News

A malicious actor used a compromised Ripple dev account to publish commits to NPMThe commits would grant access to people's crypto walletsThey were downloaded around 450 times before being pulled down

A JavaScript library recommended by a major cryptocurrency company has been hijacked, with users now being at risk of losing access to their crypto wallets, as well as the funds stored inside.Researchers warned omeone managed to break into a NPM account belonging to a developer associated with Ripple.After breaking into the account, the threat actor modified the NPM JavaScript library named ‘xrpl.js”. Versions 2.14.2, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, and 4.2.4 of the xrpl NPM package were modified and then published to NPM. The xrpl.js library is used to interact with the XRP Ledger (XRPL) from JavaScript applications, enabling developers to send transactions, check balances, and manage accounts on the network. It is maintained by the XRP Ledger Foundation and is Ripple’s recommended library for interacting with the XPR blockchain via JavaScript.

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GitHub not affected

Ripple is a cryptocurrency company that built XRP, currently the fourth biggest cryptocurrency. It is designed for cross-border payments and currency transfers, primarily for financial institutions. At press time, XRP has a market capitalization of $132.34 billion, and a daily transaction volume of $5 billion.Before being pulled down, the malicious updates amassed 452 downloads. The latest version showing now is 4.2.5 and this one is clean. Users are advised to upgrade immediately. Usually, the library has more than 100,000 downloads a week.The malicious commits are not found in the GitHub repository, which should mean the attack occurred during the NPM publishing process.In the meantime, the XRP Ledger Foundation took to X to clarify that the XRP Ledger codebase and GitHub repository were not affected:“To clarify: This vulnerability is in xrpl.js, a JavaScript library for interacting with the XRP Ledger. It does NOT affect the XRP Ledger codebase or Github repository itself. Projects using xrpl.js should upgrade to v4.2.5 immediately,” it said.Xaman Wallet, XRPScan, First Ledger, and Gen3 Games projects were not affected.Via BleepingComputer

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WhatsApp is introducing a new feature called Advanced Chat Privacy that can block participants from sharing the contents of a conversation. This is an opt-in tool that’s available for both traditional chats and groups.

Once selected, the toolset will prevent anyone in the chat from sharing anything outside of the app. This means it’ll block all chat exports, but that’s just the beginning. The software also prevents a smartphone from auto-downloading media and will stop integration with AI assistants. Basically, what happens on WhatsApp stays on WhatsApp. However, it's unclear if it prevents screenshotting. We've reached out to Meta and will update this post when we hear back.

The platform says this is "best used when talking with groups where you may not know everyone closely but are nevertheless sensitive in nature." It gives examples like a support group about health challenges and a chat about community organizing.

WhatsApp says this is just the first version of the tool and that it’ll be adding "more protections" in the future. It’s rolling out right now across the globe, though it could take a month or two to reach everyone.

The platform is already known for being privacy-focused, as it uses end-to-end encryption. It also leverages related software tools like disappearing messages and chats that require device authentication.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/whatsapp-introduces-a-feature-that-blocks-chat-participants-from-sharing-content-150042001.html?src=rss

PureVPN has received third-party accreditation confirming its commitment to security, privacy, transparency, and ethical practicesPureVPN believes the accreditation "reinforces its position as a leader in the VPN industry."The VPN Trust Seal was launched by the Internet Infrastructure Coalition's VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) in 2023

PureVPN has yet again earned third-party accreditation, which confirms its commitment to security, privacy, transparency, and ethical practices.The VPN Trust Seal accreditation program was launched by the Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition)'s VPN Trust Initiative (VTI) in 2023. The VTI is a group of some of the best VPN providers to promote consumer safety and privacy online by strengthening companies' business practices.By earning the VPN Trust Seal, PureVPN aims to provide independent assurance that its software and business meet the highest standards. A VTI member itself, the provider also seeks to reaffirm its commitment to build engineering‑led safeguards in user privacy, device security, and identity and access management (IAM).

VPN Trust Seal

The VPN Trust Seal program evaluates VPN providers based on five principles: security, advertising practices, privacy, transparency, and social responsibility.This means that features like strong encryption and authentication protocols cannot be overlooked, so that a strict no-log VPN policy that guarantees the software will keep as little data as it deems necessary to provide the service.VPN firms should also refrain from making misleading claims about their services, while informing the public about their actions and procedures in the clearest way possible.To gain the VPN Trust Seal accreditation, providers must also actively promote the VPN technology to support access to the global Internet and freedom of expression."By meeting these stringent criteria, PureVPN not only reinforces its position as a leader in the VPN industry but also provides users with the assurance that their online activities are protected by a service that prioritizes ethical practices and user rights," commented the provider in a blog post.

Trust isn’t given. It’s earned.PureVPN has once again earned the VPN Trust Seal – a mark of transparency, privacy, and security excellence. 🛡️Because in a world full of tracking, your peace of mind shouldn't be a promise. It should be proven.Learn more:… pic.twitter.com/peec69uxQlApril 21, 2025

Once a tool only for businesses and IT nerds, more people are using virtual private network (VPN) services.Reliable IP-spoofing capabilities have turned VPNs into the go-to service to bypass government-imposed internet blocks and other online restrictions. Throughout 2024, for example, VPN usage soars across 119 countries during times of political crisis, as per data collected by Proton VPN.Better online privacy remains the main use case, though. According to KPMG research, 86% of US adults see data privacy as a growing concern.Globally, 68% of consumers are worried about how companies use their personal information. Yet, only 29% of consumers said they can easily understand how well a company protects their data.Hence, the need for privacy solutions that not only meet regulatory demands but also user trust requirements.PureVPN said: "PureVPN’s 2025 VPN Trust Seal accreditation is more than a recognition – it’s your guarantee of data protection excellence in a complex digital landscape."For more information, head to the provider's website at the PureVPN Trust Center page.

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More people worldwide will be seeing ads on Threads in the future. Back in January, Meta launched a small test of ads visible to a subset of users in the US and Japan, which included a handful of brands. Threads was completely ad-free since it became available a year-and-a-half before that, though Meta had been planning to put ads on the service months before the test began. Now, Meta is rolling out ads on Threads to over 30 countries globally. That means the advertisements will reach a bigger percentage of its 300 million users, though it will be interesting to see if their rollout will have any impact on the service's steady growth.

Meta didn't list out those 30 countries, and it also didn't say how often ads will show up in people's feeds. Like in the initial test period though, the advertisements will appear in between organic content or posts from people and friends users follow. Meta is opening up ads on Threads to all its eligible advertisers around the world, as well, so users will be seeing placements from more companies, including ones local to their countries. The company told us that it's adopting a phased approach to its rollout, so advertisements might appear more and more frequently on the service as time goes on.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-expands-ads-to-threads-users-in-over-30-countries-150535654.html?src=rss

Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for the second season of Jenna Ortega’s goth comedy Wednesday.The latest outing looks to be as creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky as the show’s debut season, but promises to add even more piranhas to the pool, with creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar teasing: “Wednesday’s journey is darker and more complex as she navigates family, friends, new mysteries, and old adversaries, propelling her headlong into another year at Nevermore.”There’s also set to be further exploration of the history of Wednesday’s strange and deranged family, with Wednesday season 2 “exploring more Addams Family lore, and (introducing) an eclectic lineup of incredible new characters”.And judging by the trailer below, it looks like a case of new school year, same Wednesday Addams, with the likes of killer bees, buried bodies and very creepy dolls – complete with real human hair – on the cards.

Season 1 of the show, which saw Wednesday shipped off to Nevermore Academy after taking rather severe revenge on the bullies of her brother Pugsley, may have arrived way back in 2022, but it's still one of the best Netflix shows and its cultural impact is going strong.Not only did it kick off a viral dance trend that still pops up on the timeline occasionally, but it propelled Jenna Ortega to mega stardom, especially among horror fans. Ortega very much steered in to the ‘goth queen’ title, staring in two Scream movies, Ti West slasher X, and recent horror comedy Death of a Unicorn as well as reuniting with Wednesday director Tim Burton on legacy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.It’s hard to believe that it took this long for Burton to finally turn his hand to an Addams Family project, with the franchise’s gothic sensibilities very much in step with the director’s brand of filmmaking, but the wait certainly proved worth it with the directors visual style pairing perfectly with the show’s dark murder mystery vibes. In a meta twist, the auteur even brought along long-time collaborator Christina Ricci, who played the titular character in Barry Sonnenfeld’s 90s Addams Family movies.

What can we expect from Wednesday season 2?

(Image credit: Netflix)

Burton returns this season, once again helming four of the eight episodes, with the core cast of Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), and Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams) also set for another term at Nevermore.There’s also been news on a release schedule for the new season, and while the show arrived just in time to reinvigorate the Halloween spirit first time round, the new batch of episodes are set to darken your summer with part one arriving on August 6 and part two dropping September 3. We’d speculate the change may be to accommodate the rumored November release of Season 5 of Netflix’ other huge teen show Stranger Things, but there’s no firm details just yet.Either way, fans of twisted teen horror have a lot to look forward to on one of the best streaming services this year and if this first glimpse of season 2 is anything to go by, Wednesday’s fans won’t be full of woe.

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Telegram's CEO, Pavel Durov, has said Telegram would rather exit a market than undermine encryption with backdoorsThis comes as France and other governments push for a legal backdoor for police access to private and encrypted messagesPavel Durov was arrested in August 2024 in France for, among other things, providing encrypted services to criminals

Telegram's CEO, Pavel Durov, has said Telegram would rather exit a market than "undermine encryption with backdoors," reaffirming the company's commitment to users' privacy and security."Unlike some of our competitors, we don’t trade privacy for market share. In its 12-year history, Telegram has never disclosed a single byte of private messages," wrote Durov in his public Telegram channel on April 21, 2025.Telegram's pledge comes as a reaction to the widespread push for a legal means for law enforcement to access private and encrypted messages by French lawmakers and other European governments. It echoes a similar position previously shared by secure messaging app Signal and other providers.

(Image credit: Future)

As Durov explains in his post, France recently rejected a controversial encryption backdoor provision that "would have made France the first in the world to strip its citizens of their right to privacy."The bill would have required all encrypted messaging apps and secure email services to decrypt user data upon an authority's request, de facto creating a backdoor for law enforcement into the software's encryption.Cryptographers and other experts, however, have long argued that such a backdoor cannot be implemented without weakening the security infrastructure that encrypted services rely on."Why? Because it’s technically impossible to guarantee that only the police can access a backdoor. Once introduced, a backdoor can be exploited by other parties – from foreign agents to hackers," wrote Durov.Durov also pointed out how weakening the encryption for every user to fight crime may be ineffective. That's because criminals could keep using the best VPN services and smaller encrypted apps to cover their traces online.French authorities arrested Pavel Durov back in August 2024, accusing him, among other things, of providing encrypted services to criminals. An investigation is currently ongoing.

"The battle is far from over"

Despite last month's victory in France, "The battle is far from over," said Durov.This isn't only because, as Durov mentioned, the Paris Police Prefect advocated for an encryption backdoor again last week. More countries in Europe are considering a similar proposal.

Do you know?(Image credit: Shutterstock / Michele Ursi)While services like Signal and even WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted by default – meaning that all the messages you exchange on their platform are completely private between you and your receiver – only Telegram's secret chats are end-to-end encrypted. This means that you need to actively select this feature to benefit from this extra level of privacy.

Finding a way for lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement is indeed the main goal of the EU Commission's new strategy, ProtectEU. Encrypted data is the main target.Sweden is also considering enforcing a similar requirement for the likes of Signal, WhatsApp, and iMessage. If successful, the new rules could come into force as early as March 2026.In February, Apple was forced to kill its iCloud's end-to-end encryption feature in the UK following a government order to create an encryption backdoor to allow law enforcement access to users' data.Once thought to be a paradise for online privacy, an amendment to Swiss surveillance law could also put at risk secure encryption and internet anonymity in the country.Outside Europe, Florida seeks to force all social media platforms that allow accounts for minors to provide an encryption backdoor for law enforcement.

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Amazon’s Project Kuiper is reportedly way behind schedule, according to an investigation by Bloomberg. This is the company’s satellite internet service, which intends to rival SpaceX and Starlink. The issue seems to be one of scale, as the company has had trouble increasing production of the actual satellites.

The reporting indicates that the Kuiper team has only managed to manufacture a few dozen of these satellites. As a comparison, there are currently over 7,000 Starlink satellites in orbit. The initial production of the Kuiper satellites was delayed until the tail-end of last year, so Amazon hasn’t had too much time to ramp things up.

Beta testing didn’t start until earlier this year. Amazon had planned for an initial launch on April 8 for 27 satellites, but that got delayed until April 28.

Project Kuiper hopes to eventually provide broadband connectivity to at least 400 million households, in addition to providing service in remote areas. However, it needs to launch over 3,000 satellites to reach that goal. Additionally, it secured a government contract with a deadline to put 1,600 satellites in orbit by next summer. Insiders suggest that it will probably have to seek an extension from the FCC.

"We’ve designed some of the most advanced communications satellites ever built, and our primary objective is to build and launch enough of them to begin delivering service to customers later this year," an Amazon spokesperson told Seeking Alpha. "Our manufacturing schedule is on track to support this target, and we’ll continue to increase our production and launch rates as we begin a full-scale deployment of our network."

It did manage to launch a pair of prototype satellites into space in late 2023. This was followed by successful tests of an optical mesh network that linked the two satellites in low Earth orbit.

The company is scheduled to conduct a number of launches throughout the year, with help from Arianespace, Blue Origin and SpaceX. United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, will handle the April 28 launch. Amazon hasn’t indicated why satellite production has hit this hiccup. We reached out to the company and will update this post when we learn more.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/amazons-starlink-rival-project-kuiper-is-reportedly-way-behind-schedule-153514471.html?src=rss

Ever since I first saw Back to the Future as a kid, I've wanted to go back in time. Whether that was to relive the 90s as an adult instead of a child, or get a glimpse into the roaring 20s, I've always been fascinated with the past.As a huge movie lover, up until now, I would relive previous decades through the eyes of some of the world's best directors. Whether it's heading back to the summer of 1922 with The Great Gatsby or reliving 1980's Manhattan with When Harry Met Sally, there's a movie for almost any time in history.Now, thanks to ChatGPT and AI image generation, there's another way to get a snapshot of the past, and while it's very superficial, the trend is picking up steam on social media.I decided to give the AI time machine a go and head back to 1955, just like my good pal Marty McFly. Here's what I learned.

The Booming 50s

To get ChatGPT to generate old imagery, you'll need to pick a decade or year and ask, "Can you show me an image of what it was like to live in X?" For this example, I chose 1955, just like the first Back to the Future movie.Initially, ChatGPT generated an image of a stereotypical white family with two children, one girl and one boy. There was a black and white TV in the background, which is historically accurate, but it's hardly an intriguing image.The best way to get the most out of ChatGPT's time machine is to start a conversation, opting for an initial period in history and then asking follow-up prompts.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

I followed up my initial prompt with "I love going to the cinema, what would that experience have looked like?" ChatGPT knew I was still talking about 1955 and offered me an image of the outside of a cinema showing The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.I was unfamiliar with The Quiet Man, so I did a quick search to learn that the film had its first screening in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1955. Spot on, ChatGPT.I continued my conversation, wanting to know what fast food in the 50s looked like. I knew McDonald's was invented prior to 1950, but I had no idea what its restaurants looked like."What did a fast food burger restaurant look like?" I asked, to which ChatGPT gave me a shockingly accurate image of a 1950s McDonald's, including the half golden arch that was used back then.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

Impressed by the accuracy, I followed up with, "What about a shopping mall?", ChatGPT imagined an indoor shopping area with a store called Penneys.I had never heard of Penneys, but again, after some quick research, it turns out it's an Irish store in Dublin that is called Primark in the UK, and JCPenney in the United States.Thinking back to the cinema, I realized, for whatever reason, ChatGPT was pulling information from Ireland and Northern Ireland. I decided to call it out.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

"Why do you keep imagining life in Ireland?" I asked, to which AI replied, "Great catch — it does seem like some of those imagined details (like 'Penneys' instead of 'JCPenney') lean more Irish than American, which is a fun little mix-up on my part."I decided my prompts were too vague, and I should give ChatGPT a little more help when it comes to imagining the 1955 I was dreaming about.

New York, New York

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

I love New York City, specifically any kind of movie set in the Big Apple. I decided to tell ChatGPT that I wanted to see "what it was like to live in 1955 in New York City." AI obliged.The bustling New York streets looked pretty retro, although I'm not quite sure how I feel about the eerie faces on the New Yorkers caught in frame.I followed up by asking for a glimpse at Katz's Diner, the iconic NYC diner famous for its incredible pastrami sandwiches and that famous scene where Meg Ryan, you know... Makes a lot of noise.

Image 1 of 2(Image credit: ChatGPT)Image 2 of 2(Image credit: ChatGPT)

I had been to Katz's last year, and the image ChatGPT generated was pretty much how I expected it would've looked in the 50s. Funnily enough, even today it feels like you're stepping a foot into the past, so I wouldn't call AI's ability to recreate the decor impressive.After my pastrami, I walked up Fifth Avenue, past the Plaza Hotel, and finished my 1950s trip to New York City in Central Park. All of the images generated by ChatGPT, while clearly produced by AI, were realistic enough to fulfill the purpose of giving me a snapshot into 1950s American life.This AI trend is one that I definitely see the appeal of, although I think I prefer to relive the past through cinema, instead of static, procedurally generated imagery.

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Roku has announced the new Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick PlusThey replace the Express and Express 4K+You get a voice remote in the box, plus a compact design, but the Streaming Stick 4K is also sticking around

Roku has introduced two new streaming sticks that slim down the overall build even further, and aim to stretch the value by including one of the brand’s most popular accessories.The Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are the smallest sticks from Roku yet, and represent the new entry points to the brand’s lineup, replacing the Express and Express 4K+.Both aim to offer most of the features you’d want to see in any streaming device – stick or box – and are priced competitively at $29.99 / £29.99 for the Stick and $39.99 / £ 39.99 for the Plus(we're waiting on Australian pricing to be confirmed). Preorders are open now, and the official shipment start date is May 6.These are the smallest and most compact devices from the brand so far – they're super-slim sticks that are only slightly thicker than an HDMI port.That slim design should make it easy to plug the Stick into the HDMI slot on the back of your TV, and Roku says the design won’t block your other ports. That’s a pretty nice upgrade, and the brand says these sticks are over 35% smaller than other brands, though it stops short of naming the others.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff/Future)

The overall design of the Stick and Stick Plus is pretty simple: there's a physical power button and a USB-C port, although Roku doesn’t want you to plug either stick into a wall socket; rather, it says you can just plug the USB cable right into the back of your TV, as these don’t need a huge amount of power to run.The other appeal is portability, something Roku thinks is becoming a bigger trend. If you’re heading on vacation to a hotel or an Airbnb, given how small the Stick or Stick Plus are you could grab the stick and cable to bring it with you to access your favorite streaming services away from home. That’s pretty nice.As the names suggests, the Roku Streaming Stick and Roku Stick Plus give you full access to the Roku platform, so you’ll get easy access to all of the best streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+, and Max. That classic experience with the promise of future updates is all still here.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff/Future)

The biggest change is that Roku is including a voice remote in the box with the Stick or Stick Plus. This way, you can simply use your voice to ask for your favorite shows and pull up other content. This also levels the playing field with the Amazon Fire Stick lineup, as the entry-level Fire Stick HD (priced at $34.99 / £39.99 / AU$69) does ship with an Alexa voice remote as well.Roku’s Streaming Stick supports up to an HD experience (up to 1080p resolution), while the Streaming Stick Plus delivers up to a 4K experience with support for HLG, HDR 10, and HDR 10+, depending on the TV you plug the stick into. If you’re looking for support for Dolby Vision you’ll need to opt for the Streaming Stick 4K, a pre-existing model that retails for $49.99 / £49.99.If you’re already sold – maybe you’ve been after a more affordable streaming stick from Roku and don’t need support for Dolby Vision – the Streaming Stick and Streaming Stick Plus are up for preorder now directly from Roku priced at $29.99 / £29.99 and $39.99 / £39.99.We’ll be going hands-on and testing both of Roku’s new sticks as soon as we can.

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Researchers found a huge ad fraud scheme called ScallywayThe scheme monetizes pirated sites through a series of redirectsAt its peak, there were 1.4 billion daily requests

Cybersecurity researchers from HUMAN have spotted a major ad fraud operation that leverages people’s interest in pirated content to generate ad revenue from otherwise non monetizable content.In an in-depth report, HUMAN explained pirated websites don’t host ads because they would “run afoul of most advertisers’ policies”. Instead, they are partnering with hundreds of website owners (scammers, basically) who deploy a set of four WordPress plugins on their assets.These plugins are collectively named Scallywag, and they are designed to do a couple of things, but mostly to load as many ads as possible, and make sure people stick around until they fully render. There are a couple of tactics to slow visitors down, from the “please wait” button that turns to “download now”, to fake CAPTCHAs and other methods. The plugins are called Soralink (released in 2016), Yu Idea (2017), WPSafeLink (2020), and Droplink (2022).

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Choking the operation

After rendering the ad, visitors are again redirected and allowed to download the pirated content they were looking for.By the time HUMAN discovered the operation, it counted 407 domains and 1.4 billion fraudulent ad requests - per day. It seems the strength is in numbers, since the fraudsters even made YouTube video tutorials, coaching other people on how to join:"These extensions lower the barrier to entry for a would-be threat actor who wants to monetize content that wouldn't generally be monetizable with advertising; indeed, several threat actors have published videos to coach others on setting up their own schemes," HUMAN said.The researchers moved in to report and block Scallywag traffic, and claim to have largely succeeded. The traffic allegedly shrunk by 95%, although the operation is not entirely dead since threat actors rotated domains and moved to other monetization models.Via BleepingComputer

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Andor season 2 is laying the foundations for an incredibly harrowing moment in Star Wars historyThe event was set in motion by the meeting held by Orson Krennic in episode 1It's related to the planet Ghorman, which will make its live-action debut later this season

Andor season 2 has finally made its Disney+ debut – and, amid the numerous online discussions that its first three episodes have spawned, there's one above all others that's really got Star Wars fans talking.Indeed, following the release of this season's first three episodes, it's all but confirmed that Andor's final installment will cover one of the most tragic moments in the near 50-year history of Lucasfilm's iconic sci-fi franchise.Full spoilers immediately follow for Andor season 2 episodes 1 to 3. Turn back now if you haven't watched them all yet.

Andor has arrived.See episodes 1-3 of the final season of Andor now streaming, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/Ut8QfdW1qTApril 23, 2025

So, what emotionally devastating event is season 2 building towards? The Ghorman Massacre, which is not only a hugely pivotal moment for many characters involved in the Rebel Alliance, but one whose canonicity has sparked a fierce debate among Star Wars fans for many years.But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. First, let's explore how the final season of one of the best Disney+ shows is laying the foundations to depict this grave moment in such soul-destroying fashion.In season 2's opening episode, Ben Mendelsohn's Orson Krennic, aka the Galactic Empire commander who's overseeing the creation of the Death Star, invites a number of high-ranking Imperial officers to a secret meeting at The Maltheen Divide.There, Krennic informs the assembled guests that nobody outside of this room – Emperor Palpatine and a couple of high-ranking officers notwithstanding – is to know about what's discussed at the gathering. Indeed, no notes are to be taken, officers' personal droids will have their hard-drives wiped once the meeting ends, said meeting shouldn't have been put in their calendars, etc.With that housekeeping out of the way, Krennic plays an infomercial-style video to his fellow Galactic Empire employees about the planet Ghorman. This world is famous for the spiders that weave the best silk in the galaxy, which is used to make the finest twill for the priciest clothes, which are sold across the cosmos.

Cassian will make his way to Ghorman at some point in the show's final season (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)

It's a strange mini-documentary to show to the assembled guests, including Imperial Security Bureau commander Major Lio Partagaz and Dedra Meero. But, hey, Krennic is nothing if not eccentric (he's also terrifying, but we knew that already).Anyway, there's a reason why Krennic played this video, and it's got nothing to do with the spiders that inhabit Ghorman. The planet is also home to a particularly important material – Deep Substrate Foliated Kalkite (DSFK) – which is apparently important to the Emperor's Energy Initiative.The public line is that DSFK will allow the Galactic Empire to create "stable, unlimited power" (Krennic's words, not mine) that can be used throughout the galaxy, but that's merely a front for the tyrannical regime's true intentions. Indeed, DFSK is actually going to be used to coat the Death Star's reactor lenses. This will allow the Death Star's crew to concentrate its planet-destroying beam to apply enough force to, well, destroy any planets and their inhabitants who oppose the Empire.

Learn the behind-the-scenes secrets of building Yavin 4, Chandrila, Mina-Rau, and more locations from Andor Season 2: https://t.co/XuaShFS8Z5 pic.twitter.com/IR2n2ct0O2April 23, 2025

The Empire's problem is two-fold. For starters, excavating DSFK is an incredibly invasive procedure, so much so that it would destabilize the planet's core and effectively destroy it. If the Empire fails to find a suitable alternative to DSFK – it has three years to locate a substitute, according to Krennic – it'll have no choice but to begin "gouge mining" Ghorman for DSFK.The other issue is the Empire has little to no presence on Ghorman, so its sudden appearance would raise eyebrows and potentially lead to a rebellion from its 800,000-plus inhabitants. But the Empire has a plan. By building an armory in Palmo, Ghorman's capital, the autocratic regime plans to distract Ghorman's citizens by using it as a front to secretly ferry in the machines necessary to start digging for DSFK under their noses.Alright, so what does this have to do with The Ghorman Massacre? Without spoiling too much, Ghorman's populace isn't naïve enough to simply take the Empire's 'we're building an armory, honest!' line at face value. With rebellions springing up across the galaxy as the embryonic Rebel Alliance starts to fight back against the dictatorial Empire, it's only a matter of time before Ghorman's own underground resistance is established.

The Ghorman Massacre will be shown in all of its soul-destroying glory this season (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

What'll be most interesting to Star Wars fans is which version of events, neither of which has been covered in a big- or small-screen Star Wars project before, is depicted in season 2.That's because there are two incidents that bear 'The Ghorman Massacre' name in Star Wars literature. The most well-known one takes place two years before the Battle of Yavin (2 BBY), aka the battle depicted in Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. The other, outlined in the now non-canonical Star Wars: Legends timeline, occurs in 3 BBY.For those unfamiliar with The Ghorman Massacre, I won't spoil what happens during either event. But, with season 2 episodes 4 to 6 set to play out in 3 BBY, and episodes 7 to 9 in 2 BBY, fans won't have long to wait to find out which version is made canon in one of 2025's new Star Wars TV shows.For more coverage of Andor's return on one of the world's best streaming services, read my spoiler-free review of Andor season 2. Alternatively, read articles from my exclusive chats with the Andor season 2 cast in the section below.

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'We told the story we wanted to tell': Andor lead star opens up on Disney's decision to end the Star Wars show after two seasons on Disney+'He's holding a lot of the cards': Andor stars tease Luthen's 'important' role in the evolution of Mon Mothma and Vel Sartha's familial dynamic'Only gets more complicated': Andor season 2 will test the 'complex but beautiful' relationship between Cassian and Bix like never before, stars say

Black Mirror season 7 is sitting right at the top of Netflix's streaming TV chart. With 10.6 million views in the past week, it's even more popular than Ransom Canyon, which is clocking in at 7.2 million views so far.It's clear that when it comes to viewing numbers, Black Mirror is pretty much review-proof: it's racking up big numbers, despite some critics suggesting that one of the best Netflix series feels like it's running out of ideas. Those critics include us: in our Black Mirror season 7 review we said that perhaps Charlie Brooker and co should quit while they're still ahead.That said, the series does still deliver some great episodes: we really liked Common People and Hotel Reverie in our Black Mirror season 7 episode ranking. Both episodes stick to Black Mirror's most resonant theme: that technology can really mess with your head.Sometimes, of course, you actually want technology to mess with your head. It's why some of the most enjoyable shows are also some of the weirdest – and why I'm recommending these highly rated sci-fi and supernatural shows for you to stream.

Stranger Things

Stranger Things isn't so much a show as a phenomenon, and the world owes it a big thanks for introducing a new generation to Kate Bush's sublime Running Up That Hill. Oh, and for making some utterly compelling television too.Stranger Things is set in a sleepy midwestern town in the 1980s where weird things are going on. It's smart, it's scary and it often feels like a love letter to a much-maligned decade. As someone who was a teen back then, I'm well aware that growing up then was as much about expecting World War III as it was big pop songs and highly flammable clothes. And ST absolutely nails that.It's "a fascinating stew that juggles numerous genres and influences," Keith & The Movies says. "Yet it all comes together to form an enthralling eight-episode television season that plays like one well-paced and impressively conceived movie.""It's scary when it means to be scary," Rogues Portal says. "It's endearing when it's meant to be endearing. And overall, it's a delight to watch." And the LA Times raved: "Stranger Things honors its source material in the best way possible: By telling a sweet 'n' scary story in which monsters are real but so are the transformative powers of love and fealty."The first season achieved 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and while later seasons haven't quite reached that high point they're still great, gripping TV.

Dark

"Having Stranger Things withdrawals?" asks CNET. "Tune in to the eerie supernatural German Netflix show that will make you think twice about stepping into caves."Stranger Things comparisons are common for this, well, Dark drama. Here's the Sydney Morning Herald: "If Stranger Things is a big bowl of macaroni and cheese made with that lurid orange cheddar you can only get in America, Dark is a gamy Old World stew ladled out from a pot that has been bubbling away for centuries."Dark has consistently scored highly on the Tomatometer, with the second season hitting the full 100% and season 3 getting a still exceptional 97%. It's an extremely twisty drama that centers on the disappearance of two children in a small German town – a disappearance that unearths the town's sinful past and something supernatural.Dark is the first German original series made for Netflix and has been described as being rather like Lost, without just being another Lost. "Dark’s creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese’s have crafted a remarkable, labyrinthian series of interconnected characters, events, and consequences," says Loud and Clear Reviews, while CNET said "For my money, it's the best show on Netflix."

Russian Doll

Natasha Lyonne is Nadia, a young woman who finds herself out of time: en route to a fancy New York party, she gets trapped in a mysterious time loop that has her attending the same event again and again and again.Season 1 and 2 both racked up a 97% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and clearly delighted many reviewers: "The show is perfect," said LatinaMedia.co, while Consequence said that "It offers philosophy, humor, a strong cast, and sci-fi-esque twists and turns that feel intentional rather than hokey."Lyonne is remarkable, ScreenCrush says: "Natasha Lyonne gives a terrifically layered performance that ranges from hilariously funny in the early episodes to brutally emotional." And Collider loved it. "A brilliant tale of morality and mortality that finds an expert balance between sincerity, cutting comedy, and wild genre flourish."

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Intel is reportedly preparing to further reduce its headcount, this time by laying off more than 20 percent of its employees. It could announce a plan to do so as soon as this week. The struggling company had 108,900 employees at the end of last year, so it may be set to cut tens of thousands of jobs. According to a Bloomberg source, the aim of the downsizing is to streamline management operations and refocus Intel with an engineering-driven culture.

Last August, Intel said it would cut more than 15,000 jobs to reduce costs. In fact, the company, which has been slow to embrace the industry's shift toward artificial intelligence, has been significantly reducing its headcount since 2022 amid declining sales.

These latest purported layoffs would mark one of the first major restructuring measures since Lip-Bu Tan became CEO in March after the sudden departure of Pat Gelsinger. The company is set to report its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. Companies that are restructuring often announce layoffs around the time they release earnings reports.

Tan has also pledged to sell off assets that aren't core to Intel's goals as he tries to turn the business around. Last week, it emerged that Intel is selling off a majority stake in chipmaker Altera for $4.46 billion. That deal is expected to close later this year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/intel-may-be-preparing-to-lay-off-20-percent-of-its-staff-161557058.html?src=rss

Roku's Pro and Plus Series TV models are getting some upgradesCustom factory calibration is arriving on the Roku Pro SeriesThe Plus Series is getting mini-LED backlighting and a host of software improvements

Today, streaming stick and smart TV maker Roku announced a range of enhancements for its current Roku Pro and Roku Plus Series models, as well as a new 85-inch screen size option for its entry-level Select Series TVs.The Roku Pro series, the budget choice in our best TVs guide, will now get custom factory calibration, a process designed to ensure that “every TV delivers a stunning picture right out of the box.”The most significant announced changes are for the mid-range Roku Plus Series TVs, which now feature mini-LED backlighting. Combined with the TV’s QLED display panel, this should bring the brightness and color benefits of the Pro Series to a much cheaper price point. Plus Series TVs will also get Roku Smart Picture Max, a feature that performs picture adjustments on a scene-by-scene basis, so you don’t have to fuss with picture settings.Roku's Plus Series TVs will additionally get a remote finder button, first introduced in the Pro Series. This feature lets you easily locate a remote control buried between couch cushions or left in a different room.Additionally, the Pro Series’ integrated cable management, a design highlight we appreciated in our Roku Pro Series TV review, is also migrating to the Plus Series.Finally, the full Roku TV lineup will now feature a Bluetooth Headphone Mode, allowing for an easy wireless connection from the TV for private viewing.

A new best budget TV?

Roku's new Pro Series TVs will now be getting a custom factory calibration prior to shipment (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Roku’s Pro Series has been among our regular go-to recommendations for viewers looking to upgrade their TV to one with a mini-LED backlight without having to take on excess credit card debt.At under $1,000 for a 65-inch screen size, the Pro Series is an exceptional value, offering additional benefits such as 4K 120Hz support for gaming, a sleek design, and, of course, Roku’s excellent smart TV interface.With mini-LED backlighting now on the Plus Series, along with Smart Picture Max, remote finder, and integrated cable management, we may now have a new best budget TV option.Roku’s announcement indicated that the upgraded Plus Series TVs would be available at the “same affordable price.” With the current 65-inch Plus Series model priced at $649 (and now selling for $499), the new Plus series should be a compelling value, competing head-to-head with other high-value mini-LED TVs such as the Hisense U6N.We look forward to getting our hands on the new Roku TVs to conduct a full review. In the meantime, check out our coverage of the new Roku streaming sticks introduced at today’s event.

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For those of us who've been on the internet for decades, today is a big milestone: the 20th anniversary of the first video uploaded to YouTube. That happened way back on April 23, 2005, only about a year and a half before Google made the shrewd move of purchasing the site. That first video is the all-time classic 19-second clip "Me at the zoo," the kind of video that came to define early YouTube. It's grainy, short and has no production values to speak of. Fast forward a few decades and Youtube has no peer in terms of its sheer volume of audiovisual content —the company says that a mind-boggling 20 trillion videos have been uploaded in the last 20 years, and 20 million are updated daily.

With all that in mind, Engadget's staff put their heads together to pick out the videos that have meant the most to them over the years. Not surprisingly, there's some weird stuff here, a lot of it from the early days of the platform. Apparently the stuff that really resonates with us isn't polish or production, but the raw, oddball stuff that couldn't have existed anywhere else.

Ambient Renders

I test a whole bunch of portable batteries for Engadget. A power bank can refill a dead smartphone in one to two hours, but thanks to annoying technology “advancements” it takes around 20 hours to drain a phone again. I’m constantly playing YouTube videos on my tester handsets with the screen brightness cranked all the way up to make them die faster (these poor phones). My favorite videos to use are from Ambient Renders. Each one is eight or so hours of painstakingly rendered, mostly nighttime views from the windows of fancy lofts in modern-day big cities, cozy bedrooms of the distant past and sci-fi futurescapes. The soundtracks are soft rain, lonesome wind, crackling fires, distant thunder and the rumble of passing transport pods.

I often return to a Warm Cozy Cabin With a Relaxing Fire and Gentle Wind — a candle-lit bedroom with huge windows overlooking snow-covered pines, with a couple of mugs steaming in the corner. The subtle movements and details really come to life when you play them on a TV. There are a ton of these types of videos on YouTube and, lately, the creator has taken to adding “not made with AI” disclaimers to the video descriptions. It’s plain to see these are made with love and skill. The intricacy is stunning and even the sci-fi views are anchored in realism. — Amy Skorheim, senior reporter

Canadian, Please | gunnarolla & Julia Bentley

I was trying to remember the first YouTube video I was obsessed with and honestly couldn't tell you. Between communitychannel, Jake and Amir, Michelle Phan, Wong Fu Productions and many more, I have too many likes and faves to count. But I can tell you that I've been jamming to Gunnorolla's "Canadian, Please" since before it became cool to want to be Canadian. This certified bop was something I replayed over and over; I've memorized the lyrics and the song haunts me in my dreams, too. My more modern favorites change every month, but I currently adore CinemaSins, Scary Interesting, Wilko Rehashed, Psychology in Seattle and The School of Life. Oh and also, don't go looking for my channel from when I was a regular vlogger in the 2000s. Don't. — Cherlynn Low, managing editor

Carl Lewis National Anthem Fail

YouTube isn’t just for watching new videos of celebrities embarrassing themselves. You can also revisit humiliations from way before the video site’s inception!

Take this spectacular(ly bad) national anthem performance by Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis. Ahead of a 1993 regular-season NBA matchup between the Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets, the gold medalist stepped on the court to demonstrate the vocal talent we were deprived of as he wasted his prime years racing.

This video only includes snippets of Lewis’ belting (as in whipping listeners with a belt) rendition. But you still get his overly embellished opening note, self-aware “Uh oh!” after making a sound you’d expect from an animal being stepped on and an (ultimately unfulfilled) promise to make up for it.

As a bonus, this version includes SportsCenter anchor Charlie Steiner’s inability to keep his composure after the clip rolls. That’s followed by his Dad Joke-worthy commentary that Francis Scott Off-Key wrote Lewis’ rendition. — Will Shanklin, contributing reporter

Dog of Wisdom

It's almost 10 years later and I still reference this video every couple weeks. I can't offer higher praise than that. — Anna Washenko, contributing reporter

Food Wishes

One of the great things about YouTube, to this day, is the massive number of tutorial videos. I’ve used it to learn how to tie a tie, record music, put together furniture and where to dispose of that furniture when it’s given up the ghost. It also taught me how to cook. This is primarily thanks to one man. He goes by Chef John, but his channel is called Food Wishes.

I’m fairly sure he’s the very first cook to capitalize on the platform, as he’s been making recipe videos pretty much since the beginning. This spaghetti with clam sauce tutorial is over 18 years old. I chose this particular video because I remember a trio of occasions in my life where I whipped out this recipe to amaze friends, family and (gasp) would-be romantic partners. His simple, charming and no-nonsense approach to cooking has always clicked with me, and I’m not alone. He has over four million followers on the platform and still cranks out videos to this day. His channel is a great reminder of how useful YouTube can actually be. — Lawrence Bonk, contributing reporter

John Frusciante - 09 - New Dawn Fades

My favorite YouTube video, the one I return to year after year, is a bootleg of the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s John Frusciante playing Joy Division’s “New Dawn Fades” at a solo show in Amsterdam at the start of the century. Say what you will about his main band, but John Frusciante is easily one of the greatest living guitarists, and this video — shot in 2001 and uploaded to YouTube less than a year after the platform went online in 2005 — is the perfect showcase of his many talents as a musician.

The footage is grainy, like so many videos from the era, but what counts is you can hear nearly every nuance of his performance. With his beloved Martin 00-15 acoustic guitar, Frusciante plays two melodies at the same time in his trademark syncopated style, all the while singing Ian Curtis’ lyrics with so much emotion.

As a teenager, Frusciante’s performance inspired me to no end. I spent countless summer hours trying to learn and emulate his playing style. In 2006, I even bought an issue of Guitar World magazine because it came with a DVD that included an interview with Frusciante and a lesson from the man himself on how to play "Under the Bridge". I probably should have known someone would upload that video to YouTube. It would have saved me a few bucks.

Looking back at my favorite video all these years later, it captures what’s best about YouTube. You can find nearly every performance in music recording history. Frusciante’s performance of "New Dawn Fades" could have easily disappeared with the passage of time. Instead, it will now exist as long as YouTube does, waiting to inspire someone else. — Igor Bonifacic, senior reporter

Lenny Kravitz - Fly Away (lyrics)

YouTube is home to an endless stream of poignant art, thought-provoking video essays and open windows to other people’s lives. More than that, though, it’s home to a lot of really dumb shit. Most of that shit is bad, as forgettable as it is lazy. But when someone puts in the work to make their dumb idea as dumb as possible, when they are enlightened by just how dumb their idea could be... that’s when the magic happens.

This Lenny Kravitz “remix” by all-around web artist Neil Cicierega — which turns the funk rock hit into an ode to dragonflies and having sex with candy bars, all while aping a “my first Windows XP slideshow” aesthetic — is a prime example of the “good dumb” I’m talking about. It is completely of the internet, something that could only result from one weirdo out there with a silly idea and some video editing software. It is so stupid, but also inspired, so it always works for me. — Jeff Dunn, senior reporter

Rancid Stool - Low Music video

Damn, who is that handsome young man having the worst day of his life in glorious 280p? Oh wait, that would be me.

Way back in the day, my buds and I made a music video for a Foo Fighters song for a contest. Needless to say, we didn't win, but we had an absolute blast all the same. Making something silly with your friends is really fun. Who could have imagined?

Some [mumbles] years later, the video is still one of my favorite things I've ever done. Yes, the editing stinks (my bad), it doesn't make a whole lot of sense narratively and the name of our would-be production company is very regrettable.

Still, I'm really proud of what we put together. Every time I watch it, I get the urge to start making fun videos again. Maybe I’ll actually do that someday.

P.S. Screw you and your magnificent mustache forever, Chad Sexington. —Kris Holt, contributing reporter

Shining Movie Trailer Parody

In the age of AI, fake movie trailers have become something of a spam epidemic on YouTube. But as someone who distinctly remembers swapping video files to friends and coworkers via email with Quicktime or AVI files attached — yes, it was exactly the bandwidth and security nightmare it sounds like — I still rank this hand-edited Shining remix near the top of my YouTube Mount Rushmore. The romcom take on Kubrick's horror classic dates back to at least 2005, but it seems to get rediscovered by new fans every few years, and rightly so — it's a gem. — John Falcone, executive editor

Star Trek: Tik Tok

Lots of people have made music videos out of unexpected crossovers like this, but Star Trek: Tik Tok still stands out to me as the best. Every clip from the original 1960s series is paired to perfection with the lyrics, and Captain Kirk is a weirdly fitting analogue for Kesha's late 2000s party girl.

When I watch it now, I think this video captures the scrappy ethos of what it meant to go viral during the early days of YouTube. It was about creativity, not content creators. People were making weird and funny shit just for the heck of it. Every now and then you'd stumble on a video that resonated and it lived in your head rent-free for years. And what can I say, I still think this track is a banger. — A.W.

We Like The Moon

The first YouTube video I saw that left me totally agog at what the human mind is capable of was "We Like the Moon." I didn’t have a TV at the time so had no idea Quiznos had used the concept in their commercials. When I saw it on my friend's computer in 2006 or so, I was coming at it fresh. I remember a giddiness rising in my soul and a goofy smile plastering my face. It felt like we were living in a world of limitless creativity and possibility where fun was a guiding principle and “good” didn’t mean access to funding, expensive equipment, technical prowess, or even a decent voice. My partner and I sang it, and still sing it, whenever the moon, marmots, chopsticks or zeppelins are mentioned. Now, I realize strangely proportioned, animal-like monstrosities raving off-key about nonsense is old hat at this point. But I will never forget when this was first played for me. — A.S.

Where the Hell is Matt? 2008

This is the third of Matt Harding's videos of himself dancing badly in various scenic locations around the world, and the first in which he encouraged bystanders to dance with him — equally badly, with some exceptions. I have no defenses against large groups of people doing the same thing simultaneously in multiple locations.

Oddly specific, I know, but in a society obsessed with dividing and categorizing, it reminds me of our common humanity. This video never fails to bring a tear to my eye, from the subtle political statements (Tel Aviv and East Jerusalem were not placed right next to each other by accident) to the sheer obvious joy of everybody involved. I even like the music. — Sam Rutherford, senior reporterThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/engadgets-favorite-videos-from-20-years-of-youtube-162004518.html?src=rss

As Big Tech pours countless dollars and resources into AI, preaching the gospel of its utopia-creating brilliance, here's a reminder that algorithms can screw up. Big time. The latest evidence: You can trick Google's AI Overview (the automated answers at the top of your search queries) into explaining fictional, nonsensical idioms as if they were real.

According to Google's AI Overview (via @gregjenner on Bluesky), "You can't lick a badger twice" means you can't trick or deceive someone a second time after they've been tricked once.

That sounds like a logical attempt to explain the idiom — if only it weren't poppycock. Google's Gemini-powered failure came in assuming the question referred to an established phrase rather than absurd mumbo jumbo designed to trick it. In other words, AI hallucinations are still alive and well.

Google / Engadget

We plugged some silliness into it ourselves and found similar results.

Google's answer claimed that "You can't golf without a fish" is a riddle or play on words, suggesting you can't play golf without the necessary equipment, specifically, a golf ball. Amusingly, the AI Overview added the clause that the golf ball "might be seen as a 'fish' due to its shape." Hmm.

Then there's the age-old saying, "You can't open a peanut butter jar with two left feet." According to the AI Overview, this means you can't do something requiring skill or dexterity. Again, a noble stab at an assigned task without stepping back to fact-check the content's existence.

There's more. "You can't marry pizza" is a playful way of expressing the concept of marriage as a commitment between two people, not a food item. (Naturally.) "Rope won't pull a dead fish" means that something can't be achieved through force or effort alone; it requires a willingness to cooperate or a natural progression. (Of course!) "Eat the biggest chalupa first" is a playful way of suggesting that when facing a large challenge or a plentiful meal, you should first start with the most substantial part or item. (Sage advice.)

Google / Engadget

This is hardly the first example of AI hallucinations that, if not fact-checked by the user, could lead to misinformation or real-life consequences. Just ask the ChatGPT lawyers, Steven Schwartz and Peter LoDuca, who were fined $5,000 in 2023 for using ChatGPT to research a brief in a client's litigation. The AI chatbot generated nonexistent cases cited by the pair that the other side's attorneys (quite understandably) couldn't locate.

The pair's response to the judge's discipline? "We made a good faith mistake in failing to believe that a piece of technology could be making up cases out of whole cloth."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/you-can-trick-googles-ai-overviews-into-explaining-made-up-idioms-162816472.html?src=rss

Zeekr and MG showcased new models at the Shanghai Motor ShowThe MG Cyber X brings back pop-up headlightsZeekr’s 9X is gunning for Bentley and Rolls-Royce with opulent styling

Both MG and Zeekr have joined a plethora of Chinese brands in showcasing exciting new models at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show.Sitting at the more affordable end of the spectrum, MG unveiled the second in its fashion-forward ‘Cyber’ themed series, which includes the ground-breaking two seater Cyberster sports car.While much of the current global MG range is stylish but a little restrained, the Cyber X is a full-on design showcase, boasting boxy proportions, a high-riding road presence and cool pop-up headlights that retract when the ignition is turned off.Sporting a stealthy smoked black paint job, it is the work of ex-VW and Bugatti Veyron designer Jozef Kaban, who joined MG early last year to bring some design spice to the brand.Speaking to Autocar, he said that the point of the Cyber X was to show how diverse the company is.

(Image credit: Zeekr)

Just around the corner from MG’s stand, Zeekr showcased its first every hybrid model in the gargantuan 9X – a car that the company hopes can legitimately take on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga in the ultra-luxury SUV space.But unlike the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which costs well in excess of $400,000 (or £300,000 / AU$625,000) the 9X is slated to start at around $70,000 (about £53,000 / AU$110,000) and offer plenty in terms of intentions plushness and technology.There’s a 43-inch cinema screen in the rear, allowing passengers to recline in plush surroundings, while Zeekr says it will be the first model to sport its G-Pilot autonomous driving technology.According to the marque, its extensive camera, sensor and Lidar suite is good for true Level 3 autonomy – allowing drivers to take hands off the wheel and eyes off the road where legal to do so.

China refines its luxury tastes

(Image credit: SAIC Design)

Recent reports have suggested that the demand for premium Western brands is cooling in China, as the domestic market looks more towards its own start-ups for the latest and most innovative electric vehicle technology.Sales of Porsche and Ferrari vehicles have dipped in recent years, while even the luxury watch, wines and spirits markets have seen an overall decrease in sales numbers, according to Finews.This could be down to several factors, but Jing Daily, which covers China’s luxury market, claims that there has been a general societal shift away from showy signs of wealth, while younger buyers expect a much higher level of digital engagement in their products.It is the reason that Audi has launched its own China-only brand in the confusingly-badged AUDI and Mercedes-Benz is showcasing its futuristic Vision V MPV concept at the Shanghai Motor show this year – not only is China producing some of the most advanced EVs on the planet, it is also exclusively receiving some of the newest and most innovative models from western brands.But both Zeekr and MG sell far beyond their domestic markets, with the pair rapidly finding an audience in Europe and beyond. While it is unlikely the rest of the world will get to see the mammoth 9X on the roads any time soon, the MG Cyber X is highly likely to spawn a global production variant.The Cyberster did a great job of establishing the brand as something more than just a budget offering, but the Cyber X could well be a volume seller that proves MG can also do desirable design.

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The latest Google Messages beta hides a working version of group chat mutingThe feature requires some effort to get working, but seems likely to be launching soonThere's no word on a release date yet

Earlier this month we reported on rumors that suggested Google Messages would be getting a snooze feature so you can temporarily turn off group chat notifications, and now it looks even more likely that this feature is on the way.That’s according to a new Android Authority teardown of the latest Google Messages build, in which the AA team actually managed to get the tool to work – suggesting it’s very close to release.The snooze feature will see a new button added to the toolbar (which appears at the top of the screen when you long-press on a chat).Choosing snooze will cause a second menu to appear, where you can choose to mute a group chain for one hour, eight hours, 24 hours, or 'always'. The menu also reveals that “other members will not see that you snoozed this chat.”

(Image credit: Google)

You can also tweak your snooze options within user profiles, with this option giving you the ability to fine-tune notifications – such as muting everything except direct @ mentions in the chat.

A group chat essential

Muting can be an invaluable group chat function. Sometimes you just need to focus on something for a few hours and don’t want your phone to be bombarded with notifications. And we’ve all been in the family group chat which might be just a few very active relatives pinging messages back and forth – it would feel rude to leave, but only about 5% of the messages are relevant to you (and if a message is relevant the sender can always @ you).Muting allows you to remove some distractions from your life without completely shutting yourself off socially.As with all leaked features, there’s no guarantee that this will launch; however, given how in-depth the muting feature already appears to be, it seems likely that it’s not only on the way, but on the way soon.If and when it does eventually launch, it looks like it could be joined by two other very useful Google Messages features that are also being teased by the latest beta.

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You can always count on Max for a show-stopping drama, but you never know when it could get rid of that one movie you've been relying on it for. Luckily, that's what we're here for, and you can bet that we've had our eagle eyes peeled for the titles leaving Max soon.There are five stand-outs that have limited time left on one of the best streaming services and now is the time to make the most of them. With two A24 movies on the chopping block (one of them a previous Best Picture Oscar winner), there's a beloved superhero movie, a British modern classic animated feature, and historical war biopic that Max have decided to let go.Thankfully none of our picks for the best Max movies are leaving any time soon - but that's never guaranteed. On a brighter note, Max has a wave of new movies and shows on the way, and you can view our full list of everything new on Max in May 2025.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

RT score: 94%Directors: Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert Age rating: RLength: 132 minutesOne of the most-loved movies to come from the A24 studio that captured the hearts of millions of movie fans, and now it's running its course with Max. Though many were left utterly disappointed with Jamie Lee Curtis' Oscar victory over fellow nominee Stephanie Hsu, it certainly redeemed itself when it swept Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture.In this surrealist comedy action drama Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Wang, a Chinese immigrant who is under IRS investigation. She uncovers a strange ability to transport through different universes and connect with her alternative timelines. Through this crazy journey across the multiverse she must stop a powerful being from destroying everything, but this wild ride turns into a touching story of self-discovery which leads her to rekindling her complicated relationship with her daughter.

The Imitation Game (2014)

RT score: 90%Director: Morten Tyldum Age rating: PG-13Length: 113 minutesWhen I started my monthly streaming diary roundups earlier this year, The Imitation Game was one of the nine movies I streamed in January 2025. As far as biopics go, Tyldum's retelling of Alan Turing's history-altering discovery is a gold standard British drama film despite its small handful of historical inaccuracies.As much as its a war drama, The Imitation Game is an inspiring story of a queer genius who helped saved millions, but was still persecuted for his sexuality even in the events after his ground-breaking achievement.It's the Second World War, and English mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) has been recruited by MI6 to help crack the Enigma Nazi code which professionals have failed time again to achieve. Behind him is a team of computer whizzes Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Joan Clarke (Kiera Knightley), who assist Turing in building a machine which he hopes will be the answer to saving the country from war.

The Florida Project (2017)

RT score: 96%Director: Sean Baker Age rating: RLength: 111 minutesIf you loved recent Best Picture winner Anora (2024) you only have a few more weeks left to revisit this coming-of-age drama from the back catalog of Sean Baker.Before he dabbled in comedy crime dramas, Baker put out his slice of life drama starring Willem Dafoe exploring the small joys in life and the means of creating your own fun and happiness with what you have. Six year-old girl Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) lives with her single mother at a motel in Florida who struggles to make ends meet and dips in and out of homelessness. Their world is a stark contrast from the one which surrounds them - the surreal and built-for-distraction Walt Disney World.

Paddington (2014)

RT score: 96%Director: Paul King Age rating: PGLength: 95 minutesThe Paddington series of movies has sat very well with audiences, with its recent installment Paddington in Peru (2024) scoring 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. But its second movie Paddington 2 (2018) comes out on top with a near-perfect score of 99%.Inspired by the classic British children's literature Paddington Bear (Ben Whishaw) lands himself in London after his Peru home is destroyed by an earthquake. He immediately warms to the family of Henry Brown (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins) and their two children, who decide to adapt him into the family, but shortly after settling into city life, he becomes the target of Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman), a taxidermist who will stop at nothing to get her hands on a bear as rare as he.

Deadpool (2016)

RT score: 85%Director: Tim Miller Age rating: RLength: 108 minutesMiller made his directorial debut with Deadpool in 2016 and went on to produce the Sonic trilogy of movies (we won't mention Borderlands).In contrast to other Marvel movies and superheroes, Deadpool isn't the suave, put-together action hero you'd expect. Instead, he's irreverent and unserious, yet has smart comedic timing. After serving in the Special Forces Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is disfigured by evil scientist Ajax (Ed Skrein) and is turned into Deadpool. In spite of his disfigurement he's left with superhuman powers which he uses to his advantage to track down the man who ruined everything for him.

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Despite an eight year anticipatory wait, Nintendo is still "surprised" at just how many people want the Switch 2. The company has announced that about 2.2 million people have entered a pre-order lottery in Japan alone, far more than the number of consoles it can deliver on June 5, aka launch day.

Nintendo will announce the winners tomorrow, April 24, and anyone not chosen will be entered into a second drawing. However, that still won't provide enough spots for every entrant. "In response to this demand, we are currently working on further strengthening our production system," the company wrote on X in a post translated from Japanese. "We plan to continue producing and shipping a considerable number of Nintendo Switch 2 units in the future. We apologize for the delay in our ability to meet your expectations." The company further notes that other retailers should begin pre-orders on the 24th.

Nintendo has faced a few hurdles around pre-orders for the Switch 2. It delayed them in the US following President Trump's extreme tariffs and uncertainty about price. Now, the company has confirmed pre-orders in the US and Canada will also begin on April 24 and the Switch 2 will maintain its $450 price tag. Though, this might result in a loss for Nintendo.

A lack of supply and heavy demand could also bring exploitative resellers. Such was the case with other big ticket consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. They were both listed on sites like eBay and Amazon for up to $1,700. Nintendo's SNES Mini and NES Mini were for sale on eBay for more than double their sticker price. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-somehow-underestimates-demand-for-switch-2-pre-orders-141030573.html?src=rss

The wait is (kind of) almost over. Ghost of Yōtei will be available for PS5 on October 2. This is a sequel to the 2020 hit Ghost of Tsushima and was first announced last year. It’s a PS5 exclusive, as it’s developed by Sony-owned Sucker Punch.

It doesn’t follow the story of Ghost of Tsushima. Rather, it’s an original adventure with new characters that's set in a new era. Ghost of Yōtei takes place in Hokkaido, Japan in the early 1600s. This is over 300 years after the events of the first game.

It’s still an open-world adventure, though Sony promises "even more freedom and variety than in Ghost of Tsushima." For instance, you can hunt down the six big bads in whatever order you choose. There’s a new trailer that reveals the basic story beats and some gameplay. It looks pretty darn fun.

Preorders will open up on May 2 at 10AM ET for those in the US. This being a modern console game, there are a few different editions to choose from. There’s the Standard Edition, which is just the game, that costs $70. The Digital Deluxe Edition adds in-game bonuses, like armor, weapons and costumes. That one costs $80.

Sony

The Collector’s Edition, which costs a whopping $250, comes with all of the aforementioned in-game items, but that’s just the beginning. It also ships with physical items, like replicas of the protagonist’s mask, katana and sash. Sony is calling this the best Collector’s Edition it has ever produced. All preorders, no matter which edition, receive a "unique in-game mask" and a handful of PSN avatars.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ghost-of-yotei-comes-to-ps5-on-october-2-165531467.html?src=rss

Western Digital targeting 40TB HDDs by late 2026 using HAMR techOptiNAND and UltraSMR will boost capacity until HAMR adoption begins to drive growthStorage demand from AI boom is expected to arrive in late 2026

Western Digital recently held an investor day, with a primary focus on how it intends to supercharge hard drive capacity within a decade.WD’s detailed roadmap showed a clear technological evolution from energy-assisted Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (ePMR) to Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR), and ultimately to Heat Dot Magnetic Recording (HDMR), at which point it will be targeting capacities in excess of 100TB.By 2026, WD said its HDD capacity will reach 36TB-44TB thanks to HAMR technology which uses laser heating to temporarily lower the magnetic resistance (coercivity) of the disk, allowing for significantly denser data writing.

Waiting for demand

In a recent interview with PC Watch, Kimihiko Nishio, sales manager for Western Digital Japan, went into further details on the company’s plans.“Other companies have started adopting HAMR with 30TB HDDs, but we believe HAMR’s true potential begins at 40TB," Nishio said."Until then, we'll continue using technologies like OptiNAND and UltraSMR to increase the capacity of existing HDDs up to 40TB.” OptiNAND, integrates flash memory with HDDs to boost capacity, performance, and reliability, while UltraSMR, uses advanced error correction to pack data tracks more densely than traditional SMR.“We’re targeting the latter half of 2026 for the release of 40TB drives,” Nishio said, adding that WD is "currently developing HAMR with that goal in mind.” He explained that while data generation is booming, particularly due to AI advancements, storage demand is still catching up.“Right now, there's a huge surge in demand for generative AI, but storage hasn't really benefited from it yet. Currently, the biggest beneficiaries are GPU servers. First, data is being generated in large volumes, and after that, it will need to be stored. That’s where we expect storage demand to spike.”Western Digital is timing its production plans to coincide with this predicted demand. “We anticipate that spike will happen in the second half of 2026, which is why we're aligning our HAMR-based high-capacity HDD development to that timeframe,” Nishio said.“Since HAMR production requires a complete overhaul of materials, starting production now while demand is still low (e.g., for 40TB drives) would result in high costs. But we expect that in 2–3 years, demand will rise, allowing us to offer them at reasonable prices.”Nishio also shared Western Digital’s even more ambitious long-term vision. “Looking further ahead, we plan to release 100TB drives by 2030, after which we’ll pursue even greater capacities using new technologies,” he said.

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