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Microsoft used Security Copilot to scan open source bootloaders for vulnerabilitiesIt discovered 20 new flaws in just a short timeMicrosoft says the AI tool saved the company at least a week of work

Microsoft has revealed more on how its latest AI tools are proving useful spotting code vulnerabilities and more.The company has published a new blog post detailing how it used Security Copilot (its AI-powered cybersecurity tool) to find almost two dozen vulnerabilities in different open-source bootloaders.In total, Microsoft found 11 flaws in GRUB2, and nine more in U-Boot and Barebox.

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Remote code execution risks

GRUB2 (GRand Unified Bootloader version 2) is a bootloader used in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems to manage the boot process and load the operating system.U-Boot (Das U-Boot) and Barebox, on the other hand, are bootloaders primarily used in embedded systems. U-Boot is a widely adopted bootloader supporting various architectures, while Barebox is an alternative designed for faster boot times and easier maintenance.The vulnerabilities span from integer and buffer overflows, to side-channel attacks and out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities.Some of the flaws could be used to execute arbitrary code, Microsoft said, whereas others would need physical access to the vulnerable device, or would need the device to be infected with malware beforehand."While threat actors would likely require physical device access to exploit the U-boot or Barebox vulnerabilities, in the case of GRUB2, the vulnerabilities could further be exploited to bypass Secure Boot and install stealthy bootkits or potentially bypass other security mechanisms, such as BitLocker," Microsoft said."The implications of installing such bootkits are significant, as this can grant threat actors complete control over the device, allowing them to control the boot process and operating system, compromise additional devices on the network, and pursue other malicious activities.""Furthermore, it could result in persistent malware that remains intact even after an operating system reinstallation or a hard drive replacement."All of the flaws now have a CVE assigned, and their severity is mostly “medium”, with one being rated “high” - 7.8/10.

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Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan discusses the company’s future at its Vision conferenceSpinning off non-core assets and adding more engineers are a priorityTan wants to listen to customers, but “it won’t happen overnight”

Intel's new CEO and successor to Pat Gelsinger, Lip-Bu Tan, has announced plans to spin off non-core units to address the company’s recent struggles.Tan emphasized there would be no quick fix, adding that his first week as CEO meeting with customers uncovered that Intel had fallen short of their expectations.“Please be brutally honest with us,” he said at the chipmaker’s Vision event in Las Vegas.

Lip-Bu Tan announces long-term plans for Intel

Tan also revealed how Intel could become leaner, with more direct involvement from engineers after it lost its once dominant market position to rivals like Nvidia and AMD.On the AI chip front, the company severely lags behind Nvidia, which has spent some time as the world’s most valuable company with a market cap of more than $3 trillion.“We lost quite a bit of talent,” Tan said as he discussed plans to recruit more engineers and give them the “freedom to innovate from within” (via Reuters).The CEO also wants to be more responsive to customer needs – creating custom semiconductors tailored to client specifications will be one such way.At the event, Tan also indicated plans to spin off Intel’s non-core assets to focus on core operational strategies – there are no current plans to split Intel’s product and manufacturing units.Intel stock rose in the days between the announcement and Tan’s appointment but has gradually faded again. Shares also fell 1.2% after he made these remarks at this week’s Vision conference, spelling out further uncertainty and a potential drop in confidence.“It won't happen overnight, but I know we can get there,” he added.

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SpaceX has successfully launched the Fram2 private crewed mission on March 31 at 9:46 PM Eastern time on top of a Falcon 9 rocket. Fram2 is the first human spaceflight to explore the Earth's polar regions, which are not visible to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The crew will observe the Earth's poles through a panoramic cupola attachment from an altitude of 430 km (267 miles). SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule can fly from the North to the South Pole in around 46 minutes and Fram2 is a three-to-five day mission, so it's expected to provide scientists with a healthy amount of footage capturing the polar regions. In fact, SpaceX has already released the mission's first views of the Earth's poles from space.

First views of Earth's polar regions from Dragon pic.twitter.com/3taP34zCeN— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 1, 2025

The crew will observe unusual light emissions resembling auroras in the regions, including STEVEs, which appear as purple and green light ribbons in the night sky. They will also conduct 22 experiments designed to better understand human health in space for the sake of long-duration missions in the future. The crew will capture the first human X-rays in space, study exercises meant to preserve muscle and bone mass, explore sleep and stress patterns using wearable tech, monitor their glucose and observe the female crew members' hormonal health. They also won't get the typical medical and mobility assistance upon landing to see how they re-acclimate to gravity on their own, and they will get an MRI immediately after they arrive. NASA called Fram2's launch a "significant step" in humanity's understanding of how our bodies will fare in outer space.

pic.twitter.com/SYngaLWghI— NASA (@NASA) April 1, 2025

Chun Wang, a Chinese-born cryptocurrency investor who now lives in Norway, paid for the trip and is one of the astronauts currently on board. Jannicke Mikkelsen, a filmmaker working on technology for movies shot in remote and hazardous environments, serves as the mission's vehicle commander. Rabea Rogge, a robotics researcher from Norway, is the pilot. Finally, Eric Philips, a professional polar adventurer and guide, is the mission's medical officer. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacex-launches-fram2-the-first-crewed-spaceflight-to-explore-earths-polar-regions-130006166.html?src=rss

One of The Last of Us games is reportedly getting a PS5 special edition release soonIt'll cost $109.99 or €119.99 and be available as a physical editionThe special edition could be a bundle containing both The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered

A new physical edition of The Last of Us is reportedly being released for the PlayStation 5.That's according to reliable leaker 'Billbil-kun' at Dealabs, who reports that a "PS5 special edition" will be announced soon, but there's no indication as to what game it will be (via Eurogamer).It's said that the special edition will cost $109.99 or €119.99 and will be "available in physical form on PS5 very soon".There are no more details other than pricing, and Billbil-kun asks, "Could it be for Part 1, Part 2, or something entirely new?"Following the release of The Last of Us Part 1 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered on the PS5 - the latter of which is getting a PC launch this week - it would make sense for this new special edition to be a bundle containing both games, especially considering the pricing - especially given season 2 of the HBO series is starting this month too."Everything seems to indicate that the officialisation of this edition, as well as the opening of pre-orders, would take place very soon, in a time window that we estimate within two months," said Billbil-kun.We can cast any ideas about a Last of Us Part 3 aside for now since Naughty Dog is currently developing its new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.Described as a new sci-fi franchise, the game was announced last year and is set to launch on PS5. There's no release date just yet, but according to a recent report, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet won't launch until after 2026.It could release in 2027 at the earliest, which means that a cross-gen launch for the PS5 and PS6 is a possibility.

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When we reviewed the iPhone 16 Pro last year, Apple Intelligence was barely available. Since then, the iPhone 16 series has benefitted from several new features, apps and improvements. Some (or most) of them were Apple Intelligence features that were teased back at WWDC 2024, months before the iPhone 16 Pro launched.

AI features weren't the only changes this time around, with the iPhone 16 getting an entirely new button. The so-called Camera Control wasn’t just a simple app shortcut, but an elaborate multifunction button that offered a haptic half-press and the ability to swipe across to adjust camera settings and options.

Managing Editor Cherlynn Low said we were still ”waiting on Apple Intelligence” in our initial review. Now, as we hit iOS 18.4, was it worth the wait?

iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence so far

Mat Smith for Engadget

Apple Intelligence was late, arriving as part of iOS 18.1 back in October 2024. Initial generative AI features included writing tools like proofreading and rewriting, as well as text summaries and live transcription for phone calls and voice notes in the Notes app. A few months later, iOS 18.2 gave us the Apple Intelligence features that made most of the headlines when first announced at WWDC. That included ChatGPT integration, AI image generation in Image Playgrounds and Genmoji.

Starting with iOS 18.1, one of the most controversial Apple Intelligence features is actually my favorite: Notification Summaries. It’s a good attempt at taming the wild west of countless group chats across multiple messaging apps, calendar reminders, Substack pings and everything else.

You don't need to update every individual app for Notification Summaries to kick in. As soon as iOS 18.1 landed, my messy WhatsApp chats were streamlined. I thought it cute when my iPhone told me a friend had laughed at my comment, and suggested where we could meet and a date. That was distilled from a ten-message barrage they’d sent.

Mat Smith for Engadget

It’s not perfect, though. Apple had to clarify that notification summaries are AI-generated, and make that clearer beyond a small Apple Intelligence icon. This was after the BBC complained about multiple summaries that twisted the content of some of its headlines. I’ve also had notification summaries that incorrectly guessed the subject of a sentence or entire topic of a thread, but on the whole, it’s a useful utilization of AI smarts.

There are more natural language hooks across most of iOS 18, too. You can now search for images in the Photos app with descriptions, dates, location and more. Those natural-language smarts take on a different function with writing tools, courtesy of Apple Intelligence. Even though I’m not a particularly clean writer (hey, Cher), these writing tools are not all that useful. I haven’t used them much beyond quick email responses to work requests and events, but the ability to proofread, rewrite or check tone may prove useful to some.

The writing tools also work inside the Voice Memos app, which can now transcribe conversations, meetings and more. Here, it helps make things more concise, with options to turn transcripts into summaries, key points, lists and even tables. If the recording is clear enough and they’re not too long, iOS 18 does well on these transcriptions. Several times, the iPhone 16 Pro straight-up declined to summarize a transcript. Why? All I got was a notification that the tools “aren’t designed to work with this type of content.”

Elsewhere, Apple struggles to catch up with AI innovations on rival devices. Like Google Pixel’s Magic Eraser (and all the other Android riffs), Clean Up now allows you to scrub out distracting elements and photo bombers from your pics. However, the results aren’t quite up to the standard of the competition. Sometimes, however, it nails it.

Some Apple Intelligence features have faded into the background after an initial buzz. Image Playground offers the ability to AI-generate your own images and had plenty of users itching to get off the beta waitlist to play around with the app. After a bit of testing, however, I haven’t used it in the months since it launched.

There might be a future for Playgrounds within iOS, though. For instance, Apple’s Invites app lets you embed Image Playground results within your events, which is helpful if you don’t have a photo to illustrate the invitation. As a standalone app, however, it doesn’t quite deliver enough to live on my home screen. It’s gone the way of GarageBand, Pages and Apple Maps on my iPhone.

Genmoji, on the other hand, is easier to use, and I use it often. With it, you can create your own emoji reactions with specific people, objects and backgrounds. I already have several established favorites, like me eating cereal and a chronically late friend with clocks in the background, and I’ll probably continue to make emoji as life demands it. For example, a passenger behind me on a flight to Barcelona last month had three cats with her. So, I made a cats-on-a-plane Genmoji. Exactly what Tim Cook intended.

Mat Smith for Engadget

Some software features are also specific to the iPhone 16 Pro series (and the 15 Pro). Camera Control aside, the new button also offers access to Visual Intelligence with a long press. Visual Intelligence is Apple’s take on Google Lens, tapping visual AI smarts to analyze what your iPhone is pointing at. It can recognize text, like words on menus, and even translate for you. If you get lucky, it’ll even identify the outside of a restaurant and (with some ChatGPT power) tell you the opening hours and what kind of cuisine it offers. It’s particularly effective in identifying landmarks, but busy scenes can quickly derail it. Unfortunately, you can’t tap on a particular object in the frame to clarify specifics. However, the ability to create calendar events from a poster is pretty cool — even if I usually forget to use it.

That’s Apple Intelligence, for now. There are a lot of smart touches, but so far, it isn’t remarkable. I credit Apple’s attempts to make most of its AI features either processed on device, or connected to the company’s Private Cloud Compute, which uses larger server-based models. Apple has reiterated that your data is never stored during these requests. Even with ChatGPT integration, if you don’t use an account with OpenAI, only your request and attachments are sent to ChatGPT. Your Apple Account and IP address are not shared with OpenAI. Apple’s deal with OpenAI means the latter can’t use your request to improve or train its models, either.

The patchy arrival of iOS features, especially Apple Intelligence, isn’t a good look for the company.

However, the rest of iOS 18 continues to deliver valuable new features and upgrades to the iPhone experience, like the aforementioned Invites app, additional content (and games) for News+ subscribers and my favorite feature since the AirPods introduced noise-cancellation, the ability to nod or shake your head to halt Siri announcements, Fitness prompts and even decline calls. I’m a busy guy!

Cameras and Camera Control

Mat Smith for Engadget

With Camera Control, Apple has introduced its most intriguing interface change since the short-lived 3D Touch.” That tech, if you forgot, offered haptic feedback on your screen tapping during the iPhone 6 era. Camera Control acts like a proper manual camera button, even when I know it combines a physical button with elaborate touch sensors. This enables deeper controls by swiping across it or semi-pressing.

Instantly, it works as a basic camera app launcher, just like the iPhone’s Action button has done in recent years. Already, it’s better placed, though, lower on the right edge of the phone, ready for your thumb if held vertically, or index finger when held horizontally. It goes beyond being a launcher, though. Swiping across it lets you adjust zoom, exposure and even toggle the new Photographic Style options. Then, a half-press works as a way to confirm your settings.

Depending on how you use the iPhone’s camera, a lot of the settings might not deserve their place within the Camera Control’s menus. While I often tinkered with Exposure and Zoom, Photographic styles are easier to adjust from the iPhone in the normal touchscreen way. I’m also not going to meddle with simulated f-stops when taking candid shots of my friends and family.

Like Apple Intelligence, Camera Control launched incomplete. When the iPhone 16 Pro first went on sale, it lacked a half-press focus like ye olde traditional cameras, and it took till January 2025 for an AF-AE lock to arrive through iOS 18.3. The feature, however, remains buried in settings and has to be toggled on.

It works well though. You tap on an object you’d like the iPhone to focus on, hold the button halfway, and it’ll lock exposure and focus for as long as you keep your finger down – like a camera. It’s frustrating that we had to wait this long for what seems like a core function of Camera Control.

To be devil’s advocate – and it’s an argument regularly leveled at AI features, both Apple Intelligence and elsewhere – did you need Camera Control? Given how much I use my phone’s cameras, I'd argue that a camera launcher is worth factoring into the hardware. But the Action Button covered that.

Camera Control also seemed like a ‘pro’ iPhone feature, so it’s surprising to see it across the entire device lineup, barring the more recent iPhone 16e.

Another change worth noting is that the iPhone 16 Pro got camera parity with the larger Pro Max this year, with a 5x optical zoom I use most of the time. Of course, this isn't a remarkable feature if you were already using an iPhone 15 Pro Max. But if you prefer the smaller of the two Pro options, aside from battery life, there’s no reason to stop you getting the cheaper iPhone 16 Pro.

Repairability and longevity

I haven’t had to repair my iPhone 16 Pro so far, and there are no pronounced scratches on the 6.3-inch screen or body. While I am also a case dweeb, I don’t use screen protectors — I haven’t needed to. The latest iPhones do come with even more repair-friendly hardware and policies if the worst were to happen. Anecdotally, according to my experience the titanium body and Apple's Ceramic Shield treatment on the display do seem to make this generation of 'pro' iPhones tougher than its predecessors

Apple’s new Repair Assistant, designed to address parts pairing issues, lets both you and repair professionals configure new and used Apple parts directly on the device, with no need to contact Apple personnel on the phone to ensure iOS plays with new parts.

Another improvement, while not part of the 16 Pro, is battery removal. On both the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, the battery can be released from its enclosure by running a low-voltage current through the iPhone’s battery adhesive. However, the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery is now encased in aluminum, making repairs less fraught, and protecting the battery more when exposed to repair tools. I haven’t had to put it to use yet, but the company’s increased willingness to embrace right-to-repair is headed in the right direction, especially after its sluggish response in the past.

Six months on, the 16 Pro’s slightly bigger battery is holding up, with the one I have still showing it’s at full health. I am a heavy phone user, and 256 charge cycles later, iOS says it’s still at 100 percent capacity, which I found impressive. If I need to replace the battery, I’m heartened that it’s easier than ever on an iPhone.

Wrap-up

Mat Smith for Engadget

The iPhone 16 Pro is one of the best smartphones available. But if there’s a particular area where Apple’s phones are lacking compared to the flagship competition, it might be the messaging and the marketing. It took too long for Apple Intelligence to land on devices. If Apple Intelligence hadn’t been so key to Apple’s presentation both at WWDC and the iPhone 16 launch event, the delay wouldn’t look so bad.

Intriguingly, we’re at a time when the likes of the Galaxy and Pixel series have never felt more like iPhones. Or do iPhones feel like Android phones? I’m not sure anymore. Either way, we haven’t seen rival devices mimic the Camera Control button.

I appreciate that a lot of the new features and additions don’t seem to clog up the iPhone experience. Don’t care for camera filters? You’ll rarely see them. Want to swap the Camera Control button for another function? Go ahead. Want to prioritize Messages notifications, but not WhatsApp messages? Go wild.

With a light, strong titanium build, there’s still a tangible premium feel to the iPhone 16 Pro, compared to the aluminum iPhone 16. The same can be said about the cameras, with a 48-megapixel ultrawide sensor and 5x optical zoom, which the base iPhone cannot match. Functionality-twise, the base iPhone 16 now delivers the Dynamic Island and Camera Control, which makes a ‘pro’ iPhone a little harder to define. For the iPhone 16 series, it boils down to more premium materials and a powerful zoom camera.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-16-pro-longterm-review-apple-intelligence-134517480.html?src=rss

Looking for a different day?A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, April 1 (game #1163).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• Yes. Two of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1164) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• I• Q• I• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1164) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1164, are…

INDEXQUEENINCURSTOLE

Oh my gosh this was a tricky round of Quordle, with two rare letters and not much joy from my start words.Although I managed to complete it in seven guesses I don’t think I have ever spent as long taping out possible words before eventually arriving at the correct one.Getting QUEEN was a royal pain. I hope you found it easier.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1164) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1164, are…

MYRRHFRANKNADIRCHOKE

Quordle answers: The past 20

Quordle #1163, Tuesday 1 April: HUMUS, BALMY, WORRY, ERECTQuordle #1162, Monday 31 March: RECUT, MOODY, WHERE, BRACEQuordle #1161, Sunday 30 March: CRIME, DRINK, CLOVE, TRUERQuordle #1160, Saturday 29 March: LATER, ODDLY, CUMIN, AGREEQuordle #1159, Friday 28 March: TERSE, MUSHY, PROVE, FRONDQuordle #1158, Thursday 27 March: CRONE, APNEA, LIGHT, AWOKEQuordle #1157, Wednesday 26 March: LEFTY, NOOSE, NOISE, TRIADQuordle #1156, Tuesday 25 March: SNEER, WATCH, FLORA, STAINQuordle #1155, Monday 24 March: FLOUT, SMASH, RAZOR, SMALLQuordle #1154, Sunday 23 March: ALLEY, GAMUT, GEESE, RADIIQuordle #1153, Saturday 22 March: PICKY, BRACE, BOOZE, SURLYQuordle #1152, Friday 21 March: DITTY, VALOR, TOWER, AMISSQuordle #1151, Thursday 20 March: RIPER, STILL, WAFER, NOTCHQuordle #1150, Wednesday 19 March: FLAME, CARAT, SPAWN, TUNICQuordle #1149, Tuesday 18 March: NAVEL, TREAT, COPSE, SLINKQuordle #1148, Monday 17 March: INFER, FLINT, CHUMP, SHEERQuordle #1147, Sunday 16 March: INPUT, RUMBA, ELUDE, BLANKQuordle #1146, Saturday 15 March: SPEED, CLASH, RISKY, GRATEQuordle #1145, Friday 14 March: BELIE, SPEAR, GROWL, ADOBEQuordle #1144, Thursday 13 March: AMISS, METAL, TEARY, SHORT

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, April 1 (game #394).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #395) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Shine on

NYT Strands today (game #395) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

DARTKITEMARSRATESDATASHIP

NYT Strands today (game #395) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #395) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: top, 4th columnLast side: bottom, 3rd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #395) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #395, are…

DAZZLETWINKLESHIMMERSPARKLEGLEAMRADIATESPANGRAM: STAR POWER

My rating: EasyMy score: 1 hint

The double-Z of DAZZLE set me on my way today as I ticked off these shine synonyms.To anyone who is or was a parent the word TWINKLE will have added meaning as a key component of a nursery rhyme intended to lull tiny tots to sleep and also one of the first things learned during music lessons — for these reasons it’s equally nostalgic and irksome.I’ve always struggled with fact that light from our nearest star system takes over four years to reach us, but then if you knew me this wouldn’t really surprise you, as when the clocks go forward or back I’m in a state of confusion for the rest of the week and constantly ask myself “yes, but what time is it really?”The fact that the SPARKLE I’m seeing in the night sky is from 2021 hurts my brain almost as much as yesterday’s Connections.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 1 April, game #394)

SHOWERSBUDSROBINSPOLLENPUDDLESBLOSSOMSSPANGRAM: SPRINGTIME

What is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, April 1 (game #660).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #661) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

FANCYREADINGNICEIMPULSEJOBTYPELIKEVENUSKINDHERBROBINLARKTENNESSEEWHIMSORTHANK

NYT Connections today (game #661) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: Chance encounterGREEN: Stuff that is all very similarBLUE: A famous surname sharedPURPLE: Grammatically speaking

Need more clues?We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #661) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: CAPRICEGREEN: ILK BLUE: WILLIAMSES PURPLE: WORDS PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY AS PROPER NOUNS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #661) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #661, are…

YELLOW: CAPRICE FANCY, IMPULSE, LARK, WHIMGREEN: ILK KIND, LIKE, SORT, TYPEBLUE: WILLIAMSES HANK, ROBIN, TENNESSEE, VENUSPURPLE: WORDS PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY AS PROPER NOUNS HERB, JOB, NICE, READING

My rating: HardMy score: 2 mistakes

After yesterday’s headache-inducing letters and symbols, it was a relief to see a more regular collection of words. Not that it was much easier.I had FANCY, NICE, SORT and KIND in a group together thinking they were all pleasant attributes, although in hindsight “sort” is a bit 1970s British comedy slang and unlikely to make it into Connections.My next mistake was coupling LARK, JOB, VENUS and NICE, my thinking being we were looking for key parts of popular sayings (up with the lark, if a job’s worth doing…, men are from Mars, it’s nice to be nice,) but after going up that blind alley I regrouped.I’m kicking myself that I didn’t get WILLIAMSES quicker and probably would have done if the list had included Serena.How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, 1 April, game #660)

YELLOW: CURRENCY SYMBOLS $, £, 7, €GREEN: AND/TOGETHER WITH &, +, N, XBLUE: EMOTICON MOUTHS (,), 0, РPURPLE: "RIGHT" R, →, ⊾, V

What is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Today is the big day gamers! The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is under 24 hours away and we're expecting to learn all about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console.From a potential breakdown of its unique hardware features to our first confirmation of some of its launch games, this is likely to be the most interesting and exciting Nintendo broadcasts in years.So what do you we know for sure about the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct? Not a lot beyond its start time, length, and how to watch it, but that's exactly what makes it so intriguing.Join me as I keep you up to date with all the latest news and rumors as they come in throughout the build up to the event. I'll also be sharing my own personal predictions, plus the occasional tip on how best to prepare.

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct start time

The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct takes place on April 2, 2025. It starts at 9AM ET / 6AM PT / 2PM BST.Nintendo has now confirmed via a social media post that the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct will be "approximately 60 minutes long" - which is about what we expected.

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct live countdown

Nintendo Switch 2 Direct how to watch

The most reliable place to watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct is the official Nintendo YouTube channel. It will also be streaming via Twitch.The broadcast is currently not live, so I'd recommend bookmarking the page for easy access. When you are able to tune in, I'll let you know straight away so keep checking back here for updates.

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the beginning of our live Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct coverage!With the highly anticipated event under 24 hours away, there's still plenty of time to get excited before our first in-depth look at Nintendo's next console.Whether you're a more recent fan or a long time Nintendo gamer like me, nothing quite compares to the excitement of learning more about a new piece of hardware from the company.Tomorrow's event is undoubtedly going to be an important part of gaming, so this isn't one that you'll want to miss!I'm going to be guiding you through the build up to the broadcast, so let's begin...

The Amazon Spring Sale might be over, but there are still lots of great deals to shop. For instance, there's a 33 percent discount on one of our favorite portable Bluetooth speakers for 2025. The Beats Pill is down to $100 from $150 — a record-low price for the speaker.

Let's be honest, that first glimpse of warm weather is here and it's making us dream of sitting by the beach or picnics with friends. The Beats Pill is a solid option to provide the soundtrack to your summer. We gave it in 83 in our review thanks, in part, to its durability. The speaker has an IP67 waterproof rating, so you shouldn't have to worry at all if it gets a bit wet.

The Beats Pill also offers 24-hour battery life and improved sound quality from its predecessor. However, we have found that the audio does hurt a bit when at loud volumes and it can have an inconsistent bass tone.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-the-beats-pill-speaker-while-its-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-140306981.html?src=rss

CISA is warning of new malware targeting vulnerable Ivanti productsMultiple products, vulnerable to a 2024 flaw, are being targetedThe malware can create web shells, harvest credentials, and more

Multiple Ivanti products are being targeted by a piece of malware called RESURGE, a new security advisory published by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has said, detailing both the malware and the vulnerability being exploited to deploy it.Resurge is a variant of SPAWNCHIMERA, a piece of malware targeting Ivanti Connect Secure appliances, enabling unauthorized access and persistent control over vulnerable endpoints.While RESURGE can also survive reboots, the malware can also create web shells, manipulate integrity checks, modify files, and use the web shells to harvest credentials, create accounts, reset passwords, and escalate permissions.

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Remote code execution risks

Furthermore, RESURGE can copy the web shell to the Ivanti running boot disk and manipulate the running coreboot image.To infect the devices with RESURGE, threat actors are abusing CVE-2025-0282, a critical stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Ivanti Connect Secure, Policy Secure, and Neurons for ZTA gateways. It allows remote unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code, and has been exploited in the wild since mid-December 2024.CISA added the threat to its KEV catalog in early January 2025, noting the vulnerable software includes Ivanti Connect Secure (before version 22.7R2.5), Ivanti Policy Secure (before version 22.7R1.2), and Ivanti Neurons for ZTA gateways (before version 22.7R2.3).There are a number of things companies could do to mitigate the risk, CISA says.“For the highest level of confidence, conduct a factory reset,” the advisory says. “For Cloud and Virtual systems, conduct a factory reset using an external known clean image of the device.”Furthermore, users should reset credentials of privileged and non-privileged accounts, reset passwords for all domain users and all local accounts, review access policies to temporarily revoke privileges/access for affected devices, reset the relevant account credentials or access keys, and monitor related accounts, especially administrative accounts.Via The Register

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This year’s Amazon Spring Sale has ended, but there are still some deals floating around that you can take advantage of. While this shopping event focused the discounts on household, outdoor and fashion gear, a number of our favorite gadgets made it into the sale. In line with the "spring" theme, we found great discounts on cordless vacuums, robot vacuums, air purifiers and other smart home tech, along with solid deals on headphones, streaming devices, mesh Wi-Fi systems and more. Here, we've collected the best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can still get today even after the event has ended.

Best Amazon Spring Sale deals you can still get

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $20 ($15 off): Our top pick for the best budget streaming device can play content at 1080p/60fps and now its remote can also control your TV's power and volume. There's also Alexa support built into the remote, so you can use voice commands to search for content.

Sonos Ray for $179 ($100 off): This is our favorite midrange soundbar thanks to its compact, attractive design and easy setup. It's best for those who have a smaller living room or den they want to outfit with better TV sound. Also available at Sonos in their March Madness sale.

Bose QuietComfort headphones for $249 ($100 off): These Bose over-ear headphones provide excellent noise cancellation, a comfortable fit and up to 24 hours of listening time on a single charge. A quick-charge feature will net you 2.5 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging, so you'll rarely have to go without them, too.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones for $329 ($100 off): These hold the top spot in our best wireless headphones guide for excellent noise cancellation. These cans will give you a step up in ANC, blocking out most noise and chatter of those around you. General audio quality has been improved as well, and they have a comfy fit.

Beats Fit Pro for $169 (15 percent off): These are the best wireless earbuds for working out thanks to their comfortable, secure fit, good sound quality with thumping bass and handful of convenient features provided by Apple's H1 chipset. It provides quick-pairing and switching between Apple devices (and quick pairing with Android phones), Find My compatibility and hands-free Siri.

Dyson AM09 heater and fan for $408 (13 percent off): The AM09 has been around for ages, and for good reason. It's an excellent heater during cold months and fan during warm months, so you can use it all year round. Jet Focus control lets you choose from Focused or Diffused for personal or whole-room heating or cooling, and the handy sleep timer lets you set when the device turns off in intervals from 15 minutes up to nine hours.

Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $187 ($33 off): Our top pick for the best air purifier for most people, the Core 400S has easy-to-use onboard controls, powerful filtering technology that isn't too loud and relatively affordable replacement filters. It reliably improved air quality in our testing, and even though its mobile app is a little overstuffed, it gives you another way to control and monitor the device.

Chipolo One for $20 ($5 off): The Chipolo One is the top overall pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers. While Apple’s AirTag can tap into a substantially larger crowd-sourcing network, we’ve found the One to send separation alerts faster when you’ve left an item behind and ring louder when you’re back in its vicinity.

Audible (three months) for $3 ($42 off): This deal gives you access to Audible Premium Plus, which includes one credit each month that you can spend on any book you'd like, along with listening access to thousands of other books, podcasts and Audible Originals. You also get to take part in Audible's exclusive member sales. Only US customers who are not already subscribed to Audible can take advantage of this deal.

Apple Watch Series 10 for $329 ($70 off): Apple’s flagship wearable is the best smartwatch you can buy, period. While the Series 10 was an iterative update, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It sports a slightly longer battery life, a slimmer design and wide-angle OLED screen for better viewing angles. It tracks workouts accurately and delivers alerts to your wrist efficiently.

Apple Watch SE for $199 (20 percent off): Those on tighter budgets can opt for the Apple Watch SE and know they’re getting the core Apple wearable experience with few compromises. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for newbies.

iPad Air M3 for $549 ($50 off): The latest version of the iPad Air now runs on the M3 chipset, and it continues to hold the top spot in our best iPads guide. It has the best combination of power, design and extra features, so you can use it primarily as a media consumption device if you wish, or you can add iPad accessories like an Apple Pencil or a Magic Keyboard to turn it into a true workhorse.

iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo for $149 ($126 off): This "essential" Roomba is relatively no-frills, but it has the added benefit of being a mopping robot in addition to a vacuum. It includes a washable mopping pad and a water reservoir so you can clean hard floors, and it will autonomously vacuum just like all of iRobot's other basic robovacs.

Eufy 3-in-1 E20 robot vacuum for $400 ($200 off): If you can’t decide between a robot vacuum or a lightweight stick vac, you don’t have to. The new Eufy E20 combines a robo vac, cordless upright and handheld vacuum in one machine. Plus the automatically emptying base holds a lot of debris for its size. While we found the robot performance to be better than the stick vac suction, it’s still impressive and convenient for an all-in-one model.

Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer for $90 ($30 off): One of our favorites in our best air fryers guide, this Cosori model has nine preset cooking modes and a spacious cooking basket that can handle more food at once than you might expect. It's not too large, so it can sit on your countertop all the time, and the basket has a safety release button that prevents accidental pulls.

TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro mesh Wi-Fi system for $280 (30 percent off): Our current pick for the best mesh Wi-Fi system you can get, this TP-Link bundle may be no-frills, but it gets the job done nicely. It's easy to set up and provides excellent Wi-Fi 6E performance, plus the three included nodes can cover up to 7,200 square feet.

Samsung Evo Select microSD card (512GB) for $35 ($5 off): A value pick in our best microSD cards guide, this Evo Select card provides respectable read and write speeds, and it comes with a full-sized adapter.

Samsung T7 portable SSD (2TB) for $140 (48 percent off): We're on the T9 series now, but if you're looking to save a bit of cash, the T7 remains a great option for on-the-go storage. It supports read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s and sports a pocket-friendly design.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-spring-sale-tech-deals-the-best-sales-you-can-still-get-from-apple-bose-irobot-dyson-and-others-130607704.html?src=rss

The first information about the Monster Hunter Wilds roadmap has been revealed. Post-launch, players can expect regular updates, with two large updates having already been announced. Looking at previous games, we can expect new monsters and Event Quests moving forward, spaced out throughout the year.Monster Hunter Wilds is another step forward for the long-running co-op action franchise. For one, its huge open world is more seamless, and more alive than ever before, with distinct seasons that promise to mix up hunts in interesting ways. Now that we've published our Monster Hunter Wilds review, the game has landed on our list of best multiplayer PC games.Here's everything you need to know about Monster Hunter Wilds' roadmap and upcoming DLC updates. We'll detail what's been announced in terms of post-launch support, and as we move through the year, we'll also take a look at the schedule moving forward. It's clear that Capcom intends to support the game for a while, so stay tuned for regular updates to this page.Update (April 1): We've added some new details on the Tempered Monsters arriving as part of the end of May update. These are outlined in a letter from Monster Hunter Wilds director Tokuda, which you can view in full here. Two new Event Quests have been announced as well, and one of them rewards Artian Materials upon completion.

Monster Hunter Wilds roadmap

(Image credit: Capcom)

Monster Hunter Wilds currently has two post-launch title update DLCs planned. You can find these listed below, with some details on each. In addition, we've broken out some of the core content that's planned for the next two months or so.

Monster Hunter Wilds Free DLC 1

(Image credit: Capcom)

First up, we have the Free Update Title 1 DLC. This is the one we know most about, as it's already been revealed that Mizutsune (Hunter Rank 21 or above) will be the main monster added. For those that don't know, Mizutsune is a kind of bubble dragon, that moves around like a dancer, elegantly weaving through the air. It's seriously formidable, secreting bubbles that will give you Bubbleblight, increasing your evasiveness, before making it difficult to move around without slipping. In Monster Hunter Rise, you needed to ensure you were stocked up on Cleansers, to combat this ailment.Alongside Mizutsune is the addition of The Grand Hub. This is a large social space where hunters can hang out, eat meals, plan quests and even go Barrel Bowling. Then there's Arena Quests, as well as the addition of Zoh Shia as a hunt able monster outside of the main campaign (Hunter Rank 50 or above).Shortly after the launch of Title Update 1, there'll be a Seasonal Event called Festival of Accord: Blossom Dance. This runs from April 22 until May 6 and sees The Grand Hub bloom with pink flower blossoms. There will be exclusive gear to earn during this time too.On April 29, a new Event Quest will be added, featuring Arch-Tempered Ray Dau. This will be the strongest foe in the game, and will be available until May 20.Finally, a Capcom collaboration will go live at some point towards the end of May. In the past, we've seen Resident Evil and Mega Man collaborations. This year, we're hoping for Death Stranding 2, and Assassin's Creed Shadows crossovers.

Monster Hunter Wilds Free DLC 2

(Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom has also revealed Free Title Update 2, which, for now at least, has yet to be fully detailed. We know that it'll add a new monster, as well as new Event Quests. We also know that it'll arrive sometime in Summer 2025.During a Monster Hunter Showcase that aired on March 25, 2025, a small tease for Title Update 2 was shown right at the end. A splash of water, then a roar, followed by a scaly talon has led many to believe that Lagiacrus could be returning. This'd mark the first time the monster has made an appearance in a mainline Monster Hunter game since Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate.

Monster Hunter Wilds Event Quests

(Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom has announced that Monster Hunter Wilds will be updated regularly with Event Quests moving forward. Here's what's been revealed so far:

Anguish and Atrocity: April 3 - April 8 (An event quest for earning tons of Hunter Rank Points)King of a Faraway Sky: April 8 - April 15 (Artian materials)When do Quematrice Sing?: April 8 - April 22 (Amstrigian α! headgear)Arch-Tempered Ray Dau - April 29, 2025 (details tbc but only available at Hunter Rank 50 or above)

Monster Hunter Wilds Challenge Quests

(Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom has revealed that Challenge Quests are set to arrive in Monster Hunter Wilds. Only one has been announced so far: Doshaguma of the Hollow. This runs from April 3 all the way up to April 17.A Challenge Quest where you use specific equipment to race the clock! Participate to earn an exclusive pendant. In past games, this has meant having to try out different weapons, with only a few usable during the quest. As such, it's a good idea to get some experience with a wider variety of weapons, maybe give the Hunting Horn a go?

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Filming is officially underway on House of the Dragon season 3The announcement has been overshadowed by a spat between its showrunner and George R.R. MartinIt's unclear what the tit for tat means for Martin's future involvement with the HBO TV show

House of the Dragon (HotD) is renowned for the incendiary fallout that destroys House Targaryen from within, but it appears that life is imitating art as filming gets underway on the hit HBO TV Original's third season.Yesterday (March 31), HBO confirmed that House of the Dragon season 3 has entered full production ahead of its to-be-announced release date on Max (US and Australia) and Sky/Now TV (UK).

The fight for the Throne is far from over. S3 of #HOTD is now in production. pic.twitter.com/NUe4POwIJMMarch 31, 2025

Pleasing as this news is, it's since been overshadowed by an increasingly fraught tit-for-tat between the live-action series' showrunner and George R.R. Martin. The latter, of course, is the fantasy book namesake's author and world-famous creator of Game of Thrones, aka HotD's multi-novel sequel that was also turned into a hugely popular HBO TV show.Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, HotD showrunner Ryan Condal responded to comments made by Martin in a September 2024 blog post that's since been deleted.Writing to fans at the time, Martin failed to hide his disappointment over the creative decisions that were taken for House of the Dragon season 2. Issues that Martin brought to light, as reported by IGN last September, included the absence of Aegon and Helaena's third child Maelor, the latter's importance to the shocking 'Blood and Cheese' storyline, and how this major change sets the stage for even more "toxic" alterations to be made in one of the best Max shows' third and fourth seasons.

There's no official word on whether Martin is still consulting on House of the Dragon's TV adaptation (Image credit: Theo Whitman/HBO)

Seven months on from Martin publicly airing his frustrations, Condal acknowledged that such changes would disappoint Martin the "literary icon... and personal hero of mine", as well as HotD and Thrones' global fanbase. Nevertheless, he sought to defend himself against Martin's remonstrations before politely suggesting that the legendary author became difficult to work with."It [the Targaryen civil war] is this incomplete history and it requires a lot of joining of the dots and a lot of invention as you go along the way," Condal said."I will simply say, I made every effort to include George in the adaptation process. I really did. Over years and years. And we really enjoyed a mutually fruitful, I thought, really strong collaboration for a long time. But, at some point, as we got deeper down the road, he just became unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way."And, I think as a showrunner, I have to keep my practical producer hat on and my creative writer, lover-of-the-material hat on at the same time," he added. "At the end of the day, I just have to keep marching not only the writing process forward, but also the practical parts of the process forward for the sake of the crew, the cast, and for HBO, because that's my job. So I can only hope that George and I can rediscover that harmony someday."

New details on House of the Dragon season 3 revealed

Matt Smith and company will be joined by at least three new faces next season (Image credit: HBO/Theo Whitman)

Away from the increasingly fiery exchange between the two creatives, Condal and HBO revealed new information on the hit series' forthcoming season.In a press release, HBO announced Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy) and Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts) had signed on to play Ser Roderick Dustin and Ser Torrhen Manderly in season 3. The duo join fellow newcomer James Norton (Happy Valley), who was previously confirmed to have joined the case as Ormund Hightower.Elsewhere, Condal teased the Battle of the Gullet, one of the most important conflicts that comprise the Targaryen civil war, will be adapted in season 3. Lastly, HBO revealed the show's next chapter will, like its forebear, contain eight episodes rather than the 10 that collectively told season 1's story.For more HotD coverage, refresh your memory with what happened last time around by reading my House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained piece. Alternatively, see if you agree with our ranking of the best Game of Thrones seasons.

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As artificial intelligence (AI) evolves, the rise of Agentic AI – systems that can act autonomously and make decisions without constant human oversight – holds immense potential to transform the workforce. These systems can automate complex tasks, boost productivity, and drive operational efficiency.However, as AI gains autonomy, it also introduces new challenges, particularly around accuracy and reliability. Issues like AI hallucinations underscore the need for careful management. And as businesses increasingly rely on AI for customer service, decision-making, and content creation, ensuring these systems are trustworthy becomes crucial.The future of work will be shaped by AI, not by replacing humans but by augmenting their abilities. While some jobs may be displaced, new opportunities will emerge, allowing workers to focus on tasks requiring creativity, strategy, and emotional intelligence. The key to this future lies in establishing strong guardrails to ensure AI’s responsible, effective use.

The Challenge of AI Hallucinations and Their Impact

Despite its capabilities, Agentic AI is far from flawless. One of the most significant challenges AI systems face is the phenomenon of "hallucinations," or instances where the AI generates information that is inaccurate, misleading, or completely false.These hallucinations occur because AI systems, particularly large language models (LLMs), learn from vast amounts of data, but they don’t always have a full understanding of the context or accuracy of that data. When the information fed into these models is incorrect or incomplete, the AI can produce responses that seem plausible but are factually incorrect.Hallucinations are particularly dangerous because they are difficult to detect. Unlike traditional software bugs that result in obvious error messages, AI hallucinations can appear as coherent and confident responses, making it challenging for users to spot errors.This poses significant risks for businesses that deploy AI in customer-facing roles. If an AI chatbot gives customers inaccurate answers, it can damage the company’s reputation, erode trust, and result in lost sales. For instance, a customer relying on an AI-driven customer service bot for urgent information could be misled by a hallucinated response, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction.For organizations, these hallucinations represent more than just a minor annoyance. They can have real financial and reputational costs. Businesses must ensure that their AI systems are both accurate and trustworthy if they are to capitalize on the benefits of automation without jeopardizing customer loyalty or operational efficiency.

The Role of Dynamic Meaning Theory in AI

To mitigate hallucinations and improve AI accuracy, it’s essential to focus on how AI understands and processes meaning. One framework that can help improve AI’s performance is Dynamic Meaning Theory (DMT). According to this theory, the meaning of words and phrases is not fixed but evolves dynamically based on context.In other words, the meaning of a term may shift depending on the surrounding information and the situation in which it is used. This concept is crucial for AI systems that need to generate contextually appropriate and accurate responses. DMT helps AI systems better understand the nuances of language, reducing the likelihood of errors caused by misunderstanding context. With this framework, AI models can become more adept at producing relevant, accurate, and nuanced outputs.

Mitigating Hallucinations and Ensuring Responsible AI Use

The key to preventing hallucinations is ensuring that AI systems are capable of continually learning from new data, feedback, and evolving language trends, so they can adapt to the ever-changing contexts in which they operate. This adaptability is critical in minimizing the occurrence of hallucinations.There are several strategies businesses can use leverage:Quality Data and Robust Training: One of the most effective ways to reduce hallucinations is to ensure that AI systems are trained on high-quality, accurate, and contextually relevant data. Enterprises can combine internal, proprietary data with external sources to provide a more comprehensive and accurate base for AI training.Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG): This approach integrates AI systems with real-time data retrieval mechanisms, ensuring that responses are grounded in the most up-to-date, relevant information available.Fine-Tuning: Regularly fine-tuning AI models with fresh, accurate data is essential to ensure that they remain aligned with the latest knowledge and trends. This process helps reduce bias and ensures AI systems are better prepared to handle complex queries.

Implementing Guardrails for Responsible AI

To navigate the growing power of Agentic AI, businesses must implement ethical guardrails. These include clear guidelines, transparent development practices, and systems for continuous monitoring. Human-in-the-loop systems can ensure that AI remains accountable by allowing for human intervention when necessary. Additionally, businesses should work with regulators to develop standards for AI use that prioritize safety, transparency, and accountability.In this new era of intelligent automation, AI can be a powerful ally, but only if we establish the right safeguards to guide its development and use. The future of work is at the intersection of technology and humanity, and the responsible use of Agentic AI will determine whether we realize its full potential or encounter unforeseen risks.

Read up about the best AI tools.

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

A hacker claims to have stolen sensitive information from the Florida Department of StateThe data includes email addresses on almost 500,000 peopleThe email addresses could be used in tailored phishing attacks

The Florida Department of State, the government organization tasked with overseeing elections, corporate registrations, historical and cultural resources, and library services, was allegedly hacked, with the attackers claiming to have stolen hundreds of thousands of records, including people’s email addresses.Researchers from Incogni explained a user with the alias Rey posted a new thread on an underground forum, claiming to have hacked the Florida Department of State and stealing 568,835 records.The data contains sensitive personal information belonging to “individuals associated with the Department”. While that could mean employees, or clients, given that the database is quite large, it could mean the general public, as well.

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In any case the stolen data includes first and last names, postal addresses, and email addresses.The latter is particularly worrisome, since it can be used for tailored phishing attacks. Threat actors could impersonate the Florida Department of State, and since the victims already interacted with the organization, they could be more susceptible to the attack.For Incogni, leaked information on postal addresses is even more concerning, since it can lead to address fraud or even physical harm to state employees, as well as possible identity theft.In total, 487,961 unique email addresses were allegedly grabbed. At press time, there is no confirmation on the authenticity of the hack. The Florida Department of State is yet to address the claims, as there are no updates in its newsroom site. Therefore, we don’t know if the affected people were notified of the breach at all.Furthermore, Have I Been Pwned?, a website that aggregates email addresses from known breaches, has not yet added this information to its database.Incogni advises everyone who thinks they might have been affected to update their passwords, first. “While no passwords were reported stolen, it’s a good idea to change them just in case. If you use the same password on other websites, be sure to update those too, and make sure each one is strong and unique,” the researchers said.Furthermore, being more cautious with incoming email messages can never hurt. Finally, keeping a close eye on all accounts, especially bank and credit accounts, is also advised.

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What's the next big game on Xbox?(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)Xbox players can look forward to South of Midnight later this month. Beyond that, there's a whole host of first-party offerings on the horizon, including titles like Doom: The Dark Ages, and Fable. The latter is yet to receive a full release date, and just got pushed into 2026, so hopefully we see more on the game sooner rather than later.

New Xbox Series X games will start arriving thick and fast once over the next few months, with new exclusives launching on Microsoft's most powerful consoles. There's certainly a lot to look forward to for Xbox fans.From South of Midnight to GTA 6, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S players will have plenty of new Xbox games to keep them busy for the rest of the year, and beyond – and we're here to tell you exactly when you'll get your hands on them.Below, we've rounded up all the release dates and windows for the biggest confirmed Xbox Series X games of 2025 and beyond. So, it's time to get your calendar out and start taking down some dates. As always, these release dates are subject to delays. If any games are pushed back, this page will be updated.

New Xbox games 2025: this year’s most anticipated releases

Below, you'll find a brief list of the biggest video game releases on the horizon, all for Xbox Series X|S.

South of Midnight - April 8 (PC, XSX|S)Doom: The Dark Ages - May 15 (XSX|S, PS5, PC)Borderlands 4 - September 23 (XSX|S, PS5, PC)GTA 6 - 2025 (PS5, XSX|S)

April

(Image credit: Compulsion Games)

South of Midnight - April 8 (PC, XSX|S)Lost Records: Bloom and Rage Tape 2 - April 15 (PC, PS5, XSX|S)Fatal Fury: City of Wolves - April 24, 2025 (PS5, PS4, XSX|S, XBO, PC)Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - April 24 (PC, PS5, XSX|S)

May

(Image credit: Microsoft/Xbox/id Software)

A medieval Doom prequel launches in May, as well as a sequel to Journey to the Savage Planet.

Doom: The Dark Ages - May 15 (XSX|S, PS5, PC)Sonic Wings Reunion - May 29 (PC, PS5, PS4, Switch)Elden Ring: Nightrein - May 30, 2025 (PS5, PS4, PC, XBO, XSX|S)Revenge of the Savage Planet - May TBC (PC, XSX|S, XBO, PS5, PS4)

2025 and TBC

(Image credit: Xbox)

Finally, here's a list of Xbox games that have been announced, but either don't have more than a release year attached to them yet, or are much further out. For now, they're simply TBC, but once each game does receive a release date, this page will be updated.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 - 11th July (PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch)Metal Solid Delta: Snake Eater - August 28 (PS5, XSX|S, PC)Shinobi: Art of Vengeance - August 29 (PS5, PS4, XSX|S, XBO, Switch, PC)Hell Is Us - September 4, 2025 (PS5, XSX|S, PC)Borderlands 4 - September 23, 2025Directive 8020 - October 2, 2025 (PS5, XSX|S, PC)Dreams of Another - 2025Dune Awakening - Early 2025 (PC)GTA 6 - Fall 2025Fable - 2026 (XSX|S, PC)Beyond Good and Evil 2 - TBCMarvel's Blade -TBCBioShock 4 - TBCDokeV - TBC (PC, PS5, XSX|S, PS4, XBO)Everwild - TBC (XSX|S, PC)Fallout 5 - TBCHaunted Chocolatier - TBCHollow Knight: Silksong - TBC (PS5, XSX|S, PS4, XBO, PC, Switch)Judas - TBCKingdom Hearts 4 - TBCMass Effect 5 - TBCPrince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake - 2026Phantom Blade 0 - TBC (PS5)Project 007 - TBCProject Mara - TBC (XSX|S, PC)Revenant Hill - TBC (PS5, PS4)Splinter Cell remake - TBCStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake - TBC (PS5)Star Wars Eclipse - TBCState of Decay 3 - TBC (XSX|S, PC)The Elder Scrolls 6 - TBCThe Outer Worlds 2 - TBC (PC, XSX|S)The Sims 5 - TBCThe Witcher 4 - TBCWonder Woman - TBCDying Light: The Beast - TBC

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What's the next big PS5 game to release?(Image credit: Mohsen Vaziri / Shutterstock.com)There are many big PS5 games to look forward to over the next couple of months, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Beyond that, there's Elden Ring: Nightreign, as well as Death Stranding 2. Hopefully, we'll continue to get release dates in the coming weeks. Now that the PS5 Pro is here, you can check out our PS5 Pro review, to see how the best PS5 games have been improved upon.

There's an excellent line-up of PS5 games set to launch in 2025. It's certainly shaping up to be a very good year to be a PlayStation fan, with big releases like GTA 6 sure to impress on Sony's newest consoles.New PS5 games will start coming out in the next few weeks, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle kicking things off in style. In the rest of 2025, many exciting new games are still set to be announced – with some even likely to land on our list of best PS5 games. It's a great time to be a PS5 owner for sure, especially when you consider that there's even more to follow in late 2025 and into 2026.Read on to learn the release dates for the biggest new PS5 games. As new release dates are revealed, or if certain games are delayed, this page will be updated. For now, here's what you'll be playing in the next 6 months or so, and beyond!.

New PS5 games 2025: this year’s most anticipated releases

Here's a short list of 2025's biggest and most anticipated new PS5 games. These all have release dates, which will be updated if there are delays or cancellations. As it's still early on in the year, expect even more games to be announced as we go.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - April 17, 2025 (PS5)Doom: The Dark Ages - May 15 (XSX|S, PS5, PC)Death Stranding 2 - June 26, 2025 (PS5)Borderlands 4 - September 23 (XSX|S, PS5, PC)GTA 6 - 2025 (PS5, XSX|S)

April

(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive / Microsoft)

Players will get their hands on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in April, which contains a huge open-world, and classic turn-based combat.

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage Tape 2 - April 15 (PC, PS5, XSX|S)Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - April 17 (PS5)Fatal Fury: City of Wolves - April 24, 2025 (PS5, PS4, XSX|S, XBO, PC)Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - April 24 (PC, PS5, XSX|S)Days Gone Remastered - April 25 (PS5)Forza Horizon 5 - 29th April (PS5)

May

(Image credit: id software/Bethesda)

Doom: The Dark Ages tears its way onto PS5 in May. It's a medieval prequel that sees the Doom Slayer armed with a new chainsaw-shield weapon. Oh, and you can ride a dragon.

Metal Eden - May 5 (PS5, PC)The Midnight Walk - May 8 (PS5, PC)Doom: The Dark Ages - May 15 (XSX|S, PS5, PC)Sonic Wings Reunion - May 29 (PC, PS5, PS4, Switch)Elden Ring: Nightrein - May 30, 2025 (PS5, PS4, PC, XBO, XSX|S)Lost Soul Aside - May 30 (PS5, PC)Revenge of the Savage Planet - May TBC (PC, XSX|S, XBO, PS5, PS4)

June

(Image credit: Kojima Productions)

June sees the release of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which features big name actors like Elle Fanning and Norman Reedus, as well as Mad Max director George Miller.

Five Nights At Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic - June 13, 2025 (PS5, PSVR2)Death Stranding 2 - June 26, 2025 (PS5)

2025 and TBC

(Image credit: Insomniac)

Now for the games that, while we know are coming, have yet to receive full release dates. Hopefully we'll hear more about the following games sooner rather than later.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 - 11th July (PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch)Metal Solid Delta: Snake Eater - August 28 (PS5, XSX|S, PC)Shinobi: Art of Vengeance - August 29 (PS5, PS4, XSX|S, XBO, Switch, PC)Hell Is Us - September 4, 2025 (PS5, XSX|S, PC)Borderlands 4 - September 23, 2025Directive 8020 - October 2, 2025 (PS5, XSX|S, PC)MindsEye - Summer 2025 (PS5)Arc Raiders - 2025Dreams of Another - 2025Dune Awakening - Early 2025 (PC)Digimon Time Stranger - 2025GTA 6 - Fall 2025Forever Skies - 2025 (PS5)Ballad of Antara - 2025 (PS5)Ghost of Yotei - 2025 (PS5)Where Winds Meet - 2025 (PS5, PC)Beyond Good and Evil 2 - TBCBioShock 4 - TBCDokeV - TBC (PC, PS5, XSX|S, PS4, XBO)Fallout 5 - TBCHades 2 - TBC (PC)Haunted Chocolatier - TBCHollow Knight: Silksong - TBC (PS5, XSX|S, PS4, XBO, PC, Switch)Judas - TBCMarvel's Wolverine - TBC (PS5)Kingdom Hearts 4 - TBCMass Effect 5 - TBCFairgame$ - TBC (PS5, PC)Marathon - TBC (PS5, PC)Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake - 2026Phantom Blade 0 - TBC (PS5)Project 007 - TBCRevenant Hill - TBC (PS5, PS4)Splinter Cell remake - TBCStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake - TBC (PS5)Star Wars Eclipse - TBCThe Elder Scrolls 6 - TBCThe Witcher 4 - TBCDying Light: The Beast - TBC

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PlayStation Plus free games change at the start of every month, and coming in at no extra cost to PS Plus members, these free games are a great way to expand your library on the cheap or pick up and try games that you might not have thought about initially.More often than not, you'll have three games to try out with each month's drop - which covers both PS5 and PS4 (so you're still set if you haven't jumped into the latest generation yet) - though sometimes we see some curveballs in the form of one or two fewer or more games. And we're also likely to see more PSVR games be thrown into the PS Plus free game mixer too.If you are a subscriber and don't make the most of the free games on offer from month to month, it's worth making it a habit to start claiming them when you can since they'll always be available to you as long as your subscription is live. Since the best PS5 games can set you back a pretty penny, this is a great way to make the most of your console without having to fork out new releases every month.The new line-up for April 2025 includes an excellent multiplayer horror game, and a shooter starring RoboCop. Read on for the full lineup.

PlayStation Plus free games: April 2025

(Image credit: Gun Interactive/Sumo Digital)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | PS5, PS4Take on the role of one of the notorious Slaughter family, or their victims, in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, a third-person asymmetrical horror experience based on the groundbreaking and iconic 1974 horror film. As a victim you must use your wits and stealth to stay out of the Family’s reach and find the tools you need to lead to your eventual freedom. Slaughter Family players must seek out, track down, and stop their guests from escaping. Players of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre can finally find out if they have what it takes to survive.RoboCop: Rogue City | PS5Become the legendary part man, part machine, all cop hero and bring justice to the dangerous, crime-ridden streets of Old Detroit. With your powerful Auto-9 or one of a range of weapons available, eradicate criminals throughout this explosive first-person adventure. Your cyborg strength and cybernetic abilities can be upgraded as you progress, to make you an even more formidable law enforcement officer.Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory | PS4After being accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Keisuke Amazawa has no choice but to dive into the Digital World and investigate to prove his innocence. Even if that means joining a group of hackers and helping them to solve the troubles threatening this mysterious universe. Discover the mysterious backstory to the events that happened in Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth as you dive into a deeper and darker adventure, at crossroads between real and digital and experience the perfect mix between Adventure, Raising and Battle with over 320 Digimon to discover.Available April 1 until May 5.

PlayStation Plus free games: 2025 archive

(Image credit: Sony)

Below, you'll find the PS Plus offerings for the last six months or so. Use these to see what you've missed, and to predict the kinds of games that might be available in the future.

PlayStation Plus free games: March 2025

(Image credit: Sega)

Dragon Age: The Veilguard | PS5 Unite the Veilguard and defy the gods in this immersive single-player RPG where you become the leader others believe in. When a pair of corrupt ancient gods break free from centuries of darkness, the vibrant land of Thedas needs someone they can count on.Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight back and lead your team of seven companions, each with their own rich story. Together you will become The Veilguard.Sonic Colors: Ultimate | PS4The evil Dr. Eggman has built an interstellar amusement park – but he’s powering it with a captured alien race called “Wisps.” Use Sonic’s speed to free the Wisps and gain their amazing powers as you explore six unique worlds, filled with hurdles to overcome. Now with stunning upscaled visuals, additional features, a new game mode and enhanced gameplay – it’s the Ultimate Sonic Colors experience.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection | PS4, PS513 classic Konami TMNT games are assembled in one incredible package! Experience 13 immensely popular and influential TMNT games in a totally radical collection from Konami. These retro nostalgia trips come with a range of new quality-of-life features, including online play for certain games and local couch play, the ability to save anytime and rewind, button mapping, unique development art & sketches, historic TMNT media content and more!

PlayStation Plus free games: February 2025

(Image credit: Squanch Games)

Payday 3 | PS5First up is Payday 3, the latest heist co-op shooter that sees players teaming up to pull off epic bank robberies. Expect stealth and action-packed shootouts in equal measure, as you and your squad slowly take on harder and harder jobs, with rewards increasing along with the risk.High on Life | PS4, PS5 Fresh out of high school with no job and no ambition, you’ve really got nothing going for you until an alien cartel that wants to get high off humanity invades Earth. Now, you and a team of charismatic talking guns must answer the hero’s call and become the deadliest intergalactic bounty hunter the cosmos has ever seen. Travel to a variety of biomes and locations across the cosmos, go up against the nefarious Garmantuous and his gang of goons, collect loot, meet unique characters, and more, in the latest comedy adventure from Squanch Games.Pac-Man World Re-Pac | PS4, PS5In this 2004 remake of the original PlayStation platformer, with improved UI, fine-tuned mechanics and updated visuals, Pac-Man arrives home on his birthday to find the Ghosts have kidnapped Pac-Man’s family & friends and ruined his party. Off to the rescue, Pac-Man sets out to Ghost Island. Dodge Ghosts, solve environmental puzzles, rescue the Pac-Fam, and more in this platforming adventure. Play a collection of 3D mazes in Maze mode, clear Quest mode to unlock the original Pac-Man game in Original mode.

PlayStation Plus free games: January 2025

(Image credit: PlayStation)

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League | PS5 Take down The Justice League yourself in single-player or team up with friends in multiplayer co-op in this genre-defying, action-adventure third-person shooter from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series. Featuring an original narrative set within an expansive open-world city of Metropolis, the game puts the four DC Super-Villains on a collision course with an invading alien force and DC Super Heroes who are now laser-focused on destroying the city they once vowed to protect.Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered | PS4Feel the thrill of the chase and the rush of escape in Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. Unleash a savage sense of speed both as an outlaw and a cop in the world’s hottest high-performance cars. Outsmart the heat or take down lawbreakers with the tactical weaponry at your disposal in a heart-pumping, socially competitive racing experience. Updated with enhanced visuals, cross-platform multiplayer – including the asynchronous competition powered by Autolog – plus all additional DLC content, this is the ultimate edition of Criterion Games’ critically acclaimed Need for Speed debut. It’s time to reignite the pursuit.The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe | PS4, PS5The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is an expanded re-imagining of the critically acclaimed, award winning indie game The Stanley Parable from 2013. Everything that was in the original Stanley Parable is here, preserved just like it was back in 2013. But The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe also dramatically expands the world of the original game with new content, new choices, and new secrets to uncover. The labyrinth has just gotten bigger. In addition, the game has been visually upgraded to reflect modern technology while faithfully preserving the tone of the original game. Accessibility features have also been added to the game, including localization of in-world text, colorblind options, and content warnings. And just as before, the impeccable voicework of Kevan Brighting will accompany you every step of the way.

PlayStation Plus free games: December 2024

(Image credit: Cold Iron Studios)

It Takes Two | PS4, PS5It Takes Two is a genre-bending platform adventure created purely for co-op. Choose from couch or online co-op with split-screen play, invite a friend to join for free with Friend’s Pass and work together across a huge variety of gleefully disruptive gameplay challenges.Aliens: Dark Descent | PS4, PS5Battle to keep your squad alive against the deadliest foe mankind has ever faced. Aliens: Dark Descent is a real-time combat strategy game where you’ll command a squad of hardened colonial marines to stop a terrifying Xenomorph outbreak on Moon Lethe. Lead your soldiers against iconic Xenomorphs, rogue operatives from the insatiable Weyland-Yutani Corporation and a host of horrifying creatures new to the Alien franchise. Infiltrate large open levels and annihilate enemies with your squad, dispatching orders strategically and intuitively. Tread carefully, as your foes will adapt their tactics to your actions while hunting you down because death is permanent.Temtem | PS5Every kid dreams about becoming a Temtem tamer; exploring the six islands of the Airborne Archipelago, discovering new species, and making good friends along the way. Now it’s your turn to embark on an epic adventure and make those dreams come true. Catch new Temtem on Omninesia’s floating islands, battle other tamers on the sandy beaches of Deniz or trade with your friends in Tucma’s ash-covered fields. Defeat the ever-annoying Clan Belsoto and end its plot to rule over the Archipelago, beat all eight DojoLeaders, and become the ultimate Temtem tamer.All three games will be available to PlayStation Plus members on December 3 until January 6.

PlayStation Plus free games: November 2024

(Image credit: Milestone)

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbo Charged (PS5, PS4)Race over 130 vehicles, including Hot Wheels Originals, Hot Wheels Monster Trucks, motorbikes and ATVs, each with their unique racing style, across multiple game modes and amazing environments. Upgrade vehicles with a dedicated skill tree that will directly affect their performance. Discover 5 brand new locations, master their secrets, and you’ll feel right at home both there and on the podium. Alternatively create the track of your dreams with the powerful Track Editor, or use the best creations from the community.Ghostwire: Tokyo (PS5)Tokyo is overrun by deadly supernatural forces as a dangerous occultist causes the city’s population to vanish in an instant. Join forces with a powerful spectral entity on their quest for vengeance and master a powerful arsenal of abilities to unravel the dark truth behind the disappearance as you face the unknown in Ghostwire: Tokyo.Death Note Killer Within (PS5, PS4)Death Note Killer Within is an online social deduction game for up to 10 players. Players will be split into two teams with different objectives. To win the game, players will need to figure out each other’s identities and either eliminate L who threatens Kira’s power or seize the Death Note. Enjoy a battle of wits as Kira and his followers, or as L and the investigators in the world of Death Note. As equally matched opponents, the two teams clash to control the game while hiding their true identities from each other.

PlayStation Plus free games: October 2024

(Image credit: EA / Motive )

Dead Space (PS5)First up this month is the Dead Space remake for PS5. The sci-fi survival horror classic returns, rebuilt to offer a deeper and more immersive experience. Isaac Clarke is an everyman engineer on a mission to repair a vast Planet Cracker-class ship, the USG Ishimura, only to discover something has gone horribly wrong. The ship’s crew has been slaughtered and Isaac’s beloved partner, Nicole, is lost somewhere on board. Now alone and armed with only his engineering tools and skills, Isaac races to uncover the nightmarish mystery of what happened aboard the Ishimura in hopes of finding Nicole.WWE 2K24 (PS5, PS4)A celebration of 40 years of WrestleMania, featuring iconic superstars past and present, playable across a vast array of game modes. Join the biggest superstars in sports entertainment as WWE 2K24 presents a retelling of WrestleMania’s greatest moments from the last 40 years. Take part in some of wrestling’s most unforgettable and career-defining matches, choosing from the likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Undertaker and Andre the Giant, alongside current contenders “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, John Cena, Rhea Ripley and Roman Reigns.Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! (PS5, PS4)Enter the psychological horror experience of Doki Doki Literature Club. You play as the main character, who reluctantly joins the Literature Club in search of a romantic interest. With every poem you write and every choice you make, you’ll charm your crush and begin to unfold the horrors of school romance. Do you have what it takes to crack the code of dating sims and get the perfect ending? This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed.

PlayStation Plus free games: September 2024

(Image credit: Tarsier Studios)

Quidditch Champions (PS4, PS5)Take to the sky and play out your QUidditch fantasy in any of the Wizarding game's four positions (Chaser, Seeker, Keeper, or Beater) in Quidditch Champions and experience legendary arenas and maps from across the wizarding world. Play solo to become a hero of the game, or play co-op online tot ake on the world together with friends - or take them on head-to-head in PvP matches.MLB The Show 24 (PS4,PS5)If you've been holding out for the best way to live your Major League Baseball dreams then MLB The Show 24 is the way to do it. Work your way up to the big leagues from scratch to become a legend of the sport, or go on a journey to create a World Series dynasty, or even learn about the unsung heroes of the sport in the latest excellent entry in the baseball game series.Little Nightmares 2 (PS4, PS5)Embrace this horror-themed platformer and delve into a dark and twisted world as you play as Mono, a young boy, who is joined by Six, returning from the first game. It's a journey of courage, stealth, and resourcefulness to navigate mind-boggling puzzles and gruesome enemies.

PlayStation Plus free games: August 2024

(Image credit: Warner Bros)

LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga (PS4, PS5)Play through all nine Star Wars saga films in a brand-new LEGO video game unlike any other. Experience fun-filled adventures, whimsical humor, and the freedom to fully immerse yourself in the LEGO Star Wars galaxy.Five Nights at Freddy’s Security Breach (PS4, PS5)Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach is the latest installment of the family-friendly horror games from Steel Wool Games. Play as Gregory, a young boy trapped overnight in Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex. With the help of Freddy Fazbear himself, Gregory must survive the near-unstoppable hunt of reimagined Five Nights at Freddy’s characters – as well as new, horrific threats.Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights (PS4)Unravel the mysteries of a destroyed kingdom in this dark fantasy 2D action RPG. Journey through the sprawling and hauntingly beautiful Land’s End, traversing a submerged forest, a sealed-off contaminated underground cavern, and a grand castle. Formidable bosses await that will gladly claim your life given even the slightest chance. Defeat these powerful foes and release them from their unending curse to recruit them as allies. Overcome the challenges before you and search for the truth with powerful knights at your side.

PlayStation Plus free games: July 2024

(Image credit: 2K Games)

Borderlands 3 (PS5, PS4)Step into the shoes of a Vault Hunter and loot and shoot your way across the edge of the galaxy in Borderlands 3. Offering co-op online and joyous split-screen action this bombastic, often-witty, first-person shooter with its distinct art style will provide an excellent adventure. Mayhem, banter, and ridiculousness will abound.NHL 24 (PS5, PS4)Take your sporting hit to the ice with one of the world's fastest and high-intensity sports in the world with NHL 24. The new engine behind this latest installment of the series brings the feeling of pressure, intensity, and speed right to the fore. Building on the entries that came before and offering a whole host of new features, this is the definitive way to enjoy ice hockey on PlayStation.Among Us (PS5, PS4)Identify the imposter in your space crew in Among Us and stop them before they sabotage your ship and kill everyone on board. The enormously popular online party game is a comedy-anecdote generator and will have you and your friends in stitches as you get your alibis in order and try to hold your spaceship together.

PlayStation Plus free games - Subscription prices

In order to get every batch of PlayStation Plus free games you'll need to have an active PS Plus subscription. This can be an Essential (the basic level), the mid-tier Extra subscription, or the top-end Premium subscription, as all will get you the monthly free games. If you're keen to jump in or want to check the latest prices for adding to your existing subscription of want to upgrade, then we've got the latest and lowest prices below.

PlayStation Plus free games - FAQs

Are there free games on PS Plus?Yes! As we've stated here on our dedicated PlayStation Plus free games page, each month a handful of games are available to PS Plus members and, as long as your subscription is live and active, then they are yours to keep and play!

Can I play free PS Plus games without a subscription?Sadly, no, PlayStation Plus free games are only available to run and play for those with an active subscription. That means that if you acquired some games one month when your sub was active, but then let it lapse, those games would become unavailable.

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What's new in Fortnite?(Image credit: Epic Games)Mortal Kombat has arrived in Fortnite Battle Royale. You can pick up the Scorpion Outfit in the store now, and find new mythic and weapons in-game. Scorpion himself will be found at one of the three new landmarks: The Living Forest, and The Dead Pool. Defeat him to earn the Kombat Kit and a special medallion. You'll be able to hook enemies and pull them towards you, dealing damage and pulling them out of position. There's a new bundle too, with Outfits for Katana and Raiden, in addition to some extra Scorpion cosmetics.

Fortnite Chapter 6 is finally here, continuing with Fortnite: Lawless, which completely switches up the map once again. There's new weapons to try out, you can now fire off Sub-Zero ice abilities, and there's a whole new Battle Pass to work through.Given that this latest season only just launched, it'll be a while before we hear details on the next season of Fortnite. For now however, there's still a whole new loot pool to try out, and a bunch of hip-hop skins to earn via the new Battle Pass. It's frequent updates like these that make Fortnite one of the best battle royale games around.Here's everything you need to know about the process of Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 ending, when the next season starts, and what to expect from Fortnite in the future.

When does the current season of Fortnite end?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 will end on May 2, 2025 at 2AM ET / 7AM GMT. This is according to the main Battle Pass screen in-game. In addition, Epic Games stated this end date and time in a recent blog post detailing the new season.It's worth noting that some previous seasons's timings shifted by a couple of days just before the new one was supposed to arrive, so timings here are always subject to change regarding downtime periods. The best place to keep up on specific updates closer to the launch of the new season is the Fortnite Status Twitter account. We'll be sure to keep this page up to date as well.

When is the next season of Fortnite?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

The next season of Fortnite has yet to be fully detailed, but it'll launch on May 2, 2025. This is when Chapter 6 Season 2 ends, and based on previous launches, we can expect downtime to end on the same day. If things change, and as we get closer to release day, we'll be sure to update this page.

What to expect from the next Fortnite season

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 is live, adding in a rapper named Big Dill, a new currency, and armored vehicles. Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero is a tie-in skin, and there's a big wolf crime boss to take down as well. Given that this all just launched, it'll be a while before we hear about the next season. For now, jump into Fortnite Lawless and get unlocking all the map POIs.

Fortnite Chapter 6 map changes

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2 is now here, bringing a new map to explore. It features large POIs like Crime City, with large buildings that can be explored and looted. Elsewhere, you'll find large mountains, long bridges and ancient buildings. With Fortnite Lawless now live, there's Outlaw Oasis, Shiny Shafts, and Lonewolf Lair.

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When will we hear more on Grand Theft Auto 6?(Image credit: Rockstar Games)The last we heard on GTA 6 came in the form of the game's first proper trailer, at the end of 2023. This was followed by the news that the game is targeting Fall 2025. In terms of future announcements, we're now well into the new year. Rockstar has been quiet so far, but given that GTA 6 is still expected in Fall 2025, we could be hearing more very soon indeed. For now, there's been no official word from Rockstar Games.

GTA 6 is easily one of the most hotly-anticipated games ever, with its predecessor still dominating sales charts. Thankfully, we do now know a fair bit about the next installment into the Grand Theft Auto series, including where it's set, and that it's currently slated to come out later this year.In terms of upcoming games, GTA 6 looks set to offer perhaps the most detailed open-world we've seen yet, that's if Rockstar Games can continue the success of Grand Theft Auto 5, that is. We now know that we'll be returning to Vice City this time around, a fact that means GTA 6’s story missions could reference some very iconic movies. One thing's for certain, the game is already looking very graphically impressive indeed.While we wait for more info on Grand Theft Auto 6, you'll find everything that's been confirmed so far in this article. As new details are revealed, we'll be sure to update this page. For now, here's GTA 6's setting, what we know about its protagonist, and all of the latest news and trailers.

GTA 6: cut to the chase

What is it? The next mainline Grand Theft Auto gameWhen does it come out? Fall 2025What can I play it on? PS5 and Xbox Series X/SWho's making it: Rockstar Games

GTA 6 release window - when does Grand Theft Auto 6 come out?

The iconic typeset of Grand Theft Auto greeted fans at the end of the game's first trailer in 2023. (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

GTA 6 will launch Fall 2025 on Xbox Series X|S and PS5. This was revealed in the game's first trailer, then later narrowed down in a subsequent financial report. Since then, Take-Two cemented the Fall 2025 release date. Aside from this release year window, however, we don't have any other specifics on when the game will come out. We'll have to wait for more info. In terms of a GTA 6 PC release, an ex-Rockstar dev has explained why GTA 6 won't come to PC at launch: 'This stuff is very complicated'.Speaking in a recent interview with Bloomberg TV's Wall St. Week, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick was asked about the highly-anticipated release of Rockstar Games' upcoming GTA title and why the publisher is being so secretive about its release date (via GameSpot):"We want to maintain the anticipation and the excitement. We have competitors who will describe their release schedule for years in advance. We've found the better thing to do is to provide marketing materials relatively close to the release window in order to create that excitement, and balance the excitement with unmet expectation. We don't always get it right. But that's what we're trying to do."Interestingly, GTA 6 will be able to make use of the extra power provided by the PS5 Pro at launch. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but unless Xbox launches a competitor, the best place to play GTA 6 could be Sony's most powerful console. We expect there to be a dedicated PS5 enhanced version of GTA 6, but we'll have to wait and see what Rockstar announces.In terms of when to expect a PC port, you might not have to wait long for GTA 6. This is according to Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick, who had this to say in a recent interview with IGN:"In an interview with IGN ahead of the company's recent financial results, Zelnick was asked whether the lack of a PC release is a mistake given the platform's prevalence."With Civ 7 it's available on console and PC and Switch right away,” he replied, referencing the recent multi-platform release of Sid Meier's Civilization 7. “With regard to others in our lineup, we don't always go across all platforms simultaneously. Historically, Rockstar [Games] has started with some platforms and then historically moved to other platforms.”It's expected that GTA 6 will be a colossal hit, with Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick recently predicting sales of current generation consoles to rise.

When was GTA 6 announced?

Many of you have been asking about a new entry in the Grand Theft Auto series.With every new project, our goal is always to significantly move beyond what we've previously delivered. We're pleased to confirm that active development for the next entry in the series is underway.February 4, 2022

GTA 6 was announced on February 4, 2022 via the Tweet embedded above. Ultimately, this was just confirmation that Rockstar was indeed working on GTA 6, and no other details were given aside from the fact that the game was in active development.

GTA 6 trailer

The GTA 6 trailer was revealed by Rockstar on December 4, 2023, after it leaked online. The trailer was initially scheduled for release the following day, but timelines were shifted. You can check it out above, in all its sun-drenched glory. It's 91 seconds long, and introduces us to Lucia, one of GTA 6's main protagonists. You'll also get some gorgeous shots of Vice City beaches, bars, and even an alligator.

What song is used in the GTA 6 trailer?(Image credit: Rockstar Games)Now that we have the first GTA 6 trailer, we can dig down into what it all means. The song that plays over it is Tom Petty's Love is a Long Road. This teases the themes of the game, which clearly focuses on a couple in love and on the run. Heartbreak and tragedy could be on the cards here, as well as a bit of romance amongst all the shootouts.

GTA 6 is set in Vice City

Reinterpreting real-world-like landmarks and features is a mainstay of the series and GTA 6's Vice City will carry that on. (Image credit: Rockstar)

We now know that GTA 6 will be set in the state of Leonida, which encompasses Vice City and beyond. In a newswire post, published just after the trailer, Rockstar describes the area as 'the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet'. We see a fair few shots of Vice City in the debut trailer, but it's still unclear whether other areas will be included at launch.A Bloomberg report published in 2022 claims that GTA 6's map was much bigger to begin with, encompassing areas based on both North and South America. This was apparently cut back during development, with Rockstar Games shifting and narrowing its focus to Vice City and the surrounding areas. These are likely the swamps and bridges we see in the trailer, based loosely on the Florida Keys.

Vice City in Grand Theft Auto 6 will look far more detailed than it did in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City from more than 20 years ago. (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

While this smaller launch map may sound disappointing at first, it's worth digging into other parts of the aforementioned report. Specifically, the fact that GTA 6's map may not remain static post-launch. Apparently, Rockstar plans to update the map with more cities and interior locations after release, mainly to give developers more breathing room and to cut down on overtime while GTA 6 is being worked on. According to Bloomberg, there will be new missions and new map areas added "on a regular basis".

GTA 6 story and playable characters

The two main characters from the GTA 6 trailer could indicate dual protagonists. (Image credit: Rockstar)

Rockstar Games revealed the first trailer for GTA 6 on December 4, 2023. In it, we're introduced to Lucia, one of the main protagonists of GTA 6. According to the leaked gameplay that popped up online early in 2023, GTA 6 could feature two playable protagonists. This is backed up by what's shown in the trailer, with Lucia and her partner, currently unnamed, shown pulling off robberies together.In terms of the story, GTA 6 looks set to follow the couple as they attempt to pull off a big score. Aside from that, we know that it'll take place in and around Vice City, and that Lucia has been incarcerated at one point or another. We'll need to wait to hear more on whether GTA 6 will indeed allow players to control Lucia and her partner, but for now, we know a lot more about Lucia than the unnamed man shown in the trailer. Given that they both feature on the game's main title card, it's a good bet that there are indeed two playable characters.

We now know that Troy Baker is not the voice behind the male character in the trailer. (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

It was rumored at one point that The Last of Us actor Troy Baker might be playing the male protagonist in GTA 6. Since then, we now know that no, Troy Baker isn't playing Grand Theft Auto 6's male protagonist, with the voice actor saying: "I want that guy, whoever it is, to get credit for his work".

GTA 6 news

Lucia seems to be the main playable character in GTA 6 but we'll have to wait to find out more about her journey - which seems to possible start in prison. (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Rockstar announces a new GTA 5 update for PC players that includes PS5 and Xbox Series X featuresRockstar Games has announced that a free PC upgrade for Grand Theft Auto 5 will be released in March that will add PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S features.Grand Theft Auto 6 will reportedly run at 30FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series XIn a now-deleted Kiwi Talkz podcast episode, Mike York, who previously worked on Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 as an animator, shared his thoughts on the next GTA entry and expects the game to run at 30FPS on console (thanks, GamesRadar).Analyst says there are those in the gaming industry who ‘hope’ GTA 6 will cost up to $100An analyst has claimed that there are those in the games industry who are hoping Grand Theft Auto 6 will cost up to $100.That's according to Epyllion's Matthew Ball (via IGN), who recently released his State of Video Gaming in 2025 report. In it, he said that there are some developers and publishers in the industry that "hope" Take-Two will raise GTA6's price from the current standard of $70 to between $80 and $100.GTA 6 is predicted to be “one of the biggest entertainment launches in history"This comes from market research firm DFC Intelligence (via the Financial Times), which states that it is likely to generate more than $1 billion in pre-orders alone. DFC Intelligence predicts that the game will hit a total revenue of $3.2 billion in its first 12 months, which is roughly double what its predecessor Grand Theft Auto 5 achieved in the same time period.Publishers are reportedly not announcing firm release dates to dodge GTA 6 launchA recent Bloomberg article states that "anticipation is so high” for GTA 6 that “some competing game publishers are waiting as long as possible to commit to their release dates for the fall”. This is reportedly so that the publishers can know whether GTA 6 will actually hit its current release window and “keep their own games far, far away" if it does.GTA 6 is still on trackThe latest financial results from Rockstar owner Take-Two Interactive, which were released yesterday November 6, have confirmed that the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 is still on track for a 'fall 2025' release.Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks aren't "as important as people think" says GTA: San Andreas devA former Grand Theft Auto developer has said the past Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks are unimportant and only happen due to Rockstar's secrecy. Read more in our full news writeup, here.GTA 6 is being described as one of the most important games in historyIn an interview with GI.biz (via IGN), industry analyst Mat Piscatella commented that GTA 6 will be an extremely important release, not just for Rockstar, but the industry as a whole: 'There's probably never been a more important thing to ever release in the industry, so no pressure.'Rockstar addresses GTA 6 leakRockstar Games formally confirmed that the GTA 6 leak that occurred in September 2022 was real. Releasing a statement via Twitter, the team advised this included "early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto." While they didn't comment on particular details spotted in the leak, the team said it's "extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared this way."Crucially, Rockstar's statement advised that the leak shouldn't cause any delays, stating "we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects." Promising an official update to this next game "when it is ready."GTA 6 suffers huge gameplay leakIn September 2022, Grand Theft Auto 6 saw what was easily one of the biggest leaks in gaming history. Since then, Rockstar and Take-Two have since removed these through copyright strikes.

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2025 is set to be a big year for Tech conferences around the world.If you need help deciding which to attend, or if you'd just like to check out the conferences on offer, TechRadar Pro has put together a list of the most anticipated festivals and events to keep you up to date!

Generative AI Summit LondonApril 1st-2nd | London, UKThis conference is a great opportunity to join AI front runners and industry leaders to bring the most innovative solutions and tools to your workplace. Why attend? Kate Sargent. Chief Data Officer at Financial Times and Rohit Dhawan, Executive Director and Group Head of Artificial Intelligence at Lloyds Banking Group.

CISO PerthApril 1st | Perth, AustraliaThis event will tackle everything from mitigation, response and recovery, GRC, cross-functional collaboration, leadership, to enabling business growth and aims to provide you with critical insights to help propel your business forward.Why attend? Hear from Peter Gigengack, Director Cyber Security, Department of the Premier and Cabinet of WA, Caitriona Forde, Managing Director, caIT Cyber Safe - and many more!

Techspo April 3rd-4th | Los Angeles, CAApril 7th-8th | Seattle, WATechspo will showcase all the best new ideas in software, mobile, AdTech, and internet technologies. Why attend? There will be product showcases and networking opportunities, so you can find the brightest minds and the best tech for your organization!

Technology & National Security ConferenceApril 4th-5th | Cambridge, MAHeld at Harvard Business School, the fourth annual Technology and National Security Conference will bring together students, DoD officials, and industry leaders to facilitate collaboration across a range of security challenges.Why attend? There will be expert panels on a range of subjects, including Space, Energy & Minerals, Shipbuilding, and more.

QCon April 7th-10th | London, UKSenior developers and adapters will meet to discuss emerging trends and best practice for the latest tech.Why attend? There will be keynote speeches from Moumita Bhattacharya, Senior Research Scientist at Netflix, and Sam Newman, Author of "Building Microservices".

Customer Success April 9th-10th | Denver, CLElevate your customer strategy with the best and brightest the industry has to offer, with innovations from all across the sector.Why attend? There will be speeches from Motorola's Director of Customer Success, Noah Reiter, and BlueConduit's Vice President of Customer Success, Roxcee Stacker.

Reuters Events: Industrial Decarbonisation EuropeApril 9th-10th | Amsterdam, NetherlandsNet Zero projects are a big focus for businesses, and this conference will bring together over 250 senior executives from metal and mining, cement, fuels, and chemicals.Why attend? There will be keynotes from Martijn Hagens, Senior Vice President BA Markets & CEO Netherlands, Vattenfall, and Trude Sundset, Chief Technical Officer, Norsk Hydro.

Google Cloud Next 25April 9th-11th | Las Vegas, NVThe Google Cloud Next 25 conference will connect cloud users from all across the world and from a range of industries - meet peers and leaders to share insights and strategies!Why attend? There will be keynotes from Thomas Kurian, CEO at Google Cloud and Jeanine Banks, VP & GM, Developer X, Google Cloud.

AI in Finance Summit NYApril 15th-16th | New York, NYCDAO is a hub of innovation, and will bring together fantastic speakers who can offer transformative insights on data and analytics.Why attend? Hear from Richa Singh, Director and Head of Data and AI at Lexington Partners, and Lingchen Guo and Senior Director of Intelligence and Data Solutions at Visa.

Georgia Technology SummitApril 16th | Atlanta, GAThe Georgia Technology Summit will bring together over 1,200 prominent business and technology leaders for networking and driving innovation industry wide.Why attend? Hear from Bret Taylor, Co-founder and CEO at Sierra, and Dr Raj Hazra, President & CEO at Quantinuum.

B2B ChicagoApril 28th-30th | Chicago, ILJoin manufacturing and distribution leaders in ecommerce to discuss strategy and innovation, as well as AI, SEO, and other B2B trends. Why attend? Keynotes will come from Ed Soo Hoo, CTO Worldwide Global Accounts, Innovation and Transformation Executive at Lenovo, and Emily Xu SVP, eCommerce and Marketing at Republic National Distributing Company.

Meta's LlamaconApril 29th | OnlineMeta is hosting a generative AI dev conference and will be sharing “the latest on [its] open source AI developments to help developers […] build amazing apps and products.”Why attend? Hear keynotes, attend workshops, and get hands-on experience with LlaMA and other Meta AI tech.

TSIA World InteractApril 29th- May 1st | Orlando, FLTSIA is a must-attend for anyone interested in data-backed insights into the transformative power of AI, and connect with industry experts and peers.Why attend? Hear keynotes Thomas Lah, Executive Director and Executive VP at TSIA, and JB Wood, President and CEO at TSIA

Generative AI SummitApril 29th-30th | Santa Clara, CAMeet with a community of AI developers and engineers to discuss deployment and optimization, and get the latest industry insights. Why attend? Hear keynotes from Luc Julia, Chief Scientific Officer at Renault Group, and Achin Bhowmik, CTO and EVP of Engineering at Starkey Hearing Technologies.

Running RemoteApril 29th-30th | Austin, TXRunning Remote is a great networking event for C-suite executives, founders, VPs, and leaders - for all to come together and grow hybrid strategies and ideas.Why attend? Hear keynotes Nick Bloom, Professor of Economics at Stanford University, and Erin Grau, Co-founder and COO at Charter.

For information about adding your event to this list, please contact ellen.jennings-trace@futurenet.com

OpenAI's ChatGPT is leading the way in the generative AI revolution, quickly attracting millions of users, and promising to change the way we create and work. In many ways, this feels like another iPhone moment, as a new product makes a momentous difference to the technology landscape.The AI bot, developed by OpenAI and based on a Large Language Model (or LLM), continues to grow in terms of its scope and its intelligence. Here we're going to cover everything you need to know about ChatGPT, from how it works, to whether or not it's worth you paying for the premium versions like Plus and Pro.If you're wondering what ChatGPT is, and what it can do for you, then you're in exactly the right place. For those of you who are just getting started with the tech, we'd also recommend our guide to how to use ChatGPT, which introduces a few ways to get the most out of the software immediately.You'll have noticed that ChatGPT has sparked something of an AI arms race, with Microsoft building Copilot based on the same technology, Google launching its own Google Gemini apps and X (formerly Twitter) getting in on the act with its Grok AI.There's also Anthropic, who have their own chatbot which is called Claude, and is being used by Amazon to power some aspects of its Alexa+ . Finally, let's not forget about Meta AI who has by far the biggest user base of all the AI platforms because it is embedded into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that was initially built on a family of Large Language Models (or LLMs), collectively known as GPT-3. OpenAI is currently using its GPT-4 models in the free version of ChatGPT, and Plus subscribers have access to the latest o1 model. All these models can understand and generate human-like answers to text prompts, because they've been trained on huge amounts of data so they can create responses that make it seem like a friendly and intelligent robot.OpenAI's,ChatGPT-4o (the o is for "omni") model, which is describes as "great for most tasks", can work across any combination of text, audio and images meaning many more applications for AI are now possible. ChatGPT-4o is also much faster at processing than previous versions, especially with audio, meaning that responses to your questions can feel like you are chatting to a person in real time.ChatGPT o1 model, uses more advanced reasoning, and is only available to Plus and Pro subscribers. OpenAI has recently announced that its new o3 model is available to all users. It comes in o3-mini and o3-mini-high, which is better for coding and logic, flavors. It uses longer thinking times to improve the accuracy of its answers.

ChatGPT can answer questions on almost everything (Image credit: Apple, inc, OpenAI)

This ability to produce human-like, and frequently accurate, responses to a vast range of questions is why ChatGPT became the fastest-growing app of all time, reaching 100 million users in only two months. The fact that it can also generate essays, articles, and poetry has only added to its appeal (and controversy, in areas like education).But early users have also revealed some of ChatGPT's limitations. OpenAI says that its responses "may be inaccurate, untruthful, and otherwise misleading at times". It can occasionally hallucinate facts, so always take what it says with a pinch of salt.Still, the world is currently having a ball exploring ChatGPT and, despite the arrival of a paid ChatGPT Plus version for $20 (about £16 / AU$30) a month, or the even better Pro subscription for $200 (about £165 / AU$325) a month you can still use it for free too, on desktop and mobile devices.

What can you use ChatGPT for?

ChatGPT has been trained on a vast amount of text covering a huge range of subjects, so its possibilities are nearly endless. But in its early days, users have discovered several particularly useful ways to use the AI helper. Here are some examples:

Summarizing articlesCreating codeLearning a foreign languageAs a therapistWriting scripts for videosGenerating images (using DALL-E 3 as well as its own native image generation)As a personal trainerWriting speeches for weddingsGenerating business ideasDoing serious research (using Deep Research)Search the web

Broadly speaking, these can be divided into natural language tasks and coding assistance. In our guide to six exciting ways to use ChatGPT, we showed how you can use it for drafting letters, writing poetry, and creating (or adapting) fiction. That said, it does still have its limitations, as we found when ChatGPT showed us just how far it is from writing a blockbuster movie.That hasn't stopped self-publishing authors from embracing the tech, though. With YouTube and Reddit forums packed with tutorials on how to write a novel using the AI tech, the Amazon Kindle store is already on the cusp of being overrun with ChatGPT-authored books.

ChatGPT can help you learn a foreign language. (Image credit: Apple, inc, OpenAI)

Other language-based tasks that ChatGPT enjoys are translations, helping you learn new languages (watch out, Duolingo), generating job descriptions, and creating meal plans. Just tell it the ingredients you have and the number of people you need to serve, and it'll rustle up some impressive ideas.But ChatGPT is also equally talented at coding and productivity tasks. For the former, its ability to create code from natural speech makes it a powerful ally for both new and experienced coders who either aren't familiar with a particular language or want to troubleshoot existing code. Unfortunately, there is also the potential for it to be misused to create malicious emails and malware.Native image generation has recently been added to ChatGPT's box of tricks, even sparking the recent trend of Studio Ghibli-inspired images flooding the Internet. You can also use ChatGPT for doing serious research using the Deep Research agent, which will research a subject for you, producing a full report. This currently requires a Plus or Pro subscription, but will be coming to the free tier very soon.ChatGPT search is another recent addition that means you can use ChatGPT instead of Google if you want to search using natural language-based searching.And finally, let's not forget its Advanced Voice Mode which lets you talk to the chatbot as you would talk to a friend, using your voice. Free tier users only get 15 minutes of Advanced Voice Mode a month. You'll need a ChatGPT Plus subscription to use it for longer.If you look beyond the browser-based chat function to the API, ChatGPT's capabilities become even more exciting. It's even been integrated into Apple's Siri, as part of its Apple Intelligence upgrade.

What can't ChatGPT be used for?

While ChatGPT is a pretty flexible tool, it can't do everything. There are some specific use cases which it falls foul of, however, we've found that even for the things it says it can't do, you'll still get an answer.For example, ChatGPT says it can't "engage in real-time conversations involving emotions", however while it has no real empathy, it will respond if you talk about your emotions. Meanwhile there are definitely some things it can't or won't do. For example, when it says it can't "access or interact in real-time with other devices", it really means it. Equally, when you ask it to draw a picture of Mickey Mouse you'll be told that it's a copyrighted image and it can't do that. Here's a list of the main things you can't do with ChatGPT:

Access or interact in real-time with other devicesEngage in real-time conversations involving emotionsComment on current affairs after 2021 without browsing the Internet.Create harmful content, impersonate private individuals or create content that infringes on copyright.Directly participate in conversations.Legal, medical or financial advice.

ChatGPT also has some pretty strict guidelines for creating content, whether its images or text. In general it avoids explicit, sexually suggestive, violent, or harmful content. We've already talked about copyright, but anything that violates copyright is out. It is also keen to avoid any content that is ethically dubious, like hate speech, discriminatory content, or anything that promotes illegal activities.There are also privacy and safety guidelines. User privacy is important to ChatGPT, as is the privacy of individuals. Finally, the safety of users is taken into consideration so ChatGPT will not promote anything to do with slef-harm or harmful behaviors.So what does this mean in practice? Well, if you ask ChatGPT what its political opinions are you'll find that it has none. Instead it will simply provide some information on both sides of most issues.Perhaps the biggest thing that ChatGPT won't do is be right all the time. AI is notoriously flakey when it comes to getting its facts right, and has been known to 'hallucinate'. Always check anything factual that AI tells you, and use multiple sources to check your facts, especially for complex or evolving topics.

What is ChatGPT search?

In October 2024 ChatGPT added a new feature called ChatGPT search. This enables you to use ChatGPT like a search engine, getting results from the web, with links to the pages it finds. It differs from a traditional search engine like Google in a few key ways though.For a start it’s conversational. You can ask it something like “What are the best pizza restaurants near me?”, then when it gives you the results (complete with links to the websites concerned) you can ask it a follow up question like “Which of those have good vegetarian options?”Secondly, there are no advertisements. Considering how crowded Google search results have become with sponsored content and ads this is something of a relief. We'd expect this to change one day, but right now it's advertisement free.Using ChatGPT search is easy. If you look at your ChatGPT prompt bar you’ll see a new search icon called Search. Tap or click this and you will be searching the web using ChatGPT, rather than engaging in the normal chatbot conversation. Each search result comes with a source. When you click this the sources open up a sidebar that shows citations.

(Image credit: OpenAI)

One of the best ways to use ChatGPT is via the Google Chrome extension which means you can search from the browser bar.ChatGPT search is currently available to all users, even on the free tier.

Can ChatGPT generate images?

Yes! ChatGPT generate images using DALL-E 3, a powerful image generator. DALL-E 3 is built into ChatGPT, so you use the same interface you use for text prompts, but if you ask what something looks like you'll get an image, or you can straight-up ask ChatGPT to create an image. An example of a sample prompt to create an image would be: "Draw an expressive oil painting of a booted foot landing in a puddle, depicted as an explosion of colors". Type that in and you'll get an image like this:

(Image credit: OpenAI)

You can then request more refinements. For example, if you then type, "Make the boot red", you'll get an image like this:

(Image credit: OpenAI)

You'll notice that it's not the exact same image as before, since a new image is generated each time you enter a prompt.You can enter really long image prompts and get some amazing results with DALL-E 3. For example, one prompt suggested on the OpenAI website is: "Digital illustration of a beach scene crafted from yarn. The sandy beach is depicted with beige yarn, waves are made of blue and white yarn crashing onto the shore. A yarn sun sets on the horizon, casting a warm glow. Yarn palm trees sway gently, and little yarn seashells dot the shoreline."When we tired it, it produced this lovely image:

(Image credit: OpenAI)

Your imagination is really your only limit when it comes to creating images in DALL-E 3, unless you're on the free tier, that is. On the free tier of ChatGPT we hit our daily limit for creating images with DALL-E 3 after just two tries. On the ChatGPT Plus subscription tier there didn't seem to be a daily limit for images.Any image you create can be downloaded. Images from DALL-E 3 are downloaded at 1024x1024 pixels in the webP image format.

What does ChatGPT stand for?

ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, which is a bit of a mouthful. Let's take a look at each of those words in turn.The 'chat' naturally refers to the chatbot front-end that OpenAI has built for its GPT language model. The second and third words show that this model was created using 'generative pre-training', which means it's been trained on huge amounts of text data to predict the next word in a given sequence.

An illustration from Google's 2017 research paper for the Transformer architecture, which ChatGPT is based on. (Image credit: Google)

Lastly, there's the 'transformer' architecture, the type of neural network ChatGPT is based on. Interestingly, this transformer architecture was actually developed by Google researchers in 2017 and is particularly well-suited to natural language processing tasks, like answering questions or generating text.Google was only too keen to point out its role in developing the technology during its announcement of Google Bard. But ChatGPT was the AI chatbot that took the concept mainstream, earning it another multi-billion investment from Microsoft, which said that it was as important as the invention of the PC and the internet.

Who created ChatGPT?

ChatGPT was created by OpenAI. OpenAI was founded in 2105 as a nonprofit company, but became a for-profit company in 2019. OpenAI was co-founded by Sam Altman who is the current CEO of the company.OpenAI has its headquarters in San Francisco, California and describes its purpose with the statement, "Our mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity."

When was ChatGPT released?

ChatGPT was released as a "research preview" on November 30, 2022. A blog post casually introduced the AI chatbot to the world, with OpenAI stating that "we’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way".The interface was, as it is now, a simple text box that allowed users to answer follow-up questions. OpenAI said that the dialog format, which you can now see in the Bing search engine and many other places, allows ChatGPT to "admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests".

A paid ChatGPT Plus subscription is available. (Image credit: OpenAI)

A more advanced GPT-4o model was released on May 13 2024 to all users, not just ChatGPT Plus subscribers, while the ChatGPT 3.5 model was finally retired in July 2024. A new ChatGPT-4mini version was also released in July 2024, which is quicker and better for everyday tasks.Going back into the mists of time, OpenAI did also previously release earlier GPT models in limited form – its GPT-2 language model, for example, was announced in February 2019, but the company said it wouldn't release the fully-trained model "due to our concerns about malicious applications of the technology".OpenAI released a larger and more capable model, called GPT-3, in June 2020, but it was the full arrival of ChatGPT 3.5 in November 2022 that saw the technology burst into the mainstream. Throughout the course of 2023, it got several significant updates too, which made it easier to use.

How much does ChatGPT cost?

ChatGPT is still available to use for free, but also has two paid-for tiers, a Plus and Pro membership, as well as a Teams membership for people who work in organizations.ChatGPT free tier has access to ChatGPT 4o-mini and limited access to ChatGPT 4o, with the option to use ChatGPT o3-mini by selecting the Reason mode. You get access to ChatGPT search, standard voice mode, limited image generation and custom GPTs.ChatGPT Plus costs $20 p/month (around £16 / AU$30) and brings many benefits over the free tier, in particular a choice of which model to use. ChatGPT Plus users get to choose between ChatGPT-4o, which is the standard model described as "great for most tasks" by OpenAI, ChatGPT-4o mini, which is a small model so has less features, but is faster, and ChatGPT-4, which Open AI has now deemed as "legacy".ChatGPT Plus subscribers also have limited access to the latest ChatGPT o1 model, which OpenAI describe as "better at coding, math and writing". There's also a faster, but smaller, o3-mini model and a o3-mini-high model, which is great at coding and logic.You also get everthing in free plus access to ChatGPT search and ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode.Next there is the ChatGPT Pro membership, which costs a hefty $200 p/month (around £165 / AU$325), but comes with everything in Pus, as well as additional benefits for people who use OpenAI's AI video generation tool, Sora, and unlimited access to o1, o3-mini, o3-mini-high, GPT-4o, and advanced voice (audio only) as well as access to o1 Pro mode.Finally there is also a Team option which costs $25 per person/month (around £19 / AU$38) which enables you to create and share GPTs with your workspace as well as giving you higher limits.

ChatGPT Plus will cost you $20 a month, while Pro is $200. (Image credit: Apple/OpenAI)

What do ChatGPT Plus users get?

The big benefit to upgrading to a ChatGPT Plus account is that it promises to give you full access to ChatGPT even during peak times, which is when you'll otherwise frequently see "ChatGPT is at capacity right now” messages during down times. You also get a limit of 5x more messages for ChatGPT 4o.OpenAI says the ChatGPT Plus subscribers also get "faster response times", which means you should get answers around three times quicker than the free version (although this is no slouch). You also get access to more images from the image generator DALL·E, which is highly regarded for image creation. The free tier limits you to two free images a day, whereas a ChatGPT Plus account gives you 1,000 images a month, which works out at 33 a day, but there is no daily cap. There's also the ability to create and use custom GTPs.You also get a free choice of which model to use. Currently that is a choice between ChatGPT-4o, ChatGPT-4o mini and ChatGPT-4 as well as limited access to the most recent ChatGPT o1 and o3-mini and o3-mini-high. We'd recommend ChatGPT-4o for most things, since it has the most features, but the lightweight ChatGPT-4o mini model can be faster for everyday tasks. ChatGPT Plus subscribers also get access to the old ChatGPT 3.5 as an API only.

On the Plus tier your ChatGPT model options are plentiful. (Image credit: Apple/OpenAI)

In contrast, free tier users have no choice over which model they can use. OpenAI say it will default to using ChatGPT-4o with a limit on the number of messages it can send. If ChatGPT-4o is unavailable then free users default to using ChatGPT-4o mini.It isn't clear how long OpenAI will keep its free ChatGPT tier, but the current signs are promising. The company says "we love our free users and will continue to offer free access to ChatGPT". Right now, the Plus and Pro subscriptions are apparently helping to support free access to ChatGPT. Whether that's something that continues long-term is another matter.ChatGPT Plus users get access to Advanced Voice Mode as well as ChatGPT search.

How does ChatGPT work?

ChatGPT has been created with one main objective – to predict the next word in a sentence, based on what's typically happened in the gigabytes of text data that it's been trained on. It's sort of like a super-advanced autocorrect.Once you give ChatGPT a question or prompt, it passes through the AI model and the chatbot produces a response based on the information you've given and how that fits into its vast amount of training data. It's during this training that ChatGPT has learned what word, or sequence of words, typically follows the last one in a given context.For a long deep dive into this process, we recommend setting aside a few hours to read this blog post from Stephen Wolfram (creator of the Wolfram Alpha search engine), which goes under the bonnet of 'large language models' like ChatGPT to take a peek at their inner workings.But the short answer? ChatGPT works thanks to a combination of deep learning algorithms, a dash of natural language processing, and a generous dollop of generative pre-training, which all combine to help it produce disarmingly human-like responses to text questions. Even if all it's ultimately been trained to do is fill in the next word, based on its experience of being the world's most voracious reader.It does sometimes go a little bit crazy, and OpenAI has been honest about the 'hallucinations' that ChatGPT can have, and the problems inherent in these LLMs. Be wary of relying completely on anything ChatGPT says.

Does ChatGPT have an app?

For a while, ChatGPT was only available through its web interface, but there are now official apps for Android and iOS that are free to download, as well as an app for macOS. The layout and features are similar to what you'll see on the web, but there are a few differences that you need to know about too.One of the big features you get on mobile that you don't get on the web is the ability to hold a voice conversation with ChatGPT, just as you might with Google Assistant, Siri, or Alexa. Both free and paying users can use this feature in the mobile apps – just tap on the headphones icon next to the text input box.

ChatGPT is now available in a mobile app. (Image credit: OpenAI)

The arrival of a new ChatGPT API for businesses means we'll soon likely to see an explosion of apps that are built around the AI chatbot. In the pipeline are ChatGPT-powered app features from the likes of Shopify (and its Shop app) and Instacart. The dating app OKCupid has also started dabbling with in-app questions that have been created by OpenAI's chatbot.

What are 4th generation ChatGPT models?

On March 14, 2023, OpenAI announced that its next-gen language model, GPT-4, was available to developers and ChatGPT Plus subscribers – with Microsoft confirming that the new Bing is already running on GPT-4.The big change from GPT-3.5 is that OpenAI's 4th generation language model is multimodal, which means it can process both text, images and audio. This means you can show it images and it will respond to them alongside a text prompt – an early example of this, noted by The New York Times, involved giving GPT-4 a photo of some fridge contents and asking what meals you could make from the ingredients.In May, OpenAI released ChatGPT-4o, an improved version of GPT-4 with faster response times, then in July a lightweight, faster version, ChatGPT-4o mini was released. Apps running on GPT-4, like ChatGPT, have an improved ability to understand context. The model can, for example, produce language that's more accurate and relevant to your prompt or query. GPT-4 is also a better multi-tasker than its predecessor, thanks to an increased capacity to perform several tasks simultaneously.OpenAI also says that safety is a big focus of GPT-4, with OpenAI working for over six months to put it through a better monitoring framework and through using experts in a range of specialist fields, like medicine and geopolitics, to make sure its answers are both accurate and sensitive.

An example surfaced by The New York Times of a GPT-4 model's ability to understand image-based prompts (with mixed results). (Image credit: The New York Times)

While GPT-4 isn't a revolutionary leap from GPT-3.5, it is another important step towards chatbots and AI-powered apps that stick closer to the facts and don't go haywire in the ways that we've seen in the recent past.Another new feature is the ability for users to create their own custom bots, called GPTs. For example, you could create one bot to give you cooking advice, and another to generate ideas for your next screenplay, and another to explain complicated scientific concepts to you. There's even an app store of sorts for them too.

My Analysis

Do you like using ChatGPT? I find AI can be a great tool for doing all the boring stuff, like analysing data from spreadsheets for me, or as a tool for spitballing ideas if I haven't got anybody else to bounce them off. But I also love having a bit of fun with AI. I like probing it to try and trick it into slipping up and contradicting itself.What's your favourite way to use ChatGPT? My favourite way to use ChatGPT is with the Advanced Voice mode via my smartphone. Sure, there are a few glitches here and there that remind you that you're talking to an AI, but it in general it can be just like having a conversation with a real person. You can upload images and ask it what it thinks too, or get it to listen and give you feedback on a speech you want to give.Are you excited about its future? People view the future of AI with as much trepidation as excitement and are worried about the implications of a future ChatGPT being indistinguishable from a human being, especially when it comes to it taking people's jobs. I'm optimistic that improved AI doesn't have to mean an end to creativity, or employment, and we can learn how to use AI as another tool for human creativity instead of a replacement.Do you have any reservations about it? As we move further into the AI-age we need to get used to always questioning if what we're seeing and hearing is real or a product of AI. That's where my biggest reservations lie.Do you think people should use it? There's an old saying that you can't put the genie back in the bottle, but I think people need to be very careful where they use AI and it should be clearly labelled as created with AI, if AI was involved. I wouldn't like to be reading an article on a trusted news source, or watching a video only to discover that it wasn't even created by a human, for example.

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Nintendo Switch 2 dev kits don't have 4K output according to a new reportThe new rumor suggests the Switch 2 won't feature 4K output either, but contradicts earlier rumors that it will in docked modeThe Nintendo Switch 2 Direct tomorrow is expected to reveal new hardware details

A new Nintendo Switch 2 rumor suggests that the console might not feature 4K output at launch if reports of the capabilities of the dev kits are anything to go by.This comes from the latest episode of the Insider Gaming Weekly podcast, where Tom Henderson shared some insight on the upcoming Switch console, saying that one source at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) told him that some dev kits don't offer 4K output."I heard this from one developer at GDC and also heard it separately in an email... but the dev kits, or some of the dev kits, don’t have a 4K output," Henderson said."So that tells me, does it mean that the Nintendo Switch 2 will also not have a 4K output when it's released?"It's important to note that although dev kits may not have this feature, it doesn't necessarily mean the final version of the Switch 2 won't, since the system won't offer the same specs as an unfinished product.

Henderson also stressed that this isn't confirmed and that fans should take this rumor with a pinch of salt, considering earlier reports claimed that the console will support 4K when in docked mode and 1080p resolution during handheld.The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Showcase is scheduled to air tomorrow April 2, so we should get all our answers during the broadcast. The long-awaited event is also expected to offer fans a new look at the hardware, along with a final release date, pre-order, and pricing details.It's also speculated that we'll see new footage of the new Mario Kart game running on the console, as well as potential unannounced software, like the rumored Mario Kart Odyssey sequel or a new The Legend of Zelda game.We're covering the Switch 2 Direct build-up right here!

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Black Ops 6 Season 3 launches Wednesday, April 2, adding new maps, some new weapons, as well as a set of iconic tie-in skins (this one's for Kevin Smith fans). This means that next week, players will have a whole host of new features to check out, whether that's in Zombies, Warzone, or core Multiplayer.Even without extra Season Three, we're still having a blast with Black Ops 6, landing it a place on our list of the best FPS games to play in 2025. This upcoming refresh sees the return of Verdansk to Warzone, and it's looking very close to the original indeed.Here's what we know about Black Ops Season 3 so far, including a closer look at Wednesday's confirmed release time, as well as what's set to be added. It's worth noting that times do vary depending on your time zone, so be sure to check out the information below for when Season 3 launches in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and Japan.Update (April 1, 2025): Added the news of the fresh zombies enemies coming to the game alongside tomorrow's update, as well as some info on new Gobblegums. We can't wait to unlock the Die Pitched Gobblegum, which gives all enemies high-pitched voices for three minutes!

Black Ops 6 Season 3 release time in your time zone

(Image credit: Activision)

The Black Ops 6 Season 3 release time is April 2 at 9AM PST / 12PM EST / 5PM GMT. Here are some more specifics related to the release schedule per your timezone:

9AM PST: West Coast (US)12PM EST: East Coast (US)5PM BST: United Kingdom (UK)6PM CET: Europe2AM JST (Friday, February 21): Japan4AM AEDT: (Friday, February 21): Australia

Black Ops 6 Season 3 - what's being added?

(Image credit: Activision)

Activision has now announced what'll be added to Black Ops 6 as part of Season 3. This includes new maps, weapons, and modes, as well as big updates to Warzone. Here's a brief summary of what's being added:

Maps: Barrage (6v6), Nomad (6v6, 2v2), Firing Range (6v6)Weapons: CR-56 AMAX Assault Rifle, HDR Sniper Rifle, Nail Gun Special Weapon, Kali Sticks (Melee)Attachments: Monolithic Suppressor, SWAT 5.56 Grau Conversion, C9 10MM Auto 30-Round MagsModes: Sharpshooter, DemolitionPerk: Close Shave - Automatically use your Dedicated Melee attack when you perform a weapon butt attack. Simply tap the Melee button to attack. Like the old daysBundle: Jay & Silent Bob, Digital Dreamin', United Force Tracer PackWarzone: Return of Verdansk, back to basics gameplay tweaks. More in this blog.Zombies: Shattered Veil map, Double Tap Perk, Ray Gun Mark II & Wunderwaffle DG - 2 Wonder Weapons. Elder Disciple and Toxic Zombie enemies. New Gobblegums.Events: Black Ops TributeOperators: Hudson, Mace, R0-Z3

For a full breakdown of Black Ops 6 Season 3, visit the Call of Duty blog. You'll be able to see the specifics on the new maps and modes that'll arrive soon.

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If you ever needed a definitive example of how money doesn’t necessarily buy you success or taste, take a look at Amazon’s studio arm. The mega-retailer’s production division, now known as Amazon-MGM, has been making movies for more than a decade. Very few of the entries in its lineup have been world-beaters, but that hasn’t deterred the outfit from persisting. The New York Times is today reporting that under its new head, Courtney Valenti, Amazon’s movie division has plans to own the in-person cinema experience.

Amazon is apparently gearing up to release “up to 14 big, broad commercial films a year to theaters nationwide and around the world.” Each film would spend 45 days in the theaters before heading to pay-per-view and then to Prime Video at some point after. The move comes in the face of shrinking box office receipts and fewer people heading to the cinema in general. Not to mention it’s also planning to produce an equal number of films that’ll go direct to Prime, which seems counter-intuitive given the desire to push people toward theaters.

That doesn’t recognize the shift in viewing habits, especially among younger people, who’d much rather sit and watch YouTube for hours at a time. Or that the box office took a hit because of COVID-19 that it never really bounced back from. Or that a lot of people would rather wait for a film to become available “for free” on a service they already pay for.

It also doesn’t take into account the fact cinemas are becoming increasingly unaffordable, and not that nice a place to sit for multiple hours. Last year, the cinema industry said it would spend $2.2 billion renovating their facilities to lure wary customers back. The planned additions included renovations for chairs and carpets, as well as the construction of ziplines and pickleball courts. Nowhere on the list was mentioned “make cinema tickets cheaper” or “don’t make viewers sit through half an hour of TV adverts before the trailers.”

At the risk of sounding obvious, that’s one hell of a lot of material for one company to put out in a year. Especially when so many competitors with better track records are putting out far fewer films and seeing success. On paper, 14 movies a year feels like the sort of strategy you could last get away with in the 1980s. After all, people had fewer options, cinemas were busier and studios could rely on the triple-whammy of the box office, rental and VHS markets.

It doesn’t help Amazon isn’t pledging to make quality movies, just lots of them, which suggests a mindset that doesn’t value scarcity. After all, there are many instances of things made and sold in small, limited quantities that garner far more attention than something mass-produced. Think about how hard it is for one of those latter-day Marvel movies to stick in the consciousness when you know there’ll be another one along in a month or two.

It calls to mind Amazon’s battles with the Broccolis, until recently the custodians of the James Bond franchise. Let’s not overthink this, they are just silly spy movies — but ones made with a level of craft and attention rarely seen in the modern era. The fact there can be a multi year gap between entries in the series means each film gets far more attention. That was in conflict with Amazon’s apparent desire to use the Bond name to push out a thousand different streaming series, game shows and movies on a regular basis.

And, at the risk of sounding uncharitable, it’s not as if Amazon’s movie slate has been a hit parade thus far. Many of the studios’ buzzier hits were picked up at film festivals rather than coming from inside, while its homegrown fare has floundered. That’s not to say its rivals are doing any better on this front — just read the reviews of The Electric State to show you how badly Netflix is throwing mad money at C+-tier projects.

I often wonder if people look at the success of Disney’s big Marvel tentpoles and assume that it’s easy to replicate. A film like Avengers: Endgame was the payoff to a decade-long plan built from the ground-up on the backs of less successful films. Across 2024, Disney put 15 films into cinemas, but even a mega-behemoth like Disney does it across its seven or eight different divisions.

In terms of attractive pitches, 14 films a year from the people who spent more than $200 million on Red One isn’t particularly compelling. Amazon’s going to have to give people a reason to get out to the theaters, but that’s going to be a challenge if the emphasis is on putting more raw material into the pipeline rather than making anything halfway considered or compelling.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/amazons-new-cinema-plan-is-perfect-for-the-80s-150653674.html?src=rss

Apple’s Find My feature has finally been enabled in South Korea, according to a company announcement translated by Apple Insider. This comes after years of public demand in which the finding network tool was absent from the country. The omission was especially odd when you consider that Apple sold AirTags throughout the region. Without Find My, they are basically just puck-shaped paperweights.

The company never explicitly stated why it limited access to Find My in South Korea, but it appeared to be related to local laws that could have allowed the government access to the location data. The service first appeared during a beta test of iOS 18.4, but the official software update makes it available to everyone in the country. Find My has long been functional in South Korea’s outlying territories like Baengnyeongdo and Ulleungdo.

"Find My is an important tool that allows users to grasp the location of the most precious things to them, such as friends, family and personal items, and I am very happy to be able to introduce this function to Korea," said David Dorn, senior director of Apple's service products, in a statement on the company's local website.

The modern iteration of Find My launched in the US in 2019 as part of iOS 13. However, the tool actually dates back to a service called Find My iPhone that started in 2010. Apple recently expanded functionality to let users share the location of a lost item with other people on the network. This is helpful when negotiating the return of a lost item with a stranger.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/apples-find-my-has-finally-launched-in-south-korea-151437244.html?src=rss

Researchers found an unprotected database containing sensitive customer dataIt belongs to APIsec, a company specializing in API security testingAffected customers were allegedly notified

APIsec, a company specializing in proactive, automated, and continuous API security testing, may have inadvertently leaked sensitive customer data online, experts have said.The discovery was first made by cybersecurity researchers UpGuard, and later confirmed by the company itself.The data was being stored in an internet-connected database that wasn’t password-protected, and has apparently remained like that for “several” days before being locked down as soon as UpGuard notified APIsec.

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Notifying affected customers

Since the company tracks its clients’ APIs for security weaknesses, most of the data was generated by its own products.Some of the data dated back to 2018, and included both customer employees and users’ names, email addresses, as well as API security posture information. Since this data included things like whether or not 2FA was activated, it is the type of information that can prove quite useful for a threat actor.APIsec reportedly first tried to downplay the importance of the incident, saying the database held “test data”, that it wasn’t the company’s production database, and that it didn’t hold customer data, but changed its stance when presented with information suggesting otherwise.Apparently, UpGuard found evidence that the database also held data from real-world corporate customers, including names and emails, and scan results.When TechCrunch shared the information with APIsec, it later said that it notified customers whose personal information was found in the data. However, it didn’t want to say how many people were affected, nor did it want to share a copy of the breach notification letter.Unprotected databases remain one of the key causes of sensitive data leaks. Many organizations use the cloud to host information about their employees, clients, or customers, forgetting the fact that cloud hosting works on a shared responsibility model.

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Deep Research is coming to the free tier of ChatGPT very soonThe Plus tier still offers considerable advantages over the free tierChatGPT Plus has much higher usage limits and features

ChatGPT’s Deep Research has proved to be incredibly popular. It acts like a team of researchers who head off online and research a complex subject for you before returning with a full report, including sources, on the subject you’ve asked it to investigate.For example, using Deep Research you could ask ChatGPT to compile a report on how the gaming industry has changed in the last three years and it would get back to you with a full report complete with data tables and sources.Deep Research falls under the category of an AI agent because it can act independently. You effectively give it a task and off it goes to research it for you before using its AI to apply reasoning before coming to conclusions.

From Pro to Plus

Deep Research started off on the Pro tier of ChatGPT, which costs a whopping $200 (£165 /AU$325) a month, but very quickly moved to the more reasonable $20 (£16 / AU$30) Plus tier, where I’ve been enjoying it for the last few weeks. It was always the plan that Deep Reasoning would move to the free tier of ChatGPT eventually, but it looks like this may happen sooner than later.X user Tibor Blaho recently noted, in a discussion about Deep Research with two of OpenAI's Technical Staff, that they revealed it was coming to the free tier very soon.

"We are launching [ChatGPT Deep Research] to free very soon!" https://t.co/xFm3MehVhF pic.twitter.com/LxfkJgj9lTMarch 29, 2025

While this is obviously great news for free tier users, it brings into question whether the Plus tier of ChatGPT is still worth paying for. I think it is, and I’ll give you a few reasons why:

1. Fewer limitations

Sure, Deep Research may be coming to the free tier of ChatGPT very soon, but I bet you it’s limited to just a small sample of uses a day.If you’ve been following ChatGPT’s recent server meltdown caused by the release of its native image generation abilities you’ll be aware that ChatGPT has limited its image generation allowances to just three images on the free tier.Being able to generate only three images a day is hopelessly restrictive, and while they may up the limit in the future, I would expect the release of Deep Research into the wild to elicit a similarly huge response from the public, causing yet another server meltdown and tough restrictions being imposed to the free tier.Basically, everything is limited in the free tier, including things like how many files you can upload to ChatGPT a day. On the Plus account, you don’t need to worry about that. While there are still some limits, you rarely ever get close to them.

2. More LLMs

Having a Plus account also comes with a whole range of benefits, but the main one is access to more LLMs. On the Plus tier, you can (currently) access ChatGPT 4o, 4o-mini, 4, 4o with scheduled tasks, 4.5, o1, o3-mini and o3. That’s a lot of choice! On the free tier, you only have access to ChatGPT 4o-mini, with some very limited access to 4o and o3-mini.You’ll find that these different LLMs are more useful when it comes to doing complex tasks that require more reasoning, not to mention that you get a chance to play around with the research preview of OpenAI’s very latest model, ChatGPT-4.5

Sora AI video generation (Image credit: Future)

3. Sora video generation

On a Plus account, you get limited access to Sora AI video generation. Sora is great, but to really use it properly and create clips that don’t have a watermark on you need a Pro account, (provided you are in the US) you can at least experiment with it in the Plus account, which is great fun.

Using ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode. (Image credit: Shutterstock / Rokas Tenys)

4. You can talk to ChatGPT and have it talk back

Advanced Voice mode is one of the best ChatGPT features, and you need a Plus account to access it for more than 15 minutes a month. 15 minutes is really just a preview of the feature, and you'll find you run out of time before you've really had a chance to explore.There are a range of different voices available for you to choose from, and it makes ChatGPT feel more personal and intimate.You can access Advanced Voice mode from the ChatGPT website or its various apps, including mobile, and for many people, it’s their preferred way of using ChatGPT.

5. All the extras

Those are the main benefits to using ChatGPT Plus, but of course you get everything that you get in the free tier as well, including ChatGPT Canvas and ChatGPT search.While ChatGPT search is available in both the free and Plus accounts, there are some other features that you only get with Plus like projects, which is a way to group files and chats together, tasks, which can be scheduled for another time, and the ability to create custom GPTs, so you can create exactly the sort of chatbot you want for a specific task.All in all, there are more than enough good reasons to keep your ChatGPT Plus subscription, even if Deep Research becomes available on the free tier. I think you'd find that going back to the free tier from the joys of a Plus subscription would be a deeply frustrating experience.

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Whether you’re a true cord-cutter or you just want to watch the next season of Stranger Things when it (eventually? maybe?) drops, everyone’s on the lookout for streaming deals nowadays. Plenty have chosen VOD and live TV streaming services over traditional cable in recent years, but the savings that choice got you just a few years ago have somewhat evaporated now. Companies like Netflix, Disney, Max and others have been consistently raising prices to the point where you may question if streaming is even worth it anymore.

We at Engadget still think so, for many reasons, but you can (and should) be smart with your money at the same time. Streaming deals are an option, even if they don’t come around with the same regularity as discounts on AirPods do. If you’re looking to save money and still stream all of the content you want, Engadget can help by laying out the best streaming deals you can get right now, how you can save with bundles and everything you should know before paying for yet another streaming service.

Best streaming deals

True streaming deals can be hard to come by. Most often, they’ll pop up during the Black Friday shopping period. On occasion, we’ll see them sparingly throughout the year and they usually take the form of a discounted monthly or annual rate for a limited period of time. Also, true streaming deals are typically on the ad-supported versions of a service, but once in a while you’ll find a unicorn of a deal on a tier that has ad-free viewing.

If you’re able to wait for a deal before subscribing to a streaming service, we recommend doing so. You’ll save money upfront and in the long run, and you also have the option to cancel your subscription before the price goes back up to the normal rate. Maybe you find you like the service so much that you’re fine paying full price for it — that’s the ideal situation. But if you’re not compelled to keep that app on rotation in your smart TV, most streaming services make it easy for you to cancel at any time. With that said, these are the best streaming deals you can snag right now.

Starz (one year) for $24 ($46 off): Starz's latest offer gives you one year of access for only $24, which shakes out to just $2 per month. This represents a 66-percent discount off the standard annual plan. This gives you access to all Starz content, including originals like Power Book III: Raising Kanan and movies like Fast X. If you'd prefer less of a commitment, you can get three months of access for only $9.

Paramount+ student discount - 50 percent off any plan: For March Madness, students can get half off any Paramount+ plan through April 8. To get the discount, scroll to the bottom of the Paramount+ homepage and click "Are you a student?" CBS shares broadcast rights with Warner Bros. Discovery this year for the men's tournament, so you'll be able to catch games on Paramount+ if you have the subscription tier that includes Showtime.

DirecTV Sports Pack - first month free ($15 off): When you sign up for an Entertainment, Choice or Ultimate package, you can get the first month of the DirecTV Sports Pack for free. This gives you access to NFL Network and NFL Red Zone, MLB Network, CBS Sports Network and TUDN and more.

Sling TV + MLB.TV for $30 off: New subscribers can get $30 off their first month of Sling TV when they sign up and add MLB.TV to their package. The offer applies to Sling Orange, Sling Blue and Sling Orange & Blue, and MLB.TV gives you access to MLB Network along with access to all out-of-market games during the regular season. This offer runs through May 31.

Sling Orange for $23/month for the first month (50 percent off): New customers can get Sling Orange or Sling Blue for half off the usual price for the first month, bringing the final prices to $23/month and $25.50/month, respectively. Orange is likely best for sports fans, with eight exclusive sports and family channels, while Blue includes 19 exclusive news and entertainment channels. You can get both Orange and Blue access also for half off for one month, or $33 total.

Fubo Essential for $55/month for the first month ($30 off): Fubo has introductory discounts on most of its packages, but Essential may be the best for most people. It offers access to 215 channels, unlimited cloud DVR and up to 10 simultaneous streams. Note that regional sports content is not included here; you’ll have to go up to Pro or Elite plans for that.

YouTube TV for $70/month for the first six months ($78 off): New subscribers can save a total of $78 when they sign up for YouTube TV’s base plan, which includes access to over 100 channels, unlimited DVR space and six household accounts with the ability to stream on three devices at once.

Spotify student discount - Premium + Hulu with ads for $6/month (72 percent off): Spotify’s student offer continues to be one of the best around, giving you access to the Premium tier of the music streamer and Hulu’s ad-supported plan for only $6 monthly. Purchased separately, you’d pay $22 per month for both of the services. Plus, the first month is free when you sign up.

Hulu student discount - subscribe for $2/month (75 percent off): Those with a valid student ID can get Hulu’s ad-supported tier for 75 percent off the typical rate. They’ll keep the same sale price for as long as they’re a student as well.

Max student discount - subscribe for $5/month (50 percent off): Max offers their ad-supported tier to students for half off the usual rate. You’ll just have to verify that you’re a student through Unidays, and make note that this offer is only good for up to 12 months of service.

Streaming bundle discounts

There’s more consolidation happening now than ever before in the streaming space, and that means there are more streaming bundle options. These bundles offer you access to more content with one subscription price, but those prices are typically higher than paying for a single service by itself (obviously). It may be tempting to just get the bundle, but if only one of those services in the bundle speaks to you, you’ll spend less overall by just paying for the single service.

Speaking of a deep love for a single streaming service: if all of your favorite shows are on Peacock or the latest releases on Max consistently bring you joy, consider paying for one year upfront. Subscribing with an annual plan usually saves you money in the long term over paying on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, not all streaming services (looking at you, Netflix) have an annual subscription option. Here are some of the best streaming bundles you can get right now.

Disney+, Hulu, Max bundle with ads for $17/month: Ad-supported Max is included here, along with full, ad-supported access to Disney+ and Hulu. You’ll save 43 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for all three services individually.

Sling TV + Max starting at $53/month: Sling TV and Max have partnered on a discount that gives new subscribers 50 percent off their first month of Sling TV, plus $5 off monthly when you subscribe to the Sling TV + Max bundle. The standard price for the Sling Blue + Max duo is roughly $58/month, so you'll get a monthly discount of $5 off that. In addition, for the first month only, you'll get half off the price of the bundle. The promotion also applies to the Sling Orange & Blue + Max package, which has a standard price of $73/month.

Paramount+ with Showtime for $13/month or $120/year: This includes everything in Paramount+’s Essential plan, except the ads, and also provides access to Showtime content, live CBS streams and download features.

Hulu + Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN+ for $96/month: This streaming bundle amalgamation is a bit confusing but it does offer a lot: you get live TV streaming via Hulu’s service plus access to the following VOD services: Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. Out of those three, only ESPN+ will have ads.

Disney+ and Hulu Duo Premium for $20/month: This bundle removes the ads from both Disney+ and Hulu (with the exception of select live and linear content) and allows you to download content for offline viewing. You’ll save 43 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for both ad-free tiers individually.

Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Trio Basic for $17/month: You get full access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ content with this package, albeit with ads across the board. This bundle price is 47 percent off the total price of all three separate subscriptions.

Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Trio Premium for $27/month: Similarly to the Duo bundles, the Premium version of the Trio removes ads from most content in Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, and you can download content for offline viewing. This price represents a 43-percent savings when compared to paying for all three ad-free tiers separately.

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Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-streaming-service-deals-133028980.html?src=rss

Android users have noticed a test that autoplays the first video in your feed when you open the YouTube app Users have expressed their negative feelings online, with some sharing tips and workarounds for avoiding this This is another of YouTube's recent experimental features, and follows the platform's 'recommended videos' list in the app's playback queue

Usually, when YouTube implements new experimental features, you can spot them from a mile away. However, the video platform has been quite discreet and sneaky with its latest test, and some users have noticed that it has been automatically playing the first video in their feed as they open the Android version of the app.Over the past month or so, several Android users have reported their experiences with this strange autoplay function, and though most believed it to be a bug at first, it turns out that it’s intentional on YouTube’s part. To say people are frustrated is an understatement, and they haven’t shied away from expressing their feelings in countless Reddit threads.

Video plays when I open App from r/youtube

"I opened my YouTube app on my Samsung phone today, and it immediately started playing a video. I checked that autoplay was disabled and restarted the app, and that didn't fix anything," said one user on Reddit, which attracted a roster of replies from fellow Android users with the same issue.There’s an existing YouTube feature that you can enable to automatically play videos one after the other, and this can easily be turned off in your settings, but one of the most annoying parts of YouTube’s mystery autoplay test is that it’s not as simple to avoid. Luckily, users who have been experiencing this issue have found a way to stop this by uninstalling the app’s latest update, or by clearing their data and cache.

YouTube is in an era of experimentation

It’s an interesting time for YouTube, which seems to be carrying out a new test every week. Autoplaying videos are just one of a cluster of experiments that could result in new features for the app, for better or worse.Other recent tests point to the possible arrival of new features for YouTube Premium subscribers, including a function that allows you to control audio quality in videos, as well as a new time-saving perk that shows you recommended content directly in your playback queue. YouTube has also been testing a fix for subscriber notifications, and while this could be a blessing for users, it could be a big risk for creators.

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Wild concept will draw crowds at the Seoul Mobility ShowAggressive bodywork and hydraulic handbrake signal sporting intentCould this be a more affordable alternative to the Renault 5 Turbo 3E?

Hyundai has unveiled its latest, attention-grabbing concept car and it’s so wild, we had to check in with a PR representative to make sure it wasn’t some sort of April Fool’s gag.Taking plenty of inspiration from retro video games, Insteroid is, as the name suggests, a diminutive Inster on, erm, steroids. But rather than beef it up with a raised ride height and a roof rack like the Cross variant did, Insteroid takes things in an altogether more sporting and thrill-seeking direction.The bodywork, for example, shares elements with the equally wild, hydrogen-powered N Vision 74, with an extra-wide stance, “track-optimized” wheels and an impressive rear wing you could happily eat a bucket of Korean fried chicken from when parked up at the local car meet.

Hyundai Insteroid EV concept car pumping out the beats pic.twitter.com/iRdeJhzKoSApril 1, 2025

Inside, it’s an interesting mix of racy bucket seats, a roll cage and a track-inspired steering wheel and adjustable column. Hyundai says every element of the stripped-out cockpit is fully adjustable and images show that the retro-futuristic instrument cluster, which looks like it has been designed by Teenage Engineering, can be adapted and adjusted to suit the individual.According to Simon Loasby, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Center, it also offers an “immersive sound experience” that not only comes to life when being driven, but can also get the party started when stationary.This is aided by an integrated “Beat House” sound system and neat pixelated Message Grid on the lower bumper that acts as a digital ticker-tape for broadcasting messages to the outside world. Alternatively, it can display an interactive graphic equalizer when pumping out tunes.

Compact hot hatches are back in the limelight

Image 1 of 5(Image credit: Hyundai)Image 2 of 5(Image credit: Hyundai)Image 3 of 5(Image credit: Hyundai)Image 4 of 5(Image credit: Hyundai)Image 5 of 5(Image credit: Hyundai)

Although the Insteroid is very much a concept car for now, it gives a good indication of what a small, fun and affordable hot hatch could look like – something that fills the void left by Volkswagen’s Up! GTI and the infamous Renault Twingo RS, for example.Speaking of Renault, the French marque has also been exploring what is possible with electric motors and battery packs, pushing its latest Renault 5 to the extremes with its recently unveiled Turbo 3E model. Although most predict it will cost the same as most modern supercars.The Insteroid features a similar hydraulic handbrake and gaming-inspired interior that Renault debuted on its drifting R5 turbo concept of 2022, but shrinks it down into an even smaller package and, should it make it to production, could feature more affordable, watered-down performance tech borrowed from the excellent Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

(Image credit: Future)

Regardless of whether it ever makes it into showrooms or not, Insteroid is the sort of concept car that electric vehicles desperately need right now.Wild designs, innovative features and a promise of scintillating electric performance are things that have the potential to get people talking and the next generation genuinely excited about the future of motoring.Plus, it is tapping into a youth that is currently celebrating the Max Power era of obnoxious sound systems, Fast and the Furious-style underbody lighting and wider car tuning culture. The 90s are so in right now, just hit Instagram for proof.If Hyundai shuns the expensive in-wheel motors of Renault's Turbo 3E and borrows some of the more affordable elements of the Ioniq 5 N, we could well have our first wallet-friendly electric hot hatch in a high-performance Inster variant.It can then be up to the owner whether or not they want to fit a festival-spec sound system in the trunk.

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Apple was hit with an over €150 million fine in France on Monday, March 31, 2025 France's antitrust watchdog found Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework "neither necessary nor proportionate"Apple launched ATT in April 2021 to help users manage apps' data tracking permissions

Apple has been fined in France over its privacy framework that helps users stay on top of third-party online tracking.France's antitrust watchdog issued a fine of over €150 million on Monday, March 31, 2025, after finding Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework "neither necessary nor proportionate."Apple launched ATT in April 2021 to make it easier for users to manage data tracking permissions. Despite seeming a positive move for people's online privacy, France's watchdog found that the implementation could penalize smaller app publishers.

"An artificially complex framework"

The Autorité de la concurrence (France's Competition Authority) decided to issue the fine against Apple "for abusing its dominant position in the sector for the distribution of mobile applications on iOS and iPadOS devices between April 2021 and July 2023," the regulator wrote in an official statement.Starting in iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, Apple's ATT feature requires all applications to obtain users' explicit consent before collecting data and targeting them with personalized ads.While the French watchdog doesn't find the ATT framework problematic per se, it does describe its implementation as neither necessary nor proportionate to Apple’s stated objective of protecting personal data.Specifically, the regulators found that such a consent pop-up system leads to an "artificially complex framework" for users that penalises publishers of third-party applications when operating in the iOS environment.That's because ATT consent pop-ups, the group explains, aren't valid under the French Data Protection Act. This means that third-party users will have to ask permission twice from their users.

(Image credit: Autorité de la concurrence)

The Autorité also criticized the rules for which users need to refuse advertising tracking only once, but they must always confirm their consent twice. This, according to the group, de-facto undermines the neutrality of the informed consent that ATT is supposed to facilitate.Furthermore, "While publishers were required to obtain double consent from users for tracking on third-party sites and applications, Apple did not ask for consent from users of its own applications (until the implementation of iOS 15)," wrote the Autorité, pointing out the disproportionate treatment existing between Apple and third-party developers.Commenting to the Associated Press, Apple said that ATT gives users more privacy control "through a required, clear, and easy-to-understand prompt about one thing: tracking," which is consistent for all developers, including Apple."We have received strong support for this feature from consumers, privacy advocates, and data protection authorities around the world," Apple also told the Associated Press, adding that France's Competition Authority has not required any specific changes to ATT.

Not just France

This isn't the first time Apple's ATT has attracted criticism in Europe, either.In 2023, Italy's antitrust watchdog accused the US tech giant of abusing its market dominance by applying more restrictive and disadvantageous data privacy policies to non-Apple apps.Similar actions may continue across the European block as new Digital Markets Act rules are expected to thighthen up competition requirements for Big tech providers.

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Nintendo announces two Treehouse presentations for this weekThe first will air on April 3 and the second on April 4Both broadcasts will feature "hands-on gameplay of Nintendo Switch 2 games"

Nintendo has announced that it will be airing two Treehouse presentations later this week, offering a new look at Switch 2 gameplay.The first broadcast will air on April 3 at 7AM PT / 10AM ET / 3PM BST, and the second will take place at the same time on April 4.We don't know how long each presentation will be, but Nintendo did say that both will feature "hands-on gameplay of Nintendo Switch 2 games".Like previous Treehouse broadcasts, we can expect game developers and possibly even notable Nintendo employees to be in attendance, playing and discussing some of the games that will be featured.

Join us on April 3rd and April 4th at 7 a.m. PT each day for a Nintendo Treehouse: Live | Nintendo Switch 2 presentation featuring hands-on gameplay of #NintendoSwitch2 games! pic.twitter.com/gsi0MqyZyZApril 1, 2025

Both Treehouse presentations will air after the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Showcase, which is scheduled to take place on April 2 at 6AM PT / 9AM ET / 2AM BST.We're expecting a brand new look at the hardware, learn pricing and preorder details, as well as be treated to unannounced Switch 2 games.The new Mario Kart game, which was unveiled at the same time as the console, is likely to make an appearance, but there are also rumors of a Super Mario Odyssey sequel, with some fans speculating a new The Legend of Zelda reveal.Any games announced during the Direct Showcase will hopefully be featured during the Treehouse presentations later in the week, offering a deeper look at the console's launch titles.Nintendo has already confirmed that the Switch 2 will feature backwards compatibility, so we may learn if these games will be playable on the original Switch, as well.

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Researchers from Sucuri found malicious code hiding in the mu-plugins directoryThe malware redirected visitors, served spam, and could even drop malwareThe sites were compromised through vulnerable plugins, poor admin passwords, and more

A special directory in WordPress is being abused to host malicious code, researchers has claimed, warning the code allows threat actors to remain persistent on vulnerable websites, while executing arbitrary code, redirecting people to malicious websites, and displaying unwanted spam and ads.Researchers from Sucuri discovered threat actors were hiding malicious code in “mu-plugins” (short for Must-Use plugins), a directory that stores plugins that are activated automatically and cannot be deactivated through the admin panel.These are typically used for essential site functionality, custom modifications, or performance optimizations that should always run.

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Remote code execution risks

"This approach represents a concerning trend, as the mu-plugins are not listed in the standard WordPress plugin interface, making them less noticeable and easier for users to ignore during routine security checks," Sucuri researchers explained.So far, the analysis uncovered three variants of malicious code - redirect.php (redirects visitors to malicious sites), index.php (remote code execution and malware dropper capabilities), and custom-js-loader.php (injects spam).“The potential impact ranges from minor inconveniences to severe security breaches, highlighting the importance of proactive website security measures,” Sucuri warned.Discussing how the sites might have been infected, the researchers said there were multiple ways to compromise a WordPress site. That includes exploiting a vulnerable plugin or a theme, compromised admin credentials, or abuse of poorly secured hosting environments.To mitigate the risk, website admins should scan their WP installation for malicious files (particularly in the mu-plugins directory), check for unauthorized admin accounts, audit installed plugins, update WordPress, plugins, and themes, change all admin passwords and set up 2FA if possible, and monitor file integrity by setting up a security plugin.WordPress is the world’s best website builder, powering the majority of the websites on the internet. As such, the platform is constantly under a barrage of cyberattacks.Via The Hacker News

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TikTok's deadline to sell off or cede its US operations is once again approaching. The 75-day extension delaying the enforcement of a nationwide TikTok ban is set to run out Saturday, April 5, unless the company finally reaches an agreement to find a new owner. Who might buy it, and what happens if no deal is reached? Here's the shape of things right now:

Potential buyers

President Donald Trump has suggested that “a deal” is imminent and could be reached before that deadline. What such an agreement will look like is still extremely unclear. A number of interested buyers have come forward, including YouTuber MrBeast, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian and Perplexity AI. Oracle, which almost bought TikTok in 2020 and was a key part of TikTok’s earlier negotiations to address national security concerns, is also in the running.

Depending on which bid wins out, TikTok could end up looking very different. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, won’t allow another company to take control of the app’s coveted recommendation algorithm. That means a new owner would have to rebuild TikTok’s central feature. Perplexity AI, for example, has said it would take on this task of reverse-engineering the app's “For You” feed, making it open source and implementing some kind of Community Notes-style fact checking feature. Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, who joined a group of investors known as “Project Liberty,” has hinted at a vision for TikTok that somehow ties in with blockchain technology.

Option 2

There’s also another, potentially less disruptive option on the table. The White House is also considering a deal that would allow TikTok’s existing US investors to “roll over their stakes into a new independent global TikTok company,” according to The New York Times. Under this arrangement, Oracle could also end up overseeing TikTok’s US data while ByteDance hangs onto its algorithm, as the Financial Times reported in March.

This would likely be a smoother transition than a full-on sale that would require a new owner to rebuild a significant part of the app. Aspects of it are also very similar to terms TikTok already agreed to under a previous agreement with Oracle known as Project Texas. However, this sort of deal may also not be entirely legal, as Politico recently pointed out. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the law passed by Congress and signed by former President Joe Biden last year, calls for a divestment of TikTok and its algorithm.

It’s also not clear whether Chinese officials would be willing to sign off on such an arrangement, though Trump has suggested he could use the threat of tariffs as negotiating leverage. “We’re dealing with China also on it because they may have something to do with it. And we’ll see how that goes,” Trump told reporters over the weekend.

No deal

So what happens if Trump’s “deal” isn’t finalized by Saturday? The answer, it seems, is… probably nothing. Trump has said he would likely extend the deadline again if the clock runs out on the current extension. (Once again, it's not entirely clear if another extension is legal, but CNN reports that a second extension might be an uphill battle if challenged in court.) In the meantime, TikTok is unlikely to go dark like it (briefly) did in January when the ban law first went into effect.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktoks-ban-deadline-is-coming-what-happens-next-162420478.html?src=rss

Mullvad VPN has rolled out an upgrade to its feature that protects against AI trackingThe second version of Defense Against AI-guided Traffic (DAITA) is now available for all VPN appsMullvad released DAITA in May 2024 as "the first step" in the battle against sophisticated traffic analysis

Mullvad VPN has just unveiled a considerable upgrade to its protections against AI surveillance.The second version of its Defense Against AI-guided Traffic (DIATA) is now available for all VPN apps, bringing two major improvements that "make it harder for attackers targeting DAITA."One of the best VPN providers for privacy-conscious users, Mullvad released DAITA in May 2024 as "the first step" in the battle against sophisticated traffic analysis powered by new generative AI software.

DAITA 2.0

Built entirely on an open-source framework, DAITA modifies the appearance of data packets sent over the VPN network to prevent snoopers from tracing activity back to you.It does so by making all data packets the same size, adding random background traffic, and distorting patterns.According to Jan Jonsson, CEO of Mullvad VPN, this capability is critical, as AI can be used to analyze traffic patterns. In simpler terms, this means your activities may be linked to you without the need to break the encryption offered by the virtual private network (VPN)."AI will be used both to collect data about people and to analyze that data. That’s why we developed DAITA, to counteract this right at the point of the data collection," Jonsson told me back in October.On March 28, 2025, however, Mullvad released the second version of DAITA across all its platforms to reduce attacks against the feature itself.

DAITA version 2 now available on all platforms: https://t.co/B77nm95UHkMarch 28, 2025

As per Mullvad's own words, "DAITA version 2 brings two major improvements: a large reduction in overhead traffic and dynamic configurations that vary VPN tunnel characteristics between connections."The first improvement refines one of the covert practices DAITA employs to confuse AI tracking – the addition of dummy packets to distort network patterns.DAITA 2.0 now inserts half the amount of these packets but promises to deliver the same level of defense. "As a customer using DAITA, the immediate benefit is improved speed," says the provider.In the new version, two VPN clients visiting the same webpage will now produce different in-tunnel data streams, too, to make it harder for attackers to circumvent DAITA protections. A new configuration is also selected every time a device recreates its VPN connection.If you want more technical details on how DAITA works, I suggest reading this post by Karlstad University's cybersecurity researchers on the matter.Mullvad's commitment to protecting your data against AI surveillance doesn't stop there, either. The team is already working on a new version of DAITA."DAITA version 3 is already on the roadmap and will introduce a new type of defense alongside the existing ones. Watch this space for more updates as we advance the state of accessible and performant network traffic defense."

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You could call Shinichiro Watanabe's Lazarus a retread of his masterpiece, Cowboy Bebop. That’s not to say the show is bad — based on the five episodes I’ve seen so far, Lazarus is still an entertaining and stylish ride. But I’ve just come to expect more from a legendary creator like Watanabe.

It’s set in the year 2052, a near-future when a renowned neuroscientist released Hapna, a drug that can erase all pain. If that sounds too good to be true, it is: Hapna’s creator Dr. Skinner reveals to the world that everyone who took the drug will eventually die. And then he disappears. Like an evil Willy Wonka, he announces one hope for survival: Find him in 30 days, or humanity is doomed.

To help find Skinner, the government sets up a covert group named Lazarus made up of convicted criminals. And that’s where the similarities come in. There’s the lead, Axel Gilberto, a parkour junkie who resembles Bebop’s reckless and carefree Spike Spiegel. Rounding out the team is Christine, a gorgeous femme fatale; Eleina, a bright young hacker; and Doug, a gruff investigator who has little patience for Axel’s shit. Those are all clear analogs to the Bebop crew of Faye, Ed and Jet. The one new element of the team is Leland, a cute college student who takes on various roles during the show (perhaps he’s just an anthropomorphized version of Bebop’s adorable pup Ein).

There’s a bit of Suicide Squad in the idea of using criminals to find humanity’s greatest villain, but Lazarus doesn’t really justify why that’s the case (that may be answered later in the show’s 13-episode run). And you’d think there would be more government efforts beyond a group of misfits to accomplish a humanity-saving mission. The Lazarus crew get a few chances to bond throughout each episode, but their interpersonal dynamics feel less organic than the Bebop characters, whose relationships were enriched by the pressure-cooker environment of an interplanetery spaceship, ever-present economic struggle and compelling backstories. By episode five of Lazarus, I didn't have any real understanding of these characters, whereas Bebop delivered the seminal episode Ballad of the Fallen Angels by then.

Like Watanabe's Samurai Champloo, Lazarus is best enjoyed if you don’t look too closely at its plot holes or contrivances (Axel’s inhuman parkour abilities make Spike Spiegel’s antics seem tame in comparison). It’s better to sit back and enjoy the incredibly stylish vibes. That includes wonderfully fluid animation by Mappa; a catchy soundtrack by Kamasi Washington, Floating Points and Bonobo (with a great ending theme, “Lazarus” by The Boo Radleys); and bone-crunching action choreography by John Wick director Chad Stahelski. It’s hard not to appreciate all of the talent involved.

Adult Swim

But again, I just wish the whole project felt more original. Lazarus’s premise isn’t far off from Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, which involved a terrorist plot to deploy nanomachines that would kill everyone on Mars. It’s also funny to see the show arrive alongside a more inventive show like Max’s Common Side Effects, which deals with the real-world consequences of miracle drugs that could heal any illness or injury. That show’s characters are more grounded and relatable, and it explores why pharmaceutical companies would stop at nothing to kill such a miracle drug.

“The story began with Dr. Skinner... Is he a saint or a devil?” Watanabe said on the Engadget podcast via a translator (while he relaxed in shades with a mountain of records behind him, like the absolute boss he is). “Exactly what does he want to do? That was a big initial driving part of the story. ... What you initially thought of Skinner at [the] start may change throughout the 13 episodes.”

Adult Swim

It’s not a huge spoiler to say that Dr. Skinner isn’t always portrayed as a villain in the show. Before the release of Hapna, he was a famous neuroscientist who pushed humanity to respond to the climate crisis. But instead of listening to him, the world’s countries chose to pursue profit over the future of humanity. With that in mind, it's no shock Watanabe says the inspiration for Hapna was, in part, the opioid crisis.

Throughout flashbacks and short opening monologues, Lazarus gives us glimpses into Hapna’s effect on our main characters, all of which is more compelling than the actual quest to find Dr. Skinner. Did the pill really heal everyone’s pain, or did it just close off their ability to feel true emotions?

I’m sure newcomers to Watanabe’s work won’t have the same reservations with Lazarus as I do, I just wish the show had the same distinctive identity as his other series. Cowboy Bebop is a jazz-soaked noir; Space Dandy is a hilarious riff on the space opera genre; and Carol and Tuesday is a touching story of two young girls pursuing a pop music career. Lazarus is basically another action thriller, but this time it’s scored to modern jazz and electronic music.

I’m holding out hope that Lazarus matures into a more thoughtful show in its second half. But even if it doesn’t, it’s still worth celebrating anything new from Shinichiro Watanabe. There aren’t many anime directors and writers with his sense of style and excellent taste in music and action cinema. Even if it’s a lesser Watanabe project, it’s still more entertaining and creative than the vast majority of shows bombarding us in the streaming TV era, anime or otherwise.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/lazarus-review-wildly-stylish-but-its-no-cowboy-bebop-170300198.html?src=rss