news,technology

New code reveals ChatGPT may soon support in-chat purchases via ShopifyThe chat would offer prices, reviews, and embedded checkout through the AIThe feature could give Shopify merchants access to ChatGPT’s users while making OpenAI an e-commerce platform

When you ask ChatGPT what sneakers are best for trail running, you get an overview of top examples and links to review sites and product catalogs, Soon, though, ChatGPT might just offer to let you buy your choice from among a range of Shopify merchants directly in the chat, according to unreleased code discovered by Testing Catalog.Rather than clicking through to different websites, Shopify would populate ChatGPT with the suggested products, complete with price, reviews, shipping details, and, most importantly, a “Buy Now” button.Clicking it won't send you away from ChatGPT either. You'll just purchase those shoes through ChatGPT, which will be the storefront itself.At least, that's what the uncovered bits of code describe. The direct integration of Shopify into ChatGPT's interface would make the AI assistant a retail clerk as well as a review compiler. The fact that some of the code is actually live, if hidden, suggests the rollout is coming sooner than you might expect.For Shopify’s millions of merchants, this could be a huge boon. Right now, most small sellers have to hustle for traffic, investing in SEO, ads, or pleading with mysterious social media algorithms to go viral. However, ChatGPT could make its products appear directly in front of the AI chatbot's more than 800 million users.And it might lead to more actual sales. After all, it's one thing to stumble upon a jacket on Instagram and follow a link to a site requiring you to find the jacket again and fill in payment details. It's a lot easier to purchase something when you see it appear amid recommendations from ChatGPT, with a buy button there for you to click on without any intermediate steps.

Shop ChatGPT

Of course, OpenAI isn’t doing this in a vacuum. The idea that AI can guide you not just to information, but through decision-making and transactions, is referred to as 'agentic commerce' and is quickly becoming a major competition space for AI developers.Microsoft has its new Copilot Merchant Program, and Perplexity has its “Buy with Pro” feature for shopping within its AI search engine, to name two others.Regardless of any competition, this is a move that could set up OpenAI for a new role in 'doing' and not just 'knowing. Until now, ChatGPT’s value was mostly cerebral—it helped you think, organize, and research. But letting you buy things directly with Shopify's help might give a lot of people a new perspective on what ChatGPT is for.OpenAI has already experimented with the Operator agent to browse the web on your behalf. This just extends its power into transactions as well. ChatGPT won't just suggest things for you to do; it will carry out those tasks for you.It's not that AI-assisted shopping will end all websites for buying things, but the promise of AI-assisted shopping is that it can cut through the noise, learn your preferences, and serve up products tailored to you. That won't save you from buyer's regret, though; it just gets you there faster.

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Dyson Airwraps don't come cheap. If you're looking to protect your investment by making yours last as long as possible, this article is here to help.It's also Sustainability Week here at TechRadar, and we're looking at ways you can make your gadget habit more eco-friendly. Finding ways to fix, upgrade or otherwise avoid having to purchase a whole new Airwrap isn't just a win for your bank balance, it's better for the planet, too.We spoke to a Dyson spokesperson about the brand's approach to sustainability, and they told us its first priority is to make sure everything is built to last in the first place."During development, Dyson relies on extensive testing – products are dropped over 5,000 times, digital motors run for up to 20,000 hours, and machines undergo durability tests to ensure the machine remains uncompromised and is tough enough, testing to the point of failure," the spokesperson told us. "By focusing on longevity and supporting repairability through modular designs, Dyson helps customers keep their devices in use for longer."Hopefully, then, your Airwrap should be built to stick around – we were certainly impressed with the build quality when we tested it for our Dyson Airwrap i.d. review. However, if you do want to upgrade, repair, replace or recycle it, read on for how to do so...

#1. Upgrade your accessories

If you had an older Airwrap and are dismayed to see better accessories appearing with newer models (for example, comparing Dyson Airwrap vs. Airwrap i.d., the latter has a new tapering curl barrel), you can pimp your original Airwrap by buying new add-ons separately. This is also a good shout if one of your attachments breaks.For genuine Dyson parts you need to head direct to the accessories store within the Dyson site. Here, you can buy different shaped and sized curl barrels, or upgrade to a bi-directional one if you made your initial purchase when it was still separate clockwise and anticlockwise barrels. There are also different brush attachments, and even accessory bundles.

(Image credit: Future)

As you might expect, the official Dyson accessories are rather pricey – although much cheaper (and more sustainable) than buying a whole new Airwrap. Note, too, that what's available will vary by country – the US and Australian stores are much better stocked than the UK store at time of writing.

Dyson accessories store: US / UK / AU

We have spotted some dupe accessories via sites like Amazon, but unless you're really desperate we'd recommend avoiding these and opting for the real thing. You're never quite sure what you're getting, and if it turns out to be rubbish quality or incompatible, then you'll be entering the Wild West of Amazon returns.

#2. Replace broken parts

As well as an accessory store, Dyson also sells spare parts for many of its products. There actually aren't many moving parts to the Airwrap – aside from the accessories we've covered above – but you should be able to pick up a replacement filter cage if yours breaks.

(Image credit: Future)

This is also the place to head if you want to pick up a case or travel wrap for your Airwrap. The former might be a good idea for protective purposes, if you don't have somewhere safe to store your styler, together with its accessories.

Dyson spare parts store: US / UK / AU

#3. Clean the filter monthly

According to Dyson, the cause of the vast majority of Airwrap issues is that you've neglected to keep the filter clean. You should be cleaning your filter, following the process detailed below, monthly – or failing that, when the LED filter warning light starts continuously flashing at you.

Unplug the machine and leave it to cool down completelySlide the filter cage over the cord and open itPass the C-brush through the power cord to begin cleaningRotate the C-brush up and down the filter mesh or use a soft, dry toothbrush to remove dust and debris (don't use water or chemicals to clean the filter mesh itself)Wipe the C-brush gently to clean itLoosen debris from the filter cage using the dry C-brushBring the filter cage to a sink (don't bring the rest of the machine with it – leave that well away from water)Rinse the filter cage and C-brush under warm running waterApply a pea-sized amount of clarifying shampoo to the C-brushLightly scrub the filter cage using the C-brush in circular and up-and-down motions to remove stubborn buildupRinse for 20 secs to ensure all shampoo is gone from the filter cageShake the filter cage gently to remove excess water, then squeeze-dry with a paper towelHold the filter cage up to the light to check it's completely cleanAllow all parts, including the filter cage, to air-dry thoroughly before reassembling (don't reassemble the machine while any parts are still wet)Clip the filter cage back onto the machine.

#4. Troubleshoot any other issues

There's a Support section on the Dyson website designed to help if something goes awry. Here, you can download the user manual for various versions of the Airwrap.There's also a click-through troubleshooting section, covering issues such as poor product performance, electrical faults, and unusual smells or noises. Some of the solutions offered are common sense, but it can still be useful to help make sure there's nothing obvious you might be missing.If you need further assistance, there is a customer support line or you can access support via live chat or WhatsApp (UK only).

Dyson customer support: US / UK / AU

#5. Repair it

Yes... sort of. It seems to vary by product and by country.In the UK, Dyson offers a repair service, where it'll pick up your machine, take it away and fix it for you. This is free if the machine is under guarantee (two years from purchase), or £99 otherwise.On the Dyson UK website it's not clear if Airwraps are included – the page reads, "For more information on repairs and servicing for the Dyson hair care range (including hair dryers, straighteners, stylers) please contact us."However, our Dyson spokesperson told us that repair was an option for Airwraps: "Repairs, replacements, and parts are covered free of charge for issues caused by normal use or manufacturing defects via the two-year guarantee. For out-of-warranty products, paid repair services with genuine Dyson parts are available. Registering your device with a MyDyson account lets you track your guarantee and access personalized support."

(Image credit: Future)

In the US, Dyson will cover repairs for products under guarantee, but it doesn't seen to be an option if it's after that period. Again, it's unclear if hair tools like the Airwrap are included, as all the language on the site focuses on vacuums.In Australia, you also have the option to try the product for 45 days, and if you don't get on it with it, you can return it (with original packaging, in original condition) for free. We couldn't find any mention of repair options in Australia.

Dyson guarantee and repairs: US / UK

#6. Buy refurbished

If your current Airwrap is not salvageable, or you're seeking a more sustainability-conscious (and affordable) option for your first purchase, then consider buying a refurbished model."Dyson gives their machines a second life by extending their sustainability efforts through refurbished machines," the spokesperson told us. "They are thoroughly quality tested and use genuine Dyson replacement parts."

(Image credit: eBay)

Occasionally you'll find refurbished Dyson products sold directly via Dyson, but a better place to look is the brand's official eBay refurb store. This generally has a wide range of certified refurbished appliances available, and there's also a relatively fast turnover of products – it's worth checking back if the Airwrap you want isn't available the first time you look.eBay has a well established refurbishment system. Based on this writer's experience and other customer reviews, it's a reliable and straightforward place to pick up pre-loved electronics.

View eBay Dyson store: US / UK / Australia

Can you recycle a Dyson Airwrap?If you're buying a new Dyson Airwrap, and you have an old one you no longer want or need, you might be able to give your old one back to Dyson to recycle – in the UK at least. "To recycle your old machine, you can bring it into a Dyson demo store within 28 days of purchase of your new Dyson machine, show us the receipt or order confirmation email, and it can be recycled free of charge," our UK spokesperson told us. "The machine being returned must be of similar type or have performed the same function as the new item being purchased."You can also recycle old Airwraps in the same way you would other small electrical appliances. This will vary by country and area. If you're in the UK, this is a very useful tool to find your local recycle, donate or repair options for electricals (Airwraps aren't listed, but we suspect it'll be treated the same way a a blow dryer, which is). Read more about Dyson UK's WEEE recycling policies here.

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Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally. Each year, millions of devices are discarded, many with plenty of life left in them or their components. Alongside the environmental cost, the finite resources used in electronics, including critical minerals and plastics, are often lost to landfill. For tech manufacturers and retailers, this is not only a sustainability concern but a missed commercial opportunity.The mission of tackling the world’s growing e-waste catastrophe whilst maintaining profitability is possible for businesses willing to adopt circular initiatives. By repairing and refurbishing returned or surplus products, brands can recover value from items previously considered unsellable while delivering a measurable impact on both the environment and the community.

Rethinking returns: a strategic opportunity

Customer returns have historically been viewed as a drain on profitability across the retail sector. Logistics, processing costs and stock write-offs are often seen as unavoidable burdens. However, returns are an increasing part of the online retail landscape, with customers expecting more flexibility than ever. The question is no longer whether returns can be avoided but whether they are being managed effectively.Customers are also increasingly expecting to see the manufacturers’ eco credentials in action; they want to see manufacturers selling refurbished products alongside new products, supported by a manufacturer warranty. Some global brands have begun to reframe returns as a revenue opportunity with the help of third-party firms.Through expert repair and refurbishment, products can be returned to the market via ecommerce platforms or direct sales channels. This approach recovers maximum value, reduces waste, and supports regulatory and consumer demands for sustainable practices. For example, by refurbing and reselling a smartphone, its average lifecycle can be extended from two years to six. By refurbing electronics, brands can double product lifecycles, reducing the amount of e-waste sent to landfill by half.By extending the lifecycle of returned products, businesses not only improve margins but also strengthen customer loyalty. Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their purchases and are more likely to engage with brands that offer credible, circular solutions. In fact, a recent survey by Trojan Electronics highlighted that over two-thirds (67%) of consumers say that the environmental credentials of a brand or retailer matter to them when buying a new product.

The circular model in action

The circular model approach means brands can implement initiatives at every stage of the product lifecycle, whether it involves restoring items to full working order, harvesting components from products beyond economical repair, or recycling materials responsibly.Refurbished goods are then able to be resold via established online marketplaces, allowing brands to realize higher recovery rates than through traditional clearance or auction routes, and with lower overheads than operating direct-to-consumer channels independently.Another significant benefit of refurbishing electrical items is that it enables customers, who might not otherwise afford new premium products, to access high-quality items at a price similar to that of low-quality imports. Many consumers desire durable, long-lasting products but are often priced out of the new premium market. Professionally refurbished items with a warranty included, can be up to 40% cheaper than new ones. They are priced similarly to unbranded imports, yet offer superior reliability and longevity.

Quality, trust, and consumer demand

Refurbished technology is no longer seen as second-hand or inferior. With rigorous quality control, including PAT testing, soak tests, and professional repackaging, brands can ensure that each item is fit for resale and meets high consumer expectations.Industry bodies like CLEAR (Circular Leadership for Electronics and Recycling), a newly formed coalition of UK electronics industry stakeholders are committed to fostering greater collaboration and advancing sustainable practices across the sector. Recent research from CLEAR shows that consumer confidence in refurbished products is growing, especially when brands offer transparency and maintain high standards.For example, CLEAR’s recent report reveals that 82% of consumers think that they have a role to play in electronic circularity and 62% would change their electrical item purchasing behaviors based on the environmental impact of electronics manufacturers.There is, therefore, clear evidence that consumers are not only willing but eager to choose sustainable options, provided they can trust the quality and reliability. Brands that invest in refurbishment and resale are meeting this demand head-on, while also differentiating themselves in a competitive market.

Sustainability as a business imperative

Sustainability is no longer an optional extra. It is central to long-term business success and the future of our planet. Through a circular approach which includes repairing, refurbishing, and reselling rather than discarding, businesses across the tech sector can significantly reduce waste, recover substantial value, and build resilience in a fast-changing market.By unlocking the hidden value in e-waste, brands can reduce their environmental impact, future-proof their operations, attract new customers who previously found the products unaffordable, and strengthen customer relationships.

We rate the best business laptops.

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 few years ago, it may have been fashionable to spend $1,000 on the latest flagship smartphone, but for most people, that’s neither practical nor necessary. You don't even have to spend $500 today to get a decent handset, whether it’s a refurbished iPhone or an affordable Android phone, as there are plenty of decent options as low as $160.However, navigating the budget phone market can be tricky; options that look good on paper may not be in practice, and some devices will end up costing you more when you consider many come with restrictive storage. While we spend most of our time reviewing mid- to high-end handsets at Engadget, we've tested a number of the latest budget-friendly phones on the market to see cut it as the best cheap phones you can get right now.

Best cheap phones

What to look for in a cheap phone

For this guide, our top picks cost between $100 and $300. Anything less and you might as well go buy a dumb phone instead. Since they’re meant to be more affordable than flagship phones and even midrange handsets, budget smartphones involve compromises; the cheaper a device, the lower your expectations around specs, performance and experience should be. For that reason, the best advice I can give is to spend as much as you can afford. In this price range, even $50 or $100 more can get you a dramatically better product.

Second, you should know what you want most from a phone. When buying a budget smartphone, you may need to sacrifice a decent main camera for long battery life, or trade a high-resolution display for a faster CPU. That’s just what comes with the territory, but knowing your priorities will make it easier to find the right phone.

It’s also worth noting some features can be hard to find on cheaper handsets. For instance, you won’t need to search far for a device with all-day battery life — but if you want a phone with excellent camera quality, you’re better off shelling out for one of the recommendations in our midrange smartphone guide, which all come in at $600 or less.

Wireless charging and waterproofing also aren’t easy to find in this price range and forget about the fastest chipset. On the bright side, most of our recommendations come with headphone jacks, so you won’t need to buy wireless headphones.

iOS is also off the table, since, following the discontinuation of the iPhone SE, the $599 iPhone 16e is now the most affordable offering from Apple. That leaves Android as the only option in the under-$300 price range. Thankfully today, there’s little to complain about Google’s operating system – and you may even prefer it to iOS.

Lastly, keep in mind most Android manufacturers typically offer far less robust software features and support for their budget devices. In some cases, your new phone may only receive one major software update and a year or two of security patches beyond that. That applies to the OnePlus and Motorola recommendations on our list.

If you’d like to keep your phone for as long as possible, Samsung has the best software policy of any Android manufacturer in the budget space, offering at least four years of security updates on all of its devices. Recently, it even began offering six years of support on the $200 A16 5G, which we recommend below. That said, if software support (or device longevity overall) is your main focus, consider spending a bit more on the $500 Google Pixel 9a, or even the previous-gen Pixel 8a, which has planned software updates through mid-2031.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/best-cheap-phones-130017793.html?src=rss

May the 4th be with you is almost upon us, so get ready for an influx of Stars Wars paraphernalia. That includes new merch, such as Casetify's collaboration with Star Wars. Yes, starting today, Star Wars fans can get a series of branded accessories for devices ranging from iPhones to wireless chargers.

One of the most over-the-top items available is a Darth Vader AirPods holder. As you can see above, it's an entire stand for your AirPods that almost looks like a little bobblehead doll. But, it fits your AirPod case (which can also be Star Wars themed) and leaves space for the keychain to poke out. Plus, Casetify claims it's "complete with authentic breathing sound effects" — a purchase that truly falls under the category of something you never knew you needed.

The Darth Vader head follows similar Casetify products, including a stand that looks like RX-78-2 from Gundam. It also held both AirPods and another case from the anime collaboration. A separate roll out with Neon Genesis Evangelion included an AirPods case based on the head of Evangelion Unit-01.

As for the Star Wars collection, you can check out all the products below and purchase items starting at $32. Some of the themed accessories will be available to buy in bundles.

Casetify

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/casetifys-latest-airpods-case-is-a-darth-vader-head-080012607.html?src=rss

Duda introduced the AI-powered Content Collection featureIt claims collecting content from clients is a major headache for website developersThe new tool simplifies and streamlines the process

Duda, one of the best website builders around, continues on its path of helping users build websites faster, by introducing another AI-powered feature. The AI-powered Content Collection tool aims to help agencies and freelancers quickly and easily gather business information and site assets from clients.This new tool has been designed to solve, as Duda puts it, “one of the most common pain points in website development.”“87% of content collection delays are caused by clients, according to a recent survey of 120 digital marketing agencies performed by Duda,” the company said in a press release shared with TechRadar Pro. “These delays include slow responses, poor-quality submissions, and confusion around requirements.”With the AI-powered Content Collection tool, the process is streamlined and improved.

Pushing the boundaries

When the client submits the content, it is automatically added to the Duda platform, meaning no downloads, file transfers, or excessive communication."This launch is part of Duda's ongoing rollout of AI-powered features and tools designed to help agencies and web professionals work their way — faster than ever," said Amir Glatt, Duda's other co-founder and CTO. "From generating entire sites to simplifying content collection, Duda continues to push the boundaries of efficiency and automation."Duda has been hard at work adding AI to different aspects of the website development process. It first introduced AI capabilities to its website builder platform in 2023 with the launch of its AI Assistant, and in May 2024, the company added two new tools to its AI Assistant: AI sections and AI alt text, both aimed at helping agencies streamline workflows and launch high-performance websites.Most website builder platforms, including Wix, Squarespace, 10Web, and others, have added AI to different stages of the website building process.You can learn more about what the platform has to offer with our full Duda review.

Comment from the expert

Unlike website building giants such as Wix and Squarespace, which target everyone from solopreneurs to business behemoths, Duda knows its audience and is on a mission to become the best website builder for agencies and freelancers.This new AI-powered tool doesn't deviate from that mission. It has been developed with a clear focus on making the lives of agencies, freelancers, and website designers easier, minimizing the time they need to spend on collecting the assets and information they need to build great websites.I like this tool, as it helps free up time and budget for creatives to do what they do best - create. I hope Duda continues to focus on leveraging the power of AI to the benefit of it's users.

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Microsoft has finally made Recall available on Windows 11 for Copilot+ PCs – it’s rolling out with the April preview updateClick to Do is also generally available now, as is an AI-supercharged version of Windows 11’s basic search functionalityThe latter improved search feature is what might interest many Copilot+ PC owners

Microsoft has finally unleashed its Recall feature on the general computing public after multiple misfires and backtracks since the functionality was first revealed almost a year ago now.In case it escaped your attention – which is unlikely to say the least – Recall is the much talked about AI-powered feature that uses regularly saved screenshots to provide an in-depth, natural language search experience.Microsoft announced that the general availability of Recall for Windows 11 is happening, with the feature now rolling out, albeit with the caveat that this is for Copilot+ PCs only. That’s because it requires a chunky NPU to beef up the local processing power on hand to ensure the search works responsively enough.Alongside Recall, the Click to Do feature is also debuting in Windows 11 for Copilot+ PCs, which is a partner ability that offers up context-sensitive AI-powered actions (most recently a new reading coach integration is in testing, a nifty touch).There’s also a boost for Windows 11 search in general on Copilot+ laptops, which now benefits from a natural language approach, as seen in testing recently. This means you can type a query in the taskbar search box to find images of “dogs on beaches” and any pics of your pets in the sand will be surfaced. (This also ties in cloud-based results with findings on your device locally).Microsoft further notes that it has expanded Live Captions, its system-wide feature to provide captions for whatever content you’re experiencing, to include real-time translations in Chinese (Simplified) covering 27 languages (for audio or video content).It’s Recall that’s the big development here, though, and while Microsoft doesn’t say anything new about the capability, the company underlines some key aspects (we were informed about in the past) regarding privacy.Microsoft reminds us: “Recall is an opt-in experience with a rich set of privacy controls to filter content and customize what gets saved for you to find later. We’ve implemented extensive security considerations, such as Windows Hello sign-in, data encryption and isolation in Recall to help keep your data safe and secure.“Recall data is processed locally on your device, meaning it is not sent to the cloud and is not shared with Microsoft and Microsoft will not share your data with third parties.”Furthermore, we’re also reminded that Recall can be stripped out of your Copilot+ PC completely if you don’t want the feature, and are paranoid about even its barebones being present (disabled) on your PC. There are instructions for removing Recall in this support document that also goes into depth about how the functionality works.All of these features are set to be rolled out to Copilot+ PCs starting with the April 2025 preview update, which is imminent (or should be). However, note that for certain regions, release timing may vary. The European Economic Area won’t get these abilities until later in 2025, notably, as Microsoft already told us.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Analysis: The real gem for Copilot+ PC owners

The arrival of Recall is not surprising, because even though it’s been almost a year since Microsoft first unveiled the feature – and rapidly pulled the curtain back over it for some time, after the initial copious amounts of flak were fired at the idea – it was recently spotted in the Release Preview channel for Windows 11. That’s the final hurdle before release, of course, so the presence of Recall there clearly indicated it was close at hand.I must admit I didn’t think it would be out quite so soon, though, and a relatively rapid progression through this final test phase would seem to suggest that things went well.That said, Microsoft makes it clear that this is a ‘controlled feature rollout’ for Copilot+ PCs and so Recall will likely be released on a fairly limited basis to begin with. In short, you may not get it for a while, but if you do want it as soon as possible, you need to download the mentioned optional update for April 2025 (known as the non-security preview update). Also ensure you’ve turned on the option to ‘Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available’ (which is in Settings > Windows Update).Even then, you may have to be patient for some time, as I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft was tentative about this rollout to start with. There’s a lot at stake here, after all, in terms of the reputation of Copilot+ PCs.Arguably, however, the most important piece of the puzzle here isn’t Recall at all, although doubtless Microsoft would say otherwise. For me – if I had a Copilot+ PC (I don’t, so this is all hypothetical, I should make clear) – what I’d be really looking forward to is the souped-up version of Windows 11’s basic search functionality.Recall? Well, it might be useful, granted, but I have too many trust issues still to be any kind of early adopter, and I suspect I won’t be alone. Click to Do? Meh, it’s a bit of a sideshow for Recall and while possibly handy, it looks far from earth-shattering in the main.A better general Windows search experience overall, though? Yes please, sign me up now. Windows 11 search has been regarded as rather shoddy in many ways, and the same is broadly true for searching via the taskbar box in Windows 10. An all-new, more powerful natural language search could really help in this respect, and might be a much better reason for many people to grab a Copilot+ PC than Recall, which as noted is going to be steered clear of by a good many folks (in all likelihood).

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft’s own research (add seasoning) suggests this revamped basic Windows 11 search is a considerable step forward. The software giant informs us that on a Copilot+ device, the new Windows search means it “can take up to 70% less time to find an image and copy it to a new folder” compared to the same search and shift process on a Windows 10 PC.Of course, improved search for all Windows 11 PCs (not just Copilot+ models) would be even better – obviously – and hopefully that’s in the cards from an overarching perspective of the development roadmap for the OS. The catch is that this newly pepped up search is built around the powerful NPU required for a Copilot+ laptop, of course, but that doesn’t stop Microsoft from enhancing Windows search in general for everyone.Naturally, Microsoft is resting a lot of expectations on Copilot+ PCs, though, noting that it expects the ‘majority’ of PCs sold in the next few years to be these devices. Analyst firms have previously predicted big things for AI PCs, as they’re also known, as well.

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As one of the world’s largest AI innovators, the UK’s dominance in the early development of artificial intelligence has so far been underpinned by a strong IT infrastructure, which must now equally evolve as AI rollouts themselves become mainstream. UK organizations continue to integrate AI into their operations at an unprecedented rate, hence the need for a high-performance, scalable, and sustainable data infrastructure has never been more critical.With the government’s commitment to pro-innovation AI policies and reduced AI regulatory barriers, the UK continues to actively foster a pro AI environment. However, now faced with AI’s ultra rapid acceleration, ensuring energy-efficient hyperscale infrastructures can operate successfully to feed these AI workloads remains a significant sustainability and reliability challenge.

Leading hub

London has emerged as a leading hub for hyperscale data centers, housing nearly half of the country’s large facilities. Major expansion projects, including developments in Hayes, Slough, and a £750 million hyperscale facility in Newham, are set to reinforce the UK's data infrastructure.Beyond the capital, Latos Data Centres has announced plans for 40 new sites, including a hyperscale facility in Cardiff. In a move to optimize AI processing, the government has also introduced AI Growth Zones (AIGZs), selecting Oxfordshire as the first region due in part to its ability to meet the high energy demands of AI infrastructure.Given the known energy-intensive nature of these developments, the UK government has likely drawn insights from Ireland’s rapid data center expansion, which faced significant power supply challenges.Much of this hyperscale expansion is driven by the soaring demand for computational power required by AI workloads. AI models, particularly those used for machine learning, deep learning, and real-time analytics, require vast processing capabilities. The integration of large-scale AI tools, such as natural language processing and predictive analytics, further intensifies energy consumption, placing pressure on hyperscale operators to balance scalability with sustainability.

Addressing challenges

To address these challenges, data center operators are investing in innovative cooling technologies, including immersion cooling, which submerges IT hardware in specially engineered fluids to dissipate heat efficiently.This approach significantly enhances thermal efficiency and allows for high-density server deployment used in hyperscale facilities. A recent study by Park Place Technologies underscores the increasing importance of both immersion and direct-to-chip cooling as key solutions for reducing energy consumption and operational costs in mass environments.In addition to cooling advancements, hyperscale data centers are adopting specialized AI chips, high-density computing architectures, and ultra-fast networking solutions. Fiber-optic interconnects are being expanded to optimize data transfer speeds across cloud computing infrastructures, ensuring AI applications can function with minimal latency.Recognizing that hyperscale data centers alone cannot meet all digital infrastructure demands, the government is promoting a hybrid model that integrates modular ‘pop-up’ data centers and edge computing solutions to work alongside, often locally.These alternatives enhance computing efficiency by distributing workloads closer to end-users, reducing latency and improving real-time processing for AI, IoT, and 5G applications. Prefabricated modular data centers can be rapidly deployed offering a scalable solution without extended construction timelines.

Edge computing

Edge computing takes this approach further by enabling real-time data processing at the network’s edge, reducing dependency on centralized hyperscale facilities. This is particularly crucial for industries that require ultra-low latency, such as financial services, autonomous vehicles, and smart city infrastructure.Telecom providers are integrating edge data centers within the 5G network to enhance cloud access and reduce congestion, reinforcing the UK’s digital resilience. Rather than competing with hyperscalers, modular and edge computing facilities act as complementary solutions, ensuring flexibility in data processing and storage.Meeting sustainability targets remains a priority for hyperscale data centers, which are significant consumers of power. Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, are becoming increasingly integrated into data center operations to decrease carbon footprint. Some operators are also pioneering innovations like tidal energy harnessing. These initiatives align with broader efforts to reduce negative impacts and enhance energy efficiency in large-scale computing environments.With data centers now classified as part of the critical national infrastructure, they must adhere to the highest cybersecurity standards while optimizing energy consumption. Continuous monitoring, entropy detection, and AI-driven workload balancing are essential for mitigating cyber threats and ensuring seamless operations. AI itself is playing a crucial role in managing these systems, using machine learning algorithms to predict energy needs, enhance cooling efficiency, and dynamically adjust workloads in real time.

In summary

As the UK continues to lead in AI innovation, the demand for hyperscale infrastructure will only grow. However, balancing this expansion with long-term sustainability remains the industry’s greatest challenge.By integrating AI-driven energy optimizations, adopting modular and edge computing solutions, and investing in renewable energy, data center operators can ensure that the UK’s digital ecosystem remains both scalable and environmentally responsible.With this proactive approach, commitment from operators and continued adequate funding, the UK can maintain its leadership in AI while setting a global benchmark for sustainable data center expansion.

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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

Finding a laptop that can juggle both gaming and schoolwork isn’t as tricky as it used to be. These days, you don’t have to choose between a machine that can handle your homework and one that can keep up with your favorite games. Whether you’re diving into an essay, editing video for a project or hopping into a round of Fortnite or Baldur’s Gate 3 after class, there are plenty of laptops that strike the right balance between performance, portability and price.The key is knowing what to look for. A solid gaming and schoolwork laptop should have enough processing power for multitasking, a GPU that can handle modern games (even if you're not cranking settings to ultra) and decent battery life to get you through a day of classes or study sessions. Some are sleek and lightweight enough to slip into a backpack while others double as full-on gaming rigs when you’re home and plugged in. We’ve tested a range of laptops to help you find one that fits your student schedule and your Steam library.

Best laptops for gaming and school in 2025

Best laptop for gaming and schoolwork FAQs

Are gaming laptops good for school?

As we’ve mentioned, gaming laptops are especially helpful if you're doing any demanding work. Their big promise is powerful graphics performance, which isn't just limited to PC gaming. Video editing and 3D rendering programs can also tap into their GPUs to handle laborious tasks. While you can find decent GPUs on some productivity machines, like Dell's XPS 15, you can sometimes find better deals on gaming laptops. My general advice for any new workhorse: Pay attention to the specs; get at least 16GB of RAM and the largest solid state drive you can find (ideally 1TB or more). Those components are both typically hard to upgrade down the line, so it’s worth investing what you can up front to get the most out of your PC gaming experience long term. Also, don’t forget the basics like a webcam, which will likely be necessary for the schoolwork portion of your activities.

The one big downside to choosing a gaming notebook is portability. For the most part, we'd recommend 15-inch models to get the best balance of size and price. Those typically weigh in around 4.5 pounds, which is significantly more than a three-pound ultraportable. Today's gaming notebooks are still far lighter than older models, though, so at least you won't be lugging around a 10-pound brick. If you’re looking for something lighter, there are plenty of 14-inch options these days. And if you're not into LED lights and other gamer-centric bling, keep an eye out for more understated models that still feature essentials like a webcam (or make sure you know how to turn those lights off).

Do gaming laptops last longer than standard laptops?

Not necessarily — it really depends on how you define "last longer." In terms of raw performance, gaming laptops tend to pack more powerful components than standard laptops, which means they can stay relevant for longer when it comes to handling demanding software or modern games. That makes them a solid choice if you need a system that won’t feel outdated in a couple of years, especially for students or creators who also game in their downtime.

But there’s a trade-off. All that power generates heat, and gaming laptops often run hotter and put more strain on internal components than typical ultraportables. If they’re not properly cooled or regularly maintained (think dust buildup and thermal paste), that wear and tear can shorten their lifespan. They’re also usually bulkier and have shorter battery life, which can impact long-term usability depending on your daily needs.

Gaming laptops can last longer performance-wise, but only if you take good care of them. If your needs are light — browsing, writing papers and streaming — a standard laptop may actually last longer simply because it’s under less stress day-to-day.

What is the role of GPU in a computer for gaming and school?

The GPU plays a big role in how your laptop handles visuals — and it’s especially important if you’re using your computer for both gaming and school.

For gaming, the GPU is essential. It’s responsible for rendering graphics, textures, lighting and all the visual effects that make your favorite titles look smooth and realistic. A more powerful GPU means better frame rates, higher resolutions and the ability to play modern games without lag or stuttering.

For schoolwork, the GPU matters too — but its importance depends on what you're doing. If your school tasks mostly involve writing papers, browsing the web or using productivity tools like Google Docs or Microsoft Office, you don’t need a high-end GPU. But if you’re working with graphic design, video editing, 3D modeling or anything else that’s visually demanding, a good GPU can speed things up significantly and improve your workflow.

Georgie Peru contributed to this report.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-laptops-for-gaming-and-school-132207352.html?src=rss

It’s rare for a turn-based RPG to excite the editorial team beyond Engadget’s usual core RPG fans. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has many excited, however. Maybe it’s the dreamy Belle Époque aesthetic and design. Maybe it’s the gloriously pulpy concept of an all-powerful Paintress dooming humankind to an ever shortening mortal clock. Maybe it’s the characters, bolstered by a starry voice artist roster, and nuanced animation and story. Maybe, at this point in gaming, it’s the $50 price tag.

Maybe it’s just the treat of a turn-based RPG for those of us not looking for another real-time action RPGs. Expedition 33 does a great job setting up its world in a way that allows everyone to get on board. Lumiere, which seems to be a chunk of Paris plus change, is doomed to repeat a cycle of death, with a powerful godlike figure, the Paintress, looming on the horizon. The vestiges of humanity send out expeditions each year to “the Continent” in a bid to stop the death. This is the story of Expedition 33, although it’s not the 33rd, but closer to the 77th, with the clock counting down from 100.

Sandfall

Once you’re exploring the dangerous world beyond the safety of the city, you’ll discover that each expedition, while failing at ending the Paintress, made progress in different ways, paying it forward for the expedition that followed. Some groups set up grapplehook points across the world, while others figured how to use the world’s painty powers to tattoo themselves to boost their combat powers. Some tried to reach the Paintress on boats and submarines, but failed miserably.

It gets the player excited about exploring the world and the lore, even before you’ve left the safety of Lumiere. You start the game as Gustave, picking up party members throughout the early part of the game. While not all of them are part of your battle party, Gustave seems to have a connection with many other members of Expedition 33. A farewell party, tinged with hope, pessimism and loss, sets up the journey before things go wrong, pretty much as soon as they land.

Expedition 33 introduces its battle system and its take on turn-based RPGs in easy-to-digest parts. First you’re taught the basics of parrying and dodging, as well as a Free Aim shooting mode, which gobbles up your activity points just as much as a straightforward attack, but can be used to hit weak points or sabotage powerful attacks of your enemies. Quick-time actions, pressing the right button at the right time, will ensure your skills do even more damage, but are more crucial for parries and dodges.

You’ll want to refine your ability to parry attacks as soon as possible. Parries have a shorter success window than dodges, but offer extra action points for the character, and if performed perfectly, set up an automatic (and powerful) counterattack. Later abilities, learned from Pictos (sort-of accessories) can augment your parries to offer mild healing, extra action points, and even more powerful counter attacks. From the mid-game onwards, parrying will likely be your life.

Sandfall

There’s then the addition of elemental attacks, which can apply status effects, augment future attacks and more. Initially, I found the skill sets of each character, which are entirely different, a little complicated. Sure, Gustave’s shot ability was laced with Lightning, but it also applied the Mark status effect, which adds 50 percent more damage to whoever attacks the same enemy next. It all soon clicked into place, though, and I was cuing up each character’s attack to build upon the last.

Alongside their unique skills and spells, each character has their own fight mechanic too. Our preview touched on Gustave’s super-charged robot arm, Lune’s elemental stains which she can store up and apply to add more oomph to spells, and Maelle’s battle stances that can risk weakened defense for heavier hits.

The party is eventually joined by Sielle, who has a light-dark mechanic that tags enemies, building up momentum to convert into considerable damage, or a mixed hit-and-heal attack. Then there’s monkey-monk Monoco who is both the comic relief and blue mage, collecting defeated monster’s feet (!) and wielding their moves in combat. Those skills are further complicated by a Beastial wheel, which spins after each attack Monoco makes, and augments certain families of attacks. For example, if wearing the Caster mask, a regen spell will also heal the party substantially. Like I said, initially confusing, but you get to grips with it.

In the later game chapters, enemies will often deliver seven-hit combos, with some attacking all of your party each time. You’ll find yourself dodging, parrying and leaping over attacks in a bid to shore up ability points, or just keep yourself alive, and it can get a bit stale at times.

But! When you nail that boss’ attack pattern, flawlessly countering the evil older man (there shouldn’t be anyone alive over 33!) and his eight laser cane attacks, and your three-person party coalesce into a group counter attack, severing a considerable chunk of his health bar.

Urgh. I felt like an athlete—an artist.

Sandfall

There are no random encounters, so like Metaphor Re:Fantazio (There are a lot of parallels there) enemies exist in the world, ready for you to sneak attack – or just avoid. The auto-save system is forgiving, and even kindly keeps three saves at hand, so you can perhaps retreat from an area you’re not quite ready for. And you will get thrashed by a random super enemy when you push your luck. There are also a few difficulty spikes, but it’s often a matter of attack pattern recognition.

While there are distractions and optional areas to explore, Expedition 33 guides you in a relatively linear fashion for most of the game. As more exploration options become available, you’re eventually able to easily return to past areas, and go obliterate that one monster with the giant spear that shamed you in the early hours of your playthrough.

Most transport options come from befriending a giant plushie-kind-of-mythical-creature called Esquie, who can swim, blast through rocks and eventually fly you around the world. To do so, however, you’ll have to find his friends. Those friends are stones that add skills. So while he can fly as soon as you meet him, he can’t carry you until you find his special stone buddy. I love this kind of RPG nonsense. Gestrahl villages (another species that inhabits the continent) add some welcome comic relief amid all the death, family strife, and betrayal.

Fortunately, the cast of Expedition 33 have the dramatic bonafides to deliver on the emotional beats, including Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3’s Shadowheart) Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI) and Andy Serkis (do I even have to say?).

There are both French and English VAs, and I’d recommend playing through at least part of the game in both. It adds a certain je ne sais quoi – or at least made me feel somehow cultured. There are numerous other playfully French touches and clichés, including a droopy Eiffel Tower and a series of formidable enemies: a tribe of mimes.

Sandfall

Sandfall decided to forgo maps; there’s an overworld map, accessible by pressing up on the D-pad, but it lacks an overlay, and you’ll have to zoom in significantly to see the areas’ labels.

The bigger frustration is the lack of mini maps in core areas. While it’s not an open-world exploration kind of game, there’s some latitude for exploring off the beaten path, which is nearly always rewarded with new equipment (or a strong enemy). However, without a map, I often found myself running in circles, struggling to find a way forward.

It’s a good thing, then, that the environments are gorgeous and filled with detail. I need a camera mode added to this game, as soon as possible. The sinister Monolith, counting down the years, always seems to be visible from cliff sides, valleys, and abandoned train stations, always in a very aesthetically pleasing way. Even the campsite that the group uses to save, rest and develop friendships overlooks the Paintress’ countdown clock.

We covered the faux underwater level from the early part of the game in our preview, but there are several more meticulously designed levels and areas later in the game. One optional distraction partway through is a vertiginous structure made of gravity-defying floating objects and parts of buildings that you can climb up for a (frustrating) mini-game. There’s also a fractured snowy Belle Époque ski resort that you have to hike up, and a broken city, skewered by swords of light, to fight through on your way to confront the giant, weepy Paintess, who’s always slumped on the horizon.

Side quests and distractions from the main story are minimal until later in the game, and I found myself happily moving on without completing them, hoping for an easy way to backtrack to areas. That doesn’t quite ever happen, although a Doctor Who-esque house found within the game, with doors attached to various places across the Continent, would have made a convenient shortcut. Instead, you have to wait until you’ve found Esquie’s stone for flying, which comes pretty late into the game.

Once Esquie takes to the skies, there’s no shortage of mini quests and new areas, including gorgeously hued floating islands, paintings to test your battle strategies and curios that help bolster smaller story beats. I haven’t finished all of the optional bosses and quests, but the only frustrating ones so far have hinged on some precarious platforming segments. It’s not great; it's frustrating. These characters were not built for leaps of faith. And if you’re sprinting, don’t be surprised if you parkour roll off the platform you landed on, and fall to your death.

Without spoiling the story, many of the characters have a degree of plot blindness that stretches incredulity. It can be especially jarring when woven amid a lot of heaviness, themes of loss, death of close friends and the whole attempting-to-save-the-world when no-one even knows if it’s possible.

Sandfall

I’m willing to forgive the high-concept wankery to an extent (It’s an RPG!). Still, when new characters join you, almost certainly connected to mysterious enemies trying to kill you, you’d expect other party members might have a few questions.

You can tell the team loves RPGs. The director said he was “starving for turn-based RPGs” and he’s helped make quite the meal. The RPG inspirations come from many places. You can easily see the affection for both the Persona and Final Fantasy series in places. Still, during the battles, it was Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, of all things, that came to mind, with the judicious use of timing and quick button presses being the best way to win – or at least survive.

Another thing that Expedition 33 does right is a rather fantastic run of battles, cinematic set-pieces and exploration towards the end. The final villain, too, is someone I was hoping to fight – no random evil big bad here, like we have suffered in one or ten RPGs past.

Expedition 33 is a solid, enjoyable RPG – and I’ve already started. However, later into the game, and on the higher difficulty level, it devolves into a rhythm action game, especially on damage-sponge bosses. Although that might not be what turn-based RPG fans want, it adds urgency and focus to fights. It’s also a gorgeously made and well-considered world. A strong endorsement for it all is that I’m still hunting down records of every expedition that came before Gustave, Maelle and Lune.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/clair-obscur-expedition-33-review-an-original-hit-rpg-090012488.html?src=rss

The Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller's tech specs have been revealedAccording to Nintendo, its charging time will be significantly reducedThe new gamepad is also ever so slightly slimmer and lighter

There's some great news if you're looking to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller to go along with the new console in June.Spotted by Nintendo Life, Nintendo's official technical specifications for the Switch 2 Pro Controller have been revealed on its website.While there are some slight differences in size and weight compared to the original version, the big change here is in battery charge time. On the revised Pro Controller, it's now just 3.5 hours, down from the 6 hours of that first model.Better still, the Nintendo Switch 2's Pro Controller appears to feature the same mammoth battery life (around 40 hours) as the original. Factor in that significantly shortened charge time, and you have a controller that should be ready to go for wireless use more frequently.Here's a breakdown of the key specs between the Switch 2 Pro Controller and its predecessor:

Nintendo does warn that to achieve that charge time of 3 and a half hours, you'll want to use an appropriate charging method. These include the Nintendo Switch 2's AC adapter or the included USB-C charging cable. Any third-party variants could negatively impact overall charging time.We can also see that the Switch 2 Pro Controller has been ever so slightly refined in terms of size and weight, coming in just a bit slimmer and lighter than the first model. It's a tiny difference, though, and one that won't really manifest unless you have each side by side.For more information, see my Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller hands-on preview, where I found the new gamepad to be an improvement in overall feel. It simply felt much more comfortable to hold, and its thumbsticks were sublimely responsive when I tested it with games like Mario Kart World and Street Fighter 6 at a recent Nintendo event in Paris.

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Windows 10’s April update has messed up part of the Start menuRight-click jump lists that were present with some apps no longer workThese were a very handy shortcut and a key part of the workflow of some users, who are now pretty frustrated at their omission

Windows 10’s latest update comes with an unfortunate side effect in that it causes part of the Start menu to stop working.Windows Latest reports that after installing the April update for Windows 10, released earlier this month, jump lists for some apps on the Start menu now appear to be broken.Normally, when you right click on a tile (large icon) in the Start menu – on the right side of the panel, next to the full list of apps installed on the PC which is on the left – the menu that pops up provides a standard set of options, as well as what’s known informally as a jump list linking to various files (note that this only appears with certain apps).It's a list of recently opened (or pinned, commonly used) files that you can get quick access to (or jump straight to, hence the name). So, for example, with the Photos app, you’ll see links to recently opened images (or recently viewed web pages in a web browser).However, that jump list section is no longer appearing for the apps that should have this additional bit of furniture attached to the right-click menu.Windows Latest observes that this is a problem with all their Windows 10 PCs, and there are a number of reports from those hit by this bug on Microsoft’s Answers.com help forum and Reddit, too.

(Image credit: Shutterstock; Future)

Analysis: What’s going on here?

Not everyone is affected here by any means. My Windows 10 PC is fine, and I’ve applied the apparently troublesome April 2025 update. Or that upgrade seems to be the problematic piece of the puzzle, at least according to the amateur sleuthing going on.There are a lot of potential fixes floating around here and there, but sadly, none of them appear to work. The only cure seems to be removing the update, which is hardly ideal seeing as it’s only a temporary solution which leaves you short of the latest security patches. However, restoring the PC to before the update was applied does indeed seem to do the trick in bringing back the jump list functionality, suggesting this update is indeed the root cause.Windows Latest does raise the prospect that this might be an intentional removal by Microsoft, but I don’t think so. If that’s the case, Microsoft better clarify this, as there are a number of annoyed Windows 10 users out there due to this problem.I feel a more likely suggestion is that Microsoft has perhaps backported some changes from Windows 11, and this has somehow caused unexpected collateral damage in Windows 10.Hopefully we’ll hear from Microsoft soon enough as to what’s going on, but meanwhile, the workflows of some Windows 10 users are being distinctly messed with by the removal of these convenient shortcuts.Of course, Windows 10 doesn’t have much date left on its shelf life at this point – only six months, although you’ll be able to pay to extend support for another year should you really want to avoid upgrading to Windows 11 (or indeed if you can’t upgrade).

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SK Telecom confirmed suffering a malware infection on a Saturday nightThe attackers tried to steal USIM dataLaw enforcement and government has been notified

SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest telecommunications provider, suffered a malware infection recently, through which threat actors tried to grab customer USIM information.The attack happened in mid-April 2025, at night between Saturday and Sunday, when most employees were away for the weekend.The company’s IT team spotted the intrusion and moved quickly to isolate the affected endpoints and prevent more data from being stolen. In the morning, SK Telecom notified relevant authorities and started an investigation to determine exactly what happened and what was stolen.

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GitHub not affected

So far, no data appeared on the dark web and no one took responsibility for the attack.A USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) is the successor of the old SIM card. It’s used in 3G, 4G, and 5G mobile networks and is found in most devices with cellular connectivity.At its core, a USIM authenticates the device’s identity on a network, stores subscriber data (International Mobile Subscriber Identity, authentication keys, contacts, and sometimes text messages), encrypts the information passing through, and enables secure access to mobile services such as calls, data, or texts.A cybercriminal could use the data to close the SIM, track people’s location, bypass app security, or eavesdrop on communications.In other words, this was a rather dangerous attack. That is why the company strengthened blocks of USIM swaps and abnormal authentication attempts. Furthermore, it said it would immediately suspend service for accounts linked to suspicious activity.SK Telecom is the biggest telecommunications provider in South Korea, servicing some 34 million subscribers (roughly 49% of the market). The rest is mostly divided between KT and LG U+.It offers mobile services, internet and IPTV, AI and cloud services, IoT solutions, smart factory and connected car technology, quantum cryptography communication, and more. It was one of the world’s first companies to launch commercial 5G, back in 2019.Via BleepingComputer

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A hands-on video shows how an iPhone 17 Air dummy unit compares to other iPhone 17 modelsThe iPhone 17 Air is substantially slimmer than the rest of the iPhone 17 seriesIt's so slim there are concerns it could easily bend

The iPhone 17 Air is going to be slim – that almost goes without saying – but a new hands-on video featuring a dummy unit provides perhaps our best sense yet of just how slim.Unbox Therapy (via 9to5Mac) has shared a video in which they compare what's said to be an iPhone 17 Air dummy unit to iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max ones, and it’s fair to say they’re wowed by just how slim the Air is.They say that with its 5.65mm thickness it feels “futuristic” and makes the iPhone 17 Pro Max (which is rumored to be 163.04 x 77.59 x 8.75mm) feel “antiquated” in comparison.This iPhone 17 Air dummy unit is also a lot thinner than the 149.62 x 71.46 x 7.96mm iPhone 17 dummy unit they have.Overall they seem seriously impressed, suggesting that it’s so slim that most people won’t care about any compromises – such as there reportedly being only one rear camera – once they feel it in their hands.

Bending and battery concerns

However, the phone being quite this slim also leaves them with concerns, with Unbox Therapy noting that bending could be a worry. They joke that you shouldn’t put it in your back pocket, and say “I just don’t know how they’re going to make it strong enough.”Given that Apple already went through 'bendgate' with the iPhone 6, we’d think making the iPhone 17 Air stand up to pressure would be a priority for the company. So hopefully it won’t bend easily, but it will be interesting to see if and how Apple achieves that.Unbox Therapy also noted that “if this doesn’t bend in half just by you looking at it, then the battery life is going to be the next problem”, adding that “this thing’s going to have horrible battery life” due to how slim it is.We’re a little less worried about that, since the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to use a high-density battery, so it might not need as much space for a decent capacity. Still, there are probably limits to what Apple can manage there. But if most people are as wowed by the thinness of the phone as Unbox Therapy seems to be, they might be able to put up with just about any issue resulting from its design.

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Strava has revealed new data to inspire London marathon runnersIt says that training with friends could have a massive impact on your performancePeople who run solo are much more likely to slow down towards the end of their race

With marathon season in full swing and the London Marathon fast approaching, new data revealed by Strava has confirmed that training with friends and in a social setting could be the key to unlocking a new PB and smashing your race.Strava, one of the best fitness apps around – and newly-adopted parent company of Runna – says that 60% of London Marathon 2024 runners uploaded their activity to the platform, giving the company unparalleled insights into performance.Alongside the usual splits between demographics, gender, and more, Strava has shared revealing insights into how your training and performance can be impacted by social interaction – and with some time left before the race, it's not too late to make the change.

Don't go solo

Strava says its data reveals that London marathon runners who trained with others ahead of the event were "significantly less likely" to bonk during the race compared to solo runners. Bonking, otherwise known as hitting the wall, is technically defined as slowing down by more than 10% during the last 10k of your race.According to Strava, 29% of those who tagged at least one other person in their training activity bonked, compared with a massive 45% of those who did not.Social training aside, Strava also said that nearly two-thirds of London Marathon runners uploaded at least one non-running activity during training, highlighting the importance of variety and cross-training in the run-up to the event.Worried about your time? Don't be. Strava says that fewer than 10% of runners finished in under three hours, with less than half completing the race in four hours. 79% clocked times under five hours, which seems like the best benchmark to aim for.Planning your next few days? Strava says that most runners two weeks out from the race are likely tapering off their mileage, dropping back down to around 30km (18.6mi) a week, with most runners only running around 12km the week before the event.

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Intel reportedly preparing to lay off 21,000 workers - around 20% of its workforceIt also laid off 15,000 workers less back in August 2024CEO Lip-Bu Tan wants to address the company’s current strategy

Intel could be set to announce one of the biggest rounds of tech layoffs we’ve seen in months, with thousands of workers set to leave.A report from Bloomberg claims the Santa Clara chipmaker could be set to announce a 20% reduction to its workforce as soon as this week, which would equate to around 21,000 workers.The company is set to announce its first-quarter financial – the perfect opportunity to confirm any cost-cutting measures such as layoffs.

Intel could be about to lay off 20% of its workforce

If they go ahead, the layoffs would streamline management, cut costs, reduce bureaucracy and help Intel to refocus on becoming an engineering-driven, product-focused company. All things Intel;s new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has alluded to since taking on the role.Intel had a particularly troubling fourth quarter, with revenue dropping 7% year-over-year. The full 12-month period wasn’t especially positive, either, with a 2% year-over-year decrease in revenue to $53.1 billion.“The cost reduction plan we announced last year to improve the trajectory of the company is having an impact,” CFO David Zinsner explained.Although quarter-one results have not yet been announced, Zinsner said he expected “macro uncertainties, further inventory digestion and competitive dynamics” to weaken performance.Intel shares are down 43% over the past year alone, with the company currently sitting at a market cap of $85.07 billion.To put that into perspective, AMD’s total valuation is currently $140.14 billion, and Nvidia is the third-most valuable company in the world and one of only eight to measure its market cap in trillions, not billions, at $2.412 trillion.Looking back, Intel has already laid off thousands in the past couple of years, including a staggering 15,000 workers in August 2024.Intel told us it won't be providing a comment on this because it does not comment on rumor or speculation.

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If you're struggling to secure a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order, we're here to help. After a brief delay, pre-order stock will be going live in the US on April 24. And hopefully, that'll have a knock-on effect of more stock becoming available in regions like the UK, where it's been especially tough to track down a pre-order.So what can you do about it if you're especially keen on learning how to pre-order Nintendo Switch 2? The stock situation (or lack thereof) right now may seem hopeless, but there are things you can do to maximize your chances of successfully putting a pre-order down before the June 5 launch.That's what I'm here for today. I managed to get a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order in early doors, and as someone who's been covering hardware launches and pre-order events for close to half a decade, I'm in a decent position to help point you in the right direction. Without further ado, let's get into those Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order tips.

Refresh your favorite retailers

(Image credit: Kaleidoscope / Future)

When looking at Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders at your go-to retailer - be that Walmart or Best Buy in the US, or Argos and Very in the UK - it's tempting to throw in the towel once you see stock has sold out.However, it's important to note that stock can come and go in waves, and there are plenty of folks who get cold feet and cancel their pre-orders entirely. It may take some webpage wrestling, particularly when you reach checkout, but it's entirely possible to get lucky here and take advantage of fresh stock waves or others' canceled orders.

Sign up to retailer mailing lists

(Image credit: GameStop)

Signing up for retailer mailing lists is a great way to be among the first to know about new waves of Switch 2 pre-order stock. Most retailers will have an option for this if they are currently out of Nintendo Switch 2 stock. Some may even offer priority to shoppers who click through to store pages via email.Be sure to have notifications enabled for your preferred email client, too. Whether you're at the computer or on your phone, this will ensure you can respond as quickly as possible when those emails come in.

Do your best to prep your retailer accounts

(Image credit: Walmart)

I won't necessarily ask you to make accounts for a whole bunch of different retailers, as that can be time-consuming and quite stressful. Instead, if you already have accounts for retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Argos, or Very, it'll pay dividends to ensure they're in good shape for a quick and stress-free pre-order as and when stock becomes available.The very last thing you want is to spot stock at your preferred retailer, only to fumble the account sign-in process with a forgotten password or Captcha security check. Time is of the essence here, naturally. So, making sure you're already signed in - or have your login credentials close to hand - will save you time and could be the difference maker.

My Nintendo Store is a good fallback option

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Currently, the official My Nintendo Store is allowing users with a Nintendo Account to register their interest in a Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order. Simply head to the landing page, sign in with your Nintendo Account, select either the console by itself or the Mario Kart World bundle, and click 'register interest.'It's important to note this won't guarantee you a pre-order slot. But you absolutely should register your interest regardless in case the Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order situation continues to be dire in terms of overall stock. As a last resort, it's risk-free and could be the difference between you securing that pre-order or not.

Buying the bundle is preferable

(Image credit: Nintendo)

If you manage to find a listing in stock for the Nintendo Switch 2 console by itself, it can be all too tempting to get your pre-order in then and there. But in most cases, I would strongly recommend trying to secure the console bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart World.Why? It all comes down to pricing. The Nintendo Switch 2 console on its own costs $449.99 / £395.99. The bundle, meanwhile, retails at $499.99 / £429.99.Given that Mario Kart World costs $79.99 / £74.99 by itself, you stand to save a ton of cash by opting for the bundle. In the US, you'll save $30, and around £41 if you're in the UK. You can then pocket that extra change and potentially put it towards a Nintendo Switch 2 accessory, such as the Switch 2 Pro Controller, Switch 2 Camera, or a Nintendo Switch Online subscription if you need one.

Go to your local retailer in person

(Image credit: Currys)

Shopping online is one thing, but heading in-store is also a perfectly viable option. For example, UK retailer Currys doesn't seem to be bothering with online Switch 2 pre-orders at all, encouraging shoppers to instead visit their local outlet.Registering interest by putting your name down in person at a retailer isn't as common a practice as it used to be, but it's still worth a try on the chance that staff could put a unit aside for you once stock comes in.

If in doubt, keep checking our live coverage

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Finally, I'll stress once again that we're here to help make your Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order experience as seamless and stress-free as possible. While we can't whisk stock into existence out of thin air (we wish!), our Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order live hub is going to be regularly updated by several members of the TechRadar team.Myself and others will be keeping a very close eye on stock movements to the best of our ability. As a result, I recommend bookmarking our live coverage, especially considering stock drops can happen at a moment's notice.

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The iPhone 17e is being tipped to arrive next yearA slightly later launch date in May 2026 is rumoredIt suggests an annual refresh for the new 'e' series

Given we had to wait three years between the iPhone SE 3 and its sort-of successor the iPhone 16e, it was unclear what the upgrade cycle would be for the most affordable iPhone going forward – but now it seems we're set to get annual refreshes.According to well-known tipster Fixed Focus Digital (via MacRumors), work on the iPhone 17e production line is now "on the agenda" (as per Google Translate), and we should see the phone in May 2026 according to a follow-up post.That's a little later in the year than the iPhone 16e, which was of course unveiled in February of this year. Maybe Apple is rearranging its schedule to try and boost sales, or to accommodate the iPhone 17 and 18, or to deal with the ongoing US tariff issues.This particular leak doesn't make any mention of what we can expect from the iPhone 17e, though a speed bump is likely. Apple probably won't change too much in terms of the look of the handset, considering it got a pretty big design revamp this year.

What we want to see

Google also launches a mid-ranger each year – most recently the Pixel 9a (Image credit: Blue Pixl Media)

If Apple does settle down to an annual refresh of its 'e' line-up – much like the 'a' line-up for the Google Pixels – then that's to be applauded. Having more options in terms of pricing and design when choosing smartphones is always good for consumers.There are two rather obvious changes Apple could make with the iPhone 17e, however. The first is to add MagSafe, which was rather strangely left off the iPhone 16e and meant that the phone was instantly incompatible with a whole range of accessories.The second change (which perhaps contradicts the other one) would be to drop the price to something truly budget. The iPhone 16e starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999, compared to the $429 / £419 / AU$719 of its predecessor (albeit for 64GB of storage rather than 128GB).In our iPhone 16e review, we called the device "a bit of a frustrating conundrum", with some big pluses and some big minuses to talk about. In other words, there's definitely room for improvement with next year's iPhone 17e.

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New FOG ransomware is asking victims to justify their jobsFOG has been responsible for 173 attacks since June 2024The payload is initially delivered by email/phishing

A new ransomware attack appears to be channelling Elon Musk’s energy by demanding that workers share a recap of their weekly accomplishments, much like the Tesla CEO has demanded as part of his DOGE efforts.The note references Musk’s controversial ‘five bullet points’ memo, asking victims to justify their jobs or cough up $1 trillion.The original Musk policy was issued under Trump’s administration, and intended to drive accountability in federal departments. It quickly faced backlash and later became optional, however it’s now fuelling the latest round of scams according to a new Trend Micro report.

FOG ransomware inspired by Musk’s push for accountability

TrendMicro found nine ransomware samples between March 27 and April 2, which it has attributed to FOG Ransomware.They “dropped a note containing key names related to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” says the report, which highlights DOGE’s position in the headlines.The report cites recent Reuters reporting disclosing a DOGE technologist had previously been involved in providing support to a cybercrime gang linked to trafficking stolen data and cyberstalking an FBI agent.FOG ransomware has been tied to 173 counts of ransomware activity since June 2024, and 53 in February 2025 alone. Individuals and organizations from the technology, education, manufacturing and transportation sectors are mostly at risk.In the case of the current DOGE-inspired attack, malware is delivered via email or a phishing attempt using a ZIP file named ‘Pay Adjustment’, which contains a LNK file disguised as a PDF. Clicking the file runs a PowerShell script which retrieves ransomware payloads and plays political YouTube videos.Although there are basic cybersecurity hygiene steps users can take to prevent attacks, such as not clicking on suspicious links, social engineering continues to be othe most exploited attack vector and humans are the weakest point of any company’s cybersecurity strategy, which is why Trend Micro is also recommending companies to monitor indicators of compromise.

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New Star Wars game announced!(Image credit: Respawn)EA has announced Star Wars: Zero Company, a new single-player, turn-based tactics game currently in development for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S. There's not much information about the title at present, but we do know that the Zero Company will put players "in command during the Clone Wars," according to a new Star Wars blog post. The Clone Wars is a popular era among fans of the franchise, so the opportunity to revisit it sounds awesome.

Though there's not been much news directly about the game recently, work on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) remake is presumed to be ongoing. That said, since we've not seen any substantial updates since the brief teaser released in 2021, it seems likely that the role-playing game (RPG) is still a ways off yet, with nothing close to a release window having been revealed.In the original KOTOR, you play as a mysterious Force user who finds themself embroiled in a war between the Galactic Republic and the sinister forces of Darth Malgus. If you're lost, don't worry, KOTOR is set thousands of years before the Star Wars movies, an approach that gave the game much more room to maneuver when it came to telling its own unique story. With this freedom, the original KOTOR could offer a tale full of memorable characters, weighty moral choices, and fantastic setpieces.The KOTOR remake is coming courtesy of Saber Interactive, a US-based developer that was owned by the Embracer Group - a Swedish media conglomerate. However, the original KOTOR was developed by BioWare, a veteran studio well known for crafting some of the best RPGs and the best story games. We've gathered every spec of information about the upcoming game, in order to figure out if Saber will be able to live up to BioWare's legacy. Read on to learn more and to see our predictions.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake: cut to the chase

What is it? A remake of the classic Star Wars RPGWhen is it coming out? TBCWhat can I play it on? PS5 (as a timed console exclusive)Who's making it? Saber Interactive

Star Wars KOTOR remake - what we know so far

(Image credit: BioWare / Saber Interactive )

A release date for the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake hasn’t been confirmed yet. Given the lack of material available for the game from official sources, we don’t expect to get another look at this Star Wars RPG any time soon. The first developer, Aspyr, confirmed that the game was still in early development before Saber Interactive took over, and now, Saber has separated from parent group Embracer, taking KOTOR with them.Since its split from Embracer Group, Saber has confirmed that KOTOR Remake is still in development. No further details have been given. In March of 2025, Saber Interactive CCO Tim Willits shared an update on the developers' upcoming projects via X / Twitter. Willits doesn't mention the KOTOR remake outright, but insists that the studio's upcoming projects (which would presumably include the remake) are all still in development:"Saber Interactive is one of the largest independent developers in the world," Willits wrote. "We are working on numerous games across many different genres. Everything that we have talked about is still in development. We will share information on upcoming games when we have something cool to share."We do know that the KOTOR remake will launch as a timed console exclusive on PS5 (at least that's what was said when the project was announced). That means it could come to Xbox Series X|S and PC after a short while, though an Xbox release date or window hasn’t been confirmed yet, either.While you wait for more news, be sure to check out our Star Wars Outlaws review, to see whether or not the open world Star Wars adventure is worth checking out.

Knights of the Old Republic remake trailer

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake was officially announced at the PlayStation Showcase 2021, with a brief teaser trailer. The trailer, seen below (still available on the IGN YouTube account), has the voice of Bastilla Shan, one of the recruitable characters in the original title, and shows off a pivotal villain from the story: Darth Revan.In a strange turn of events, the trailer has since been de-listed from the official PlayStation YouTube channel, though it remains accessible on other channels. It's unknown as to whether or not this is a reflection of development trouble or simply a quirk of Sony's media department.

We haven't seen any more trailers since this first look, but if you want to keep your eye out for more, then check out PlayStation's official Youtube channel.

Knights of the Old Republic remake story and setting

(Image credit: Aspyr)

Set over 4,000 years before the films, where the Sith are skittering about in the shadows, the original game has you play as a Force-user who finds themself in a war between the Galactic Republic and the evil forces of Darth Malak.Unlike the Star Wars films, the Sith of KOTOR have an empire of their own and are a force to be reckoned with, making them a much more concrete threat. Indeed, the events of KOTOR take place against the backdrop of an ongoing war, with the opening taking place in the aftermath of a battle with a Sith armada. It's likely that the remake will follow a similar, if not identical path.It’s hard to overestimate just how influential this game was upon its original release. For the time, the BioWare-developed original offered unparalleled choice when directing your character's story and personality. The player was able to make numerous decisions throughout the game that would affect the trajectory of the narrative, an innovation that would go on to influence Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and a host of other later RPGs. KOTOR was an impressively open take on the Star Wars universe, released during a time when the franchise still felt like it had mysterious uncharted corners of lore to explore.KOTOR is also known for its memorable companion characters, too. Each with their own goals and backstories, the RPG's supporting cast is well-written and memorable. It'll be exciting to see how Saber approaches the likes of the stoic Bastila Shan or the amusingly amoral HK-47.

Knights of the Old Republic remake gameplay predictions

(Image credit: Aspyr)

The original Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic title was an RPG that saw players travel to different planets and choose various plot decisions that would slowly progress the narrative and allow you to collect either Light Side or Dark Side points. These points would eventually determine whether your character walked the path of the Dark Side or the Light Side, while also allowing access to certain powers.We don't know exactly how closely Saber will follow the original KOTOR in the Remake, but it seems very likely that we'll see Light Side and Dark Side points return in some form, since this sort of duality is fundamental to the Star Wars setting.Combat in the original KOTOR was a hybrid of traditional 'computer role-playing game' (CRPG} mechanics and more modern action-oriented offerings. Battles could be paused mid-flow to give you time to think, but the engagements themselves would play out in real-time. You could also queue up different attacks and techniques.We haven't seen any footage for the remake yet, but players can expect it to stay largely similar to the original. “We’re rebuilding one of the greatest RPGs of all time for a new generation", Aspyr’s Lead Producer, Ryan Treadwell, said in a PlayStation Blog post, "while maintaining the integrity of the story and characters that we’ve come to cherish". That said, since the KOTOR remake is no longer in Aspyr's hands, it's not yet been confirmed if Sabre take a similar approach - though a stark departure from Treadwell's goals does seem unlikely.

Knights of the Old Republic remake news

Embracer Group sells off Saber Interactive studios and assetsBeacon Interactive, a holding company created by Saber co-founder Matthew Karch, purchased Saber alongside a range of subsidiary studios and ongoing projects, including the KOTOR remake. Given Embracer's recent instability, this could mean good things for Saber and, by extension, for the remake.KOTOR Trailer delisted from Sony's YouTube channelThe announcement trailer for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has been taken down from Sony's official YouTube channel. Saber Interactive and its parent company at the time, Embracer Group, reportedly declined to comment on this move (via TheGamer), stoking fears that the game may be stuck in development limbo.Who is making the Knights of the Old Republic Remake?After what seemed like an indefinite pause in development under Aspyr, the parent organization Embracer Group has confirmed that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Remake will be under new management. Embracer wrote in a blog post that the change was made to “ensure the quality bar is where we need it to be for the title.”The responsibility has now passed up the chain to Aspyr's parent company Saber Interactive to complete the development of the RPG. Saber Interactive was already reportedly overseeing the production of KOTOR Remake, so this switch hopefully means that we won't see a massive change in direction for this anticipated sci-fi title.

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Fujifilm teases new camera with tagline ‘Half the Size, Twice the Story’Hints at new half-frame digital camera, possible called the X-HalfSilhouette appears to show a secondary film preview display

Fujifilm’s rumored half-frame camera appears to be one step closer to reality. Weeks after leaked images gave us our first look at the ‘X-Half’, an official teaser has now all but confirmed its existence.Shared on Fujifilm’s YouTube channel on April 22, the 19-second clip teases the new camera with the tagline ‘Half the Size, Twice the Story’. That leans heavily into speculation that the model will play on the half-frame format.The clip doesn’t confirm a launch date or name for the new model. It simply says ’See you soon’, hinting that we won’t have long to wait to find out more.The video also gives us a silhouette of the camera, which looks consistent with images that circulated online earlier in April. The shadowy preview shows a camera that apes the retro design language channelled by other Fujifilm models, including a textured control dial and circular viewfinder.Another detail in the teaser has fuelled further speculation: a blue Provia logo on the left side of the camera, beneath the viewfinder. This sits where the canister window would traditionally be positioned on a film camera. So what does that mean for the X-half?

A window to simulation

The half-frame format comes from analog photography. It traditionally refers to a camera that can capture two vertical exposures on a single frame of 35mm film, allowing you to get twice the number of stills from a roll. It’s also a natural fit for today’s content creators, producing portrait images that are easily shared on social media.New film cameras such as the Pentax 17 and Kodak Ektar H35 have helped the half-frame format return to popularity in recent years. The question is how Fujifilm’s new camera will tie into this revival.As we reported earlier this month, online sources suggest the X-Half will be a modern take on the half-frame format, combining the convenience of digital with the charm of analog. That’s a recipe familiar to Fujifilm, as seen in models like the virally popular X100VI.Leaked specs suggest that the X-Half will continue that trend, with a vintage design featuring a manual exposure dial and an optical viewfinder. Fuji Rumors has also reported that the new camera will have a vertical LCD display on the rear, to help with composing shots.Fuji Rumors has further speculated that the X-Half will have a 1-inch sensor. It’s not clear whether this will be oriented vertically or horizontally, but many believe it will allow users to create ‘diptych’ images, combining two side-by-side photos in one frame. The teaser clip adds weight to this, with the line ‘Twice the Story.’Where will film come into that story? As above, the trailer shows a blue Provia banner on the rear bottom left of the camera. Provia is a type of 35mm film that was made by Fujifilm. It’s also one of the many Film Simulation recipes available on recent Fujifilm cameras, which digitally emulate the look of classic film.Some analog cameras featured a canister window which showed the roll fitted inside. As several commenters have suggested online, this could be mimicked by a secondary LCD display on the X-Half. It’s something we’ve seen before: the X-Pro 3 featured a mini display on the back panel which could show the selected Film Simulation.A film preview screen would certainly fit with the X-Half’s rumored blend of analog and digital, putting a contemporary twist on a design hallmark of 35mm cameras. It could also be a divisive one. As with the X-Pro 3, nostalgic flourishes can be seen as gimmicks by purists. Then again, the X-Half isn’t necessarily targeted at a purist audience.We’ll only how Fujifilm’s half-frame camera is pitched when full specs and pricing are confirmed. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out.

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M&S suffered a cyberattack that affected Click and Collect systemsStores were largely unaffected, except some contactless payment systems disabledIt's not clear yet if any customer data is affected

Marks and Spencer (M&S) has suffered a “cyber incident” that has affected stores for the last few days, resulting in “small changes” to store operations in order to protect customers “and the business."The retailer confirmed Click and Collect services were impacted by technical issues as a result, and some stores were unable to process contactless payments. It’s not yet clear if this incident has resulted in any breached customer or employee data, or if this was a ransomware attack, but customers should make sure to change their passwords and be on the lookout for suspicious activity just in case.The retail giant has apologised for any inconvenience, and assures that it is working with “the best experts” to manage the incident - here’s what we know so far.

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Business as usual

In a note to customers, M&S Chief Executive Stuart Machin apologised, confirming that stores remain open, and the retailer’s website and app are operating as usual.“There is no need for you to take any action at this time, and if the situation changes we will let you know. There may be some limited delays to your Click and Collect order, which we are working hard to resolve,” Machin writes.The retail industry is a frequent target for cyberattacks, often holding personally identifiable information such as names, email addresses, and shipping addresses of customers. Criminals that can take control of systems can cost retail firms millions in downtime - gaining serious leverage in ransomware incidents.M&S has confirmed to TechRadar Pro all contactless payments are now back online in all stores, and that it has seen “positive comments from customers thanking us for our transparency and for store colleague support.”In 2024, a supply chain attack hit some of the UK’s largest grocery stores, Morrisons and Sainsbury's, as well as coffee shop Starbucks, taking some systems offline in a ransomware attack that saw over 680GB of data stolen.

For those affected

Marks and Spencer has not confirmed the nature of this incident, and so far no cybercrime group has taken responsibility for the incident, nor has any customer data been posted online.That being said, customers would be wise to take some steps in the next few days just to be on the same side and to get ahead of any repercussions if their information has been affected.In an incident like this where it isn't clear what, if any, data has been affected - the first thing to do is to change your password, and any other sites with the same credentials. We’ve put together a guide on how to create a secure password to make sure you’re as safe as possible.The next, and probably most important step, is keeping vigilant. With your name and email address, a criminal can send sophisticated social engineering attacks, aimed to trick you into handing over more information, or into inadvertently downloading malware.Make sure you double check any unexpected communications and email addresses - especially cross referencing these against the legitimate email addresses (these can be found on Google).Be especially wary of any email that asks you to enter any information, click a link, or scan a QR code. Phishing attacks using QR codes are becoming more common, and are more dangerous than ever before, so make sure anything you scan is verified beforehand.If a criminal does email you, there will most likely be signs. The first, is the email address the communication comes from - if it's G00gle or M1crosoft instead of their legitimate addresses, just delete the email. If you get an unexpected text, email, or phone call from anyone claiming to be a “friend”, from a number or address you don’t recognise, especially one that asks you to sign in, send money, buy a gift card, be very very suspicious.

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The question of whether you should say please or thank you to ChatGPT is having something of a moment right now, and that’s made me consider my own interactions with the popular chatbot.I’ve never really thought about it before, but on reflection I’m starting to wonder if I’m displaying sociopathic tendencies, because I never say please and thank you to ChatGPT, or am I being gaslit into thinking I'm at fault by well my well-meaning work colleagues who look at me in horror?The news that I never say please or thank you is probably coming as a great relief to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who recently admitted that people saying please and thank you to ChatGPT are costing the company millions of dollars in processing power, not to mention the harm all that extra processing will be causing to the environment.My reasons for no-frills approach to AI aren’t coming from a concern for OpenAI’s bottom line, or to do with environmental awareness issues: I simply can’t bring myself to be polite to machines, and also, like most of us, I’m in a hurry. I’ve got stuff to do, and it takes longer to be polite.I like to think that this behavior stands in stark contrast to how I treat people in real life, especially my work colleagues (although you’re going to have to take my word for that).Essentially, I’m a big 'please' and 'thank you' sayer in real life, but I don’t see ChatGPT as a person, in the same way that I don’t see Alexa as a person, or my car as a person. (Incidentally, I don’t say please and thank you to Alexa or my car, either.)It’s not like adding a please or thank you to a ChatGPT, or Alexa, request makes any real difference to the answers you get, either. Does ChatGPT care that I’m polite? It doesn’t – you get exactly the same results from asking it to 'find me 10 examples of people in sport who quit after not getting a pay rise' as you do if you ask it the same question and add 'please' at the end. I know because I just tried it.When you say 'please', ChatGPT starts its response with 'Certainly!', but you still get the same answers. The rest is just window dressing.Also, I don’t feel like I’m actively being rude to ChatGPT. I’m just missing out unnecessary words that don’t make any real difference.

Our survey says...

So why do people say please and thank you to machines?A 2024 study by Future (the publisher of TechRadar) revealed that 67% of US people are polite to AI. That’s staggeringly high.I get that politeness is an ingrained habit that’s hard to break for some people, and that you get your answer framed in a slightly different way when you’re polite (see the 'Certainly!' example above), which means ChatGPT feels all warm and cuddly when you interact with it.But beyond that, I think the logic starts to get a bit hazy. One person I know genuinely insists that they are polite to ChatGPT because one day it’s AI that will be in charge, and it will somehow remember them.Yes, I'm sure that when the AI killer robots executing the last remains of the human race, they will pause and say, 'Stop, this is Kevin, he always said thank you. We’ll let him live.'

Ghost in the machine

What worries me is the tacit assumption that if you’re rude to ChatGPT then you must be rude to people in everyday life as well, as if a person can only exist in one mode of being. I'd argue that if your politeness is based purely on habit, then are you really being polite? Or are you just unthinkingly acting out patterns of behaviour without any genuine emotion behind them?I can tell the difference between people and machines, and treat each accordingly.If ChatGPT ever (and depending on who you talk to this is either inevitable, or impossible) reaches the level where it can be said to be conscious, rather than the pattern matching algorithm we know and love today, then yes, I’ll start using please and thank you.Until then, I’m keeping my interactions with AI as short and limited as possible, and if that helps save the planet along the way then so much the better.

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RIP: Privacy Sandbox, 2019-2025 – Google confirms it won’t go ahead with plansThird-party cookies continue, but Incognito mode offers enhanced protectionSome tech, like Topics API, will continue to be used

Google is scaling back its Privacy Sandbox project, which was originally aimed at phasing out third-party cookies, after six years of hard work and its fair share of delays.Launched in 2019 to address privacy concerns and to meet regulatory standards without impacting advertisers’ abilities to target specific users, we now know that Google will not phase out third-party cookies.In a blog post confirming Privacy Sandbox’s demise, Google's Anthony Chavez blamed publishers, developers, regulators and the ads industry for resistance, as well as a changing landscape and increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies.

Google has pulled the plug on Privacy Sandbox

“Taking all of these factors into consideration, we’ve made the decision to maintain our current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not be rolling out a new standalone prompt for third-party cookies,” Chavez confirmed.Although Google will continue to support cookies in Chrome, the company has promised to “enhance tracking protections” in Incognito mode, which already blocks third-party cookies.Some tech remains in development or use, though, including IP address protection in Incognito mode, which is planned for Q3 2025, and Topics API, which allows interest-based advertising without sharing full browsing history.Google is now committed to working with the industry to gather feedback in order to inform an updated roadmap for the technologies it’s already been developing. “In light of this update, we understand that the Privacy Sandbox APIs may have a different role to play in supporting the ecosystem,” Chavez said.Privacy advocates have argued that Google undermined its own privacy claims, noting that privacy came second to surveillance, with many users seeking to switch to alternative browsers like Firefox.Movement for an Open Web also hailed the announcement as the end of Google’s attempt to monopolize digital advertising standards.

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Max has become the latest streaming service to put a stop to password sharing among subscribers not in the same household.Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) confirmed the password-sharing crackdown plans in late 2024 and has since started to rollout new account restrictions in early 2025, starting with the US.The changes come after a Max price hike, which saw an increase of $1 a month and $10 per year in June 2024. The streamer's proposed password-sharing crackdown is essentially another form of a price rise, so it's another blow to subscribers.If you're subscribed to some of the best streaming services, you'll be all too familiar with recent efforts to crack down on password sharing. Netflix's password-sharing clampdown began in May 2023 and was followed by the Disney Plus password-sharing crackdown in Canada, the US, and UK (alongside Hulu in the US) in September 2024.So, if you want to continue watching the best Max shows and best Max movies, you'll want to know when these changes might take effect and what they'll involve, which we'll go into below. We'll be updating this article as soon as we have more up to date information regarding Max's password crackdown plans.

What are the Max password sharing rules?

(Image credit: Max)

We first learned about Max's password-sharing crackdown in November 2024 following WBD's earnings call, where the company's CEO of streaming JB Perrette said that it would start encouraging users to stop sharing their passwords.Perrette said that WDB would "start some early messaging with some people who we think are in the higher tier of usage", adding that new member fees would launch some time in early 2025.The first country to see the new 'Extra Member' fee was the US on April 22, 2025. The add-on feature was launched alongside a new ability to transfer an adult profile to an extra member account via a new 'Profile Transfer' feature.We don't have an exact confirmed date for when those new features will become available in Australia and other European countries where it's available, but Perrette did say that more progress on the crack down would occur during 2025 and 2026, so we can expect to hear more about when the changes will be enforced soon."We will then start gradually as we get the data and start figuring out, with some explicit and implicit signals, how good we are at detecting," Perrette says. "And then as we go through ’25, you’re going to see the filters get tighter and tighter.”

How will Max stop password sharing?

The Penguin is one of the critically acclaimed shows you can stream on Max. (Image credit: Macall Polay/HBO)

Just like Netflix and Disney+, Max has started requiring existing subscribers to pay for any additional members that they would like to continue to have access to their account.The 'Extra Member' fees are an additional cost on top of a usual subscription that allows for people from different households to share the same account without being unexpectedly kicked off.Extra members will have their own login credentials separate from the main account holder, allowing them to stream from one profile on one device at a time while still being under the same subscription.Max has also added the ability to transfer a profile when adding an extra member to an account., allowing users to keep their existing watch history, recommendations and settings from their existing profile.It's not yet official whether these same features will be launched in all regions where Max is available, but going by previous comments made by WBD executives, we can expect this to likely be the same elsewhere.That's down to the successful password clampdowns from Netflix and Disney+. Indeed, Perrette previously said at a Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom conference in March 2024 that WBD saw the account restrictions as a "growth opportunity" for Max, especially with the service launching in several European countries throughout 2025.Max officially launched in Europe in May 2024, starting with the Nordic countries, the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and Eastern Europe. It has since been scaling its global rollout with plans to launch Max in the UK in 2026.

How much is Max charging for password sharing?

Dune: Prophecy is a prequel to the epic sci-fi movie series and a Max exclusive. (Image credit: Max)

Max priced the new 'Extra Member' add-on at $7.99 per month in the US. That price is the same no matter which subscription tier you're signed up to, which means that it's just $1 off the cost of an ad-supported subscription to the service.It's most likely that a similar price for additional members will be launched in other countries where Max is available as that would be inline with what Netflix and Disney+ had previously done with their own password sharing crackdowns.Max also has a more expensive tier called 'Ultimate Ad Free', which allows you to stream on four devices at once in the same household, so provided you're living together, you'll be able to share the account with up to four other people.The Max plan costs $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year. This is the highest of the available tiers, as the cheapest is 'With Ads' for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year or 'Ad-Free' at $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year – both of which only let you stream on two devices at the same time.As well as the ability to stream simultaneously with other household members, there are other benefits that come with the higher price tag, so it might be worth it if you use Max often.These include the ability to stream in 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio, but these are as available on selected titles so there's no guarantee every title in the library will be compatible with high definition streaming. You can also have up to 100 downloads to watch on the go if you're traveling and need to stream offline.

What if I subscribed through a bundle from another company?

All eight seasons of Game of Thrones are on Max. (Image credit: HBO)

If you're signed up to a streaming bundle like the popular Disney+, Hulu and Max mega bundle, you won't be able to purchase an 'Extra Member'. The add-on is restricted to those signed up directly with the service and is not available for those subscribed via a bundle.Whether bundle subscribers in other regions will also be impacted by the new account restrictions when these are enforced is not yet clear, but we'll be updating this article with all the latest rules as they're launched.

What if I want to use my Max account on holiday, or if I'm travelling for work?

Max can be watched on the go via the app. (Image credit: Chris Delmas)

At the time of writing, if you want to stream Max content while you're abroad, you can only do so if it is available in the country you're visiting.Luckily, the streaming service is now accessible outside of the US. The streaming services has launched in 73 new countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean since 2024.While it's available in Europe, it's not yet launched in the UK but that's expected to change in 2026 as Max has plans to eventually launch in the UK, Latin America and the Caribbean. It also finally arrived in Australia in the first half of 2025.For a full list of all the countries, visit the help page on Max's site to find where it's available.The best way to keep up with your favorite Max shows and movies is to download them onto your device before traveling. Top tip: Make sure that you're signed into the device you're traveling with to make sure you can access the content.

Will Max let me use a VPN?

Proton VPN is available in 110 countries. (Image credit: Proton)

Max, like other streaming services does block known IP addresses associated with some VPN networks, so it is not always guaranteed that you can stream using one.If you are considering trying one of the best VPNs, you should be aware that it's a potentially risky move, and what works today may well be blocked tomorrow.

Honor Band 10 has been released in ChinaThe design looks very similar to the Band 9We don’t yet know when it’ll be released in other regions

If you like the idea of the band-style fitness tracker format popularised by Fitbit, but you want a cheaper model, we’ve got great news for you: the Honor Band 10 has appeared on Honor’s Chinese website, indicating it could soon be sold in other countries.An alternative to the best Fitbit, the Honor Band series frequently appears on our list of the best cheap fitness trackers (although Huawei and Xiaomi have usurped its position for now) as perfectly good, functional fitness trackers with great battery life and deceptively large AMOLED displays.The Honor Band 10 hasn’t reinvented the wheel, based on these initial listings: it retains the large 1.57-inch screen and buttonless design of its predecessor, the Honor Band 9.Like its predecessor, it’s unlikely to be available in the US, but it’s on sale in China starting at 229 yuan, the equivalent of £23.50 / AU$49. It’s likely to be a little more expensive in other regions, to account for shipping costs, and a more premium version capable of NFC payments seems to be an option on the Honor website.

NFC questions

However, Honor watches struggle to use their NFC capabilities due to incompatibility with Google Wallet and Apple Pay, even though Honor phones support Google Wallet.It remains to be seen whether Honor Band 10 suffers the same fate, but it’s very likely, leaving the NFC version to be virtually unusable outside of China, unless you use an Honor phone’s proprietary digital wallet service.Nevertheless, expect heart rate, steps, sleep tracking, workout tracking, stress management, notification functionalities, and more, all wrapped up in an attractive-looking (and even more attractively-priced) total package.It won’t have some of the advanced features we see on Fitbits and the best Garmin watches, but for a cheap-and-cheerful fitness tracker, it looks great. Stay tuned for a full review when it hits shelves outside of China.

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80% of people would pay for Apple Intelligence, a survey has foundOver 50% of respondents would be happy to pay $10 a month or moreThe results are surprising given Apple Intelligence’s history of struggles

Apple Intelligence hasn’t exactly received rave reviews since it was announced in summer 2024, with critics pointing to its delayed features and disappointing performance compared to rivals like ChatGPT. Yet that apparently hasn’t dissuaded consumers, with a new survey suggesting that huge numbers of people are enticed by Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform (via MacRumors).The survey was conducted by investment company Morgan Stanley, and it found that one in two respondents would be willing to pay at least $10 a month (around £7.50 / AU$15 p/month) for unlimited access to Apple Intelligence. Specifically, 30% would accept paying between $10 and $14.99, while a further 22% would be okay with paying $15 or more. Just 14% of respondents were unwilling to pay anything for Apple Intelligence and 6% weren’t sure, implying that 80% of people wouldn’t mind forking out for the service.According to 9to5Mac, the survey found that 42% of people said it was extremely important or very important that their next iPhone featured Apple Intelligence, while 54% of respondents who planned to upgrade in the next 12 months said the same thing. All in all, the survey claimed that its results showed “stronger-than-expected consumer perception for Apple Intelligence.”Morgan Stanley’s survey polled approximately 3,300 people, and it says that the sample is representative of the United States’ population in terms of age, gender, and religion.

Surprising results

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you’ve been following Apple Intelligence, you’ll probably know it’s faced a pretty bumpy road in the months since it launched. For one thing, it has received much criticism for its ability to carry out tasks for users, with many people comparing it unfavorably to some of the best AI services like ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot.As well as that, Apple has been forced to delay some of Apple Intelligence’s headline features, such as its ability to work within apps and understand what is happening on your device’s screen. These were some of Apple Intelligence’s most intriguing aspects, yet Apple’s heavy promotion of these tools hasn’t translated into working features.That all makes these survey results seem rather surprising, but there could be a few reasons behind them. Perhaps consumers are happy to have any AI features on their Apple devices, even if they’re missing a few key aspects at the moment.Or maybe those people who were willing to pay for Apple Intelligence did so based on getting the full feature set, rather than the incomplete range of abilities that are currently available. Alternatively, it could be that everyday users haven’t been following Apple Intelligence’s struggles as much as tech-savvy consumers and so aren’t acutely aware of its early difficulties.Whatever the reasons, it’s interesting to see how many people are still enticed by Apple Intelligence. It will be encouraging reading for Apple, which has faced much bad press for its AI system, and might suggest that Apple Intelligence is not in as bad a spot as we might have thought.

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Following reported delays over political concerns, the European Commission (EC) has penalized Apple and Meta over anti-competitive activities. The fines of €500 million and €200 million respectively (around $570 million and $228 million) are the first to be issued under Europe's new Digital Markets Act (DMA), according to the EC.

The fines were issued after what the Commission called extensive consultation with the two companies after the probes were opened in March 2024. Apple violated the DMA by blocking developers from informing customers about sales and other offers outside the App Store. "Consumers cannot fully benefit from alternative and cheaper offers as Apple prevents app developers from directly informing consumers of such offers," the Commission wrote, adding that it failed to demonstrate the restrictions are "objectively necessary."

The €500 million fine levied against Apple takes into account the "gravity and duration" of the non-compliant behavior. The EC also ordered Apple to remove the restrictions and refrain from imposing them in the future.

However, the Commission also closed its investigation into another Apple matter around app choices "thanks to early and proactive engagement by Apple on a compliance solution." Namely, Apple changed its browser choice screen, made it easier for users to change default settings for things like calls, messages, keyboards and password managers, and agreed to allow users to uninstall apps like Safari.

Meanwhile, the EC hit Meta for its "consent or pay" system that forced EU users to either shell out €10 ($11) monthly for an ad-free subscription or be forced to share their data. Meta introduced a new version of the free personalized ads model in November 2024 that supposedly uses less personal data to display ads (while also cutting the subscription price to €6), but the Commission is still assessing that.

The €200 million fine thus takes into account the time period between March 2024 and November 2024 when Facebook was violating DMA rules. However, Meta could face further penalties depending on how the EC evaluates the new personalized adds. On a positive note for Meta, the EC rules that Facebook Marketplace is no longer designated under the DMA, following "careful assessment of Meta's arguments and as a result of... additional enforcement and continued monitoring measures."

Last month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg specifically urged President Trump to intervene on potential EU sanctions around the pay for privacy issue. The White House also released a memo in February saying it could retaliate against any European DMA sanctions against US tech companies. However, Meta has its own problems in the US that could have more dire consequences. The Justice Department accused it of squashing competition through acquisition and could force it to sell off key apps like WhatsApp and Instagram. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-and-meta-hit-with-first-fines-under-europes-new-digital-markets-act-112545713.html?src=rss

Despite having been announced over five years ago, we barely know anything about BioShock 4, and have next to nothing that's been officially confirmed. This is a shame given it's one of the most interesting and highly acclaimed gaming series of all time - and it's been more than a decade since the last game was released.We do know that 2K Games are publishing it and it's being developed by a studio called Cloud Chamber. Apart from that, we're clutching at straws in terms of where the game might be set, how it might play, what platforms it is going to release on, and so on.It would be easy to say that we 'expect' to hear something soon, but given the nearly five-year gap since the announcement and now, and the fact that it really is one of the most highly-anticipated upcoming games that's known to be in development, we really do hope that we get something concrete soon.However, while we wait for more info on BioShock 4, here's everything that's been revealed about the game so far, including some rumors about its development so far. Once new details come to light, this page will be updated.

BioShock 4: cut to the chase

What is it? The fourth entry in 2K Games' retrofuturistic game seriesWhen can I play it? TBCWhat can I play it on? TBC (PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC are likely)Who is making it? Cloud Chamber Studios (a 2K Games studio)

BioShock 4 - what we know so far

(Image credit: 2K)

While we're certainly excited for the next BioShock game, we don't actually know when we'll get our hands on it. In a tweet officially announcing a new BioShock game back in 2019, publisher 2K Games stated that work had begun on the next iteration of the BioShock franchise. Here, it confirmed that the game would be in development "for the next several years".That may not have been the most welcome news, but it did give us an idea about what platforms BioShock 4 would eventually release on. Now that we're deep into the generation of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S - and, by extension, further away from the Xbox One and PS4, we would strongly predict that, given the ongoing wait for the game as well, BioShock 4 will be a current-gen exclusive and not cross-generational.As spotted by GamesRadar (July 4, 2024), the studio's senior cinematic designer Jeff Spoonhower shared a bunch of open roles on LinkedIn, while also teasing what's to come."The BioShock team at 2K Cloud Chamber is ramping up!" the post reads. "We have many positions open across a variety of disciplines including art, animation, engineering, design, narrative, and production."Given the breadth of roles being advertised here, it's difficult to say whether or not BioShock 4 is far along in its development or not. For now, we expect the game to be re-revealed at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later.

BioShock 4 gameplay predictions

(Image credit: 2K Games)

Now, when looking at or thinking about BioShock 4 gameplay and setting details we are diving head first into a lot of speculation and clutching at straws. However, there have been some clues that we could investigate (read: 'cling to') to try and inform ourselves a little on both factors.First, to potential BioShock 4 gameplay. The original official 2K press release from 2019 (no longer live or available) did seem to indicate that it would be first-person again. 2K President David Ismailer said alongside that ”We can’t wait to see where its [BioShock's] powerful narrative and iconic, first-person shooter gameplay head in the future with our new studio team at Cloud Chamber leading the charge.” This rather implies that the first-person nature is likely to continue.

BioShock 4 setting prediction

(Image credit: 2K Games)

The settings of BioShock games are always incredibly important aspects. Ever since players first locked eyes on the underground city of Rapture, BioShock games' settings have mesmerized, while also became a core part of each game's story and narrative.In terms of possible BioShock 4 setting details, there was a lot of rumor floating around at the end of 2021 stating that the fourth game would take us back to a familiar time period. The crux of the rumors was that BioShock 4 would be set in the 1960s and in an Antarctic city called 'Borealis' - and that its story would connect the previous games in the series. While these claims did align with several publications' own sources at the time, there has been no official confirmation or word on them.Going back a bit further in 2021, there was a strong belief that BioShock 4 would be going open-world due to details stated in some job ads at the time that all pointed toward the design of a bust, crowd-filled, expansive open-world setting. Again, there was and has been no official comment on that.

BioShock 4 developer

(Image credit: 2K Games)

As we know, the studio making BioShock 4 is Cloud Chamber - but who exactly is leading development and has their hands on the tiller?Well, we know a few people involved - and we've addressed the Ken Levin-shaped question below too. Leading the studio is Kelley Gilmore, a veteran developer, formerly of Firaxis Games. However, with other folks involved who have experience with the BioShock series working on the game too, there is genuine "BioShock DNA" within the development team as Gilmore confirmed in an interview with our sister site GamesRadar+.

When was BioShock 4 announced?

Today, 2K announced the founding of Cloud Chamber, its newest development studio. This team of storytellers has begun work on the next iteration of the acclaimed @BioShock franchise, which will be in development for the next several years.

Learn more: https://t.co/L5hMVADxvY pic.twitter.com/SPvVVZoFCQDecember 9, 2019

BioShock 4 was officially announced on December 9, 2019. You can see the announcement Tweet embedded above, which simply states that a new BioShock game is in development, and reveals the team working on it. This is the last official news we received on the game.

BioShock 4 latest news

(Image credit: 2K)

Leaked screenshot gives us our first real look at BioShock 4A BioShock 4 screenshot has apparently leaked online, giving us what could be our first look at the game since its announcement. Read our full writeup here.New job listings confirm development is ramping upAfter almost five years since Bioshock 4 was announced to be in the works, its developer has officially confirmed it is now properly gearing up and is looking for additional members to join the team at 2K Cloud Chamber.BioShock movie is in the worksAfter years of stories about Universal trying and failing to bring a BioShock movie to life, we do know that Netflix now has a live-action movie in the works. We know that Francis Lawrence (Slumberland) is the director and screenwriter Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner 2049) is also involved. Beyond this, however, we know very little - especially about anything that would potentially tie it to BioShock 4 somehow.Our guess is that there won't be much of a connection on the whole, with both BioShock 4 and the movie standing as separate entities.Ghost of Tsushima narrative lead joins BioShock 4Far Cry 4 and Ghost of Tsushima narrative lead Liz Albl announced on Twitter (opens in new tab) that she would be making the jump to 2K Games’ Cloud Chamber studio as part of the BioShock 4 story crew. This is the latest we've heard in terms of the game's development process.More job listings suggest the next BioShock will be open-worldIn a piece of juicy gossip supplied by a new round of job listings, it appears that Cloud Chamber will be taking BioShock in a different direction this time out, with the developer actively searching for someone "who can weave impactful, character-driven stories in an open world setting."Another job listing also points to the upcoming BioShock implementing an "urban crowd system" with a "systemic tribal ecology" backed by a "sometimes hostile AI". It's said the person who ultimately gets the job will need to "push the envelope of what is possible with interactive crowd systems".

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Tiny11 has been successfully installed on an iPad Air M2The lightweight version of Windows 11 works on Apple’s tablet via emulationHowever, don’t expect anything remotely close to smooth performance levels

In the ongoing quest to have software (or games – usually Doom) running on unexpected devices, a fresh twist has emerged as somebody has managed to get Windows 11 running on an iPad Air.Windows Central noticed the feat achieved by using Tiny11, a lightweight version of Windows 11 which was installed on an iPad Air with M2 chip.NTDEV, the developer of Tiny11, was behind this effort, and used the Arm64 variant of their slimline take on Windows 11. Microsoft’s OS was run on the iPad Air using emulation (UTM with JIT, the developer explains – a PC emulator, in short).So, is Windows 11 impressive on an iPad Air? No, in a word. The developer is waiting for over a minute and a half for the desktop to appear, and Windows 11’s features (Task Manager, Settings) and apps load pretty sluggishly – but they work.The illustrative YouTube clip below gives you a good idea of what to expect: it’s far, far from a smooth experience, but it’s still a bit better than the developer anticipated.

Analysis: Doing stuff for the hell of it

This stripped-back incarnation of Windows 11 certainly runs better on an iPad Air than it did on an iPhone 15 Pro, something NTDEV demonstrated in the past (booting the OS took 20 minutes on a smartphone).However, as noted at the outset, sometimes achievements in the tech world are simply about marvelling that something can be done at all, rather than having any practical value.You wouldn’t want to use Windows 11 on an iPad (or indeed iPhone) in this way, anyhow, just in the same way you wouldn’t want to play Doom on a toothbrush even though it’s possible (would you?).It also underlines the niftiness of Tiny11, the bloat-free take on Windows 11 which has been around for a couple of years now. If you need a more streamlined version of Microsoft’s newest operating system, Tiny11 certainly delivers (bearing some security-related caveats in mind).There are all sorts of takes on this app, including a ludicrously slimmed-down version of Tiny11 (that comes in at a featherweight 100MB). And, of course, the Arm64 spin used in this iPad Air demonstration, which we’ve previously seen installed on the Raspberry Pi.

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You can sink a lot of money into your kitchen without even realizing it. There’s no doubt that some of the best kitchen gadgets are on the pricey side, but there are also plenty of budget-friendly tools that can make your time meal prepping, cooking for a party and reheating leftovers much easier. All the recommendations on this list are either products I use currently, or more affordable versions of something I decided to splurge on after years of food prep. You may not consider every single item an essential for your kitchen, but all of them can save you time when you need to get dinner on the table quickly.

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Meta's Oversight Board has deemed Meta was right to leave up two videos reported for hate speech and harassment, though it recommends changes for the company. The decision follows revisions Meta made in January to its Hateful Conduct Policy.

The Board started looking into the two posts last August. One of the videos showed a trans woman being confronted in a bathroom by another woman who misgenders the trans woman and asks why they should be allowed to use the women's room. The included caption states that the trans woman is a "male student who thinks he's a girl." The second is of a trans woman winning a track race with onlookers disapproving. That caption similarly calls the individual, a "boy who thinks he's a girl" and names the person (who is a minor).

In its decision, the Board claims that "public debate on policies around transgender peoples' rights and inclusion is permitted, with offensive viewpoints protected under international human rights law on freedom of expression." Yes, you did read "offensive viewpoints" and "permitted" in the same sentence. It goes on to state that a majority of the Board couldn't find a strong enough "link" between removing these posts and limiting harm to trans individuals and that they didn't "represent" harassment or bullying.

"Transgender women and girls' access to women's bathrooms and participation in sports are the subjects of ongoing public debate that involves various human rights concerns. It is appropriate that a high threshold be required to suppress such speech," the decision continues.

The Board states that Meta's recent "hastily announced" policy changes didn't influence its decision but that it is concerned about content and implementation. "Meta should identify how the policy and enforcement updates may adversely impact the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, including minors, especially where these populations are at heightened risk," the Board states. "It should adopt measures to prevent and/or mitigate these risks and monitor their effectiveness. Finally, Meta should update the Board every six months on its progress, reporting on this publicly at the earliest opportunity."

The Board also calls out a specific line in Meta's updated policy which states, "We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words such as 'weird.'" It recommends Meta remove the word "transgenderism," a phrase organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign called out as signaling "a disturbing alignment with anti-LGBTQ+ political rhetoric."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/metas-oversight-board-criticizes-companys-hastily-announced-hate-speech-policy-changes-120042137.html?src=rss

I liked Logitech's MX Creative Console when I tested it last year, but one of biggest issues was a lack of support for specific content creation and other apps. The company has rectified that with a major update now available on the company's Logi Marketplace. It expands the console's compatibility to several key apps including DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Lightroom and Figma.

As a reminder, the MX Creative Console is a control panel that connects to your Mac or PC and is designed to speed up creative chores for apps like Adobe Premiere and Photoshop. It's more compact than rival consoles and features a modern design and a pair of slick control dials, along with dynamic display keys that change depending on the app and page you’re looking at.

A key new addition is support for Adobe's Lightroom, rather than just Lightroom Classic as before. It lets you use the dial controller on the MX Creative Console to straighten images or adjust brightness, contrast and clarity. The buttons can also be set up to do things like rate and flag images for quicker processing.

Logitech also worked with Blackmagic Design to get the console working with DaVinci Resolve, a popular editing and effects app that's an alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro. You can now use the console to navigate the timeline, cut, trim and retime clips and navigate Fusion's effects nodes efficiently.

It added similar functionality for Apple's Final Cut Pro, while also letting you do precise color grading via the app's Color Wheels. For the interface design tool Figma, the MX Creative Console lets you quickly access essential tools and actions, manage assets, text alignments, spacing and layout adjustments and adjust text size, weight and height with the dial.

Logitech got into creative control surfaces in a big way when it purchased Steam Deck rival Loupedeck in 2023. The $200 MX Creative Console arrived a year later, and though it took Adobe nearly seven months to release a major update, support for the new apps makes the console far more versatile. "Adding these highly requested plugins will unlock the MX Creative Console’s potential for a broader range of creative professionals,” noted Logitech GM Anatoliy Polyanker.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/logitechs-mx-creative-console-editing-panel-now-supports-davinci-resolve-and-lightroom-120035406.html?src=rss

Much like that scene in this week's The Last of Us season 2 episode (spoilers! So many spoilers! Also: spoilers!), we knew it was coming, we were dreading it coming and now it's here: the promised Max password crackdown is happening.Max has launched a new add-on for its customers in the US, enabling you to add one person to your plan. It's available on all subscription plans and costs a flat $7.99 per month in the US. You can also only add one Extra Member per account.

How to add an extra member to your Max subscription

In order to add someone to your Max plan, you need to be the primary account holder. If they're under the same roof as you, an extra member account isn't necessary. But if they live somewhere else, you'll need to upgrade your account.The Extra Member account will have its own login credentials and will deliver all the same best Max shows, best Max movies and features as the main account. But they can only stream on one device at a time, so they can't share their login with others in the same place.If that person is already on your existing account, you'll be able to transfer their profile including their watch history, recommendations and settings to their new login.For now, you have to be a direct subscriber to Max: bundle subscribers who get Max as part of a bigger package can't use the Extra Member feature. The Extra Member feature is only available in the US at the time of writing, but it's expected to rollout to more regions soon.

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Cybercriminals are inviting victims to talk to "journalists"On the Zoom call, they're asked to grant permissions for remote accessThose that grant the permissions lose their crypto

Hackers are abusing Zoom’s remote desktop feature to steal people’s cryptocurrency, experts have warned.Cybersecurity researchers Trail of Bits claim to have seen the attack in the wild, focusing on “high-value targets,” people who the media would often contact for comments and discussion on everyday events. The attackers would reach out via social media (X, for example), and send them a Zoom invite via Calendly, pretending to be Bloomberg journalists.On Zoom, the attackers would join with an account named “Zoom”, and request remote control over the victim’s account. The victims would see a popup saying “Zoom is requesting remote control of your screen” which, for those used to granting permissions without thinking twice, might seem like a legitimate request from a legitimate app.

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Elusive Comet

"What makes this attack particularly dangerous is the permission dialog's similarity to other harmless Zoom notifications," Trail of Bits said."Users habituated to clicking "Approve" on Zoom prompts may grant complete control of their computer without realizing the implications."Once the access is granted, the attackers would move fast, deploy a stealthy backdoor or other means of retaining access, and then disconnect from the call.The last step is to use the malware to access the victim’s cryptocurrency wallets and siphon out any funds found inside.The researchers named the group “Elusive Comet” and said the methodology is most likely copied from Lazarus, the infamous North Korean state-sponsored entity that targets crypto businesses."The ELUSIVE COMET methodology mirrors the techniques behind the recent $1.5 billion Bybit hack in February, where attackers manipulated legitimate workflows rather than exploiting code vulnerabilities," Trail of Bits said in its report.To mitigate the risk, it would be best not to grant people or apps remote access, unless you’re 100% certain the person is benign.Via BleepingComputer

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The 98th Oscars will be the first Academy Awards to have rules surrounding generative AI, and it means films can openly use the technology without hindering their chances of taking home a win.Following the controversy involving The Brutalist and Emilia Perez's 2025 Oscar campaigns, which were impacted by the use of AI to improve speech and dialect, you'd think the new rule change would be the most controversial addition to the upcoming year's overhaul. You'd be wrong.Instead, there's an even bigger issue that should be grabbing all the headlines and highlighting everything wrong with award ceremonies.

Wait... Why hasn't this rule always existed?

(Image credit: A24/Netflix)

While allowing AI to be used in any movie eligible for an Oscar win might sound controversial, the more controversial rule change highlights an issue that's plagued the Academy Awards for years.The statement on the Academy Awards website reads: "In a procedural change, Academy members must now watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round for the Oscars."At first, I had to take a second glance, and then my jaw dropped to the floor. Yes, now Academy members need to watch all new movies in a category before voting, which means that we've had 97 Oscar ceremonies so far where that was not a criterion.How can anyone validate any Oscar win when, for almost a century, those who vote haven't even been required to watch the movies they are selecting from?Now, I'm not naive, so I always knew Oscars campaigns and marketing budgets played a significant part in propelling films towards a gold statue. However, I, and I suspect most of the wider population, thought that movies still had to stand out versus the field to win.Turns out, the Academy Awards are more of a popularity contest than I had ever realized, and up until this year, a good marketing campaign and getting your movie seen are probably enough to win.

Does this hinder credibility or benefit it?

(Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

As someone who watches the Oscars every year, hoping for my favorite movie to pick up a top prize, I'm not sure how I feel about the news that Academy members haven't needed to bother watching the nominations until now.You see, I think it absolutely hinders the credibility of the Academy Awards in terms of how it's perceived by the general public. The regular people of the world, who tune in on TV every year, and have no ties to Hollywood, do not even know that there was no criteria in the first place.That said, does this now give the 98th Academy Awards and all the subsequent award ceremonies increased credibility? Like, at some point, someone from the Academy would've known that this rule needed to be implemented. But it would always end up in backlash, so have they just been putting off the rule change, in the hope that when they do make the adjustment, it goes unnoticed?I'm no insider, no Academy member, just a mere fan of cinema, and while now I'll look back at the last century of Oscar wins with a newfound skepticism, it does make me think that moving forward, the movies that deserve recognition are more likely to receive it.The new AI rule might be grabbing all the headlines, but for us "normies," I think we should be focusing on the fact that the biggest awards in cinema haven't required those who make the selection to watch what they're voting for. It's absolutely baffling.

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