Microsoft just let us know how it has been making the popular Bing chatbot more helpful in some areas, and most recently there have been improvements to how the AI handles queries about traveling and recipes for cooking.
In a blog post summarizing improvements made over the past week, Microsoft noted that steps have been taken to give its ChatGPT-powered AI better answers on those two topics.
In both cases, the software giant further observes that it has “improved the accuracy of citations” and that with recipes, improved ‘grounding data’ from recipe content providers has been used, with citations directing you to the provider’s site rather than Bing.com (avoiding poaching traffic).
Expect more tweaking in these areas based on user feedback, Microsoft tells us.
Elsewhere, the amount of ‘end-of-conversation triggers’ have been reduced, meaning instances where the Bing AI just clams up and ends a chat session prematurely (telling you something like: “I’m sorry but I prefer not to continue this conversation”).
Analysis: Bing bolstered, but what about Bard?
It’s good to see conversation-ending errors getting reduced, and this is something Microsoft has been regularly engaging in over time, so slowly but surely, the number of times you witness the Bing chatbot falling over and just closing a session should be fewer and fewer.
There’s a lot going on to push the Bing AI forward, it seems, and we’re not hearing nearly as much chatter about the progress of Google’s rival AI, Bard. That said, Bard is now starting to get meaningful updates – and full documentation of them – starting with various performance improvements and beefing up the variety of the chatbot’s responses. In short, this is important tinkering albeit at a basic level, and hopefully Google can build on that considerably from here.
There’s certainly no shortage of effort to drive forward with Bard from what we’ve heard via the rumor mill, with Google redeploying staff to focus on the AI (at the expense of Google Assistant, apparently).
We're probably only days away from the official unveiling of the Google Pixel 7a, and now unboxing images of the mid-range phone have leaked out online, showing off the design of the handset and two of the colors it's going to be available in.
The snaps have appeared courtesy of seasoned tipster SnoopyTech (via 9to5Google), and they reveal a shape, size and aesthetic that's pretty much as we expected. The familiar Pixel camera bump is visible on the back, for example.
We get a look at the dark gray version of the Pixel 7a, which will apparently be called Cobalt, and the pale blue edition that will be called Arctic Blue. This shade of blue is new for the Pixel series, and has appeared in previously leaked images too.
The photos also show us the straightforward packaging that the Google Pixel 7a is going to come in. As with recent models like the Google Pixel 6a, don't expect there to be a power adapter in the box – you'll need to buy one separately.
That images like these are appearing now suggests a launch is close. All the signs are that Google is going to announce the phone at the Google IO 2023 event, which gets underway with a keynote presentation on May 10.
We will of course be covering the event live, and bringing you news of everything that Google announces. There should be lots more information about what's coming with Android 14, as well as quite possibly the Google Pixel Fold.
Analysis: the Pixel 7a looks promising
There's no way you can really judge a phone before it's even come out of course, but everything we've heard so far about the Pixel 7a – from fairly reliable if unofficial sources – suggests that Google has produced another promising phone in the Pixel series.
The Google Pixel 7 and the Google Pixel 7 Pro impressed us with what they had to offer, on the whole, and so a mid-range version of these phones that makes some sensible trade-offs between performance and price should be an appealing proposition.
When it comes to upgrades over the Pixel 6a, the specs under the hood are going to be significantly better, and there's also a rumor that Face Unlock will be coming to the Pixel 7a – that would be a first for this mid-range series of handsets, and most welcome.
Only a few days ago we saw the Pixel 7a leak out in a rather attractive orange color, and we like the look of that as well. As always, the price point is going to be very important, so we hope that the phone goes on sale for a reasonable sum.
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Leaked Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 renders show off a familiar-looking design
While we wait patiently for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 to get its grand unveiling, some unofficial renders of the foldable have appeared online. These are third-party renders, based on information from a variety of sources that has leaked out so far.
The images are courtesy of the well-known leak-monger OnLeaks and Smartprix, and they show a phone that's very much like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 that was launched last year. It looks like there won't be any massive design changes this time around.
That's partly to be expected – there aren't that many ways you can design a foldable phone, really. One change is on the rear camera module, where the flash has moved to the side of the camera lenses rather than sitting underneath them.
Good morning #FutureSquad! Here comes your very first look at the #Samsung #GalaxyZFold5 (360° video + stunning 5K renders + dimensions)!On behalf of @Smartprix 👉🏻 https://t.co/CP8EVA9eQB pic.twitter.com/QAnWJtSOoBApril 29, 2023
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Dimension details
What will be different, apparently, are the dimensions of the device. The Z Fold 5 apparently measures 154.9 mm x 129.9 mm x 6.3 mm when unfolded, compared with 155.1 mm x 130.1 mm x 6.3 mm for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
When folded up, the new phone is said to be a few millimeters thinner than its predecessor, thanks to the introduction of a waterdrop hinge that means both sides of the screen are going to be able to lie fully flat against each other.
It would seem that the biggest upgrade is going to be on the inside, with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 rumored to be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. As per the most recent report, the Z Fold 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 could launch before the end of July.
Analysis: design changes cost money
It always adds a little bit of extra interest to a phone launch when there are significant design changes to talk about – but as we mentioned earlier, it's hard to see too many ways to innovate when it comes to two slabs of glass and metal folding against each other.
What's more, design changes cost money. If the Z Fold 5 looks similar to the Z Fold 4, then Samsung may well already be able to use existing components and manufacturing lines to get the handset out to the masses.
When your profits have been declining as fast as Samsung's over recent months, saving money is important. Let's hope that some of the savings are passed on to consumers – the Z Fold 5 is rumored to cost the same as its predecessor (from $1,799 / £1,649 / AU$2,499).
It looks as though we might have to wait for next year for the design of this foldable to be significantly different: the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is reportedly going to come with a "major form factor change", but what exactly that looks like remains to be seen.
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The Google Pixel Fold design gets revealed in full in leaked images
All the indications are that the Google Pixel Fold is going to be unveiled next month after years of rumor and speculation – and thanks to some freshly leaked image renders, we've got a very good idea of what it's going to look like too.
These pictures come courtesy of well-known tipster Evan Blass (via 9to5Google) and show off the foldable phone in a dark gray kind of color. Based on the color schemes of previous Pixel phones, this shade might well be called charcoal.
There's some kind of bulge around the rear camera unit, which we're used to from previous handsets like the Google Pixel 7, and it looks as though we have three camera lenses on the back – which matches up with what we've heard previously.
Image 1 of 2
The rear camera unit is on display(Image credit: Evan Blass)
Image 2 of 2
We can also see the familiar Pixel home screen(Image credit: Evan Blass)
Hinges and home screens
The hinge on this foldable phone looks nice and thin, so we're hoping for a thin and light Pixel Fold. An earlier rumor suggested that the Google foldable would have a more durable hinge than the one fitted to Samsung's equivalent handset.
We also get a look at the familiar Pixel home screen, with its Material Design theme. Based on what we've previously heard from unofficial channels, the outer screen on the device is going to come in at a rather compact 5.8 inches in size.
The Google IO 2023 event gets underway on May 10, and considering how many leaks we're now getting about the Pixel Fold, it would be something of a surprise if the foldable phone wasn't announced – though it may not go on sale until June.
Analysis: a bold leap from Google
With the Google Pixel 8 due later this year, Google clearly now feels that it has enough experience in hardware to be able to take the next step, which is actually more of a leap: bringing out a foldable phone in the series.
Right now the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is leading the pack in terms of foldables, but it's not that big of a pack. Foldable technology remains hard to get right, with issues around hinge and screen durability still on the minds of potential buyers.
The complexity of the technology also has an effect on the price: this phone is rumored to be costing in the region of $1,799 (possibly around £1,649 in the UK). Google is gambling that people are going to be prepared to pay out that much for their next phone.
From what we've heard so far, this is going to be a solid piece of mobile hardware, with a slick folding mechanism and some high-end specs. However, we'll have to wait and see whether Google's leap into foldables is a hit with phone buyers.
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Sorry, your Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse fan theories are 'way off base'
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's directors are having a good time reading all of your fan theories about the forthcoming movie. Unfortunately for you, though, most of them are "way off base".
Speaking exclusively to TechRadar during a long lead press day ahead the next Spider-Man film's launch, Kemp Powers and Joaquim Dos Santos confirmed they were yet to see a fan theory that was close to being right.
Given the secrecy surrounding Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's plot, it's understandable why that would be the case. Even so, some movie and TV show lovers – particularly those who frequent rumor-filled forums like Reddit – have accurately guessed certain plot points about forthcoming films or TV series. A case in point is The Mandalorian season 3, which recently finished airing on Disney Plus – director/executive producer Rick Famuyiwa exclusively telling TechRadar that some Star Wars fans had correctly guessed the direction of this season's narrative.
Powers and Dos Santos, though, say the same cannot be said of Across the Spider-Verse. In fact, of all the fan speculation that the duo has read online, around "90 percent" of it is completely wrong.
Yeah, this fan theory is wrong. So is this one. As for this one...(Image credit: Sony Pictures Animation)
"I've not [been] on social media much," Powers said. "But the theories I've seen, I have to say 90 percent of rumors are way off base, to the point where it's almost annoying how wrong they are!" *laughs*
"We live in a time where a bad rumor kind of spreads and people start accepting it as the truth. Or, say Phil [Miller] and Chris [Lord, Across the Spider-Verse's executive producers] might have said something in an interview four or five years ago, fans then go 'They said that might happen! Now we know it's going to happen'. Guys, the movie is almost ready. You will see it. But yeah, the vast majority of rumors are false."
"There have been some doozies, for sure," Dos Santos added. "On the other side of it, though, it's like, we're happy people are talking and pontificating on it, rather than not at all. Believe me, for a million years, I raged about who would win in a fight between Spider-Man and Wolverine or, you know, if we'd ever see a big Marvel and DC crossover. People are going to talk and that's just part of being in the fandom."
Analysis: a web of misdirects, or fanning the flames?
"And don't even get me started on this ridiculous sounding rumor!"(Image credit: Sony Pictures)
Given the lengthy involvement in Across the Spider-Verse's development, Powers and Dos Santos' comments can be taken at face value. They know what the film's story is about, which characters will show up, who'll get the most character development, how it'll end – and lead into its sequel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which is currently slated to launch in theaters in March 2024.
That said, the pair are sure to have thrown a few misdirects our way over the last 12 months. Even if a solitary Spider-Man fan had correctly guessed the movie's story, including its ending, Powers, Dos Santos, and company aren't going to let us know that someone has got it right. That would only further fuel the fire, and result in fans of the webslinger searching for the correct theory online.
We aren't averse to speculating on what'll go down in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, either. We've discussed our thoughts on the movie's direction in our hub (linked above), as well as in our Across the Spider-Verse trailer breakdown article. We can't sit here, then, act all high and mighty, and tell fans of the wallcrawler to stop theorizing and simply wait for the film to arrive in theaters.
Wait, Andy Samberg will voice a character in Across the Spider-Verse!?(Image credit: Instagram)
With certain members of the movie's cast and crew dropping the occasional tease our way, too, we can't help but speculate on what we'll see when one of our most anticipated new movies of 2023 works its way into cinemas, either. Just this week, Powers told CinemaCon attendees (via Total Film) that the film has secret cameos that its main voice cast doesn't even know about – one of which is "gonna blow your eyeballs out the backside of your head". Meanwhile, The Lonely Island's Instagram account has teased Andy Samberg joining fellow comedian/actor Jorma Taccone in voicing a character in the film, even though Sony and Marvel haven't confirmed his involvement.
Across the Spider-Verse's own creative team, then, is helping to drive discussions and fan theories about the flick pre-release. As Dos Santos and Powers say, that's part and parcel of the world we live in today. Even so, in partaking of these online discussions, they're fanning the flames of the very same fan theories they state are "off base", which we're sure is amusing them greatly. Curse you both!
Still, we don't have much longer to wait for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse to swing into theaters worldwide, so we'll soon know which fan theories were bang on the money. Be sure to check back in with TechRadar next week for a more in-depth, exclusive discussion with Dos Santos and Powers about the movie, too.
Millions of gamers have been tricked into downloading fake Minecraft Android apps that run ads in the background, earning serious profit for the developers.
Cybersecurity researchers from McAfee recently discovered 38 games posing as Minecraft for the Android platform, running adverts in the background without user knowledge, or consent.
Of the 38 games, the most popular ones are Block Box Master Diamond (10 million downloads), Craft Sword Mini Fun (5 million), Block Box Skyland Sword (5 million), and Craft Monster Crazy Sword (5 million).
Games play as advertised
Block Pro Forrest Diamond, Block Game Skyland Forrest, Block Rainbow Sword Dragon, Craft Rainbow Mini Builder, and Block Forrest Tree Crazy all have one million downloads each. They were all found on the Google Play Store, and not on third-party, or obscure repositories.
Aside from the smartphone heating up, or performing somewhat slower than what one might expect, there is no way for the user to actually know they’re being served ads, the researchers said. Yet, even these two symptoms might be written off as normal behavior when running a mobile game. To make matters even more difficult - the apps all perform as advertised - the users actually get to play the game.
Most victims were located either in the United States, or China, the researchers say. Brazil, Iran, the UK, and Germany, were also bigger victims.
Minecraft is one of the most popular games in the world, today. It’s a sandbox game that allows players to gather resources and create their own environment. There are two modes in the game, a survival mode in which players are required to gather resources, build the world and survive against hostile mobs, and a creative mode in which players get all the resources they need to build whatever they imagine.
Minecraft is currently the best-selling video game of all time, with 238 million copies sold. According to ActivePlayer, it has more than 170 million monthly active players.
Respawn has hit the ground running with a ton of patches for its recent action-adventure game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, but the most recent one is for all those who aren’t a fan of our eight-legged friends out there.
As promised, Respawn has added a great deal of new content on day one of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s release including plenty of new accessibility features to make this title enjoyable for a wider playerbase. However, there’s one feature that has stood out to me in particular; this is Jedi: Survivor’s arachnophobia toggle setting.
If you’re one of the kindred souls who nearly had a heart attack trying to venture through the Kashyyyk forests of the Wookie homeworld thanks to some spindly attackers known as the Wyyyschokk, then this feature is for you. At the toggle of a menu setting, players can completely eradicate the eight-legged invaders from Respawn’s new title entirely.
An itsy bitsy problem
ICYMI: Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023) will feature the ability to toggle an arachnophobia option in accessibility settings to remove spiders from the game entirely... pic.twitter.com/9NBkmfDML2April 25, 2023
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Over the years, there have been plenty of creative solutions players have taken to overcome arachnophobia. For some, Obsidian’s survival action-adventure game set in a spider-infested back garden, Grounded, proved to be too much. Fortunately, it came with its own accessibility option for arachnophobes. I, for one, couldn’t think of anything worse than getting harassed by giant man-eating spiders, so having the option to turn down the detail on these monstrosities and turn them into something comical came as a great relief.
However, not all developers like Respawn and Obsidian are so kind as to put in arachnophobia barriers for their players; sometimes, we have to take matters into our own hands. This was the case for The Witcher 3 and its hairy muscular spiders that infested damp caves and isolated swamps. Luckily the Spider no More mod effectively replaces all the arachnomorphs for various other monsters.
Similarly, the first-person action RPG Dark Messiah of Might and Magic included a similar mod that helped players ease their way through spider-infested sections by changing the creepy crawlies into pigs.
Whether or not developers get involved, there’s often a way to remove our eight-legged friends from games. While these fan-made mods clearly work and provide an important service for those who want to game without having a heart attack, it’s nice to see developers including these settings from the get-go. Now spider-dislikers can enjoy the latest chapter of Cal Kestis's story in peace.
Following a reduction in headcount of around 15% earlier this year in response to the lasting effects of the pandemic on the economy, cloud storage giatn Dropbox has announced a second round of layoffs impacting even more workers.
The company announced the departure of 500 workers, accounting for around 16% of its already reduced headcount, and it’s blaming AI.
Company CEO Drew Houston first shared the news with employees in a company-wide email, promising individual meetings for affected workers with their team leader and an HR representative to discuss departure.
Dropbox lays off more workers because of AI
Contrary to fears that have been growing in recent months, during what Dropbox’s Houston calls “the AI era,” artificial intelligence hasn’t replaced the jobs of tech workers according to the company.
Rather, AI development has meant that the company has needed to acquire new talent whose skill sets more closely match its up and coming products. Houston explained that workers have already shifted to other departments “wherever possible.”
Affected workers’ severance packages will include 16 weeks’ pay plus an additional week for each year worked at the company, up to six months of COBRA healthcare in the US and similar equivalents in other regions, and support for career transitions. Company-provided hardware, like business laptops and business smartphones, will also remain in the hands of departing workers.
Describing the layoffs as “painful,” Houston believes that the changes are necessary for the platform to lead from the front as other companies begin to ramp up their AI operations.
With tech layoffs slowing down recently, it’s unclear whether a new bloom of AI-related layoffs will emerge and how this will affect employment moving forward.
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Keep your business emails protected with these top tips
Running a business is hard enough without dealing with the myriad security threats that are around today.
There are a wide range of potential issues to consider, however a deceptively easy way for outside actors or hackers to infiltrate your business is simply through emails.
Email threats have been around for some time, but still pose a significant danger to many businesses simply down to the fact many of them are simple and effective. However it is also fairly easy to try and combat falling victim to such threats, and we've listed a few of our top tips below to help keep you and your business protected.
Steer clear of spam
Email spam is nothing new - the first spam message was sent in 1978 when the Internet was still in its ARPANET infancy - but it has remained a thorn in the side of users ever since, clogging up inboxes for millions of us.
Most email clients offer some kind of spam filtering tools, but if you need that extra boost in making sure your inbox stays streamlined, then help is at hand.
Bitdefender Total Security comes with specially-optimised antispam services that are able to filter irrelevant messages from your inbox. Available for a range of local email clients, including the likes of Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, the tool should help keep irrelevant messages far away from your attention, letting you focus on the emails that matter.
Beware phishing
Phishing is another long-standing form of email scam, as hackers look to trick victims into handing over personal information or financial details by using legitimate-looking emails hiding malicious links.
These scams have evolved a huge amount in recent years, with criminals now often using real company branding and imagery to fool users into clicking on links that are definitely not what they seem, and could leave you losing out huge amounts.
Bitdefender Total Security comes with a range of tools to make you stay protected from all the latest threats, including an advanced filtering system that warns you whenever you visit websites that may try to scam you, and advanced anti-phishing protection that helps sniff out and block any malicious websites in order to steal your financial data, passwords or credit card numbers.
Make sure all of your devices are safe
As technology has become increasingly portable, many of us are now checking our emails on a number of different devices, whether that's checking work emails on our personal phone or PC, or vice versa.
As useful as this may be, it does raise potential security concerns, as you may let down your guard when using a personal device - which may also simply lack the same amount of security protection that your employer-granted, remotely-monitored work device may do.
Fortunately, Bitdefender Total Security can help protect and secure all your devices, as the platform works across multiple software versions, including Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It can be used across up to 15 devices per household, making sure your home office remains safe against threats.
For news on all the latest threats, you can also get real-time updates about malware outbreaks and scams on the Bitdefender Blog.
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Windows 11 just became a tempting upgrade for iPhone owners
Windows 11 users are now getting Phone Link for iOS rolled out to them, so those with an iPhone will be able to hook up their handset to the desktop.
Previously, the feature had been in testing, but with the full arrival on Windows 11 PCs, now everyone gets a look in. Indeed, it’s a global rollout, with Microsoft announcing that Phone Link for iOS is inbound in 39 languages across 85 markets.
Phone Link for the iPhone can be used to get notifications, calls, and messages on your desktop PC – and as we’ve previously reported, this means you can use iMessage on a Windows 11 device.
The slight catch here is that you may not see the feature on your Windows 11 PC just yet. The rollout is happening in phases, so only a limited number of users will be able to get Phone Link for iOS right now – but it won’t be long before everyone is covered (we’ll come back to that momentarily).
For those who have got the feature through, when installing the Phone Link app, you’ll see the option for the iPhone (as well as Android of course, which Phone Link has always worked with). Note that you’ll need to be running iOS 14 or better.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Analysis: Microsoft is treading carefully here
It seems Microsoft is being pretty cautious around this rollout, with the company admitting that it has purposefully chosen a “conservative approach” to releasing the update in its blog post announcement.
How long will it take for Microsoft to push out Phone Link for iOS exactly? We’re told that the functionality will be deployed for everyone come the middle of May, so the worst-case scenario is that you’ll be waiting three weeks (or that should be the case, anyway).
It should be worth the wait, Microsoft promises us, as the software giant has had some pretty positive feedback from internal testers thus far.
Clearly, though, the Phone Link experience on iOS is far more limited than on Android, with just the basics being piped through to the desktop (not so much Microsoft’s fault as Apple’s, of course). As noted, there is iMessage support which is good to see, but this is barebones too, and you won’t get the full message history for example, or be able to use the entire range of iMessage features.
The official update details a change in management as Guerrilla Studio Director and Executive Producer Angie Smets has taken a role as Head of Development Strategy at PlayStation Studios.
"We have full confidence in our new leadership as they steer Guerrilla towards a bright future, expanding the world of Horizon with Aloy's next adventure and our exciting online project," the statement concludes, both confirming protagonist Aloy's third outing as well as hinting at the Horizon MMORPG reportedly in the works.
More mechanical adventures
(Image credit: Guerrilla Games)
It's looking like Sony wants to position Horizon as one of its key intellectual properties, especially now that we know a sequel to the PS5 hit is in the works or, at the very least, in the very early stages of development.
This'll be reassuring news for Horizon fans, especially as the franchise has had an unfortunate release schedule thus far. In 2017, Horizon Zero Dawn was somewhat overshadowed by Nintendo Switch launch title Breath of the Wild. Again, in 2022, Horizon Forbidden West had to square off against Elden Ring.
Hopefully, Guerrilla Games is better able to navigate the release minefield more tactfully for the series' third major entry. Ultimately, though, I'm always happy to see the Horizon series in the spotlight, if only to see the incredible Decima Engine at work.
Both Guerrilla and Kojima Productions' Death Stranding have done a remarkable job of showcasing the powerful engine, and that's only going to improve with time and projects like Death Stranding 2 and future Horizon sequels.
Following years of heavy investments and hefty losses, Google Cloud has finally posted its first profitable quarter as Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai predicts better times ahead.
A $7.45 billion revenue in parent company Alphabet's Q1 2023 saw the division achieve an operating income of $191 million, or around 2.6%. Far from aspirational, but a huge leap forward compared to the previous year which reflected a $706 million loss, or the $14.6 billion in losses in the three years leading up to 2021.
That said, Google Cloud’s profit was just a tenth of that of its largest competitor AWS, behind which and Microsoft Azure it trails in third place.
Google Cloud is now a profitable business
The billions in revenue have until now been offset by similar amounts in investments and other spend, but accounting for around 10% of Google’s overall revenue and playing cloud home to some of the world’s largest companies, like PayPal and UPS, Google Cloud could now be in the position to grow profits year-on-year and take on the giants.
The artificial intelligence revolution is also expected to have an unknown impact on Google’s finances, with potential for large revenue and an uncertain infrastructure spend laying out a possibly fluctuating path ahead.
Even though things are now looking up, Google Cloud isn’t out of the woods yet. Earlier this year, the division notified workers that they would be working in the office on alternate days with a colleague under a new desk-sharing initiative to help the company cut on real estate spend - a move that was met with backlash from workers.
More broadly, Google has been far from immune from the economic pressures facing big tech firms in recent months, having announced 12,000 redundancies across its businesses.
The Clop ransomware group is no longer the only threat actor that successfully leveraged the GoAnywhere MFT vulnerability to target an organization.
As discovered by cybersecurity researchers At-Bay, known ransomware threat actor BlackCat (AKA ALPHV) has also used the flaw to target an unnamed U.S. business back in February 2023.
“This latest exploitation of the GoAnywhere MFT vulnerability against a U.S. business by the highly-active BlackCat group raises the stakes on remediation,” At-Bay’s Ido Lev writes. “The vulnerability is a good example of how cybercriminals don’t just go after the most prevalent or publicly-known CVE disclosures. The most important indicator of risk isn’t just the score that’s given to the vulnerability, but how easily it can be exploited by cybercriminals in-the-wild, at scale, to achieve a desired outcome.”
Attacking dozens of companies
GoAnywhere MFT is a secure file transfer service, built by Fortra, and used by some of the world’s biggest organizations.
In February this year, it was discovered that a Russian threat actor known as Clop used a vulnerability in the product, now tracked as CVE-2023-0669, to infiltrate more than a hundred organizations and get away with their sensitive data.
“A zero-day remote code injection exploit was identified in GoAnywhere MFT,” Fortra said at the time. “The attack vector of this exploit requires access to the administrative console of the application, which in most cases is accessible only from within a private company network, through VPN, or by allow-listed IP addresses (when running in cloud environments, such as Azure or AWS).”
Among the compromised companies are Hitachi Bank, Hatch Energy, Saks Fifth Avenue, Procter & Gamble, and many more.
To protect against these attacks, researchers are saying, GoAywhere MFT users should make sure to apply the latest patch and get their software up to at least version 7.1.2.
Dropbox has announced a handful of new features for its online approval and collaboration tool Replay, which it says is now open to all.
With the full launch of Dropbox Replay, the global cloud storage company hopes to make collaborating on media projects even easier while eliminating the need for additional tools.
Replay takes on the likes of Frame.io by giving content creators the ability to share video, image, and audio with others in order to obtain feedback, making it a powerful tool for long-distance projects that would otherwise require workers to be in the same room.
Dropbox Replay online collaboration
Much like the beta, which Dropbox reckons helped seven in 10 users to achieve a faster workflow, Replay supports live reviews and can handle comments and time stamps. Some tweaks have since been made specifically to comments to include pinning and filtering, which will be welcome news to larger teams and those working on longer projects.
It also integrates with Adobe Premier Pro, Blackmagix Design DaVinci Resolve, LumaFusion, and WeVideo. Dropbox promises that Apple Final Cut Pro support is also in the works, but it’s best not to bank on that until it is delivered.
While Replay comes as part of all plans - including the free 2GB tier - users will only be able to upload up to four video, image, or audio files for collaboration, up to their account storage limit.
A premium add-on for $12 per month ($10 per month when paid annually) removes the video limit, but retains the account storage limit stipulation, and adds a handful of other features including video transcriptions and captions, the ability to archive finished projects to Dropbox, and support for deadlines.
While there are much more powerful, dedicated tools out there for specialist companies, smaller businesses already subscribing to the Dropbox ecosystem will be able to benefit from the new Replay functions that are set to grow with time.
It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints - now with added Daily Sequence answers!
Yes, that's right: the makers of Quordle have a new game, which sees you complete four Wordle puzzles consecutively. The twist is that the letters you've already used on the first game are repeated on the second and so on.
It's good fun, but also difficult - so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for Quordle and the Daily Sequence too.
I'm a Quordle and Wordle fanatic 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 #457 and the answers to the Daily Sequence.
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 #457) - hint #1 - Vowels
How 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 #457) - 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 6.
Quordle today (game #457) - 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 #457) - hint #4 - total letters
How many different letters are used in Quordle today?
• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 12.
Quordle today (game #457) - 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?
• P
• S
• B
• C
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #457) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #457, are…
PARKA
SPINY
BUSHY
CHAIR
Today's Quordle was straightforward enough. PARKA has a repeated A and an uncommon word structure, but it's a word that crops up regularly in Quordle and I think my brain is now conditioned to spot when it might appear.
But the Daily Sequence… well, that was hard! I said yesterday that I might need a different strategy for this, compared to the standard Quordle, but I haven't yet settled on one. I need to do that pronto, because I came within a whisker of failing today's game.
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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Opera One is an all-new take on Opera’s web browser which the firm describes as re-engineered and modular – while being powered up by AI. ...
Opera One is a new AI-powered browser that aims to beat Chrome and Edge
Opera One is an all-new take on Opera’s web browser which the firm describes as re-engineered and modular – while being powered up by AI.
It’s no great surprise to see AI incorporated, of course, seeing as it’s rapidly becoming a very crowded bandwagon, although the first thing to note here is that Opera One (hat tip to Google on the name, presumably) is still in development (early access at this point). Eventually, the idea is that it’ll replace the existing Opera browser.
Not only does Opera One introduce artificial intelligence into the mix, but the company notes that it’s the first Chromium-based browser to use a multithreaded compositor for the UI – plus it introduces a new feature called Tab Islands.
Okay, so let’s go through all this new stuff and exactly what it means. Firstly, you’re likely wondering exactly where AI will fit in with the revamped Opera browser.
(Image credit: Opera)
Well, Opera will populate the sidebar with AI-powered content services, and furthermore, there’ll be some more direct integration of AI features, too. The first of which – and the only one we know about so far – will be a ‘shorten’ button in the browser’s address bar that will use AI to generate a short summary of any web page you’re looking at.
Song Lin, Co-CEO of Opera, commented: “Following the mass interest in generative AI tools, we believe it’s now time for browsers to step up and become the gateway to an AI-powered web”.
Opera One will also dynamically adapt to the needs of the user, as Ghacks reports, adjusting its interface based on what’s currently being done or viewed in the browser. The broad idea is for a modular interface that clears unneeded bits of functionality out of the way, making for a more streamlined and uncluttered experience.
Regarding the UI, as mentioned Opera One is adopting a multithreaded compositor, which is a fancy way of saying that transitions between pages and animations will be more smoothly rendered and generally better looking.
Tab Islands is a further major introduction here, which is groups of related tabs. Say you open a few different Instagram pages for example, these will automatically be grouped together (and color-coded), and if you wish, you can collapse that group to get the tabs temporarily out of the way.
They shrink down into a compact and neat vertical bar that can be clicked on to expand all the tabs again, thereby helping you manage when you have a lot of tabs open, doing all this automatically.
Analysis: Artificial opportunity?
There are some neat introductions here, then, and the broad idea is to achieve a much better-organized browsing experience – with a more streamlined and responsive interface – all infused with the power of AI.
Of course, the AI aspect is what folks will focus on as it’s very much the hot topic right now, although there isn’t much AI in here to begin with. The only feature now present in testing is that ‘shorten’ button (basically a TL;DR option at your fingertips for any web page).
The danger is that this feels a bit like Opera is seizing the opportunity to crowbar in AI as a selling point to push adoption versus its big Chromium-based rivals, Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
Okay, so technically Edge does have some AI features built-in already – the Image Creator in the sidebar – but Opera is clearly gunning to set up its browser with much bigger aims for AI, while Microsoft focuses more on poaching web search traffic with its Bing ChatGPT-powered AI. (And Google has Bard, of course, and a whole bunch of generative AI stuff for the likes of Gmail and Docs).
Looking at Opera One’s first big AI feature, that shorten facility, we have some concerns about that already. The way it works is to skim through the web page and provide a bullet-point summary of the content, but there are potential stumbling blocks here. As with any AI summary, how do we know just how accurate it is? Can we trust an AI to summarize without making mistakes? Perhaps, but for us, the bigger worry pertains to the possible loss of context in a summary.
Let’s remember that many websites already use TL;DR in some form – here at TechRadar, we do it upfront to provide a summary of reviews for those who aren’t interested in all the nitty-gritty details – but the difference is, that summary is compiled by the writer. Someone who knows the article inside and out, and with an AI, our concern would be that context could be twisted somehow, and there are potential ways this could go wonky.
Mistakes are more likely, as we’ve seen, in these very early days for AI, and the fear is that what’s becoming a manic rush to get AI on board everything is perhaps unwise, shall we say. Particularly when concerns are being raised from various corners about AI and inaccuracies, and the effects they may have on more impressionable folks like children for example – who may regard an AI as truthful and authoritative.
We can’t fault Opera’s ambition here, to be fair, and with the AI side of the equation, everything is really down to the implementation. Opera One will need to be built carefully, over a long period of time, we’d expect, if it really is aiming to go big on AI and avoid the inherent pitfalls.
What we don’t want is a rush for one-upmanship over Chrome and Edge in a bid for adoption, and in fairness, that goes for Microsoft’s Bing plans too, and Google’s bid to catch up to the latter with Bard (which was clearly hurried out the door, fumbling to get its coat on while still munching on a piece of toast).
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The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra might beat the iPhone 15 Ultra with a massive sensor
Samsung is known for pushing smartphone photography forward, but one area where it’s starting to lag relative to the competition is sensor size, with a few phones – such as the Xiaomi 13 Ultra – now having a massive 1-inch camera sensor, while Samsung sticks to much smaller ones.
A recent report even suggested that the upcoming iPhone 15 Ultra would sport a sensor of almost one inch, but now it seems Samsung might one-up Apple with a true 1-inch sensor of its own.
This is according to SamLover, a site which claims to have learned that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will feature a 1-inch sensor.
A sensor of this size would be able to capture more light than we’re used to from Samsung’s phones, allowing for a greater dynamic range (the difference between the brightest and darkest parts of the image), and proving particularly beneficial in low-light scenarios.
It could have a noticeable impact on overall image quality, and there's some evidence to suggest the Galaxy S24 Ultra might really get this component.
Fewer, better cameras
As SamLover notes, previous reports have suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will have just three rear lenses, down from four on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Supposedly, one of the telephoto lenses will be removed, but the remaining one will be able to optically zoom to multiple distances, likely making it as good as or better than two separate lenses.
Why is that relevant? Well, a larger sensor inevitably means the camera that uses this will take up more space on the phone – space that Samsung might have made available by removing a lens.
All that said, we’d actually say this is unlikely to happen. SamLover doesn’t have much of a track record for leaks, and so far no other leakers have corroborated this claim.
Indeed, we’ve elsewhere heard that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will have the same 200MP sensor for its main camera as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and if it was going to have a 1-inch sensor, it would almost certainly be used for the main camera.
Samsung could still maintain its lead
While we’re sadly skeptical of this 1-inch sensor claim, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is sure to still be a fantastic camera phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra currently sits at the top of our best camera phones list, and if rumors of a new variable-zoom lens are true, then we could see some notable improvements to telephoto photography.
Samsung is already ahead of most rivals on that front, and this change would just push it even further into the lead.
Still, with talk of the iPhone 15 Ultra having not just an almost 1-inch sensor but a variable zoom lens of its own, Samsung could face more photographic competition than it does most years.
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The Xbox Game Pass library is getting a blast from the past in May as the next installment of the Amnesia series is being added to the serv...
Xbox Game Pass is seeing one of the best horror game series arrive in May
The Xbox Game Pass library is getting a blast from the past in May as the next installment of the Amnesia series is being added to the service.
Almost three years after Amnesia Rebirth, Amnesia: The Bunker is set to release May 16, coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one. This fourth installment will shake the series up while staying true to what made the original games so terrifying.
You’ll play as Henri Clement, a French soldier fighting in World War 1, who takes shelter in a seemingly abandoned bunker after getting separated from his battalion. Sadly, nothing’s ever easy in Amnesia games, so before Henri knows it, a dark entity called The Beast begins pursuing the French soldier. In order to escape alive, you must navigate the dark maze-like tunnels and outsmart the monster hunting you down.
Taking some time
(Image credit: Frictional Games)
It turns out that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League isn’t the only title that’s needed extra development time this year. While not quite as drastic as Rocksteady's 2024 pushback, Frictional Games decided to delay Amnesia: The Bunker’s original release from March to mid-May.
It’s unclear why Frictional Games delayed Amnesia: The Bunker, but it was probably for the best. If this psychological horror game had been released in March, it would have had to compete with Resident Evil 4 as well as Xbox Game Pass additions like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and Valheim. Those are some big hitters, even for a beloved series like Amnesia.
While many will be looking forward to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, there aren’t many horror games for the Amnesia: The Bunker to compete with. As it stands, probably the biggest competition for The Bunker will be Redfall. Though given Arkane Studios' latest won't launch with a 60fps performance mode, it seems the vampire slaying co-op shooter will be off to a rocky start.
Standing out from the crowd
(Image credit: Frictional Games)
If you’re a fan of the kind of psychological horror that the original Amnesia titles mastered, rest assured that The Bunker will keep the anxiety-fueled story while giving this series a much-needed facelift.
The setting of a WW1 bunker lends itself easily to Amnesia’s dread-filled atmosphere. The dark is just as terrifying as it has always been as you rush around refilling generators, as this is the only way to keep The Beast at bay.
Unlike the previous games, The Bunker has a protagonist who knows how to fight back. As Henri Clement is a soldier, he can handle and fire a gun while also having some knowledge of explosives. This expertise means that players won’t be completely defenseless. Unfortunately, due to limited materials, it'll be tough to consistently rely on firearms to keep you safe.
While having more agency in the next Amnesia title is nice, it seems like Frictional Games hasn’t ventured too far outside the box to retain the psychological fear championed by the series thus far. It's shaping up to be another horror smash hit from the developer, and I can't wait to play it day one on Xbox Game Pass.
According to serial Apple tipster Ice Universe, the iPhone 15 Ultra – which, as a reminder, is expected to replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023 – will use Sony’s new IMX903 48MP sensor. Why is this significant? Well, the IMX903 measures 1/1.14 inches, meaning the iPhone 15 Ultra could be shipping with the biggest camera sensor ever used in an iPhone.
For comparison, the iPhone 14 Pro Max (aka Apple’s best iPhone right now) uses Sony’s already-excellent IMX803 48MP sensor, which measures 1/1.28 inches. The larger sensor size on the iPhone 15 Ultra, then, should allow for more efficient light capture and detail retention.
As Ice Universe notes, 1/1.14-inch sensors aren’t strictly the same as 1-inch sensors – of the sort used on photography-focused phones like the Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Sony Xperia Pro-I – but they suggest that the difference between the two sizes will be negligible on the iPhone 15 Ultra.
“The specifications of IMX903 for [the] iPhone 15 [Ultra] are close to 1 inch, that's for sure,” Ice Universe writes. “I'm looking forward to Apple joining the 1-inch club.”
The specifications of IMX903 for iPhone 15PM are close to 1 "That's for sure.I'm looking forward to Apple joining the 1 "club.April 23, 2023
Combined with its periscopic zoom lens for real telephoto zoom, the iPhone 15 Ultra’s huge 48MP sensor will make Apple’s next flagship a phenomenally powerful camera in its own right. And, at an expected price of around $1,199 / £1,309 / AU$2,099, the phone should provide a cheaper alternative to many of the best cameras, which typically retail for figures in excess of $2,500 / $2,000 / AU$3,700.
(Image credit: Apple)
As TechRadar's former Cameras Editor, Mark Wilson, explains: "Mirrorless cameras still have much larger sensors than the iPhone 15 Ultra’s rumored 1/1.14in chip, but Apple’s computational processing will help compensate. The larger the sensor, the more light and information those algorithms will have to work with – and that could be particularly helpful for the Ultra’s periscope zoom lens, as those traditionally have quite dark apertures."
"But these upgrades for the Ultra could give photographers like me a difficult decision. If the rumors are true, the Ultra will be opening up a sizable photographic gap to the rest of the iPhone 15 series – so it could be a decision between splashing out on that flagship, or waiting until next year for an iPhone 16 Pro with a periscope zoom."
iPhone 15 Ultra: what else to expect
The iPhone 15 Ultra is expected to arrive in place of an iPhone 15 Pro Max(Image credit: Apple)
In terms of what else we expect to see from the iPhone 15 Ultra, unofficial iPhone 15 Ultra renders have hinted that Apple’s upcoming flagship will be getting a USB-C port, a slightly shallower camera bump and a curvier chassis than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The phone could be clad in titanium, too (which is typically stronger and lighter than the stainless steel used by current iPhones).
Despite using the same A17 Bionic processor, the iPhone 15 Ultra is rumored to be even more powerful than the iPhone 15 Pro, with one source claiming that the former’s software won't limit the phone as much as it will on the Pro model.
We’re keeping tabs on all the latest iPhone 15 Ultra rumors as and when they appear, so stay tuned to TechRadar as we learn more about what to expect from Apple's next flagship handset.
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