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For many homeowners throughout North America, The Home Depot has become a haven for finding all the gear they need for DIY improvement projects, either out in the yard or inside their house. While things like blowers, shovels, lumber, mulch, and underrated tool brands continue to be items that regularly fly off the shelves at HD stores, the big box retailer has expanded its offerings to include everything from appliances and interior lighting to homewares and even furniture.
Whether you know it or not, The Home Depot has actually started offering items that go beyond those home improvement adjacent categories. In fact, the retailer now offers many items that don’t really have much to do with DIY improvement projects at all. They are, instead, geared towards helping you and your crew have a little more fun when you’re hanging out in your sacred space, and can be purchased either through The Home Depot’s online outlet or at your closest brick-and-mortar store.
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Wherever you buy them, we’ve taken the liberty of highlighting a few fun, in-stock gadgets that may not only prove handy to have around, but also bring a few more fun times into your home. Though that may depend, of course, on your own definition of “fun.”
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Nordic Ware Norwegian Krumkake Iron
If the kitchen is the room in your home in which you have the most fun, The Home Depot offers a few handy gadgets that can bolster your cooking game. That’s particularly true if you enjoy trying out recipes for tasty treats that are, in general, more popular with folks who live in other countries. If Scandinavian cuisine is on that list for you and your family, you’ll be happy to know that the retailer carries several cooking gadgets bearing the Nordic Ware brand.
Among those offerings is the brand’s Krumkake Iron, which users have rated a reasonably respectable 4.4 stars out of 5. For what it’s worth, that user rating is skewed dramatically by a single 1-star review from a customer who seemingly had an issue at the point of purchase, and does not ding the Nordic Ware iron itself. The other 12 reviews are almost universally positive, with users praising the iron for its overall effectiveness at the $74.98 price point.
If you’re not sure what a Krumkake is, it’s a traditional, wafer-like Norwegian holiday cookie that can be enjoyed flat, or rolled and stuffed with a sweet filling of your own liking. You can, obviously, make them any time of year you like if that sounds like a fun cooking project. You will, however, need a specific Krumkake Iron to properly make them, and, according to YouTuber NX Revs, this cast-iron, stove-top-ready model should more than suit your needs. Just FYI — it also comes with a Krumkake recipe and cone roller, is Made in the USA, and backed by a 5-year warranty.
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Govee RGBIC TV Backlight Kit
When it comes to having a little fun on the home front, the living room is a sacred space for the streamers, cineastes, and gamers of the world, and the home theater system is their glowing altar. Even though there are many factors to consider when setting up your home theater, it’s safe to assume that ambient mood lighting for your setup is not high on the list for many.
The smart lighting gurus at Govee might be quick to argue that it should be, and the company has developed a handful of fun lighting packages that could transform your upcoming movie night or even your next gaming session. The Home Depot currently lists a few of those packages for sale, with kits varying in terms of included features, and they are designed for different sizes of television screens. This RGBIC TV Backlight Kit is designed for 55-inch to 65-inch screens and retails for $135.78. For that price, you get 12.5 feet of Smart LED strip lighting, two light bars, and a camera with a mic.
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If you’re curious about that last item, the camera is designed to capture video and audio from your screen and deliver real-time adaptive lighting based on your content, which is kinda cool. The lighting is also controllable through a Govee app or voice commands via connection to Alexa or Google Assistant. Users generally praise the Govee kit for being easy to set up and control. Some feel the color adaptiveness is not as accurate as it could be, with YouTube channel Geek Street seeming to confirm some of the positives and negatives in their test video.
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Vevor Home Distilling Kit
Some folks might be quick to tell you one of their legit joys in life is enjoying an adult beverage in the calming comfort of their home. There are, however, quite a few among that group who might prefer to take that concept a step further by enjoying an adult beverage that they actually made themselves.
Humans have, obviously, been making consumable alcohol on their own for ages. There have, perhaps, never been more ways for them to legally do that in their own homes than there are today, with home brewing — even LG makes an option – and distilling kits being made and sold in any number of retail environments. That list does indeed include The Home Depot, as the big box retailer lists several such kits from Vevor in its web store.
We’ve selected Vevor’s 8-Gallon Distiller Kit largely because it’s among the best user-rated options available from The Home Depot, and it costs just $79.79. Vevor also claims the kit is suitable for beginners, with The Hub Pages seeming to confirm that fact. In any case, the stainless steel boiler is fitted with copper coils and food-safe silicone tubing, features a built-in thermometer, utilizes a rapid open-cooling method, and can be used to distill wine, water, ethanol, and essential oils. According to Vevor, the kit can also be used to distill liquors. For the record, that practice is generally still illegal even for personal use in the United States. Regulations may vary by state, however, so if you’re not looking to go full moonshiner, you’d be wise to consult local laws before making spirits.
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Oklahoma Joe’s Cocktail Smoking Box
With cocktail culture edging ever closer to the pop culture arena, many folks no doubt have at least one friend who’s constantly out to dazzle with their latest radical takes on classic cocktail recipes or their growing collection of infused bitters. If you are that friend, it’s likely that you’ve at least thought about adding a touch of smoke to a few of your favorite recipes, particularly those with a whiskey base.
You might be surprised to know that you don’t need to hit up a bar supply store to procure a good cocktail smoking kit. If you’re shopping at The Home Depot, you won’t even need to spend that much money, as the retailer is selling Oklahoma Joe’s Cocktail Smoking Box for just $40.95. The box currently has just two user reviews on its product page, but both of them are 5-star. However, this easy-to-use box is listed by both Liquor.com and Food & Beverage as one of the best options on the market if pro reviews matter to you.
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As far as how it works, each box — which Oklahoma Joe’s claims is handmade from white oak — has a removable tray built into its base. In essence, you simply place a glass containing whiskey inside and close the locking lid. From there, you fill the tray with wood chips or pellets, hit them with a handheld torch (sold separately), and slide the tray into the base. Smoke then fills the chamber, infusing your precious spirits with all the smoky goodness you desire. Here’s to taking it easy.
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SVOPES High Conductivity Pizza Stone
When it comes to food, pizza has long-served as the poster child for culinary good times, serving as the cuisine of choice for birthdays, movie nights, and casual get-togethers for decades. Part of the draw of pizza is, of course, that it’s a lot of fun to eat. If you enjoy cooking, it’s also a lot of fun to make, as the whole family can take part in the rolling, kneading, and topping.
The only problem is that you can’t really make fresh pizza the right way unless you’ve got a dedicated oven set up in your kitchen, or an outdoor pizza oven on your property. After all, conventional ovens can’t quite match the intense heat of a real pizza oven, with the latter option trending on the pricey side. However, if you’re desperate to mimic the pizza oven effect without the potentially steep financial investment, The Home Depot is now selling a High-Conductivity Pizza Steel Plate from SVOPES for just $57.22.
Since your oven can’t match the internal heat that is generally required to properly cook your homemade crust, a stone or steel plate can be used to boost cooking temperatures. SVOPES’s heavy-duty steel pizza stone claims to deliver 20 times more conductivity than a ceramic stone, and double the heat capacity to ensure your crust is evenly cooked and crispy. And it should be easy to store in most kitchens. As it’s made of steel — which some pros prefer to stone — it should also be quite durable, and in case there are any questions, real users are raving about this pizza plate, rating it 4.9-stars out of 5.
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How we got here
Manuela Durson/Shutterstock
The purpose of this article is to highlight a few gadgets currently available through The Home Depot that might up the fun quotient either in or around your home. In selecting these items, we primarily focused on their potential to provide a little joy to those using them. We did, however, take into account certain other factors, such as price point, user ratings, and in-stock status. Whenever professional reviews were available, they may have been cited as well.
Data storage and security are among the biggest challenges our technology-dependent world faces today, pushing us to explore unconventional options. The good news is that researchers worldwide are actively seeking novel solutions to address these problems.
One promising development comes from researchers at UNSW Sydney and Monash University, who have recently developed a system that conceals data transmissions in plain sight using a phenomenon called “negative luminescence.”
The result is a communication method that could be nearly impossible to hack, not because the message is encrypted, but because no one can even tell that a message is being sent.
The system works by blending signals into the natural heat radiation that everything around us constantly emits, the kind you see through a thermal camera. To any outside observer, it looks like nothing is happening at all, and only a receiver with the right equipment can detect and decode the hidden message.
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What is negative luminescence?
Everything emits a faint glow of heat in the infrared spectrum. Negative luminescence makes that glow appear darker instead of brighter. Dr. Michael Nielsen, lead author from UNSW’s School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, describes it as “a flashlight that can go darker than off.” While that’s impossible with visible light, there are materials that can create this effect in the infrared range.
UNSW Sydney
The team uses a device called a thermoradiative diode, which rapidly switches between brighter and darker-than-usual states. This creates a pattern hidden within background heat noise, making the transmission invisible to anyone unaware that data is being sent.
What could this mean for the real world?
In lab experiments, the team has achieved data transfer speeds of about 100 kilobytes per second. While this is modest for now, researchers believe the technology could eventually reach speeds of gigabytes per second as improvements are made to the emitter technology.
Colleagues at Monash University have already suggested that using graphene could push speeds to hundreds of gigabytes per second. If and when this happens, it will change the face of secure data transmission, making it almost impossible for hackers to get access to sensitive data.
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Chances are that if you do a lot of shopping at Walmart, it’s not because of their deals on DIY and home improvement equipment. You’ll find a lot at Walmart, from tech products like phones and speakers to surprisingly budget-friendly TVs, but it’s hard to recommend this retailer for its power and hand tool selection. If your DIY needs are limited to building Ikea furniture walls and hanging a couple of shelves, you could probably get away with Walmart’s own Hart — at least until Hart is discontinued for good. Hopefully Hyper Tough, the other tool brand sold by Walmart, won’t go the same way.
If you have niche DIY needs, there’s a lot you just won’t find at Walmart, but in the categories where both stores offer a number of products, the competition is tighter than you might think. Home Depot almost always has more choice, especially in the high price range, but Walmart often wins when it comes to budget solutions. These four products are exceptions to the rule, because with them, Home Depot beats Walmart both in price and quality.
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DeWalt ToughSystem tool boxes
Both Walmart and Home Depot have some ToughSystem tool boxes, but you should get yours at Home Depot. There are two reasons for this. The first and most obvious reason is that Home Depot sells many of these same toolboxes for cheaper. For example, Walmart sells the Rolling Toolbox 2.0 for $167.99, while Home Depot has it in store for $125 — and it’s currently discounted even further, to $109.
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If you need a reason beyond the lower price to avoid Walmart for these toolboxes, there’s the fact that Home Depot has way more ToughSystem products for sale. This is relevant because ToughSystem is DeWalt’s line of modular storage solutions, meaning it’s at its strongest when you buy more than one box. ToughSystem boxes stack on top of each other, and a locking system makes them stick to one another. They don’t have to sacrifice space for this, either, and include some of DeWalt’s biggest toolboxes.
These storing solutions mostly share the same width and depth, and many are compatible with the same ToughSystem tool trays. These trays are among the ToughSystem products available from Walmart, but they’re only offered by third-party Marketplace sellers (meaning you won’t find them in store) and they’re significantly more expensive than at Home Depot.
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Ryobi Drill and Impact Drive Kit
Even Walmart’s highly rated Hart combo kits won’t be very useful without a set of bits to stick onto those drills and impact drivers. If you do most of your shopping at Walmart, it might make sense to stick with what you can find there, especially if you can take advantage of Walmart’s seasonal deals. Otherwise, you’re better off picking your bits at Home Depot. One of the best affordable options is the $30 95-piece Ryobi Drill and Impact Drive Kit. Considering how expensive power tools can be, $30 is a very reasonable price for pretty much every standard driver and drill bit you’ll need, many in multiple copies.
Walmart’s closest equivalent is Hart’s 60-Piece Impact Drill & Drive Bit Set, which is about as expensive as the Ryobi but includes far fewer bits. Even if you think it’s worth leaving 35 bits on the table to save a few dollars, the 95-piece Ryobi kit is less expensive than Hart’s and includes a few wood-boring bits on top of the brad point bits also present in the Walmart set.
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Husky 9-Drawer Mobile Workbench
As one can imagine, as we get closer to specialized, expensive products, Home Depot becomes more and more often the best choice. Walmart sells some good, affordable tools for homeowners, but it can’t sell both Swiss Rolls and forklifts. Even though Walmart has a surprising amount of choice in its mobile tool chest section, it can’t compete with what Home Depot has in store, like the (relatively) affordable $403 Husky Tool Storage 9-Drawer Mobile Workbench, which comes with lockable wheels and an integrated power strip with six power outlets and two USB ports. The closest Walmart gets is with Hart’s well-reviewed $449 36-inch Mobile Tool Chest, but a closer look reveals a few important differences.
The first difference is the price. Husky is a respected brand of tool chests and workbenches, so it’s surprising to see this product sold for cheaper than the Hart equivalent. Then, there’s the fact that the two are not equivalent at all: the Husky is 46 inches wide, a whole 10 inches more than the Hart. Finally, Home Depot will sell you this workbench cabinet in a bunch of different colors for more or less the same price. With Walmart, you’re stuck with a light brown wooden top on black painted metal, with ugly blue accents on the drawers’ handles.
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One Amp Wen Variable Speed Rotary Tool
You might expect Walmart to win out against Home Depot when it comes to cheap tools, and you’d be right. For the most part, the superstore beats the dedicated home improvement warehouse when it comes to broad appeal goods — no surprise there. What makes the Wen 1Amp Variable Speed Rotary Tool special is the fact that it (barely) beats Walmart’s closest equivalent in price and quality. For $16.28, it’s very affordable but decently powerful, with a max speed of 32,000 rpm and a minimum of 10,000. It also comes with a whole lot of accessories, including plenty of spares. It won’t do any of the heavy lifting, but all things considered, it’s a versatile tool for many jobs that require accuracy.
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The closest product from Walmart is the Tracklife Multi-Function Rotary Tool, which is more expensive, at $19.99, and doesn’t have as good a selection of accessories as the $20.78 version of the Wen that comes with a case and numerous accessories.
Walmart has many cheaper rotary tools available, but some don’t come with any accessories (which, unlike what the name implies, are essential) while others — especially the battery-powered, USB-charged ones — are really underpowered.
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Methodology
PJ McDonnell/Shutterstock
To select four products where Home Depot wins over Walmart on price and quality, we started by comparing the two stores. Being a specialized hardware store, Home Depot has more of an edge when it comes to specialized tools. However, we decided not to overrepresent these niche, expensive products in our list, because $2,500 rebar cutting tools are not the sort of items a reader comparing Walmart to Home Depot expects to see.
Once we had an idea of which kind of tools to look for (small power tools, hand tools and accessories, budget tool boxes and chests), we picked Home Depot’s best money-to-value proposition and compared it to Walmart’s best offer.
If you think about it, you can’t be sure that what you see for the color red, for example, is what anyone else in the world actually sees. All you can be sure of is that we’ve all been trained to identify whatever we do see as red just like everyone else. Now, think about animal vision. Most people know that dogs don’t see as many colors as we do. On the other hand, the birds and the bees can see into ultraviolet. What would the world look like with extra colors? That’s the question researchers want to answer with this system for duplicating different animals’ views of the world.
Of course, this would be easy if you were thinking about dogs or cats. They can’t see the difference between red and green, making them effectively colorblind by human standards. Researchers are using modified commercial cameras and sophisticated video processing to produce images that sense blue, green, red, and UV light. Then they modify the image based on knowledge of different animal photoreceptors.
We were somewhat surprised that the system didn’t pick up IR. As we know snakes, for example, can sense IR. You’d think more sophisticated animals would have better color vision, but that seems to be untrue. The mantis shrimp, for example, has 12-16 types of photoreceptors. Even male and female humans have different vision systems that make them see colors differently.
Apple’s latest addition to its iPhone 17 lineup is the lower-cost iPhone 17E. Just like last year’s iPhone 16E, the iPhone 17E is priced at $599 and is meant to be Apple’s entry-level offering for the year. But the 17E has a number of upgrades over its predecessor, such as double the starting storage space at 256GB, MagSafe compatibility and a faster A19 chip.
It’s still fairly basic compared with the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, though. The 17E only has one camera, no Dynamic Island and no Camera Control button. Also, even though it has a 12-megapixel selfie camera, the 17E lacks the Center Stage feature — which automatically switches between portrait and landscape — that’s on the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 series.
Here’s how the iPhone 17E compares with the Air and the iPhone 17 lineup.
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Watch this: iPhone 17E Packs More Features for the Same $599 Price
Design and display
With a 6.1-inch OLED display, the iPhone 17E has the smallest display compared with the rest of its siblings. Both the iPhone 17 and the 17 Pro have a slightly larger 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone Air has a 6.5-inch screen, and the 17 Pro Max has the biggest screen of them all with a 6.9-inch OLED display.
While the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 models have a 120Hz variable refresh rate, the iPhone 17E is the only one with just a 60Hz refresh rate. That means the animations won’t be quite as smooth, and you won’t get an always-on display. However, if you’re upgrading from an older iPhone like the iPhone 16, you might not notice as big a difference.
Design-wise, the iPhone 17E lacks the Dynamic Island that’s on the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 series. It doesn’t have a physical Camera Control button either.
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It does, however, come in an aluminum frame and is protected by the Ceramic Shield 2, which is on par with the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup. The exception is the iPhone Air, which has a titanium frame. At 0.31-inch thick, the iPhone 17E is just as slender as the iPhone 17 — definitely not as skinny as the 0.22-inch thick iPhone Air. It is quite light, though, at 169 grams (5.96 ounces), which is just a bit heavier than the Air’s weight of 165 grams.
The iPhone 17E has a single rear camera.
Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET
Cameras
Like the 16E, the iPhone 17E only has a single 48-megapixel rear camera. It does have sensor cropping, which offers 2x magnification. The iPhone Air also has only a single 48-megapixel rear camera. The iPhone 17 has two: a 48-megapixel wide and a 48-megapixel ultrawide. Both the 17 Pro and the 17 Pro Max have three: a 48-megapixel wide, a 48-megapixel ultrawide and a 48-megapixel telephoto that has 4x optical zoom but can double up to 8x at 12 megapixels.
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The 17E has a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, while the Air, the 17, the 17 Pro and the 17 Pro Max all have an 18-megapixel selfie shooter. Additionally, the 17E lacks the Center Stage feature that automatically switches between portrait and landscape orientations.
The iPhone 17E starts with a base storage of 256GB.
Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET
Storage, processors and battery
The iPhone 17E starts with a base storage of 256GB, which is double that of the 16E and brings it up to par with the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 series. All the phones are also available with 512GB, while the Pro and Pro Max are the only ones available in a 1TB configuration.
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The 17E is powered by Apple’s latest A19 chip, which is the same as on the iPhone 17, except the 17E has a quad-core GPU while the 17 has five cores. The iPhone Air, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are all powered by Apple’s A19 Pro.
As for battery, the 17E has the same battery as the 16E, with a 4,005-mAh battery and roughly 26 hours of video playback, according to Apple. That’s actually slightly larger than the iPhone 17’s 3,692-mAh battery and the Air’s 3,149-mAh battery. The 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max top out the battery charts with a 4,252- and 5,088-mAh battery, respectively. Still, the iPhone 17E’s battery should hold up well thanks to the A19 processor, C1X cellular modem and the power management of iOS 26.
The 17E gets MagSafe, which was sorely missing in the 16E. This lets the iPhone 17E work with magnetic chargers and accessories. It also has up to 15 watts of Qi2 wireless charging. The iPhone Air and the rest of the 17 lineup offer fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using a 30-watt adapter or higher with MagSafe charging.
Check out the chart below to see all the ways these phones match up.
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Apple iPhone 17E vs. iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max
MagSafe, Qi2 charging (up to 15W), Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance
Apple N1 wireless networking chip: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 6, Thread, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence, dual eSIM, 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range, IP68 resistance; colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender; fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable; fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger
Apple N1 wireless networking chip: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 6, thread, Action button, Apple C1X cellular modem, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence, Dual eSIM, 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range, IP68 resistance; colors: space black, cloud white, light gold, sky blue; fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 20W adapter or higher via charging cable; fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger
Apple N1 wireless networking chip: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 6, Thread, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence, dual eSIM, ProRes Raw video recording, Genlock video support, 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range, IP68 resistance; colors: silver, cosmic orange, deep blue; fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable; fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger
IGN has learned that EA has eliminated an undisclosed number of roles across the studios responsible for Battlefield 6, including Criterion, DICE, Ripple Effect, and Motive. Internally, affected staff are being told the cuts are part of a broader “realignment” of the Battlefield organization, even as all four studios are… Read Entire Article Source link
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg is back with the latest rumors about what’s afoot with Apple’s future plans, and how its ongoing difficulties with artificial intelligence seem to be creating further delays for its next wave of product launches. His sources say that Apple is expected to postpone the debut of its smart home display until later in 2026, likely September when it often introduces new gadgets. Although the hardware has reportedly been finished for months, this delay is being credited to the company’s AI-centric overhaul of Siri still not being complete.
The device, internally known as J490, has been one of Apple’s many poorly-kept secrets. Rumors about a HomePod smart speaker coupled with a screen first emerged back in 2022 and have resurfaced from time to time in the interim, often with promises that the device’s arrival was imminent. The latest claims anticipated that the official announcement was coming this spring, possibly as soon as this month. However, appears to Apple once again be hamstrung by an AI strategy that has left it scrambling to catch up to other industry leaders.
Apple has been working to incorporate more AI capabilities into Siri for more than a year as part of its Apple Intelligence package. Gurman reports that the new timeline from Apple aims to have the revamp completed for the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro, which is also expected for September. Apple may unveil this long-awaited Siri-as-chatbot during its WWDC keynote in the summer before it shows up in any devices.
A startup called Reflect Orbital wants to launch thousands of mirror-bearing satellites to reflect sunlight onto Earth at night and “power solar farms after sunset, provide lighting for rescue workers and illuminate city streets, among other things,” reports the New York Times. From the report: It is an idea seemingly out of a sci-fi movie, but the company, Reflect Orbital of Hawthorne, Calif., could soon receive permission to launch its first prototype satellite with a 60-foot-wide mirror. The company has applied to the Federal Communications Commission, which issues the licenses needed to deploy satellites. If the F.C.C. approves, the test satellite could get a ride into orbit as soon as this summer. The F.C.C.’s public comment period on the application closes on Monday. “We’re trying to build something that could replace fossil fuels and really power everything,” Ben Nowack, Reflect Orbital’s chief executive, said in an interview. The company has raised more than $28 million from investors.
[…] Reflect Orbital’s first prototype, which will be roughly the size of a dorm fridge, is almost complete. Once in space, about 400 miles up, the test satellite would unfurl a square mirror nearly 60 feet wide. That would bounce sunlight to illuminate a circular patch about three miles wide on the Earth’s surface. Someone looking up would see a dot in the sky about as bright as a full moon. Two more prototypes could follow within a year. By the end of 2028, Reflect Orbital hopes to launch 1,000 larger satellites, and 5,000 of them by 2030. The largest mirrors are planned to be nearly 180 feet wide, reflecting as much light as 100 full moons. The company said its goal was to deploy the full constellation of 50,000 satellites by 2035.
How much does it cost to order sunlight at night? Mr. Nowack said the company would charge about $5,000 an hour for the light of one mirror if a customer signed an annual contract for 1,000 hours or more. Lighting for one-time events and emergencies, which might require numerous satellites and more effort to coordinate, would be more expensive. For solar farms, he envisions splitting revenue from the electricity generated by the additional hours of light.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition features a lot of team names, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy one to solve. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Play ball!
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Green group hint: Not front.
Blue group hint: Certain NFL player.
Purple group hint: They play at Smoothie King Center.
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: An AL Central player.
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Green group: Words appearing before “back,” in football.
As UK businesses increasingly move toward cashless payments, cybercriminals are targeting point-of-sale (POS) systems. In the first half of 2025 alone, £600 million was stolen through payment-related fraud, a three per cent increase on the same period in 2024.
Michael Ault
Managing Director at myPOS.
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POS systems have quickly become one of the most exploited entry points for attacks on small to mid-sized businesses, making it crucial to organizations to understand the threat landscape and implement robust preventative measures.
How POS malware works
POS malware is software specifically designed to steal customer payment information. In many cases, the stolen data is sold to other bad actors, who can exploit it in diverse ways. Attackers do so using a variety of techniques:
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Exploiting vulnerabilities – POS systems run on common operating systems like Windows, Linux, or Android variants. Weaknesses can emerge from outdated software, unpatched third-party components, or poorly secured networks. Attackers may scan for unsecured IP addresses or compromise Wi-Fi connectors to remotely plant malware, steal data, or disrupt operations.
Physical installation – infected USBs or other media can introduce malware, allowing attackers to monitor, capture, and transmit sensitive data.
Brute force attacks – automated programs cycle through thousands of username and password combinations to break into systems.
Compromised credentials – stolen login details from previous breaches, including those of third-party vendors, allow attackers to impersonate legitimate users and move laterally within systems undetected.
Insider threats – staff can be bribed or misuse their access to tamper with devices or install malware, allowing silent data theft. Once in a POS system, malware collects sensitive data and often transfers it to remote servers, leaving businesses vulnerable to financial loss and reputational damage.
Types of POS malware
Not all POS malware works the same way, each variation operates with its own tactic and target, making each one effective in different situations.
RAM scrapers – capture unencrypted payment data in memory during processing.
Network sniffers – intercept and log network traffic to obtain sensitive information, making it a popular reason for concern for those relying on networked transactions.
Keyloggers – record keystrokes on POS terminals or connected devices to store login credentials and card information.
File injectors – embeds harmful code directly into genuine POS system files. Once compromised, these modified files act as a gateway for data theft or other malicious actions.
Backdoor – creates a hidden entry point, giving long-term, undetected access to the system.
Reducing risk: Best practices for UK businesses
Preventing POS malware requires a holistic approach that combines technology, process, and people. Key strategies for businesses include:
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Secure POS network and devices Insecure networks are a common vulnerability that invites POS malware attacks. To ensure protection, prioritize using encrypted connections, which will help secure data in transit. Businesses can rely on secure communication protocols like TLS for this purpose. Always implement software updates and regularly patch for vulnerabilities in POS software and devices.
Access controls Implementing strict user access policies ensures that only authorized personnel can access sensitive systems. Multi-factor authentication, unique passwords, and role-based access add an extra layer of security for remote access and reduce the risk of insider threats and credential compromise.
Physical POS security To minimize risks, block access and make it available only to authorized personnel. Ensure consistent monitoring of physical devices and conduct regular inspections for tampering or unauthorized modifications. Don’t forget the importance of securing peripheral devices, like barcode scanners, receipt printers, and other accessories.
Advanced anti-malware solutions Deploy reliable anti-malware tools and intrusion detection systems (IDS) to identify suspicious activity. Keep software and signature databases updated to detect emerging threats.
Encrypt sensitive data Protect payment information with PCI-validated point-to-encryption. This also helps businesses comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS.
Strengthen vendor and third-party security Check whether third-party partners follow strict security practices and choose wisely before partnering. Most importantly, when starting a partnership with a new vendor, discuss their security obligations and include them in your contracts. This will keep everyone on the same page and will set clear security expectations.
The business imperative
For UK SMEs, the consequences of POS malware attacks extend beyond just financial loss. Breaches can damage customer trust, incur regulatory penalties, and disrupt daily operations.
Proactively implementing security measures is not just a technical necessity but a strategic business decision that safeguards both revenue and reputation.
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In a fast-moving payments landscape, businesses that prioritize POS security, integrate staff training, and adopt a proactive, layered security strategy are better positioned to reduce risk and maintain customer confidence.
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The goal is not simply compliance, but resilience: ensuring that digital payment systems operate securely, reliably, and without interruption.
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Sterra will continue to operate as a standalone brand
Singapore-based consumer electronics startup Stryv has fully acquired home appliance brand Sterra for an undisclosed amount.
As part of the deal, Sterra will continue to operate as a standalone brand, with its CEO Chris Lim taking on an advisory role, Stryv CEO Roy Ang told Tech in Asia.
Both firms will now operate under Evo Commerce, a wellness and personal care D2C brand builder formerly called Evolut Holdings. Evo Commerce is also the parent company of Stryv. Evo Commerce’s brand portfolio spans Bback (supplements) and Mantou (shampoo), and its backers include East Ventures, IJK Capital Partners, and Bonjour Holdings.
Stryv focuses on personal care devices—hairdryers and men’s shavers priced between US$149 and US$189. Meanwhile, Sterra specialises in water and air purifiers with a broader price range of US$189 to US$1,999.
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In 2023, Sterra said that it was earning eight figures in revenue at the time, and making a net profit in just two years while being entirely bootstrapped.
According to The Business Times, unaudited financial numbers for Sterra Tech, the firm’s entity in Singapore, show that it recorded S$16.6 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending Jun 2025, with a net loss of S$2.3 million.
Following the acquisition, Sterra’s workforce, including its customer service, technical support, finance, HR, sales and marketing teams, will combine with Stryv’s. The transition includes guaranteed warranty continuity for all existing customers.
Stryv’s ambition to becoming a “multibillion-dollar enterprise”
Stryv’s outlet at Suntec City./ Image Credit: Stryv
For Stryv, the acquisition marks its entry into the home appliance space and brings it closer to its goal of becoming a “multibillion-dollar enterprise,” said Ang, who is also Evo Commerce’s co-founder and CEO.
“The goal in the next five years is to build Stryv as a key player in the home appliances product category,” he added.
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According to Ang, who was formerly regional head of commercial and operations for GrabPay, Evo Commerce had explored multiple expansion paths into home care, but decided on an M&A as the right choice.
If we build our own home-care brand, it will take a couple of years to get substantial data about our customers. If we partner, we are essentially just distributors of the product. Buying was the most viable option.
Roy Ang
Stryv sells its products through its own website, ecommerce platforms, and in over 2,000 storefronts, including 30 retail stores across Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. Its products can also be found in 2,000 third-party electronics retailers and pharmacies.
The brand is self-funding the acquisition through its balance sheet, with no external investor financing. Ang noted the company closed 2025 profitable, with revenue reaching eight figures, though he declined to provide specific figures to The Business Times.
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Part of its strategy, Ang said, is: “We don’t let growth at all costs be our mantra.”
In contrast to consumer electronic brands, which typically spend about 40-50% of their revenue on marketing expenses, Ang pointed out that Stryv spends a low double-digit percentage.
The decisive factor
Sterra’s best-sellers are its air and water purifiers./ Image credit: Sterra
Both founders of Sterra and Stryv share a long-standing relationship. Lim used to even informally advise Stryv in its early years.
Ang said that his personal friendship with Sterra’s founder made the deal more straightforward, given their mutual familiarity with each other’s brands.
But the decisive factor for Stryv eventually came down to Sterra’s customer and supplier relationships.
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Ang shared that Sterra’s products are present in around 200,000 homes in Singapore, providing Stryv with valuable customer feedback to guide Stryv’s future product development.
Sterra’s R&D and customer service team also made the acquisition appealing. Ang noted that Sterra’s team of technicians is “pretty robust,” with most having been with the brand for the past four years, while Stryv has yet to establish its own R&D capabilities.
Moreover, Sterra has access to suppliers for Tier 1 factories in both China and South Korea, while Stryv has mostly tapped suppliers in China.
The acquisition comes despite the challenges Sterra had faced over the years.
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In 2024, Singapore’s Competition and Consumer Commission investigated Sterra for falsely claiming that local tap water was unsafe to drink. The brand has since apologised for the incident.
A Stryv spokesperson acknowledged the issue was flagged during due diligence, noting it “was taken seriously, but was not a blocker to the transaction.”
Looking ahead, Ang believes Stryv and Sterra can hit their goal of achieving an overall nine-figure revenue in 2027. He added that Stryv plans to continue focusing on growing its presence across Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
That said, while the markets for personal care devices and consumer appliances are expected to grow further in the next four years, Stryv will be facing heated competition.
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According to Euromonitor, Singapore’s consumer appliance market reached 4.9 million units in 2025 retail volume sales, and is projected to jump to 5.4 million units by 2030.
Stryv faces three formidable players: Philips currently commands the largest market share in both personal care and consumer appliances, followed by Braun (personal care) and Panasonic (consumer appliances).
The competitive landscape is further intensified by the rising trend of Asian D2C brands and consumer goods companies pursuing acquisitions, with M&A activity accelerating across markets such as Singapore and India.
Read more stories we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.
