Feed aggregator

• Play Pro headphones look more expensive than they are
• 1g lighter than the Sonys at just 253g
• Launching at $59.99 / £59.99 / €59.99

We're big fans of the fantastic Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones, but even though they're widely discounted now, they're still beyond the budget of many buyers. That's an issue Swedish musician and DJ Andreas Vural's company would like to solve with its new Happy Plugs Play Pro headphones.

The Play Pro are one of a trio of headphones the firm is launching at CES 2025: it's also launching the Happy Plugs Clip, which as the name suggests clip to your ears, and the Happy Plugs Adore, which are earbuds that come in a makeup mirror case. But the Play Pro are the most interesting as they're a third of the price we'd expect to pay for a set of similarly-specced Sonys, and bear more than passing physical resemblance to the XM4, too.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Happy Plugs)

The Happy Plugs Play Pro in their folded state.

Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Happy Plugs)

The Happy Plugs Adore with their slick 'compact' cases.

Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Happy Plugs)

The Happy Plus Clip look a lot like others in the current clip trend of open-ear buds.

(Image credit: Happy Plugs) Happy Plugs Play Pro: key features and pricing

The Happy Plugs Play Pro are wireless over-ears with an impressive 50 hours of battery life and the usual USB-C charging port. They're made with 40mm drivers and are IPX4 water resistant. They're portable too: they weigh 253g and you can fold them up for easy transportation (a feature dropped from the newer Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones).

A big draw here for the price is active noise cancellation, which is supplemented by what the firm calls "effective environmental noise cancellation for calls".

We don't have more detailed technical specs just yet, but the brand has previously focused on affordability and good looks; prior to this launch its only over-ears were the kid-focused Happy Plugs Play, so I suspect the sound here will be good rather than great.

But with a price tag a sliver under $60 and likely discounting – at the time of writing Happy Plugs is doing a buy one, get one free deal across its headphones and earbuds range – they could well turn out to be some of the best cheap headphones. We look forward to testing them in the future.

More from CES 2025

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

• Dual DACs and support for microSD up to 2TB
• 13mm slim and 165g
• $149 / £139 / about AU$277

FiiO makes the best hi-res audio player for most people, but as much as we love the FiiO M23 – and we do, which is why we gave it four and a half stars in our review – with a recommended retail price of $699 / £649, it's also quite expensive. So we're rather excited to see a new Android-powered FiiO portable player with a much lower price tag: just $149 in the US. For those of us of a certain audio age, that's iPod Nano money.

As you can see from the images, it's a good-looking thing, and at just 13mm thick and 165g in weight, it's not going to endanger your pockets or bag. But while it may be perfectly pocketable there's nothing lightweight about the specification.

(Image credit: FiiO) FiiO JM21: key features and availability

The FiiO JM21 has dual CS43198 DACs, 3GB of on-board RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable to 2TB via microSD. It's powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 680 and has a 4.7-inch display. You can use it as a DAC with Mac or Windows computers, with support for sampling rates up to 384kHz/32bit.

There's a standard 3.5mm socket and a 4.4mm balanced output with 700mW+700mW power, and the player also has SPDIF, USB and line audio outputs. There's dual-band Wi-Fi with DLNA and AirPlay, and the Bluetooth is version 5.0 with SBC, AAC, aptX HD, LHDC and LDAC.

The JM21 has FiiO's own music app and support for all the key hi-res streaming services too. The underlying software is Android 13 with FiiO's own interface on top.

In addition to its small size and light weight the JM21 has impressive battery life, with up to 12 hours of playtime and fast charging in two hours.

That's a serious spec for a very small price. If you'd like to get your hands on one it'll be shipping from late January – and we're hoping to get our hands on it for the first time at CES 2025.

You might also like

• Our pick of the best MP3 players
• The best ultra-cheap MP3 player for beats on a budget
• The best money-no-object portable player

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

• 3 record players including one with integrated speakers and long legs
• A record stabilizer with built-in RGB lighting
• January launch for UK and EU; US launch will be in April

Affordable audio specialist Lenco has not one, not two, but three well-priced turntables to show off at CES 2025 this year – and it's also got a "chunky puck" that doubles as a disco ball while stabilizing your records, which is surely a hole in your life you've been desperate to fill.

Let's start with the puck, or the TTA-080SI Record Stabilizer as it's officially known. It's a dome-shaped device that sits atop the label of your LP to keep it nice and flat on the platter, pulses to the sound of your records, and offers up to eight hours of RGB lighting effects before it needs recharged via USB-C. It's coming on 6 January to the UK and EU for £39 and €39 respectively; US buyers can get theirs in April for $49.

Lenco's LBT-215 comes with an Audio Technica AT-VM95E Moving Magnet Cartridge. (Image credit: Lenco) A tasty trio of turntables

The new Lenco LBT-215 is a belt-drive turntable in black gloss with an Audio Technica AT-VM95E Moving Magnet Cartridge. The platter and tonearm are metal and there's a fully adjustable counterweight. The turntable has USB for easy digitization and there's Bluetooth transmission for your headphones.

The LBT-215BK will be available from January 6th in the UK and EU, priced at £299 / €329. It'll be on sale in the US from April and will cost $359.

The fully automatic LBTA-165 with Audio Technica AT3600L Moving Magnet cartridge and switchable pre-amp. (Image credit: Lenco)

Next up there's the fully automatic LBTA-165 with Audio Technica AT3600L Moving Magnet cartridge and a switchable pre-amp. Once again there's Bluetooth transmission, and you have a choice of wood or black wood.

The LBTA-165WD is available from January 6th in the UK/EU for £199 / €219. The US launch is once again in April and the price will be $249. Fully automatic and with Bluetooth for this price looks like a real sweet spot for vinyl beginners.

(Image credit: Lenco)

Last but not least there's the LS-570WA, an all-in-one that can stand on its own four feet. It has an integrated 80W four-speaker sound system, Bluetooth reception for streaming from other devices, and a moving magnetic cartridge. The preamp is switchable and the design is wonderfully retro with four long legs (which you don't have to use, but should).

The LS-570WA is available from January 6th for UK and EU customers and will cost £389 / €389. US customers will be able to get one in April for $469.

You might also like

• Our pick of the best turntables for 2025
• The best wireless headphones for every kind of listener
• The best headphones, wired or wireless

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

Harassment, hate, and other social harms feel like an online inevitability, but developers are finally addressing their impact in a meaningful way.

González, who the United States recognized as the winner of last year's presidential election in Venezuela, kicked off an international tour on Saturday that will take him to Washington.

(Image credit: Natacha Pisarenko)

South Koreans rallied overnight near the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol calling for his arrest, as authorities prepared to renew their efforts to detain him.

(Image credit: Ahn Young-joon)

After a rocky few years and the disbanding of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes have seemingly stabilized. This time, comedian Nikki Glaser will be emceeing the ceremony.

(Image credit: Richard Shotwell)

• AI can process far more data from a far more sensors than human operators can ever achieve
• But the game of cat-and-mouse means that countermeasures do exist to confuse AI
• Increase in compute performance and ubiquity of always-on passive sensors need also be accounted for

The rise of AI is set to reduce the effectiveness of nuclear stealth attack submarines.

These advanced billion-dollar subs, designed to operate undetected in hostile waters, have long been at the forefront of naval defense. However, AI-driven advancements in sensor technology and data analysis are threatening their covert capabilities, potentially rendering them less effective.

An article by Foreign Policy and IEEE Spectrum now claims AI systems can process vast amounts of data from distributed sensor networks, far surpassing the capabilities of human operators. Quantum sensors, underwater surveillance arrays, and satellite-based imaging now collect detailed environmental data, while AI algorithms can identify even subtle anomalies, such as disturbances caused by submarines. Unlike human analysts, who might overlook minor patterns, AI excels at spotting these tiny shifts, increasing the effectiveness of detection systems.

Game of cat-and-mouse

AI's increasing role could challenge the stealth of submarines like those in the Virginia-class, which rely on sophisticated engineering to minimize their detectable signatures.

Noise-dampening tiles, vibration-reducing materials, and pump-jet propulsors are designed to evade detection, but AI-enabled networks are increasingly adept at overcoming these methods. The ubiquity of passive sensors and continuous improvements in computational performance are increasing the reach and resolution of these detection systems, creating an environment of heightened transparency in the oceans.

Despite these advances, the game of cat-and-mouse persists, as countermeasures are, inevitably, being developed to outwit AI detection.

These tactics, as explored in the Foreign Policy and IEEE Spectrum piece, include noise-camouflaging techniques that mimic natural marine sounds, deploying uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) to create diversions, and even cyberattacks aimed at corrupting the integrity of AI algorithms. Such methods seek to confuse and overwhelm AI systems, maintaining an edge in undersea warfare.

As AI technology evolves, nations will need to weigh up the escalating costs of nuclear stealth submarines against the potential for their obsolescence. Countermeasures may provide temporary degree of relief, but the increasing prevalence of passive sensors and AI-driven analysis suggests that traditional submarine stealth is likely to face diminishing returns in the long term.

You might also like

• Submarine and terrestrial cable damages lead recent internet disruptions
• Meta wants to build a $10B subsea cable spanning the world
• AI enhances video analysis by detecting human actions in real time

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 5.

Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for the Jan. 5 Strands puzzle, No. 308.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections No. 574 for Sunday, Jan. 5.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections: Sports Edition No. 104 for Jan. 5.

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Cold snap

NYT Strands today (game #308) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• WIND
• ZEST
• FURY
• SWEAT
• THESE
• SOFT

NYT Strands today (game #308) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Seasonal climate

NYT Strands today (game #308) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 1st column

Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #308) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #308, are…

• SNOW
• SLEET
• FROST
• BLIZZARD
• DRIZZLE
• FLURRY
• SPANGRAM: WINTER WEATHER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The two pairs of Zs in today’s puzzle (there’s another) made things a lot easier – although I had to stop myself thinking Freeze would be one of the words.

Mizzle is a particularly British type of WINTER WEATHER that could have joined the double-Z gang – it’s like drizzle with added mist and it’s very, erm, mizz-erable. In some parts of the UK they call it Scotch Mist, which sounds a lot more romantic.

I wondered if BLIZZARD could also have a misty variant – Mizzard? – but it doesn’t seem to have caught on. However, I did notice that on YouTube a nine-second video of a lizard wizard in a blizzard has 40,000 views.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 4 January, game #307)

• FURY
• SOUND
• CRIME
• PUNISHMENT
• PRIDE
• PREJUDICE
• SPANGRAM: BOOK TITLES

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 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 #1077) - 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 #1077) - 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 #1077) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. Two of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1077) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

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

Quordle today (game #1077) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• J

• C

• S

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

Quordle today (game #1077) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1077, are…

• BORAX
• JUDGE
• CADET
• SALON

I surprised myself today by getting two words with tricky letters – BORAX and JUDGE – before the drawbridge went up. Although, having said that, if the drawbridge was on any kind of a timer I would definitely be on the wrong side of the moat.

In my defence I took my time to avoid my repeated mistake of forgetting letters and wasting lines and guesses that could never be right. Progress.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1077) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1077, are…

• TIMER
• MOOSE
• SWORD
• ETHOS

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1076, Saturday 4 January: CORER, CRATE, QUASI, EXIST
• Quordle #1075, Friday 3 January: PERKY, QUARK, NAVEL, SHEEN
• Quordle #1074, Thursday 2 January: UNIFY, SWORE, DEPOT, INTRO
• Quordle #1073, Wednesday 1 January: CLING, SUITE, WORRY, TONIC
• Quordle #1072, Tuesday 31 December: PLUMP, TUBER, IRATE, ICILY
• Quordle #1071, Monday 30 December: TODDY, GROIN, GROWN, VERVE
• Quordle #1070, Sunday 29 December: PURER, SPLAT, RABID, EMCEE
• Quordle #1069, Saturday 28 December: BUNCH, LABOR, TRIPE, BUNNY
• Quordle #1068, Friday 27 December: BRAWL, LYING, ORGAN, CRONY
• Quordle #1067, Thursday 26 December: TATTY, OVERT, FLOUR, SWEPT
• Quordle #1066, Wednesday 25 December: LIVER, CRIER, SHORE, MURKY
• Quordle #1065, Tuesday 24 December: TIPSY, SCALE, FLYER, VALVE
• Quordle #1064, Monday 23 December: SNAKE, SAVVY, ELBOW, TWEED
• Quordle #1063, Sunday 22 December: DOUBT, SLURP, PAPER, CIVIL
• Quordle #1062, Saturday 21 December: STRIP, BUDGE, SAPPY, SHELF
• Quordle #1061, Friday 20 December: PENAL, EAGLE, DILLY, QUITE
• Quordle #1060, Thursday 19 December: JEWEL, GNOME, TRAMP, IDLER
• Quordle #1059, Wednesday 18 December: LITHE, BIRTH, HUMID, ROBOT
• Quordle #1058, Tuesday 17 December: DOING, ENJOY, SNAKY, AMPLE
• Quordle #1057, Monday 16 December: HYDRO, CREAM, CHIDE, SLIME

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 clues.

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 #574) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• STOP
• GROSS
• MAKE
• HOME
• YIELD
• VOLUME
• SLOW
• SNARE
• QUIET
• KETTLE
• NET
• MUTE
• EAR
• SLEEPY
• OIL
• CALM

NYT Connections today (game #574) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Totally chill
• GREEN: Get paid 
• BLUE: TV buttons
• PURPLE: Bang the ….

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 #574) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: HARDLY BUSTLING
• GREEN: EARN 
• BLUE: REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONS 
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "DRUM" 

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

NYT Connections today (game #574) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #574, are…

• YELLOW: HARDLY BUSTLING CALM, QUIET, SLEEPY, SLOW
• GREEN: EARN GROSS, MAKE, NET, YIELD
• BLUE: REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONS HOME, MUTE, STOP, VOLUME
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "DRUM" EAR, KETTLE, OIL, SNARE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 mistake

A very rare Connections for me today, as the first group I got was the purple collection of WORDS BEFORE “DRUM”. I got there after one mistake; I did initially think EAR was linked with VOLUME and MUTE, which both turned out to be REMOTE CONTROL FUNCTIONS instead.

“Mute” is the kind of remote control function I only discover when I press it accidentally – usually by sitting on it and usually at some vital moment of the final episode of a tense drama – and have to scan the buttons to turn it off. I suffer similar issues with Netflix, which I think I’m watching with subtitles on because I’m thoughtful and don’t want to disturb anyone, but actually I’m watching with subtitles on because I can’t remember how to turn the subtitles off.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 4 January, game #573)

• YELLOW: CRUSH INTO A COMPACT SHAPE BALL, CRUMPLE, SCRUNCH, WAD
• GREEN: FASTENERS BUCKLE, CLIP, HOOK, SNAP
• BLUE: MARK AS COMPLETED CHECK, CROSS, STRIKE, TICK
• PURPLE: DEPICTED IN DALÍ'S "THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY" ANT, BRANCH, CLOCK, MELTING

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.

• US semiconductor giant discloses HBM4 product launch in 2026, followed by HBM4E
• These are likely to be used by Nvidia's Rubin R100 GPU and AMD's successor to the Instinct MI400x
• Micron is a latecomer to a very crowded market that has SK Hynix at its helm

Micron has revealed further steps in its plan to capture a significant chunk of the rapidly expanding high-bandwidth memory market.

The US semiconductor giant revealed during its fiscal Q1 2025 earnings call it plans to introduce HBM4 memory products in 2026, followed by HBM4E in 2027/2028 with 64GB, 2TBps parts designed for advanced AI and data center applications.

Sanjay Mehrotra, Micron's President and CEO, stressed the growing importance of HBM in the company's plans, saying, "The HBM market will exhibit robust growth over the next few years. In 2028, we expect the HBM total addressable market (TAM) to grow four times from the $16 billion level in 2024 and to exceed $100 billion by 2030. Our TAM forecast for HBM in 2030 would be bigger than the size of the entire DRAM industry, including HBM, in calendar 2024."

(Image credit: Micron) Coming to a flagship GPU

Expressing excitement about its next generation HBM, Mehrotra added, "Leveraging the strong foundation and continued investments in proven 1β process technology, we expect Micron’s HBM4 will maintain time to market and power efficiency leadership while boosting performance by over 50% over HBM3E."

The HBM4E version, expected to arrive towards the end of 2027, will include a customizable logic base die using advanced manufacturing technology from TSMC. This design feature will allow certain customers to modify the logic layer to better suit their needs, with the goal of enhancing performance and efficiency.

The upcoming memory solutions are expected to be used in flagship GPUs such as Nvidia's Rubin R100 and AMD’s successor to the Instinct MI400x. Micron has already demonstrated traction in the market with its HBM3E technology. "We are proud to share that Micron's HBM3E 8H is designed into Nvidia’s Blackwell B200 and GB200 platforms," Mehrotra said, during the call.

While Micron is a relative newcomer to the HBM space, which is currently dominated by South Korean memory giant SK Hynix, and its neighbor and chief rival Samsung, the company remains optimistic about its competitive positioning.

"Based on our customer design wins and success in establishing deep partnerships with customers, industry enablers, and key technology partners like TSMC, we expect to be a leading supplier of HBM, with the most robust, trusted, and industry-leading technology roadmap and execution record," Mehrotra said.

You might also like

• SK Hynix has begun production of HBM3E for Blackwell Ultra GPUs
• Micron's DRAMless SSD could end low performance SATA drives
• A glimpse at what the future of memory and storage could look like

Apple's rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2 and its predecessor aren't hugely discounted, but if your heart is set on one, we've found the best available prices.

Save 20% on Voltme's mini portable power bank, and never worry about losing a charge again.

Here are some highly rated series to check out, plus a look at what's new in January.

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,296 for Sunday, Jan. 5.