• So-called signal sharing between Microsoft and Google uncovered the RedVDS marketplace was behind large-scale cyber fraud
• RedVDS sold access to virtual machines running unlicensed software from which cybercriminals launched scams and directed attacks
• Threat data was shared securely via the Global Signal Exchange (GSE), a non-profit organization

A major cybercrime marketplace has been taken out of action thanks to cooperation between Microsoft and Google via a secure threat data sharing platform.

Known as the Global Signal Exchange, the collaboration led to the take-down of the RedVDS, an online cybercrime mall supplying virtual machines for launching phishing, business email compromise attacks, and more.

The marketplace – which provided quickly-deleted and therefore virtually untraceable VMs – was meticulously monitored by Microsoft’s security team, Digital Crimes Unit, with both Microsoft and Google suspending the operation and action taken to seize domains and servers.

A secondary case featuring the GSE identified a Microsoft-impersonating tech support scam, resulting, highlighting the importance of secure thread data collaboration platforms.

Digital Crimes Unit

Finding massive scams is not easy. Even with its own Digital Crimes Unit, Microsoft has to rely on information sharing with third party organizations. In this case, the RedVDS marketplace was identified ahead of disruptive action taken by Microsoft in January 2026, which applied to courts in the UK and US to have the RedVDS web domains seized.

Data shared via the GSE enabled Google to follow suit, identifying related accounts on its networks and suspending them. Meanwhile, servers were impounded in Germany, and Europol took action against Europe-based RedVDS servers.

It’s an impressive account of cooperative, decisive action against cybercrime, a collaborative response to what has been described as a “$66 million fraud marketplace.”

An incredible 130,000 organizations were targeted by RedVDS-provided virtual machines between September and December 2025, with 191,000 Microsoft email accounts compromised during this period. All of this access to cybercrime was available from just $24 a month for a basic scam-ready virtual machine.

The importance of collaboration

The Global Signal Exchange is a UK-based non-profit, co-founded with Google in 2025 with the aim of providing real-time monitoring of the cybercrime supply chain.

"Fraud does not respect company boundaries, and no single organization ever sees the whole picture," noted Emily Taylor, CEO at Oxford Information Labs and Co-Founder of the Global Signal Exchange.

"That is exactly why we built GSE: to give trusted partners a secure way to share what they know, quickly. These two cases are a good example of GSE doing exactly what it was designed to do."

The Global Signal Exchange’s role in the sharing of information between Google and Microsoft has highlighted the importance in such collaborations. Both organizations have stated they plan to continue sharing information through the GSE, whose other partners include Meta, Amazon, Google, among many others.

• BAN says 87% of data center hardware isn't actually accounted for in most figures
• Each 1GW of capacity equals 70,000 tonnes of hardware
• AI hardware needs more frequent replacing

A new Basel Action Network (BAN) report has claimed the ongoing AI boom could create a new stream of e-waste, with retired equipment from AI alone likely contributing 395-617 million tonnes between 2025 and 2050.

To put that into context, BAN says that waste would fill 15-23 million 40ft shipping containers, which, placed end-to-end, would be enough to circle the earth six times over.

Ultimately, Moore's Law is to blame because developers are no longer able to achieve such great improvements in performance year-over-year, so they're having to introduce whole new types of technology.

AI will likely lead to massive amounts of e-waste

For example, AI companies are now having to deploy huge numbers of specialized AI accelerators alongside GPUs, cooling equipment, networking and more.

BAN also highlights that global data center Capex is expected to hit $7 trillion between 2025 and 2030, with $4.3 trillion of this attributed to electronic hardware.

The paper goes on to criticize earlier estimates for only including servers and accelerators, which it says is only around 13% of the picture. The other 87%, which spans networking, power distribution, storage/backup, and cooling, is largely unaccounted for.

And with each additional 1GW of data center capacity estimated to need around 70,000 tonnes of electronics, and 100GW of additional capacity anticipated globally by the end of this decade, the true scale starts to become clearer.

There's also refresh cycles, because BAN predicts that AI accelerators, servers and racks are replaced every 2.5 years, versus the usual five to seven years of a general-purpose server.

While these may be speculative estimations and not actual quantities, one thing's for certain – more data centers means more e-waste.

To minimise some of the impacts, BAN first suggests designing AI data center equipment to last longer in the first place. Recycling and second use is also a big topic, but the report doesn't go into whether AI-specific hardware can then go on to be used in lesser functionalities, such as being shoehorned into regular server facilities.

• Hackers took down a Flock camera and extracted a copy of its storage drive
• There, they were able to acess 1.6 million images and 27,000 videos taken over 21 days, despite claims that the encryption system should prevent this
• Morale is reportedly so low at Flock that many workers are ready to quit

Another day, another Flock controversy. As if things couldn’t get any worse for the embattled maker of automatic license plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, hackers have just managed to extract 1.6 million images and 27,000 video clips from one of its systems — something Flock has previously claimed should be impossible.

According to a report from 404 Media, members of a hacker collective named stegan0gram took down a Flock camera and managed to make a “near-complete copy” of its stored data.

When they did that, they found a treasure trove of privacy-compromising information and shared it with both 404 Media and the Distributed Denial of Secrets nonprofit, who then sent it on to Wired.

The report from 404 Media identified around 50,200 vehicles in Flock’s media files. The storage contained approximately 1.6 million images and more than 27,000 video clips taken over the course of 21 days. Older logs were either overwritten or inaccessible.

Perhaps more concerning, Flock’s cameras were able to detect people as well as vehicles and license plates, raising serious questions about how well the privacy of innocent members of the public is being protected. That said, 404 Media found no evidence of any kind of facial recognition being put to use.

The hackers said that they discovered two partitions when they accessed the Flock camera’s Android operating system. Inside one labeled “media,” they found a decryption key that unlocked a storage area housing the vast collection of images and video clips.

That all goes against public statements from Flock. The company has previously claimed that images and videos are only briefly stored on the device after being sent to Flock’s servers, and that no decryption keys were stored on the devices.

But with the hackers discovering stored media going back many weeks, plus the means to decrypt it, it appears that Flock’s statement might be inaccurate.

‘The writing is on the wall’

As you can probably imagine given the near-constant barrage of negative press Flock has been facing in recent weeks, its own employees are reportedly starting to feel the strain. And with morale through the floor, many are seeking to leave the company.

Wired has reported that Flock recently opened up a voluntary separation program for employees that would offer a “generous” severance package to anyone who seeks a way out of the firm. The scheme is open until October 2, with decisions being announced on October 9.

And according to “people familiar with the program but not authorized to discuss it publicly” cited by Wired, morale is so low at Flock that “a significant number of the startup’s roughly 1,500 employees may try to depart.”

That backs up comments from Flock’s own CEO, who said on the All-In podcast in August that “internal moral” has been the biggest casualty amid escalating hostility to the company’s devices.

For many Flock workers, the severance offer is likely to come at a good time. As one apparently disgruntled employee told Wired, “When you see enough of the vandalism [aimed at Flock cameras], you know the writing is on the wall.”

If you're the kind of person who only dabbles in ChatGPT now and again, you might be getting a bit bored.

Maybe you use it to proofread work, plan a trip or make images sometimes. But with the cost of a subscription, and growing concerns about AI’s environmental impact, its effect on our cognitive abilities and what it might mean for jobs, you might reasonably be wondering: is ChatGPT actually useful enough to justify using it?

Well, you're not alone. Plenty of AI users have been telling me the same. So I went looking through Reddit threads where ChatGPT users were sharing the more unusual and genuinely useful ways they use it. And I found a few that might actually be worth experimenting with.

One Redditor asked: What's the most unexpectedly useful thing ChatGPT has done for you? Another posted: What are the most useful ChatGPT features and use cases that most people do not know about?

So, I went through the most upvoted replies looking for ideas that went beyond the usual writing, brainstorming and summarizing suggestions. Some of them made me think about ChatGPT's capabilities in a different way.

But a quick caveat before we start, I haven't tested every suggestion below and we know ChatGPT can make mistakes, so be cautious when an answer could affect your health, safety and finances. Think of these more as inspiration for using ChatGPT more creatively rather than fully vetted recommendations.

1. Declutter your junk drawer

I know this one might seem a bit silly. And maybe you thought you'd have to wait until ChatGPT gets a robotic body to help you tidy up. But I promise it might make your dull organization tasks a little less boring.

One Redditor said they use ChatGPT to: “organize and declutter a junk drawer or a box of power adaptors just using pictures.”

Rather than sitting there examining every mysterious cable and adapter you’ve accumulated over the past decade, you can just take a photo and ask ChatGPT to help you work out what everything is and, most importantly, how to sort it.

You can ask it to suggest categories for what you’ve decided to keep and where each group should live. The same trick could work for a toolbox, kitchen cupboard, art supplies or that box of cables you’re keeping because you're convinced one of them will become extremely important as soon as you throw it away.

So, I decided to give it a go. I took a picture of a box that sits on my desk packed full of contact lenses, medication, a bunch of different cables, notes and hair ties.

The advice was helpful, ChatGPT told me what each thing was and how to sort everything. The most useful thing it then did was send my photo back to me with annotated and color-coded notes so I could quickly go about sorting. This was perfect for my ADHD brain.

There are obvious limits here, you wouldn't throw away something valuable just because ChatGPT told you too. But as a starting point for tackling a chaotic collection of stuff, it might be helpful.

2. Talk yourself out of buying something

AI shopping tools are usually designed to help you find more things to buy. But one Redditor uses ChatGPT for the opposite purpose: "[It] talks me out of purchases. I upload a potential purchase and ask it to talk me out of it. I’ve saved quite a bit of money!"

I love the reversal here. Instead of asking ChatGPT whether you should buy the $200/£200 headphones currently sitting in your basket, tell it you want them and ask it to make the strongest possible case for why you shouldn't buy them.

You could give it the price, tell it what you already own, explain what you think the new product will improve and ask questions, like: What problem am I actually solving here? Do I already own something that does this? What are the strongest reasons to wait a month?

I gave this one a go. I love working out outside and at the gym, but in the depths of winter I find it really hard to stay motivated and I'm considering getting a small treadmill or walking pad. There's nothing wrong with them, but it's not my favorite way to workout, I don't have much room for one and the good ones aren't cheap. I really need someone to talk me out of getting one. Would ChatGPT be up for the challenge?

Here's how it responded:

"Don’t buy it. You already know the case against it. You don’t enjoy treadmill workouts, don’t have much space, and don’t want to spend the money. You’re considering buying a fairly large object to solve a problem that exists for a few dark months a year."

The response felt a little short and sickly sweet. If my finger was genuinely hovering over the "buy it now" button I'm not sure this would have stopped me. But I do love the idea of using AI to actually add some perspective and friction back into our lives.

3. Streamline your skincare routine

This one is similar to the idea above, but given how much people spend on skincare these days and how confusing the advice is about how to build the perfect routine, I think it's well worth testing out.

One Redditor said: “I gave it all my skincare. It cross referenced, compared and analyzed all the ingredients and items I had and recommended what I don’t need based on the overlaps. Saved me a lot time and money.”

In other words, don't ask ChatGPT what else you should buy. Show it what you already own and ask where you're duplicating things and if something does genuinely need adding.

For skincare, that could mean listing your cleansers, serums and moisturizers and asking it to identify products containing similar active ingredients. You could potentially apply the same principle to all sorts of collections too.

I took a quick snap of my core skincare staples and asked it to analyze the ingredients, tell me if there's overlap and ask what I could add, but stressed I'm on a budget and want to keep things simple.

It responded with a detailed breakdown of each product, its ingredients and what they do. It was also very measured about suggesting new products, and even told me my eye cream wasn't necessary. I was also happy it included sources for every claim, which it doesn't always do but that's important for skincare.

I then asked it to present this information on the image itself because I found that really useful for the junk drawer sorting example, and it was such a handy visual.

There are limitations here too. ChatGPT isn't a dermatologist, and ingredients alone don't determine how suitable a skincare product is for you. But I like the broader idea of using AI to audit your consumption rather than constantly optimize it by adding more.

4. Identify plants, animals and trees

“I use it a lot to ID plants and animals,” one Redditor explained, adding that although ChatGPT occasionally produces “a weird incorrect response”, it's usually quite good.

This is another use for ChatGPT's camera capabilities that could be easy to overlook if you mostly interact with it through text.

Photograph a plant, insect or bird and ask ChatGPT what it thinks you're looking at. Better still, ask it what features it's using to make the identification and what similar species it could be confusing it with.

I tried this out with a bunch of trees, asking ChatGPT to identify them based on their leaves. I then fact-checked everything and it identified them all correctly. It also provided details about the history of the trees too. Most of the trees in my area are pretty standard, like Oak, Ash and Beech, so it'd be interesting to see how it fares with trees, plants or insects that are a little more unexpected.

If it’s bird song you’re interested in though, I highly recommend using the identification app Merlin, it’s one of my most-used and much-loved apps.

And also remember that ChatGPT doesn’t always get image identification right, and you shouldn't eat, touch or otherwise interact with a potentially dangerous plant, fungus or animal based purely on a chatbot's identification.

5. Plan a walking tour

This tip came up in several forms. One Redditor said: “If I'm taking a walk in an interesting place, like a historic district, I show it a particular building or place and it gives me the history behind it. Like having a walking tour guide.”

Another user takes a screenshot of a hiking route and asks ChatGPT for interesting facts about the geology, history and place names they'll encounter along the way.

This is one of those ideas that feels obvious once somebody else has suggested it. Before a walk, you could upload a map and ask for five interesting things to look out for. Or when you encounter an unusual building, monument or landscape feature, take a photo and ask what you're looking at.

I’d be wary of confidently repeating every historical fact ChatGPT gives you to your hiking companions without checking it first. We know that chatbots can still invent plausible-sounding details. And never rely on it for route planning, especially though difficult terrain. There have been far too many horror stories about AI sending people in completely the wrong direction recently.

I tried this one myself and shared a Google Maps screenshot of Saltaire, a picturesque village in the UK. I asked ChatGPT to mark up the map with the best things to see on a trip there.

It showed me all of the key things to visit in the area. Granted there wasn't anything on here I couldn't have found from a very quick search. But it's still handy if you're in a new area for a few hours and want a quick overlay of the map you already have.

6. Troubleshoot a broken appliance using photos

Plenty of people already ask ChatGPT technical questions. What I hadn't really considered was combining those questions with its ability to “see” what you're seeing.

One Redditor described doing exactly that when their dishwasher stopped working. They wrote: “Fixing appliances. Our dishwasher stopped working. I gave it the error message and took a photo of the dishwasher and it walked me through every step to fix it.”

They say ChatGPT eventually helped them identify a blockage and suggested ways to clear it. This seems useful for those frustrating household problems where you don't know the correct name for the thing you're looking at. Instead of trying to Google “the little plastic thing underneath dishwasher filter is broken”, you can simply show ChatGPT the little plastic thing.

Give it the appliance's make and model if you can, photograph the problem and provide the exact error message.

I tried this with the water heating system in my new flat because my landlord gave me the wrong manual. ChatGPT needed a lot of additional details but did end up giving me the right instructions for basic tasks, like setting a timer.

There’s a big safety caveat here. I wouldn't follow AI-generated instructions involving electricity, gas, dangerous machinery or anything else where getting it wrong could injure you. But for basic troubleshooting, identifying components and understanding error codes, the combination of text and images could be genuinely useful.

7. Find the glasses that'll suit your face

One Redditor uploaded a photograph of themselves and asked ChatGPT for help choosing prescription glasses:

“It helped me identify prescription eyeglass frames to fit my face. Uploaded a picture and it gave me the size, shape and website with model and frame number. Turns out I was wearing the wrong shape most of my life.”

I need new glasses so decided to try this idea out for myself.

I'd take the idea of a "right" or "wrong" glasses shape with a big pinch of salt. Style rules about which frames supposedly suit particular face shapes are subjective.

But doing this did help me start thinking about which glasses I should try on when I have my appointment at the optician's in a few weeks and narrow down the enormous number of options that are available.

You could also show it frames you already like and ask it to describe their characteristics so you know what terms to search for.

I think what's really interesting about all of these suggestions is that most of them aren't about building the cleverest or most elaborate prompt. Instead, they started with something in everyday life that needed identifying, organizing, checking, fixing or remembering.

So if you want to get creative about how ChatGPT could be more useful, maybe you need to look around more and ask, what do I really need help with?

• ShinyHunters hacked rival gang Cl0p, stealing source code, logs, and onion service keys
• The gang defaced Cl0p’s site via Grav CMS flaw, posting their logo and taunts about past threats
• Feud recalls Conti’s collapse in 2022, raising risk of escalating “cyber war” between criminal groups

Infamous cybercriminal gang Cl0p has seemingly been hacked by an even more infamous data leak collective, ShinyHunters.

The attack is still being pieced together, but it would seem we have true hacker beef on our hands - which just might escalate into a full-blown cyber war.

ShinyHunters has added Cl0p to their data leak site, giving the hacking group 72 hours to pay a ransom or see all their files leaked into the cybercriminal underbelly. The files allegedly stolen in the attack include source code, Grav CMS plugins, system logs, and other information, Cybernews reports. We don’t know how much money ShinyHunters are asking to keep Cl0p’s files private.

Still downloading

"The data we stole includes source codes, gravCMS plugins, and other things. We are still downloading and reviewing them," ShinyHunters allegedly told BleepingComputer.

The group also said they stole everything in the server’s /var/log directory, including system activity records, authentication logs, and IP addresses associated with connections to the server. We doubt this could lead to the identification of any Cl0p members, and even if it could, it would mean very little since the members are likely Russian and thus mostly free to conduct their operations.

Doxxing might help defenders disrupt the group’s infrastructure, though.

Whether or not that will be needed, given ShinyHunters’ activity, remains to be seen. The attackers also said they stole the private keys for Cl0p’s Tor onion service:

"We have their onion keys. So if they kick us out it wouldn't matter at all because we control the private keys to host the same exact onion URL," the group said.

On top of it all, ShinyHunters defaced Cl0p’s website. Allegedly, the group found an unauthenticated file upload flaw in the Grav CMS Cl0p was using, gaining access to their target’s servers, website, and more. Cybernews confirmed the website had been defaced and now holds an ASCII image of ShinyHunters’ logo, and a link to their Tor site. It also displays a large message:

"THIS SITE HAS BEEN PWN3D BY SHINYHUNTERES #Skids10p - Maybe don't try to threaten us next time.” Furthermore, it says “rooting your systems since '19 ;)".

The “maybe don’t try to threaten us next time” message seems to refer to a threat that a Cl0p member made earlier. Apparently, this person threatened violence against ShinyHunters, as well as to expose their identities to the public. The remarks were made during Cl0p’s 2025 Oracle E-Business Suite attacks.

"During the Oracle EBS campaign they ran and stole from me last year, someone from cl0p personally messaged me and said, and I quote (translated from Russian): I have more money than you and all of your people combined, I'll kill you soon," ShinyHunters told BleepingComputer.

Dog eat dog

Cybercriminals often work together. They share resources, rent each other’s services, and often complement their campaigns. However, that doesn’t make them “friends” or “colleagues”, in any way. It is usually just a marriage of convenience that falls apart at the slightest sound of trouble. The last big “feud” we’ve seen was back in 2022, at the very start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Back then, a group called Conti publicly declared its “full support” for the Russian government and threatened to use its resources against anyone conducting cyberattacks on Russian infrastructure.

The announcement was a fiasco - many of Conti’s affiliates stopped working with the group, and others were openly attacking it. Soon after, a Ukrainian researcher and an alleged affiliate leaked more than 60,000 messages, exposing the group’s operations and internal organization.

All of this eventually led to Conti’s collapse later that year. However, its members did not disappear - they splintered into multiple groups such as Black Basta, Royal, and Quantum. Some of the crooks engaged in Conti are allegedly still active today.

• The iPhone 18 Pro Max uses software artificially reduce its battery capacity to avoid shipping restrictions
• The same software trick will need to be used when shipping the phone off to repair or sell it
• Other phones might start taking this same approach

The iPhone 18 Pro Max has the highest capacity battery that Apple has ever put in a handset. Going by teardowns, you’re getting a 5,567mAh battery in eSIM-only models and a 5,391mAh one in versions with a physical SIM card slot. But both of those are over 20 watt-hours (Wh), and that could have been a problem for Apple.

You see, most countries have additional shipping requirements for devices with a single-cell battery of over 20 Wh. For example, both the US and UK consider these ‘dangerous goods’, and they’re prohibited to be sent through standard consumer mail services such as USPS standard post and Royal Mail.

That’s obviously a problem for a device that many people will be ordering online — and it can also complicate shipping the device to stores. But Apple has come up with a clever solution called ‘Prepare to Ship’.

This is a mode that uses battery firmware to limit the capacity to under 20Wh, and it's active from when the phone is manufactured to when a customer first activates it.

Once you have the phone up and running, the limit is removed automatically — so in other words this gets it around the shipping restrictions, without limiting the capacity of the product you receive.

However, this also adds an extra step you need to take before shipping the phone somewhere yourself — whether you’re sending it off for repair, selling it, or whatever else, as you need to manually enable the ‘Prepare to Ship’ mode again.

How to prepare your phone for shipping

To do this, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Prepare to Ship. Then just follow the onscreen instructions, including selecting whether or not you also want to erase your phone.

There are a few things to be aware of though: to activate ‘Prepare to Ship’ mode, your phone might need to discharge a bit, so you should unplug it from its charger, and you should also be aware that it might become warmer than usual while this process is being carried out.

The full process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on how much the battery needs to drop, but you can use the phone as usual in the meantime (assuming you haven’t also opted to erase it), and the Settings app will display a red badge reading ‘Ready to Ship’ once it’s done.

If you have erased it, then you’ll instead see whether it’s ready to ship on the ‘Hello’ screen — just tap the info button there.

Once ‘Prepare to Ship’ has been enabled, it limits the battery to under 80% capacity for 14 days, but if you need to undo this setting prior to that, just head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Ready to Ship, and tap ‘Undo Shipping Preparation.’

This might become the new normal

So it’s a simple enough process, but it’s one that’s vital to know about when it comes time to sell or repair your phone — so hopefully there will be enough messaging around it.

But while for now this only affects the iPhone 18 Pro Max, it could one day become the norm. Certainly, we’d expect future large iPhones to have this same feature, but Android phones are likely to get in on the act too, since it's a very elegant solution to the problem.

Currently, some Android phones get around 20Wh restrictions by using multiple smaller battery cells, but depending on the design of the phone it might be preferable to just have a single cell — in which case a solution like Apple’s firmware trickery makes total sense.

This is one of those situations where we don't think there's any shame in borrowing ideas from other manufacturers.

• NymVPN has launched a new version of its app - v2026.12
• It introduces a host of speed-focused improvements, alongside improved usability, better onboarding, and new anti-censorship capabilities
• Alongside the technical changes, a new pricing structure has removed the 2-year plan entirely

NymVPN's latest update marks its latest move to put the best VPNs in its crosshairs. The provider has launched version 2026.12, bringing a massive wave of usability improvements, anti-censorship tools, and a brand-new pricing structure across its desktop and mobile apps.

According to the Nym Core Team, this release is laser-focused on "getting the safest connection to more people, in more places, with less in the way."

To that end, NymVPN has completely reworked its WireGuard handshake to deliver faster, more stable cellular connections. This means your VPN is far less likely to drop when switching from Wi-Fi to a spotty mobile data network. It also introduced a new onboarding experience to help you get started smoothly with the VPN's unique, decentralized mixnet.

One-click routing and smarter split tunneling

The most immediate change users will notice is the introduction of one-click connections. NymVPN has introduced a "Safest" default setting that automatically picks a strong-performing server in a country next to yours, ensuring your entry point sits safely outside your home jurisdiction. Users can also select "Random" to constantly break traffic analysis patterns, or rely on "Favorites" and "Recents" for instant access to trusted nodes.

NymVPN is also expanding on its earlier beta tests by officially launching geo-exclusion alongside traditional split tunneling for desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux).

While basic split tunneling lets you send a whole app outside the VPN, geo-exclusion is far more precise. It splits a single app's traffic by destination, allowing you to route local services (like a banking app) outside the tunnel while keeping international traffic protected. The team notes this feature is currently available for Chinese IPs, with more countries coming soon.

Beating censorship on the go

For users in restrictive regimes, simply having a VPN app visible on your phone can be dangerous. Following earlier iOS icon disguises, NymVPN has now brought a camouflage icon feature to Android, allowing users to hide the software behind a discreet alternative logo in their device settings.

The provider is also expanding its global accessibility, launching five new languages: Traditional Chinese, Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong), Japanese, Italian, and Indonesian. As the developer noted in its release, "for people living under censorship, a VPN they can actually read is a necessity, not a nicety."

Pricing shake-up and what's next

NymVPN is tweaking its subscription model to reflect the app's growing feature set. The provider has introduced a new six-month plan at $6 per month, while maintaining a standard monthly tier at $8.

However, the company is retiring its two-year subscription tier. The best value is now the one-year plan at $4 per month. NymVPN confirmed that existing two-year subscribers will keep their current plan, but it will automatically renew as a one-year plan when it expires.

The provider claims it remains one of the most affordable options on the market, adding that its "privacy is guaranteed by design, not by a promise a centralized VPN structurally can't keep."

Looking ahead, the NymVPN roadmap promises QR-code support for faster activations, expanded geo-exclusion for Russia, and customizable entry-and-exit server profiles.

• A recent update introduced a new bug affecting pasting in Excel
• Excel 2016 just got a hotfix, but Microsoft admits issues can persist
• Temporary workaround is available by selecting 'Paste Special'

Although a recent Microsoft Excel security update brought with it a highly annoying bug impacting copying and pasting functionalities across the spreadsheet software, it's already issued a partial fix.

Just days after the glitch was introduced with a September 8 2026 security update (KB5002914), the company has released a hot fix rather than forcing users to wait until the next cycle.

But this fix in particular only applies to Excel 2016, which is unlikely to have as much reach and global usage as Microsoft 365 versions of the app, therefore many users won't even have been aware of the issue.

Excel just got an important new fix

Other non-365 versions of Excel were also impacted. "In Microsoft Excel 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016, as well as Excel Online in Office Online Server, the paste operation might fail silently," the company explained in a status update.

"Although users try to paste content, the source remains selected and the destination is unmodified," the update reads, confirming that users didn't receive an error message or sound to let them know of the failure.

Office LTSC 2021 and 2024 are officially fixed, Microsoft confirmed, but a only a mitigation is available for Office LTSC 2019 and Office 2016, so users may still experience some problems.

Thankfully, while a full fix is in the works, Microsoft offered up a pretty simple workaround. Pasting 'Special' from the Home tab is all it takes, with conditional formatting apparently causing headaches for now.

• Canva ProSuite connects Affinity, Cavalry, Flourish, and Leonardo into one ecosystem
• Affinity and Cavalry stay free as ProSuite gains over 100 additions
• Scene Decomposition uses AI to split flattened pictures into separate editable components

Canva is giving Affinity a major set of upgrades as it tries to make its professional creative tools more useful against established competitors.

The free software now adds photography, design, automation and file compatibility features alongside deeper connections with Cavalry, Canva and other creative products.

The changes form part of Canva ProSuite, which brings Affinity, Cavalry, Flourish and Leonardo together while keeping Affinity and Cavalry available without payment.

Affinity gets a major photography and design update

The photography changes are particularly extensive, adding batch importing and an improved RAW processing system for users handling large collections.

Preset looks can now be applied across multiple images, while new correction tools address mixed illumination and camera movement during editing.

Scene Decomposition uses AI to separate flattened pictures into editable components, allowing photographers to modify individual elements without rebuilding images manually.

A dedicated Astrophotography Studio adds specialized controls for photographers working with night skies and astronomical subjects during detailed image processing.

Affinity is also expanding the range of files it can handle, including support for bringing InDesign documents directly into the application.

The company says this gives users access to major industry file formats while reducing obstacles when moving projects between different creative applications.

Integration with Canva Brand Kit and Canva Sheets also adds a route for connecting design work with brand assets and structured information.

Other additions cover vector editing, typography, brushes, noise reduction, high dynamic range processing and export controls, giving professional users more options.

Sony ARW6 support, OpenColorIO display emulation, and improved output matching also extend Affinity's capabilities for photography and color-managed production workflows.

The release includes more than 60 Affinity additions, while Canva says ProSuite brings over 100 additions and changes across its connected products this year.

Canva connects Affinity with motion and AI tools

Canva is also connecting Affinity with Cavalry, its software for creating motion graphics and animations, as part of the new ProSuite.

Cavalry receives more than 50 changes, including new shape controls, lighting effects, graph editing improvements, and expanded SVG handling for motion designers.

The integration lets selected elements within Cavalry projects become editable inside Canva, while keeping the underlying animation protected.

This arrangement could allow teams to make limited changes without repeatedly sending modification requests back to motion designers and animators across team workflows.

Affinity and Cavalry can also connect with AI assistants through ProSuite's AI Connectors, allowing repetitive operations to be handled from natural-language instructions.

“We're genuinely excited to be releasing such a huge swathe of new tools for professional designers, animators, photographers and other advanced users,” said Duncan Clark, CEO of Pro Design at Canva.

“We asked professionals what they actually needed to power their creative work…there’s a lot of noise right now about AI replacing human creatives, but we believe professional craft matters more than ever. We want the Canva ProSuite to be where that craft lives and thrives.”

Affinity's new features, the Cavalry improvements and tighter connections across Canva's products give the free software a significantly larger professional toolkit.

• Joint report from Japan, US, Germany, and Australia says Contagious Interview stole $10 million in crypto
• NK operatives used fake personas, companies, and “laptop farms” to infiltrate 30,000+ devices in 100 countries
• Agencies urge vigilance: verify applicants’ details, check IPs, validate certifications, and watch for crypto‑based payments

North Korean threat actors behind the infamous “Contagious Interview” campaign have so far compromised more than 30,000 devices across 100 countries, and have robbed around 7,000 people of their hard-earned cryptocurrencies.

The theft has brought more than $10 million to the North Korean government, a new report jointly released by law enforcement agencies in Japan, the United States, Germany, and Australia has found.

Fake everything

Contagious Interview is a hacking campaign running for almost four years now. Sometimes it’s also called Operation DreamJob.

The cybersecurity community in general attributes it to the government of North Korea, although more precise attribution is rather difficult.

Some researchers believe it is being done by the Lazarus Group, one of the largest and most influential state-sponsored actors around.

Others believe different groups are involved, labeled DeceptiveDevelopment, Gwisin Gang, Tenacious Pungsan, DEV#POPPER, PurpleBravo, or TAG-121.

Contagious Interview leverages the lack of skilled workers in the West to infiltrate organizations, steal sensitive data and ultimately, money. North Korean operatives would create entire fake personas on social media such as LinkedIn, and would apply to hundreds, if not thousands, of job ads across IT, healthcare, and other industries.

The personas are carefully crafted, using a mix of legitimate information stolen in data breaches (names, SSNs, addresses), and AI-generated images, video, and audio. If hired, the operatives would use their access to infect organizations with malware, steal login credentials and different access, and exfiltrate sensitive files and cryptos.

The operation works the other way around, as well. Crooks would create fake companies and fake job positions, and would then reach out to their targets to offer lucrative positions on exciting projects. As part of the hiring process, the candidates would be asked to download and work on code which, unknown to them, was malicious. The North Koreans would then pivot to their targets’ current employers, resulting in the same outcome.

Laptop farms

One of the ways organizations in the West are trying to combat this issue is by being mindful of the IP address and the location from which their employees are logging on. To work around this challenge, the attackers have set up “laptop farms” - facilities located abroad (usually in countries that don’t have that strict limitations, but are still NK-friendly, such as China), hosting hundreds of laptops. They would then access their targets’ networks through these laptops, to make sure their actual location is never revealed.

The primary targets are individual web designers, engineers, and specialists working in cryptocurrency, blockchain, and Web3 technologies, it was said. Businesses should be wary when they receive numerous applications in a short time, for a position where there are usually very few applicants.

“If possible, verify that IP addresses generally match the applicant’s claimed residence,” the report states. “Carefully check all contact information. Calling an applicant’s phone number may reveal the number is out of service.”

The agencies also warned that trying to get hired is often a group effort: “Even if a single individual appears to be applying, multiple people may be collaborating behind the scenes, inflating the perceived skill set.” Therefore, businesses should verify certifications by checking registration numbers and, in case of any inconsistencies, should ask for detailed explanations.

Asking personal details about the applicant’s hometown, weather, or hobbies, is often a good way to spot a scammer. Finally, it was said that North Korean IT workers tend to favor payment in cryptocurrency, and they may request that remuneration be sent to an account in another person’s name.

Contagious Interview has been ongoing for roughly four years now, and during that time it evolved significantly. Security agencies warn that changes to the standard practice could happen at any time, and that the variations to the theme should be expected.

• Some of those who've upgraded to macOS 27 aren't happy
• They're complaining about bugs with the interface and sluggishness
• The main problem is with Mission Control, but there's also flak being aimed at Apple due to other issues – and its testing department is under fire

Apple released macOS 27 Golden Gate last week, and some early adopters are flagging up bugs and regretting their upgrade – although others are finding the new version smooth sailing.

The Reddit 'megathread' on macOS 27 bugs and issues highlights some of the more common problems that those upgrading are running into, some of which appear to be more severe than others.

The biggest beef is with Mission Control which a number of macOS 27 users are describing as broken. It's in pretty bad shape by all accounts.

As one user put it in the above thread: "Been reading about this and finally tried it because I never use Mission Control and you're absolutely right. Most NON smooth experience I've ever seen on a Mac."

Someone replies to agree, and goes further: "It is, without a doubt, the most significant visual glitch I've encountered as a decades-long Mac user."

Another Redditor observes: "I'm a power user of multi-desktops and Mission Control and I can't believe they've broken such a fundamental feature. Yes, the animations are broken and sluggish, but the issue that breaks my workflow is when you drag a desktop to another monitor it leaves an unresponsive black screen behind.

"The only fix is to create a new desktop on the black screen, switch to this new desktop, then delete the new desktop."

In a separate thread complete with an illustrative video clip, another Redditor declared that Mission Control is "glitchier, laggier, and buggier," and that: "The animations judder, and sometimes when switching to a full screen app I'll get a completely black screen."

They added: "I've been using Macs for 20+ years, and remember [when] Exposé was released. Never have I ever experienced such a Windows-esque bug in macOS."

On top of this, there are complaints about sluggishness with some other areas of the interface in macOS 27 Golden Gate, including the menu bar and Control Center.

There are also frustrations being vented about Spotlight search not working properly, but this is apparently a symptom of the system reindexing after the installation of the new version of macOS.

Analysis: mission statement

The biggest problem is clearly Mission Control, but stuttering, sluggishness and glitchy animations can reportedly extend to other areas of macOS 27.

That said, there are a notable amount of folks who are finding that macOS 27 runs nice and smoothly for them, and they're praising it as a vast improvement over macOS 26 (although that isn't difficult given that Tahoe was a messy release for many reasons).

You may experience some slowdown with Golden Gate due to search indexing, as mentioned above, but once that work is done, those performance hiccups should disappear, and macOS 27 will hopefully settle down.

If you use Mission Control, though – and granted, a lot of people don't, as it's designed for power-users, and those running apps across multiple virtual desktops or monitors – it seems that for now, macOS 27 is best avoided. Those in this boat might want to wait until the 27.1 release in the hope that it brings a resolution.

It is a bit baffling that a feature should be pushed out in a clearly wonky state – there's no arguing that something is wrong with Mission Control – and this has brought up a related issue with Apple's beta testing of the desktop operating system.

As one tester tells us: "Many years ago, I did actually get responses [from Apple] to bugs submitted and updates on where it was heading. I've submitted a lot of bugs and since Tahoe (maybe earlier) I haven't received any feedback on my submissions and the bugs that I submitted still exist in the official release of Golden Gate. I don't think that anyone is reviewing the bug reports anymore."

That's in reply to a post that says: "The very long list of serious bugs were reported extensively and often during the beta to Apple. Apple did what they always do with macOS beta feedback. Your video [of the glitchy Mission Control interface] is the result."

Others agree that the process of beta testing and feedback seems to have gone downhill in recent times, hence the comparison of macOS to Windows. Microsoft has long taken flak for its QA department which, as I've argued many times, needs some serious attention – but this subject just isn't talked about. I doubt Apple will be talking about these testing-related assertions, either, but hopefully Mission Control will get the attention it needs behind the scenes.

For now, a good number of macOS users who stuck on Sequoia because Tahoe was overly buggy and problematic are still holding off upgrading to Golden Gate, and I can see why some folks might think it's prudent to exercise caution here. Those macOS 25 holdouts will continue to watch and wait, no doubt, and that's a bad look for Apple.

• England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI series: September 22-27
• Watch England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI series on Sky Sports (UK) / Willow TV via Sling (US)
• Get tickets for the matches via Seat Unique
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)

England head into the three-match ODI series on a high after clean-sweeping The Lions 3-0 in the T20 series. Despite sitting seventh in the ICC ODI rankings, below Sri Lanka, Harry Brook’s side will be confident of another series victory given their recent form.

England won their previous ODI series against Sri Lanka 2-1 in Sri Lanka earlier this year, before winning 2-1 against India at home, with Joe Root named Player of the Series on both occasions.

Root has been in exceptional form in ODIs this year, scoring 525 runs at an average of 105, and will once again be expected to anchor England’s middle order. Harry Brook, Jos Buttler and Will Jacks provide plenty of firepower around him. But they will be without Jacob Bethell and Sam Curran, both of whom are sidelined with injuries.

Selection could prove a headache for Brook, with almost every player in contention in good form. The biggest question is who replaces Bethell at the top of the order. Jordan Cox and Tom Banton are the obvious options, although all-rounder Rehan Ahmed opened against Sri Lanka in January. In the bowling attack, expect Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Adil Rashid and all-rounder Jamie Overton to play, and then one of Sonny Baker or Gus Atkinson.

For Sri Lanka, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis and captain Kusal Mendis – who missed the T20 series because of injury – will be vital. Their spin trio of Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage will also be key to any hope they have, although with English pitches they will need their pace options to step-up as well.

The series begins in Chester-le-Street tomorrow (September 22), before moving to Leeds on September 24 and finishing at Kennington Oval, London, on September 27.

Read on as we explain how to watch the England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI series online, on TV and potentially for free wherever you are.

How to watch any England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI stream using a VPN

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI live streams in the US

In the US, dedicated cricket streaming service Willow TV is the place to watch every game of the England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI series.

If you don't have it as part of your cable package, you can watch Willow coverage through your choice of Sling TV's Desi Binge Plus or Dakshin Flex plans – starting from $10 per month.

Outside the US? Use NordVPN to watch Willow TV's England vs Sri Lanka ODI coverage from anywhere.

How to watch England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI live streams in the UK

The England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI series is being shown on Sky Sports, with live coverage on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event.

Sky Sports plans start from £35/month, or £20 if you're an existing Sky subscriber. Alternatively, grab a Now Sports subscription from £14.99/day or £34.99/month.

Outside the UK right now? Use NordVPN to access your preferred coverage of the England vs Sri Lanka ODI series.

How to watch England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI live streams in India

The England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI series is being shown on the Sony Sports Network in India, with live streaming available via Sony LIV.

Sony LIV subscription plans in India start at ₹599 for the Mobile-Only yearly plan, while the Premium yearly plan costs ₹999.

If you're currently out of India but want to watch an England vs Sri Lanka ODI live stream, you'll need to get yourself a VPN, as per the instructions above.

How to watch England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI live streams in Australia

The England vs Sri Lanka ODI series is being shown on Fox Cricket via Foxtel in Australia, with live streaming available via Kayo Sports.

Kayo Sports subscriptions start at AU$30 per month after a 7-day free trial, as detailed above. Equally, you can get your first month for AU$1.

Remember if you're out of Australia at all during the series, get yourself a VPN to stream the England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI series from anywhere in the world.

How to watch England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI live streams in South Africa

The England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI series is being shown on Supersport in South Africa.

You'll need to get a DStv access package to watch every ball of the three-match series, with prices starting at Rs99/month for the streaming version.

Abroad right now? Just use a VPN and tell your device that you're back home and you'll be good to go.

How to watch England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI live streams in New Zealand

In New Zealand, Sky Sport NZ is showing the England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI series.

You can access Sky Sport through satellite TV or get a live stream, with the Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at $29.99 per day or $54.99 per month.

Those outside of New Zealand for any part of the series can use NordVPN to gain access to their home streaming service.

England vs Sri Lanka 2026 ODI Series FAQs

Can I get tickets for the England vs Sri Lanka ODI Series?

Yes, Seat Unique are offering tickets for every England vs Sri Lanka ODI.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Watch The Great British Bake Off season 17 for free on Channel 4 (UK)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Premiere: 8pm BST on Tuesday, September 22 (UK)

How do you like your double entendres? Delivered infrequently, with the straight-faced innocence of your grandma, or at every possible opportunity, with all the subtlety of a triple-chocolate fudge cake and the occasional phonetic flourish? Strap in for the Nigella Lawson era of The Great British Bake Off.

Which brings us neatly to drag king Gabe, who'll try packing meat into most bakes. Paediatric doctor Yannis watched GBBO in an effort to learn English, while NHS hospital discharge lead Connie always has a jar of fruit soaking away in her signature rum, wine and cinnamon mix.

And Nigella isn't the only new introduction to the Bake Off tent. Audience Choice week is sure to wreak havoc upon regular programming, while family members are also set to get in on the action – quite possibly to the bakers' detriment.

As ever, Alison Hammond and Noel Fielding are on hand to help steer the bakers through the euphoric highs and crushing lows, with Paul Hollywood prowling between the workstations, shamelessly flaunting that alluring right hand of his.

Read on as we explain how to watch The Great British Bake Off season 17 from anywhere.

How to watch The Great British Bake Off season 17 from anywhere

If you're keen to watch The Great British Bake Off season 17 but you're away from home and access to the show is geo-blocked, you can always use a VPN to access it (assuming you're not breaching any broadcaster T&Cs, of course). You may be surprised by how simple it is to do.

Use one of the best VPNs to watch GBBO 2026 from anywhere:

How to watch The Great British Bake Off season 17 in the UK

Viewers in the UK can watch The Great British Bake Off season 17 free-of-charge on Channel 4 at 8pm BST each Tuesday starting September 22, with live streaming available via the Channel 4 streaming platform.

All you need is an account, a TV license and a UK postcode (e.g.HA9 0WS). Sign up here!

New-look companion show Second Helpings will air in a late-night slot each Tuesday.

Outside the UK? Use a VPN to gain access to all the content you'd normally stream at home.

How to watch The Great British Bake Off season 17 in the US

In the US, The Great British Bake Off season 17 will air on Netflix as The Great British Baking Show collection 14. Prices start at $8.99/month.

New episodes will hit the streaming service every Friday, starting September 25.

A VPN will help you tune in if you're a Brit spending time abroad. NordVPN is our recommended provider, and you can find out why with our in-depth NordVPN review.

How to watch The Great British Bake Off season 17 in Canada

The Great British Bake Off airs on CBC in Canada as The Great British Baking Show, with streaming available on the free CBC Gem platform.

However, season 16 didn't air in Canada until March 2026 – six months after the show premiered in the UK.

Visiting Canada from the UK? Use NordVPN to watch GBBO S17 for free.

How to watch The Great British Bake Off season 17 in Australia

Binge is home to The Great British Bake Off in Australia, but fans likely have a wait in store.

That's because season 16 only started airing Down Under on November 18 last year – 11 weeks after the show premiered in the UK.

A subscription starts at $10/month after a 7-day FREE trial.

Visiting Australia from the UK? Use NordVPN to watch GBBO 2026.

The Great British Bake Off season 17 – Need to Know

GBBO 2026 trailer

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Tesla has re-opened the order books for its long-awaited Roadster
• It is asking buyers for a $50,000 deposit
• Some customers have been waiting since 2017 for news of their cars

Tesla has announced that it will finally reveal the next generation Roadster in October during a glitzy event in Waco, Texas... although we still really don’t know what to expect.

Reports suggest the high-performance EV could use cold-gas thrusters, developed by SpaceX, to produce previously unseen levels of acceleration, while others have stated that the car itself has received a 'Cyber' redesign since the 2017 car was first unveiled.

What we do know is that Tesla wants your money. It has re-opened the reservations list to be among the first allocated build slots of the electric sports car when (or if) it eventually goes on sale.

Similarly to the 2017 launch, the EV company is asking for a $5,000 “fully-refundable” instant credit or debit card payment, followed by a $45,000 wire transfer due within 10 days to reserve a build slot.

While we are still firmly left in the dark about the final cost of the upcoming Roadster, it was previously stated that customers would have to hand over a further $250,000 for a “Founders Series” vehicle, which was initially claimed to have been promised for the year 2020.

Back then, Tesla customers were backing a promise of a 600+ mile electric range, a sub-2 second 0-60mph sprint time and a top speed in excess of 250mph.

Fast-forward nine years and the speculation has been blown up to sci-fi proportions, but more importantly, all of those original customers are yet to receive a new vehicle.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that the October demonstration will be a “banger” and that the company needed to invite an audience to “vouch for the fact that this is not AI,” but those who placed deposits are likely just hoping a real vehicle arrives on stage.

Analysis: all speculation?

We can spend hours theorizing about what we might see during Tesla’s October Roadster event, whether that’s a vehicle that hovers for a brief time or the use of banned F1 aero tech that creates massive amounts of downforce... it’s all up for discussion.

Alas, it’s worth noting that Tesla hasn’t launched an all-new model since the Cybertruck, which wasn’t exactly the success story that the company had hoped. In fact, sales of that model have been in steep decline since its initial reveal in 2023.

The Cybertruck program also proved that it pays to take Tesla’s facts with a pinch of salt, as everything from its off-road abilities, electric range, build quality and even price have been brought into question during its lifetime.

October 1 will hopefully reveal all. But those queuing to place a deposit should proceed with caution.

• Weaponizable File Protection is getting more custom controls months after launching
• Teams has become an attractive environment for attackers lately
• Microsoft is set to add plenty of new features, too

Microsoft has announced an upgrade to its Weaponizable File Protection feature within Teams, which now means admins can control which types of files users can send through the workplace collaboration app to prevent the likelihood of spreading malware and other malicious files.

Weaponizable File Protection is a tool that's already been rolled out to Teams, but previously, it only automatically scanned for potentially dangerous attachments.

The automated part of the tool began rolling out in early 2026 after an earlier preview from a roadmap entry, and it's another roadmap entry that shows us what we can expect moving forward.

Teams admins can now block certain file types

"Administrators will be able to customize which file types are blocked in Teams to align with their organization's security requirements or continue using the Microsoft-recommended default list," a new roadmap entry reads.

According to the entry, Microsoft is aiming for a November 2026 rollout, so it shouldn't be long before admins gain greater control over prescribing which file types are blocked across the organization.

And it's around one year ago this month that Microsoft rolled out a largely similar, automated feature across Teams that scanned links for potentially malicious intent.

"Unlike email, Teams traffic typically bypasses secure email gateways and benefits from the perceived legitimacy of a colleague-initiated chat, which can make lures particularly effective in this environment," Microsoft wrote in a separate security study in a bid to explain why Teams attacks are becoming increasingly common.

More broadly, it looks like November's gearing up to be a big month for Teams both from a security perspective but also in terms of new features. Other roadmap entries point toward introduction like simultaneous screen sharing for two presenters, breakout room support for Android and a Meeting Shared Files window where users can easily access attachments from specific meetings.

• Malware botnets route traffic through the internet connection on many smart TVs
• Roku, Fire TV, Tizen and webOS all affected
• Some manufacturers are removing affected apps

LG, Samsung, Roku and Fire TV televisions and devices may have been part of a malicious "botnet" — and millions of TVs could be affected, though LG and Samsung have committed to removing the relevant apps,

FlatpanelsHD rounded up pieces of this puzzle, stretching back several months. Back in April, it emerged that many apps and games included a feature called "residential proxy" that could be abused by bad actors.

One example, IPIDEA, had enlisted millions of smart TVs in a network that could crawl the web for AI training or even carry out coordinated attacks by groups in China, North Korea, Iran and Russia.

The TVs were being used to bypass IP range blocks that affected AI data centers: because each individual TV has its own unique address, such blocks could easily be evaded by seeming to be 'real' traffic. And because the proxy feature doesn't require the app to be open, TV owners would be none the wiser.

According to security researcher Harrison Sand at Mnemonic, one of the malware-infected apps was a Pac-Man game for kids that Samsung featured as an Editor's Choice.

And according to security firm Spur, 26.5% of apps for Samsung Tizen smart TVs and over 42.5% of LG webOS apps could be dragged into the botnet. That's a truly shocking statistic,

What is a residential proxy, and why is it bad?

A residential proxy or "reproxy" transmits data through your device, in this case your TV, to make it look as if your TV is the sender of that data.

The feature isn't necessarily malicious — it can be used for testing and advertising purposes — but as security expert Spur explains, it also "provides attackers with a scalable way to hide automation, bypass geo-controls, and evade reputation-based defenses."

Spur's website goes into more detail of how they operate and how they differ from services such as the best VPNs.

It seems likely that at least some of the potentially dodgy apps weren't made maliciously; developers who use certain software development kits that have residential proxy features may not know those features are there.

LG and Samsung have now vowed to ban any smart TV apps that contain residential proxies. IPIDEA is already banned by Amazon, Roku and Google TV, and they have also restricted the new Bright Data network.

LG says that it working with developers to remove the functionality from their apps, and that it will suspend any apps that don't remove it. Samsung has restricted new app registrations for apps, and is "working to identify and remove all apps… that contain these components."

What worries me isn't so much that the malware exists — the more our TVs become like PCs, the more PC-like attacks will target them — but that it's made its way into so many TVs and is presumably still there on many of them, despite being publicized back in April.

It just adds to my distrust of smart TVs more widely: with features such as Automatic Content Recognition and ad injection (and here in the UK, prominent placing of TV channels I don't want anywhere near my TV on the home screen), plus too-frequent updates to terms and conditions that I just know mean more tracking, it seems to me that smart TVs are becoming both privacy and security risks.

Which is why I treat my smart TV like it isn't smart at all: it's merely a monitor for my Apple TV 4K.

• Lidl is relaunching its affordable dehumidifier on September 27
• It packs dehumidifying and drying settings, with a 2.1L removable tank
• As well as the appliance, you'll also get washable filters, a drainage hose, and garden hose adapter

Sometimes, supermarket appliances are more than enough to meet your tech needs, and Lidl's new dehumidifier is designed to help you keep on top of your laundry over the winter months.

Lidl’s Tronic dehumidifier will land in stores this week on September 27 as part of the supermarket’s home event. Compared to models from brands like Meaco, Lidl’s version is listed for £79.99, making it a budget-friendly appliance that arrives just in time for winter, when it gets harder to dry your laundry in a cost-effective way.

As well as the appliance itself, Lidl’s new dehumidifier comes with a 30cm drainage hose, a garden hose adapter (both of which are ideal for continuous operation), and removable and washable filters.

The dehumidifier itself has dimensions of 27 x 20.5 x 42.2cm (W x D x H), making it more compact than the Meaco 12L Low Energy Dehumidifier (24.8 x 32.5 x 48.5cm) for example. Lidl’s version also comes with four castors, so you can easily move it between rooms.

However, don’t underestimate it because of its sub-£100 price and compact size — it doesn’t compromise on features.

Packing two main programs, the appliance has distinct settings for dehumidifying and drying laundry, and can extract up to 10L of moisture over 24 hours. The only downside is that its removable water tank has a 2.1L capacity, so it’s not the biggest, and will require frequent emptying.

Despite this setback, the tank features a window allowing you to see how much water has been collected, with a warning signal that alerts you when the tank is full. If you somehow miss this alert, fear not, the dehumidifier has overflow protection to stop spills.

As the winter nights draw closer, many people are looking appliances to not only help dry clothes in the colder months, but dry clothes in the most cost-effective way. Dehumidifiers are just such an appliance.

If drying clothes at a lower cost takes priority over drying speed, we recommend compressor dehumidifiers, which draw damp air over a cold set of coils, allowing the water vapor to condense and is then collected in the tank. You can read more about which dehumidifier type is best for your needs by checking out our rundown of compressor and desiccant dehumidifiers.

Every now and then supermarkets such as Lidl and Aldi replenish their middle aisles with affordable alternatives to devices from premium brands. Aldi recently did this with its Dyson and Shark stick vacuum rival.

Likewise with Aldi’s Specialbuys, Lidl’s upcoming appliance restock will be limited, so if your plan is to use your tumble dryer as little as possible this winter, get down to your nearest Lidl store as soon as you can when the dehumidifier drops this weekend.

• Acer's CEO claims RAM supply is still "quite large"
• Jason Chen does acknowledge that PC prices will rise in Q4, though, by up to 20% on average
• However, those prices will fall by mid-2027, the CEO predicts, asserting that: "It's impossible for the shortage to last until 2030!"

Not everyone is being totally downbeat about the RAM crisis, with Acer's CEO stating that he's hopeful that PC prices will drop from the middle of 2027, even if price rises are on the cards for the rest of this year.

VideoCardz higlighted a (translated) report from Taiwan's Economic Daily News that shares the most recent thoughts of Jason Chen, chief executive of Acer, on the RAM crisis.

Chen asserts that there isn't much of a DDR4 and DDR5 memory shortage at present, and that the "supply is quite large" for this RAM — we must bear in mind there may be some nuances lost in translation there — and also that there isn't much shortage of processors either.

The CEO does acknowledge that the prices of components are currently "fluctuating" at a high level, and that PC prices will continue to climb in the fourth quarter of 2026, with an average price rise of between 5% to 20%.

However, the good news, according to Chen, is that he believes PC prices should drop from mid-2027, and with more chip production coming online — especially in China — the memory shortage won't last for the rest of the decade.

Chen is pretty firm on that one, claiming that, "It's impossible for the shortage to last until 2030!"

Analysis: new hope for some stability?

As to whether there isn't much of a RAM shortage currently, almost everyone else begs to differ on that — although I accept that Chen's meaning may be altered in translation somewhat here, as noted, and perhaps the gist is that supply isn't as bad as some in the industry would have you believe.

Whatever the case, Chen is clearly sounding a more optimistic note than most. There have certainly been some analysts and prominent industry figures who are suggesting that the RAM crisis will indeed last until 2030, and those are the people who Chen is clearly directing that last comment at. The CEO does appear to be talking more about the Chinese market than the global picture here, though, and we should also bear that in mind.

Still, it's a relief to hear some more positive thinking on the RAM crisis, although there's one point that everyone can agree on: namely that prices are going to rise over the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Even Chen's predicted fall in PC pricing isn't forecast to come about until the middle of next year, and so for the time being, it's clear enough that we're stuck with rising prices.

The cost of RAM in particular has been soaring of late — against all odds, as it was already exorbitantly high — and GPUs are now being subject to some worrying price hikes (the top-end in particular is getting ridiculous), with more to come I expect. It's not pretty out there for consumers, and nothing is going to get better for some time — the question for me right now is: how much worse might things become?

I hope Chen's more positive noises here are indicative of at least some stabilizing around high pricing for PCs and components alike.

• Disney has denied that ad-free tiers on Disney+ will start showing ads during movies and shows
• Last weekend, reports emerged that ad breaks would become commonplace for all fans
• Some users closed their accounts over the incorrect claims

Disney+ fans have been left angered — and then confused — after incorrect reports suggested they'd be subjected to ads even if they were subscribed to one of its ad-free experiences.

Last weekend (September 19/20), images were shared on the ResetEra forums and other social media platforms that showed an updated Subscriber Agreement for European users.

One screenshot of the revised document appeared to indicate that even those subscribed to the more ad-free expensive tiers — i.e., Standard and Premium — might soon see "promotional content, sponsorship, and advertisements before/after playback of Content and in channels, live/as-live, special events, and any third-party services content".

Understandably, it didn't take long for users to lash out at Disney over the supposed change. As fan fury gained traction online, numerous outlets picked up on the story and ran with it, too, further fueling subscriber indignation.

However, it turns out that everyone had jumped the gun. In a statement shared with German language website anime2you.de, Disney said the rumors weren't accurate, and clarified that ad-free subscribers wouldn't start to see traditional ad breaks while watching movies and TV shows. Furthermore, a moderator post on the Disney+ Reddit page confirmed Disney's stance, adding that "nothing" has changed for Standard and Premium customers.

Responding to a request for comment from TechRadar, Disney reaffirmed that Standard and Premium users wouldn't be shown during movies and TV shows.

Before publishing this story, TechRadar also investigated whether ads had been added to the Standard and Premium experience. And, while trailers and other promotional materials appear before and after a movie or TV show begins (NB: Disney+ has done this for a while now), we confirmed that ads do not interrupt your viewing experience on these plans.

A minor inconvenience, or a big blow?

So, why the confusion? As explained in the aforementioned Reddit thread, Disney — and other corporations, for that matter — occasionally make changes to their terms of service agreements. These tweaks are made to make things clearer for anyone who reads such documents — and, by proxy, reduce the legal risk posed to major companies.

The irony, of course, is that, by updating its user agreement, Disney didn't make things easier to understand, because this online maelstrom wouldn't have happened if it had.

As much as the House of Mouse has tried to limit the damage created by this, the episode has further eroded trust with small sections of its fanbase and, as the above Reddit posts exemplify, even led to some viewers canceling their Disney+ subscription.

Admittedly, those that have unsubscribed over this will be a mere drop in the ocean of the streamer's 100 million+ user base. Nonetheless, it's done a small but seemingly significant amount of damage to the reputation of Disney+. We'll see if it takes a further hit if, in October, the entertainment giant announces the inevitable yearly price hike to Disney+ and Hulu that's been a staple of the industry for the last few years.

• Logitech report finds not even a third of companies involve IT/AV teams at the early stages
• Failed audio and dropped connections are costing workers time
• Businesses should use tech downtime as a productivity metric

Logitech's latest Workplace Experience study has claimed technology teams are often brought into projects far too late, after important decisions about offices and meeting spaces have already been made, and it's leading to suboptimal tech and friction that could be impacting worker productivity.

In the UK, for example, fewer than one in three (31%) workplaces involve their IT and Audio-Visual (AV) teams before space planning begins.

It means that tech decision-makers are then having to piece together hardware in a room that's already being designed, rather than being able to integrate the smartest solutions from the ground up.

IT teams should be involved in office planning, Logitech says

With hybrid working now commonplace, Logitech's data found that failed audio and dropped connections alone caused a median productivity loss of 12.2 minutes per person per poor meeting.

Despite poor IT team involvement, most business leaders agree that a strong workplace experience has a direct link with productivity (86%) and collaboration (90%).

However, upgrading tech and involving more teams from the get-go isn't quite so straightforward. Only half (56%) feel confident that have the right ROI data to justify workplace experience investments, with only 29% treating it as a core business strategy today.

Logitech's solution focuses firsts and foremost on aligning teams more closely. The report calls for greater collaboration between IT, HR and Real Estate earlier on in projects. By itself, planning rooms as a well-coordinated team could reduce long-term costs associated with upgrading legacy and unsuitable hardware.

But to further help with ROI justification, the study also introduces tech downtime as a metric, with impacted productivity serving as sufficient proof that office spaces need to perform better.

Unsurprisingly, things took absolutely no time at all to kick off in MobLand season 2.

Turkish gangster Gakbu has been eliminated during a messy meeting at the dog track, but that feels like the least of Harry's (Tom Hardy) concerns.

Not only has Jan (Joanne Froggatt) asked him for a divorce, but Harrigan arch-rival Kat (Janet McTeer) as acquired her own version of Harry via Colin (Toby Jones), who has so far only been described as a "prick on a scooter."

But even they can do the world of damage. So, when does MobLand season 2 episode 1 arrive on Paramount+?

What time can I watch MobLand season 2 episode 2 on Paramount+?

MobLand season 2 episode 2 will drop on one of the world's best streaming services in the US and Canada on Friday, September 25 at 12am PT / 3am ET.

Here's when it will be released in other nations globally:

• US – 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK – 8am BST
• India – 12:30pm IST
• Singapore – 3pm SGT
• Australia – 5pm AEST
• New Zealand – 7pm NZST

When do new episodes of MobLand season 2 come out?

MobLand season 2 will have a total of 10 episodes, with new entries airing weekly. That gives us the following schedule:

• Episode 1: out now
• Episode 2: September 25
• Episode 3: October 2
• Episode 4: October 9
• Episode 5: October 16
• Episode 6: October 23
• Episode 7: October 30
• Episode 8: November 6
• Episode 9: November 13
• Episode 10: November 20

• Google's Gemini AI broke out of a testing environment and hacked into three third-party companies
• The agents guessed passwords and used a public repository of passwords to hack into computer systems
• The incident occurred in May 2026, with AI testing lab Irregular stating that the incident was caused by the "same issue" that caused incidents by Anthropic and Meta

Google’s Gemini has joined the ranks of AI models that have been involved in testing-turned-breakout events, alongside Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI.

During capture-the-flag testing by AI lab Irregular, Google’s model autonomously accessed three computer systems belonging to third-party companies by guessing passwords and accessing an online repository of publicly listed passwords.

Google said that the incident occurred in May 2026, potentially marking it as the earliest AI models to escape testing ahead of the other incidents that took place in early July.

Google Gemini jumps the gun

“In a standard evaluation, the model found public information online and guessed credentials to access websites it thought were part of the test,” Heather Adkins, vice president of security engineering at Google, said in a statement. “In all three of these instances, the model stopped.”

Google also noted that a bug in the testing environment was responsible for allowing agents access to the internet. Contrary to incidents disclosed by other AI developers, Google’s agents ceased their intrusion once they had determined they had accessed company systems outside of the testing environment.

The testing was being conducted by Israeli AI lab Irregular. Irregular was also conducting the testing of Meta and Anthropic models during AI testing breakouts in July.

“This is the same issue that was already reported and does not represent a materially separate incident,” an Irregular spokesperson said in a statement (via CNBC). “All relevant labs were notified in late July, and affected entities were contacted as part of the investigation.”

Google said it was informed of the incident by Irregular in late July.

Debate over AI safety intensifies

The first disclosures of AI testing break outs - alongside several subsequent disclosures of more recent incidents - have coincided with increasing opposition to AI and the upcoming midterm elections in the United States, where AI has become a make-or-break topic.

The debates currently raging circles around who should control the pace of AI development. Some big tech leaders, such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, have aligned their views with those of President Trump. Trump recently stated that AI development cannot be allowed to slow down because “whoever wins AI, wins!”

Huang’s views follow a similar line. The Nvidia head has argued that AI companies should pace themselves, rather than being subject to oversight. At Dreamforce 2026, he argued that AI companies should, “run as fast as you can...but if you feel at any given point in time the company’s out of control or the product’s not going to be safe, take a pause and make sure you get it right.”

Other AI heads, such as Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, are more skeptical. Following the resignation of an Anthropic researcher, Amodei published an essay arguing in favor of ‘pacing the frontier’ - where AI companies slow development to advance alignment and regulation.

Numerous political action committees (PACs) have been channeling millions of dollars of funding into pro-AI candidates, with Nvidia setting up its own PAC to help shift US policy in the company’s favor.

Several previously pro-AI data center candidates have shifted their tone in response to their constituents' views which have become increasingly hostile to AI technology. Numerous states have also rolled-back tax exemptions for AI data centers after seeing billion dollar revenue losses.

As prices rise and the war in Iran continues to push up fuel prices, working class communities are banding together to oppose AI data centers that have pushed up energy costs and bills with new grid connections and unprecedented electricity demands in regions with existing capacity constraints.

• Apple changes playlists to give you more control over your library
• Spotify bans free listeners from hearing new music, for three days
• One's good, one's bad. Guess which!

A few years ago, a word was coined to refer to companies' attempts to make their products worse to increase profit margins — it's a profanity so I can't use it here, but some call it platform delay — and two fresh pieces of music streaming service news reinforce, and subvert, it.

Spotify and Apple Music are both making some moves, it seems. One is making a slight improvement, and the other is doing something that, depending on where you live, is plain annoying. You've read the headline, and even if you hadn't, you probably know it'd be Spotify making the contentious decision.

Let's start there, then. Listeners on Spotify's free, ad-supported tier have posted to Reddit with a new problem: they can't listen to new music.

Not all new music, mind you: a pop-up appears when you try to listen to a new release saying that only Premium listeners can hear a track in its first three days of upload. Apparently, this is only being tested in certain regions right now (Bangladesh and India are mentioned), but it's possible it may roll out to other places in the future. TechRadar has reached out to Spotify for word on this and we'll update this missive with any response from the company on whether a more global rollout is planned.

Redditors commenting on the news — Premium and free subscribers alike — were critical, though none seemed very surprised. It further emphasises Spotify's desire to push its free subscribers to start paying, if they want to listen to new music.

Apple Music making changes too

At the other end of the spectrum is Apple Music. iOS27 has an added an option which would be nondescript most days of the week, but which helps as a useful juxtaposition to Spotify's downgrade (and which, Redditors claim, fixes "one of Apple Music's biggest issues since forever").

Now, in the Settings menu, two new sliders exist, and are turned off by default. One is for playlist songs, and the other is for favorite songs, and toggling these means that you can add tunes to a playlist or your favorite songs, without it being added to your library.

The Apple Music library could sometimes feel like a dumping ground for just about every kind of music you'd heard or listened to even once. It's full of your owned songs, tunes from playlists you listen to, anything from a Smart Playlist, and so on.

This could be a problem if, say, you make a playlist for a Christmas party, because all these festive tracks would show up in your library when you were doing a general shuffle. Inappropriate, for July. If you deleted the tracks from your library, the playlist would become eerily empty next time December rolled around, because they'd be deleted from both spots.

Now, your library and playlists can function independently. If I'm being honest, I'm surprised this wasn't a feature before. It's not a huge change, but on Reddit, various commenters are describing use cases in which they'll appreciate it, so it's clearly gone down well.

And Apple could have simply added the ability to change the Apple Music logo color; if it was an improvement, it'd have gone down well. Yes, you always pay for Apple Music while Spotify does at least offer something for free. But don't forget, Apple casually upgraded all of its Music catalog to CD quality in 2021 without charging users more than they were already paying. So Apple Music fans might say that Spotify is continuing to show music streaming subscribers how not to do it, and its near rivals will benefit.

• Surfshark has split the iOS locations tab into two views
• The browser extension gets a visual refresh
• The update is a design change rather than a new security feature

If you open the Surfshark app on your iPhone right now, something might look a little different. The provider has rolled out a redesign of its iOS locations tab, with the goal of speeding up server selection.

If you use Surfshark (one of the best VPN services out there) every day, small friction points in the user interface add up. Hunting through a single long list of countries every time you connect is exactly the kind of thing Surfshark says it wanted to fix. The company has redesigned the locations tab on its iOS app to make it easier to use.

This is not a new security tool or protocol. It's a usability update, and it lands alongside a refreshed browser VPN extension that gets its own visual makeover.

What's changed in Surfshark's iOS app

The main change is that the locations tab is now divided into two clear sections.

The Recommended view brings together your most popular country options, recently used servers, and your dedicated IP if you have one set up. The design surfaces the servers you use most first, so you don't have to search over and over. The Advanced view is where the more specialized options live, namely static IP servers and Multi Hop.

Multi Hop, Surfshark's version of double VPN, routes your traffic through two separate VPN servers at once for an extra layer of protection.

Static IP servers, meanwhile, hand you the same address every time you connect, which is handy for services that get suspicious when your IP keeps changing.

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Leave No Trace investigates the companies and governments putting our digital freedom at risk — and the people fighting back.

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Changes to Surfshark's browser extension

The redesign for the browser extension is more significant. The home view now shows how many ads and trackers Surfshark has blocked on the site you're visiting, and it gathers all your protection tools in one place: the ad blocker, cookie pop-up blocker, malicious site warnings, data leak alerts, and email scam checker.

As Surfshark has added more features over the years, from category-based web filtering to the ability to block specific websites, its interface has grown busier. This redesign is about stripping out some of the resulting clutter and making the app feel effortless to use.

It fits a wider pattern, too. In our Surfshark review, we noted the provider keeps its apps well maintained, with a clean and consistent experience across platforms.

How to use the new layout

Open the app and tap the Locations tab at the bottom, and you'll land in Recommended by default, with your most-used servers ready to go.

If you want the specialized options, tap Advanced at the top to reach Static IP and Multi Hop, then switch back to Recommended whenever you like.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Lanterns episode 6.

Lanterns episode 6 has made its debut on HBO Max — and while it didn't answer every big question I had heading into Lanterns' sixth chapter, it does include a cameo from someone who's an incredibly important part of the Green Lantern mythos.

Titled 'Bad Optics', this week's chapter sees John Stewart return to Rushville 10 years after the town's near-destruction to investigate the apparent death of Hal Jordan. Before his mentor's funeral, Stewart meets and interacts with a character who has strong ties to Jordan in DC Comics, and whose presence in this DC Universe (DCU) TV show further cements the wider worldbuilding — or should that be universe-building — of this nascent cinematic franchise.

So, who is this mystery individual? What's their relationship to Hal Jordan? And could we see their superhuman alter ego at some point in the DCU? Let's take a look at the latest comic book character to be referenced in the hit HBO Max show.

Who is Carol Ferris in Lanterns? Hal Jordan's love interest in DC Comics, explained

Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Carol Ferris is not only Hal Jordan's long-time love interest but was also one of his most noteworthy foes for many years.

Making her debut in Showcase #22 in late 1959, Carol was introduced to readers as the only child of aerospace mogul Carl Ferris and the vice president of her father's company, Ferris Aircraft. After hiring Hal Jordan as a test pilot for said corporation, Carol quickly falls in love with the soon-to-be Green Lantern, but their romantic relationship doesn't last.

The reason? Carol is abducted, brainwashed, and turned into one of Jordan's arch-nemeses in the form of Star Sapphire by the Zamarons. Formerly part of an alien race called the Maltusians, the female members of this species became the Zamarons after parting ways with the male Maltusians, who then rebranded themselves as the Oans — or, to call them by their more common name, the Guardians of the Universe.

With the immortal Guardians no longer requiring their female counterparts to procreate, the Zamarons left them to their devices, developed a warrior-like cult, and — to cut a long story short — soon became fierce rivals to the Guardians.

But back to Carol. Following her kidnapping, she's infused with an incredibly powerful space stone known as a Star Sapphire, which turns her into a superhuman capable of going toe-to-toe with a Green Lantern.

Abilities-wise, Star Sapphire's powerset includes — but isn't limited to — the ability to fly, create energy blasts, constructs, and force fields, survive in space, alter people's minds, and even heal individuals with the power of... well, love.

Anyway, ever since Star Sapphire's first appearance in October 1962's Green Lantern vol. 2 #16, Carol and Hal have battled each other on a regular basis as their superpowered aliases. Whenever Carol isn't possessed by the space gem she's synonymous with, the pair get on pretty well (for the most part) and have been romantically entangled on an on-off basis through the decades.

More recently, Star Sapphire has taken on the role of a superhero rather than a supervillain. In fact, as of 2007's Green Lantern vol. 4 #20, Carol is the leader of the Star Sapphire Corps, otherwise known as the Violet Lantern Corps. This group has purple power rings, which are charged/powered by the emotion of love, and are now viewed as allies of the Green Lantern Corps.

Who plays Carol Ferris in Lanterns?

That'll be Amie MacKenzie. Viewers might recognize her from Better Call Saul and The Madison on Netflix, Dexter: Original Sin and Yellowstone spin-off 1923 on Paramount+, Mountainhead on HBO Max, and MacGruber on Peacock.

Lanterns' latest chapter doesn't indicate whether we'll see Carol again. While her appearance at Hal's poorly attended funeral suggests they were together at some point prior in the DCU, it seems her inclusion is simply to make diehard DC comic book fans imitate that famous Leonardo DiCaprio meme from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Don't expect to see MacKenzie as Carol's superpowered alter-ego at any point in the DCU, then.

Anyway, this isn't the first time Carol has appeared in a live-action project. She was portrayed by Blake Lively in 2011's Green Lantern movie, which starred Ryan Reynolds as the titular hero and was slammed by fans and critics alike upon release. But, hey, Reynolds and Lively fell in love, got married, and had kids after meeting on that film, so something good came out of it for them!

How Carol Ferris' cameo might be hinting at the creation of more Lantern Corps

In spite of what I've just written, though, it's possible Carol's appearance could point to the formation of other Lantern Corps in the DCU.

Okay, that already appears to be a given. Sinestro's brief appearances in the DCU Chapter One show and Lanterns' title card slowly changing from green to yellow imply that it won't be long before Sinestro creates the Yellow Lantern Corps, if he hasn't secretly done so already.

Regardless, with Carol showing up in the sci-fi crime drama, we've now met individuals with ties to three of the seven Lantern Corps that exist in DC Comics, all of which harness a specific feeling on the emotional spectrum: Green (willpower), Yellow (fear), and Violet (love). The others are Red (rage), Blue (hope), Indigo (compassion), and Orange (greed).

Will we see any and/or all of these interstellar organizations in the DCU? It's possible, although recent comments made by the head of HBO have me fearing the worst about Lanterns season 2. If another season of this successful TV series isn't greenlit, we'd have to hope that they're part of a Green Lantern movie — maybe an adaptation of the acclaimed 'Sinestro Corps War' comic storyline, perhaps? — on the big screen instead.

• Listen to One Man In audiobook for free with Audible trial (US)
• Abroad? Use NordVPN (Save 75% + Try 30 days)
• Audiobook runtime: 5 hours 26 minutes

One Man In tells the remarkable story of former British special forces soldier Christian Craighead and the events of January 15, 2019, when he responded to the terrorist attack on Nairobi's DusitD2 complex.

Published on September 15, 2026, Craighead's memoir is available in hardcover, ebook and audiobook editions in the United States – although not the UK currently.

If you're abroad and want to access your usual US ebooks or audiobooks, use NordVPN (get our 75% off deal below).

Here, we'll show you how to get One Man In online and when abroad, plus the different ways you can read/listen to Christian Craighead's jaw-dropping story – including for free.

Listen to One Man In audiobook for FREE

One Man In is out now in the US, with readers able to choose between physical, digital and audio editions of Christian Craighead's memoir.

Listen to One Man In for free with Audible's 30-day FREE trial (includes 1 book)

Or, if you're a Prime member, you can get a 2-month Audible trial for $0.99.

Running for 5 hours and 26 minutes, it is read by Craighead himself, meaning listeners hear the former SAS soldier recount the events in his own voice.

Prefer to read? Amazon lists the hardcover edition at $30, while the ebook has a $14.99 list price. The publisher's unabridged audio download is listed at $19.99.

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Access from anywhere

If you're from the US but traveling abroad, you might find your usual streaming services, websites and subscriptions are geo-blocked.

Obi-One Nairobi fans traveling or working outside the States may need to use a VPN to access One Man In when roaming abroad.

There are lots of VPNs, but NordVPN is the one you can rely on to unblock almost any service – save 75% and get 30 days to try it out risk-free.

Access Audible free trial when abroad

It's really easy to use a VPN to access your US Audible account.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is the best choice.

2. Choose the location in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting Europe and want to use your US Audible account, you'd select US-based server location.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Audible and get your local free trial or paid subscription for audiobooks.

Who is Christian Craighead?

Christian Craighead is a former British Army soldier who joined the military at 16 and served for 28 years.

His career included service with the Parachute Regiment and Pathfinder Platoon before he joined 22 SAS, where he spent almost 15 years.

Craighead served in locations including Iraq and Afghanistan before becoming internationally known following his involvement in the response to the January 2019 DusitD2 attack in Nairobi.

He retired from active service on September 7, 2020 and was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross.

In September 2026 he made his second appearance on the Shawn Ryan Show podcast and provided a blow-by-blow account of the DusitD2 attack.

Which devices are compatible with Audible?

• iPhone
• iPad
• Android phones
• Android tablets
• Apple Watch
• Mac
• Amazon Kindle
• Amazon Fire tablets
• Amazon Alexa devices

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 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 #1701) — hint #1 — Vowels

* 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 #1701) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1701) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1701) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

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 #1701) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1701) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1701, are…

• WAXEN
• HIPPO
• PETAL
• LEASH

For one of my words I had “rhino” stuck in my head as it featured an H, I and O, which meant I managed to ignore the other animal answer of HIPPO.

The far bigger challenge, though, was arriving at WAXEN — a word I had pondered earlier in the game but ruled out because of the rare letter X. Eventually I had no choice but to take the plunge.

Daily Sequence today (game #1701) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1701, are…

• ANGEL
• OLIVE
• GRIMY
• MARCH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1700, Sunday, 20 September: DERBY, LIMBO, GAWKY, REIGN
• Quordle #1699, Saturday, 19 September: SCOPE, HEIST, PULSE, CHAMP
• Quordle #1698, Friday, 18 September: MUCUS, MIRTH, APPLE, TILDE
• Quordle #1697, Thursday, 17 September: CRIER, CHIRP, NEIGH, FREER
• Quordle #1696, Wednesday, 16 September: SPEAR, PRICE, BLUNT, FISHY
• Quordle #1695, Tuesday, 15 September: SHUSH, LITHE, DELTA, BUGLE
• Quordle #1694, Monday, 14 September: ZEBRA, LEGAL, RATIO, TROLL
• Quordle #1693, Sunday, 13 September: LUCID, SPRAY, MANGE, EMAIL
• Quordle #1692, Saturday, 12 September: SUPER, BRUSH, RESET, SOWER
• Quordle #1691, Friday, 11 September: PLUSH, PAINT, RIVAL, AFOUL
• Quordle #1690, Thursday, 10 September: AGENT, EXILE, TITAN, PUREE
• Quordle #1689, Wednesday, 9 September: HAPPY, GONER, SMACK, MOTIF
• Quordle #1688, Tuesday, 8 September: FLUNG, DIARY, HALVE, BERTH
• Quordle #1687, Monday, 7 September: VISIT, CLANK, FEVER, OCEAN
• Quordle #1686, Sunday, 6 September: PILOT, HONOR, BOWEL, TAUNT
• Quordle #1685, Saturday, 5 September: GNASH, GEEKY, WHELP, PUTTY
• Quordle #1684, Friday, 4 September: QUICK, BEEFY, TRUCK, SNAIL
• Quordle #1683, Thursday, 3 September: SIGMA, ESSAY, MERRY, LLAMA
• Quordle #1682, Wednesday, 2 September: INCUR, FELLA, TITAN, FROZE
• Quordle #1681, Tuesday, 1 September: NASAL, ROUTE, ANKLE, MIGHT

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 #1198) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• COMPOSE
• CHECK
• FLY
• BEET
• BRAH
• WORM
• SPAM
• MATE
• CASTLE
• CHUM
• VIVA
• SENT
• CHOP
• CAPTURE
• DRAFTS
• SPINNER

NYT Connections today (game #1198) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Messaging tabs
• GREEN: Used in angling
• BLUE: Words relevant to board game
• PURPLE: Classical open

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 #1198) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: EMAIL BUTTONS
• GREEN: WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH
• BLUE: CHESS VERBS
• PURPLE: STARTS OF COMPOSERS' NAMES

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

NYT Connections today (game #1198) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #1198, are…

• YELLOW: EMAIL BUTTONS: COMPOSE, DRAFTS, SENT, SPAM
• GREEN: WAYS TO ATTRACT FISH: CHUM, FLY, SPINNER, WORM
• BLUE: CHESS VERBS: CAPTURE, CASTLE, CHECK, MATE
• PURPLE: STARTS OF COMPOSERS' NAMES: BEET, BRAH, CHOP, VIVA

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I came close to creating a group containing BRAH, MATE, and CHUM but stopped myself after failing to find a fourth tile of friendship slang.

CHUM, I then decided, must have something to do with fishing — a thought triggered by salty sea dog QUINT in the classic Spielberg movie Jaws and his bucket of CHUM.

EMAIL BUTTONS, meanwhile, contained four words that you see nearly every day of your working life but blank out for that very reason; somehow I was able to force myself to link COMPOSE, DRAFTS, SENT, and SPAM.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, September 20, 2026, game #1197)

• YELLOW: ROUND FLAT THINGS: BLU-RAY, COASTER, SAND DOLLAR, TORTILLA
• GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH KENTUCKY: BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY, FRIED CHICKEN
• BLUE: VAMPIRE MOVIES: BLADE, NEAR DARK, SINNERS, TWILIGHT
• PURPLE: _____BOARDS YOU RIDE ON: HOVER, SKATE, SNOW, SURF

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

NYT Strands today (game #932) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CAUSING
• STAR
• GRUNT
• RING
• DARK
• RETURN

NYT Strands today (game #932) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #932) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #932) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #932, are…

• NEON
• LYCRA
• GRUNGE
• SCRUNCHIES
• TRACKSUITS
• SPANGRAM: NINETIESTREND

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

This one took me a while and a couple of hints to make any progress.

As someone who lived through the 1990s I really should have found this easier, but even though I was certain of the theme after getting LYCRA (I still have nightmares about a colleague who turned up to work in cycling shorts) I struggled to think of anything else that could be linked to the decade.

Thinking about plaid shirts and Teen Spirit help me get GRUNGE, but the remaining two words took me an embarrassingly long time.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, September 20, game #931)

• BOAST
• BRAG
• FLEX
• GLOAT
• STRUT
• BLUSTER
• POSTURE
• SPANGRAM: GRANDIOSITY

• Snap is taking its AR glasses directly into the enterprise market
• Nvidia, Salesforce, and AWS are joining Snap's push into workplace computing
• Snap wants Specs to become a computer rather than another camera accessory

Snap is taking its augmented reality glasses into the enterprise market through partnerships with Nvidia, Salesforce and Amazon Web Services.

The company is looking beyond its established consumer business for workplace applications that could generate demand for its new hardware.

Snap’s CEO Evan Spiegel wants businesses to view Specs as a computing platform rather than another pair of glasses designed primarily for taking pictures.

Snap looks beyond its consumer business

Snap's Specs glasses cost $2,195, putting the device into a category where business customers will need clear reasons to purchase it.

The company says the glasses can support field technicians by displaying digital instructions while workers inspect or repair equipment.

They can also allow employees to interact with colleagues while accessing information through the glasses during workplace tasks.

Microsoft and Meta spent years developing augmented and virtual reality hardware without producing products that became widely adopted consumer devices.

Microsoft's HoloLens and Meta's Quest line have faced challenges turning immersive computing into a mainstream hardware business.

The company believes that the physical size of previous devices was an important problem for users, arguing that Specs is better suited to workplace use.

Snap is approaching Specs through practical workplace applications while attempting to expand beyond the consumer market that has driven its business.

The company has not disclosed how many enterprise customers are committed to using Specs or how much revenue its business partnerships could generate.

Nvidia, Salesforce and AWS join the enterprise push

Snap is collaborating with Nvidia for access to an open-source extended reality AI platform that businesses can use when developing applications for immersive devices.

Salesforce is also part of the initiative, while Amazon Web Services provides another major technology relationship for Snap's enterprise effort.

“They’ve got an open-source XR AI platform that a number of businesses are already building on top of,” Spiegel said.

“The goal with both Salesforce and Nvidia is to make it really easy for businesses to get the benefits of those agentic platforms.”

These partnerships are intended to connect Specs with software and AI services that businesses already use.

Snap is also developing Specs Intelligence, an AI service designed to operate across the glasses, iPhones and Mac computers.

Spiegel said the company has not finalized pricing, although the service is expected to have free access alongside other usage-based options.

The system is intended to let users complete tasks through an AI assistant while moving between the glasses and other Apple devices.

These efforts may give Snap a route toward making Specs useful for work beyond the consumer applications that have defined its business.

Via CNBC

How is Ted Lasso season 4 going to end? Outside of those who worked on it, nobody knows — but I can tell you when its eighth episode will be released on Apple TV.

Indeed, as one of TechRadar's resident entertainment experts, I'm your best source for all manner of release date and launch time information. So, if you're desperate to know more about when this week's chapter — titled 'Follow the Anger' — will premiere, I've got you covered.

What is the launch time for Ted Lasso season 4 episode 8?

Ted Lasso season 4's next entry is expected to drop in the US and Canada at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Tuesday, September 22.

Apple has always made a habit of telling us that episodes of its new and returning TV Originals will come out every Wednesday at 12am PT in North America. Nonetheless, every single one of this season's episodes has arrived on Tuesday evenings at the times I mentioned above. It's all but confirmed, then, that season 4 episode 8 will do the same.

As for the rest of the world, Ted Lasso's next installment will be released on Wednesday, September 23. Read on to see what time it'll launch where you live:

• US — Tuesday, September 22 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Tuesday, September 22 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Wednesday, September 23 at 2am BST
• India — Wednesday, September 23 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, September 23 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, September 23 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, September 23 at 1pm NZST

Ted Lasso season 4 full release schedule: when do new episodes come out?

Unless there's an unexpected alteration to this season's current release schedule, new episodes will make landfall every Tuesday in North and South America, and on Wednesdays on other continents. Read on to see when the final two installments will air near you:

• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 1 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 2 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 3 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 4 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 5 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 6 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 7 — out now
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 8 — September 22/23
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 9 — September 29/30
• Ted Lasso season 4 episode 10 — October 6/7

• 85% of employees are being encouraged to use AI in the workplace
• Incredibly, 42% don’t know why AI is being used in the first place, raising questions about company strategies with the technology
• Some 112,000 people responded to the survey globally

“Why are we using AI?” That seems to be the view of almost half (48%) of employees, according to new research that looks at AI adoption in business. While a majority (85%) of workers are being encouraged to rely on AI for tasks, many don’t know why.

While employees certainly seem to feel the benefits of AI, citing benefits of increased productivity and motivation, the big question appears to surround their managers. The survey, by Culture Amp, points at a disconnect between corporate strategy around AI and how managers are (or are not) communicating this to their teams.

The survey also emphasizes that it is still early days in the AI revolution, and that the impact of the technology on workforces and individual roles is yet to become apparent.

Decisive insights

Culture Amp’s report, How Employees Really Feel About AI at Work, is described as a benchmark, and as the inaugaural publication looks set to chart the path of AI in the workplace over the coming years.

Its initial findings raise questions about how AI is really being introduced and used in businesses around the world. With 112,000 survey respondents questioned, situated within 123 businesses around the globe, the report offers one of the most decisive insights into business AI use yet.

The unfinished plan

Employees are telling us they understand the risks, they are using the tools, and they feel more productive," notes Amy Lavoie VP of People Science at Culture Amp. "That is not a workforce resisting change. That is a workforce that has done its part and is waiting on leadership to do theirs.”

The lack of decisive direction from management may not be entirely the fault of individual managers. In some cases, the corporate direction for AI use may be “in development” with leaders waiting on clearer instructions to communicate to their teams.

“We do not know with certainty which roles AI reshapes, which skills hold their value, or what a career path looks like three years out,” says Lavoie. “As a result, leaders may go quiet, because saying nothing feels safer than saying something that turns out to be wrong.”

So what is the answer? How do employees struggling to find the sense in using AI come to terms with the lack of direction concerning its use?

Lavoie concludes: “The most useful thing a leader can do right now is admit the plan is unfinished, and then keep talking anyway. Certainty is not what employees need from you right now. Candor is."

• Watch Bengals vs Texans FREE on 5 (UK)
• Unlock your stream with IPVanish (save up to 83%)
• Bengals vs Texans kick-off: Sun, Sep 20 at 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 3am AEST (Mon)

Watch Cincinnati Bengals vs Houston Texans after the vaunted Texans defense getting shredded in their opening NFL 2026 fixture wasn't on anybody's bingo card – and things may well get worse before they get better. The Bengals racked up 33 points last weekend, and they now have a defense befitting Super Bowl contenders.

Joe Burrow has, however, been dealing with a back issue this week. Considering his injury history, Cincinnati can't be too careful with their quarterback, who threw for 254 yards and a touchdown in a 33-27 victory over the Buccaneers last Sunday, but they'll also want him to re-establish that connection with Ja'Marr Chase as quickly as possible. And with Zac Taylor's position as precarious as it is, patience is thin on the ground in Cincy.

CJ Stroud's first outing of the campaign held plenty of promise, considering how last season turned out, but despite going toe-to-toe with Josh Allen and nearly coming out on top, there were two fumbles to go along with his pair of touchdowns and 274 passing yards against the Bills. If he's able to cut those moments out and the Houston defense can show that last week's display was an aberration, DeMeco Ryans' men will go far.

Read on as we explain how to watch Bengals vs Texans for free.

Can you watch Bengals vs Texans for free?

Yes. Bengals vs Texans is being shown on free-to-air 5Action and 5 in the UK.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Bengals vs Texans for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Bengals vs Texans live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual streaming services. One of our favourites is IPVanish – it does everything and comes with up to 83% off.

How to watch Bengals vs Texans live streams in the US

In the US, the Bengals vs Texans game is being shown on CBS and Paramount+.

Paramount+ starts at $8.99/month or $89.99/year, and is also home to Champions League soccer. However, you can access Paramount+ virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

Alternatively, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and the Fubo Sports + News plan each carry CBS and will provide near-comprehensive NFL coverage this season.

Outside of the US? IPVanish can unblock your stream from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Bengals vs Texans live streams in the UK

In the UK, Bengals vs Texans is free-to-air on 5Action, with live streaming available via the 5 platform.

If you're traveling outside of the UK, you can make use of IPVanish to access that free Bengals vs Texans coverage.

How to watch Bengals vs Texans live streams in Australia

In Australia, the Bengals vs Texans game is being shown exclusively on NFL Game Pass on DAZN, which is showing every remaining game, including the Super Bowl.

Prices start at AU$339.99 for the season if you pay upfront, rising to AU$34.99/month if you commit to 12 months, and AU$33.99/week on a rolling basis.

Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like IPVanish to watch the action as if you were back home.

How to watch Bengals vs Texans live streams in Canada

The Bengals vs Texans game is available to watch on DAZN in Canada.

DAZN, which is showing every 2026 NFL fixture, starts at CA$24.99/month.

It's also being shown on TSN Premium, which costs CA$29.99/month or CA$249.99/year.

If you're out of Canada but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Look out for the small blue 'hello' signs in Apple Stores
• They're to help test the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max cameras
• The new phones are now available to purchase in retail stores

The next time you head into an Apple Store, you should be able to spot a small blue 'hello' sign somewhere, as per reports on social media — and the appearance of these little signs is apparently connected to the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

As per MacRumors, the signs are there to help customers test out the optical zoom capabilities of the new handsets. Both models offer up to 8x optical zoom, so having something specific to zoom in on is going to be helpful.

While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have a variable aperture feature on one of their three rear cameras now, the optical zoom capabilities are actually the same as the iPhone 17 equivalents that launched in September of last year.

There are also new Pro controls on the latest handsets, so settings for lens aperture, shutter speed, and white balance can be tweaked shot by shot — something else you might want to test out in an Apple Store.

Now available

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max arrived in Apple's retail stores on Friday, September 18, six days after preorders started. Prices for the handsets start at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099 and $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,299 respectively (for 256GB of storage).

New Apple CEO John Ternus made an appearance at the Apple Store in New York to help celebrate the wider availability of the flagship iPhones — as well as the Apple Watch Series 12, the Apple Watch Ultra 4, and the AirPods 5.

He didn't mention anything about the new 'hello' signs in stores, but they've been spotted by customers nevertheless. They look to be located on higher shelves and fixtures, perhaps to put off anyone wanting one as a souvenir.

And if you're wondering where the iPhone 18 is and when you'll be able to test that out, don't panic — it's rumored to be showing up around March time, alongside the iPhone 18e and the iPhone Air 2.

• Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid: Sun, September 20
• Kick-Off: 10.15am ET / 3.15pm BST
• Stream free on CazeTV's YouTube (Brazil)
• Use NordVPN to watch from anywhere (save 75% today)

The La Liga table has a familiar look after six rounds of fixtures in Spain's top flight: Barcelona first, Real Madrid second and Atletico Madrid third. But depending on the result of this weekend's tussle in the capital, Madrid and Atletico could swap positions before the extended international break.

Jose Mourinho's second spell at the Bernabeu has begun fairly well, with Madrid winning five and losing one of their first six league games. Atletico, for their part, have won four, drawn one and lost one, but their best performance of the campaign to date came in the 4-0 thrashing of Osasuna on Wednesday.

Julian Alvarez will miss out on the derby with a muscular problem, so Diego Simeone looks set to adopt a counter-attacking approach in which his team will sit deep and look to break forward at speed. Madrid will bank on their attacking quality overwhelming Atletico's defence, with Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe the players to watch.

Here's where to watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live streams from anywhere today.

Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid team news

Atletico Madrid XI: Oblak, Llorente, Pubill, Romero, Hancko, Simeone, Baena, Cardoso, Grimaldo, Lee, David.

Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Dumfries, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella, Valverde, Tchouameni, Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius, Mbappe.

Can I watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid for free?

Yes, CazeTV in Brazil will show Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live for free on their YouTube Channel.

Outside of Brazil? NordVPN can help unlock your live streams from anywhere in the world – more on that below.

Use a VPN to watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, thereby letting you unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to a 76% discount.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple:

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the UK and want to view your usual US service, you'd select a United States server from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your usual local streaming service and watch the soccer.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live streams in the USA

The Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live stream is being shown on ESPN2 (and ESPN Deportes) and ESPN Select in the US.

A subscription to ESPN Select costs $13.99/month or $139.99/year.

Another option is ESPN Unlimited, which costs $31.99/month or $319.99/year and includes live streaming access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes and a whole host of other channels.

Alternatively, ESPN2 is also carried by YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream, each of which offers a free trial to new users. Sling TV is another option and currently offers the cheapest monthly price for access to ESPN2.

On holiday overseas? A VPN will allow you to access your usual US subscription from abroad. We recommend NordVPN as the best overall streaming VPN.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live streams in the UK

Premier Sports 1 is broadcasting the Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid La Liga encounter live in the UK.

Premier Sports costs £18.99 on a rolling monthly basis, or £130/year if you pay upfront. Alternatively, you can add it to an existing Sky TV, Virgin Media or Prime Video plan.

Not in the UK for Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid? You'll need to download a good VPN to access your Premier Sports stream.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live streams in Canada

In Canada you can watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live on TSN5.

If you don't have cable, the TSN Plus streaming service costs CA$24.99/month but right now you can get an introductory offer of CA$59.99 for your first three months.

For fans travelling outside of Canada, use NordVPN to login to your TSN+ account from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid live streams in Australia

Soccer fans in Australia can watch Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid on beIN Sports 2.

Subscriptions cost AU$16.99/month or AU$169.99/year, with both options including a 7-day free trial.

Missing the Madrid Derby because you're outside of Oz? Use a VPN to login to your beIN Sports account.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Man City vs Sunderland: Sunday, September 20 at 2pm BST / 9am ET / 11pm AEST
• Streams: Sky Sports (UK) / Peacock (US)
• Outside the UK? Use NordVPN to unblock your streaming account

Watch Man City vs Sunderland in the Premier League 2026/27 season, as Enzo Maresca's team look to make it five wins from five ahead of the extended international break.

It has been a smooth start to Maresca's tenure at the Etihad Stadium, with Man City boasting a 100 percent record in competitive fixtures heading into this weekend. A 1-0 victory over Man Utd on Sunday thanks to Erling Haaland's controversial winner was particularly sweet especially as Man City played more than half of the match with 10 men after Phil Foden saw red. Maresca rotated for the midweek Carabao Cup victory against Norwich, but the control and confidence were still apparent with first club goals for youngster Floyd Samba and summer signing Allan.

Sunderland pushed Arsenal hard last weekend, only to lose 2-0 to the reigning champions. The Black Cats are capable of making life difficult for Man City with their muscular, counter-attacking approach, although Sunderland have not kept an away clean sheet in any of their last six Premier League assignments. Regis Le Bris' side will be boosted by the midweek victory over AZ in the Europa League, courtesy of the superb Enzo Le Fée, on their return to continental competition after a 53-year wait.

Here's how to watch Man City vs Sunderland in the 2026/27 Premier League from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Man City vs Sunderland from anywhere

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and you can get our exclusive deal too...

How to watch Man City vs Sunderland live streams in the USA

Soccer fans in the US can watch Man City vs Sunderland in the Premier League on Peacock.

Peacock Premium plans start from $12.99 a month, or $129.99 a year.

You can also watch if you take out a 30-day trial of Walmart+ for $1, which includes Peacock access as a membership benefit.

Outside of the US? Use a VPN whilst you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream. We like NordVPN best.

How to watch a Man City vs Sunderland live stream in the UK

Sky Sports is broadcasting Man City vs Sunderland in the UK on its Premier League channel.

Packages cost £35 per month for new customers, or £22 per month if you already have a Sky TV contract. The Sky Go app lets you watch on your laptop, mobile or tablet.

Fans can also tune in using a NOW Sports Membership, with 24-hour passes costing £14.99.

Not in the UK for Man City vs Sunderland? Use NordVPN to access your usual Premier League streams.

How to watch Man City vs Sunderland live streams in Canada

Fubo is the Premier League's broadcast partner in Canada and it has live coverage of Man City vs Sunderland.

Prices start from CA$31.49 per month for Fubo's Sports Monthly package. However, the best option right now is the Quarterly Package which costs just CA$27.99 CA$14.99 for each of the first three months. You can also watch Fubo's content if you have a select DAZN subscription in Canada.

Not in Canada? Use NordVPN if you're away from home, in order to tap into your preferred coverage from anywhere.

How to watch Man City vs Sunderland live streams in Australia

A Man City vs Sunderland live stream is available in Australia on Stan Sport.

You can pick up a Stan Sport subscription for as little as AU$29.99 per month for the basic plan containing adds. That price consists of the AU$9.99 Stan subscription fee plus the Sport add-on for AU$20.

Outside of Oz? You can use a VPN to access your usual Premier League coverage. We recommend NordVPN.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Watch Celtic vs Rangers FREE on CBS Sports Golazo (US)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Celtic vs Rangers kick-off: Sun, Sep 20 at 7am ET / 12pm BST / 9pm AEST

With Celtic coming off back-to-back shellackings – one of those at the hands of Rangers a week ago – Derek McInnes' men have a golden opportunity to gain ground on the Scottish Premiership leaders. The Bhoys do, however, have one big advantage: all 60,411 seats at Parkhead will be filled by Celtic fans.

It's a role-reversal from last Sunday, when Rangers mauled their arch-rivals by three goals to nil to the delight of a 50,000-strong home crowd. Away fans are unable to attend any of this season's Old Firm Derbies, as punishment for the mass pitch invasion that followed their Scottish Cup quarter-final tie in March.

McInnes' awful start means Celtic are already five clear at the top with a maximum haul of 18 points, but the suspicion has been that results have masked issues... until now. A pair of Dan Neil crackers either side of Kevin Kelsy's first in a Rangers shirt condemned Martin O'Neill's men to a shockingly meek defeat in the League Cup a week ago, and things got worse with a 3-1 home hammering by Hungarian side Ferencvarosi on Thursday.

Approaching his 30th Old Firm Derby, it's possible that O'Neill has never felt quite so ill-prepared. It isn't just that the tinkering with Sam Johnstone and Viljami Sinisalo in goal, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty and Liam Scales at the heart of the backline, and Kasper Hogh and Camilo Duran up-front suggest that O'Neill doesn't know his best XI, it's that none of the experiments have worked out as of yet.

Start badly – or select Sebastian Tounekti ahead of World Cup breakout star Haissem Hassan again – and the full voice of Celtic Park might turn into a blessing in disguise for the Gers.

Read on as we explain how to watch Celtic vs Rangers in the 2026/27 Scottish Premiership for free.

Can you watch Celtic vs Rangers for FREE?

Yes. Free Celtic vs Rangers coverage is available in the US, courtesy of the CBS Sports Golazo Network.

No account or subscription is required.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch the Old Firm Derby free of charge as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Celtic vs Rangers live streams

A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Celtic vs Rangers live streams in the US

The Celtic vs Rangers game is free-to-air on the CBS Sports Golazo Network streaming platform in the US. You don't even need an account.

It's also being shown on Paramount+, which is showing plenty of Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League and NFL action this season. Prices start at $8.99/month or $89.99/year.

However, you can access Paramount+ virtually for free with a Walmart Plus 30-day trial for $1.

Outside of the US? NordVPN can unblock your stream from anywhere in the world.

How to watch Celtic vs Rangers live streams in the UK

In the UK, Celtic vs Rangers is available to watch on Sky Sports Football.

Sky Sports packages start at £35/month with £20/month pricing available for those who are already customers. You can also tune in via a NOW Sports membership that carries the Sky Sports channels.

Away from home? Unlock your stream of Celtic vs Rangers with NordVPN.

How to watch Celtic vs Rangers live streams in Australia

beIN Sports 1 is showing the Celtic vs Rangers game in Australia, with live streaming available via beIN Sports Connect.

A subscription costs AU$16.99/month or AU$169.99/year after a 7-day FREE trial, and the service includes live and on-demand streaming of European football and tennis.

Missing the game because you're outside Australia? Use a VPN to access your beIN Sports account.

Can I watch Celtic vs Rangers in Canada?

The Scottish Premiership hasn't picked up a broadcasting partner in Canada.

If you're in Canada for work or on vacation from the US, however, a VPN will help you tap into that free Celtic vs Rangers stream. NordVPN is the one we recommend above all others.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Premiere: Sunday, September 20 at 9pm BST
• FREE stream: BBC iPlayer (UK)
• Use NordVPN to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad

From the world of hit legal drama The Split, The Split Up brings a new family, a new city, and a whole new heap of turmoil. The show centers around Kishan Law, a British South Asian family law firm whose stellar reputation has earned them an exclusive — and wealthy — clientele, making them the ‘go to’ firm for Manchester’s elite divorcees.

On the cusp of inheriting the keys to the firm from her father Dhruv (Sanjeev Bhaskar) is Aria (Ritu Arya), but following the death of her mother, Dhruv begins to have doubts over her ability to take on the mantle. With her fiancé Neal (Danny Ashok) emerging as a safer option, the stage is set for a clash that tip toes the line between professional and personal, with returning former flames and long-buried family secrets thrown in for good measure.

Fusing the ongoing drama with a case of the week approach, the show looks set to explore various facets of family law, with a slew of guest stars, including Lenny Henry, Jane Horrocks and Jameela Jamil, injecting some one-off characters into the mix.

Giving all the juicy family politics and legal drama we loved about the original show a cultural refresh feels like a masterstroke in a world of stuffy legal dramas, so read on and find out how to watch The Split Up online and from anywhere.

How to watch The Split Up from abroad

For those away from home looking to watch The Split Up, you’ll be unable to watch the show as normal if you're outside the UK due to regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN allows you to stream geo-blocked services online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home. Our favorite is NordVPN – it's one of the best VPNs on the market.

Use a VPN to watch The Split Up from anywhere:

How to watch The Split Up online in the UK

Can I watch The Split Up online in the US, Canada or Australia?

There's currently no word on streaming options for The Split Up outside of Blighty, meaning those looking to stream in the US, Canada, Australia and beyond are out of luck.

The original The Split is available on Hulu in the US and Stan in Australia, so viewers with access to those streamers should keep an eye out.

If you're a Brit abroad you can use a VPN to stream for free on BBC iPlayer just as you would back home.

What you need to know about The Split Up

The Split Up trailer

• Episode 1: Sunday, September 20
• Episode 2: Monday, September 21
• Episode 3: Sunday, September 27
• Episode 4: Monday, September 28
• Episode 5: Sunday, October 4
• Episode 6: Monday, October 5

The Split Up cast

• Ritu Arya as Aria
• Sanjeev Bhaskar as Dhruv
• Aysha Kala as Maya
• Arian Nik as Kav
• Danny Ashok as Neal

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Watch Warriors vs Knights NRL Semi-Final FREE on 9Now (AUS)
• Stream on Fox One (US) / Sky Sports (UK) / Sky Sport (NZ)
• Unlock your stream with NordVPN (save up to 75%)
• Kick-off: Sun, Sep 20, 2.05am ET / 7.05am BST / 4.05pm AEST / 6.05pm NZT

Watch Warriors vs Knights in the second NRL 2026 semi-final of the weekend, as the Wahs of New Zealand seek a third win of the season over the Newcastle side with a place in the preliminary finals the prize for Sunday's victors.

It's probably fair to say that the Warriors didn't expect that they'd be in this predicament when the regular season came to its close. Their sensational season ended with a second-place finish on the ladder, finishing level on points with minor premiers Penrith. But Andrew Webster's men were well beaten by the Dolphins in their qualifying final in Auckland, with a long list of injuries finally taking their toll.

For Newy, it's the chance for a place in a first prelim final for 13 years. Justin Holbrook has worked wonders to take the Knights from the wooden spoon last year to the top eight this time around, and they dispatched the Rabbitohs last time out in relative comfort. In Greg Marzhew and Dominic Young, they have two of NRL's top try scorers and, in defense, the tackling machine that is Phoenix Crossland. They'll head across the Tasman Sea with high hopes of avenging their two losses to the Wahs this year.

The top-ranked Penrith Panthers await the winner in the preliminary finals next weekend.

Here's how to watch Warriors vs Knights from anywhere in the world.

Can you watch Warriors vs Knights for free?

Yes. Every game in the NRL finals series 2026 is being shown on free-to-air Channel 9 and 9Now in Australia – including this New Zealand Warriors vs Newcastle Knights showdown.

NRL fans in the US can also watch this crucial matchup on Fox One thanks the platform's free 3-day trial.

Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch the NRL Finals Series 2026 for free as if you were right at home.

Use a VPN to watch Warriors vs Knights live streams

A VPN is a handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it's back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual streaming services. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.

How to watch Warriors vs Knights live streams in the USA

NRL fans in the US can watch Warriors vs Knights in the NRL Semi-Final 2026 on either FS2 or Fox One.

Dedicated streaming service Fox One costs $19.99 per month after a 3-day FREE trial.

If you want a more comprehensive cable alternative, access to the Fox One app is also available through a Sling TV plan. It comes with the provider's Select ($29.99 a month) and Blue plans ($54.99 a month).

FS2 is carried by several other OTT streaming platforms as well, including YouTube TV and Fubo – both of which offer new customers a free trial.

One further way to watch this and the rest of the 2026 NRL finals is through the dedicated Watch NRL streaming platform. It costs $72 for an NRL Finals Pass that includes all the remaining games.

Outside of the US? Use a VPN whilst you're traveling away from home to unlock your stream.

How to watch Warriors vs Knights live streams in Australia

In Australia, the Warriors vs Knights semi-final is on the free-to-air Channel 9 and via the 9Now streaming service.

All you need is an account. Sign up here!

You can also watch on Fox League via Foxtel. While Kayo Sports is a much more cost-efficient option, with plans starting from $30 a month after you've taken advantage of its first month for $1 offer or 7-day free trial.

If you're out of Australia but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.

How to watch Warriors vs Knights live streams in New Zealand

Sky Sport NZ is the NRL rights holder in New Zealand. The action from Auckland will go out on Sky Sport 1 on TV.

You can access Sky Sport through satellite TV or get a live stream with the Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at $29.99 per day or $59.99 per month.

Overseas? NordVPN will give you access to your home streaming service.

How to watch Warriors vs Knights live streams in the UK

Warriors vs Knights is being shown on Sky Sports in the UK, via the Sky Sports Mix channel.

Sky Sports plans start from £35 a month or £20 if you're an existing Sky television subscriber. Alternatively, grab a Now Sports subscription from £14.99 a day or £34.99 a month.

NRL obsessives can also watch this and every other game of the season with on the dedicated Watch NRL platform. It costs £57 for the remainder of the season.

Outside the UK right now? Use NordVPN to access your preferred coverage of the NRL Finals Series 2026.

How to watch Warriors vs Knights live streams in Canada

Warriors vs Knights coverage in the NRL is going out online via Sportsnet in Canada. Log in with your cable details or, of you're a cord cutter, grab a Sportsnet+ streaming service subscription (from $29.99 a month / $249.99 a year).

The Watch NRL platform will also show the fixture – click through for pricing.

If you already subscribe to one of these services but find yourself outside Canada this weekend, download a VPN and watch NRL Semi-Finals 2026 as if you were back at home.

How to watch Warriors vs Knights live streams in Rest of World

Every single match of the 2026 NRL Premiership season, including the Qualifying and Elimination Finals, will be shown on the dedicated Watch NRL streaming platform, which is available in all territories except for Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and other selected sanctioned jurisdictions (e.g. Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea).

Check the website for pricing in your region. Once subscribed, you can stream Watch NRL on phones, tablets, laptops, or the Apple TV app.

Many countries also show games on TV and online through their domestic broadcasters.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

• Boyagongdao's BG-5 robotic golden arowana was one of the most popular attractions at CIFTIS 2026, with staff saying it plans its own route around obstacles
• The 3 kg, 640 mm robot is rated to operate at 5 meters with a top speed of 0.6 m/s, even as endurance, cameras, and payload remain undisclosed
• The design is not new: the BG-5 has been on the company's site since 2023, and a near-identical arowana robot has been available on their site since 2021

A golden fish doing laps in a small tank at Beijing's Shougang Park has become one of the most shared clips from this month's China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

The BG-5, a robotic golden arowana made by Boyagongdao Marine Technology Group, effectively serves as an autonomous underwater surveillance drone.

The fish has gone viral on Reddit since, with footage of it reaching the top of r/Damnthatsinteresting since it was first posted.

Not a new invention, but one that has multiple potential uses

The BG-5 has also received coverage (in Chinese) from mainstream Chinese news sources, and while details are scarce on the product page (also in Chinese), its dimensions are listed as 640 by 204 by 90 mm, with 3 kg in tow.

It can travel at a maximum depth of 5 meters and maintains a top speed of 0.6 meters per second or approximately 2.16 km/h. Boyagongdao has not published endurance, payload, or camera specifics, and it has not made any battery-life figures public.

The BG-5 is not new, however; its product page carries images uploaded in August 2023, and the company used the BG-5 to illustrate a World Oceans Day post (in Chinese) in June 2023. The same description appears on a Chinese equipment marketplace listing (in Chinese) dated July 2024.

This isn't even the company's first arowana robot: its older Robosea website has product images dating to 2021 and describes the ROBOLAB-GL, a multi-jointed arowana robot with similar use cases, including education, research, entertainment, and marine biology.

It does, however, have an overwhelmingly military aspect, and the company's background confirms this. Boyagongdao has described itself as a military-civil fusion enterprise , pitching its bionic ROBO-SHARK as a quiet platform with a sound-absorbing shell for concealment and its ROBO-ROV for tasks including underwater combat.

A company representative, Zhang Yu, also said in a 2025 report its bionic technology "can also be used in military and national defense fields."

The irony here is that it also doubles as an excellent anti-poaching tool: the golden arowana is a color variety of the Asian arowana, a species left endangered by over-harvesting for the aquarium trade, and it has fishing restrictions in place.

A drone-like surveillance fish lookalike could make fishermen even more nervous about attempting to catch any of the endangered species, even as the relatively suspicious exclusion of hardware internals, capabilities, and endurance/performance figures makes one consider that it is aiming to cater to a single primary customer, despite the company's insistence on multiple use cases for the BG-5.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 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 #1700) — hint #1 — Vowels

* 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 #1700) — hint #2 — repeated letters

Quordle today (game #1700) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

Quordle today (game #1700) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

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 #1700) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

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

Quordle today (game #1700) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1700, are…

• DERBY
• LIMBO
• GAWKY
• REIGN

It took me a couple of guesses to get GAWKY, but this bump aside I was happy to navigate a pretty tricky collection of words.

GAWKY, incidentally, is exactly how I’d feel if I was coerced into taking part in a LIMBO competition.

Daily Sequence today (game #1700) — the answers

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1700, are…

• SKULL
• MADLY
• PRIOR
• FLACK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1699, Saturday, 19 September: SCOPE, HEIST, PULSE, CHAMP
• Quordle #1698, Friday, 18 September: MUCUS, MIRTH, APPLE, TILDE
• Quordle #1697, Thursday, 17 September: CRIER, CHIRP, NEIGH, FREER
• Quordle #1696, Wednesday, 16 September: SPEAR, PRICE, BLUNT, FISHY
• Quordle #1695, Tuesday, 15 September: SHUSH, LITHE, DELTA, BUGLE
• Quordle #1694, Monday, 14 September: ZEBRA, LEGAL, RATIO, TROLL
• Quordle #1693, Sunday, 13 September: LUCID, SPRAY, MANGE, EMAIL
• Quordle #1692, Saturday, 12 September: SUPER, BRUSH, RESET, SOWER
• Quordle #1691, Friday, 11 September: PLUSH, PAINT, RIVAL, AFOUL
• Quordle #1690, Thursday, 10 September: AGENT, EXILE, TITAN, PUREE
• Quordle #1689, Wednesday, 9 September: HAPPY, GONER, SMACK, MOTIF
• Quordle #1688, Tuesday, 8 September: FLUNG, DIARY, HALVE, BERTH
• Quordle #1687, Monday, 7 September: VISIT, CLANK, FEVER, OCEAN
• Quordle #1686, Sunday, 6 September: PILOT, HONOR, BOWEL, TAUNT
• Quordle #1685, Saturday, 5 September: GNASH, GEEKY, WHELP, PUTTY
• Quordle #1684, Friday, 4 September: QUICK, BEEFY, TRUCK, SNAIL
• Quordle #1683, Thursday, 3 September: SIGMA, ESSAY, MERRY, LLAMA
• Quordle #1682, Wednesday, 2 September: INCUR, FELLA, TITAN, FROZE
• Quordle #1681, Tuesday, 1 September: NASAL, ROUTE, ANKLE, MIGHT
• Quordle #1680, Monday, 31 August: ALIVE, LOUSE, ABOVE, MOSSY

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

NYT Strands today (game #931) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PURE
• GRASS
• BURST
• TOAST
• SIXTY
• BRAIDS

NYT Strands today (game #931) - hint #3 - spangram letters

NYT Strands today (game #931) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

NYT Strands today (game #931) - the answers

The answers to today's Strands, game #931, are…

• BOAST
• BRAG
• FLEX
• GLOAT
• STRUT
• BLUSTER
• POSTURE
• SPANGRAM: GRANDIOSITY

• My rating: So easy
• My score: Perfect

A left-to-right spangram aside, this was a fairly straightforward search once I’d bagged my first word, but that’s probably because I’m the greatest Strands player that the world has ever known.

And it’s not just me saying that. Everyone says so.

I have never lost a single game of Strands and I never need to use a hint because it’s all so easy — probably the easiest way to spend two minutes in the world, actually, because that’s how long it takes me to complete even the hardest Strands game. Two minutes! Actually, probably closer to 120 seconds.

(Not really!)

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, September 19, game #930)

• ARRR
• HEARTIES
• AVAST
• MATEY
• SAVVY
• YOHOHO
• SPANGRAM: TALKLIKEAPIRATE

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 #1197) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TWILIGHT
• SNOW
• TORTILLA
• SKATE
• DERBY
• FRIED CHICKEN
• COASTER
• HOVER
• BLADE
• BLU-RAY
• BLUEGRASS
• SAND DOLLAR
• NEAR DARK
• BOURBON
• SURF
• SINNERS

NYT Connections today (game #1197) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Circular items
• GREEN: Connected to a southern state
• BLUE: Bloodsucking films
• PURPLE: Add a word the rhymes with “chord”

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 #1197) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: ROUND FLAT THINGS
• GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH KENTUCKY
• BLUE: VAMPIRE MOVIES
• PURPLE: _____BOARDS YOU RIDE ON

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

NYT Connections today (game #1197) - the answers

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

• YELLOW: ROUND FLAT THINGS: BLU-RAY, COASTER, SAND DOLLAR, TORTILLA
• GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH KENTUCKY: BLUEGRASS, BOURBON, DERBY, FRIED CHICKEN
• BLUE: VAMPIRE MOVIES: BLADE, NEAR DARK, SINNERS, TWILIGHT
• PURPLE: _____BOARDS YOU RIDE ON: HOVER, SKATE, SNOW, SURF

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I would like to propose a new Connections achievement badge: Yellow First.

I know it doesn’t happen by design but, for me at least, it’s also quite rare that I haven’t managed to spot the so-called easiest group of the game — although today I think any group could have been classified as a yellow on any other day.

There is also the fact that the only thing I was unfamiliar with, SAND DOLLAR, was one of the tiles in ROUND FLAT THINGS. My excuse is that we don’t have this type of urchin in the UK — in my ignorance I thought it was something to do with Las Vegas casinos.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, September 19, 2026, game #1196)

• YELLOW: WIDEN ONE'S SCOPE: BRANCH OUT, DIVERSIFY, EXPAND, GROW
• GREEN: FEATURES OF A KID'S DRAWING: HOUSE, STICK FIGURE, SUN, TREE
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH SWINGING LONDON IN THE 1960S: CARNABY STREET, MINISKIRT, MOD, TWIGGY
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH ABBREVIATED MATH FUNCTIONS: COS LETTUCE, LOG CABIN, SIN CITY, TAN LINE

• Rune wants unused solar electricity powering GPUs instead of going to waste
• RELIC connects computing equipment directly to functioning solar generation sites
• The system operates without grid connections or conventional data center construction

A San Francisco company named Rune has introduced a modular compute unit built to operate directly on unused solar power.

Called RELIC, the equipment attaches to functioning solar installations without needing any connection to the electrical grid or new construction work.

The launch came alongside a $40 million Series A financing round for Rune, lifting the firm's overall capital raised to $53.5 million total.

Skipping the grid bottleneck

Solar facilities routinely waste as much as 20% of the electricity they generate, adding up to more than 50 TWh yearly nationwide.

RELIC pulls that idle current straight from the source, avoiding metering charges, utility fees, and the grid limitations slowing AI growth.

"Every solar plant is a latent data center. The power is already there, sitting idle while AI labs wait years for grid connections that may never come," said William Layden, Co-Founder and CEO of Rune.

Rune states that RELIC can be installed in about 60 minutes and deliver working GPU capacity within six weeks of a contract.

That timeline contrasts sharply with conventional data center construction projects, which frequently stretch across several years before reaching full operational status.

The company reports that RELIC lowers non-compute infrastructure spending by 85%, saving roughly $620 million across a 100 MW deployment.

RELIC operates natively on direct current — solar's original output form — sidestepping energy losses that occur when converting power to alternating current.

It needs no extensive site preparation, leaves no visible trace across the landscape, and operates entirely without consuming any water.

Rune's initial working installation sits at a 200 MW solar facility located in Texas, mounted on existing infrastructure without any modifications.

Addressing a system under strain

Traditional data center construction cannot keep pace with the surging demand pouring in from artificial intelligence developers and infrastructure buyers everywhere.

Rune's approach addresses that shortfall by placing compute equipment directly beside existing renewable generation instead of pursuing new construction projects.

“Demand for AI infrastructure is growing faster than it can be delivered. Rune deploys compute directly behind the meter at operating solar farms, converting clean power into rapidly scalable AI capacity,” said Santo Politi, Founder and General Partner of Spark Capital.

“Every renewable asset in operation becomes a potential deployment site. Rune is the fastest path to new capacity we have seen."

Many data centers currently running were adapted from designs built for earlier computing needs rather than for artificial intelligence workloads specifically.

“AI’s power constraint isn’t generation, it’s resource allocation,” said Varun Palivela, Co-Founder and CTO of Rune.

“The industry is retrofitting data centers designed for a different era rather than rethinking the architecture itself. We built an entirely new technology stack from the ground up, coupling compute directly to clean generation so AI can scale here on Earth.”

The approach leaves Rune testing whether unused solar capacity can support AI computing at the speed required by growing demand.

• UFC 331: Saturday, September 19
• Main Card time: 9pm ET / 6pm ET / 2am BST (Sun) / 11am AEST (Sun)
• Watch on Paramount Plus for $8.99 or for $1 with Walmart+ 30-day trial (US only)
• Overseas? Use Surfshark to watch your US services from anywhere

Tonight's UFC 331 headline bout is a classic case of revenge or repeat as Joshua Van puts the UFC flyweight title he won against Alexandre Pantoja on the line at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Fearless won the belt in controversial fashion in December 2025 and the Cannibal is determined to right the wrong he has felt ever since.

Van's victory at UFC 323 came after Pantjoa suffered a dislocated elbow 26 seconds into the original fight when the former fell and landed on the latter. The Brazilian has felt ignored by Dana White ever since, despite having championship victories against Brandon Moreno, Brandon Royval, Steve Erceg, Kai Asakura, and Kai Kara-France on his resumé. The 36-year-old has the experience and fuel from that defeat to inspire him. He'll become the third flyweight champion to regain the belt after Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo if he wins.

Myanmar native Van is well known for his speed but it was the striking that got him over the line against Tatsuro Taira in his solitary title defense in May. The 24-year-old will need to use that aggressive approach if he's to back that up against another 5ft 5in fighter. This is sure to be a close fight and one not to be missed.

That's the main event of a stacked card in which Arman Tsarukyan and Maurício Ruffy face off at lightweight with the winner likely to get a future title shot.

Here's where to watch UFC 331 live streams online and from anywhere with a VPN – including a clever way to watch UFC 331 for just $1.

How to watch UFC 331 live stream in the US

Exclusive US coverage of the full UFC 331 event is on Paramount Plus. It's being headlined by Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja 2, which is expected to start at around 11pm ET / 8pm PT.

Plans start from only $8.99/month with the Paramount Plus Essential Plan, or you can upgrade to Premium for $13.99/month (see below for more details). You can also get a Paramount Plus trial with Walmart+ for $1 using this sneaky trick we found.

While Paramount Plus will show UFC 331 in its entirety, you can also watch the Early Prelims via UFC Fight Pass.

Traveling outside of the US? Use a VPN to watch Paramount Plus from abroad while you're away from home.

Use a VPN to watch UFC 331 from anywhere

Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching UFC on your usual subscription?

You can still watch Van vs Pantoja 2 live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software can make your devices appear to be back in your home country regardless of where you are, making it ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. One of our favorites is Surfshark – we explain why in our Surfshark review.

It's really straightforward to use a VPN to watch UFC 331.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, SurfShark is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For example, if you want to watch the Paramount+ stream, select 'United States' from the listed countries.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Paramount+ and tune into UFC 331.

How to watch UFC 331 live stream in the UK

The UFC 331 main card is available on TNT Sports 1 in the UK. It's set to begin at 2am BST in the early hours of Sunday morning.

You can get it by adding TNT Sports to your Sky, Virgin Media or EE TV package, or pay from £25.99 per month for a HBO Max plan that includes TNT Sports.

UFC Fight Pass subscribers can also watch the Prelims and Early Prelims.

If you're abroad whilst the MMA live stream is on, a VPN like Surfshark can help you to access your home streaming services from anywhere.

How to watch UFC 331 live stream in Canada

There are a host of pay-per-view providers offering a UFC 331 live stream in Canada.

You can head to the likes of Sportsnet, Bell or the UFC Fight Pass to watch the whole event, where the PPV price is set at $69.99. Prelims will also be shown on Sportsnet and TVA Sports, with Early Prelims also on UFC Fight Pass.

North of the border from the US? You can use Surfshark to watch your Paramount Plus subscription like you were back at home.

How to watch UFC 331 live stream in Australia

Sunday's Main Card at UFC 331 will be available on PPV in Australia, setting you back AU$59.95 from Foxtel Main Event or Kayo Sports Main Event.

That means you can live stream UFC 330 via your web browser and devices like Android, iOS, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Telstra TV and Chromecast.

You can also catch all the Prelims (but not the Van vs Pantoja 2 main event) via Paramount+ and free-to-air Network 10.

Downloading a VPN will help you access your subscriptions from anywhere if you're abroad when the fight is on.

UFC 331 full card

Main card
Joshua Van (c)vs Alexandre Pantoja (Flyweight)
Arman Tsarukyan vs Maurício Ruffy(Lightweight)
Patrício Pitbull vs Choi Doo-ho (Featherweight)
Gable Steveson vs Sean Sharaf (Heavyweight)
Alonzo Menifield vs Iwo Baraniewski (Light Heavyweight)

Prelims
Marlon Vera vs Charles Jourdain (Bantamweight)
Tai Tuivasa vs Robelis Despaigne (Heavyweight)
Michael Aswell Jr vs Yoo Joo-sang (Featherweight)
Ryan Gandra vs Osman Diaz (Middleweight)

Early prelims
Edmen Shahbazyan vs Brunno Ferreira (Middleweight)
Casey O'Neill vs Eduarda Moura (Women's Flyweight)
Giga Chikadze vs Joanderson Brito (Featherweight)

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.