Technologies

The Tea App Data Breach: What Happened, and What Was Exposed

Around 72,000 selfies and ID photos were exposed after being stored in a «legacy data system» containing information from more than two years ago. Recent DMs might also have been accessed.

Tea, a women’s safety dating app that surged to the top of the free iOS App Store listings, suffered a major security breach last week. The company confirmed Friday that it «identified authorized access to one of our systems» that exposed thousands of user images. And now we know that DMs were accessed during the breach, too.

Tea’s preliminary findings from the end of last week showed the data breach exposed approximately 72,000 images: 13,000 images of selfies and photo identification that people had submitted during account verification, and 59,000 images that were publicly viewable in the app from posts, comments and direct messages.

Those images had been stored in a «legacy data system» that contained information from more than two years ago, the company said in statement. «At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that current or additional user data was affected.»

Earlier Friday, posts on Reddit and 404 Media reported that Tea app users’ faces and IDs had been posted on anonymous online message board 4chan. Tea requires users to verify their identities with selfies or IDs, which is why driver’s licenses and pictures of people’s faces are in the leaked data.

And on Monday, a Tea spokesperson confirmed to CNET that it additionally «recently learned that some direct messages (DMs) were accessed as part of the initial incident.» Tea has also taken that affected system offline. That confirmation followed a report by 404 Media on Monday that an independent security researcher discovered it would have been possible for hackers to gain access to DMs between Tea users, affecting messages sent up to last week on the Tea app.

Tea said it has launched a full investigation to assess the scope and impact of the breach.

What is Tea?

The premise of Tea is to provide women with a space to report negative interactions they’ve had while encountering men in the dating pool, with the intention of keeping other women safe.

The app is currently sitting at the No. 2 spot for free apps on Apple’s US App Store, right after ChatGPT, drawing international attention and sparking a debate about whether the app violates men’s privacy. Following the news of the data breach, it also plays into the wider ongoing debate around whether online identity and age verification pose an inherent security risk to internet users.

In the privacy section on its website, Tea says: «Tea Dating Advice takes reasonable security measures to protect your Personal Information to prevent loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. Please be aware, however, that despite our efforts, no security measures are impenetrable.»

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for July 30, #780

Get hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 30, #780, which is a definite brain twister.

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Oh man, today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a true brain-buster. The blue and purple categories are tough, but I found the green group to be tough as well. Need help? Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Teach.

Green group hint: Way by which you do something.

Blue group hint: It’s Greek to me.

Purple group hint: Mixed-up musical words.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Instruct.

Green group: Means.

Blue group: Starting with Greek numerical prefixes.

Purple group: Anagrams of musical instruments.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is instruct. The four answers are coach, direct, guide and train.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is means. The four answers are instrument, medium, organ and vehicle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is starting with Greek numerical prefixes. The four answers are dioxide, monorail, quadrant and triangle.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is anagrams of musical instruments. The four answers are abut (tuba), bulge (bugle), groan (organ) and voila (viola).

Quick tips for Connections

#1: Say the clue words out loud, pausing before and after each. That helps you hear the words in the context of a phrase. The Connections editors love to group words together that are used in similar phrasing, like ____ Up.

#2: Don’t go for the obvious grouping. These editors are smart. Once, they offered SPONGE, BOB, SQUARE and PANTS in the same puzzle. None of those words were in the same category. If you like, hit the «shuffle» button to give yourself a different perspective on the words.

#3: Break down any compound words and look for similarities. «Rushmore» was once in a puzzle where the connection was that each word started with the name of a rock band.

Technologies

Save a Massive $149 Off the Rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2 With This Limited-Time Deal

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is one of the best smartwatches around, and it’s even better when you can get it for just $650.

There are plenty of options on the market when you’re shopping for a new wearable. But if you’re keen to get the best smartwatch money can buy, you need not look too much further than the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The only catch is the price — but this deal is here to help.

A limited-time Amazon deal has slashed the Apple Watch Ultra 2 down to the low price of $650. That’s a $149 discount on the usual asking price, but we’re not expecting this deal to last very long — if you want it, make sure you pick it up quickly.

This price is available on the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in a few different configurations, but not all. We suggest choosing the one you like best and then making sure that your favorite is part of the deal before checking out.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

No matter which band you choose, you’ll get the same Apple Watch Ultra 2, which means a large-yet-comfortable 49mm size and a gorgeous display that’s easy to read even in direct sunlight. Its size also means that it has the longest-lasting battery of any Apple Watch, so you can go longer between charges. There’s even the option to enable a low power mode to eke every last bit of juice out of it if the need arises.

Each Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes with cellular connectivity, so you can leave your iPhone at home while the corrosion-resistant titanium case is joined by a sapphire front crystal that makes it more resistant to scratches.

Like all Apple Watches, the Ultra 2 supports the same health and fitness features that have made these wearables so popular. You can track workouts, including heart rate zones and training load, among other things. All of that and more make this the go-to smartwatch for people who live an active life and want their wearable to keep up, no matter what they get up to.

SMARTWATCH DEALS OF THE WEEK

Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 46mm, Black, M/L Sports Band):

$329 (save $100)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 (Bluetooth, 40mm, Cream):

$200 (save $100)
Amazfit Active 42mm Smartwatch With 14 Day Battery Life (Black):

$85 (save $25)
Garmin Vivoactive 5 GPS Smartwatch With AMOLED Display:

$200 (save $100)
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (Wi-Fi, LTE, 47mm, Titanium Silver):

$500 (save $150)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is often discounted, but prices can often be particularly volatile. This isn’t quite the best price we’ve seen this model sell for, but it isn’t far off. If you’re looking for a new smartwatch right now, then this $149 discount is perfect.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, July 30

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 30.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

The 5-Across clue in today’s Mini Crossword was easy-peasy for me. I used that app for an absolutely delightful message from Doug Jones of Star Trek and The Shape of Water fame. Read on for the answers if you get stuck. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.