as it sounds like big changes are on the way.

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• A Japanese press release confirms Hogwarts Legacy will run up to 1440p on Nintendo Switch 2 using DLSS while docked and 1080p in handheld mode
• It will come with improved lighting and anti-aliasing and a higher frame rate
• There's still no mention of Nvidia's Frame Generation, despite DLSS support

Despite complications and fears of US tariffs affecting sales, the Nintendo Switch 2 is well on its way to consumers on June 5 - and now, there's an update on what we can expect from one of its launch games.

According to 4Gamer, a Japanese press release states that Hogwarts Legacy will run up to a 1440p resolution while docked and 1080p in handheld mode, thanks to Nvidia's DLSS support. This is possible thanks to Nvidia's custom chip, which was recently claimed to be the T239 by PC hardware YouTuber, Geekerwan.

Besides the upgraded resolution, the game will receive a major visual boost with improved lighting, anti-aliasing, and notably an improved frame rate. It's worth highlighting that the Switch port of the critically acclaimed title runs at a playable 30fps, but at the sacrifice of visual quality and potential dips in more graphically intensive areas.

The same applies to the PC version; while performance and visual quality are unsurprisingly much better than the Switch port, Nvidia's Frame Generation is necessary when exploring areas like Hogwarts, as frame pacing and frame rate drops are an issue.

The potential issue for the Switch 2 is that Frame Generation is seemingly missing from the Switch 2's DLSS - and that may not come as a surprise since Nvidia RTX 3000 GPU series owners (and older) don't have access to it at all.

Despite the improved hardware (specifically the T239 GPU), it begs the question of whether demanding games like Hogwarts Legacy - which is prone to major performance dips depending on scenery - will be able to run at higher frame rates, without Frame Generation.

(Image credit: Future/Nintendo) No Frame Generation puts the Switch 2 at a disadvantage against other handhelds

From what it sounds like, Hogwarts Legacy and plenty of other Switch 2 ports will rely on Nvidia DLSS to hit higher frame rates while maintaining good image quality. However, my only concern is that the chip may not be enough to get over the line when playing demanding triple-A titles like Cyberpunk 2077 - at least without access to Frame Generation.

Other handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and now even the Steam Deck (via DeckyLoader) have access to AMD's FSR 3 frame gen, providing higher frame rates where necessary. It certainly isn't the best solution in all cases, as most games need a decent base frame rate to allow frame gen to work smoothly without increased input lag and stuttering.

Regardless, it's a better tool to have than nothing, and right now, it looks like the Nintendo Switch 2 won't have access to frame generation software whatsoever. I hope I'm wrong and when it launches on June 5, we're able to analyze great performance results in demanding games, but I just can't see it happening...

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• Thrustmaster's SimTask FarmStick comes as a dedicated PlayStation model
• It's goes on sales June 4 but you can pre-order today
• Just bear in mind you'll need a Thrustmaster steering wheel to get the most out of it

The Wurzels sung “I’ve got a brand new combine harvester and I’ll give you the key” which peripheral maker Thrustmaster must have taken inspiration from… for the second time as it has just revealed the SimTask FarmStick PlayStation - a joystick designed to be used with Farming Simulator 25.

We’ve already taken the Thrustmaster SimTask FarmStick X, that’s the one designed for use with the Xbox Series X and Series S, for a spin and were impressed with its wide range of inputs, precise control, and mappable buttons when you’re using it with a PC. But a few things like limited compatibility and its very niche use cases saw it lose a star and a half in our review.

Clearly there must be some budding farmers on PlayStation, as Thrustmaster has now come out with a version of the SimTask FarmStick for the PS5 and PS5 Pro.

Now I’ll freely admit I’m not a huge simulator fan, but I do appreciate peripherals that are fully dedicated to help (somewhat) replicate the controls of real-world vehicles. And the SimTask FarmStick looks festooned with the right buttons for operating heavy farming machinery.

As someone who comes from a farming background, I’ve been around a fair few modern tractors, and these days they tend to sport controls that look closer to gaming joysticks than traditional steering wheels and gearsticks.

The SimsTask FarmStick PlayStation is very similar to the Xbox version, with 18 buttons on its base, six buttons on the stick, two rocker switches, a thumbwheel and a mini-stick on the main joystick. Naturally, the Xbox button has been replaced by a black PlayStation one.

(Image credit: Thrustmaster)

There is a catch here: to get the most out of the Simtask Farmstick PlayStation you need to use it with the steering wheel peripheral. But I think if you’re already looking at dedicated peripherals for Farming Simulator 25, you should go full throttle on it and get the SimTask Steering Kit.

Pre-orders for the Simtask Farmstick PlayStation are live now for $179.99 / £99.99 ahead of its June 4 launch.

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• Google is using AI to protect against scams in Chrome, Search and Android
• The AI can analyze and distill data to detect entirely new scams
• Google claims it’s already seeing positive results from the change

If there’s one thing you learn while browsing the internet, it’s that scams are everywhere. Even the most eagle-eyed experts can fall victim, with untold sums of money being lost to these nefarious schemes every year.

That doesn’t mean the situation is hopeless, though, and Google is now taking the fight to scammers with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). According to a recent blog post from the company, there are three areas where Google is using AI against scams: Chrome, Google Search, and Android.

In Chrome, Google is deploying its Gemini Nano on-device large language model (LLM) to provide an Enhanced Protection mode to users. Google says this “keeps users twice as safe from phishing and other scams versus our Standard Protection mode.”

The AI does this by distilling its knowledge of scams in order to analyze suspicious websites and alert users to threats, even if the dangers are new and haven’t been seen before.

As for Search, Google says AI “helps us detect and block hundreds of millions of scammy results every day,” with 20 times as many fraudulent pages being caught than before Google enlisted the help of AI.

Google claims this approach has reduced airline-related scams appearing in Search by up to 80%, for example.

AI on Android

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

While many of these improvements are cross-platform changes that will be seen on different devices, there are also some Android-exclusive tweaks that are putting AI to good use against scams.

One example is website notifications on Android phones. If you’ve allowed a scam website to send you notifications (without realizing it is a scam), you could be barraged by fraudulent alerts that try to steal your data. In cases like that, Google has just launched AI-powered warnings specifically for Chrome on Android.

When a suspicious notification is detected, Chrome on Android will warn you that the alert might be a scam. You can then turn off notifications from the website in question, or view the alert itself, at which point you will again be able to unsubscribe or always allow the alerts if you don’t think they are nefarious.

There are also improvements coming to Google Messages and Phone by Google. These detect ongoing scams that start out innocently, but quickly evolve into dangerous situations, which might be hard for traditional scam-protection methods to spot.

Whatever device you use, it looks like you could benefit from Google’s recent rollout of AI to fight against scams. With bad actors constantly improving their tactics, AI’s ability to quickly analyze huge reams of data could spare you from the fraudsters.

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• Pearson has confirmed recently suffering a cyberattack
• The company claims hackers obtained "legacy data"
• No threat actors claimed responsibility yet

Education services giant Pearson has confirmed suffering a cyberattack and losing customer data, but has played down the importance of the breach, suggesting the stolen data was outdated anyway.

BleepingComputer was tipped off that someone used an exposed GitLab Personal Access token to compromise Pearson’s development environment in January 2025.

The token was found in a public .git/config file, with the attackers using this access to find even more login credentials, hardcoded in the source code, which they then used to infiltrate the company’s network and steal corporate and customer information.

Chinese threat

Pearson later confirmed the news in a statement given to BleepingComputer:

"We recently discovered that an unauthorized actor gained access to a portion of our systems," the statement said.

"Once we identified the activity, we took steps to stop it and investigate what happened and what data was affected with forensics experts. We also supported law enforcement's investigation. We have taken steps to deploy additional safeguards onto our systems, including enhancing security monitoring and authentication."

Then, the company hinted that the data might not be as valuable: "We are continuing to investigate, but at this time we believe the actor downloaded largely legacy data. We will be sharing additional information directly with customers and partners as appropriate."

There was no employee information among the stolen files, it was confirmed. Pearson did not want to say how many people were affected by the incident, or what kind of information was exposed in this “legacy data”.

Unfortunately, leaving sensitive information in Git projects configuration files is nothing new, and criminals know it. In a recent analysis published by security pros GreyNoise, it was said that cybercriminals have ramped up their scanning for exposed Git configuration files, as they hunted for vulnerable organizations in Singapore.

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• All Android users can now verify if their Mullvad VPN app is legit
• Starting with version 2025.2, Mullvad has made the Android app builds reproducible in a bid to improve user security
• Reproducible builds are a guarantee that the app you install hasn’t been tampered with by malicious actors

All Android users can now verify if their Mullvad VPN app is legit before downloading and installing it on their device.

That's because, starting with version 2025.2, Mullvad has made its Android VPN app builds reproducible.

The move comes in a bid to provide users with a trustworthy and secure VPN application. Reproducible builds are a guarantee that the app you install hasn’t been tampered with by malicious actors

TechRadar needs you! We want to know what you think about the world of VPNs. Whether you're a novice or a VPN pro, we want to hear your thoughts. Don't worry, though, your responses are completely anonymous, and it takes less than a minute to complete!

To take part, click the link below: https://futurenet.questionpro.eu/tr-vpn

Verify your Mullvad Android app builds, bit-for-bit

By definition, "a build is reproducible if, given the same source code, build environment, and build instructions, any party can recreate bit-by-bit identical copies of all specified artifacts."

Put it simply, the app code you see when downloading the app should match the source code published by the app developers. This provides assurance that no modification has occurred during the build process.

This comes as 2024 saw a surge in malicious free VPN apps. Cybercriminals increasingly took advantage of the high demand for virtual private network (VPN) tools to spread malware via fake software that mimicked legitimate services.

VPN-based attacks have continued in 2025 as well, with Google warning of attackers using legitimate VPN applications as a backdoor to inject malware and gain remote control of infected devices.

"We believe transparency is crucial for security software. Investing in reproducible builds is a testament to our commitment to providing you with a trustworthy and secure application," wrote Mullvad, one of the best VPN providers on the market right now, in its official announcement.

Starting with version 2025.2, our Android app builds are reproducible. This means you can verify that the app you download and install is built from the open source code we publish.Read more here: https://t.co/GV1ZH8NO5OMay 9, 2025

As mentioned earlier, only Mullvad's latest Android VPN app comes with reproducible builds at the time of writing.

It isn't yet clear if and when the company will extend this feature across its other applications. We approached Mullvad for clarification on this and will update the article when we know more.

The company is now urging all technically inclined users to verify Mullvad builds. The verification process does require some IT skills, but the VPN firm has put together a set of instructions to help you do just that.

"To help ensure we are able to produce reproducible builds over time, we have added initial such checks to our continuous integration (CI) environment," Mullvad added.

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