A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, August 4 (game #519).
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 #520) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… We have a winner!
NYT Strands today (game #520) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
• Spangram has 10 letters
NYT Strands today (game #520) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: left, 6th row
Last side: right, 1st row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #520) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #520, are…
It was possibly my LUCKY BREAK that I saw the spangram before anything else today, and immediately went in search of words associated with games of chance.
Not sure what DRAWING is in there for, but I guess numbers are drawn in lotteries and BINGO, so we’ll allow it.
Incredibly, I got SWEEPSTAKES without the S as a non-game word before I realized my error. A good job today’s search wasn’t too taxing.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, August 4, game #519)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.
New images of emaciated Israeli hostages held in Gaza have horrified Israelis and added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire with Hamas.
(Image credit: Ariel Schalit)
In his new book, King of Kings, Scott Anderson chronicles the upheaval that deposed Iran's reigning monarch — and the blunders by American policymakers that played a key role in the outcome.
If you’re not including And Just Like That… season 3 in your best HBO Max shows of 2025 list, I can hardly blame you. Since its debut in 2021, the Sex and the City (SATC) sequel has had a rocky ride on screen, frequently being lambasted on social media for how it’s changed the core personalities of Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristen Davis) and Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). While Miranda left Steve (David Eigenberg) in the dust and transformed into a legal intern lesbian, Charlotte felt out of touch with her helicopter parenting of kids Rock (Alexa Swinton) and Lily (Cathy Ang).
I couldn’t even tell you who any of the middling replacements for Samantha (Kim Cattrall) are, with Cattrall herself making the career move of a lifetime by staying well away from this absolutely underwhelming car crash (well, all except for that excruciating season 2 finale cameo). The point is, none of our other stars come anywhere near her, but as much as we might want Samantha’s miraculous return in the season 3 finale to scold everyone for making such terrible television, it’s not going to happen.
So, what will happen, or perhaps the more important question is: what needs to happen? If you’ve been managing to stay awake while watching the HBO Max show, you’ll have noticed Carrie is slowly edging closer to the version of herself she used to be in Sex and the City. She’s easily the biggest stumbling block in And Just Like That… (ATLJ), and if we have to watch two more episodes until it’s over, she better have the best damn fictional U-turn TV has ever seen.
And Just Like That has been rough on everyone, but Carrie Bradshaw needs to come full circleSpoilers for And Just Like That… season 3 episodes 9 and 10 ahead.
If you’re a seasoned SATC watcher like me, you’ll have probably thought Carrie was the worst of the quartet in the 90s too… and you’d be right. Never taking responsibility for her own actions and feelings, and instead placing the blame anywhere else, she was too frustrating to consistently warm to (even if she was dressed immaculately). Watching her make the same mistakes over again was relatable and somewhat charming for the first few seasons, but after six seasons, two standalone movies and now three seasons of a sequel series, it all wears awfully thin.
That doesn’t mean Carrie hasn’t been through it in AJLT: she’s been through the fictional death of husband Big (Ron Galotti), the real-life death of Willie Garson, who played BFF Stanford, and she’s picked back up a tired-out situationship with Aidan (John Corbett). We’ve got to have some kind of sympathy for her, right? Wrong! For the bulk of ATLJ, Carrie’s been a burden on her friends, an even bigger burden on us, and the biggest burden of all to herself. All those years of living life in the city on screen, and she doesn’t seem to have learned a single lesson from them.
However, that’s slowly started to change. Just before breaking up with Aidan (finally) and striking up a sexy new attraction to Duncan (Jonathan Clarke), we see Miranda confront Carrie about her evasive defences after Charlotte’s house party in season 3 episode 9. Miranda points out the amount of continued distrust between Carrie and Aidan, and for a split second, AJLT becomes the closest thing we’ve ever seen to a true SATC revival. Finally cutting ties with what isn’t serving her is the healthiest move Carrie has made in years, but can she sustain it?
Here’s my pitch for the AJLT season 3 ending. Miranda stays with Joy (Dolly Wells) and continues to build a healthy relationship (nothing wrong with these two, so live and let live). Harry’s (Evan Handler) prostate cancer is cleared, leaving Charlotte space to thrive as the good friend and mother we know her to be, and the others… well, they can do whatever they like as we won’t be paying attention.
But Carrie needs to dump any and all men, work on herself in the therapeutic ways she’d always dismissed in SATC, and actually start to be a good person. We can’t bow out in good conscience if she still remains a threat to New York City’s female friendships, and there will truly be no evolution in her character if she leaves in an even worse state than when she started. In the most dramatic case, the best thing for Carrie would be to get out of New York completely, which could mean moving back to England with Duncan. Frankly, I don’t care where in the world she ends up, both Carrie and AJLT need to not be insufferable the first time ever in its final moments. I know it’s hard, but pretty please?
You might also likeThe US is now the ransomware capital of the world. The majority of the attacks are targeting US organizations, and in the last year, the number of attacks has dramatically spiked. These are the conclusions echoed in the 2025 Ransomware Report, published by cybersecurity experts Zscaler ThreatLabz.
Using proprietary data, as well as samples and information collected from the wider internet, Zscaler’s researchers determined that 50% of all ransomware attacks in the last year happened in the United States, “significantly outpacing” Canada (5%) and the UK (4%).
Even when you combine all the attacks reported across the top 15 most-targeted countries, there are fewer than 3,671 that were reported in the US.
Stealing without encryptingThe number of attacks is also increasing. Year-on-year, it is up by 146% in the US, with manufacturing (1,063), technology (922), and healthcare (672) being the most-targeted industries, mostly for the potential for operational disruption, the sensitive of the stolen data, and the risk of regulatory pressure and reputational damage. Companies in the oil and gas sector saw a “staggering” increase in ransomware attacks - 900% year-on-year.
Zscaler also said that ransomware actors are increasingly abandoning the encryption part of the attack, and are focusing solely on data theft. In the last year, 10 of the biggest ransomware groups exfiltrated 238 TB of data, up 92% from last year’s 123 TB.
Right now, the biggest names in the ransomware space are RansomHub (833 victims), Akira (520), and Clop (488), but the number of threat actors is also rising. In the last year alone, the researchers identified 34 newly active ransomware families, bringing the total number up to 425.
Ransomware “flourishes” in environments with fragmented security, limited visibility, implicit trust, and outdated legacy architectures, Zscaler stresses, urging businesses to mitigate these threats by adopting a cloud-native, AI-driven, zero-trust architecture.
You might also likeIt's almost time to return to Nevermore Academy. The second season of Wednesday, Netflix's massively popular TV take on The Addams Family franchise, is just a couple of days from making its debut. So, you'll want to know when Netflix's most-watched English language TV Original will return to a screen near you.
Below, I'll tell you when Wednesday season 2 will be released worldwide. Towards the end of this article, I'll also explain why the supernatural mystery series' next entry won't arrive in full on launch day and give you a full rundown of its complete release schedule.
So, throw on your favorite black ensemble, and get ready to get kooky and snap your fingers, and let's dive in together.
What is the release date and launch time for Wednesday season 2?Airhorns at the ready, everyone – Wednesday Addams' TV show returns this, well, Wednesday (Image credit: Netflix)Shocking no-one, Wednesday season 2 will be released on its weekday namesake. Indeed, one of the best Netflix shows' next semester at Nevermore will begin on Wednesday, August 6. It'll land on that date worldwide, too, so US viewers won't be able to watch it a day earlier on the world's best streaming service.
As for when new episodes of the Jenna Ortega-starring TV show will air, they'll roll out simultaneously across the world, albeit at different times. To find out when they'll drop where you live, check out the below list (NB: if your country isn't included, compare the 12am PT time slot to your time zone to determine when they'll be released where you live):
Wednesday season 2 volume 1 will comprise four episodes. They'll all drop on August 6, too, so you won't have to wait for new chapters to arrive every week.
As for why season 2 isn't launching in full: Netflix has made a point of releasing its biggest TV hits in two or three parts. Indeed, the most recent seasons of Stranger Things, Bridgerton, Cobra Kai, Emily in Paris, The Sandman, and Outer Banks have been split into various volumes.
In fact, Squid Game is the only one of its most popular TV Originals that didn't launch in two parts (you can make the argument that seasons 2 and 3 were two halves of the same installment, though). It's not a total surprise, then, that Wednesday is getting the same treatment as many of its peers.
When will Wednesday season 2 volume 2 launch on Netflix?We'll see much more of The Addams Family in Wednesday's latest season (Image credit: Netflix)The wait for Wednesday season 2's final four episodes might feel like a long one, but it won't be. That's because season 2 part 2 will launch on Netflix on Wednesday, September 3.
That quartet won't be the hit show's final episodes, either. On July 23, Netflix confirmed Wednesday season 3 had been greenlit. Prepare yourself for more murder-mystery adventures with the eponymous albeit reluctant hero in the future, then.
For more on the Tim Burton-directed series' return, check out our dedicated guide on Wednesday season 2 and read the section below for further coverage.
You might also likeApple has alluded to wanting to increase spending on artificial intelligence and data centers to catch up with rivals after early Apple Intelligence features have left users wanting more in the shadow of Microsoft and Google systems.
CEO Tim Cook expressed an interest in acquiring larger AI companies after the company bought out seven smaller companies in 2025, marking a shift from the iPhone maker's typical strategy of low-key acquisitions.
The news came as Apple announced its third-quarter financial results, revealing a 10% year-over-year quarterly revenue of $94.0 billion.
Apple plans to invest more in Apple IntelligenceSpeaking about double-digit growth across iPhone, Mac, and Services, Cook said: "We were excited to introduce a beautiful new software design that extends across all of our platforms, and we announced even more great Apple Intelligence features."
The company has fallen behind the likes of Microsoft and Google, who are spending around $85-100 billion annually on AI and data centers. Currently, Apple mostly relies on third-party data centers and has built a handful of AI tools in house, however users have been left facing disappointing launches and delays.
All of this could be about to change if Bloomberg reporting suggesting that Apple could buy Perplexity turns out to be true.
Speaking about data center spend on the earnings call, CFO Kevan Parekh explained: "It's not going to be exponential growth, but it is going to grow substantially."
However, Apple's cautious approach has proven valuable in terms of the company's environmental impact, where other companies have seen significant impacts from rapid data center expansion. In its 2024 Environmental Progress Report, the company highlighted its own proprietary server designs, which have boosted energy efficiency and reduced water consumption – they've also been powered by renewable energy since 2018.
You might also likeIt’s pretty much common knowledge by this point that Siri is lacking compared to rival assistants and artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT. But according to a new report, Apple might be about to inject it with some much-needed power that could potentially transform it into a true force in AI.
In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman claims that Apple is essentially building its own ChatGPT rival that would bring chatbot capabilities to Siri.
The company has reportedly created its own 'Answers, Knowledge and Information' team to do this – and if it works, it could fix one of the biggest gripes I have with Siri. Too often, I ask Siri a question, only for it to bring up a search engine results page and cheerily respond with “Here’s what I found on the web.”
Other times, it’ll suggest handing over to ChatGPT instead of answering the question itself. For example, just try asking Siri a relatively simple question – “what is the most common type of tree in North America?”, for instance – and it’ll ask if you want to enlist ChatGPT for this task.
Both outcomes highlight how incapable Siri is compared to AI tools like ChatGPT. It’s like Siri is hoisting the white flag. “I don’t know what the answer is, but maybe you can find it yourself?” seems to be the message it’s conveying.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)And there’s another aspect to this. Whereas ChatGPT can actually find the answer for me, Siri’s response is the equivalent of those sarcastic “let me Google that for you” web pages that rudely hint at your own stupidity for not simply searching for the answer yourself. That’s never a good look for a personal assistant like Siri.
But the bigger problem is that handing off to Google or ChatGPT doesn’t actually solve the problem I wanted a solution for in the first place, and it misses the entire reason why people ask Siri questions in the first place.
People ask Siri because they want answers, not because they want to do the heavy lifting themselves. If the outcome I’m looking for is a Google search results page, I could have opened Safari and done that myself. I wanted an answer, not more hunting around.
And that’s the key difference between tools like ChatGPT and Siri right now: ChatGPT provides answers, while Siri does not. Even when Siri ropes ChatGPT into the situation, it’s an extra step compared to Siri just giving you the result you wanted. Whatever the question, Siri is rarely the answer.
A shot in the arm(Image credit: Apple)Hopefully, Apple adding these “answer” capabilities to Siri could be the shot in the arm its virtual assistant desperately needs. That prospect is certainly more exciting to me than some of the other delayed Siri features, like its ability to work within apps or understand your personal context.
While those features are interesting and might grab the headlines, I don’t see myself using them very often. They’re more complex and specialized, whereas asking Siri a simple question is a much more common occurrence for me and, I suspect, the majority of Apple users.
Still, questions remain over how Apple will transform Siri into a proper answer engine. How will the company train Siri to be able to answer more questions? Will Siri simply search online for results, or will it be able to rely on stored knowledge? How will Siri be trained in a way that aligns with Apple’s much-vaunted privacy principles? And will it take away traffic from third-party websites, withering the web in the way ChatGPT and Google’s own AI overviews are threatening to do?
And then there’s the question of when Siri’s chatbot update will arrive. Apple is reportedly targeting a spring 2026 launch date for its next-generation Siri features, but that hasn’t previously included any mention of a chatbot, which could take a long time to develop. With AI developments moving at breakneck speed, will a Siri-based chatbot be able to keep up with its rivals?
Those questions will be answered in due course, but in the meantime, I’m looking forward to a more capable (and, frankly, less useless) virtual assistant. If Apple can offer these features in a way that respects your privacy and doesn’t rip off the world’s online content, then I won’t mind if Siri is a little less capable than ChatGPT. As long as it’s more capable than it is right now.
After all, the whole point of using an AI helper for search is to get actual answers, not a list of results that I could have searched for myself. If Apple can pull it off, this could be the upgrade Siri has been in dire need of for years.
You might also likeA South Korean tech YouTuber has taken on the challenge of unfolding and folding the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 200,000 times, putting Samsung’s latest flagship foldable through an extreme durability test.
YouTube channel Tech It is, at the time of writing, still streaming the experimental test, marking interesting developments as they go.
At 6,000 fold-unfold cycles, the phone suffered a reboot error, possibly overwhelmed by the constant switching between its folded and unfolded states.
At 46,000 cycles, the hinge began to creak – not encouraging at such a low number of folds, but keep in mind that this test is the furthest possible thing from everyday use.
At 75,000 cycles, text overlaid on the screen says an “unidentified liquid” began to leak from the hinge. Again, this is intriguing, but shouldn’t be cause for alarm unless you also plan to put your Galaxy Z Fold 7 through several thousand folds consecutively.
At the time of writing, the livestream has been running for nine hours, with just over 137,000 fold-unfold cycles registered. That suggests an average pace of around 4 cycles per second, though the current pace seems to have slowed to around 2.5 cycles per second.
At their current pace, and at the time of publishing, Tech It will complete their mission in around seven hours.
Should you pay attention to durability tests?The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is more durable than its predecessor on paper, but that's a hard claim to accurately test. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)As we previously reported, Samsung claims the Galaxy Z Fold 7 can withstand 500,000 folds – assuming you unfold your phone 50 times a day, that’s around 27 years of daily usage.
However, there’s no truly useful way to put this claim to the test – it’s not practical, or sensible, for the everyday user to count and log each time they unfold their phone.
Here at TechRadar, we don’t test for durability – though phone makers are always improving the resilience and longevity of their devices, there’s simply no objective way to test most durability claims.
Even quantifiable limits, like the 500,000 fold promise made by Samsung, can rely on a number of factors like temperature, frequency of use, or manufacturing inconsistencies.
Still, there is some value in tests like this – in the latest infamous bend test from YouTuber Jerry Rig Everything, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 refused to break in half – that's about as blunt a measurement as you could possibly take, but still noteworthy for a hinged device.
So while these tests are fun and eye-catching, be sure to check out our guides to the best folding phones and the best Samsung phones to find out how these handsets perform in real-world usage.
You might also likeFrom new episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 to the premiere of Amazon Originals like The Pickup (pictured above), Prime Video has a stacked list of new titles being added throughout the month.
August's lineup is slightly smaller then everything new on Prime Video in July, but there are notably more Amazon Originals to look out for, including two sporting docuseries Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues and Taurasi, the spy thriller Butterfly, the animated series Sausage Party: Foodtopia and the romantic drama The Map That Leads to You.
As usual, these titles will be joined by a bumper crop of licensed movies from the Hollywood vaults, including 80s classics such as Raging Bull and Sixteen Candles, and various live sporting matches from the New York Yankees, WNBA, and more. Read on for the full list of everything new on one of the best streaming services.
Everything new on Prime Video in August 2025Arriving August 1
30 Rock seasons 1–7 (2006) – TV show
A Guy Thing (2003) – movie
Big Fat Liar (2002) – movie
Blow Out (1981) – movie
Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues (2025) – TV show
Cape Fear (1991) – movie
Conan the Barbarian (1982) – TV show
Conan the Destroyer (1984) – TV show
Death Becomes Her (1992) – movie
Death Race (2008) – movie
Death Race (Unrated) (2008) – movie
Duck, You Sucker! A Fistful of Dynamite (1972) – movie
Hazlo como hombre (2017) – movie
Hercules (2014) – movie
Howard the Duck (1986) – movie
King Solomon's Mines (1985) – movie
Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022) – movie
Lone Survivor (2013) – movie
Love Actually (2003) – movie
Maid in Manhattan (2002) – movie
Mermaids (1990) – movie
Miami Vice (2006) – movie
Mr. Mom (1983) – movie
Navy SEALS (1990) – movie
Only the Brave (2017) – movie
Out of Time (2003) – movie
Over the Top (1987) – movie
Overboard (2018) – movie
Pulp Fiction (1994) – movie
Raging Bull (1980) – movie
Ranchlands season 1 (2019) – TV show
Red Dragon (2002) – movie
Sixteen Candles (1984) – movie
Sleepover (2004) – movie
Something New (2006) – movie
Stigmata (1999) – movie
The Alamo (2004) – movie
The Battle of Britain (1969) – movie
The Return of the Living Dead (1985) – movie
The Strangers (2008) – movie
Transformers (2007) – movie
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) – movie
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) – movie
Uptown Girls (2003) – movie
Walking Tall (2004) – movie
Walking Tall: The Payback (2007) – movie
Wrath of Man (2021) – movie
Yours, Mine and Ours (1968) – movie
August 2
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) – movie
August 6
My Dead Boyfriend (2016) – movie
The Pickup (2025) – movie
The Summer I turned Pretty season 3 episode 5 (2025) – TV show
August 7
Taurasi (2025) – TV show
August 11
Father Stu (2022) – movie
August 13
Butterfly season 1 (2025) – TV show
Run the Tide (2016) – movie
Sausage Party: Foodtopia season 2 (2025) – TV show
The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episode 6 (2025) – TV show
August 15
Betty la Fea: La Historia Continúa season 2 (2025) – TV show
The Siege at Thorn High (2025) – movie
August 16
Creed (2015) – movie
August 18
Homefront (2013) – movie
August 20
Pocket Listing (2016) – movie
The Map That Leads to You (2025) – movie
The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episode 7 (2025) – TV show
August 21
Thursday Night Football (2025) – TV show
August 22
The Intern (2015) – movie
Wolf Man (2025) – movie
August 25
Upload season 4 (2025) – TV show
August 27
The Summer I Turned Pretty season 3 episode 6 (2025) – TV show
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf (2025) – TV show
August 29
Last Breath (2025) – movie
August 30
Hannibal season 1–3 (2013) – TV show
You might also likeMicrosoft's Windows 11 is on the verge of receiving significant updates leading into 2026, specifically for gamers with its new Xbox PC app 'full-screen experience'. However, it appears as though Valve's Linux-based operating system is gradually taking the lead as the better operating system for gaming.
As reported by TweakTown, Steam's July 2025 Hardware & Software survey results suggests gamers are switching to Valve's SteamOS from Microsoft's Windows 11, with a 0.32% growth in Linux market share – while the market share for Windows 11 fell by 0.44%.
TweakTown highlights that Linux's 2.89% operating system market share equates to around four million players out of Steam's 132 million users, so the growth is fairly significant. It may also be a huge indication of how popular handheld gaming has become since Valve introduced its Steam Deck back in 2022, if a majority of these results stem from handheld gamers.
It's quite clear that Valve's SteamOS still has a long way to go in terms of its user count compared to Windows 11, but the Linux operating system has arguably already surpassed Windows in terms of game performance, accessibility, and features.
It's also worth noting that both Valve and Microsoft have pledged commitments to improve their respective operating systems. The former plans to expand SteamOS's compatibility with other handhelds and desktop PCs, while Microsoft is bringing a 'full-screen experience' to handhelds, debuting on the ROG Xbox Ally.
Analysis: I doubt the new Xbox PC app 'full-screen experience' will check the SteamOS momentum(Image credit: Future)As I've stated previously, it's very hard for me to see how Microsoft's upcoming Xbox PC app experience will shift me away from SteamOS, because the latter has simply won me over (at least with handhelds).
I won't say Microsoft doesn't stand a chance, and I'm certainly going to be checking it out once it's available – but I think the stage is already set for Valve to take the lead when it comes to PC gaming.
The tools at my disposal while using Bazzite (a SteamOS clone) are great for UI customization, and perhaps most importantly, improved game performance with Decky Framegen and Decky Lossless Scaling, all via Decky Loader.
Sure, there are certainly equivalent tools on Windows 11, but navigation and tinkering on this operating system, especially with a handheld, is something I don't want to deal with anymore. That's why this 'full-screen experience' sounds promising, as it sounds like an equivalent to SteamOS's game mode.
Microsoft's new efforts to improve gaming on its operating system are very welcome and appreciated, and I think it will attract many gamers once it launches with the ROG Xbox Ally – but overall, I suspect it won't check SteamOS's momentum.
You might also like...More than 11,000 Android devices were recently infected by a new variant of the PlayPraetor remote access trojan (RAT).
This is according to cybersecurity researchers Cleafy, who said that there is an ongoing, aggressive campaign to distribute the malware to as many devices as possible. So far, the RAT creates more than 2,000 new infections every week, targeting mostly devices in Portugal, Spain, France, Morocco, Peru, and Hong Kong.
PlayPraetor is apparently a Chinese piece of malware, The Hacker News reports. Citing previous research, the publication claims there are “thousands” of fake Google Play Store download pages, advertised through Meta Ads and SMS messages, in an attempt to reach as big of an audience as it can. So far, the researchers spotted five distinct variants of PlayPraetor, among which is one called Phantom, and a variant called Phish.
Hundreds of spoofed appsThose that end up installing the malware can expect to lose their banking credentials, have their clipboard tracked, and their keystrokes/taps logged. At the moment, PlayPreator can impersonate more than 200 banking apps and cryptocurrency wallets, as it delivers an overlay that steals the login credentials.
Besides pretending to be actual apps, the malware is also distributed through fake Progressive Web Apps (PWA), as well as WebView-based apps. The latter was observed in the Phish variant while Phantom, for example, exploits accessibility services to obtain persistent access.
This variant also grants the attackers the ability to conduct on-device fraud and is apparently operated by two affiliates who control almost two-thirds of the botnet (around 4,500 endpoints).
To defend against such attacks, the best course of action is to be careful when downloading apps, and only go for those listed on official repositories such as the Play Store. Even there, users should only go for apps developed by well-established brands, which have thousands of downloads and positive reviews.
Via The Hacker News
You might also likeHigher tariffs are set to take effect this week, but the data is not showing that they have been working so far. And, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff speaks with hostages' families in Israel.
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Turtle Beach's competitive gaming accessory brand Victrix has revealed the successor to one of its best controllers.
The Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded is an overhauled version of the popular Victrix Pro BFG, already one of of the best PS5 controllers today. It retains all the modular functionality of the original but boasts an enhanced design with an improved fightpad module designed for a better claw grip.
It also comes with Hall effect thumbsticks and triggers right out of the box, two major upgrades that should improve precision and help reduce wear over the years.
In addition to the PlayStation variant, an Xbox version will also be available. Both come in either black or white colorways, and cost $209.99 / £179.99.
Although the controller is out now in the UK, it's currently exclusively available to attendees of EVO 2025 in the US. It's up for pre-order on the Turtle Beach website, though, for a wider September 28 release.
The Victrix Pro BFG stands apart from most controllers thanks to its unique modularity. It can be customized and tweaked via a range of interchangeable components, such as alternate d-pads, thumbstick caps, and gates.
It also boasts a range of high-end features, including remappable rear buttons, a hair-trigger mode, and a robust companion app.
You might also like...It’s looking increasingly likely that the iPhone 17 series will cost more than previous models, because while we haven't seen many price leaks yet, most of the ones we have seen point in that direction – including the latest one.
According to leaker @Jukanlosreve, the iPhone 17 series will cost roughly $50 (around £40 / AU$75) more than the iPhone 16 series.
If that's the case, the starting price of the iPhone 17 would be around $850 / £850 / AU$1,475, the starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro would be roughly $1,050 / £1,050 / AU$1,875, and the starting price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max would be approximately $1,250 / £1,250 / AU$2,225.
A Brief Note on iPhone 17 Series Price IncreaseA few days ago, Jefferies analysts revealed in their note that the iPhone 17 series could see a $50 price increase.Additionally, WSJ reported last May that Apple was considering raising prices for the iPhone 17 series.Apple's…August 4, 2025
We’re also expecting an iPhone 17 Air, and this has previously been said to cost around the same as the iPhone 16 Plus, which would mean $899 / £899 / AU$1,599, though possibly around $50 / £40 / AU$75 more if this latest price leak is right.
In any case, this $50 increase claim echoes a recent report from Jefferies analyst Edison Lee (via @DeItaone), who claimed that all models except the standard iPhone 17 would see this increase.
@Jukanlosreve for their part claims to have reached this figure through modeling how tariffs, “the weak dollar effect”, and Apple’s own efforts to reduce the cost of components will impact the price.
A full selection of shadesPotential price rises are never fun, but in more positive news, leaked photos of potentially every iPhone 17 series shade have emerged.
Which model and color will you choose this year? pic.twitter.com/AtDFutgSX0August 3, 2025
Shared by leaker Majin Bu, these show the iPhone 17 in black, white, pink, blue, and green shades, the iPhone 17 Air in black, white, blue, and a pale yellow, and the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in black, white, blue, gray, and brown.
These colors largely match what we saw in another recent iPhone 17 colors leak, but the green and gray shades weren’t included there, and the color that looks brown here appeared more orange in that leak – so there’s still plenty of uncertainty around exactly which colors will be on offer.
We should know exactly what will be on offer fairly soon though, as the iPhone 17 series is likely to launch in the first half of September, so around a month from now.
You might also likeThere is a growing trend in client-side attacks, as cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting mobile browsers to bypass traditional security controls.
This is according to the latest “Client-Side Attack Report Q2 2025”, published by security researchers c/side. A “client-side” attack is a type of security breach that occurs on the user’s device (typically on their browser or mobile app), rather than on the server.
Based on extensive research of the market (compromised domains, autonomous crawling, AI-driven script analysis, and behavioral review of third-party JavaScript dependencies), the report says cybercriminals are injecting malicious code into service workers and the Progressive Web App (PWA) logic of popular WordPress themes.
Weaker sandboxingOnce a mobile user visits an infected site, the browser viewport is hijacked using a full-screen iframe. The victim is then lured into installing a fake PWA, often disguised as an adult-themed APK or a crypto app, hosted on rotating subdomains.
Primarily, the apps are designed to persist on the device beyond the browser session and act as a long-term foothold. However, they can also steal login credentials (by spoofing login pages or browser prompts), intercept cryptocurrency wallet interactions, and drain assets by injecting malicious scripts. In some cases, the apps can hijack session tokens, as well.
The criminals are using different techniques to evade detection, including fingerprinting and cloaking techniques that prevent the payload from being triggered in sandboxed environments, or by automated scanners.
The mobile platform is being increasingly targeted because web browsers have weaker sandboxing and limited runtime visibility, which makes them more vulnerable and susceptible to attacks. At the same time, c/side says users are more likely to trust full-screen prompts, or install suggested apps, without suspecting anything.
To mitigate the risk, there are things both developers and end-users can do, c/side says. Devs and site operators should monitor and secure third-party scripts, since these are a common delivery mechanism for malicious payloads. C/side also advocates for real-time visibility into what scripts are executing in the browser, rather than relying solely on server-side protections.
Users, on the other hand, should be careful when installing Progressive Web Apps from unfamiliar sources, and should be skeptical of unexpected login flows, particularly those that seem to come from Google.
You might also likeHostinger recently announced that the Zyro website builder is now fully integrated with Hostinger. This integration sees Zyro's user-friendly website building tools and features combined with Hostinger's leading web hosting solutions.
Although all sales and services of Zyro are now discontinued, Zyro clients can continue to manage, edit, and grow their site with the Hostinger website builder.
Hostinger Website Builder is a strong cloud hosted no-code platform for those looking for an affordable website creation tool. After testing it against many competitors in our best website builders guide, we found it to be a great value. Plans start at just $2.99/month, well below the entry points of most competing solutions.
We have spent thousands of hours testing over 140 website building platforms, giving us insight into how each platform stacks up against the rest of the market. While Hostinger doesn't fully match the feature set of Wix — our top pick for 2025, it still provides an impressive range of tools at a lower cost.
Read our full Hostinger Website Builder review below to find out how its beginner-friendly UI, AI-driven website creation, and strong ecommerce features make it ideal for both businesses and freelancers. We especially liked the unlimited websites, free domain registration, and SSL certificates included with all plans, offering great value for budget-conscious users.
Hostinger Website Builder: 2-minute reviewOur testing of Hostinger Website Builder shows it is a strong yet affordable choice. The platform stands out with its drag-and-drop editor and AI tools, making it easy for beginners. Plans start at just $2.49/month with our exclusive discount code. This offers great value compared to other website builders.
Hostinger Website Builder is included in all Hostinger web hosting plans, which also include a free domain for a year, 100 email addresses, and SSL certificates for user safety. You can also purchase it as a standalone for $2.99-$3.99 per month.
We found the platform ideal for small businesses, freelancers, and personal sites. It offers over 150 responsive templates across various categories, making it simple to create professional-looking sites fast. While it may not have the extensive features of premium competitors like Wix, Hostinger provides impressive capabilities at a lower cost.
However, there are some limitations. There’s no free plan to test, and you can’t switch templates without starting over. The platform lacks an app marketplace for extra functionality, and many advanced AI tools are only available in the higher-tier plan.
What is Hostinger Website Builder?Hostinger Website Builder is a user-friendly tool. It allows you to create websites without coding or design skills. Think of it as digital building blocks that you can drag and drop. Unlike complex platforms, Hostinger's builder focuses on simplicity. It uses customizable templates as starting points for your site.
The builder has two main toolbars. They contain everything needed to design and manage your website. You can easily add text, images, buttons, and other elements with simple clicks. For a quicker start, Hostinger offers an AI option. It can generate a website for you in just 2-3 minutes based on your preferences.
What makes Hostinger great for beginners is that it includes everything in one package. You get website building tools, hosting, and even a free domain name. This all-in-one approach removes the technical challenges of connecting different services. Plus, the editor works smoothly on mobile devices. You can update your site from anywhere.
Features(Image credit: Hostinger Website Builder)Hostinger Website Builder is a terrific tool for creating personal blogs, professional sites, and online stores without special technical skills. The core of the process is choosing a template and customizing it until you like it. Thanks to Hostinger’s easy-to-use editor this will be an easygoing experience. However, there’s one catch with this - once you choose a template, you can’t switch it without starting all over, and doing this more than once can become awfully annoying awfully quick.
The site builder profits from a clear interface, intuitive layout, and drag-and-drop functionality. The UI is minimalistic, the core options on the left menu are almost self-explanatory, and adding new elements is easy. There are almost no restraints on how can one move content elements around.
Also, its automatically responsive web design can adjust to any screen and look beautiful to boot - computers, tablets, and smartphones alike.
As for ready-made templates, there is a decent amount of them and they are designed to fit different types of sites - online stores, art portfolios, all sorts of blogs, and so on. And if none of them is what you wanted for your site, you can adjust colors, change fonts, and move elements around. Plus, Hostinger provides a royalty-free image library you can browse and borrow any image that catches your eye.
Like with other Hostinger products, its site builder works as an all-in-one sort of solution for creating sites. So, in addition to the site builder and all its tools, the package also includes a domain name registration and a web hosting service with unmetered traffic, and a free SSL certificate. Plus, you can create up to 100 sites and up to 100 domain-based email accounts, if you wish to do so.
If you’re interested in e-commerce features, you’ll be glad to hear that (with the 'Business Website Builder' plan) Hostinger site builder covers all essentials including the ability to accept 20+ payments methods and offering 0% transaction fees.
Tools(Image credit: Hostinger Website Builder)Since we’ve pretty much covered standard site-building tools (as well as e-commerce tools) in the previous chapter, we’ll now check out the awesome AI-powered tools this builder has to offer.
Hostinger's advanced AI tools makes it one of the best small business website builders — making it quick and easy for those with little time and budget to get their business online.
If you’re eager to create more content for your site, but don’t have enough time for that, you can employ Hostinger’s AI Writer to do the writing for you. To get things started, choose one of the top-level topics (such as “small business”) and then select a topic-specific category (let’s say gaming). Then, choose what part of your site the AI will be creating this piece of writing for (something like the “About” page), and hit the “Generate” button.
While the AI’s scope currently seems somewhat limited, the paragraph you’ll get will be surpassingly readable - and it will save you the time you could spend on something more critical. Plus, AI Writer is now multilingual, which is excellent news for all non-English speakers out there.
Another interesting AI-powered tool is AI Heatmap and it should help you find out what images will your visitors focus on, even before your site is finished. Moreover, it tries to predict in which way the visitors will navigate around your site and what will attract their attention the most. Then, you can organize the elements of your site in a way it attracts the most visitors and maximizes conversion.
Hostinger has also integrated AI in some smart ways to help online sellers. For example, you can use AI to automatically remove the background from images, making it easier than ever to create professional looking product images. You can also use AI to do bulk product uploads from CSV, drastically cutting the time it takes to get new products online.
Other noteworthy tools from Hostinger’s bag of tricks include Logo Maker (as suggested, it creates catchy logos), Site Analytics (it will get you an insight into who visits your site), PageSpeed Insights (a way to test your site’s speed performance), Business Name Generator (it’s self-explanatory), and Slogan Generator (also, self-explanatory).
User reviews(Image credit: Hostinger Website Builder)Since its launch in October 2022, Hostinger’s website builder has attracted a modest user base, many of whom have shared their observations and opinions about the product on popular review sites. Some of the sites we’ve closely checked include Trustpilot, HostAdvice, Reviews.io, and TrustRadius.
Since most user reviews are focused on web hosting services, though, we had to get our hands dirty digging through these reviews to find what users think about the new site builder.
Hostinger boasts a 4.7/5 rating on Trustpilot, 4.6/5 on HostAdvice, and 4.7/5 on WPBeginner. But these don't all reflect customer perception of their website builder, since it also includes their hosting services. So we’ve checked the latest user reviews that bring up Hostinger Website Builder to see how it holds up.
On Trustpilot, users have criticized the process of transferring their sites to the new site builder as it was slow, required users to rebuild their sites, and had to wait for a day before the sites appeared on the internet. However, most users found the site builder simple to use, swift, and of big help.
User reviews on HostAdvice paint a similar picture by calling Hostinger Website Builder useful but somewhat slow and lacking in more complex editing options. On Reviews.io no one pointed out the site builder, but the rating of Hostinger’s overall service was a rock-solid 4.4/5.
TrustRadius rated Hostinger with 7.4 out of 10, which is uncharacteristically low compared to other platforms.
But user reviews suggest that most users are pleased with Hostinger’s new website builder overall. Complaints were mostly directed towards its speed and lack of more complex image editing options — but that’s it.
Ease of use(Image credit: Hostinger Website Builder)The short answer is yes, it is. However, Hostinger Website Builder is not only easy to use but it’s one of the most beginner-friendly site-building tools out there. After all, it was created to address the needs of less tech-savvy Hostinger users.
Building a site with WordPress calls for some technical know-how (or tons of tutorials).
Even if you’re an experienced professional user, a beginner-friendly site builder can help your less-experienced teammates get used to the new tool and speed up the workflow.
The site builder’s drag-and-drop, grid-based editor will make adding text, images, videos, maps, contact forms, and other elements to your site effortless. There’s also an icon that lets you clone the whole section, which can significantly speed up things. And if your site doesn’t turn out exactly as expected, there’s an easy-to-spot “Undo” icon that’ll return your site to its prior state.
And if by a stroke of bad luck, a thunderstorm causes a power outage or you turn off your computer by accident, thanks to Hostinger’s autosaving functionality you won’t lose your cherished content - and this autosaving is activated every couple of seconds.
As mentioned above, Hostinger offers a royalty-free image library, so you can stop worrying about where you’ll find fitting images for your site. While only one image can be uploaded at a time, all of them will be saved in your image library from where you can choose the ones to use, edit, or delete.
To tell the truth, we weren’t exactly impressed with the site builder’s edition options. While the site builder offers more image edition options than the old one, it still isn’t much. You can add/remove backgrounds, resize, crop, and upscale an image, and that's about it.
So, our only complaint about Hostinger Website Builder is that its image editor is a bit too basic. Even so, this tool is probably as user-friendly as one can get.
Pricing(Image credit: Hostinger Website Builder)Plan
Introductory offer (48 months)
With our exclusive promo code*
Renewal rate
Website Builder Basic
$2.99/mo
$2.69/mo
$11.99
Website Builder Plus
$3.99/mo
$3.59/mo
$13.99
* You can use the code TECHRADAR at checkout to save 10% off on top of the introductory rate. You can also check out our Hostinger promo codes to find more deals.
Pricing and plans explained
Hostinger Website Builder comes in two package options, making it simple to find a plan that works for you.
Website Builder Basic offers you everything you need to build one website with up to five pages including an AI website builder, plenty of templates, and a free domain for one year. It starts at $2.99/mo for a 4-year sign up, but increases to $11.99/mo after that.
More serious users will need the Website Builder Plus plan. This unlocks unlimited pages and up to 50 websites as well as ecommerce features and a bunch of helpful AI tools. This plan starts at $3.99/mo for a 4-year sign up, then jumps to $13.99/mo after that.
All Hostinger’s web hosting and website builder plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, which means you can try out everything before making a long-term commitment. However, there are no free trials nor free tiers for the new site builder at the moment.
As for payment methods, Hostinger accepts all major credit/debit cards, PayPal, Google Pay, AliPay, and Coingate.
So does Hostinger Website Builder provide good value for money? Yes, particularly if you subscribe for a longer period.
Security(Image credit: Hostinger Website Builder)With cybercrime on the rise, site owners need to stay very vigilant to keep their sites on the safe side of the internet. A smart place to start is to make sure your service provider is equipped with all the security tools you’ll need to shield your site and its visitors from all sorts of threats. Fortunately for all Hostinger customers, the company takes the security of its products and services very seriously.
For starters, Hostinger provides a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate with all its plans, which adds another layer of security to all data being shared through your site.
With Hostinger you can set up Cloudflare which will conceal all server IP addresses and shield your site against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.
All Hostinger’s plans come with weekly backups, which means you can turn back time in case you mess up your site or something goes wrong. If automatic weekly backups aren’t enough for you, you can always go with a business-focused plan and get daily backups instead.
Also, Hostinger supports two-factor authentication (2FA), so you can be sure all your logins are done by you. So, even if someone steals your login credentials, they won’t be able to access your Hostinger account.
Instead of a conclusion, we’ll also add that Hostinger guarantees 99.9% uptime with all its web hosting services, and this is the available uptime per month. If your site suffers more downtime than this, you can contact the customer support staff and request a credit of 5% off your monthly hosting fee for that month.
All in all, Hostinger Website Builder seems like a solid choice in terms of security.
Customer support(Image credit: Hostinger Website Builder)With all Hostinger's plans (website builder & web hosting included), customers can rely on round-the-clock live chat, e-mail, and ticket support. However, a telephone line is not available at this time.
Live chat support is probably your best bet out of the direct support channels and you shouldn’t wait for more than a couple of minutes before getting a reply from a support agent.
All do-it-yourself types of users will be thankful for Hostinger's well-supplied Help Center. There, you’ll find both the basic, beginner-oriented web hosting and site-building stuff and tips on mastering marketing and boosting your business strategy. Most how-tos are written in a simple-to-understand way and feature fitting screenshots to boot - so, getting lost is not an option.
However, we suggest browsing through the categories rather than utilizing the search box since it’s astonishingly awful at finding the right articles - strange, it’s usually the other way around.
All things considered, Hostinger hits the marks in all areas when it comes to customer support and it offers more options than most budget-friendly providers.
AlternativesAs a website builder, Hostinger stands out mainly as an affordable and easy-to-use option. It offers good value without confusing users with complex features. We believe it would work best for individuals, freelancers, and small businesses who need a professional-looking website without high costs or a steep learning curve. The platform shines for those creating simple business sites, portfolios, or small online stores with up to 500 products.
Wix is the market leader and our top choice for 2025. It provides more advanced features and design flexibility than Hostinger, but at a much higher price. WordPress offers greater customization and scalability for larger sites, but it can be daunting for beginners. For those focused on ecommerce, Shopify offers specialized selling tools, though at premium prices.
When comparing hosting services that provide website builders, Hostinger competes with Bluehost in the WordPress hosting market. Hostinger has captured a large market share (58.95%) in this area, making it a value leader. For users who want affordability without losing essential features, Hostinger Website Builder is an excellent starting point for building an online presence without the technical challenges of more complex platforms.
Hostinger AI WordPress website builderHostinger offers a slightly different version of its website builder for those looking to build their site on the WordPress CMS. Put simply, the Hostinger AI WordPress Website Builder allows users to build a full website template, complete with text and images that will be hosted by Hostinger, but managed via WordPress.
(Image credit: Hostinger)You start the journey by telling the AI website builder a little about the site you are looking to build, including your brand name, website type, and a description of the website you are looking to create. The website builder then takes that information and uses it to create a website for you.
Of course, like with all AI website builders, you will need to do at least some editing to make your site worthy of representing your brand online, but it does give you a great starting place.
This is a great alternative to WordPress’s built in website builder, Gutenberg. We did a full comparison of the two platforms in our Hostinger AI WordPress website builder vs WordPress.com guide.
Hostinger Website Builder is an AI-powered, all-in-one sort of solution aimed at newcomers and less experienced users that plan to create a personal blog, a pretty-looking portfolio, or a small online store.
The templates are beautiful yet simple, the editor is easy to use (but a bit too basic), and the price tag is pretty pocket-friendly. Plus, a free SSL certificate, royalty-free image library, ecommerce features, AI tools, and 24/7 live chat support will only sweeten the deal. It’s one of the best beginner-friendly options out there.
Hostinger Website Builder review: FAQsDoes Hostinger have a free website builder?While Hostinger provides a free Hostinger Website Builder with all its web hosting plans (even the cheapest one), there isn’t a free edition of this product - nor a free trial for that matter. Besides this, there is a one-and-only site builder plan and it is backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Is Hostinger website builder secure?Yes, Hostinger is considered one of the most secure website builders on the market.
All Hostinger sites come with a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate. The platform also allows you to set up Cloudflare, which can conceal all server IP addresses and protect you against DDoS attaches.
All plans also come with weekly backups, making it easy to jump back in time if anything goes wrong with your site. Alternatively, if you upgrade your plan you can get access to daily backups.
Hostinger website builder offers a tool that allows you to migrate websites directly into its platform. This can be incredibly helpful, but only if you have the original files. However, in many circumstances you will not be able to access what you need to complete a seamless migration.
Other website builders such as Wix and Squarespace will not typically allow you to download your website files, making it impossible to then upload those files onto Hostinger’s website builder.
When our Website Builder Editor, Owain Williams, moved his website from Wix to Hostinger he had to build his site from scratch.
Hostinger Website Builder is an upgraded, feature-rich, AI-powered, rookie-oriented version of Zyro, so we think it’s an improved edition of the site builder. If you were a fan of Zyro, you’ll probably like it as much under the new name.
The online payments platform you can utilize in your online store with Hostinger Website Builder is Stripe and it supports several payment methods. These include all major credit/debit cards (including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Alipay, Afterpay/Clearpay, Bancontact, BLIK, and the list goes on.
We should note that the only payment method available by default is bank cards, while the other methods will have to be enabled. They’re all integrated though.