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Headline-making mass outages—think 2024’s CrowdStrike event and 2023’s Google Cloud services disruptions—can bring multinational corporations and small businesses to their knees. But smaller technical events are far more common and can shut down business functions with equally devastating effects.Cybersecurity attacks like Change Healthcare and Snowflake data breaches that impacted millions wreak even greater havoc, especially for small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) that rarely have strong protections in place to fend off potentially business-ending attacks.Security and cybersecurity threats are inevitable in today’s high-risk security environment, and they don’t discriminate by company size, industry, or geographic footprint. This is why every business needs to plan to evaluate its network and security status to identify and address areas of weakness.For SMBs, this may seem like a financially and technically infeasible expectation. It doesn’t have to be. Properly focused self-audits can reveal vulnerabilities, many of which can be corrected without blowing up the IT budget.

Today’s High-Risk Landscape

The 2024 Observability Forecast from New Relic found that the median number of annual outages among respondents was 232, with more than half experiencing weekly low-impact disruptions. IT teams spend 30% of their time, equivalent to 12 hours per 40-hour workweek, addressing interruptions ranging from network failures and third-party service issues to human error. For high-impact outages like Crowdstrike, the median annual downtime is 77 hours and carries an hourly cost of up to $1.9 million.Cyberattacks are also surging, with SMBs an increasingly favorite target. According to The State of SMB Cybersecurity in 2024, 94% of SMBs reported suffering from at least one cyberattack, and 89% are concerned they will be targeted within six months. Moreover, The State of IT Security in SMBs in 2023-2024 found that the average monetary cost of a cyberattack can range from $120,000 to $1.24 million per strike—a cost from which many don’t recover as 60% of SMBs fail just six months after an incident.While 90% indicated that cybersecurity is very important or critical to their business, more than three-quarters of Observability Forecast respondents (76%) also agree that their organization lacks the in-house skills to deal with an attack properly. Further, just 8% of SMBs with fewer than 50 employees have a dedicated cybersecurity budget. Most typically spend less than $500 annually on cybersecurity, and 72% lack necessary insurance coverage, leaving them highly vulnerable.These numbers tell the story of a high-risk environment where no SMB is safe from outages and attacks. As such, the lack of investment in protection is an oversight that can have business-ending repercussions.

Taking Proactive Measures

There are steps SMBs can take to mitigate their risk, starting with a self-assessment to determine areas of vulnerability. No IT expertise is required. Just responses to a handful of questions in the following five areas:Staff training: is your team trained in cybersecurity best practices, including recognizing phishing attempts and the need for strong passwords, and is this training updated regularly?Security safeguards: Are security measures in place that minimize human errors (e.g., email filters, browsing restrictions, multi-factor authentication, etc.), particularly around personally identifiable information (PII) access? Are they kept current?Software patches and updates: Are procedures in place for patch management to apply the latest updates to software and systems, to protect against emerging threats and harden existing vulnerabilities? Are they followed?Vendor security profiles: Do vendors, partners, and any other entity that may access the company’s systems have proper cybersecurity and security protocols to prevent a breach on their end from impacting your operations?Business continuity: Is a business recovery and continuity plan in place to get operations back up and running after a breach? Is it regularly reviewed and updated? Are staff aware of the plan and trained in its deployment?This information will help determine if broader protections are required and if engaging an IT service provider is warranted. If it is, look for a provider with security and cybersecurity experience that offers, at minimum, proactive monitoring, regular security assessments, and staff training.Prospective partners should also deeply understand industry-specific compliance requirements and offer comprehensive services to ensure any issue can be addressed—a feature made more critical by the rapid pace at which threats evolve. They should also have advanced technological expertise and the willingness and ability to leverage cutting-edge tools and processes capable of outperforming older or less adaptive technology.SMBs should also look for an IT partner that offers personalized customer support, emphasizes long-term relationships, and provides flexibility and scale in its service approach. Transparent price structures, clear and fair service terms, and simple contracts are also helpful.Finally, during the evaluation process, ask prospects about their response times and disaster recovery capabilities and obtain and check references.

An Investment in Longevity

Determining security and cybersecurity gaps and establishing protocols to close them need not break the bank but must be a budget priority. Much of the work can be done via an internal audit, even with limited technical know-how.In cases where audits reveal deeper issues than can be handled internally, customer-forward IT partners can apply experience, skills, and flexibility to resolve problems and harden systems within the organization’s budget to lower its risk profile and help ensure longevity.

We've rated the best endpoint protection software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we 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/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Sophos researchers found a new variant of PJobRATAndroid RAT now targets Taiwanese usersThe RAT can run shell commands and exfiltrate data

PJobRAT, an Android Remote Access Trojan (RAT) which disappeared roughly six years ago, has made a rather quiet comeback, targeting users with some arguably more dangerous functionalities.Cybersecurity researchers from Sophos’ X-Ops security team discovered new samples in the wild, noting the 2019 PJobRAT could steal SMS messages, phone contacts, device and app information, documents, and media files, from infected Android devices.The new variant can also run shell commands: “This vastly increases the capabilities of the malware, allowing the threat actor much greater control over the victims’ mobile devices,” Sophos explains. “It may allow them to steal data – including WhatsApp data – from any app on the device, root the device itself, use the victim’s device to target and penetrate other systems on the network, and even silently remove the malware once their objectives have been completed.”

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Inactive campaign

The 2019 variant was mostly targeting Indian military personnel, by spoofing different dating and instant messaging apps.The new variant seems to have ditched the dating angle, and focuses exclusively on being an instant messaging app.In fact, Sophos says that the apps actually work, and that the victims, if they knew each other’s IDs, could even communicate to one another.Speaking of the victims, the attackers no longer target Indians, and have instead switched to the Taiwanese.Some of the apps found in the wild are called ‘SangaalLite’ (possibly a typosquatted version of ‘SignalLite’, an app used in the 2021 campaigns) and CChat (spoofing a legitimate app of the same name).The apps were being distributed through WordPress sites, Sophos said, suggesting that they cannot be found on popular app stores. The sites have since been shut down, meaning that the campaign is probably completed, but the researchers reported them to WordPress anyway.“This campaign was therefore running for at least 22 months, and perhaps for as long as two and a half years,” it was sad. However, it doesn’t seem to have been a large, or successful campaign, since the general public wasn’t the target.Edit, April 8 - A Google spokesperson reached out to TechRadar Pro to confirm that there are no traces of this malware on the Google Play Store: “Based on our current detection, no apps containing this malware are found on Google Play," they told us. "Android users are automatically protected against known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect, which is on by default on Android devices with Google Play Services. Google Play Protect can warn users or block apps known to exhibit malicious behavior, even when those apps come from sources outside of Play."

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Daredevil: Born Again season 1 has almost drawn to a close. There are only two more episodes of Marvel's latest TV offering – until its second season is released, anyway – so it's time to lock in and find out when its next chapter will land on Disney+.Below, I'll tell you exactly when episode 8 of Daredevil: Born Again will air in the US, UK, and Australia. I'll also run through season 1's full release schedule. Although, with only one more episode left of this season, you'll probably be able to work out when the finale will launch. But enough rambling – here's when you can stream the show's next episode.

When will Daredevil: Born Again episode 8 be released on Disney+ in the US?

Born Again episode 7 gave us a lot to chew on (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Daredevil: Born Again episode 8 will be released on Disney+ in the US on Tuesday, April 8 at 6PM PT / 9PM ET.That's the same time that new episodes of one of the best Disney+ shows have landed on one of the world's best streaming services for a number of weeks now. Nevertheless, it's always good to be reminded, otherwise you wouldn't have opened this article!

What time can I watch Daredevil: Born Again episode 8 in the UK?

What role will Vanessa Fisk play in Born Again's next two episodes? (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The eighth installment of Daredevil's standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project will launch on Disney+ UK on Wednesday, April 9 at 2AM BST.Before March 30, new chapters had been released on British shores at the earlier time of 1AM GMT. However, with the clocks going back on the aforementioned date, UK viewers have had to wait an extra 60 minutes for their arrival. Regardless, it's been a late night or early morning for anyone wanting to catch them as soon as they're released.

When can I stream Daredevil: Born Again's eighth episode in Australia?

"Buck, Daniel, let the people know when they can stream episode 8" (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Australian audiences can stream Daredevil: Born Again season 1's penultimate episode on Wednesday, April 9 at 11AM AEST.Before this week's chapter was released, new entries launched at 12PM AEDT. With the clocks going back Down Under last Sunday (April 6), though, you can actually watch the Marvel Phase 5 TV show's eighth episode an hour earlier.

How many episodes of Daredevil: Born Again will there be?

Heather Glenn is onto Matt Murdock and his secret identity, I can tell (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

As I mentioned in this article's introduction, there's only one more episode left of this MCU TV series after this week's release. Read on to see when it'll be available in the US, UK, and Australia below:

Episode 1 – out nowEpisode 2 – out nowEpisode 3 – out nowEpisode 4 – out nowEpisode 5 – out nowEpisode 6 – out nowEpisode 7 – out nowEpisode 8 – April 8 (US); April 9 (UK and Australia)Episode 9 – April 15 (US); April 16 (UK and Australia)

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Lenovo, LG, and Razer have leaked some laptops carrying the RTX 5060 and 5050 GPUsThese leaks come in the form of press material or product listingsThey back up the rumor that Nvidia will reveal these mobile graphics cards in a couple of weeks

Nvidia’s RTX 5060 desktop graphics card is thought to be landing very soon – maybe next week, in fact – and the laptop spin on the GPU may not be far behind, as further leaks have pointed to its existence, and the RTX 5050 mobile, too.VideoCardz reports that these laptop graphics cards are expected to arrive in two weeks, and some notebook makers have already issued press material, or product listings, that accidentally mention the GPUs.The offending vendors are Lenovo, LG, and Razer, so let’s take them in that order.As part of an unboxing video on YouTube, Lenovo highlighted an IdeaPad Pro 5 16-inch laptop that’s coming later this year as having an Nvidia RTX 5050 graphics card, with that GPU mentioned in the clip’s description.More recently, LG announced its Gram Pro laptop for 2025, and in the press release published via its Taiwanese press center, there’s also a mention of the RTX 5050 (not for the first time, I should add).The laptop maker says: “In addition, the Gram Pro 16 equipped with the Nvidia RTX 5050 discrete graphics card is also expected to be available for pre-order in the second quarter of this year.”A footnote to the release also clarifies that the RTX 5050 will come equipped with 8GB of video RAM.Finally, Razer’s Chinese website already lists the new Razer Blade 16 for 2025, and one of the GPU options is the RTX 5060 mobile.

(Image credit: Future)

Analysis: Hoping for the best, but fearing the worst (at least supply-wise)

While both the RTX 5060 and 5050 laptop GPUs are supposedly coming with 8GB of video RAM onboard, there could be slower VRAM in the lesser model. As VideoCardz notes, instead of the newer (and much faster) GDDR7 as seen in other Blackwell GPUs, Nvidia may switch back to GDDR6 with this lowest-end model. (That’s rumored to be the case for the desktop RTX 5050, certainly – and yes, the theory is there will be a desktop spin on the graphics card this time, when there was never a desktop RTX 4050).Given that on the desktop GPU side of the equation, the RTX 5060 Ti is supposed to be arriving next week, and the RTX 5060 is expected to be revealed too. If VideoCardz is correct, Nvidia will have a separate announcement the following week for these mobile GPUs.We shall see, but with these laptop graphics cards popping up in multiple places now – with a specific mention of Q2 availability in one case (LG), meaning a launch before June 2025 – it seems a good bet they are nearing release.A lot of gamers will doubtless be keen to see what kind of price point more affordable laptops using the RTX 5050 GPU might land at, and whether these will make great budget gaming laptops (or not). A lot of that will depend on the performance level of the RTX 5050, of course, and we don’t have much in the way of rumored specs for this model yet (or the laptop 5060, for that matter).Availability is also a concern here, given that while laptops with Blackwell GPUs inside officially ‘launched’ at the end of March, you can’t buy them. They were all listed as out of stock right from the start, and although they should become available throughout April, it’s not clear in what kind of quantities. The way Blackwell supply has gone thus far doesn’t exactly instill confidence, though.

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The American National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) is rather busy on the cryptographic front these days. Not only has it been busy in the area of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), it is also in the process of standardizing the lightweight cipher Ascon, and it is also embarking soon on a major effort to examine threshold cryptography, but in late 2024 it announced that it would be looking at standardizing a larger block size variant of the AES algorithm.To understand what this proposal is, and why it is important, we need to dig a bit deeper into what a block cipher is, and the history of the AES algorithm.

Block ciphers explained

A block cipher is a mechanism to encrypt single blocks of data using a secret key. The two important characteristics of a block cipher are the number of bits needed to determine the key (the so-called key size) and the size of the data which each application of the block cipher encrypts (the co-called block size).Children often encounter block ciphers as a first introduction to cryptography by making a table of letters, and then placing a random permutation of the letters underneath them such asA - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - MT - M- A - H - X - S - C - Q - N - R - P - D -ESo the word BAD would encrypt to the ciphertext MTH. In this example the key is the second row of the table (you need the second row to encrypt and decrypt). This gives a total number of keys of26 · 25 · 24 ··· 3 · 2 · 1 ≈ 2 88.3which corresponds to a key size of 88.3 bits. The block size is however only one letter, i.e. something which can be represented in bits. This key size is quite large, if I just gave you an encrypted message of three letters it would be hard to determine the key.However, because the block size is small it is easy to break in practice, since a large encrypted text will reveal repeats of plaintext blocks. For example the words “HIDE ME” will encrypt to “QNHX EX”, and we can see the repetition of X encrypting E. As we know E is the most likely letter in English this means it is likely that the attacker can guess X encrypts E.Even if we were encrypting random messages (and not English) this repetition of blocks is a way for an attacker to attack any system which uses the block cipher. Due to the birthday paradox, if we have a block size of b bits, then we expect such a collision to after a few blocks. For the case of our toy cipher this means, for a random message, we expect a collision to occur after about 5 blocks.

AES

AES is a block cipher, which is the workhorse of almost all cryptographic systems in the world today. It was standardized by NIST in 2001, and has a variable key size of 128, 192 and 256 bits, but a fixed block size of 128 bits. This fixing of the block size was not originally on the cards.In the original preliminary call for AES, NIST proposed having 128, 192 and 256 bit key sizes, with a fixed block size of 128-bits, but with the option for other block sizes.However, as the process to choose AES progressed, in the official first call in 1997 NIST decided to focus only on 128 bit block sizes. In 2001 this block size seemed alright. After all, it means that for a random message we only expect to output blocks to be identical after ciphertext blocks, or 256 Exabytes.The problem is that this “seemed alright” was not quite true. AES was actually based on an algorithm called Rijndael (invented by two Belgian mathematicians called Joan Daemen and Vincent Rijmen). In its original design, submitted to NIST, Rijndael had three possible key sizes (128, 192 and 256 bits) and three possible block sizes (128, 192 and 256 bits).As we just remarked, during the AES process, in order to simplify the competition, NIST decided that it would only focus on 128-bit block sizes. Thus the original Rijndael design was modified to only allow one block size.

Unfortunate consequences

The fact that collisions happen more likely with a smaller block size means that applications needed to limit the number of blocks they could encrypt. This means that we only use a single 128-bit key to encrypt a relatively small amount of data. In practice this limit on the amount one can encrypt with one key becomes blocks, or only 64 Gigabytes (which is less than most harddisks in a laptop these days) , when AES is used in its most popular scenario (called AES-GCM mode). Meaning we need to rekey our ciphers more often, or use another method of calling AES.Due to AES being super fast in hardware it would be good if we could use AES to construct a hash function (which are very slow normally). One can use block ciphers to construct hash functions, but they are not very secure (or are more complex to construct) unless the block cipher has a big block size (such as 256 bits).The mismatch between block size and key size for the AES algorithm led to a theoretical “attack” (in a very special situation) on the AES algorithm with 256 bit key size in 2009 due to Biryukov and Khovratovich. Thus AES-256, with its 128-bit block size, was not as good as one would expect. On the other hand using Rijndael with 256-bit key and 256- bit block size would have avoided this “attack”.

Summary

Thus what NIST has announced is to revisit, what in hindsight, was the mistake it made back in 2001. AES should really have been standardized with a 256 bit block size variant.If cryptographers had a DeLorean time machine they would go back about twenty five years, and modify the AES competition so that the final decision would have allowed AES to be used with a 256-bit block size.

We've compiled a list of the best encryption software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we 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/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

You don’t need a set of AirPods to get wireless audio from your iPhone, iPad or Mac, but Apple’s earbuds and headphones offer a lot of convenient integrations with its other products that you won’t find anywhere else. After helping popularize true wireless earbuds with its original AirPods, the company has expanded its lineup to include noise-canceling models and a set of over-ear headphones. Here’s what you need to know about AirPods in general, along with the best overall, budget and over-ear picks from Apple’s current slate of products.

Table of contents

What you need to know about AirPods

Best AirPods for 2025

Best AirPods specs comparison chart

Other AirPods we tested

What you need to know about AirPods

When it comes to Apple’s earbuds and headphones, there are several things you’ll want to keep in mind before making your final decision. First, the standard AirPods are the open-design earbuds with no tip that allow some environmental noise to come into your ears at all times. The Apple AirPods Pro are the model with the soft ear tips that completely close off your ear canal, which enables features like more powerful noise cancellation and the hearing test. Lastly, the Apple AirPods Max are the company’s over-ear noise-canceling headphones preferred by audiophiles, and currently the company’s only option for wireless headphones at all that aren’t made by Beats.

There are a few features that are available across all models as they’ve become inherent to the AirPods experience. First, you can expect connectivity perks like Automatic Switching between Apple devices that are synced with your iCloud account. This means that a pair of AirPods will automatically change to your phone when you get a call while you’re listening to music on a MacBook, for example. It’s functionally similar to multipoint Bluetooth, but the feature isn’t limited to two devices like most earbuds and headphones. Second, hands-free access to Siri is the default, allowing you to ask the assistant for help without touching your AirPods. And lastly, Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking is available across the entire lineup, even on the most affordable version and the AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation.

If you don’t think any of the AirPods options are right for you, consult our recommendations on the best wireless earbuds and best wireless headphones for some alternatives.

Best AirPods for 2025

Best AirPods specs comparison chart

AirPods 4

AirPods Pro 2

AirPods Max

Price

$129

$249

$549

Design

In-ear

In-ear

Over-ear

H2 chip

Yes

Yes

Yes

ANC

No

Yes

Yes

Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking

Yes

Yes

Yes

Hearing test

No

Yes

No

Rated battery life

5 hours

6 hours

20 hours

Durability

Dust, sweat, and water resistant (IP54)

Dust, sweat, and water resistant (IP54)

N/A

Other AirPods we tested

AirPods 4 with ANC

The AirPods 4 with ANC represent the first time active noise cancellation has been available on the open-wear, “regular” AirPods. Design-wise, they’re the same as the non-ANC model, so the difference is entirely in the features list. This more expensive version adds Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode, Conversation Awareness and a wireless charging case. The ANC isn’t as powerful as the AirPods Pro 2, partially due to the fact that the AirPods 4 doesn’t completely seal off your ears. The noise-canceling performance is definitely useful though, working best with constant, low-frequency annoyances like fans and white noise machines. Lastly, you won’t get access to Apple’s hearing test and hearing aid features, partially due to the fact that the AirPods 4 with ANC doesn’t seal off your ears, which would affect accuracy and effectiveness.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-airpods-100041810.html?src=rss

Microsoft is deploying the monthly patch for Windows 11 24H2 todayIt’ll arrive with useful fixes, including the cure for a weird File Explorer bugA couple of problems with wake-from-sleep functionality have also been resolved, but Microsoft has taken some time to implement these fixes

Microsoft pushes out its monthly round of updates later today (likely imminently), and the patch for Windows 11 version 24H2 is set to come with some important fixes.As Windows Latest reports, the cumulative update for April delivers the resolution of an annoying File Explorer bug, and more besides.As a quick reminder, File Explorer is the app in Windows that powers the very folders and files you work with on the desktop likely on a daily basis. The bug means that when users click the three-dot icon in the top menu bar (to access extra options), the flyout menu extends upwards rather than down.What this means is that if the File Explorer window in question is near the top of the screen, the menu actually goes off the top of the desktop, so you can’t click on some of those extra options, as they’re not visible.Windows Latest further outlines some other fixes Microsoft is providing with the April update, and that includes the cure for a problem where a Windows 11 24H2 device would wake from sleep and immediately crash with a Blue Screen of Death. (Perhaps soon to become a Black Screen of Death).Another issue with coming out of sleep mode, where a 2-in-1 laptop would change its screen orientation to portrait mode randomly, has also been remedied – likely a driver-related issue with the orientation sensors.

(Image credit: Future)

Analysis: Fixing the holes

These are some useful fixes, then, and Microsoft will possibly deliver more with the April update for Windows 11 24H2, too. We shall have to see the full patch notes when the update actually lands.The File Explorer issue may not have been a huge problem, as it was easy enough to work around. By this, I mean if a File Explorer window had a menu flying off the top of the screen, you could simply drag that window down lower on the desktop to see the full contents of the three-dot menu.Still, that’s clunky, and not something you should have to do at all. What’s odd is the rather baffling nature of this bug – how did this go wrong in the first place? – and the time Microsoft took to fix it. This gremlin has been present in Windows 11 since November 2024, in fact.On top of that, Windows Latest notes that Microsoft is currently deploying bug fixes (or at least some of them, including this one) as a controlled rollout. In other words, not every Windows 11 user will get this to begin with, and you may have to wait. Officially, this cure became available with the preview update of this imminent patch – released late in March – and the bug fix was only provided to a limited number of folks with that rollout.Hopefully, from today, every Windows 11 user will see this problem - and the other aforementioned bugbears - ironed out in swift fashion.Speaking of ironing, there’s still work to be done smoothing out further wrinkles with Windows 11 24H2 – some of which have been very weird affairs indeed – but hopefully Microsoft will start to get fully on top of all the issues for the latest incarnation of its desktop OS as we come towards the middle of 2025.

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OpenAI is testing watermarks on ChatGPT 4o's image generationFound in the latest Android app beta, watermarks could affect free usersPaid ChatGPT subscribers are likely to not see watermarking on images

ChatGPT 4o's image-generation capabilities have been the talk of the town over the last week or so, but it looks like free users might get hit with a downgrade very soon.OpenAI is currently testing watermarks in a new version of the ChatGPT Android app and it looks like free users are going to be the ones to suffer.Shared by @btibor91 on X, code in version 1.2025.0912509108 beta references "image-gen-watermark-for-free", hinting at upcoming watermarking presumably for users on the ChatGPT free plan.This watermark implementation comes off the back of ChatGPT server overload following the release of 4o's impressive image-generation capabilities and the viral use of the platform to create Studio Ghibli-esque imagery.Up until this point, the Studio Ghibli-style images have had no watermarking, causing huge concern among creatives as the ethics of AI image generation has once again been called into question.Now it looks like you'll need to pay for ChatGPT Plus, which costs $20 / roughly £16 a month, in order to get full access to 4o's image-generation tool without watermarks and without a minuscule 3-a-day limit.

ChatGPT updates- Student Plus referral program now also available for Colombian students (Universidad Nacional de Colombia)- new mentions of "shared posts" in addition to shared conversation, canvas and deep research in the web app- the new ImageGen watermark is mentioned… pic.twitter.com/j4sYfWJXLBApril 5, 2025

Not confirmed, but likely

(Image credit: Future / ChatGPT)

While it's possible that OpenAI is just testing watermark capabilities in the beta release of the ChatGPT Android app, this implementation is likely to occur sooner rather than later.There has been significant backlash following the viral trend of anime images that resemble Studio Ghibli, and this looks to be the first step in addressing those copyright concerns.While ChatGPT Plus is already a compelling value proposition for those who use AI frequently, including a watermark on images generated by free users could see an increase in paid subscriptions.That said, we don't know what these watermarks look like as of yet, and depending on how large they are it could be a positive step in regulating AI-generated images on social media.

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A possible iOS 19 design has been shown off in a videoApp icons look a bit more circular and Android-likeHowever, there's reason to doubt the accuracy of this leak

One of the more consistent rumors we’ve heard about iOS 19 is that it will usher in a major redesign, and look quite different to iOS 18 as a result. Exactly what it will look like, however, is disputed.Leaker Jon Prosser claims to have a good idea though, having followed up an early look at the possible design of Apple’s upcoming software with a new YouTube video (via AppleInsider), showing a mock-up of iOS 19 that’s supposedly based on a more recent build.If the video is accurate, iOS 19 could be taking some inspiration from Android, as the app icons are shown as being more circular than in iOS 18, bringing them more in line with some Android skins.

Other changes include a more glass-like design, with some translucent elements to the interface, and some visionOS-inspired parts, such as a new pill-shaped bar at the bottom of many built-in apps.

Don't count on this

You can see all this in the video, but it’s worth taking these images with a serious helping of salt. For one thing, Prosser has a mixed track record – he has accurately leaked some things in the past, but he's also been very wrong about others.For another thing, when Prosser previously leaked iOS 19, Apple watcher Mark Gurman (who has a much better track record) posted on X saying the images aren’t representative. This time around he simply reposted that message, so he’s seemingly no more confident about Prosser’s updated iOS 19 information than he was about the original leak.Who’s right here? We probably won’t know for sure until WWDC 2025 in June, where Apple is likely to announce the new operating system. Given Gurman’s better track record though, we’re skeptical of this leak.It’s worth noting though that Gurman himself has said to expect a redesign, so we’re likely to see big changes in iOS 19 – it just might not look like this.

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Google's Scam Detection feature uses AI to detect calls from scammers as they happenThe feature is now available on Pixel Watch It means users will get Scam Detection alerts without the need to take their phone out of their pocket

Google recently rolled out its AI-powered Scam Detection feature to Pixel phones, and now the feature is coming to the Pixel Watch, bringing alerts directly to your wrist in real-time.From today, Pixel Watch 2 and 3 users will be able to get Scam Detection alerts directly on their wrist, meaning they don't have to take their phone out of their pocket while on a call in order to receive the alerts.Scam Detection uses AI to detect conversation patterns commonly used by scammers as they happen. While it's not 100% accurate, and scammers often switch up their approach, if the AI picks up anything fishy, it'll alert you with a notification, sound, and vibration.Previously, that would work on the Pixel Phone, and now it works on the Watch too. It means you can take calls from unknown numbers directly from your wrist with more confidence, and it is a brilliant extension of this very helpful feature.

Pixel Watch scam detection

There are many ways to deal with scam calls, but Google's AI-powered solution is definitely one of the most novel solutions and much more effective than simply choosing to ignore calls or silencing calls from unknown numbers.To get it to work on your wrist, you'll need either a Pixel Watch 2 or 3 connected to a Pixel 9 or later. The two devices will need to be paired via Bluetooth for the feature to work, and Scam Detection only works in the US for calls in English.Scam Detection is turned on via your Pixel Phone's Settings under Scam Detection. Once turned on, you'll hear a beep at the start of the call and intermittently during calls so that you know it's working.The latest Scam Detection addition is another reason the Pixel Watch 3 (and its predecessor) are some of the best Android smartwatches you can buy, especially when paired with a Google phone.

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Audio-Technica ATH-R30x are available now for $99 / £85 / AU$219Open-back headphones promising reference quality soundMade for content creators and home audio producers

Audio-Technica's latest open-back headphones come with a price so low I had to check it wasn’t a misprint: the ATH-R30x headphones are just $99 / £85 / AU$219. That's a very low price for a set of headphones with this kind of specification.The ATH-R30x promise to deliver reference-quality audio, so they're targeted primarily at content creators and home-based music producers. That's me! And according to Audio-Technica, the new model delivers pro-level performance without the pro-level price tag of many of the best wired headphones.

(Image credit: Audio-Technica)

Audio-Technica ATH-R30x: key features

The ATH-R30x are one of three pairs of reference headphones launched by the brand: they're launching alongside the ATH-R50x and the flagship ATH-R70xa, both of which attracted rave reviews.Like those headphones the ATH-R30x offer a natural, neutral open-back listening experience – which can be just as attractive to audiophiles on a budget as creators. The driver here is 40mm, which is very slightly smaller than the one in the R30x's siblings, and unlike the other models the cable isn't removable.Audio-Technica says that the "meticulous" transducer design "translates every diaphragm movement directly into sound" to deliver a spacious soundstage with natural clarity. Frequency response is 15Hz to 25kHz, impedance is 36 ohms and the sensitivity is 92dB.I haven't heard these headphones yet but the hi-fi and music production blogs have, and they've said that these are very credible studio headphones: for example, Recording Magazine says they are "highly enjoyable" and "deliver outstanding sound at an incredible price."The ATH-R30x are available from today, 8 April 2025.

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Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has confirmed the cost of the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome TourThe software will seemingly cost $9.99 and releases day one on Nintendo Switch 2Bowser says the mini games in Welcome Tour are "very deep" and thinks $9.99 is "a fair price"

It looks like Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has confirmed the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.Welcome Tour was unveiled during the exciting Nintendo Switch 2 Direct last week, where the company finally revealed the release date for the upcoming console - June 5, 2025 - and several launch titles, such as Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.The price of Welcome Tour, a piece of launch day software featuring a series of mini games, was notably absent from the showcase; however, in a new interview with The Verge, Doug Bowser has now seemingly confirmed that it will cost $9.99, which he thinks is a "fair price"."As this game was being developed, what’s been packed into it is a depth of minigame experiences," Bowser said."They’re very deep, they’re very repeatable. And so, as we looked at that depth of play experience and opportunity, we felt that $9.99 was a fair price to ask for that."The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 was also missing from the Direct, so we didn't learn that the console will cost $449.99 / £395.99, or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle, until after the broadcast.Pre-orders are scheduled to open on April 8 in the UK, however, Nintendo has announced that it has delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in the US from its original April 9 date as it assesses the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration.Nintendo confirmed it will share the new pre-order date soon and that the console's launch date is unchanged.

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The Joy-Con 2 controllers will not feature Hall effect thumbsticksThis was confirmed by a Nintendo executive in a new interviewThe technology could help prevent thumbstick drift

Almost every Nintendo Switch owner is aware of the dreaded Joy-Con drift, where the thumbsticks of the controllers can register false inputs after even just light use.It was one of the biggest complaints with the original Nintendo Switch console and, while Nintendo did begin to offer free Joy-Con repairs in both the US and UK, many were hoping that the Joy-Con 2 controllers of the Nintendo Switch 2 would feature a revised design intended to address these issues.One possible solution that has been posed by many would be the implementation of Hall effect technology, which removes the need for physical contact between components to increase durability in the long term.Unfortunately, we now know that the Joy-Con 2 will not feature Hall effect technology. This was confirmed by Nintendo of America's senior vice president of product development and publishing Nate Bihldorff in a new interview with Nintendolife."The Joy-Con 2 controllers have been designed from the ground up," he said. "They're not Hall effect sticks, but they feel really good."Bihldorff was also evasive when asked whether the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller will use Hall effect parts, which would indicate that it doesn't.This is definitely bad news for those concerned about the durability of the Nintendo Switch 2 and, in my eyes, seems like a massive missed opportunity. What's the point of redesigning the entire console if you're just going to make the same mistakes as the first time around all over again?Still, it might not be the end of the world as there are other technologies available that can help prevent drift.TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistance) thumbsticks, for example, rely on magnets that, like Hall effect components, remove the need for physical contact between parts. Hopefully we will learn a little more about the Joy-Con 2 controllers in the coming weeks.

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Meta is bringing its “teen accounts” to Facebook and Messenger. Like on Instagram, the company will begin automatically moving younger teens to the new accounts, which come with mandatory parental control features and restrictions on who they can message and interact with.

The company first introduced the feature on Instagram last fall and now has 54 million teens with the more locked-down accounts. (Instagram requires teens between the ages of 13 and 15 to use a teen account and has in-app tools meant to catch those lying about their ages.) Teen accounts on Facebook and Messenger will operate similarly. Teens won’t be able to interact with unknown contacts or change certain privacy settings unless a parent approves the action. Parents will also be able to monitor their child’s screen time metrics and friends list.

Meta is also adding new safety features to teen accounts on Instagram. With the change, teens under 16 will need parental permission to start a live broadcast. The app will also prevent younger teens from turning off nudity protection — the feature that automatically blurs images in direct messages that contain “suspected nudity” — unless they get parental approval.

Those may seem like obvious safeguards (they are) but they at least show that Meta is closing obvious gaps in its teen-focused safety features. The company has come under intense scrutiny over the effect its apps, particularly Instagram, have on teens in recent years. Dozens of states are currently suing Meta over alleged harms to younger users.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-brings-teen-accounts-to-facebook-and-messenger-100042497.html?src=rss

President Trump’s tariffs could lead to higher iPhone pricesThis appears to be causing customers to panic-buy Apple productsBut one analyst report says the rises might not be as bad as feared

Trump’s tariffs are already having an effect, but it’s unlikely to be one that the US President had anticipated. According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple customers are panic-buying iPhones ahead of what they fear could be steep price hikes.Bloomberg cited “Employees from different Apple locations across the country” who reported that Apple Stores were filled with customers over the past weekend.These buyers were seeking to snap up iPhones to beat price rises that could potentially happen as a result of the US tariffs, Bloomberg said, with some Apple employees saying they were being bombarded with questions on the matter.Right now, most iPhones are made in China, which is due to be hit with 54% tariffs over the coming days. That could rise to as much as 104%, as per Trump’s latest threat, which might be spurring shoppers to buy now.

Impossible to predict

(Image credit: Apple)

Interestingly, there’s very little consensus on how the tariffs will affect Apple. Late last week, Rosenblatt Securities claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could end up costing $2,300 – up from its current $1,599 price – thanks to the tariffs, with iPhone and Apple Watch costs shooting up 43% across the board. The analysts predicted similar 42% and 39% rises for the iPad and AirPods, respectively.Yet a competing analysis has just emerged that suggests the price rises might not be as severe as has been feared. According to a report from analysts at UBS (via AppleInsider), the iPhone 16 Pro Max could see a price hike of up to $2,062 – still a hefty margin over the regular $1,599 price, but not as wince-inducing as the $2,300 alternative suggested by Rosenblatt Securities.Part of that comes down to how Apple will deal with the tariffs. The company has a long history of keeping prices the same through thick and thin – the flagship iPhone has cost $999 since 2017, after all. It’s likely that it will put pressure on its suppliers to lower costs, and could absorb some of the price increases itself, Bloomberg reports.That said, Apple is not averse to pushing up prices where necessary, something it did in the UK after the Brexit referendum caused market uncertainty, for example. Ultimately, Trump’s tariffs have resulted in so much uncertainty that predicting what will happen to the iPhone’s price is a fool’s errand, although it does mean that some degree of panic buying is understandable.

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Another Galaxy S25 Edge price leak has appearedThe phone could be costlier than the Galaxy S25 PlusWe might see a full launch sometime next month

It seems clear that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is on the way, but how much is it going to cost? If the latest leak is accurate, the super-slim handset could be the second most expensive phone in the series, just behind the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.This comes from listings on two online retailers, Zanetti and Epto, spotted by 91mobiles. They put the pricing at either €1,361.41 or €1,363.90 for the 256GB version of the Galaxy S25 Edge, and €1,487.99 or €1,490.90 for the 512GB variant.There's not much point giving you currency conversions for those prices, as they're unlikely to reflect the pricing elsewhere in the world. The main takeaway is that those prices are above the €1,246.99 starting price of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Italy.That means the Galaxy S25 Edge pricing may well exceed the $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 that you can get the Galaxy S25 Plus for – even if these two retailers disagree about exactly how much money you're going to have to part with for the final S25 phone to launch.

The waiting game

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

This isn't the first time we've heard pricing rumors around the Galaxy S25 Edge. Information that emerged last month pointed to a price somewhere between €1,200 and €1,300, which lines up neatly with what we've heard in this latest leak.All this is assuming the Galaxy S25 Edge is actually going to see the light of day again. We were given a brief glimpse of it at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked in January, and then again at the MWC 2025 trade show in Barcelona in March.Since then, there's been talk of technical issues with the phone's production, and the rumored launch date has been pushed back from April 15 (next week) to May 13. Let's hope those issues can be resolved sooner rather than later.There's lots to look forward to if and when the phone actually does appear. It's rumored to be bringing with it a vapor chamber cooling system, a bundled Gemini Advanced subscription, and impressive internal specs, as well as its ultra-thin chassis.

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New Denon buds have 12mm drivers and a choice of open or ANC modelsDenon AH-C500W open earbuds are £99 / $99 (about AU$208)Denon AH-C840NCW ANC earbuds are £159 / $159 (about AU$334)

Denon has announced two pairs of true wireless earbuds; one with an open-ear design for environmental awareness, and one with hybrid active noise cancellation and transparency modes.The new Denon AH-C500W and Denon AH-C840NCW earbuds come with Bluetooth LE Audio, Auracast and multi-point pairing, and they're both rated IPX4 for water resistance. Both offer strong battery life and feature Denon's 'FreeEdge' 12mm drivers.These should be very impressive earbuds: we've previously reviewed the AH-C830NCW from 2022 and we really loved the sound quality. Our only major gripe was the "unremarkable" noise cancellation of those ANC buds, and Denon's had three years to work on that to rival the best noise cancelling earbuds.

The AH-C500W earbuds have an open design so you can hear the world around you (Image credit: Denon)

Choose your fit

The open earbuds are the Denon AH-C500W, and they promise up to 24 hours of listening time from a single charge with a fast charge adding an extra hour of playback in just 10 minutes. The drivers are 12mm and there are dual microphones in each bud for clear calls.They're open-ear in the same sense as the AirPods 4 are – they sit just outside the ear canal, with no tip inserted inside (unlike many of the best open earbuds that leave a bigger gap between your ear and the speaker). And then the ANC buds, the AH-C840NCW, are like the AirPods Pro 2 (and most of the best earbuds) in that they're a similar design but with the in-ear isolating tips.The ANC buds, the AH-C840NCW, use their charging case to deliver battery life of 35 total hours, and they charge faster than their siblings: the extra hour of playback takes just five minutes from flat. There are three eartip sizes included.The pair have similar designs to the AirPods models referenced above, but have two tempting elements that make them a great alternative. The first is more likely useful for Android users, and it's Bluetooth LE Audio support, which is capable of higher quality and better stability than regular Bluetooth (though support is still thin on the ground). Bluetooth Auracast support is also nice as a future-proofed option.The other element is the price. The AH-C500W are £99 / $99 (about AU$208) and the AH-C840NCW are £159 / $159 (about AU$334). These are the kinds of prices that AirPods fall to when they hit record-low prices, so by having these as a starting price, Denon has a nice edge. Both sets of buds will be available to buy from 15 April 2025.

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The best Assassin's Creed Shadows graphics settings for PS5 and Xbox will make a huge difference on how good the huge open world looks and runs. Thanks to new dynamic seasons, the game really sings if you get it looking right, which is where we come in having played the game collectively for hours and hours.On most platforms, players will need to choose between three main modes, before further tweaks can be made to clean things up. I personally am still fairly early in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but I've already been floored by how good the coastal towns of Sakai look, with the PS5 Pro really offering a boost to all the puddles and beaches found in the area, and Rob, our managing editor is more than 60 hours in now.Assassin's Creed Shadows is a real step forward for the franchise, offering up the best open-world yet, as well as some truly excellent action and stealth mechanics. You can read what we thought of the full game in our Assassin's Creed Shadows review, but needless to say, we hugely enjoyed it, and it's now ranked highly in our best Assassin's Creed games list. Personally, I've been particularly enjoying the exploration, which is bolstered by just how great the graphics are.Here are the best Assassin's Creed Shadows graphics settings for PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S. I'll cover whether to choose the Fidelity or Performance mode or if it's worth selecting the Balanced Mode. Then, you'll find some specific settings that can be tweaked to clean up the image a bit, though the game definitely looks great by default anyway.Update (April 8, 2025): I've made some changes to the PS5 Pro best graphics setting section of this page, following an update for Assassin's Creed Shadows that dropped on April 7. This update now enables the PS5 Pro's PSSR technology, further enhancing visual fidelity. Balanced Mode now features Raytraced Specular as well, bringing the mode more in line with the Quality Mode.

Assassin's Creed Shadows best graphics settings for PS5

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

On PS5, you'll have the choice between three main graphics modes in Assassin's Creed Shadows. You can see the key info on each in the table below:

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an action-stealth game. As such, I'd recommend playing it in Performance Mode on PS5, given that you'll get 60fps (frames per second). Generally, you'll need to have quick reaction times to stay out of sight, and take down any enemies that are about to spot you. Higher frame rates definitely help with this, and in fighting multiple enemies at once, as well. The cutscenes and Hideout section are all at 30fps anyway, but the gameplay will be silky smooth, making stealth a lot easier.If you do have a display that supports HDMI 2.1 and is either 120hz or 240hz however, we think you should go for Balanced Mode. You'll get access to standard Raytracing, at 40fps. This keeps the game looking beautiful while giving you some extra performance required for action.

Assassin's Creed Shadows best graphics settings for PS5 Pro

(Image credit: Sony)

Now onto PS5 Pro, which, in terms of graphics settings at least, is the best place to play Assassin's Creed Shadows on console.In fact, it offers a massive upgrade when compared to the base console. As before, there are three settings to choose from:

If you're playing Assassin's Creed Shadows on PS5 Pro, and have access to a 120hz/240Hz display then you have what we think is the best way to play the game: Balanced Mode on Sony's enhanced PS5.This setting allows for a decent frame rate, and thanks to the Pro's extra power, you'll get to enjoy the game's Standard Ray Tracing features. The reason to go with the Balanced Mode is additional visual fidelity, like a strand-based hair system. This is the mode I've played most on so far, and find it to be the best of the three.Since launch, Ubisoft has improved the PS5 Pro modes further (April 7, 2025). Now, PS5 Pro makes use of PSSR technology in Assassin's Creed Shadows, enhancing visual quality. In addition, Balanced Mode now features Raytraced Specular, making it even closer to the Quality Mode.If you find that you'd rather have a higher framerate, then you can switch to Performance Mode - you'll still get to enjoy the standard Ray Tracing features there - and while the Fidelity mode looks incredibly beautiful, it being locked to 30fps has us going for the Balanced mode all day long.

Assassin's Creed Shadows best graphics settings for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

(Image credit: Future)

Finally, let's take a look at the best Assassin's Creed Shadows graphics settings for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S:

As you can see, the Xbox Series X is in line with the PS5 settings for Assassin's Creed Shadows. As such, I recommend the Performance Mode. There's only selective Ray Tracing to take advantage of here, but the 60fps really improves the gameplay.Just like with the PS5, there's also a Balanced Mode, which is great for those using a compatible display.For those with an Xbox Series S, there are no modes to choose from, with the game locked at 1620p upscaled and 30fps. There are some selective Ray Tracing features however, which is a nice touch.

Other graphics settings to change for Assassin's Creed Shadows

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Aside from the main graphics setting in Assassin's Creed Shadows, I recommend switching off Motion Blur and Chromatic Aberration for a cleaner image. In addition, HDR should be tuned for your display. Try to bring the Exposure slide down a bit and see how it looks, as some areas of the open world have very intense lighting and bloom effects.

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Though we're still in the era of iOS 18, we're already hearing some key rumors about iOS 19, Apple's next major iPhone software update.From speculation on new features to the possibility of a massive design overhaul, there's plenty of buzz already about what Apple could bring to its mobile operating system.Furthermore, there could be huge new Apple Intelligence features on the way, with Siri specifically poised for a revamp.Keep reading for an overview of everything you need to know so far about iOS 19.

Latest newsA sketchy leak has shown how iOS 19 might look.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next major update to the iPhone’s operating systemWhen is it out? Probably September, following an announcement in JuneWho will get it? If you bought a new iPhone in the last five years, you'll probably be able to upgrade to iOS 19

iOS 19: release date rumors

iOS 18 was released in September 2024 (Image credit: Apple)

iOS 19 will probably launch in September 2025, alongside the expected iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and possible iPhone 17 Air.Though we haven’t heard any solid rumors about exact release dates yet, Apple normally launches major version updates of iOS alongside that year’s iPhone lineup.Likewise, we don’t know for sure when the iPhone 17 family will release, but Apple has stuck to September for many years, so this feels like a safe bet.That said, iOS 19 will probably be announced much earlier based on past form, with the unveiling likely happening in June at WWDC 2025, followed by some betas.

iOS 19: rumored new features

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

iOS 19 is expected to launch with a slew of useful new features, ranging from overhauled apps to an Apple Intelligence-powered Siri, finally.

A new camera app

(Image credit: Front Page Tech)

iOS 19 could bring with it a redesigned camera app, taking design cues from visionOS.We previously heard that this could be part of a wider UI redesign which would extend that VisionOS inspiration across the whole of iOS, but at the time of writing we’ve only seen supposed screenshots of the new camera app.The redesigned app does away with the clutter of the current interface, instead using transparent icons and overlays to tuck options away into menus.

Apple Intelligence, meet Siri

(Image credit: Apple)

Siri was due to get a major Apple Intelligence upgrade at some point during the iOS 18 life cycle, but Apple is now rumored to bring users this update later this year (as Daring Fireball reports)To us, that suggests Siri could be getting its long-awaited overhaul with iOS 19, either at launch or during a mid-year update.As we recently covered, Siri is well overdue a decent update – it’s currently struggling to answer even basic questions.

RCS encryption

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Tero Vesalainen)

Apple made waves late last year by enabling RCS messaging on iOS, but users were left without access to one of the main benefits of RCS – end-to-end encryption.End-to-end encryption secures messages by scrambling them into code which is only decipherable by the sender and recipient – effectively meaning your message can’t be understood if intercepted.We’re expecting a new RCS standard developed by the GSM Association and partners, including Apple, to come to iOS 19, finally giving Apple users the full capabilities of RCS.

AirPods could get live translation

(Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

As MacRumors recaps, a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests that AirPods may get the ability to translate spoken language in real-time thanks to a new Apple Intelligence feature in iOS 19.Gurman is the foremost source for Apple rumors and insights, which lends this rumor some additional weight.The way this supposedly works is by picking up speech with the AirPods microphones, and relaying the translated audio through the AirPods’ speakers. The AirPods wearer will then have their speech picked up and relayed by their iPhone speaker, theoretically enabling conversation.There could also be attendant updates on the way to the iPhone's translation capabilities.

iOS 19: redesign rumors

iOS 19 could take inspiration from VisionOS (Image credit: Apple)

One of the biggest iOS 19 rumors we’ve seen so far concerns a design overhaul for Apple’s user interface, the likes of which we haven’t seen in over ten years.Word of a redesign comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, so though this is still very much an unofficial rumor, there is some weight behind it. Gurman has a great track record, though he tends to gloss over times he has gotten things wrong.iOS 19 has been rumored to bring with it the largest redesign to the iPhone software experience since iOS 7 launched alongside the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.This redesign may take cues from Apple Vision Pro’s visionOS software, introducing more circular elements and making use of transparent overlays. You can see how these iOS 19 changes might look in a video from Jon Prosser, though note that Gurman claims this is inaccurate, so take it with a pinch of salt.We also recently reported on a supposed leaked screenshot of a new camera app that follows this new visionOS-inspired design philosophy.

iOS 19: rumored compatible devices

iOS 19 may drop support for the iPhone Xs (Image credit: Future)

The list of devices compatible with iOS 19 will probably look similar to the list of devices compatible with iOS 18, though naturally expanded to include the iPhone 17 family.Conversely, we may see Apple drop support for the oldest currently-supported iPhones – the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone XR.However, this loss of support for the older iPhones isn’t assured – the models mentioned above were all eligible to upgrade to iOS 18, despite also being the oldest phones to run iOS 17.In any case, it’s a fairly safe bet that all iPhones released alongside or after the iPhone 11 will support iOS 19.What do you want to see on the best iPhones as a result of the iOS 19 update? Let us know in the comments below.

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Pixel 9 smartphones now have access to Gemini Live Astra capabilitiesAstra can answer questions related to what you see or what's on your device's screenThe powerful AI tool is free, and it arrived on Samsung S25 devices yesterday

Google Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9a owners just got a huge free Gemini upgrade that adds impressive Astra capabilities to their smartphones.As we reported yesterday (April 7), Gemini Visual AI capabilities have started to roll out for Samsung S25 devices, and now Pixel 9s are also getting the awesome features.So what is Gemini Astra? Well, you can now launch Gemini Live and grant it access to your camera, and it can then chat about what you see as well as what's on your smartphone's screen.Gemini Astra has been hinted at for a long time, and it's immensely exciting to get access to it via a free update.You should see the option to access Gemini's Astra capabilities from the Gemini Live interface. If you don't have access yet, be patient, as it should be available to all Pixel 9 users in the coming days.While I don't personally have access to a Google Pixel 9 to test Gemini Live's Astra prowess, my colleague and TechRadar's Senior AI Editor, Graham Barlow, does.I asked him to test out Gemini Astra and give me his first impressions of the new Pixel 9 AI capabilities, and you can see what he made of it below.

Hands-on impressions with Pixel 9's new Gemini Astra capabilities

Once you’re in Gemini Live you’ll notice two new icons at the bottom of the screen – a camera icon and a screen share icon.Tap the camera icon and Gemini switches to a camera mode, showing you video of what your phone is looking at, but the Gemini Live icons remain at the bottom of the screen.There’s also a camera reverse button, so you can get Gemini to look directly at you. I tapped that, and asked Gemini what it thought of my hair, to which it replied that my hair was “a lovely natural brown color”. Gee, thanks Gemini!I tested Gemini Live with a few objects on my desk – a water bottle, a magazine, and a laptop, all of which it identified correctly and could tell me about. I pointed the phone at the window towards a fairly nondescript car park and asked Gemini which city I was in, and it instantly, and correctly, told me it was Bath, UK, because the architecture was quite distinctive, and there was a lot of greenery.

(Image credit: Future)

Gemini can’t use Google search while going live, so for now it’s great for brainstorming, chatting, coming up with ideas, or simply identifying what you’re looking at.For example, it could chat with me about Metallica, and successfully identified the Kirk Hammett Funko Pop I’ve got on my desk, but it couldn’t go online and find out how much it would cost to buy.The screen share icon comes up with a message prompting you to share the screen with Google, then when you say "Share screen" it puts a little Gemini window at the top of the screen that looks like the phone call window you get when you start to use your phone while you’re on a call.As you start to interact with your phone the window minimizes even further into a tiny red time counter that counts how long you’ve been live for.You can keep using your phone and talking to Gemini at the same time, so you could ask it, "What am I looking at?", and it will describe what’s on your phone screen, or "Where are my Bluetooth settings?", and it will tell you which parts of the Settings app to look in.It’s pretty impressive. One thing it can’t do, though, is interact with your phone in any way, so if you ask it to take you to the Bluetooth settings it can’t do it, but it will tell you what to tap to get you there.Overall I’m impressed by how well Gemini Live works in both of these new modes. We’ve had features like Google Lens that can use your camera like this for a while now, but having it all inside the Gemini app is way more convenient. It’s fast, it bug-free, and it just works.

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