The Explorer 100D is a palm-sized 30,000mAh portable power station
It uses a long-lasting lithium iron phosphate battery
It has a maximum total output of 158W and supports direct solar input
Jackery has just launched a new portable power station that combines a high capacity with an impressively small and lightweight design.
Dubbed the Jackery Explorer 100D, it measures 11.87 x 8.26 x 8.57cm and weighs 850g, which sounds fairly compact when you consider that it has 30,000mAh of power. Indeed, it’s 14% smaller and 12% lighter than the Explorer 100 Plus, making it Jackery's smallest portable power station yet.
So, while it will certainly add some weight to your bag, it's small enough to carry around in a backpack, so you can keep your devices powered when out and about or on trips. It’s designed to comply with lithium battery transport standards, too, so you can take it on planes and trains, and even though it’s palm-sized, it also includes a built-in handle and supports an optional shoulder strap.
(Image credit: Jackery)
An LFP battery with solar support
The Jackery Explorer 100D also uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery rather than the more common lithium-ion ones, meaning it’s theoretically both safer and longer-lasting, with Jackery claiming it has an up to 8-year lifespan and will retain at least 80% of its capacity across 3,000 charging cycles.
It has two 140W USB-C ports and an 18W USB-A port, so you can charge, for example, a laptop, phone, and tablet all at once. That said, it tops out at 158W of combined charging power, so you can’t use all of those ports at full power simultaneously.
When you need to charge the 100D itself, you can of course plug it in to any outlet, but it also supports up to 100W of direct solar input, making it suited to an off-grid setup.
So there’s a lot to like here, and while this isn’t the cheapest 30,000mAh power station, it’s reasonably affordable too, coming in at $99 / €99 (roughly £75 / AU$140). It’s not currently available in the UK or Australia, but Jackery does have a presence in both regions, so that might change.
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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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, November 1 (game #1239).
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 #1240) - today's words
(Image credit: New York Times)
Today's NYT Connections words are…
MEDICINE CABINET
COMPASS
FOG MACHINE
INCENSE
WATERFALL
DISCO BALL
NETTLE
HIKING BOOTS
DRESSING ROOM
DRY ICE
WATER BOTTLE
WIND UP
PIQUE
KALEIDOSCOPE
HUMIDIFIER
BACKPACK
NYT Connections today (game #1240) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: Equipment for a long walk
GREEN: Raging
BLUE: Wet not wet
PURPLE: Watch your reflection
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 #1240) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK
GREEN: ANGER
BLUE: MIST MAKERS
PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1240) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Connections, game #1240, are…
YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK: BACKPACK, COMPASS, HIKING BOOTS, WATER BOTTLE
GREEN: ANGER: INCENSE, NETTLE, PIQUE, WIND UP
BLUE: MIST MAKERS: DRY ICE, FOG MACHINE, HUMIDIFIER, WATERFALL
PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS: DISCO BALL, DRESSING ROOM, KALEIDOSCOPE, MEDICINE CABINET
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
A straightforward Connections puzzle to begin the week, without any word games, traps, trickery or cultural gaps.
As is often the case with these types of Connections games I got each group in difficulty order and was able to experience that little tingle of perfection, but also disappointment that I wasn’t smart enough to spot a fairly easy purple group.
Games this easy also make me suspicious that the NYT puzzle setters are merely giving our brains a day off in order to soften us up before a difficult run. Bring it on!
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, November 1, 2026, game #1239)
YELLOW: KINDS OF TEETH: BICUSPID, CANINE, INCISOR, MOLAR
GREEN: KINDS OF LOVE: BROTHERLY, PUPPY, SELF, UNREQUITED
BLUE: ENTHUSIAST: FIEND, HEAD, HOUND, LOVER
PURPLE: SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DOGGY, MATURATED, TRENCHED, TRIPPING
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.
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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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, November 1 (game #973).
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 #974) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… High and mighty
NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
MULE
FILE
SNARE
RACE
TIME
DATE
NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 11 letters
NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
• First side: bottom, 1st column
• Last side: top, 6th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #974) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #974, are…
CLIFF
SNOW
GLACIER
PEAK
RIDGE
SADDLE
SUMMIT
SPANGRAM: MOUNTAINTOP
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
I love how today’s spangram jaggedly rises from one corner to the other.
However, despite my enjoyment of some top-level Strands craft I still managed to miss out on spotting it. Instead, I began with the game’s two most obvious words in CLIFF and PEAK.
The closest I’ve got to a MOUNTAINTOP is snowmobiling on a GLACIER in Iceland — an experience that was both exciting and terrifying, not least the moment when our guide pointed out a 120ft-deep crevasse we were inches away from falling into. I’m still having the nightmares.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, November 1, game #973)
SNOOZE
SLEEP
CATNAP
DOZE
SLUMBER
DROWSE
SPANGRAM: ZZZZZZZZ
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.
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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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, October 31 (game #972).
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 #973) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… For the rest of the day
NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
PEEL
CASE
RESET
PAINT
BRED
SWORD
NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 8 letters
NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
• First side: top, 2nd column
• Last side: bottom, 3rd column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #973) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #973, are…
SNOOZE
SLEEP
CATNAP
DOZE
SLUMBER
DROWSE
SPANGRAM: ZZZZZZZZ
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
Has there ever been a spangram made up of the same letter before?
I am annoyed because I didn’t immediately spot it and score a Spangram First, although I did have the fleeting thought “there are a lot of Zs in today’s game” without realizing why.
The words of this puzzle remind me of Morrissey’s under-appreciated 2017 song Spent The Day In Bed, a jaunty anthem in celebration of skiving while others are striving that includes the typical Morrissey line “I'm not my type, but I love my bed”.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, October 31, game #972)
TOOTHBRUSH
FANGS
RING
CANDY
APPLE
STICKER
SPANGRAM: TRICKORTREAT
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.
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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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, October 30 (game #1237).
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 #1238) - today's words
(Image credit: New York Times)
Today's NYT Connections words are…
STAYCATION
GUITAR
DIRTY
KILLER
SICK
DOWNFALL
SHAKEN
UP
TENNIS RACKET
SHAKESPEARE
WICKED
TASSEL
SITCOM
MARIONETTE
DRY
GNARLY
NYT Connections today (game #1238) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: Confusing slang
GREEN: Instructions for James Bond’s favorite cocktail
BLUE: A twine in common
PURPLE: Begin with canine control
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 #1238) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD
GREEN: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS
BLUE: THINGS WITH STRINGS
PURPLE: STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1238) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Connections, game #1238, are…
YELLOW: WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD: GNARLY, KILLER, SICK, WICKED
GREEN: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS: DIRTY, DRY, SHAKEN, UP
BLUE: THINGS WITH STRINGS: GUITAR, MARIONETTE, TASSEL, TENNIS RACKET
PURPLE: STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS: DOWNFALL, SHAKESPEARE, SITCOM, STAYCATION
My rating: Hard
My score: 2 mistakes
I was on the right track with STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS, as I saw the link between DOWNFALL, SITCOM and STAYCATION — but I thought KILLER was the fourth; something, in hindsight, that would take canine training to a whole new (and wrong) level.
After winning a Purple First for connecting the hardest group of the game, I made another error putting together the easiest/yellow group, including DIRTY among the WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD.
After switching with GNARLY, another meaning for DIRTY came to mind and I was able to cobble together MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, October 30, 2026, game #1237)
YELLOW: PARTS OF A CAMERA: FLASH, LENS, SHUTTER, VIEWFINDER
GREEN: AROUND A THEATER STAGE: BACKDROP, CURTAIN, PIT, WINGS
BLUE: THROW____: HANDS, PILLOW, RUG, SHADE
PURPLE: FRUIT WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DEMON, DRAPE, GLUM, GRANGE
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.
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PS5 Bazzite Deck is a new spin on this gaming-focused version of Linux
It allows you to boot your PS5 to a Steam Deck interface and play PC games
You need to jailbreak your Sony console to run it (via the PS5 Linux loader), and that's a risky path to take for a number of reasons
Don't want to fork out all that cash for a Steam Machine? If you've got a PS5, you could turn it into a spin on Valve's gaming PC thanks to a custom version of a Linux distro — although the major catch is you'll need to jailbreak your console.
TechPowerUp noticed the PS5 Bazzite Deck project on GitHub, which takes this flavor of the gaming-focused Bazzite distro and adapts it for Sony's console. (Bazzite Deck is different from vanilla Bazzite, as it was built specifically for handhelds to offer an experience similar to SteamOS for the likes of the Asus ROG Ally — but without some of the headaches of running Valve's OS on that portable).
When PS5 Bazzite Deck is run on a jailbroken console, it'll boot straight into the Steam Deck interface (Steam Gaming Mode), and you can play your PC games from there.
You don't need to install the PS5 Bazzite Deck OS, either; you can just run it from a USB stick (via the PS5 Linux loader). As the developer VivaLaVent explains, when you next restart the PS5, it'll boot its own operating system again, and you'll be back at Sony's welcome hub.
So the PS5 isn't modified by running this OS as such, except for the fact that you have to jailbreak the console (then run the PS5 Linux Loader).
This project is compatible with the base PS5 and PS5 Pro consoles, and you can also switch to a desktop mode running KDE Plasma on your PS5, should you wish.
Of course, game compatibility is going to be hit-and-miss, although a gamer on Reddit observed that they've successfully run Horizon Zero Dawn, Palworld, Genshin Impact, and Rimworld — although Marvel Rivals was a non-starter.
Analysis: interesting times
(Image credit: Future)
I should make it very clear up front that I wouldn't recommend jailbreaking your console even as an experiment. There are potential legal ramifications (depending on where you live) with doing so, the possibility of Sony banning your account, and a whole raft of risks (including the third-party software involved, of course). So, if you do want to turn your PS5 into a take on a Steam Machine in this way, proceed at your own risk.
That said, there's an increasing amount of activity around getting the PS5 to run PC games, as you might have seen, so clearly this is something that quite a few gamers are interested in. Most notably, we've seen Playden, which is a very different way of running PC titles on a PS5, by using a compatibility layer (a custom port of Wine) to pull this off. PS5 Bazzite Deck differs in that it replaces the entire OS with a new one, as opposed to running on top of Sony's system.
By all accounts, PS5 Bazzite Deck is pretty slick. One Redditor shares their experience: "I've been using this distro for 4 days, and WOW! Seriously, it's way better than the others. There are constant updates that bring bug fixes."
The DualSense controller support is also niftily implemented by all accounts, as you can pair to both Linux and the PS5 system (saving you from unpairing when switching between the two). The controller's touchpad works like a mouse on the PS5 Bazzite Deck, and seemingly waking from sleep takes only two seconds (much faster than the PS5's normal wake time).
Another gamer on Reddit declares: "If the PS5 turns out to have been the perfect Steam Machine all along, it would be so funny."
But I refer you back to my previous advice on jailbreaking (and game compatibility). Still, this kind of modding is attention-grabbing, to say the least, and we're also seeing it in reverse, with a breakneck pace of development for PS5 emulation on the PC (very much accelerated by the use of AI, it's worth noting).
That effort is, of course, generating a ton of interest given that GTA 6 is nearly here, and indeed there are theories floating around that the work on that PS5 emulator could force Rockstar to launch the PC port much earlier than intended (before an emulated version is up and running). The rumor mill reckons we could see the PC version of GTA 6 early in 2027 as a result.
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Google's subsidiary Tuike Finland cleared and drained 330 hectares of forest at Muhos for a data center site
The company failed to get the necessary environmental impact assessments completed before carrying out the felling
A preliminary police investigation is now taking place, based on 'ambiguities and shortcomings in the drainage and water management', although the results of this won't be known until 2027
As The Guardian reports, the allegation is that Google's subsidiary Tuike Finland cleared and drained 330 hectares of forest at the site in Muhos before it had ensured the necessary environmental impact assessments were completed.
Yle (Finland's public broadcasting company) further reports that the police have said that the investigation is into suspected environmental damage, but the other possible charges could be added depending on its ongoing findings.
Finnish police said: "Based on preliminary information, there have been ambiguities and shortcomings in the drainage and water management at the construction site of Tuike Finland Oy's datacentre project."
The investigation will be far from a short process, though, and won't be completed until some point in 2027.
Construction work was stopped on the data center in Muhos, and also at a second data center site at Kajaani-Otanmäki, on October 14. In both cases, the environmental assessments were apparently incomplete.
Antti Järvinen, who heads up Google Finland as country manager, apologized for the forest clearances, but said that Google had acted according to the "best understanding we had of the legislation at the time."
Analysis: the rush for AI data centers
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Some 400,000 trees have reportedly been felled across both sites (250,000 of those at Muhos). As The Guardian makes clear in a separate report from last week (via Tom's Hardware), there are a lot of very unhappy Finnish people, as you might imagine.
Many of them question the building of data centers at all, and the AI gold rush that's the driving force behind this activity. There's apparently little direct benefit for the people of the country where these projects are underway, with only a small number of local jobs created. As a professor of computer science at the University of Helsinki, Jussi Kangasharju points out, "Really, for Finland, there are no benefits. They are international companies serving international customers. Datacentres ultimately have little benefit for others except the datacentre operator."
Others obviously worry about the impact on wildlife. Finnish conservationists inform us that the three-toed woodpeckers in the forest have been displaced, and The Guardian highlighted that in Otanmäki, wolves that had nowhere to go when the trees were felled ended up coming into a local village.
It will be some time before the criminal investigation is completed, as noted, but you can bet that the results are going to be closely watched.
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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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, October 29 (game #970).
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 #971) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… All charged up
NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
JUGGLE
CITY
LUCK
DICE
GLUE
TARP
NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 9 letters
NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
• First side: left, 1st row
• Last side: right, 2nd row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #971) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #971, are…
JUICE
ELECTRICITY
POWER
ENERGY
SPARK
CURRENT
SPANGRAM: PLUGGEDIN
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
As nice as it is to be congratulated for completing a round without the need of any hints, missing out on a Spangram First makes it far from perfect — especially when you've spotted it immediately after the first game word.
The reason for my Spangram blindness was a rare outing for the letter J, something that is rarely seen on the Strands board, making JUICE impossible to resist connecting.
From here on it was low-wattage fare with little to, erm, get the brain fired up.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, October 29, game #970)
WORM
FIRE
TONGUE
SNAKE
NEWT
BUBBLE
LIZARD
BLOOD
SPANGRAM: CAULDRON
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.
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Report says AI is being given too much authority and autonomy to handle business-critical security decisions
70% of organizations delegate decisions to AI that would have been made by a human 12 months ago
A “control gap” exists between the authority given to AI and an organization’s ability to audit it
Delegating complicated decisions to AI is leading organizations to place relatively new technology in charge of user permissions, in control of sensitive data, and risk security issues, new research has claimed.
A study by Illumio looked into how organizations are handing decision recently performed by humans to AI, without apparently taking into account the potential for serious issues to arise.
It found the majority (70%) of organizations are delegating previously human-made decisions to AI, but only around half (49%) can see what action is taken by an AI agent an audit it.
AI recommendations
The nature of AI agents makes this a particularly risky strategy, and the research has found that an incredible 56% of organizations are willing to accept greater cyber risks than 12 months ago. Almost half of that group (47%) have admitted to permitting AI actions in production environments.
Allowing AI agents to have free run of enterprise data, applications, and infrastructure is leading to wholly avoidable situations. Illumio’s research found that a control gap between the rules that organizations believe AI agents are operating within and what the technology is actually capable of.
Some 76% of organizations have experienced one or more security issues thanks to AI in the past year, with 35% revealing that following AI recommendations would result in a security risk. Meanwhile, 26% reported AI agents or tools had connected to other systems without the necessary approval.
More worrying is the 24% of organizations reporting AI’s drive to access data it shouldn’t be able to see, and another 24% stating it has triggered (or produced) an unauthorized action.
Strict limits
Of course, AI is already used within cybersecurity, and has proved successful with multiple vendors rolling out AI-enhanced solutions. But while 67% of organizations are using AI cybersecurity tools, 32% let AI conduct investigations without human oversight and 29% permit the software to deploy code changes completely unsupervised.
“The biggest AI risk may not be a system that breaks its rules. It may be one that was never given meaningful limits in the first place," noted Raghu Nandakumara, VP of Industry Strategy at Illumio.
Unleashing AI agents without constraints has left businesses struggling to control the software.
As Nandakumara observes, AI agents are persistent, and attempting to outwit their next move is pointless. Instead, “businesses must set strict limits on what they can access and do, then enforce those limits within the application and across the underlying infrastructure. That is how you contain unexpected behavior before it causes real damage.”
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Attackers used SEO-poisoned GitHub pages and fake AI clients to lure victims into downloading malware
The Yoba malware establishes persistence, evades analysis, and ultimately deploys XMRig cryptominers
Campaign abuses interest in popular AI tools like GPT and Claude to monetize victims’ computing resources
Cybercriminals are, once again, exploiting people’s interest in AI tools to distribute cryptojackers and make money - this time around, opting for a combination of spoofed popular products, trusty old GitHub, and a little SEO poisoning.
The campaign was spotted by security experts from Check Point Research (CPR), who’ve been tracking it for the past two months, noting that the unnamed attackers created fake downloadable clients for GPT-5.6 Sol, GPT-6 Astra, and Claude Opus, and hosted them on GitHub.
Usually, when threat actors spoof legitimate software and try to disseminate it via GitHub, they go the extra mile to feign legitimacy - they artificially inflate download numbers, deploy bots to ramp up stars or forks numbers, and post fake comments. That way, when a victim opens the page, they have no reason to doubt they’re looking at legitimate, popular software.
In this case, however, they didn’t bother with GitHub. However, CPR says that the pages still appear at the very top of Google’s search engine results pages for certain keywords, indicating that they’ve invested heavily in SEO poisoning.
SEO poisoning
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) poisoning is a simple practice - criminals purchase hundreds (if not thousands) of articles, blogs, and social media posts on the dark web, and have them uploaded and published across the internet.
Each post carries a link to the desired GitHub page, giving Google the signal that that specific page is popular and relevant for certain terms.
As a result, Google pushes it to the top of its results, unknowingly aiding the attackers into reaching their targets quicker. The attackers have also created separate GitHub websites to serve as descriptions for the applications and linked them directly to downloadable installation files.
As a practice, SEO poisoning was popular even before the advent of AI, but now it’s gotten even easier, since the tools can easily generate as many articles as needed, for a fraction of the previous cost. Obviously, these texts are extremely low-quality, and Google has been working on labeling them as spam, but the process is still ongoing.
When victims land on these GitHub pages and download the executables, they think they’re getting a standalone client for an AI tool. What they’re getting instead is a piece of malware called Yoba.
Once a victim downloads and runs it, Yoba establishes persistence by creating a mechanism that would launch it automatically every time the system restarts. Average computer users might have a tough time spotting it, too, since it presents itself as legitimate Windows software.
Yoba then checks the device it’s running on to make sure it’s not in a sandbox, or infecting someone in a “friendly” country. It can deliberately delay execution for two weeks to make analysis more difficult, and checks the computer’s keyboard to avoid infecting systems from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. CPR did not say where the attackers are from, but this filter could give a strong indication.
Deploying XMRig
The malware’s final step is to contact the C2 server and pull the final payload. While this can be virtually anything - from infostealers to ransomware encryptors, CPR says it is currently being used to deploy XMRig.
XMRig is an entirely legitimate, open-source program used to mine the Monero cryptocurrency.
Unfortunately, it is extremely popular among cybercriminals because Monero is designed to be a “privacy first” coin and, unlike Bitcoin or Ethereum, cannot be as easily tracked across the blockchain. Mining requires significant computing and electricity resources, as well as for the devices to be connected to the internet. By installing XMRig to countless devices, crooks can generate a hefty amount of tokens, leaving the victims to pick up the inflated energy and compute bill.
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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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, October 28 (game #969).
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 #970) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Double, double toil and trouble
NYT Strands today (game #970) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
WIZARD
BURN
DESK
COATED
WOBBLE
RAIL
NYT Strands today (game #970) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 8 letters
NYT Strands today (game #970) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
• First side: left, 4th row
• Last side: right, 4th row
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #970) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #970, are…
WORM
FIRE
TONGUE
SNAKE
NEWT
BUBBLE
LIZARD
BLOOD
SPANGRAM: CAULDRON
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
Wizard being a non-game word completely threw me.
I felt certain something like Witches and Wizards would be today’s spangram and completely missed seeing LIZARD.
Instead, the theme was CAULDRON and the many things witches in William Shakespeare’s MacBeth threw into their “hell broth” (something that surely should be available alongside Chicken and Beef bone broth) in order to send the would-be king insane.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, October 28, game #969)
FARCE
SKETCH
IMPROV
SLAPSTICK
BURLESQUE
SPANGRAM: FUNNYBUSINESS
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.
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Knicks employees expecting free championship rings received mandatory cybersecurity training instead
A fake championship ring offer exposed employees to an internal phishing test
Madison Square Garden admitted that using championship jewellery as bait was inappropriate
The New York Knicks have faced criticism after sending employees an email promising complimentary NBA championship rings that turned out to be a cybersecurity exercise.
Staff members who accepted the invitation were reportedly required to complete cybersecurity training instead of receiving jewellery commemorating the franchise's historic victory.
The incident involved workers at Madison Square Garden, where expectations of receiving championship memorabilia had already grown following the team's successful season.
Fake championship ring offer triggers mandatory training
The deceptive message circulated in late September, offering recipients personalized jewellery supposedly manufactured by the same company responsible for producing players' rings.
Employees could select between two advertised designs, Championship Gold and Garden Classic, before following a link to register their preferred choice.
However, the invitation was actually part of an internal security assessment intended to identify workers susceptible to fraudulent messages and credential theft.
Those who followed the instructions were reportedly assigned compulsory cybersecurity lessons, although the organization has not disclosed how many employees were affected.
Joe Vardon, a senior NBA journalist at The Athletic, reported that several individuals familiar with the situation verified the exercise's purpose.
The report also raised questions about whether the invitation contained recognizable warning signs that might have helped employees identify the deception.
Such exercises commonly use suspicious addresses or misleading website links, although the specific indicators included in this particular message remain unknown.
The controversy followed the Knicks' first NBA championship since 1973, making the promised jewellery particularly significant for employees celebrating the achievement.
Receiving commemorative jewellery was also a reasonable expectation because NBA organizations commonly distribute less expensive versions to personnel outside their playing squads.
Madison Square Garden acknowledges its mistake
Madison Square Garden Sports subsequently acknowledged the incident, describing its decision to exploit employees' expectations as inappropriate.
“Using the rings as a lure to gain employees’ attention was an unfortunate mistake,” it said in an official statement.
The organization explained that its security concerns stemmed from an earlier cyberattack in which employee credentials were compromised through a similar fraudulent communication.
Hackers had reportedly used those credentials to access company systems and subsequently extort the organization, prompting additional efforts to improve employee awareness.
The company also disclosed plans to distribute more than 275 commemorative items among players, coaches, employees and other individuals associated with the franchise.
According to the organization, those gifts, comprising championship rings and other jewellery, carry a combined estimated value exceeding $3.7 million.
However, the distribution arrangements have attracted attention because several assistant coaches initially received empty presentation boxes during the championship celebration.
The assistants are expected to obtain their rings later, although numerous long-time arena employees and business personnel reportedly remain excluded entirely.
The organization has not specified exactly how many workers will receive individual rings rather than alternative jewellery under its announced distribution arrangements.
The name 'PROLED XDR' is a new piece of jargon that Apple's debuting with this machine. So what actually is it?
The short answer is that it's a 'Tandem OLED' panel, which means that it uses multiple layers of organic light-emitting diodes — in this case, two layers. Two OLED layers are better than one because the result is considerably brighter than a single-layer OLED: you literally have two OLEDs firing per pixel. It also boosts longevity, because each of the two layers doesn't have to work as hard, so they have a longer lifespan and are more likely to avoid burn-in.
Apple has stayed away from OLED for its MacBook Pro displays in the past, and clearly that's changed. According to Apple that's because PROLED XDR "finally" overcomes the traditional limitations of OLED: low and variable brightness, off-axis color shift and the risk of burn-in from displaying the same interface elements, such as toolbars and palettes, whenever the screen is on.
The confusing thing, however, is that this isn't Apple's first use of Tandem OLED. It used the technology in its shift to OLED in the iPad Pro, but those aren't branded as PROLED XDR. Those are called 'Ultra Retina XDR' displays.
So let's look at the performance differences listed by Apple that put the 'pro' in PROLED.
(Image credit: Apple)
What's so special about PROLED XDR displays
The Tandem OLED inside the new MacBook Pros is very bright, delivering up to 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness (ie, in a small area of the screen for a short time) and up to 1,000 nits of sustained fullscreen brightness (ie, across the entire screen at once, without having to dim quickly).
The iPad Pro (2025)'s display is also capable of 1,000 nits of fullscreen brightness, but has a rated peak brightness of 1,600 nits — so the MacBook Pro is 25% brighter. That will bring a nice extra boost to clarity in bright HDR scenes, but won't make a huge difference really — the fullscreen brightness is the most important factor, and that's the same on both.
Because it's OLED, it gives you the blackest of black tones — there's no backlight to leak light into areas it shouldn't go — and a very high contrast ratio, in this case 10,000,000:1. That again is an interesting difference from the iPad Pro, which has a claimed contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1.
Why a 5x difference if the brightness is only 25% different? Apple hasn't explicitly said, but it must come down the lowest level of brightness that can be measured on the screen. Doing the math on the iPad's 1,600-nit display with a 2,000,000:1 ratio gives us a lowest brightness of 0.0008 nits. On the PROLED XDR's display, a 2,000-nit panel with a 10,000,000 contrast ratio gives us a lowest brightness of 0.0002 nits.
We can assume this is down to the new panel design, aimed at "minimizing internal reflections common in traditional OLED designs" — so less light is reflected within the panel itself, which could be the difference between those two different black levels.
But if you're looking at 0.0008 nits and 0.0002 nits and thinking the difference must be indistinguishable, then… yes, correct. They will both appear totally black to the human eye when they're supposed to. But it produces a big difference in contrast ratio, because multiplication is overdramatic.
How much more black could this be? The answer is none (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)
There are other indications that the MacBook Pro's PROLED XDR display might beat the iPad Pro's in other areas. Apple says it can achieve over 80% of the BT.2020 color gamut, which suggest it's likely to hit close to 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut — the iPad Pro was measured by our lab at around 82% of DCI-P3, so that would be a clear jump here.
The screen is powered by a display engine that's been built into the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, which Apple says "continuously compensates each pixel for content, usage, temperature, and ambient conditions".
Refresh rates are variable from 10Hz to 120Hz (with discrete options for film-makers: 47.95Hz, 48Hz, 50Hz, and 59.94Hz), and as we've seen with other Apple products there's a nano-texture glass option for people who'll be working in overly bright environments.
The big selling point here is reference monitor accuracy that you can take wherever you go, making these MacBook Pros ideal for video pros and mobile creatives of all kinds.
So do you need it? If you're making the next Wildwood — go see this movie, it's incredible — or working with high-res, high-quality video then these are by far the best Mac mobile laptops that Apple has ever made. But I suspect most of them will end up with people who aren't video pros, but who really like really good displays. I'd love to see Cyberpunk 2077 on one of these.
If you're technically minded Apple has put together a full technical paper on the new displays, and you can read it right here.
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