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A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, July 3 (game #1256).

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 #1257) - hint #1 - VowelsHow 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 #1257) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1257) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1257) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

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

Quordle today (game #1257) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• F

• S

• G

• F

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

Quordle today (game #1257) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1257, are…

• FAVOR
• SKUNK
• GAWKY
• FLUFF

Today was a great example of a mistake leading to a tricky answer I might not have solved otherwise. I incorrectly guessed “snuff” instead of SKUNK and the F-F ending opened up FLUFF.

Incidentally, fluff is one of a small number of five-letter words with just three unique letters. Only one English five letter word has two unique letters. Don’t know it? Ask your mamma.

Sorry for the terrible dad joke.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1257) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1257, are…

• THEME
• MULCH
• DEUCE
• OCCUR

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1256, Thursday, 3 July: DANCE, EYING, GLAZE, EGRET
• Quordle #1255, Wednesday, 2 July: INANE, SCOUR, ELITE, ULCER
• Quordle #1254, Tuesday, 1 July: REBAR, YEARN, FORTH, CROWD
• Quordle #1253, Monday, 30 June: INGOT, INFER, TAPIR, CLUED
• Quordle #1252, Sunday, 29 June: MIRTH, APTLY, SCRUB, SMACK
• Quordle #1251, Saturday, 28 June: AWOKE, SMOKY, DEVIL, SWING
• Quordle #1250, Friday, 27 June: SPEAK, EAGLE, AVERT, SUING
• Quordle #1249, Thursday, 26 June: SLUMP, REBUS, GUAVA, MONEY
• Quordle #1248, Wednesday, 25 June: SOGGY, CLASH, MODEM, SQUAD
• Quordle #1247, Tuesday, 24 June: QUALM, SQUIB, AXIAL, FLACK
• Quordle #1246, Monday, 23 June: PIXEL, FJORD, STEAL, EXIST
• Quordle #1245, Sunday, 22 June: WREST, CRAZE, PAPAL, SCION
• Quordle #1244, Saturday, 21 June: BUDDY, GROUT, BEGIN, MADAM
• Quordle #1243, Friday, 20 June: BRAID, DULLY, HASTE, LURID
• Quordle #1242, Thursday, 19 June: BRUSH, ISLET, FRUIT, PRIVY
• Quordle #1241, Wednesday, 18 June: MEDIA, SHARK, GUPPY, MOURN
• Quordle #1240, Tuesday, 17 June: LEAPT, PRISM, ADMIN, WHINE
• Quordle #1239, Monday, 16 June: RETRY, SCALD, DINGO, FEIGN
• Quordle #1238, Sunday, 15 June: SHOCK, STEIN, BROIL, COVEN
• Quordle #1237, Saturday, 14 June: STICK, FERRY, THESE, IONIC

• Hackers are actively targeting a messaging app used by federal agencies
• The app was also involved in the Signalgate scandal
• Hackers have already stolen chats and metadata from 60 government officials

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has warned a popular Signal messaging app clone being used by federal agencies is under attack.

The clone, TeleMessage, was found to have some serious issues, including a lack of proper end-to-end encryption.

Hackers have been exploiting two flaws, CVE-2025-48927 and CVE-2025-48928, to access federal chat logs and metadata. CISA has given federal agencies until July 22 to apply patches.

Federal chat app hacked

The new comes months after then-US national security advisor Mike Waltz accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, editor in chief at The Atlantic, to a secret Signal chat discussing ongoing US strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Waltz was then removed from his position as a result.

Following investigations into the fiasco, it emerged that Waltz and others weren’t using Signal, but a clone of the app called TM SGNL, which was developed by TeleMessage.

The app was then subsequently targeted in an attack that saw the chat logs and metadata of around 60 government officials including Secret Service members and a White House official leaked online.

The first flaw listed by CISA, CVE-2025-48927, has a CVSS score of 5.3, and allows hackers to extract sensitive data from memory dumps exposed by a Spring Boot Actuator misconfiguration in the TeleMessage app that exposes the /heapdump endpoint.

The second flaw, CVE-2025-48928, has a CVSS score of 4.0, and allows an attacker to access exposed passwords sent over HTTP by stealing a memory-dump file through local access to the TeleMessage server.

No other details on the flaws have been released by CISA, but the agency has said that federal agencies must patch the app by July 22 or stop using it altogether.

Via The Register

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U.S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June as the unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%. Job gains were concentrated in health care and state and local government.

(Image credit: Michael M. Santiago)

• AMD's RX 9070 XT is now considerably faster than it was at launch
• It's 9% quicker, in fact, with the latest graphics driver compared to the initial release
• That's based on benchmarking across a suite of games conducted by Hardware Unboxed, and those results are broadly reflected elsewhere, too

AMD's RX 9070 XT graphics card is considerably faster than it was when the GPU first launched thanks to improvements in Team Red's drivers, going by some new testing.

This comes from Hardware Unboxed on YouTube (as highlighted by VideoCardz), which had seen reports of performance boosts and wanted to verify those claims.

And they turned out to be correct, because based on benchmarks conducted across a suite of 16 games (at 1440p resolution) by Hardware Unboxed, the RX 9070 XT was 9% faster than with its launch graphics drivers (from back in March 2025).

This game benchmarking used the latest AMD Adrenalin graphics driver (version 25.6.3), but also included Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti not just for perspective, but also to ensure that these gains were achieved due to the drivers.

This was to eliminate the possibility that the near-10% boost witnessed by the RX 9070 XT might have been the result of patches applied to the games. So, if the RTX 5070 Ti had shown similar gains, the conclusion would be that this was down to game, not driver, optimizations – but that isn't the case.

Granted, with some games, the RTX 5070 Ti witnessed similar frame-rate gains to AMD's graphics card, which could indicate that those improvements were indeed down to an update for the game (or multiple updates over time). Or indeed that Nvidia's drivers have improved, too, by a similar amount, which is of course perfectly possible. There were some victories for the RTX 5070 Ti, as well, though they were more outliers, like a 36% gain in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (which was due to a bug fix).

The broad thrust of Hardware Unboxed's findings, though, is that the RX 9070 XT does considerably better, with the mentioned 9% boost (going from 116 frames per second to 126 on average) compared to a gain of 2.5% (119 frames per second to 122) for Nvidia's upper-mid-range GPU. That include a 27% speed gain for the AMD graphics card in Spider-Man Remastered.

Analysis: AMD's increasingly tempting value proposition

Of course, there are a lot of moving parts here in terms of the games chosen to be tested and graphics settings applied (and the test PC configuration). There wasn't much difference at 4K resolution, it's worth noting, with a 4% gain for the 9070 XT versus 3% for the 5070 Ti.

So, this is hardly a definitive result, and we should exercise some caution around it. Still, the difference at 1440p appears to be large enough to warrant some raised eyebrows, and these kinds of gains have been observed elsewhere, too, as noted.

It appears, then, that AMD has made considerable progress in honing its Adrenalin graphics drivers – much more so than Nvidia – since the RDNA 4 range of graphics cards was launched. Or, to a certain extent, this could reflect Team Red smoothing out wonkiness with performance at lower resolutions (given that the boost at 4K is much less, and barely any different to what Nvidia has managed with the RTX 5070 Ti).

This is great news for those who bought an RX 9070 XT already, of course, and effectively a substantial free speed boost, as it were. It's also evidence of the 'fine wine' effect that's commonly associated with AMD drivers, meaning they age very well as time goes on.

What about the situation for those who are looking at buying either an RTX 5070 Ti or RX 9070 XT? For starters, they can check out our head-to-head comparison of those GPUs, but performance-wise in this Hardware Unboxed test, there's not much between them.

At 1440p – the resolution these graphics cards will mostly be used at – AMD has pulled its socks up a good deal as noted, and the 9070 XT is now the faster board, but only by 3%. There are other arguments in favor of Nvidia, too, around the benefits of DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation, so it's a very close battle here.

That means, then, that pricing is absolutely key – and of course regional price tags, too – and this is where AMD scores the win, certainly in the US, UK and Australia. At Newegg US currently, the Nvidia GPU is 20% more expensive (it's normally more, though), and in Australia the gulf is more like 30%. Wherever you live, the story is likely to be very similar, unless you can find a really good outlier of a deal on the RTX 5070 Ti (like this one in the UK currently).

And given that, unless you're really hungry for DLSS 4, the RX 9070 XT is now looking very much the stronger of these GPUs in terms of that all-important overall price/performance ratio.

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• Microsoft reportedly set for another round of job cuts
• Next move could see 6,000 cut from the company's Gaming division
• The cuts make up less than 4% of Microsoft's global headcount

Microsoft is cutting 9,000 jobs with most of those facing the ax being employed in the Gaming division.

“We continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace,” a Microsoft spokesperson said (via CNBC).

The job cuts seek to reduce the layers of managers standing between individual contributors and top executives, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC.

Microsoft reveals another round of cuts

Cutting jobs seems to be the growing trend for many large companies, with Microsoft cutting just under 1% of its workforce in January 2025.

Another 6,000 workers, mostly programmers, were cut in May and a further 300 jobs cut in June.

Phil Spencer, Microsoft’s CEO of gaming, wrote in a Wednesday memo, “To position Gaming for enduring success and allow us to focus on strategic growth areas, we will end or decrease work in certain areas of the business and follow Microsoft’s lead in removing layers of management to increase agility and effectiveness.”

Amazon has also gone through several waves of layoffs this year, with CEO Andy Jassy repeatedly saying that AI could replace some of its workers.

For Microsoft though, the layoffs are more to do with improving business performance and reducing internal friction.

Intel has also lined up a significant wave of layoffs, with the company looking to cut 15-20% of its factory workforce.

Intel already laid off 15,000 people in August 2024. But while Intel has been struggling with declining revenues and market performance, Microsoft reported nearly $26 billion in net income on $70 billion in revenue for the March quarter.

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Presumed Innocent season 2: key information

- Renewed in July 2024
- Rachel Brosnahan cast as lead star
- Jake Gyllenhaal to return as executive producer
- Release date currently unknown
- Plot to follow Jo Murray's Dissection of a Murder
- No official trailer yet

Presumed Innocent season 2 is on the way, which is not surprising given the prodigious success of Apple TV+'s dark and twisting adaptation of the Scott Turow novel of the same name.

And while viewers had yet to find out whether Rusty Sabich (Jake Gyllenhaal) did or didn’t murder his mistress, it seems they never will. A new lead star has been cast with a whole new plot to follow. So, there's plenty to talk about that doesn't concern Rusty at all.

It's one of the best Apple TV+ shows and as we look ahead to what season 2 has to offer for this gripping procedural drama before it returns to one of the best streaming services. Here's what we can expect from release date, plot details, confirmed cast, trailer speculation and more.

Presumed Innocent season 2 release date

New season. New case.Presumed Innocent has been renewed for season 2. pic.twitter.com/FeKFmAWueiJuly 12, 2024

There's no Presumed Innocent season 2 release date just yet, but with the official renewal from Apple TV+ happening back in July 2024, it doesn't feel too far away.

I'd predict we'll be seeing season 2 around early 2026, but I'll be sure to update here as soon as I hear any news.

Presumed Innocent season 2 trailer

New season. New case.Presumed Innocent has been renewed for season 2. pic.twitter.com/FeKFmAWueiJuly 12, 2024

Unfortunately, it's not going to take a district attorney to work out that a Presumed Innocent season 2 trailer won’t be expected until a few weeks before the show drops on Apple TV+. But, I'll post it here when it does.

Presumed Innocent season 2 cast

A post shared by Apple TV (@appletv)

A photo posted by on

Full spoilers to follow for Presumed Innocent season 1.

The only confirmed Presumed Innocent cast member so far is Rachel Brosnahan as Leila Reynolds. In June, it was officially revealed by Apple TV that she would be taking on the lead role for season 2.

Despite Gyllenhaal playing the lead in this series, it seems very unlikely that he'll return as Rusty for season 2 given there will be an entirely new storyline (more on this below).

But, he will be staying on as an executive producer alongside David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams and Scott Turrow.

And while Peter Sarsgaard played Tommy Molto in season 1, he was very clear about his position on returning for season 2, as reported by IndieWire: “I’m not really that interested in sequels. I think I’ve only ever done one season of anything… I think I’m a one-season person.”

That doesn't mean there can't be any crossover though, as Deadline revealed: "There had been an idea for a character or two from Season 1 to carry over for continuity in the vein of HBO's The White Lotus; it is unclear whether that is still a possibility". Though reps from Apple TV+ and WBTV declined to comment.

Presumed Innocent season 2 plot details & rumors

A new season and a new courtroom (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

As discussed in the cast section, Presumed Innocent season 2 will be based on an entirely new source material. While Scott Turrow is on board as co-executive producer, it won't be another of his books that season 2 will follow.

Instead, it has been confirmed that it will be based on the debut legal thriller Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray. And that is, in part, due to the fact there was no clear path for season 2.

As per the Pan Macmillan's official synopsis, we have a great insight into the plot: "When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she's shocked at how high-profile it is: the murder of a well-respected, well-known judge.

"This shouldn't be the kind of case she's leading; it's way beyond her expertise. But the defendant, Jack Millman, is clear. He wants her, and only her.

"To make things worse, he's refusing to talk. How is she supposed to prove herself on what appears to be an unwinnable case?"

Oh, and Deadline also revealed that the prosecutor in Leila's case is also her husband. Adding: "Things are still in flux but Dissection of a Murder is expected to serve as inspiration for the second season of what is shaping up to be a true anthology series."

Will there be more seasons of Presumed Innocent?

Presumed Innocent season 2 paves the way for an anthology (Image credit: Apple TV+)

There's no news of any future seasons of Presumed Innocent, but that shouldn't come as a shock since there's not even a season 2 release date yet.

What we do know is that the popular Apple TV+ drama is shaping up to become an anthology series, which does create a much wider scope for any future seasons and their subsequent plots.

As always, I imagine it'll depend on the success of season 2 before a decision is made around more. But, since season 2 was renewed two weeks before season 1 concluded, there's every hope that there'll be more to come.

For more Apple TV+ coverage, read our guides on Severance season 3, Ted Lasso season 4, Silo season 3, and Slow Horses season 5.

Our series on identity theft protection apps will evaluate the features, pricing options, competition, and also the overall value of using each app. However, these are not full hands-on reviews since evaluating identity theft protection apps is almost impossible. It would require several months of testing, purposefully hacking accounts to see if the protection app works, handing over personally identifiable information, performing multiple credit checks, and risking exposure of the reviewer’s personally identifiable information.

Every discussion about Experian IdentityWorks in reviews and news begins with the mandatory mention of the company's previous data breach history. This evaluation contains the same pattern as others, but readers should evaluate its complete fairness. The brand IdentityWorks operates under Experian, which maintains its position as a subsidiary, despite Experian’s well-known reputation for negative reasons.

In 2015, the major consumer credit reporting agency revealed one of the most significant data breaches, which exposed more than 15 million customer records. The massive security failure of a credit reporting agency handling sensitive financial data caused global shock and widespread public concern, despite additional data breaches across various industries.

The infamous security incident occurred more than ten years ago. The long duration of this event would remind movie fans of a memorable scene from The World According to Garp. The movie depicts Robin Williams' character, who searches for a house but watches a plane crash into his potential home. He decides to buy the house because he believes another plane hitting the house would be astronomically unlikely.

The security measures implemented by Experian follow a similar pattern to the previous situation. The company likely dedicated significant resources to improving data security after its major and harmful 2015 data breach, thus surpassing other organizations in their security enhancements. Experian faces an "astronomical" probability of experiencing another major data breach at least as severe as its previous incident. The focus on Experian's 2015 breach creates an inaccurate impression because the company has probably developed enhanced defensive capabilities that provide better protection for its IdentityWorks users today.

Experian offers a number of plans to choose from depending on how many adults and children there are in your household (Image credit: Experian)

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Experian IdentityWorks: Plans and pricing

The Basic plan, a free tier of Experian, offers limited features. It includes a complimentary Experian credit report, FICO score, dark web surveillance report, and FICO score tracker. While cost-effective, this plan provides minimal protection.

The Premium plan offers a comprehensive range of features designed to protect adults from identity theft and fraud. Priced at $24.99 per month, this subscription service provides robust monitoring and alerts to safeguard sensitive personal information.

One of the key features of the Premium plan is full access to credit monitoring. This service monitors your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—and notifies you of any changes or suspicious activity. This allows you to stay informed about your credit profile and quickly identify any potential issues, such as unauthorized inquiries or fraudulent accounts.

To enhance account security, the plan offers financial account takeover alerts. These alerts vigilantly monitor your financial accounts for any unauthorized transactions or changes. By doing so, this feature safeguards your bank accounts, credit cards, and investment accounts against potential compromises. If any suspicious activities are detected, you will receive immediate notifications, allowing you to take prompt action to secure your accounts effectively.

Within the Premium plan's robust offerings, change of address alerts stand out as a crucial feature. This service keeps a watchful eye on public records to detect any modifications to your address, such as alterations to your driver's license or voter registration. Identity thieves frequently exploit change of address requests to reroute your mail, allowing them to pilfer confidential documents. However, this alert system safeguards you by promptly notifying you of any unauthorized changes, empowering you to take proactive steps to shield your identity from harm.

In addition to its monitoring features, the Premium plan provides social network monitoring alerts. This service vigilantly scans social media platforms for any unauthorized use of your name, photos, or personal information. Given that social media accounts are frequent targets for identity thieves, this alert system keeps you informed of potential online fraud attempts.

Among the many benefits of the Premium plan, the most notable feature is the up to $1 million in identity theft insurance it provides. This coverage acts as a financial safety net in the unfortunate event you become a victim of identity theft. The insurance covers expenses associated with restoring your identity, including legal fees, lost wages, and credit repair. This coverage offers invaluable peace of mind, knowing that you have a support system in place to help you recover from the devastating impact of identity theft.

The Premium plan provides a comprehensive array of security features to safeguard adults from identity theft and fraudulent activities. This subscription service offers robust monitoring, timely alerts, and substantial insurance coverage, creating an invaluable layer of protection for your sensitive personal information.

For families with more than one adult, the top-tier Family plan is the best choice. With a monthly cost of $34.99, this plan covers two adults and up to ten children, offering all the features of the Premium plan except for one minor difference.

The assumption of identity theft prevention software that users could have "up to" 10 children is perplexing, particularly given that the average number of children per family in the US is only two, and even fewer in the UK. Despite this, IdentityWorks inexplicably offers pricing options that accommodate up to 10 children and one or two adults. This pricing structure stands in stark contrast to the reality of family sizes in most countries, raising questions about the rationale behind such an assumption.

Unfortunately, annual discounts are currently unavailable. Instead, a brief 7-day free trial is offered. However, it necessitates purchasing the plan and then canceling it within the trial period, effectively converting it into a money-back guarantee during the first week.

Experian does not offer a standalone app for IdentityWorks and instead the service is baked into its credit report app. (Image credit: Experian)Experian IdentityWorks: Interface

Thank goodness we're partnering with a major corporation like IdentityWorks, which boasts the resources and expertise to develop a user-friendly and feature-rich application. IdentityWorks' dashboard exemplifies minimalist design, featuring a sleek layout with intuitive tabs at the top that simplify navigation. Users can effortlessly find the information they need without unnecessary distractions. Additionally, the dashboard incorporates a dynamic wizard that visually tracks progress, indicating the number of steps completed and accounts configured, much like the seamless experience offered by Norton LifeLock, which prioritizes accessibility and user engagement.

In contrast, PrivacyGuard's interface appears somewhat cluttered, with an overabundance of bright colors that can be distracting and create a sense of overwhelm for specific users. IdentityWorks, on the other hand, cultivates an atmosphere of professionalism and importance, ensuring that users feel confident and secure while managing their sensitive information.

The IdentityWorks app is packed with practical features that empower users to take charge of their identities and maintain their privacy. For example, it offers tools for generating strong passwords, regularly monitoring credit reports, and sending timely alerts about potential identity theft. These proactive measures are crucial in today’s digital landscape, where threats to personal information are constant and evolving. Additionally, the app includes comprehensive resources for identity recovery in the event of an unfortunate need, ensuring users have a plan in place to regain control if their identity is compromised.

Overall, IdentityWorks stands out as an excellent choice for individuals seeking a comprehensive and user-friendly identity management solution. Its clean interface, practical features, and robust security measures position it as a leading option for anyone serious about protecting their identity and privacy in an increasingly digital world.

However, it's worth noting that while the IdentityWorks website provides links to apps for both Android and iOS devices, many consumers are unaware of their actual existence. Unfortunately, the linked apps lead to the Experian app rather than a dedicated IdentityWorks application. This oversight is disappointing and frustrating for consumers who are actively seeking a well-rounded identity management solution tailored to their needs. Improved visibility and clarity regarding app options could significantly enhance the user experience and ensure that users have the necessary tools at their fingertips.

Experian IdentityWorks: Features

In addition to its unique features, IdentityWorks emphasizes the importance of education and empowerment in the realm of identity protection. The platform is designed not only to monitor for potential threats but also to equip users with the knowledge they need to take proactive steps in safeguarding their identities. By providing access to a wealth of educational resources, including articles, guides, and webinars, users can stay informed about the latest trends in identity theft and cyber threats, enabling them to make more informed decisions about their safety.

Another noteworthy aspect of IdentityWorks is its focus on customer support. Recognizing that navigating issues of identity theft can be stressful and overwhelming, IdentityWorks provides comprehensive, round-the-clock support to its users. This includes access to dedicated identity theft recovery specialists who can guide users through the process of resolving any issues they may encounter. Whether it’s disputing fraudulent charges, recovering stolen identities, or simply understanding the nuances of personal credit, having expert assistance available can significantly alleviate the anxiety often associated with identity theft.

Additionally, IdentityWorks places a strong emphasis on user privacy and data security. In an era where data breaches are becoming increasingly common, the platform utilizes advanced encryption techniques and robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive user information. This commitment to protecting personal data not only enhances trust among users but also aligns with the growing demand for responsible data handling practices in the industry.

Moreover, the ability to tailor monitoring alerts is another feature that enhances the user experience. Users can customize the types of alerts they receive, ensuring they are only notified about issues relevant to them. This level of personalization not only reduces noise and potential overwhelm but also allows for a more focused approach to identity monitoring. Users can prioritize their concerns and receive timely updates that are relevant to their specific situations.

Finally, as technology continues to evolve, IdentityWorks remains committed to staying current with advancements in the field of identity protection. By regularly updating its services and features, the platform aims to stay ahead of emerging threats, offering users cutting-edge tools that reflect the current landscape of identity security. This commitment to innovation not only positions IdentityWorks as a formidable player in the identity theft protection market but also helps reassure users that their security is a top priority in an evolving environment.

In summary, while many identity theft protection services offer foundational monitoring features, IdentityWorks stands out through its unique offerings, emphasis on education and customer support, commitment to privacy and data security, customizable alerts, and dedication to staying current with technological advancements. These qualities make it an attractive option for those seeking comprehensive protection and guidance in navigating the complexities of identity management.

Experian IdentityWorks: The competition

The strong set of features in Experian IdentityWorks includes court record monitoring alongside FICO score simulation accuracy. Still, the identity theft protection market offers multiple robust alternatives for diverse needs and price ranges. LifeLock serves as a prominent identity theft protection service because it is integrated within the Norton 360 suite, which offers comprehensive cybersecurity protection. LifeLock monitors deeply, offering extensive dark web and home title and social media surveillance, along with $3 million in identity theft insurance coverage. However, its costs rise substantially following initial promotional periods.

Aura stands as a powerful alternative, achieving high ratings from users who praise its comprehensive security features. Aura provides users with comprehensive identity and credit monitoring capabilities through its alert system, which tracks all three major credit bureaus and incorporates full cybersecurity features, including VPN protection, antivirus software, and parental control capabilities. Aura offers families an excellent digital security solution, providing comprehensive protection at competitive prices with generous identity theft insurance benefits of up to $5 million for family plans.

The Premier version of Identity Guard provides advanced AI technology based on IBM Watson to monitor three bureau data alongside comprehensive protection which sets it apart from other options. The system provides immediate alerts and focuses intensely on credit reporting so it suits users who want to protect their financial information. The legal support feature of IDShield through LegalShield makes it stand out as a provider because it offers simple pricing together with dedicated legal assistance during identity theft situations. The restoration process includes access to a licensed private investigator along with social media tracking and VPN protection for users who need complete identity protection along with robust legal protection. The selection between these alternatives depends on individual preferences regarding specific features and insurance levels as well as budget constraints and the need for a complete cybersecurity package.

Experian IdentityWorks: Support

Experian doesn't provide a specific phone number or email address for direct contact regarding issues. Instead, clicking on "Contact us" directs users to a help center with various articles. For immediate assistance, Experian recommends obtaining an Experian credit report and calling the phone number provided on the report.

To enhance user satisfaction, we would suggest more streamlined and accessible communication channels for users to reach out to Experian.

Experian IdentityWorks: Final verdict

Safeguarding your personal identity stands as an absolute necessity in the current digitally connected world. Our personal information exists in the digital atmosphere to a greater extent than ever because of online transactions and social media posts, along with connected devices. The defense mechanisms provided by credit protection cover only a limited segment of identity theft risks that continue to evolve.

Identity theft is a broad and damaging criminal activity that encompasses multiple types of fraudulent actions, resulting in severe harm to victims. A person who steals your personal details can perform multiple illegal actions, such as establishing unauthorized credit accounts using your name while taking loans you will need to pay, filing false tax returns, and committing crimes, which will appear on your criminal record. The consequences of identity theft go beyond financial damage because they cause severe credit score deterioration along with damaged reputation and both emotional suffering and time-consuming identity recovery procedures.

Experian IdentityWorks stands as one of the primary services that protects identities from theft among all available options. The service provides a comprehensive suite of protective tools designed to defend personal data and mitigate identity theft threats effectively. The service offers continuous credit bureau monitoring, a proactive fraud alert system, substantial identity theft insurance coverage, and dedicated support for resolving identity theft cases.

Many users choose Experian IdentityWorks because of its extensive educational resources and instructional materials. The service provides highly valuable, actionable information that teaches users effective techniques for preventing identity theft and secure methods for handling their data online. The informational materials provide clear and engaging content that enables individuals with varying digital skills to protect their personal information effectively.

The choice to sign up for Experian IdentityWorks depends on personal factors which include your comfort level with risk and the specific issues you want to address. The financial and credit security features of Experian IdentityWorks make it a solid choice for those seeking comprehensive credit monitoring and fraud protection, thanks to its direct connection to Experian's credit data. Direct access to Experian credit data enables users to benefit from superior accuracy and a more detailed understanding.

The past data breach of Experian remains a notable concern for potential customers who decide against the service. The company invested extensive resources in security improvements following the breach more than a decade ago, although the incident continues to impact those who need perfect security standards. People who want better security and peace of mind should consider identity protection services such as LifeLock, Aura, Identity Guard, and IDShield.

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• Catwatchful data leak affects 62,000 victims, including 26,000 victims' phone data
• The dodgy developer outed himself by reusing an email address
• Google has committed to warning users about the app

Security researcher Eric Daigle has revealed information about a serious data breach affecting Catwatchful, an Android spyware app disguised as a child monitoring tool.

A full user database with plaintext passwords and email addresses affecting over 62,000 users has been leaked as a result, with phone data like messages, photos, location, mic and camera feeds also putting 26,000 victims at risk.

According to the report, the spyware app runs in stealth mode hidden from users, collecting and uploading information.

Catwatchful app is full of spyware

As is typical from stalkerware like this, Catwatchful is an app that operates outside of the Play Store, requiring physical installation via a process known as sideloading.

The app's admin, Uruguay-based developer Omar Soca Charcov, has been exposed because the email he used for Catwatchful had been reused on LinkedIn.

Daigle also noted that Charcov's admin account was the first record in the breached database, with password recovery linked to his personal email address.

The data was stored on Google Firebase, sent via a custom API that was unauthenticated, resulting in open access to user and victim data. The report also confirms that, although hosting had initially been suspended by HostGator, it had been restored via another temporary domain.

Most affected devices affect users in Mexico, Colombia, India, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador and Bolivia.

Daigle was able to exploit a SQL injection vulnerability to get access to the database, leading him to conclude that Firebase was not the source of the vulnerability, but rather the API.

Google has been notified, and although the app isn't distributed on the Play Store, the company has added Google Play Protect alerts for Catwatchful.

To stay protected from threats like this, it’s important to use the best antivirus software, reliable malware removal tools, and strong endpoint protection.

Even well-known apps and tools can have flaws, so running trusted security software and keeping all apps current helps reduce the risk of malware slipping through unnoticed.

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• Nvidia and AMD 8GB GPUs sales numbers are low at a German retailer
• The Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB models have sold significantly higher
• It's a strong indication that gamers prefer GPUs with more VRAM

We're now deep into Nvidia and AMD's new GPU launches, with the former recently releasing the new low-end RTX 5050 8GB GPU. However, one retailer has made it alarmingly clear that consumers are looking elsewhere for gaming GPUs.

As reported by Wccftech, a German retailer, Mindfactory, has a low number of units sold on Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti (8GB) and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT (8GB), noticeably less than their 16GB counterparts – this is thanks to the retailer showing how many units have been sold on each product.

Essentially, it's an indication that PC gamers don't want 8GB GPUs, or at least a large majority prefer GPUs with more VRAM capacities. While it could also be a suggestion of low availability, that's not been an issue for these lower-end GPUs in most regions recently, with inflated prices throwing consumers off.

It's not a secret that games are becoming more VRAM-hungry, and while 8GB isn't completely useless (it's still relevant for 1080p gaming), it's not the best option for games today. Frame Generation, which would significantly help performance with 8GB GPUs where necessary, increases VRAM consumption – and that's the last thing these GPUs need.

Analysis: Hopefully, this is the last generation of 8GB GPUs...Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Mindfactory)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Mindfactory)

So far, Intel appears to be the only one among the three major tech giants to abandon 8GB GPUs. AMD and Nvidia have stuck with 8GB configurations for their new GPUs, and if I'm honest, I don't see any benefit to it.

Again, I'm not suggesting 8GB GPUs are pointless; there's certainly a significant number of PC gamers on a budget who don't need mid to high-tier hardware, which is where an 8GB card would make sense. However, the current trend of poor performance in PC games, combined with inflated prices of GPUs above their retail price, makes these graphics cards a hard sell.

The only place I would tolerate 8GB GPUs being used is in low-end and affordable gaming laptops. Laptop GPUs don't match up to discrete desktop GPUs performance-wise, so expectations of decent frame rates are expected. But it's not the same case when you build a desktop rig, where you expect a bang for your buck – and I don't think 8GB of VRAM can achieve that.

It's all besides the point, though, as the simple case of more VRAM-hungry games should be enough to put an end to 8GB cards. I'm just hopeful this generation will be the last we see of them...

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• An unannounced MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Game Studios has been canceled
• The project is just one of many that have been canceled amid mass layoffs at Microsoft
• ZeniMax Game Studios head Matt Firor has also stepped down

Microsoft has canceled an unannounced massively multiplayer game (MMO) from The Elder Scrolls Online developer ZeniMax Game Studios.

This comes amid mass layoffs at Microsoft that have seen 9,000 staff members affected, as well as multiple other games to be canceled, including Perfect Dark and Everwild.

The project, code-named Blackbird, was said to be an MMO and a brand new IP unrelated to The Elder Scrolls or Fallout. Development began in 2018 and has been in the works for seven years. It appears that the team has also been cut as part of the layoffs.

According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier on Bluesky, "some employees at ZeniMax Online Studios are now watching their Slack accounts abruptly get locked out," and they've received no word from HR or been informed about the status of their employment, "just an ominous Slack deactivation."

In addition, ZeniMax Game Studios' head Matt Firor has stepped down from his position and been replaced by Joseph Burba.

"After more than 18 years leading ZeniMax Online Studios, I'll be stepping away later this month," Firor said on X / Twitter.

"While I won't be working on the game anymore, I will be cheering you on and adding to the thousands of hours I've already spent in-game. There are many more stories to be told, adventures to be had, and I know this amazing community will carry that shared legacy and success forwards."

Please read this update from ZOS President, Matt Firor. pic.twitter.com/M00G1QZZrHJuly 2, 2025

Jill Braff, head of studio for Bethesda and ZeniMax, also shared a staff memo announcing the leadership changes while also commenting on the latest job cuts (via IGN).

"Dear Team. Building on Matt’s note below, I first want to take a moment to acknowledge the changes happening today across Microsoft Gaming, including Bethesda/ZeniMax," Braff wrote.

"Saying goodbye to talented colleagues and friends is painful. These individuals have contributed meaningfully to our studios, our games, and our culture. I want to thank them for the contributions they have made that shaped our journey as a team and as a company.

"I also want to share today that Matt Firor has decided to step down from his role as the head of ZeniMax Online Studios, effective July 14. I want to offer heartfelt thanks to Matt for his incredible leadership of ZOS over the last 18 years. As a driving force behind the success of The Elder Scrolls Online, Matt has grown the game into one of the most enduring and beloved MMOs in the industry."

He continues, writing, "I’m pleased to announce that Joseph ('Jo') Burba will be taking over for Matt Firor as the new Studio Director for ZOS. With over 20 years in the industry, his extensive experience in live service multiplayer titles, and a strong background in various roles across ZOS the past thirteen years, Jo is well-prepared to lead the team into its next chapter.

"Matt, Jo, and I will work together to finalize our transition plan – more to come soon. In the meantime, please join me in wishing Matt all the best and congratulating Jo on his new role. Thank you to all of you for your dedication to Bethesda/ZeniMax, our community, and to each other."

Braff references a prior memo from the head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, in which he confirmed the many game cancellations, the closure of developer The Initiative, and the cancellation of "several unannounced projects".

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• Oracle will more than double its cloud revenue in FY2028 with a $30 billion deal
• OpenAI's Project Stargate will see $500 billion invested across the US
• The AI firm is set to lease an additional 4.5GW from Oracle

OpenAI has said it is set to lease an additional 4.5 gigawatts of data center power on top of its current portfolio from Oracle to fuel its upcoming Project Stargate – a major initiative to expand its AI data center infrastructure across the United States.

The huge deal is part of OpenAI's $500 billion plan announced in January 2025 alongside major partners including Oracle and SoftBank.

With Oracle CEO Safra Catz recently revealing the company has secured a major contract worth $30 billion in annual revenue, many are beginning to speculate whether OpenAI could be the cloud giant's biggest client.

OpenAI to rent even more data center power from Oracle

Although OpenAI failed to share specific details about Project Stargate, we do know that it centers around a $500 billion investment spanning four years, beginning with an initial $100 billion investment.

We also know that Oracle has plans to build new data centers in Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin and Wyoming, with further sites in New Mexico, Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania also potentially on the cards (via Bloomberg), which broadly aligns with Project Stargate's plans to "secure American leadership in AI" and "support the re-industrialization of the United States."

Commenting during the company's fiscal 2025 earnings release – a period when total company revenue rose 8% – Catz wrote: "FY25 was a very good year—but we believe FY26 will be even better as our revenue growth rates will be dramatically higher."

"Oracle is well on its way to being not only the world’s largest cloud application company—but also one of the world’s largest cloud infrastructure companies," Catz added. Oracle has a market cap of $645.98 billion, putting it several paces behind its key multi trillion-dollar hyperscaler rivals.

Oracle did not respond to TechRadar Pro's request for a comment on the mystery $30 billion deal, which is set to come into play in fiscal 2028.

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