Technologies
Creepy or Fun? Vodafone’s New Spokesperson Is AI, Not a Real Person
The company says it’s testing different types of advertising, including an AI character that has appeared in social-media ads.

British telecoms company Vodafone is testing out a new spokesperson who appears as a woman in a red hoodie who speaks German and touts the benefits of high-speed home internet services.
One important note about this influencer: She’s AI-generated.
The character appears in a TikTok video posted three times on Vodafone’s official account, which has received more than two million views collectively. According to The Verge, the video has also appeared as an advertisement on X. In response to comments on the videos, the company said the AI spokesperson was part of various advertising tests it’s conducting.
In one response from the company’s social media team, translated from German, Vodafone said: «We’re trying out different styles. AI is so much a part of everyday life now that we’re trying it out in advertising too.»
A spokesperson (AI or otherwise) for Vodafone did not immediately return an email about the AI advertising.
Just last month, transportation company ScotRail reversed a decision to use an AI-generated voice on its trains after complaints.
Technologies
Apple’s iPhone 17 Event Is Today. Here’s How to Watch
Apple’s «awe dropping» keynote is hours away. Here are the products and updates we expect to see.
Apple’s annual fall iPhone launch event is here. The keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup, which could include a slimmer version of the phone, as well as the Apple Watch Series 11 and the AirPods Pro 3.
The invite, which Apple sent on Aug. 26, shows the title «awe dropping,» with a dynamic Apple logo that seems to reference Siri’s colorful glow.
There’s also an interactive element when you view the invite on Apple.com. With a finger (phone or tablet) or a mouse/trackpad pointer (computer), you can move across the logo and watch the colors go from a cool blue to a vivid orange, possibly evoking the Liquid Glass design element in iOS 26, which exhibits light-bending qualities across apps and functions. You can read more theories about what the fall event invite might signify.
The keynote will be held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. CNET will be covering the announcements live, so be sure to follow along.
Get ready for an awe dropping #AppleEvent on Tuesday, September 9! pic.twitter.com/uAcYp2RLMM
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 26, 2025
How to watch Apple’s iPhone 17 reveal
Technically, Apple has yet to confirm the iPhone 17, but the company typically unveils its latest handsets at its fall event.
You can tune into the iPhone 17 event by watching the official livestream on Apple’s website or via the livestream on Apple’s YouTube channel. Those streams are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. CNET’s reporters will also be on the ground and bringing you all the updates.
What might Apple be cooking up?
Rumors for the upcoming slate of iPhones have been plentiful. Stealing the spotlight is the supposed iPhone 17 Air, which could follow in the footsteps of Samsung’s sleek Galaxy S25 Edge and have a slim profile and lightweight design. The Pro model could get a scratch-resistant, antireflective display and an 8x telephoto lens, and the Pro Max could pack a bigger battery. The baseline iPhone 17 could also boast a higher refresh rate. It’s possible that all the phones may include an Apple-developed 5G modem called the C1 chip, which debuted on the iPhone 16E, as well as in-house Wi-Fi chips.
We also expect to learn more about the public rollout of iOS 26 later this fall. The new operating system features a Liquid Glass interface that brings a more transparent, lens-like look to the iPhone and other Apple devices. The Camera app also gets a more minimalistic design, Messages lets you create polls in group chats and a new screening tool can better detect spam texts. You can check out all the features coming to iOS 26.
Will there be a Siri overhaul?
What we might not hear as much about is the updated version of Siri that Apple unveiled at its Worldwide Developers Conference last year. The smarter version of the AI assistant has faced repeated delays and may not arrive until next year. But Apple could discuss other Apple Intelligence updates and features arriving on its new devices.
Watch CNET’s livestream
CNET’s reporters will be on the ground, bringing you all the latest updates and impressions of whatever Apple has in store. You can watch our livestream here starting at 9:30 a.m. PT/12:30 p.m. ET:
Technologies
Hollow Knight: Silksong Includes a Secret Konami Code Easter Egg
Don’t try to enter this code unless you want a serious challenge.
Hollow Knight: Silksong isn’t an easy game, but that difficulty is one of the reasons why fans love it. There are likely some in the fanbase who might even feel it’s too easy, and for them, developer Team Cherry added the most famous of cheat codes to the game, although it doesn’t give you 30 lives.
The famous Konami Code, best known for its inclusion in the NES game Contra, does work in Silksong, but it will make the game far harder, not easier. The secret was found not long after the game came out on Thursday over at the Silksong subreddit. A variation of the code can be inputted in the Extras section of the title screen to unlock the Steel Soul mode on a new playthrough. The description of the unlocked mode says, «No reviving. Death is permanent.»
As the description suggests, Steel Soul is a permadeath mode, meaning that once you die, it’s game over and your save is wiped. Considering how difficult Silksong has been even for veterans of the Hollow Knight, this option is truly for those who want the highest of challenges. It appeared in the original Hollow Knight as an optional setting made available after beating the game, but Silksong players just need to press a few buttons on the menu screen to unlock it.
The code needed to unlock Steel Mode in the Extras section of the title screen is Up, Down, Up, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right. For consoles, you will need to use the respective controller’s Dpad, while PC requires either using a controller Dpad or the arrow keys on the keyboard. There are no additional buttons to press, and when inputted correctly, the screen will flash. To activate the new much harder difficulty option, back out of the Extras screen, select Start Game, pick New Game and that will take you to the Mode Select screen where Steel Soul is now available.
The Konami Code was first used in Gradius, a shoot ’em up game made by the company and released for the NES in 1986. The full code is Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, and Start on a controller and was programmed into the game’s code by developer Kazuhisa Hashimoto as a way to test the game easily, as it added all the power-ups to the player’s ship. Hashimoto had mistakenly left the code in the NES game, and it was eventually discovered by players in the U.S.
The Konami Code is mainly remembered for its use in 1987’s Contra for the NES, which gave players 30 lives to start the game with. It has since been used in other Konami games and paid homage to by other game developers. Tech companies such as Google and Facebook have also used the code as an Easter egg in their different services over the years.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is out now on PC, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PS4 and PS5. It’s also available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Sept. 9
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 9.
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.
Britney Spears fans, you’ll find one of her hit songs in today’s Mini Crossword. And cookie-lovers, one of our favorites is in there, too. Need answers? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
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.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Aerobics class with platforms
Answer: STEP
5A clue: Like crackers that have lost some crunch
Answer: STALE
6A clue: Not healthy, as a relationship
Answer: TOXIC
7A clue: Black-and-white cookies
Answer: OREOS
8A clue: W, as in Waze?
Answer: WEST
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: H&M or Home Depot
Answer: STORE
2D clue: They’re often withheld from one’s paycheck
Answer: TAXES
3D clue: Writer T. S. ___
Answer: ELIOT
4D clue: Chest muscles, for short
Answer: PECS
5D clue: Put safely away
Answer: STOW
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