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A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, July 6 (game #1121).

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

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

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

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PLOT
• DISCOUNT
• JOCK
• COLBERT
• LETTERMAN
• FRENCH
• LEMON
• KITCHEN
• BERNIE
• HALL
• OLIVER
• TEAM CAPTAIN
• STUDY
• SAN ANSELMO
• ALL-AMERICAN
• CONSERVATORY

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

• YELLOW: Featured in a mysterious board game
• GREEN: College sports types
• BLUE: Add a turn
• PURPLE: Henson creations

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…

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

• YELLOW: ROOMS IN CLUE
• GREEN: STUDENT-ATHLETE DESIGNATIONS
• BLUE: ___ TWIST
• PURPLE: ENDING IN "SESAME STREET" CHARACTERS

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

The answers to today's Connections, game #1122, are…

• YELLOW: ROOMS IN CLUE: CONSERVATORY, HALL, KITCHEN, STUDY
• GREEN: STUDENT-ATHLETE DESIGNATIONS: ALL-AMERICAN, JOCK, LETTERMAN, TEAM CAPTAIN
• BLUE: ___ TWIST: FRENCH, LEMON, OLIVER, PLOT
• PURPLE: ENDING IN "SESAME STREET" CHARACTERS: BERNIE, COLBERT, DISCOUNT, SAN ANSELMO

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

The game of Clue has come up a couple of times in Connections — previously we had weapons and characters — and although I’ve never played it I was familiar with Colonel Mustard and somehow knew that a candlestick could be used as murder weapon.

This time, though, I got ROOMS IN CLUE just because they were also, erm rooms.

My mistake came in trying to make sense of the final eight tiles, first making an utterly random quartet and then taking some time and spotting Bert, Ernie, Count and Elmo.

• YELLOW: STUNNING NEWS: BOMBSHELL, REVELATION, SHOCKER, THUNDERBOLT
• GREEN: SCIENCE FAIR MODEL SUBJECTS: ATOM, DNA, SOLAR SYSTEM, VOLCANO
• BLUE: ACME PRODUCTS USED BY WILE E. COYOTE: EARTHQUAKE PILLS, IRON BIRD SEED, ROCKET SKATES, TNT
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH DATING APPS: BUMBLEBEE, GRIND RAIL, MATCHA, TINDERBOX

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.

Not all kitchens are made the same and I'm sure there are many of you who, like me, lament the lack of countertop space, think you need to compromise when choosing appliances like air fryers.

Not so, dear reader, as the Ninja DoubleStack proves. The XXXL version of this fantastic air fryer gets you two 4L drawers that can cook up to 4 dishes at the same time. And that's without taking up as much space as other two-basket air fryers. Better yet, it's discounted to its lowest price yet of just AU$189.05 on Amazon for Prime Day, which is excellent value.

At this price, it's arguably the best Prime Day air fryer deal I've seen so far, but I'm pleased to inform you that there are other just as good deals on different models that might suit you better. In fact, you can even opt for Philips' take on the DoubleStack if you want, although it is more expensive even with a discount. Still, it's a newer model with newer tech under the hood.

I'm even thrilled that the Ninja Crispi also has a great discount on Amazon. All in all, there are a fair few options to choose from, and I've listed my favourite 5 Prime Day air fryer deals below.

• Follow our dedicated live coverage of the best Amazon Prime Day 2026 deals for more great discounts

Securing a spot on our list of the best air fryers, our reviewer said this innovative model from Ninja was the "air fryer of my dreams". It takes a familiar double drawer design, but stacks them on top of each other, resulting in a smaller footprint. Performance is exemplary, but just make sure the food you put in isn't that big, as the drawers themselves are on the smaller side at 4.75L each.View Deal

Glass is safer to use than the usual plastic air fryers with a non-stick coating. And that's where the Ninja Crispi comes in — with two borosilicate glassware containers that serve as both frying baskets and serving dishes. The Crispi also comes with two removable crisping grates and two snap-on container lids for easy food-storage post-feast.View Deal

Ever cooked with steam in an air fryer? Now you can with this Philips two-drawer air fryer. In my Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket XXL Air Fryer Steam review, I said that it cooks everything really well, but there are some caveats to keep in mind when it comes to the use of steam. Still, it's absolutely worth the investment if you want to upgrade from an old air fryer and you have the space for it.View Deal

Similar to the Ninja DoubleStack but offering a little more capacity of 5L in each of its 'stacked' baskets, this Philips also offers cooking windows into each. Each basket uses a ceramic coating, making it safer and non-stick. Honestly, if you can spare the extra cash, I'd recommend this newer Philips over its Ninja counterpart because of that last clause.View Deal

If you're tight on cash and space, this Ninja might suit you better. Its single basket has a 4.7L capacity, which should feed up to two people and it comes with four presets to get you started on experimentation. The drawer is also dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup easier as well.View Deal

I'm a bit of a nerd when it comes to portable charging. I love testing the many power banks, USB-C chargers and newer Amazon brands available to see whether they can really do what they claim, and how well they hold up day to day.

Since most of us need a spare power bank, wall charger or cable sooner or later, these products are always worth checking during Amazon's Prime Day sales.

With Prime Day 2026 now underway in Australia, I've rounded up my favourite power bank and charger deals below.

Many of these are the same models I recommend in my best power banks guide, including picks from Iniu, Anker, ZMI, Ugreen and more.

Based on my testing, there are also a few Amazon charging brands I’d be cautious about — including Veektomx, Charmast and Heymix — with the latter having some rather worrying reviews.

All the deals below are Exclusive Prime prices, so if you don't have membership already, sign up now and get a 30-day free trial that you can cancel any time.

This compact 45W power bank is one of my favourite everyday carry options, and it’s now back near the best price I’ve seen. Read our review for more insight, but the short version is that it’s a great choice if you want a small power bank that can fast charge your phone on the go.View Deal

This is one of the top-rated options in our best power banks guide, and it’s a very capable option for charging phones, tablets and laptops. It can charge at up to 145W, has dual USB-C ports plus USB-A, supports 65W pass-through charging and sits below the 100Wh airline carry-on limit.

The more compact 100W / 20,000mAh version is also discounted, and is currently AU$69.99 at Amazon.View Deal

This is one of the lowest prices I’ve seen for the Anker 737, making it a great deal on a premium power bank. It gets excellent results in our best power banks guide, with 140W output, a 24,000mAh capacity, a flight-safe 86.4Wh battery rating and an excellent 85% efficiency in our testing.View Deal

This compact 20,000mAh power bank is a good option for longer days out, travel or times when a smaller 10,000mAh model won’t quite cut it. The T2055 is one of our top-rated budget options in our best power banks guide, and at this price it’s easy to recommend.View Deal

Everyone needs more USB-C cables, and Ugreen is one of my favourite brands for them. This two-pack of popular 1m 100W cables is back to a price that matches the lowest I’ve seen before. Ugreen has loads of USB-C cables currently discounted, so it’s well worth a look. I especially like the 3m long cables, and keep one by the couch for charging my phone or laptop.View Deal

This is just AU$1 more than the lowest price I’ve seen for the Ugreen Mini 30W charger, and it’s a handy buy if you want a compact spare. It’s small enough to leave in a bag, can fast charge most phones and, thanks to its 20V output profile, can even top up some USB-C laptops when needed.View Deal

This neat little charger doesn’t take up much space and gives you both USB-A and USB-C ports. It can fast charge most base-model phones from Apple, Google and Samsung, though it won’t hit the maximum charging speeds of higher-end models such as the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus / Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro / Pro Max. Still, it’s a great travel or backup charger at this price.View Deal

This compact Ugreen charger can output up to 65W from either USB-C port, plus up to 22.5W from its USB-A port. That makes it powerful enough to fast charge top iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones, while also being worth considering as a compact laptop charger replacement if your laptop supports USB-C charging and you have a suitable cable.View Deal

A 100W USB-C charger is a must-have for many larger laptops, or for fast charging multiple devices from one wall socket. I often see this Ugreen model around this price, but it’s still an excellent buy from a brand I trust.View Deal

• All the best Amazon Prime Day 2026 deals
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• Best Prime Day coffee machine deals

Ah, the Noble Osprey; see how the majestic raptor hovers over its prey, watching with beady eyes as the young trout — wait, what do you mean this isn’t the first few words of a David Attenborough narration? Oh. I’m glad you told me that now.

The Noble Osprey are, in fact, a new pair of true wireless earbuds from the premium audio brand Noble. They’re not cheap, relatively speaking (and this is a crowded market), but they do undercut some of the best earbuds on the market to have graced our testing process. They're also more wallet-friendly than other buds from the brand such as the Noble FoKus Amadeus and FoKus Rex5, making them a little more competitive than what’s come before.

Despite this cheaper price, the Osprey also share a few traits with their siblings. They have another distinct marbled look, this time in blue, and again a focus on high-quality audio, with a refined V-shaped sound profile and support for LDAC.

I really wanted to like the Osprey; I tested the FoKus Apollo over-ears which sounded fantastic, and love an earbud that’s focusing on refined, higher-resolution sound instead of an omnipresent thumping bass. But over the several weeks of testing, I repeatedly found myself opting for other buds over the Osprey, which isn’t a good sign.

Unlike the namesake birds, gliding unbothered in the sky, the Osprey are certainly susceptible to the force of gravity… that is to say, they just wouldn’t stay in my ears. I tested the various sizes and shapes of ear tips offered in the box, and even rotated and twisted the buds around uncomfortable angles to see if I could lodge them into my ear, but no cigar.

I don’t mean they wobbled when I went for a run; I could be sitting stock still and they’d slide (I hesitate to use the word 'yeeted', but there it is) straight out of my ears of their own accord. Even cooking or eating was a challenge with them in; they’d fall out so frequently I’d always just remove them — or replace them with a pair I wasn’t testing.

The problem was incessant and it sowed in me a reticence to use the buds. This sentiment colored my entire time with them. I don’t think I’ve ever used a set of earbuds that fit as poorly (well, a tip-toting pair at least; they draw with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4) as the Noble Osprey.

I'm only laboring the point because it is a real shame. There’s a lot to like in these buds. They look distinctive, offering some of the flair of wired, Shure-adjacent IEMs but without the wire. The case is lovely and small, and holds a fair amount of charge too.

And the audio quality from these Noble earpieces is also good (when you can keep them in), offering a V-shaped presentation but with delicate, sparkling trebles and a refined low-end that’s rich in detail. The use of dual drivers as well as LDAC and Bluetooth 6.0 compatibility ensures you’re getting that extra sonic oomph you’re paying for. I just wish the buds would stay in my ears so I could appreciate the sound quality more…

• Announced on June 2, 2026, shipped later that month
• Selling for $199 / £199 / AU$292
• Undercuts Noble's other buds, AirPods Pro and Galaxy Buds Pro

Announced on the 2nd June, 2026, the Noble Osprey were shipped to early buyers by the end of the month.

They cost $199 / £199 / AU$292, so they’re priced just a hair below the AirPods Pro 3 or Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, but in the same rough ‘premium wireless earbuds’ area that indicates these are top-tier buds.

Not highest-tier, I suppose, when you consider Noble’s other buds. The Rex5 cost $449 / £419 / AU$699, literally twice as much as the Osprey, so this bird-named pair of buds is still a very affordable model as far as Noble is concerned.

Drivers

10mm + balanced armature

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

5 hours (buds), 35 hours (case)

Weight

6.5g (buds), 61g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Frequency response

20Hz-40kHz

Waterproofing

TBC

• Minimum 5 hours listening, 7 hours without ANC
• Passable ANC, but struggles in wind
• App offers EQ, but not much more

The Noble Osprey are earbuds designed for audiophiles, and battery life is often a department that sees culls in favor of driving those various drivers (and powering the necessary antiphase tech for noise nixing). Case in point, the Osprey only last for five hours of listening when you've got ANC enabled.

That timespan extends to seven hours if you turn off ANC, which is a reasonable figure. The 35-hour battery life of the case is also reasonable too, and I've tested plenty of earbuds that don't offer that amount of extra juice.

Talking of the ANC, it's passable, but nothing to write home about — the Osprey won't be joining our best noise-cancelling earbuds guide any time soon. It stripped away the rumble of a bus and dampened the whirr of a nearby washing machine, but didn't offer the near-silence that many rivals do. They often struggled with wind too.

The Noble Osprey app offers a few useful features, including the ability to customize what the buds' touch controls do, turning off (or on) ANC, and toggling the Bluetooth tone switch.

The main tool, though, is the equalizer, offering a 10-band EQ or the choice between six presets. It's a rather effective EQ, letting you pull the music in various directions, and you can save various custom modes in addition to the presets.

If you don't think you'll use the equalizer, though, the app's not really worth downloading; it doesn't offer that much else, and there's a dearth of extra features that often crop up in consumer-grade earbuds.

• Features score: 3.5/5

• Svelte carry case
• Attractive blue marbled design
• Not designed to stick in the ear

You’ve read the introduction, you know that the Noble Osprey buds simply wouldn’t stay in my ears, no matter what I tried. And before the “why didn’t you…” of the comments section: trust me, I test buds for a living, this is not my first rodeo. It took very little motion to dislodge them from my ears: going on walks, sitting on a bumpy bus, moving about while cooking.

This was more than a minor annoyance; I basically couldn’t use them if I wasn’t sitting still at a desk, and even then the fit was unreliable. When they started to slip, they fell fast, tanking the audio quality and, if I tried to push them back into my ears, causing me to accidentally press the on-bud buttons.

Now and then I managed to lodge them in my ears in a way that, temporarily at least, kept them locked in position, and once or twice I managed to go on a walk with the buds. But this wasn’t reliable, caused my ears to ache, and still required me to adjust the fit almost constantly.

What’s the problem? They’re not the lightest buds I’ve ever tested, weighing 6.5g, but that shouldn’t be enough to hurt the fit. At a guess, it’s the top-heavy weighting of the buds themselves, though the lack of any friction in the tips (or perhaps a fin to help them lodge into ears) doesn’t help either.

Not only is it infuriating to constantly adjust the earbuds in your ear, it runs the risk of knocking the touch controls on each. It’s only a risk, though, and not a guarantee, because I found the controls quite unreliable to trigger.

The Osprey come in a lovely-looking azure charging case — azure until it gets scuffed up, which happened very quickly for me, making it look a little less lovely.

Said case is pretty small, with the buds nestled into it nicely, and it's light in weight, tipping the scales to 61g. I couldn’t find any information suggesting they’re IP rated, but the case certainly feels solid enough to protect the buds from a drop.

• Design score: 2.5/5

• 10mm + BA driver
• Refined V-shaped sound
• LDAC support

Putting aside fit issues (which are hard to put aside when they affect sound quality so frequently — but play nice!), the Noble Osprey sound really good.

Each bud has been kitted out with a 10mm dynamic driver, plus a balanced armature driver, and they combine to create a refined V-shaped sound.

Bass is cohesive and scooping, holding a distinct space in the mix without overriding higher-end frequencies. Treble is sharp and bright, giving vocals sparkle and adding energy to string or brass stings. And while the mids aren’t as prominent in the mix as, say, bass, they hold enough space that music doesn’t feel like there’s some void in the middle.

Songs like Don McCloskey’s First in Flight let the various higher-frequency instruments, and the dancing bassline, all sit separately without descending into one chaotic mush. Acoustic guitars and vocals don’t clash like they do in cheaper buds, like in Charlie Mars’ She Ain’t Coming Back, which retains detail and timbre.

Helping this detail is the Osprey’s support for LDAC, for an upgrade over SBC or AAC.

The dual drivers bring another benefit: audio spacing. There’s distinct placement and a broad soundstage present in music here. How to get it? Try Yi Nantiro’s Oasis, which sees the harp dance around your periphery, or the London Symphony Orchestra’s recent recording of Holst’s The Planets, in which you can basically point to where each section of the orchestra was seated during the live recording.

The Osprey get pretty loud too if you push them, only distorting when you’re at the highest few volume increments. I didn’t go anywhere near that loud for most of my listening, but I appreciate that you can listen at higher volumes without losing quality.

• Sound quality: 4.5/5

• Rather affordable compared to audiophile buds
• Expensive compared to consumer-grade ones
• Don't offer the complete package like same-priced rivals do

The Noble Osprey sit with a foot (or claw? Talon?) in two camps. On one side, they're affordable audiophile earbuds, designed for listeners who care about music quality above all else. On the other, they're premium models for the average consumer, who wants a more balanced overall package.

Unfortunately, while the Noble Osprey sound really good, I'm not sure they sound $200 good. The distinction between them and same-price Apple, Bose or Sony rivals isn't pronounced enough, when you consider that those buds tend to offer a more balanced design and wider feature set.

Sure, audiophiles who only consider audio quality might not want those other features, but it's still a high price. For the same cost as the Osprey, you can get other buds that work even better.

• Value: 3/5

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The Osprey's ANC does the job, and its battery life is okay, but beyond a useful EQ, there aren't many extra tools.

3.5/5

Design

Despite the portable carry case, and lovely marbling, it doesn't seem like enough thought was put into how the Osprey would sit in the ear.

2.5/5

Sound quality

The Osprey sound great, with a V-shaped profile that belies texture, space and detail.

4.5/5

Value

It's a high asking price, and beyond the sound quality, you're not getting much.

3/5

You want great-sounding audio
The Noble Osprey sound great, and if that's the one and only thing you look for in wireless earbuds, then they're a good fit for you.

You like the look
Wireless earbuds can look pretty boring, so the Noble Osprey's blue marble pattern sets them apart from the crowd.

You need a tiny carry case
If you find modern earbud cases too big, the Osprey are the antidote: it's smaller than most alternatives I've used.View Deal

You're not just listening at home
Because of the fit issues, the Osprey just aren't suited to being out and about. If you're only listening while sitting at a desk at home, they might be okay.

You want real budget earbuds
The Noble Osprey might be budget buds compared to other audiophile offerings, but when you look at the grand scheme of earbuds, they're still rather expensive.

Want to see what other earbuds your money can get you? Here are some alternatives for roughly the same price.

Noble Osprey

Apple AirPods Pro 3

Sony WF-1000XM6

Drivers

10mm + BA driver

Unspecified

8.4mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life (ANC on)

5 hours (buds), 35 hours (case)

8 hours (buds), 24 hours (case)

8 hours (buds), 24 hours (case)

Weight

6.5g (buds), 61g (case)

5.6g (buds), 44g (case)

6.5g (buds), 47g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

TBC

IP57

IPX4

Apple AirPods Pro 3
The natural competition at this price point is the AirPods Pro, with a burgeoning feature set (albeit some fit issues too). Don't expect as refined audio, though.
Read our full AirPods Pro 3 review

Sony WF-1000XM6
Another solid rival, and a stem-less option like the Osprey, is Sony's modern flagship. These sound audiophile-tier and have a wide, if not Apple wide, range of extra tools.
Read our full Sony WF-1000XM6 review

• Tested for one month
• Paired with two different Android phones
• Used for various activities and tasks

I used the Noble Osprey for roughly a month before writing this review, and the writing process added at least a week more of testing time. I began by using the pre-attached ear tips, and cycled through various in-box options, before settling on the two-tiered tips you see in the pictures.

During that span, they were paired to two different Android smartphones: a Motorola Edge 70 Fusion, and a Realme 13 Pro Plus, both times with the app installed on the phone. Mostly, music listening was done with Spotify and Tidal, while Prime Video and Now were used for movies — and various games got a look-in, too. I also used them for some calls and voice notes.

Initially, I used the earbuds for a wide range of tasks, including going for walks around my area, commuting or travelling on various forms of public transport, and while doing activities around my house. Towards the end of the testing process, when the fit issue made other uses frustrating, I only used them while seated at a desk. I completely omitted several tasks that are part of my usual testing process, including gym trips and runs.

I've been reviewing tech for TechRadar since 2019, which has seen me use countless earbuds and audio products.

• First reviewed in July 2026

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

It’s no secret that the data centers that form the hidden engine of today’s AI boom can consume huge amounts of water, mostly for cooling purposes, and dealing with this issue is critical for any organisation in the technology sector.

Worldwide, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that the data center sector consumes 560 billion liters of water per year today, and projections suggest this figure could soar over the coming years, reaching as much as 1,2 trillion liters per year by 2030, according to a recent government report on data center water use.

Taking measures today can help to mitigate this.

It’s very possible for data centers to reduce the drain on local freshwater resources, while also curbing their energy use, and all without reducing performance.

Here are five key issues which are driving water consumption in data centers today, and steps that data center operators can take to mitigate them.

Today, many data centers still rely on ‘open-loop’ evaporative cooling systems, where hot water is sprayed onto pads to be cooled. This older form of cooling architecture means that data centers consume significant volumes of water, which has to be continuously replenished as it evaporates.

But more modern sealed liquid cooling systems offer a way to mitigate this source of water loss, by ensuring water is reused efficiently, while not impacting performance.

Today’s closed-loop systems reuse the same water over and over again, using liquid-to-air heat exchangers for cooling, rather than evaporating water. These warm-water cooling systems are sealed, so that after the system is filled in the first place, water loss is extremely low under normal operating conditions.

Instead, the systems recirculate the same water inside a sealed environment, so no water is consumed at all during normal operations. Water is not discharged from the system, and it never evaporates: instead, it absorbs heat directly from high-performance components and transfers it out of the system.

Closed-loop systems are designed not to be consumption-driven infrastructure but instead are recirculating, self-contained systems. This technology will be vital to reducing the water demands of data centers worldwide.

In too many data centers, cooling is highly inefficient, meaning that up to a third of the data center's total energy use can be 'spent' on keeping components cool, with fans working to keep the data center's temperature low as well as cooling individual machines. Modern technologies such as direct-to-node and direct-to-chip cooling are offering a new way to curb this inefficient energy and water use.

In direct-to-chip cooling, cold plates are attached to heat-generating components such as GPUS, with coolant liquid flowing through the plates to absorb heat and transfer it out to a heat exchanger. Liquid cooling techniques such as direct-to-node cooling can remove up to 98% of heat from servers, operating on a closed-loop system which means water is not wasted.

By capturing heat directly at the source, at the processor level, rather than attempting to cool entire rooms full of hot air, data center operators can reduce energy demand and also place less strain on local water systems. This also produces higher-temperature outputs which are easier to reuse.

One key reason for the increasing water use of data centers is simply that the AI boom is driving more demand for cooling. Generative AI is powered by Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), which can consume between five and 10 times more energy than Central Processing Units (CPUs). But we are also seeing an increase in compute density, as more and more of these components are packed into smaller areas, using techniques such as 3D silicon stacking.

The demands of AI workloads mean that warm water closed-loop cooling is coming into its own as a low-energy solution. Even at high rack densities, warm water systems (which can use inputs at much higher temperatures) enable high performance while also curbing water use and removing evaporative cooling.

To take one example, DreamWorks Animation adopted warm-water cooling systems for high performance computing (HPC) and recorded a 20% performance increase alongside reduced cooling requirements.

In data centers, almost all of the electricity used is ultimately converted into heat, and today that is a resource that is underused. In fact, the heat has been traditionally treated as an unwelcome byproduct to be removed and then discarded. But this can be transformed into a usable resource, which can deliver heat for residential communities, commercial buildings and even district heating.

This reuse is still too rare, but pioneering projects across Europe are already showing the potential of the idea for reducing reliance on fossil fuels, cutting energy costs, and boosting resilience. Projects in Ireland and Scandinavia are already reusing heat to warm homes and businesses.

Older evaporative cooling systems are wasteful, and shifting towards closed-loop systems where water is reused, heat harvested and given to the wider community are a prime example of how waste can be turned into wealth.

At present, too little thought is given to the location of data centers, meaning that the facilities can be located in areas where there is already strain on local freshwater supplies.

Going forward, organizations will take this factor into account in order to deliver more sustainable data centers which ‘fit in’ to their local environment: research found that 45% of IT professionals believe current data center design does not support sustainability goals.

In the future, data centers will be put in carefully chosen locations to optimize renewable energy use, and also to ensure their water demands are not at odds with their local environment. This could include data centers built into urban areas with a goal to reusing waste heat to warm local homes - or even to offer spa-like experiences to local people.

We've rated the best business cloud storage.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

• VodafoneThree blocks 25% more banking fraud messages since August 2025
• Barclays collaboration leverages shared intelligence
• More banks to be added later

VodafoneThree says it has blocked more than two million fraudulent banking SMS messages since August 2025 using a new proof of concept to prevent scam texts from reaching customers of banks that participate in its scheme.

Initially a collaborative effort between the network provider, Barclays, the Mobile Ecosystem Forum and the Cyber Defence Alliance, the trial is also set to expand across The Co-operative Bank and TSB.

According to the recently conglomerated mobile network, the trial delivered a healthy 25% increase in the number of banking scam messages that were blocked.

The solution adds bank-specific detection rules to VodafoneThree's existing SMS firewall to improve detection accuracy and to ensure that legitimate messages make it to customers. Rather than introducing a whole new system, this collaborative upgrade makes it cheaper and highly effective for participating banks by using existing shared intelligence.

Banking aside, VodafoneThree says it blocked more than 139 million fraudulent SMS messages across its entire network during 2025, indicating a growing problem. Barclays also noted that APP scams from SMS attacks rose around 40% year-over-year in 2025.

"We’re working closely with banks, government, law enforcement, and industry partners to stay ahead, evolving our capabilities as quickly as fraudsters change their tactics," Director of Corporate Security and Fraud Rachel Andrews said.

At the moment, fraud accounts for nearly half (44%) of all crime in the UK, but with so many groups and attackers, attack vectors and other variables, VodafoneThree says a more collaborative approach is needed.

“Protecting our customers’ money and data is our highest priority. With reports of APP scams originating via SMS increasing by around 40% in 2025 compared with 2024, it is essential that we continue to work together to stay ahead of new threats," added Paul Davis, Head of Economic Crime, Barclays.

“By sharing intelligence across banks, telecoms providers and industry bodies, we can help stop suspicious messages before they reach customers, while ensuring our customers still receive genuine messages from us. VodafoneThree’s work is a strong example of how collective action can help tackle fraud at source and better protect consumers.”

• 97% have implemented AI, but 47% are waiting for meaningful AI ROI to be realized
• 79% say key operation decisions still require manual intervention
• AI could seriously help Q4 shopping habits

New research has claimed even though nearly all (97%) retailers have implemented AI in some form, more than two-thirds (69%) say they only respond to operational problems after those issues have already affected commercial performance, implying that most aren't planning ahead.

As a result, nearly half (47%) are still waiting to see measurable returns on investment from their AI spend, the report from UiPath found.

This comes as many struggle with the same challenges that have plagued AI adoption for years, with 42% still struggling with poor data visibility.

A third (35%) of UK retail leaders even continue to blame legacy technology for slowing them down, despite years of studies and reports implying that complex tech stacks and poor data quality are among the biggest blockers to successful AI. Delayed decision-making and inventory inaccuracies also contribute to delayed and unsuccessful AI rollouts.

Poor tech even extends to inefficiencies today, with four in five (79%) retailers saying most, almost all or all key operation decisions still require manual intervention, slowing response times and limiting AI's realistic impact.

"Often, businesses blame supply chain disruption when the real problem is that they’re making decisions with incomplete or outdated information," Retail Director Catherine Frame wrote.

UiPath says the companies that will see the most success with AI will be the ones who achieve "operational excellence," rather than the ones that blindly invest in AI. In other words, the same solid data and tech foundations that reports have been calling for for years.

Looking ahead, margin protection looks to be one of the biggest commercial risks as we enter the final quarter of the year, and the biggest one for commerce – while companies will struggle to achieve "operational excellence" and effective AI by then, it certainly highlights a major area where AI could support.