Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is hard to explain. The best way to understand is to see it in action; a screenshot of Handsome Squidward and Bob Belcher falling in love over their shared appreciation of cannibalism makes it clear that, while it’s a life sim, the game is really a joke-generating machine. Living the Dream on the Nintendo Switch gives you more tools and fewer restrictions to make those jokes stranger and funnier. But while Living the Dream provides more freedom for creativity, it also has big restrictions on sharing those creations, and the game seems content with inside jokes staying within its virtual walls.
Technology
Iran-linked hackers target US medical tech company
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When most people hear about cyberattacks tied to geopolitical conflict, it can seem far away. It sounds like something that happens to governments or giant corporations. Yet the latest cyber incident involving a U.S. medical technology company shows how fragile digital systems can be. Even more important, it raises a question you should all ask yourself: Are you protected against trouble, too?
A hacker group linked to Iran has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Stryker, a Michigan-based company that produces medical equipment and healthcare technology used worldwide. Stryker employs about 56,000 people and operates in more than 60 countries, making it one of the largest medical technology companies in the world.
Stryker disclosed the incident in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, saying the disruption affected parts of its Microsoft environment and that investigators are working to determine the full scope.
The incident appears to be one of the most significant cyber incidents linked to the current conflict so far.
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Laboratory assistants from the company BioNTech wear Stryker medical gear in a clean room at a production site in Marburg, Germany, in March 2021. (Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images)
What happened in the Stryker cyberattack
According to reports, the attack disrupted parts of Stryker’s global network environment. Reports indicate the outages began shortly after midnight on Wednesday on the East Coast. Employees suddenly discovered that their work-issued phones stopped functioning. Communication across teams stalled as devices became unusable.
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The hacker group Handala claimed responsibility on social media platforms, including Telegram and X. However, the claim has not been independently verified. Some employees also reported seeing the hacker group’s logo appear on company login pages during the disruption. In posts online, the group said the attack was retaliation for a bombing at a school in Minab, Iran, though those claims have not been independently verified.
Security experts believe the attackers may have gained access to the company’s Microsoft Intune management console. This platform allows companies to manage corporate devices such as smartphones and laptops remotely. Once inside that system, attackers appear to have triggered a powerful administrative feature. Reports suggest many company-connected phones and laptops were wiped back to factory settings.
Signage at the Stryker Corp. headquarters in Portage, Michigan, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. A cyberattack on Stryker Corp. has kept the medical technology company’s ordering and shipping systems offline as the firm continues to struggle to address a crippling hack claimed by a group linked to Iran. (Kristen Norman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
How hackers may have used legitimate tools against the company
The attack did not rely on traditional ransomware or malware. Instead, the hackers appear to have used a legitimate system feature in a destructive way. Remote wipe tools exist for good reasons. Companies use them when a device is lost, stolen or retired. However, if attackers gain control of the management console, those same tools can become weapons. Some cybersecurity researchers believe attackers may have accessed the company’s Microsoft Intune device management system, though the exact method of the attack has not been publicly confirmed.
Once the attackers accessed the device management system, they likely triggered remote wipe commands across multiple employee devices. The result looked like a mass reset event that effectively shut down normal operations. Stryker later confirmed it experienced a cybersecurity incident affecting its Microsoft environment. The company said it saw no evidence of ransomware or malware and believes the incident is contained. Stryker said it has activated business continuity measures so it can continue supporting customers and partners while systems are restored.
Iran’s long history of destructive cyberattacks
This type of attack fits into a broader pattern. Iran-linked groups have previously launched some of the most damaging “wiper” cyberattacks on record. These attacks aim to destroy data rather than steal it.
Two notable examples include:
Since the start of the current conflict, cybersecurity companies such as Google and Proofpoint have mostly observed Iranian groups conducting espionage operations. However, the Stryker disruption may signal a shift toward more aggressive actions targeting corporate infrastructure. We contacted both Stryker and Microsoft for comment but did not hear back before our deadline.
Why this matters beyond one company
Large cyber incidents rarely stay isolated. When attackers demonstrate a new method, other groups often study and reuse it. That means techniques used against a corporation today can show up in smaller attacks tomorrow. Small businesses, hospitals and even individuals sometimes become targets when criminals adapt the same tactics. In other words, this story about a medical technology company also carries a warning for everyday digital life.
The logo of Stryker medical technology is seen on their plant in the IDA (Industrial Development Agency) estate, in Carrigtwohill, County Cork, Ireland on March 28, 2025. (Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne)
How to protect yourself from cyberattacks and device wipe threats
Cyberattacks against corporations reveal weaknesses that can affect anyone who uses connected devices. A few proactive steps can reduce your risk.
1) Use strong and unique passwords
Never reuse passwords across accounts. If attackers obtain one password, they often test it across many services. Consider using a password manager to generate and securely store complex passwords, so you do not need to remember them. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com
2) Enable two-factor authentication
Adding a second verification step, such as two-factor authentication (2FA), can stop attackers even if they obtain your password.
3) Consider a data removal service
Data broker sites collect and sell personal details that criminals may exploit. Removing that information can reduce your exposure. Check out my top picks for data removal services, and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
4) Install strong antivirus software
Reliable antivirus protection helps detect suspicious activity, phishing attempts and malware before it can spread. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
5) Back up important files regularly
If a device is wiped or compromised, backups allow you to restore critical data quickly.
Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?
Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Cyberattacks once focused mainly on stealing information. Today, many attackers try to disrupt systems, erase data or create chaos. The reported incident involving Stryker shows how hackers can turn everyday administrative tools into powerful weapons. If someone gains access to the right controls, they may not need traditional malware at all. For many people, cyber conflict between countries can seem far away. Yet the same technology involved in those attacks powers the devices and services we rely on every day. Your phone, laptop and cloud accounts all connect to systems that depend on trust and access permissions. That is why digital safety now requires layers of protection. Strong passwords help. Secure devices help. Staying aware of threats helps, too. Preparation can make the difference between a quick recovery and a major disruption. If something unexpected happens, the people who bounce back fastest are usually those who took a few steps to protect themselves in advance.
And that leads to an important question: If your phone, laptop or cloud account were suddenly wiped tomorrow, would you be ready to recover? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Living the Dream is the sequel to a 3DS game that, a decade ago, I called “the weirdest thing Nintendo has ever made.” It’s sort of like The Sims or Animal Crossing, and it’s also a little like a Tamagotchi. You play as an omniscient overseer of a small island that’s populated with Miis, Nintendo’s delightfully lo-fi avatar characters, and you have to feed them and make them happy by fostering relationships and playing games. As you do that, the island will expand with more residents and more things to interact with, so that eventually you’ll have a Ferris wheel, a restaurant, and a TV news station.
What makes the sequel interesting is that it really opens up what you’re able to do. The creation tools in particular are much more robust. There are lots of options for designing Miis such that, even though I am decidedly not artistically inclined, I was able to make very recognizable cartoon characters without too much effort. Notably, unlike its predecessor, Living the Dream has options for things like same-sex relationships and nonbinary characters, making it much more inclusive and open. The island itself similarly has a lot of customization options, though these slowly unlock over time.
The real meat of the experience is setting up situations and watching how things unfold. You can make characters become friends or romantic partners by literally picking them up and putting them next to each other. The game will even frequently ask you for topics that they might want to talk about, Mad Libs style. It’s an acquired taste, but for the right kind of person it can also be hilarious.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Living the Dream is that, at least as far as I can tell, there are no restrictions for what you can name characters or what you can make them say. To really test this, I let my 13-year-old kid run wild, tasking her with creating the most messed-up island her teenage brain could think of. Now my Switch is home to the cast of The Owl House, who love to chat to each other about Hitler, summoning Satan, and human trafficking. Nothing that she threw at the game was off-limits. (Also, I’m a little worried about her.)
That’s all very surprising for a Nintendo game, particularly given the company’s squeaky-clean image and family-friendly fare. And it’s almost certainly the reason why Nintendo has made it so that you can’t share screenshots and videos using the Switch’s built-in sharing features. Without getting into specifics, Nintendo wrote on a support page that the Living the Dream’s freedom can “sometimes lead to humorous, surprising, or unpredictable moments during gameplay,” but also said that “we recognize that out-of-context scenes may be misunderstood or may not reflect the spirit in which the game is intended to be enjoyed.”
Given the problems Nintendo has run into with online sharing in the past, it’s an understandable position to take. It’s also not impossible to share things; you can get around the limitation with a capture card or by simply taking photos of the Switch’s screen. Players already started doing that when Living the Dream’s demo came out.
Since much of the fun of Tomodachi Life is pushing the game to its limits to see what you can make your little Miis do, maybe Nintendo understood that there probably wasn’t any kind of filter it could put in the game that inventive players wouldn’t be able to bypass. Perhaps a full-scale sharing ban was the only option. But that decision also runs counter to the spirit of Living the Dream. Whenever I land on a really good joke, I immediately take a screenshot because I want to show it to people. My kid and I have been comparing stupid images all week trying to one-up each other.
Nintendo’s restrictions aren’t going to stop the really dedicated players. TikTok will almost certainly be flooded with even more phone camera videos of cute little Miis talking about sex and violence. Because those kinds of players are exactly who this game is for.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream launches on the Nintendo Switch on April 16th.
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You sit down for dinner. The menus arrive. And instead of everyone reaching for their phones, something different happens. People actually start talking. That is the whole point. Across the U.S., a growing number of bars and restaurants are asking customers to put their phones away. Some offer incentives. Others go further and lock devices in pouches. The goal stays the same. Create a space where people actually connect. This is not happening by accident. It reflects a broader shift in how people think about screens, attention and time together.
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COWBOY CHEF SAYS PHONES AND SCREENS AT DINNER ARE TEARING AMERICAN FAMILIES APART
More restaurants are asking diners to put phones away to encourage real conversation and reduce distractions at the table. (David Silverman/Getty Images)
Why phone-free restaurants are gaining popularity
The push toward phone-free spaces reflects a bigger change in how people think about technology. Research continues to link heavy smartphone use with lower attention spans, weaker memory and reduced social connection. As a result, schools, governments and businesses are rethinking when phones belong in the room. At the same time, daily habits show just how attached people have become. Recent data from Consumer Affairs shows Americans check their phones about 144 times a day and spend roughly 4.5 hours on them. That kind of constant interruption adds up. It changes how we experience meals, conversations and even live events. So people are starting to push back.
Who is driving the shift to phone-free dining
You might expect older generations to lead this shift. The opposite is happening. Gen Z is driving much of the change. A December 2025 survey from Talker Research found 63% of Gen Z say they intentionally disconnect from devices. Millennials follow at 57%. Generation X comes in at 42%, while baby boomers trail at 29%. That matters because Gen Z shapes culture, especially when it comes to social habits. When they decide something feels better offline, businesses notice. And businesses are adapting quickly.
Where phone-free restaurants are popping up
Phone-free policies are no longer rare. At least 11 states now have restaurants or bars experimenting with restrictions or incentives. Washington, D.C., leads with several venues, while others appear in Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Tennessee, North Carolina, New York and Texas. Some places keep it simple. Put your phone away and enjoy the meal. Others take a stronger approach.
At a Charlotte cocktail bar called Antagonist, guests place their phones in locked pouches for about two hours. The idea is to remove the option entirely so people can focus on each other.
Meanwhile, upscale chain Delilah enforces a strict no phones, no posting policy across locations in cities like Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami. The goal is privacy and atmosphere.
Even fast food is testing the concept. A Chick-fil-A location in Towson Place, Maryland, offers free ice cream to families who keep their phones off the table. Different approaches, same idea. Less screen time, more presence.
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A growing number of bars and restaurants are limiting phone use as Americans rethink screen time and social connection. (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)
What happens in phone-free restaurants
Something subtle shifts when phones are out of reach. People stay in conversations longer. Meals feel more intentional. Even simple activities like playing a game or sharing a story take on more weight. One diner described the experience as rare. No notifications, no pressure to document the moment, no distraction. Just time with another person. Food experts say phones can pull attention away from the dining experience itself. When that distraction disappears, people often leave feeling like something meaningful actually happened. That feeling is what keeps customers coming back.
What this means to you
You do not need to visit a phone-free bar to feel what this shift is about. It is already showing up in our everyday lives. Think about the last time you sat down for dinner. You check your phone for a second. Then a message pops up. Before you know it, the conversation pauses and the moment slips away. That is exactly what many people are starting to notice and question. Try putting your phone away for a meal, even at home. You may find the conversation lasts longer. Things feel a little slower in a good way. You walk away feeling like you were actually there, not half distracted. This is likely just the beginning. More places may start limiting phone use, especially where the experience matters most.
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Phone-free dining is on the rise, with some venues locking devices to create a more focused, social experience. (Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaways
For years, phones have quietly taken over shared spaces. Restaurants, concerts and even small gatherings started to revolve around screens. Now the pendulum is swinging back. People are realizing that putting the phone down can change how a moment feels. It does not require a full digital detox. Sometimes it is just one meal, one conversation, one evening without distractions. That small shift can feel bigger than expected.
So here is the real question. When was the last time you had a meal where no one reached for their phone? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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*insert Godzilla screeching sound* Here’s the very first look at the next big kaiju feature. Godzilla Minus Zero will continue the story of 2023’s Godzilla Minus One, which returned the franchise to the more grounded tone established in the original film, and while the new teaser trailer doesn’t show a whole lot, it suggests some big things for the series.
Minus Zero is set in 1949, two years after the first movie, “and continues the story of the Shikishima family as they face an all-new calamity,” according to the official logline. Apparently that includes shifting the setting from Tokyo to New York, as we see Godzilla right next to the Statue of Liberty. Stars Ryunosuke Kamiki and Minami Hamabe will be reprising their roles, while director Takashi Yamazaki — who is also making a giant robot movie called Grandgear — will once again be helming the film. Toho also says that Minus Zero will be the first Japanese movie filmed for IMAX.
It’s a busy time for the world’s most famous kaiju, who will also be appearing in the next entry in Legendary’s monsterverse with Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, and is currently featured in the Apple TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Godzilla Minus Zero, meanwhile, hits theaters on November 6th.
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