5 things to expect at WWDC 2026 — from Siri 2.0 to Tim Cook's Apple farewell

• The main focus of WWDC will be on Siri and other major AI updates
• iOS 27 could introduce changes designed for the iPhone Fold
• Apple may preview a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini

When Tim Cook delivered his first WWDC opening speech back in 2012, Siri kicked things off with a joke: "How many developers does it take to change a light bulb? None, that’s a hardware problem."

If Apple opens this year's keynote with Siri again, let's hope it has some fresh material because the Apple Intelligence features it originally promised for iOS 26.4 are now expected to arrive with iOS 27, making this WWDC a crucial moment for Apple's AI ambitions.

Of course, given the broader transition underway at Apple, the stakes are even higher for this year's WWDC to truly deliver. With John Ternus set to take over on September 1, which is also around the same time Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, iOS 27 will need to do more than simply add AI features.

As usual, we're also expecting various updates to be announced for iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27. And while WWDC is traditionally a software-focused event, there are rumors of a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini, both of which could receive an early preview ahead of a potential launch later this year.

There's also the possibility (like we joked about on the TechRadar podcast below) that Cook pulls a scene straight from The Wolf of Wall Street and announces he's not leaving after all. That would certainly be one more thing...

A smarter Siri

Will this be the Siri glow up we've been waiting for? (Image credit: Getty Images / NurPhoto)

Apple's WWDC 2026 invite strongly hints at major Siri AI upgrades, which is no big surprise given that many of us have been waiting months for the more personal, AI-powered Siri first showcased last year.

At this point, it's almost a given that Siri will get the glow-up we've been waiting for, making it smarter and more useful across a range of applications. Based on reports from Bloomberg's Apple tipster Mark Gurman, we're also expecting Siri to get chatbot-like capabilities and a dedicated app with iOS 27. It's rumored to largely live within the Dynamic Island at the top of your iPhone.

If those speculations prove accurate, that would put Siri front and center of everything you do on your device, making this the biggest announcement we're expecting to hear next week, especially since Apple seemingly threw in the towel on Apple Intelligence by inking a deal with Google to let Siri run on Gemini.

In fact, this upcoming WWDC may be Apple's last chance to fix Siri and deliver the AI we were promised — no pressure then, Cook.

New Apple Intelligence features

New AI-powered image editing tools are rumored to be on the way. (Image credit: Apple)

Aside from the rumored upgrades Apple Intelligence will bring to Siri, like the ability to keep track of tasks, see what you're looking at on your phone, and work across all your apps, there's also been talk of several other new AI features planned to be added across Apple's operating systems.

Gurman, again, has been the main source for these tips, most recently suggesting that the image-generating capabilities of Apple Intelligence will be "getting a big boost this year". That suggests a big update is planned for the Photos app, which could also include new AI-powered image editing features.

Earlier this year, Gurman also noted that Apple's Writing Tools feature could get an AI boost to help users with spelling and grammar, as well as with building Shortcuts with AI by letting users more easily create automations across their iPhone, iPad, and Mac using conversational prompts.

An iOS 27 tune-up

(Image credit: Apple)

Numerous Apple apps are reportedly primed for big changes with the arrival of iOS 27. From the Camera and Weather apps to Safari and Wallet, Gurman has suggested there could be several major upgrades.

Underpinning many of the changes will be the new AI feature, Visual Intelligence, which will be deployed across core iOS apps to enable more 'agentic' automations on your phone.

Of course, there's also the possibility that we get our first glimpse of how iOS 27 might support an iPhone Fold, which was speculated to launch in September but might be delayed until next year if the latest round of reports are true. It's expected to run on iOS 27, despite some considering it to support iPadOS 27.

There could also be some good news for those with non-Apple devices, as Gurman has reported that iOS 27 might relax its streaming protocols to be more open to third-party apps. That could mean that you might have the option to set, say, Google Cast as your default setting for broadcasting video and audio.

OS 27-wide changes

Liquid Glass could get a useful change that lets you adjust the opacity. (Image credit: Apple)

Considering that iOS 27 is rumored to be a much more scaled-back overhaul than what we got last year, many of us — just like MacRumors has reported — are expecting an update more along the lines of the Mac OS X Snow Leopard, which, if you recall, was solely focused on improving performance.

If that's true, it could mean we hear less about new features and more about underlying quality improvements that support the integration of Apple Intelligence across Apple's ecosystem.

One of the more minor improvements we're expecting is to Liquid Glass, which could get a new system-wide slider to adjust the opacity strength, although we likely won't see any major design changes.

Gurman has also hinted at new AirPods features, suggesting that Apple will "revamp" the controls and settings of its wireless earbuds to be "more functional, better organized and more streamlined" — but don't expect a new dedicated app like the Apple Watch has (it's more likely Siri will get a standalone app instead).

A new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini

Stop me if you've heard this before... (Image credit: TechRadar)

Even though WWDC is primarily a software-focused event, there's the possibility that we could see a preview of the rumored new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini before they potentially launch later this year.

There have been rumors circling of a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini launching since last year, and with Gurman confirming that both are "nearly ready to go" in his newsletter on Sunday, it would make sense to showcase a revamped Siri running on new devices.

Less likely, but still possible, is the chance that we get an update about Apple's upcoming desktop lineup, including the M5 Mac mini, the M5 Ultra Mac Studio and M5 iMacs, which have been delayed due to production challenges and global supply chain shortages.

Which rumored WWDC 2026 announcement are you most hopeful to see? Let us know by voting in the poll below or leaving a comment. We'll be covering the keynote in a live blog, so make sure to check back in with us for more.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/vPI7Gk0
via

NSA warns that cybercriminals are targeting this one critical component that the energy, chemical, food, agriculture, and transportation sectors rely on - here's what we know

• Agencies warn of attacks on ATG systems
• Attackers exploit weak credentials and SQL injection
• Mitigation includes stronger passwords and removing internet exposure

Critical infrastructure organizations should move to harden their Automatic Tank Gauge (ATG) systems to defend against ongoing attacks. This is the warning given earlier this week by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other agencies.

In a joint press release, these agencies said they were “aware of malicious cyber activity targeting US-based automatic tank gauge systems.”

“The authoring organizations urge ATG owners and operators to defend against this malicious activity by securing their ATG systems with strong passwords and by removing them from the internet to reduce public exposure.”

A list of mitigations

ATG systems are monitoring devices used in fuel storage tanks that automatically measure fuel levels, temperature, potential leaks, and other vitals, helping operators manage inventory and detect problems early.

The agencies could not attribute the ongoing attacks to any specific threat actor or nation-state but did say what the companies should pay attention to. Apparently, the attackers are either using hardcoded credentials, command execution and SQL Injection attacks, or privilege escalation, to access the devices.

Once they are inside, the attackers usually change system attributes (network settings, product identifiers, tank volumes, pump controls), compound operational malfunctions, and disable system alerts.

The advisory lists a number of things organizations can do to mitigate the risk, including eliminating public internet exposure, restricting access, and enforcing tougher credential security. The full list of mitigation suggestions can be found on this link.

Securing critical infrastructure has always been a challenge for nation-states, and now with the advent of AI, it has only gotten more difficult. To that end, earlier this week, the UK GCHQ debuted the world’s first AI cyber-defense system

In an annual lecture held earlier this week at Bletchley Park, GCHQ director Anne Keast-Bulter laid out the plans for the shield, mentioning that Russia and China are posing an ever-increasing cyber-threat to the UK’s national interests and way of life.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/4Zs0R6q
via

Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, June 4 (game #1592)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, June 3 (game #1591).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1583) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

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

Quordle today (game #1583) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1583) - hint #3 - 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 #1583) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

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

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 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 #1583) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• E

• Y

• C

• N

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

Quordle today (game #1583) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1583, are…

• ENSUE
• YACHT
• CURRY
• NASTY

After a slow game yesterday I managed to roar through today’s in less than a minute.

Using the letter Y in my starter words was my main helper today, making YACHT, NASTY and CURRY all easy catches and leaving me with an anagram of ENSUE.

Daily Sequence today (game #1583) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1583, are…

• SAVVY
• ABODE
• SMITH
• IMPEL

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1591, Wednesday, 3 June: MOODY, JEWEL, BLEAT, SOAPY
• Quordle #1590, Tuesday, 2 June: GRAIL, STRUT, SHALE, SORRY
• Quordle #1589, Monday, 1 June: STOOD, FROND, REMIT, VOWEL
• Quordle #1588, Sunday, 31 May: WRYLY, MOUNT, OVERT, CACAO
• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP
• Quordle #1583, Tuesday, 26 May: MODAL, MELON, PSALM, DRAWN
• Quordle #1582, Monday, 25 May: SLIME, ARISE, EAGER, SHEIK
• Quordle #1581, Sunday, 24 May: RIGHT, STALE, FLUKE, LINEN
• Quordle #1580, Saturday, 23 May: JUICY, DREAM, IDYLL, BRAID
• Quordle #1579, Friday, 22 May: GAILY, HITCH, DRUNK, COUNT
• Quordle #1578, Thursday, 21 May: RANCH, OTTER, WREST, ILIAC
• Quordle #1577, Wednesday, 20 May: TEDDY, MINUS, TRULY, STARK
• Quordle #1576, Tuesday, 19 May: HIPPY, FORTE, HORSE, QUELL
• Quordle #1575, Monday, 18 May: CLANK, SWINE, STEAM, DRAPE
• Quordle #1574, Sunday, 17 May: WHINE, TENET, KNAVE, GREED
• Quordle #1573, Saturday, 16 May: DEMUR, THREE, SLEEP, CRUDE

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/fPVGNRi
via

'More like a traditional video game' — Unreal Engine 5 and The Mandalorian and Grogu have transformed Disney World's Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction inside Galaxy's Edge

Yes, Star Wars has returned to the big screen with The Mandalorian and Grogu, and on the same day it hit theaters, it landed in two Disney Parks — Disneyland in Anaheim, CA and Disney World in Orlando, FL.

Disney Imagineering and Disney Experiences used the new film — and the fact it was made with the help of Unreal Engine — to rethink and retheme Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. It's now really, really fun, even after more than a dozen rides, and the addition of The Mandalorian and the irresistibly adorable Grogu gives the attraction a shot of energy it genuinely needed.

It's not a one-to-one adaptation of the film, and it didn't require any physical updates to the Falcon itself or the attraction queues. You'll still board the Millennium Falcon and join The Mandalorian and Grogu for a mission — the three roles of pilot, gunner, and engineer remain — but the engineer role has been completely overhauled and is no longer the least exciting seat in the cockpit.

That's because the engineer now picks the planet; Bespin, Endor, or Coruscant — three distinct environments, and guests actually choose where they're going. That variability was the central goal of the entire rethink, according to Morgan McDowell, a senior software project manager for Walt Disney Imagineering.

"We now have three different planets that our guests can fly to and fly through, and all the different variability within the planets that they go to," McDowell said. "It's more like a traditional video game — if I want to go right, I can go right. If I want to go left, I go left."

All three roles still have a variety of buttons and controls to interact with. Pilots get a noticeably smoother experience and the chance to make the jump to lightspeed. Gunners have a critical role in collecting the bounty, with blaster fire that now visibly tracks targets.

But the engineer is the one driving the planet selection and gets near-constant access to Grogu throughout the ride — there's a dedicated button that triggers cutscenes with the character, and taking care of Grogu is woven into the mission from start to finish.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The view outside the cockpit has been upgraded too. It runs at 4K, 60 frames per second — an improvement over the original — and across all three environments it's smooth and vibrant, with none of the jitter or visual inconsistency that can break immersion in a motion simulator. A big part of making that possible is the move to Unreal Engine 5, new show game computers, and all-new Nvidia GPUs powering the attraction.

What makes the technical setup particularly interesting is that Disney Imagineering doesn't run Unreal the way you would at home. Unreal Engine is typically designed to run on a single GPU — but this attraction demands far more than that.

"We're running all-new Nvidia GPUs powering the graphics, as well as powering the new video game running on Unreal Engine 5,"

Morgan McDowell, Walt Disney Imagineering

So Imagineering built their own custom version of Unreal Engine capable of running across multiple GPUs simultaneously, which is what allows the attraction to render everything in real time: the main screen, the individual position screens, the lighting package, the audio, and up to six inputs at once during a four-to-five minute ride. That's a tall order.

"We're running all-new Nvidia GPUs powering the graphics, as well as powering the new video game running on Unreal Engine 5," McDowell explained. She wouldn't share the specific GPU model or configuration, but confirmed it's a highly custom setup — and that Disney's version of Unreal, currently tracking alongside the publicly released 5.7 and 5.8 builds, is meaningfully different from what's available off the shelf.

"I think I have some of the smartest people on my team who own and innovate and update our build of the Unreal Engine, and that unlocks so many different things that we're able to do that Unreal offers, but then we can do it in a multi-GPU setting," she said.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The Lucasfilm partnership was central to making the day-and-date launch work. McDowell described teams from both sides working through the Florida install together around the clock, riding the attraction, flagging issues, and iterating on builds in real time.

"We had a lot of our Lucasfilm partners, or their QA lead, out here working with us day and night — getting the new builds on the new hardware in the attraction, and then actually running the game with them, and them doing tweaks, and us doing tweaks all together," she said.

The result is an attraction that feels genuinely fresh. The random events spread across three planets, the role-specific interactions, and the Grogu moments give it a choose-your-own-adventure quality that holds up across multiple rides in a way the original never quite managed. There are also secret modes to unlock, including a Grogu-specific one, and easter eggs that vary depending on which planet you visit and which path you take through it. There's even a trench run moment that, for what it's worth, had me thinking back to flying a Lego X-Wing on the Sphere in Las Vegas — high praise for a theme park ride.

A post shared by Jake Krol (@jake31krol)

A photo posted by on

While Rise of the Resistance had arguably eclipsed Smugglers Run as the centerpiece Star Wars experience at both parks, The Mandalorian and Grogu update doesn't just close that gap — it reframes what the attraction is. Less a set-piece ride, more a chance to live your own Star Wars story differently every time you board.

More broadly, rolling out a real-time video game experience across two parks on the same day a film releases speaks to what Unreal Engine is making possible for Disney Imagineering — and how quickly that capability is moving. Smugglers Run isn't even the only attraction running it — Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom is already powered by Unreal — and it's clear Imagineering is thinking about where it goes next.

"We are always looking at the new features that are coming, and we do work with Epic on upcoming things," McDowell said, "and we start to think of how we can use that technology to bring the best guest experience in our parks."

(Image credit: Disney Experiences)

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/HWyJI1T
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

Microsoft is ditching password-based authentication tomorrow – Edge browser will switch to Windows Hello access

• Microsoft retires Edge master password feature
• Passkeys and biometrics replace old authentication
• Users may turn to third‑party managers

Microsoft is killing the master password feature in Edge, and is moving to newer, more secure solutions.

Edge is Microsoft’s internet browser, based on Chromium. Among other things it has a built-in password manager that allows users to store not just passwords, but other secrets, too, such as usernames, payment info, or in some cases, addresses.

Until now, users who wanted to log into the tool and manage their secrets, could do so via a password, but Microsoft has been pushing to replace the old authentication method with passkeys. In a press release shared with TechRadar Pro, NordVPN said that as of June 4, the master password feature in Edge is finally retiring, to be replaced by device-based authentication methods such as Windows Hello (PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition).

A step in the right direction

For Ignas Valancius, VP of engineering at NordPass, this is a logical step forward, since biometrics and passkeys are “considered more convenient and secure than passwords”.

“When people manage too many passwords, they tend to reuse them or create simple variations, such as changing a single letter or number,” Valancius stressed. “This practice creates significant vulnerabilities — if one of these accounts is breached, all other accounts sharing the same or a similar password become compromised.”

Still, he expects at least a little backlash, because humans are “creatures of habit”, and old habits die hard. Such people can find comfort in alternative, third-party password managers, which still allow users to log in using a master password. “But personally I think a push toward passwordless authentication is a positive development,” he stressed.

Passwords have long been considered one of the weakest links in the cybersecurity chain, mostly because people can’t be bothered to create, and safely store, strong ones. Instead, they end up using simple, easy-to-guess passwords across a wide range of services, risking losing access to numerous services in one fell swoop.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/Dzuqv3m
via

NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, June 3 (game #1088)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, June 2 (game #1087).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1088) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• RAY
• JASMINE
• COLORFUL
• BELL
• STICKY
• PASTY
• BROWN
• SUSHI
• GUMMY
• ARIE
• SUGARY
• SAMOSA
• FATAYER
• URSINE
• EMPANADA
• MOAN

NYT Connections today (game #1088) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: A carb that’s nice 
• GREEN: Candy animal 
• BLUE: Food parcels
• PURPLE: Animated idols without a character

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1088) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: KINDS OF RICE 
• GREEN: GUMMY BEAR DESCRIPTORS 
• BLUE: SAVORY STUFFED PASTRIES
• PURPLE: DISNEY PRINCESSES MINUS LAST LETTER

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

NYT Connections today (game #1088) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1088, are…

• YELLOW: KINDS OF RICE BROWN, JASMINE, STICKY, SUSHI
• GREEN: GUMMY BEAR DESCRIPTORS COLORFUL, GUMMY, SUGARY, URSINE
• BLUE: SAVORY STUFFED PASTRIES EMPANADA, FATAYER, PASTY, SAMOSA
• PURPLE: DISNEY PRINCESSES MINUS LAST LETTER ARIE, BELL, MOAN, RAY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

I am usually pretty good at food groups, so I should have made quicker work of today’s game.

KINDS OF RICE I saw quickly enough, but the other two groups were more laborious and I had to take a leap of faith with FATAYER, which is the only one of the SAVORY STUFFED PASTRIES that I had never eaten.

I had a similar fourth tile issue with GUMMY BEAR DESCRIPTORS, thinking that GUMMY, SUGARY and COLORFUL all described multiple chewy candies and I only picked URSINE as know of the other remaining tiles seemed like they would work. It was only afterwards that i discovered URSINE meant bear-like. 

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, June 2, game #1087)

• YELLOW: CLANDESTINE CLOAK-AND-DAGGER, COVERT, HUSH-HUSH, TOP SECRET
• GREEN: BRITISH POTATO DISHES BUBBLE AND SQUEAK, CHIPS, JACKET POTATO, MASH
• BLUE: HERALDIC ACHIEVEMENTS COAT OF ARMS, CREST, HELMET, SHIELD
• PURPLE: ENDING IN MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS CAPE MAY, FREE WILL, GRAPE MUST, TIN CAN

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/cY1LgAE
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

‘We don't use AI in the project; everything is handcrafted’: Rayman Legends Retold artists on the platforming classic's makeover

Rayman Legends Retold has finally been announced, and chances are the thing you've been most focused on – outside of why remake this game of all the Rayman titles – is the new art. Rayman Legends is timeless; it looked incredible in 2013, and 13 years later it still holds up as one of the most gorgeous platformers ever created.

While at Ubisoft Montpellier, I spoke to Desislava Tanova, associate lead, art, and Alice Pisoni, associate art director, and dug into the changes made in this new version. "Of course we felt the pressure of taking such a well-known brand and such a loved art style and make it something different" Pisoni tells me, "it wasn't an easy path, but we were all super happy to be able to put our hands on something that beautiful and have the possibility to actually make something of our own, but while always being faithful to the original."

However, as we all know, translating a 2D cartoon into a realistic art style is tricky – just ask the Sonic movie producers – so I had to ask how the team approached this and straddled the line of what is too realistic to work in this series.

"We have a great concept team", Tanova says, "So the language was defined, and we translated this language in 3D."

She explains that it was about finding the balance between the interesting shapes of the Rayman cast and the materials used for them. You can spot the fabric detail in Rayman's hoodie and gloves, or the amphibian-like skin of Globox.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Pisoni notes that in Legends, Rayman's face was a "flat, normal pink," while this new 3D model allows them to deal with the likes of freckles and pores. While I didn't get a chance to play the level, El Luchador's model was shown to us, and the detailing in his singlet, down to the somewhat greasy chest hair, was undoubtedly impressive.

As for the environments, Pisoni told me, "One of our main goals is to make the player stop, and just take a break, and just look at what it's actually around in the environment." And this is one area where Legends Retold does give the original game a run for its money. The backgrounds are absolutely gorgeous, and allow for small little details – that, granted, you'll probably miss if you run through the levels.

These include somewhat comedic set pieces like seeing world two's frog boss bathing himself in the background of the hub or bits of worldbuilding like skeletons strung up in the dungeons or little rabbits going to their huts in the swamp. Tanova explains, "From the very beginning, the idea was to enhance it, to tell deeper visual storytelling, and it naturally comes to adding details and animated background elements."

Tanova adds that the team had to "keep the balance between the background and the playground, because it has to be very readable." Pisoni adds, "When you have parts with completely complicated gameplay, we try to keep the background as simple as possible."

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

In its recent earnings report, Ubisoft stated that it is "Leveraging AI to enhance player experience and boost teams’ creativity and efficiency," and with an announcement like that, it's only natural that people are going to look at every project through that lens.

I asked the artists about this and was given a straight answer that we want to hear: "We don't use AI in the project; everything is handcrafted," Tanova explains, adding that "our goal" is to approach it "through the eye of an artist, so everybody can get involved in the process."

While the more realistic art style is certainly a different take on the franchise – and one I'm sure people will be totally normal about – after my hands-on with the game, it's a version I see the merits of. Parts of it look a bit off for sure (again, I really don't like Rayman's teeth), but the lighting changes, use of camera angles, background details, and endemic life scattered around the areas do give this take on the game something over the original.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/TWjwyzl
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

Anonymous video chat app leaks data on millions of users — more than 22 million records exposed, including 3 million containing names and email addresses

• The breach directly granted access to 22 million session records and 3.47 million usernames and email addresses or similar identifiers
• The platform, which claims privacy and security as core tenets of its offerings, is often used for intimate or explicit conversations with strangers, making this security flaw a critical issue
• The leaks also contained sensitive metadata that can be tied back to users, including device details, gender, payment information, and geolocation-specific information such as IP addresses, country, and language

In what is being treated as a major cybersecurity lapse, the randomized video chat platform FTF Live may have unwittingly compromised millions of its users due to a misconfiguration.

The breach effectively exposed information from potentially as many as 3.47 million identifiable users across 22 million sessions, thanks to an openly accessible Kibana dashboard spotted by security researchers, which was subsequently disclosed to the company's owners.

A significant security lapse

The leak, which essentially allowed access to significant amounts of user metadata, leaves users of the platform exposed when it comes to their identity, location, and payment information, allowing for the targeting of vulnerable users, such as those in LGBTQ+ communities abroad, those engaging in sensitive or explicit conversations, and even minors.

The leak also exposed backend logs of the service, thanks to an unsecured instance of Dozzle, a browser-based log viewer, which researchers point out is a secondary exposure for the platform, that not only provided a birds-eye view of how the entire service functioned, but also exposed plain-text passwords, session tokens, and even internal API requests.

Cybernews researchers said: “The combination of public Kibana and public Dozzle instances creates a severe security risk,” while noting that they had already made attempts to contact the company about the severity of their findings.

While Cybernews attempted to contact the company behind the FTF Live platform, it was met with silence, even as it sought to navigate a complex ownership structure that it says raises transparency concerns.

The since-taken-down Android App was published under 'Burhan LTD', while the privacy policy on the site identifies the owner as Cyprus-based Cooy Ads Ltd, even as its data controller, customer support, and branding seem to be under the Pixover name.

A lack of response from the company has researchers even more concerned, given the severity of the disclosure, the sheer number of records potentially being exposed, and the fact that the duration of public exposure has yet to be established.

“The leak turns what many people assume to be anonymous and throwaway interaction into a highly traceable data trail,” researchers noted while highlighting that issues include account compromises, targeted scams, or even stalking by motivated entities.

While it is important to note that no raw video conversations appear to have been exposed, the breach does allow users to be tracked, identified, and monitored by a 3rd party with access to said information, marking both a serious breach and an alarming level of inaction from the owners of the website, as noted by researchers who point to it as a broader industry issue surrounding “anonymous” communication platforms.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/IdnEKPw
via

Over 5,000 malicious domains targeting 2026 US Midterm elections spotted going live – and they could be used for fraud, phishing, or worse

• Check Point Research warns Russia and other nation‑states are running large‑scale disinformation campaigns ahead of the US midterms
• Operations include phishing sites, fake donation portals, and Doppelganger clones of major outlets
• Midterm elections are scheduled for November this year

Russia (and probably other nation-states, as well) is actively trying to influence US Midterm elections scheduled to take place in November this year. This is according to a new report from cybersecurity researchers Check Point Research, who said they saw more than 5,000 election-themed websites pop up since January this year.

“In this new era of AI-powered disinformation, the goal is often not to change vote counts directly, but to convince voters that truth itself is difficult to verify,” the researchers said. In other words, these hackers are not targeting the machines that count the votes, but rather humans casting them, influencing them and thus changing the outcome of the elections.

This is hardly a new thing, and we’ve seen US government officials accusing Putin of meddling with US presidential elections before.

Doppelganger

This time, however, Check Point found concrete evidence, as well as a detailed modus operandi of these operations. In January, the researchers found 1,300 domains containing the word “election” and almost 3,000 with the word “vote”. Between mid-April and mid-May, “election” held steady at around 1,140, while “vote” spiked to 4,010. “The volume is increasing as November approaches, and the mix is shifting toward the more voter-facing term,” it was explained.

While domain registration volume alone does not automatically mean malicious intent, security teams know that the domains are usually used for phishing pages impersonating information portals, fake donation collection sites, candidate impersonation, and misinformation distribution campaigns.

Check Point also said that it saw a Russian operation called Doppelganger cloning high-authority news sites (Reuters, The Washington Post, Fox News, and similar) and publishing fake news there, hoping other outlets would pick up and distribute it before realizing the scam.

“Security teams working with campaigns, election organizations, fundraising platforms, or any organization adjacent to this environment should treat this cycle as an elevated-risk period for phishing, brand impersonation, and credential-based attacks,” Check Point concluded. “That’s not because the threats are novel, but because the motivation and attention behind them are significantly higher than usual.”

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/ANbOhe9
via

NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, June 2 (game #821)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, June 1 (game #820).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #821) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Caught in the Net

NYT Strands today (game #821) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• DESTROY
• MELTED
• STONER
• POEMS
• COMET
• MORE

NYT Strands today (game #821) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 15 letters

NYT Strands today (game #821) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 1st row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #821) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #821, are…

• POST
• FEED
• COMMENT
• MEME
• REEL
• TREND
• STORY
• SPANGRAM: EXTREMELYONLINE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

Somewhat thoughtlessly I initially searched for fishing terms before the penny dropped and I realized that the “net” in question was the internet and specifically the words that occupy the time of those EXTREMELYONLINE.

While looking for a start I spotted “extremely” but failed to see anything beyond it, so thought I’d caught a long non-game word rather than the start of a very long spangram — the longest since February, when we also had a 16-letter spangram.

Despite the high number of four-letter words and the fact that I am “extremely online” myself, I found this round extremely difficult.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, June 1, game #820)

• RAMP
• MOREL
• NETTLE
• BLACKBERRY
• CHESTNUT
• CHICORY
• SPANGRAM: FORAGING

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/wxQq0r7
via

NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, June 2 (game #1087)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, June 1 (game #1086).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1087) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TIN CAN
• JACKET POTATO
• COAT OF ARMS
• MASH
• CLOAK-AND-DAGGER
• CREST
• CHIPS
• CAPE MAY
• HELMET
• TOP SECRET
• FREE WILL
• HUSH-HUSH
• BUBBLE AND SQUEAK
• GRAPE MUST
• COVERT
• SHIELD

NYT Connections today (game #1087) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Confidential mission 
• GREEN: UK carbs
• BLUE: Emblems of the Middle Ages 
• PURPLE: You have the ability

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1087) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: CLANDESTINE 
• GREEN: BRITISH POTATO DISHES
• BLUE: HERALDIC ACHIEVEMENTS 
• PURPLE: ENDING IN MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1087) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1087, are…

• YELLOW: CLANDESTINE CLOAK-AND-DAGGER, COVERT, HUSH-HUSH, TOP SECRET
• GREEN: BRITISH POTATO DISHES BUBBLE AND SQUEAK, CHIPS, JACKET POTATO, MASH
• BLUE: HERALDIC ACHIEVEMENTS COAT OF ARMS, CREST, HELMET, SHIELD
• PURPLE: ENDING IN MODAL AUXILIARY VERBS CAPE MAY, FREE WILL, GRAPE MUST, TIN CAN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

Finally, a group for those of us based in the UK.

Where other nations may discuss the meaning of life or rank the films of Francis Ford Coppola, a common campfire conversation in Britain is the best use of the potato — with the four BRITISH POTATO DISHES here often ranking highly alongside wedges, croquettes and Bombay aloo, but never getting close to the Roast Potato.

Meanwhile, after finding the first two groups straightforward, I fell over trying to find the third — first thinking we were looking for pharmacy product brands before remembering Game of Thrones helped me connect HERALDIC ACHIEVEMENTS.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, June 1, game #1086)

• YELLOW: ROOM FEATURES CEILING, DOOR, WALL, WINDOW
• GREEN: OLD-TIMEY LOUNGING ACCESSORIES NEWSPAPER, PIPE, ROBE, SLIPPERS
• BLUE: SUBJECTS IN TENNESSEE WILLIAMS TITLES CAT, MENAGERIE, STREETCAR, TATTOO
• PURPLE: ____RING KEY, ONION, TREE, WEDDING

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/MAvuojG
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

Asus used 'feedback from esports pros' to make new 24-inch OLED — and it looks like the perfect monitor for competitive gamers

• Asus has revealed a new 24.5-inch OLED at Computex 2026
• This gaming monitor offers a 540Hz refresh rate
• It blends the best of high refresh rate TN displays with the vibrancy and accurate colors of OLED

Asus has revealed a few new gaming monitors over at Computex 2026, but the model that's turning heads is a high-end OLED offering for competitive gamers, which is billed as a "defining moment for esports displays".

Asus announced the ROG Strix OLED XG259QWPG Ace, which is a 24.5-inch monitor with a 1080p resolution and a very fast 540Hz refresh rate. Other specs that make this screen great for fast-paced competitive gamers include a 0.02ms response time and G-Sync support.

It's a tandem OLED panel, meaning the screen is built with two layers. As Asus notes, that gives it a 15% higher brightness level compared to a conventional OLED, not to mention a longer lifespan (some 60% longer according to the monitor maker).

Asus boasts: "As the very first OLED monitor to join our flagship Ace lineup, it brings together cutting‑edge panel technology and purpose‑built esports tuning to meet the exacting demands of professional gamers."

The company added: "We worked hand in hand with global tournament organizers like PGL and Blast to collect feedback from esports pros across the world. Their suggestions helped us develop this next-generation OLED esports monitor, and we can't wait to get this absolute weapon into the hands of gamers everywhere."

We don't yet have a release date or a price, but hopefully Asus will furnish us with those details soon enough.

Analysis: a no-compromise esports screen

(Image credit: Asus)

Why does this monitor have some gamers so excited? Because it offers 540Hz at what many consider to be the perfect, more compact size for competitive gaming, all in an OLED display with a resolution of 1080p.

It's ticking a lot of boxes because it's great for super-smooth performance with shooters (or other competitive games), and yet it offers all the vibrancy of OLED, and far superior viewing angles compared to high refresh rate TN panels. Indeed, you get 10-bit color and 99.5% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut with this Asus monitor, and VESA DisplayHDR 600 True Black.

So, the upshot is a gaming monitor with very accurate and punchy colors, blending the strengths of OLED with an extremely fast refresh rate.

There's a note of disappointment from some that it isn't 1440p — or that the XG259QWPG doesn't offer a dual mode choice of 1080p or 1440p — but really, pro gamers aren't going to want to up that resolution beyond Full HD (because it's then much more difficult to get blisteringly high frame rates).

• Check out our Computex 2026 hub for all the latest news out of Taipei.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/tyWhYEA
via

OpenAI Codex tool with over 29,000 downloads linked to malicious npm supply chain attack stealing authentication tokens

• Researchers uncovered a malicious npm package posing as a Codex UI tool
• Attackers exfiltrated Codex authentication tokens, including non‑expiring refresh tokens
• Aikido Security also found two Android apps targeting Codex users

A newly discovered supply-chain attack on npm is targeting software developers using OpenAI Codex.

Codex is OpenAI’s coding assistant and software engineering agent that can write and review code, fix bugs, run tests, and help developers build software with nothing but plain language input.

Recently it was discovered that a tool published on both GitHub and npm was actually malicious. It is called “codexui-android”, and it is described as a remote web user interface for the Codex platform. It attracted more than 29,000 weekly downloads, so it was rather popular. One of the reasons for its popularity is because it worked as advertised and appeared legitimate. The code published on GitHub remained “clean” the whole time, meaning the public source code didn’t show any malicious behavior.

Breaking bad

However, approximately a month into its existence, the tool received an update on npm which added information-stealing code. It primarily hunted for OpenAI login credentials.

When a developer runs the tool, it looks for their Codex authentication tokens and exfiltrates them to an attacker-controlled server. One of the tokens (the refresh token) can potentially allow an attacker to continue accessing the victim’s OpenAI account for an extended period of time without needing the password.

The implications are rather dangerous, explained Aikido Security researcher Charlie Eriksen, who found and disclosed the attack. Besides the obvious - accessing the victim’s Codex sessions - the attacker can use the tokens to spend the victim’s API credits, to view projects or code they’re working on through Codex, and even impersonate the victim when interacting with OpenAI services.

"The refresh_token doesn't expire," Eriksen said. "An attacker holding it can silently impersonate you indefinitely. A stolen Codex refresh_token goes beyond access to a chat interface -- it's persistent, silent access to whatever that account can do."

Aikido also said it saw two Android apps, both published by the same account, who were also targeting Codex users. One is called OpenClaw Codex Claude AI Agent, running the npm package within its PRoot sandbox and sending all Codex credentials to the same, attacker-controlled server. This one had more than 50,000 downloads. The other one is called Codex and counts more than 10,000 downloads.

Via The Hacker News

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/T8rwh7R
via