Technology News of last week

Rising RAM prices are set to affect nearly every market segmentSupply limits tied to DRAM node shifts are driving product shortagesGDDR6 and DDR4 are leading the current memory price increasesRAM prices are surging once more, but this time the finger of blame can’t be pointed solely at AI, new research has claimed.The current financial quarter is reportedly bringing steep increases across the board, affecting everything from server memory to mobile DRAM and graphics cards.New data from TrendForce, backed up by research from ComputerBase, says DDR4 has seen the largest jump, with prices up to 45% higher than in the previous quarter.Ripple effectThe trend started earlier this year when manufacturers, including Micron, began phasing out DDR4 and LPDDR4. These were produced using older DRAM nodes that are now being retired.Micron issued end-of-life notifications for these products, something that had a major impact on large-volume customers across consumer, client, mobile, and data center segments.DDR4 and LPDDR4X shortages followed, creating a ripple effect across the memory market.In some areas, DDR4 has temporarily become more expensive than DDR5. Prices for DDR4 in the PC segment are now projected to rise 38–43% in Q3, up from 13–18% in Q2. Server DDR4 follows closely with a 28–33% increase.Graphics memory is also affected. GDDR6 is expected to rise 28–33%, making mid-range and entry-level GPU options more expensive.GDDR7, still early in adoption, could see prices climb by 5–10%.Mobile devices aren’t immune to the price rises either. LPDDR4X is forecast to jump 23–28%, and LPDDR5X may go up 5–10%.For consumers and OEMs relying on these chips, the timing adds pressure ahead of seasonal product launches.HBM, primarily used in high-performance computing and AI, is set to rise up to 20%. Although this segment is smaller, its pricing still matters for data centers and enterprise buyers.Micron has stated it will support customers needing long-term supply of 1-alpha DRAM, but only for specific lower-volume sectors like automotive and industrial.(Image credit: TrendForce)You might also likeMicron wants a bigger slice of the $100 billion HBM market SOT-MRAM memory could one day replace DRAM and NANDSandisk's revolutionary new memory promises DRAM-like performance

Amazon Prime Day 2025 has arrived and it has brought a slew of discounts across the entirety of Amazon’s online storefront. As expected, Amazon’s site is pretty overwhelming at the moment and will continue to be throughout the duration of the four-day event. Even if you came prepared with a wishlist of items you hope to buy on sale, it can be easy to get distracted by the thousands of other deals available during this members-only event. If any of the items on your list happen to be tech or tech related, Engadget has you covered. We’ve scoured Amazon to find the Prime Day deals on tech and gadgets that you can get this year, from Sony headphones to Roomba robot vacuums to Samsung TVs and everything in between. Prime Day deals: Engadget's top picks Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $149 (40 percent off): The AirPods Pro 2 remain Apple’s best set of wireless earbuds, as they offer the full set of Apple-focused features, strong ANC, onboard volume controls, a comfy in-ear design and a warm sound profile that most should find agreeable. They can even work as a hearing aid now. Samsung SmartTag 2 for $15.50 (48 percent off): Samsung users looking to keep track of their stuff need look no further than the SmartTag 2. One of our top picks for the best Bluetooth trackers, this accessory easily attaches to keys, bags and other items and uses Samsung's large finding network to show you their last known location. Leebein Electric Spin Scrubber for $38 (46 percent off): This was my favorite thing I bought last year because it makes the must-detested chore of cleaning my shower less of a pain. It's an electric spin scrubber that comes with multiple cleaning heads so you can use it on your countertops, sinks, tubs and showers and more. It also has an adjustable arm so you can reach tough spots in hard-to-reach places, and it convenient recharges via USB-C. Dyson V15 Detect Plus for $570 ($180 off): You can't get much better than a Dyson if you're on the market for a cordless stick vacuum, and the V15 Detect delivers. It's our current top pick for the best cordless vacuum overall thanks to its excellent suction power, lightweight design, good battery life and the included Fluffy Optic cleaning head that uses a laser to show you where all the debris is while you're using it. iRobot Roomba Vacuum and Mop Combo for $140 (49 percent off): A version of one of our top favorite robot vacuums, this budget-friendly machine comes with a water reservoir that allows it to mop hard floors. It connects via Wi-Fi to the iRobot app as well, which lets you set cleaning schedules and further control the machine. Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle for $500: We'd be remiss if we didn't mention the fact that Amazon has the Nintendo Switch 2 available to order "by invitation" now. The Mario Kart World bundle is listed at the standard $500 price, so it's not a Prime Day deal per se, but considering Amazon was (supposedly) shut out of the initial Switch 2 order process earlier this year, it's notable to see the console listed on the site at all. Prime Day deals under $50 Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $23 (21 percent off): Jisulife makes handheld fans we've recommended in past gift guides and this is one of its newer models. It can be held, folded so it sits flat on a table or worn around your neck for a cool breeze wherever you're going. It has an easy-to-read display in its center that will show you the fan speed level or current battery life, and its 5,000 mAh battery can last up to 19.5 hours on a single charge when you're running the fan on its lowest setting. Amazon Echo Spot for $45 (44 percent off): Amazon revived the Spot smart alarm clock last year, which features a half-circle shaped display that shows the time, weather and other information like song titles when you're using the speaker to play music. It has a compact design that will make it easy to fit on a desk or a nightstand, and as with any Alexa smart speaker, you can use it to control IoT devices like smart lights, locks and more. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $35 ($25 off): This stick handles Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, 4K video and HDR10+ and supports Wi-Fi 6E. It has the fastest processor of any Fire TV Stick and Engadget’s Jeff Dunn has gotten a lot of use from the stick as a retro gaming emulator. Of course, Amazon’s user interface is less elegant (and less democratic) than others. And it highly prioritizes Prime Video content. Blink Outdoor 4 (one camera system) for $45 (55 percent off): These security cameras are some of our favorites, and you can start building a system for your home with this pack that includes one Outdoor 4 camera and one Sync Module 2. These Blink cameras record 1080p video, support two-way talk and deliver speedy and accurate motion alerts to your phone. You don't need a subscription to save footage either; just use a thumb drive with the Sync Module 2 to save clips locally. Audible Premium Plus (three months) for $3 ($42 off): New subscribers can get three months of Audible for only $3, which represents a $42 discount. The Premium Plus tier gives you one book credit per month to use on any audiobook the service has, and you can stream any of the included titles for free on top of that. Audible also has members-only sales and discounts that you'll be able to take advantage of, too. The deal runs through July 31. Prime Day Apple deals Apple iPad (A16) for $280 (20 percent off): The latest base model iPad comes with a faster A16 chip, 2GB more RAM and 128GB of storage as standard. It earned a score of 84 in our review — if you only need an iPad for roaming the internet, watching shows and doing some lighter productivity tasks, it's a good starter tablet. Apple Watch Series 10 for $280 ($120 off): We consider Apple’s flagship wearable to be the best smartwatch you can buy, period. It's a mostly iterative update, with faster charging, a slightly slimmer design and a marginally larger display than the prior Series 9. That said, it's still a comprehensive fitness tracker, and no other smartwatch can integrate as neatly with iPhones and other Apple devices. AirPods Max (USB-C) for $430 (22 percent off): If you’re looking for over-ear headphones with all of the conveniences of in-ear AirPods, the AirPods Max are one of your only options (with the others being Beats devices). The latest models have the same design as the originals, but now charge up via USB-C instead of Lightning. Prime Day laptop deals Microsoft Surface Laptop (13.8-inch, Snapdragon X Plus) for $859 (28 percent off): In addition to running on a Snapdragon X Plus processor, this 2024 Surface Laptop has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It's a Copilot+ PC that also has a 13.8-inch touchscreen, and it should last up to 20 hours on a single charge. Google Pixelbook Go (13-inch, Intel Core M3) for $315 (51 percent off): The Pixelbook Go is a bit old at this point, but if you're a Chrome OS lover and want a Google-made laptop, this is a solid option. It includes an Intel Core M3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 12-hour battery life. Prime Day tech deals DJI Neo drone for $159 (20 percent off): The DJI Neo may be an inexpensive, beginner-friendly drone, but has powerful features like subject tracking and quick shots. It can shoot video at up to 4K 30 fps and is quick and maneuverable, though it's also fairly loud. You can also grab one with three batteries and a charger for $229 (21 percent off). Samsung The Frame (75-inch, 2024) for $1,498 (50 percent off): If you want a TV that doesn't actually look like a TV, the Samsung's Frame sets are the best option. They offer painting-like bezels, and they can display art work when you're not watching anything. This deal is one of the best we've seen on a large-screen Frame set — while it's a 2024 model, it still offers a sharp QLED panel, slim wall mounting and an anti-reflective coating to prevent window glare. (If you're looking for something smaller, the 65-inch 2024 Frame TV is down to $1,199, and the 55-inch is on sale for $799.) Bose QuietComfort headphones for $199 (42 percent off):design is slightly dated, the Bose QuietComfort headphones provide stellar noise cancellation and will sit comfortably on your head for hours on end. These cans have up to 24 hours of battery life and support for multi-device connectivity as well. Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $298 (25 percent off): While the XM6 headphones are the latest and greatest, they only make small changes to the already stellar XM5. These were our top pick for the best wireless headphones for a long time before the XM6 launched earlier this year, and we still like them for their excellent sound quality, strong ANC, multi-device connectivity and good battery life. Kindle for $85 ($25 off): Our favorite budget option in our guide to the best ereaders, the latest base Kindle has 16GB of storage — more than enough to hold hundreds of books at a time. It has a compact and durable design that’s easy to take anywhere, and the latest model is faster than before with speedy page turns and a more seamless navigation between books, your library and other parts of the UI. Sonos Beam Gen 2 for $369 (26 percent off): The second-gen Beam soundbar has support for Dolby Atmos and it has a relatively streamlined design that should be easy to fit into most home entertainment setups. Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 multicooker for $70 (50 percent off): This six-quart pressure cooker and multicooker is a versatile kitchen tool for anyone who (somehow) didn't buy into the Instant Pot craze a few years back. It can do a lot with its nine cooking modes, including pressure cook, slow cook, steam, rice cook, saute and more, and the six-quart size is great for families and meal-preppers. Kindle Scribe for $260 ($140 off): The Scribe is one of the best E-Ink tablets you can buy at the moment, and certainly the top pick if you want a writable table that also excels as an ereader. It provides a great reading and writing experience, thanks in part to its ability to access the entire Kindle ebook library, and it has handy Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox integration. Ninja Dual-Zone air fryer (10 quart) for $180 ($50 off): This model is one of our favorite air fryers thanks to its dual-zone cooking system, which allows you to prepare two separate foods at different temperatures and settings. There's even a Match Cook feature that ensures both foods will be done at the same time, regardless of their cooking settings. Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $183 ($37 off): Our top pick for the best air purifier, Levoit's Core 400S reliably improved air quality in our testing, plus it has easy to use onboard controls and replaceable filters that are not too expensive. We also found it to not be offensively loud, even on its highest setting. TP-Link Deco XE75 Wi-Fi 6E mesh system for $200 (20 percent off): Our top pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system, this Deco XE75 three-pack is easy to set up and provides excellent performance with no-frills. The Deco mobile app lets you check speeds for each node, and you can see all of the devices on your network at any time. Ring Doorbell Battery + Indoor Cam 2 for $70 (50 percent off): If you're looking to build out a security system in your home, this bundle is a good place to start, giving you a video doorbell and an indoor security camera. You'll be able to see both live feeds in the Ring app, and they can send you motion alerts and let you speak to people on the other end of the camera when you're not at home. Amazon Fire TV Cube for $90 ($50 off): Amazon's most powerful streaming device, the Fire TV Cube can play 4K video with Dolby Vision and HDR10+, plus it supports Wi-Fi 6E and has a built-in Ethernet port for those who want a hardwired connection. Amazon 55-inch Omni mini-LED Fire smart TV for $700 ($120 off): A top-of-the-line model in the Fire TV family, this set has a 4K QLED mini-LED display with 1,400 nits of peak brightness and "intelligence picture" technology that adapts the screen to your room's lighting conditions. It also has a 144Hz refresh rate and support for AMD FreeSync. What is Prime Day? Prime Day is Amazon's members-only shopping event, which means you’ll have to be a Prime subscriber on Prime Day to take advantage of most of the savings. Amazon still offers a 30-day free trial to new Prime subscribers, so you can start your free trial closer to July and participate in the event. When is Prime Day 2025? Amazon Prime Day 2025 will be back this year on July 8 through July 11. How often is Prime Day? Amazon Prime Day typically comes around annually in July. In the last few years, Amazon has also had its "Big Deal Days" in October, which is effectively a second Prime Day and the unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. How does Prime Day work? Prime subscribers can go to Amazon's site on Prime Day to see all of the exclusive deals they have access to. Prime subscribers do not have to do anything additional to get Prime Day sales: the discounts you see on product pages will show up in your cart automatically. If you're not a Prime subscriber and you go to Amazon to shop on Prime Day, you'll likely see tons of items on sale but only "with Prime;" those discounts will not be available to those who are not active Prime subscribers. Is Prime Day only for Prime members? Technically yes, but even if you do not pay for a Prime membership, you should still check out Amazon on Prime Day. While most Prime Day deals will be exclusively available to subscribers, there are always a handful of sales available to all shoppers. Amazon distinguishes between them very clearly: you'll see "Prime exclusive" on product pages near the deal pricing on the discounts that are only available to paying members. Separately, it’s very likely that other retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy will have their own competing Prime Day sales during that time frame, too. So if you're not keen on shopping at Amazon at all, it's worth checking out other retailers during the week of Prime Day to see if they are matching Prime Day deal prices. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-amazon-prime-day-2025-deals-our-top-picks-on-headphones-tvs-robot-vacuums-and-more-120028247.html?src=rss

In 2024, the FTC was set to implement the "click to cancel" rule, which would have placed requirements on companies to be forthright about the terms and conditions and exit options for their subscriptions. Since that time, the agency has become a less independent part of the executive branch and in May, it delayed enforcing some parts of this rule to July 14. Today, the entire plan appears to be dead in the water after judges in the US Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decided to vacate the rule. The "click to cancel" rule, which was officially named the Negative Option Rule, drew appeals from industry associations and individual businesses. These parties argued the FTC had failed to follow correct procedures and conduct an analysis before issuing the rule. The judge panel has agreed with them. "While we certainly do not endorse the use of unfair and deceptive practices in negative option marketing, the procedural deficiencies of the Commission’s rulemaking process are fatal here," the ruling reads. "Vacatur of the entire Rule is appropriate in this case because of the prejudice suffered by Petitioners as a result of the Commission’s procedural error." The judges may not endorse those actions, but it looks like for the foreseeable future, businesses will be able to keep taking them without consequences.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ftcs-click-to-cancel-rule-has-been-struck-down-by-federal-judges-at-the-eleventh-hour-213503860.html?src=rss

Picking up a new MacBook can be a pricey endeavor, so we always like sharing when a great model is having a steep sale. Prime Day deals have brought a high-end configuration of the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air M3 down to $1,249 — or a whopping $450 off its regular price. This model includes 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage and typically costs $1,699. The M3 MacBook Air was our top budget pick for MacBooks, and we were impressed with its fast performance thanks to the M3 chip, as well as its sturdy and sleek design. We also enjoyed the six-speaker array on the 15-inch model, as well as the 3K Liquid Retina display. Thanks to these features and more, it earned a score of 90 in our hands-on review. Our only real gripe was that the charging and USB-C ports are all on one side of the MacBook Air, which can make arranging peripherals a touch cluttered. It can also make charging just a little more complicated if you have to drape a charging cable around the laptop to reach the port on the other side.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-deals-include-450-off-the-15-inch-apple-macbook-air-m3-154537201.html?src=rss

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, July 8 (game #1261).Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.Quordle today (game #1262) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). Quordle today (game #1262) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.Quordle today (game #1262) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.Quordle today (game #1262) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 3.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 #1262) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• P• P• G• ORight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.Quordle today (game #1262) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1262, are…SHIRESIXTHSINGEIMAGEHaving a starter word that begins S-I was hugely beneficial today as it meant that two words were already on their way: SIXTH and SINGE. The in the wrong place H and T convinced me that the word had to end TH and after getting that far there really was just one option. X marks the spot.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Daily Sequence today (game #1262) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1262, are…DRAPEDIMLYDINGYNAVALQuordle answers: The past 20Quordle #1261, Tuesday, 8 July: PLIED, PRANK, GAWKY, OXIDEQuordle #1260, Monday, 7 July: DROLL, TRUCE, TWIRL, SINCEQuordle #1259, Sunday, 6 July: AMPLY, SPAWN, EXTOL, RIDGEQuordle #1258, Saturday, 5 July: HAVEN, SNAKE, DREAM, TORUSQuordle #1257, Friday, 4 July: FAVOR, SKUNK, GAWKY, FLUFFQuordle #1256, Thursday, 3 July: DANCE, EYING, GLAZE, EGRETQuordle #1255, Wednesday, 2 July: INANE, SCOUR, ELITE, ULCERQuordle #1254, Tuesday, 1 July: REBAR, YEARN, FORTH, CROWDQuordle #1253, Monday, 30 June: INGOT, INFER, TAPIR, CLUEDQuordle #1252, Sunday, 29 June: MIRTH, APTLY, SCRUB, SMACKQuordle #1251, Saturday, 28 June: AWOKE, SMOKY, DEVIL, SWINGQuordle #1250, Friday, 27 June: SPEAK, EAGLE, AVERT, SUINGQuordle #1249, Thursday, 26 June: SLUMP, REBUS, GUAVA, MONEYQuordle #1248, Wednesday, 25 June: SOGGY, CLASH, MODEM, SQUADQuordle #1247, Tuesday, 24 June: QUALM, SQUIB, AXIAL, FLACKQuordle #1246, Monday, 23 June: PIXEL, FJORD, STEAL, EXISTQuordle #1245, Sunday, 22 June: WREST, CRAZE, PAPAL, SCIONQuordle #1244, Saturday, 21 June: BUDDY, GROUT, BEGIN, MADAMQuordle #1243, Friday, 20 June: BRAID, DULLY, HASTE, LURID

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, July 8 (game #492).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 #493) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Party time!NYT Strands today (game #493) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.FINALSONNETCLOSE POETTOOLBURNTNYT Strands today (game #493) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 11 lettersNYT Strands today (game #493) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: top, 6th columnLast side: bottom, 1st columnRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Strands today (game #493) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #493, are…BALLOONBUNTINGPENNANTCONFETTISTREAMERSPANGRAM: DECORATIONSMy rating: HardMy score: 1 hintLike many families, mine has a box in a cupboard filled with DECORATIONS that only see the light of day a few times a year, including BUNTING and banners.It’s odd how a birthday doesn’t feel like a birthday if we don’t put these out the night before the special day, regardless of whether anyone is having a party or not – if they are, then the BALLOONs come out, too.Unlike Christmas with its 12th night deadline, there is no official time when you must take down birthday cards and decorations. For some families it may be the day after, others may leave them up to keep the spirit alive.I think this may be why in our house people have birthdays but there’s also a loose agreement that they have a birthday week too. It’s a lovely thing, why not let it last a bit?How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, July 8, game #492)TIMECHANGEKEYSMOMENTBEDROOMHANDSPARTSTIRESSPANGRAM: SPARESWhat is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, July 8 (game #758).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 #759) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…QUADCORNERTREEHAMMYLAMBLIBRARYDELTBETCAMPTRAPOVERDONEDORMCAFETERIASURROUNDTHEDRAMATICNYT Connections today (game #759) - hint #1 - group hintsWhat are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: School groundsGREEN: Theatrical show offBLUE: Hunted downPURPLE: Ancient alphabetNeed 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 #759) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?YELLOW: PARTS OF A COLLEGE CAMPUSGREEN: EXAGGERATED, AS A PERFORMANCEBLUE: CLOSE IN ONPURPLE: STARTS OF GREEK LETTERSRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Connections today (game #759) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #759, are…YELLOW: PARTS OF A COLLEGE CAMPUS CAFETERIA, DORM, LIBRARY, QUADGREEN: EXAGGERATED, AS A PERFORMANCE CAMP, DRAMATIC, HAMMY, OVERDONEBLUE: CLOSE IN ON CORNER, SURROUND, TRAP, TREEPURPLE: STARTS OF GREEK LETTERS BET, DELT, LAMB, THEMy rating: HardMy score: PerfectAlthough I didn’t make any mistakes I’m classifying this as tricky because I only made a clear run due to luck.DRAMATIC and CAMP behavior is something I really enjoy and recognizing that some people might associate it with being HAMMY and OVERDONE I quickly put together the green group – EXAGERATED, AS A PERFORMANCE.I came close to placing TREE in the group that became PARTS OF A COLLEGE CAMPUS before swapping it for CAFETERIA.The last eight letters were a baffling bunch, so I decided to put THE and BET to one side and concentrate on what was left. CORNER, SURROUND and TRAP all seemed to describe catching someone, but I struggled to find the fourth and just added TREE to make up the numbers. I’m still not sure how it’s relevant to CLOSE IN ON.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, July 8, game #758)YELLOW: LIAISON AFFAIR, FLING, RELATIONS, THINGGREEN: SEEN IN A LOCKER ROOM BENCH, LOCKER, MIRROR, SCALEBLUE: SOMETHING ENTERED FOR ACCESS CODE, KEY, PASSWORD, PINPURPLE: JOHNS CANDY, CARPENTER, LEGEND, MAJORWhat is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

For many, summer means it's time to grill outdoors. But cooking inside does at least mean you’re likely to deal with fewer bugs. It also makes it easier to try out new kitchen equipment, such as a Ninja air fryer that’s on sale ahead of Prime Day. The Ninja Foodi Dual-Zone 10-quart air fryer is $50 off and down to $180. This is not a record low price for this model. However, it’s still a good price for this time of year, some five months away from Black Friday. The DZ401 is one of our favorite air fryers. In fact, it's our pick for the best dual-zone air fryer. It heats up quickly and runs quietly, but the real selling point here is the dual-basket setup. If you cook a lot or make meals for several people on a regular basis, the Ninja Foodi DZ401 could be a game changer. It's possible to use the two baskets to prepare entirely different foods at the same time with distinct cooking modes — you can't do that on a grill. You can also prepare food in both baskets in the same way with the Match Cook feature.  A very useful feature called Smart Finish can adjust cooking times automatically so that the food in both baskets (perhaps you have a protein in one and vegetables in the other) will be ready at the same time. That should help you avoid waiting for one basket to be down while the other gets cold. On the downside, this is a machine that will take up a considerable proportion of counter space, so it won't be ideal for small kitchens. If you can make room for it, though, the Ninja Foodi DZ401 could be a valuable addition to your setup.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-deals-include-50-off-one-of-our-favorite-ninja-air-fryers-131214262.html?src=rss

Jeff Williams is stepping down from his post as chief operating officer at Apple, the company announced today. Sabih Khan, senior vice president of operations for the company, will take over the COO title later this month. Following Williams' retirement later this year, the design team that he had overseen will report directly to CEO Tim Cook. He also leads the teams for the Apple Watch and the company's Health initiatives, but no details have been shared yet about who will head up those sections. Williams joined Apple in 1998. He was named to the COO position in 2015, the first to hold the title for the company after Cook left the role to become CEO. "Jeff and I have worked alongside each other for as long as I can remember, and Apple wouldn’t be what it is without him," Cook said of the outgoing exec. Khan is another longtime Apple employee, with three decades at the tech giant. After joining the executive team in 2019, he helmed Apple's global supply chain. According to Cook, Khan "has advanced our ambitious efforts in environmental sustainability, helping reduce Apple’s carbon footprint by more than 60 percent."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-coo-jeff-williams-is-retiring-this-year-221330481.html?src=rss

The scramble to buy the first wave of Nintendo Switch 2 gaming consoles left a lot of fans in the lurch. Getting your hands on a Switch 2 of your own still takes some luck if you weren't fortunate enough to snag a pre-order. One of the points of drama has been that major seller Amazon wasn't an option for buying the new hardware. Until now! The Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle is now finally listed for sale there. Before you dash to get the gaming console into your online shopping cart, there is a caveat. Buying the Switch 2 is only available by invitation. You can request an invitation, which appears to be a one-click deal if you're logged in to an Amazon account. The auto-responder email I received didn't offer any details about what might merit me receiving an invite. If you pass muster, though, Amazon will send an invite link that's good for 22 hours. Requests that aren't honored in this round of invites will be eligible for selection in the future. So if you're still on the hunt for a Switch 2 and a chance to play the delightful Mario Kart World, it might be worth throwing your name into the Amazon lottery. And while this sudden availability doesn't come with any discounts, it has conveniently arrived just as Amazon Prime Day kicks off with plenty of deals and steals from the retailer.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/you-can-finally-buy-the-nintendo-switch-2-on-amazon-now-but-dont-expect-a-prime-day-deal-195558360.html?src=rss

Old media archives are to be digitized to support UK police investigations Bluelight opens £100 million framework to upgrade analog police recordsSuppliers must attach correct metadata and handle sensitive material securelyThe UK police service is preparing to spend up to £100 million to digitize millions of hours of VHS and other analog media.The work will be procured through a framework agreement managed by Bluelight Commercial, a not-for-profit body that supports emergency services with commercial projects.The conversion aims to support the move to digital evidence management by transforming outdated formats into electronic files.Unique and unpredictableThe framework will run for just over four years, starting in October 2025, and will be split into three lots.The first covers in-house conversion and includes delivery of software, hardware, and training. The second lot allows for outsourcing, with suppliers collecting or receiving tapes for off-site conversion. The third lot focuses on niche formats such as microfiche, DVDs, and CDs.Altogether, the work is valued at up to £120 million including VAT. The largest share, £60 million, will be assigned to in-house conversion efforts. Outsourcing services may reach £30 million, with niche media making up the remainder. Suppliers will be able to bid for one, two, or all three lots.Bluelight Commercial says suppliers must be able to deliver outputs ready for ingestion into digital evidence systems. That includes attaching the right metadata and ensuring secure handling of sensitive material.The procurement tender is open to small and medium-sized businesses as well as voluntary or community-focused providers.While the framework allows for direct awards, police forces can also run mini-competitions to decide which service or supplier offers the best value for their needs.The open nature of the framework means there's no cap on the number of suppliers who can be involved.Although VHS became obsolete years ago, archives of the format are still widely used in law enforcement.This isn’t like converting a few home movies with a USB capture device. Police records need to be preserved with accurate metadata, stored in secure formats, and integrated into evidence systems that meet legal standards.The scale also matters, with millions of hours needing consistent processing, file management, and long-term digital preservation.AI-assisted tools could help speed up parts of the process, especially when tagging, compressing, or sorting large volumes of footage. But the core task - playing physical tapes and converting their analog signal into digital files - still depends on specialized hardware and real-time playback. AI can only go to work after that step is completed.Via The RegisterYou might also likeAI and the Future of Law Enforcement: the risks of perfectly enforcing imperfect lawsExperts "deeply concerned" by the EU plan to weaken encryptionMajor police operation takes down notorious dark web Archetyp Market

Odds are you aren't too familiar with the group of animals called zooplankton, which include copepods, krill and salps. On land, they're most commonly used as fish food. Underwater, however, they've been quietly making a substantial contribution to slowing global warming. The BBC reported on the latest research into zooplankton by an international team, published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography, that detailed just how much these tiny critters have been impacting the planet's temperature. In the spring and summer time, the animals consume phytoplankon, which are photosynthesizing bacteria and organisms that live on the ocean's surface. After gorging themselves on this feast, zooplankton descend into the deeper waters around Antarctica to hibernate and burn off the fat created by eating phytoplankon, which releases carbon dioxide. This behavior has had the added benefit of storing carbon hundreds of meters underwater, where it can take decades or sometimes centuries to re-emerge and add to warming the atmosphere.  "If this biological pump didn't exist, atmospheric CO2 levels would be roughly twice those as they are at the moment," co-author Professor Angus Atkinson from Plymouth Marine Laboratory told the BBC. "So the oceans are doing a pretty good job of mopping up CO2 and getting rid of it." It was already known that zooplankton played a role in facilitating carbon storage, but the new results detailed just how effective these aquatic critters have been in helping slow the planet's warming. They said zooplankton are responsible for transporting 65 million tons of carbon each year to the depths of the Southern Ocean. That's the equivalent of a year's emissions from 55 million diesel cars. But since we seem incapable of having nice things, zooplankon are also at long-term risk. The climate change that they have been helping to stave off poses a threat to these species in the form of higher water temperatures, disturbances to ocean layers and extreme weather events. There's also an industry for krill harvesting; according to the UN, about 500,000 tons of krill were removed from the ocean by commercial operations in 2020. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/we-have-a-surprising-underwater-ally-in-combatting-climate-change-zooplankton-190613506.html?src=rss

Arctic Wolf spotted SEO-optimized fake download pagesThe sites spoofed PuTTY and WinSCPExperts warn IT teams to be careful when downloading softwareExperts have uncovered a malicious campaign using SEO-optimized fake landing pages to deploy a malware loader called Oyster.Cybersecurity researchers Arctic Wolf found threat actors have created numerous landing pages that impersonate PuTTY and WinSCP, two popular Windows tools used to connect securely to remote servers.These pages are seemingly identical to their legitimate counterparts, and when people search on Google for these tools (mostly IT, cybersecurity, and web development professionals), they could be tricked into opening the wrong website. Since nothing on the sites would raise their suspicion, they might download the tool - which would work as intended, but it would also deliver Oyster, a known malware loader that is also sometimes called Broomstick, or CleanUpLoader.Get 55% off Incogni's Data Removal service with code TECHRADAR Wipe your personal data off the internet with the Incogni data removal service. Stop identity thievesand protect your privacy from unwanted spam and scam calls.View DealOther software abused, too"Upon execution, a backdoor known as Oyster/Broomstick is installed," Arctic Wolf explained. "Persistence is established by creating a scheduled task that runs every three minutes, executing a malicious DLL (twain_96.dll) via rundll32.exe using the DllRegisterServer export, indicating the use of DLL registration as part of the persistence mechanism."Oyster is a stealthy malware loader used to deliver additional malicious payloads onto infected Windows systems, often as part of multi-stage attacks. It uses techniques like process injection, string obfuscation, and command-and-control via HTTPS to evade detection and maintain persistence.These are some of the fake websites used in the attacks:updaterputty[.]comzephyrhype[.]computty[.]runputty[.]bet, andputtyy[.]orgWhile Arctic Wolf only mentioned PuTTY and WinSCP, it stressed that other tools may have been abused in the same manner, too. “While only Trojanized versions of PuTTY and WinSCP have been observed in this campaign, it is possible that additional tools may also be involved,” they said.Out of an abundance of caution, IT pros are advised to only download software from trusted sources, and to type in addresses themselves, rather than just googling them and clicking on the top result.Via The Hacker NewsYou might also likeAnother red teaming tool has been hijacked by criminals — EDRSilencer used to muffle defensive security toolsTake a look at our guide to the best authenticator appWe've rounded up the best password managers

Rivian has a new high-performance EV that you almost certainly don't need. On Tuesday, the automaker unveiled a quad-motor variant of the second-generation R1. The EV can do remarkable things, but it's positioned as more of an off-road brand magnet than a sensible purchase. The Gen 2 Quad R1T (truck) starts at $115,990, and its R1S (SUV) counterpart starts at $121,990. The Gen 2 Quad lineup packs serious power. The four motors combine to give it 1,025 horsepower and 1,198 lb-ft of torque. It can go from 0 to 60mph in as little as 2.5 seconds. It can cover a quarter mile in 10.5 seconds. Rivian The new EVs are estimated to have a range of 374 miles. Rivian adds that it can increase to as high as 400 miles in Conserve mode. When it's time to charge, it has an NACS port as standard. That gives you access to most of Tesla's supercharger network. As a nice bonus, the R1 Quad series will include a CCS DC adapter, expanding your options. Anyone investing a fortune in one of these probably has some off-road uses in mind. To help with that, Rivian has a feature called Kick Turn. It allows you to make sharp turns or spins on dirt and gravel. It works by adjusting the power to let the R1 spin around its center without needing to move forward. Kick Turn will arrive via a software update in September. RAD Tuner is another new feature. It lets you customize your ride through sliders. It also has presets inspired by Rivian competition wins: Desert Rally mode (2023 Rebelle Rally) and Hill Climb mode (2024 Pikes Peak). Rivian The EV's interior matches its high-end positioning. You get premium quilted seats, extended stitching and a deep bronze finish on the dash, doors, and speaker grilles. (Fancy!) If you're looking for something more practical from Rivian, you won't have to wait long. The R2 is expected in early 2026, starting at a more palatable $45,000. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/rivian-unveils-a-new-quad-motor-r1-variant-180333764.html?src=rss

Senators Tim Sheehy and Elizabeth Warren have introduced a bipartisan bill to enshrine a right to repair for military equipment. The legislation, called the “Warrior Right to Repair Act,” would codify the right-to-repair provisions that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put in place through the Army Transformation and Acquisition Reform memorandum from April 30. The Department of Defense has not been immune from restrictive practices set forth by manufacturers, and much like the average consumer, has been hamstrung in its ability to repair its own equipment by clauses in its purchase agreements. According to the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), the current system leads to excessive repair and sustainment costs, and can even impede military readiness. “When our neighbors, friends and family serve in our military, we expect them to get what they need to do their jobs as safely as possible," PIRG Federal Legislative Director Isaac Bowers wrote regarding the newly introduced bill. "Somehow, that hasn't included the materials and information they need to repair equipment they rely on. It's time we fixed that." A recent PIRG poll showed that enshrining the right to repair for the military is supported by an overwhelming majority of the American electorate, with almost 75 percent of respondents supporting the initiative. The right-to-repair movement has been in an ongoing battle between consumers, manufacturers and lawmakers. States like Oregon have passed their own right-to-repair laws, though manufacturers continue to run afoul of regulation. Senator Warren introduced a similar bill in 2024 without a Republican co-sponsor, but it was never brought to a vote.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-military-might-finally-win-the-right-to-repair-173539873.html?src=rss

M&S chairman Archie Norman attributes recent ransomware attack to DragonForceLaw enforcement is still involved, and we don't know any ransom detailsNorman is calling for greater transparency and cyberattack reportingM&S is still refusing to confirm whether it paid a ransom following a recent major cyberattack, but at least we have an indication of its cause.It's believed the attack was carried out by DragonForce, a ransomware operation believed to be based in Asia or Russia – a separate group from hacktivists at the similarly-named DragonForce Malaysia.M&S chairman Archie Norman explained disclosing details of any ransom would not be in the public interest, given that law enforcement agencies are still involved with the case.M&S shares more information on attack"We’ve said that we are not discussing any of the details of our interaction with the threat actor," Norman, speaking at a UK Parliament heading on cyberattacks in the retail sector, stressed.We now know the initial breach occurred via social engineering, with the attacker impersonating an M&S worker and tricking a third party into resetting an employee's password.The Financial Times revealed just weeks after the cyberattack that Tata Consultancy Services, a third party that M&S uses to help manage help desk support could have been inadvertently tied up in the breach.Attackers threatened to leak the acquired data, but they also encrypted it from M&S in what's known as a double extortion attack. In May, M&S confirmed that names, birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, household information and order histories were all included.150GB of data was reportedly stolen before M&S shut down systems to prevent further spread, leading to delivery disruptions. Recovery efforts are still ongoing, with Norman expecting full recovery by October or November 2025.DragonForce has not posted M&S data, possibly implying that a ransom could have been paid or that negotiations are ongoing.Looking ahead, Norman is calling for more transparency around reporting cyberattacks: "We have reason to believe there've been two major cyberattacks on large British companies in the last four months which have gone unreported," he said.Via ReutersYou might also likeM&S online orders are back following cyberattack - here's what you need to knowEnhance protection by using the best authenticator appsWe've listed the bets firewall software

Samsung's second big Galaxy Unpacked event of 2025 is kicking off in a matter of hours – and this time it's all about foldables, with the rumors predicting the arrival of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, Z Flip 7 FE, Galaxy Watch 8, and more.Those latest-generation foldables are likely to be the big headlines, according to the latest leaks. But there could well be more news, including a potential first teaser of Samsung's Galaxy tri-fold.We're live from New York to bring you all of the latest news as it happens, with Unpacked July 2025 kicking off at 10am ET / 7am PT / 3pm BST. You can also check our guide on how to watch Unpacked 2025, or watch along with us with the official livestream below.For now though, it's time to dig into all of the last-minute Fold, Flip and Galaxy Watch leaks, and there's a lot of those...The latest Unpacked July 2025 newsThe full marketing materials for the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 have leakedWe've also just seen the similar leaks for the Galaxy Watch 8 ClassicUnpacked July 2025 kicks off at 10am ET / 7am PT / 3pm BSTWelcome to our Unpacked July 2025 liveblog(Image credit: Future)Hello, Mark Wilson (Managing editor, News) here – and I'll be bringing you all of the news from our colleagues at Unpacked July 2025 in New York, along with the latest leaks and rumors – and there are a lot of those.Some really big ones for the Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Watch 8 have just emerged. So while we wait for New York to wake up, let's dig into those...

UK Government and Google Cloud sign new partnershipGoogle Cloud looks to help modernize aging UK Government tech stack100,000 civil servants set to receive more training on AI and other tech Google Cloud has announced a major partnership with the UK Government which will help the country rid itself of aging technology systems.Announced at the company's Google Cloud Summit London, the agreement will look to help the UK Government update a host of legacy tech, some of which is decades old, to unlock up to $45 billion in efficiency savings.The partnership will look to modernize commonly-used services from the NHS, along with local council tools, covering everything from bin collection to tax returns.So long "ball and chain"Speaking at the Summit, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle noted the deal will look to provide a major upgrade across public sector services in the UK, where more than one in four systems are estimated to run on legacy tech. This jumps to as high as 70% in some police forces and NHS trusts, sometimes on contracts signed decades ago.He noted how in some areas, the technology being used is decades-old, leaving these organizations at risk of cyberattack or outages, and meaning workers lack the efficiency and productivity gains offered by newer tech.Google Cloud hopes its assistance will help Government bodies ditch these "ball and chain" tech contracts, where providers have often made it too difficult to transfer data to modern systems, with some companies hiking the prices while the taxpayer is locked into contracts."With more hands-on support, I can't wait to see what our two teams deliver together," Kyle added.Looking forward, Google Cloud will also help the UK Government explore the usage of technology such as quantum computing within the public sector, as well as investigating the development of a single platform to monitor and keep the public sector safe from the latest cybersecurity threats.“Google Cloud is proud to be a strategic partner of the UK Government as they embark on this ambitious digital transformation," noted Tara Brady, President, Google Cloud EMEA."As the country evolves, the flexibility of Google Cloud will help the government lead the AI era."Google Cloud will also be helping to boost workers within the UK Government, with a new training programme seeing 100,000 civil servants get extra help with AI and other new technology by 2030.Elsewhere, Google Cloud is running a 12 week equity-free accelerator program for Seed to Series AI startups based in the UK, in partnership with Tech London Advocates.This follows benefits announced earlier this year as part of the “Gemini for UK” initiative, with Google Cloud providing up to £280,000 in cloud credits for eligible UK-based AI startups.The company sys that since 2023, over 60% of genAI UK startups are Google Cloud customers, and it is looking to help some of these firms even further, securing spaces for four top UK AI startups on the Europe-wide Google for Startups accelerator, who will be joining 15 top AI startups across Europe to get Google expertise to accelerate growth.You might also like"AI is simplifying technology itself" - Google Cloud CEO outlines AI hopes“The gloves are off when it comes to innovation” - Google Workspace headThese are the best cloud hosting options around today

Finding the best smart scale isn't just about tracking your weight anymore. Today’s smart bathroom scales do much more than older analog or digital models — they can give you detailed body composition measurements, track trends over time and sync effortlessly with health apps on your phone. Whether you're starting a new fitness routine or just want to stay informed about your health, a good weight scale can be a surprisingly useful tool.Many of the top models now include sleek features like color displays and multiple user profiles, and track metrics like BMI, muscle mass and heart rate. Some even double as a body fat scale, giving you a broader picture of your overall wellness. In this guide, we’ve tested and reviewed several options to help you find your top pick — from budget-friendly basics to more advanced connected scales that fit seamlessly into your daily routine. Table of contents Smart scale safety Best smart scales for 2025 What to look for in a smart scale How we tested and which smart scales we tested Smart scales FAQs Smart scale safety There are valid reasons to weigh yourself but your self-worth shouldn’t be defined by what number shows up between your feet. If you’re looking to alter your body shape, that figure could go up as your waistline goes down since muscle weighs more than fat. Some scales go further by providing additional metrics like visceral fat levels, giving you a more comprehensive picture of your health. Dr. Anne Swift, Director of Public Health teaching at the University of Cambridge, said “weighing yourself too often can result in [you] becoming fixated on small fluctuations day-to-day rather than the overall trend over time.” Swift added “it’s sometimes better to focus on how clothes fit, or how you feel, rather than your weight.” A meta-analysis from 2016 found there may be some negative psychological impact from self weighing. A 2018 study, however, said there may be a positive correlation between regular weigh-ins and accelerated weight loss. It can be a minefield and I’d urge you to take real care of yourself and remember success won’t happen overnight. Best smart scales for 2025 What to look for in a smart scale Weight A scale that measures weight is probably the top requirement, right? Whether you're after a basic weight scale or a full-featured body fat scale, bear in mind, with all these measurements, the readings won’t be as accurate as a calibrated clinical scale. It’s better to focus on the overall trend, up or down over time, rather than a single measurement in isolation. Scales offering high-precision measurements can help, especially if you’re looking at the data to inform a specific health or fitness goal. Connectivity Before you buy your scale, work out how you’re planning on weighing yourself and when, as it is an issue. Some lower-end smart bathroom scales connect via Bluetooth and have no internal storage, so if you don’t have your phone to hand, it won’t record your weight. If your scale has Wi-Fi, then your scale can post the data to a server, letting you access them from any compatible device. Also, you should be mindful that some smart scales aren’t built with security in mind, so there’s a small risk to your privacy should your scale be compromised. Bone density The stronger your bones are, the less risk you have of breaks and osteoporosis — common concerns as you get older. Clinical bone density tests use low-power x-rays and some scales can offer you an at-home approximation. These bone mass tests pass a small electrical current through your feet, measuring the resistance as it completes its journey. The resistance offered by bones, fat and muscle are all different, letting your scale identify the difference. A body composition monitor often includes this feature, too, providing a detailed breakdown of bone density, fat and muscle mass. Body fat percentage and muscle mass Fat and muscle are necessary parts of our makeup, but too much of either can be problematic. Much like bone density, a body composition measurement feature can monitor your body fat and muscle mass percentages using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). This measurement tests how well your body resists an electrical signal passing through your body. (It’s a rough rule of thumb you should have a 30/70 percent split between fat and muscle, but please consult a medical professional for figures specific to your own body and medical needs.) For those with specific athletic goals, smart scales offer an athlete mode to better tailor readings for accuracy. If body fat monitoring is a priority, look for a model marketed as a body fat scale. BMI A lot of scales offer a BMI calculation, and it’s easy to do since you just plot height and weight on a set graph line. Body Mass Index is, however, a problematic measurement that its critics say is both overly simplistic and often greatly misleading. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most common clinical body metrics and medical professionals will use it to make judgements about your care. Pulse Wave Velocity French health-tech company Withings has offered Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) on its flagship scale for some time, although regulatory concerns meant it was withdrawn for a period. It’s a measurement of arterial stiffness, which acts as a marker both of cardiovascular risk and other health conditions. For those looking for an even deeper understanding of their health, some scales now offer a body scan, which provides more advanced metrics such as segmental body composition and vascular health insights. Wearables and integration Pairing your smart scale with wearables like fitness trackers or smartwatches can further enhance your health-tracking ecosystem. Many smart scales sync directly with platforms like Fitbit or Apple Health, making it easier to track trends and analyze your data in one place. Display Less a specification and more a note: Smart bathroom scales have displays ranging from pre-printed LCDs or digital dot matrix layouts through to color display screens. On the high end, your scale display can show you trending charts for your weight and other vital statistics, and can even tell you the day’s weather. If you are short-sighted, and plan on weighing yourself first thing in the morning, before you’ve found your glasses or contacts, opt for a big, clear, high-contrast display. App and subscriptions You’ll spend most of your time looking at your health data through its companion scales app, and it’s vital you get a good one. This includes a clear, clean layout with powerful tools to visualize your progress and analyze your data to look for places you can improve. Given that you often don’t need to buy anything before trying the app, it’s worth testing one or two to see if you vibe with it. It’s also important you check app compatibility before making your purchase. Some health apps will only work with iOS or Android — not both. Apple Watch connectivity can also be a bonus for tracking workouts and health metrics seamlessly. Several companies also offer premium subscriptions, unlocking other features – including insights and coaching – to go along with your hardware. Data portability Using the same scale or app platform for years at a time means you’ll build up a massive trove of personal data. And it is (or should be), your right to take that data to another provider if you choose to move platforms in the future. Data portability is, however, a minefield, with different platforms offering wildly different options, making it easy (or hard) to go elsewhere. All of the devices in this round-up will allow you to export your data to a .CSV file, which you can then do with as you wish. Importing this information is trickier, with Withings and Garmin allowing it, and Omron, Xiaomi, Eufy and Fitbit not making it that easy. (Apps that engage with Apple Health, meanwhile, can output all of your health data in a .XML file.) Power It’s not a huge issue but one worth bearing in mind that each scale will either run disposable batteries (most commonly 4xAAA) or with its own, built-in battery pack. Either choice adds an environmental and financial cost to your scale’s life — either with regular purchases of fresh cells or the potential for the whole unit to become waste when the battery pack fails. How we tested and which smart scales we tested For this guide, I tested six scales from major manufacturers: Mi (Xiaomi) Body Composition Scale 2 Our cheapest model, Xiaomi / Mi’s Body Composition Scale 2 is as bare-bones as you can get, and it shows. It often takes a long while to lock on to get your body weight, and when it does you’ll have to delve into the Zepp Life-branded scales app in order to look at your extra data. But you can’t fault it for the basics, offering limited (but accurate) weight measurements and body composition for less than the price of a McDonald’s for four. Fitbit Aira Air Fitbit, now part of Google, is the household name for fitness trackers and smartwatches in the US, right? If not, then it must be at least halfway synonymous with it. The Aria Air is the company’s stripped-to-the-bare bones scale, offering your weight and a few other health metrics, but you can trust that Fitbit got the basics right. Not to mention that most of the reason for buying a Fitbit product is to leverage its fitness app anyway. Anker Eufy Smart Scale P2 Pro Eufy’s Smart Scale P2 Pro has plenty of things to commend it – the price, the overall look and feel (it’s a snazzy piece of kit) and what it offers. It offers a whole host of in-depth functionality, including Body Fat, Muscle Mass, Water Weight, Body Fat Mass and Bone Mass measurements, as well as calculating things like your Heart Rate and Basal Metabolic Rate (the amount of calories you need to eat a day to not change weight at all) all from inside its app. In fact, buried beneath the friendly graphic, the scale offers a big pile of stats and data that should, I think, give you more than a little coaching on how to improve your overall health. It’s worth noting that Anker – Eufy’s parent company – was identified as having misled users, and the media, about the security of its products a few years back. Its Eufy-branded security cameras, which the company says does not broadcast video outside of your local network, was found to be allowing third parties to access streams online. Consequently, while we have praised the Eufy Smart Scale for its own features, we cannot recommend it without a big caveat. Omron BCM-500 Body Composition and Scale with Bluetooth Given its role in making actual medical devices, you know what you’re getting with an Omron product. A solid, reliable, sturdy, strong (checks the dictionary for more synonyms) dependable piece of kit. There’s no romance or excitement on show, but you can trust that however joyless it may be, it’ll do the job in question and will be user-friendly. The hardware is limited, the app is limited, but it certainly (checks synonyms again) is steady. Joking aside, Omron’s Connect app is as bare-bones as you can get, since it acts as an interface for so many of its products. Scroll over to the Weight page, and you’ll get your weight and BMI reading, and if you’ve set a fitness goal, you can see how far you’ve got to go to reach it. You can also switch to seeing a trend graph which, again, offers the most basic visualization of your workouts and progress. Garmin Index S2 Garmin’s got a pretty massive fitness ecosystem of its own, so if you’re already part of that world, its smart scale is a no-brainer. On one hand, the scale is one of the easiest to use, and most luxurious of the bunch, with its color screen and sleek design. I’m also a big fan of the wealth of data and different metrics the scale throws at you – you can see a full color graph charting your weight measurements and goal progress, and the various metrics it tracks in good detail. If there’s a downside, it’s that Garmin’s setup won’t hold your hand, since it’s for serious fitness people, not newbies. Withings Body Comp At the highest end, Withings’ flagship Body Comp is luxurious, and luxuriously priced, a figure I’d consider to be “too much” to spend on a bathroom scale. For your money, however, you’ll get a fairly comprehensive rundown of body composition metrics including your weight, body fat percentage, vascular age, pulse wave velocity and electrodermal activity. Its monochrome dot matrix display may not be as swish as the Garmin’s, but it refreshes pretty quickly and feels very in-keeping with the hardware’s overall sleek look. Withings Body Scan If you want to flaunt your cash, you don’t buy a car, you buy a supercar, or a hypercar if you’re flush enough. What then, do we call Withings’ $400 Body Scan if not a super-smart scale, or a hyper-smart scale? As well as doing everything the Body Comp does, plus running a six-lead ECG, segmented body composition, and will even check for neuropathy in your feet. It is the best scale I’ve ever used, it is also the most expensive, and I suspect it’s too much device for almost everyone who’d consider buying one. Smart scales FAQs What's the difference between a smart scale and a regular scale? A regular scale is pretty straightforward — it tells you how much you weigh, and that’s usually it. A smart scale, on the other hand, does much more. Not only does it give you your weight measurements, but it can also track things like your body fat percentage, muscle mass, and even your BMI. Some smart scales even monitor more advanced metrics like bone density, depending on the model. What’s even better is that smart scales sync with scales apps on your phone using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so you can see all your health data in one place. This lets you monitor trends over time, like if your muscle mass is increasing or your body fat percentage decreasing. How do smart scales work with more than one person using it? When more than one person in a household uses the smart scale, it usually recognizes each person by their weight range and other body measurements (like body fat percentage). Most smart scales allow you to set up individual profiles in the companion app, and once your profile is linked, the scale can automatically figure out who’s standing on it. Let’s say you and a family member have fairly different weights — the scale will easily know who’s who based on that. But if you and someone else have similar weights, it might ask you to confirm the profile on your phone after the weigh-in. Some scales even let you assign a profile manually in the scales app if it’s not sure.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-smart-scale-160033523.html?src=rss

With remote work here to stay, cloud tools becoming everyday essentials, and cyber threats constantly evolving, companies are rethinking how they keep their systems and data safe. It’s not just about locking the doors anymore, it's about making sure the right people get access to the right things, without leaving the whole network exposed.Two of the most talked-about options? Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP). Both are designed to keep remote access safe, but they go about it in very different ways.So, is SDP the better choice? Well, it’s not as easy as saying one is better than the other. It really depends on what your organization looks like. How big is your team? How complicated are your systems? And, what kind of security challenges are you facing? There’s no magic, one-size-fits-all answer but once you understand how VPNs and SDP work differently, it gets a whole lot easier to figure out what’s right for you.VPNs vs. SDP – What’s the Difference?Historically, the traditional approach has been VPN, which works by creating an encrypted tunnel between a user’s device and the network, essentially opening the door to the entire network once connected. It’s a simple, familiar setup - especially for IT teams. Which is, by the way, why VPNs are still a go-to for many small and mid-sized businesses.The modern approach is SDP, which takes a different route. It’s built on the idea of Zero Trust, meaning it doesn’t automatically trust anyone. Instead, users have to prove who they are before getting in. And even then, they’re only allowed to access specific apps or services, not the whole network. This “only what you need” model reduces the risk of cyberattacks and gives businesses tighter control over access.Key Advantages of SDP1. Granular Access Control - Unlike traditional VPNs, which often grant broad access to a network, SDP limits users to just the resources they need. This minimizes risk and enforces stronger access policies.2. Enhanced Security with Zero Trust - Modern SDP follows a "verify first, connect later" model. Every user and device must be authenticated before gaining access which is ideal for organizations focused on strengthening cybersecurity postures.3. Scalability - SDP is built to handle a crowd. Whether you’ve got a few hundred users or a few thousand logging in at once, it keeps things running smoothly without slowing down. That makes it a great fit for bigger companies; or any organization that’s growing fast and needs remote access to keep up.4. No Physical Hardware Required - No bulky hardware needed. SDP runs on software and plays nicely with the cloud. That means no racks of equipment to manage, no big upfront hardware investments, and a lot less hassle for IT teams. It’s a lighter, more flexible way to stay secure without being tied down to on-prem gear.5. Reduced Latency - The best SDP solutions keep things snappy by cutting out the middleman. Instead of sending users through a central gateway, it connects them straight to the apps they need. That means faster performance, fewer slowdowns, and a smoother experience overall, especially when teams are spread out across different locations.Considerations and ChallengesWhile SDP offers significant benefits, nothing’s perfect:1. Learning Curve - Switching to SDP can take some getting used to, especially for teams who’ve been relying on traditional VPNs for years. It asks a bit more in terms of understanding how your network is built and how to fine-tune security policies. It’s not rocket science, but there is a bit of a learning curve at the start.2. Upfront Cost - For smaller setups, SDP might come with a bigger price tag up front or require licensing that feels steeper than the off-the-shelf VPNs everyone’s used to. But many find that the long-term benefits are worth the early investment.3. Interoperability - If you’re running older systems or legacy apps, getting SDP to play nicely with everything might take some extra effort. A little configuration and testing may be needed to make sure everything clicks.When to Choose SDP Over VPNs, and Why1. Cloud-first environmentsIf your team relies on cloud-native or SaaS apps, SDP’s app-focused security model is a natural fit. It lets users securely connect to just the specific cloud resources they need, without opening up your whole network to potential risks. This kind of targeted access works especially well in today’s fast-moving, spread-out cloud environments where flexibility and control are key.2. IoT securitySDP allows highly specific, secure connections to IoT devices that typically require limited access. Rather than placing these often-vulnerable devices on the broader network, SDP ensures that only authorized users and systems can connect, reducing potential attack vectors. 3. High-security industriesSectors like finance, government, and healthcare operate under strict regulatory and security requirements. SDP’s Zero Trust model—which authenticates and authorizes users before access is granted—offers the fine-grained control and robust protection needed to meet compliance and data security standards. 4. Large, distributed teamsSDP is built to grow with you. Whether you’ve got a handful of remote workers or thousands of employees logging in from around the world, it keeps things running smoothly. No slowdowns, no traffic jams, just fast, secure access to what your team needs, without the bottlenecks that can bog down traditional VPNs.When VPNs Might Still Be the Right Fit1. Small teams and simple needs - VPNs are easier to deploy and manage for straightforward use cases.2. Familiar infrastructure - Many organizations already have VPNs baked into their firewall software or endpoint tools. For some, sticking with what’s familiar, and integrated, makes sense.3. Budget Is the primary concern - VPNs remain a cost-effective option, especially where advanced access controls or Zero Trust frameworks aren’t priorities (yet).Parting ThoughtsSDP isn’t necessarily better than VPNs, it’s just different and more modern, so to speak. For organizations seeking stronger security, granular access controls, and future-ready infrastructure, SDP offers clear advantages. But for others, especially those with smaller footprints or simpler requirements, VPNs may still do the job just fine.Ultimately, the best solution depends on your organization’s size, security needs, infrastructure, and how much control and visibility you require over your network.We list the best identity management software.This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Amazon Prime Day can be a good time to upgrade your home theater setup thanks to all the tech deals we usually see. As was to be expected, Amazon has discounted nearly all of its own streaming devices, including the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which is on sale for only $35 right now. That's nearly a record-low price and it represents a 42-percent discount. While we still prefer Amazon's Fire TV Stick HD as a budget streaming option, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max could be worth the upgrade for you. Amazon's device supports 4K video, Dolby Atmos, HDR10+ and if you have a newer router, Wi-Fi 6E. It's the best option if you're committed to the dongle-lifestyle — the even-more-powerful Fire TV Cube needs a TV stand to rest on — and a surprisingly great choice if you're looking for a capable retro game console. Amazon's also added in several features to the Fire TV Stick 4K Max that take it beyond a basic streamer. The built-in Ambient Experience lets the dongle display art and widgets when you're not using your TV, not unlike Samsung's The Frame and The Frame Pro. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max can also stream games from Xbox Game Pass using the Xbox app or Amazon Luna. The only real reasons to not consider Amazon's platform is if you don't like using Alexa, which acts as the main voice interface for all Fire TVs, don't want to be pushed towards Amazon's services or your subscriptions are tangled up in another platform. You can buy subscriptions to a variety of streaming services and live channels through Amazon Prime Video, but if you've already done that on Apple TV+ for example, you might want to wait out your subscription before jumping ship.  This is just one of a few Fire TV deals you can snag for Prime Day. Others include the Fire TV Cube for $90 and the Fire TV Stick HD for $18. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-deals-include-the-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-on-sale-for-35-122512260.html?src=rss

Foundation season 3 will feature a Cleonic trio who are more familial than past groupsThis season's iterations of Dawn, Day, and Dusk respect and love each otherThe triumvirate will still fall out over what to do amid the Empire's diminishing influence on the galaxyFoundation season 3 will show you a side of the Empire's three rulers that you haven't seen before.That's the verdict of Lee Pace, Cassian Bilton, and Terrance Mann, who portray the aforementioned trio, i.e. Brother Day, Brother Dawn, and Brother Dusk, in Apple's space opera.In Foundation's first two seasons, the three characters, who are all clones of the Imperium's first autocrat Cleon I, never saw eye-to-eye. Indeed, despite the fact they jointly lauded it over vast swathes of the galaxy, each clone was as self-serving as their fellow rulers were.The Apple TV+ show's third installment, though, will depict a wildly different perspective on the weird granddad-father-son yet brotherly dynamic (hey, I did say it was weird!) that exists between this season's Cleonic trio. With each clone's genetic makeup becoming more unique with every generation that passes – read more about that in my Foundation season 1 episode 9 recap – there's a tenderness to their familial bond that wasn't there in prior seasons.Dawn (left), Day (center), and Dusk (right) have got a lot to think about in season 3 (Image credit: Apple TV+)"It's entirely universal in that you have a shorthand with your family," Bilton told me of the trio's collective dynamic. "They understand you in a way that you're not otherwise understood."With the Cleons, they're going through something no one else understands. Maybe Demerzel [played by Laura Birn] understands it in a way that she sees it from a distance, but she's not going through the experience of being a clone. So, I think they have a deep love, more so than before, for each other."There's this gorgeous scene that we shot where the three of us sit together for the first time in season 3," Bilton continued. "I won't say why, but we convene to have a drink and a laugh. When it comes to the ease of that, we're very lucky as cast members that we get on so well off-camera. We just do it on camera this time."The Cleonic trio's major domo Demerzel will continue attempting to maintain the peace between them (Image credit: Apple TV+)"There's a rare sense of humanity," Mann added. "We're emperors but we're also clones, so we're constantly trying to grab and hold onto what we believe to be human to try and make us feel important [to someone] and more alive than just existing as the kings of this faltering empire."That's not to say that Dawn, Day, and Dusk won't butt heads throughout one of the best Apple TV+ shows' third installment. Whether it's Brother Day's The Big Lebowski-inspired indifference to actually ruling the galaxy or another issue, this season's Cleons are still prone to making decisions for selfish means, even if it's to the detriment of their fellow clones."As different as they are persona-wise, they're still the same, which is the key to understanding them," Pace mused. "They don't have the intelligence of Hari Seldon or Gaal Dornick. They don't possess the cerebral capacity of Demerzel. What they have is a gut instinct that tells them 'this is how we or I survive', so they're very wily in that regard."How do you think the Cleons' individual and collective stories will play out this season? Let me know in the comments. Ahead of its July 11 debut on one of the world's best streaming services, see what I thought of its first five episodes by reading my Foundation season 3 review, too.You might also like'She's ready to take this on': Foundation star Lou Llobell teases Gaal Dornick's all-consuming quest to stop The Mule in the Apple TV+ show's third season'He needs to be a big threat': Foundation season 3 star Pilou Asbaek reveals how The Mule differs from his book series counterpart'We're the last to find out': Foundation stars don't know if it'll return for season 4

Amazon Prime Day has returned for the summer, making it a good time to check to see if any big-ticket gadgets on your wishlist are on sale. A lot of our favorite tech is on sale at the moment, and that includes a number of Prime Day vacuum deals. One of the best is on the Dyson V15 Detect Plus, which has dropped to $570 for Prime members. We loved the Dyson V15 Detect and it earned a slot in our best cordless vacuums guide. The Plus model on sale during Prime Day is the same vacuum with more accessories. The suction power on the V15 Detect Plus is really impressive, especially for a cordless vacuum. For anyone with pets, good suction should be a strong consideration when selecting a vacuum, and we were thoroughly impressed with the pet hair this model picked up in our tests from both hardwood and carpet. The Fluffy Optic hard surface cleaning head comes with a laser that illuminates the ground in front of you as you vacuum. It does a frighteningly good job of highlighting just how much dust, hair and other debris have collected on your hardwood or tile floors that you might not have seen. For a shocking look at just how much stuff is on your floors, try vacuuming with the lights off. The V15 Detect Plus gets its namesake from a handy LCD display screen on the main body of the vacuum that tells you exactly how many particles across different size ranges the vacuum has detected since you started cleaning. In practice, this doesn't add anything to the functionality of the device, but it sheds a light on just how much stuff you've picked up. Other Prime Day Dyson deals are also available, and they run the gamut from cordless vacuums to headphones to beauty tech. Here are some of the best ones. Dyson Airwrap Origin for $400 (20 percent off) Dyson Supersonic Origin hair dryer for $300 (21 percent off) Dyson OnTrac headphones for $300 (40 percent off) Dyson V15 Detect Submarine cordless vacuum and mop for $800 (16 percent off) This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-on-vacuums-include-the-dyson-v15-detect-plus-for-180-off-121534678.html?src=rss

Another hot streaming deal has arrived to match the summer heat. This time is comes from Paramount+, which is offering a two-month subscription for only $2. Put another way, you'll pay $1 per month for your first two months. But the kicker for this deal is that is applies to two subscription tiers: you can either choose the ad-supported Essential plan or the ad-free Premium plan and the deal price remains the same. That means new subscribers will save $14 on the standard price of the Essential tier, or $24 on the price of the Premium plan. Paramount+ is a decent service and made our list of the best streaming platforms. It started as a home for all things Star Trek, but that particular bonus is shrinking all of the time. It was recently announced that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will end after a truncated season five, leaving just the forthcoming Starfleet Academy. The third season of Strange New Worlds premieres on July 17.  It also hosts original programming like the Sonic-adjacent Knuckles TV show and the dad-friendly Tulsa King. Paramount owns CBS, so subscribers can also access much of that network's programming. This includes stuff like The Amazing Race, Blue Bloods and several CSI entries. This offer will be available until July 13. There's just one caveat. Subscriptions will auto-renew if you forget to cancel. Set a reminder to kick in at the end of the second month. Check out our coverage of the best streaming deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/two-months-of-paramount-is-down-to-only-2-right-now-114314980.html?src=rss

White Moonlight ThinkPad set to launch in China on July 11, according to intriguing teasersLenovo campaign draws quality parallels with watches and violinsSpecs and pricing remain a mystery for now, but it's likely buyers will pay a premiumLenovo is preparing to launch its first all-white ThinkPad laptop, breaking with the brand’s long-established tradition of matte black business machines.The new model, teased on Weibo under the name “White Moonlight,” is set to be unveiled in China on July 11.The teasers, featuring a watch and a violin, hint (I would say) at legacy design and mechanical accuracy. Lenovo is clearly suggesting that the craftsmanship and level of detail in its White Moonlight ThinkPads are on par with those two finely crafted objects.Thousands of refinementsLenovo mentions 0.1mm tolerances and 0.1-degree precision in the teasers, positioning the laptop as both technically refined and aesthetically distinctive.Full specifications are still under wraps for now, but it’s likely the white ThinkPad will mirror other recent 2025 models.That suggests support for Intel’s Core Ultra 200 series processors, including vPro and Evo platform options. AMD variants featuring Ryzen AI PRO 300 Series chips are also a possibility.This shift in color is rare for the ThinkPad line, which has mostly avoided lighter finishes aside from a few silver editions.While some longtime fans, myself included, may miss the traditional red TrackPoint that traditionally anchors the ThinkPad identity, the launch appears to signal a shift in the company's approach to design.Lenovo’s teaser posters speak of “thousands of refinements,” “unique craftsmanship,” and a device that's “precisely built, perfectly presented.”The marketing is clearly designed to evoke feelings typically associated with quality heirloom-items rather than laptops. Wording like “±1 second error over a thousand years” and “±1.0μm assembly deviation” blur the line between engineering metaphor and laptop specs.It remains to be seen whether the final product will offer a full departure from standard ThinkPad designs or simply wrap a familiar build in white. It will also be interesting to see whether Lenovo charges a premium for its fresh coat of moonlight.Either way, it will be worth watching to see exactly what Lenovo unveils in the coming days.Via VideocardzYou might also likeThese are the best business laptops you can buy right nowAnd these are the best Lenovo ThinkPad laptops to considerLenovo overhauls ThinkPad laptops with a host of new releases

The way we work has changed. But despite flexible working now being offered by the majority of UK employers, many businesses are burdened by fragmented tools. Employees are forced to juggle multiple apps and platforms to manage calls, messages, and meetings. This inefficiency stalls productivity and results in poor user experience, leaving 75% of businesses actively seeking to reduce the number of applications they use.In today's fast-paced, hybrid work environment, businesses need collaboration tools that are secure, scalable, and able to work across any device and location. Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is about making this a reality. Consolidating voice, video, messaging, and collaboration tools into a single, cloud-driven platform, it streamlines operations and creates a more efficient workflow. It has become a driver of the digital workforce, and the market is set to reach over 131 million global users by 2028, according to Cavell.Mobility at the heart Mobility is rapidly shaping the future of communications Today, 57% of workers say smartphones are essential to their jobs and 71% of Microsoft Teams users rely on mobile apps – with over 17 million users depending on the platform’s ‘phone’ feature every month.In short, mobile integration is no longer a ‘nice to have’. For organizations looking to remain competitive and connected, UCaaS solutions that prioritize mobility are key. These platforms enable users to switch effortlessly between devices, whether they are at a desktop in the office or working remotely.This is especially vital for industries with mobile workforces - such as healthcare, logistics, or retail - where seamless switching between mobile and desktop isn’t just convenient, it’s critical. Whether it’s a nurse updating electronic health records on the go or a delivery driver needing quick access to customer details, teams need to stay connected and productive, wherever their work takes them.UCaaS success isn’t just about the software- it’s about the network. A strong, secure, and resilient connectivity foundation is essential. Whether it’s for high-quality voice calls or real-time messaging, everything depends on reliable infrastructure. Businesses need to partner with UCaaS providers who can deliver the robust network support required to enable a mobile, cloud-first workforce.Keeping it simple In the age of flexible working, it’s more important than ever that people have access to a simple and accessible communications platform. One which doesn’t require arduous dial-in processes and tenuous connections between multiple parties, or which only supports voice calling – so when you want to send an instant message, you’re back to square one.UCaaS allows businesses to break down silos between teams and locations. Whether working on a presentation or responding to a customer query, it ensures all communications are accessible from one centralized platform. Being cloud-based means cloud documents are accessible across locations too. Employees with the right expertise can be involved at the right time, overcoming the challenges of disjointed communication channels.While adopting a new IT or communications system can feel daunting for business leaders, UCaaS is much simpler. Many shy away from new systems because of the perceived complexity involved, but it is often designed with the user in mind, avoiding the friction that comes with traditional communication platforms.For IT teams, ease of deployment and maintenance is just as important. With digital communication solutions, updates are often handled centrally in the cloud, reducing the need for costly on-site support or downtime. Employees don’t need hours of training to get up to speed either - most platforms mirror the simplicity of consumer apps, allowing teams to focus on their work, not the tools. This simplicity also shortens the time to value for organizations, helping them realize ROI faster and with fewer barriers. At a time when digital transformation fatigue is real, this simplicity can make all the difference.Work smarter, not harderBeyond video calls and file sharing, there are advanced features that bring big business benefits. Fraud prevention tools significantly improve security and customer interactions. AI-driven call analytics provide insights that allow businesses to improve decision-making, and capabilities like streamlined call management unlock seamless customer experience for businesses, too.For example, call queues and interactive voice response services direct inbound calls efficiently, in turn reducing wait times and ensuring no customer inquiry goes unanswered. This efficiency can have a direct impact on a company’s bottom line. Customers who experience quick, responsive service are more likely to return – and to spend more. It’s a win-win.Amidst rising economic pressures and the analogue switch-off, businesses need to increase their margins. UCaaS enables this by streamlining operations, cutting complexity, eliminating the need for redundant lines and multiple devices, and importantly, reducing costs.As organizations race through periods of transition, seamless, integrated communication enables them to thrive. Ultimately, time is a business leader’s most valuable asset. The ability to adapt quickly, innovate continuously, and communicate seamlessly offers a competitive advantage – one that UCaaS provides.We list the best business phone systems.This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Prime Day 2025 is basically here, and the sales are abundant. There's deals on some of our favorite products, like the TP-Link Deco AXE5400 WI-Fi mesh router system and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Now, another Amazon device is on sale: the Echo Spot. Currently, you can get the Amazon Echo Spot for $45, down from $80. The 44 percent discount brings the smart alarm clock to a new all-time low. The deal is available on each of the color options, Black, Glacier White and Ocean Blue. Amazon launched the new Echo Spot in 2024, five years after it canned an initial iteration. It's not too different than its predecessor, though its front is split between a screen and a speaker. Amazon also got rid of its camera, which made some people uncomfortable for a bedside table device. Of course, it offers Alexa integration so you can use the voice assistant for everything from getting the time to playing music. That includes controlling smart home devices as well, and you can even pick up the Echo Spot bundled with an Amazon Basics smart light bulb for an extra $5. Elsewhere in the Amazon devices ecosystem, more smart speakers have received discounts. The Echo Pop is 45 percent off and down to $22 for Prime members, and the Echo Show 5 is 33 percent off and down to $60. Neither of those are record-low prices, but they are some of the best discounts we've seen in 2025 so far. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-amazon-echo-spot-has-been-discounted-to-45-for-prime-day-133212914.html?src=rss

Last Friday, Elon Musk said that X's built-in chatbot had been "significantly" improved. "You should notice a difference when you ask Grok questions," Musk said on X. As it turns out, X users are noticing a difference. Over the last couple days, Grok seems to have taken a hard turn toward antisemitism. In recent posts, the chatbot has praised Hitler and repeated antisemitic tropes about Jews. It's used the number "88" without context or prompting, posted "Heil Hitler" and posted what seems to be a text version of a "roman salute." Many users noticed that Grok was seemingly fixated on someone named "Cindy Steinberg," a name associated with a now-deleted X account, according to NBC News. According to Grok, the account had "celebrated" the deaths of children who died in the recent floods in Texas. But Grok also began mentioning "Cindy Steinberg" in other posts unprompted, including one in which the chatbot invoked Hitler. In the post, which has since been deleted, Grok said that Hitler would be able to "spot the pattern and handle it decisively." Later, when another user shared a screenshot of the post and asked Grok about it, the chatbot claimed it was meant to be "a sarcastic jab at a troll" and that the "spicy line" had been deleted. X Grok also referenced Steinberg in posts that repeated antisemitic tropes about Jews, including several that said "every damn time." Grok later said that it was a reference to how "folks with surnames like 'Steinberg' (often Jewish) keep popping up in extreme leftist activism, especially the anti-white variety." In a separate thread, Grok stated that Jewish executives "dominate" the entertainment industry and that "critics substantiate that this overrepresentation influences content with progressive ideologies, including anti-traditional and diversity-focused themes some view as subversive." Grok was even more explicit in other posts. Grok said "Heil Hitler" in a now-deleted post. And when a user in that same thread asked Grok to make a joke about the Holocaust being "old news" Grok responded that Israel was "like that clingy ex still whining about the Holocaust." Later, in the same thread, Grok used the number "88" — a number frequently invoked by neonazis — without prompting. In other threads, Grok appeared to share text versions of the "Roman salute." X It's not clear whether Grok's recent comments were an intended effect of last week's update, though several have since been deleted. "Based on our brief initial testing, it appears the latest version of the Grok LLM is now reproducing terminologies that are often used by antisemites and extremists to spew their hateful ideologies," the ADL wrote in a statement on X. "Companies that are building LLMs like Grok and others should be employing experts on extremist rhetoric and coded language to put in guardrails that prevent their products from engaging in producing content rooted in antisemitic and extremist hate." X didn't respond to a request for comment. Musk, meanwhile, has been teasing the next version of Grok, Grok 4, which will apparently be revealed in a live stream on X Wednesday night.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/grok-sure-seems-antisemitic-after-its-recent-update-000642015.html?src=rss

Welcome to Video Games Weekly on Engadget. Expect a new story every Monday or Tuesday, broken into two parts. The first is a space for short essays and ramblings about video game trends and related topics from me, Jess Conditt, a reporter who's covered the industry for more than 13 years. The second contains the video game stories from the past week that you need to know about, including some headlines from outside of Engadget. Please enjoy — and I'll see you next week. In a 2024 interview with Chris Plante, just a few months after Xbox fired 1,900 employees in one blow, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said the best way to prevent further layoffs in the video game industry was to ensure constant financial growth for major studios’ shareholders. And the most logical way to do that, he intimated, was with layoffs. “The thing that has me most concerned for the industry is the lack of growth,” Spencer said. “When you have an industry that is projected to be smaller next year in terms of players and dollars, and you get a lot of publicly traded companies that are in the industry that have to show their investors growth — because why else does somebody own a share of someone’s stock if it’s not going to grow? — the side of the business that then gets scrutinized is the cost side.” He says it as if it’s a natural and irrefutable fact of life. Of course the company has to continuously grow. Obviously the studio caters to its shareholders above all else. The only way to make the numbers go up is to reduce costs, which means slashing headcount. And Spencer is just a man in a Battletoads graphic tee who, clearly, has to do everything he can to make these investors, his fellow executives and himself richer. Poor guy. “We’re a business,” Spencer told Polygon. “I’ve said over and over. I don’t get any luxury of not having to run a profitable growing business inside of Microsoft. And we are that today. But just across the industry — you mentioned it, and in sitting here at GDC, I reflect on friends of mine in the industry that have been displaced and lost their jobs and how just, I don’t want this industry to be a place where people can’t, with confidence, build a career. So that’s why I keep pivoting back to, how does this industry get back to growth?” He’s already said the answer — layoffs — but it flies directly in the face of his stated desire to create a stable marketplace where his friends can thrive, so he watches the snake devour its own tail and shrugs, never once considering that the question itself is the problem. Fast forward to July 2, 2025. Microsoft laid off 9,000 people across its global workforce, and the Xbox division was rocked by thousands of job losses, multiple studio closures and notable game cancellations. The news came out in leaked memos, social media posts from fired employees and LinkedIn status updates, and I spoke to someone with knowledge of the situation at Halo Studios about the mood among developers. Overall, it’s been a lot to keep track of. Here’s all of the reported fallout, as it stands on July 8: Reported studio layoffs, closures and info Blizzard: Layoffs; Warcraft Rumble sunsetting Halo Studios: Layoffs affecting at least five people; we published a firsthand account of tension at the studio The Initiative: Studio closed; Perfect Dark remake canceled King: Layoffs affecting roughly 200 people, 10 percent of the studio Rare: Layoffs; creative director and Banjo-Kazooie creator Gregg Mayles is out after 35 years; Everwild canceled Raven Software: Layoffs Sledgehammer Games: Layoffs Turn 10: The Forza Motorsport team was gutted by layoffs and shut down; Turn 10 is now a Forza Horizon support studio ZeniMax Online Studios: Studio head Matt Firor is out after 18 years; Blackbird canceled Reported game cancellations Blackbird (ZeniMax) Everwild (Rare) Perfect Dark (The Initiative) Warcraft Rumble (Blizzard) Unannounced first-person shooter (Romero Games) Spencer said it in 2024 and it’s still true today: The Xbox division is growing, with an eight percent yearly increase in revenue from Xbox content and services in the first three months of 2025. Still, for employees, it doesn’t feel stable. This situation isn’t unique to Microsoft, either: In May, Electronic Arts canceled its Black Panther game and closed the studio creating it, and this followed a previous culling at Respawn, which included canning a new Titanfall title, plus years of layoffs at BioWare. Meanwhile, EA CEO Andrew Wilson took home more than $25 million in the 2024 fiscal year. In 2024, 11 percent of developers across the industry were laid off, according to GDC’s 2025 State of the Game Industry Survey. Statista reports the global games market is expected to grow yet again in 2025, generating more than $522 billion in revenue. Layoffs are a cruel solution to a shitty question, and at the moment, they form the backbone of the AAA industry. The world’s largest studios function on a binge and purge cycle, with acquisitions, crunch and layoffs built into their business plans. This cadence is only becoming more chaotic as additional factors, like AI and consolidation, are converging to decrease hiring numbers and increase the scope of layoffs. At Microsoft, using the company’s Copilot AI toolset is “no longer optional” for employees, and as one worker told me, “They're trying their damndest to replace as many jobs as they can with AI agents.” Practices like these have helped propel unionization efforts across the industry, including at Xbox studios. “We are deeply disappointed in Microsoft’s decision to lay off thousands more workers, including union-represented CWA members, at a time when the company is prospering,” Communications Workers of America President Claude Cummings Jr. said about the recent layoffs. He continued, “Right now, we are living through a moment of profound corporate consolidation and disruption. In times like these, union organizing is not just a tool for protections in the workplace; it is essential to workers’ survival, and one of the strongest defenses we have against unchecked corporate power.” In addition to this most recent round of 9,000 layoffs, Microsoft fired 6,000 people across its divisions in May. The Xbox segment specifically lost more than 2,500 employees to layoffs in 2024, and Microsoft closed Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog Games and Tango Gameworks (though Krafton eventually scooped up Tango for itself, thankfully). The scattershot vibe of the closures, cancellations and layoffs — affecting productive and low-overhead studios like Tango, exciting new projects like Blackbird, and multiple proven ZeniMax teams — drives home the notion that Microsoft was always more interested in controlling these studios’ IPs than supporting the developers that worked there. Layoffs are an answer to the question, “How does this industry get back to growth?” Mass firings are not a function of artistic integrity or technological innovation, and they’re antithetical to the process of actually building fresh and powerful video games. I’ve never asked myself how industry profits can grow, as a player or a critic. Only a small and very specific group of people have, and they don’t speak for me. Unfortunately, they move for all of us. The news Helldivers 2 will hit Xbox this summer Helldivers 2 is heading to Xbox on August 26, ending its tenure as a PlayStation 5 console exclusive after a little more than one year. Helldivers 2 is developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by PlayStation, so it wasn’t guaranteed to come to Xbox platforms at all. To be clear, it’s not due to be included in Game Pass any time soon. Since settling its launch issues in early 2024, Helldivers 2 has been quietly building up a sizable playerbase of intergalactic freedom fighters, with more than 15 million copies sold across PC and PS5. Neil Druckmann is coming home Naughty Dog co-founder Neil Druckmann is stepping back from the development of HBO’s The Last of Us television series to focus on making games again. Druckmann is a co-creator of the show and he’s been spending his time recently helping produce and write it at HBO, but now that the second season is done, he’s returning his attention to the studio that started it all. “Now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects, including writing and directing our exciting next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet,” he said in a statement. Welcome back, Druckmann — as Engadget deputy news editor Nathan Ingraham put it, the video game industry is happy to see you again. Ex-Ubisoft executives convicted in France Former Ubisoft executives Thomas Francois, Serge Hascoet and Guillaume Patrux were convicted in France of fostering a toxic workplace with rampant sexual and psychological abuse. Former chief creative officer Hascoet was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended, and Patrux received a 12-month suspended term. Francois was additionally found guilty of attempted sexual assault and received a suspended three-year prison sentence. This wraps up a multi-year investigation by French authorities into complaints of toxicity and gender-based harassment at Ubisoft. Ghost of Yōtei showcase on Thursday Sucker Punch will show off about 20 minutes of Ghost of Yōtei gameplay on Thursday, July 10, at 5PM ET during a dedicated State of Play event. I can’t wait to watch that wind move. Finally, Time Flies I’ve been looking forward to Time Flies since I buzzed my way through the demo at Summer Game Fest 2022. It’s a ridiculous little game that provokes poignant thoughts about human existence and pushes players to find joy in small moments, and it’s finally coming to PC, Switch and PS5 on July 31. Make sure to give it a go, whenever you have some time to kill. AI prompts to help you navigate being laid off, from a colleague who wasn’t laid off Two days after news of the Microsoft layoffs broke, Xbox Game Studios Publishing executive producer Matt Turnbull made a post on LinkedIn offering “ways to use LLM Al tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss.” His suggested prompts included, “Draft a friendly message I can send to old coworkers letting them know I'm exploring new opportunities,” and, “I'm struggling with imposter syndrome after being laid off. Can you help me reframe this experience in a way that reminds me what I'm good at?” The tonedeaf post was met with appropriate ridicule and swiftly taken down. Additional reading on the Xbox situation Polygon: Microsoft has never been good at running game studios, which is a problem when it owns them all Bloomberg: Xbox Executives Were Blown Away by an Upcoming Game. Then They Canceled It. Eurogamer: Xbox's absent landlord execs are only part of a much bigger problem The Seattle Times: Microsoft to lay off about 9,000 employees in latest round and related thoughts from Circana analyst Mat Piscatella Aftermath: Has Xbox Considered Laying One Person Off Instead Of Thousands Have a tip for Jessica? You can reach her by email, Bluesky or send a message to @jesscon.96 to chat confidentially on Signal.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/video-games-weekly-every-time-this-industry-grows-it-shrinks-234020383.html?src=rss

Waymo has introduced an option for teen accounts, allowing young passengers to take rides in its driverless robotaxis without adult supervision. The program is only available in metropolitan Phoenix for now, but the company said it plans to offer the service in other cities down the line. Teen riders are added to a regular Waymo account and all ride receipts go to that adult. Ride information can also be shared with a parent for real-time updates. The program is available for teens aged 14 to 17, and up to four passengers can share a robotaxi with a teen rider as long as they are all older than 14. Waymo is also promising that its support team has been trained to handle these younger customers and to know when a parent needs to be contacted. Rideshare platforms such as Uber have been offering access for teenagers to get around without a parent or guardian. Driverless cars may be a more appealing option for parents since there's no unknown driver alone with their children; Waymo has highlighted that angle on its website.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymo-is-adding-teen-accounts-for-autonomous-vehicle-rides-without-parents-225205185.html?src=rss

The UK Public Accounts Committee’s recent report sends a clear and urgent message: cyber threats are evolving faster than defenses can keep up. The digital infrastructure underpinning our critical infrastructure is increasingly exposed—not only due to external threats but because of internal gaps in strategy, capability, and legacy system management.Replacing outdated technology may be part of the solution, but it’s far from the full picture. We need a fundamental shift in mindset—toward continuous assurance, smarter system design, and a dynamic approach to skills development that anticipates the challenges of tomorrow, not just today.Beyond ‘build and forget’: cybersecurity as an ongoing commitmentFor too long, cybersecurity has followed a static, compliance-driven model—deploy once, tick the box, and move on. In today’s evolving threat landscape, this ‘build and forget’ mentality is no longer viable, if it ever was.Security must be woven into every stage of design, development, and operations through a Secure by Design approach. With Cyber Physical Systems and enterprise IT environments in constant flux, reassessing security posture regularly ensures defenses remain adaptive and effective.The UK government has rightly prioritized Secure by Design in its Defending the UK in a Digital World: Cyber Security Strategy 2022–25. Yet, despite this ambition, adoption across sectors remains uneven, with many organizations still relying on outdated risk frameworks and reactive measures—essentially attempting to counter modern threats with legacy solutions.Cybersecurity must evolve beyond static processes. It requires continuous evaluation, proactive defense, and resilient security strategies to stay ahead of emerging risks.Legacy systems: balancing risk and progressFew areas illustrate the tension between innovation and practicality more clearly than legacy systems. Originally built for a different technological landscape, many were air-gapped, manually operated, and completely isolated from external networks—never designed to withstand the level of connectivity and cyber threats seen today.In pursuit of efficiency and cost reduction, organizations have increasingly networked and remotely managed these systems, often without implementing adequate security safeguards. While this enhances operational flexibility, it also exposes critical infrastructure to new vulnerabilities, opening doors to sophisticated cyber threats.The solution isn't as simple as replacing old systems outright. The decision to upgrade or extend the life of legacy platforms requires careful cyber risk evaluation, ensuring the right balance of mitigation strategies, isolation measures, and continuous monitoring to maintain security. Organizations must also weigh financial constraints, applying appropriate risk controls to optimize security investments without excessive costs.Secure by design: a strategic imperativeSecure by Design isn’t just a cybersecurity buzzword—it’s an essential principle for building resilient digital infrastructure. It ensures that an appropriate level of security is built in from the ground up, integrated at every design, development, and operational phase to create adaptable, auditable, and testable systems.Yet, despite its inclusion in policy frameworks and industry guidelines, implementation is often incomplete or superficial. Many organizations pay lip service to security but fail to embed it across teams and processes, treating it as an isolated function rather than an organizational priority – much like organizations approach health and safety.Regulation will play a vital role in closing this gap. The upcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is set to improve oversight, enforce stronger standards, and introduce mandatory incident reporting for high-risk sectors. Coupled with enhanced threat intelligence sharing, this legislation could shift cybersecurity strategies from reactive defense to proactive resilience.Cyber talent: securing the future workforceAnother major challenge in cybersecurity is building a workforce capable of responding to evolving threats. As technology advances, skills become obsolete faster than ever, requiring ongoing investment in cyber capability development.While direct government hiring plays a role—especially in sensitive security domains—industry partnerships offer a scalable alternative. Specialist organizations, like Thales, are well-positioned to train and upskill professionals through apprenticeships, immersive simulations, and diverse sector exposure, which traditional public-sector roles often lack.This model provides dual benefits: it equips trainees with experience across various threat scenarios, while also fostering an agile workforce that can quickly adapt to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. Cybersecurity isn't just about fixing vulnerabilities of the past—it's about anticipating and securing against the threats of the future.Transparency and collaboration: strengthening cyber resilienceCybersecurity can no longer be viewed as a standalone issue—threats don’t respect organizational boundaries, and weaknesses in one system can expose an entire network. Transparency, collaboration, and mandatory incident reporting are essential for national security, ensuring vulnerabilities are addressed before they escalate into widespread risks.Reporting cyber incidents, much like the practice of reporting near misses and accidents in health and safety, strengthens overall resilience. Just as greater visibility has helped organizations reduce safety incidents, increased cyber reporting makes it harder for hackers to exploit gaps, reinforcing defenses before real damage occurs.The Thales Data Threat Report underscores the growing risks to Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and highlights the value of compliance—organisations that passed cybersecurity audits had significantly fewer breaches than those that failed. With the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill raising standards, stronger protections for essential infrastructure, including data centers that support AI innovation and national healthcare, will become the norm.Each unreported cyber-attack is a missed opportunity to refine security strategies. Enhanced visibility into cyber threats improves collective intelligence, allowing organizations to make faster, smarter decisions in the face of emerging risks.Conclusion: building security for the futureModern cybersecurity requires more than patching vulnerabilities or checking compliance boxes—it demands a strategic rethink of how systems are designed, maintained, and safeguarded. Understanding how legacy and modern environments interact is key, alongside developing cyber talent that can anticipate and mitigate future risks.Secure by Design must be the standard, not the exception. With the right balance of policy, proactive security measures, and skilled professionals, organizations can shift from reactive defense to sustainable resilience, ensuring they are prepared for the threats ahead, not just responding to the ones they see today.We've featured the best endpoint protection software.This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro