Best Smart Soundbar of 2023 - CNET

A smart soundbar adds music streaming and voice capabilities to any TV with an HDMI port. These are our favorites.

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The upcoming iPhone Ultra model could have a key Apple Vision Pro feature – the ability to take “spatial photos and videos”, using the phone’s camera. 

At least, that’s what the latest rumors are suggesting. According to a recent report from MacRumors, the spatial photo support could allow people to “record immersive 3D content” using the smartphone’s “outward-facing cameras”. The content could then, in theory, be uploaded and viewed on the Vision Pro. 

Judging from the rumors, which came from an unnamed Weibo account with an apparently good track record for iPhone predictions, it doesn’t appear that the iPhone Ultra itself (or whatever the future device is called) will let you view the spatial photos. Instead, you'd need to have the headset to enjoy the 'immersive' content on a big floating, VR screen.

Notably, the rumor is bold enough to say this update will “lead the market to rethink what kind of photos and videos a mobile phone should take.” But it might be a while before we get to find out if that's the case – according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the rumored iPhone Ultra (which has been tipped to sit above its Pro models) won't be arriving until 2024 at the earliest.  

What are spatial cameras?

We first learned about spatial photos and videos back at WWDC 2023 during the Vision Pro's reveal. The idea behind this tech is to let people relive important life moments; to make it feel like you’re there again. 

For example, as Apple showed in its Vision Pro demos, you could relive your daughter’s birthday party or your kids playing in the backyard. The tech giant said that spatial recording is such a core aspect to the Vision Pro experience "that the device [even] has a dedicated mechanical button on the top to activate it.”

(Image credit: Apple)

The main issue with recording video on a VR headset is the fact that you’re recording video on a VR headset. The hardware isn’t exactly inconspicuous. Plus, there’s the off-chance it could get irreparably damaged taking it outside. 

But put the same tech on an iPhone, or an iPad, and you won't have that issue. Now you'll be able to subtly record the high-end content on a smartphone without having to take photos on a VR headset, or worrying about your $3,499 hardware getting damaged.

---

Analysis: Remaining skeptical

(Image credit: Apple)

As interesting as this rumor may be, we’re going to remain skeptical for several reasons. 

For one: the source is dubious, in our opinion. MacRumors says it got the scoop from a supposedly reputable Weibo account. Apparently, this Weibo user has a “proven track record for disclosing information about Apple’s plans.” However, the site doesn't link to the original post, which we found strange.

Also, the jury is still out whether or not there's enough room on an iPhone for a spatial camera setup. As the developers of 3D scanning apps told us back in June, you'd likely need an extra camera that's far enough away from the main cameras (around the distance between our eyes) to get the necessary depth. 

The developers behind the popular iPhone photography app Halide also recently stated that smartphones will need "a significant improvement in terms of processing power and sensor fidelity and quality" to shoot proper spatial captures. This all means that these next-gen camera setups are arguably more likely to arrive first on an iPad first.   

Lastly, the iPhone Ultra is a rumor itself. The phone could potentially come out next year as the high-end option for the iPhone 16 line. But the problem is that there's no official confirmation that this model is even in the works.

So while spatial photos and videos are certainly a fascinating concept, it remains to be seen if the tech is even possible on a smartphone. For now, we recommend taking all this info with a large grain of salt.

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8 Back-to-School College Essentials to Keep in Your Backpack - CNET

Get advice from a real college student and grab these everyday essentials for your backpack.

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Criminals have been targeting Okta’s clients in an attempt to gain access to accounts with administrator privileges.

"In recent weeks, multiple U.S.-based Okta customers have reported a consistent pattern of social engineering attacks against IT service desk personnel, in which the caller's strategy was to convince service desk personnel to reset all multi-factor authentication (MFA) factors enrolled by highly privileged users," the company confirmed in a blog post.

The campaign was active between July 29 and August 19 2023, it was added. 

Muddled Libra

Apparently, the attackers (whom Okta did not want to name) have already obtained the target accounts’ username and password combination. However, as these accounts were protected by MFA, the threat actors had no other choice but to try and trick their way into resetting the tool.

If the attackers had succeeded, they would be granted the ability to assign higher privileges to other accounts, reset authenticators for other people, and even remove two-factor authentication if needed.

Read more

> Some of Google's new domain names could pose a serious security risk

> These dangerous phishing attacks are more common than ever - here's what you need to know

> Here's our list of the best ID theft protection software

While Okta did not say who was behind the campaign, the media came to its own conclusion, based on the information provided. Thus, The Hacker News argues that this could be the work of Muddled Libra, an activity cluster partly overlapping with the likes of Scattered Spider and Scatter Swine. Google’s Mandiant tracks the group as UNC3944. They’re basing their conclusion on the fact that the group uses a commercial phishing kit called 0ktapus. Unit 42, on the other hand, argues that multiple groups are using 0ktapus, which means it’s not 100% certain Muddled Libra was behind the campaign. 

Muddled Libra is a threat actor known to target organizations in software automation, BPO, telecommunications, and technology industries. Between mid-2022 and early 2023, Unit 42’s researchers investigated “more than half a dozen” incidents related to this threat actor.

• This is the best firewall to keep your business safe

Via: The Hacker News

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Supermassive Games has confirmed that Little Nightmares 3 will not feature couch co-op in order for players to be able to experience the game's true horror. 

In a recent interview with GamesRadar+, it was revealed that although the development team did toy around with the idea of introducing a couch co-op mode for the next installment in the series, it ultimately decided not to go ahead with the fan request because it would take away from the game's "atmosphere and immersion."

"Co-op was the most requested feature from our fans, so it was really important for us to give them that," said Bandai Namco producer Coralie Feniello. "I do think that it will add a layer to the game as well, by letting you experience it with a friend. 

"But at the same time, we really want the player to experience it as they want. So that's why we kept single player, so if you don't play online co-op you would be able to play with AI with you."

So for fans who were looking to play with a friend beside them while they explore the horrors of Little Nightmares, unfortunately, you'll have to go it alone.

"We've been asked questions about online versus couch co-op," said game director Wayne Garland. 

"Couch is something that we considered, but again, when you come back to the atmosphere and the immersion that we're trying to elicit through Little Nightmares, I think it was important for us that we stuck to our online co-op only rather than traditional more party aspects."

Little Nightmares 3 was announced during Gamescom 2023 with a haunting first trailer. This time around, the game is being developed by the team behind The Dark Pictures Anthology instead of the original creator Tarsier.

The game is set for a 2024 release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. 

For more, here's our list of the best horror games you can play right now, as well as our essential guide to every upcoming console and PC game release. 

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

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

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

But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for this game too. 

I'm a Quordle and Wordle fanatic who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #588 and the answers to the main game and Daily Sequence. 

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

Quordle today (game #588) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #588) - hint #2 - total vowels

What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?

• The total number of vowels across today's Quordle answers is 7.

Quordle today (game #588) - hint #3 - repeated letters

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

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

Quordle today (game #588) - hint #4 - total letters

How many different letters are used in Quordle today?

• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 13.

Quordle today (game #588) - hint #5 - uncommon letters

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

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

Quordle today (game #588) - hint #6 - starting letters (1)

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

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 3.

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 #588) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• R

• R

• F

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

Quordle today (game #588) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #588, are…

(And yes, I failed again. Those were some TOUGH words.)

• RIPER
• ROWER
• RUMBA
• FJORD

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

---

Daily Sequence today (game #588) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #588, are…

• FERRY
• EXULT
• EXERT
• RELAX

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #587, Sunday 3 September: SLUMP, CROOK, REVUE, MUSKY
• Quordle #586, Saturday 2 September: REVUE, FIGHT, BINGO, SERIF
• Quordle #585, Friday 1 September: BLOCK, SULKY, VOCAL, IDEAL
• Quordle #584, Thursday 31 August: FINAL, VOICE, HATCH, TWANG
• Quordle #583, Wednesday 30 August: MOUNT, SLEET, SCAMP, SAVOY
• Quordle #582, Tuesday 29 August: BRASS, PASTE, WIDER, PIXIE
• Quordle #581, Monday 28 August: PAINT, ALLOY, FORTY, FIBER
• Quordle #580, Sunday 27 August: VOWEL, BLUNT, STOKE, SHADY
• Quordle #579, Saturday 26 August: LEASH, SMEAR, BASAL, BRIEF
• Quordle #578, Friday 25 August: CHAMP, CLACK, PIVOT, BOOTH
• Quordle #577, Thursday 24 August: TAWNY, JETTY, PESTO, PRUNE
• Quordle #576, Wednesday 23 August: DITTY, BARGE, CANON, GOLLY
• Quordle #575, Tuesday 22 August: COAST, AWOKE, CLOTH, ANNEX
• Quordle #574, Monday 21 August: FILTH, TRACE, STONY, FOLIO
• Quordle #573, Sunday 20 August: WIMPY, PLUNK, FORAY, SHAKE
• Quordle #572, Saturday 19 August: STIFF, QUOTH, MUCKY, WEDGE
• Quordle #571, Friday 18 August: EXPEL, ROGUE, PATCH, MINTY
• Quordle #570, Thursday 17 August: OLDEN, HASTY, ADULT, OLIVE
• Quordle #569, Wednesday 16 August: BOOST, QUARK, ADULT, ANGST
• Quordle #568, Tuesday 15 August: IONIC, DAUNT, BRIBE, NORTH

Quordle FAQs: Everything you need to know

What is Quordle?

Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar. 

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

As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you're competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.

The website also includes a practice mode - which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! - and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements - specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.

Oh, and it's difficult. Really difficult.

What are the Quordle rules?

The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.

1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.

2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow. 

3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…

4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two. 

5. Answers are never plural.

6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.

7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle's dictionary. You can't guess ABCDE, for instance.

8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle's Hard mode.

9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.

10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.

What is a good Quordle strategy?

Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can't blindly throw letters at it and expect to win - you'll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.

That's the case in Wordle too, of course, but it's even more important in Quordle.

There are two key things to remember. 

1. Use several starting words

Firstly, you won't want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words. 

The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.

For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options - you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe - but something like that should do the trick.

If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!

2. Narrow things down

Secondly, if you're faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options - for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH - you'll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options. 

In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It's risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it's the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure - you simply don't have enough guesses.

In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.

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The 15 Coolest Features in iOS 16 You Don't Even Know About - CNET

The current version of iOS has tons of great features many iPhone users miss.

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Have you ordered Mortal Kombat 1's Premium Edition? Lucky you – that means you'll get five extra days to get in some practice before the game formally releases on Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X on September 19, 2023. 

That's right – players who've pre-order the fighting game's pricey premium edition – called the Premium Edition, predictably enough – will get an exclusive five-day early-access period that lets them start fighting from 10am PDT (1pm ET / 6pm UK time) September 14. 

As Mortal Kombat 1 modder reverse engineer Thethiny explains on X/Twitter, up until now, we only had the word of some customer service reps that an early access period was available, but updates made to the fighting game's online store listings on Steam and Xbox have confirmed what had only been rumors before this point.

Steam have announced that MK1 Premium Edition will indeed support 5 days early access as well.#MK1 #MortalKombat1 pic.twitter.com/2oscVrURfoSeptember 3, 2023

See more

Interestingly, Thethiny also discovered that Mortal Kombat 1's in-game currency will be called Dragon Krystals, and they'll be used to "purchase comestic features for your fighter such as skins, palettes, gear, and more".

Still undecided? Take a look at our Mortal Kombat 1 preview to find out more.

"The Kameo system is phenomenal, but it’s an extra level of strategy on top of an already complicated game that has made me absolutely sure that I’m going to be terrible at it," we said. 

"Often, whenever I tried to get Sonya in to assist me in a ground-based scrap, I’d instead merely make her fly overhead like a Red Arrow, giving us a cheery wave as she flew past us whilst we traded blows on the ground."

In related news, Tekken 8 director Katsuhiro Harada recently revealed that the "silly threats" some purported fans send to him and other team members have a significant impact not just on morale but also on costs and even the inclusion of some characters.

Mortal Kombat 1 remains one of the most anticipated upcoming games of 2023 - but what else is on the list?

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Prime Video: The 37 Absolute Best TV Shows to Watch - CNET

Here are some highly rated series you should try, plus a look at what's new in September.

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What Color are Your Sunglasses? It Matters for Your Eye Health - CNET

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Don't Sweat It: These Clothes Can Help You Stay Cool Amid High Temperatures - CNET

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Good news, PS5 players – Baldur's Gate 3 is available now for players who pre-ordered the Collector's Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition. 

Whilst everyone had to wait years for Baldur's Gate 3 – the second instalment released way back in 2000 – PC players were finally put out of their misery last month and have been revelling in the massive RPG for a few weeks now.

Console players, on the other hand, have had to exercise a little more patience. And whilst Xbox fans still have a couple of months to go before they can get stuck in – we're expecting it to release on Xbox Series X/S later this year – Sony console owners can finally find out what the fuss is all about as Larian Studios' highly-anticipated RPG is now available to players who pre-ordered the game's pricier collector's editions, the Collector's Edition and the Digitial Deluxe Edition. 

To celebrate, Larian has dropped a quick little teaser to whet our collective appetites:

Like its PC counterpart, the PS5 version of Baldur's Gate 3 will initially be playable in early access, so expect the usual weirdness and peculiarities as the team irons out the bugs and makes improvements. 

And don't worry if you're a PS5 player but can't stretch your funds to afford the fancy editions – Baldur's Gate 3 will be available to all PS5 players to buy from September 6.

As for when, exactly, we'll get to experience Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox Series X? Larian Studios' CEO and director, Swen Vincke, recently revealed that the RPG will be launching on Xbox Series X|S before December, as the team is “actually very close” to having the game ready.

Last week, Vincke confirmed that “we’ve found a solution that allows us to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to Xbox players this year”, after the title’s release on the two consoles was initially pushed back due to technical hurdles. 

"It's 2023. And 2023 is narrowing, so it's already pretty precise in my book,” Vincke said. “Between September and November... So, as fast as we can honestly.”

"I played one character for 50 hours on PC. This wasn’t enough to get through the game, and I'm still in the early to mid stages of Act 2, but it’s more than enough to get a sense of the sprawling scale and depth of the game here," our editor-in-chief, Jake, said of the highly-anticipated RPG, awarding it a lofty five out of five stars.

We'd say that Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the best RPGs ever, but if you're hunting for the next adventure with some companions, we've got a list of the best MMOs too. However, if you prefer to explore huge worlds on your own, make sure you check out our list of the best single-player games. 

Baldur's Gate 3 may be one of the best RPGs of recent decades, but it can be intimidating for newcomers. If you're looking for a helping hand, check out our Baldur's Gate 3 best class guide. 

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Best Prepaid Home Internet Plans for 2023 - CNET

Prepaid internet plans are ideal for simple, pay-as-you-go pricing without contracts or credit checks. Here are my top picks for prepaid home internet.

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Starfield includes a bittersweet tribute to a long-time fan who never got to play the game.

App developer Alex Hay had been "following the [Starfield] project for years", but realized that the sci-fi adventure's final delay, announced earlier this year, likely meant he'd never get to play it.

"Bit gutted at the date reveal as I've been following this project for years and now it looks like I won't get to play it," Hay wrote on Reddit when the delay was confirmed.

"Was disappointed with the delay from November as I'd stopped treatment for my lung cancer (aged 35, never smoked) in September and was looking forward to it as a distraction. 

"Now I'm under [end of life] care, being looked after by my parents, and playing my Xbox is a great form of escapism for me, but holding out another six months is unlikely so… enjoy it on my behalf"!

Just a month after Hay left this message, a follow-up was posted by a presumed friend of Alex who confirmed Hay had sadly died in March.

"In the last few months, he 100%'d Hogwarts Legacy, Elden Ring and put in more than 1000 hours into Rimworld on PC," Simon Roberts wrote. "We'd play COD Warzone and Escape from Tarkov. Basically, the guy loved games and was the kindest, funniest dude I know.

If there's anyone from Bethesda who would like to put him in Starfield or an [Elder Scrolls] game, feel free to reach out."

Whilst there was no public response from Bethesda, it seems someone did indeed reach out, as yesterday a fan who remembered Hay's post found a note from him within the game itself.

"To all my friends and fellow explorers," the note – which is entitled "Alex Hay's Note" – begins.

"I'm always with you, out there in the starfield. Love always, Alex Hay."

Bethesda's Tribute to Alex Hay from r/Starfield

If that didn't make you well up a bit, you're made of stronger stuff than me. To see it for yourself in the game, check the right-hand side when you enter the Eye.

TRG's Editor-in-Chief Jake reckons "Starfield is a technically solid systems-heavy role-playing game that works well with a surprising degree of polish compared to previous Bethesda RPGs," but added that "despite this, Starfield has no sense of character and the story lacks impact".

Awarding it 4 stars out of 5 in our Starfield review, we praised its "endless amount of things to explore", deep skill system, and excellent starship combat, but thought its middling ground combat, patchy writing and "soulless" feel held it back from a 5/5 score.

If you're still not sure, don't forget that you can try Starfield yourself when it debuts on Xbox Game Pass. Only time will tell if it makes it to our best games on Game Pass list, though…

For more games to get lost in, check out our picks of the best RPGs, alongside our list of the best single-player games. 

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8 Yoga Poses You Can Add to Your Bedtime Routine for Better Sleep - CNET

Use these gentle yoga stretches to help your body wind down before bed. Improve your quality of sleep by adding yoga to your bedtime routine.

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