This year has been the year to deliver widescale AI solutions, with technologies from OpenAI and Google taking much of the spotlight in recent months. Besides the public-facing conversational tools, many organizations are starting to adopt artificial intelligence in an effort to enhance worker productivity.
Integrated cloud communications platform provider 8x8 is the next company to jump on the bandwagon, and this time, it’s looking to deliver a boost to customer services.
The company has now launched a pair of artificial intelligence tools aimed at both customers and the workers behind customer service, in addition to platform-wide integration with OpenAI - the company behind ChatGPT.
8x8 artificial intelligence assistants
Robin Gareiss, the CEO of research firm Metrigy, detailed how conversational AI improves revenue by 20.7%, customer ratings by 26.7%, and agent productivity by 22.7%.
“Transforming into an AI-powered contact center is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity for companies that want to deliver stellar customer experience and gain competitive advantage," Gareiss explained.
The company’s first tool - 8x8 Intelligent Customer Assistant - is designed to be a user-friendly conversational AI for self-service customer service. Examples for the tool include being able to automatically handle customer requests, deployment across different communication services like WhatsApp, and capturing insights for performance optimization.
The Intelligent Customer Assistant is also able to share details with live agents in an effort to tackle blind transfers.
The second product - 8x8 Supervisor Workspace - combines analytics, performance management, and team admin capabilities. It’s designed to help companies rectify any customer experience issues and increase efficiency.
Beyond this, OpenAI integration is available across the 8x8 XCaaS platform, offering up things like transcription, translation, and summaries.
With artificial intelligence experiencing a huge surge this year, businesses of all sizes are beginning to refine their search for online productivity tools in terms of AI capabilities and so adopting such technology earlier on will prove beneficial to -aaS companies.
Michael Shannon has admitted he didn't understand why he'd been asked to reprise his role as General Zod in The Flash.
Speaking to Looper, Shannon revealed that he was initially confused when The Flash director Andy Muschietti and Warner Bros. asked him to return as one of the DC Cinematic Universe (DCEU) movie's villains. The reason? General Zod died in 2013's Man of Steel, Henry Cavill's Superman snapping his neck to save some innocent bystanders that Zod was trying to kill.
After a brief explanation about The Flash's multiversal and time-travel-based plot, though, Shannon agreed to make his return as the malicious, conquering Kryptonian.
Asked if he was surprised about reprising the role, Shannon said: "I was a little confused. I said: 'As memory serves me, I think I died in Man of Steel. Are they sure they got the right guy?'
"But then they explained to me the whole multiverse phenomenon. I was a little behind the times on that. I can't say that I'm a huge consumer of this genre of films – not that I have anything against them. If I'm going to watch a movie, the odds are it's not going to be one of those, but I sure love making them."
General Zod is being positioned as The Flash's main villain.(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Interestingly, Shannon also teased how The Flash's version of Zod will differ from the iteration we saw in Man of Steel, as well as hinting that the supervillain may not have as big a role in proceedings as audiences expect.
"He's a little different in this film," Shannon added. "He's a little more... I don't know how to put it. You don't spend as much time with him, so you don't really get to know as much about what he's thinking. It's not necessarily his movie. That's the thing with these multiverse movies – you get a little bit of this and a little bit of that. But it's really Ezra [Miller's] movie."
The Flash, which is due out in theaters on June 16 and is one of 2023's new movies we're most excited for, is set to be one of last movies in the DCEU's current form. According to new DC Studios co-head James Gunn, The Flash "resets the entire DC Universe (DCU)", enabling Gunn and Safran to start shaping Warner Bros' flagship superhero franchise in their image.
We already know some of the film and TV projects in development for DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, too – Gunn revealed the DCU's initial movie and TV show line-up in late January. Among those first projects are a new Superman film, The Batman Part II, and numerous HBO Max shows, such as Lanterns and Booster Gold. Be sure to find out which of those productions are the most exciting DCU movies and TV shows, in our opinion, while you're here.
A villainous tease or a Machiavellian misdirect?
Who will be the main villain in The Flash movie?(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
Of all of Shannon's comments, it's those relating to how often we'll see General Zod in The Flash that make for intriguing reading.
The superhero movie's first trailer suggested that Zod would be its primary antagonist. And, while Shannon's comments suggest that could still be the case – Zod could still be its main villain, he just might not appear in many scenes – it leaves the door open for another character to be the film's real big bad.
We don't expect Sasha Calle's Supergirl or Michael Keaton's Batman to turn to the dark side. Both characters are a force for good, despite the trauma they've endured (mainly in the comics, admittedly). So we can remove them from the equation.
We can't, however, completely dismiss the other Barry Allen/Flash that lead star Ezra Miller will play in the movie.
Yes, we see the two Barry Allens – this multiverse stuff is confusing, isn't it? – team up in the movie's trailer. And, based on their other interactions, it seems the alternate dimension version of Barry Allen a) doesn't really know what's going on, and b) hasn't acquired his speedster abilities yet. How could an un-superpowered individual, with no prior knowledge of the multiverse, be such a threat to it?
Well, maybe he's playing dumb. Maybe he'll use the DCEU's Barry Allen to acquire his powers – the trailer suggests the duo recreate the lightning bolt lab experiment to gift this Barry his powers and, in the DCEU's Barry's case, reacquire them if he lost them. Once he does so, maybe he'll perform a heel turn, reveal he was a bad guy all along, and explain his plan to take over the multiverse.
There are various evil incarnations of the Flash in DC comics and the speedster's other live-action shows and films, including Reverse Flash and Dark Flash. There's a possibility, then, that The Flash's alternate reality Barry could be one of these Machiavellian-like individuals. With the film three months away, we'll find out soon enough.
The RØDE NT-USB mic changed the game for musicians, podcasters, producers and other audio pros – and incredibly, RØDE has managed to make it even better. The new RØDE NT-USB+ takes everything that’s great about RØDE’s class-leading mics and adds even more audio power. It’s the mic your voice, your studio and your setup have been dreaming of.
The ultimate mic for everything
The RØDE NT-USB+ is a USB condenser mic with incredible processing power, pro-level pre-amps and of course, exceptional sound. It’s the latest innovation from a truly legendary brand: RØDE has been at the forefront of audio technology for more than 40 years, and you’ll see – and hear – the Australian brand’s audio tech in everything from podcasters’ bedrooms to professional sound and video studios.
This particular microphone is the very latest generation of a much-loved mic. The first NT-USB was one of the very first professional recording USB microphones, and the NT-USB Mini raised the bar by introducing onboard digital sound processing. And now the NT-USB+ brings you all that and much more.
(Image credit: RØDE)
A Revolution in your ears
The RØDE NT-USB+ includes the firm’s world-class Revolution Preamps, and they’re a real game changer. They deliver spectacular sound quality, warmth and clarity, and because they’re both ultra-low noise and ultra-high gain they deliver plenty of output without introducing unwanted noise. By delivering the highest possible gain with the lowest possible noise floor, the NT-USB+’s preamps mean that you don’t need to mess around with microphone boosters, lifters or external processors. Simply plug in your mic and you’re good to go.
That’s not the only audio upgrade you’ll find in the RØDE NT-USB+. You can now record or stream in high resolution audio at 24-bit/48KHz to capture every detail perfectly.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the condenser capsule inside the mic. When it comes to capturing speech, vocals or musical instruments, condensers deliver the warmest, most involving, most incredible sound. And thanks to the improved signal conversion, higher gain and lower noise floor, the condenser in the RØDE NT-USB+ sounds even more spectacular.
(Image credit: RØDE)
Advanced processing on all your devices
In addition to those powerful preamps, the RØDE NT-USB+ also delivers RØDE Aphex Processing. That means you get all the benefits of pro-level digital signal processing features including the legendary Aphex Aural Exciter and the brilliantly named Big Bottom effects.
With a compressor, a noise gate and a high-pass filter built into the mic, it’s never been quicker or easier to get the perfect sound no matter what you’re recording or livestreaming. And because the RØDECentral app that controls these features is available for mobile devices as well as your PC or Mac, all that power stays with you wherever you and your RØDE may roam.
(Image credit: RØDE)
The mic that works with everything, everywhere
The RØDE NT-USB+ has upgraded the connector to USB-C for more convenient connection and charging, and it’s fully class compliant and iOS compatible so you can use it with your favourite hardware and audio apps via RØDE Connect. You can use it as a free-standing mic, on a boom stand or on a studio arm, and the included pop shield keeps percussive plosives from ruining your recording.
It’s also superb for everyday apps such as voice and video calling, and because it has the same 3.5mm output as its predecessor with zero latency monitoring you can use it to monitor your recording or stream in real time without having to mess around in software.
(Image credit: RØDE)
The perfect performer for every kind of audio
With its compact design, superb pre-amps and class-leading audio quality, the RØDE NT-USB+ raises the bar for USB microphones. Whether it’s in your studio or on your desk, streaming via your Mac or recording to your iPhone, the NT-USB+ delivers an unrivalled combination of power, performance and portability for producers, podcasters, musicians and anybody else who needs the best possible audio. And it make you sound pretty good in voice and video calls too.
Shipments of AIservers are bucking the trend across the tech industry with expected compounded double-digit growth through 2026. Research analyst firm TrendForce expects that by the end of 2026, about 200,000 AI servers will be shipped to CSP (cloud service providers), up from about 125,000 for 2022.
While Microsoft, Google, AWS and Meta account for the bulk of these purchases, ByteDance, the company behind the global phenomenon that is Tiktok, has emerged as a leader in the procurement of AI servers with a 6.2% market share, almost as much as the three other Chinese giants combined (Alibaba, Baidu, Tencent).
The inclusion of new features like the insanely popular “Bold Glamour” filter require a significant amount of processing, some of which is done on the smartphone itself and some on Tiktok’s own servers.
AI servers account for a tiny fraction of the overall server market (about 1%) but they usually cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each and carry high margins as well. They represent rare good news in an otherwise morose market. Global server shipments are only expected to grow by about 1% to just over 14 million units.
GPU vendor Nvidia, in particular, gets to enjoy the current AI boom (fuelled by ChatGPT and other similar AI technologies) with an estimated 80% market share as its technology is core to AI training.
An acceleration in AI adoption
Export control restrictions implemented by the US Commerce Department against Chinese companies are unlikely to put a damper on the appetite of China’s hyperscalers to buy AI servers at an accelerating rate. The A800, launched in November 2022 by Nvidia to meet the US Government’s clear test for reduced export control, has lower available interconnect bandwidth (400GBps vs 600GBps) compared to the A100, which may hamper China’s effort in the field of AI training but doesn’t stop it completely.
Anecdotal evidence points to a dumping of high performance AMD EPYC CPUs in the Chinese market, a sign perhaps that cloud service providers are investing massively in new servers capable of supporting a large number of GPGPU simultaneously.
TrendForce concludes its report saying “companies and organizations are scaling back IT spending as the global economy is being impacted by high inflation and sluggish growth. However, with applications such as chatbots and search engines driving the demand for an AI-based technological transformation, cloud companies will prioritize the related businesses or projects when allocating capital expenditure.”
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Some of the most popular Google Workspace apps are set to look rather different following the rollout of a new design scheme from the company.
Users of the likes of Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides will soon start seeing a refresh as the company's "Material You" design expands to its office software.
As well as cosmetic changes, the upgrade will also bring some new features for users, including a redesigned Google Docs toolbar and a streamlined design interface across the apps.
Google Workspace changes
"In the coming weeks, you’ll notice a new look and feel for Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web," a Google Workspace blog post announcing the news noted. "Following the release of Google Material Design 3, the refreshed user interface is purposefully designed to streamline core collaboration journeys across our products."
"These key visual and interactive design changes will help you get your best work done faster by emphasizing the tools within our products used most frequently."
The move is part of Google's campaign to make sure its office software remains intuitive and attractive to use as the company looks to keep pace with competitors such as Microsoft 365.
Inspired by Google’s Material Design 3, the company says the refresh provides some of its most popular tools with a more modern look that will deliver a simpler, more streamlined UI that helps users work more efficiently.
Some of the more obvious changes users will spot include the new Google Docs toolbar, which is now a long "pill" shape that is not just thicker, but also stretches across your browser window. There are more precise options to make your text size bigger or smaller by a single point (rather than by 2x or more) and a number of new dropdown menus that group together similar functions into a single location, such as paragraph formatting.
The ubiquitous "share" button is also a softer, more rounded design, and in a lighter blue/green/yellow shade depending on which program you are using, and the button to start a Google Meet call directly from a document has been simplified from a multi-color option to a basic camera image.
Elsewhere, the status information (including last edit and version history) is now gathered in a single clock-face icon in the top-right hand corner, and there is an improved interface for setting rulers and gridlines.
The changes are rolling out now, and will be available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, and users with personal Google accounts.
Members of Google’s management team, including CEO Sundar Pichai, have defended a recent decision to introduce desk-sharing rotas in the company’s Cloud arm.
Google Cloud workers in Kirkland, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Sunnyvale were recently asked to help the company save on real estate in a move that Google is calling its Cloud Office Evolution (CLOE).
Naturally, many affected workers became vocal about this change, which was addressed by Pichai in a recent all-hands meeting, the audio of which was shared with CNBC.
Google Cloud desk sharing
In response to employee criticism, Pichai said:
“There are people, by the way, who routinely complain that they come in and there are big swaths of empty desks and it feels like it’s a ghost town — it’s just not a nice experience.”
Pichai continued to explain that the company has expensive real estate, and that careful consideration should be taken toward its usage.
Anas Osman, Google Cloud VP of Strategy & Operations, also spoke at the company meeting, claiming that “1-to-1 desks… were utilized roughly 35% of the time at four days or more”.
Osman also noted that some workers report feeling more productive in the collaborative environment harnessed by desk sharing and hybrid working rotas.
Another criticism that Google faced amid the change was its indirect way of handling negative issues within the organization. One meme on the company’s Memegen platform read: “Not every cost-cutting measure needs to be word mangled into sounding good for employees.”
Despite holding his ground with regard to hot-desking, Pichai agreed with staff that the company should “strive to be as straightforward as possible”, and that this type of criticism was entirely “valid”.
Nonetheless, with heels dug into the ground, it seems that Google Cloud workers will continue to be affected by CLOE. Though unconfirmed, if successful it could be a movement mirrored in other parts of the company or even wider.
If you're already a Wordle addict then Quordle could be your next must-play game. This spin-off takes the familiar Wordle format and makes it harder by giving you four puzzles to solve simultaneously.
As you might imagine, it's hard! So if you already find yourself searching for Wordle clues, you'll probably need some for Quordle too.
I'm a Quordle and Wordle addict who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #408 and bookmark this page so you can easily return tomorrow.
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 #408) - hint #1 - Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.
* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).
Quordle today (game #408) - hint #2 - total vowels
What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?
• The total number of vowels across today's Quordle answers is 8.
Quordle today (game #408) - hint #3 - repeated letters
Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.
Quordle today (game #408) - hint #4 - total letters
How many different letters are used in Quordle today?
• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 14.
Quordle today (game #408) - hint #5 - uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.
What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?
• J
• S
• F
• P
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #408) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #408, are…
JUICE
SPRIG
FAITH
PENNE
Today's Quordle might have been a difficult one for some people, although much will depend on your strategy - and in particular, which letters you start with. JUICE contains a J, the least common letter in Wordle and therefore also one of the least common in Quordle, but I was very fortunate to already have the -UICE bit confirmed after my first three guesses - so it wasn't too tricky for me.
PENNE, meanwhile, repeats an N and an E, which might also have caused some issues. But FAITH and SPRIG aren't too bad, and I was able to solve all four puzzles with two guesses remaining.
Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar.
As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you're competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.
The website also includes a practice mode - which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! - and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements - specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.
Oh, and it's difficult. Really difficult.
What are the Quordle rules?
The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.
1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.
2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow.
3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…
4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two.
5. Answers are never plural.
6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.
7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle's dictionary. You can't guess ABCDE, for instance.
8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle's Hard mode.
9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.
10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.
What is a good Quordle strategy?
Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can't blindly throw letters at it and expect to win - you'll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.
That's the case in Wordle too, of course, but it's even more important in Quordle.
There are two key things to remember.
1. Use several starting words
Firstly, you won't want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words.
The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.
For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options - you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe - but something like that should do the trick.
If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!
2. Narrow things down
Secondly, if you're faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options - for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH - you'll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options.
In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It's risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it's the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure - you simply don't have enough guesses.
In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.
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Apple TV Plus has had a lot of good things going for it over the past year. In March 2022, it beat Netflix to become the first streamer t...
Apple TV Plus has had a lot of good things going for it over the past year.
In March 2022, it beat Netflix to become the first streamer to pick up an Oscar Best Picture. Meanwhile, critically acclaimed shows including The Afterparty, Black Bird, Pachinko, Slow Horses, and Severance have helped Apple TV Plus gain a sizable foothold on the streaming landscape.
Even with these successes, though, Apple's streaming service still lags behind the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, and HBO Max – especially in the movie department. Sure, Apple's first-party films, such as Causeway and Emancipation, have been fairly well received. However, aside from CODA's shock triumph with that aforementioned Academy Award for Best Picture one year ago, Apple doesn't have a blockbuster movie that's made audiences sit up and take notice.
That, though, could be about to change with Ghosted. Billed as a rom-com spy thriller, Ghosted might be the film that finally turns Apple's fortunes around in the movie department.
Before we explain why, check out the first trailer for Ghosted below:
Okay, as far as Apple TV Plus film offerings go, it looks as generic as similarly placed genre movies, such as Knight & Day and Mr and Mrs Smith. Its plot synopsis, too, doesn't make it Ghosted sound like a wholly innovative venture. "Salt-of-the-earth Cole falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie, but then makes the shocking discovery that she’s a secret agent," the synopsis reads. "Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world."
However, considering the amount of by-the-numbers films that Netflix pumps out – You People and We Have a Ghost among many others – maybe this is the kind of easy-to-watch movie that Apple has been missing from its catalog. Apple TV Plus is often viewed as the high-brow, prestige cousin to Netflix and company, so Ghosted might be the film that entices more casual viewers to try out the service.
Then there's the obligatory star power in Ghosted's ranks, with former Marvel superstar Chris Evans reuniting with fellow Knives Out and The Gray Man alumni Ana de Armas. Based on the natural chemistry and charisma they exuded in Knives Out and their other projects – Lightyear, No Time to Die, and Blonde to name just three – the duo seem like a perfect fit for a movie like this.
The Multiverse Of Chris Evans & Ana de Armas pic.twitter.com/hsdrZyzmKCMarch 7, 2023
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Given the amount of money it's thrown at its streaming service, Apple hasn't struggled to land the world's biggest and most popular actors. Few are more in-demand than Evans and de Armas right now, though. If Apple really wants to grab viewers' attentions, they've certainly done so by hiring the pair for Ghosted, whose trailer has (at the time of writing) racked up over one million views in less than 15 hours. Only Tetris and Sharper – two of Apple TV Plus' other 2023 movies – have amassed more views this calendar year.
Ghosted is also stacked behind the camera, too, with the acclaimed Dexter Fletcher (Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsody) on directorial duties. Deadpool and Spiderhead writing duo Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese have co-penned the script alongside Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers (Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lego Batman Movie), so you know Ghosted will be full of heart, humor, and plenty of high-stakes action.
As competition between the world's best streaming services hots up, Apple TV Plus needs something more conventional to appeal to the masses. It can continue to make big-budget, reputable TV shows and films that stand out from the rest. But, if Apple really wants to make up ground on Netflix, Prime Video, and its other rivals, it needs to spread its wings, and deliver content that more easy going audience members won't want to miss.
Ghosted looks like it could be the in-house project that helps Apple revolutionize what it offers to consumers; and if it's as successful as we think it'll be, Ghosted might be the unexpectedly great Apple TV Plus movie that truly spooks the competition.
Cybersecurity researchers from Black Lotus Labs recently uncovered a new campaign that uses vulnerable business routers to steal sensitive data and build a covert proxy network.
As reported by BleepingComputer, the researchers discovered that two models of the DrayTek Vigor routers - 2960, and 3900, are being used to distribute a piece of malware called HiatusRAT.
This remote access trojan is used to download more malicious payloads that execute various commands on the infected endpoint, and turn the device into a SOCKS5 proxy to pass command-and-control server traffic.
Stealing data and running files
The majority of the victims, the report says, are in Europe, North, and South America. The researchers aren’t sure what the initial point of contact for the infected devices is.
Still, they did reverse-engineer the malware and discovered that it steals system data (MAC address, kernel version, etc.), networking data (IP addresses), file system data, and process data (process names, IDs, UIDs, etc.). Furthermore, the RAT sends a heartbeat POST to the server every eight hours, which the attackers use to monitor the infected device.
Furthermore, it can read, delete, and upload files, download and run programs, forward any TCP data set to the host’s listening port, and stop itself if necessary.
The researchers say all of this is needed for the threat actors to be able to grab sensitive data moving through the router.
"Once this packet capture data reaches a certain file length, it is sent to the “upload C2” located at 46.8.113[.]227 along with information about the host router," the researchers explained. “This allows the threat actor to passively capture email traffic that traversed the router and some file transfer traffic."
While not many firms are infected with Hiatus, its impact can still be great, the researchers said, as the hackers can steal email and FTP credentials.
Windows 11 looks set to enlist the help of AI to make the desktop look that little bit fancier – although the wisdom of forging down this path could be questioned.
This leak comes from Albacore, a well-known source of Microsoft spillage on Twitter (flagged up by Betanews), who spotted a ‘Depth effects’ toggle in the Personalization options (under Settings) in the latest Windows 11 preview build.
"When available, use AI to add depth effects to background images" 🤔 pic.twitter.com/1EJnvuy81GMarch 4, 2023
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As the screengrab in the above tweet shows, the new setting allows for the use of AI to “add depth effects to background images.” We can guess that this will add some 3D depth to any given background on the desktop, and the AI will suss out how to do this in the most effective way possible.
The slider is in the preview build, but isn’t functional and does nothing right now. That will presumably change in builds in the near future, given that it’s actually visible in the UI as of the latest preview.
Analysis: A taste of things to come?
Of course, AI is the big thing these days, in Windows and elsewhere. Microsoft recently kicked off a major project with the Bing chatbot, which was just brought to the taskbar in Windows 11 (except not really – we discuss what happened in-depth here).
In the computing sphere, we’ve also seen not just chatbots and AI authors, but artificial intelligence-powered artwork creation too, so perhaps bringing AI to the interface of an OS is a logical next step.
Admittedly, adding a bit of a 3D effect (presumably) to the desktop wallpaper is a very small step, but nonetheless a discernible stride. It’s easy enough to envisage a future where AI not only jazzes up what you’re looking at on the desktop, but perhaps predicts what you might need in terms of functionality.
Microsoft is currently experimenting with how much time it takes for the snap layouts flyout to appear, for example, and perhaps that could be intelligently adjusted to appear really snappily (ahem) for those who use that particular feature a lot.
Microsoft is also playing around with tailored recommendations and suggestions in the interface anyway, but the trouble with this is that there’s a thin line between a recommendation and an advert.
Similarly, when it comes to prettying up the interface, what users don’t want is better aesthetics at the expense of performance and responsiveness on the desktop. That said, these features being optional ensures that if you don’t like something, you don’t have to use it (which is the case for this new depth effects setting).
It’s hard not to be concerned about what might happen when AI is brought into wider play with Windows in this manner, though. Especially when we look at what has happened with the launch of the Bing AI, which quickly got into trouble on all sorts of fronts – though admittedly, it’s still very early stages for the chatbot.
Still, AI, by its very nature, is unpredictable – how it’ll learn, react, and implement things – so it may not be all that wise to be moving too fast to usher in artificial intelligence infused across the Windows interface. Lessons that the Bing bot has already taught us quite clearly…
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We’ve previously heard from numerous sources that every model in the iPhone 15 series will have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch, and now we’ve seen real evidence of that claim. A leaked video supposedly shows the screen glass for all three models in the line, and there’s no notch in sight.
The leak was originally posted on Chinese social media, but was spotted by leaker ShrimpApplePro (via Apple Insider), who reposted the videos on Twitter.
As you can see in the video below, the front panels for three phones have been shown off, specifically the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max (or iPhone 15 Ultra, as it might be called).
Goôd morning! Here’s is the real life video of the front glass panel of the iPhone 15 series, i was able to confirm its authenticity with my source. It’s real! pic.twitter.com/5BkI0OFgz9March 5, 2023
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All three of them have a large cut-out in the screen, with a smaller one to the right of it, which in practice will probably spend most of the time looking like one big cut-out, as is the case on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The bezels also appear to have a slight curve to them. We’ve previously head rumors that the sides of these phones would curve slightly, so this lines up with that.
Speaking of the bezels, they’re noticeably larger on one of the three panels shown than the other two. Presumably, then, that’s the standard iPhone 15, while the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max look to have barely-there bezels that are even smaller than those on the current models.
If this is accurate, then even with every iPhone 15 model having a Dynamic Island, the Pro and Pro Max will look slightly more premium from the front.
We’d take this leak with a pinch of salt, of course, but ShrimpApplePro has a reasonable track record, and while they’re not the original source of this leak, they claim to have been able to confirm its authenticity.
Analysis: The iPhone 15 Pro could be a visual upgrade in a number of ways
It’s not just possibly smaller bezels that will help the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max stand out from the standard models, as we’ve also heard of other visual upgrades these phones might get.
The biggest one is a move to a titanium frame, which is stronger, lighter, and more expensive than the stainless steel used by the iPhone 14 Pro, and it’s even more of an upgrade on the aluminum used by the iPhone 14. A leaked image has shown how this might look, complete with a brushed metal finish that isn’t present on current models.
Beyond that, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will probably also have more rear cameras than the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, with three rather than two.
So, even before we get to the internal specs, the Pro models will likely be a clear step up from the standard ones, even if all four phones do have a Dynamic Island. If you want one of the best iPhones this year, then, you might have to go Pro.
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If you're already a Wordle addict then Quordle could be your next must-play game. This spin-off takes the familiar Wordle format and makes it harder by giving you four puzzles to solve simultaneously.
As you might imagine, it's hard! So if you already find yourself searching for Wordle clues, you'll probably need some for Quordle too.
I'm a Quordle and Wordle addict who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #406 and bookmark this page so you can easily return tomorrow.
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 #406) - hint #1 - Vowels
How many different vowels are in Quordle today?
• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.
* 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 #406) - hint #2 - total vowels
What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?
• The total number of vowels across today's Quordle answers is 8.
Quordle today (game #406) - hint #3 - repeated letters
Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?
• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.
Quordle today (game #406) - hint #4 - total letters
How many different letters are used in Quordle today?
• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 14.
Quordle today (game #406) - hint #5 - uncommon letters
Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?
• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.
What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?
• A
• F
• I
• A
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #406) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #406, are…
ANNOY
FLUSH
ISLET
AWAKE
I'll start today with an admission: I played really, really badly here. I've only failed Quordle a couple of times since I started playing, and one was only a week or so ago, so clearly I'm not concentrating hard enough at the moment. It's not the easiest puzzle we've had, but I still shouldn't have let it beat me, because it's not that difficult either.
The mistakes were all around AWAKE. I blindly guessed AMAZE, and then AGAVE, rather than the more common AWAKE. In fact, what I should really have done is to have played another word to narrow things down, once I realized I could fall into that trap.
That aside, today's Quordle isn't too bad. There are no really uncommon letters or words and I have no excuse for my failure beyond a lack of focus. Whoops!
Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar.
As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you're competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.
The website also includes a practice mode - which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! - and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements - specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.
Oh, and it's difficult. Really difficult.
What are the Quordle rules?
The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.
1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.
2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow.
3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…
4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two.
5. Answers are never plural.
6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.
7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle's dictionary. You can't guess ABCDE, for instance.
8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle's Hard mode.
9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.
10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.
What is a good Quordle strategy?
Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can't blindly throw letters at it and expect to win - you'll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.
That's the case in Wordle too, of course, but it's even more important in Quordle.
There are two key things to remember.
1. Use several starting words
Firstly, you won't want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words.
The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.
For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options - you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe - but something like that should do the trick.
If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!
2. Narrow things down
Secondly, if you're faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options - for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH - you'll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options.
In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It's risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it's the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure - you simply don't have enough guesses.
In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.
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The Apple AR/VR headset isn't official yet, but leaks surrounding it just keep on coming – and the latest to arrive outlines how the device might work with other Apple products, such as iPhones and HomePods.
A patent filed in Europe (via MacRumors) describes "Multi-Device Continuity for use with Extended Reality (XR) Systems", and expands on the Continuity features (such as Handoff and Universal Control) already available on existing Apple gadgets.
We're assuming that the same Continuity rules will apply to the upcoming AR/VR (or XR) headset: as long as you're signed into the same Apple ID on all your devices, they'll work seamlessly together using technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Ease of use
The patent gives a few examples of how this might work. In one, someone wearing the headset would look at an email on an iPhone, and could then throw it over to a larger virtual display using a hand gesture or a look.
In the same way, it would be possible to transfer music playback from an iPhone to a HomePod – all you would need to do while wearing the headset is to make a gesture or just switch your gaze to change devices. You would also be able to get extra screens and widgets showing up in augmented reality while looking at a Mac screen, for instance.
You get the general idea. Of course the usual patent disclaimer applies: these patents don't always necessarily end up as shipped products or features, though they do give us an idea of what companies are currently exploring.
Analysis: continuity is key
Most of the time, the Continuity features that Apple has baked into its products make life much easier and more convenient. Recently, macOS got the ability to use a nearby iPhone as a webcam for example – a smart idea and well implemented.
It's really no surprise that Apple would want to extend this to its upcoming AR/VR headset. The device isn't being launched into a vacuum: Apple has a strong ecosystem of products that can help add to the appeal of the headset.
In the same way that the Apple Watch has become a desirable accessory for the iPhone, the AR/VR headset could be positioned as something that's not just great on its own, but also when it's working in tandem with iPhones, iPads, Macs and more.
As with all of these leaks and rumors, we'll have to wait and see. Most of the chatter we've heard so far points towards a 2023 launch for the new device, though the first edition is likely to be priced above the budget of most average consumers.
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