Feed aggregator

• Manpower says it detected an incident in late 2024
• Almost 145,000 people had sensitive files stolen
• Users should beware of scams and identity theft activity

Staffing giant Manpower has confirmed it suffered a cyberattack in late 2024 in which it lost sensitive data on almost 145,000 people.

The company has filed with the Office of the Maine Attorney General, detailing the breach, what it did to mitigate the threat, and how it helped its victims minimize the threat of follow-up attacks.

In the form, it said it spotted the attack while investigating an IT incident on January 20, noting, "Through that investigation, we learned of information suggesting that an unknown actor gained unauthorized access to our network between December 29, 2024 and January 12, 2025 and potentially acquired certain files, some of which may have contained certain individuals' personal information."

Escalating privileges

"On or about July 28, 2025, Manpower of Lansing learned that your personal information may have been involved in connection with the incident which is the reason for this notification."

In total, 144,189 people have been affected by the attack. Manpower did not say who was behind the incident, or what type of information was stolen.

However, BleepingComputer discovered that RansomHub, a known ransomware group and extortionist, claimed responsibility.

On their data leak website, RansomHub said it stole some 500GB of data, including client databases with personal and corporate information (passport scans, IDs, SSNs, addresses, contact information, and more), a lot of corporate communications, financial statements, confidential contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and more.

However, the leaksters also later removed Manpower from their website, suggesting that the company paid the ransom demand. In the meantime, affected customers were offered free credit monitoring and identity theft protection through Equifax.

You might also like

• US Authorities Issue RansomHub Ransomware Alert
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Xfinity customers can watch over 1,500 matches from the world's biggest leagues for $85 a month.

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, August 13 (game #528).

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 #529) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Honest-to-goodness

NYT Strands today (game #529) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CINEMA
• ]SMOKER
• CHANGE
• FLEA
• SAME
• RIDER

NYT Strands today (game #529) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #529) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat 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 #529) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #529, are…

• LEGITIMATE
• TRUE
• KOSHER
• GENUINE
• REAL
• AUTHENTIC
• SPANGRAM: BONAFIDE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Being AUTHENTIC is something that they really care about on my favorite reality TV show, Traitors. 

I’m often left asking myself if you were a GENUINE and AUTHENTIC person would you really want to go on a TV show where you have to lie and deceive your co-stars in order to win? Surely the more authentic someone is the more suspicious you should be of their motives.

Anyway I digress. I’ll keep it REAL and say that this was quite a basic Strands. A straight up and down spangram that was easy to spot, no strange words and minimal corkscrew turns.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, August 13, game #528)

• PSYCHO
• VERTIGO
• ROPE
• LIFEBOAT
• TOPAZ
• NOTORIOUS
• SPANGRAM: FILM TITLE

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, August 13 (game #1297).

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 #1298) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1298) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 3.

Quordle today (game #1298) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1298) - 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 #1298) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• L

• I

• R

• L

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

Quordle today (game #1298) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1298, are…

• LAPEL
• IDIOM
• RENEW
• LIVER

Using three start words does make this game a lot easier, but it leaves little margin for error if you go on a bad run.

Today it took me three guesses to get LIVER, meaning I had just two guesses left to get the remaining two words. Fortunately, LAPEL was virtually in place – but RENEW was a hail Mary that paid off.

Daily Sequence today (game #1298) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1298, are…

• CLASS
• DETOX
• ROVER
• TORUS

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1297, Wednesday, 13 August: CACTI, HOMER, EMAIL, ALBUM
• Quordle #1296, Tuesday, 12 August: SPOOL, TITLE, JAUNT, OVINE
• Quordle #1295, Monday, 11 August: ADULT, BROOM, PURER, CRUEL
• Quordle #1294, Sunday, 10 August: SCRUM, PIPER, TROLL, SPORE
• Quordle #1293, Saturday, 9 August: NOOSE, INLET, ELEGY, VIRUS
• Quordle #1292, Friday, 8 August: KNEEL, KINKY, RALPH, BOOZY
• Quordle #1291, Thursday, 7 August: PLUNK, PROXY, CURVY, PEARL
• Quordle #1290, Wednesday, 6 August: RISKY, APART, FAUNA, HANDY
• Quordle #1289, Tuesday, 5 August: ROAST, SLICK, AUDIT, BILLY
• Quordle #1288, Monday, 4 August: MACAW, SINCE, COLON, CHIRP
• Quordle #1287, Sunday, 3 August: MOTIF, LEERY, LOFTY, BURST
• Quordle #1286, Saturday, 2 August: WARTY, PUPAL, CLEAR, SLICE
• Quordle #1285, Friday, 1 August: ACTOR, MEALY, WIDTH, ADOBE
• Quordle #1284, Thursday, 31 July: STYLE, VALET, AGONY, ALLOY
• Quordle #1283, Wednesday, 30 July: DEBAR, ADMIN, FOLIO, USAGE
• Quordle #1282, Tuesday, 29 July: BATCH, TOPIC, MURKY, BUNCH
• Quordle #1281, Monday, 28 July: CANDY, TRYST, SHIRT, FORGO
• Quordle #1280, Sunday, 27 July: TRAWL, BALER, PIANO, MINCE
• Quordle #1279, Saturday, 26 July: MUDDY, SAINT, KINKY, POLAR

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, August 13 (game #794).

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 #795) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TRAIN
• BACKPACK
• RACKET
• CABOOSE
• HUBBUB
• SEAT
• BUSTLE
• STICK
• BOUQUET
• BAT
• TAIL
• COOKBOOK
• MALLET
• VEIL
• NITWIT
• BACKSIDE

NYT Connections today (game #795) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Polite words for butt
• GREEN: Sporting equipment 
• BLUE: Here she comes
• PURPLE: A willy-nilly collection

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 #795) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: DERRIERE 
• GREEN: USED TO HIT A BALL IN SPORTS 
• BLUE: COMPONENTS OF A BRIDE'S ENSEMBLE
• PURPLE: RHYMING COMPOUND WORDS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #795) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #795, are…

• 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

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 mistake

My stupid mistake was thinking that BOUQUET belonged with BAT, RACKET and STICK, because it was something you carried in your hand.

At this stage I wasn’t thinking of MALLET in a sporting context. More as something you use to hammer tent pegs into hard ground.

I can only think of two sports that use a mallet POLO and CROQUET, both of which appeal to the same high-born demographic and one which has little use of tent pegs I’m sure.

Anyway, this error aside I breezed through today’s puzzle and particularly enjoyed the yellow group and a reminder of the word CABOOSE. The sort of word you can imagine Dean Martin getting away with, but not many others.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, August 13, game #794)

• YELLOW: CAPTIVATE CHARM, ENTRANCE, RIVET, THRILL
• GREEN: EXCERPT CLIP, EXTRACT, PASSAGE, QUOTE
• BLUE: MEMBER OF A GIRL GROUP BANGLE, CHICK, GO-GO, SUPREME
• PURPLE: STAR___ BOARD, FISH, GATE, STRUCK

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.

Stand aside, Hisense and TCL. Samsung has its own monstrous 115-inch TV selling for $29,999.

• Google has shared a teaser video for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold
• The video shows off the phone in full, but doesn't include any specs
• Leaks and rumors have given us a good idea of what to expect from the phone

You can’t leak something that’s already been officially shown – or at least, that might be Google’s thinking, as the company has now teased multiple upcoming handsets, with its latest teaser being focused on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

In a brief YouTube video, the company has shown the phone from the front and back, revealing a device that looks a whole lot like the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, complete with a large camera block that looks a bit like two smaller camera blocks jammed together.

You can also see a punch-hole camera in the top right corner of the foldable screen, which again is a match for the previous model.

No specs are revealed, with the accompanying narration instead joking about the joys of being able to open a new phone twice when you buy a foldable (the first time being the opening of the box, the second of the phone itself).

Still, thanks to leaks and rumors we do have a good idea of what to expect when Google fully unveils this phone – likely on August 20 – and below we’ve listed five of the main upgrades we’re likely to see.

1. An IP68 rating

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

While the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might not look very different to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, it could have quite a lot of less visible differences, including better dust resistance.

One leak has suggested that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will have an IP68 rating, which would mean it’s certified to withstand water at depths of up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes, as well as being dust tight.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold for comparison has an IPX8 rating, which means the same level of water resistance but no real dust resistance.

So adding dust resistance to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold would be a big win, especially as no current foldable phones have much dust resistance. But the fact that none have such robust resistance, also makes us slightly skeptical about whether Google’s phone will achieve it.

2. A big battery

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

As well as lacking dust resistance, foldable phones also often struggle when it comes to battery capacity, with these devices typically having smaller batteries than non-foldable phones – which themselves tend to have far smaller screens to power.

That’s not ideal, but the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold could take a step in the right direction, with reports suggesting it might have a 5,050mAh battery. That’s up from 4,650mAh in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, so it would be a significant improvement in capacity.

It would also mean this phone has a bigger battery than its main rival, as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a far smaller 4,400mAh one.

3. Camera Coach and voice editing

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Google is one of the biggest names in AI, so of course the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will have some new AI features, and we’ve heard of two possible ones.

Most excitingly there’s a rumored feature called ‘Camera Coach’, which will apparently help teach you to take better photos, by analyzing the snaps you take and making suggestions of how they could be improved.

But we’ve also heard about a ‘Conversational Photo Editing’ mode, which will apparently let you use your voice or typed text to tell Gemini to make changes to your images, such as removing unwanted elements or adjusting the background.

These two tools should help further improve the already-impressive Pixel photography experience.

4. A Tensor G5 chipset

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is also sure to be more powerful than its predecessor, with numerous leaks – and past form – suggesting it will have a Tensor G5 chipset, replacing the Tensor G4 of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

So this should give the phone a power boost, which could help with AI, gaming, and more. This chipset probably still won’t be as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Elite used by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S25 line, but for most users it should still be plenty powerful enough.

5. Screen improvements

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Finally, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold could have a better screen than the current model. Specifically, the cover screen could be slightly bigger at 6.4 inches (up from 6.3 inches on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold). But due to smaller bezels it might still not take up any more space.

Additionally, we’re hearing that the cover display might have a peak brightness of 3,000 nits – which is up from 2,700 nits on the current model. This leak doesn’t mention the main display but it’s likely that would get a brightness boost too, since otherwise it would be less bright than the cover screen.

You might also like

• The Google Pixel 10 Pro XL just got shown off in two subdued shades
• The Google Pixel 10 might let you edit photos with your voice (yes, really)
• Oh dear... Google just accidentally revealed all four Pixel 10 models

• Taylor Swift has announced her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, and she's using Spotify to kick-start the roll out
• A mysterious Spotify playlist curated by Swift now appears in her artist page, packing 22 of her best songs to tease the next era
• This marks the beginning of the album rollout, taking to a music streaming service first before TikTok to promote new music

It’s official, a new Taylor Swift record is on the way – and the internet is going feral. The singer announced her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl, on August 12, and she’s using Spotify in order to prepare us for the next era.

Alongside the announcement of her 12th studio album - also referred to as TS12 - a collection of strange billboards across New York City and Nashville showcasing a giant mint-green Spotify code with cascading orange glitter (see below), which fans immediately spotted.

Mysterious Spotify billboards popped up in NYC and Nashville leading to a new playlist by Taylor Swift. pic.twitter.com/A8qo91Txi6August 12, 2025

When you scan the code in the Spotify app, it takes you to a playlist curated by Swift herself titled ‘And, baby, that’s show business for you’ – and it appears to drop subtle hints for the upcoming release.

For starters, the new Spotify playlist packs 22 of Swift’s biggest pop bangers from albums Red, 1989, and Reputation. Coincidentally, they’re all songs produced by Max Martin with whom she hasn’t worked with since 2017, which leads us to believe her long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff won’t be returning for TS12.

(Image credit: Future)

At the moment, this project is still a little ambiguous, and this mysterious Spotify playlist is all we have as of yet. However, it’s an interesting strategy to say the least, and one that I think could do wonders for encouraging artists to use music streaming services more for music promotion over platforms such as TikTok.

How to find Taylor Swift’s new Spotify playlist

(Image credit: Future)

After scouring the Spotify app for ways to track down the playlist, I've discovered two ways to find it.

The first is by scanning the Spotify code that was teased in the billboards. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be there in person, and you can scan any image of the code online using the camera feature in the Spotify app.

Alternatively, head to the Spotify app and go to Taylor Swift’s artist page. Scroll down until you see the ‘Artist Playlists’ section, and the newly curated playlist will be there. This is the easiest way to locate it, so I would recommend trying this as opposed to scanning the Spotify code.

A new era for music streaming?

For the past few years, it’s been the new norm for artists to use platforms such as TikTok to promote new music, and while Spotify has introduced countdowns to hype new album releases, that’s pretty much it when it comes to offering artists ways to market their music.

At the time of Swift’s 2022 album Midnights, TikTok was crucial to the album rollout, and each week Swift would post a video to reveal one song from the tracklist. Her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department adopted a similar Tiktok-style rollout, but her upcoming project The Life of a Showgirl has been absent from the platform – for now.

While the Swift-curated Spotify playlist is far from revolutionary, it’s certainly a step away from promotional practices we’ve seen become the norm in recent years, as most artists immediately jump on the TikTok bandwagon. Of course, Swift will inevitably take to other platforms as we get closer to the album release date, but it’s still an exciting way to kickstart the new era.

It’s still very early days into the album rollout – we don’t even have an official release date yet – but after Swift was crowned Spotify’s top artist of 2024, this strategy makes a lot of sense. Will other artists catch on and revert to using music streaming services to promote new music instead of throwing it all on TikTok? Let us know what you think about it in the comments below.

You might also like

• I've been a Spotify subscriber for 10 years, but it needs to do these 5 vital things if it wants me to stick around
• I’m a huge Spotify fan but Apple Music does these 7 things much better – and they’re tempting me to switch
• Spotify's audiobooks add-on has finally rolled out in the US - here are 3 other new features you may have missed

• August 2025 Patch Tuesday update addresses 111 flaws
• These include multiple critical-severity flaws and a zero-day issue
• Users should apply the patch immediately, or risk attack

Microsoft has released its August 2025 Patch Tuesday package, a cumulative set of updates addressing more than 100 vulnerabilities across a host of its products.

Among them was a known zero-day vulnerability in Windows Kerberos, the company's implementation of the Kerberos authentication protocol, which securely verifies user identities in a Windows network using tickets instead of sending passwords over the network.

Kerberos was found to contain a “relative path traversal” flaw which allows an authorized threat actor to elevate privileges over a network.

Critical severity flaws

Besides the zero-day, Microsoft fixed another 106 flaws, including 13 bugs labeled “critical”.

Of those, nine are remote code execution (RCE) flaws that can be abused in device takeover attacks, information disclosure flaws that can be used in data exfiltration attacks, and an elevation of privilege bug.

Some of the more notable vulnerabilities fixed in the release include a 10/10, critical flaw in Azure OpenAI, tracked as CVE-2025-53767 which could allow unauthenticated threat actors to remotely access sensitive information in AI environments.

Another notable mention is a remote code execution bug in Microsoft Graphics Component that can be exploited through malicious files or images. It is tracked as CVE-2025-50165, and was given a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical).

There are also CVE-2025-53766, CVE-50171, and CVE-2025-53792, all of which have a severity score of 9.1 and higher, making them critical.

In total, 111 vulnerabilities were addressed by Microsoft, and although none are marked as being actively exploited in the wild, admins would be wise to apply the fix without delay.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Microsoft patches three worrying security flaws in its latest critical update, so update now
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Hisense's 100UX TV offers the company's RGB backlight in a "smaller" 100-inch size for $19,999.

Foundation season 3 episode 6 is just days away from making its Apple TV+ debut – and it's got a lot to do if it hopes to live up to its predecessor.

This season's next chapter, titled 'The Shape of Time', will pick up directly after the explosive events of its most explosive episode yet, as well as reunite us with the Vault-based Doctor Seldon, who's been conspicuous by his absence for large portions of Foundation's latest season.

But enough waffling on. You're here to find out when Foundation season 3's next entry will air on Apple's streaming service, so read on for more details.

What is the launch date for Foundation season 3 episode 6?

Not long now until The Vault re-opens, Ebling... (Image credit: Apple TV+)

'The Shape of Time' will air on one of the world's best streaming services on Friday, August 15. As I've suggested in every other episodic release date article for this season, I'd expect it to launch on Apple TV+ a day earlier (August 14) in North and South America due to their regional time zones.

Speaking of said time zones, here's when I think Foundation season 3's next installment will be released. Bear in mind that Apple doesn't publicly disclose the launch times for new episodes of its TV Originals, so the below times are my best guess – based on when chapters of some of the best Apple TV+ shows have aired, mind you – for this week's episode.

• US – Thursday, August 14 at 9pm PT / Friday, August 8 at 12am ET
• Canada – Thursday, August 14 at 9pm PT / Friday, August 8 at 12am ET
• UK – Friday, August 15 at 5am BST
• India – Friday, August 15 at 9:30am IST
• Singapore – Friday, August 15 at 12pm SGT
• Australia – Friday, August 15 at 2pm AEST
• New Zealand – Friday, August 15 at 4pm NZST

When will new episodes of Foundation season 3 come out?

Bayta and Toran's journey across the cosmos continues in this season's sixth episode (Image credit: Apple TV+)

There are four more episodes to come after 'The Shape of Time'. Here's a quick rundown of when each one should be released:

• Foundation season 3 episode 1 – out now
• Foundation season 3 episode 2 – out now
• Foundation season 3 episode 3 – out now
• Foundation season 3 episode 4 – out now
• Foundation season 3 episode 5 – out now
• Foundation season 3 episode 6 – Friday, August 15
• Foundation season 3 episode 7 – Friday, August 22
• Foundation season 3 episode 8 – Friday, August 29
• Foundation season 3 episode 9 – Friday, September 5
• Foundation season 3 episode 10 – Friday, September 12

You might also like

• Foundation season 3 is shedding new light on one of its most complex characters – and their actor suggests things might not end well for her: 'She's spiraling inwards'
• Who is Magnifico Giganticus in Foundation season 3? The Apple sci-fi series' most important new character explained
• 'They're not sure they can trust each other': Foundation season 3 stars drop big hints about what's next for the Apple TV+ show's most unlikely team-up

• Two new RGB-MiniLED TVs: 116 and 100 inches
• A 136-inch microLED will arrive later this year
• The RGB-MiniLED models are $29,999 and $19,999

What's 116 inches big and "better than any other TV", according to us? Hisense's flagship 116-inch RGB-MiniLED TV, the 116UX. We tested it earlier this year and were extremely impressed, and now it's available to buy in the US. There's also a new and marginally smaller model, the 100-inch 100UX.

When we tested the 116UX our expert found that it delivered "BT.2020 color more accurately than any other TV I'm aware of, and its high brightness and swath of interesting technologies mean it will excel when watching most things." And it's yours for just $29,999, or $19,999 if you plump for the 100UX.

(Image credit: Hisense)Why RGB-MiniLED could be the next big thing in bright TVs

Hisense says that its "RGB-MiniLED TVs are a preview of where the industry is headed." Instead of the white backlights and quantum dots of other TVs, RGB-MiniLED uses individually controlled red, green and blue LEDs. That in theory means up to 8,000 nits of peak brightness once the TV's warmed up, and it achieves 95% of the BT.2020 color space.

In these TVs the panels are teamed with Hisense's Hi-View AI Engine X for dynamic image optimization, and there's a CineStage X 6.2.2 sound system with Dolby Atmos.

These are big TVs with big price tags, but something even bigger is on the horizon: the microLED Hisense 136MX, which as the name indicates is a massive 136 inches diagonally.

Hisense describes it as "an ultra-luxury MicroLED display featuring self-emissive pixels for perfect black levels, infinite contrast, and exceptional brightness." It'll be the largest consumer-targeted microLED display to date, and while we don't know what it'll cost here's a prediction: it'll be a lot.

The new Hisense 116UX and 100UX are available now from Hisense and from authorized resellers and select national retailers.

You might also like

• I saw Hisense's RGB mini-LED TV, and this vividly colorful set is the future of TV
• Hisense’s 2025 TVs go real big, including a 116-inch mini-LED TV – the largest one yet
• The best mini-LED TVs for all budgets, tested by our experts

• Bitdefender finds new piece of malware in the wild
• It attributed it to a brand-new cyber-espionage group
• The researchers believe the group is Russian

Cybersecurity researchers at Bitdefender recently spotted a new threat actor using a never-before-seen piece of backdoor malware to target critical infrastructure organizations in eastern Europe.

Bitdefender named the new group Curly COMrades, since it heavily relies on the curl.exe tool to pull data and communicate with the C2 server, and since it hijacks Component Object Model (COM) objects during its attacks.

In its attacks, Curly COMrades deploy a backdoor named MucorAgent, a custom three-stage malware component, “engineered as a .NET stealthy tool capable of executing an AES-encrypted PowerShell script and uploading the resulting output to a designated server.”

When in doubt - blame the Russians

In other words, it’s a piece of Windows malware that runs hidden commands, keeps them encrypted to avoid detection, and sends the results back to the attacker.

So far, identified victims include government and judicial organizations in Georgia, and energy companies in Moldova.

Given the targets, the researchers believe the attackers are of Russian origin, or at least Russia-aligned.

However, they did stress that there are no strong overlaps with known Russian APT groups, but Curly COMrades’ operations “align with the geopolitical goals of the Russian Federation."

Bitdefender also could not determine the initial access vector - how crooks managed to infiltrate the target endpoints to deploy MucorAgent to begin with.

They claim to have seen installations of multiple proxy agents, including Resocks which, they suspect, may have been used to that end.

Ever since Russia’s attention turned towards Ukraine in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea, countries on its eastern border have lost the spotlight. Georgia, however, is in a similar position to Ukraine, with two regions declaring independence with the help of the Russian military - South Ossetia, and Abkhazia. Therefore, it would make sense that Russia’s cyberspies would like to keep tabs on neighboring countries and their diplomatic efforts.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• US Authorities Issue RansomHub Ransomware Alert
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Mo Amer is the creator and star of the hit Netflix comedy series Mo. It's a first-of-its kind Palestinian-American sitcom with a fraught plot line about the American immigration system and the hope to return, at least for a visit, to his family's homeland. We talk to Mo Amer what it’s like to make a show so centered on the real facts of his own life, and to be thrust into the role of spokesperson for Palestinian-Americans at this particular moment.

Nintendo has done it again with a great new way to play games on its just-launched console.

Behind your ChatGPT and Gemini queries, there's a land grab happening to keep up the fevered pace of gen AI's growth. The consequences are significant.

School often brings lots of illness, but these experts share tricks to keep your family healthy.

The TCL 60 XE NxtPaper 5G has a big, beautiful screen and enough juice to get through the day -- but its e-reader mode and AI features are the real standouts.

I think it’s fair to say that when April’s hotly anticipated Nintendo Direct swung around, Drag x Drive wasn’t on anyone's bingo card. Yes, one of the initial first-party releases on the Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t only a sports title – but one that’s based on wheelchair basketball.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2 only
Release date: August 14, 2025

Drag x Drive is, at its core, a game intended to show off the enhanced capabilities of the Joy-Con 2. In particular, their mouse controls are used to move your player around the court. It’s also massively centered around online play, almost positioning it as Nintendo’s rival to the hugely successful Rocket League.

So, a couple of major questions arise. Is Drag x Drive just a glorified tech demo? Or is it a fully-fledged Nintendo Switch 2 sports title with enough depth to hold down a loyal playerbase? I spent hours playing this unorthodox new release to find out.

A real workout

(Image credit: Nintendo)

From the moment you open Drag x Drive, you’re thrown into a tutorial that teaches you all the basics of movement, hooping, and tricking. You can place the Joy-Con 2 controllers on a flat surface or even on your legs, and use mouse controls to mimic pushing wheels on a wheelchair.

The controls are intuitive and fairly easy to get to grips with, in my view. HD rumble also makes every turn and push feel a bit more true-to-life. There’s been some debate online about the best way to control your baller, but I found that holding the Joy-Con 2’s on top of my legs was the most comfortable, natural-feeling method.

However, after a few minutes of wheeling around as well as a couple of practice matches, I identified – well, felt, really – one of Drag x Drive’s key limitations. My arms were feeling beat.

Yep, this game’s a real workout, though I did wonder if this was intentional. Is Drag x Drive meant to immerse the player in the high-exertion reality of wheelchair basketball? Maybe. But the facts are, I felt pretty achey after a few back-to-back matches, which did make playing for longer than around 30 minutes feel tiring.

Aside from that, though, movement is solid. You can easily build up speed with long, relaxed strokes, and wheel up on-court halfpipes to dunk or obstruct a shot. The ZL and ZR buttons enable you to brake, and you can also use them to bunny hop, giving you some extra elevation when blocking or shooting.

On the topic of shooting, it’s also quite consistent. The more lined up you are with the basket, the more likely you are to score, which can be performed with a flick of the wrist – no buttons needed. I did find, on occasion, my baller would raise their hand to shoot, even when I hadn’t performed this motion. But most of the time, shooting is responsive.

Best bit

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I wheeled up the court’s half-pipe, flung myself into the air, and hit a gnarly dunk to help my team declare victory in the final seconds of a match.

I’d argue that the most underwhelming element of Drag x Drive’s core gameplay, however, is defending. In order to steal the ball, you must charge into an opposing player while facing them. But, when playing matches online during the game’s Global Jam trial event, I found that this didn’t always work – I’d clash into an opponent, but the ball would remain firmly in their grip.

On top of that, blocking didn’t feel very reliable. Ultimately, my games were rarely won by good defense. They were typically won by aggressively attacking. Speaking of, you can bag extra points with trick shots – think dunks and mid-air throws. And I have to say, winning a match with a mid-air 3-pointer is very satisfying!

Oh, and one final note on gameplay – I often found myself in 2v2 matches when playing online via Global Jam. Scrolling on Reddit, I discovered that other players encountered a similar occurrence, though games were still generally balanced, and I barely ever experienced any delays or performance issues.

I’m hoping 2v2s are a little less common when the full game is on general release, though, for the most action-packed experience possible.

Where’s the Nintendo magic?

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Let’s take a break from gameplay to chat about design. Now, I'm gonna be frank. I am not a fan of the way Drag x Drive looks. The world – or should I say, the courts – is too bland. Colors aren’t very vibrant, and there’s a generally dingy look to the environment, which is a real shame.

Given this is a Nintendo-developed title, you expect the vivid, character-filled presentation that so many of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games – and indeed, the best Nintendo Switch games – thrive off of. In addition, character models lack polish, meaning the game doesn’t really look like it was made for a flashy new console.

Not only is it visually underwhelming, but the overall Drag x Drive experience is pretty thin – perhaps to be expected given its low price tag. 3v3 online matches are generally competitive and entertaining to hop into, though, as I mentioned, a few games left my arms feeling lethargic. And other than those online matches, there’s not all too much to do.

There are a few minigames littered around the courts – stuff like cone courses and sprint time trials. If you complete these within a certain amount of time, you can earn a trophy. But after I did this, I didn’t feel particularly keen to return to them. Variety could be better, too, given that many of the minigames are variations of each other – there are a number of cone courses to finish, for instance.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Something that’s undoubtedly positive, though, is that the trophies you obtain by clearing minigames help you unlock new customization options. For example, you can get new helmets – including one with a mohawk, which I took a liking to. Other than that, you can alter the texture and colors of your armor, frame, and wheels.

Combine this with the opportunity to switch between a speedy yet lightweight guard, a bulky yet slow center, or an all-rounder forward, and Drag x Drive ends up being a pleasingly personalizable time.

So, how about we go back to that question of ours: is Drag x Drive just a glorified tech demo? Well, that might be a touch harsh. But the finished product does feel a little underbaked. The core experience – the 3v3 online matches – is decently tense and end-to-end, and I can see myself dipping in from time to time for a quick game.

But a quick game is all I would really want from Drag x Drive. It’s a workout on the arms, minigames aren’t massively engaging, and the environment isn’t visually stimulating enough to draw me in for the long run.

Much like it did with Arms on the original Switch, Nintendo took a long shot early with Drag x Drive. And honestly, I appreciate the decision to create an original gaming experience based on wheelchair basketball – it’s refreshing to see more representation of sports such as this. But in the end, its tiring controls and unappealing aesthetic hold Drag x Drive back from being a total slam dunk.

Should you play Drag x Drive?

(Image credit: Nintendo)Play it if...

You want an online game you can quickly dip in and out of
Drag x Drive is solid fun if you’re willing to just hop on for a couple of games. You can take on friends or global competitors for a few minutes without feeling fatigued, and just enjoy flexing your 3-point shooting or dunking skills.

You want to get the best out of mouse mode
One of the key missions of Drag x Drive is to showcase the smooth, intuitive nature of the Joy Con 2’s mouse controls. And that’s a mission that it accomplishes – controls are largely responsive, and it will be interesting to see how Nintendo makes use of them in future titles.

Don't play it if...

You’re looking to chill, rather than work out
If you’re hoping to relax after a long day at work or school, maybe even a gym session, say, Drag x Drive might not be what you're looking for. Wheeling around gets pretty tiring after a while, so extended play sessions can feel like quite the workout.

You want to experience the peak powers of the Switch 2
I’d argue that the most disappointing aspect of Drag x Drive is its visual presentation. Colors don’t pop, environments lack polish, and the graphics just generally fail to highlight the power of the Nintendo Switch 2. Want a beautiful title for your shiny new console? Maybe look elsewhere – my recommendation would be the absolutely smashing Donkey Kong Bananza.

Accessibility features

There aren’t all too many accessibility features to note from Drag x Drive. You can adjust the camera distance as well as the X and Y-axis configuration, and choose whether to use mouse or stick controls for menu navigation. But, disappointingly, that’s about it.

How I reviewed Drag x Drive

(Image credit: Nintendo)

I played Drag x Drive for around 10 hours, mainly competing online during the Global Jam event and in matches against bots in single-player mode. I also completed the majority of the available minigames and played around with the customization options available.

For the most part, I played the game in docked mode on my Nintendo Switch 2, which is hooked up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 and a Samsung HW-Q800D soundbar. However, I did also spend some time playing the game in tabletop mode while connected to my Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.

First reviewed August 2025

• Anthropic is offering Claude to all branches of US Government for next to nothing
• Move comes after OpenAI offered a very similar deal for ChatGPT
• AI companies are rushing to get their models adopted across the board

Anthropic has offered its Claude AI model to US government agencies for just $1 for the next year.

The offer extends to all three branches of the government, targeting the legislative and judicial branches alongside the executive.

The move comes almost immediately after OpenAI offered its ChatGPT enterprise for all US federal government workers for $1 per year per agency, as the firms look to undercut each other - and presumably create a reliance within the public sector, which is likely to use AI tools to help streamline their work and save money on admin costs.

Government contracts

“As AI adoption leads to transformation across industries, we want to ensure that federal workers can fully harness these capabilities to better serve the American people. By removing cost barriers, we're enabling the government to access the same advanced AI that's already proving its value in the private sector,” Anthropic said in a statement.

LLM companies are racing to obtain government contracts, with Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI awarded a $200 million AI development deal with the US Department of Defence - all to develop models for US government customers for national security.

Claude has already been added to the General Services Administration’s (GSA) schedule to help streamline procurement, with Claude for Enterprise and Claude for Government offering support with handling sensitive unclassified work.

The firm will also give assistance to rapidly implement AI across agencies - with technical support for successful adoption into their ‘productivity and mission workflows’.

“This OneGov deal with Anthropic is proof that the United States is setting the standard for how governments adopt AI — boldly, responsibly, and at scale,” said GSA Acting Administrator Michael Rigas.

“This agreement puts the most advanced American AI models directly into the hands of those serving the American people.”

You might also like

• Take a look at our picks for the AI tools around
• Check out our choice for best AI writer to help you out
• 70% of people are sick of talking to AI – where did all the humans go?