News

North Korean agents use AI to apply for remote tech jobsSimple questions about Kim Jong Un instantly derail their job interviewsLaptop farms and deepfakes help agents bypass remote hiring defenses

At the recent RSA Conference in San Francisco, security experts raised the alarm over a growing and increasingly sophisticated campaign by North Korean operatives to infiltrate global companies through remote job applications.Speaking at a panel, Adam Meyers, senior vice president of CrowdStrike's counter adversary division, said thousands of North Korean workers have managed to secure roles in Fortune 500 companies.According to Meyers, these infiltrators use tools like generative AI to produce polished LinkedIn profiles and job applications, as during technical interviews, multiple collaborators work behind the scenes to complete coding challenges while a single individual handles video calls, sometimes unconvincingly.

An unexpected question

"One of the things that we've noted is that you'll have a person in Poland applying with a very complicated name," Meyers explained. "And then when you get them on Zoom calls it's a military age male Asian who can't pronounce it."Meyers shared his favorite method of exposing such candidates: asking an off-script question. "How fat is Kim Jong Un? They terminate the call instantly, because it's not worth it to say something negative about that," he said.Once inside a company, the infiltrators often excel, thanks to team-based efforts behind a single identity.FBI Special Agent Elizabeth Pelker said this success can make employers hesitant to remove suspected agents. "I think more often than not, I get the comment of 'Oh, but Johnny is our best performer. Do we actually need to fire him?'"The goals of these North Korean infiltrators are twofold: collecting wages and gradually exfiltrating intellectual property, often in small amounts to avoid detection.Pelker recommended conducting coding interviews within the corporate environment to observe behavioral red flags. If detected and dismissed, these workers may still hold credentials or leave behind dormant malware for later extortion attempts.The operation has evolved further. Meyers described how laptop farms in the U.S. allow remote workers to spoof local IPs. In one case, the FBI busted a farm in Nashville. Meanwhile, false identity schemes have emerged in Ukraine, with citizens unknowingly supporting North Korean efforts.Pelker warned that deepfake technology is also being used to fool hiring teams. Education and vigilance, she said, remain the best defense. As one panelist put it, organizations should be wary of hiring fully remote workers and consider personal meetings whenever possible.Via The Register

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Nobody Wants This season 2: key information- Premiering on Netflix later this year- Currently in production in Los Angeles- No official trailer released yet- Main cast set to return- New cast members announced, including Leighton Meester- Erin Foster teases potential for season 3

Nobody Wants This season 2 is on its way to Netflix later this year and the cast are officially back in production. So, what's next for Joanne the 'shiksa' and Noah the 'Hot Rabbi'? Well, it turns out quite a lot.An instant hit on Netflix, season 1 premiered in September 2024 and quickly became one of the best Netflix shows to watch on one of the best streaming services. Hearing it got renewed for a second series then made for some pretty exciting news.And fortunately, there's plenty more where that came from. Here's everything we know so far about the return of Nobody Wants This from release date, to cast, to plot and so much more.

Nobody Wants This season 2: is there a release date?

A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix)A photo posted by on

Nobody Wants This season 2 may not have an official release date yet, but it has been confirmed that the show will premiere on Netflix later this year.As per the Instagram post above, the cast and crew commenced filming for season 2 in early March and it appears the first episode will be called, 'Dinner Party'.If we take a look at season 1, filming was carried out between February and May 2024 with the show launching in September of the same year. So, since filming for season 2 started in March, that may well mean an October release date, or thereabouts. But, we'll have to wait and see.

Nobody Wants This season 2: has a trailer been released?

There's no official Nobody Wants This season 2 trailer yet, which is not surprising considering the cast and crew only started filming in March. Usually a trailer comes a little closer to the release date, so we'd expect to see one later this year.What we do have though is the season 2 renewal announcement that plays out over a montage of clips from season 1, and it's always nice to have a quick refresher of where we left off. When a trailer drops, we'll be sure to update here.

Nobody Wants This season 2: confirmed cast

The main cast are all set to return (Image credit: Netflix)

Good news! For Nobody Wants This season 2, the main cast are all set to return:

Kristen Bell as JoanneAdam Brody as NoahJustine Lupe as MorganTimothy Simons as SashaJackie Tohn as EstherMichael Hitchcock as HenryStephanie Faracy as LynnePaul Ben-Victor as IlanTovah Feldshuh as BinaSherry Cola as AshleyD’Arcy Carden as Ryann

A post shared by Nobody Wants This (@nobodywantsthisofficial)A photo posted by on

And, excitingly, there's a bunch of new cast members joining the show. One of which is Adam Brody's real-life wife, Leighton Meester. As revealed in Tudum, Leighton will guest-star as Abby, 'Joanne's nemesis from middle school who is now an Instagram mommy influencer'.Leighton isn't the only one joining the romantic drama though. There's also Miles Fowler who will play Lenny, 'Noah's Matzah Ballers teammate who gets set up with Morgan (Justine Lupe)'.And there's some more recurring guest stars including Alex Karpovsky playing Big Noah, 'an overly confident rabbi at Noah's temple' and Arian Moayed as Dr. Andy, 'a charming, highly regarded (particularly by himself) psychotherapist who might just be the perfect match for Morgan.'There's also some new additions to the crew, with Jenni Konner and Bruce Eric Kaplan, both of Girls fame, joining as showrunners alongside the series' creator, Erin Foster.

Nobody Wants This season 2: story synopsis and rumors

Can Noah and Joanne move past their differences? (Image credit: Netflix)

Full spoilers for Nobody Wants This season 1 to follow. Plus, potential spoilers for season 2.

Nobody Wants This season 1 left viewers on quite the hopeful love heart eyes cliffhanger ending. The couple's tumultuous relationship was seemingly held at a religious stalemate towards the end of season 1, despite them finding plenty of reasons to stay together.But, Joanne did not feel ready to convert to Judaism, and so it seemed that love was lost. Until, Noah made a grand gesture outside a Bar Mitzvah. Hope restored.But, when it comes to season 2, Adam Brody told Tudum: "In the light of day, will he still feel that way? I don't know. It's an open question." And fortunately, it seems season 2 will provide the answers.Brody added: "I think that's what the show an explore. What should we do? What should she do? What versions of sacrifice is worth it? What constitutes growth, or what constitutes dimming yourself to be with someone else? It's a sacrifice, but ideally, you grow together and you're better for it – you don't have to [lop off a limb]."So, there's clearly some big life-altering questions that the couple need to find answers for if they're going to navigate moving forward, in spite of their cultural and familial differences standing firmly in the way.

An unexpected connection was also sparked in Nobody Wants This season 1 (Image credit: Netflix)

But, it's not only Noah and Joanne that have a love life to navigate in season 2. Joanne's confident and bolshy sister/podcast co-host, Morgan, formed a bond with Noah's married brother, Sasha, in season 1. And many viewers have spoken on how keen they are to see them take that relationship a step further in season 2. But, seemingly that won't be the case.Speaking to ScreenRant, Timothy Simons who plays Sasha brushed the gossip away, saying: "It's not particularly funny to break up a family". Adding: "Justine, I think, looked straight into the camera when we were at the Golden Globes and was like, "They're not getting together," so I think we can dispel that rumor."Instead, if we take a look at the new cast members joining for Nobody Wants This season 2, there's new love interests in town for Morgan. And that's why we get to say: "Come on down, Miles and Dr. Andy."Of course, Noah and Joanne stand at the center of this emotional and captivating drama, praised for its ability to shine a light on a complicated religious relationship. And there's plenty more to unravel in Nobody Wants This season 2.

Will there be more seasons of Nobody Wants This?

Could the 'Hot Rabbit' return for another season? (Image credit: Netflix)

Nobody Wants This season 2 was renewed the month after season 1 aired. Because of this, we aren't sure what the future holds as far as a season 3 is concerned, since season 2 hasn't yet premiered.But, Erin Foster has hinted of more. Speaking to People alongside her sister Sara, with which she also runs a podcast like the show, she suggested a possible cameo appearance in season 3: "I always thought that it'd be fun to do that, but I never created a character that I thought was the perfect character."Sara then replied: "Maybe season 3, Morgan and Joanne go on sabbatical and then it's us." To which Erin replied: "Oh, we just replace them."So, while there's no official line from Netflix yet, there's most definitely hope.

For more Netflix-based coverage, read our guides on 3 Body Problem season 2, Stranger Things season 5, Arcane season 2, and One Piece season 2.

The Studio, streaming now on Apple TV+, seeks to answer one central question: Can you make great art and still make a billion dollars doing it? And in case you were wondering, the answer is no, but we’re going to have a lot of fun along the way!The Studio follows the daily trials and tribulations of Matt Remick, played by Seth Rogen, who lands his dream job as head of Continental Studios, a movie studio whose job is to make 'movies' not 'films', you know, the sort of movies that make a lot of money at the box office, but aren’t necessarily going to win an Academy Award.

I got into all of this cause I love movies. Now I have this fear that my job is to ruin them Matt from The Studio

The problem is that Remick is a film devotee who dreams of making great films, the sorts of films that mean something to people. The kind of films that are actually shot on film. Unfortunately, his efforts get thwarted at every step, normally by his own cowardice and eagerness to abandon all his principles in order to keep his job, often with hilarious results.What follows, over ten immaculately-crafted and performed episodes, is an ensemble comedic performance worthy of every award going. Think of the great workplace-based comedies like The Office or Parks and Recreation, but put them into the world of LA hotels, parties and movie sets dripping in all the luxury and celebrities that only Hollywood can provide. And that's not to mention the supporting cast that casually throws acting giants like Kathryn Hahn and Bryan Cranston into the mix.

Many of the celebrities and movie directors here are playing themselves, so many in fact that the cameo list (courtesy of Collider) is longer than the cast list on most feature films.We get treated to appearances by Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, Zack Snyder, Charlize Theron and more all playing exaggerated versions of themselves. In fact, there are so many celebrities in each episode that some of them, like Ben Stiller, just appear in the background and aren’t even part of the plot.But it’s not just that The Studio has some of the sharpest satirical writing you’ll find in any TV show, it’s made in such a captivating way. Long, single-camera shots are used almost all the time with whip pans across the screen at dizzying speed putting you right in the conversation, which is further fueled by a jazz drumming accompaniment that feels improvised, as if the drummer was playing live while the actors riff their lines back and forth at each other. The drumming often reflects the mood of the scene, starting slow and building to a crescendo, then tense and tight when it needs to be before signaling a sudden breezy change of atmosphere when a key plot point is resolved.

Watch The Studio on Apple TV+ in the USWatch The Studio on Apple TV+ in the UKWatch The Studio on Apple TV+ in Australia

Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders and Seth Rogen in The Studio. (Image credit: Apple)

The one moment when you realize that The Studio isn’t just another Apple TV+ show on one of the best streaming services, but is something genuinely special is halfway through episode one when Remick is trying to find a director for his ridiculous Kool Aid movie. Martin Scorsese actually appears, playing himself, pitching his movie script to Remick, who despite being handed the gift of one of the world’s all-time great directors wanting to actually direct his ridiculously dumb movie, then goes on to fumble the ball spectacularly with hilarious results.There are so many other great set pieces that you’re guaranteed at least one genuinely unbelievable moment in each episode, but I don’t want to spoil the fun. Let me just say that the burrito incident sticks out in my mind in particular.When you consider how much money Apple TV+ is losing a year (current estimates are around the $1 billion dollars mark) to make TV like this, I wonder if we’ll look back at 2025 as a high point in ridiculously good streaming shows and if we’ll ever see their like again, because The Studio is up there with the best Apple TV+ shows.

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Minisforum's G1 / G1 Pro mini PC takes its design cues from Sony's game consoleThe device supports desktop-class RTX 5060 GPU with up to 120W draw It's powered by a Ryzen 9 8945HX CPU and 350W PSU in console-sized case

At the recent Japan IT Week Spring event, Chinese mini PC maker Minisforum unveiled two exciting new systems: the MS-A2, which is a superfast AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX CPU powered follow-up to the MS-A1 micro workstation (but really the spiritual successor to the MS-01), and the G1 / G1 Pro gaming mini PC.It’s fair to say the latter takes more than a few design cues from the Sony PlayStation 5, with a vertically oriented white chassis and a center-mounted black I/O strip that closely mimics the PS5's iconic silhouette.Spotted by PC Watch, the G1 / G1 Pro is Minisforum’s latest living-room-friendly system aimed at gamers who want desktop-level power in a console-style form factor. The slim, upright unit - reportedly scheduled for release in the third quarter of 2025 - is the direct successor to Minisforum’s AtomMan G7 Ti.

Not just for gaming

The standout feature of the new mini PC is support for a desktop-class GeForce RTX 5060 graphics card (up to 120W), installed using a low-profile, dual-slot configuration. Minisforum says users will eventually be able to upgrade the GPU themselves.Inside, the system is powered by AMD's Ryzen 9 8945HX processor, making it well-suited for demanding gaming workloads - or other creative tasks, if you like the look of the PS5 but aren’t that into gaming.Storage support includes up to two M.2 SSDs, and there's a built-in 350W power supply to help reduce cable clutter in a media center setup.Despite its compact size (216 x 315 x 57.2mm), the G1 series offers two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, two DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, 5 Gigabit Ethernet, and audio I/O jacks.By combining console-style design with true gaming hardware, Minisforum aims to deliver a compact alternative to traditional towers without compromising performance or upgradeability.Pricing and global availability have yet to be announced but, as with the MS-A2, more details are expected soon.

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Apple is rumored to be splitting the iPhone launch scheduleThe changes could be made in 2026Apple wants to boost sales of all four flagship models

For many years now, we've got used to Apple launching its best iPhones all together every September – most recently the iPhone 16 series – but if a new report is to be believed, that scheduling could be set for a major shakeup in the years to come.According to The Information (via MacRumors), Apple is planning to stick to September releases for the Pro and Pro Max models, while shifting the other iPhones to springtime in the US (so presumably around March time).The idea is that splitting up the iPhone launches like this will "rejuvenate long-stagnant sales", the report from The Information says. There also seems to be some uncertainty over how well the upcoming, ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air is going to sell.It seems these changes aren't planned for this year, but will instead be put into place next year – with the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone 18 Air launching in September 2026, and the standard iPhone 18 and quite possibly the iPhone 18e then arriving in March 2027.

All change

The high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max on launch day (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The Information acknowledges there are risks involved in shaking up this long-established schedule. However, it's thought that it'll persuade consumers to upgrade more regularly, while also easing the production pressure on Apple's manufacturing partners.Another reason for the switch: to make room for the foldable iPhone, expected sometime in 2026. Pushing the less expensive iPhones to a launch window earlier in the year will mean more production capacity for a new model.None of this is confirmed yet, of course: we'll have to wait and see what Apple does in the months ahead. It's possible that Apple itself hasn't fully decided whether or not to try and mix up its release schedule in 2026 and 2027.If the company does go through with it, it's going to be a substantial shift in the annual phone launch calendar. We've already seen Samsung and Google move their flagship phone launches to earlier in the year – and it's possible that these moves are part of the reason Apple is thinking about a revamp of its own.

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Soundbars are an effective way of boosting your TV’s built-in sound, as the built-in speakers even on the best TVs can’t match the quality of their picture.The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is one of the best soundbars on the market, delivering punchy, immersive performance across movies and music at a mid-range price.The mid-range soundbar market is extremely competitive, with various brands offering alternatives to the Sonos Beam. One such brand is Sony.I recently got to test the Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6, a 3.1.2 channel soundbar, side-by-side with the Sonos Beam. The Theater 6 comes with a subwoofer in-box, something that isn't the case for the Sonos Beam (though it does have effective bass for an all-in-one soundbar).How would these two similarly priced soundbars fare against one another? I hooked them up to the Panasonic MZ1500, a brilliant OLED TV, and used some reference 4K Blu-rays to test that out.A quick note first: the Sony Theater 6 is a better value in the UK. The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is priced at $449 / £449 / AU$799, and the Sony Bravia Theater 6 is priced at $649 / £499 / (roughly AU$1,000 converted from US price), meaning you’re getting a closer price match in the UK.

The case for Sonos

Image 1 of 2The Beam delivers impressive sound for its size (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Future)

The Beam could be seen as having one big obstacle to overcome out-of-the-box: no included subwoofer. For that reason, you’d think it would have significantly weaker bass compared to the Bravia Theater 6, but that didn’t exactly turn out to be the case.Watching a chase scene from The Batman, the Beam delivered punchy, weighty bass for a compact soundbar, perfectly capturing the rumble of the Batmobile’s roaring engine. The same was true watching Top Gun: Maverick, as the ignition of the Darkstar jet’s engine in the Mach 10 scene was impactful.Speech clarity was another area where the Beam performed well despite its size. Watching various musical performances from A Complete Unknown (the Bob Dylan biopic starring Timothée Chalamet), vocals were delivered precisely without sacrificing other elements in the mix. In Wicked, Elphaba’s soaring, powerful vocals in the ‘Defying Gravity’ scene were delivered accurately through the Beam. I also found myself preferring the Beam over the Bar 6 when it came to the music sequences in A Complete Unknown.The Beam’s sound connected to the action on screen as well, accurately placing effects such as screeching tyres and careering cars in The Batman, and the jets in Top Gun: Maverick.

The case for Sony

Image 1 of 2The Bravia Theater Bar 6 delivers impressive bass and height effects, and it has a wide soundstage (Image credit: Future)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: Future)

The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 external subwoofer gives it one big advantage over the Sonos Beam. Although the Beam is great for its size, it cannot compete with Bar 6 when it comes to bass.Sony’s mammoth sub means the Bar 6’s bass is room-filling and delivers plenty of heft. Watching the same scene from The Batman, the rumble of the Batmobile’s engine was more powerful and engaging than what the Beam could muster – I even had to turn the bass level down. Bass was also tightly controlled and nuanced. For sheer sound power, the Bar 6 was the winner in this contest.With two height speakers positioned on the soundbar, the Bar 6 does a better job of delivering height effects than the Beam. The sound of rain throughout The Batman was more prevalent, even during the Batmobile chase with its propulsive score and loud explosions. And in the Mach 10 scene from Top Gun: Maverick, where the Darkstar jet flies over Admiral Cain, the trajectory of the jet was more accurately mapped by the Bar 6 than by the Beam.The Bar 6 soundbar is significantly wider than the Beam (37 inches / 950mm to the Beam’s 25 inches / 651mm), which gives it a wider soundstage. During the defying gravity scene in Wicked, the winds and direction of sound felt more immersive on the Bar 6 as Elphaba took flight on her broom, although the Beam also did a credible job here. And activating the Sound Field mode on the Bar 6 made the sound even more immersive.During the musical performances in A Complete Unknown, the Bar 6 delivered a fuller, more spacious sound than the Beam. For instance, as Dylan and Joan Baez played at the Newport Folk Festival, the applauding crowd sounded clearer on the Bar 6, and the vocals and guitars had a more sprawling, expansive quality.

Beam vs Bar 6: the verdict

Image 1 of 1Which soundbar is better will ultimately depend on your circumstances (Image credit: Future)

Both the Beam and the Bar 6 are great examples of how effectively mid-range soundbars can improve a TV’s sound, and both have their unique strengths. The Beam shines with music-related content and has an impressive soundstage and bass considering its size.But the Bar 6 with its included subwoofer has the more powerful bass, a wider soundstage thanks to its wider size, and upfiring speakers that deliver more accurate height effects than the Beam.Which soundbar is ultimately better will depend on your circumstances. If you have a smaller space, the Beam will be more than enough. But if you have a medium-sized room and are looking for more powerful, spacious sound, the Bar 6 is the way to go. If you’re in the US, it will be tough to ignore the $200 price gap between the two. The Beam arguably delivers better bang for your buck in that case, but in the UK, it’s a much closer contest.Since I’m in the UK, I’d choose the Bar 6 over the Beam, but the latter is a fantastic example of what an all-in-one soundbar can do. In the end, you’re spoilt for choice with these two great soundbars.

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WordPress has been around since 2003 and is the most popular blogging software on the market, powering over a 40% of websites. Establishing itself as the content management system (CMS) of choice. WordPress hosting is hosting optimized for WordPress and each host has their own idea on what makes a host good for WordPress.

Check our curated list of the best WordPress web hosting services and our best managed web hosting list which includes a number of managed WordPress web hosting firms.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that’s, statistically (a whopping 43.4% of all websites you see on the internet are powered by WordPress), the most popular way to create websites and blogs. Since the WordPress software is open source, anyone can use it completely free of cost (the cost comes when you want to make the site accessible on the Internet - that’s hosting).The birth and rise of WordPress is a fascinating tale, and it all began in 2001 when a French programmer named Michel Valdrighi created the b2 or cafelog blogging system. The original hero of the story, though, saw an early exit, as he couldn’t keep updating the blogging system - he stopped developing it in 2002. Then, in January 2003, a university freshman Matt Mullenweg took it upon himself to continue improving b2 without Valdrighi. Together with Mike Little, he launched a new version of b2 on SourceForge on May 27, 2003 - they called it WordPress 0.7. It’s worth noting that the name “WordPress” was a suggestion by Christine Selleck, Matt’s friend and a blogger. Next came WordPress 1.0, or “Davis”, on January 3, 2004, WordPress 1.2, or “Mingus”, on May 22, 2004, and WordPress 1.5, or “Strayhorn”, on February 17, 2005 . Fancy names, right? Well, Matt Mullenweg liked jazz, so he decided to name the different versions of WordPress after jazz greats. Davis, for example, comes from Miles Davis, who was a famous American trumpeter.WordPress 1.0, in many ways, was the first iteration of the WordPress we know today - it had multiple categories, allowing users to group their website’s content, simple installations, permalinks so that the pages could be found by search engines, and comment moderation. 2004 was indeed a good year for WordPress, as its then toughest competitor, Movable Type, decided to change its pricing structure - and it was for the worse. This drove away a lot of users, who then opted for WordPress, which was undoubtedly the best alternative.The next major event was in August 2005, when Matt Mullenweg launched his own company, Automattic Inc., after raising $1.10 million in Series A funding. Automattic Inc. is the company behind WordPress.com, the for-profit platform for self-publishing that allows you to set up a website with ease; it offers managed hosting, wherein it looks after important tasks related to website creation and maintenance, such as website security, performance, and speed, for you. WordPress.org, on the other hand, is for “self-hosting” WordPress, and it’s non-profit. This is where the development of the open source WordPress CMS takes place. You can download the WordPress source code from WordPress.org and then upload it with your chosen hosting provider. This is undoubtedly more complex and requires a fair bit of technical expertise, but I’ll explain how you can easily make a WordPress site with a third-party hosting service in just a moment. At the time of writing, WordPress 6.6 is the latest version, having been launched on July 16, 2024. Today, WordPress is a constantly growing community comprising thousands of developers, bloggers, and designers who all contribute to improving the platform (including releasing plugins, applications, and themes) for the around 500 million websites that use WordPress.

What popular sites are built on WordPress?

As I mentioned earlier, WordPress is home to nearly half a billion websites on the internet - that’s around half of all the websites that exist! Naturally, there are a lot of big-name brands that use WordPress to maintain their online presence.

Government and news websites

The White HouseNASAThe Harvard GazetteTime MagazineWIREDTED BlogCNN Press RoomMicrosoft NewsMeta Newsroom

Entertainment brands

The Walt Disney CompanyVogueRolling StonePlayStation.BlogSony MusicAngry BirdsSpotify NewsroomBBC AmericaStar Wars Blog

Celebrities

Usain BoltTaylor SwiftJay-ZRafael NadalSnoop DoggKaty Perry

How can I host a WordPress website?

It’s important to note that WordPress is technically free software that you can directly download from WordPress.org and install on a server (web hosting). What is web hosting, you ask? It’s a service that provides you with online storage and computing resources that you can use to make website files that make up your website accessible on the Internet. The server, in this case, is called the “host”.There are a couple of approaches you can take to creating a WordPress website: First, sign up to a best web hosting service and then install WordPress first-hand from one of the one-click WordPress installers or upload WordPress and supporting files if necessary to a VPS. This would involve uploading the WordPress files to your server, creating a database for WordPress, and setting up your site once WordPress is installed. Using a VPS can be more cost effective but if you don’t know what you’re doing it might not be the fastest or most secure option (if you do, it can be the fastest and most secure). However, if this is your first time creating a site on WordPress, or if you’d like to get set up quickly, I’d recommend opting for one of the best WordPress hosting providers instead. These come with WordPress-optimized server environments, pre-installed WordPress and WP plugins, themes, etc., making it a breeze to go live like a professional. And, of course, a good hosting plan (WordPress-optimized or otherwise) would come included with a free domain name, which is your website’s address on the internet.Either way, once you’re in the WordPress dashboard, all that’s really left to be done to complete the process is tweaking the website’s settings. This involves deciding the website’s title, subtitle, time zone, theme, etc. To add your very first page, click on “Pages” (or “Posts,” if you want to add a post) in the left-hand menu and select “Add New.” In addition to text, you can also add images and videos to your content. Click “Publish” to take the page/post live. Simple enough, no? Well, WordPress’s ease of use is what has made it the most widely used CMS in the world. With that said, the most important part of creating a WordPress website is deciding what kind of hosting service you’d like. Let me break this down further: Managed WordPress hosting: this is the one I recommend, especially if you’re new to the space. As the name suggests, “managed” WordPress hosting handles all the core (and technical) hosting administrative tasks for you. This includes installing and updating WordPress, carrying out daily and on-demand backups, and keeping your site safe from nefarious cybercriminals through regular monitoring and maintenance.Additionally, you’ll get access to dedicated customer support, including one-on-one expert guidance on how to get started with the service. Even better, managed hosts have WordPress experts in their support team, meaning they’ll have a higher level of knowledge regarding WordPress and will, therefore, be able to iron out any technical issues that happen on your website.Check out the best managed WordPress hosting providersUnmanaged WordPress hosting: opposite to managed hosting, unmanaged hosting places the onus of updating, security, advanced functionality, and the overall administration of your WordPress site on your shoulders - you won’t get much assistance from the host. Needless to say, this type of WordPress hosting is ideal for technical users, who’d very much like total control over their hosting. Naturally, a massive benefit of unmanaged WordPress hosting is that it’s cheaper than managed hosting, which could almost make putting the extra effort into managing your site hands-on worthwhile. However, I won’t advise ditching managed WP hosting simply for pricing reasons; that’s because providers such as IONOS and Namecheap offer super cheap managed WordPress hosting plans with top-of-the-line security features, excellent reliability, and plenty of resources.VPS for WordPress: if you’re after more freedom, control, resources, and value for your money, use a VPS for WordPress. VPS, or virtual private servers, are isolated virtual environments within a physical server, meaning resources aren’t shared with other users (as they are in shared hosting), plus you get your own server space (with full root access) at a fraction of the cost of an entire dedicated server.Furthermore, even the best managed and unmanaged WordPress hosting plans often use the shared hosting scheme, which won’t cut it if you have a blog that experiences a good amount of traffic or it gets periodical spikes in traffic. Secondly, if you’re running a website for business purposes – entrepreneurial bloggers, small businesses, or eCommerce sites – then it’s important to have a hosting arrangement that won’t let your site crash or load slowly. Lastly, VPS is also a top choice if you want to host multiple WordPress sites.As is the case with unmanaged hosting, VPS hosting, too, is primarily meant for experts, as tasks such as monitoring and updating the WordPress software, setting up the firewall, or installing security patches will be up to you to figure out and execute. However, this shouldn’t have to be a deal breaker for you at all, as you can get the best of both worlds by choosing a managed VPS plan for WordPress. Yes, these are slightly more expensive than your typical VPS or unmanaged shared WordPress hosting, but for those who need the benefits of VPS (better security, reliability, resources, etc.) plus the ability to focus on what they do best while letting experts handle their WordPress site’s performance, security, and optimization, it’s well worth the expenditure. My top two recommendations for this are DreamHost and GreenGeeks.

What is a CMS?A CMS is the user interface used to upload, edit and manage all content on a website without having to learn code. This lead to the gradual decline of web design software like Dreamweaver. In other words, if you wanted to add a new page to your website, this is where you would log in and follow a few simple steps to do that.

Some of the most-wanted vinyl releases aren't new records; they're remastered versions of old favorites. But those remasters might not sound as good as you hope even when played on the best turntables – and in some case they might actually sound worse than the originals.Remastering – creating a new master copy of the record that's then copied to discs and/or digital – is commonplace because it's a great way for record companies to sell you a record all over again. And it's catnip for music fans, because it promises to take an album you already adore and make it even more magical.With a lot of old music, remastering really does deliver a massive improvement, so for example it can give you the clarity and low-end thump that's often lacking from early rock records because not everyone making music or playback kit really knew what they were doing back then. But for some remasters, it might be wise to wait until others have taken the plunge before deciding if you want to sign up.It's all about the loudness war. If you've heard of it, you've probably heard of it in the context of digital music: CD, and more recently digital files. It existed before digital, but it was more of a skirmish until digital formats entered the battlefield.The loudness war is what you get when records are being made to sound as loud as possible on digital formats and low-quality speakers, even if that takes all the dynamics out of the performance. And while vinyl is an analog medium, not a digital one, that doesn't mean it can't be collateral damage.

A very fine turntable can't help if the wax isn't right (Image credit: Audio-Technica)

1, 2, 3, 4, I declare a loudness war

In a fascinating post, Jeff from Magic of Analog, Vinyl, Digital and Spatial Sound sets out the issue: some vinyl releases have been made from master copies that were created for a digital release, and that can be a problem.Making vinyl records is as much of an art as a science, and there are physical limits to what you can do – so for example, if the bass is boosted too much in the recording, when that translates into the etching on the record, the needle can move so much it bounces out of the groove on some turntables, particularly cheaper ones.With digital, that's not a problem, so when the song's being mastered the bass can turned way up – and that's fine… unless you then use that digital master to make the vinyl version.The key weapon in the loudness war is compression, which reduces the dynamic range of music. Dynamic range is the distance between the loudest bits and the quiet bits, and it's what makes music breathe; artists use dynamics to make their music more involving. To paraphrase Spinal Tap, if everything's turned up to 10, where do you go from there?Compression can turn it up to eleven and keep it there.Used judiciously, compression can make a song sound better, and more punchy. But too much of it can create a wall of volume, and that's something you hear every day: it's why ads on TV are so loud, because they're heavily compressed so they'll get your attention.In music, if you overcook things too much you get Californication.

How to avoid catching Californication

When the Red Hot Chili Peppers released Californication in 1999, it sounded dreadful – and the band will almost admit that now. "When it comes on the radio you want it to be the loudest thing that comes on," drummer Chad Smith told SiriusXM about the "too hot" mastering.Producer Rick Rubin got mastering expert Vlado Mello to achieve exactly that. The resulting album was indeed the loudest thing that came on the radio. But it also sounded distorted. "Audiophiles were getting upset about it," Smith admitted.Audiophiles were right to be. What's mastered to sound massive on a cheap radio (or in a more modern sense, on tinny laptop or smartphone speakers) is not being mastered to sound good on a McIntosh system or even something as good as a pair of AirPods Pro 2, and when you listen to it on decent kit it can be positively painful, tedious and tiring.

If you're going to spend the money on gear like this, you've got to make sure the sound you're putting into it is worthwhile (Image credit: Future / Howard Kneller)

There's a lot of music out there that's been given the loudness war treatment since its original release. Jeff uses Prince's Purple Rain as an example, comparing the waveforms of the CD master with the 2015 remaster. The former looks like a song with lots of dynamics, and sounds that way too: it ebbs and flows like rainfall. The latter is like being thrown off Niagara Falls.Jeff says the same applies to some remastered records by Bruce Springsteen, David Gilmour, Norah Jones and others – although some genres such as jazz, blues and classical are pretty safe for loudness pacifists.What does this mean for vinyl buyers? The short answer is: it depends. There are some absolutely astonishing remasters out there – The Beatles' 2014 remasters are rightly regarded as masterpieces, pun fully intended – and remasters that are made specifically for vinyl are usually approached with respect rather than a desire to assault your eardrums unless, of course, that was the artists' intent.The ones to watch out for aren't the audiophile editions, the reverent restorations. They're the cynical cash-ins made from masters that were only ever destined for digital. Know your enemy – and be careful out there.

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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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, May 4 (game #1196).

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 #1197) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

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

Quordle today (game #1197) - 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 #1197) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1197) - 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 0.

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 #1197) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• W• C• S• Q

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

Quordle today (game #1197) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1197, are…

WREAKCOWERSTEADQUEUE

Well, that was fun! Getting QUEUE ended up being easy and instead of a rare letter tripping me up it was a common four-letter ending.I went through three wrong -REAK words before finally getting to WREAK and just one shot at my final word.Fortunately, with five letters in the wrong positions, COWER just needed some rearrangement.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1197) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1197, are…

ASCOTHAUTERECUTIMPLY

Quordle answers: The past 20

Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNYQuordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDOQuordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELTQuordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPEQuordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWNQuordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSEQuordle #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, FORAY

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, May 4 (game #693).

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 #694) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

TORPEDOBATCOASTLEVELСАРЕBATONPLATEAUHOAGIESETTLECRUISECIGARCASTLEFLOATFLATTENFANGDRIFT

NYT Connections today (game #694) - hint #1 - group hints

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

YELLOW: Easy streetGREEN: Resident of TransylvaniaBLUE: Same as it ever wasPURPLE: A shape in common

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 #694) - hint #2 - group answers

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

YELLOW: GLIDEGREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH COUNT DRACULABLUE: STOP CHANGING PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE LONG AND CYLINDRICAL

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

NYT Connections today (game #694) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #694, are…

YELLOW: GLIDE COAST, CRUISE, DRIFT, FLOATGREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH COUNT DRACULA BAT, CAPE, CASTLE, FANGBLUE: STOP CHANGING FLATTEN, LEVEL, PLATEAU, SETTLEPURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE LONG AND CYLINDRICAL BATON, CIGAR, HOAGIE, TORPEDO

My rating: EasyMy score: Perfect

It probably says a lot about me that I didn’t get the purple group because I thought we were searching for bread products, as in the TORPEDO roll, a HOAGIE sandwich… er, to be honest it wasn’t a long sidebarStill, this was one of those rare easy Connections days – a CRUISE around four groups you could say, rather than something to sink your metaphorical FANGs into.I’m pretty sure I got ASSOCIATED WITH COUNT DRACULA not because of Transylvania’s famous resident, but because I’ve been watching a lot of What We Do In The Shadows. One of the greatest TV comedies of the past decade imho, about a group of four vampires who live in Staten Island. It’s wonderful.My favourite WWDITS character is Colin Robinson, an energy vampire, who prefers to drain mental energy from his victims rather than blood – making him far more believable than the regular type of vampire. We all know someone like Colin.Having said that, doing a daily column about Connections is exactly the kind of job Colin Robinson would do. Er…How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, May 4, game #693)

YELLOW: QUALITIES OF OVERCOOKED MEAT CHEWY, DRY, STRINGY, TOUGHGREEN: PLAY SOME ELECTRIC GUITAR JAM, NOODLE, SHRED, SOLOBLUE: INGREDIENTS IN BUBBLE TEA BOBA, MILK, SUGAR, TEAPURPLE: PLANETS/ DWARF PLANET WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED BLUTO, CARS, DARTH, GENUS

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, May 4 (game #427).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… On the side

NYT Strands today (game #428) - hint #2 - clue words

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

KEYSSTIRMEEKFORTSHOSTRICE

NYT Strands today (game #428) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #428) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: right, 4th rowLast 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 #428) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #428, are…

STEAKHOMECURLYWAFFLECRINKLESHOESTRINGSPANGRAM: FRENCH FRIES

My rating: EasyMy score: Perfect

FRENCH FRIES or Freedom Fries as some like to call them, or Chips as we say in the UK, are the single reason why the potato is by far the best vegetable. That you can get so much flavor, crispy wonder and variety from of a bland starchy tuber is a miracle.Today’s search, has of course made me hungry, although I didn’t exactly work up an appetite doing it (no thermometer headaches today), and got me wondering what my favourite type of "fry" is.If push came to shove I think I’d have to go for a fat chip shop chip (aka STEAK fries) drowning in salt and vinegar with some curry sauce “on the side”.Right, that’s enough of this puzzling, I’m off to the chippy!How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, May 4, game #427)

PLANETEMPIRESPACELONGTIMEGALAXYREBELSPANGRAM: OPENING CRAWL

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.

Alien: Earth: key information- Releasing on Hulu and Disney+ in summer- First TV show from the Alien franchise- Multiple teaser trailers, but no full trailer yet- Cast list confirmed, including some character names- Plot being kept firmly under wraps- Unknown whether there will be more seasons

Alien: Earth is coming this summer. Marking the epic sci-fi/horror franchise’s first foray onto the small screen, there's been a long wait for this one but it's almost over. With eight movies already in the franchise, it’s time for the Xenomorphs to descend upon Earth under the watchful eye of showrunner, Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion).Though Alien: Romulus was the last movie released, Alien: Earth is not its sequel. Instead, the TV show is set to bring back H. R. Giger’s nightmarish concept in a whole new direction. And there's lots to talk about from the show's release window, possible plot, confirmed cast, news, rumors, and more. Plus, while you wait, feel free to immerse yourself in every Alien movie ranked: worst to best.

Alien: Earth: is there a release date?

A post shared by Alien: Earth (@alienearthfx)A photo posted by on

FX has confirmed that Alien: Earth will arrive in summer on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally).In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter in July 2024, showrunner Noah Hawley confirmed that filming had “just wrapped” and the show was officially in the next stage: “I’m in post, editing away, and obviously there’s a large visual effects component that takes time. But I couldn’t be happier with the show we shot. If people wanted a television series based on the world of Alien, I think I’m gonna give them something special.”

A post shared by Alien: Earth (@alienearthfx)A photo posted by on

And more exclusive insights into Alien: Earth were unveiled during the SXSW film festival in early March. A series of 'recovered' files from the USCSS Maginot for the Weyland-Yutani Corp show clips from the ship recorded on a camera attached to a cat's collar. The files show people working on the ship, talking about going back to Earth (if they could) and a cryochamber labelled 'Morrow'.FX boss John Landgraf first announced the project back in December 2020, so having a release window is a big deal. And, the wait is almost over. When we have a confirmed date, we’ll be sure to update here.

Alien: Earth: has a trailer been released?

A post shared by Disney+ UK (@disneyplusuk)A photo posted by on

So far, we’ve had a few short teaser trailers of Alien: Earth which, in true Alien fashion, have been incredibly ominous and fueled by horror. FX birthed a new teaser trailer for Alien: Earth in April and the brief clip teases "monsters" collected in crates from "the darkest corners of the universe," as well as a quick look at the iconic Xenomorph.

And in late January, events were shown through the eyes of an alien as it slithers frantically through the spaceship - in a sort of theme park immersive ride experience that’ll leave you feeling a little dizzy.Fortunately, and unfortunately, it doesn’t last too long before you’re swept out of the ship to see it hurtling towards Earth. As we’ll explore more in the plot details below, and as is quite obviously suggested in the show’s title, the Xenomorphs will crash land on Earth. So, this is only the beginning.

Alien: Earth: confirmed cast

Some of the cast for Alien: Earth have already been announced (Image credit: FX/Hulu/Disney Plus)

The following cast list has been officially revealed for Alien: Earth, but most of their roles are being kept under wraps:

Sydney Chandler as WendyTimothy Olyphant as KirshAlex Lawther as CJKit Young as TootlesSamuel Blenkin as Boy KavalierEssie Davis as Dame SilviaAdarsh Gourav as SlightlyDavid Rysdahl as TBCBabou Ceesay as TBCJonathan Ajayi as TBCErana James as TBCLily Newmark as TBCDiêm Camille as TBCAdrian Edmondson as TBCMoe Bar-El as TBCSandra Yi Sencindiver as TBC

As reported by Variety, Wendy (Sydney Chandler) will be the lead character. It has also been revealed that she's a meta-human, with the body of an adult, but brain and consciousness of a child. Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant) is Wendy's mentor and Sandra Yi Sencindiver's currently unnamed character holds a high position at the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. It's not a lot to go on, but it's certainly starting to paint a picture.

Alien: Earth: story synopsis and rumors

Potential spoilers follow for Alien: Earth below.

We don't know much about Alien: Earth given that its plot has been kept locked up tightly. But what we do know is that it will be set on Earth, no surprises there, in the not-so-distant future. In fact, thanks to the teaser above, it says: "In 2120 Mother Earth is expecting," with the image of Earth a reflection in the Xenomorph's helmet. Visiting our planet is certainly a new direction for the franchise and one that actual acts as a prequel to the original Alien movie, which took place in 2122.And then there's the show's official synopsis that expands on this concept: "When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet's greatest threat. In 2120, Mother Earth is expecting."Speaking to Deadline, Hawley said: "There's something about seeing a Xenomorph in the wilds of Earth with your own eyes that is truly chilling to think of it moving here among us." And when talking about the Xenomorph he's created for Alien: Earth, he added: "What was really fun for me was to be able to engage with the creature and bring some of my own thoughts to its design while not touching the silhouette because that's sacrosanct. But some of the elements of it as we know, whatever the host is, informs what the final creature is."As well as the Xenomorphs themselves, we also know that Weyland-Yutani will, once again, play a major part in the franchise. The conglomerate well-known for their controlling grip over space with their own bad intentions with the Xenomorphs rearing its ugly head over the course of the eight movies prior.And FX chief John Landgraf was keen to express how Alien: Earth sets itself apart from the rest of the franchise, while still staying true to it. In an interview with THR, he explained: "All I can tell you is Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) won't be a part of it, and neither will any other characters - other than the alien itself."Adding: "Noah has an incredible ability to both find a way of being faithful and showing fidelity to an original creation, like to the Coen brothers (with Fargo) or to Ridley Scott's movie and Jame's Cameron's follow-up Aliens, but also to bring something new that represents both an extension and reinvention of a franchise at the same time."

Will there be more seasons of Alien: Earth?

A recurring series seem likely (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Considering Alien: Earth season 1 is a little while away still, unsurprisingly news on more seasons is thin on the ground. Though there has been a report from Production Bulletin, yet unconfirmed but revealed by Comic Book Resources, that season 2 is planned for development for filming in Thailand.And while this news is unconfirmed, Collider also reported in January 2024 that FX has disclosed to Hawley that there was more to come. Hawley said: "I knew that their desire was for a recurring series, not a limited series, and I had an idea that I was excited about, that I could see the escalation of it from one year to another."It seems like he's already got an idea of where he'd like to go next too, adding: "that's where we ended up not pitching them having a bible or pitching them blow-by-blow, but saying, "Big picture: this is the first movement, this is the second movement, and we're ultimately going here."Of course, it'll depend on viewing figures and how Alien: Earth is received, but joining part of an existing and iconic franchise is a great place to start and one that Hawley, and reportedly FX, are already eager to look into expanding.

For more TV-based coverage, read our guides on Only Murders in the Building season 5, Shōgun season 2, and The Bear season 4.

JPMorganChase open letter calls for urgent industry-wide action on SaaS risks Third-party SaaS models expose critical infrastructure to cascading cybersecurity threats Firms rely on insecure integrations that collapse trust boundaries between systems

JPMorganChase, the largest bank in the world, has warned about the dangers of SaaS technology used by organizations across the world every single day.Writing in an open letter, CISO Patrick Opet outlined growing concerns that the speed of SaaS adoption has outpaced security development.In particular, Opet noted that vendors have prioritized rapid feature delivery over secure architecture, creating systemic vulnerabilities across the software supply chain.

A call to arms

“An AI-driven calendar optimization service integrating directly into corporate email systems through "read only roles" and "authentication tokens" can no doubt boost productivity when functioning correctly,” Opet said.“Yet, if compromised, this direct integration grants attackers unprecedented access to confidential data and critical internal communications.”Opet went on to warn thousands of organizations are now embedded in ecosystems that depend heavily on a small group of service providers - so if one is compromised, the ripple effects could be devastating."Modern integration patterns dismantle these essential boundaries, relying heavily on modern identity protocols (e.g., OAuth) to create direct, often unchecked interactions between third-party services and firms’ sensitive internal resources," Opet said."In practice, these integration models collapse authentication (verifying identity) and authorization (granting permissions) into overly simplified interactions, effectively creating single-factor explicit trust between systems on the internet and private internal resources. This architectural regression undermines fundamental security principles that have proven durability."JPMorganChase has already experienced a number of third-party breaches over the past three years, requiring swift action to isolate compromised partners and mitigate threats. These incidents have emphasized the risks tied to highly connected third-party ecosystems."Fierce competition among software providers has driven prioritization of rapid feature development over robust security," Opet wrote."This often results in rushed product releases without comprehensive security built in or enabled by default, creating repeated opportunities for attackers to exploit weaknesses. The pursuit of market share at the expense of security exposes entire customer ecosystems to significant risk and will result in an unsustainable situation for the economic system."He also cited new threats emerging from token theft, opaque fourth-party dependencies, and privileged access without sufficient transparency."The most effective way to begin change is to reject these integration models without better solutions,” Opet concluded. “I hope you’ll join me in recognizing this challenge and responding decisively, collaboratively, and immediately.”

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