News

Many employees secretly hold multiple remote jobs due to low oversightSocial media tips help workers juggle meetings across dual rolesUndisclosed multitasking causes burnout legal issues and lost productivity companywide

Remote work has opened the door to a growing trend of employees secretly holding multiple full-time jobs, a practice known as polygamous working or being “overemployed.”While having multiple jobs isn't illegal, doing so without disclosure often breaches contracts, strains productivity, and can pose legal and ethical issues.HR Magazine notes, “Moonlighting in this way can have serious consequences. It’s not just about reduced productivity; there’s a real risk of employee burnout, misuse of company resources, data security breaches and overall erosion of trust in the workplace."

Tips from Reddit and TikTok

The rise of flexible and hybrid work models means many roles can now be done without ever stepping into an office.“The practice has boomed since the Covid pandemic triggered a rise in working from home, creating an opportunity for shrewd employees to take on multiple remote roles – sometimes as many as three or four at once,” reports The Telegraph.One woman, going by the name "Nadia", told the paper she earned £87,000 working two jobs simultaneously from her home office.On Reddit and TikTok, thousands share tips on managing multiple roles, with some workers boasting about using mouse jigglers and dual laptops to juggle overlapping meetings.One British influencer claimed: "It worked for me, it was great. I was able to do really nice things and take care of myself, go to nice places, save up for property."But experts warn of the risks. “These issues can quickly escalate into legal and reputational disasters,” HR Magazine noted, suggesting “ongoing or periodic rescreening” of employees can help manage risk and protect both workers and employers.In some cases, fraud charges have been brought - The i Paper claims one man was sentenced to a year in prison after being paid for two full-time contracts over 10 months.Peter Boolkah, a business coach, told The Telegraph of the dangers of polygamous working.“It could mean small business-owners find their employees off work sick more because of burnout," he said."Those who stay working two jobs will be overstretched. Inevitably, this will lead to lower productivity for businesses, and those who are off sick will find themselves back where they started, with less money than before.”Whether a symptom of economic necessity or opportunism, polygamous working raises urgent questions about trust, governance, and the sustainability of remote-first work culture.

You might also like

These are the best WFH apps you can get right nowThese are our picks for the best laptops for working from homeAnd these tips will help you design the optimal WFH space

Whoop changes its device upgrade policiesCurrent users no longer have to pay an extra feeWhoop subscribers had been complaining

Premium fitness company Whoop showed off some shiny new wearables this week, and has now confirmed that existing users with more than 12 months left on their subscription can get hold of the new devices free of charge.As reported by Bloomberg, the company was facing a backlash from users after initially charging a $49 upgrade fee – a fee that broke a promise made last year, in a now-deleted blog post, that subscribers would get new devices without paying extraThere was plenty of vitriol directed towards Whoop over on Reddit and social media, from users who expected to get the new bands for free within their current subscription. That's now the case again, after Whoop decided to reverse course."Like any company, we from time to time update our commercial policies," a Whoop spokesperson told Bloomberg. The company emphasizes that there's also a newly introduced $199 / £169 / AU$299 per year plan, which is the least expensive yet.

The subscription economy

The Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG (Image credit: Whoop)

There are now three pricing tiers for Whoop: the one mentioned above, Whoop One, plus Whoop Peak ($239 / £229 / AU$419 per year) and Whoop Life ($359 / £349 / AU$629 per year. The most expensive option gets you a Whoop MG (Medical Grade) band, otherwise you get a Whoop 5.0, included in the subscription.Paying more gets you some additional features. If you're sticking with your Whoop 4.0 wearable, you miss out on a few of the features in the new subscriptions, including physiological age estimates and women's health tracking.There's lots that's new in the 2025 devices, including ECG readings and blood pressure estimates, and the screen-less wearables also offer 14-day battery life. However, existing users feel they're being pushed into an upgrade.It's not been the most well communicated of u-turns from Whoop, and it's part of the growing trend for fitness companies to put features behind paywalls to get as much money as possible out of users. As with access to music, movies, and software, you have to keep paying to get what's on offer.

You might also like

An Apple Watch with a camera could be on the wayGarmin quietly confirms our worst fears about Garmin Connect+Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 leak teases massive design change

LG’s C-series OLEDs have been a popular TV range over the past few years, delivering brilliant picture quality, great gaming performance and features, and an intuitive smart TV platform, usually at the best price in the mid-range OLED category.The new LG C5 continues this trend, and it’s among the best TVs released this year. I gave the C5 five out of five stars in my LG C5 review, finding that it covered every base when it came to picture quality, gaming performance and smart TV features.As good as the LG C5 is, there is an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed: the C5 is not that much of an upgrade over its predecessor, the LG C4. Certainly not compared to the leap between the LG C4 and its predecessor, the LG C3, which involved a complete performance and picture quality overhaul.As a result, the C4 remains in the top slot on many of our best-of TV lists, such as the best OLED TVs, as there’s not enough of an upgrade with the C5 to justify the current price gap between the two.Looking ahead to next year’s C-series (most likely called the LG C6), here are three upgrades I think would enable it to make a bigger splash at launch than this year’s C5.

1. Higher brightness

The C5's peak brightness is good for a mid-range OLED, but its fullscreen brightness could be better. (Image credit: Future)

Brightness has traditionally been a weak point for OLED TVs. You can expect around 1,000 nits peak brightness with most mid-range OLEDs, which is less than what you get with most mini-LED and even some LED TVs. Having that extra peak brightness can give a TV’s picture a nice HDR punch with movies, while higher fullscreen brightness allows it to perform better with programs like sports and for general daytime viewing.When I tested the C5, I measured its peak brightness at 1,180 nits in Filmmaker Mode, a respectable result for a mid-range OLED, and a 10% increase over the C4. But its fullscreen brightness measured at 195 nits, a lower result than the C4, which hit 199 nits.Recent flagship OLED TVs, such as the LG G5, hit over 300 nits fullscreen brightness, a marked improvement (although still less than most mini-LEDs). It would be nice to see results like this in more mid-range OLEDs such as the future LG C6.

2. Better built-in sound

The C5 has new sound features, but could use better built-in speakers (Image credit: Future)

It’s no secret that many TVs have weak built-in sound that can be easily topped by one of the best soundbars, even a budget one. For some, though, a soundbar isn’t an option, and they choose to rely on their TV’s built-in sound.LG’s C-series OLEDs typically have average built-in sound quality that doesn’t match up to the picture. Sadly, that continues with the LG C5. I found the C5’s sound to be better than previous C-series iterations when I tested it, but it certainly couldn’t take on some of the best TVs for sound from the likes of Panasonic, Sony and Philips.Even a slight improvement over the C5’s 2.2-channel, 40W speaker array would be welcome. A stronger built-in subwoofer, perhaps, or the addition of up-firing or side-firing speakers for greater immersion would give a C6 a step-up over the C5.

3. Lower screen reflections

The C5 is best viewed in dim conditions, as it suffers from screen reflections in brighter rooms. (Image credit: Future)

Screen glare is another challenge OLED TVs struggle with. Due to dimmer fullscreen brightness and a lack of anti-reflection measures, mirror-like reflections can be a real curse for OLEDs in brighter viewing environments.That situation changed somewhat in 2024 when the Samsung S95D with its OLED Glare Free anti-reflection tech was introduced. During my testing of the S95D, I found that dark movies such as The Batman could even be viewed in rooms with bright overhead lighting. Black levels were sacrificed in this scenario, but I’ve seen the new Samsung S95F with OLED Glare Free 2.0, and it looks to fix this issue.The S95F is a pricey flagship OLED TV, so I wouldn’t expect the same measures in a mid-range OLED like the LG C-series. Improved anti-reflection measures would be welcome in next year’s C6, however, since I found during testing that the C5 struggled with screen reflections.LG has already pulled this off with the flagship LG G5 OLED, which did a fantastic job of limiting reflections in our testing space. If the company can find a way to bring that benefit to the C6, it could be a game-changer.

You might also like

I compared the LG G5 to one of the best mid-range OLED TVs, and the results surprised meI went deep with the LG G5 OLED TV, and these 5 viewing experiences show how awesome its picture is5 things I learned when I tested the LG C5 OLED TV, from embracing AI to troublesome reflections

Google’s Gemini AI has been getting upgrade after upgrade, now being able to handle data analysis in Google Sheets and using your past conversations with its chatbot to inform better responses. One of Google's latest offerings lets Gemini generate an original background during your virtual meetings for a personal touch before getting down to business.

What are Google Meet's AI backgrounds?

Google Meet lets you tap into Gemini to make AI-generated backgrounds based on whatever prompt you feed it. You can enter prompts like a "luxurious living room interior" or "a magical sunny forest glade," as Google suggests, or you can get creative with suggestions like "a gym full of cakes" or "a coworking space in Studio Ghibli style." This AI feature is currently available on desktop and Android devices, but has some requirements whether you're using it on a computer or smartphone.

How to create an AI background in Google Meet

This feature requires either an eligible Google Workspace or Google One AI Premium subscription, or entry into Google’s early access testing program called Workspace Labs.

To start on a computer, open up meet.google.com and join a meeting by punching in the specific code, or join via link. Before hitting the blue "Join now" button, navigate to the bottom-right corner of your self-view and click "Apply visual effects" and then "Generate a background." You then have to provide Gemini with a prompt, which can be as simple as "a cozy coffee shop with flowers" like Google suggests, then hit "Create samples." You can select an art style to better customize your background, and Google recommends including specific instructions like a setting and objects in your prompt to get the best results.

Google

Gemini's first attempts at an AI background might not be exactly what you're looking for, so you can click "Create other samples" to refresh the results. If your initial prompt needs some tweaking, you can edit it by navigating to the top of the panel on the right, then hitting the "Create other samples" button. Once you land on the AI-generated background you want, just click on it and hit the "Close" button on the Backgrounds window to get on with your meeting.

All of this can be done when you're already in a meeting, too. If you're using an Android device for Google Meet, you have to open the Meet app and tap the "Effects" button on the bottom of your self-view and navigate to the Backgrounds tab instead of the "Apply visual effects" button on computers. Make sure you have a compatible smartphone, like a Samsung Galaxy S9 or newer or a Google Pixel 3 or newer, that's running at least Android version 9. For iPhone users, this feature isn't currently available.

Google

How to remove your AI background

It’s worth mentioning that using these Gemini-generated backgrounds on Google Meet can increase battery usage. If you want to preserve battery life or go back to a more basic background, you can reset everything by navigating to the Effects panel and clicking the Stack button on the bottom right side of your self-view. After you click the Stack button, you can choose which effects to remove or completely reset your background with the "Remove All" button.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/how-to-use-gemini-to-generate-unique-backgrounds-in-google-meet-130000553.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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, May 11 (game #1203).

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 #1204) - 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 #1204) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #1204) - 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 #1204) - 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 #1204) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• R• A• B• R

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

Quordle today (game #1204) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1204, are…

ROYALARGUEBUNCHREADY

Yesterday Quordle threw up MUNCH to make life more difficult and today we had BUNCH.I employed exactly the same trick to narrow down the HUNCH/BUNCH/MUNCH options (PUNCH and LUNCH were already ruled out), playing HIMBO in order to identify the B.So it was a case of deja vu, but it worked so I'm not complaining.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1204) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1204, are…

EXTRAVITALTAPERFLING

Quordle answers: The past 20

Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUEQuordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATINQuordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAINQuordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITEQuordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVEQuordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCHQuordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUEQuordle #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, TEPEE

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 11 (game #700).

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 #701) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

VISITBANKWALLETHITSMACKATMCASH REGISTERBOUNCECLICKTIP JARPURSECAROMCURLPAGE VIEWRICOCHETPUCKER

NYT Connections today (game #701) - hint #1 - group hints

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

YELLOW: Cash holdersGREEN: Coming back againBLUE: Users is anotherPURPLE: Kiss chase!

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 #701) - hint #2 - group answers

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

YELLOW: PLACES TO FIND PAPER MONEYGREEN: REBOUNDBLUE: THINGS TRACKED BY WEB ANALYTICSPURPLE: THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LIPS

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

NYT Connections today (game #701) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #701, are…

PURPLE: THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LIPS CURL, PUCKER, PURSE, SMACKBLUE: THINGS TRACKED BY WEB ANALYTICS CLICK, HIT, PAGE VIEW, VISITGREEN: REBOUND BANK, BOUNCE, CAROM, RICOCHETYELLOW: PLACES TO FIND PAPER MONEY ATM, CASH REGISTER, TIP JAR, WALLET

My rating: ModerateMy score: 2 mistakes

I solved today's NYT Connections in the hallowed 'reverse rainbow' order, but it was tough going.Those dastardly puzzle setters at the NYT threw in plenty of red herrings, with PLACES TO FIND PAPER MONEY a particular problem. It all looked so easy early on – I spotted ATM, CASH REGISTER, TIP JAR and WALLET right away. But I also had PURSE and BANK, and couldn't decide which four of those six went together.My idea was that they would be 'places you can keep money' – meaning BANK would be in there, but not TIP JAR or ATM – or 'places you can get money from', which would mean including BANK and PURSE, but not TIP JAR or CASH REGISTER (unless you are a store assistant, of course).After two mistakes on that yellow group I moved on, and solved the more difficult purple, blue and green groups, meaning I got the supposedly easiest one last by default. Maybe my brain was just working backwards today.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, May 11, game #700)

YELLOW: MAKE HAPPY DELIGHT, PLEASE, SUIT, TICKLEGREEN: EVADE DODGE, DUCK, SHAKE, SKIRTBLUE: COMMON VIDEO GAME FEATURES BOSS, HEALTH, LEVEL, POWER-UPPURPLE: MOTHER ___ EARTH, GOOSE, MAY I, SUPERIOR

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 11 (game #434).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… A little respect

NYT Strands today (game #435) - hint #2 - clue words

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

TRUEMASTPOINTPOUTSTANDTREE

NYT Strands today (game #435) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #435) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: right, 1st 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 #435) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #435, are…

STANDINGCHARACTERREPUTATIONSTATURENAMESPANGRAM: STREET CRED

My rating: EasyMy score: Perfect

I've never had STREET CRED, which is probably why it took me a little while to solve today's Strands puzzle. Not that it was super tough – the fact that there were only five answers to find, plus the Spangram, made it relatively straightforward once I got going.The problem was that it took me ages to find the first word. When I did, identifying STANDING by chance, that gave me the hint that I needed and after that it was just a question of trial and error.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, May 11, game #434)

FLOWERSBREAKFASTPARTYHUGSCARDSDRAWINGSSPANGRAM: MOTHERS DAY

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.

We may have a price for the Galaxy S25 EdgeIt won't cost quite as much as the Ultra modelThe latest leak also shows off the phone's design

We're ready and waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge to finally get its full unveiling tomorrow, but ahead of the official event we've got another leak that points to how much this smartphone is going to cost.Well-known tipster @MysteryLupin has posted a screengrab of a retailer listing for the phone, which gives us another look at the super-thin chassis that the Galaxy S25 Edge will sport – a design we got our first glimpse of back in January.The listing is for the model with 256GB of storage, which we presume is going to be the cheapest one available. Head over to our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review and you'll see the storage options there start at 256GB.According to this leak, the price for a 256GB Galaxy S25 Edge phone is going to be £1,099 – that's less than the Ultra model, but significantly more than you'll pay for the standard Samsung Galaxy S25, which costs $859 / £859 / AU$1,399 with 256GB of storage.

The price is right?

S25 Edge pic.twitter.com/pbMCL68dNsMay 10, 2025

It's not really a surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is going to come with a premium price attached. This is a high-end handset that has clearly been cleverly engineered to make it so slim.Previous leaks had put the price of this upcoming handset below the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra but above the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, which can be yours for $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 with 256GB of storage on board.Once the phone does get its grand unveiling, you're going to have four different Galaxy S25 models to choose from, depending on your needs and budget. You can expect those prices to go down over time too, as we get closer to the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26.We will of course be bringing you all the updates from Samsung's event tomorrow, which gets underway at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on May 12, which is 1am BST on May 13, and 10am AEST on May 13. You can also watch the event online.

You might also like

New Galaxy S25 Edge leak gives us our best look at itHere's why I'm excited for the launch of the Galaxy S25 EdgeAll three rumored Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge colors