News

Spotify price hikes could be coming as soon as JuneTypically €1 (about $1/£1) increase on individual subsLeaked image shows "add-ons" for Premium users

You don't need to ask a magic 8-ball whether your favorite music streaming service will up its prices this year: the answer usually seems to be yes. But while Spotify is once again increasing its subscription prices, it won't be doing it in the US for now.According to The Financial Times, Spotify will be upping the cost of an individual subscription by €1 (about $1/£1) in countries across Latin America and Europe this summer, most likely in June. And it's already upped prices in other countries such as Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The push "would intensify considerably this summer," an insider told the newspaper.While Spotify isn't planning a price hike in the US so far – Spotify last upped its US price in 2024 – it is definitely considering a super-premium option. That would add $6 to the cost of a $11 subscription, but would come with additional perks.Speaking of additional perks, the second interesting bit of Spotify news today come from a leaked image on X that shows text in the Spotify iOS beta app saying "Explore plans and get more from your Premium experience with add-ons".We don't yet know what those add-ons will be, or when this kind of thing will arrive – Spotify HiFi leaks have been appearing in the app for years, and we still haven't seen that launch yet. But optional add-ons are an interesting idea, potentially enabling people to get more what they really want.

This code, in the iOS beta of the Spotify app, indicates "add-ons" are coming to Premium (Image credit: Aaronp613/Twitter)

It's worth noting that Spotify already offers "top-ups" for audiobook users as an option you can buy. Premium users get a number of audiobook listening hours included in the price, and if you want more hours, you can buy them.

Why are the prices going up again?

The record companies are keen to bring in what they call "Streaming 2.0", and what I call "charging more money for the stuff you used to get as standard." For example, the FT says that one option being considered is to restrict new music releases to subscribers paying for super-premium services.This doesn’t just apply to Spotify; the FT says that Amazon, Apple and YouTube are also preparing additional super-premium tiers of their own.The reason for this is pretty simple: the era of massive growth in user numbers is over. Trade body the IFPI reports that global revenue growth in the streaming sector halved last year, and that means the services are under pressure from shareholders to get more money from their existing users.We've already seen this play out in the video streaming services. What began as one product for one price became much more complex as streamers segmented their services into with-ads, without-ads and with-some ads, with caps on simultaneous streams and account sharing, and with features such as 4K, HDR and Spatial Audio limited to the most expensive plans.It's not a case of whether similar stratification is going to happen in music. It's a case of when.

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There’s an understandable and undeniable pall hanging over The Last of Us after last week’s shocker. And it’s the calm before the storm that’ll make up the rest of the season: Ellie and Dina’s trip to Seattle to track down Joel’s killers. But amid the sadness of that loss and the frustration of Ellie not getting the support of the town in her revenge plan is the absolute delight of seeing more of Ellie and Dina together.

They were probably the highlight of the first episode — their chemistry didn’t immediately hit Joel and Ellie levels, but Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced were doing great work together right off the bat. Here, we get to see a lot more of them together, and Dina’s combination of playfulness and planning is a solid counter to Ellie’s dry humor and impulsive nature.

A great example is their trip to Seattle on horseback, as Dina challenges Ellie to name the best band she can think of for every letter of the alphabet, something Ellie eventually has quite enough of. Dina says she can come up with another game, and Ellie immediately quips they could just travel in silence, something Dina ignores and makes Ellie tell her about the first person she had to kill. Just the kind of lighthearted road trip companion Ellie needs right now.

Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO

Dina is at her best in this episode when she barges in on Ellie planning for a midnight escape from the city to bring Abby to justice on her own. Earlier in the episode, the Jackson town council votes down her proposal to assemble a large crew to go after the WLF group — primarily because the town was so ravaged by the Infected horde the same day Joel was killed that they can’t spare the people. Naturally, Ellie is ready to go rogue and go on her own, but she’s not really ready. Dina shows up at her place, teases her for not planning to bring anything but guns, and lays out exactly what they need and what they don’t. Oh, and she already has it all ready to go. It’s a little too mean to say Ellie is not the brains of the operation, but she’d almost certainly be in trouble without Dina.

Beyond her practical skills, Dina flirts with Ellie constantly throughout the episode, asking Ellie to rate their kiss at the New Year’s Eve dance, teasing her about wanting to wear her Converse on a lengthy journey, whispering in Ellie’s ear that she is a badass after Ellie makes a dorky, action movie-style proclamation. But perhaps the most telling comment she makes is after they very briefly discuss that NYE kiss — Ellie says Dina was high, Dina says Ellie was drunk, and they both agree it didn’t really mean anything. They then turn off the light in their tent, and Dina can’t help but say she wasn’t that high. Ramsey and Merced’s version of “will they, won’t they” brings some much-needed levity to their situation.

Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO

And to be clear, levity is much needed. Even though there isn’t much real action, the fallout from Joel’s death and the Infected siege is all over this episode. It starts with Tommy slowly cleaning Joel’s body before the camera pulls out and shows a whole room of bodies covered with sheets. That’s followed by Ellie awakening in a hospital with a tube coming out of her chest; she then screams bloody murder at remembering what happened to her. That’s not to mention the sunrise visit to Joel’s grave where Ellie briefly smiles as she puts some coffee beans by his side, or her walk through his empty house where she finds his signature watch, revolver and jacket. Keep the tissues handy.

While Ramsey’s Ellie is at her best when partnered with Dina, she also does some great work on her own — the aforementioned hospital scene is chilling, but my favorite Ellie moments in this episode are when she’s trying (and failing) to convince people she’s okay. Her speech to the town assembly encouraging them to go after the WLF is not the off-the-cuff anger that Jesse encouraged her to avoid, but you can tell Ellie is just trying to placate the masses instead of saying what she really wants. The same goes for her conversation with Gail the therapist when she leaves the hospital, though Ellie doesn’t even try to hide her therapy platitudes behind a veneer of belief.

Photograph by Liane Hentscher/HBO

Oddly enough, it’s Seth (the bigot who got bowled over by Joel in episode one) who says what Ellie is really feeling, interrupting the meeting when someone objects to the plan to go to Seattle. Seth is enraged by what happened to a member of his community and thinks they should pursue justice at any cost. It’s far from the most measured take, but it certainly feels like the most honest.

Thus it’s not a huge surprise when he’s ready to help Ellie and Dina as they slip out of town, offering them a load of supplies and insisting Ellie take his better rifle. He says he’d go with them except for catching some friendly fire during the Infected battle, to which Ellie replies “are you sure it was friendly?” She’s clearly not ready to forgive him for his words, but a better gun, some supplies and a shared desire for revenge gets her close enough. She shakes his offered hand as they ride out of town.

Infected Score: 0/10

The showrunners say season two will have more Infected than season one — let’s see if they’re sticking to their word.

No Infected to be seen here, aside from some charred corpses around Jackson. That’s just fine with me after last week’s showdown.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/the-last-of-us-season-two-the-path-recap-the-calm-after-the-storm-before-the-storm-120036861.html?src=rss

By all accounts, I am a good cook. Yet in all my years, I don't think I've ever made a wonderful batch of rice on the stovetop. Overcooking, undercooking, scorching; you name it, I’ve done it. Those of us who grew up watching Alton Brown's insightful Good Eats cooking show may cling to the rule against bringing "unitaskers" into our kitchens, but I've decided that in order to more optimally enjoy my katsu, curries and burritos, it's time to bring in some specialized help.A rice cooker frees up your attention to do the rest of your food prep instead of babying your grains or abandoning them to a crispy, crunchy fate. I tested several options to find the best rice cookers that deliver delicious, fluffy rice every time, because life's too short to settle for disappointing food.

Best rice cookers for 2025

How we test rice cookers

Since rice is a foundation for so many different cuisines, I placed a high value on a machine’s ability to cook different grain types well. I started testing each rice cooker by making a Japanese style, sushi-grade white rice. The appliances that delivered tasty results moved on to the brown rice round, then the top performers made long-grain white basmati as a final challenge. Some models I tested included a steamer basket, but I didn't try all of them out. This is a rice-only party. Multi-cookers and steaming functions are merely a nice bonus in these, although if that's a feature you want, an instant pot might be more your jam.

While I weighed rice tastiness and texture as the most important criteria, I also assessed how easy the machines were to use and to clean. Because a cool piece of gear that sits in your cabinet gathering dust is a cool, but ultimately useless piece of gear. I limited my testing to models retailing for less than $300, which felt like the most I could recommend investing in a specialized appliance, and value for cost wound up being the distinguishing point for my top picks.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/best-rice-cooker-120015478.html?src=rss

Mercedes-Benz says it will be launching by-wire steering in 2026 Its all-electric EQS saloon will be the first production model with the techThe tech requires some driver adaptation and initially isn't easy to gel with

The thought of removing the mechanical connection between the steering and the front wheels of your car is enough to have anyone with a semblance of engineering knowledge recoil in a cloud of skepticism.After all, leaving the very important matter of changing lanes and navigating fast country lanes to a computer could be fraught with all manner of technical issues. So much so, Infiniti added a back-up mechanical steering column to its steer-by-wire Q50 model when it launched back in 2014. You know, just in case.But times are changing and a growing number of manufacturers now see the technology as vital to the development of tomorrow’s vehicles – particularly those that have already shunned many mechanical parts for battery packs and electric motors.Mercedes-Benz is arguably one of the most high-profile manufacturers to advocate the use of by-wire steering, stating recently that its updated all-electric EQS saloon will be the first production model to sport the tech next year.

(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)

Faster input response time, reduced physical effort from the driver and an almost complete removal of nasty vibrations from rough surfaces are just a few reasons why the German marque says it is turning to computers for steering duties.On top of this, it says the new yoke controller design frees up knee room and makes it much easier to clamber in and out of the car. Oh, and Mercedes also feels that the steering wheel will become less important as its cars continue on the path forwards greater levels of automation.Tesla famously added a Steering Yoke to its Model 3 and others in select regions, but those vehicles didn’t feature the steer-by-wire system that was later introduced to Cybertruck.Some Model S, X and 3 owners hit back and said Yoke steering made it difficult to rotate the wheel enough in tricky parking maneuvers, while the Yoke-mounted turn signal buttons could become fiddly to operate when traversing a roundabout, for example.

(Image credit: Lexus)

After testing it myself in a US-spec Model 3, I wasn't convinced. It was impossible to move hand position, making it uncomfortable to use over longer drives, and it tied me up in knots trying to reverse park it into a bay.However, steer-by-wire effectively negates the need to rotate the wheel more than a few degrees to achieve full lock. The system is able to recognize low speed parking situations and will automatically speed up steering response, as it does in the hulking Cybertruck.The updated Lexus RZ will be one of the first global cars to receive a steer-by-wire system that also comes with a yoke instead of a traditional round wheel.The Japanese company says it is configured with a ‘lock-to-lock’ rotation of around 200-degrees, meaning far less wheel-twirling when turning around.

Reinventing the wheel

(Image credit: Mercedes-Benz)

Mercedes-Benz believes its steer-by-wire technology, no matter ow divisive it might be, will have a huge impact on driver comfort.“In combination with future conditionally and highly automated driving systems, the driver could have a new, even more relaxed position in the long term,” the company said upon revealing its latest technology.What’s more, it allows unobstructed views of the marque’s impressive Superscreen infotainment array that it recently announced on the upcoming CLA. Mercedes even goes far to mention that the yoke could double up as a gaming peripheral when the owner is parked or charging.Despite the clear benefits, by-wire steering will require some adaptation from the driver – it's not an easy thing to gel with right away.But with Toyota, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla all now offering the technology, it is highly likely that a greater number of future models will start toying with it – particularly those that are continuing to push the autonomous driving agenda.

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Coinbase users spotted a flaw in their Account Activity logsThe logs were showing failed login attempts as failed 2FA codesThe bug was apparently used in social engineering, but there is no evidence

The two-factor authentication (2FA) error on Coinbase, one of the biggest cryptocurrency trading platforms in the world, was finally fixed.In early April, Coinbase customers started noticing that their Account Activity logs showed “2-step verification failed” entries. These would suggest that someone tried to log in using valid credentials but was only stopped after entering the wrong 2FA code.Coinbase (and a few media, including BleepingComputer) was soon notified about the messages, and launched an investigation. Apparently, the log was showing when someone tried to log in using the wrong credentials, but erroneously listed it as “2-step verification failed”. In some instances, the log would also show the “second_factor_failure” message, which basically meant the same thing.

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Second increase

The platform has since addressed the issue and updated the log so that it displays a “Password attempt failed” message instead.Although it might sound trivial, BleepingComputer says fixing errors like this is “essential”, not to cause unnecessary panic. Apparently, some users reached out to say that they were resetting their passwords and “spent hours” trying to figure out if their accounts were hacked or not.Furthermore, the publication argues that wrong labels could be abused in social engineering attacks, with crooks convincing victims that their accounts were compromised and tricking them into making wrong decisions.Being one of the largest cryptocurrency trading platforms out there, Coinbase is often the target of different scams. Crypto is a hotbed for cybercriminals, since it still mostly operates in the grey zone and since funds, once transferred, are impossible to retrieve. Furthermore some tokens, such as Monero, grant their users high levels of anonymity and privacy, making it almost impossible to determine the identity of scammers and cybercriminals.Via BleepingComputer

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OnePlus has basically reversed its US Watch 3 price hikeIt will now cost $349.99The company says it will refund anyone who paid the $499.99 price

OnePlus has announced that its OnePlus Watch 3 price hike is being largely reversed, and that the device will now cost just $349.99 in the US.In a statement, OnePlus told TechRadar that the OnePlus Watch 3 price was increased to $499.99 on April 10 owing to "the current market conditions." The company didn't elaborate, but it's safe to assume recent tariff uncertainty was behind the move."After further evaluation, we’re pleased to share that recent adjustments in our supply chain have allowed us to pass some savings back to those who are interested in purchasing the OnePlus Watch 3 in the U.S," the company said.That means that the best Android smartwatch for battery life in 2025 is now just $349.99, only $20 more than the price we expected it to debut at on launch.What's more, if you did buy one at $499.99, OnePlus says you'll get a full refund of the difference, and you'll be contacted directly by the company's Customer Support Team.

Developing...

The Apple Watch Series 11 is unlikely to get blood oxygen monitoringIts other rumored features don’t feel interesting enough to meThat means I’ll likely skip the upgrade this year

The Apple Watch Series 11 is likely about six months from launching, but rumors on its new features have been few and far between. Right now, I’m struggling to see a reason to upgrade from my Apple Watch Series 10 – even considering the latest rumors.Here are five reasons I’m thinking of giving the Apple Watch Series 11 a pass, from a lack of new features to lackluster additions.

Blood oxygen monitoring

(Image credit: Apple)

The latest tidbit surrounding the Series 11 comes from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who says there’s no sign that Apple is about to reinstate a blood oxygen detection system into its upcoming smartwatch.In case you missed it, Apple has been forced to disable this feature after a contentious patent dispute. But if Gurman – who has a strong track record for Apple leaks – can’t see it returning any time soon, that’s one less reason for me to want to upgrade later this year.

5G and satellite connectivity

(Image credit: Future)

The Apple Watch Ultra is the more rugged (and expensive) version of the regular Apple Watch, and it often gets high-end features before any other Watch edition. That could be the case again this year, if the rumors are correct, with both 5G and satellite connectivity potentially coming to the Ultra. The Series 11, though, is expected to miss out.Satellite connectivity in particular would really interest me, as it would let me contact the outside world if I was stuck in the wilderness without a signal. But at $799, the Apple Watch Ultra is outside my budget – and with these features supposedly skipping the Series 11, that’s one more reason to for me to give it a pass.

Apple Intelligence

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Qubix Studio)

Apple Intelligence hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire yet, and even though I have it on my iPhone and my Mac, I find I hardly use it on either. And with some of the best Apple Intelligence features being delayed, there’s not much incentive to regularly use it.That means that even if the Apple Watch Series 11 comes with an Apple Intelligence upgrade, it’s unlikely to convince me to upgrade unless there’s a big change in its capabilities. For now, I’m happy to sit it out.

New colors

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Occasionally, Apple brings out a new Apple Watch color, and that’s rumored to happen again this year. Yet while the new shades have generally been pretty likable, the problem is that they never seem to sway me.Don’t get me wrong, I think the Jet Black Apple Watch Series 10 looked beautiful, and the deep blue Series 7 model also caught my eye. Yet I’ve always opted for the silvery aluminum Watch versions because that color goes with so many watch bands. Even if Apple launches a new color this year, I’d probably still go for the silver one thanks to its flexibility.

Blood pressure alerts

(Image credit: Apple)

The Apple Watch has become an excellent health and fitness tool, and it’s adept at warning you if your health metrics are starting to show worrying signs. That could get another boost this year if blood pressure monitoring comes to the Apple Watch Series 11, as has been rumored.My problem is not with this feature itself, as I think it would be well worth having. The issue is that I don’t think this feature alone is enough to tempt me to upgrade. With all the other features that I’ve mentioned not doing enough for me, it’s unlikely that blood pressure warnings alone will be able to tip the scales.

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Netflix has announced when its Tudum 2025 live event will take placeIt'll air on May 31 (US) and June 1 (UK)The fan celebration will reveal new details on plenty of new films and TV shows

Netflix has announced the official air date for Tudum 2025.The global fan event, whose first edition was held in 2020, returns for its sixth installment on Saturday, May 31 at 5pm / 8pm ET in the US. Viewers in the UK and Australia can also tune in on Sunday, June 1 at 1am BST and 10am AEST respectively. Meanwhile, Netflix fanatics in other world regions can use the aforementioned US times to work out when they can watch the live event.

The unveiling was made alongside a Netflix Tudum 2025 announcement trailer, which you can view above. Based on the new Netflix movies and some of the best Netflix shows, whose footage is shown as part of the teaser, it looks like the world's best streaming service is going all-out to make this year's edition the best one yet.So, what can fans expect from Tudum 2025? For those who haven't watched – or can't watch (hey, YouTube is blocked in some workplaces!) – the above teaser, lots of new and returning Netflix Originals.From new information about the final seasons of Squid Game and Stranger Things, to details about new films including Happy Gilmore 2 and Knives Out 3, Netflix devotees won't want to miss this installment of the streaming titan's annual fan event. Expect Wednesday's sophomore season to take center stage, too, with its first batch of episodes set to debut in June.Here's a quick rundown of the movies, TV shows, and other entertainment fare confirmed to appear at Tudum 2025:

Emily in Paris season 5Guillermo del Toro's FrankensteinHappy Gilmore 2 Love is BlindOne Piece season 2Outer Banks season 5The RipSquid Game season 3Stranger Things season 5America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys CheerleadersThe Life ListWake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out MysteryWednesday season 2WWE

Netflix Tudum 2025, which will also feature appearances from some of the biggest stars who'll appear in the above productions, will take place at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles.There's no word on when tickets will be available to attend in-person. However, the event will be livestreamed on Netflix's YouTube channel and its official accounts on other social media platforms. So, those of you who miss out on getting tickets can still watch along at home.TechRadar won't be in attendance in LA, but we'll bring you live updates from the event as new trailers, cast reveals, plot specifics, and release dates are revealed. Here's hoping we finally learn when Stranger Things 5 will launch on the platform.

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Hotpatch updates for Windows Server 2025 Standard and Datacenter will be chargeableCompanies will pay $1.50 per CPU core each month12 annual reboots become four with the service

Microsoft is exploring an option for customers to pay a monthly fee in order to avoid regular machine reboots after it revealed details of an upcoming hotpatching option last year.Redmond had previously made hotpatching for Windows Server 2025 available in preview in 2024, but ahead of its general availability on July 1, 2025, the company has confirmed it will come at a cost.In the summer, users wishing to continue with their hotpatching upgrades will need to pay $1.50 a month per CPU core.

Microsoft will charge for Windows Server hotpatching

To be compatible, servers must be Windows Server 2025 Standard or Datacenter edition, and connected to Azure Arc. Azure Editions (Azure IaaS, Azure Local and Azure Stack) of Windows Server will continue to get hotpatching for free.Microsoft also added that users enrolled in the preview program will need to disenroll before June 30 if they wish not to continue under the paid plan.As part of the schedule, machines will have four baseline updates a year in January, April, July and October, each requiring a reboot. Two of the three months per quarter will consists of hotpatches – updates that don't require a system reboot. That equates to eight hotpatches per year versus four reboot updates – a considerable saving for those paying the $1.50 monthly fee per CPU core.Windows Server Product Marketing Manager Janine Patrick and Senior Program Manager Artem Pronichkin explained that sometimes a non-hotpatch update will need to be pushed during a hotpatch period for security reasons, but for the most part, the schedule should remain on track."Hotpatching can save significant time and ease the inconvenience of a traditional 'patch Tuesday," they added.

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KM5 Lightwear HP1 cost $189 / £159 (about AU$331)1980s looks, but with Bluetooth 5.4 and active noise cancellation24-hour battery life, but two different parts to charge

Whenever I feel nostalgic about the orange foam Walkman headphones I used in the 1980s, I have to remind myself that they sounded absolutely awful. But what if they returned, and sounded good, and had active noise cancellation too? That's what the new KM5 Lightwear HP1 headphones are here to deliver.The headphones work both wirelessly and in wired mode, and come in at just 103g without cables. Sadly they don't come in that '80s orange, but there are white and black models with swappable colored cushions.

(Image credit: KM5)

KM5 Lightwear HP1 headphones: key features and pricing

The thin headband is made from stainless steel and behind the cushions there are 40mm drivers with a frequency response of 20Hz to 25kHz.Bluetooth is 5.4 with Bluetooth LE Audio, and battery life is a promised 24 hours from a three-hour charge. The ANC has a transparency mode as well as normal cancellation.There are two big downsides here, however. The earcups are not connected to one another, and that means you need to charge with two cables. And for wired listening, a USB-C cable will have more weight than the skinny audio cables of old-school cans. I'm assuming that in wired mode the cabled earcup sends audio wirelessly to the other, although KM5 hasn't made that offically clear.They're definitely an interesting new addition to the world of the best noise cancelling headphones – a very different style to anything from Sony or Bose. That goes double since so few of the best on-ear headphones have ANC, so these provide something genuinely rare.The HP1 headphones are available now from km5.co.jp for £159 / $189 (about AU$331), making them a pretty fair price – now we just need to see if they're any good, assuming they (hopefully) become widely available.

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Wednesday season 2: key information- Expected to be released on August 6 2025- Filming officially wrapped in December 2024- Main cast members set to return- Two new supporting cast members have been added to season 2’s roster- Three season 1 regulars reportedly aren't returning- No official trailer, but a teaser trailer was released in April - First five seconds of official footage released in late January - No official plot details released yet- Season 1 finale teases potential story threads- Showrunners have plans for four seasons

Wednesday season 2 is expected to be released later this year, and we've got some frightfully exciting news to share in the meantime.Firstly, we know that the cast and crew of the wonderfully macabre Netflix show have officially wrapped filming for the next supernatural installment. So, what does Nevermore Academy's no. 1 teen detective have in store for us next? And how deep into Addams family lore will the show so bravely go? Don't worry, when it comes to the return of one of the best Netflix shows, we have some information to divulge, as well as some snippets of official footage.Director Tim Burton will return to continue the darkly gothic and twisted tales of Wednesday and her suitably strange classmates. And, for Wednesday season 2, there's also some surprising guest stars joining the abundantly frightful cast.So, for season 2, we've gathered every ounce of intel we can get our hands on, no matter how peculiar. Whilst we don't have Thing to help us get to those harder-to-reach places, we do have a release date, a new cast list, a trailer, and speculation on Wednesday's mysterious tale, plus much more to tell you about.Full spoilers follow for Wednesday season 1. Potential spoilers are also discussed for season 2.

Wednesday season 2 release date

Catherine Zeta-Jones lays Wednesday Season 2 production to rest. pic.twitter.com/8tGp80o90NDecember 4, 2024

It was a long, somewhat uncomfortable wait for Netflix to *ahem* snap its fingers and renew Wednesday for another season. Indeed, we had to wait six weeks after season 1's late November 2022 release for Netflix to confirm Wednesday season 2 after the show's record-breaking debut.But now, the wait for the second installment to premiere is on – and luckily, there's not too much longer until its release date. Following the release of an official teaser trailer, Netflix confirmed that Wednesday season 2 will drop in two parts:Part one is scheduled to be released on August 4, 2025, which means fans will be able to watch the first four episodes right away. However, they'll have to wait for the remaining four episodes to drop in part two on September 3With principal photography ending on December 4 2024, as revealed by Morticia herself, that means there'll have been eight months between filming wrapping and the show dropping on Netflix, which is exactly the same length of time that season 1 had.

Wednesday season 2 trailer: is there one?

We still don't have an official trailer, but we were treated to an official teaser of the gothic comedy in late April.In it, Wednesday is back at Nevermore Academy for a second year of school, which she likens to "returning to the scene of crime" in the creepy teaser trailer. There's also flashes of killer bees, buried bodies and very creepy dolls – complete with real human hair – so it looks like we've got a lot of new mysteries on the way.

You're not ready for Wednesday Season 2. #NextOnNetflix pic.twitter.com/ZDx2501wImJanuary 30, 2025

Before the teaser trailer was announced, the first five seconds of official footage debuted as part of 2025's Next on Netflix trailer. In just a few shots, Wednesday is seen visiting Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital.Here she finds Tyler Galpin who is restrained in chains after his Hyde abilities are revealed. This first of all confirms Tyler's return for season 2 and also teases a potential look at his own mother, Francoise, and her time at Willow Hill.

A behind-the-scenes video, released during Geeked Week Live 2024, also gave us the best look at the next season but didn't contain the reveals what we actually wanted to see. We'll update this guide once a full trailer is finally unveiled.

Wednesday season 2 cast: confirmed

Some most excellent news as the main cast of season 1 is set to return (Image credit: Netflix)

Major spoilers follow for Wednesday season 1.

Wednesday season 2 will return with most of its original cast, barring a few faces, along with a few fresh ones. The most notable being Wednesday's little brother Pugsley and his folks.“Season 1 really focused on Wednesday, but you met the other characters but didn’t get to know them, and now we get to expand their storylines and expand the scope and breadth of the show,” creator Alfred Gough told Tudum.Here's who we expect to see in Wednesday season 2, including new additions to the cast for its sophomore outing:

Jenna Ortega as Wednesday AddamsCatherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia AddamsLuis Guzmán as Gomez AddamsEmma Myers as Enid SinclairHunter Doohan as Tyler GalpinJoy Sunday as Bianca BarclayIsaac Ordonez as Pugsley AddamsVictor Dorobantu as The ThingFred Armisen as Uncle FesterGeorge Burcea as LurchJamie McShane as Sheriff Donovan GalpinMoosa Mostafa as Eugene OtingerGeorgie Farmer as Ajax PetropolusLuyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Deputy Ritchie SantiagoSteve Buscemi as Principal Barry DortBillie Piper as CapriThandiwe Newton as Doctor FairburnJoanna Lumley as Grandmama aka Hester FrumpLady Gaga as TBCEvie Templeton as TBCOwen Painter as TBCNoah Taylor as TBCChristopher Lloyd as TBCJoonas Suotamo as TBCFrances O'Connor as TBCHaley Joel Osment as TBCHeather Matarazzo as TBC

Showrunners and executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar revealed to Netflix Tudum: "We look forward to exploring more Addams Family lore, and are excited to introduce an eclectic lineup of incredible new characters." And we certainly look forward to finding who else from the Addams Family may show up.Fans of Wednesday will be surprised to hear that two season 1 regulars reportedly won't be back at all in season 2, and another only briefly. According to Deadline, Percy Hynes White, Jamie McShane, and Naomi J. Ogawa who played Xavier Thorpe, Sheriff Donovan Galpin, and Yoko Tanaka respectively are not returning. Though McShane will reportedly reprise his role briefly, but as a guest star, to "likely wrap the story of his character" after his son Tyler was revealed to be the Hyde.You may have spotted in the cast list that Lady Gaga has a reported cameo in season 2. First reported by Entertainment Weekly, a source had told the site that Lady Gaga will be taking an "undisclosed role", the size of which is still very much unknown. Though if we had a Thing of our own to send into the set undercover, we'd most certainly be doing it.

Wednesday season 2 story speculation

Will we see Professor Weems again in Wednesday season 2? (Image credit: Vlad Cioplea/Netflix)

Full story spoilers follow for Wednesday season 1.

The Wednesday season 2 plot remains a secret for now.All we have so far is a snippet of intrigue from Gough and Millar in conversation with Tudum: "This season, Wednesday’s journey is darker and more complex as she navigates family, friends, new mysteries, and old adversaries, propelling her headlong into another year at Nevermore." They also refer to Wednesday season 2 as: "delightfully dark, kooky, and mysterious," similar to the delights of season 1.And when it comes to cast members, they're keeping the plot tightly under wraps. Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair) admitted to NME: "I cannot tell you anything about Wednesday season two! Otherwise my body will be buried somewhere and you'll never see me again."But, while we don't know much for certain, there's definitely theories to follow, down dark and mysterious rabbit holes. For one, there’s talk of Crackstone’s ring falling to the ground following his apparent defeat in the season 1 finale. A poignant moment captured and shown to viewers perhaps hint at someone else retrieving the ring and possessing his powers, though it's unclear who this might be.Then there’s the downfall of Miss Thornhill, aka Laurel Gates (Christina Ricci), who was revealed to be the person responsible for controlling the Hyde monster. Who is the Hyde in question? None other than Tyler, one of Wednesday's love interests.Given the Hyde master has control over Tyler and that, when Wednesday's car passed Tyler's prison vehicle, it triggered him to take his Hyde form, fans believe Wednesday is now in possession of Thornhill's abilities. Teasing this potential link further, Ortega says it would be fun to see Wednesday have a pet. The plot thickens...

Tim Burton and Jenna Ortega at the Wednesday Season 2 Table Read 🖤 pic.twitter.com/bmAYZyo9UVMay 7, 2024

Elsewhere, Professor Weems (Gwendoline Christie), the shape-shifting Principal of Nevermore Academy, was seemingly killed in season 1 – but you can never be too sure with these things. Indeed, eagle-eyed viewers noted that when Lurch, The Addams Family butler, is driving Wednesday home for school break in season 1 episode 8, he had a different eye color than earlier in the season. Is this really Weems in disguise? Who knows, but we can't wait to find out if this is one theory we correctly called well ahead of Wednesday season 2's release.There are plenty of other subplots that season 2 could and most probably will lean into. That includes Wednesday receiving threatening texts, Nevermore Academy being without a Principal following Weems' alleged death, Gates' fate being left up in the air, the fallout from Xavier's incorrect imprisonment in episode 7 (and subsequent release in the finale), and more.Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Ortega also gave her opinion on Wednesday's potential evolution heading into next season: "I kind of want her to be darker," she teased. "I want her to get more into the nitty-gritty of things, not play things so safe… I want to continue down an antihero stream, rather than a typical hero."Not short on exciting things to say about Wednesday season 2, Ortega also spoke to Vanity Fair about how each episode will stand out on its own merit: "Every episode [of season two] that I’ve read so far is like that," she said. "It just stands out on its own as a very memorable scene or bit or setting, which I think is what I’m most excited for, because to pull that off for eight episodes is, I think, really incredible and really lucky". As for the theme, we can expect more expansion on the supernatural world. And yes, we are also hoping and dreaming of Cousin Itt like Ortega herself.More recently, during her September cover story for Vanity Fair, Ortega had some rather excellent season 2 plot details to share. It was first revealed that she’ll be returning not only as Wednesday, but as a producer too. And when it comes to taking on her new role in season 2, she had insight to share on the plot: “I think the feel that we’re going for is a little bit more horror-inspired. Not to say that suddenly we’re the goriest show of all time. I mean, there’s six-year-olds watching.” Teasing an example of the horror Wednesday will bring this time round: “We’re doing this thing now where Wednesday just kind of appears. She is a little bit of a jump scare herself.”

Where to watch Wednesday season 1

Altogether now: Ba da ba da *click click* (Image credit: Netflix)

Wednesday is among Netflix’s most impressive TV originals. That means all eight episodes of Wednesday season 1 are exclusive to the world's best streaming service.Despite rumors that the show could shockingly move to Prime Video after Amazon's acquisition of MGM (the latter being one of Wednesday's many production companies), IndieWire confirmed Netflix would remain the home of Wednesday for season 2 and beyond. Speaking of which...

Will Wednesday get a third season on Netflix?

More adventures await Wednesday and The Thing in season 2 – and, potentially, beyond (Image credit: Netflix)

It feels a little premature to say a third season is on the way, but we'd be surprised if Wednesday season 2 is the end of the line.Season 3 sounds incredibly likely though, with showrunner Miles Millar telling Variety: "For us, it’s always looking at the future, and when we sit down to create a show, it’s looking at multiple seasons, ideally. That’s never expected, but that’s the anticipation that hopefully the show is successful. So you always lay out at least three or four seasons’ worth of potential storylines for the characters."Three or four seasons? Don’t mind if we do. And we're sure Netflix will duly oblige with running with that plan, especially if Wednesday season 2 is as big (if not bigger) than its predecessor. And, with Bloomberg reporting that a Wednesday spin-off is tentatively in development at Netflix, we might have even more Addams Family shenanigans to enjoy further down the line.

For more Netflix TV show-based coverage, read our guides on Stranger Things season 5, One Piece season 2, Squid Game season 3, and Knives Out 3.

Nothing has announced its new CMF Phone Pro 2It launches May 6 and starts at $279 / £219Nothing also gave us new CMF Buds 2, Buds 2 Plus, and Buds 2a

Following its teaser earlier this month Nothing has revealed its CMF Phone 2 Pro and new CMF Buds 2 (alongside Buds 2 Plus and Buds 2a), and this new smartphone has the potential to land instantly on our best cheap phones guide.Why? Well its base model (8GB RAM / 128GB storage) costs just £219 (it’s not available in the US beta), and the upgraded option comes in at just $279 / £249 for 8GB RAM / 256GB storage so it certainly ticks the ‘affordable’ box.At the same time it boasts some surprisingly impressive sounding specs. We’re talking a four-camera setup including a 50MP main sensor on the back and 16MP selfie camera, and improved processor over the CMF Phone 1 which is 10% faster and offers a 5% graphics improvement, and a battery that Nothing boasts can deliver close to two-full days of use on a single charge.

(Image credit: Nothing)

Specifically “47 hours of voice calls, 22 hours of YouTube or 10 hours of Battlegrounds Mobile India gaming.”Admittedly it has a few flaws which justify a lower cost. Its ultra-wide camera is a mere 8MP, and the processor’s max clock speeds are slower than you’d find on an iPhone 16 or Samsung Galaxy S25 (though they are on par with other budget options).It also only has an IP54 durability rating rather than the IP68 rating most other phones offer menaing it isn't as dust or water resitant as its rivals (likely owing to its customisable design).Obviously we’ll need to test it out, but with such a low price of entry it won’t take much for the CMF Phone Pro 2 to impress us, but if you’re keen to pick it up ASAP preorders are live already – with the new phone officially launching on May 6.

Affordable audio incoming too

(Image credit: Nothing)

If you’re not in the market for a budget phone, Nothing also just announced three pairs of CMF buds that boast affordable audio.The standard model is the new CMF Buds 2. They’ll cost $59 / £39 and boast spatial audio, 48dB hybrid active noise cancellation, and enhanced audio tuning from Dirac which Nothing says should help them deliver a “clearer, more dynamic sound”.Want to spend a little less? The CMF Buds 2a cost just $49 / £29 and come with an entry-level performance – with less powerful ANC. Meanwhile if you have a slightly bigger budget you can splash out on the $69 / £49 CMF Buds 2 Plus which are outfitted with “Hi-Res LDAC, hearing compensation and full EQ customisation” for what Nothing declares a “Next-level audio experience.”

(Image credit: Nothing)

We’ll need to test these earbuds out for ourselves to understand what they're capable of, but our three-and-a-half-star CMF By Nothing Buds review was generally positive – calling the earbuds “stylish” and “temptingly inexpensive.”That said, we did find their “middling” audio performance and ANC left something to be desired.Hopefully these new models come with some necessary upgrades, but you might want to hold off until reviews are published to know if these buds are worth your time rather than getting in on the already open pre-orders ahead of their May 6 release.

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Nothing sub-brand CMF just announced several new products, including a refresh of its flagship smartphone. The Phone Pro 2 looks to be an improvement over its predecessor in every major way.

The company says it's the lightest and slimmest smartphone it has ever designed. It’s 7.8mm thin and weighs 6.5 ounces. That may make it the lightest phone Nothing has ever made, but the iPhone 16, for instance, is just six ounces.

The sixth-generation MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro 5G processor includes an 8-core CPU that can run clock speeds up to 2.5GHz, which allows for an uptick in both processing and graphics when compared to the CMF Phone 1. The battery also looks particularly robust, with the company suggesting it can last two full days on a single charge.

There’s a 6.77-inch FHD+ AMOLED display and a four-camera setup, complete with a 50MP main camera. This system includes a telephoto lens, an ultra-wide and a front-facing selfie camera. There’s also a modular component to the camera array, as users can attach a fisheye and macro lens.

CMF by Nothing

The CMF Phone 2 Pro comes in four colors, but each color offers unique design elements. For instance, the black and light green models feature a back that mimics frosted glass and is bordered with a metallic frame. The orange model boasts a metallic sheen, while the white phone includes a paneled sandstone finish on the back.

The good news? These are budget-friendly phones. The 256GB model costs just $279. However, they look to be tough to get a hold of here in the US. Preorders technically open today, with shipments going out on May 6, but the phone is only available for those in the company’s beta program.

CMF by Nothing

Now onto the earbuds, none of which will be available to purchase in the US at launch. The CMF Buds 2 look to be a standard entry-level affair, with ANC and tech that mimics spatial audio. They cost around $50.

The CMF Buds 2 Plus adds hi-res LDAC and a full EQ into the mix. These cost around $65. The CMF Buds 2a are made for budget-conscious consumers, though they still include ANC. They cost around $38. All of these earbuds will be available on May 6.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/nothing-sub-brand-cmf-just-announced-a-new-smartphone-and-earbuds-134517602.html?src=rss

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, April 28 (game #1190).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1191) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

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

Quordle today (game #1191) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1191) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1191) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

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

Quordle today (game #1191) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• H• H• O• C

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

Quordle today (game #1191) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1191, are…

HOVERHENCEOCTALCOPSE

My best decision today was to use COULD as a start word – I occasionally think WOULD is a better option, but it would have made life trickier today.The hardest word was the last, even though I had five letters, as it was difficult to find an actual word; in the end, OCTAL was the only formation of letters I could muster and as luck would have it also an actual word.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1191) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1191, are…

BADGEGNOMEPHASEBELLY

Quordle answers: The past 20

Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNTQuordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDEQuordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICKQuordle #1187, Friday, 25 April: SHALT, WRATH, MAMBO, HUMPHQuordle #1186, Thursday, 24 April: CHOKE, COLOR, FRAME, CAIRNQuordle #1185, Wednesday, 23 April: VALET, PUPAL, CREEP, DRIFTQuordle #1184, Tuesday, 22 April: POUTY, CHEST, BROOM, TEPEEQuordle #1183, Monday, 21 April: SHARD, PRINT, SUMAC, LEACHQuordle #1182, Sunday, 20 April: DINER, HORDE, SHONE, FUGUEQuordle #1181, Saturday, 19 April: GRADE, LAUGH, RAINY, EXULTQuordle #1180, Friday, 18 April: DEBUT, GLADE, BASTE, PESTOQuordle #1179, Thursday, 17 April: SPRAY, RAMEN, SHELF, COURTQuordle #1178, Wednesday 16 April: STUMP, GRAFT, CHORD, INPUTQuordle #1177, Tuesday 15 April: SLEET, MERIT, HARSH, FORAYQuordle #1176, Monday 14 April: DRAWL, CROOK, ACTOR, LANCEQuordle #1175, Sunday 13 April: SHALE, KINKY, SHORN, WHOOPQuordle #1174, Saturday 12 April: BLIND, OVOID, CACHE, THINGQuordle #1173, Friday 11 April: FOLLY, PITHY, SCOWL, CURLYQuordle #1172, Thursday 10 April: LEAST, SEWER, UNTIE, NOOSEQuordle #1171, Wednesday 9 April: LITHE, LEFTY, KNOLL, MULCH

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, April 28 (game #687).

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 #688) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

LADDERBATTERSUITCANDLESTICKINFIELDROPEPASTEPITCHERGEMSTONEMOUNTAINPLATEMIXTURETREEDOUGHRHOMBUSPLACEMAT

NYT Connections today (game #688) - hint #1 - group hints

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

YELLOW: Baking blendsGREEN: Fancy diningBLUE: Conquer thesePURPLE: Ice, ice baby

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 #688) - hint #2 - group answers

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

YELLOW: COOKING CONCOCTIONS GREEN: SEEN ON A TABLE AT A DINNER PARTY BLUE: THINGS TO CLIMBPURPLE: WHAT "DIAMOND" CAN REFER

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

NYT Connections today (game #688) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #688, are…

YELLOW: COOKING CONCOCTIONS BATTER, DOUGH, MIXTURE, PASTEGREEN: SEEN ON A TABLE AT A DINNER PARTY CANDLESTICK, PITCHER, PLACEMAT, PLATEBLUE: THINGS TO CLIMB LADDER, MOUNTAIN, ROPE, TREEPURPLE: WHAT "DIAMOND" CAN REFER TO GEMSTONE, INFIELD, RHOMBUS, SUIT

My rating: EasyMy score: Perfect

For a while I suspected there was a baseball themed group in today’s puzzle, with PITCHER, BATTER, INFIELD and, erm CANDLESTICK after the legendary stadium perhaps?Fortunately, I ruled out this blind alley and concentrated on successfully gathering THINGS TO CLIMB and COOKING CONCOCTIONS.The final groups were less straightforward, but I knew RHOMBUS is diamond-shaped and that a baseball INFIELD is too, so I added GEMSTONE and took a gamble with SUIT before later realising that this referred to a suit in a deck of cards.And there was me thinking it might be a fancy bit of clothing someone like Timothée Chalamet might wear to the Met Gala…How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, April 28, game #687)

YELLOW: HAIR PRODUCTS GEL, MOUSSE, SPRAY, WAXGREEN: AUSTERE BARE, PLAIN, SIMPLE, SPAREBLUE: CLUES AT A CRIME SCENE FIBER, FINGERPRINT, HAIR, TIRE MARKPURPLE: WEARY BORE, DRAIN, EXHAUST, TIRE

What is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?A new 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, April 28 (game #421).

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 #422) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… I've got you covered

NYT Strands today (game #422) - hint #2 - clue words

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

COATSETTLEMATCHTROTSITEDOLL

NYT Strands today (game #422) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 6 letters

NYT Strands today (game #422) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: right, 5th rowLast side: left, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #422) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #422, are…

TACOTORTOISEWALNUTNUCLEUSNAUTILUSARMADILLOSPANGRAM: SHELLS

My rating: HardMy score: 2 hints

I found today’s Strands one of the most challenging for a while and needed a couple of hints to get me across the line – and even with the hints I found it difficult to see NUCLEUS and NAUTILUS.“I've got you covered” immediately had me thinking about coverings and cases, but I didn’t immediately think we were looking for SHELLS.The first word I saw in the grid was coat, which I thought was certain to be one of the words we were searching for.Instead, it was an anagram of coat that was correct and TACO confused me even more. TORTOISE firmed up the theme, but after getting the Spangram and WALNUT I drew a blank.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, April 28, game #421)

SPILLTOPPLESLIPFALTERBLUNDERSTUMBLESPANGRAM: WHOOPSIE DAISY

What is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

FBI is asking the public for help identifying Salt TyphoonIt says relevant information could result in a bounty of up to $10 millionThe Chinese are allegedly involved in attacks on US critical infrastructure

Want to earn $10 million? Easy! All you need to do is have actionable insight on Salt Typhoon, the infamous Chinese hacking collective.Late last week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) posted a new announcement, asking the public to help identify the key people of the notorious Chinese state-sponsored threat actor.Those who provide the law enforcement agency with proper intel can expect a reward of up to $10 million.

Get Keeper Personal for just $1.67/month, Keeper Family for just $3.54/month, and Keeper Business for just $7/month​Keeper is a cybersecurity platform primarily known for its password manager and digital vault, designed to help individuals, families, and businesses securely store and manage passwords, sensitive files, and other private data. It uses zero-knowledge encryption and offers features like two-factor authentication, dark web monitoring, secure file storage, and breach alerts to protect against cyber threats.Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

Bounty rewards

“FBI is issuing this announcement to ask the public to report information about PRC-affiliated activity publicly tracked as "Salt Typhoon" and the compromise of multiple US telecommunications companies, especially information about specific individuals behind the campaign,” the FBI’s announcement reads.“Investigation into these actors and their activity revealed a broad and significant cyber campaign to leverage access into these networks to target victims on a global scale. This activity resulted in the theft of call data logs, a limited number of private communications involving identified victims, and the copying of select information subject to court-ordered US law enforcement requests.”The FBI also said that the US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program is offering a reward of “up to $10 million for information about foreign government-linked individuals participating in certain malicious cyber activities against US critical infrastructure”, in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).From the wording of the announcement, it would seem that the bounty stretches beyond Salt Typhoon and into other groups that attacked US critical infrastructure firms. Those would probably include Volt Typhoon as well - another Chinese state-sponsored group that was observed going after the same targets.Microsoft is tracking multiple “Typhoon” threat actors, all of them from China. These groups, involved in everything from cyber-espionage to sabotage and financial crime, are called Brass Typhoon, Purple Typhoon, Volt Typhoon, Salt Typhoon, Brocade Typhoon, and Salmon Typhoon, to name a few.Via Cybernews

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2025 kicked off with the arrival of DeepSeek-R1. The Chinese-built AI model crashed onto the AI scene in January, sending Big Tech into meltdown and, importantly, putting open source on the map like never before. It demonstrated the potential of open AI frameworks to not only democratise access but also drive down costs of development and speed up innovation.At its core, open source is about giving back control. In a landscape dominated by hyperscale proprietary models, choice has become somewhat of a luxury. Many businesses have found themselves locked into a single cloud provider, tied down by steep exit fees and rigid contracts. As a result, they have limited flexibility in how and where they deploy their workloads.Open source flips the hyperscale model on its head. It hands power back to businesses and developers, giving them the freedom to deploy workloads wherever it makes the most sense.

Is open source the new blueprint for AI innovation?

Tech industry heavyweight Marc Andreessen recently referred to DeepSeek-R1 as “AI’s Sputnik moment”. While the model itself is impressive, the real story is what it represents: a turning point for open source AI. We’re witnessing a broader shift away from closed, proprietary systems toward a more open, collaborative, and transparent approach to building intelligence.But it wasn’t just DeepSeek’s openness that caught this industry’s attention. DeepSeek-R1 was built for a fraction of the cost of competitors like Meta’s Llama. At just $5.6 million, roughly 10% of Llama’s development cost, it’s completely upended the idea that AI innovation requires billion-dollar investments. In a market that’s been built on the assumption that high cost, yield high computing power, DeepSeek has shown that AI can be accessible.

Open AI, open cloud: a strategic shift

For businesses exploring AI adoption, open source models align perfectly with emerging cloud priorities. They offer:Freedom from vendor lock-In: Instead of being trapped in closed ecosystems with rigid policies and costs, businesses can tailor models to fit their specific needs, keeping full control over infrastructure and IP.Greater cost control: Running models locally or on flexible infrastructure avoids high API fees and operational costs - particularly valuable when scaling usage.Enhanced data sovereignty: Keeping sensitive data in-house improves security and compliance, without exposing it to third-party providers.This fits with a broader demand we’re seeing in the cloud space - businesses want sovereignty. They want control over their compute, their data, and their costs. Open source AI gives them that choice.

Addressing the grey areas of open source: security, ethics, and governance

The same transparency that fuels collaboration also opens the door to risk. Without the guardrails of centralized control, open models are prone to misuse – whether that be intentional or not. Concerns around misinformation, bias, and accountability are already surfacing, and in the absence of clear governance structures, the ethical boundaries have become somewhat murky.DeepSeek itself has faced its fair share of criticism over censorship in its responses and training data. Regulatory bodies are beginning to respond, with some jurisdictions restricting its use due to concerns around privacy.But these concerns don’t have to seal the fate of the open source movement. As an industry, we need to find a way of balancing accessibility with ethics. This demands an industry-wide effort to establish standards for responsible use. It’s only through this kind of collective effort that we can build a future for AI that is both open and accountable.

Building a more inclusive AI future

What’s most exciting about the open source movement is its ability to widen access. It allows smaller players such as startups, research labs, independent developers, to contribute meaningfully to the progress of AI. In doing so, it shifts the balance of power away from hyperscalers and toward a more open, scalable, and cost-effective cloud ecosystem.The writing is on the wall: businesses are ready for this change. They want the freedom to run AI wherever and however it suits them - without restrictions, without lock-in, and without eye-watering costs. Open source is the next chapter in AI’s evolution. And if you ask me, it’s the most exciting chapter yet.

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In recent years, AI adoption has surged at an unprecedented rate. Household names, Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI have poured billions into developing advanced AI systems, while businesses worldwide scramble to integrate the technology into their operations. But, despite its supposed popularity, the pressure is mounting to prove AI’s real-world value. 2025 will be a defining year for the technology, as stakeholders and boards begin to question whether their AI investments are delivering tangible ROI, and if they ever will.Away from AI, the cyber threat landscape is also becoming increasingly volatile. Global conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Yemen have intensified state-sponsored cyber activity, which is expected to continue to escalate and likely to impact the western world the most.Beyond AI and cybersecurity threats, IT infrastructure faces growing risks from interconnectivity failures and data residency issues. High-profile IT outages, like the CrowdStrike incident last year, have highlighted how quickly operations worldwide can be disrupted by one incident. Meanwhile, concerns over undersea cable sabotage and geopolitical disruptions raise questions about where critical data resides and who truly controls it.As we enter the second quarter of 2025, businesses are facing one of the most uncertain and transformative years in IT history. So, let’s take a look at how the cyber and IT landscape will change this year.

A make-or-break year for AI

Since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022, AI has been booming in every way possible, but the conversation is moving from its potential to its performance. More than two years on and with AI-related spending projected to exceed $1 trillion in the coming years, investors and executives will soon be questioning the returns on these investments, if they aren’t already.Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings, the parent company of Booking.com and other travel platforms, recently shared that only a small portion of its customers are interacting with its AI services. While AI can provide excellent assistance, he acknowledged that responses and recommendations are inconsistent, highlighting the need for further refinement before businesses fully commit to large-scale implementation.The issue here is, with billions upon billions being funnelled into AI development, it still feels we are a way off understanding what its best use will be. This will be concerning for shareholders, even in some of the giants involved in the AI goldrush. Where does the buck stop, and will investment become unviable due to the lack of real-world impact.Many are struggling with high implementation costs, unexpected limitations, and ethical concerns around the technology and without a significant breakthrough, skepticism around AI’s true value is likely to grow.

The rise of state-sponsored cyber attacks

Latest data shows that Russian cyber-attacks on Ukraine have surged by nearly 70% in 2024, with 4,315 incidents targeting critical infrastructure.This year we could see an escalation in attacks, especially in Asia, and one of the biggest concerns is upstream supply chain infiltration. Because China is deeply embedded in the global technology supply chain, there is a real risk that malicious code, backdoors, or hardware vulnerabilities have been deliberately introduced into systems long before they are activated.Beyond Asia, another potential flashpoint for state-sponsored cyber activity is Australia. Given its close alliance with the U.S. and increasing tensions with China, if subversive cyber-attacks begin surfacing in Australia, they could show early indicators of a broader Chinese cyber strategy.

Interconnectivity vulnerabilities

As the world becomes more interconnected and reliant on devices and software, organizations are struggling to understand where its vulnerabilities sit, increasing the risk of systemic failures. The CrowdStrike outage last year served as a wake-up call, showing how a single IT failure can cause widespread operational disruptions.Many organizations are unprepared and don’t have back up plans if an issue does occur. What happens if your cloud provider experiences a prolonged outage? What if a major software dependency suddenly fails? Organizations need to consider how they can operate if it can’t access its systems and develop robust contingency plans to mitigate these risks.

The growing data residency battle

Data sovereignty and control will become a major point of contention in 2025. As geopolitical tensions rise and undersea cable sabotage grows, governments and businesses are increasingly concerned about where their data is stored and who has access to it.Most international internet traffic depends on undersea cables, and these have become a target for sabotage. Recent reports indicate that Sweden’s cables have been damaged for a third time, following its severance in November last year. Businesses must consider what happens if these critical infrastructures are compromised, as one incident can cause major disruptions to global connectivity, financial trade, and other critical systems. In other words, depending on the location and extent of the damage, large portions of the world may experience slow or non-existent data or internet access.Emerging technologies like Starlink and other satellite-based internet systems offer potential solutions, but they also introduce new security risks. With these systems becoming integral to global communication, they present lucrative targets for cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors looking to compromise sensitive data or exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access. Companies should know where their data is stored and under what jurisdiction with a robust response plan in place.The cyber and IT landscape is constantly evolving, driven by new technologies and emerging threats, and 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most transformational years in history. As we move through the year, businesses that invest in resilience, and take a proactive stance on AI, cybersecurity, and IT infrastructure, will be in the strongest position to succeed and lead.

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Questions raised over Chinese espionage via influx of China-built carsJourneys and location, text messages and documents said to be at riskPlugging a phone in to a Chinese car has been compared to using an unknown USB

UK government and military staff have been warned about security concerns surrounding the use of Chinese-built cars, according to reporting by The i Paper.For example, staff at RAF Wyton have been instructed to park cars that are built with Chinese components at least two miles away from the facility due to concerns over sat-nav and sensor surveillance.Warnings also cover connections between Chinese built cars and their drivers' phones, including Bluetooth connections and even charging the phone via the cable.

Chinese cars are under investigation

Apart from sensing location and surroundings, microphones in certain cars could potentially be used for eavesdropping by the Chinese state. As such, staff are being warned not to connect mobile phones to Chinese-made cars or discuss work inside of them, with major defense firms like BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Thales reportedly taking protective measures.The worry is that there is the potential for cars to harvest journeys, text messages, voicemails and sensitive documents, and plugging a phone into a car has been compared to plugging an unknown USB drive into a work computer.Chinese electric cars in particular have become incredibly popular in the UK just in the past few years, often undercutting established brands and offering similar levels of quality and standard equipment. However, it's not just Chinese brands that have been affected by the allegations – other brands that use Chinese components are also at risk of potential protective measures.Some cybersecurity experts say that the concerns are valid given China's history of espionage. National Intelligence Law also requires Chinese firms to assist state intelligence on request, therefore espionage via cars is entirely plausible. However, on the flip side, there has been no proven widespread spying via cars as yet.Mike Hawes, leader of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, noted: "All manufacturers with cars on sale in the UK must adhere to relevant regulations on data privacy, and EVs are no different."

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Unreleased code suggests Google may enable users to add cards to Google Wallet by tapping the card on their phone We don't have a timeframe or release date yetThe new feature could speed up adding new cards to your phone

Google could be readying a change to the Google Wallet app that would make adding contactless payment cards faster and easier.Unreleased code uncovered by Android Authority suggests that Google could soon enable the addition of cards via near-field communication, or NFC, the wireless technology that enables contactless payments.In everyday terms, that would mean adding a card by tapping the card on the phone as you would on a contactless card reader.The new option will apparently be found on the “Add payment method” screen alongside existing methods, such as manual entry.And though NFC has the potential to be much faster than adding your card details manually, it’s possible that you’ll still need to enter your CVV (or CVC) number for security reasons.The Android Authority report found no suggestions regarding compatibility, so we can’t yet say which types of cards and which issuers will be supported.Furthermore, there’s no mention of whether this feature will be added with the upcoming release of Android 16, or as part of a smaller update.

How hasn’t this happened yet?

(Image credit: Google)

Personally, I feel like this rumor seems so logical that it’s almost bizarre that it’s not already part of the official Google Wallet experience.After all, the NFC technology employed by contactless cards, phones, and card readers operates the same way – there’s nothing stopping a phone from reading a card from a technical point of view.Speculatively, it’s possible that security concerns delayed Google’s adoption of the tap-to-add feature. After all, the feature needs to be secure so that cards can’t be added to a phone fraudulently.In any case, I’d be glad to see this feature come to Google Wallet – paying contactlessly is a convenient feature, and this new feature is sure to make things even easier for users of the best Android phones.Would you add a card to your phone via NFC? Do you prefer using a contactless card or smartphone to complete payments? Let us know in the comments below.

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Japanese speedrunner Ikaboze has beaten the Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Ikaboze attended the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience: Tokyo event, where he was given access to the 20-minute demoThe speedrunner beat the final boss with no equipment in around seven minutes

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been beaten on the Nintendo Switch 2 in under 10 minutes ahead of the console's official release.As reported by Nintendo Insider, speedrunner Ikaboze has already cleared the Switch 2 version of the game while attending the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience: Tokyo event, where he was able to play the game's 20-minute demo.However, it turned out that the speedrunner needed less than half that time to roll credits.By using an autosave file situated outside Hyrule Castle and removing his equipment, Ikaboze was able to defeat the final boss, Ganon, becoming the first player in the world to beat Breath of the Wild on the Switch 2.The feat was achieved in around seven minutes using the new Switch 2 controller, and if you watch the complete speed run below, other attendees and employees at the event can be seen cheering him on."I was surprised by how many people had gathered," Ikaboze said (translated via VGC)."Staff were even filming on their smartphones. This was the first time anyone had completed the Breath of the Wild demo, and staff congratulated me."

The Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will be day one launch titles for the console. It's been confirmed that both games will contain the full game and upgrades on the cartridge. Breath of the Wild's expansion pass won't be included and will be sold separately.In addition, it seems that the Switch 2 Editions won't support Switch Online's cloud save backup feature.The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for the Mario Kart World bundle. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

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