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ESR Qi2 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set review

I was a big fan of the ESR Qi2 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set from the first charge. This isn’t a cheap travel set, with a list price of $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149.99 making it a costly travel companion. However, I would wager that you’d be happy to use this as your everyday charging device, rather than confining it to outings only. I certainly was. Its reliable design and fast iPhone charging make it one of the best iPhone chargers and best wireless chargers, and it'd certainly make a good companion for the best iPhones, too.

While the Mous MagSafe Compatible 3-in-1 Portable Charger may have it beat when it comes to being lightweight and effortless to pack up and carry, this Qi2 charging set is noticeably more premium, with better quality materials and a strong hinge making it possible to continue using the phone as it charges. The MagSafe-style wireless iPhone charging pad made it easy to switch up the orientation of the iPhone while it charged too.

The main body that holds the charging pads for the iPhone and AirPods case is sturdy and well-designed. Other 3-in-1 travel chargers can prove a little flimsy, so it’s nice that the Qi2 Travel Wireless Charging Set feels robust. However – where many travel chargers incorporate the Apple Watch charging pad into the main body for convenience, ESR has opted to include it as a separate component with this set, meaning there’s an extra piece to remember.

It’s great that there’s a travel case included in the price (and you can opt to purchase it without the case for a lower price) but the extra space for the Apple Watch pad, the plug, and the padding surrounding them makes it a bit bulky to be travel-friendly, in my opinion.

I was majorly impressed with the speed at which this wireless charger was able to charge up an iPhone 13 Pro, taking just under two hours to charge it from 0 – 100%, making it the quickest charger I’ve tested so far. In addition to this, the Qi2 travel set took around two hours to charge my Apple Watch Series 9, and the rear wireless charging pad had no issues charging up my compatible wireless earbuds case.

So, while this ESR 3-in-1 charger may seem to be expensive for a travel charging set, I would say that it is worth the investment for an Apple device charger that could easily replace your everyday charger, with the added benefit of being able to fold it down and pack away for travel. The satisfyingly fast Qi2 charging is a nice bonus.

(Image credit: Future) ESR Qi2 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set review: Price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the ESR Qi2 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set? Buy it if…

You want a premium travel charger
This ESR charger is far from a cheap and flimsy option. It feels sturdy and well made, and could easily be used as your everyday charger.

You want fast charging
I was impressed with how quickly this charger juiced up an iPhone 13 Pro, taking just under two hours for a full charge, faster than older wireless chargers I've tested.

Don't buy it if…

You want a cheap travel charger
If you’re just looking for something cheap to keep in your away bag for occasional use, then this charger’s likely going to prove too expensive for your needs.

You want something compact
This charger is on the large side for traveling light, and the separate Apple Watch pad increases the chances of losing parts.

ESR Qi2 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set review: Also consider

Mous MagSafe Compatible 3-in-1 Portable Charger
If the ESR charger sounds too big, this portable Mous charger is a great alternative. It's an a 3-in-1 charger with a footprint of barely more than a credit card, and it weighs just 3oz / 87g.View Deal

The latest strikes came after Israel warned people to evacuate communities in southern Lebanon that are outside a United Nations-declared buffer zone.

(Image credit: Hussein Malla)

Full spoilers immediately follow for The Rings of Power season 2's final episode.

The Rings of Power's Daniel Weyman doesn't know if The Stranger/Gandalf will encounter Sauron next season, but he's certainly not ruling it out.

Speaking to me ahead of The Rings of Power season 2's final chapter, Weyman – who's still processing the fact that he's actually playing Gandalf – admitted he had "no idea" if Middle-earth's most famous wizard would run into the Dark Lord. Nevertheless, it's something that the Prime Video star would be open to, even if he acknowledges that Gandalf wouldn't even know if he'd crossed paths with Morgoth's successor.

"I'm still not sure how much Gandalf knows what Sauron means," Weyman confessed. "The only thing he's got to go on is this line that Tom [Bombadil] has fed him. You know, that his task will be to defeat, or try to defeat, the Dark Wizard and Sauron. He understands it as a kind of 'close your eyes' feeling of darkness enveloping Middle-earth, but I don't know if he knows about Sauron's links to Morgoth, Sauron's history, his ability to shapeshift, or where Sauron physically is, but that's all stuff to look forward to."

Sauron has other things on his mind heading into season 3 (Image credit: Prime Video)

There are things, though, that Weyman and Sauron star Charlie Vickers already know and/or have teased about future seasons. As I mentioned, Weyman can finally tell the world that The Stranger is Gandalf, even though we've all suspected as much since The Rings of Power season 1 finale and The Rings of Power season 2 episode 4. Meanwhile, Vickers has three big wishes for Sauron's season 3 arc, one of which includes the "next piece of the puzzle" for the Dark Lord in forging the One Ring.

Speaking of rings: now that The Stranger's true identity has been revealed, it may only be a matter of time before he acquires his own Ring of Power. Indeed, in J.R.R. Tolkien's supplementary Lord of the Rings materials, it's revealed that Círdan the Shipwright passes his ring Narya onto Gandalf early on in Middle-earth's Third Age.

The Lord of the Rings' prequel series is only expected to cover events during the Second Age, so it's highly unlikely that Gandalf will come into possession of Narya before one of the best Prime Video shows ends. However, showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay have played fast and loose with some of Tolkien's texts in their TV adaptation, so it's not out of the realms of possibility for Weyman's Istar to acquire one of the 17 titular rings, even if the actor himself hasn't considered that outcome.

Nori and Gandalf parted ways in the season 2 finale, too  (Image credit: Prime Video)

"These things are like wonderful Christmas presents for people who care about the story," Weyman said with a smile when asked if he thinks Gandalf could acquire Narya before The Rings of Power's final season. "But, gosh, I hadn't even thought about Gandalf having a ring yet. Now there's a little voice in me saying 'oh, it would be lovely to have a ring'. I have no idea where it [the story] is going to go – I mean, he just got his staff. But yes, what a wonderful thing to dream about."

For more coverage on one of Amazon's most popular TV Originals, read my article explaining the ending of The Rings of Power season 2. After you're gorged yourself on that, check out more of my exclusives with the show's cast below.

You might also like

• 'Fingers crossed': The Rings of Power stars don't know if Nori and The Stranger's 'bittersweet' goodbye is forever – but they hope it isn't
• 'A very astute observation': The Rings of Power's Elrond and Gil-Galad actors drop a big hint about the elves' new safe haven in the season 2 finale
• 'There's an order of events to come': The Rings of Power's Cynthia Addai-Robinson teases 'exciting' but 'tragic' season 3 arc for Míriel

Tuesday night, JD Vance and Tim Walz faced off in their first debate. Host Brittany Luse is joined by NPR's national race and identity correspondent Sandhya Dirks and political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben to discuss how the candidates display competing brands of white masculinity.

Then, Fat Bear Week is back! The annual March Madness-style bracket of the fattest bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park is in full swing after a rocky start. In honor of Fat Bear Week, Brittany revisits a journey through time to unpack what bears mean to us — and why they're family, friend and foe all at once.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PlayStation 5
Available on: PS5 and PC
Release date: October 8, 2024 

It’s been years since I first played the horror game Silent Hill 2, and yet, in my restless dreams, I see that town. The liminal streets, chunky grotesque monsters, and cursed bric-a-brac have all taken up residency in my head, and with so much history, I’ll be the first to admit I was skeptical at the thought of a remake. 

For those unfamiliar with the beloved original, Silent Hill 2 centers around a grieving James Sunderland who receives a letter from his deceased wife, Mary, beckoning him to the eponymous Silent Hill. Bewildered at the letter, James heads into the town, looking for any signs of his spouse. A small cast of tormented souls ferry James through his journey, and through a series of cryptic conversations and a smattering of environmental clues, the truth of the town and James’ past slowly comes into focus.

My time with developer Bloober Team’s Silent Hill 2 remake began with James wandering towards the local graveyard, and I was immediately struck by how stark but strangely alluring the world felt. In the way New York is a character in Friends, so is the fog in Silent Hill 2, and I was relieved to see how disorienting it still was to navigate its streets, apartment buildings, and prison complexes. 

While there isn’t quite as much Comic Sans font used here as in the original, the unmistakable ambiance is much the same, permeating through the dilapidated buildings and the eerie soundscape. As James, you’ll explore the town, one area at a time, finding maps, solving think-y puzzles, and defending yourself against grotesque creatures with household items and firearms as you inch closer to finding your wife. 

Soured flesh

(Image credit: Team Bloober/Konami)

Fleshy and wet, the vaguely human-shaped intruders wield freaky movement and body horror aesthetics to significant effect, and this combination frequently caught me off guard. Notably, the way the mannequins lurk dormant under tables and behind doors just out of view was a source of constant terror (and delight). Despite the small pool of enemy variants throughout the game, their reactive scuttering and slithering garnered more than a few screams throughout. 

This sense of appropriate discomfort extends throughout the game, with the Brookhaven Hospital (and its nightmare mirror realm) being a particular stand out, managing to blend the sterility of medical spaces with the moldy stagnation of abandoned buildings. It’s clear that care has been taken to fine-tune the details throughout, with so many unsightly stains and muck coating the otherworld. 

One major deviation from the original game is the shift from a fixed perspective to an over-the-shoulder one, akin to Capcom’s Resident Evil remakes. Unfortunately, this active camera approach dulls the anxiety and claustrophobia that come naturally with the old CCTV-esque viewpoint. It’s safe to say that James Sunderland is not Leon Kennedy, nor is he supposed to be, and as a result, this change doesn’t quite meld with the more plot-centric storytelling that makes Silent Hill 2 so engaging. Eventually, I became steeled to the fight and started entering rooms with the rugged bravado of an action hero, which meant I wasn’t feeling so immersed in James’ fragile, vulnerable characterization.

It’s not all blood and guts, though, as an array of puzzles constantly interrupt your search and the creature encounters it brings. Ranging from bite-sized to full-on head-scratchers, the problems carefully walk the line between frustrating and rewarding. The Brookhaven Hospital section featured one of my favorites. It involved embodying a morbid Sherlock Holmes, investigating patients, and solving riddles related to their tragic end for the prize of a medical wristband, whose numbers had to be aligned carefully to access the next area. For those who've played the original game, the puzzles are primarily faithful but have been updated and tweaked slightly, so you shouldn’t be able to barrel through.

Messing with The Order

(Image credit: Team Bloober/Konami)

Storytelling changes from the original don’t feel quite as successful or necessary for a remake, though, and ultimately harm the pacing and subtlety of Silent Hill 2’s complex psychological themes. The addition of new areas, scenes, and extended boss fights are hit and miss throughout, with some augmenting the ambience and others detracting from the delicate subtext surrounding James’ desperate search for Mary. This is felt most in the Abstract Daddy encounter that centres around the character Angela’s traumatic backstory. In the original, it all takes place in one claustrophobic room, whereas in the remake, it manifests as a much longer, multi-stage chase-based boss fight, which dulled the circumstances surrounding the battle.

Elsewhere, I can’t help but feel that the remake loses something by stripping out the ability to interact with random clutter in the environment to read James’ contextual reactions. You can pick up and study all the most important artefacts you come across, but you can’t prompt James to respond to his surroundings often, a process that brought extra worldbuilding and nuance to the original game. It’s not entirely gone, as the voice actor sometimes steps in with a natural reaction, but it’s few and far between and makes Silent Hill 2 feel empty and lonely in a different, less effective way than its 2001 counterpart.

One aspect I found extra puzzling was the introduction of ‘glimpses of the past’, where the player can encounter homages to scenes and puzzles that haven’t been brought forward for the remake. It’s a playful touch for series veterans, but it creates a confusing situation for newcomers, who can’t easily access the original game on a modern system and may not understand what is being referenced.

Best bit

(Image credit: Bloober Team/Konami)

No matter how many times I had wandered around the dilapidated hallways of the Brookhaven Hospital or in the open-air streets outside, I found myself running in circles, often returning to the map to try to remember where I had and hadn’t been. Despite no changes to my trajectory, it was easy to feel disoriented by the hazy ambience permeating the entire town of Silent Hill. If you are curious to see how many times you did recheck the map, the end credits come with a statistical round-up where you can check your tally (mine was very high).

Bloober Team’s remake is a fun and interesting reinterpretation for those who have played the original. Still, it’s hard to recommend this version of Silent Hill 2 to players who might want to experience the James Sunderland story at its definitive best. All the modern trappings do well to enhance the experience visually, but other decisions alter the spirit of the original game, and not always for the better.

Regardless, an area where the remake shines is in its vocal performances, and Luke Roberts carefully embodies the very difficult role of James Sunderland - particularly in cutscenes, where the quivering, motion-capped physicality and considered delivery of iconic lines brought new nuance to the character. I was always thrilled to hear Akira Yamaoka’s reimagined soundtrack too, with masterful iterative takes on legendary tracks like Null Moon exacerbating the already-unnerving atmosphere, often just when it needed a shot in the arm.

(Image credit: Bloober Team/Konami) Accessibility

Silent Hill 2 has a variety of settings to tweak combat and puzzle difficulty. For combat, you can shift between difficulties freely as you play; however, for puzzles, your difficulty choice must be set before taking on the playthrough. There are multiple interface presets, too, which tweak aspects like tutorial prompts and ammo display while playing. Where combat is concerned, you can customize crosshair visibility, thickness, color, and opacity. You can also toggle on and off Low health and splatter vignettes to suit your preference. In the Controls menu, there’s an option to switch on aim assist, with the choice of how strong you’d like the magnetism to be.  

If you’re looking for alternate visual cues for items, you can also choose between options for visibility and size. This system is the same for traversal cues that make intractable obstacles more clear. Silent Hill 2 also features three color-blind modes (deuteranope, protanope, tritanope) and a color-blind mode severity slider, in addition to a high-contrast setting that highlights characters, items, and non-player characters (NPCs) in bright colors. You can select the color they appear in alongside this switch in the Display and Graphics submenu. 

Regarding audio, there are sliders to tweak Music, Effects, and Voiceover. Plus, for those who prefer a visual cue, the Radio State Indicator creates a pop-up on the screen that shows when the radio emits sound. Additionally, there’s a great selection of subtitle settings, like the ability to toggle nonverbal captions, as well as a variety of sizes, backgrounds, and fonts. In the same menu, you also can alter the transcription text, too. These options are all available through individual submenus like Gameplay and Audio. However, there is a submenu that collects specific Accessibility settings and lists them for easy access in the broader Settings menu. 

Should I play Silent Hill 2 remake?

(Image credit: Team Bloober/Konami) Play it if...

You want to explore the town of Silent Hill in high-definition
While there have been subtle changes, the locations in Silent Hill 2 are faithfully recreated, and they look incredibly upsetting and eerie in this form. While there are some changes to the source material, the updates are, for the most part, tastefully done and still feel just as atmospheric.  

You're a glutton for punishment…
James Sunderland is a tortured soul. As such, you’ll be tormented with vague puzzles, anxiety-inducing chases, and, naturally, a lot of challenging themes. As you wade into James’ psyche, even more darkness can be found, like a puzzle wrapped in a melancholic enigma.  

Don't play it if...

You’re squeamish
Bloody grotesque monsters and intense imagery are part and parcel with Silent Hill 2, and the use of Unreal Engine 5 only juices up the already upsetting style. Undulating monstrosities twist into tormented shapes in front of you, and it takes some heavy bludgeoning or choice bullet wounds to take them out.  

You haven’t played the original and want the full Silent Hill 2 experience…
While much of Silent Hill 2 looks great, the original 2001 edition is still the definitive version, and, courtesy of the Enhanced Edition add-on still feels like the best way to play the story.  

How I reviewed Silent Hill 2 remake

I played through Silent Hill 2 on PlayStation 5 and finished it three times over approximately 25 hours, achieving five unique endings. Throughout these playthroughs, I chose the moderate difficulty for puzzles and switched between the combat difficulty from basic to advanced between playthroughs. For my screen, I used an AOC CQ27G2 27-inch QHD VA 144Hz gaming monitor, and for audio, I used my external Creative Pebble V2 computer speakers. 

I played Silent Hill 2 in performance and quality modes, jumping between 60 frames per second (fps) and 30fps. Overall, I preferred playing in performance mode, despite the quality mode (predictably) looking much nicer, as the improved fluidity aided in this more combat-focused remake. 

First reviewed October 2024

With Apple's Mac event expected this month, a new MacBook Air M4 might be among the tech giant's biggest product reveals of the year. 

Apple revealing a new M4 MacBook Air model (either the 13-inch or 15-inch, or even both) would be a highlight at the event, as the MacBook Air is one of the most popular laptops in the world. 

That said, the last MacBook Airs to launch, the MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) and MacBook Air 15-inch (M3), shipped in March 2024, so it might be 'too soon' for a new MacBook Air M4 refresh, but Apple has shipped multiple MacBook Air models in a single year (the last time was in 2020), so it's not out of the question—especially with the Apple M4 chip already out in the wild since June of this year in the iPad Pro.

Of course, thanks to Apple's notorious product announcement style, this reveal is far from set in stone. As such, it's more than possible that we won't see an actual refresh until 2025, but the rumor mill continues to churn. So, until we get official word, we're keeping an ear to the ground for the latest news and rumors, and bringing them all into one place to keep you up to date on the latest developments.

MacBook Air M4: Cut to the chase

(Image credit: Future)

• What is it? Apple's rumored M4 MacBook Air refresh
• How much does it cost? Unknown at this time, as it hasn't been officially announced
• When can I get it? Depending on when it's announced, it could be as early as late 2024, or sometime in 2025

MacBook Air M4: Latest news

• Keen for the MacBook Air M4? Good news – it might turn up earlier than we thought in 2025
• Some of Apple’s M4 Macs are already shipping ahead of rumored October launch
• Apple’s big Mac M4 reveal could happen in October, ahead of rumored on-sale date of November

Click to read more of the latest news...

• Apple’s M4 Macs spotted in testing
• M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac are reportedly on track for 2024 launch

MacBook Air M4: Release date

(Image credit: Future)

There's no official release date for a new M4 MacBook Air refresh as of now. However, if one is announced during the expected Apple event in October 2024, we could be seeing a launch as early as later this month. 

And if said MacBook Air M4 reveal doesn't come in time for the Black Friday holiday period, we could still see an M4 MacBook Air launching sometime in 2025.

Ross Young, a display industry analyst and regular Apple news-breaker, stated that panel shipments for the MacBook Air M4 would kick off in October, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said that the timing of screen shipments lines up with the launch timeframe he’s heard – and that Apple now plans to debut the MacBook Air M4 refreshes of its 13-inch and 15-inch models in Q1 of 2025, most likely March at the latest.

Another rumor from Guman also confirmed the 2024-2025 release window for an M4 MacBook Air refresh, so while it's possible we'll see new MacBook Air M4 models this month, early 2025 seems more likely.

MacBook Air M4: Specs

(Image credit: Apple)

There haven't been any definitive leaks concerning the possible MacBook Air M4 specs, except for the fact that they would be outfitted with an M4 chip.

If we go by previous Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) models, those specs will most likely feature up to 24GB of unified memory, up to 2TB of storage, as well as the 10-core CPU, integrated 10-core GPU, and 38 TOPS neural engine for AI workloads that we saw in the iPad Pro 13-inch (2024).

Beyond that, there isn't much else we can say, other than stay tuned.

MacBook Air M4: What to expect

With the expected October 2024 Apple event quickly approaching, there's a great opportunity for Apple to announce a refresh of the M4 MacBook Air equipped with the M4 chip. 

Apple's inconsistency when it comes to new product announcements is quite famous at this point, however, so it's just as likely that we could also get through the whole event with no mention of a new MacBook Air M4 refresh, just to be hit with a quick launch sometime in early 2025. 

We'll have to see what Apple does during its October 2024 event first, though, so we'll know soon enough.

As the relentless march of technological progress continues, the concept of quantum computing—once the domain of theoretical physicists and science fiction—edges ever closer to practical reality.

Quantum computing promises to revolutionize modern technology, but it also has the ability to render current cryptographic systems obsolete, potentially undermining the very foundations of digital security. Anticipating this challenge, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has recently finalized a set of quantum-resistant encryption standards.

These standards represent the culmination of almost a decade of rigorous research, testing, and collaboration within the global cryptographic community. NIST’s process involved evaluating more than 80 algorithms to determine their resilience against quantum attacks.

The result is a small but robust set of encryption tools designed to withstand the immense computational capabilities of quantum machines. These standards include not only the computer code for encryption algorithms but also detailed instructions for their implementation and clear guidance on their intended applications.

These standards are designed to secure a wide array of sensitive data—from confidential communications and financial transactions to the very digital infrastructure that powers our modern world.

What does this mean for the future of VPN security?

For those of us in the VPN industry, these resources are invaluable. They empower us to prepare our systems for the quantum era, ensuring that we can support post-quantum cryptography while maintaining critical compatibility and interoperability with our existing infrastructures.

VPNs have long been the cornerstone of secure online communications, offering a trusted shield for user data against prying eyes. Whether it’s protecting personal information during online transactions or bypassing oppressive state spying, VPNs play a crucial role in maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of our digital interactions.

But with the advent of quantum computing, these privacy protections are threatened. The cryptographic algorithms that currently underpin VPN protocols, such as RSA and ECC, are particularly vulnerable to quantum attacks, which could dismantle these systems in a matter of minutes.

The significance of NIST’s announcement for the VPN industry cannot be overstated. This is a huge moment for cryptographic standards, one that will inevitably lead to a fundamental change in how VPNs are designed, implemented, and operated. The introduction of standardized post-quantum cryptography provides a clear path forward for VPN providers, offering the tools necessary to build systems that can withstand the cryptographic challenges of the quantum era.

Yet, this transition is anything but straightforward. Implementing post-quantum encryption within a VPN environment involves more than simply swapping out old algorithms for new ones. The complexities of these new standards require careful attention to issues like compatibility and interoperability with existing systems.

VPN protocols

Many of the widely-used VPN protocols, such as IPSec and OpenVPN, are not yet fully compatible with post-quantum cryptography. This means that the entire ecosystem—from software developers to hardware manufacturers—must collaborate closely to update and refine these protocols. It’s a collective effort to ensure that the new standards can be implemented without sacrificing functionality or user experience.

Interoperability, in particular, presents a significant challenge. VPNs operate in a highly interconnected environment, where various hardware and software components must work seamlessly together. Ensuring that these components can effectively communicate under the new quantum-resistant protocols is no small feat.

The transition to quantum-resistant encryption will require the development of new software and protocols that are fully compliant with NIST’s standards. This is further complicated by the fact that the quantum-resistant algorithms tend to be more computationally intensive, which could impact the performance of VPN services. VPN providers will need to meticulously test these new systems to ensure that they meet the rigorous demands of security, performance, and reliability that users have come to expect.

What this means is that the process of transitioning to post-quantum cryptography will be gradual, requiring significant investments in research and development, as well as collaboration across the industry to share knowledge and best practices.

For VPN providers, this means staying at the forefront of these changes, adopting new technologies as they become viable, and gradually integrating them into our services to ensure that we remain ahead of the curve in protecting our users' data and privacy rights.

It’s a delicate balance—moving quickly enough to stay secure in the face of emerging threats, but cautiously enough to ensure that the solutions we implement are reliable and deliver on the privacy promises we make to our users.

The next few years

So, as we look to the next few years, we anticipate ongoing advancements in cryptographic research, with new algorithms emerging and existing standards being further refined.

However, we also recognize that the VPN industry will not undergo an overnight transformation. The adoption of quantum-resistant encryption will be a gradual process, unfolding as the necessary supporting software and infrastructure evolve. In the next five years, while quantum-resistant cryptography will undoubtedly play a central role in the future of digital security, we expect the transition to be marked by incremental progress rather than dramatic shifts.

In any case, what we now have is an opportunity for the VPN community to innovate and strengthen the foundations of digital privacy and security – and I’m confident that VPN users, worldwide, will be able to reap the rewards.

We list the best business VPN.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Driver's catch-all

NYT Strands today (game #215) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SLIM
• SLIME
• MIRE
• BRAIL
• BRAT
• TORE

NYT Strands today (game #215) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Mobile storage

NYT Strands today (game #215) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: top, 4th column

Last: bottom, 1st column

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

NYT Strands today (game #215) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #215, are…

• TITLE
• ATLAS
• FLARE
• MANUAL
• QUARTER
• REGISTRATION
• SPANGRAM: GLOVEBOX

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 3 hints

I'm sorry but this Strands puzzle does not work. Or rather, it does not work for me. At all. The spangram/theme is GLOVEBOX, but of the six things listed for it, only one would be found within mine. MANUAL? No, that's on an app – it's not 2015 any more. ATLAS? Are you serious? It's not 2010. Have you not heard of Google Maps! FLARE? Er, no, that sounds dangerous. QUARTER? One, I'm not in the US, so of course not. Two, I don't use coins any more, it's not 2018.

This whole puzzle is just bizarre from my point of view. Look inside my glovebox and you'd find some boiled sweets, a scraper for the windscreen, a battery charge pack and that's about it. There may be cultural differences at play here, admittedly, but that made it all rather difficult to solve and I needed three hints to complete the game.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday 3 October, game #214)

• PIXIE
• BUZZ
• FLATTOP
• PAGEBOY
• FADE
• SHAG
• FAUXHAWK
• SPANGRAM: SHORTCUTS

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.

The governor of the South Kivu province said the death toll was provisional and the number of fatalities could rise further. He said there were 278 people on board, according to local authorities.

(Image credit: Moses Sawasawa)

It's nearly time for Apple's 2024 Mac event, and the iMac M4 could be among the tech giant's major product reveals at the highly-anticipated (though unconfirmed) showcase later this month. 

Revealing a new iMac outfitted with the latest M-series silicon would be an incredible announcement for Apple, and the iMac is due for a 2024 refresh now that the Apple M4 chip is already out in the wild. It's hard to say if we'll see anything at the Apple event (or even if we'll get one in October), as the tech giant is well known for its unique style of launches.

So, there's always a possibility that we won't see an M4 iMac refresh until 2025, but the rumor mill will keep churning out reports and leaks, so it's best to sit tight and see whether Apple will cook up its own surprise in 2024 or if said rumors need to keep us fed until next year.

Apple iMac M4: Cut to the chase

• What is it? Apple's rumored iMac refresh
• How much does it cost? Unknown at this time as it hasn't been officially announced
• When can I get it? Depending on when it's announced, it could be as early as late 2024, or sometime in 2025

Apple iMac M4: Latest news

• M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac are reportedly on track for 2024 launch
• Waiting for an iMac with a bigger screen? It's en route according to rumors
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Apple iMac: Release date

(Image credit: Apple)

There's no official release date for a new iMac M4 refresh as of now. However, if one is announced during the rumored Apple event later in October, we could see a launch as early as late 2024. 

And if the M4 iMac announcement is a no-show, there's still a strong possibility of a release sometime in 2025, since Apple is notorious for surprise announcements and stealth drops of major products.

There was a recent rumor from Bloomberg's Mark Guman that seemingly confirmed this 2024-2025 release for an iMac refresh, so it's definitely possible. Also adding to the anticipation is that the M3 chip debuted in the MacBook Pro and iMac during Apple’s 'Scary Fast' event at the end of October 2023, so history could easily repeat itself in 2024.

Apple iMac: Specs

(Image credit: Apple)

There have been no rumors concerning the possible iMac's specs, except for the fact that it would be outfitted with at least an M4 chip if it is released either in 2024 or 2025.

But going by the previous Apple iMac 24-inch (M3) unit, those specs will likely include at least 8GB of unified memory, at least 256GB SSD storage, a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and a 38 TOPS NPU. Considering that one of the major complaints about Apple's mainstream MacBooks, Macs, and iMacs' are their relatively low starting specs, there's some concern that this will likely be the iMac refresh's starting range as well. 

The wildcard here is Apple Intelligence, the company's new AI ecosystem of apps and features. These require a decent amount of dedicated memory, and 8GB of unified memory simply isn't going to cut it, so it's possible that the M4 iMac's memory and storage get a bump up to at least 16GB and 512GB, respectively.

For years there were also rumors of a larger-sized screen for the iMac, and Mark Gurman recently affirmed them. In his newsletter, he stated: "A larger iMac remains something Apple is exploring as well, but it’s unclear if that will be an M4 product or something that comes the following year or later."

That means that the 2024 iMac refresh will likely retain the same 24-inch display as last year's M3 iMac.

Apple iMac: What to expect

With all signs pointing to an October 2024 Apple event, there's an excellent chance that we could see a refresh of the M4 iMac very soon, powered by a more sophisticated chip and with upgraded specs on the entry-level configuration. 

The problem is that Apple is also very inconsistent when it comes to new product announcements, so we could also go through the entire event with no mention of a new iMac just to be hit with a stealth reveal sometime in 2025. We'll have to see what Apple does in the weeks ahead.

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Toyota has revealed that it has invested a further $500 million into Joby Aviation, a company founded in 2009 that has since been working on developing, producing, and certifying electric vertical take-off and landing craft (eVTOL).

The second round of funding follows a $394 million injection of capital back in 2020, and the Japanese car giant hopes it will speed up development, with the aim of realizing the two companies ‘shared vision of air mobility.’

Joby has been one of the leading companies in air taxi research, having acquired Uber’s Elevate start-up in 2020. Uber also invested $75 million in the venture to speed up the development and certification process.

According to Toyota, this isn’t just a financial deal. The company says it has been sharing its knowledge of the Toyota Production System via process planning, manufacturing method development, and tooling design.

Engineers from the two companies have been working alongside one another in Joby’s facility in California to realise a viable production method for commercial electric air taxis, while pushing forward with certification remains a priority if we are to see the technology in the air any time soon.

According to Joby Aviation, it has almost completed the fourth of a five-stage type certification process that would allow its aircraft to go into production.

Cleared for take-off

(Image credit: Hyundai/Supernal)

Although stuff of science-fiction fantasy, the rise of the electric vertical take-off craft has been rapid over the past few years, with the likes of Hyundai Motor Group launching its Supernal business and China’s XPeng HT Aero breaking serious ground on the topic.

Most companies plan to operate an Uber-style ride-hailing service that would allow a small group of customers to ride in a manned eVTOL craft, which is akin to a giant, multi-rotor drone. Though, plans for unmanned flights are also on the table.

In Supernal’s case, which is an operation now owned by the wider Hyundai Motor Group, its SA-2 electric aircraft features a four-seat cabin and eight rotors to get it off the ground, capable of propelling the machine at speeds of up to 120mph for journeys ranging from 25 to around 40 miles.

Flying at an altitude of around 1,500ft, the Supernal craft will cruise lower than commercial helicopters and other aircraft, with a view to beat traffic jams and congestion in heavily urbanized areas by hopping from one 'vertiport' to another. 

In fact, a recent market report from the Global Advanced/Urban Air Mobility Market Map team revealed that at least 1,044 eVTOL vertiports currently being developed by numerous global companies could be operational by 2028.

Earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates civil aviation in the United States, finalised the airworthiness criteria for Joby Aviation’s eVTOL craft, allowing the company to forge ahead with type certification.

However, the FAA is just one body, with China sporting its own unique set of rules and regulations. 

Due to this, Chinese companies could enjoy greater freedoms in testing new technology, giving those businesses the potential upper hand in the future of eVTOL transport. 

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Micron has officially launched its 36GB HBM3E 12-high memory, signaling the company's entry into the competitive landscape of high-performance memory solutions for AI and data-driven systems.

As AI workloads grow more complex and data-heavy, the need for energy-efficient memory solutions becomes paramount. Micron's HBM3E aims to strike that balance, providing faster processing speeds without the high energy demands typically associated with such powerful systems.

Micron's 36GB HBM3E 12-high memory stands out for its increased capacity as it offers a 50% increase in capacity compared to current HBM3E offerings. This makes it a crucial component for AI accelerators and data centers managing large workloads.

36GB HBM3E 12-High memory for AI acceleration

Micron says its offering delivers more than 1.2 terabytes per second (TB/s) of memory bandwidth, with a pin speed greater than 9.2 gigabits per second (Gb/s), ensuring rapid data access for AI applications. While Micron's new memory addresses the increasing demand for larger AI models and more efficient data processing, it also lowers power consumption by 30% compared to its rivals.

Although Micron’s HBM3E 12-high memory brings noteworthy improvements in terms of capacity and power efficiency, it enters a field where both Samsung and SK Hynix have already established dominance. These two rivals are aggressively pursuing the next big thing in high-bandwidth memory—HBM4.

(Image credit: Micron)

HBM4 is expected to feature 16 layers of DRAM, offering more than 1.65TBps of bandwidth—far surpassing the capabilities of HBM3E. Additionally, with configurations reaching up to 48GB per stack, HBM4 will provide even greater memory capacity, enabling AI systems to handle increasingly complex workloads.

Despite the pressure from its competitors, Micron’s HBM3E 12-high memory remains a critical player in the AI ecosystem.

The company has already begun shipping production-capable units to key industry partners for qualification, allowing them to incorporate the memory into their AI accelerators and data center infrastructures. Micron’s robust support network and ecosystem partnerships ensure that its memory solutions are integrated seamlessly into existing systems, driving performance improvements in AI workloads.

A notable collaboration is Micron’s partnership with TSMC’s 3DFabric Alliance, which helps optimize AI system manufacturing. This alliance supports the development of Micron’s HBM3E memory and ensures that it can be integrated into advanced semiconductor designs, further enhancing the capabilities of AI accelerators and supercomputers.

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ChatGPT has been writing text and software code since it debuted, but any fine-tuning of your prompt has required a full rewrite. OpenAI released a new feature called Canvas that offers a shared, editable page where ChatGPT can mimic a human collaborator and repeatedly edit or offer feedback on the particular parts of the text and code you select.

A useful way to think of Canvas is to imagine ChatGPT as your partner on a writing or coding project (you might even say 'copilot' if you were at Microsoft). Canvas operates on a separate page from the standard chatbot window, where you can ask the AI to write a blog post, code a mobile app feature, and so on. Instead of reading through the result and asking for a change in tone or adjustment to the code, you can highlight the specific bits you want changed and comment on the kind of edits you're looking for. 

So, if you love what ChatGPT wrote for your newsletter except for the introduction, you could highlight those paragraphs and say you want it to be more formal or expand on a preview for the rest of the newsletter that's too short. You can do the same with editing your own writing if you share some text and ask for it to be longer or use less complex language. The suggestions even extend to asking ChatGPT for emoji ideas. 

The same general idea applies to getting ChatGPT to edit code on Canvas, whether AI-generated or written by humans. You can ask ChatGPT to debug code, suggest improvements, or insert comments to make it more useful when sharing with actual humans. While emojis may not be relevant in coding software, you can use Canvas to ask ChatGPT to translate a program into another programming language, switching among them depending on what is most useful. 

Canvas relies on the new GPT-4o model. For now, only ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers have access, though it will be opened to Enterprise and Education clients soon. OpenAI will also make it available to those relying on the free tier of ChatGPT, but not until the beta stage is complete.

Canvas opens in a separate window, allowing you and ChatGPT to work on ideas side by side.In canvas, ChatGPT can suggest edits, adjust length, change reading levels, and offer inline feedback. You can also write and edit directly in canvas. pic.twitter.com/yHYVGtwJHVOctober 3, 2024

Blank Canvas

Canvas is a logical step in OpenAI's expansion of ChatGPT's features. It's a lot like a text version of the editing tools for AI-produced images made with OpenAI's DALL-E models. Instead of highlighting a part of an image and sending a prompt for how to change it, Canvas centers on text. Often, the text-based features come first and only later become multimodal in some form, so this is an interesting inverse of the standard release pattern.

The appeal to even the most casual ChatGPT users is obvious, as narrowly focused editing and suggestions are a lot more helpful than the one-dimensional conversational approach of ChatGPT's standard form. That's especially true when complex code or long-form text is involved. Of course, this might reasonably raise the hackles of educators and others already concerned with misuse or overreliance on AI-generated writing. It's one thing for a student to ask ChatGPT to write an essay for them; it's another when they can narrowly adjust the result to make it harder to spot any telltale signs of AI composition. Still, making ChatGPT a more active assistant and being able to task it to very specific issues is likely to be a huge boon in more legitimate pursuits, particularly when you need an editor who will never lose patience with you. 

"People use ChatGPT every day for help with writing and code. Although the chat interface is easy to use and works well for many tasks, it’s limited when you want to work on projects that require editing and revisions," OpenAI explained in its announcement. "Making AI more useful and accessible requires rethinking how we interact with it. Canvas is a new approach and the first major update to ChatGPT’s visual interface since we launched two years ago."

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(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski)