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The Order: 1886 creative director Ru Weerasuriya has revealed that the game was supposed to be the first game in a trilogyThe Order 1891 and The Order 1899 were planned, and the second game was in the early stages of development before it was canceledThe sequel would have featured bigger fight sequences and a multiplayer mode that was cut from the first gameThe PlayStation 4 exclusive The Order: 1886 was originally supposed to be the first game in a trilogy.That's according to The Order: 1886 creative director Ru Weerasuriya, who revealed in a new French-language interview with YouTuber Julien Chieze that two more games were planned: The Order 1891 and The Order 1899 (via VGC).Weerasuriya said the second game was in the early stages of development before it was canceled and that he wrote a 10-page pitch for the sequel, which would have featured bigger fight sequences, as well as a multiplayer mode.It was also revealed that a multiplayer mode was in development for the first game, but it was shelved for the sequel.Although the third game never made it to development, Weerasuriya said that he planned for where the story would go if developer Ready at Dawn had been able to complete the trilogy, and that other installments in the series would have taken the franchise to the 20th century.While it's never been revealed why The Order: 1886's sequel was canceled, Weerasuriya suggested that the first game's mixed critical response was a factor.The Order: 1886 was released in 2015 and is set in an alternate version of Victorian London, "where science and myth collide". It's been more than 10 years since the game made its PS4 debut, and although it's playable on PS5 through backward compatibility, The Order: 1886 is still exclusive to PlayStation.You might also like...Sony's Days of Play sale kicks off tomorrow and will bring price cuts to the PS5 Pro, DualSense Edge, the PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 bundle, and a host of price cuts on accessories and gamesLeaker claims Sony is now working on a new PlayStation handheld consoleGhost of Yotei pre-orders live: Collector's Edition up in the US, Standard Edition retailers, and where to buy in the UK

Thanks to intensified activity on the part of law enforcement agencies worldwide – resulting in the shutdown of highly profitable and destructive ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) groups such as LockBit – we’ve seen some encouraging signs within the ongoing fight against ransomware threats. Annual ransomware payment totals fell from $1.25 billion in 2023 to $813.55 million last year.Meanwhile, the global year-to-year rise in the rate of these attacks is on the decline, with 5,289 incidents in 2024, up 15 percent from 4,591 in 2023. But, that percentage increase is significantly lower than the 77 percent increase seen in 2023 (2,593 attacks in 2022). So, the overall incident growth rate appears to be leveling off somewhat.However, it’s no time to get complacent. In our own research, we’ve found that ransomware variants grew to 101 in 2024, up from 70 in 2023. This rise in variants remains a foreboding indicator of accelerated attacks to come, signifying rebranding efforts on the part of cybercriminals. They’re responding to law enforcement activity with craftier variants and more precisely targeted campaigns aimed at victims with deep pockets. As a result, they’re boosting their efficiency and efficacy.Ransomware-as-a-serviceWith the rise of RaaS over the years, cybercriminals now work much like a business, leveraging a subscription-based market in which customers (most commonly referred to as affiliates) pay for software created by ransomware operators, for the purpose of launching attacks.By its very nature, RaaS has lowered the barrier to entry because customers no longer need to be experts in coding. They can simply pay for the product to launch their ransomware campaigns, and their subscriptions typically entail full-service offerings of software support, malware and infrastructure. Such a model created a strong incentive for more cyber actors, who are perhaps less skilled or experienced, to join the ransomware landscape, as long as they agreed to share a cut of the ransom with the RaaS operator, of course.Key trendsIf this sounds like a high-level, enterprise approach to crime, well, that’s because it is. Subsequently, we’re seeing the following key trends reshaping the very essence of the ransomware experience in 2025 – trends that can help victims make better decisions as they assess whether to proceed with payment negotiations or not:(Dis)honor among thievesAmong cyber attack techniques, ransomware stands out because there are inevitably person-to-person interchanges, those which often touch upon human emotions and elements of trust. Or mistrust.Victims, already rattled by the reality of the situation, find themselves in dialogue with the ransomware operator and must evaluate whether the operator will make good on terms if the ransom is paid. “What do we know about this group?” victim organizational leaders will ask. “Do they seem too aggressive? Are they pressuring us without any intention of deleting the data they stole, or never bothering us again? Or do they have a track record of respecting negotiated agreements?”The weaponization of dataRaaS groups aren’t just stealing victims’ data. They’re weaponizing it as a means to increase the pressure to pay. They will now go through financial records, cyber liability limits and additional information to determine whether a victim is positioned to pay – and how much.Artificial intelligence (AI) tools enable them to explore further at a larger scale, such as the exploitation of human resources (HR) records to reach employees and/or senior executives and tell them that their records have been compromised. With this, the RaaS operator tries to apply pressure on employees and executives to convince their organization to pay the ransom.Outsourcing and automationRaaS operators are fully capable of using the same tech and personnel management tools as legitimate companies. Outsourcing allows them to rebrand quickly if they feel the heat around the corner. They can put people and resources in place with a spinoff group and then migrate to the new brand when they have to make the current one “disappear” to avoid getting arrested.Automation will enhance efficiencies and expand the scale of victim targeting and payments. Instead of communicating with targeted organizations person-to-person, a chatbot instantly will direct organization members to a log-in page, and they’ll use a transaction number to process payment and secure the stolen information.Deal or no deal?Ultimately for victims, ransomware comes down to one simple proposition: Deal or no deal? This is a highly individualized decision, based upon the size of the organization, industry, and the potential consequences of taking a “no payment” position.But the more companies know about the RaaS operator, the better informed their choices. If they know the background of the operator and how adept they are at deploying AI and additional resources to “go deep” within their environment – then they’ll have a stronger sense of likely outcomes of paying or not paying. If they’re aware that the “new” group which compromised them is actually a spinoff of an old one, then they can research the reputational history of the former brand.Given that AI and automation should only dramatically expand the capabilities of the RaaS underworld as a collective whole, organizations will need to stay on top of these trends to make the best decision for their teams.We've featured the best encryption software.This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

While we're still waiting for a true electric minivan to hit the US, VW's ID.Buzz microbus is close. It's a unique family hauler that'll definitely get your neighbors buzzing. No, seriously, during my week of testing I had over a dozen conversations with strangers who were fascinated by the ID.Buzz. One of my neighbors stopped their car dramatically when they saw it, backed up, and just had to give me a thumbs up and praise it as "cool as hell."

My kids were similarly enamored, they loved its cute design and enormous interior space. In many ways, it's the family EV I've been dreaming of — something that could comfortably seat seven people and carry tons of cargo for road trips. Unfortunately, its high $60,000 starting price and relatively lackluster 234 mile range hold it back from true greatness.

Really, though, those issues were obvious when VW announced its US launch details for the ID.Buzz last year. I was more intrigued to see if it was a complete flop for VW, or if there was something compelling about it despite those flaws. After testing the ID.Buzz for a week, I've noticed one surprising thing: It makes everyone smile. It may not look exactly like VW's classic '60s microbus, but it elicits a similar amount of joy. And that's refreshing compared to the response I've seen to other large EVs like the Cybertruck (my son calls it the "ugly truck") and the ridiculous Hummer EV.

Sure, it's sort of coasting on vibes, but the VW ID.Buzz still has plenty of practical benefits if you don't mind the high price and charging a bit more often during road trips. And as I'll explain below, it'll likely be an enticing option once it hits the used market in a few years.

What is the VW ID.Buzz?

Most cynically, the ID.Buzz is an attempt to milk the brand nostalgia for VW's hippy-era Type 2 microbus. VW never quite gave up on those vehicles, but its later models dropped the cute rounded aesthetic and looked more like commercial vans. What makes the ID.Buzz truly interesting is that it transforms a beloved classic into a cutting-edge EV, with an enormous infotainment screen and modern features like adaptive cruise control.

It also makes a great first impression, since it doesn’t look like anything else on the road. There's a rounded front end that evokes the playfulness of the original model, and its two-tone color design (on some trims) simply pops among a sea of boring (and often white) cars in traffic. Sure, VW has done this before, but the Buzz is still a great reminder that EVs don't have to look like traditional vehicles. There's no front engine to worry about, just a big battery and electric motors. In the Buzz's case, you can choose from rear-wheel drive and "4Motion" all-wheel drive dual motors, delivering 282 and 335 horsepower, respectively.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

The ID.Buzz offers the seating of a minivan — with room for six to seven people depending on your configuration, and convenient sliding second-row doors — plus the height and storage capacity more akin to cargo vans. With all of its seats up, the Buzz offers an acceptable 18.6 cubic feet of storage, which is enough for a typical grocery run or a stroller and a diaper bag. Fold the third row down, though, and you get a far more useful 75.5 cubic feet of space. You could also remove the second and third row of seats entirely to get a massive 145.5 cubic feet of space.

Funny enough, you could technically fit three people into the Buzz's third row, but US regulators have taken issue since that row only has two seatbelts. VW has recalled existing vehicles and says it'll be adding "unpadded trim parts" to reduce the seating area. Yes, it's the rare recall where you'll actually lose a bit of functionality in the name of safety. (Nobody is actually forcing Buzz owners to do that, though...)

As for other niceties, the ID.Buzz offers an enormous 12.9-inch infotainment screen (I've never seen Apple CarPlay look so big before), a smaller driving information screen behind the steering wheel and an optional heads-up display. There's also a panoramic sunroof option, which can't be opened but can be tinted to look opaque on demand. Our review unit didn't have that sunroof, unfortunately, and the interior certainly felt a bit gloomier because of that. If I were seriously considering the ID.Buzz, I'd argue the sunroof a is requirement. (Admittedly, it could be a problem if you're trying to get babies and toddlers to sleep, since the interior will never truly get dark. But kids outgrow napping fairly quickly, and it's easy to find canopies for car seats.)

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

What's good about the VW ID.Buzz?

The best thing about the ID.Buzz is the vibe you get while driving it around town. People will stop and stare at it, kids will point at it excitedly and harried parents will approach it like the monolith from 2001. It's as if VW's designers took Marie Kondo's advice to heart: It simply sparks joy. As I dropped off my son at daycare one morning, one of the school's admins dragged me outside and demanded to see the interior. "I wish I could retire in this thing and travel the country," she said.

The ID.Buzz is also very capable as an EV. Despite its large size, it's quick to accelerate and incredibly comfortable on the highway and bumpy roads. Parking was a bit annoying, but the Buzz was also easy to maneuver thanks to the large infotainment screen, which could display both single-camera and 360-degree overhead views at the same time. I had a much easier time backing into spots than I did with much smaller cars.

The Buzz's large second row could easily fit three carseats side-by-side, assuming you get the models with the middle bench seat. I was able to hook up my son's carseat and my daughter's booster chair in a few minutes, without the finger-cramping I usually experience with my Volvo XC90 SUV. (One downside to the second row? You can't open its windows fully, instead only a smaller section of the windows open up.)

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

I also instantly appreciated the Buzz's enormous storage area, as it was able to fit a large pile of charity donations that were sitting in my garage. That included a bike trailer for kids as well as an old high chair. We were able to fully load up the trunk with the third-row seats down, and there was still room in the second row for additional gear. That trip likely would have been possible with my Volvo, but it would have involved cramming in large items more creatively. With the ID.Buzz, I didn't break a sweat.

Now that I'm several years into being a suburban dad with two kids (sigh), I've learned to appreciate the benefits of less flashy and more practical transportation. And there's no doubt the ID.Buzz is useful. In addition to that donation drop-off, I was also able to comfortably pile my parents into the Buzz along with my kids for a day trip. My dad thought the third row was absolutely huge, and my mom had no trouble sitting in the second row alongside the child and booster seats.

There's no other EV that's this flexible. The Rivian R1S is far more expensive, and the Kia EV9 is great but doesn't offer as much storage. And neither of those cars have minivan-like sliding doors, which are a life-saver in tight parking spots. There's no true EV minivan in the US at this point, the best you can get is the hybrid Toyota Sienna (which I loved) and the plug-in hybrid Pacifica (which I had to dump because of Chrysler's terrible build quality).

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

What's bad about the VW ID.Buzz?

The hardest pill to swallow with the Buzz is its $60,000 starting price, which can escalate to over $70,000 if you want all the fixins. Basically, it's a luxury curiosity for those who can afford it, not something that's easily attainable for everyone. Its price could be excused if the Buzz also offered everything we see in comparable EVs, but its short 234-mile range is just inexcusable when the EV9 can reach 309 miles for around the same price. For such a large vehicle, you'd think VW would be able to stuff in more batteries.

Realistically, the Buzz's range only becomes a problem during long road trips, where you'll have to charge more often compared to other EVs. But that can be an annoying process, since you'll typically have to spend at least half an hour at a charging station to get ready for the next leg of your trip. VW says the Buzz can go from 10 to 80 percent charge on a 200 kW DC fast charger in 30 minutes, but those aren't available everywhere. One hour of level 2 AC charging got me 12 percent of additional battery life, while level 1 trickle charging at home added 20 percent of juice over 14 hours.

It's also worth noting that range estimates vary dramatically in cold weather, or if you're cranking the Buzz's heat or air conditioning. That's why it's always smart to aim for as much range as you can, even if you don't think you'll be driving that much.

Volkswagen

Beyond the obvious problems, I also hated the Buzz's capacitive touch controls, which are spread across its steering wheel buttons, infotainment center and window controls. While there are indentations and a bit of haptic feedback when you hit something, like pumping up the volume or choosing the next music track via the steering wheel, it's hard to differentiate those controls from nearby capacitive buttons. It's far too easy to tap the cruise control functions while you're just trying to change the volume, and vice versa.

Since it's hard to actually feel where certain buttons are, I found myself looking down to make sure I was hitting the right option, which is something I absolutely hate doing while driving. Similarly, trying to adjust HVAC settings on the bottom portion of the infotainment screen can easily trigger the capacitive buttons below them, which was another reason I had to occasionally take my eyes off the road. Thankfully, VW appears to be focusing on physical buttons for future vehicles, but ID.Buzz owners are still left with a frustrating interface.

The ID.Buzz's rearview mirror controls... how do they work?

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

Here are just some of the ways the capacitive buttons infuriated me:

It's difficult to turn on the cruise control and adjust your speed without looking down.

It's tough to control the rear windows from the driver's seat, since it involves hitting a capacitive "Rear" button. There are only two controls for windows, so you have to choose between controlling the front and second-row windows. Even more annoying, the Buzz would sometimes disable the rear window option after a few seconds.

I spent at least 10 minutes trying to figure out how the rear-view mirrors are controlled, and I still have no clue. It's an inscrutable combination of a joy-stick, turning dial and capacitive controls.

Should you buy the VW ID.Buzz?

At this point, given its price and range, the VW ID.Buzz just doesn't make sense for most people. If you really want a three-row EV, you'll likely be better served by the Kia EV9 or the Hyundai Ioniq 9, which offer more range for a similar price. And if you absolutely need something that's like a minivan, the Toyota Sienna is hard to beat. While it's not a full EV, its hybrid setup still offers a healthy 36 MPG.

But, I've also noticed that used EVs tend to drop in price far quicker than gas cars. You can currently find the Polestar 2, which launched at around $60,000, for $30,000 or less in the used market. While I can't guarantee the Buzz will drop that far, I wouldn't be surprised if we see used versions for around $40,000 in a few years. And at that point, it could be a decent purchase even with its relatively low range.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

Wrap-up

It's clear that the ID.Buzz is a big swing for VW, and it’s truly unique since there aren't any EV minivans outside of China. It's just a shame that it's held back by some obvious issues. The ID.Buzz is still undeniably useful though, especially if you don't plan on taking many road trips, so there's a chance it'll become more compelling as its price falls.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volkswagen-idbuzz-review-a-head-turning-ev-microbus-with-unfortunate-flaws-143024824.html?src=rss

Nintendo is gearing up for the launch of the Switch 2 on June 5, and to ensure you’re ready to go when the console arrives at your door, you’ll need to download the latest update for the newly renamed Nintendo Switch App. The app, which was previously called the Nintendo Switch Online app, had added a number of new features, including a more seamless screenshot interface, GameChat functionality and placeholder icons for game-specific services like Zelda Notes. The latter will become usable on launch day.

Arguably the most useful addition is the revamped screenshots and video upload feature, which allows you to link your phone to your Switch 2 and wirelessly upload in-game media to the app, either manually or automatically. This was already possible on the original Switch (and is hardly a revolutionary feature), but doing so involved some needlessly clunky QR code scanning that didn’t always work. Now, screenshots and gameplay clips should just appear in the app, where you can save them locally. Up to 100 files can be stored in the app for 30 days from the point of upload, and once you hit the limit the oldest files will disappear if not saved.

Another big Switch 2 feature is GameChat, Nintendo’s new multiplayer voice chat functionality. Via the Nintendo Switch App you’ll be able to receive notifications for GameChat invites, friends coming online and friend requests. Your added friends will be displayed on the home screen of the app. Again, no one who’s been playing games on a modern PlayStation or Xbox console for the last decade is going to be blown away by any of this stuff, but it looks like playing online with friends on Switch 2 is going to be mercifully less fiddly than on its predecessor.

The Zelda Notes icon now appears when you open the Nintendo Switch App, but it won’t be functional until June 5. The app, which is only compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, effectively functions like a sat nav for tracking down missing Koroks and shrines on your save file. You can also share your Autobuild creations in TotK with friends, edit in-game photos and check play records such as the number of enemies defeated and total game overs.

Nintendo is making small tweaks to some of its other services ahead of the Switch 2’s arrival. Over on Nintendo Switch Online (not to be confused with the mobile app), where you can play a selection of emulated classics from Nintendo’s back catalogue, a new Switch 2-exclusive rewind feature will be added to the N64 library, as well as a new CRT filter option. These features were already available for NES and SNES games on the service, and it’s not entirely clear why original Switch owners won’t benefit from the additional N64 options as well.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendos-updated-mobile-app-will-make-sharing-switch-2-screenshots-a-lot-easier-143842317.html?src=rss

It seems that Apple is giving its operating systems a significant overhaul this year, and not just on the visual and usability fronts. It was expected that the next major versions of iOS and iPadOS (set to be announced at WWDC 2025 in a few weeks) would be followed by the number 19, Macs would move onto macOS 15 and so on. That would continue the numbering system Apple has used for many years.

That could be about to change, according to Bloomberg. The next versions of the operating systems may be earmarked by the year, according to the publication's sources. That means we could soon see the debut of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26 and visionOS 26.

The numbers would align with the year after each major OS release, since Apple typically rolls out the first public versions of those each fall. So the versions of iOS, iPadOS and so on that arrive this September or October may be named after 2026.

We'll know for sure whether this shift is happening on June 9, when the keynote of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference takes place. It's widely expected that Apple will be giving its operating systems a major user interface overhaul to deliver a more unified experience across various devices.

It seems like a wise move to align the branding of all of the various operating systems. The software powering Apple Watch devices is currently up to watchOS 11. Apple Vision Pro is running visionOS 2. It's a little messy as is. Applying the same numbering to all of the operating systems and aligning it with the release year should make things easier for everyone to keep up with. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-is-rumored-to-release-ios-26-not-ios-19-at-wwdc-2025-193424610.html?src=rss

The Aviot WA-J1 will ship worldwide in JulyThree drivers combined: piezo, planar and dynamicPrice converts to about $270 / £200 / AU$424The Japanese audio brand Aviot has introduced what it says is the world's first "Tribrid" 3-driver headphones, the WA-J1 – and it's made a special edition in collaboration with the J-pop star Hyde.What's a Tribrid? According to Aviot, it's one piezo driver, one planar magnetic driver, and one dynamic driver, and together they deliver "overwhelming information density and unprecedented acoustic performance".And they do it for an incredibly long time: battery life is a claimed 140 hours, though it's not specified if that's with active noise cancellation or not (I have to assume not).(Image credit: Aviot)When three drivers are better than oneAs Aviot explains, the piezo driver is there for the high frequencies, and the planar and dynamic drivers are placed coaxially with it to take care of the mids and lows, all with very low distortion and very little phase disturbance. The result, the firm says, is very high precision.Supported audio formats include LDAC and Bluetooth LE Audio (that latter one via a future update) as well as the obligatory AAC and SBC, and there's adaptive noise cancelling with a transparency mode.The headphones also offer 3D spatial audio. That option is adjustable via the control dial, enabling you to spatialize audio to suit your personal preference – from very flat to very reverberant sonic spaces. And for gamers, there's a low-latency mode to reduce lag.The headphones will go on sale in Japan in July 2025 with a price tag of 39,600 yen – roughly $270 / £200 / AU$424 – and will be available to ship worldwide.You might also likeThe best headphones 2025 tested by our experts, for all budgetsThe best over-ear headphones in 2025 for all budgets, tested by usThe best wireless headphones to suit every listener and budget