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Leading cybersecurity company AMTSO has just unveiled its "first-ever" standards for VPN testing.

AMTSO, short for Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization, is an NGO established in 2008 to improve the quality of anti-malware testing methods. On February 19, 2025, the experts published the VPN Performance Testing Guidelines to help enhance fair privacy and security for VPN assessments.

Regular security and privacy audits carried out by independent experts have become a common practice among the best VPN providers. Third-party audits are users' guarantee their VPN service does what it claims to be.

New VPN testing guidelines

The recent publication, developed by AMTSO's VPN working group, which includes VPN vendors and testers, is only the first in a series of VPN standard guidelines.

"This first release is an important milestone in our mission to provide testing guidance in the world of privacy and security," said John Hawes, COO of AMTSO. "By setting clear benchmarks, we enable fair comparisons and help users make informed choices when selecting a VPN provider."

AMTSO's VPN testing guidelines include key aspects that testers must check when assessing the software's performance.

These include launch on-boot and auto-connection testing to ensure VPNs activate automatically for maximum protection, kill switch tests to verify that no data leaks occur when the VPN connection drops, check whether VPNs effectively block DNS, IP, and WebRTC leaks, and split tunneling testing.

Did you know?

TechRadar's top pick NordVPN has recently proved its no-logs claims with a successful independent audit. It's then official – NordVPN never stored users' data. This was the fifth third-party audit of its privacy policy since 2018.

According to AMTSO's guidelines, testers should also evaluate how VPN services perform under different network conditions while measuring how well VPNs maintain access to websites.

Virtual private network (VPN) apps have become crucial tools for many people worldwide who want to regain control over their online privacy. A VPN encrypts all users' connections to avoid third-party access and spoofs their IP address to keep their online activities anonymous.

IP spoofing is also why increasingly more people are using streaming VPN services to keep up with their favorite shows while traveling.

Even more notably, VPN usage is soaring for the same reason among citizens living under a restricted internet environment as a censorship-resistant tool. As per ProtonVPN's latest data, 119 countries saw VPN usage spiking throughout 2024.

All this interest in VPN solutions makes it even more crucial to follow a standardized process when assessing these services.

AMTSO is now inviting independent testers and VPN vendors to adopt these guidelines. "Moving forward, the AMTSO VPN Working Group will expand its focus to include malware testing within VPN environments and additional security feature evaluations."

• New benchmarks suggest the RTX 5070 is up to 20% faster than the RTX 4070
• It's set for launch on March 5, amid AMD's Radeon RX 9000 series launch preparation
• Reports suggest the RTX 5070 won't face the same stock issues as its Blackwell counterparts

Nvidia's RTX 5000 series GPU lineup launch is seemingly nearing completion - since the desktop RTX 5060 hasn't been officially announced - with the RTX 5070 slated for release on March 5. However, we may already have a bit of insight into what this midrange GPU could bring to the table.

As reported by Wccftech, benchmark leaks reveal that the RTX 5070 will have up to 20% better performance than its predecessor, the RTX 4070. This conflicts with Nvidia's claims at CES 2025 that the RTX 5070 would be equivalent to the RTX 4090 in performance - notably, the RTX 5080 and 5070 Ti's uplifts over previous-gen GPUs were not significant enough to fully corroborate Team Green's other claims.

The RTX 4070 is a significantly weaker GPU compared to the RTX 4090, so the claims of the RTX 5070's performance were far-fetched, to say the least (even considering DLSS 4's impressive Multi Frame Generation feature). In terms of the direct comparison to its predecessor though, the uplift (if legitimate) could be a reasonable one - Wccftech highlighted the RTX 5070 scoring 187,414 in a Vulkan (a graphics API used in most AAA games) benchmark versus the RTX 4070's 156,601 points.

Fortunately, reports suggest the RTX 5070 likely won't face the same stock and supply issues seen with the already-launched Blackwell GPUs. If prices aren't inflated and end up far above MSRP (as they did with the flagship RTX 5090), this could be a solid GPU upgrade - just don't expect RTX 4090 performance.

(Image credit: Nvidia) Is MFG a good reason for an upgrade?

The suggested generational performance uplift in Vulkan for the RTX 5070 sounds decent, but Team Green's Multi Frame Generation (MFG) has the potential to take this up a notch. I'm well aware of the criticism surrounding frame-generation software ("fake frames", I know) but since ghosting is significantly reduced with the new model, it's an addition that shouldn't be ignored.

DLSS 4's improvements for all RTX GPU users are enough for me to suggest sticking with your current GPU (if compatible) - DLSS 4's super-resolution performance mode in particular looks better if not equivalent to DLSS 3's quality mode in games, and you can still enjoy a steady frame rate.

If you already have an RTX 4000 series GPU (which has DLSS 3's regular Frame Generation, not MFG), you're likely better off sticking with it - it's also been revealed that some Blackwell GPUs are shipping with missing ROPs, an inconvenience I'd certainly want to avoid.

However, if you're still on an RTX 3000 series GPU, an upgrade to an RTX 5070 seems sensible enough based on these benchmark leaks. Its launch is right around the corner, and I'm hoping there aren't any major issues this time.

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• Nvidia's RTX 5070 Ti may be getting the competition it needs as the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT's performance leaks
• Nvidia's RTX 5000 GPUs continue to face severe supply issues, with RTX 5070 Ti reportedly being even worse for launch stock than the RTX 5080
• Where to buy Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti: I'm expecting stock here first - but you'll need to be fast

• OpenAI has banned accounts using ChatGPT for malicious purposes
• Misinformation and surveillance campaigns were uncovered
• Threat actors are increasingly using AI for harm

OpenAI has confirmed it recently identified a set of accounts involved in malicious campaigns, and banned users responsible.

The banned accounts involved in the ‘Peer Review’ and ‘Sponsored Discontent’ campaigns likely originate from China, OpenAI said, and “appear to have used, or attempted to use, models built by OpenAI and another U.S. AI lab in connection with an apparent surveillance operation and to generate anti-American, Disrupting malicious uses of our models: an update February 2025 3 Spanish-language articles”.

AI has facilitated a rise in disinformation, and is a useful tool for threat actors to use to disrupt elections and undermine democracy in unstable or politically divided nations - and state-sponsored campaigns have used the technology to their advantage.

Surveillance and disinformation

The ‘Peer Review’ campaign used ChatGPT to generate “detailed descriptions, consistent with sales pitches, of a social media listening tool that they claimed to have used to feed real-time reports about protests in the West to the Chinese security services”, OpenAI confirmed.

As part of this surveillance campaign, the threat actors used the model to “edit and debug code and generate promotional materials” for suspected AI-powered social media listening tools - although OpenAI was unable to identify posts on social media following the campaign.

ChatGT accounts participating in the ‘Sponsored Discontent’ campaign, were used to generate comments in English and news articles in Spanish, consistent with ‘spamouflage’ behavior, primarily using anti-American rhetoric, probably to spark discontent in Latin America, namely Peru, Mexico, and Ecuador.

This isn’t the first time Chinese state-sponsored actors have been identified using ‘spamouflage’ tactics to spread disinformation. In late 2024, a Chinese influence campaign was discovered targeting US voters with thousands of AI generated images and videos, mostly low-quality and containing false information.

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On Monday morning, TV sets at the headquarters of the Department of Housing and Urban Development played the seemingly AI-generated video on loop, along with the words “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING.”

2024 was quietly a revolutionary year for TVs, because the best mini-LED TVs suddenly went from being a premium tech that dabbled in dropping to mid-range, to being tech that reached all the way from premium down to the budget end, with a really solid option for everyone.

In the US, we raved about the Hisense U8N and the TCL QM851G for delivering unbelievable bang for your buck. The Hisense U7N quickly staked a place as top-value mid-range TV, with some unbelievable deals available, despite packing great brightness and 4K 120Hz support to complete with the best gaming TVs.

In the UK, we raved about the TCL C855K and the TCL C805K, the latter of which is obscenely inexpensive for something that looks that good.

If anything, the aggressive pricing on these TVs creates the issue of them nearly crashing into each other – we gave the Hisense U6N a less effusive score than the U7N or U8N, but that was mostly because it cost far too close to the U7N while offering a notable step down in features.

But over time, the U6N has started dropping to some absolutely ridiculous prices, and there's a deal on the 75-inch model right now that is absolutely the budget giant-screen mini-LED I'd buy if I were in the market for one.

Today's best deal on the Hisense U6N

The Hisense U6N is an impressive mini-LED screen, delivering bright images that are great for sports, TV and movies in particular. Mini-LED's control of contrast means the picture quality holds up across the huge screen of this 75-inch TV, unlike more basic TV panels. You don't get 4K 120Hz gaming, and the picture weakens if you sit too far off-center, but when it comes to bang for your buck in a big-screen TV, this is the best you can get at the time of writing.

• In the UK? Get the Hisense U6N 75-inch for £799 at Amazon UKView Deal

It's funny to think that the first mini-LED TVs only launched in 2021 – making them far, far younger than the 11 years that the best OLED TVs have been a staple of the TV market – and yet they've already moved from launching as a high-end only option to covering the whole range of budgets… something OLED has never managed, and doesn't look likely to any time soon.

OLED has certain high costs around the reliability and complexity of the manufacturing process that haven't been fundamentally solved, and the price simply can't come down much further while these continue. Even new inkjet-printed methods – which are finally beginning to become real for OLED monitors – look unlikely to solve this for TVs in the near term.

TCL, which is leading on this technique, told me there will still be manufacturing reliability problems with larger screens that mean it won't be as cost-effective for TVs immediately, so we won't see it used for that yet – though we might in a few years.

As a result, the cheapest 77-inch OLED TV you can get is the LG B4 for $1,796 – which is more than $1,000 pricier than the Hisense U6N. Yet the U6N has far superior full-screen brightness (though less-good contrast, viewing angles or gaming features).

We tested the U6N's brightness and color accuracy, and it's amazingly accurate and consistent on colors out of the box, matching the more expensive Samsung QN85D. (Image credit: Future)

Mini-LED, however, offers all kinds of ways for manufacturers to be flexible on price. For a start, they can change exactly how mini those mini-LEDs are, and how many of them there are. They can change how many different dimming zones they work in. They can use a different LCD pixel panel to bring the price down. And the cost of the parts themselves comes down as they become more common.

The technology doesn't need the delicate manufacturing touch that OLED does, and advancements to the technology don't always need to cost much, if any, more than the last version of the tech – the next big thing in mini-LED TVs is RGB backlighting, and Samsung told me that it doesn't expect its version of the tech to cost more than current mini-LED tech (though we'll see what happens in practice).

The TVs from 2024 that are still around may get cheaper again by the time they get replaced by the 2025 models – and the 2025 models will likely be the same kind of price, but with bolder colors and even more impressive contrast at all budgets. I've especially got my eye on the Hisense QM7K, which looked beautiful at CES 2025, will have a mid-range price, and will go all the way up to 98 inches.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

I'm an OLED guy. I have an OLED TV at home that I recently upgraded, and that technology is where I find that the most interesting tech developments are happening – at least in terms of tech that's making it into fairly mainstream TVs.

But I do a lot of recommending of TVs for other people, and this is the year I found things really tipping in mini-LED's favor in most of my conversations. Not so much at the high end, but at the "You don't have to buy premium to get a seriously good experience, just look at these mid-range models" end. And then also at the low-end, where I find myself saying that you only need to spend a tiny bit more to get a big step up to a mini-LED set from a basic LED set, which will be a better long-term investment.

Mini-LED is only going to cement its place as the people's TV tech this year. A genuinely good 75-inch 4K TV for under $600? Hail to the king.

Get better posture, fewer back aches, and an ergonomic desk setup, thanks to these top laptop stands, mats, and risers.

• Intel unveils new Xeon 6 with P-core hardware
• New offerings promise increased performance and efficiency in data center and with AI
• Xeon 6 SoCs for network and edge also revealed

Intel has unveiled its latest range of data center hardware as it looks to keep pace with the likes of Nvidia and AMD.

The new Xeon 6 processors with P-cores provide a major boost in power and intelligence as Intel states its claim to stay at the top of the charts when it comes to AI processing and other crucial enterprise tasks.

But the new series isn't limited to the data center, with Intel promising improved performance across network and edge infrastructure alongside server and data center workloads.

Intel Xeon 6 with P-cores

“We are intensely focused on bringing cutting-edge leadership products to market that solve our customers’ greatest challenges and help drive the growth of their business,” said Michelle Johnston Holthaus, interim co-CEO of Intel and CEO of Intel Products.

“The Xeon 6 family delivers the industry’s best CPU for AI and groundbreaking features for networking, while simultaneously driving efficiency and bringing down the total cost of ownership.”

Designed for the data center, the new Intel Xeon 6700P/6500P series features the company's P-cores, offering what it says is the "perfect balance between performance and energy efficiency".

Offering up to 86 cores, Intel is promising an average of 1.4x improved performance on a number of enterprise workloads compared to the previous generation, and 1.5x better performance in AI inference on chip compared to AMD's 5th-Gen EPYC, whilst also using one-third fewer cores.

But this power also brings improved efficiency, allowing for much greater consolidation on five or even ten-year-old servers, with Intel saying the Xeon 6 with P-cores is an ideal option for businesses looking to refresh aging infrastructure to better deal with new AI tasks.

Describing the new offerings as the, "world's best CPU for AI", the Xeon P-core chips offer more bandwidth and cache, with up to 504MB low latency LLC and support for MRDIMM memory, alongside built-in AI accelerators and a comprehensive software suite across classical ML and small GenAI models.

(Image credit: Intel)

The Xeon 6 for network and edge is Intel's most-developed SoC, designed for a wide range of use cases, and again promising greater performance and efficiency than ever. The chip includes Intel vRAN Boost built-in, allowing for up to 2.4x the capacity for RAN networks, which could be vital as demand for such connections continues to increase.

The Xeon 6 will also be the first in the industry to feature a built-in media accelerator, with the Intel Media Transcode Accelator offering up to 14x performance per watt gain versus previous models.

Intel says both releases will be ideal for businesses looking to expand and evolve their AI-ready workforces and processes, allowing them to optimize workloads, reduce costs and build network which are flexible and scalable when needed.

The company says more than 500 designs are either available now or in progress, with top OEMs such as Dell, Samsung, Ericsson, HPE, Lenovo and many others already signed up.

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Specialized Vado SL2: One minute review

When I first jumped on the Specialized Vado SL2 Carbon, it instantly reminded me of my time with the Tenways CGO600 Pro. It had something to do with the form factor and sleek design but above all, it was the smooth ride and effortless power delivery that never left you wanting.

I used the Vado SL2 Carbon on a variety of different routes, including to travel between home and work, which itself includes city streets and rural roads. I found that it performed admirably and is most definitely worthy of consideration as one of the best e-bikes around.

It’s been a while since we reviewed the first iteration of this e-bike, the Vado SL, but suffice it to say, Specialized has made it better in almost every way. That includes the design, performance, and battery life.

Few e-bikes deliver this premium level of quality, but with great results comes a pretty hefty price tag. As a result, the Vado SL2 Carbon is only for elite commuters who have more money than they really know what to do with.

Specialized Vado SL2: Price and availability

(Image credit: Future)

• $6,500 USD, £5,500 UK / $9,900 AUS
• Available in black or red paint finishes

At $6,500 USD, £5,500 UK / $9,900 AUS, the Specialized Vado SL2 Carbon Equipped is, hands down, the most expensive e-bike I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding. Second to it would be the Brompton Electric P Line Urban, which retails at $4,750 / £3,695 and is a positive steal in comparison. The Vado SL2 Carbon is available in either black or red paint finishes.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Specialized Vado SL2: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Carbon frame
• Non-detachable battery
• Excellent handlebar screen

The smooth and sleek design means you’ll look the part as you commute between home and work and back again. Compared to the previous iteration of this e-bike, Specialized has opted for a much smoother and streamlined aesthetic. I know I’m not alone in thinking this but they have absolutely nailed it. It shouts premium from every single angle.

The frame and other components are made of carbon, which results in one seriously light e-bike. Now I’m no weightlifter, but I had no problems lifting the whole thing with just one hand. At 17.9kg / 39.7 lbs you’ll be hard-pressed to find a lighter e-bike of the same size. Despite not being foldable and therefore not suitable for car trunks, the minimal weight will make it easy to throw up onto a bike rack.

The weight and ergonomic positioning of the seat and handlebars make for an effortless telepathic handling experience. With some e-bikes, it feels like you’re shifting a truck around but not so with the Vado SL2. Turning round corners and making quick adjustments is as easy as it could be. Overall, the e-bike delivers a surprising level of balance considering it has a heavy battery built into it. This isn’t the case for many e-bikes but during the more challenging inclines, I was even able to stand up and ride.

Thanks to Future Shock 3.2, Specialized has produced an e-bike that effortlessly cushions any uneven bike track or potholed road surface. Every ride is therefore super smooth, an ideal experience for commuters who want to turn up to work without feeling like they’ve done a workout.

I tested the EQ (equipped) version, which includes a range of extra features that are not available in the base package. These include a rear rack with lights, cage mounts, fenders, and a kickstand. I was glad to have these extra parts, especially while cycling through the British winter, which is known for being wet, muddy, and dark!

The e-bike also has one of the best handlebar screens that I’ve ever come across, with a well-designed interface that provides sufficient data, including speed, distance traveled, and battery life left. There is a Specialized app that takes this to a whole new level but I opted to stick with the e-bike’s built-in screen on account of not wanting to have to mount my phone each time I went for a ride.

• Design Score: 4.5/5

Specialized Vado SL2: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Smooth power delivery
• Responsive handling
• Effective shockproof technology

The Specialized Vado SL2 Carbon is a powerhouse of performance. Having tested the e-bike on a range of surfaces over a period of several weeks, I never found myself wanting. This is rarely the case when I’m testing e-bikes with either the torque, handling, or motor sensitivity falling short of what I want. Not so with the Vado SL2 Carbon.

Formidable power and high torque are delivered from Specialized’s bespoke SL 1.2 motor. As soon as I had clocked up my first kilometer of riding, I knew this was one special e-bike. I was particularly impressed with both the responsiveness and smooth power delivery that this bike provides. With no delay between turning the pedals and power delivery, I knew I could trust the SL2 to give me exactly what I needed when accelerating from a stationary position.

With the motor up and running, I loved how it smoothly went through the motions all the way up to top speed, even when traveling up medium inclines. As is the case with most e-bikes the SL2 struggled to provide the power required for steeper hills. I don’t mind getting the muscles burning at this stage but if this is a problem for you, then you might want to explore other options.

Due to the seriously lightweight carbon frame, I was a little concerned that handling was going to be twitchy and unreliable but all my concerns were unfounded. Rather, handling was beautifully telepathic thanks to the ergonomic layout of the handlebars and seat. If anything, the reduced weight meant strain on my arms was limited

The 12-speed rear derailleur provides a superb range of gears but was unfortunately a little clunky during gear changes. I was able to access all gears but moving between gears was slower than I would have expected for an e-bike at this price point. While we’re on the subject of things that could be improved, I found the effectiveness of the disc brakes meant I wasn’t able to stop as quickly as I would have expected.

More positively, I loved the Future Shock 3.2 technology, which effortlessly dealt with any uneven surfaces that I cycled on. This was particularly noticeable when traveling over pothole-laden roads around where I live.

I was also sure to test the e-bike at night to see how the lights performed. Both front and rear lights are powered by the battery but only the rear is integrated into the frame. Both provide adequate light levels to be seen by others but the front lacks the strength to light up country roads that don’t have street lighting. I therefore found myself requiring a secondary front light to do this for me.

Overall, the Vado SL2 Carbon is one of the highest-performing e-bikes I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding. It’s powerful, smooth, and delivers fantastic handling.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Specialized Vado SL2: Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

• Up to five hours range
• Specialized SL2-520
• Fully integrated

Specialized is strangely silent on how many miles or kilometres the e-bike will manage but it does commit to a range of five hours. This is likely to be at the lowest level of pedal assist, minimal rider weight, and no headwind.

During my test rides, I found that I achieved around 35 miles per full charge, which equated to around two and a half hours. These rides included a range of terrains and weather conditions that would have made the e-bike work harder than usual.

If range is likely to be a concern for you, then you could always buy a Specialized range extender battery, which is likely to give you an additional 1 hour of range. This is likely to be less in real-world tests and is nowhere near the same as buying a second battery. The extender does have the benefit of being super portable, though.

The battery is integrated within the frame, which means you’ll have to be able to charge it where you store the e-bike. This is far from ideal for me and I much prefer batteries that I can take indoors overnight.

• Battery life score: 3.5/5

Specialized Vado SL2: Scorecard Buy it if...

You want a seriously premium e-bike

With high-class components and excellent engineering, the Vado SL2 Carbon is almost everything you could ever want in an e-bike.

You have money to burn

If money is not much of an issue, then it’s hard to come up with many reasons why you wouldn’t buy one of the best options out there at the moment.

You want a quiet e-bike

The motor performs with minimal buzz and is ideal for people who want a quiet ride.

Don't buy it if...

You want a detachable battery

The Vado SL2 battery is built in so you’ll be limited to charging wherever you store your e-bike.

You need a portable e-bike

With no foldable mechanism, the Vado SL2 won’t fit in many cars and will take up a lot of space on a train.

Also consider

(Image credit: Engwe)

ENGWE MapFour N1 Air

The lightest 100 km range carbon e-bike around. A perfect e-bike solution for commuters.

Tenways CGO600 Pro

The magnetic torque sensor and carbon belt drive deliver smooth and seamless performance. Read our full review here.

How I tested the Specialized Vado SL2

As soon as the e-bike dropped onto my doorstep, I cracked straight on with getting it built. It didn’t take long, thanks to the way it was packaged and mostly pre-setup. With the rest of the setup completed, I proceeded to use the e-bike for all my rides across a six-week period. This included my daily 7-mile commute through the country, along heavily congested roads, and through city streets. My testing period was during the winter season so I was able to test the e-bike during a range of weather conditions, including rain and ice.

First reviewed: February 2025

• Chat logs from the Black Basta ransomware group were leaked on Telegram
• The leaker claims this is a response to the group attacking Russian banks
• The data contains valuable information on how the group operates

Internal chat logs detailing the inner workings of the Black Basta ransomware group were just leaked online.

An individual (or a group) with the alias ExploitWhispers has apparently pulled the information from Matrix, an open source, decentralized communication protocol used for secure and real-time messaging. Matrix is often used for encrypted chats, making it popular among cybersecurity professionals, privacy advocates, but also, unfortunately, cybercriminals.

ExploitWhispers first uploaded the archive to MEGA, but after it was pulled down, they set up a dedicated Telegram channel and leaked it there.

Targeting domestic banks

“A place to discuss the most important news about Black Basta, one of the largest groups of health workers in Russia, which recently hacked domestic banks,” the leakster said on Telegram. “With such matters, we can say that they crossed the border, so we are dedicated to revealing the truth and exploring the next steps of Black Basta. Here you can find information that you can trust, and read all the most important in one channel.”

Whoever ExploitWhispers is, they weren’t happy with what Black Basta was doing in recent times. They can either be a disgruntled member, or a security researcher.

In any case, Black Basta was allegedly targeting Russian banks, which didn’t sit well with them.

The leak covers chats between September 2023, and September 2024, and contains valuable information about the group’s internal structure.

An individual called Lapa is one of the admins. Cortes is a threat actor with links to the Qakbot group, YY is the main admin, and Trump is the key figure. There are some indications that Trump’s real name might be Oleg Nefedov.

It also shows the group’s phishing templates, emails, cryptocurrency addresses, data drops, victim credentials, and more.

Analyzing the data dump, BleepingComputer said the archive also contains 367 unique ZoomInfo links, which could indicate the number of companies targeted during this period.

Via BleepingComputer

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Financial services firms are increasingly investing in the cloud, especially as technology such as generative AI matures, opening up opportunity to scale, streamline, and personalize services. Yet there’s still a gap between the volume of dollars spent and the value generated. Simply stated, countless banks and insurers can do more to successfully maximize their investments.

Why not? In our view, it is because some haven’t truly adopted a bold, cloud-first approach. As a result, they’re missing out on ways to fully capitalize on opportunities that deliver quantifiable dollar value. Maybe their data quality is poor, or too often it remains in silos across legacy systems instead of integrated with cloud-based infrastructure.

In comparison, organizations that have gone all in are enjoying big benefits. Case in point: in Q1 2024, Nubank marked a staggering 64 percent increase in year-over-year quarterly revenue after it adopted a cloud-native digital-only approach. Today, the Brazilian neo-bank serves over 100 million active clients.

A strong cloud foundation is essential, as is efficient end-to-end operations, but Capgemini’s research indicates that only 12 percent of banks and insurers are true “cloud innovators”. Joining their ranks doesn’t require magical thinking as much as a shift in mindset. Take JPMorgan Chase, for instance. Some might consider the centuries-old US financial institution a legacy bank, but it is a disruptor, automating the customer onboarding process using an API-driven cloud platform for faster product innovation. In 2023, it realised a year-over-year increase of 35 percent in top-line value in this area.

Cloud adoption is not a means to an end – it’s part of the journey in continuous innovation

The real requirement companies overlook involves a cultural evolution throughout the enterprise. And that’s where the key lies to unlocking top-line growth. With the infusion of generative AI across the financial sector, banks and insurers are changing significantly. They’re becoming more data-driven, more cloud-focused, and exponentially more customer centric.

However, organizations that have been successful in their cloud journeys share something in common: they’ve been more intentional in their overarching aims and tactics. For some, that journey involves engendering a superior customer experience. This can be offering an omnichannel approach to positively impact the entire ecosystem – being available and ready to meet clients wherever they are. For others, it’s about narrowing their focus to achieve differentiated top-line growth, like insurers using CRM to excel at developing customer profiles and personas.

Financial institutions are blessed with troves of client data. We are seeing the “cloud innovators” utilize this high-quality data into their generative AI investments across the banking and insurance value chain. This could be from pre-onboarding to payments, the latter closely tied to complex and costly anti-money laundering (AML) and data-protection requirements. Everything is connected, or ought to be, when data is used efficiently and effectively in the cloud. And there’s power in partnerships. Along with the expected hyperscalers, other ecosystem players include fintech and insurtech companies that offer expertise, whether helping to adjust go-to-market strategies or develop customer-experience offerings.

Regulatory pressure intensifies but opportunities remain

Naturally, the associated first- and third-party data collected are information goldmines, but client security and privacy remain paramount. This is particularly true with global cybercrime on the increase and evolving regulatory requirements and legislation. In the US, updates to Section 1033 of the Dodd–Frank Act will give consumers more rights with regard to personal data. Across the European Union, the 2023 Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) has just gone into effect requiring banks to reassess how they regard risk and resilience against such threats.

In this world of open finance, we can anticipate more “Nubanks” entering the fray. Innovative banks, not surprisingly, don’t see these changes as onerous, but as opportunities to build transparency and trust with clients. A true competitive advantage. The flexibility of cloud services, for instance, offers dynamic scalability, so keeping the costs of risk and compliance in check is easier. Once again, mindset is the key. Innovators don’t get fixated on finances, they see such pressure points as opportunities for positive change, especially when linked with a personalized customer experience.

On the insurance side, innovators are making data-driven decisions across the operations, from product development to claims, renewal and servicing. They integrate traditional and third-party data for the underwriting process and also actively leverage data during claims process to automate claims triage, identify fraudulent claims, and estimate damage value.

Exciting opportunities for innovation are constantly on the horizon, especially when leaders are willing to challenge conventional thinking. Generative AI delivers huge potential for both financial institutions and insurers to achieve more nuanced insights, supported by human expertise, across the value chain. Organizations that have a firm, cloud-based foundation are the ones that consistently – and continuously – find new ways to enhance their operations and generate positive revenue growth.

We've featured the best cloud storage.

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• Netflix has reportedly suffered another big data breach
• Spoiler-filled details about Stranger Things season 5 have circulated online
• The leak comes six months after the streamer was hit a similar incident

Netflix has reportedly suffered its second big data breach in six months – and, this time, some absolutely huge Stranger Things season 5 spoilers have appeared online.

In what'll be another significant blow to the streaming giant's internal security measures, key information about Stranger Things' final season has been leaked. The forthcoming season's release date, some spoiler-filled plot details, and other assets have been shared across the internet since the breach occurred last Saturday (February 22). This marks the second time that Netflix has been hit by a major data breach in six months, with the streamer "aggressively taking action" after multiple episodes of Arcane season 2, Heartstopper season 3, and other shows leaked online last August.

What's on Netflix, one of the first outlets to cover the leak, has indicated that Netflix has moved quickly to takedown social media posts, YouTube and TikTok videos, and other internet posts that include any materials relating to Stranger Things season 5. Unfortunately, the world's best streaming service appears to be fighting a losing battle as more and more users continue to not only share the leaked information, but discuss it on social media and various forums.

I've reached out to Netflix for an official comment on the data breach, but didn't receive a response by the time of publication. I'll update this article if I receive a reply.

What Stranger Things season 5 details have leaked online?

Stranger Things' fifth and final season will be released sometime in 2025 (Image credit: Netflix)

I won't be including any spoiler-based details about Stranger Things 5 in this story. The cast and crew spent 12 months capturing over 650 hours worth of footage for its eight blockbuster movie-like episodes – not to mentioned those who are involved in post-production, marketing, and other departments whose work often goes unnoticed – and most viewers will want to get that pure experience, so I'm not going to risk ruining anyone's day with season 5's story and/or character arcs here. Netflix has also reportedly been very legally aggressive about anywhere that shows details, and I'd like this article to stay live…

What I can report on is the basics that What's on Netflix discusses in its own article. According to its sources, over 400 individual assets were accessed and downloaded by the original leaker, as was a document containing around 90 pages of confidential information. The latter seems to indicate that Netflix is eyeing a late 2025 launch for one of its most successful original TV shows, and that it'll follow in the footsteps of Stranger Things season 4 by releasing in two parts. We already knew that Stranger Things season 5 was going to debut sometime in 2025 and, given how long it'll take to complete its post-production phase, a late 2025 release is more likely than not.

If you want official details on what to expect from one of the best Netflix shows' last season, I'd advise you to read my dedicated Stranger Thing season 5 guide, which is full of information on its confirmed cast, story specifics, and the franchise's future.

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• Microsoft is fixing one bug that’s making File Explorer very slow to close
• There are a bunch of other complaints about it being sluggish elsewhere, though
• Furthermore others report troubles with File Explorer crashing, and it’s about time Microsoft got on top of fully fixing this part of the interface

Microsoft is finally fixing an annoying problem with File Explorer being slow in Windows 11, but there are still a good many complaints about this central part of the interface being overly sluggish.

For the uninitiated, File Explorer is the app that shows you the files and folders stored on your PC – and it’s the medium by which you browse through said files (hence the ‘explorer’ name).

The fix mentioned is a solution for File Explorer being “very slow to close” when the ‘X’ button (top-right) is clicked to shut it, and Microsoft has announced that this remedy is being applied to Windows 11’s test builds soon.

So at least that cure is in the pipeline, but as Windows Latest points out, there are a whole lot of other niggles with File Explorer, alongside some major frustrations, too.

That includes a whole heap of users in the Feedback Hub for Windows 11 who have serious beef with the time it takes the whole of File Explorer’s interface (all the various little menus and options) to load. According to some reports, users can be waiting for up to 10 seconds to see everything appear after first opening a folder.

One of the posts in that hub observes: “Windows 11 File Explorer is the slowest since I started using Windows in the early ’90s. I was very excited to finally have a multi-tab Explorer, but it is so slow. Opening new tabs or new Explorer windows does not speed up. I have to watch the navigation pane, then the ribbon, then the folders, and then finally, the tabs appear in slow motion. It doesn’t matter what the system specs are. It doesn’t change. The fastest it opens is about 2 seconds.”

On modern PCs with a healthy allocation of memory and fast SSD storage, that kind of lag should absolutely not be happening.

There’s no shortage of evidence as to the level of frustration that some users are experiencing on Reddit, either. Such as this post from someone who has just switched from a MacBook to a Windows 11 laptop, who complains: “I switched from a MacBook Pro to ThinkPad for work and File Explorer is so slow it’s driving me nuts. I do not understand why it takes 5-10 times as long to open a folder, to search a folder, or to do quite literally anything.”

Or how about this comment observing that File Explorer has a nasty habit of crashing with some regularity when working with tabs (and that the right-click context menu is slow to appear initially). Other reports of File Explorer crashing on Reddit, and general jankiness around this part of the interface, aren’t exactly difficult to come by.

(Image credit: TechRadar) Analysis: Critters in the works for far too long

To be fair to Microsoft, the root cause of some of these reports may not be down to File Explorer, but perhaps it could be due to certain Windows 11 configurations, or ailing hardware that’s past its sell-by-date and is misfiring somehow.

But as Windows Latest highlights, there’s such a lot of material on the Feedback Hub that it’s clear enough that Microsoft has further work to do in making File Explorer perform better.

Seeing as it is arguably the central cog of the Windows 11 interface – it’s the very files and folders you work with on the desktop likely on a daily basis – this is not a part of the operating system that should be underperforming for what seems to be quite a number of users.

After all, Windows 11 has been around for a long time now, well over three years at this point, and File Explorer has not yet been knocked fully into shape, at least going by this recent feedback. Indeed, Microsoft has been taking steps backwards at times, notably with the latest update for Windows 11 24H2 which has pretty much broken File Explorer for some people (or that’s the claim).

It's long overdue that File Explorer became more reliable under Windows 11 – which is, after all, supposed to be an upgrade to Windows 10, which isn’t suffering the same Explorer woes – and Microsoft needs to focus more resources on getting these lingering performance-related bugs sorted out.

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An estimated 5 million households lost their internet connection after the program ended.

Monster Hunter Wilds has some rather big shoes to fill. For one, it’s the sequel to the record-breaking blockbuster that was Monster Hunter World, a game that saw the long-running, and oftentimes niche franchise reach a whole new group of altogether more mainstream gamers. It also follows Monster Hunter Rise, which, while not as big as World, was extremely successful as an originally exclusive Nintendo Switch game, and introduced a host of new traversal systems.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5 Pro
Available on: Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, PS5
Release date: February 28, 2025

In many ways, Wilds has had to walk a tightrope between the approaches showcased in previous games, providing something for the new fans, while appealing to those that have stuck around over the past 20 years. By streamlining the formula that shined bright in Monster Hunter World, and by finally offering a seamless open world, Monster Hunter Wilds manages to hit all of the right notes, while avoiding some of the more frustrating elements that have plagued the series since its inception.

Let's skip to the good part

(Image credit: Capcom)

Loading up a brand new Monster Hunter game is usually a mixed experience. To truly access the really good stuff, that being the High Rank endgame content, you need to first beat the campaign. In the past couple of games, this has been easy enough, though the shoehorned systems present in Monster Hunter Rise (Rampage Mode), and Monster Hunter World (colossal Elder monster battles) really dragged things out, extending the runtime of stories that were fun, but forgettable.

Monster Hunter Wilds is an entirely different beast with regards to its campaign, which is streamlined, slight, and punchy. For one, there’s no ‘gimmick’ to speak of, with the headline feature being the seamless open world with dynamic seasons and wildlife. There are no on-rails giant monster battles, no filler quests spent in quasi-tower-defense modes, just epic monster hunts, one after the other. One annoying side character aside, this is the best Monster Hunter campaign ever, punctuated by a final boss fight that’s already among my all-time favorites in all of gaming.

Best bit

(Image credit: Capcom)

The reverence that Monster Hunter Wilds shows for every single one of its monsters shines through from the very beginning. Doshaguma, a monster featured in the beta, and one that wasn’t particularly interesting at first, is introduced into the main game with an exhilarating sequence, as lightning sparks all around, and other monsters come to join in on the hunt. Several moments like these bookend other major hunts in the campaign, with every single main fight being a show-stopping event.

The Monster Hunter Wilds campaign is a globe-trotting adventure that encourages you to spend as little time in your base camp as possible. There’s still fun to be found in crafting new gear, building new loadouts, and specializing your Item Pouch, but largely, you’ll be encouraged to be out and about as much as possible.

One casualty of expanding the open world to include multiple hub villages is that the main hub, which you’ll have seen if you played the beta, doesn’t really measure up to the more dedicated locales like Astera, found in previous games. Much more focus has been applied to Pop-Up Camps, with Monster Hunter Wilds once again encouraging the player to set out and claim small pieces of the world outside, rather than get too settled at the ramshackle Base Camp in the Windward Plains. It’s a strange choice, though one that does tie into the game’s overall mantra. Cooking a meal in your camp just isn’t as fun as watching a team of Palico chefs preparing dishes for you back at Kamura Village or Astera, however.

Someone call Attenborough

(Image credit: Capcom)

The vast open world of Monster Hunter Wilds is the main draw that sets the game aside from its predecessors. For the first time in the series, the map is an interconnected, seamless, and dynamic one. From camp, to hunt, to Field Investigations, there are no menus or loading screens getting in your way as you adventure. Of the handful of different regions that make up the world around you, each is visually distinct from one another, fostering its own specific collection of flora, fauna, and resources. Not only that but there are seasons to reckon with here as well. Fallow will strip away some of the biodiversity of a region, turning areas like the Windward Plains into dusty deserts, populated by only the hardiest of creatures.

Inclemency then rolls in, bringing sandstorms, riling up certain insects to boost passive effects that can be used on a hunt, and in some cases, completely changing the landscape. After the storm clouds fade, the season of Plenty comes about, and let me tell you, the change in conditions are seriously impressive. Gone are the barren dry lands of the Fallow, and the cloudy skies of Inclemency, as you look out over an Edenic environment teeming with creatures.

The campaign does a masterful job of leading you through this cycle for the first time, and the sheer dynamism of the world never really loses its charm. This doubling down on creating a living, breathing natural world follows the path laid in Monster Hunter World. This time though, the variety in the life that occupies each region is genuinely breathtaking.

Once I was given the freedom to explore at my leisure, I spent hours simply riding through each region, watching as small monsters and other endemic animals went about their routines. Pink-furred apes snooze peacefully in the sun, small birds can be seen riding on the backs of large reptiles, pecking and pruning as they go. Whether you’re there to witness it or not, there’s a natural cycle to the world of Wilds, and meticulous detail, from the huge raptors that soar in the sky, to the lines of tiny leaf-cutting ants that walk in formation across the branches of trees. You can practically hear David Attenborough narrating the whole thing.

Focus, Hunter

(Image credit: Capcom)

Monster Hunter games are rarely praised for their graphical fidelity, as they tend to put more resources into dynamic worlds and overlapping systems than boosting the resolution. Thankfully, Monster Hunter Wilds is very impressive to behold, though like a lot of other modern games this generation, does have some issues with looking washed out in certain environments. Some regions like the forest are impossibly dense, and I was regularly taken aback by just how many small monsters could be on screen at once. In fact, entire herds can be seen in some moments, running alongside large monsters as you give chase.

Performance-wise, the game runs smoothly on PlayStation 5 Pro, especially in the Prioritize Framerate mode. There is quite a hit to visual fidelity, but with how frenetic fights can get, you’re going to want those 60 frames per second (fps). What Monster Hunter Wilds may lack slightly in pure graphical prowess, it more than makes up for in the way its seasons change the world. Atmospheric fog effects, dust clouds that precede huge sandstorms, and puddles that follow the heavy rain all look spectacular, refreshing the palette with a complete change of scenery just before any one locale starts to overstay its welcome.

Should I play Monster Hunter Wilds?

(Image credit: Capcom) Play it if…

You want to jump into the Monster Hunter series for the first time
Monster Hunter Wilds is the most accessible, most user-friendly game in the series yet. It still has some incredibly obtuse systems, but the campaign acts as a great tutorial to cover the main systems and combat options. By allowing you to switch between two weapons, it’s also easier than ever to get to grips with the game’s diverse array of swords, axes, and bowguns.

You’re looking for hundreds of hours of multiplayer fun
While the campaign for Monster Hunter Wilds can be beaten in around 20 hours, the endgame content offers up so much more, with hunts that are great to jump into with friends. If you’re looking for a new multiplayer game to get into, this is one that’s likely going to be supported for a long time to come.

Don’t play it if…

You’re an old-school Monster Hunter purist
Monster Hunter Wilds is a continuation of what World set out to do, and that’s to open up the series to more players by streamlining more complicated systems. By doing this, it’s a very different game to that of the older entries in the series. The combat is excellent, and the monsters are diverse, but if you’re expecting the depth of something like Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, you won’t find it here.

Accessibility

Monster Hunter Wilds offers some accessibility options, namely in button mapping and colorblindness assistance (Trichromatic, Protanope, Deuteranope, Tritanope), but its convoluted control schemes could be tricky for some. Though the series has definitely streamlined its approach to combos for certain weapons, you’re still going to be managing a bunch of quick menus, weapon gauges, and aiming reticles at once. A simplified control scheme would be a welcome addition, especially for more complicated weapons like the Insect Glaive, which require multiple buttons to be pressed and held at once to execute moves. There are some basic auditory settings, motion sickness reduction, and an arachnophobia mode as well.

How I reviewed Monster Hunter Wilds

I played Monster Hunter Wilds for 30 hours on the PlayStation 5 Pro. During that time I completed the campaign (in around 18 hours) and then cleared through the start of the post-game content. In general, I tried to tackle side quests as they appeared and set out into each new region to explore for a while after they unlocked. There were three graphics options available during the pre-release period: Prioritize Resolution, Balanced, and Prioritize Framerate. I played the vast majority of the game in the Prioritize Framerate mode, keeping it at a solid 60fps.

On PlayStation 5 Pro, I played the game using a 4K Samsung TV (Samsung 43-inch RU7400 Dynamic). I used a PS5 DualSense Edge controller, with the Razer Blackshark V2 gaming headset connected via the controller port. Having started with Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate on Nintendo Switch, I’ve poured hundreds of hours into Monster Hunter since. Monster Hunter Rise is where I spent the most time, and I absolutely consider it to be one of the best Switch games, but recently I’ve gone back to Monster Hunter World to prep for the release of Wilds. In addition to being a fan, I’ve produced hundreds of Monster Hunter guides over the years, covering everything from the best weapon builds, to where to track down rare resources.

First reviewed February 2025

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, February 24 (game #358).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Life is like a box of chocolates

NYT Strands today (game #359) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SONG
• LONG
• TRACT
• ROSE
• CALL
• FEET

NYT Strands today (game #359) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Inside bonbons

NYT Strands today (game #359) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd 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 #359) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #359, are…

• CARAMEL
• TRUFFLE
• NOUGAT
• LIQUEUR
• TOFFEE
• ALMONDS
• SPANGRAM: FILLINGS

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

I love chocolate and will eat anything that’s covered in it – strawberries, dried chickpeas, coffee beans, ants. Basically, I’d eat my shoe if you poured some melted milk chocolate over it. However, chocolate TOFFEE is a crime against humanity.

I seriously do not know how anyone eats it.

My disgust, however, has nothing to do with taste; instead, it's the texture and specifically what damage it could inflict to my teeth – particularly my sad British teeth with all my many cheap NHS fillings (not to be confused with FILLINGS).

Anyway, a fun puzzle today that taught me how to spell LIQUEUR and which triggered some ant-toffee rage. Apologies.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 24 February, game #358)

• WADDLE
• SKIP
• MOSEY
• STROLL
• STRUT
• SHUFFLE
• TIP TOE
• SPANGRAM: GET MOVING

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.

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, February 24 (game #624).

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 #625) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BRICK
• MORTAR
• PICKLE
• SHOEBOX
• MUCHO
• GUSTO
• MULTI
• MICROWAVE
• RELISH
• BEAUCOUP
• LIME
• ZEST
• JENNY
• PASSION
• MOLTO
• FISH TANK

NYT Connections today (game #625) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Upbeat
• GREEN: A lot of ways to say a lot
• BLUE: Oblong
• PURPLE: Sounds like cash

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 #625) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: ENTHUSIASM 
• GREEN: "MANY" IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES 
• BLUE: RECTANGULAR PRISMS 
• PURPLE: RHYME WITH U.S. COINS

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

NYT Connections today (game #625) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #625, are…

• YELLOW: ENTHUSIASM GUSTO, PASSION, RELISH, ZEST
• GREEN: "MANY" IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES BEAUCOUP, MOLTO, MUCHO, MULTI
• BLUE: RECTANGULAR PRISMS BRICK, FISH TANK, MICROWAVE, SHOEBOX
• PURPLE: RHYME WITH U.S. COINS JENNY, LIME, MORTAR, PICKLE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Some very sensible groups in Connections today, which was a pleasant change but which also made the puzzle strangely unsatisfying and rudimentary.

Normally BRICK, FISH TANK, MICROWAVE and SHOEBOX would be something like “Items seen in the first 23 minutes of the 1988 movie Fish Called Wanda” or something similarly impossible to solve. Instead, RECTANGULAR PRISMS was exactly what I thought it would be.

Same with ENTHUSIASM and “MANY” IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES – which should have included Magir (Many in Icelandic) or something similarly obscure, so I could at least kid myself I’m clever.

So yes, here I am complaining about Connections being too easy. And yes, I will regret this when tomorrow's game is inevitably impossible.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 24 February, game #624)

• YELLOW: EAT VORACIOUSLY GOBBLE, GULP, SCARF, WOLF
• GREEN: BEND UNDER PRESSURE BOW, BUCKLE, CAVE, GIVE
• BLUE: CLASSIC NAUTICAL TATTOOS ANCHOR, COMPASS, MERMAID, SWALLOW
• PURPLE: BODY PARTS PLUS LETTER BUTTE, CHINA, HEARTH, SHINE

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, February 24 (game #1127).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

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

Quordle today (game #1128) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1128) - 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 1.

Quordle today (game #1128) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1128) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1128) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• T

• T

• M

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1128) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1128, are…

• TWIST
• TWEAK
• MEANT
• CLEAR

Today I decided to go with three start words again, but to tweak things use the results of the first two to influence the third. As I had three letter Es in the wrong position, I decided to go with a double-E word (WHEEL) for my third guess, which turned two of them green and set me on my way to glory.

Even with this headstart I still needed a little bit of luck to finish without errors, opting for CLEAR instead of CREAM, which would also have fit.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1128) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1128, are…

• COWER
• LIVID
• TAWNY
• FLUNG

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1127, Monday 24 February: LEASH, LEVER, TOTEM, CREME
• Quordle #1126, Sunday 23 February: RABID, RELIC, SCRAM, BASIS
• Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
• Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
• Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE
• Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE
• Quordle #1121, Tuesday 18 February: TAMER, SCRUB, BRICK, DRIFT
• Quordle #1120, Monday 17 February: SADLY, WAFER, LITHE, IDIOM
• Quordle #1119, Sunday 16 February: GHOUL, AFIRE, COVEN, FIERY
• Quordle #1118, Saturday 15 February: CREEP, CONDO, GRILL, FANCY
• Quordle #1117, Friday 14 February: MEDIA, ELUDE, THUMB, WIDOW
• Quordle #1116, Thursday 13 February: SCALP, DWELL, AMPLE, TRUNK
• Quordle #1115, Wednesday 12 February: SHOOK, GRADE, POLAR, SEEDY
• Quordle #1114, Tuesday 11 February: HEAVY, CIRCA, PESKY, SCION
• Quordle #1113, Monday 10 February: TWIXT, FRESH, GUISE, TABBY
• Quordle #1112, Sunday 9 February: TAPIR, SHAKE, TOKEN, SEVEN
• Quordle #1111, Saturday 8 February: AFOOT, ALIKE, HUMUS, TOWEL
• Quordle #1110, Friday 7 February: PETAL, ABASE, AMONG, CORER
• Quordle #1109, Thursday 6 February: MADAM, SCAMP, FAUNA, TRACK
• Quordle #1108, Wednesday 5 February: SIXTH, VERVE, BLURB, CACTI

The excitement about DeepSeek is understandable, but a lot of the reactions I’m seeing feel quite a bit off-base. DeepSeek represents a significant efficiency gain in the large language model (LLM) space, which will have a major impact on the nature and economics of LLM applications. However, it does not signal a fundamental breakthrough in artificial general intelligence (AGI), nor a fundamental shift in the center of gravity of AI innovation. It’s a sudden leap along an expected trajectory rather than a disruptive paradigm shift.

DeepSeek’s impressive achievement mirrors the broader historical pattern of technological progression. In the early 1990s, high-end computer graphics rendering required supercomputers; now, it’s done on smartphones. Face recognition, once an expensive niche application, is now a commodity feature. The same principle applies to large language models (LLMs). The surprise isn’t the nature of the advance, it’s the speed.

For those paying attention to exponential technological growth, this isn’t shocking. The concept of Technological Singularity predicts accelerating change, particularly in areas of automated discovery and invention, like AI. As we approach the Singularity, breakthroughs will seem increasingly rapid. DeepSeek is just one of many moments in this unfolding megatrend.

DeepSeek’s architectural innovations: impressive, but not new

DeepSeek’s main achievement lies in optimizing efficiency rather than redefining AI architecture. Its Mixture of Experts (MoE) model is a novel tweak of a well-established ensemble learning technique that has been used in AI research for years. What DeepSeek did particularly well was refine MoE alongside other efficiency tricks to minimize computational costs:

Parameter efficiency: DeepSeek’s MoE design activates only 37 billion of its 671 billion parameters at a time. This means it requires just 1/18th of the compute power of traditional LLMs.

Reinforcement learning for reasoning: Instead of manual engineering, DeepSeek’s R1 model improves chain-of-thought reasoning via reinforcement learning.

Multi-token training: DeepSeek-V3 can predict multiple pieces of text at once, increasing training efficiency.

These optimizations allow DeepSeek models to be an order of magnitude cheaper than competitors like OpenAI or Anthropic, both for training and inference. This isn’t a trivial feat—it’s a major step toward making high-quality LLMs more accessible. But again, it’s a stellar engineering refinement, not a conceptual leap toward AGI.

The well-known power of open-source

One of DeepSeek’s biggest moves is making its model open-source. This is a stark contrast to the walled-garden strategies of OpenAI, Anthropic and Google – and a nod in the direction of Meta’s Yann LeCun. Open-source AI fosters rapid innovation, broader adoption, and collective improvement. While proprietary models allow firms to capture more direct revenue, DeepSeek’s approach aligns with a more decentralized AI future—one where tools are available to more researchers, companies, and independent developers.

The hedge fund HighFlyer behind DeepSeek knows open-source AI isn’t just about philosophy and doing good for the world; it’s also good business. OpenAI and Anthropic are struggling with balancing research and monetization. DeepSeek’s decision to open-source R1 signals confidence in a different economic model—one based on services, enterprise integration, and scalable hosting. It also gives the global AI community a competitive toolset, reducing the grip of American Big Tech hegemony.

China’s role in the AI race

Some in the West have been taken aback that DeepSeek’s breakthrough came from China. I’m not so surprised. Having spent a decade in China, I’ve witnessed firsthand the scale of investment in AI research, the growing number of PhDs, and the intense focus on making AI both powerful and cost-efficient. This isn’t the first time China has taken a Western innovation and rapidly optimized it for efficiency and scale.

However, rather than viewing this solely as a geopolitical contest, I see it as a step toward a more globally integrated AI landscape. Beneficial AGI is far more likely to emerge from open collaboration than from nationalistic silos. A decentralized, globally distributed AGI development effort—rather than a monopoly by a single country or corporation—gives us a better shot at ensuring AI serves humanity as a whole.

DeepSeek’s broader implications: The future beyond LLMs

The hype around DeepSeek largely centers on its cost efficiency and impact on the LLM market. But now more than ever, we really need to take a step back and consider the bigger picture.

LLMs are not the future of AGI

While transformer-based models can automate economic tasks and integrate into various industries, they lack core AGI capabilities like grounded compositional abstraction and self-directed reasoning.

If AGI emerges within the next decade, it’s unlikely to be purely transformer-based. Alternative architectures—like OpenCog Hyperon and neuromorphic computing—may prove more fundamental to achieving true general intelligence.

The commoditization of LLMs will shift AI investment

DeepSeek’s efficiency gains accelerate the trend of LLMs becoming a commodity. As costs drop, investors may begin looking toward the next frontier of AI innovation.

This could drive funding into AGI architectures beyond transformers, alternative AI hardware (e.g., associative processing units, neuromorphic chips), and decentralized AI networks.

Decentralization will shape AI’s future

The AI landscape is shifting toward decentralized architectures that prioritize privacy, interoperability, and user control. DeepSeek’s efficiency gains make it easier to deploy AI models in decentralized networks, reducing reliance on centralized tech giants.

DeepSeek’s role in the AI Cambrian explosion

DeepSeek represents a major milestone in AI efficiency, but it doesn’t rewrite the fundamental trajectory of AGI development. It’s a sudden acceleration along a predictable curve, not a paradigm shift. Still, its impact on the AI ecosystem is significant:

It pressures incumbents like OpenAI and Anthropic to rethink their business models.

It makes high-quality AI more accessible and affordable.

It signals China’s growing presence in cutting-edge AI development.

It reinforces the inevitability of exponential progress in AI.

Most importantly, DeepSeek’s success should serve as a reminder that AGI development isn’t just about scaling up transformers. If we truly aim to build human-level AGI, we need to go beyond optimizing today’s models and invest in fundamentally new approaches.

The Singularity is coming fast—but if we want it to be beneficial, we must ensure it remains decentralized, global, and open. DeepSeek is not AGI, but it’s an exciting step in the broader dance toward a transformative AI future.

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• Hostinger launches Horizons, a no-code web app creator
• Duolingo, Notion and Airbnb references as web app startups
• It’s available to all users next month and will save them “weeks or months”

Hostinger is betting big on AI with its launch of a new tool designed to help users build, edit and publish their own web apps without the need for any coding expertise.

Hostinger Horizons has already started rolling out to a select group of customers who have been using the no-code tool to build web apps like a language-learning card game and a time management tool.

The web hosting platform highlighted the versatility of web apps, which offer more interactive and personal experiences compared with traditional websites.

Hostinger Horizons

Hostinger revealed the “vast majority” of its more than 3.5 million customers build traditional sites, highlighting how companies like Duolingo, Notion and Airbnb had initially started off as simple web apps – sites that had previously required greater expertise to build.

“Coding web apps from scratch takes weeks or months, and hiring a developer can cost thousands. For larger projects, both time and costs grow exponentially," noted Chief Product and Technology Officer Giedrius Zakaitis.

To build a web app with Horizons, users will interact with a chatbot which uses AI to create, add and edit components on the site. The chat interface also has support for voice prompts and image uploads, and from launch, it’s set to support more than 80 languages.

Zakaitis added: “Web apps have turned ideas into million-dollar startups, but building one always required coding or hiring a developer. We believe it is time to change the game.”

Once complete, users can publish their web apps to a custom domain, and they can always come back to it to refine and update at any time.

The new product launch comes just over a year after Hostinger added Kodee, a chat assistant that offers users guidance when it comes to building their site.

With four in five of the company’s Website Builder users now utilizing artificial intelligence during their site-building phase, Horizons expands AI’s usefulness to a different type of website.

Hostinger says Horizons will be generally available for new and existing customers beginning next month.

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