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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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, June 17 (game #737).

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 #738) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SMACK
• BARM
• PEA
• WET
• RANKLE
• ASTRONAUT
• GRAY
• WHALE
• COLD
• COFFEE
• RIGHT
• SHIP
• EXACTLY
• WINDY
• LEAR
• DEAD

NYT Connections today (game #738) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Got an umbrella?
• GREEN: Completely true
• BLUE: Found within or formed from a specific word
• PURPLE: 'Slip' could be another

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 #738) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: QUALITIES OF A RAINY DAY
• GREEN: SQUARELY
• BLUE: CONTENTS OF A POD
• PURPLE: BODY PART PLUS A STARTING LETTER

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

NYT Connections today (game #738) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #738, are…

• YELLOW: QUALITIES OF A RAINY DAY COLD, GRAY, WET, WINDY
• GREEN: SQUARELY DEAD, EXACTLY, RIGHT, SMACK
• BLUE: CONTENTS OF A POD ASTRONAUT, COFFEE, PEA, WHALE
• PURPLE: BODY PART PLUS A STARTING LETTER BARM, LEAR, RANKLE, SHIP

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

Hi all, it's Marc on Connections duty today, back for a few days while Johnny goes on a well-earned vacation.

I stared at the board for at least five minutes before finding anything today; there was simply nothing that appeared to go together. Well, that's not entirely true – there were several options that had two or three words, for instance WINDY, WET and COLD for 'weather types' or EXACTLY and RIGHT for 'Correct'.

Eventually, I tried to let my mind think a little more freely, and placed DEAD and SMACK with EXACTLY and RIGHT in order to make a group that ended up being SQUARELY.

With green done, I looked again and tried to think in a devious NYT way. SHIP contained the word 'hip' within in and BARM the word 'arm', so that seemed plausible. A few seconds later I'd added RANKLE ('ankle') and LEAR ('ear') and was delighted when that turned purple.

That only left two groups, including the supposedly easiest yellow. I returned to that weather group, all three of which were still left on the board, and this time added GRAY to make my final group. Blue, which was unsolved by me, ended up being CONTENTS OF A POD, which I'm not sure I would ever have got.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, June 17, game #737)

• YELLOW: THINGS TO BOOK FOR A VACATION CAR, FLIGHT, HOTEL, TOUR
• GREEN: METTLE FIGHT, GRIT, RESOLVE, SPIRIT
• BLUE: BAD THINGS FOR A WEBSITE TO DO FREEZE, GLITCH, QUIT, TIMEOUT
• PURPLE: FIGURES IN CLASSIC DISNEY ANIMATED FILMS ELEPHANT, FAWN, MARIONETTE, MOUSE

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.

• Max is getting its own AI-assisted homepage redesign
• The streamer's landing page update will start rolling out in the US this week
• Its overhaul comes amid Netflix's latest layout being slammed by users

Listen up, Max users, because it's the latest streaming service to receive a major overhaul of its homepage.

Just weeks after Netflix unveiled its own user interface (UI) redesign – one that rage-filled Netflix subscribers have described as "dreadful" – one of its biggest rivals is also getting a landing page update. But, don't worry, Max fans, it won't be as frustrating to use as Netflix's latest redesign is.

In a Warner Bros. Discovery press release, Max's parent company confirmed an "enhanced browsing experience" would start rolling out in the US this week (June 16 to 22). It's unclear when people in other countries where Max is available, such as Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, will receive the homepage refresh.

What is clear, though, is Max has taken a page out of the Netflix playbook and actually redesigned its landing page to mirror that of the best streaming service's old layout. Here's what Max's current homepage looks like:

Max's old homepage layout featured vertical tiles and its sections bar at the top of the page (Image credit: Max)

And here's how Max's redesigned landing page will look once it's distributed to its worldwide userbase:

Max's new layout reminds me of how Netflix used to look (Image credit: Warner Bros. Discovery/Max)

As you can see above, version 2.0 of Max's UI looks much cleaner than its forebear did. For one, the icon bar has been moved to the left-hand side of the page. Meanwhile, its movie and TV shows are laid out in rectangular tile form, rather than the vertical aesthetic that the previous homepage had.

If this format looks familiar, it's because it's a near-identical design to the Netflix app's homepage before its recent overhaul. I'm sure those of us who detest Netflix's new UI will be a little jealous with Max 2.0's layout, then.

There's more to this update, too. When Max users hover over a tile, a corresponding preview video will automatically play after a couple of seconds. Per Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), it "builds on the success of Max’s previous feature launch, which delivered video previews with audio on the homepage’s hero carousel earlier this year."

WBD is well aware that such a feature can be quite intrusive for users who are flicking through its library of the best Max movies and best Max shows. To combat this, the entertainment behemoth will allow customers to toggle this feature on or off in the settings and playback menu. So, if you don't want the automated video to play while hovering over a specific film or program, you can switch it off and never have to think about it again.

Max's new AI tool will help to identify must-see video preview moments from its most popular shows, including The Last of Us (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Max will soon support artificial intelligence (AI) as part of its user experience, too.

According to WBD, an in-house AI-assisted tool will also launch on the platform in the weeks ahead. It'll be used to "identify and suggest 'Drop-In Moments', aka recognizable scenes from specific movies and shows. This will be used as part of each production's cyclical video previews, with the AI tool highlighting – to the Max team – which previews most enticed viewers to click on a movie or TV series. These recommended sequences will be used more often on the homepage to further lure in more users looking for something new to stream.

What do you think of Max's forthcoming homepage redesign? Will it convince you to cancel your Netflix account and sign up to WBD's super streamer instead, which will be renamed HBO Max sometime in the next few months? Let me know in the comments.

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• The next Nintendo Direct has been confirmed for June 18
• The June showcase will be focused on the Switch 2 exclusive Donkey Kong Bananza
• The livestream will be 15 minutes long and offer new information about the game

Nintendo has announced that a new Nintendo Direct showcase will air this week, highlighting the Switch 2's Donkey Kong Bananza.

Revealed on the Nintendo Today app, the June 'Donkey Kong Bananza Direct' is scheduled to broadcast on Wednesday, June 18 at 6am PT / 12pm CEST / 2pm BST.

As usual, fans will be able to tune in to watch the showcase on Nintendo's official YouTube and Twitch channels.

The company confirmed via the livestream's YouTube description that the presentation will be "roughly 15 minutes" long and feature new information about the upcoming Switch 2 game.

No more information was shared, but we'll likely receive an extended gameplay look for Donkey Kong Bananza for the first time since the game was revealed during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct in April.

Donkey Kong Bananza is a Switch 2 exclusive title and is set to arrive one month from now, on July 17.

This new entry will be a 3D Donkey Kong experience, featuring some 2D side-scrolling elements, as well as an explorable, semi-open world filled with unique biomes and featuring numerous boss fights to encounter.

"Explore a vast underground world - by smashing your way through it! Bash, throw, and climb through just about anything in DK’s brand-new 3D platforming action-adventure game!" Nintendo said.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here, and if you're looking to get your hands on the new console, you can check out our live coverage of Nintendo Switch 2 restocks for the US and UK.

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• Europol’s 2025 Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) indicates E2EE (end-to-end encrypted) apps as an obstacle to investigations
• The report also calls for better rules on metadata collection and tracking
• This comes as the EU Commission has unveiled a new plan to create a roadmap for lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement

Criminals are increasingly exploiting end-to-end encrypted apps to impede police investigations, according to Europol’s 2025 Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA).

The report also warns that current metadata collection practices are too limited, further complicating the work of law enforcement. This is why Europol highlights the need to establish lawful access by design to encrypted communications, alongside EU standards for the targeted retention and access to metadata.

Europol's recommendations echo the EU Commission's plan for creating an encryption backdoor for law enforcement – something experts are said to be "deeply concerned" about.

The encryption conundrum

Online services, like the best VPN, email, messaging apps, and other apps, employ end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to guarantee your communications remain private between the sender and the receiver – end-to-end.

"Technically, E2EE blocks service providers from accessing communication content, rendering warrants for lawful access unserviceable within the EU. This creates a lack of visibility of, and ability to investigate, criminal activity," reads Europol's IOCTA report.

Encryption is the tech responsible for scrambling the content of internet connections into an unreadable form to prevent unauthorized access. (Image credit: Getty Images)

This isn't the first time that Europol has expressed its concerns about the use of encrypted technologies. Talking to the Financial Times in January, the group's chief, Catherine De Bolle, said that anonymity isn't a fundamental right and law enforcement should be able to decrypt encrypted messages to fight back crime.

Technologists, cryptographers, and other experts, however, have long argued against the risks of undermining encryption protections. According to the industry, an encryption backdoor for law enforcement will inevitably compromise the security of all.

Recent cyberattacks have demonstrated the need for strong encryption protections. For example, last year's Salt Typhoon incident targeting all major US telecoms led to US authorities warning all citizens to switch to encryption.

This may be one of the reasons why proposed legislations that seek to undermine encryption keep failing. Most recently, France rejected a new encryption backdoor provision in March, with Florida doing the same in May. EU lawmakers keep disagreeing on the Chat Control proposal, too, after three years of trying.

The new target, metadata

"When content is blocked by E2EE, metadata becomes essential for mapping networks and identifying suspects. However, the current legislative landscape lacks harmonized rules, and this results in fragmented national policies," reads Europol's IOCTA report.

Metadata refers to all pieces of information that aren't the content. This includes IP addresses, location, phone numbers, who you have spoken with, and when, but also the size of your data packets, the patterns they move to, timestamps, and so on.

Thanks also to AI-powered tools, metadata tracking is enabling law enforcement (or any other third party with the necessary skills) to get a pretty accurate picture of people's online behaviors even without accessing the encrypted content.

Authorities know that, and that's why they are pushing for new data retention obligations to be enforced. "Crucial metadata, such as subscriber information or IP logs, is often subject to short or inconsistent retention periods," said the Europol assessment, advocating for clear standards "for the targeted retention and/or expedited access to essential metadata."

Again, that's something technologists have long warned against, and that could make the work of no-log VPN and other privacy software impossible.

Law enforcement has begun realizing what the industry known for a while – metadata privacy matters (Image credit: J Studios/via Getty Images)

As mentioned, Europol isn't the only group pushing for greater access to users' encrypted data and their identities.

The EU is also working on lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement – the so-called ProtectEU strategy, which seems to follow recommendations collected as part of the EU Going Dark initiative.

The plan includes a roadmap to encryption alongside an evaluation to expand data retention obligations for service providers, as well. Experts have so far criticized such a plan and have asked to play a key role in this debate.

While taking a different approach against encryption backdoors, Switzerland is also considering amending its surveillance law to force online service providers to retain certain users' metadata. This has opened up a debate in the country over the need for online anonymity, with the likes of Proton and NymVPN vowing to leave Switzerland if the new rules pass.

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• Zoomcar filed a new 8-K form with the SEC confirming cyberattack
• It found out about the attack from the threat actors
• Over 8 million users could have had their personal data stolen

Car sharing marketplace Zoomcar has suffered a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive information on millions of customers.

In a new 8-K form filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company said it was made aware of the attack on June 9, 2025, and a subsequent investigation determined the threat actors managed to steal, “a limited dataset containing certain personal information of a subset of approximately 8.4 million users”.

That includes people’s names, phone numbers, car registration numbers, postal addresses, and email addresses - but at this time, Zoomcar says it has no reason to believe financial information, passwords, or other sensitive identifiers were compromised.

No disruption

Responding to the attack, the company activated its incident response plan, and took “immediate action” to contain the threat.

This was apparently too little too late, though, as the company was actually made aware of the incident by the threat actors themselves.

Zoomcar said they hackers reached out to “certain employees” claiming to have made the breach, suggesting they dwelled on the systems long enough to exfiltrate whatever information they sought.

It wasn’t explained why the attackers reached out to their victims, but it’s safe to assume they demanded payment in exchange for deleting the stolen files. T

he wording of the 8-K filing suggests Zoomcar did not pay any ransom. Instead, it implemented “additional safeguards” across the cloud and internal network, increased system monitoring, and reviewed access controls.

Furthermore, it brought in a third-party cybersecurity expert for further assistance, and notified regulators and the police about the incident.

“To date, the incident has not resulted in any material disruption to the company’s operations,” Zoomcar concluded.

However, the company continues to evaluate the scope and potential impacts of the event, including legal, financial, and reputational considerations, as well as any associated remediation costs.

Via TechCrunch

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• Microsoft 365 Local is an entirely on-prem solution for data sovereignty requirements
• It's built on Azure Local and Microsoft's private sovereign cloud
• Redmond wants to provide "digital stability" for all regions

Microsoft has launched a new version of Microsoft 365 which runs entirely on-premises, designed for low-latency and high-security needs, running on Azure Local.

The company detailed how the update, in preview now before a wider launch later in 2025, enables workloads to be deployed within data centers or sovereign cloud environments – a response to the growing desire for more controlled environments globally.

By launching on-prem versions of M365, the company aims to improve security, compliance and governance, with a particular emphasis on European customers who need to comply with data sovereignty regulations.

M365 on-prem

Among the key components of Microsoft's sovereign cloud are a sovereign public cloud, a sovereign private cloud and national partner clouds.

The public version is available across all European data center regions and ensures that data remains in Europe, under European law, and is controlled by European workers only.

Taking it one step further, the private cloud uses Azure Local as a foundation for on-prem and partner-operated environments. It's targeted at organizations that need operational autonomy and air-gapped systems.

Finally, national partner clouds like France's Bleu and Germany's Delos Cloud are designed to further meet local sovereignty standard within the EU.

Microsoft 365 Local only runs on Azure Local – the underpinnings for Microsoft's private sovereign cloud.

"Microsoft 365 Local provides customers with additional choice by bringing together Microsoft’s productivity server software into an Azure Local environment that can run entirely in a customer’s own datacenter," the company explained.

Speaking about current "geopolitical volatility" and Microsoft's desire to provide "digital stability," EVP and Chief Commercial Officer Judson Althoff added.

"Microsoft is proud to offer the broadest set of sovereignty solutions available on the market today and we will constantly look for new ways to ensure our European customers have the options and assurances they need to operate with confidence."

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• Intel reportedly planning to cut 15-20% of factory workers next month
• News comes as Intel reveals YoY revenue is flat, QoQ revenue could drop
• Lip-Bu Tan wants to streamline the workforce

Intel plans to lay off around 15-20% of its factory workforce as it looks to increase revenues and deal with ever-changing market conditions

A report from OregonLive claims the cost-cutting effort, scheduled to begin as soon as mid-July 2025, will primarily affect Intel Foundry, one of its core business divisions.

"These are difficult actions but essential to meet our affordability challenges and current financial position of the company. It drives pain to every individual," manufacturing VP Naga Chandrasekaran reportedly shared in a memo with employees over the weekend.

Intel set for even more layoffs

The news comes as Intel continues to struggle with its financial performance – revenue remained flat year-over-year during its first quarter of 2025, with predictions for second-quarter revenue suggesting a quarter-over-quarter dip.

The company has already made significant reductions to its headcount, including terminating 15,000 contract in August 2024.

It's believed that no voluntary buyouts will be offered this time, with Intel instead basing the layoffs on project priorities, performance and skill assessments. Factories relating to advanced chip development and workers in high-skilled roles could be among those less likely to be affected.

"We are taking a disciplined and prudent approach to support continued investment in our core products and foundry businesses while maximizing operational cost savings and capital efficiency," CFO David Zinsner explained in the company's first-quarter earnings release.

Besides saving cash, Intel's approach to layoffs also centers around streamlining the workforce and removing inefficiencies by eliminating certain areas of middle management – something that new CEO Lip-Bu Tan pledged to do as he turns the company back into a profitable business.

TechRadar Pro has contacted Intel to confirm its plans, but the company did not respond immediately.

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Commentary: If you make a splashy announcement and expect to be taken seriously, at least hire a proofreader and get your specs correct.

The DMV won't text you telling you to pay up or else.

After the death of my sister, I was pulled into the troubling world of AI-written obituaries. This is what I learned about grief, scams and the people behind the words.

• One Pokémon player has lost over 1,000 hours of Pokémon Scarlet gameplay and 20 years of progress after transferring their data to the Nintendo Switch 2
• Redditor ThatOtaku26, and other users, have said their save files for the game are gone after completing the transfer process
• Players are recommending backing up data via the Pokémon Home app before beginning the transfer process

Beware if you're planning on transferring your Pokémon data to the Nintendo Switch 2, because one player has lost hundreds of hours of progress.

According to redditor ThatOtaku26 (via IGN), after going through the process of transferring their original Switch save data for Pokémon Scarlet to the new console, after booting up the game, they found that it was lost.

The user claimed that their save file consisted of over 1,000 hours of gameplay and said that they had also lost over 20 years of data brought over from previous generations of Pokémon games.

"I just got a Switch 2, did the startup and initial data transfer with no issues," said ThatOtaku26 in a now-deleted post. "My Scarlet save file is gone. It loads straight into the language selection and create a character screens. No data on my OLED. Just all gone.

"THERE WAS NO ERROR IN DATA TRANSFER AT ALL," the user added. "IT WENT FINE. ALL MY OTHER POKEMON DATA IS STILL THERE, BUT NOT SCARLET. I had mons from my original GBA up to current on there. Literally 20 years worth of data. There's nothing I can do. I don't even know if i wanna play anymore."

Other users have also been reporting the same issue, with one Redditor explaining that the same issue happened to them when transferring data to the OLED from the original Switch.

"Tears were shed," said Grouchy-Cress-215.

It seems that Pokémon Scarlet isn't the only game being affected, either, with one user claiming they lost all saved data for games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and more.

Another user wrote, "The same thing happened to me but literally all my saved data isn't there anymore like BOTW, TOTK, MK8, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet, and so on," said Existing-Possible550. "I literally have to play everything from the start."

Luckily for those who haven't begun the process of transferring their data to the Switch 2, there is a way to safeguard your save files.

According to multiple users in the thread, backing up your data to the Pokémon Home app is vital if you don't want to lose your Pokémon.

"If I get Switch 2 in the future, I will first transfer all my Pokémon to Home before data transferring," said TheJannikku. "I can't imagine how I would if that happened to me."

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• Redditor ThatOtaku26, and other users, have said their save files for the game are gone after completing the transfer process
• Players are recommending backing up data via the Pokémon Home app before beginning the transfer process

Beware if you're planning on transferring your Pokémon data to the Nintendo Switch 2, because one player has lost hundreds of hours of progress.

According to redditor ThatOtaku26 (via IGN), after going through the process of transferring their original Switch save data for Pokémon Scarlet to the new console, after booting up the game, they found that it was lost.

The user claimed that their save file consisted of over 1,000 hours of gameplay and said that they had also lost over 20 years of data brought over from previous generations of Pokémon games.

"I just got a Switch 2, did the startup and initial data transfer with no issues," said ThatOtaku26 in a now-deleted post. "My Scarlet save file is gone. It loads straight into the language selection and create a character screens. No data on my OLED. Just all gone.

"THERE WAS NO ERROR IN DATA TRANSFER AT ALL," the user added. "IT WENT FINE. ALL MY OTHER POKEMON DATA IS STILL THERE, BUT NOT SCARLET. I had mons from my original GBA up to current on there. Literally 20 years worth of data. There's nothing I can do. I don't even know if i wanna play anymore."

Other users have also been reporting the same issue, with one Redditor explaining that the same issue happened to them when transferring data to the OLED from the original Switch.

"Tears were shed," said Grouchy-Cress-215.

It seems that Pokémon Scarlet isn't the only game being affected, either, with one user claiming they lost all saved data for games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and more.

Another user wrote, "The same thing happened to me but literally all my saved data isn't there anymore like BOTW, TOTK, MK8, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Scarlet and Violet, and so on," said Existing-Possible550. "I literally have to play everything from the start."

Luckily for those who haven't begun the process of transferring their data to the Switch 2, there is a way to safeguard your save files.

According to multiple users in the thread, backing up your data to the Pokémon Home app is vital if you don't want to lose your Pokémon.

"If I get Switch 2 in the future, I will first transfer all my Pokémon to Home before data transferring," said TheJannikku. "I can't imagine how I would if that happened to me."

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Acer Predator Connect W6x: One-Minute Review

Like most manufacturers, Acer has been focusing on the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology in its best routers and mesh systems.

One advantage of Wi-Fi 7 is its use of the high-speed 6.0GHz frequency band, which provides far higher speeds than previous versions of Wi-Fi. However, there are millions of people who are still using older computers and mobile devices that only support the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by the previous generations of Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6.

To provide a more affordable option for those users, Acer has also released the Predator Connect W6x, which provides basic dual-band Wi-Fi 6 support using the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands with a top speed of 6.0Gbps (and is also backwards-compatible with older devices that use Wi-Fi 5).

Acer uses the Predator name for its range of gaming PCs and accessories, and while the Predator Connect W6x certainly isn’t the fastest router around it can still provide a fast, affordable option for gaming, streaming and other tasks at a very competitive price.

The only problem is finding the right router with the right model number on Acer’s perpetually unhelpful website.

(Image credit: Future)Acer Predator Connect W6x: Price And Availability

• How much does it cost? $169 / £99 / AU$299
• When is it available? Now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Your first task is to make sure you find the correct model on Acer’s website, as the company sells a number of routers in the Predator Connect range that look almost identical and have very similar model numbers.

We tested the Predator Connect W6x, which you can spot by counting its array of six external antennae. However, there are also models called the Predator Connect W6 (eight antenna) and W6d (four antenna), which have very similar designs, although they do have slightly different technical specifications.

And Acer’s Australian website carelessly manages to refer to the W6x as being both a tri-band and dual-band router, depending on which web page you look at, so you really do need to take care when ordering online.

Assuming you manage to find the correct model, then the Predator Connect W6x is available directly from Acer in the US and Australia, priced at $169 / AU$299.

That’s a fairly competitive price when compared to similar Wi-Fi 6 routers, but it’s customers in the UK who seem to get the best deal, as the W6x costs just £99. It’s not sold on the Acer website in the UK, though, so you’ll need to shop around online.

• Value: 4.5/5

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Low-profile design
• Eight external antennae
• Four Ethernet ports for wired connections

The Acer Predator Connect W6x certainly looks like a gaming router, with a sombre black, low-profile design and an intimidating array of dagger-like antennae (that’s six antennae - count ‘em, not four or eight).

The body of the router stands just 50mm high, 270mm wide and 187mm deep, but the adjustable, rotating antennae are 170mm long so you’ll need plenty of room when you’re setting it up to make sure that the antennae can spread out and zap the Wi-Fi signal far and wide.

The affordable W6x doesn’t have the array of glowing lights that you find on some gaming routers, but Acer hasn’t cut too many corners in order to keep the price down.

The back panel of the router provides a 2.5Gb Ethernet port for a high-speed Internet connection, and there are four Gigabit Ethernet ports available for a gaming PC or console if you prefer a lag-free wired connection for your online gaming sessions.

There’s even a USB port for adding a network storage drive as well. This uses a USB-A (3.0) connector, rather than the faster USB-C, but that’s hardly a criticism at this price.

• Design: 4/5

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(Image credit: Future)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Future)Acer Predator Connect W6x: Features

• Free security from Trend Micro
• Free parental controls
• QoS for gaming and streaming

The Predator Connect app provides a number of useful features, but it’s not as user-friendly as it could be.

The apps provided with many routers keep things simple by automatically combining the different frequency bands to create a single network, while others prefer to create a separate network for each frequency band.

The Predator app does neither of these things – it starts by simply filling the screen with the various network settings and leaves it up to the user to decide which options to choose.

That’s fine for more experienced users, but home users who aren’t familiar with terms such as ‘band-steering’ and ‘SSID’ may be a bit confused at this point.

Once that’s done, the app provides features such as the ability to create a guest network, or to block Internet access for individual devices. There’s also a QoS option – quality of service – that allows you to give priority to devices, such as a gaming PC or console, that require maximum performance.

Some features are made unnecessarily complicated, though. The app does include a number of security features and parental controls, and we were pleased to find that these are provided free of charge, with no need to pay an additional monthly subscription – as is the case with some of Acer’s rivals.

But, it’s strange that these are initially turned off within the Predator app, which simply tells you to leave the app and connect to the router using a web browser interface in order to activate these features.

Again, this is something that will appeal to more experienced users, but it could be confusing for people who have never used a browser interface to connect to their router before.

• Features: 4/5

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Dual-band Wi-Fi 6
• Top speed of 6Gbps
• 2.5Gb Ethernet for broadband connection

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Benchmarks

Ookla Speed Test – 2.4GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 70Mbps/70bps

20GB Steam Download – 2.4GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 70Mbps

Ookla Speed Test – 5.0GHz (download/upload)

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps/150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps

20GB Steam Download - 5.0GHz

Within 5ft, no obstructions: 150Mbps
Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

The Predator Connect W6x isn’t a top-of-the-range router by any means, as it’s based on older Wi-Fi 6 technology.

Even so, its top speed of 6Gbps should be more than fast enough for most home broadband services. Our normal office router can only manage a top speed of around 80Mbps on the 2.4GHz band when running the Ookla speed test with devices in the same room.

That’s far short of the maximum 150Mbps available with our office Internet connection. Steam downloads struggle even more, at around 40Mbps. Switching to 5.0GHz on our office router provides some improvement, with the Ookla test rising to 120Mbp, and 100Mbps for Steam.

But, when connecting to devices that are nearby, the W6x breezed along at the maximum 150Mbps for both tests on both 2.4GHz and 5.0Ghz bands.

I also have an office at the back of my building that suffers from an annoying Wi-Fi ‘deadspot’ as my normal office router can’t provide a reliable signal in that location at all.

The W6x was able to reach that office, although its 2.4GHz band struggled a bit and dipped to 70Mbps for both Ookla and Steam.

Fortunately, the router’s 5.0GHz band stepped up to the plate and quickly boosted both Steam and Ookla tests up to the full 150Mbps once more.

So while the Acer Predator Connect W6x might not be the fastest router around, it does perform pretty well for an affordable Wi-Fi 6 router and could be a good upgrade for owners of older Wi-Fi 5 routers (especially for £99 in the UK).

Should you buy the Acer Predator Connect W6x?

Category

Verdict

Score

Value

It’s not going to break any speed records, but the W6x is a good, affordable upgrade for people who are still using an old router provided by their ISP.

4.5/5

Design

It doesn’t have any flashing lights for gamers, but the low-profile design looks smart, and the array of eight antenna provides good Wi-Fi coverage.

4/5

Features

The Predator app has some rough edges, but the W6x provides good wired connectivity, along with security features and parental controls that don’t require an extra monthly subscription.

4/5

Performance

The Predator app has some rough edges, but the W6x provides good wired connectivity, along with security features and parental controls that don’t require an extra monthly subscription.

4/5

Overall

It’s certainly not state-of-the-art, but if you just want to replace an old Wi-Fi 5 router then the W6x does the job at a very competitive price.

4/5

Buy it if...

You’re on a budget
The latest Wi-Fi 7 routers are still fairly expensive, but a good Wi-Fi 6 router such as the Predator Connect W6x will be fast enough for most home broadband services.

Your devices are a few years old
Millions of people are still using computers and mobile devices that only support Wi-Fi 5 or 6, so they really don’t need to splash the cash on a cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 router.

Don't buy it if...

You’ve got a brand-new PC
If you’ve bought a new PC that does support Wi-Fi 7 – especially a gaming rig – then it’s worth spending a bit extra to get a Wi-Fi 7 router that provides maximum performance.

You're a network newbie
The Predator app has a few rough edges, and it might be a bit confusing for people who don’t know much about networking.View Deal

Acer Predator Connect W6x: Also consider

Netgear Nighthawk RS200

A kind of halfway house between Wi-Fi 6 and full Wi-Fi 7, the RS200 supports Wi-Fi running at 6.5GBps. However, it limits itself to just the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands to keep the price down.

Acer Predator Connect T7

If you want to go all-in on Wi-Fi 7, then the T7 is Acer’s high-end option, with tri-band support and blistering speeds of up to 11Gbps for gaming.

Acer Predator Connect W6x vs its competition

Router

Acer Predator Connect W6x

Acer Predator Connect T7

Netgear Nighthawk RS200

Price (as reviewed)

$169/£99/AU$299

$329.99/£236.22/AU$699.00

$229.99/£199.99/AU$449

Wi-Fi Type

Dual-band Wi-Fi 6

Tri-band Wi-Fi 7

Dual-band Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi Speed

6Gbps

11Gbps

6.5Gbps

Connectivity

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 4x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-A (3.0)

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 2x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-C (2.0)

1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (WAN), 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet (LAN), 3x Gigabit Ethernet (LAN), 1x USB-A (3.0)

Processor

Quad-core 2.0GHz

Quad-core 1.5GHz

Quad-core 2.0GHz

Memory

1GB RAM

1GB RAM

2GB RAM

Storage

256MB Flash

512MB Flash

512MB Flash

Dimensions

49.5 x 270 x 187mm

212 x 109 x 109mm

249 x 150 x 102mm

• First reviewed: June 2025

• Designed for APS-C (Super 35) mirrorless cameras
• Available for Sony E, Canon RF, Fujifilm X and L-mount systems
• It costs $919 / £779 (Australia price TBC) and will be on sale from July 10

I remember first casting my eyes on the Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 zoom lens. It was the go-to lens for creatives cutting their teeth in the filmmaking world, and it seemed to be on every low-budget set.

It was a cutting-edge lens, in that it offered a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture across its versatile wide-angle zoom range, and it was relatively cheap.

Despite it being designed for DSLR cameras, such was its appeal that many users adapted it for other systems, such as mirrorless. Put simply, there was no other lens like it.

So it's particularly exciting for me that Sigma has just reinvented the lens for mirrorless cameras, with the new 17-40mm F1.8 DC Art, complete with some tasty upgrades.

The new 17-40mm F1.8 costs $919 / £779 (Australia price TBC) and comes in Sony E, Fujifilm X, Canon RF and L-mount versions, with no word on a Nikon Z version yet. Sales are due to start on July 10, although the Canon version will come later in August.

The next go-to lens for aspiring filmmakers?

Sigma's 18-35mm was the world's first f/1.8 zoom lens when it launched in 2013. Its bright maximum aperture and zoom range versatility was key to its success – it could be the only lens you needed on set, plus it was a handy lens for stills, too.

That's not to say the 18-35mm was the perfect lens. It was heavy, plus its autofocus was a tad sluggish. Now, more than 12 years later, in steps the new 17-40mm F1.8 for mirrorless cameras with big upgrades across the board.

Firstly, the latest version is much lighter. In fact, at just 18.9oz / 535g, it's over 30% lighter than the 18-35mm.

It's also dust- and splash-resistant, and equipped with a customizable aperture ring offering both clicked or smooth adjustments.

(Image credit: Sigma)

Its complex lens construction comprises 17 elements in 11 groups, for what Sigma says is superior optical performance – that's a given for a mirrorless lens versus one designed for DSLRs.

You'll have already noted that the 17-40mm zoom range is wider and longer, too (it's a 25.5-60mm full-frame equivalent), making for an even more versatile optic.

In fact, the 17-40mm employs an inner zoom, meaning the length of the lens is unchanged as you change focal length. Focus breathing is suppressed too, which is also a boon for filmmakers, as is the 'High-response Linear Actuator' which supposedly delivers quiet, fast and precise autofocus.

The Sigma 17-40mm F1.8 DC Art sounds like a phenomenal zoom lens for APS-C (Super 35) cameras, and I expect it to make itself at home on low-budget film sets for many years to come.

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