Tuesday, October 15, 2024

You Should Use a Firewall on Your Mac (but Not Apple’s)

A firewall is an essential security tool for your Mac. Not only does it help keep your Mac safe from security threats online, but it also improves your privacy by allowing you to keep an eye on data that's sent and received from the internet. In some cases, this data sharing is essential, such as during a software update for your Mac. In other cases, it could be used by a malicious app to send your private data to servers on the other side of the world. With a firewall, you can stop that from happening.

What is a firewall?

A firewall is a tool that allows you to keep an eye on network traffic that's sent from and received by your computer. You can think of it as a gate between your computer and the internet. Without a firewall, all apps have unrestricted access to the internet, but when you use a firewall, these apps will have to ask for your permission before they can phone home.

A firewall can be a hardware tool or a software utility. Most of us have already used hardware firewalls, because modern routers have firewall features built-in. By default, they can block incoming connections, and some of the more expensive routers even let you block outgoing connections.

Hardware firewalls can protect all devices on your network, and unlike software firewalls, they can't be disabled easily by malware on any one computer. A software firewall, on the other hand, is a gatekeeper between your computer and the internet, which means that it's better suited to controlling connections for individual apps on your computer. 

Should I use a software firewall?

Although software firewalls are great for privacy and security, they are not for everyone. I think everyone should use a firewall, but the reality is that some people will find firewalls a bit restrictive because you'll have to approve every single incoming and outgoing connection. That said, you can set up rules to ensure that the firewall doesn't get in the way.

How does a firewall work?

By default, your Mac will allow all network traffic to reach your computer, and it'll allow almost all apps to send data out. When you enable a strong firewall, you'll have to approve nearly every single request for incoming and outgoing traffic. This includes an app's checks for software updates, downloads, uploading data, and pretty much anything that requires you to connect to the internet.

Firewalls support a stealth mode, which follows your preset instructions without any prompts, but even that is restrictive because you may not be able to use the internet as freely as you'd like to. The flip side is that you're far more protected from cybersecurity threats or, at least, you become very well aware of every connection your Mac makes to the internet. 

How can I use the Mac's firewall?

Your Mac ships with a firewall, but it is disabled by default and it can only monitor incoming connections to the computer. It doesn't allow you to control outgoing traffic. You can try using your Mac's firewall to see if you like it, but I have recommendations for third-party apps from reputed developers, which make it a lot easier to both use a firewall and enjoy the security and privacy benefits. On your Mac, click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen and go to System Settings. Now, navigate to Network > Firewall and enable Firewall.

You can click the Options button on this page to set up the firewall to your liking: You'll see an option to allow built-in software to receive incoming connections (i.e. Apple's own software), as well as any signed software you've downloaded. Those apps are usually quite safe, since Apple vets the developers that have their apps "signed." You can also choose whether or not to allow incoming connections to a variety of apps and services, but you'll quickly notice that you can't control outgoing connections, which means if a shady app wants to send your data to an obscure server, you can't use the built-in firewall to stop that.

Which firewall apps should I use?

The Little Snitch app showing connections made to various servers using a map view.
Credit: Little Snitch

Fortunately, there are some great third-party firewall apps for the Mac. Little Snitch is the one I like the most: It has a solid set of features, such as the ability to monitor and block any kind of traffic on your Mac; blocklists that automatically keep trackers at bay; and a great interface that provides useful information and makes things easy to understand. As much as I like this app, it is pricey at $59, which means it may not be for everyone.

You can also try a cheaper alternative, such as Radio Silence, which Lifehacker has recommended before. It may not have the polished interface and all the features of Little Snitch, but it will do the job a firewall should: let you stop apps from phoning home. The app is good at its job and costs $9, which makes it a great option for those who want a firewall on a budget. 

Finally, there's also a completely free firewall app for the Mac called LuLu. I'm usually wary of recommending free apps that serve such a critical security purpose, but LuLu has earned the trust of the community. It's free and open source, and you can take a look at its GitHub page to learn more about the app. It's in active development at the time of writing, which is also a bonus, since sometimes apps like these are abandoned and never updated again. The interface isn't as polished as that of the paid apps I've recommended, but it works well and you can use it to see if a firewall app is for you.



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Obscure monitor vendor debuts one of the most desirable laptops of the year: Sub-1kg, Intel Lunar lake CPU and a 14-inch display, but it will never go on sale outside of Japan

Monitor maker Unitcom has released the iiyama PC, featuring a 14-inch or 16-inch design and plenty of other attractive features.

The iiyama PC comes with Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 processors, known as Lunar Lake, and the body of the laptop uses magnesium alloy to make the device lightweight without sacrificing sturdiness.

Thanks to the alloy, the 14-inch version of the iiyama PC can weigh less than 1kg, which is extremely light for a laptop. For comparison, the 14-inch MacBook Pro weighs in at 1.55kg with the lightest M3 chipset.

iiyama PC - an unexpected surprise

Unitcom

(Image credit: Unitcom)

Anyone who has looked to travel with a laptop knows that weight is basically the most important consideration, and the iiyama excels in this regard.

There is also Wi-Fi 7 and support for Microsoft's new Copilot+ PC initiative, which requires the laptop to use newer Intel chips to unlock various AI features within Windows and its associated apps. There's also a 5MP webcam for good measure.

The best business laptop you can't buy

The downside to wanting Unitcom's iiyama PC is that sadly it will only ever be available in Japan. While that might suit some frequent travellers to Japan, for the rest of us, we'll have to resign ourselves to never getting our hands on one.

The iiyama PC comes in three versions, for 169,800 yen (£870) and 194,800 yen (£997) for the 14-inch model and 199,800 yen (£1,000) for the 16-inch model.

What is the best business laptop?

Seeing as the iiyama is not widely available, TechRadar has spent a lot of time checking out all of the best business laptops on the market.

In our considered opinion, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8 is the best thing out there right now, offering up to 13th-Gen Intel Core i7, 1TB to 4TB of storage, and a pretty lightweight and portable design.

For anyone on a budget, we recommend the Acer Travelmate P4, which has slightly less impressive specs but can easily be upgraded, has decent battery life and a Thunderbolt port, and doesn't cost much at all.

Of course, we'd be remiss not to mention the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2023), a laptop that probably doesn't need much introduction. If you aren't tied into the Windows ecosystem (or have loose ties), then this is the MacBook for work. The MacBook Pro isn't bad either .

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Find a Nearby ‘Gleaning Market’ to Save Money on Groceries

No matter who you are, where you live, or what your circumstances are, you have to eat. And increasingly that’s a challenge for a broad swath of America—grocery costs have risen dramatically in recent years, posing a real financial hardship for a lot of people and leading to some questionable solutions.

Incredibly, these high grocery costs exist side by side with enormous levels of food waste—to the tune of 92 billion pounds of food wasted each year. That number includes all the food tossed by stores after its sell-by date, all the food restaurants throw away, and all the food we scrape into the garbage after dinner. But about 16% of food waste in America happens on the farm before it even gets to the consumer.

That’s part of the problem—but also part of the solution. Because if you’re struggling to afford groceries, a gleaning market might be the budget-saving solution you need.

What is "gleaning"?

Gleaning” is an ancient term (it’s found in the Bible) that refers to scouring farmer’s fields for leftover or missed produce. Gleanings can be food rejected for aesthetic or other reasons or surplus food resulting from over-production—if a farmer miscalculates how big their crop will be and lacks the ability to sell off the extra food, they can allow it to be gleaned and donated. There are numerous federal and state tax incentives to encourage gleaning by farmers, in fact.

Gleaning takes food that would otherwise end up in dumpsters and landfill and makes it available to people in need, either through food banks and other charities or at low-cost markets. This work is mostly done by volunteers organized by nonprofit groups like the National Gleaning Project—people travel to local farms and glean produce left in the fields after mechanical harvesting or in areas that weren’t profitable for the farmer to harvest. If you’re struggling with your grocery bills, finding a gleaning market near you can save you a lot of money—while making your grocery hauls a lot healthier.

Where to glean

Gleaning markets—sometimes called “salvage grocers”—are located in local communities all over the country. In New Jersey, for example, The Foodshed Alliance runs the LocalShare program, which gleans food from local farms, and maintains an app you can use to find gleaning markets and other resources. You can also just do a Google search focused on your area, and the National Gleaning Project maintains a map of gleaning organizations you can use to find local markets. Buy Salvaged Food also offers a map of salvage grocers. A popular online option for gleaned/salvaged food is Misfits Market.

Some gleaning and salvage markets are run like any other grocery store, just with gleaned and salvaged goods for sale—for example, Town Talk Foods in Texas repackages gleaned and salvaged food and sells it at a large discount, but anyone can shop there. Other gleaning markets have a membership-style program with a monthly fee (the fee is often pegged to your income), but then allow you to simply take what you need from the shelves within some basic limits. One person posted on Reddit that their local gleaning market would save them $1,000 every month on groceries for their large family after paying a monthly fee of less than $80.



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Monday, October 14, 2024

Move aside H100, Huawei wants Chinese hyperscalers to use its new Ascend AI chip instead of Nvidia's workhorse, but it's going to be tough

The US restrictions on exporting advanced hardware have severely impacted the AI ambitions of many Chinese firms, limiting their access to powerful chips necessary for training large-scale AI models and handling complex computations. Companies like ByteDance and Alibaba, which rely on high-end processors for their AI operations, have been forced to turn to lower-spec GPUs like Nvidia’s H20 or seek domestic alternatives.

However, not all Chinese firms are equally affected by the US clampdown. Huawei, which has been developing its own AI chipsets like the Ascend 910B, and the Ascend 910C (which the company has just begun sampling) has been enjoying some success positioning itself as a domestic alternative to Nvidia.

During his keynote speech at the recent Huawei Connect 2024 event, the company’s deputy chairman, Eric Xu Zhijun, outlined the company’s strategy of building AI systems “that are accessible to every person, home, and organization” and announced plans to heavily invest in AI ecosystem development over the next five years, according to the South China Morning Post.

Expanding its cloud services

Regarding the US sanctions, Xu admitted, “The reality is that US restrictions on AI chips for China are unlikely to be lifted any time soon.” However, he also emphasized that these challenges present an opportunity for Huawei to expand its cloud services and offer local alternatives for AI infrastructure.

Huawei’s cloud computing unit has become a crucial growth area, generating 55.29 billion yuan ($7.6 billion) in revenue in 2023, marking a 21.9% year-on-year increase. “Cloud services are the best option for many companies that are looking to incorporate AI into their business,” Xu said. “By providing Ascend and AI model services, we aim to give every company real-time access to on-demand AI computing power, and enable more efficient model training and inference.”

At the event, Huawei also announced upgrades to its AI stack, collaborations with partners like China Mobile for autonomous driving networks, and plans to develop AI solutions for the automotive sector.

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10 Scary Podcasts to Listen to in the Dark

Horror freaks, October is your time to shine. This is the month for planning your Halloween costume, terrifying your neighbors with unsettling decorations, and mainlining scary podcasts.

If you're looking for a haunting aural experience this spooky season, here are 10 shows full of ghosts, murders, and haunted hallways for days. (And don’t miss my additional suggestions for more scary horror podcasts to listen this Halloween, and, if you're concerned about terrifying yourself a bit too much, this list of the best scary podcasts ranked by scariness level.)


Caribbean Mystics

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On Caribbean Mystics, hosts Paulina and Gabrielle highlight supernatural tales that take place in the Caribbean region. A storyteller shares their own spooky experience, then Paulina and Gabrielle come on mic to supply us with the cultural and historical background, and their own impressions. Caribbean Mystics offers highly produced stories told by the people who experienced, mixed with a fun hangout session between friends.


Ghost Story

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Hosted by Tristan Redman, Ghost Story is the perfect podcast if you’re looking for something murder-y and ghosty. Tristan starts out explaining that weird things used to happen in his bedroom when he was a teenager, even though he doesn’t believe in ghosts. Later he finds out that people who lived in the house after he moved away saw strange things too. Oddly, his childhood home is next door to the home where his wife’s great grandmother was murdered in the early 1900s. Could these events be connected? It's certainly a lot spookier if you entertain the notion.


Haunting

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Lauren Lapkus is known for being one of the funnest improv comedians in the podcast biz. On her new show Haunting, she’s playing the fictional character Therésa, a dead influencer from the other side (finally some undead representation!) sharing non-fiction stories from the real people. Spookiness and silliness in equal measure.


Other World

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On Other World, host Jack Wagner lets listeners tell their own scary stories, serving as the curious but neutral host, asking inquisitive questions, and letting the listener come to their own conclusions about what really happened. Whether you believe the stories are true or not, Jack does a great job showing us how, at the very least, they have changed the storytellers' lives.


Dark House

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If you had asked me to guess what kind of podcast we’d get out of the publication House Beautiful, I would never guess it’d be something so scary. Dark House is, appropriately enough, about interior design, but it’s also about the intersection of true crime and the paranormal: Beautiful homes with histories of hauntings, murders, the unexplained, and more. Magazine editors Hadley Mendelsohn and Alyssa Fiorento bring on authors, set designers, psychic mediums, and paranormal investigators to understand why we’re so obsessed with haunted houses, and to delve into what they tell us about our culture. 


The Haunted Objects Podcast

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The Haunted Objects Podcast is hosted by paranormal researchers Greg and Dana Newkirk, known for their work with haunted objects and supernatural investigations. They delve into the strange and eerie world of haunted artifacts, with discussions on various objects from their personal collection, which is part of their Traveling Museum of the Paranormal & Occult. They talk about the objects’ chilling histories, involvement in mysterious occurrences, and the supernatural phenomena associated with them, delving into how they affected thr lives (or deaths?) of their previous owners.


Tower 4

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If you prefer to get your night terrors from audio dramas, Tower 4 will provide you with more than your fair share. It’s part mystery, part suspense, and part psychological thriller. Mike Arche takes a job as a fire lookout in a remote tower located deep in the Wyoming wilderness. It isn’t long before he starts experiencing strange sounds, mysterious radio transmissions from another nearby tower, and general oddness. It’s a narrative so immersive, you’ll share Mike's feelings of isolation. 


Lore

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Lore delves into the eerie and unsettling side of history, folklore, and mythology. On every episode Aaron Mahnke invites listeners into the darker corners of human nature, superstition, and unexplained phenomena through discussions of real-life historical events and legendary tales. He mixes storytelling and research with tales of ghosts, creatures, mysterious deaths, and more. The stories are made all the more immersive by the atmospheric production and haunting music.


Limetown

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Limetown is an immersive, realistic sci-fi mystery that feels and sounds just like investigative journalism—so much so that many listeners initially thought that it was real. The story centers on the disappearance of over 300 people from a research facility in a small town (called Limetown). The protagonist, Lia Haddock, a journalist for American Public Radio, investigates what happened to the missing people, leading her down a path of conspiracy, government secrets, and strange experiments involving mind control. (The show was later adapted into a TV series starring Jessica Biel.)


Radio Rental

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Radio Rental places you in a fictional 1980s movie rental store (essentially a haunted Blockbuster) run by eccentric host Terry Carnation (voiced by ˆ’s Rainn Wilson) and his cat, Malechai. Terry is the scary story DJ spinning real-life tales that range from the spine-tingling to the bizarre, shared straight from the source. Produced in a documentary-esque style, the show collects stories of close encounters with serial killers and unexplainable brushes with the other side that will make you question your ordinary, every-day interactions, and remind you that something worth fearing could be lurking around every corner.



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Don't Fall for This 'New' Google AI Scam

Tech headlines are abuzz this morning about a new AI scam targeting Google users. Forbes published a piece detailing two experiences with scammers, both of which involved likely AI-generated phone calls and multi-step schemes. Here's the thing, though: These scams aren't necessarily "new," and you should be wary of them—whether the actor purports to be from Google or not.

Watch out for these Google Account scams

Forbes' reporting highlights two specific but similar examples of this type of scam: One victim, Sam Mitrovic of Microsoft, received an alert regarding an account recovery request, which, when legitimate, are usually triggered when someone forgets their password. Because unprompted account recovery requests are often malicious in nature, Mitrovic ignore the alert, but received a phone call from "Google Support" just 40 minutes later. Mitrovic ignored this call, too, but soon after, received another alert followed 40 minutes later by a "Google Support" call.

This time, Mitrovic answered, to find a "representative" with an American accent who asked if Mitrovic had traveled recently, particularly to Germany. The answer was no, which lead the representative to warn Mitrovic that someone had been accessing their account from Germany for the past seven days, and had already downloaded data from the account. Mitrovic even googled the phone number "Google Support" was calling from, and found it lead to this official Google Support page. At first glance, you might think that confirms this is actually Google Support, but read the page closer, and you'll see this phone number is the number Google Assistant calls businesses from, not Google Support. This was, in the end, a scam.

Forbes' other example concerns Garry Tan, founder of Y Combinator, who reports he was also targeted in a similar scam. Tan also received a call from "Google Support," claiming that they had Tan's death certificate, and a family member was trying to use it to access Tan's account. Google Support was calling to both confirm that Tan was actually alive, and to share an account recovery request that Tan could use to "confirm" his account was active. That last bit is the real scam: Tan highlights that the account recovery request was definitely fraudulent, as the "device" the request was coming from said Google Support, not an actual device. Someone is spoofing that field, and if Tan had hit "Yes, it's me" on the alert, the attacker would have been able to reset the password on Tan's Google Account.

While it can't be confirmed, it appears the phone calls used in each example were AI-powered. Mitrovic and Tan both confirm the voices were convincing, but in Mitrovic's case, the "caller" said "hello," and, after no response, said "hello" the same way again. That, coupled with perfect pronunciation and spacing, convinced Mitrovic the voice was actually AI—telltale signs of generative AI-powered audio.

In practice, this scam is nothing new

While the news is buzzing about this new type of AI-powered scam, the underlying tactics here are pretty classic. You can protect yourself by knowing what to look out for, whether the attackers use AI or not.

First, big tech companies like Google simply don't call you out of the blue to warn you about a potential security breach with your account. In fact, Google, and companies like it, are notorious for their lack of human-based support in general. If you can't get in touch with a real person when you knowingly need help, there's no shot a Google rep is going to reach out to you first. So, whether it's a convincing AI-powered voice on the other end of the phone, or a pretty terrible human actor pretending to be a live Google representative, receiving a call from a company like this should be a large enough red flag to ignore the situation.

On the flip side, we have the account recovery request. This is a textbook scam method: Trigger an account recovery alert on the user's end, and convince them accepting it means they're confirming their identity. That is simply not what this system is designed for, and it's what hackers are counting on you to fall for. Account recovery requests are supposed to be triggered by you whenever you are otherwise unable to access your account, perhaps in the event that someone has actually hacked your account. You tell Google that, and they send an account recovery request to your attached email address. You open that email, click "Yes, it's me," and you're able to continue on with your account recovery process. No one else is involved in the process, and the request isn't used for any other purpose.

Hackers, however, will pretend to be from Google Support, and say that this account recovery request is just a way to confirm your identity, or that your account is active. However, when you click that "Yes, it's me" button, what you've done is trigger the account recovery process on their end. They now have the power to get into your account, and potentially lock you out of it and steal your information.

Bottom line: If you did not trigger that account recovery alert yourself, it's not legitimate. Do not click on it.

If you're worried about being hacked

If you receive a phone call or a message like this, it's likely a bad actor looking for a phishing victim. Without your input, they will simply move on to another victim. However, it's not a bad idea to run through some steps to make sure your account is actively protected.

Focusing on Google, you can go to your Google Account's Security settings page to review a dashboard of your account's security health. Here's where you'll see all your active sessions, whether Google has any security alerts for you to manage, and settings for things like two-factor authentication, passwords, passkeys, recovery emails, and phone numbers, among others.

If you're worried about your account's current security level, look at your active sessions: This is where you're currently logged into. If you don't recognize a device or a location, you can click on it and sign that device out of your account. Just know if you're using a VPN, or Apple's iCloud Private Relay, you may see sessions from unknown locations on your trusted devices, as these services obfuscate where your actual internet traffic is coming from.

In addition, it's a great idea to change your password every now and then, and ensure you're using two-factor authentication (2FA). That way, if an attacker does figure out your password, you have a secondary authentication step that requires a trusted device—something the attacker likely does not have. Consider setting up passkeys as well, which combined the best of both worlds between passwords and 2FA.

At the end of the day, attackers employing these scams can't actually break into your account themselves—that's why they're targeting you. They need you to click on their malicious links or authenticate yourself on their behalf. So long as your password is strong, and you have other forms of authentication as a backup, the best way to avoid being a victim in these types of scams is to simply ignore them.



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Sunday, October 13, 2024

Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, October 14 (game #994)

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 1,000 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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

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 #994) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #994) - 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 1.

Quordle today (game #994) - 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 #994) - 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 #994) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• S

• E

• A

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

Quordle today (game #994) - the answers

Quordle answers for game 994 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #994, are…

  • ROGUE
  • STORY
  • EMCEE
  • AUNTY

More tricky words in today's Quordle; but then when was that not the case? ROGUE always trips me up, because for some reason I always play ROUGE first. EMCEE is a nightmare with its three Es and its uncommon MC bit in the middle. Yes, the other two are standard words, but when 50% of them are toughies, it ramps up the difficulty a lot.

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


Daily Sequence today (game #994) - the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence answers for game 994 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #994, are…

  • BORNE
  • RUDDY
  • CACHE
  • SMOKY

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #993, Sunday 13 October: UNFIT, NYMPH, THUMB, PUREE
  • Quordle #992, Saturday 12 October: SAUCY, UNDUE, EGRET, HELLO
  • Quordle #991, Friday 11 October: RINSE, ANIME, PUSHY, ZEBRA
  • Quordle #990, Thursday 10 October: UNTIL, MARSH, METAL, WINDY
  • Quordle #989, Wednesday 9 October: TRIAL, HUSKY, DOWNY, TRADE
  • Quordle #988, Tuesday 8 October: TROUT, HATER, BARGE, DOZEN
  • Quordle #987, Monday 7 October: CAULK, HALVE, APING, HEATH
  • Quordle #986, Sunday 6 October: FUDGE, TENOR, BEGAT, ROUSE
  • Quordle #985, Saturday 5 October: ELECT, CROAK, FRISK, JAUNT
  • Quordle #984, Friday 4 October: ELFIN, GRAIL, PATIO, RECAP
  • Quordle #983, Thursday 3 October: TENTH, REMIT, CURVE, TOAST
  • Quordle #982, Wednesday 2 October: ARGUE, CRANE, TOKEN, PRINT
  • Quordle #981, Tuesday 1 October: FRILL, MADLY, GRANT, NYLON
  • Quordle #980, Monday 30 September: CRUSH, TARDY, TEACH, STUMP
  • Quordle #979, Sunday 29 September: SERIF, BORNE, WRITE, SLEEK
  • Quordle #978, Saturday 28 September: BUSHY, CIVIC, SNOUT, EQUIP
  • Quordle #977, Friday 27 September: GUEST, CHASM, ROOST, BASAL
  • Quordle #976, Thursday 26 September: STAGE, VOGUE, CLUMP, HEATH
  • Quordle #975, Wednesday 25 September: UMBRA, DADDY, GLAZE, PRANK
  • Quordle #974, Tuesday 24 September: SPACE, INNER, SPAWN, BEGAT


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TikTok's parent firm could shun Nvidia, AMD as reports claim it will use 100,000 Huawei AI chips to train its next-gen LLM

After US trade restrictions stopped Nvidia from exporting its advanced AI chips to China, the company responded by developing the H20 GPU, a modified version which complies with the regulations by offering lower performance levels while still meeting the AI processing demands of Chinese firms.

Although there is a thriving black market for Nvidia’s high-end GPUs, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, already under intense scrutiny in the US, cannot afford the legal and reputational risks of engaging in such illegal markets, and so has been purchasing Nvidia’s lower-capability processors for its AI needs. ByteDance is reportedly the largest buyer of H20s in China, having spent over $2 billion on the hardware in 2024 alone.

While it is expected to continue using Nvidia GPUs, Reuters claims ByteDance is now shifting its attention towards domestic chip suppliers like Huawei to meet its AI ambitions.

Not without challenges

The report claims that ByteDance has purchased more than 100,000 Ascend 910B chips to date, making it one of the largest buyers of Huawei’s AI hardware in China, although as of July it had received less than a third of the order.

Training AI models is a computationally demanding process, which is why high-end GPUs like Nvidia’s are so in demand. Making the shift to Huawei’s Ascend chips might be a strategic move for the TikTok owner, but it won’t be without its challenges.

ByteDance’s existing AI models, such as Doubao and Jimeng, were built using more powerful hardware and are used in applications ranging from chatbots to text-to-video tools. The company's ultimate aim is to reduce its dependency on Nvidia, but the shift to Huawei’s Ascend chips could hinder its ability to train more complex models, Reuters says.

ByteDance’s strategy appears to be to navigate US trade restrictions while looking for local suppliers to help it maintain its competitive edge in AI, and beyond. The company recently invested in Xinyuan Semiconductors, a Chinese memory chip manufacturer, which could lead to developments such as a potential VR headset to compete with Meta's Quest and Apple's Vision Pro.

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Saturday, October 12, 2024

NYT Connections today — hints and answers for Sunday, October 13 (game #490)

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 clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

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 #490) - today's words

NYT Connections hints for game 490 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

  • CARGO
  • BOULDER
  • CLAW
  • HAMMER
  • ANVIL
  • HORN
  • CALIFORNIA
  • COYOTE
  • EGG
  • STIRRUP
  • DRUM
  • TNT
  • CAPRI
  • HOOF
  • HONOR
  • NAIL

NYT Connections today (game #490) - hint #1 - group hints

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

  • Yellow: Hard body part
  • Green: Meep meep!
  • Blue: You wear them
  • Purple: blank [What a ball would do on a slope]

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 #490) - hint #2 - group answers

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

  • YELLOW: MADE OF KERATIN
  • GREEN: ROAD RUNNER CARTOON STAPLES
  • BLUE: KINDS OF PANTS
  • PURPLE: ___ ROLL

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

NYT Connections today (game #490) - the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 490 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #490, are…

  • YELLOW: MADE OF KERATIN CLAW, HOOF, HORN, NAIL
  • GREEN: ROAD RUNNER CARTOON STAPLES ANVIL, BOULDER, COYOTE, TNT
  • BLUE: KINDS OF PANTS CAPRI, CARGO, HAMMER, STIRRUP
  • PURPLE: ___ ROLL CALIFORNIA, DRUM, EGG, HONOR

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: 1 mistake

There are days when the NYT's difficulty ratings for Connections make no sense to me. Purple today is one of the 'blank' varieties, where you have to find the missing word that unites the four answers. These are typically the hardest, and always form (as far as I know) the purple group. But there's no way that today __ ROLL was tougher than the green ROAD RUNNER CARTOON STAPLES or blue KINDS OF PANTS group.

I solved them all, but only thanks to a love of Road Runner that dates back 40-odd years. I doubt everyone will be so lucky. And I would have had no chance of solving the blue group, because I've never heard of HAMMER PANTS or STIRRUP PANTS. Am I out of touch? Quite possibly…

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


Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 12 October, game #489)

  • YELLOW: DRAPED ACCESSORIES SCARF, SHAWL, STOLE, WRAP
  • GREEN: TOLERATE BEAR, STAND, SWALLOW, TAKE
  • BLUE: BIRD ONOMATOPOEIA COO, GOBBLE, HONK, HOOT
  • PURPLE: STARTS OF CELL PHONE MAKERS APP, GOO, MOTOR, SAM

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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Nvidia will be thrilled – Samsung’s archrival announces it has begun production of HBM3E that will be used in Blackwell Ultra GPUs

South Korean memory giant SK Hynix has announced it has begun the mass production of the world’s first 12-layer HBM3E, featuring a total memory capacity of 36GB, a huge increase from the previous 24GB capacity in the 8-layer configuration.

This new design was made possible by reducing the thickness of each DRAM chip by 40%, allowing more layers to be stacked while maintaining the same overall size. The company plans to start volume shipments by the end of 2024.

The HBM3E memory supports a bandwidth of 9600 MT/s, translating to an effective speed of 1.22 TB/s if used in an eight-stack configuration. The improvement makes it ideal for handling LLMs and AI workloads that require both speed and high capacity. The ability to process more data at faster rates enables AI models to run more efficiently.

Nvidia and AMD hardware

For advanced memory stacking, SK Hynix employs innovative packaging technologies, including Through Silicon Via (TSV) and the Mass Reflow Molded Underfill (MR-MUF) process. These methods are essential for maintaining the structural integrity and heat dissipation required for stable, high-performance operation in the new HBM3E. The improvements in heat dissipation performance are particularly important for maintaining reliability during intensive AI processing tasks.

In addition to its increased speed and capacity, the HBM3E is designed to offer enhanced stability, with SK Hynix’s proprietary packaging processes ensuring minimal warpage during stacking. The company’s MR-MUF technology allows for better management of internal pressure, reducing the chances of mechanical failures and ensuring long-term durability.

Early sampling for this 12-layer HBM3E product began in March 2024, with Nvidia’s Blackwell Ultra GPUs and AMD’s Instinct MI325X accelerators expected to be among the first to use this enhanced memory, taking advantage of up to 288GB of HBM3E to support complex AI computations. SK Hynix recently rejected a $374 million advanced payment from an unknown company to ensure it could provide Nvidia with enough HMB for its in-demand AI hardware.

“SK Hynix has once again broken through technological limits demonstrating our industry leadership in AI memory,” said Justin Kim, President (Head of AI Infra) at SK Hynix. “We will continue our position as the No.1 global AI memory provider as we steadily prepare next-generation memory products to overcome the challenges of the AI era.”

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Friday, October 11, 2024

This Is How Apple Intelligence's Notification Summaries Handle Breakup Texts

Relationships are complicated. One minute, you're happy and in love. The next, your iPhone is breaking up with you for your partner. What, is that not a universal experience?

Your iPhone likely won't sit you down to let you know you and your partner are better off as friends, or that its them, and not you—at least, not if you're using Apple's publicly available version of iOS. However, if you've bravely dipped your toe into the iOS 18.1 beta, you might have your heart broken by your smartphone and its new AI features.

You can thank Apple Intelligence, and all the new AI-powered changes, that Apple is currently testing with its latest betas. Among a number of new features is notification summaries: Apple Intelligence reads through your notifications, including texts, and, like ChatGPT, breaks down the information into easy-to-read summaries. That goal is for you to glance at your notification summaries and catch up with what you missed, rather than waste time scrolling through a sea of alerts and reading each and every one.

In theory, it's a neat way to stay on top of your missed messages. However, as more beta testers install iOS 18.1, we're starting to put theory to practice here. The latest example went viral, and for good reason: One user on X glanced down at his iPhone running iOS 18.1 to find a notification summary of texts from his then-girlfriend, which succinctly read: "No longer in a relationship; wants belongings from apartment."

The user shared the screenshot on X in a now-deleted post, adding that the summary was real, and that it was accurate to the texts sent, though he did not share the texts themselves (quite understandably). He also shared that it was only two texts, but that was enough to trigger the summary.

It's likely not what Apple intended the feature to be, or how the company would like it advertised. But seeing as most people are sent a series of negative messages at one point or another, this is going to happen, and it's going to get summarized.

Apple Intelligence only works on iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 series, so the user pool will be quite limited even when iOS 18.1 eventually drops. But when it does, those users might be a bit surprised by some of the summaries they receive. It's one thing to see bad news spelled out verbatim in a message from a friend; it's another thing entirely to have your iPhone edit, summarize, and hand-deliver that news to the top of your notification feed. The future is now, I guess.



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A virtual 128TB SSD running at 28GBps — HighPoint's new all-in-one storage card will be a perfect fit for your AI workstation but, at $26,000, it won't come cheap

HighPoint has announced the RocketAIC 7749M2, a PCIe Gen4 x16 AIC drive available in 64TB or 128TB configurations with pre-configured RAID storage.

This solution is designed to fit into a compact form factor, similar in size to a high-end GPU, making it well-suited for AI workstations and other data-intensive applications.

The 128TB RocketAIC 7749M2W incorporates 16 Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 8TB M.2 SSDs connected through HighPoint's x48 lane PCIe Switching Technology which allows each SSD to run at maximum performance, reaching transfer speeds of up to 28GBps. This makes it ideal for professionals in fields like AI, machine learning, and media production, though as you might expect, the top-tier 128TB version comes with a hefty price tag - $26,000.

Highest capacity AIC

The drive, which you can buy now, is recognized as a single physical unit by the operating system, allowing it to be easily configured for different roles such as an application drive, virtual scratch disk, data archive, or media library. It has a three-pronged cooling system which includes a fully enclosed aluminum casing and triple fans, ensuring the device remains cool and prevents thermal throttling even during intensive workloads.

The RocketAIC supports versatile RAID configurations, giving users flexibility to balance performance with data protection based on their needs. HighPoint’s integrated management suite simplifies setup and ongoing monitoring.

TweakTown was one of the first to review the new RocketAIC 7749M2W 128TB and came away highly impressed, noting that, “Not only is it the highest capacity AIC of its kind, but we also find it to offer the best overall delivery mechanism for this level of throughput. The card itself is brilliantly designed, being sleek, cool-running, and well-proportioned. Its tool-free design is an absolute godsend, allowing you to easily access its 8x removable storage trays in seconds with zero frustration."

The site awarded the 7749M2W an impressive 96% rating, citing cost as the only major drawback, but praising it for delivering “the best overall user experience for a storage device of its kind.”

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Why You Need to File Your Homeowners Insurance Claim ASAP After a Disaster

In the aftermath of a disaster, especially one that has caused significant damage to your property and community, the prospect of dealing with your homeowners insurance may seem overwhelming.

However, once you and your family are safe, you'll want to begin working with your insurance company as quickly as possible to avoid delays in the approval, processing, and payout of your claim and the rebuilding of your property. (Especially if there's another storm on the way.)

Here's how to get that process started.

Protect your home from additional damage

If you weather the storm at home or are able to return quickly (and safely), prevent any further critical damage to your property, such as boarding up broken windows or covering exposed parts of your roof with a tarp. Your homeowners insurance policy likely requires you to take "reasonable" steps to limit additional losses in order to be eligible for coverage.

Be sure to save receipts for any temporary or emergency repairs made to submit for reimbursement, which should also cover materials used to prevent further damage (but may not apply to items purchased before the storm). As this will be factored into your final settlement, the Insurance Information Institute (III) cautions against paying large sums to contractors for extensive repairs in the immediate aftermath of a disaster before your insurer has assessed the damage.

Call your insurance company immediately

As soon as you can—ideally within the first few days of the incident—contact your property insurance agent or company. While you may be able to file a claim online, the best way to start is by calling. You can begin this process from anywhere (if you've evacuated, for example) if you know your home has suffered major damage. You will need to provide your insurer with some details initially, but they will also conduct a formal inspection later. Have your policy number handy if possible when you call.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) detailed guide to post-disaster claims, you should discuss the following when you call:

  • How long you have to file your claim

  • What your policy covers

  • What your deductible is

  • The timeline for meeting with a claims adjuster

  • Whether your policy will reimburse for additional living expenses, such as food or lodging

  • Whether you need to submit estimates for repairs

  • How long the claims process will take

  • What to expect next

You should also write down the names and phone numbers of everyone you speak with and any claim or reference numbers you receive.

Document everything

Any time you are dealing with insurance of any kind, documentation is key:

Keep all receipts for expenses related to the disaster, including hotel and restaurant bills if you aren't able to live at home due to the damage and any emergency repairs.

Review your personal property inventory and document any damaged or destroyed items in written and visual form. If you don't have an inventory, look at photos you've taken and search through your email for receipts to create one as best you can.

Thoroughly document structural damages to your property and list everything to provide to your claims adjuster. You may need to get professional inspections, which most insurance companies will cover, and bids from licensed contractors to support your claim.

Documenting damage as quickly and thoroughly as possible—and contacting your insurance company as soon as you are able—is even more critical when your home is at risk of damage from back-to-back storms. Insurers may push back on your claim and coverage if they cannot determine what caused the specific damage.



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Three Services People Don't Know They Can Get From Their Bank for Free

Banks aren’t just a necessary place to stash your cash, they serve a deep community purpose. They offer financing for businesses and major purchases, like a car or a house, as well as a long list of other financial services. Many of those services cost money in the form of fees—but most banks offer at least a few free services that you should definitely be taking advantage of.

Here are three useful services you can probably get from yours for free (and if your bank doesn’t offer them, maybe it’s time to look for one that does.)

Financial planning

Managing your money can be a complex and confusing job if you’re not a numbers person (or even if you are), so having a professional review your financial situation and offer advice and strategies can be invaluable. And expensive—fees for financial planners can run into the thousands each year.

One way to avoid those fees is to find out if your bank offers financial planning services. While you usually have to have a certain amount of money in the bank in order to qualify to use them, they might still be free in the sense that there’s no extra fee to take advantage of a consultation. Not every bank does this, but many of the larger banks allow you to sit down and consult with a financial advisor who can help you figure out investments, retirement accounts, and savings strategies at no cost. If you’re not sure how to handle your money, it might be worth making a phone call or stopping in at your local branch to see if they offer financial planning at no extra cost.

Notary services

A notary is one of those things you don’t think about until you need one, and when you need one, it’s almost impossible to find one that’s nearby and available. When that day comes, you should call your bank, because many banks have at least one person on their staff who is a certified notary. Notaries aren’t terribly expensive—fees range from $5 to $25 depending on the service you need and where you live—but if you don’t have to pay a fee because your bank offers the services to its customers, why would you pay it?

Currency exchanges

If you’re traveling, you’ll want to exchange currency before you leave in order to avoid extra costs and inconvenience. Your bank is almost always going to be the cheapest place to do so, and if you exchange a certain amount of money (typically $1,000 or more) they’ll even do it for free. Some banks don’t even have an amount limit—PNC Bank will exchange currency for its customers with no fee, for example. If you’re going on a trip and need some local money, it’s worth checking if your bank will do this for you for free.

This isn't an exhaustive list, and your bank may offer additional free services (the startup online bank Varo, for example, offers free tax filing services), so it's worth investigating and taking advantage of everything you can.



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Thursday, October 10, 2024

Your cat and its secret life can’t hide from Ring’s powerful new AI video search feature

Home security cameras are no longer content to sit in the background and watch for burglars – they want to be your family video cameras, and Ring has just announced a Smart Video Search feature to track down special moments in your Ring video history.

Naturally, the feature is AI-powered and only available to those with a Ring subscription (specifically those on the priciest Ring Home Premium tier, which costs $19.99 / £15.99 a month), because otherwise recorded clips aren't available. But if that includes you, it certainly looks like a helpful addition to the security cams – if you're happy with the camera nosing into your home life.

Smart Video Search is apparently powered by Visual Language Modeling (VLM), which can quickly match text queries to images. If you tend to scroll through your footage a lot, the benefit is potentially saved time – and maybe some helpful reminders about where you left your keys or the cat might be hiding.

Ring's example use cases show that the feature is clearly aimed at those who use the best home security cameras as a broader family camera rather than a burglar deterrent. It suggests you could use it to "figure out who ate the last of the ice cream" or to work out "why the garbage cans are knocked over."

If those sound a little niche, Ring also suggests searches like "red bicycle in the driveway" to track down the moment your kid first learned to ride a bike. Again, the real benefit is going to be for those who are happy to sacrifice privacy for searchable memories.

The Smart Video Search function is rolling out now in public beta to "select customers" and works with all Ring video doorbells and cameras. A wider rollout will occur from November 5 when Ring says it's launching a "revamped subscription service" called Ring Home. That new service will bring features including Smart Video Search and 24/7 recording to Ring Home Premium subscribers, initially only in the US.

Nudging ahead of Nest

While Google beat Ring to announcing AI-powered video search for its Nest home security cameras back in August, Ring has become the first to roll out the feature – if only to a select few beta customers.

Google previously said it would preview a similar feature for Nest later this year ahead of a full release in 2025, so the two rivals are on a roughly similar timeline. Yet the popularity of the feature might depend on how many see value in a searchable family video history.

AI-powered search is being pushed as a powerful replacement for our ailing memories across everything from Google Photos (with its new 'Ask Photos' feature) to Apple Intelligence (like its Memory Movies feature).

That puts these features in a controversial, sensitive spot that could leave many weighing up the potential benefits with the undoubted privacy invasion. Clearly, the tech giants see AI-powered search inside our personal photos and videos as a subscription cash cow, but we'll find out how popular they are when the likes of Ring's Smart Video Search and Google's Nest equivalent get proper rollouts later this year.

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