Samsung Galaxy S24+, Galaxy S24 Ultra Battery Details Leaked Via Certification Site: All Details

Samsung Galaxy S24 series is expected to launch early next year, succeeding the Galaxy S23 series which was released in February 2023. Certain specifications and features of the Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24 Ultra have been tipped recently. Now, the battery details of the handsets have also leaked online.

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MySpace turns 20: 5 things we still miss in the age of Twitter's meltdown

MySpace launched exactly 20 years ago today – so if you remember the pre-Facebook beast of social networks, it's time to join us for a celebration of its charms and idiosyncrasies. 

As we survey the charred remains of Twitter, it's easy to forget just how massive MySpace was in the early 2000s. Soon after launching on August 1, 2003, MySpace overtook Google and Yahoo Mail in 2006 to become America's most visited website, according to Hitwise data. For the rest of that decade, it was the world's biggest social networking site.

So what went wrong? A combination of being acquired by News Corp – who filled MySpace new features and ads – plus the rise of Facebook, meant that the 'place for friends' quickly became slightly embarrassing joke. After a relaunch in 2012 that saw it try to be too many things, MySpace went on a slide that ultimately saw it become the niche music website it is today.

(Image credit: 360b / Shutterstock)

But that doesn't mean we've forgotten the site's early years. Not everyone on the TechRadar team looks back on those early MySpace years fondly, with our US editor in chief Lance Ulanoff recalling that it "it was like peoples' brains had been turned inside out and whatever didn't stick, dropped onto the page and was represented as a GIF".

Many of us do, though, remember picking our Top 8s (the site's weird ranking system for your friends) and decorating our MySpace pages with as many flashing lights as possible. So here are the five main things we miss about the original social network...

1. It was a place for genuine musical connection

MySpace was the best (and for a while, the only) way to feel close to bands I loved.

The year is 2006. Facebook has launched, but that is for ogling the current miens of historic crushes, shallow and impersonal ‘pokes’ plus the deflection of Scrabble requests from people you’re now glad you never dated in high school.

MySpace is not about silly visages and it isn’t about geographical locations (I was trotting around the world having quite the career as a professional dancer thanks very much, but MySpace wasn’t about me). No, MySpace is a place to look out – at bands expressing themselves on a much deeper level about musical influences, pride at upcoming tour dates and crucially, album launches. In the pre-Twitter era, it felt so personal and real.

(Image credit: MySpace)

I felt like I understood what each of Patrick Watson’s gifted Montreal-based musicians brought to Close to Paradise, the potentially difficult second album which only went and won the 2007 Polaris Music Prize, beating Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible to do so. I celebrated the win in my small London flat, thousands of miles away from the Phoenix Concert Theater in Toronto.

And I think for a while, only MySpace made this possible.

Becky Scarrott, Senior Audio Staff Writer

2. MySpace made me feel like I was popular

Before Tinder, Bumble, Happn, Hinge and all the rest, there was… MySpace? Well, sort of. 

When the social network crashed onto our computer screens 20 years ago, smartphones weren’t a thing, so dating apps didn’t exist. There were dating sites, sure, but the late-twenties-me would never have considered signing up for one. 

Of course, I didn’t painstakingly craft my MySpace profile with romance in mind, either. Far from it. When MySpace arrived, I was working as a music journalist and it was the platform’s possibilities as a showcase for new talent that most excited me and my colleagues. Arctic Monkeys famously got their big break via demos uploaded to a MySpace fan page, and I spent many hours trawling the site for the next big thing.

(Image credit: Future)

I also spent many hours chatting to people on it when I should have been working – and that was solely because this newfangled social media thing made it possible for a socially awkward individual like me to actually make friends (in a sense).

I had help here: my workmates were all far cooler and more sociable than me, so it was very easy for me to garner huge numbers of Connections simply by piggybacking on their popularity. And in no time at all, I was the king of social media! The popular kid I’d always wanted to be at school! Look, I’ve got 200 friends on MySpace! Take that, school bullies!

The high, for me, was also the low. I got chatting to a friend of a friend of a friend, we hit it off and, somehow, we agreed to go on a date. Obviously this was a bad idea, because chatting to someone online is not the same as talking to them in real life, particularly for a socially awkward individual like me. The date was a disaster and I never tried that again. I still liked pretending I had hundreds of friends, though.

Marc McLaren, UK Editor in Chief 

3. It actually taught me to code

MySpace was my first interaction with a social media site. Outside of online chat rooms, like MSN Messenger, it offered a space on the web that you could own – much like a blog page. 

I was encouraged to sign-up for it in school by friends and, caving under the pressure, made a profile. Much like Messenger, where it was ‘kewl’ (why did we all type like this?) to use the plugin that showed what music you were listening to, MySpace also had a dedicated music player. It was a space for self expression, which meant that changing the style of your profile page with HTML and CSS became a big part of it.

(Image credit: Codecademy)

This was the early 2000s, when I didn’t know a lot about Web 1.0 or coding, and I wasn’t going to buy a MySpace layout, so I eventually worked out the basic prompts needed to hide my top eight friends as well as to add in some funky widgets that made my comments become visible again using JavaScript or Flash. 

I’m probably guilty for all the bugs that were on the site back then – sorry, Tom!

Amelia Schwanke, Senior Editor for Home Entertainment     

4. It was my favorite internet echo chamber

Many people, my colleagues included, remember discovering great bands and exciting new music on MySpace. But for me, my memories of MySpace is one of echo chambers and tribalism, albeit with a degree of fondness.

I was 15 years old, deep in a phase of palatable punk-rock, wallet chains and baggy jeans. All my friends were of a similar disposition: skateboarding, playing in local bands, and using MySpace to chat online outside of school. Via the magic of HTML and MySpace’s feature that allowed you to play a song automatically when you visited a page, scrolling through my top friends on MySpace would have assaulted your ears with a variety of alternative classics from Sum 41, Iron Maiden, Green Day, Rage Against the Machine, Korn… you get the picture. A mixed bag of sub-genres you could today throw into a Spotify playlist titled simply ‘rock’.

Our school was split right down the middle: the alternative kids took MySpace, the sporty kids who listened to pop chose Bebo, and never the twain shall meet. Rather than using MySpace as a tool to discover new music, it was a safe space to express our fondness for the music we already knew and loved. I remember MySpace fondly as my first ‘virtual hangout’ space, a village hall tailored to the interests of myself and my friends.

(Image credit: MySpace)

I switched to Facebook after all my friends did the same, and was disappointed at the lack of personality I was able to inject into the look and feel of my Facebook page. Where were my poorly-animated flames? The auto-playing music? Where was Tom? 

I didn’t know it then, but that was the start of my experience with the Corporate Internet, a move away from spending my time online with MySpace, HTML and link-surfing through the old Blogosphere, and more time spent in boxes set up by billionaires scraping our data for advertisements. When I remember MySpace, I remember the internet’s halcyon days, the advent of social networking, and sticking it to the man, Jack Black-style. Rock on, dudes. 

Matt Evans – Fitness, Wellness and Wearables Editor

5. It was the last age of social media innocence

It's hard to say exactly when social media became the performative, carefully stage-managed PR campaign that it is today, but MySpace reminds me of the innocent time before mass pile-ons and billionaire acquisitions. It was a bit like discovering your first favorite dive bar, before an inevitable takeover turned it into another sterile chain covered in fake graffiti.   

Before TheFacebook.com had escaped Harvard, MySpace was home to the photo albums that the unsuspecting pioneers of the early noughties would later look back on with fondness and, perhaps, more than a little regret.

(Image credit: BBC / Myspace)

A case in point are the accounts and grainy photos from some today's biggest Premier League soccer players, which have resurfaced to provide some excellent WhatsApp ammunition for their fellow team-mates. The cruise album above from what appears to be soccer player Harry Kane is a particularly fine example.

Still, the good news for anyone who uploaded some slightly embarrassing songs, photos or videos to MySpace before 2015 is that they've probably all disappeared – back in 2019, the social networking site blamed a faulty server migration for the permanent loss of 200TB of data from its first decade of existence. Cue a collective sigh of relief from everyone who'd forgotten all about their early MySpace adventures. 

Mark Wilson, Senior news editor

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Apple Supplier Foxconn Said to Invest $500 Million to Build Component Factories in India

Apple's main supplier, Foxconn Technology Group, is planning to invest close to $500 million (roughly Rs. 4,115 crore) to build two component factories in India. At least one of the factories that the Taiwanese company plans to construct in Karnataka will produce Apple parts, including for iPhones, people familiar with the matter said.

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Samsung didn't put an S Pen inside the Galaxy Z Fold 5 for a very relatable reason

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 could have included an S Pen. No, not the one currently offered on the optional case, but inside the body of Samsung's largest and most productive foldable. This isn't guesswork, Samsung's design team considered it, going so far as to create an aluminum mockup with the integrated S Pen. I saw it, touched it, and even popped the S Pen out.

Samsung however, chose a different path. In fact, the road to the current Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 was full of such design considerations, something I learned when I (along with an invited collection of international journalists) sat down during Samsung UnPacked last week with the company's mobile design team at Samsung Headquarters in Suwan, South Korea.

The full expression of Samsung's foldable line was developed and influenced not just by last year's model or even the most recent Samsung Galaxy S23 line. 

Choose your aspect ratio. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

According to the man who worked on every Samsung smartphone since 2000, Samsung Head of Foldable Smartphone Design Tae-joong Kim (also known as "The Master" by his colleagues), the new foldables are influenced by everything from the company's first dual-screen folding phone to the thin Ultra Edition 5.9 and Armani Phone, both launched in 2007. The latter was the first collaboration with a third-party design company.

For its latest Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, the team went through countless prototypes and showed us many of them in their mock design studio.

Along with the pen, Samsung considered a wide variety of aspect ratios for the Z Fold 5, including some that made the cover screen look considerably wider and, yes, more like a Google Pixel Fold.

Some foldable mockups that show the potential impact of different cover screen aspect ratios. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Samsung's design team stuck with the relatively narrow form factor because they believe it offers the best "usability and grip and portability."

That Samsung looked into those other ratios makes me wonder if we'll see a change in the not-too-distant future. When Samsung was the only big-name foldable game in town, it could afford to tell consumers what their foldable experience should be like. Now, though, consumers have seen the well-reviewed Pixel Fold and Samsung may have to take a second look at those aspect ratio studies when it comes time to design the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Image 1 of 2

See? There's an S Pen in this mockup. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Image 2 of 2

These foldables, including the S Pen one on the left, look real, but they're just pretty blocks of metal. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Still, the potential inclusion of the S Pen really intrigued me. Based on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, we know Samsung can easily integrate the pen into the body of a not-too-thick smartphone. Plus, as I mentioned to Samsung Head of MX Design Hubert Lee, Samsung should consider including an S Pen in the $1,799.99 / £1,749 price of the Z Fold 5. After all, few people have adopted foldables, and even fewer understand the productivity potential of the Z Fold 5.

What better way to educate consumers than to have early adopters all running around with an S Pen that they pop out of the phone or off the case and use to draw, take notes, or markup a document on the Main unfolded screen? I don't want to speak for Lee, but he didn't dismiss my idea and his assistant appeared to take notes.

Image 1 of 6

The designers at work in Samsung's mock design studio. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Image 2 of 6

This guy spent a lot of time on the Z Fold 5 camera array. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Image 3 of 6

Samsung spends a lot of time considering colors and materials for everything from the face plates to the hinge covers. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Image 4 of 6

Z Fold 5 color considerations. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Image 5 of 6

Some Z Fold 5 body design work. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Image 6 of 6

Some credos from Samsung's walls. Words to live and design by. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Oh, but what a wonder it would be to have a Z Fold 6 that offers an embedded pen.

When I asked why Samsung didn't go ahead with that idea this time, Lee told me, "There's a lot to consider. You can't just stick a pen in there. If you stick in a pen in there are other cost consequences. For now, we decided not to have the pen in the Fold."

Those consequences are probably the weight, thickness, and battery life of the device. All would change with a pen tunneled into the body. The phone might get thicker, it could be a little heavier, and you'd definitely lose some battery capacity. The last bit is especially concerning because the current Z Fold 5 has the same battery capacity and life as the last model. It really can't afford to lose a few hours of performance to an integrated S Pen.

As Samsung EVP and head of R+D office Won-Joon Choi told us later, when developing these products, "every millimeter, every gram matters."

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Known Android flaws are just as bad as zero-days, finds Google

Google’s latest annual review of zero-day exploits has claimed known vulnerabilities could be even worse than zero-day vulnerabilities.

In its report, Google asks whether zero-days are even needed on Android. Typically, a vulnerability would be most concerning before it becomes public. During this (hopefully short) period, an attacker can execute exploits without having to worry about a patch.

In the case of Android, as soon as Google becomes aware of the vulnerability, it is then an n-day flaw, regardless of patch status.

Android patches are just too slow

Google added that in some cases, patches have not been available to users for a significant amount of time across its ecosystem, which it blames on a disconnect between upstream (developer) fixes and the downstream (manufacturer) adoption.

Read more

> These are the best Android antivirus apps

> Researchers claim malware is rife on the Google Play Store

> Google Play reveals major crack down on app store malware

A 2022 report entitled ‘Mind the Gap’ concluded that device vendors should be just as quick to react to patches as end users are advised to be.

A total of 41 zero-days were detected in 2022, down a staggering 40% from the previous year during which 69 had been detected, however with n-day vulnerabilities more exploitable than they should be, attackers have not been subject to the same reduction in attackable surfaces.

At the same time, Google highlighted ineffective patch methods which only serve to fix the exploit method seen being used, rather than the vulnerability as a whole, which it says is not comprehensive and doesn’t constitute a complete patch.

Moving forward, Google clearly places an emphasis on clear communication and collaboration, urging that all parties share as many technical details as possible following detailed analyses.

The company also calls for “fixes and mitigations to [get to] users quickly so that they can protect themselves.”

• Here's our run-down of the best malware removal tools and the best endpoint protection

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Sony announces US pricing for its 2023 QD-OLED TVs – and it’s lower than predicted

Sony has announced US pricing for its A95L QD-OLED TVs, the company’s flagship OLED TV line for 2023. The new models will be sold in 55-, 65-, and 77-inch screen sizes, and will be available for pre-order starting on August 21.

General pricing and availability for Sony’s 2023 TV lineup had been announced back in early June, but there was no mention of the A95L series in Sony’s announcement. Last year’s A95K models ranked among the best OLED TVs, so we were anxious to hear news of the new A95L, which we had a positive response to when we performed a hands-on A95L evaluation back in March.

Like Samsung’s QD-OLED models for 2022, Sony’s QD-OLED TVs were sold only in 55- and 65-inch screen sizes, and they were pricier than Samsung’s offerings. Based on that information, we speculated that the new Sony TVs would be similarly expensive. As it turns out, Sony has actually reduced prices for its QD-OLED TV line, which now includes a 77-inch model.

Here are the US prices for Sony’s A95L TVs:

• 77-inch Class: $4,999.99
• 65-inch Class: $3,499.99
• 55-inch Class: $2,799.99

According to Sony, A95L owners can expect up to two times the peak brightness of last year’s A95K, a feat the new TVs pull off via a combination of a more efficient display panel, Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR, and a physical heat sink.

The A95L TVs are well-suited for gaming, with 4K 120Hz and Dolby Vision gaming support and a  'Perfect for PlayStation 5' designation, which means that an auto genre picture mode and auto HDR tone mapping get triggered when the TV detects input from a connected PS5 gaming console.

Sony’s new QD-OLEDs also have Acoustic Surface Audio+, a feature that uses actuators positioned behind the OLED panel that vibrate the screen to emit sound, and Acoustic Center Sync, which elevates voices so they more directly match on-screen visuals when a Sony soundbar is used. A Sony Bravia Cam is included for video chats on Google Meet.

Analysis: QD-OLED remains expensive, but prices are starting to creep down to earth 

When Sony released its first QD-OLED TVs in 2022, at $2,999 / £2,399 for a 55-inch model and $3,999 / £3,499 / AU$5,995 for a 65-inch one, they were priced far above other flagship OLED TVs, including the LG G2.

Interestingly, Samsung’s own 2022 S95B series QD-OLED TVs were priced at a level that seemed intentionally designed to undercut Sony, with the company selling a 55-inch model for $1,799 / £1,999 and a 65-inch one for $2,799 / £2,999.

Reversing that trend, Samsung’s lineup for 2023 is priced considerably higher than last year’s offerings, with a 55–inch model selling for $2,499 / £2,399 / AU$3,999 and a 65-incher for $3,299 / £3,599 / AU$4,999. The new 77-inch screen size, meanwhile, costs $4,499 / £5,099 / AU$7,999.

Samsung raising prices for its QD-OLED TVs doesn’t come as a complete surprise since its new models deliver significantly higher peak brightness – something we confirmed in our Samsung S95C QD-OLED TV review. What is surprising is to see Sony lower prices for its models to a level that nearly closes the gap with Samsung. 

What’s so great about QD-OLED TV tech that it commands such high prices? QD-OLED differs from standard OLED in that a quantum dot layer is combined with a regular OLED display panel. This addition results in more vibrant colors and, in particular, enhanced brightness, with QD-OLED TVs beating their OLED counterparts when it comes to peak light output. 

Since we haven’t formally tested it yet, we can’t say if Sony’s new QD-OLED matches Samsung’s flagship model when it comes to performance. What we can say is that anyone trying to make a buying decision between the two brands based on price alone will have a tougher decision in 2023, especially as the holiday sales kick in toward the end of the year.

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Oppo A78 4G India Launch Confirmed, Company Teases Design Ahead of Debut

Oppo A78 4G India launch will take place soon, as the company has teased the launch of the A-series handset in the country. It has also revealed the design of the smartphone. However, the specifications and features of the Oppo A78 4G in India are yet to be revealed.

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Samsung Galaxy S24 Series May Use Titanium Chassis, Galaxy S24+ Said to Pack Larger Display Than Predecessor

Samsung Galaxy S24 series is reportedly in the works. We don’t have any confirmation from Samsung at the moment, but according to noted tipster Ice Universe, Samsung will pack a larger display on the Galaxy S24+ model. The tipster also hints that Samsung might use stronger material for the Galaxy S24 series chassis instead of the aluminium frames used in the Galaxy...

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Quordle today - hints and answers for Monday, July 31 (game #553)

It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off. 

Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, around 18 months after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's good fun, but also difficult.

What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keeping it fresh in the form of a new variant called the Daily Sequence, which sees you complete four puzzles consecutively, rather than concurrently. 

But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for this game 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 #553 and the answers to the main game and 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 #553) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). 

Quordle today (game #553) - 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 7.

Quordle today (game #553) - 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 #553) - hint #4 - total letters

How many different letters are used in Quordle today?

• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 11.

Quordle today (game #553) - hint #5 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #553) - hint #6 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #553) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• C

• S

• T

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

Quordle today (game #553) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #553, are…

• SQUAT
• CHOSE
• SNORT
• THERE

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Daily Sequence today (game #553) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #553, are…

• TEASE
• CARRY
• PENNY
• DEBUT

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #552, Sunday 30 July: SHAWL, WRITE, ALONG, DEMON
• Quordle #551, Saturday 29 July: VALUE, ALONG, ALIVE, LEAST
• Quordle #550, Friday 28 July: TOTEM, BASAL, PULSE, COUCH
• Quordle #549, Thursday 27 July: EVADE, SPICE, FLOAT, ALIGN
• Quordle #548, Wednesday 26 July: INDEX, TAKER, CURVE, PEACH
• Quordle #547, Tuesday 25 July: HAIRY, ROWDY, QUARK, LIMIT
• Quordle #546, Monday 24 July: STUFF, HIPPO, LIVER, BLINK
• Quordle #545, Sunday 23 July: ENTRY, GIDDY, STAMP, VOMIT
• Quordle #544, Saturday 22 July: BEFIT, JIFFY, ARENA, TOUCH
• Quordle #543, Friday 21 July: ROUND, TEPID, LIVER, IRATE
• Quordle #542, Thursday 20 July: ENTER, TRULY, USUAL, CIVIL
• Quordle #541, Wednesday 19 July: WORST, KAYAK, HENCE, ZEBRA
• Quordle #540, Tuesday 18 July: DEBUT, HOARD, SILLY, UPPER
• Quordle #539, Monday 17 July: LUPUS, ALIVE, SALLY, ABLED
• Quordle #538, Sunday 16 July: STEAM, SALTY, SLOOP, TRUSS
• Quordle #537, Saturday 15 July: CYCLE, FALSE, FRILL, HEAVY
• Quordle #536, Friday 14 July: LIBEL, CABLE, WREAK, SCOPE
• Quordle #535, Thursday 13 July: BASTE, QUERY, SNAIL, PEARL
• Quordle #534, Wednesday 12 July: VOICE, MANGA, FROTH, BLOAT
• Quordle #533, Tuesday 11 July: MODEL, AISLE, LIMBO, TULLE

Quordle FAQs: Everything you need to know

What is Quordle?

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. 

It's played online via the Quordle website and you can also get to it via the Merriam-Webster site, after the dictionary purchased Quordle last year. 

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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Assassin's Creed Mirage will only take around 25-30 hours to complete

Depending upon your viewpoint, we have good news or bad: Assassin's Creed Mirage will take around 20 hours to complete.

For some, this will be welcomed news, allowing people to dive headfirst into an Assassin's Creed adventure, knowing they won't have to dedicate months of their free time to get to the end.

This will be disappointing for others, though, as Assassin's Creed games have traditionally offered a lot of bang for their buck and provided hundreds of hours of entertainment. 

According to lead producer Fabian Salomon, however, who spoke to YouTuber Julien Chièze earlier this week, the upcoming Assassin's Creed adventure can be completed in 20 hours if players rush through, and around 30 hours for players who take their time and complete every mission.

"Given that we do a lot of playtesting internally at Ubisoft, it's part of our process, we really want to get as close as possible to the players, so we'll say that the latest playtimes we've received average at around 20-23 hours," Salomon said, as translated by PCGN.

"That can go up to 25-30 hours for the completionists, and we'll say that those who will be rushing the game will be around 20 hours."

Given prior instalments like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Odyssey roughly take around 60 hours to get through the main campaign – and double that if you commit to completing all the side missions and extra collectibles, too – that means Mirage will be around a fifth of the length of its predecessors.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is finally sending the series back to its roots with classic traversal and poses that look like something straight out of the first Assassin's Creed title. 

ICYMI, rumor has it Ubisoft is rebooting Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag. According to recent reports, Ubisoft's remake of the 2013 sea-shanty smasher is "still in its earliest stages" but reportedly involves the team based at Ubisoft Singapore. 

If true, it's an interesting decision, not least because Ubisoft is also set to debut another all-new swashbuckling franchise, Skull and Bones. Yes, the pirate adventure was recently delayed once again, but it's nonetheless set to release sometime in 2023-2024 – which may give Ubisoft the litmus test it needs to assess the appetite for the Black Flag reboot. 

The best Assassin’s Creed games often offer it all: A hero you can’t help but root for, oodles of intrigue, a beautiful part of the world to explore, and some of the best stealth and RPG combat up for grabs. Here are our picks of the best Assassin’s Creed games: every series entry ranked. Where does your favorite Assassin's Creed tale rank?

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Diablo 4 Sorcerer and Barbarian buffs are coming, says Blizzard

Blizzard has confirmed that buffs for Diablo 4's Sorcerers and Barbarians are on the way.

In yet another fireside chat with senior members of the Diablo 4 development team - associate game director Joe Piepiora, lead class designer, Adam Jackson, director Joe Shely, and associate director of community management, Adam Fletcher - the group addressed the most pressing issues arising from Patch 1.1.0, and revealed what changes players should expect when Patch 1.1.1. rolls out on August 8.

Front and center were changes to Diablo 4's classes. While the team says no class will go unloved, players maining Sorcerers and Barbarians should expect to see the biggest improvements after big nerfs adversely affected the strength and resilience of those classes.

"We want to kind of improve the effectiveness and fun of the Sorcerer and Barbarian," lead class designer Adam Jackson explained in the presentation. "Our goal is to find a way – and we're working on it right now – for all those different ways of dealing damage to have a lot of parity."

When Patch 1.1.1 is deployed, Sorcerers should find it easier to survive in late-game activities with the removal of some detrimental item effects, and Barbarians will get more Fury to invest in their skills. We can expect positive changes to their Unique items, too.

A new stash tab is also on the way, along with the ability to stack up to 99 Elixir. You'll also find it cheaper to respec, too, as the costs will be coming down around 40 per cent. There'll also be improvements to the range and reliability of the Legendary drops you get after level 35.

Other changes are also on the way, but Blizzard says it needs more time to work on things like the Necromancer minion builds, so expect those changes in further down the line (thanks, PC Gamer).

Diablo 4's Season of the Malignant started on July 20, offering new threats, a self-contained story, and brand-new ways to customize your wanderer. When you encounter an elite monster in Season of the Malignant, there's a chance that a malignant version of that monster will also spawn, complete with scary new powers and weird tentacle things. 

Still not sure if Diablo 4 is worth your time?

"Perhaps Diablo 4’s most adventurous quality is the move towards an open world in the 'modern' sense," we wrote in our Diablo 4 review.

"What could have been a featureless, bland expanse is, instead, a delight. Brimming with intrigue and danger, the open world of Sanctuary fits the Diablo formula like a glove, providing the space in which the game’s macabre aesthetic and bold mechanical design cohere beautifully."

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Path of Exile 2 is now a full standalone game with a closed beta planned for June 2024

Highly-anticipated sequel Path of Exile 2 has been delayed.

Whilst the action-RPG had been expected sometime later this year, developer Grinding Gear Games has now confirmed that the game won't even be ready for closed beta testing until June 2024.

Asked by Eurogamer why the project and its original beta test had to be delayed, director Jonathan Rogers said, "It's a lot of things. I, more than anyone, was hoping for a 2023 beta date as well. We honestly were extremely naive to think that we were going to hit the dates that we previously had."

To sweeten the news, the team did confirm that Path of Exile 2 – which started out as an expansion for Path of Exile before breaking away to become a separate, standalone game – will offer closed beta testing from June 7, 2024, and testing will "last months, for sure".

"And in terms of what [the beta testing] will be: it will be the game, the whole game. It's not just going to be 'oh here's the first act' or anything like that - it's going to be the game.

"The beta will be the last chance we have to fix any remaining balance mistakes," he added. "Action-RPG communities are pretty serious business when it comes to balance changes once the game is released - you have to be really careful about that stuff. So we want to have a pretty significant beta to make sure that we're not going to screw any of this stuff up."

As Cat recently summarized for us, reminiscent of Diablo 4, Path of Exile offers a more granular experience than its counterpart from Blizzard Entertainment. 

Though clearly in the realm of dark fantasy, Path of Exile 2 distinguishes itself from Diablo 4's distinctive art style by focusing on eldrich horror plucked right out of H. P. Lovecraft rather than the more biblical motifs of Diablo. 

But if Grinding Gear Games succeeds in meaningfully iterating on the genre's staples, its upcoming title could well earn a place amongst the best RPGs of recent years. 

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These Bang & Olufsen headphones are the best way to do a Microsoft Teams call - but with one big flaw

When it comes to video calls and meetings, having top audio quality is key - after all, what's the point in a meeting if you can't hear what the other participants are saying?

The explosion in popularity for the technology has led to a wide number of manufacturers looking to provide the right kind of kit - whether that's basic and easy to use hardware, or something a bit more premium.

If you are in the second camp, and prefer a high-end approach, the news that audio icons Bang & Olufsen have released a business headset optimized for the top video conferencing tools is a game-changer.

I was lucky enough to try out the Bang & Olufsen Beocom Portal model designed for Microsoft Teams - so how did it stand up to the test?

Testing testing

First off, as you would expect from a B&O product, the Beocom Portal looks beautiful. Smartly packaged, the headset feels light but solid when first put on, with a range of adjustment options to get that comfortable fit - although our experience did feel a little tight at times.

The headset connected to our work laptop using a USB dongle, (with the option of a standalone app for mobile devices) but set-up was incredibly straightforward, and we were underway quickly.

Given B&O's heritage, we initially tried out the Beocom Portal with some of our favorite tunes to work too - as we had been told by the company that the aim for this headset was for users to go straight from a business call or meeting to listening to music. The audio experience was fantastic, with clear, crisp treble and deep warming bass.

(Image credit: Future)

Then it was time to fire up the real USP. Pressing a specially-labelled button on the left earpiece puts the Beocom Portal into Microsoft Teams mode. This optimizes the sound quality to make sure your audio is clear and crisp, with the built-in microphone helping block out any annoying background noise. 

Our tests found that this was definitely the case, with the Beocom Portal providing an excellent companion to Microsoft Teams calls. Audio from other participants came in loud and clear, and we were able to focus on the call even with background noises such as construction work, washing machine cycles, and even a rather vocal dog wondering what the postman was delivering today.

However, we did run into some serious issues when using the Beocom Portal for other video conferencing platforms. Attempting a Google Meet or Zoom call often resulted in unexpected audio drop-outs, as participants claimed to be unable to hear us properly, meaning that on several occasions we had to ditch the Beocom Portal for our trusty Logitech arm mic and headset.

We do realize that this version of the Beocom Portal we worked with is optimized for Microsoft Teams, but as many of us do have to juggle multiple communications platforms on a daily basis at work, the issues were troubling - especially as the headset costs around £349.

Overall though, if you're looking for a top-quality audio experience that lets you jump seamlessly from Microsoft Teams call back to listening to your radio or music hits, the Beocom Portal is a must-have.

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Pixel Watch 2 faces leak out early ahead of Google's next smartwatch launch

We're expecting the Google Pixel Watch 2 to appear in the not-too-distant future, and the leak of new watch faces for the wearable would seem to suggest that the device is indeed about to be unveiled.

These watch faces come courtesy of Android Authority, and there are four in total. They're all going to be exclusive to the second-gen watch apparently, and they all offer plenty of options in terms of the way they can be customized.

The four watch faces are Accessible, Analog Bold, Arc, and Bold Digital, and we've embedded a quick look at them below. If the rumors are true, we'll be seeing these watch faces and the attached smartwatch in October at the Pixel 8 unveiling.

While it's disappointing that these faces won't make it to the original Pixel Watch launched last year, it's also worth bearing in mind that Google has pushed several new features to the wearable in recent months.

More watch faces to look forward to (Image credit: Android Authority / Google)

Those watch faces in full

First up in the leaked watch faces we have Accessible: it's very plain and simple, and easy to read, and you can have a variety of complications alongside the time (including the current watch battery level and the date.

Then there's Analog Bold, which has a chunky hour hand, chunky numbering, and a variety of color options to pick from. The face can be customized in a variety of ways, showing the date and alarms if necessary.

The Arc watch face is a more complex one, with six variants in total. These variants change the number of complications you get and where they're positioned, and control the display of different elements like the date.

Lastly in the leaked watch faces we have Bold Digital, which is based on one of the lock screen clocks recently added to Pixel phones running Android 13. Again you've got a few options to choose from in terms of colors and complications.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy S23 Ultra: Price in India, Specifications Compared

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 was launched at the company's Galaxy Unpacked held in July. The smartphone, successor to last year's Galaxy Z Flip 4, is powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The South Korean tech giant hosted another Galaxy Unpacked event in February this year, where it announced the launch of the Galaxy S23 series. The top-of-the-line Galaxy S23 Ultra ...

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Quordle today - hints and answers for Sunday, July 30 (game #552)

It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off. 

Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, around 18 months after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's good fun, but also difficult.

What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keeping it fresh in the form of a new variant called the Daily Sequence, which sees you complete four puzzles consecutively, rather than concurrently. 

But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for this game 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 #552 and the answers to the main game and 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 #552) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). 

Quordle today (game #552) - 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 7.

Quordle today (game #552) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #552) - hint #4 - total letters

How many different letters are used in Quordle today?

• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 14.

Quordle today (game #552) - 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.

Quordle today (game #552) - hint #6 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #552) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• W

• A

• D

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

Quordle today (game #552) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #552, are…

• SHAWL
• WRITE
• ALONG
• DEMON

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

---

Daily Sequence today (game #552) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #552, are…

• CRASS
• COMMA
• MANIC
• BILLY

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #551, Saturday 29 July: VALUE, ALONG, ALIVE, LEAST
• Quordle #550, Friday 28 July: TOTEM, BASAL, PULSE, COUCH
• Quordle #549, Thursday 27 July: EVADE, SPICE, FLOAT, ALIGN
• Quordle #548, Wednesday 26 July: INDEX, TAKER, CURVE, PEACH
• Quordle #547, Tuesday 25 July: HAIRY, ROWDY, QUARK, LIMIT
• Quordle #546, Monday 24 July: STUFF, HIPPO, LIVER, BLINK
• Quordle #545, Sunday 23 July: ENTRY, GIDDY, STAMP, VOMIT
• Quordle #544, Saturday 22 July: BEFIT, JIFFY, ARENA, TOUCH
• Quordle #543, Friday 21 July: ROUND, TEPID, LIVER, IRATE
• Quordle #542, Thursday 20 July: ENTER, TRULY, USUAL, CIVIL
• Quordle #541, Wednesday 19 July: WORST, KAYAK, HENCE, ZEBRA
• Quordle #540, Tuesday 18 July: DEBUT, HOARD, SILLY, UPPER
• Quordle #539, Monday 17 July: LUPUS, ALIVE, SALLY, ABLED
• Quordle #538, Sunday 16 July: STEAM, SALTY, SLOOP, TRUSS
• Quordle #537, Saturday 15 July: CYCLE, FALSE, FRILL, HEAVY
• Quordle #536, Friday 14 July: LIBEL, CABLE, WREAK, SCOPE
• Quordle #535, Thursday 13 July: BASTE, QUERY, SNAIL, PEARL
• Quordle #534, Wednesday 12 July: VOICE, MANGA, FROTH, BLOAT
• Quordle #533, Tuesday 11 July: MODEL, AISLE, LIMBO, TULLE
• Quordle #532, Monday 10 July: FILET, DULLY, IRATE, NOSEY

Quordle FAQs: Everything you need to know

What is Quordle?

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. 

It's played online via the Quordle website and you can also get to it via the Merriam-Webster site, after the dictionary purchased Quordle last year. 

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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Final Fantasy 14's next expansion Dawntrail is out next year, and it's coming to Xbox, too

Final Fantasy 14's next expansion will be Dawntrail, and it's coming next year.

Revealed at this weekend's Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in Las Vegas, producer and director Naoki Yoshida confirmed that the fifth expansion is set to launch in summer 2024 (or Q3 2024, if you're in the Southern hemisphere and your summer is usually in January) and bring "an abundance of fresh content", including a boosted level cap from 90 to 100, new jobs, new areas, tribes, and dungeons.

You can see the action for yourself in the all-new teaser below:

Players can also expect to see "new core battle content" such as FATEs, Hunts, Treasure Hunts, and sidequests, as well as the stunning New World, Tural, with its capital Tuliyollal, the mountainous Urqopacha and the forest of Yak T'el.

But there's more, too. Dawntrial also introduces the "game's first graphical update for both character and world visuals", including "improvement to screen-wide aesthetic appeal, higher resolution textures and shadows, and improved material qualities". 

But the best news was saved until last. 

In a surprise appearance, Xbox boss Phil Spencer joined Yoshida onstage to confirm that the fan-favorite MMO is finally coming to Xbox Series X/S in Spring/Q2 2024, just in time to get the new expansion. Xbox players can expect an open beta before then, although there's no concrete date for that just yet.

"What I really appreciate about you and your team is that you put the player in the centre of everything you do," Spencer said to Yoshida during the presentation.

Did you hear the news that a 69-year-old Final Fantasy 14 streamer just received an in-game visit from the series' creator?

Pokochii Bigmum was tackling the final fight in Pandaemonium Anabaseios, the latest and last raid in the current expansion, Endwalker. The 69-year-old was attempting the Savage difficulty of the raid, an extremely tough challenge that requires extreme precision and team coordination to complete.

A few hours into the stream, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi stopped by to offer words of encouragement, much to the elation of Pokochii and those watching their stream. And in case you're wondering that it may be a case of mistaken identity (or catfishing), Sakaguchi took to Twitter to confirm it was indeed him who popped by. 

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This classic RTS has been brought back to life "to apply and operate a blockchain node"

Classic Korean real-time strategy game, Kingdom Under Fire, has allegedly been "hijacked by a crypto-scam company".

As spotted by Twitterer Tegiminis, Steam player Arsene Lupin – who's on a crusader to "write a review for every game in [their] Steam library" – posted a review on the game's Steam page, reporting that the "future is here, and it sucks" and claiming that whilst Kingdom Under Fire "was" a "RTS/RPG hybrid that launched in 2001", its current iteration runs "Locus Game Chain" in the background when you're trying to play, "demanding 80-100% of your CPU".

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the developer, Bloom Technology, was quick to respond and posted a wall of text explaining there had been "a misunderstanding" and that the developer has replaced the 22-year-old's RTS' P2P networking system - previously known as wargate.net - with its own, Locus Chain.

kingdom under fire, a korean rts on steam that originally released in 2001, has apparently been hijacked by a crypto scam company that says the blockchain acts as the master server lol pic.twitter.com/G1YNkeGyt1July 28, 2023

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"This technology will be a stepping stone and an excellent example of how online game developers, who sometimes go out of business because of high server maintenance costs, can save up tons of money and focus on building the games," the developer said. "Old online games can be revived at no significant costs, while modern online games can significantly reduce their service maintenance costs as well.

"As far as we know, Kingdom Under Fire is the first successful attempt to apply and operate a blockchain node as part of the game, so I understand that this is as misleading as it is unprecedented. Kingdom Under Fire was launched free through Early Access because of the need to test the environment in real-time. You can see the progress we have achieved so far and the track record in the Updates section on Steam to gauge how we actually make use of this new tech."

Interestingly, the game currently sits on an aggregate Steam user score of "Very Positive" – albeit from just 150-odd reviews – although another unhappy player surmises their issue with the game a little more concisely than Arsene Lupin, simply saying this in their review: "Blockchain go home".

Bloom Technology says: "Kingdom Under Fire: War of Heroes utilizes Locus Game Chain to provide online multiplayer capability without the need of an online game server. The game does not support cryptocurrencies or NFTs, and has complied with all Steam's guidelines and regulations." 

There is seemingly no mention of blockchain in the game's About section or its system requirements. 

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Vedanta Chairman Says Their $5 Billion Made-in-India Chip Will Be Ready in 2.5 Years

Vedanta group chairman Anil Agarwal on Friday said that the first phase of its semiconductor project will involve a $5 billion (roughly Rs. 41,300 crore) investment of the overall $20-billion (roughly Rs. 1,64,500 crore) outlay, and the venture will be ready with made-in-India chip in two and a half years.

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New phishing campaign targets Twitter Blue users amid X rebrand confusion

A new phishing campaign is targeting Twitter Blue subscribers amid the social media platform’s messy transition to X, and the consequences could be catastrophic.

Twitter owner Elon Musk and new CEO Linda Yaccarino hope that the platform will soon become X, but the transition has been anything but smooth, with rebranding at the HQ going, well, not to plan. Furthermore, the discrepancy between the website and mobile apps is giving some users a complete headache.

Hoping to capitalize on this confusion, one threat actor is offering Twitter Blue subscribers to transfer their membership to X, but all this does is give the cybercriminal access to a user’s entire Twitter account.

Twitter Blue/X phishing emails

To an unsuspecting target, the email looks to come from a legitimate source, with the display name showing ‘sales@x.com.’ The email passes SPF authentication checks despite actually coming from mailing list platform Sendinblue (now known as Brevo). 

Read more

> These are the best malware removal tools around

> Watch out - that unexpected Microsoft alert could well be a phishing attack

> Google Docs phishing scams are on the rise - here's what you need to know

A screenshot of the email posted by Twitter user @fluffypony claims that a victim’s “existing subscription is nearing its expiration and requires migration,” with a link directing users to a completely legitimate API authorization page. The fact that it’s legitimate means that, upon approval, the threat actor then has access to a user’s Twitter account.

Along with a few view-only capabilities, the API allows the threat actor to amend follwers, update profile and account settings, post and delete Tweets, engage with other Tweets, and more.

Fortunately, revoking API access is fairly easy on Twitter, by navigating to Settings > Security and account access > Apps and sessions > Connected apps.

Checking these settings is generally a good idea whether you have been targeted by this phishing attack or not, purely in the interest of good Internet hygiene. For those not quick enough to disable the dodgy service, it’s unclear what the result could be. In the worst-case scenario, they could be locked out of their account with any manner of activity going on, in which case they may want to consider using identity theft protection software.

• Check out our roundup of the best firewalls

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Google Bard content should be fact-checked, recommends current Google VP

If you need any more reason to be skeptical of generative AI, look no further than a recent BBC interview with Debbie Weinstein, Vice President of Google UK. She recommends people use Google Search to fact-check content generated by the Bard AI.

Weinstein says in the interview that Bard should be considered more of an “experiment” better suited for “collaboration around problem solving” and “creating new ideas”. It seems like Google didn’t really intend for the AI to be used as a resource for "specific information". Besides fact-checking any information offered by Bard, she suggests using the thumbs up and thumbs down buttons at the bottom of generated content to give feedback to improve the chatbot. As the BBC points out, Bard’s homepage states “it has limitations and won’t always get it right, but doesn’t repeat Ms. Weinstein’s advice” to double-check results via Google Search.

On one hand, Debbie Weinstein is giving some sound advice. Generative AIs have a massive problem when it comes to getting things right. They hallucinate, meaning that a chatbot may come up with totally false information when generating text that fits a prompt. This issue has even gotten two lawyers from New York in trouble as they used ChatGPT in a case and presenting “fictitious legal research” that the AI cited.

So it's certainly not a bad idea to double-check whatever Bard says. However, considering these comments are coming from a vice president of the company, it's a little concerning.

Analysis: So, what's the point?

The thing is Bard is essentially a fancy search engine. One of its main function is be "a launchpad for curiosity"; a resource for factual information. The main difference between Bard and Google Search is the former is relatively easier to use. It's a lot more conversational, plus the AI offers important context. Whether Google likes it or not, people are going to be using Bard for looking up stuff. 

What’s particularly strange about Weinstein’s comments is it contradicts with the company's plans for Bard. During I/O 2023, we saw all the different ways the AI model could enhance Google Search from providing in-depth results on a topic to even creating a fitness plan. Both of these use cases and more require factual information to work. Is Weinstein saying this update is all for naught since it uses Google's AI tech?

While it's just one person from Google asserting this on the record (so far), she is a vice president at Google. If you’re not supposed to use the chatbot for important information, then why is  it being added to the search engine as way to further enhance? Why implement something that's apparently untrustworthy?

It’s a strange statement; one that we hope is not echoed throughout the company. Generative AI is here to stay after all, and it’s important that we trust it to output accurate information. We reached out to the tech giant for comment. This story will be updated at a later time.

• TechRadar's recently updated list of the best AI tools for 2023

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Quordle today - hints and answers for Saturday, July 29 (game #551)

It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off. 

Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, around 18 months after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's good fun, but also difficult.

What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keeping it fresh in the form of a new variant called the Daily Sequence, which sees you complete four puzzles consecutively, rather than concurrently. 

But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for this game 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 #551 and the answers to the main game and 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 #551) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). 

Quordle today (game #551) - 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 10.

Quordle today (game #551) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #551) - hint #4 - total letters

How many different letters are used in Quordle today?

• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 11.

Quordle today (game #551) - 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.

Quordle today (game #551) - hint #6 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #551) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• V

• A

• A

• L

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

Quordle today (game #551) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #551, are…

• VALUE
• ALONG
• ALIVE
• LEAST

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

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Daily Sequence today (game #551) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #551, are…

• AWAIT
• WHICH
• WHOLE
• MAPLE

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #550, Friday 28 July: TOTEM, BASAL, PULSE, COUCH
• Quordle #549, Thursday 27 July: EVADE, SPICE, FLOAT, ALIGN
• Quordle #548, Wednesday 26 July: INDEX, TAKER, CURVE, PEACH
• Quordle #547, Tuesday 25 July: HAIRY, ROWDY, QUARK, LIMIT
• Quordle #546, Monday 24 July: STUFF, HIPPO, LIVER, BLINK
• Quordle #545, Sunday 23 July: ENTRY, GIDDY, STAMP, VOMIT
• Quordle #544, Saturday 22 July: BEFIT, JIFFY, ARENA, TOUCH
• Quordle #543, Friday 21 July: ROUND, TEPID, LIVER, IRATE
• Quordle #542, Thursday 20 July: ENTER, TRULY, USUAL, CIVIL
• Quordle #541, Wednesday 19 July: WORST, KAYAK, HENCE, ZEBRA
• Quordle #540, Tuesday 18 July: DEBUT, HOARD, SILLY, UPPER
• Quordle #539, Monday 17 July: LUPUS, ALIVE, SALLY, ABLED
• Quordle #538, Sunday 16 July: STEAM, SALTY, SLOOP, TRUSS
• Quordle #537, Saturday 15 July: CYCLE, FALSE, FRILL, HEAVY
• Quordle #536, Friday 14 July: LIBEL, CABLE, WREAK, SCOPE
• Quordle #535, Thursday 13 July: BASTE, QUERY, SNAIL, PEARL
• Quordle #534, Wednesday 12 July: VOICE, MANGA, FROTH, BLOAT
• Quordle #533, Tuesday 11 July: MODEL, AISLE, LIMBO, TULLE
• Quordle #532, Monday 10 July: FILET, DULLY, IRATE, NOSEY
• Quordle #531, Sunday 9 July: AXION, OFFER, DREAD, SADLY

Quordle FAQs: Everything you need to know

What is Quordle?

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. 

It's played online via the Quordle website and you can also get to it via the Merriam-Webster site, after the dictionary purchased Quordle last year. 

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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