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New Heights, the podcast he cohosts with his brother Jason Kelce.'/>

Swift revealed the release date, cover art and track list for The Life of a Showgirl. She also discussed her romance with Travis Kelce, buying back her masters and recovering from the Eras Tour.

(Image credit: New Heights)

• Dice has announced new changes for the Battlefield 6 Open Beta Weekend 2
• Playlists will receive game mode rotation adjustments, including to the All-Out Warfare, and a Custom Search feature for maps and mode selection
• The second Open Beta starts today and ends on August 17

After the massive success that was the Battlefield 6 Open Beta Weekend 1, Dice has revealed new changes it will be adding for Weekend 2.

The studio revealed the details in a new blog post, where it confirmed that it will be making playlist adjustments in Weekend 2 for more variety and choice, including to the All-Out Warfare playlist, which will include the Breakthrough, Conquest, and Rush game modes. You can check out the updated playlists below.

"Rotating through multiple modes within playlists helps us understand what our community enjoys as we shape the launch experience, and enables us to keep more fan-favorite modes available at the same time," it explained.

The second Open Beta will also add a new Custom Search feature to give players more control over map and mode selection.

"This feature allows you to choose your favorite combinations of maps and modes," the post said. "For example, if you want to play Conquest on Siege of Cairo, then matchmaking will prioritize putting you in a match with this combo, if available. Note that this is not a Server Browser (which is not being tested this week).

During Open Beta, Custom Search will be available for Open Weapon mode playlists as well, allowing players to mix and match maps and modes as they like.

In addition, Training Grounds will continue to offer the Firing Range and gameplay introductions for classes, Breakthrough, and Conquest, and players at career rank 14 and below will be able to access Initiation Mode, which includes AI Soldiers.

"This initiation experience is tailored for new players and will shift from Breakthrough to Conquest. Separately, there will be a non-playable introduction to Rush as well," the developer said.

Dice also confirmed that Open Beta Weekend 2 will kick off today, Thursday, August 14, at 8 AM UTC / 1 AM PT / 9 AM BST.

The full game launches on October 10, 2025, for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

Open Beta Weekend 2 - Playlists Overview

Day 1 - Thursday, August 14:

• Conquest
• Rush
• Attack & Defend (Breakthrough, Rush)
• Close Quarters; Fast-paced playlist on smaller maps (Domination, King of the Hill)
• Closed Weapons All-Out Warfare (Conquest, Breakthrough)

Day 2 - Friday, August 15:

• Conquest
• Squad Deathmatch
• Close Quarters; Fast-paced playlist on smaller maps (Domination, King of the Hill, Squad Deathmatch)
• All-Out Warfare; Epic battles across expansive maps (Conquest, Breakthrough, Rush)
• Closed Weapons All-Out Warfare (Conquest, Breakthrough)

Day 3-4 - Saturday, August 16 - Sunday, August 17:

• Conquest
• Close Quarters; Fast-paced playlist on smaller maps (Domination, King of the Hill, Squad Deathmatch).
• All-Out Warfare; Epic battles across expansive maps (Conquest, Breakthrough, Rush)
• Closed Weapons All-Out Warfare (Conquest, Breakthrough)

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• Proton VPN has expanded its split tunneling feature to the Linux app
• Split tunneling allows users to selectively route their internet traffic
• Proton plans to bring split tunneling to its macOS app next

Proton VPN has expanded its Linux capabilities with the addition of a new split tunneling feature, currently in beta.

Split tunneling for Linux is available to subscribers using the official Ubuntu and Fedora apps for Proton VPN, which is already one of the best VPN services available according to TechRadar's testing. Though not currently offered for the unofficial Flatpak version of the app, Debian 12 support is on the way.

The latest update brings Proton VPN’s Linux app in line with its Windows and Android apps in offering the feature. Mac users needn’t feel left out with split tunneling for macOS also on Proton VPN’s summer roadmap.

What is split tunneling and why does it matter?

(Image credit: Proton)

Split tunneling is a popular VPN feature, providing users with a greater degree of control and flexibility for managing their internet connections. When you connect to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) server, all of your internet traffic is encrypted and routed through a secure tunnel between your device and the VPN server.

Although it’s undoubtedly beneficial to have all of your data encrypted for the best possible security, split tunneling lets you balance privacy with performance. For example, if you want to browse securely but have the fastest speeds for gaming – even the best gaming VPN can slow things down at times – you can use Proton VPN’s split tunneling feature to have the gaming app bypass the VPN connection.

Likewise, you may have difficulties accessing local network devices, such as a printer, when connecting to a VPN. With split tunneling, you can access these devices through your local connection without disrupting your VPN connection and the protection it provides to the rest of your traffic.

The same goes if you need to access local websites like your online banking or government sites.

How to use split tunneling on Proton VPN for Linux

If you’re a Linux user with a premium Proton VPN subscription and want to take advantage of this new feature, you'll need to update to the latest Linux app version.

The beta feature is currently being rolled out gradually, but you can soon find it via the app’s settings page. Simply navigate to features and toggle on the split tunneling option.

(Image credit: Proton)

For the time being, it’s only possible to select apps to exclude from the VPN connection via the exclude mode. To do this, click “Add” and check the boxes of any apps whose traffic you’d prefer not to route via the VPN tunnel (see image above). Note that you’ll then need to reconnect to the VPN and restart any excluded apps that were opened before connecting to the VPN server.

An include mode, to enable VPN protection only for selected apps, is coming soon, as are IP-based rules for the exclude and include modes.

Proton VPN is one of the best Linux VPNs we’ve reviewed, but it’s not the only VPN with split tunneling for Linux. ExpressVPN has also been busy and released split tunneling for its Linux app in March 2025.

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• HTC has a new pair of smart glasses called the Vive Eagle
• They boast many of the same features as their rivals
• You can only get them in Taiwan right now

HTC has just announced a new Vive wearable, but it’s not another VR headset – instead it’s a pair of stylish AI glasses called Vive Eagle. And I’m feeling twinges of jealousy towards anyone that can get a pair.

That’s because these smart specs could put up a good fight against the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses I’ve come to love (as well as the new Oakley HSTN specs that take the RayBans and make them a smidge better).

Hardware-wise, Vive goes beat for beat with the competition. It boasts a 12MP snapper as well as open-ear speakers, and a solid battery life of up to 36 hours of standby time and 4.5 hours of music playback while still boasting a sleek 49g design.

Where I think it truly shines however is its AI.

(Image credit: HTC)

That’s because while Vive’s own assistant can help you with tasks it can also team up with your choice of ChatGPT or Google Gemini rather than locking you to one service – like how Meta’s glasses are entirely dependent on Meta AI.

As we’ve come to expect from AI companions, Vive also makes clear that “all user data is stored locally” on its glasses meaning it isn’t used for model training. When using third-party AI services your data is also anonymised to provide improved privacy.

Rounding off the AI upgrades, Vive’s specs are better with languages. Meta’s AI currently lets its smart specs translate between English, French, Spanish, Italian and German, Meanwhile Vive’s assistant supports Arabic, Traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Thai, and Turkish.

And I can’t ignore the Eagle’s striking design. I’m boring enough to want to grab the translucent black pair, but the slightly see through berry red, blueish gray, and coffee brown all look beautiful and each perfectly highlight the specs’ blend of fashion and technology.

Though with a Wayfarer-like shape, these glasses perhaps don’t create enough of their own personality from a silhouette perspective.

(Image credit: HTC)

Unfortunately they won’t be easy to get your hands on.

Firstly, the Vive Eagle specs are currently exclusive to Taiwan. Specifically you can find them at 2020EYEhaus premium eyewear locations and designated Taiwan Mobile OP Experience Stores.

Secondly, they are pricier than some of their rivals, such as the Meta Ray-Bans and their new Oakleys collaboration.

Viva's glasses are currently up for pre-order, and when they launch on September 1 they’ll cost NT$15,600 (New Taiwan dollars).

That comes to about $520 / £385 / AU$795 – which is higher than the most expensive Meta Ray-Bans at $379 / £379 / AU$539, and the $499 / £499 / AU$789 Oakley smart glasses with PRIZM lenses (ignoring the UK where the Oakleys are over £100 more).

I’ll need to try the Vive Eagle glasses out before passing judgement, but there is seemingly a lot to love here, and as the AI glasses competition heats up – with Meta Connect promising next-gen specs, and Android XR due next year – Vive’s Eagle wearable is a welcome addition that I look forward to seeing more of.

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• Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater's multiplayer mode, Fox Hunt, won't support cross-play
• Konami confirmed this in a social media post, saying cross-play won't be supported between PC and console
• Fans have expressed disappointment and are urging the developer to delay the mode until crossplay gets added

Konami has confirmed that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater's multiplayer mode, Fox Hunt, won't support cross-play between console and PC.

This announcement comes from the Japanese Metal Gear X / Twitter account, just weeks before the game's release, where the developer said that "cross-play between different platforms will not be supported" (machine translated).

This means players on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S won't be able to play the multiplayer together.

Following Konami's statement, fans have been expressing disappointment online, with many asking the studio to delay Fox Hunt until crossplay is ready to be added.

"Delay FOX HUNT, Please. Crossplay is necessary for players to have fun with their friends on other platforms!" one user said under the post.

"Even if it needs a bigger delay do not launch the mode without crossplay it's 2025 crossplay is not a feature anymore it's something needed," another fan wrote.

【ご案内】『METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER』のオンライン対戦モード 「FOX HUNT」につきまして、異なるプラットフォーム間でのクロスプレイは非対応となります。対応機種PlayStation®5、Xbox Series X|S、Steam®#MGSDelta #MetalGearSolid #メタルギアソリッド pic.twitter.com/sGsv3CjyhWAugust 13, 2025

The reactions over on the Metal Gear subreddit are similar, though fans are hopeful the crossplay will be added to the mode in a later update.

"Crossplay should have become the norm by now," one Redditor said.

Fox Hunt was announced in June and is described as a "completely original online battle mode" that will play differently from 2008's Metal Gear Online.

The multiplayer is being directed by series veteran Yu Sahara and takes place in the same world as the main game. It will also feature hide-and-seek mechanics, mixed with stealth and survival elements.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater arrives on August 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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• Another Microsoft executive has detailed their vision of a future Windows
• Pavan Davuluri, VP of Windows and Devices, echoes the thoughts previously laid out by Microsoft's VP for OS Security, David Weston
• The overall vision is for more AI, and an OS that watches what you're doing on-screen, tapping into the cloud, which may worry the privacy conscious

Another Microsoft executive has provided their vision of the future of Windows, specifically framed around AI and the cloud, and how this - and voice input - is going to be a big part of the operating system down the line.

Windows Central discovered a YouTube interview with Pavan Davuluri, VP of Windows and Devices at Microsoft. See the video clip below, and be warned, the technobabble is strong with this one. Davuluri says at one point: "Computing [will] become more ambient, more pervasive, continue to span form factors, and certainly become more multi-modal in the arc of time."

Okay, so let's boil this - and the rest of the interview - down a bit. Computing becoming more "multi-modal" refers to using inputs beyond the traditional mouse and keyboard, and the exec touches on voice commands as an important part of the equation. This echoes what Microsoft's VP for OS Security, David Weston, said earlier this month when explaining his vision of Windows in 2030.

Davuluri also says, "Fundamentally, the concept that your computer can actually look at your screen and is context aware is going to become an important modality for us going forward."

Again, that follows up on what Weston observed about the next-gen Windows PC being able "to see what we see, hear what we hear, and we can talk to it and ask it to do much more sophisticated things."

The key idea appears to be Windows watching what you're doing, using AI to determine context, and then applying that to your actions in the OS, and specifically making voice commands more useful due to that context.

Davuluri notes: "You'll be able to speak to your computer while you're writing, inking, or interacting with another person. You should be able to have a computer semantically understand your intent to interact with it."

The exec also talks about Windows becoming "increasingly agentic" (with the first AI agent recently having debuted in the Settings app in Windows 11, of course), and how the cloud will be needed to power these AI abilities. (Although some of the work will be on-device, he indicates, as we see with Copilot+ PCs already - hence the need for NPUs with these laptops.)

Davuluri observes: "Compute will become pervasive, as in Windows experiences are going to use a combination of capabilities that are local [processed on the device] and that are in the cloud. I think it's our responsibility to make sure they're seamless to our customers."

Which is a roundabout way of saying that the level of processing needed for some of these AI powers in next-gen Windows will need to tap the cloud to ensure performance remains responsive enough to feel 'seamless' rather than sluggish.

Analysis: A computing paradise - or Big Brother nightmare?

Microsoft has clearly got a hymn sheet somewhere, as its top-level executives appear to be singing the same tune regarding how Windows will evolve as we head into the next decade.

It's interesting to pick up on the mirrored points between these two interviews Microsoft has recently presented: more AI (surprise, surprise) that determines context by watching what you're doing on-screen, and also allows voice commands to be more effectively used based on that context - with the cloud at least partly powering all this.

Depending on what kind of person you are, this may sound like an exciting new way forward in terms of making it easier to do what you need to do within Windows, or a privacy nightmare.

The more paranoid-leaning Windows users out there are likely to be horrified at the suggestions made about the future of the OS here. An operating system that's watching what you do? The way they'll read this angle from Microsoft is that it's turning Windows into an AI-powered surveillance platform - you can guarantee that.

And it's obvious where such concerns come from when we're told the "computer can actually look at your screen" and take context from there, and leverage the cloud (read: Microsoft's private servers) to crunch the data on what you're doing with your PC.

If this makes using next-gen Windows a breeze, and AI is constantly firing up the apps you need, or searches you want to make, before you get to them, or proactively suggesting files you might want next - or Windows options that could be changed for your benefit in given scenarios - will people even care about what's happening in the cloud? Frankly, the truth is, they probably won't if it makes their computing lives a lot easier.

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Nobody 2 is a far cry from being one of the best new movies of the year so far. Before I dig a little deeper into what went wrong, I must stress that I cannot think of a single word more apt to describe it than ‘naff’.

For anyone unfamiliar with UK slang, the dictionary definition tells us the word ‘naff’ is “something that lacks taste or style,” and you’d generally use it to describe something that’s a little cringeworthy in its rubbishness. If you went to see a musical put on by a local amateur dramatics society, if your mum ordered something off of eBay that’s arrived looking nothing like its picture, if you’ve watched a total comedic flop like Nobody 2… they’re all excellent times to use it as a descriptor.

Four years after the original Nobody film – which was one of the most-watched movies on Netflix – took place, Bob Odenkirk’s oddball hitman Hutch Mansell is back, and this time, he just wants to catch a break. Taking his family on holiday to Plummerville – a quaint Midwestern town where his dad took him on his one and only vacation as a kid – Hutch unknowingly walks into the middle of a crime syndicate operated between the local cops and boss Lendina (Sharon Stone). From there, it’s outright chaos to get the freedom to be left alone, and it comes at a price for almost everyone involved. That, my friends, is more interesting than watching it. Better Call Saul, it is not.

It blows my mind that an action movie that’s so incredibly gory can be as simultaneously mundane as Nobody 2. If you took away the (genuinely impressive) kills, standoffs, and fluke accidents, you’re left with an end product that’s so forgettable, it wouldn’t even live up to being a satisfying movie to watch on the plane. Weirdly, it’s difficult to decide who or what is at fault, with everything blending together in one homogenous blur that if it was a spice, it would be flour.

Nobody 2 has managed to make violence boring with no laughs to boot

The main takeaway from Nobody 2 is that it’s just not funny. Odenkirk tries his best with a plain Jane script to land some comedic blows, but even his sharp and wry wit doesn’t really get very far. The concept of a hitman taking his family on vacation unknowingly to a criminal hotspot should be a slam dunk, but once you’ve seen the reality blow up in Hutch’s face once, you’ve seen the whole narrative arc. We don’t really move on from the “I don’t know what I’m doing here, but I’m going to take every wrong’un I see on to hopefully be left alone” mentality, which means structurally, Nobody 2 is more of a small hill than a giant rollercoaster. Which in itself is ironic, as there are some excruciatingly brilliant deaths involving various fairground rides.

So, where does the problem come from? For me, it’s a combination of script, general story direction, and a tendency to rely on gimmicks. Why do we need to properly unpack relationships and motives when we can just watch Odenkirk punch people, set money on fire (yes, something we saw the first time, big shock) and watch Stone’s villain stab people over a game of poker. Stone herself is introduced way too late in the game, making Plummerville’s criminal hierarchy convoluted and difficult to follow. We don’t really care about who she is (which apparently has no more substance than just ‘being crazy’) by the time we see her as we’ve been led to believe someone else is the main antagonist… but despite an objectively cool tonal switch, it’s hard to be invested in the stakes.

Of course, good is going to triumph over evil and a lot of bad guys are going down in the interim. Of course, our leads will fix their romantic family problems, and fall more in love with each other than they ever have been in their fractured little lives. If a film is going to hit so many expected plot points, it has to have something else to offer. Aside from bombastic violence choices – and more on that in a moment – Nobody 2 fails to check this box (although I’ll give it the surprise pipeline of Queen Vic landlord to M-style mafioso, but that probably only chimes a chord with the Brits).

It’s not all bad news… it’s just mostly bad news

Bob Odenkirk as Hutch in Nobody 2. (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

I’m not that mean, though… Nobody 2 does have a few redeeming qualities. For starters, our cast put in solid ensemble performances, with Connie Nielsen’ Becca particularly stealing the spotlight while rightly putting Hutch in his place. It’s light-hearted fun to follow the family as they get in a few successful holiday frolics, and this is largely where the few laughs that do translate pay off. What really steals the show is the fight scenes. I know I’ve slated them a bit here, but boy, are they something to behold.

I do have to give it to the team for coming up with such creative ways for somebody to meet their maker. Faces get sliced horizontally in half, men are impaled on surfboards, and one even gets his head cut open on a table saw. Hutch kills people with the apologetic bumbling of a dad who just can’t help getting in the way, and the contrast works well in the heat of the moment. You’re probably going to dry heave, bring your hands to your mouth or gasp out loud in sudden shock. I did all three, and I’m feeling queasy just thinking back to those moments.

There might not be a method in the madness, but there is some fun. Nobody 2 is a pretty poor follow-up to an already pretty poor original action movie, though as my friends and I discussed after watching, the sequel (despite its dullness) is a definite improvement. We should all quit while we’re ahead and not make this a trilogy… Hutch said he wanted a rest, so let’s give him one.

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• Experts warn FIDO is not supported on certain clients when accessing Entra ID
• This triggers a fallback login mechanism that can be picked up
• Mitigations should be put in place, researchers say

FIDO-based authenticator apps are considered one of the strongest practical defenses against phishing and credential theft, but judging by Proofpoint’s latest research, it is not without its weaknesses.

The company's researchers say they have found a way to force a target to abandon FIDO-based authentication for a weaker login method which can be picked up in transit.

That way, despite being protected by industry-standard defenses, victims can still end up losing access to key accounts.

Missing security features

The “weakness” in this scenario is that not all browsers support FIDO. Safari on Windows, for example, is not compatible with FIDO-based authentication in Microsoft Entra ID, and when a user with such a setup tries logging in, they are offered an alternative - an SMS-delivered one-time password, email, or an OAuth consent prompt.

All of these can then be picked up via an Adversary-in-the-Middle attack (AitM), relayed to the attackers, and used to log into the account.

"This seemingly insignificant gap in functionality can be leveraged by attackers," Proofpoint said in its report.

"A threat actor can adjust the AiTM to spoof an unsupported user agent, which is not recognized by a FIDO implementation. Subsequently, the user would be forced to authenticate through a less secure method. This behavior, observed on Microsoft platforms, is a missing security measure."

So far, Proofpoint says there is no evidence that this method is being abused in the wild, and speculates that threat actors still rather target accounts without multi-factor authentication (MFA) in the first place.

However, as more and more businesses deploy this anti-phishing technique, working around FIDO-based authentication might catch on.

To minimize the risk, businesses should turn off alternative authentication methods for key accounts, or at least turning on additional checks when an alternative is triggered.

Via BleepingComputer

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Cloud has become deeply embedded in how modern organizations operate. While the benefits are clear, the economics are becoming harder to navigate.

As businesses scale usage, questions are mounting about whether rising spend is still delivering proportional value. Gartner’s May 2025 trends report predicts that by 2028, one in four organizations will report dissatisfaction with their cloud outcomes.

This discontent reflects a growing distance between infrastructure and accountability, and the growing need for cloud governance to mature, before inefficiencies become embedded.

Designing for visibility, not just reporting

In many organizations, cost is still treated as a reporting outcome rather than something to shape. Spend is reviewed after deployment, leaving optimization efforts limited to what can be adjusted post-implementation.

Flexera’s 2025 State of the Cloud Report shows that a significant majority of organizations lack detailed visibility into their cloud costs, with only 43% tracking cloud costs at a unit level. This limited visibility hinders most teams’ ability to attribute costs to specific products, services or functions.

Our global data also shows that 34% of enterprises are spending more than $1 million monthly on SaaS. As SaaS adoption grows, so does the importance of managing software licensing costs, which can substantially impact cloud expenditures. Consequently, organizations must look for ways to optimize software license costs as they mature their cloud governance practices.

Visibility needs to move earlier in the decision chain, shaping how environments are constructed rather than rationalizing them after the fact. A shift left approach brings cost considerations – like infrastructure and software licensing costs - earlier into the product lifecycle, so that organizations can make more informed decisions about their cloud usage. By attributing these costs to specific products or services, organizations can gain a clearer understanding of their overall cloud spend.

By embedding cost insight into the architecture stage, organizations are able to steer usage intentionally. They can optimize cloud spend and build cloud environments that reflect business priorities as well as contribute to more sustainable cloud practices, minimizing their environmental footprint.

Bringing cost ownership to where decisions are made

Access to data does not guarantee accountability. Many organizations have detailed cost reporting but continue to struggle with cloud waste.

The issue here shifts from one of visibility towards one of proximity. Our data shows 59% of organizations have a FinOps team that does some or all cloud cost optimization tasks, yet in many cases, these teams still sit at the edge of delivery. So, while they can surface issues, they are often too removed from daily operations to intervene effectively.

The most effective models integrate cost ownership into delivery itself. This means that engineering leads, platform teams and product owners have oversight to take action before inefficiencies take hold.

As a result, when these roles are supported with relevant reporting and shared financial metrics, cost awareness becomes a natural part of the decision-making process. This makes it easier to adjust workloads, retire underutilized services, and optimize environments in-flight, rather than in hindsight.

Organizations with mature FinOps practices are better positioned to manage their cloud costs and reduce waste year over year. This improvement reflects a delivery culture where cost is treated as a design consideration.

Using attribution to prioritize what matters

Many organizations can report how much is being spent and on which services. Far fewer can explain how that spend supports outcomes the business cares about.

87% of organizations view cost efficiency as the primary measure of cloud success, up from 65% last year. This signals a shift in mindset that cloud is no longer assumed to be efficient by default, it must justify its footprint in context.

When cloud spend is tied to individual products, services or customer experiences, the conversation becomes more focused. Governing costs like software licensing ensures that licensing agreements are optimized and aligned with business needs.

Attribution helps shift cloud conversations away from usage and toward value. Taking a holistic approach to cost management not only helps in reducing waste but also contributes to more sustainable cloud practices, ultimately delivering both financial and environmental value.

Early discipline pays off at scale

Control is easiest to build before complexity sets in. The longer organizations delay embedding structure into cloud governance, the harder it becomes to retrofit later. Inconsistent tagging, ambiguous ownership and manual reporting all take time to correct once they are entrenched.

As 33% of global organizations now spend more than 12 million dollars annually on public cloud, this highlights how new services, accounts and tools can be introduced faster than the governance processes required to manage them.

It’s important to note that scaling effectively doesn’t mean avoiding complexity, but there is a need to manage it consistently.

Also, governance does not have to stand in the way of innovation. It can enable it, by improving confidence in decision making, and reducing the uncertainty that often undermines momentum.

Cloud is a system of interdependent decisions, each with its own financial implications. The ability to explain, anticipate and adjust these decisions draws the line between cloud as a delivery of value, or cloud as a cost center. As FinOps matures, designing for cost from the beginning and shifting cost conversations left is key to building cloud environments that scale with control.

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• Cisco Talos finds a new malware framework called PS1Bot
• The framework is distributed through malvertising and SEO poisoning
• PS1Bot can serve as an infostealer, keylogger, screen grabber, and more

Security researchers Cisco Talos have discovered a brand new malware framework which they say really goes the extra mile to infect a device.

PS1Bot can log keystrokes, grab cryptocurrency data, and persist on the compromised endpoint, among other things, the company's report says.

Complementing PS1Bot is a malvertising campaign, as well as SEO poisoning, which tricks unsuspecting victims into downloading the malware. Cisco Talos did not say what the theme of these ill-intentioned ads and pages are using, who the usual victims are, or how successful the campaign is.

Flexible and dangerous

They did say that whoever downloads the ZIP file can expect a JavaScript payload that acts as a dropper and pulls a scriptlet from an external server.

That scriptlet writes a PowerShell script to a file on disk and runs it. In turn, the PowerShell script contacts the threat actor’s command-and-control (C2) server, grabbing additional commands that transform the malware into whatever is necessary at the moment.

There are many things the framework can be turned into. It can serve as a reconnaissance tool, sharing with the attackers details about antivirus programs running on the computer, as well as basic system information.

It can serve as a screen capture or keylogger tool, relaying screenshots and keystrokes to the C2. It can also work as a wallet grabber, stealing cryptocurrency wallet information. Finally, it can persist on the device via a PowerShell script that launches automatically upon restart.

"The information stealer module implementation leverages wordlists embedded into the stealer to enumerate files containing passwords and seed phrases that can be used to access cryptocurrency wallets, which the stealer also attempts to exfiltrate from infected systems," Cisco Talos said.

"The modular nature of the implementation of this malware provides flexibility and enables the rapid deployment of updates or new functionality as needed."

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Using a VPN service should not be an obstacle to effectively enforcing mandatory age verification checks, like those recently implemented in the UK.

This is the response coming from the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) to the surge in VPN demand across the UK since the new rules came into play. The surge has also raised the question of whether VPN tools would make the Online Safety Act implementation ineffective.

According to the AVPA, to remain compliant, digital services need to actively detect VPN usage and give users the option to either prove their age or their real location.

"No need to even consider banning VPNs"

"Some argue that because VPNs exist, any age assurance system will fail. This leads to the mistaken belief that age-restricted sites are exempt from compliance if users connect through a VPN. As we have argued before, this is not true," wrote the AVPA in a blog post.

The AVPA suggests that, once VPN traffic is detected, tech providers should look at behavioral clues to assess whether the user is a UK-based minor or an adult using the VPN for privacy. If they have reason to believe this may be a minor based in the UK, they should offer a choice to either verify their age or consent to one-time geolocation.

That said, the most reliable services for unblocking streaming platforms or censored content all implement obfuscation technologies to mask the fact that people are using these services.

All in all, however, "there are ways to detect and address circumvention, and there is no need to even consider banning VPNs outright," said AVPA experts.

Digital services using age assurance to remain compliant, can do so by detecting VPN use, assessing risk using behavioural clues, and giving flagged users the option to verify their age or prove their location.@peterkyle @FeryalClark @Ofcom https://t.co/ximdlDcj8R pic.twitter.com/lpBIMiVKVuAugust 10, 2025

The AVPA recommendations came after a debate kicked off in the UK over whether authorities could ban VPNs to ensure full compliance with the Online Safety Act.

UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Peter Kyle, however, has insisted there are no such plans, despite the government looking "very closely" at how VPNs are being used.

This adds to what the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) explained when discussing the privacy risks of US age verification laws.

As the EFF experts pointed out, your IP address isn't the only method online services use to track down your location. Providers may also use GPS tracking, web cookies, mobile ad IDs, tracking pixels, or device fingerprinting, making the use of VPNs way less effective.

What's behind UK VPN surge?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts internet connections while spoofing the user's real IP address.

While both of these skills can help you boost your online privacy and security by minimizing the data traces you leave around the internet, IP-spoofing can also make you look as if you're browsing from a completely different country.

Proton VPN recorded an hourly increase of over 1,400% starting from midnight on the day mandatory age verification was enforced. AdGuard VPN also confirmed to TechRadar that sign-ups grew by 2.5 times in just a few days. Data from Top10VPN shows an ongoing surge in VPN demand of almost 2,000% since July 25, too.

Whether minors looking to evade age checks are behind these numbers or it's adults concerned for their privacy is impossible to know.

What's certain, however, is that the new rules have attracted a strong backlash so far amongst technologists, politicians, and everyday users alike, worried about the negative impact that age checks may have on their privacy, security, free speech, and access to information.

The UK regulator, Ofcom, is, nonetheless, strongly suggesting against VPN use to bypass age checks, arguing it will be illegal for platforms to encourage this – the BBC reported.

If you're concerned about sharing your most sensitive data to access content on the web, I recommend downloading only reliable services to protect yourself. At the time of writing, NordVPN is TechRadar's top pick. While if you don't want to pay for a subscription, Proton VPN and Privado VPN are today's best free VPN apps you can get.

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Mainframes have always been the silent powerhouses of enterprise technology – quietly doing the heavy lifting behind the scenes. They’ve provided the backbone for some of the world’s most essential systems for decades. And today, they’re more relevant than ever. In fact, many of the most critical functions across industries still run on mainframes. Why? Because they deliver unmatched reliability, speed, and scale.

These systems can process millions of transactions in seconds, making them indispensable for organizations that demand consistency and speed. From database management to enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, mainframes support the core processes that keep businesses running.

Their ability to handle massive data volumes with precision and minimal downtime makes them idea for industries like finance, travel and transportation, healthcare, and retail—where timing and accuracy are everything.

But the game is changing. Mainframes are no longer just transactional workhorses. With the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies, they’re evolving into intelligent platforms—capable of not just running the business, but transforming it. AI is unlocking new value from mainframe environments, turning them into engines of insight, resilience, and innovation.

Stopping fraud before it happens

Mainframes are built for scale and security—two things that matter more than ever in today’s threat landscape. As digital fraud grows more sophisticated and regulatory pressure intensifies, businesses need systems that can keep up. Mainframes are meeting that challenge head-on.

By running AI models directly on the mainframe—where the data lives and transactions happen—organizations can analyze patterns in real time. That means faster fraud detection, quicker triage, and smarter responses. No data movement. No latency. Just immediate action.

This same approach is streamlining other high-value processes, too. AI is accelerating loan modifications, automating credit decisions, and embedding intelligence into every customer interaction. It’s not just about stopping fraud—it’s about making smarter, faster decisions across the board.

Your AI-driven development partner

Mainframes are also evolving to meet the demands of modern development. As digital operations grow more complex and skilled talent becomes hard to find, AI is helping bridge the gap.

Mainframe applications, with their monolithic and deeply layered architectures, can be tough to navigate. They’ve been built over decades, often in legacy languages like COBOL, and that complexity makes them hard to understand, modify, or maintain—especially as experienced developers become harder to find.

That’s where AI steps in. By embedding AI directly into the mainframe development process, organizations can proactively identify service issues, streamline workflows, and allocate resources more effectively. AI doesn’t just assist—it accelerates.

It’s especially powerful when it comes to understanding and modernizing existing codebases. As the pool of developers fluent in older languages continues to shrink, AI can automate code restructuring, ensuring updates are made quickly, cleanly, and without introducing risk. It can also validate translated code—so when applications are migrated from one language to another, the new version performs exactly as it should, with no surprises and no logic gaps.

By automating these time-consuming, repetitive tasks, AI frees up developers to focus on what really matters: solving complex problems, driving innovation, and delivering value.

An operational strategy for the future

Even minor IT disruptions can lead to major consequences – downtime, lost revenue, and reputation damage. That’s why integrating AI into mainframe operations is a smart move.

AI enables IT teams to anticipate issues before they escalate. It helps identify patterns, predict failures, and take pre-emptive action. Ultimately, this leads to faster recover times, improved system reliability, and stronger business continuity.

Seeing the bigger picture

The future of mainframes lies in their ability to evolve—and AI is accelerating that evolution. By integrating AI technologies, organizations are transforming mainframes from transactional engines into strategic platforms.

This combination of trusted infrastructure and modern intelligence allows businesses to extract deeper, more actionable insights from the data they already generate. It’s a powerful shift that improves decision-making and enables smarter, faster strategies.

AI enhances performance, can strengthen security, and deliver real-time intelligence that helps organizations stay competitive and resilient. It’s not just about keeping systems running—it’s about using them to drive innovation, efficiency, and growth.

The opportunity is here. The time to act is now.

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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

• Following an 18-month ban, Blood Oxygen tracking is coming back to the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2
• It's not an entirely on-device experience anymore, though
• The Apple Watch still measures Blood Oxygen, but the iPhone will calculate and display the final result

It’s been a long 18 months, but Apple’s announced that Blood Oxygen tracking and monitoring are returning to the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 in the United States.

The feature was disabled and effectively banned on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 – then the Series 10, which launched later – after a ruling in January 2024 due to a patent dispute over the technology being used between Massimo and Apple. Now, thanks to iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, which will roll out later today, the feature is returning in a ‘redesigned’ form.

In its new iteration, the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2’s sensors can take a reading, then transmit the data to the connected iPhone, where it will be calculated and displayed in the Health app under ‘Respiratory’ readings.

So no, you won’t be able to take the reading, watch as it progresses, and then view the results right on your wrist, as you could before. Still, this does effectively return the tracking and monitoring functionality to the impacted Apple Watch models in the United States.

In a statement shared, Apple explains the changes as:

“Users with these models in the U.S. who currently do not have the Blood Oxygen feature will have access to the redesigned Blood Oxygen feature by updating their paired iPhone to iOS 18.6.1, and their Apple Watch to watchOS 11.6.1. Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app. This update was enabled by a recent U.S. Customs ruling.”

The U.S. Customs ruling is key here, as this will return the feature to the Apple Watches sold when the ban began and was subsequently enforced. If you still have an older Apple Watch, or one sold prior to January 2024, the Blood Oxygen functionality remains unimpacted and won’t be changed. That also goes for any models sold outside of the United States, which have been unimpacted by this ruling.

Still, this does return the Blood Oxygen feature to the Apple Watch, even if it splits the experience between watch and phone. But this separation is likely key to having this allowed and approved by U.S. Customs.

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

For those who have purchased an Apple Watch Series 9, 10, or Ultra 2 in those many months, this is a return to form and rounding out of the health tracking features on Apple’s star wearable in the United States. Even in our Apple Watch Series 10 review, we noted that the Blood Oxygen tracking feature was missing in the US.

Apple has a pretty smart rollout here, and considering rumors of further pushes into health features that we might see with future generations of Apple Watch models, it might be helpful to have these readings going straight into the Health app. Either route, though, if you’ve been waiting for Blood Oxygen tracking to return, it’s back, but you’ll want to make sure your iPhone is nearby if you want to see the results.

While Apple has not shared an exact timing for the rollouts of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, it has promised to arrive today – August 14, 2025 – in the United States, and we’ll update this piece when we see it rolling out.

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Have you ever tried reading an iMessage thread exported into an email? It’s like viewing your Instagram feed through an A4 binder.

Welcome to the reality many compliance teams face today: digital conversations that look nothing like the originals, stripped of context and flattened into disorienting formats. That’s a problem, as regulatory reviews require not just the message, but the full story.

That story lives in native data. If you’re not capturing it, you’re already a step behind.

What is native data, and why should you care?

Native data means capturing communications exactly as they happened, in their original environment, with every bit of context intact. That includes:

• Timestamps and delivery receipts
• Message order and full threading
• Reactions, emojis, and edits
• Attachments, formatting, and metadata

It doesn’t matter whether the conversation happened over Slack, WhatsApp, SMS, iMessage, Teams, or somewhere else entirely. Suppose you're reviewing those messages out of order or in a restructured format (looking at you, exported email chains). In that case, you're missing more than just convenience - you're losing critical details that are essential for an accurate compliance review.

Native capture isn’t about bells and whistles - quite the opposite. It’s about authentically recreating the conversation that has taken place, ensuring accuracy, auditability, and trust.

The risk of non-native capture

When messages are exported, summarized, or reformatted, a lot gets lost in translation:

• Threads break apart. You review individual communications without any indication of how they relate. This can completely shift the meaning associated with each message.
• Reactions disappear. A thumbs-up to a risky comment? Gone.
• Edits vanish. There’s no way to tell what was changed, or when.
• Timestamps warp. Or worse, they’re missing altogether.
• The message gets jammed into an email that appears to have been written by a robot.

This kind of context stripping isn’t just frustrating, it’s dangerous. Reviewers are forced into manual reconstruction mode, which slows down investigations, adds more scope for human error, and increases the risk of missing critical signs of misconduct. It also makes audits significantly harder to defend.

When firms struggle to explain key interactions to regulators - because the records were incomplete or misaligned with the original user experience - that’s more than just a gap. It’s a compliance liability.

Why native matters for investigations

When compliance teams investigate digital communications, they shouldn’t have to rebuild conversations manually from raw exports. That’s not oversight, it’s archaeology.

With native capture, the full conversation is laid out as it actually occurred. Messages are threaded. Metadata is intact. Reactions, edits, and attachments are all right where they belong.

This dramatically reduces the time spent hunting for context, and eliminates the need to second-guess what was meant. It also cuts down on false positives, enabling faster, clearer decision-making. When regulators come knocking, you can confidently hand over records that are complete, verifiable, and defensible.

What native capture enables

Native capture isn’t just a compliance checkbox - it’s a strategic enabler. When your team has access to fully native, context-rich communications, there is nothing to decipher. You gain real-time oversight rather than relying on after-the-fact deductions. Investigations become faster and smoother, with fewer bottlenecks slowing you down.

Native capture also fosters alignment across teams. Whether Legal, Risk, or Marketing, everyone is working from the same trusted source of truth. This shared clarity builds confidence when facing regulators, internal stakeholders, or legal scrutiny.

Ultimately, native capture provides the clarity compliance leaders need to shift from reactive firefighting to proactive management, without burning out their teams.

What to ask your vendor

If you’re wondering whether your current system is truly native, here’s a quick litmus test:

• What formats are you capturing in?
• Can you view the conversation exactly as it looked to the sender and recipient?
• Do you preserve full threading: message order, reactions, and edits?
• Is metadata (like timestamps and user IDs) retained and searchable?
• Can you use the captured data downstream for reports, escalations, audits?

Be wary if your system depends on exported spreadsheets or emails, or offers only “summary” logs instead of complete conversations. If threading and reactions aren’t visible, or if there’s no way to replay or faithfully reconstruct the original user experience, these are clear red flags.

If you’re encountering these issues, you’re not just wasting time. You’re risking your entire compliance defensibility.

Context is the new compliance currency

Today’s digital conversations move fast, flow across platforms, and rarely follow a script. Compliance can't afford to fall behind or work blindly. Native capture isn’t a luxury; it’s the new baseline. Without it, you’re not just making life harder for your team - you’re accepting risk you can’t afford.

Ask yourself: Are you capturing the full story thread, edits, reactions and all? Or just a flattened transcript that leaves too much unsaid? Because in compliance, as in conversation, it’s what’s between the lines that often matters most.

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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

I've been reviewing vacuum cleaners at TechRadar for the past 18 months, during which time I've tested some of the very best vacuum cleaners money can buy, from vacuums that that can empty themselves, and vacuums that can tell you exactly what they're sucking up, to vacuums with lasers.

And while all of those vacuums are impressive, I'll concede that what most people want is a vacuum that does a good job of cleaning their floors, is comfortable to use, and – crucially – doesn't require them to take out a loan in order to purchase it.

Broadly speaking, you do get what you pay for with vacuum cleaners, so if you can I'd steer clear of the ultra-cheap end of the market. However, there are some real hidden gems in the budget bracket. Read on for a closer look at my favorite cheap vacuum cleaner – the one I recommend to my thrifty friends and family members – plus three great-value alternatives to consider if my top pick doesn't take your fancy.

This article focuses on US picks – click here for UK recommendations.

My #1 cheap vacuum cleaner in the US

(Image credit: Future)

The Shark Stratos Corded Stick vacuum is well designed, with suction powerful enough to clear vast amounts of dog hair from our tester's carpets. The supplied attachments are useful, and the modular design means this vacuum can be used in a number of configurations for different cleaning tasks.

At full price it's a relatively affordable $299.99, but deals crop up fairly regularly, and right now you can snap one up for a bargain $179.99 - and with that price cut, it's incredible value for money.

Various special features help elevate it well above what I'd expect for that budget-friendly price. The floorhead has LED lights to help illuminate dark corners, and is designed so that hair won't tangle around the brushroll. There's also an odor-neutralizer cartridge, which won over our tester by leaving his carpets smelling lovely and fresh.

A big reason why this vacuum is so cheap is because it's corded. In a world of mostly cordless vacuums, that can seem old-fashioned and inconvenient, but there are benefits to going corded that go beyond just price. The suction is almost always far superior to what you'd get on a cordless model, plus corded vacuums tend to last longer in general, so you're getting a better return on your investment. And, of course you'll never run out of juice, either. If having a cord is a deal-breaker, I've included three great cheap, cordless alternatives below.

Alternatives to consider...

Not sold on the Shark Corded? Here are three alternatives that also impressed me by punching well above their diminutive price tags.

Dreame R20

The Dreame R20 is my favorite cordless vacuum overall – and not just in the budget bracket. It's powerful, lightweight and maneuverable, with advanced extras like automatic suction adjustment and a special head for hard flooring. The runtimes are long, too.

Read our full Dreame R20 review

Shark Detect Pro Cordless

It's less powerful than the corded Stratos, but the Detect Pro is nimble and lightweight, with clever detection and automation features. You can also opt for a version with an auto-empty dock, although that costs a little more.

Read our full Shark Detect Pro cordless review

Dyson V8

It's not cheap in the wider market, coming in around $360 with current deals, but this is the cheapest Dyson vacuum. You're getting that premium build quality and meticulous engineering, plus it's lightweight and versatile.

Read our full Dyson V8 review

FreshBooks is a one-stop, cloud-based accounting software package that for a relatively small outlay can provide you with an easy-to-use package that ticks most boxes.

Within its browser-based design you’ll find a whole host of options that cover any and all aspects of running a business. It doesn't matter if you're a lone freelancer or someone who’s growing a business and employing staff.

FreshBooks is a doddle to use, has the capacity to expand with your business needs and, thankfully, keeps those stress levels low as you build up your accounting profile. New features for this year include advanced search, the ability to download your own statements, Dropbox connectivity, new keyboard shortcuts and much more.

In the UK, Freshbooks has teamed up with Barclays to offer joint bookkeeping solutions for customers, offering new ways to help with invoicing and wider business management tasks. It's now possible to integrate Barclaycard Payments into FreshBooks, providing extra convenience for business customers.

Competitors in this software area include QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Business Cloud Accounting, Kashoo, Zoho Books and Kashflow.

View Freshbooks hereView Deal

• Want to try FreshBooks Check out the website here

FreshBooks is easily configured using a step-by-step series of user-friendly windows (Image credit: FreshBooks)FreshBooks: Pricing

FreshBooks comes with a selection of package and payment options that should provide a solution for most, but like most other companies in any industry, prices have climbed in recent years. Still, FreshBooks can justify that with feature improvements and other ways to find value for money, and there are often promotions on to get you through the door for less money.

Lite is the entry-level tier, which costs $21 per month. This and Plus ($38/month) are where FreshBooks envisions attracting most freelancers, but self-employed workers who have a bit more income and more complex needs could toss a coin between Plus or the more feature-packed Premium ($65/month).

Any requirements over and above this selection and you’re best advised to contact FreshBooks for a custom deal, which the company calls its Select plan.

All of the plans are pretty customizable, including options for additional team members ($11/month), online payment accepting ($20/month) and Payroll, which costs $40 per month plus $6 monthly per user. All of this means the costs can quite quickly add up compared with other plans, and while we've criticized others for offering too many plans to make sense of, we're worried FreshBooks' approach can make the costs climb quickly.

FreshBooks also gets a thumbs up for its try-free option, which lets you explore the package and cancel within 30 days if it’s not right for your needs.

Initial setup takes mere moments thanks to a very straightforward cloud-based design (Image credit: FreshBooks)FreshBooks: Features

FreshBooks comes with an impressive array of features no matter which of the package options you adopt. Even the Lite edition sparkles with the capacity for unlimited and customizable invoices, unlimited expense entries, the ability to accept credit card payments online and ACH bank transfers too.

However, the limits come in areas. For example, you can only work with five clients or you'll need to upgrade.

Naturally, the beefier the package the more features you get, so Plus adds to the Lite feature set with up to 50 clients, unlimited proposals, automated recurring invoices, double entry accounting reports and more besides.

For us, Plus might be the most cost-effective plan, with other features extending to e-signature support, bank reconciliation and slicker receipt and expense tracking.

Similarly, Premium gets all the Lite and Plus features along with an unlimited client capacity (up from 500 previously) and customizable email templates, which means you could pretty much manage most of your financing from the single platform.

Anyone with a custom-priced deal can also enjoy a personal account manager, personal FreshBooks training for you and your team along with other value-added features.

FreshBooks Dashboard is where you can control all of the features and functionality (Image credit: FreshBooks)FreshBooks: Performance

FreshBooks has had plenty of time to perfect its operation and this cloud-based system is one that works with little to worry about. The service delivers a neat experience depending on what kind of business you run, and if you’re a one-man-band then there’s very little to go wrong it seems.

Even if you’re operating a large or expanding business FreshBooks seems nicely engineered and rolls with the punches if you’re dealing with large chunks of customer data.

Freshbooks is also available for iOS or Android and the app edition is a clever supplement to the desktop arrangement. Not everyone wants to do everything on their app, especially if that involves large reams of numbers, but this is a great option if you’re keeping track of things on the go.

Updates in early and mid 2025 added manual bank imports and flexible reconciliation options, so if you live in a region where bank connections can be unreliable or your bank doesn't support this feature, then at least you can find another way to connect your expenses.

It's updates like these that speak volumes about a company, and it's promising to know that FreshBooks is making these changes and upping quotas (as mentioned above regarding client capacity) to continue adding value to its products even when prices climb.

FreshBooks can also be used in expanded fashion as your business grows (Image credit: FreshBooks)FreshBooks: Ease of use

Accounting software can be a long and arduous journey if you’re not au fait with its different sensibilities, let alone the work involved in mastering a new system. However, FreshBooks has been honed and fine-tuned over the years and is now an inviting option, especially if you’re starting out in business.

In fact, FreshBooks is refreshing in its set-by-step setup, with initial manoeuvres involving little more than picking a package and following the email address and password route so common with cloud-based operations.

On the whole, we found the experience clean, simple and jargon-free. The simple setup and onboard process also makes it a welcoming place, given how daunting finance software can be for new starters.

Ease-of-use is enhanced as the system can be adapted to suit what type of user you are. Larger concerns, for example, allows team members to be added. Freelancers and self-employed sole trader-types have it even easier.

FreshBooks might look simplistic but it comes with a raft of powerful tools (Image credit: FreshBooks)FreshBooks: Support

FreshBooks has a dependable and well-established support system that goes back as long as it has been operating. To start, there’s an excellent online area of the FreshBooks site that offers up a delicious selection of quick fix answers.

There are top categories too, such as dashboard and settings, invoicing and payments or handling online payments, which cover the majority of newbie enquiries.

Support extends beyond how to use the platform to discuss broader topics, like MTD explanations for smaller businesses who will soon be affected by the changes.

However, for the more unusual requests you may have, or indeed if you prefer a human to advise you, then there’s an easy-to-find phone number in the same section of the site. Live support is available from Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm EDT (Excluding Holidays) in the US. Alternatively, FreshBooks has a support email address to beef up the contact and support options.

Like other businesses, you can use the chatbot to help you find the right support article 24/7, but you'll still need to wait for a human to come online if you need further assistance.

FreshBooks can be used to seamlessly connect to any or all of your financial institutions (Image credit: FreshBooks)FreshBooks: Final Verdict

We’re really pleased with the way the latest incarnation of FreshBooks looks and performs. It’s been around for a while now and that is obviously a strength as the FreshBooks folks have refined the essence of the accounts package, but the best part is how polished it has become, making what can be a regular, tedious and complex task a joy to complete.

Its strongest suits include invoicing, expense management and tax-ready reporting, which it handles with ease, and it’s easy to setup and configure, the menu systems and sections are plain and simple, plus there’s plenty of power behind it to ensure things keep on ticking even if you’re asking a lot of it.

All told, FreshBooks seems like a mighty fine way to do your accounting and, depending on your requirements, is actually pretty cost-effective. We just worry that it could be seen as more of a premium product, with higher tiers and add-ons quickly making it a more expensive option than some others.

• We've also highlighted the best budgeting software  

The feature will be available through a software update rolling out today to select Apple Watch models.

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, August 14 (game #795).

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 #796) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TAKE CARE OF
• HAZE
• PAY
• РЕС
• FOOT
• FINE
• CASH
• THIGH
• BREAST
• МАС
• CAPITAL
• TENDER
• GRAND
• WING
• SETTLE
• BRILLIANT

NYT Connections today (game #796) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Chicken pieces
• GREEN: Sorting the check 
• BLUE: Superb
• PURPLE: Partially fancy snacks

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 #796) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: POULTRY CUTS 
• GREEN: HANDLE, AS A BILL 
• BLUE: SPLENDID
• PURPLE: STARTS OF CULINARY NUTS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #796) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #796, are…

• YELLOW: POULTRY CUTS BREAST, TENDER, THIGH, WING
• GREEN: HANDLE, AS A BILL FOOT, PAY, SETTLE, TAKE CARE OF
• BLUE: SPLENDID BRILLIANT, CAPITAL, FINE, GRAND
• PURPLE: STARTS OF CULINARY NUTS CASH, HAZE, MAC, PEC

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

The tile that read TAKE CARE OF stood out so much I honed in on finding common words to link to it.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who did this and I’m also sure I wasn’t the only person to wonder about the phrase “FOOT the bill”. It comes from adding up a column of figures at the bottom of a page rather than anything to do with our feet.

My mistake came in thinking that CASH, CAPITAL, GRAND and TENDER were all expressions for money. I got “one away” but switched my attention to the far more obvious collection of POULTRY CUTS.

I love nuts, but even after the answers were revealed I struggled to think what PEC could be referring to. Are Pecan nuts culinary? I thought they were a poor man’s walnut.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, August 14, game #795)

• YELLOW: DERRIERE BACKSIDE, CABOOSE, SEAT, TAIL
• GREEN: USED TO HIT A BALL IN SPORTS BAT, MALLET, RACKET, STICK
• BLUE: COMPONENTS OF A BRIDE'S ENSEMBLE BOUQUET, BUSTLE, TRAIN, VEIL
• PURPLE: RHYMING COMPOUND WORDS BACKPACK, NITWIT, COOKBOOK, HUBUB

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.