Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that only the highest-end iPhone 16 series model will get a periscope camera. He suggests that the demand for a lens upgrade might be below previous predictions.
With the announcement of AMD Ryzen 7000X3D-series chips at CES 2023, a lot of attention has been paid to what the new stackable cache technology can bring to Zen 4 processors. According to a new teardown of the Radeon RX 7900 XT, there is reason to hope that this same technology will be making its way to a graphics card near you.
What else can you see? A linear array of "spots" that look remarkably like the keep out zones on X3D, and that are on the same 17-18 um pitch. Could they be considering stacked MCD functionality (or maybe they're something else)?January 27, 2023
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Tom Wassick, a self-described "semiconductor packaging engineering professional", tore down the new Radeon RX 7900 XT to do a deep dive into its guts using infrared imaging. He says the same kind of 3D V-cache connections used for the AMD Ryzen 5800X3D exist on the Radeon RX 7900 XT's MCD die, though there is a blank piece of silicon where a compute-capable die could go.
It isn't clear that this type of connection is meant specifically for 3D V-cache, as Tom's Hardware points out, but that's the only thing so far that AMD has announced for its chiplet stacking technology.
It has long been rumored that AMD would be bringing 3D V-cache to its GPUs after successfully implementing it in its Ryzen 5800X3D processor, as well as its forthcoming Ryzen 9 7950X3D, Ryzen 9 7900X3D, and Ryzen 7 7800X3D due out in February.
What would 3D V-cache even do for a GPU?
The idea behind V-cache is to use a hybrid bonding technique to put a slab of cache memory on top of the compute cores of a processor. This can greatly expand the amount of cache available, which saves the processor critical clock cycles since it doesn't have to go further out to regular memory to fetch data or instructions.
In terms of a computer's CPU, this produces a huge increase in gaming performance, but it's not clear that such a performance gain would be achieved with GPU cache, though it's likely to see some improvement.
Another problem though would be thermal performance, an especially important consideration for a graphics card. With 3D V-cache, the additional slab of cache on top of the compute cores of the processor complicates cooling. AMD might have to reduce clock speeds to compensate, which could negate any of the gain that additional cache could provide.
We aren't likely to see these developments on mainstream Radeon cards this year, but we should expect them to drop during midcycle refreshes in cards like the RX 7950 XT or the RX 7650 XT, probably sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.
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The new MacBook Pro 14-inch is already one of the hotter items of 2023 thanks to the new Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, but if new reports are to believed, that fancy new silicon might come with a rather annoying trade-off: a slower SSD.
UK-based technology channel Zone of Tech broke the news about a significantly slower SSD in the new MacBook Pro 14-inch than was integrated into the previous 2021 MacBook Pro 14-inch.
BREAKING: We’ve just discovered that the base 14” M2 Pro MacBook Pro (512GB) is considerably slower than the previous 14” M1 Pro model. Apple is likely using single SSD modules again (like the base 256GB M2 Air and M2 MacBook Pro). More testing to come. pic.twitter.com/3kMiHVDxaFJanuary 24, 2023
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After Zone of Tech posted the news on Twitter, 9to5Mac confirmed that it was seeing the same thing in its MacBook Pro and posted photos of the SSD inside the MacBook itself, which appeared to reveal a single NAND SSD chip, rather than the two NAND chips in the M1 MacBook Air and M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models.
While the capacity of the single SSD and dual-chip SSD are the same — 256GB — splitting the SSD up into two discrete chips allows you to more efficiently read and write to any given space on the SSD.
According to their 9to5Mac's test using Blackmagic Disk Speet Test — which we have not independently verified — the new Apple M2 with M2 Pro and 512GB SSD scored 3,154.4 MB/s written and 2,973.4 MB/s read, which puts it way behind the 2021 MacBook Pro, which scored a 3,950.8 MB/s written and 4900.3 MB/s read in the same test.
This prompted 9to5Mac to open up the MacBook Pro to dig into its guts to find the culprit, whereupon it did indeed find a new, less efficient SSD configuration using two 256GB SSD NAND chips running in concert rather than the four 128GB chips used in the 2021 MacBook Pro 14-inch.
As Tom's Hardware notes, this alone is enough to slow down the disk access speeds that would be reflected in the new reports, and it also says that the 256GB configurations of the new M2 Mac mini also suffers from this same degradation in SSD performance.
But will anyone really notice — or care?
We haven't verified the SSD "degradation" ourselves, but it would make sense. Apple caught a lot of flak for raising the price of the MacBook Air back in 2022, so there was bound to be pressure to keep prices in line with the previous models. In fact, I applaud that, considering how price inflation everywhere has put real strain on people's finances this past year.
If Apple had to go from four SSD NAND chips to two in order to save that extra bit of money, honestly, it's worth the tradeoff — yes, even for a high-end MacBook Pro device. The read/write speeds on the new MacBook Pro 14-inch according to these reports is still very fast, fast enough that no one noticed that there was any kind of slow down, even.
It's only when you put the latest MacBook Pro against its predecessor that you'd even be able to see the difference, and even then you'd need to use a disk speed utility that fewer than 5% of users probably even knows exists. And unless you're upgrading to the new MacBook Pro 2023 from the MacBook Pro 2021 (which we do not recommend), you'd never even know there was a problem.
It's also worth pointing out that the SSDs in MacBooks aren't even the best SSD available. In my Samsung 990 Pro review, which isn't available for a MacBook of any kind, I was getting sequential read speeds of 7,465.49 MB/s and sequential write speeds of 6,887.68 MB/s, while the random read/write speeds were 5,467.60 MB/s and 4104.87 MB/s, respectively.
This is way ahead of what the 2021 MacBook Pro was capable of at its very best, and the 990 Pro is a PCIe 4.0 SSD. Once PCIe 5.0 SSDs start becoming mainstream, even the best MacBook Pro won't be able to keep up with these SSD speeds. And it won't matter, because in the end, raw performance isn't really why people go out and buy MacBook Pro devices. They buy them for ease of use, compatibility, and style (which is arguable, but I digress).
Would you rather spend hundreds more on a new MacBook Pro for a speedier SSD?
Now, some will argue that if you're spending this much money, you shouldn't have any performance degradation, but after all the supply chain issues that have driven up the price of consumer goods the world over, there is simply no way would could have gotten the same thing you'd gotten last time at the same price.
If you wanted peak performance across the board, you would now have to pay extra for that privilege. I don't like it, you don't like it, but we both know that this is very much the case after the past few years, and had Apple decided not to make the change to the SSD and just decided to jack up the price of the MacBook Pro 14-inch by $400 across the board, that would have been the thing everyone would rightly have complained about.
Meanwhile, Apple has essentially managed to produce a laptop that is otherwise 20% to 30% faster in all the workloads that MacBook Pro users need it for, so MacBook Pro shoppers shouldn't feel like this is the thing that they are getting cheated on. There are plenty of things about Apple's recent launch that are legitimately unacceptable (like offering a pittance for a trade-in on a 2021 MacBook Pro), but this really isn't it.
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A new exploit has been discovered that affects QNAP customers running the latest versions of its operating systems: QTS 5.0.1 and QuTS hero h.5.0.1, but don’t worry, apply this patch and you should be good.
The vulnerability is said to allow threat actors to inject malicious code, and has been awarded a common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) score of 9.8 (out of 10), rendering it of critical importance.
We’re unsure what the implications would be should a cyberattack take place, however QNAP is urging its customers to stay up to date and patch immediately.
QNAP security patch
The exploit, codenamed CVE-2022-27596, is marked as ‘resolved’ on the company’s website, which details how users can check for firmware upgrades.
QNAP NAS users should navigate to Control Panel > System > Firmware Update, and select Check for Update under Live Update. Users can also perform a manual update by downloading the firmware from Support > Download Center.
The vulnerability has been fixed in the following versions:
This isn’t the first time that QNAP customers have been urged to take action in order to prevent a cyberattack. In fact, the company is regularly under attack. That said, for the most part, it has responded promptly to exploits and issued timely patches, giving its users peace of mind that it’s committed to protecting their data.
Moreover, NAS attacks are an unfortunately common occurrence, and users of all device types are urged to protect their data as best they can. This can include using strong credentials and authentication, and using VPNs and firewalls, among other things.
Open-source password manager KeePass has refuted claims that it has a major security flaw allowing for undue access to user password vaults.
KeePass is designed primarily for individual use, rather than being a business password manager. It differs from many popular password managers in that it doesn't store its database in cloud servers; instead, it stores them locally on the user's device.
The newly discovered vulnerability, known as CVE-2023-24055, allows hackers who have already gained access to a user's system to export their entire vault in plain text by altering an XML configuration file, completely exposing all their usernames and passwords.
Not our problem
When the victim opens KeePass and enters their master password to access their vault, this will trigger the export of the database to a file that the hackers can steal. The process quietly goes about its business in the background, without notifying KeePass or your operating system, so there is no verification or authentication required, leaving the victim non the wiser.
Users on a Sourceforge forum have asked KeePass to implement the requirement of their master password to be inputted before the export is allowed to happen, or to disable the export feature by default and requiring the master password to reenable it.
A workable exploit of this vulnerability has already been shared online, so it is only a matter time before it is developed further by malware developers and made widespread.
While not denying the existence of the CVE-2023-24055 vulnerability, KeePass's argument is that it cannot protect against threat actors who already have control of your system. They said that threat actors with write access to a user's system could steal their password vault via all sorts of means which it could not prevent.
It was described as a 'write access to the configuration file' issue back in April 2019, with KeePass claiming that it is not a vulnerability pertaining to the password manager itself.
The developers said that "Having write access to the KeePass configuration file typically implies that an attacker can actually perform much more powerful attacks than modifying the configuration file (and these attacks in the end can also affect KeePass, independent of a configuration file protection)".
"These attacks can only be prevented by keeping the environment secure (by using an anti-virus software, a firewall, not opening unknown e-mail attachments, etc.). KeePass cannot magically run securely in an insecure environment", they added.
While KeePass are not willing to add any additional protections to prevent unauthorized export of the XML file, there is a workaround users can try. If they login as a user administrator instead, then they can create an enforced configuration file, which prevents the triggering of the export. They first have to make sure that no one else has write access to KeePass files and directories before they activate the admin account.
However, even this is not foolproof, since attackers could run an copy of the KeePass executable in another directory separate to where the enforced config file is stored, which means that, according to KeePass, "this copy does not know the enforced configuration file that is stored elsewhere, [therefore] no settings are enforced."
Want to lock down your system tight? Then you should consider using the best security keys
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We're fast approaching Samsung's first Galaxy Unpacked Event of 2023 - and that means we're mere hours away from the probable unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S23 series.
Yes, after months of rumors and speculation, we'll finally be getting eyes on the company's trio of new flagship phones, alongside a bevvy of new laptops (if the leaks hold true).
The Samsung Unpacked event starts at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT tomorrow (February 1), and we'll be with you every step of the way. Samsung will be streaming the whole thing online, and we've embedded the placeholder for that below. We also have a guide explaining How to watch the Samsung Galaxy S23 launch online live.
But you don't even need to do that, because we'll be at the event ourselves and will be reporting back as Samsung lifts the lid on its latest flagships. So scroll down for more details about what to expect, then keep this page bookmarked for all the last-minute rumors before the event, then all the news once it starts.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 - what to expect
Samsung Galaxy S23: The S23 looks like a relatively minor upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy S22, with the same 6.1-inch FHD+ screen, the same 120Hz refresh rate, and the same rear camera setup. But a new chipset - most likely the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - looks a cert, and the design should be brought more in line with the S23 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus: As with the S23, the Galaxy S23 Plus is likely to be an evolution rather than revolution. Expect a bigger 6.6-inch FHD+ screen and a larger battery than on the vanilla model, but not many other differences.
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: The standout reveal at Galaxy Unpacked should be the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. As well as getting a powerful new chipset it's tipped to get a whopping 200MP sensor on the rear camera. Elsewhere, a 6.8-inch QHD+ screen, up to 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery should give it the specs to compete with the best phones.
Samsung Galaxy Book 3 family: Rumors suggest that there will be several Galaxy Book 3 models debuting at Unpacked, including the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360, and the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.
One UI 5.1: The only software reveal at the event is likely to be the latest version of Samsung's One UI. This is unlikely to be a huge release, with bigger changes likely held back for the arrival of Android 14 later this year.
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 - livestream
Good afternoon and welcome to our Samsung Galaxy S23 event live blog.
We're just under 24 hours out from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, which is set to start at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT on February 1 (or 5am AEDT on February 2).
We'll be keeping a close eye on any breaking news ahead of the event, as well as giving you our verdict on the rumors so far. Then, once the event begins, we'll be sharing all the big news as it happens.
So, on with the show…
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Croma Smartphone Carnival sale 2023 is live with deals and bundled offers on a large selection of popular smartphones. We’ve handpicked the best deals you can grab today. If you’re looking to upgrade, we’ve got something for you.
Huawei could face stricter restrictions as the US government is said to have stopped approving licences for US firms to export items to the Chinese firm. Meanwhile, US officials are said to be creating a new formal policy of denial for shipping items to Huawei that would include items below the 5G level, such as 4G items, Wifi 6 and 7, artificial intelligence, and hig...
Intel has steered a bumpy road with its Arc Alchemist graphics cards, but a forthcoming driver update might offer a sizeable enough performance gain to keep the company's hopes of cracking into the discrete graphics market alive a little while longer.
Since the launch of the first Intel Arc A380 discrete GPU, halfway into 2022, Intel's GPU series has been plagued by a number of incompatibilities and driver issues, especially with older games running on DirectX 9.
According to a new report by German media outlet PC Games Hardware (via VideoCardz), Intel has tracked down the source of the performance bottleneck and fixed the issue. A major driver update in the near future aims to roll these changes out to the broader Arc ecosystem.
This would be a major boon for Team Blue since reported issues, including incompatibility and visual corruption, are going to be a major turn off for gamers. That's the one audience these cards needs to appease if Intel ever hopes to take on the best graphics cards from AMD and Nvidia.
To that end, PCGH tested 66 games across the years, going as far back as Unreal Tournament 2004 GOTY Edition (a DirectX 8 title), and only Halo Infinite had severe issues. Most games in the trial ran perfectly — and that was before the forthcoming driver update, which is said to fix major performance issues Intel's Arc cards have been facing.
Its not too late for Intel Arc, but time may be running out
With Intel Arc seemingly on the ropes for months (if not years), there's definitely reason to be cautionous about how much of a difference this driver update will make.
Intel's most recent earnings call did not exactly inspire confidence in the market, and Intel is going to be under enormous pressure to increase earnings in the year ahead. Intel's discrete graphics unit has already been in the crosshairs as the company's considerable investment hasn't resulted in a major graphics card launch that could compete with the likes of AMD and Nvidia.
Still, while Intel's Arc cards might be threatened, they haven't been shut down yet, and the company says it remains committed to seeing its discrete graphics project through.
With so much of the delay in the card's release being tied to issues with software drivers rather than the hardware itself, there is reason to hope that Intel's new cards can prove themselves to be major contenders for the best cheap graphics cards available,
That is sorely needed, as both AMD and Nvidia continue to release unacceptably expensive graphics cards that a majority of gamers have little hope of being able to afford.
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It’s been almost five years since Samsung unveiled what was then the world’s biggest solid state drive (SSD) in terms of capacity. The PM1643 was, for a very long time, the apex storage device but it did come with a hefty tag. Back in 2020, it retailed for just under $8,400 and three years later, still commands a hefty $4,939 sticker price.
A relatively newcomer is about to change all that, the Intel SSDPFWNV307TZ (soon to become Solidigm SSD D5-P5316) has dropped in price and now costs less than $2,699 at Walmart (and Newegg). At a little over $87/TB, it is quite an achievement given that 4TB PCIe Gen4 drives struggle to smash the $100/TB floor.
At the time of writing, a 4TB WD_Black SN850 retailed for $399.89 - which makes it TB for TB, more expensive than Solidigm’s - although Kingston’s NV2 2TB SSD could be had for $110. Born out of the acquisition of Intel’s NAND business back in 2021 and the subsequent spin off by SK Hynix, Solidigm’s D5-P5316 uses 144-layer QLC technology to reach write/read speeds of 3.6GBps and 7GBps respectively.
As it is a EDSFF L 9.5mm drive, it can be used in a compatible 1U server rack to reach a 1PB capacity but it won’t fit your laptop or desktop since it is a server product, it comes with support for hardware encryption (256-bit AES), temperature monitoring and logging as well as enhanced power data loss protection.
Solidigm states that the drive comes with a 5-year warranty as well as a lifetime between 23PBW (64K random) and 104PBW (64K sequential).
The rise of super SSDs
High capacity SSDs are gradually becoming mainstream; Nimbus Data’s Exadrive SSD reaches capacities of up to 100TB but costs about $40,000, a 5x increase in price compared Solidigm’s D5-P5316.
Kioxia, Seagate, Samsung, Micron and Solidigm alongside a host of smaller players (Nimbus Data, Dapustor Union Memory, Teamgroup, ScaleFlux and Memblaze) are vying for the enterprise market as consumer demand for storage components is petering.
While hard disk drives are still affordable, they consume more electricity (and dissipate more heat), are more likely to break down (because of mechanical parts), are generally heavier, are far slower and have only slowly grown in capacity. 30TB hard disk drives are expected to come later this year but for now 26TB is the absolute maximum available capacity on the market.
The only two things that make hard drives still attractive to hyperscalers like Microsoft, Google, Facebook are price (as low as $17 per TB, five times lower than the P5316) and the huge installed based of existing hard drives which makes it easier to just replace HDD rather than rip-and-replace or upgrade.
While some services like cloud storage or cloud backup will happily use hard drives, others like web hosting will gladly get rid of the bottleneck that spinning disks are.
With Kioxia, Samsung and Micron already ramping up production of NAND technology that uses 230 layers or more (50% extra capacity and more), it’s only a matter of time before SSDs reach parity, on a per TB basis, with hard disk drives.
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Intel appears to have quietly killed off its open source RISC-V developer environment, Pathfinder.
The news may come as a shock to many SoC architects, software developers, and product research teams, primarily because Pathfinder was only announced in August 2022, however to others, it may have been an expected move.
The company reported a catastrophic end to 2022, with its Q4 alone accounting for $661 million in losses, and has pulled the plug on a number of its other operations. Besides this, 544 of its California-based workers are at risk of redundancy, with the potential for more layoffs globally as the company gears up to what it calls a “meaningful number” of job cuts.
Intel Pathfinder
The 2022 press release unveiling Pathfinder details the number of RISC-V-focused initiatives that have rolled out over the years, indicating Intel’s commitment, however just months later, users began to report that it had been cut.
Intel has since updated its website with a statement that reads:
“We regret to inform you that Intel is discontinuing the Intel Pathfinder for RISC-V program effective immediately.”
The web page directs users to “promptly transition” to alternative RISC-V software tools, highlighting that bug fixes have also been stopped.
The program was designed to help its users develop RISC-V chips using industry-standard toolchains and as such had been supported by a number of RISC-V companies. It was split into a Professional Edition, and a more stripped back Starter Edition for hobbyists looking to give it a go.
Vijay Krishnan remained general manager for RISC-V ventures at the company for over a year and a half until it shut its doors this month, pushing him into a new role as general manager for new initiatives, indicating that Intel is turning its back on its RISC-V operations for now.
TechRadar Pro has asked Intel to confirm its decision to stop the Pathfinder program and whether it plans to continue investing in RISC-V in the future.
A new cyberattack that appears to be targeted at Ukraine and is designed to overwrite crucial Windows files has been spotted by security firm ESET.
“On January 25th #ESETResearch discovered a new cyberattack in Ukraine. Attackers deployed a new wiper we named #SwiftSlicer using Active Directory Group Policy. The #SwiftSlicer wiper is written in Go programing language. We attribute this attack to #Sandworm," a Tweet by the firm read.
Also known as Unit 74455, Sandworm is allegedly a group of Russian cybermilitary hackers working for the General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). The group is also credited with a number of other attacks in Ukraine, including a 2015 attack on the power grid, though these claims are currently unsubstantiated.
Sandworm SwiftSlicer cyberattack
“Once executed it deletes shadow copies, recursively overwrites files located in %CSIDL_SYSTEM%\drivers, %CSIDL_SYSTEM_DRIVE%\Windows\NTDS and other non-system drives and then reboots computer," ESET added in a further tweet.
Go, the programming language that underpins the attack, is said to be valued by threat actors for its versatility (via Bleeping Computer), and is used by a number of genuine companies for legitimate reasons, including Google, Twitter, and PayPal.
According to Ukraine’s Computer Emergency Response Team, Sandworm has been busy launching a number of other attacks in the country, including five data-wiping attacks on the National News Agency of Ukraine - Ukrinform.
One strain found in the new agency attack, CaddyWiper, has been observed in a number of attacks on Ukraine, indicating a link back to Sandstorm.
If Sandstorm is indeed an arm of the Russian military, then it’s clear that the multifaceted war is continuing to wreak havoc on the lives of so many Ukrainian companies and citizens.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 series, which will include a base model, a Plus model, and a high-end Ultra variant, will be unveiled on February 1 at the Galaxy Unpacked event. Previous reports indicated that the phones would be available in four colour options. According to a new leak, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series models may be available in more colour options, exclusively ...
Realme GT Neo 5 launch date has been revealed via a teaser poster. The upcoming smartphone is confirmed to launch in China in February. The smartphone will succeed the Realme GT Neo 3 5G, which was launched in 2022. It will offer 240W charging support, according to the company.
Oppo confirmed the arrival of the Oppo Reno 8T 5G in India. The new Reno 8 series smartphone will launch on February 3. It is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 695 SoC and could pack a dual rear camera unit headlined by a 108-megapixel main sensor.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us
HBO’s The Last of Us has earned rave reviews for its impressive loyalty to developer Naughty Dog’s era-defining PlayStation title, but the series’ third episode marked the first major deviation from Joel and Ellie’s in-game story.
‘Long Long Time’ puts the spotlight on Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), two lonely survivors who come together in the aftermath of the global Cordyceps outbreak. Both characters feature briefly in the original The Last of Us game, but HBO’s small screen adaptation dedicates an entire hour to delving deeper into their decades-long relationship.
In an interview with TechRadar ahead of the series' release, co-showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin explained the thinking behind their decision to go off-piste with The Last of Us episode 3 – which the pair have previously admitted will inevitably leave some fans “upset”.
“It came out of an interest I had in portraying Bill slightly differently, because the Bill section of the game was very much built around gameplay," Mazin tells us. "What fascinated me about Bill was that he was safe, that he had created this interesting little safe harbor in the world. Then my next question was, well, what happens to you if you're safe in this world? What next? Do you just stay there alone? What do you need? Why do you keep going? And I knew about the Frank storyline in the game, which, to me, sort of echoed the worst possible outcome for Joel.
Nick Offerman plays lonely survivalist Bill in The Last of Us(Image credit: HBO)
“But I thought there was an opportunity [with episode 3] to go in a different direction and explore the passage of time between the outbreak and where we are now, and also create a relationship that worked,” Mazin continues. “A relationship that, in its duality, helped define some themes that we'll see over and over again [in the show] – two very different kinds of love. Somebody that loves outwards, and nurtures and protects and creates. And somebody that loves by protection through violence and preservation.
“So I remember saying to Nick [Offerman] and Murray [Bartlett] that this relationship is the basis of everything. Everything is reflected in this [relationship]. And even though there is a bit of a blubbering that occurs, in their own way, they win. They get the happy ending.”
I think the change [in episode 3] became very indicative of what we prioritized in this show.
Neil Druckmann
When adapting The Last of Us for the screen, Druckmann – who penned the game’s original story – likewise felt it was important to leave certain gameplay-heavy moments on the cutting room floor.
“I think the change [in episode 3] became very indicative of what we prioritized in this show,” he says. “In my mind, a lesser adaptation would have looked at the Bill sequence and said, ‘Oh, there's this epic, iconic moment where Joel steps into a snare trap and is upside down and Ellie has to get him out of the ditch. And then Bill shows up and Bill saves you and that's how you bond with him through this long action sequence.’ You're relying on each other and then, through in-game dialogue and a bunch of different things, we reveal a hint at this backstory and this relationship.
Bill appears briefly in the original The Last of Us game(Image credit: Naughty Dog)
“But some of the brilliance of Craig is to say: that's not as important. That’s what would have been an important thing in the past, when you're adapting video games and looking at superficial aspects and thinking, ‘Oh, players want to see that gameplay moment.’ That's not what they want. They want the core of the heart of this experience. So when Craig said, ‘Let's focus on Bill and Frank instead of the set-piece, and do stuff that we couldn't do in the game, like jump around in time, and really show how people have survived over this 20-year gap’ – that’s a great counter-example of everything else we see [on Joel and Ellie’s journey]. That story is so beautiful and so moving.
“And ultimately,” Druckmann concludes, “when Joel and Ellie come back to that story – yes, it's different from what's in the game, but it helps elevate [the experience] in a way that I think is really strong for this medium. We couldn't have told this story in the game. And likewise, I think the show would have been less if we tried to tell the story [of Bill and Frank] in the game over here.”
The Last of Us is now streaming on HBO Max in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.
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When the iPhone 15 handsets make an appearance, we're once again expecting there to be several differences between the standard two phones and the two more expensive Pro models – and one of those differences could be in Wi-Fi support.
A leaked document posted by tipster Unknownz21 on Twitter (via MacRumors) makes reference to the antenna architecture for the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
According to the document, the standard iPhone 15 and the Plus model will stick with the same Wi-Fi 6 spec as the current iPhone 14 series. The Pro and the Pro Max, however, will be upgraded to the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard.
A numbers game
We had heard rumblings earlier in the week that Wi-Fi 6E would be coming to the iPhone 15 series in 2023, but at that stage we were thinking the upgrade was intended for all the models. Now that doesn't appear to be the case.
The difference between Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E isn't huge though: it supports an extra 6 GHz frequency band alongside 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, so while the speeds are similar, there's more capacity for more devices. You're also going to need a Wi-Fi 6E router to take advantage of the improved technology.
While it isn't mentioned in this document leak, we're assuming that if the iPhone 15 Ultra is real then it too will have the Wi-Fi 6E upgrade as well. It's not clear yet if the phone will be a separate model or take the place of the Pro Max version of the iPhone.
Analysis: more reasons to upgrade
In recent years Apple has clearly been trying to make the Pro model upgrades as worthwhile for people as possible, most recently with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The standard models almost seem neglected by comparison.
Last year, for example, we saw a speed difference between the two pairs of models for the first time: the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus got the A15 Bionic chipset, while the more expensive pair of phones got the latest A16 Bionic upgrade.
A slight upgrade in Wi-Fi standards might not be the most important spec when it comes to choosing a phone, but it's yet another reason to pick one of the Pro models when they go on sale (which will be in September, if Apple sticks to its usual schedule).
The danger is that the cheaper iPhones get ignored by buyers (and the Plus version is rumored to be not selling well at all) – but with the Pro models retailing for more money, it seems like a trade-off that Apple is happy to make.
We've already seen several price leaks for the Samsung Galaxy S23, but they're not stopping ahead of the expected launch of the phones on February 1. We now have information on pricing in Turkey, Germany and India.
Even if you don't live in those countries, these are important markers of how the handsets are going to be priced globally. In Turkey for example (from Roland Quandt via Notebookcheck), the Galaxy S23 phones are set to cost substantially more than their Galaxy S22 predecessors.
The starting price for the least expensive Galaxy S23 model is apparently going to be 50,000 Turkish lira – that works out as about $2,660 / £2,145 / AU$3,740, which is a small fortune. The main reason is high taxes on imported electronic goods.
Germany and India
Elsewhere in the world, rumored German pricing for the Galaxy S23 phones has appeared on WinFuture (via GSMArena). At starting prices of €949 (S23), €1,199 (S23 Plus) and €1,399 (S23 Ultra), a jump of around €100 in each case over the 2022 predecessors.
Finally there's pricing for India, which according to MySmartPrice (via Notebookcheck) is also going to be higher than the pricing we saw for the Galaxy S22. Here the S23 series is reportedly going to start at 79,999 Indian Rupees.
All of these leaks suggest that you'll be paying more for a Galaxy S23 phone than you would have done for a Galaxy S22 phone, although they're yet to be confirmed – though Samsung is already offering a number of Galaxy S23 deals.
Analysis: price matters
Galaxy S23 pricing rumors haven't been particularly consistent so far, although it does seem that Samsung might be able to match the Galaxy S22 pricing in the US at least. Elsewhere, as you can see above, it's looking like a different story.
Price leaks for both Australia and South Korea suggest that the 2023 phones are going to cost slightly more than their 2022 equivalents. That matches up with the leaks from Germany and India, while Turkey is a bit of an outlier.
All kinds of factors affect pricing of course, including taxes and manufacturing costs, and they're not all within Samsung's control. However, the company knows that it needs to put out an appealingly priced phone in order to attract buyers.
When you consider that the Google Pixel 7, for example, is available for a starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$999 (matching the Pixel 6), Samsung is going to have to bring out a really special smartphone to justify the extra money it's going to cost.
Privacy and Apple go hand in hand - it has for years now, and its recent video starring Nick Mohammad from Ted Lasso to promote Data Privacy week was inspired.
However, with today (January 28) being Data Privacy Day, it's important to look at other features that you can use with your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to help protect your data.
All of these are features that I switched on as soon as they've been introduced - with Advanced Data Protection being the latest one for me, as it was recently introduced in iOS 16.3.
With this in mind, there are a few other features, alongside Advanced Data Protection that you should consider switching on, and why you should do it as soon as.
Advanced Data Protection
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Introduced in iOS 16.3, not only does this allow you to protect your iCloud backups with an encrypted password, but your Safari bookmarks, your iCloud Drive contents, Notes and much more.
This way, you and you alone can only access this data - not even Apple. It adds another layer of protection for your data, especially if someone tries to break into your account, so any valuable data won't be able to be accessed by anyone else.
This feature also applies to iPadOS and macOS, so your data there in the same categories will be protected.
You can switch this on by going to Settings > iCloud > Advanced Data Protection.
Mail Protection
(Image credit: TechRadar)
We've all come across spam emails and other types that try to get your information to try and track you outside of your email. By going to Settings > Mail > Privacy Protection, Apple's Mail app will hide your IP address when you open a new message from your Inbox.
This means that the sender will not be able to tell if you opened their email, alongside a rough idea on the location of where you opened it.
Location
(Image credit: TechRadar)
It could be argued that too many apps ask for your location - Facebook is a good example here, especially when you use it to look at memes and check on how certain family and friends are.
Yet you might find that there could be too many apps tracking your location all the time, instead of when you're using the app.
You can check this by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and checking on every app displayed in the list, to see if its location is set to 'Always Allow' or 'Allow while Using'. Apart from Weather and Map apps, there really isn't a need to have 'Always Allow' on the majority of apps.
So set aside a few minutes in a lunch break and see which apps are trying to track your location, even when you're not using them.
Safety Check
(Image credit: TechRadar)
Introduced in iOS 16, this feature could be a big help in protecting your data from those you'd like to have out of your life.
Safety Check, found in Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check will give you a detailed overview of who's sharing what data with you, and you can easily restrict this in a couple of taps.
There's also a 'Quick Exit' on the top right which will bring you straight back to the home screen if someone wants to suddenly check your phone without your permission.
Passkeys
(Image credit: Future)
Another feature that launched with iOS 16, iPadOS 16.1 and macOS 13 Ventura, you can register a new account with a site without having to enter a new username and password.
You only need TouchID or FaceID to authenticate this, and you're good to go.
However, if it's an account you'll need in the future, you can save this to your iCloud Keychain, Apple's method of storing your usernames and passwords, by checking the 'Save passkey for account' option when you create one.
App Tracking
(Image credit: TechRadar)
A feature that Facebook was publicly not happy about - but in retrospect, this only made Meta look bad in the face of privacy.
Some apps have the ability to track your browsing in other apps like Safari and Mail, and as this is done with multiple methods, it's difficult for Apple to shut down these individual cases, which is where App Tracking comes in.
You can enable all apps to not track you, by going to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. You have a choice to turn on or off tracking for specific apps, or you can turn off the option altogether.
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With digital technologies at the center of our everyday life, the amount of data that's exchanged online keeps going up.
It isn't that surprising then, in fact, that the interest in the best VPN services among consumers is high everywhere. Governments across the world are also setting up new regulations on how such sensitive information should be stored, used, and shared.
New data laws like the EU GDPR are a significant step, but they are not enough. That's partly because cyberattacks are on the rise, too. Even worse, evidence actually suggests how home devices are now the top target.
On the occasion of the annual Data Privacy Day, we're then sharing nine tips on how to stay safe online and secure your anonymity when your data gets compromised.
As Vaibhav Antil CEO of Privado, one of the best free VPN providers around, said: "Data Privacy Day gives us all an opportunity to take a second and think about what we share about ourselves, when and where we share it, and who we are sharing it with."
1. Take the time to read privacy policies
Despite many instances on how companies mishandled users' data, the majority of people are still not taking the time to carefully check privacy policies before agreeing with the terms.
According to a 2019 Pew Research's study, only 9% of Americans actually do that. A similar scenario came out from a survey conducted by cybersecurity auditing firm Deloitte, too. Here, over 90% of the respondents admitted to giving consent to legal terms and conditions without reading them.
That's true, these policies are often very long and difficult to comprehend. This makes it a daunting task reading the terms and conditions for every service and apps we access online.
However, understanding how organizations use your information is the first step towards a more private online life.
Being aware of how your data will be treated is vital to be fully able to stay on top of your digital life. It will also allow you to better select the services you wish to subscribe to.
The growing need for users to understand privacy terms is actually pushing some big tech firms to simplify theirs for better transparency.
Short for virtual private network, a VPN is a software that spoofs your IP address location. At the same time, it encrypts all the data leaving your devices inside its VPN tunnel.
For how it works, a VPN is the tool you want to secure your anonymity online against both cybercriminals and the government's prying eyes. Using such a tool is especially important when you're connected to an unsecure public Wi-Fi network, as this is more vulnerable to attacks. A torrenting VPN is also vital to safely download files from the internet.
Besides privacy, these security services can also boost online performances overall in many ways. Check our explainer on all the main VPN benefits to know more. Our favorite provider on the market presently is ExpressVPN.
3. Consider other cybersecurity software
As online risks are increasingly multifaceted, so needs to be your data protection software response.
We recommend integrating the use of a VPN with other security software like the best antivirus solutions and password manager tools. Also, ad-blockers are essential if you're looking to stay private online.
The good news is that you don't even need to have many different subscriptions nowadays. That's because increasingly more providers are now offering full security suites, instead.
Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN, for example, come with their own password managers and ad-blocker features integrated into their VPN software. While, Surfshark One is an all-around security package which includes four cybersecurity tools with just one subscription. You can also check our guide of the best VPN with antivirus around right now for more recommendations.
Whether it's a VPN, antivirus, online game or any other apps, free services all have a common trait: being starving for your data.
That's simply because, as they don't charge you any money for their services, selling your information to third parties is what makes up their revenue.
On this point, Andrew Newman, founder of cybersecurity firm ReasonLabs, said: "When people choose not to share their information privacy, you see companies like Facebook and Google losing billions of dollars as a result. This goes to show you how collecting such information is so valuable to these advertising companies."
In worst cases, they might even infect your devices with malware. According to Newman, downloading free software is actually one of the main reasons home users have their systems compromised with viruses and other dangers in the first place.
5. Secure your online accounts
Online accounts are, arguably, the main door inside users' most sensitive information. That's why it is crucial to make these logins as hard as possible to be compromised.
Securing your online accounts comes down to a series of steps. Firstly, you must use strong passwords containing a mix of letters, numbers and special characters. It's also vital to never use the same password for different accounts. Again, using a password manager can assist you with all this.
You should also make the login process more secure by enablingmultifactor authentication (MFA). As it requires you to prove your identity twice or more, this may discourage bad actors from accessing your profile. Already a common practice for securing your email account, for example, most social media platforms are now offering this extra layer of security too.
You should also consider to set up login alerts to receive a notification every time your account has been accessed. This will make it easier to quickly respond in case of breach.
6. Keep all your devices always up-to-date
Update after update, providers can fix bugs and vulnerabilities on their operating systems.
For this, you should always make sure to run the latest version of your OS at all times to minimize the entry-points for an attack and shield your data against cybercriminals.
7. Review privacy settings on social and other apps
Likewise, privacy policies, it's good practice to carefully review settings and permissions for all the apps running on your devices. You'll be amazed to see how much information they can access about you by default.
Likewise, we recommend doing the same with all your online profiles.
As a rule of thumb, you should keep these to the strictly necessary for the service to correctly perform, especially on social media apps.
8. Be careful on what you click
Phishing links, a tactic involving spreading malware via malicious links and/or dangerous attachments, is one of the most common and successful ways to steal users' sensitive information. Cybercriminals may aim to get your login credentials and, then, approach your contacts to launch scams.
These malicious links are often shared via DMs and emails, but they are also increasingly looming across social media's posts and comments. Once the victim clicks on it, their account and/or device gets infected. Their data compromised.
Beware of those links or attachments that seem too good to be true, encouraging you to click or share personal details. You should always be mindful of catchy and shorten links, especially when they are sent from suspicious accounts. Check out the source before clicking on it as well as consider reporting any message that looks suspicious.
9. Regularly back up your data
Finally, regularly backing up your data is the best bet you have to retrieve your information in case they get lost as your device crashes, or worse, following a cyberattack.
Tactics like ransomware or wiper malware represents a great danger for your files. In the first instance, you often cannot take back control of your data even after agreeing to pay. While, the latter, it's a type of malware which erases all the material on your device within a click.
The Oppo Reno 8T is set to launch in the Philippines on February 8. An alleged retail listing of this upcoming Oppo smartphone has leaked, which is said to have revealed the pricing and key specifications of this smartphone.
Less than a week before the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event, new images have emerged for Samsung’s upcoming laptop line: the Galaxy Book 3; more specifically the Pro, 360, Pro 360, and Ultra models.
Keep in mind that these are leaked renders from MySmartPrice so it’s possible the final products will look a bit different. If these images are to be believed, the new devices won't look all that different to the previous Galaxy Book 2 line – Samsung isn’t reinventing the wheel design-wise. Plus, all three will come with the same basic ports like a microSD card slot and headphone jack. The more important changes, it seems, will happen under the hood.
The Galaxy Book 3 Pro will reportedly launch in two screen sizes, a 14-inch and 16-inch option, both of which might boast a 3K resolution AMOLED display. According to the leaks, customers can also choose between two processors – either a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-1340P or Core i7-1360P CPU.
Batteries will also differ depending on the model’s size. The 14-inch version may come with a 63W/hr (watt hour) battery while the 16-inch might sport a larger 76W/hr one. Rounding out the hardware, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro duo will come with 16GB DDR5 RAM, up to 1TB SSD, and an Iris XE GPU.
360 models
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Book 3 360 will have the ability to transform from a laptop to a tablet, hence the name. Leaks from earlier in the month show that this model could possibly launch with one screen size, 15 inches. That will make it a bit bigger than the Galaxy Book 2 360 laptop. Very little about this model is known other than it’ll come equipped with a 13th Gen Intel Evo i7 CPU and a stylus; speculated to be the S Pen. The Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 will also launch with the same accessory.
Speaking of which, the Book 3 Pro 360 may share similarities with its more rigid counterpart. For starters, it's rumored to come in the same 14-inch and 16-inch screen sizes while also sporting a Super AMOLED display at 3K resolution. According to the leaks, that resolution comes out to 2880x1800 pixels, which means an aspect ratio of 16:10.
It’s not yet confirmed if the Book 3 Pro will have this same pixel amount, but it’s probably a safe bet to say that it will. The Pro 360 “will be available in two processor options” – a 13th Gen Intel Evo i5 1340p and i7-1360 integrated with an Iris Xe GPU. Next to that chipset will be up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1 TB SSD for storage.
The Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 is also getting Dolby Atmos support for high-quality audio. It's unknown at this time if the other laptops will get this feature.
Galaxy Book 3 Ultra
Information on the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra leaked earlier on January 21, and it certainly lives up to its namesake. This model will reportedly launch with a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and the rumored NVIDIA RTX 4070 graphics card whose existence is a mystery. The Book 3 Ultra is slated to have a 16-inch, 3K AMOLED screen (2880x1880 pixels).
Take everything mentioned here with a grain of salt as things could change at the last minute, especially with the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra. Images and rumors of the RTX 4070 GPU are circulating on the internet, but there's nothing official coming from NVIDIA.
Information on the base Galaxy Book 3 model somehow hasn't leaked, but we’re not going to wait for too long to learn more. Samsung Unpacked 2023 is set for February 1. Be sure to check out TechRadar’s coverage of the event to stay up to date on what gets revealed.
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High-res audio. That has a nice ring to it, right? Yet most people are content to listen to regular-res audio on streaming services or via some physical format like CD or vinyl LPs. These folks are blissfully unaware that an opportunity exists to step things up to high-res.
Several of the best music streaming services offer high-resolution audio alongside their standard (uncompressed CD-quality) and compressed (reduced quality) streams. On some services, Tidal for instance, you’ll need to pay a higher price to access a high-res tier, while others like Apple Music and Amazon Music Unlimited bundle it into their standard-price plan. Yet others – we’re pointing our finger at you, Spotify – don’t offer high-res audio at all!
Accessing high-res audio isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but it’s now become a bit easier. The new CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer from Canada-based NAD Electronics is a compact device that you can add to your stereo or home theater system to take advantage of the high-res audio offerings on music streaming services. Just plug it in, connect it to your receiver or integrated amp, link up to your home’s Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet network, and you’ll be ready to rock out.
The affordable (US$349 / £299 / CDN$499) CS1 supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and AirPlay for streaming. But what really sounds neat about it is that you can use Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect to stream directly and control playback using the Tidal and Spotify apps. MQA support is onboard to enable playback of high-res Master quality music from Tidal, and the CS1 is a Roon endpoint. You’ll also be able to use Chromecast to cue up music from compatible apps, and the CS1 will take it from there, streaming tracks in standard or high-res format to its 24-bit/192kHz-capable Texas Instruments’ PCM5141 DAC.
As for connections, the CS1 sports analog RCA and both optical and coaxial digital outputs. The analog jacks allow for hookup to a wide range of gear old and new, while the digital outputs permit connection to the latest generation of powered speakers, or even a soundbar system.
(Image credit: NAD)
Analysis: High-res audio doesn’t need to be expensive – or complicated
There are low-cost ways to get into high-res music, but many of those options are for listening with headphones. And while there’s nothing wrong with pursuing audio bliss via the best headphones route, some people – me, for instance – prefer listening to music using a good, old-fashioned stereo speakers-plus-amplifier setup.
The high-end audio marketplace is filled with integrated amplifiers that are capable of streaming high-resolution audio over a Wi-Fi network from compatible services like Tidal or Qobuz. But many of those components are pricey, and they also require use of a custom, brand-specific app to facilitate streaming, with some apps doing that job much better than others.
Music fans wanting to add both streaming and high-res audio capability to an existing stereo setup that lacks those features might find their choices to be limited. One good option is the Node streaming DAC from NAD’s sister company Bluesound. The Node offers all of the same features as the CS1, but adds on an analog input, an HDMI eARC output, and, most significantly, app-based control using the company’s excellent BluOS control app. But even though the Bluesound Node is very much worth the money given all it does, at $599 / £549 / CDN$699 it still costs more than many people will want to spend.
For such folks, the lower-cost CS1 will come across as a more approachable option for adding streaming and high-res audio capability to an existing system. It’s true that you won’t get to use the BluOS control app used in the company’s pricier streaming-capable products, but not everyone will need the high level of features that app provides (multiroom streaming to multiple components, for instance). With the CS1, you can just fire up Tidal on your phone, tap play, and you’re off and running in high-res.
The NAD CS1 Endpoint Network Streamer will be available in March.
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Russian internet giant Yandex has denied it suffered a cyberattack after some of its internal source code was posted online.
The leaker posted 44.7GB worth of files, which they say are "Yandex git sources", as Torrent on a well-known hacker forum, with much of the company's source code believed to be included.
The files are thought to date back to February 2022, and although the leak does contain some API keys, these are only thought to have been used for testing deployment.
Fake help desk emails
BleepingComputer reports that an initial analysis of the files by software engineer Arseniy Shestakov noted that technical data and code for many of Yandex's top products appeared to be included.
Mail, Disk and Yandex Pay - the company's email, cloud storage and payment processing services respectively - were among the platforms affected. Oddly enough, though, its anti-spam rules were not.
Yandex denied that its systems had been hacked, instead blaming a former employee for leaking the source code repository.
"Yandex was not hacked. Our security service found code fragments from an internal repository in the public domain, but the content differs from the current version of the repository used in Yandex services," the company told BleepingComputer in a statement.
"We are conducting an internal investigation into the reasons for the release of source code fragments to the public, but we do not see any threat to user data or platform performance."
The news comes shortly after the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued a warning over the continual cyberattacks perpetrated by Russian and Iranian hacker groups.
Although the two groups do not appear in be in collusion, they are separately attacking the same types of organizations, which last year included government bodies, NGOs, and those in the defense and education sectors, as well as individuals such politicians, journalists and activists.
Wordle today offers a nice challenge that fits neatly between too easy and too hard - although you might find it leaning towards the latter if you don't choose the best Wordle start word.
In fact, there are a couple of complicating factors to today's game, so if you don't play carefully you could risk losing your streak. But I can help make sure that doesn't happen.
I'm a Wordle addict who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Wordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my hints and clues to Wordle #587.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Wordle today and Wordle yesterday are below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Wordle today (game #587) - hint #1 - Vowels
Wordle today has one vowel*
This is relatively unusual for Wordle - the game has an average of 1.75 vowels among its 2,309 answers.
The last game to have just one vowel in it was #581 on Saturday: BLURB.
* 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).
Wordle today (game #587) - hint #2 - first letter
The first letter in today's Wordle answer is W.
W is the 13th most common starting letter in Wordle, with 82 solutions beginning with this letter.
You'd have to go back all the way to Wordle #561, on Sunday 1 January, for the last time we had an answer that started with a W - in that case the solution was WHINE.
Wordle today (game #587) - hint #3 - repeated letters
There is one repeated letter in today's Wordle.
Repeated letters are quite common in the game, with 748 of the 2,309 Wordle answers containing one. That’s roughly 15%, meaning you'd get one every 6-7 games.
As it happens we last had one just yesterday, in game #586 (BEEFY).
Wordle today (game #587) - hint #4 - final clue
Still looking for clues for Wordle today? Don't worry, I'll give you one more hint for game #587.
Today's Wordle answer means to fret or torment.
If you just want to know the answer at this stage you can scroll down to see it, but I'd always recommend trying to solve it on your own first. We've got lots of Wordle tips and tricks to help you, including a guide to the best Wordle start words.
If you don't want to know the solution then DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER BECAUSE THE ANSWER IS DIRECTLY BELOW. So don't say you weren't warned!
Wordle today (game #587) - the answer
(Image credit: New York Times)
Wordle today was theoretically a tricky one, with an uncommon W at the start and a double-R in the middle.
WordleBot rated it at an average of 4.3, which is above the standard 4 that most games even out at. I managed it in 4/6 myself, so slightly below the average, despite a poor start that left me with 77 possible answers after my initial guess of CRATE.
With no vowels uncovered on my opening guess, I wanted to play a couple more on my second and went with ROUND. This proved quite fortunate, giving me a green O in position #2 and ruling out the R as the starting letter.
WordleBot said I now had just 7 possible solutions left, although I didn't know that at the time (you can only use WordleBot once the game is finished). However, I could see that there weren't many options, and came up with just 4 myself: WORRY, SORRY, LORRY and PORKY. The ones I missed were FORGO, MORPH and WORMY.
All of my options ended in a Y and three had a double R before that, so I decided to head down that path and played SORRY next. I wasn't right, but WORRY seemed a much more likely answer than the very British LORRY, and so it proved when all five letters turned green.
Hopefully you solved it too and found Wordle today to be a reasonably straightforward challenge.
Wordle yesterday (game #586) - hints
In a different time zone where it's still Thursday? Don't worry - I can give you some hints for Wordle #586 too.
Wordle yesterday had two vowels*
The first letter in yesterday's Wordle answer was B.
There was one repeated letter in yesterday's Wordle.
Yesterday's Wordle answer means heavily built.
Wordle yesterday (game #586) - the answer
(Image credit: New York Times)
Wordle #586 was quite a tough one, with WordleBot stating that it took most people 4.6 guesses to solve it. That's really high: anything above 4 is more difficult than normal, and once you get past 4.5 you're into very hard territory.
There are a couple of reasons why it might have proved difficult. For starters, it has an F in the fourth position, something that only occurs in 35 of Wordle's 2,309 games. The double-E in the middle is not that uncommon - 59 games have an EE somewhere - but it still makes the word harder to guess.
Plus, as a word itself BEEFY isn't all that common; it's definitely on the slang side of things.
Fortunately, I got very lucky with my second guess after my opening CRATE left me with just a single yellow E.
My go-to second word in these situations is BLEND and that came up trumps, giving me a green B and green E and leaving me with just one possible solution. Lucky me!
Wordle answers: The past 50
I've been playing Wordle every day for more than a year now and have tracked all of the answers so I can help you improve your game. Here are the past 50 solutions starting with yesterday's answer.
Wordle #586, Thursday 26 January: BEEFY
Wordle #585, Wednesday 25 January: MAIZE
Wordle #584, Tuesday 24 January: COUNT
Wordle #583, Monday 23 January: ELUDE
Wordle #582, Sunday 22 January: MATEY
Wordle #581, Saturday 21 January: BLURB
Wordle #580, Friday 20 January: ALTER
Wordle #579, Thursday 19 January: MUCKY
Wordle #578, Wednesday 18 January: CHARD
Wordle #577, Tuesday 17 January: ADOPT
Wordle #576, Monday 16 January: FROCK
Wordle #575, Sunday 15 January: SPIRE
Wordle #574, Saturday 14 January: KOALA
Wordle #573, Friday 13 January: HUMAN
Wordle #572, Thursday 12 January: LEAPT
Wordle #571, Wednesday 11 January: SEDAN
Wordle #570, Tuesday 10 January: GRIMY
Wordle #569, Monday 9 January: PIXIE
Wordle #568, Sunday 8 January: OPERA
Wordle #567, Saturday 7 January: LEMON
Wordle #566, Friday 6 January: BELIE
Wordle #565, Thursday 5 January: SLEEK
Wordle #564, Wednesday 4 January: LAYER
Wordle #563, Tuesday 3 January: ANTIC
Wordle #562, Monday 2 January: SKIRT
Wordle #561, Sunday 1 January: WHINE
Wordle #560, Saturday 31 December: MANLY
Wordle #559, Friday 30 December: MOLAR
Wordle #558, Thursday 29 December: HAVOC
Wordle #557, Wednesday 28 December: IMPEL
Wordle #556, Tuesday 27 December: CONDO
Wordle #555, Monday 26 December: JUDGE
Wordle #554, Sunday 25 December: EXTRA
Wordle #553, Saturday 24 December: POISE
Wordle #552, Friday 23 December: AORTA
Wordle #551, Thursday 22 December: EXCEL
Wordle #550, Wednesday 21 December: LUNAR
Wordle #549, Tuesday 20 December: THIRD
Wordle #548, Monday 19 December: SLATE
Wordle #547, Sunday 18 December: TAPER
Wordle #546, Saturday 17 December: CHORD
Wordle #545, Friday 16 December: PROBE
Wordle #544, Thursday 15 December: RIVAL
Wordle #543, Wednesday 14 December: USUAL
Wordle #542, Tuesday 13 December: SPOKE
Wordle #541, Monday 12 December: APPLY
Wordle #540, Sunday 11 December: NAIVE
Wordle #539, Saturday 10 December: KNOCK
Wordle #538, Friday 9 December: BRAID
Wordle #537, Thursday 8 December: INFER
What is Wordle?
If you're on this page then you almost certainly know what Wordle is already, and indeed have probably been playing it for a while. And even if you've not been playing it, you must surely have heard of it by now, because it's the viral word game phenomenon that took the world by storm last year and is still going strong in 2023.
We've got a full guide to the game in our What is Wordle page, but if you just want a refresher then here are the basics.
What is Wordle?
Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day. You get six guesses, with each one revealing a little more information. If one of the letters in your guess is in the answer and in the right place, it turns green. If it's in the answer but in the wrong place, it turns yellow. And if it's not in the answer at all it turns gray. Simple, eh?
It's played online via the Wordle website or the New York Times' Crossword app (iOS / Android), and is entirely free.
Crucially, the answer is the same for everyone each day, meaning that you're competing against the rest of the world, rather than just against yourself or the game. The puzzle then resets each day at midnight in your local time, giving you a new challenge, and the chance to extend your streak.
What are the Wordle rules?
The rules of Wordle are pretty straightforward, but with a couple of curveballs thrown in for good measure.
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. Answers are never plural.
5. 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.
6. Each guess must be a valid word in Wordle's dictionary. You can't guess ABCDE, for instance.
7. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses unless you play on Hard mode.
8. You have six guesses to solve the Wordle.
9. You must complete the daily Wordle before midnight in your timezone.
10. All answers are drawn from Wordle's list of 2,309 solutions. However…
11. Wordle will accept a wider pool of words as guesses – some 10,000 of them. For instance, you can guess a plural such as WORDS. It definitely won't be right (see point 4 above), but Wordle will accept it as a guess.
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