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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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, May 20 (game #1212).

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 #1213) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1213) - 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 #1213) - 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 #1213 - 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 #1213) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• N

• C

• D

• D

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

Quordle today (game #1213) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1213, are…

• NOVEL
• CHOSE
• DIRTY
• DONUT

If I had chosen COULD as a start word instead of WOULD I would/could have finished today’s Quordle a little more quickly, but that’s my only gripe.

NOVEL was the only word I struggled to find, but with three letters in the correct positions it didn’t take long to uncover it. How was it for you?

The Daily Sequence was far more challenging after I took seven tries to get the first word.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1213) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1213, are…

• HOWDY
• STOCK
• SILLY
• SHOWY

Quordle answers: The past 20

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, May 20 (game #709).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #710) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TRASH
• PATCH
• LAPTOP
• BAR
• REFUSE
• MUSIC
• COMPACT
• DESKTOP
• CLAM
• BLOCK
• TABLET
• PICTURES
• CREAM
• WAFFLE IRON
• DENY
• SPRAY

NYT Connections today (game #710) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: No way in
• GREEN: Computer storage
• BLUE: Pharmacy products
• PURPLE: Type of hinge

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #710) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: PROHIBIT, AS ENTRY 
• GREEN: FOLDERS ON A MAC 
• BLUE: MEDICINE FORMATS 
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT OPEN LIKE A CLAM 

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

NYT Connections today (game #710) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #710, are…

• YELLOW: PROHIBIT, AS ENTRY BAR, BLOCK, DENY, REFUSE
• GREEN: FOLDERS ON A MAC DESKTOP, MUSIC, PICTURES, TRASH
• BLUE: MEDICINE FORMATS CREAM, PATCH, SPRAY, TABLET
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT OPEN LIKE A CLAM CLAM, COMPACT, LAPTOP, WAFFLE IRON

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I found this Connections to be the easiest for a while – possibly because I own a MacBook that opens like a clam, and I'm forever blocking people, and I take a lot of medicine.

Including CLAM in the category THINGS THAT OPEN LIKE A CLAM seems like a bit of a cheat and not a very Connections thing to do, but I’m struggling to think what could take its place other than describing very particular brands of backpack that open that way rather than the traditional duffel bag style.

Still, it helped me get a purple group very early, which made me feel clever, so zero complaints from me.

I’m guessing that some PC users may have found FOLDERS ON A MAC puzzling through pure dint of the fact that they find anything to do with a Mac puzzling.

As a user of both operating systems I can reveal that having a “recycle bin” instead of TRASH aside they are both the same. Especially if you are just using them to play Connections on!

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, May 20, game #709)

• YELLOW: ACCOUNT BOOK LEDGER, LOG, RECORD, REGISTER
• GREEN: SEEN IN A BARN BALE, HORSE, PITCHFORK, TROUGH
• BLUE: DETECTIVES OF KID-LIT BROWN, DREW, HARDY, HOLMES
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "BED" CANOPY, DAY, MURPHY, WATER

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, May 20 (game #443).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #444) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Three's a crowd

NYT Strands today (game #444) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PATCH
• DOME
• RENT
• COLT
• CHIRP
• TINS

NYT Strands today (game #444) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #444) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 3rd row

Last side: right, 1st row

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

NYT Strands today (game #444) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #444, are…

• MATCH
• PAIR
• PARTNERS
• TWINS
• TWOSOME
• COUPLE
• SPANGRAM: DOUBLE TROUBLE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Sometimes it can take a while to see the spangram in its entirety. I’d tapped out double, doubles, and doublers before I saw DOUBLE TROUBLE.

Today’s theme is, of course, based around the phrase “two’s company, three’s a crowd” but I was uncertain what we were looking for originally – so began by looking for words that would give me a hint.

After seeing the word PATCH I looked for other words with the same A-T-C-H ending and got MATCH, quickly followed by PAIR and PARTNERS.

Incidentally, I asked Google who the most famous TWINS in the world are and it responded with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. My favorite British twins are Xand and Chris van Tulleken, two celebrity British doctors who I struggle to tell apart and whose names I struggle to spell, but who are both wonderful medical mythbusters and podcasters. Not as famous as the Olsens and unlikely to start a boho chic fashion empire, but equally interesting.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, May 20, game #443)

• DESSERT
• SOUP
• SALAD
• CHEESE
• APPETIZERS
• ENTREE
• SPANGRAM: FINE DINING

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

• The Marshall Heston 120 soundbar launches on 3 June 2025
• And it will set you back an almighty $1000 / £899
• Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and HDMI passthrough

Marshall, known for its amp-making heritage and rock ‘n’ roll-inspired speakers, is taking its first steps into an all-new product category: soundbars.

The audio brand’s very first soundbar, the Marshall Heston 120, is coming to your living rooms from June 3 2025 and will be available for an eye-watering $999 / £899 (about AU$1599). Marshall’s Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar is over 100cm long – suitable for the best 55-inch TVs and up – and promises a “colossal audio experience” with both “immersive and spacious sound”.

However, it doesn’t harness a separate sub or rear speakers to supply this, with Marshall instead opting for an all-in-one design. As a result, it feels that this is a natural competitor to the excellent-sounding Sonos Arc Ultra, which holds the title of ‘best all-in-one soundbar’ in our guide to the best soundbars available today.

Getting hands on with the Heston 120

(Image credit: Future)

I was lucky enough to be among the very first to hear the Marshall Heston 120 at Marshall’s headquarters in Stockholm. First of all, I was struck by its luxury, retro design – something I’ve always loved about products like the Marshall Monitor III ANC and the Marshall Emberton III.

Its faux leather outer casing combined with sleek golden details makes it stand out in a market full of chunky black plastic bars.

There’s a lot of attention to detail with design, too. For instance, Marshall has installed three tactile dials for controlling volume, EQ and source. These use haptic feedback for a satisfying user experience, and are made of knurled metal – another nod to Marshall’s amp-related roots. There are also buttons for different sound modes such as Music, Movie, Night, or Voice.

But what you’re probably most keen to find out, is how did the Heston 120 sound? Well, I only got a brief demo in a space that almost mimicked a living room. But from what I heard, this thing is pretty impressive.

Marshall showed off the Heston 120’s capabilities across three formats: stereo music; Dolby Atmos music; and Dolby Atmos movies. Ed Camphor, Audio Technology and Tuning Lead at Marshall Group, told me that “our focus was very much on getting a good level of polish on every format”, and that certainly seemed to be the case.

(Image credit: Future)

For instance, when listening to stereo music, I was instantly smacked with punchy, impactful bass – the kind that so many soundbars struggle to replicate, particularly without the help of a dedicated sub.

Dolby Atmos music impressed me too – when tuning into bury a friend by Billie Eilish, vocal pans were tracked accurately with rumbling, deep bass and haunting screams piercing through.

Finally, we watched a portion of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace on Disney Plus. The directionality of soaring spaceships in one scene was delivered with precision, and the soundbar recreated big sound effects such as ships overtaking and crashing cleanly, in a true-to-life manner. Unfortunately, Jar Jar Binks’ dialogue was crystal-clear, all the way through the scene.

Of course, these are only my initial impressions from a demo, so if you want my full and unfiltered thoughts, you’ll have to wait for my full review. That’s coming soon…

Into the nitty gritty…

(Image credit: Future)

So, in terms of tech specs, the Marshall Heston 120 makes use of 11 active drivers, which includes height channels to capture the verticality needed for ‘true’ Dolby Atmos and side channels for truly expansive audio. Altogether, you’re getting a maximum power output of 150W in a 5.1.2 configuration. Of course, there’s Dolby Atmos compatibility for movies and music alike, but the Heston 120 also supports DTS:X content as well, which is an advantage it has over the Sonos Arc Ultra (Sonos continues to avoid DTS support).

There are so many ways to play through the Heston 120 too. There are HDMI eARC and HDMI passthrough ports (another plus it has over the Arc Ultra, which only has one HDMI port), RCA stereo and mono slots, as well as both Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6 compatibility.

You can play music over Apple AirPlay 2, and Marshall has also integrated a range of streaming services, including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Airable. These can also be bound to preset buttons for easy access. There’s even Auracast.

One more nice little nugget of info is that Marshall will revamp its companion app in tandem with the launch of the Heston 120 soundbar. This unlocks detailed EQ options, remote control of volume, source and sound modes, as well as room calibration options to get the best sound for your living space.

The app is so fleshed out, in fact, that the Heston 120 will not come with a separate remote – all you need is your phone and you’ll be ready to go.

Marshall may be launching the Heston 120 as a standalone soundbar, but it has confirmed that later down the line, you’ll be able to snap up the Heston Sub 200 – a separate subwoofer – to really feel that low-end eruption.

On top of that, a smaller soundbar, the Heston 60, will be available to those who are working with a little less room. Both will release later in 2025 and we’ll be sure to keep you updated with more details as they come.

The Marshall Heston 120 soundbar is available for pre-order now and will go on sale from June 3rd 2025 via Marshall’s own website. It will later become available with select retailers from September 16th 2025.

(Image credit: Future) You might also like

• Want to get to grips with the Marshall Heston 120’s competition? Then take a look at our list of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars
• Want a flashy new soundbar but working on a tight budget? Fear not – we’ve got you covered with our guide to the best cheap soundbars

As artificial intelligence becomes more integral to businesses across all industries, small and medium-sized companies are slowly integrating it. In 2024, only 26% of these types of businesses used the technology, despite 76% recognizing its value.

However, as AI's benefits become more pronounced, these businesses will only benefit from integrating it into their operations. As a critical tool, AI can help these businesses build and foster stronger relationships with clients, develop innovative solutions that allow them to compete better with larger institutions and increase efficiency, allowing them to focus on business growth.

Transformative potential AI has for small-and medium-sized businesses

In the coming years, small and medium-sized businesses must incorporate AI to remain competitive in an ever-changing business landscape. The good news is that AI can enable smaller organizations to break through competitively and provide more personalized offerings to clients across industries.

The impact across industries is telling. In the accounting and finance industry, the shift to AI can empower businesses to move from traditional number-crunching services to personalized advisory relationships. Within sales and marketing, AI can go beyond providing predictive insights and can offer real-time personalization to improve sales conversion rates.

AI can provide employees with seamless service and connectivity in the IT industry, where building a digital workplace is the standard. Furthermore, within customer service, AI-powered agents and chatbots help maintain a consistent brand voice across all client engagements while automating inquiries and communications to provide answers at a previously impossible pace.

The bottom line: no matter the industry, AI is improving business outcomes, and small- to medium-sized businesses have much to gain from the technology.

Where to start: clean data is crucial for successful AI integration

It is clear that AI has many benefits, but an AI algorithm is only as good as the data it learns from. Clean, well-structured data is essential for AI models to function accurately and efficiently. AI systems can produce biased, misleading or outright incorrect results without it. Data must be accurate, complete, consistent, unique, valid and timely.

One of the most significant risks of poor data quality is bias. If an AI model is trained on incomplete, inconsistent or skewed data, it will replicate and even amplify those biases. Overrepresenting data from one source while unnecessarily reducing the representation of another can have serious consequences, from discriminatory hiring practices to inaccurate medical diagnoses.

In short, AI models rely on patterns within datasets to make predictions and decisions. The outputs will be unreliable if the data contains errors—such as duplicates, missing values or incorrect labels.

Furthermore, inconsistent and inaccurate data could slow down processing times, increase business costs, and require extensive human intervention to correct mistakes. On the other hand, when data is clean, AI models can train faster and operate more effectively, saving both time and resources. Whether it’s customer interactions, financial transactions or healthcare records, people need to know that AI-driven decisions are based on reliable information.

Poor data quality erodes confidence, while clean data strengthens the credibility of AI systems. Good, clean data is the foundation of successful AI. Without it, even the most sophisticated models will fail to deliver meaningful results. Ensuring high data quality should be a top priority for any organization looking to use AI.

Steps to take to improve data quality

For small and medium-sized businesses to reap the benefits of AI, they must use modern data management tools to guard data quality, including implementing high data quality standards, data structuring and data governance policies.

The first step is to clean and structure the data into a format that AI algorithms can efficiently process and analyze to extract meaningful insights and make accurate predictions. Data is gathered from various sources, including databases, files and application programming interfaces. Once collected, data cleaning is performed to remove inconsistencies, errors and irrelevant information. The data is then converted into a format suitable for AI algorithms, such as numerical values, vectors or graphs.

Data structuring techniques vary based on the type and purpose of the data. For example, relational databases store data in tables with rows and columns, making them ideal for structured data. In contrast, NoSQL databases offer more flexibility by storing data in various formats, making them suitable for unstructured or semi-structured data.

Finally, data storage ensures that the structured data is efficiently organized and accessible for AI processing. Each step is critical for optimizing AI performance and delivering accurate, meaningful insights.

Ensuring data governance

Organizations need a robust data governance framework to maintain high data quality. This internal governance structure—like a cross-functional committee or task force—sets policies, processes and accountability measures.

First, this framework should assign clear roles and responsibilities for managing data, which will help ensure accountability and safeguard critical information. Next, businesses must enforce data controls and standardize formatting and data structures across systems to promote consistency.

Once organizations have established their framework, they should maintain real-time updates and scheduled data refreshes, keeping data relevant. Additionally, compliance with validation rules and predefined formats must be maintained.

Finally, businesses of all sizes must provide user-friendly interfaces, clear documentation and efficient retrieval systems to ensure data is accessible and valuable. Comprehensive data coverage across all relevant systems and processes is necessary.

AI has the potential to transform small and medium-sized businesses significantly. However, the success of these AI initiatives depends heavily on the quality and structure of the data they utilize. By improving data quality through robust standards, effective structuring, comprehensive governance policies and modern management tools, these businesses can fully leverage AI to gain a competitive edge and drive innovation.

We've featured the best small business software.

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

• A security researcher found a way to pull all sorts of sensitive data from a call
• Among the data was geo-location information as well
• The bug was present since early 2023 but was now fixed

O2 UK has fixed a vulnerability in its VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling implementations that allowed malicious actors to discover people’s locations and other identifiers.

Back in 2017, the company introduced the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) service, called “4G Calling”. The service provides better audio quality, and more reliable phone calls. However, Daniel Williams, a security researcher, recently analyzed the feature and discovered that during the call, he was able to pull all sorts of information about his conversation partner, straight from the network.

That data includes IMSI, IMEI, and cell location.

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Applying a fix

"The responses I got from the network were extremely detailed and long, and were unlike anything I had seen before on other networks," Williams said in a detailed blog post. "The messages contained information such as the IMS/SIP server used by O2 (Mavenir UAG) along with version numbers, occasional error messages raised by the C++ services processing the call information when something went wrong, and other debugging information."

Luckily enough, the vulnerability was not present since early 2017 but was rather introduced in February 2023.

To get cell location, Williams used the Network Signal Guru app on a Pixel 8 device. He pulled raw IMS signaling messages during a call, and used them to find the last cell tower the call recipient connected to. He then cross-referenced that data with a map of cell towers, pinpointing a person’s location within 100 m2 in an urban environment. In a rural environment, though, the information was somewhat less precise.

Williams said he reached out to O2 UK multiple times and, at first, got no response. The company later reported the issue had been fixed, which Williams also confirmed.

"Our engineering teams have been working on and testing a fix for a number of weeks – we can confirm this is now fully implemented, and tests suggest the fix has worked, and our customers do not need to take any action," Virgin Media O2 told BleepingComputer.

Via BleepingComputer

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• A malicious variant of KeePass is being offered online
• The malware deploys an infostealer and a Cobalt Strike beacon
• The cybercriminals are using the access to deploy ransomware

Cybercriminals are distributing a tainted version of a popular password manager, through which they’re able to steal data and deploy ransomware. This is according to security researchers WithSecure Threat Intelligence, who recently observed one such attack in the wild.

In an in-depth analysis published recently, the researchers said a client of theirs downloaded what they thought was KeePass - a popular password manager. They clicked on an ad from the Bing advertising network, and landed on a page that looked exactly like the KeePass website.

The site, however, was a typosquatted version of the legitimate password manager. Since KeePass is open-source, the attackers kept all of the legitimate tool’s functionalities, but with a little extra Cobalt Strike on the side.

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Purview and Defender

The fake password manager exported all of the saved passwords in a cleartext database, which was later relayed to the attackers through the Cobalt Strike beacon. The attackers then used the login credentials to access the network and deploy ransomware, which is when WithSecure was brought in.

WithSecure said that the campaign has the fingerprints of an initial access broker (IAB), a type of hacking group that obtains access to organizations and then sells it to other hacking collectives. This particular group is most likely associated with Black Basta, an infamous ransomware operator, and is now being tracked as UNC4696.

This group was previously linked to Nitrogen Loader campaigns, BleepingComputer reported. Older Nitrogen campaigns were linked to the now defunct BlackCat/ALPHV group.

So far, this was the only observed attack, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t others, WithSecure warns: "We are not aware of any other incidents (ransomware or otherwise) using this Cobalt Strike beacon watermark – this does not mean it has not occurred."

The typosquatted website that’s hosting the malicious KeePass version was still up and running at this time, and was still serving malware to unsuspecting users. In fact, WithSecure said that behind the site was extensive infrastructure, created to distribute all sorts of malware posing as legitimate tools.

Via BleepingComputer

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Apple's built-in translator has limited language options. Here's how to set Google Translate as your translator of choice.

The company didn't specify pricing but said some models will be priced higher due to 25% tariffs affecting the auto industry.

It seems that the big robot vacuum manufacturers all got together and decided that what we really need is a bot with a mechanical arm. One that can move clutter out of its path as it cleans, and even sort your mess out and relocate it where it needs to go. We saw a few arm-equipped robot vacuums at this year's CES – the event where everyone showcases their upcoming launches – but Roborock surprised everyone by announcing that its own model wasn't just at the wacky invention stage, it would actually be going on sale within the year.

Fast-forward a few months, and the Saros Z70 is indeed now available to buy. So does it deliver on its potential, or has Roborock rushed it through before the tech is ready? Is this innovative bot ready to compete with the rest of the best robot vacuums on the market? I've spent the past two weeks testing it out – you can get the full low-down in my Roborock Saros Z70 review.

While it's not perfect, there are plenty of great things about it – including a few that surprised me. Read on for 3 things I loved about this handy robovac, plus 3 that I think still need work if it's going to be genuinely useful.

3 things I loved 1. The pincering is excellent

The hardware part of the pincer arm is very well designed. In my tests I found I could remote control the robot over to a bit of clutter and tell it to pick it up, and it would – almost without fail – recognize it and adjust its positioning and pincer so it could pick it up. I could then resume control and drive the bot where I wanted the clutter to go.

Should the pickup fail, Roborock has included manual adjustment options so you can operate the arm yourself. These are intuitive and precise, and the grip is gentle but firm. The arm also tucks neatly away behind a hatch when it's not in use, so it can't get caught on anything while the bot's on its travels. There's big potential for people with limited mobility here.

2. There are plenty of safety measures

Most people I talk to about this robovac seem afraid that the OmniGrip will be overzealous and try and tidy away the cat. Roborock has built in plenty of safety features to ensure this doesn't happen. First, all the arm features are off by default, so nothing at all will happen until you specify exactly what you want it to do.

It's designed only to try and tidy very specific objects, having identified them using Roborock's (generally excellent) object recognition tech, and the arm has a weight sensor that prevents it from lifting objects over 300g. The pincering itself is designed to be 'firm yet gentle', to prevent damage to objects, so kind of like one of those fairground claw games, but with a much higher success rate. Finally, there's a physical 'Emergency stop' button on the robot itself, and a child lock.

3. It's easy to use

This is a new and potentially intimidating bit of tech, so kudos should go to Roborock for making it impressively accessible. It has placed the robot arm options front and center in the companion app, encouraging users to explore and become familiar with them. Plus, the controls themselves are logical and intuitive.

4. It's an unexpectedly great security camera

A lot of high-end robot vacuums can double as home security cams, but you're a little limited by the fact that your view is at ground level. Here, Roborock has added a camera on the arm itself. Not only can the arm reach much higher up, it can also tilt vertically, thus offering a much more expansive field of view than if you were using the front-mounted camera alone. Of course, you can only spy on what's happening inside your home, but useful nonetheless.

3 things that need improving 1. It doesn't work on its own

While the remote control-assisted pincering worked very well in my tests, really, the Saros Z70 needs to be able to tidy up unassisted if it's to be genuinely useful to most people. Theoretically, you can ask the robot to identify objects suitable for tidying while on a whole-home clean, then once it's finished, embark on a second run to pick them up and put them in a designated spot.

Unfortunately, this bit doesn't really work yet. It seems all the conditions need to be absolutely perfect in order for the process to be successful. So the bot needs to see the items and correctly identify them, then be able to find them again, then successfully pick them up, and then find its way to the correct relocation spot. I haven't yet managed a run where one of these factors doesn't fail.

Roborock also told me that the process has a lower success rate on carpet than hard floors, due to a "hardware limitation". That feels like a significant caveat.

If something appears to get stuck on the arm, then all other functions are locked until you manually reset it by pressing physical buttons on the robot. For instance, on one occasion during my tests the arm picked up a sandal, then as it rotated with it, the sandal got caught on a doorstop and the strap twisted, so when the bot tried to drop it, it couldn't. I had to go and rescue it before I could proceed. It's probably a logical safety measure, but it's not ideal to have to physically get involved to fix the matter.

I'm hopeful the automation functions will improve with updates, but right now, this bot can't really be left alone to tidy for you.

2. It can only pick up a few things

At time of writing, the list of supported objects is very short – sandals / light slippers, socks, small towels, and crumpled tissue paper. It makes sense that Roborock would be cautious about adding more objects, because it needs to be confident the bot can correctly identify them and doesn't end up trying to grip something it shouldn't. But it does limit its usefulness a little, as does the weight (and presumably size) limitation.

It's not so much Roborock's fault as a limitation of the form factor. Logically, it follows that the bot won't be able to tackle anything too big or heavy. But it still affects how helpful such a design might be in the longer term.

(Image credit: Future) 3. The price

At the moment, the Roborock Saros Z70 comes with a price tag of $2,599 / AU$3,999 (UK price TBC, but potentially around £1,950 based on what it costs elsewhere). It's the most expensive robovac we've tested, by some margin, and out of reach of most people. At the moment, it's the only robot vacuum on the market to feature a robotic arm, so an eye-watering list price isn't surprising. However, I'm not sure I'd buy it at that price, at least until some of the issues were ironed out.

Because the robot vacuum market is competitive, with new models being released regularly, I'm used to seeing good deals and prices dropping fairly quickly as even better bots hit the market. There look to be more arm-equipped robovacs in the pipeline from other brands, so if the idea proves a hit, we might see a more competitive pricing landscape emerge. I suspect it'll take a while, though.

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After a month with Roborock's ambitious Saros Z70 its headline-grabbing robotic arm still feels like a beta feature.

Roborock Saros Z70: two-minute review

The Roborock Saros Z70 is the first robot vacuum on the market to feature a robotic arm, which means it can tidy away your clutter as well as clean your floors. That's the theory, anyway – my initial tests found the tech still has a little way to go, at least when it comes to autonomous pincering.

Most people I talk to about this robovac seem afraid that the OmniGrip will be over-zealous, and try to tidy away the cat. I had quite the opposite problem: I couldn't get it to automatically tidy away anything at all. The current list of objects it can handle is very short, and the "conditions" have to be perfect in order for it to be successful. However, there's potential: controlling the robotic arm remotely via the app works very well, and Roborock is busy improving the service, with more functions, bug fixes, and supported objects in the pipeline.

Elsewhere, the performance is up there with the very best robot vacuums on the market. Suction is excellent, the setup painless, and the dock takes care of the vast majority of maintenance tasks for you, including washing the mop pads with hot water. Speaking of which, I was especially impressed with the Saros Z70's mopping ability. It comes courtesy of two spinning mop pads, one of which kicks out to the side to clean right up to the edges of rooms, as well as under the perimeter of cabinets.

This bot uses Roborock's StarSight system for navigation, which means no raised puck, enabling the robot to venture under low-sitting furniture. I'm happy to report I didn't see any compromise in performance as a result of this new(ish) system – the Z70 navigated accurately and reliably throughout my review period.

That's all great, but the reason to buy this model will be for the robo-arm tech. (If you don't need that, you could go for one of the sister models launched at the same time – the Roborock Saros 10 and Saros 10R – and get the same excellent performance at a much lower price.) And while it shows plenty of potential, right now it's a little difficult to recommend the Z70 on that basis. That's the short version; read on for my full Roborock Saros Z70 review.

(Image credit: Future) Roborock Saros Z70 review: price & availability

• List price: $2,599 / £1,799 / AU$3,999
• Launched: Jan 2025 (on sale May 2025)
• Available: AU, US

The Roborock Saros Z70 was announced at CES in January 2025, and went on sale in Australia and the US in May 2025. At list price it costs $2,599 / £1,799 / AU$3,999.

While it's common for flagship robot vacuums these days to cost over a grand in the US and UK, this is the most expensive robot vacuum we've tested to date. (It's worth noting that US tariff changes have had a negative impact on pricing; the Z70 is more expensive now than Roborock had planned.)

I'm not overly surprised by its high price. Roborock is introducing a completely new technology, alongside an additional mechanical component. Based on the prototype models we saw at CES in January, there may well be more arm-equipped robovacs hitting the market over the next year or two, but currently the Saros Z70 is your only option. In terms of quality and innovation, it's a standout robovac; but you're paying a premium for the newness of the tech.

However, if you don't need the arm then I'd give it a wide berth. There are plenty of premium robot vacuums on the market offering the same features. They'll just as good a job of cleaning your floors, they just won't be able to tidy away your socks. Arm-less alternatives include Z70's sister model, the Roborock Saros 10, which costs $1,599.99 / £1,499.99, or a model such as the Dreame L40 Ultra for $1,499.99 / £999.

New robot vacuums are being launched all the time, and the competitiveness of the market means you can generally avoid paying list price if you're willing to be patient. However, I'm not convinced deals will be quite so forthcoming with the Z70, just because the offering is currently so unique. That said, there is early bird pricing available at time of writing.

• Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5

Roborock Saros Z70 specs

Max suction:

22,000Pa

Robot W x D:

13.8 x 13.9in / 35 x 35.3cm

Robot height:

3.1in / 8cm

Dock dimensions (W x D x H):

15 x 18.7 x 19.2in / 38.1 x 47.5 x 48.8cm

Dust bin volume (bot):

180ml

Dust bin volume (base):

2.5L

Water tank volume:

4L (clean), 3L (dirty)

Base type:

Charge, empty dust, clean and dry mop pads, self-clean, dispense detergent

Max threshold height:

1.6in / 4cm

Mop pad lifting:

0.9in / 2.2cm

Roborock Saros Z70 review: design

• Pincer arm can extend to pick things up, or retract when not required
• StarSight navigation means there's no raised LiDAR puck
• Comprehensive dock takes care of most maintenance

Let's start with the obvious here: the Roborock Saros Z70 comes with a big mechanical arm known as the OmniGrip. On the end of it is a pincer that's designed to gently but securely grip and lift objects weighing up to 300g. To avoid unwanted pincering, OmniGrip features are switched off my default. You'll need to define exactly what you want the arm to do, or else it won't do anything at all.

The idea is that it can pick small objects such as socks and tissues off your floor, and either move them out of the way for more complete vacuuming, or tidy them to a location of your choosing. Alternatively, because Roborock has recognized most of us are basically big kids, you can remote control the arm via the companion app, just for fun and frolics.

There's also a camera mounted on the OmniGrip's arm, to supplement the one on the front of the robovac. This helps with locating objects for grabbing and also expands the bot's security capabilities by enabling you to switch to the arm camera to get a higher-level view of your home. When not in use, the arm folds neatly back into the main body of the bot, to be hidden beneath a hatch. You'd never even know it was there.

(Image credit: Future)

This bot uses Roborock's StarSight technology for navigation, which also appears on models such as the Saros 10R and Qrevo Slim. Essentially it means that the bot is no longer reliant on a raised LiDAR puck. So with the arm tucked into its hidey-hole, the top of this robovac is completely flush, making the whole unit just 7.98cm tall. That means it can clean under low furniture that's inaccessible to taller bots.

(Image credit: Future)

The rest of the robot looks rather like many of Roborock's other premium models. Flip over the unit and you'll find a single, all-rubber roller and a side brush, both designed to avoid becoming tangled with long hair. This is achieved in the latter simply by positioning the brushes at an angle to the central axis, rather than radiating directly outwards, so the hair can slip off easily (hopefully into the main suction path). In mopping mode, both can lift up into the body of the robot, so they don't end up full of gunk.

As mentioned, as a hybrid model the Saros Z70 also has mopping abilities. These are courtesy of two spinning mop-covered discs, one of which can kick out to clean right up close to your room's baseboards. The mop pads can also lift when traversing carpet, or be dropped off in the base, so there's no danger of damp rugs at all.

(Image credit: Future)

Over the past year or so, we've seen a focus on improving how robot vacuums tackle more raised room thresholds, and Roborock is included. Like most of the brand's newest models, the Saros Z70 has an "AdaptiLift Chassis" whereby the left, right and front wheels can all raise or lower independently, enabling the bot to traverse over thresholds up to 4cm in height.

(Image credit: Future)

On to the dock. The Saros Z70's dock contains two large water tanks – one for clean water, one for dirty water – plus a smaller tank into which you can add detergent. These sit at the top and are directly accessible, rather than being hidden behind a hatch. There's also dust bag, which is hidden away.

The base is designed to be able to take care of as much robot maintenance as possible. When the robot docks, it will automatically empty its small onboard dustbin, refill its water tanks with warm water, and dispense detergent (if you've added it). It can wash the mop pads with hot (176ºF/80ºC) water – intelligently determining how dirty they are and extending cleaning times if necessary – and dry them with warm (131ºF/55ºC) air. It will also clean itself with hot (176ºF/80ºC) water, and the base is detachable for when you want to give it deeper clean. Finally, it offers speedy charging in just 2hrs 30mins.

It's one of the better-looking docks on the market right now. I miss the mirrored front that features on sister model, the Roborock Saros 10, although this matte version does mean any mess or clutter isn't reflected back at you.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Roborock Saros Z70 review: performance

• Arm works well when manually controlled, but automation is unreliable
• Vacuuming, mopping and navigation all excellent
• Review model emits a rattling noise when cleaning

I started by performing the "Quick mapping" process, which was fast and painless, as I've come to expect from Roborock. The bot wandered into each room, looked around a bit, and I could see the map forming on the app as it went. Once complete, it assigned suggested rooms. It was broadly correct, but I was able to edit to split the main living space into a kitchen and living room, and re-label any spaces that weren't quite right.

Then I sent the bot off on a whole-flat vacuum and mop, using the default modes. It did a stellar job of navigating its way around. Roborock bots are generally great at this, but this is the first one I've reviewed that uses StarSight for navigation rather than traditional LiDAR. I'm happy to report I couldn't see any compromises in performance with this new system.

However, less positive was the irritating rattling sound the Saros Z70 made as it went about its business. You can hear it in the video clip below. I assume this is the result of the retracted arm or the lid; either way, it's not ideal, and not a problem I've experienced with any of the other arm-less robovacs I've tested.

OmniGrip arm

It's the USP here, so let's get on to OmniGrip arm – and whether or not it does what Roborock says it will. At time of review, the list of items suitable for pickup is short: socks, sandals (not shoes, in general), crumpled tissues and towels under 300g. Roborock plans to add more objects in due course, via firmware updates.

I started by remote-controlling the bot over to a cloth. With the cloth in its peripheral vision, it had no trouble taking over the final part itself, successfully navigating over to it and picking it up, at which point I could resume control and move it over to where I wanted it. There's potential for this to be helpful for those with mobility issues.

For the most part, however, you'd want this robot to take care of moving things autonomously. These functions can be toggled on in the "Robotic Arm options" section of the app (all are off by default), and you can ask it to move objects out of its cleaning path, so it doesn't have to skip that area, and/or to move specific items into areas designated by you. At the moment, the suggestion is that you use a (provided) cardboard Roborock "bin" for socks and crumpled paper, and then set a "shoe zone" for footwear.

The trouble is that conditions need to be perfect for the bot to actually clear anything away... so much so, that I've yet to have a successful run. First, the robot has to correctly identify objects it can move. I found this was fairly accurate in bright light, but when I tried it one evening in a less well-lit room, it identified two sandals and a sock all as "Carry out bags" and thus didn't try to pick them up at all.

Next, it needs to be able to pick up said objects. It failed to pincer a strappier sandal, and on successfully picking up another, it swung it into a doorstop, causing the strap to become twisted. I had to reset it manually (on the robot itself) following a repeated warning message.

Finally, it has to find its way to the designated areas. It seems a little unsure on this front at the moment. On one more successful run, it identified, returned to and successfully pincered some socks – only to spin around once and then put them back down 14 inches from their original position.

As I said earlier, Roborock is working on improving the arm function and I'm optimistic about the potential of this tech and the brand's ability to deliver on it. This is a new technology and Roborock is the first to bring it to market, so it isn't surprising that there are kinks to be ironed out. However, these issues make the Z70 difficult to recommend.

I'll be continuing to test this robovac and will update this review with a more complete picture of the arm's functionality once I've had more time with it.

Vacuuming

Moving on to more mundane (but still important) functions. How well does the Saros Z70 clean?

Given that the Saros Z70 boasts a massive 22,00Pa of suction power – matching the very highest you'll see anywhere – I had high hopes for this bot's cleaning ability. In general use, it seemed to do a very efficient job of vacuuming my apartment's medium-pile carpet, low-pile carpet and lino.

For a more objective view of its cleaning powers, I ran TechRadar's standard suction tests. I started by sprinkling oats and loose tea on my carpet, and setting it on a selective zone clean. There are four settings to choose from: Quiet, Balanced, Turbo and Max.

I ran one clean on Turbo, with the bot clearing almost all the oats and most of the tea, leaving only a sprinkling nestled in the carpet fibers. (The tea test is purposefully very challenging.) I then bumped up the robovac's setting to Max for a second clean, and it sucked up all but a single oat flake, and a few particles of tea. This is an excellent result.

Image 1 of 5

Oats and loose tea on the carpet before the suction test (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 5

The remaining tea after a single pass in Turbo mode (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 5

The remaining oats after a single pass in Turbo mode (Image credit: Future)Image 4 of 5

Close-up of the tea left after a second pass in Max mode (Image credit: Future)Image 5 of 5

The whole are after a second pass in Max mode (Image credit: Future)

I repeated the test on a lino floor. Since clearing debris off a hard floor is far less challenging, this time I used Balanced mode. It cleared almost everything on the first pass, with the second required only to capture the remnants that had been flicked around on the initial run.

Image 1 of 2

Tea and oats on a lino floor before suction test (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2

What was left after a single pass in Balanced mode (Image credit: Future) Mopping

Next, I moved on to the mopping test. For this, I spread a tiny amount of ketchup on a lino floor and left it to dry a little. You can select Low, Medium or High waterflow levels, or for more control you can opt for a "Custom" mode, which lets you select a waterflow between 1 (Slight) and 30 (extreme). That level of control is excellent, opening this bot up as an option for cleaning delicate floors that can deal with only a tiny bit of water, for example.

I used "High" waterflow, and instructed the Z70 to clean the selected zone twice. It removed some of the ketchup on the first pass, and most of the remainder on the second pass. However, a light film of ketchup remained, and needed wiping away manually. I've yet to find a robot vacuum at any price that can deal with challenging or dried-on spillages.

Image 1 of 3

Ketchup smeared on lino before mopping test (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 3

Remainder of ketchup smeared on lino after one pass (Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

Remainder of ketchup after two passes (Image credit: Future)

In general use, I found the Z70's mopping very effective. The pads saturated fully, and I could see they were cleaning the whole floor, without leaving any gaps. One of the mop pads would also regularly kick out to clean up close to the edges of rooms and under the edge of my fridge or cabinets. I found it far more effective than the static, D-shaped pads found on some robovacs.

I also appreciated the way the robot would automatically drop off its mop pads in the dock when embarking on a vacuum run. While the auto-lifting was reliable, I'm always just a little more comfortable when there are no damp mops in the vicinity of my carpet.

Dock functionality

The dock is designed to take care of most of the Z70's maintenance needs, and in my tests I haven't had any issues with its effectiveness, save for the fact some of the functions can be a little noisy.

I'm on the fence about whether washing the mops with hot water is something that's really required of the dock – I'd still give the pads a run through the washing machine periodically, regardless of whether or not this function is included. Self-cleaning takes around 3 mins 21 secs, although it's programmed to take longer if it senses the mop pads aren't clean at the end of that.

One benefit is that charging is remarkably speedy. I was recharging a Dyson manual vacuum at the same time, and found that the Saros Z70 juiced up far quicker than the Dyson.

• Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

Roborock Saros Z70 review: app

• Easy to use OmniGrip arm via remote control through the app
• Well-designed and usable app with lots of customization options
• So many options it can be a little tricky to find them all

Most control of the robovac is like to take place via the Saros Z70's companion app. One welcome addition here is the ability to use it to remote-control the OmniGrip arm. You drive it like a remote control car, navigating by using the view from the bot that you can see on your screen. If you spot something you want it to move, you can maneuver it into the vicinity and ask the bot to pick it up. It will do this automatically, but it's also possible to precisely adjust the angles of both the arm and the pincer, if required.

In my tests, I found all this reliable and straightforward, although the incessant repetition of "Remote viewing active" will mean you won't want to play with it for too long. (I haven't yet been able to find a way to switch this off.)

You can also switch views between the camera on the front of the robot and the mounted on the arm, which offers a view from higher up. The idea is to make it more useful as a security bot while you're out of the house.

In general, Roborock has done a great job of integrating the OmniGrip options into the app, making it as easy as possible to get started using the arm. The settings are simple to find and to switch on and off; they're straightforward to understand, even if the automated performance is still a little patchy.

(Image credit: Roborock / Future)

Elsewhere, the app is well designed and intuitive. There are plenty of precise customization options – so many, in fact, that it can take a while to explore them all. If you don't want to mess around in Settings, there's a "SmartPlan" mode that automatically analyzes the environment and cleaning history and uses that information to apply the settings it thinks will work best. There's also a built-in voice assistant, which you activate by saying "Hello Rocky".

• App score: 4.5 out of 5

Should you buy the Roborock Saros Z70?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Wildly expensive, but this isn't surprising given it's the only robovac with an arm right now. If you don't want the arm, you can get excellent bots for far less.

3.5 / 5

Design

Combines most of the advanced features from the best robot vacuums on the market and adds a retractible pincer arm for good measure.

4.5 / 5

Performance

Pincer works well when remote-controlled, but automation is unreliable at the moment. Vacuuming, mopping and navigation are excellent.

3.5 / 5

App

Well designed and intuitive, with arm functions front-and-center.

4.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You love a cutting-edge gadget
This is the first robot vacuum on the market to feature a mechanical arm. At present, this tech doesn't feature on any other model of robot vacuum.

You have mobility issues
The robotic arm has potential to be very useful for people with limited mobility. The remote-control options are straightforward and reliable.

You have a cluttered home
While the arm is in need of some refining, and assuming that happens, this bot could prove very useful in cluttered homes. It has the potential to tidy as well as clean, provided your mess isn't too heavy.

Don't buy it if...

You don't need a robotic arm
There's no reason to buy the Saros Z70 if you don't need the arm – Roborock (and other brands) make many other excellent arm-less bots that are significantly cheaper.

You want tried-and-tested tech
The arm technology is fresh on the market, which means there are some kinks to be ironed out. For reliable performance, it might pay to wait for a later generation (or at least until Roborock has had a chance to push out some firmware updates).

Roborock Saros Z70: alternatives to consider

Roborock Saros Z70 (reviewed)

Roborock Saros 10

Dreame L40 Ultra

Max suction:

22,000Pa

22,000 Pa

11,000Pa

Robot W x D:

13.8 x 13.9in / 35 x 35.3cm

13.8 x 14in / 35 x 35.3cm

13.8 x 13.8in / 35 x 35cm

Robot height:

3.1in / 8cm

3.1in / 8cm

4.1in / 10.4cm

Dock dimensions (W x D x H):

15 x 18.7 x 19.2in / 38.1 x 47.5 x 48.8cm

16 x 17.3 x 18.5in / 41 x 44 x 47cm

18 x 13.4 x 23.3in / 45.7 x 34 x 59.1cm

Dust bin volume (base):

2.5L

2.5L

3.2L

Water tank volume:

4L clean, 3L dirty

4L clean, 3.5L dirty

4.5L clean, 4L dirty

Base type:

Charge, empty dust, refill water, dispense detergent, wash and dry mops, self-clean

Charge, empty dust, refill water, dispense detergent, wash and dry mops, self-clean

Charge, empty dust, refill water, dispense detergent, wash and dry mops, self-clean

Dreame L40 Ultra
The L40 Ultra is far more affordable than the Z70, but is still an outstanding robot vacuum. There's no arm, but the cleaning powers are excellent and the dock will take care of almost all maintenance for you, too. The suction specs are lower than on the Z70, but ample for most people's needs.

Read our full Dreame L40 Ultra review

Roborock Saros 10
The Saros 10 is the sister model to the Z70. It doesn't have a pincer arm and, as such, is cheaper (although still premium). This model uses traditional LiDAR navigation rather than the new StarSight system, but the navigation puck can pop up and down so it can still clean under low furniture.

Read our full Roborock Saros 10 review.

How I tested the Roborock Saros Z70

I used the Roborock Saros Z70 over the course of two weeks as my main vacuum. During this time, I tested all the OmniGrip arm functions, as well as assessing the bot's general cleaning powers and usability. I ran TechRadar's standard vacuuming and mopping tests, using oats and loose tea, to see how its cleaning compares to other models. I also spent time digging into the app and exploring the options available. Through all this, I compared my experience with other robot vacuums I've reviewed, from other brands and at different price points.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

• First reviewed May 2025

• Nanoleaf has added two new color-shifting smart lights to its collection
• The Rope Light can be bent into any shape and mounted on an interior wall
• The Solar Garden Lights resemble tulips and are made for use outdoors

Nanoleaf has launched two new smart lights to liven up your home indoors and out: the Nanoleaf Rope Light, which you can position on your wall in any shape you like, and which can be set to your choice of colors and gradients, and the Nanoleaf Solar Garden Lights, which add a little glow to your yard after dark.

Although Nanoleaf makes smart bulbs to fit your ordinary ceiling lights and lamps, the company is best known for fun and funky products like the Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO illuminated display cases for showing off your collectibles, the Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes that can be arranged on your walls in any way you see fit, and the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights, which add festive cheer indoors or out.

The latest addition to Nanoleaf's collection of fun interior smart lights is the Rope Light – a five-meter LED string that you can bend and twist into any shape, and attach to your wall.

(Image credit: Nanoleaf)

The Nanoleaf Rope Light has 420 LEDs and 70 addressable color zones, allowing you to create smooth gradients and animations. It's compatible with the Nanoleaf app, which allows you to apply scenes or make your own custom color palettes by drawing with your fingertip.

You can also use the Rope Light to mirror the colors on your PC monitor via the Nanoleaf desktop app. We'll be testing it soon to see how it compares with the best Ambilight alternatives, and whether it deserves a spot in our guide to the best smart lights.

It costs $69.99 (about £50 / AU$110), and is available now direct from Nanoleaf.

How does your garden glow?

The Rope Light looks great, and I look forward to testing it, but personally I'm most excited by the Nanoleaf Solar Garden Lights. These weather-resistant smart lights resemble a bunch of tulips and can be staked into the ground wherever you like.

As the name suggests, each cluster of lights is connected to a solar panel, which you can position to catch the optimum amount of sunshine, and has a subtle black and gray finish to blend in with the plants and ornaments in your garden.

Although they'd look striking lining the edge of your garden path, judging by Nanoleaf's photos, the Solar Garden Lights look particularly striking when placed right beside a plant, where the lights seem to be growing out of it organically. Unlike most garden lights, I can imagine them working well in a pot, so you can enjoy them even if you only have a balcony or paved yard.

(Image credit: Nanoleaf)

They aren't compatible with the Nanoleaf app (which is perhaps a bit of a shame), but their daylight sensors mean you can sync them so they only turn on after dark, and they come with a remote control that lets you change their colors, apply scenes, and set timers.

The Solar Garden Lights are also available today direct from Nanoleaf, and cost $49.99 (about £40 / AU$80) for a set of two light clusters.

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• Nintendo has partnered with Samsung to help produce chips for the Switch 2
• Bloomberg reports that the partnership will ramp up production of the Switch 2
• Sources say the increased production could mean Nintendo could ship more than 20 million Switch 2 units by March 2026

In a bid to increase production of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo has partnered with Samsung Electronics Co. to help manufacture main chips for the console.

As reported by Bloomberg, Nintendo has turned to Samsung to make a customized processor designed by Nvidia for the Switch 2, using its 8-nanometer node, so it can speed up production.

Sources say that with this new partnership with Samsung, the pace should be fast enough for Nintendo to ship more than 20 million Switch 2 units by March 2026.

It's also said that Samsung can ramp up further if it's required, though it would depend on capacity at hardware assemblers like Foxconn Technology Group.

Samsung, which also makes memory chips and display components for Nintendo, has reportedly been competing with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) to make chips, a company that also partners with Apple and Nvidia.

With its new Nintendo contract, it's said that Samsung hopes to grow its business and secure more ground.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has said that the company expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles during its launch window. When asked by investors why the forecast number was so low, Furukawa said that the company set the figure "with the aim of reaching the same level of sales we achieved with Nintendo Switch".

He also attributed the console's high cost to Nintendo's predictions, but said that its backward compatibility and software bundles will increase sales before the end of the first fiscal year.

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches globally on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

If you missed out on securing a pre-order and are struggling to find stock, GameStop and Best Buy have announced they will be restocking Switch 2 units in-store and online during the console's launch.

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• Security researchers found three malicious PyPI packages
• The packages had around 7,000 downloads
• They were designed to check for active email accounts

Security researchers have found some of the tools cybercriminals are using to steal people’s Instagram and TikTok accounts - on PyPI.

The Python Package Index (PyPI), one of the world’s biggest repositories of Python code, is often abused to holst malicious code, or trick software developers into downloading and running tainted code in their projects.

In this case, security researchers from Socket found three packages, named “checker-SaGaF”, “steinlurks”, and “sinnercore”. Cumulatively, these three had around 7,000 downloads before being pulled from the platform.

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Credential stuffing and password spraying

The first two acted as email address validators, cross-referencing supplied email addresses with TikTok and Instagram APIs, to see if they are associated with accounts on the platform. While simply checking if an email address is valid doesn’t seem to be particularly harmful, it is an important step in cybercriminal activity, the researchers explained.

"Once threat actors have this information, just from an email address, they can threaten to dox or spam, conduct fake report attacks to get accounts suspended, or solely confirm target accounts before launching a credential stuffing or password spraying exploit," said Socket’s Olivia Brown.

"Validated user lists are also sold on the dark web for profit. It can seem harmless to construct dictionaries of active emails, but this information enables and accelerates entire attack chains and minimizes detection by only targeting known-valid accounts."

The third package, “sinnercore”, triggers the “forgot password” flow for a given username on Instagram.

The news comes roughly a month after researchers found two malicious packages on PyPI, posing as fixes for a popular, legitimate package. The malware was designed to steal people’s cryptocurrency, which is a popular attack vector on PyPI. In this case, the legitimate package is used in building “hot wallets” - software wallets for cryptocurrencies. Despite being obvious malware, the two packages still managed to rake in more than 37,000 downloads before being pulled.

Via The Hacker News

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• Build 2025 was all about AI, but Microsoft also made WSL open-source
• The company knows just how valuable its community of contributors has been
• Microsoft wants users to "engage in issue resolution and learn together as a community"

Microsoft has officially open-sourced Windows Subsystem for Linux at its annual software engineer and web developer conference, Microsoft Build 2025.

Most components are now open-source, with the exception of a few elements tied directly to Windows, with the source code available on GitHub.

By open-sourcing WSL, Microsoft has opened it up to direct contributions, feature development and bug fixes from the broader community, after acknowledging that the community has already contributed significantly prior to its open sourcing.

Windows Subsystem for Linux becomes an open-source project for the community

"As the community behind WSL grew, WSL gained more features such as GPU support, graphical applications support (via wslg) and support for systemd," Microsoft's Pierre Boulay explained. "It eventually became clear that to keep up with the growing community and feature requests, WSL had to move faster, and ship separately from Windows."

Boulay shared some of WSL's history, including its separation from Windows in 2021 when it became its own package, distributed via the Microsoft Store.

"WSL could never have been what it is today without its community. Even without access to WSL’s source code, people have been able to make major contributions that lead to what WSL is now," Boulay added.

Despite the significance of WSL becoming open-source, Chief Communications Officer Frank X Shaw only wrote a short note about it in the conference's Book of News. An extract reads: "It facilitates collaboration among WSL users, enabling them to engage in issue resolution and learn together as a community."

Unsurprisingly, the core announcements at Build centered around artificial intelligence, with numerous updates issued to the company's Copilot agents to boost productivity across Microsoft 365 apps.

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President Trump spoke to House Republicans on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to persuade holdouts in his party to back a massive tax bill that includes cuts to Medicaid.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)