Latest Tech News

WhatsApp is currently testing a View Once mode for voice messages as a “new layer of privacy” on the mobile app.

The feature functions similarly to the disappearing images and videos present on the platform. Meta is merely expanding it elsewhere. According to WABetaInfo, a new icon sporting the number one will appear in the chat bar while you record a voice note with the lock on. Tapping said icon enables the View Once mode (well it's more like Listen Once) preventing recipients from exporting, forwarding, saving, or recording messages. Once sent over, you, the sender, cannot listen to it nor can the other person play it again after the first time. It’s gone forever.  

(Image credit: Future)

As WABetaInfo points out, this tool has the potential to effectively eliminate “the risk of your personal or sensitive information falling into the wrong hands.” Messages can’t be shared with people outside the initial chat room, greatly reducing the odds “of unauthorized access.”

This update is available for both Android and iOS. If you’re interested in trying out yourself, Android users can join the Google Play Beta Program and install version 2.23.78 of the WhatsApp beta. iPhone owners can try to join the TestFlight program for WhatsApp. However, at the time of this writing it’s no longer accepting any more entrants, although it is possible a slot could open soon.

Going quiet

As for the future of WhatsApp, things will be getting a little quiet. None of the other beta features are as impactful or noteworthy as the self-destructing voice messages. Looking through WABetaInfo’s other posts, we saw that Meta is working implementing avatar reactions plus a redesigned audio and video menu for iOS. Nothing really ground-breaking.

It’s not surprising the platform is going silent at the moment as 2023 has been quite the year for WhatsApp. It’s seen multiple major updates these past 10 months or so from several quality-of-life changes to eight-person video calls on the Windows desktop app. And recently, the company began testing an AI-powered sticker generator for chats. Perhaps Meta is keeping its projects under wraps so it can kick off 2024 in a big way.

While we have you, be sure to follow TechRadar’s official WhatsApp channel. We post our latest reviews and news stories daily on there. 

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Latest Tech News

A new malicious Google ads campaign, which was active for “months”, was probably dropping Cobalt Strike deployments on unsuspecting victims, researchers have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers from Malwarebytes recently discovered a campaign hijacking Google Ads being served to people searching for Notepad++, a popular word editing software. 

Whenever someone searches for Notepad++ (or types in a similar query that should bring up the editor), the first few results they see would be ads, some of which would lead them to a malicious site.

Cobalt Strike

This is a popular tactic, seen multiple times before. On the search engine results page, the site titles are displayed in larger font compared to the links, making it easy for people to forget to double-check it and just click on the suggested result. Furthermore, Google is generally considered a trusted, safe environment, where people don’t question the motives of the sites being displayed there (especially on page one).

In any case, once the victim clicks on the link, the site first runs a few quick tests to make sure the visitor is genuine (and not a bot, a VPN, or similar) and then displays a site that looks almost identical to the legitimate Notepad++ site. For those deemed bots (or otherwise unsuitable visitors), the site redirects them to a decoy site. Repeat customers are presented with a 404 page.

Being inactive at the time of analysis, Malwarebytes couldn’t investigate the actual payload, but the researchers speculate the attackers were most likely deploying Cobalt Strike. This tool often precedes the deployment of ransomware, BleepingComputer reports.

Ad network abuse is nothing new. Cybersecurity experts are warning users to be careful whatever they’re doing online, and always double-check to make sure they’re downloading legitimate software from legitimate sources. Pirated software, and those distributed through links in emails and social media messages are almost always malicious.

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Latest Tech News

YouTube is releasing a sizable update giving users new ways to search for and manage their content on the platform.

Chief among these changes is the official launch of the search by song tool where you can look up a song just by humming, singing, or playing a tune directly into YouTube. It functions similarly to Shazam where you can point the app on a phone towards a song’s source so it can record it. YouTube's version uses AI tech “to match the [input] to the original recording”. This was first seen back in August when it was still in beta and it appears the final version works in the exact same way. 

You first activate Voice Search on YouTube, then you switch over to the Song recorder where you will proceed to “play, sing, or hum” the tune for about three seconds into your phone’s microphone. From there, “relevant official music content” will show up on the screen. 

Search by song will be exclusive to Android phones “for now” and will begin rolling out "in the next few weeks”. No word on when it’ll arrive on iOS, although we did ask.

Extra controls

The rest of the update is less restrictive as the other features will be more generally available. A lot is being added, so we’re just going to go over the more notable changes like the introduction of the You tab. 

According to the company, this new section combines a user’s account page with their Library tab to create a one-stop shop where people can configure profile settings, find downloads, and previously watched videos. It saves you the hassle of having to hop back and forth between sections.

(Image credit: YouTube)

The YouTube player is receiving extra controls too. On mobile, a “Stable Volume” toggle switch is being added to “reduce jarring differences in volume”. This can be pretty helpful for content with bad audio mixing. Next is the lock screen which does exactly as the name suggests – locks a smartphone’s or tablet’s display “to prevent unwanted interruptions.”

Finally, pressing and holding down on the YouTube player instantly bumps the “playback speed to 2x”. Press to 2x, as the feature is called, will be made available on web, mobile devices, and tablets.

Everything you see will be rolling out “gradually to [users] around the world over the coming weeks” so keep an eye out for the patch when it arrives. More is on the way as the company teases it’s bringing “modern design elements to other areas of YouTube, such as the YouTube Kids app.”

If you plan on traveling anytime soon, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best YouTube proxies for 2023. Not every global region allows access to the platform.

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Latest Tech News

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 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 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 #629 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 #629) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #629) - 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 6.

Quordle today (game #629) - hint #3 - repeated letters

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

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #629) - hint #4 - total letters

How many different letters are used in Quordle today?

• The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 12.

Quordle today (game #629) - hint #5 - uncommon letters

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

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #629) - hint #6 - starting letters (1)

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #629) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• F

• F

• H

• L

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

Quordle today (game #629) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #629, are…

• FALSE
• FLAME
• HYPER
• LURCH

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

---

Daily Sequence today (game #629) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #629, are…

• ROUGE
• REEDY
• NICHE
• LOATH

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #628, Saturday 14 October: RALPH, HABIT, STRIP, WISER
• Quordle #627, Friday 13 October: GRILL, SEEDY, FROND, MURAL
• Quordle #626, Thursday 12 October: AWFUL, STOLE, ADMIN, LIMIT
• Quordle #625, Wednesday 11 October: MOODY, GRIMY, NAPPY, NURSE
• Quordle #624, Tuesday 10 October: PUTTY, KARMA, STIFF, PLUMB
• Quordle #623, Monday 9 October: VERGE, ERROR, GOOFY, STEAK
• Quordle #622, Sunday 8 October: READY, ABASE, PUFFY, UTILE
• Quordle #621, Saturday 7 October: PAGAN, ALOOF, SPIKY, WHILE
• Quordle #620, Friday 6 October: SWORD, REFER, GUILD, NASAL
• Quordle #619, Thursday 5 October: STRAW, TILDE, MINER, CARVE
• Quordle #618, Wednesday 4 October: WHIFF, CREEP, BLUNT, SPELL
• Quordle #617, Tuesday 3 October: QUALM, CAULK, VOILA, GOING
• Quordle #616, Monday 2 October: GUAVA, FLORA, LEGAL, ONION
• Quordle #615, Sunday 1 October: LEAST, ARRAY, BOWEL, MATEY
• Quordle #614, Saturday 30 September: MELEE, CHECK, SHONE, GLIDE
• Quordle #613, Friday 29 September: PARER, CLASP, SHARD, JERKY
• Quordle #612, Thursday 28 September: SAUCY, PEACH, SURER, STRIP
• Quordle #611, Wednesday 27 September: NOISY, CLEAT, EAGER, CARAT
• Quordle #610, Tuesday 26 September: SEDAN, CHARD, CHASM, GUSTO
• Quordle #609, Monday 25 September: LEASH, GAZER, GUILE, KNEED

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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Latest Tech News

If you’re a Steam user, beware, as hackers have managed to deliver malware to gamers through the platform.

Multiple game developers have had their Valve accounts compromised recently, with the attackers using these accounts to update the games they were distributing through Steam, by adding malicious code. 

Valve has confirmed the news, contacting affected users via email, but has already taken steps to make sure something like this never happens again.

Extra friction

By the end of October 2023, developers will need to pass two-factor authentication (2FA) before being allowed to deliver the latest game update to the players. Unfortunately, the only way to pass 2FA will be via SMS, opening up the developers to SIM swapping. That being said, Steam partners will need to register a phone number with the platform soon enough. Those who don’t want to do that will have no other way to update their game.

Speaking to PC Gamer, Valve said the “extra friction” is a "necessary tradeoff for keeping Steam users safe and developers aware of any potential compromise to their account." 

If all of this sounds like overkill, it’s because this isn’t the first time Steam’s come under cybercriminal fire. Valve told the media that there’s been “an uptick in sophisticated attacks” against developer accounts recently. 

One of the developers whose account was compromised, the media report, is Benoît Freslon. On Twitter, he said that malware stole his browser access tokens, which gave the attackers temporary access to his Steam account, where he kept his game NanoWar: Cells VS Virus.

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