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• US bans Nvidia's H20 just as Huawei reveals its next-gen Ascend 920 AI chip
• Ascend 920 may fill China’s AI chip gap post restrictions
• Nvidia faces $5.5 billion hit as Huawei seizes opportunity

On April 9, 2025, the United States announced plans to further tighten restrictions on AI chip exports to China, including Nvidia's H20 processor, a reduced-performance chip which the company created to comply with earlier US export regulations while continuing sales in China.

Huawei, which has been positioning itself as China’s answer to Nvidia for some time, was likely waiting for the announcement because just one day later, at a partner conference, it revealed the Ascend 920, its next-generation AI chip.

Set to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, according to DigiTimes Asia, the chip is expected to be built on SMIC’s 6nm process and offer up to 900 TFLOPs of BF16 compute and 4000GB/s of memory bandwidth, supported by HBM3 memory modules. It will also support PCIe 5.0 and next-generation interconnect protocols to aid large-model training.

An effective alternative

With the Nvidia H20 now restricted in China, industry analysts believe Huawei’s new chip could bridge the gap.

Although real-world benchmarks are not yet available, the Ascend 920’s specifications suggest it could be an effective alternative to Nvidia's H20 and may be welcomed by Chinese companies like Tencent and ByteDance, which will now require substitutes for the restricted chip.

While the current Ascend 910C is estimated to deliver about 60% of the Nvidia H100’s inference performance, the Ascend 920 reportedly improves training efficiency by 30% to 40% and is tailored for Transformer and Mixture of Experts models.

Nvidia had been making strong sales in China through the H20, with sales reportedly growing 50% quarter over quarter before the ban. The new license requirement from the U.S. Department of Commerce effectively halts those sales, and Nvidia is expected to write off $5.5 billion in lost business as a result.

Huawei also announced its AI CloudMatrix 384 Supernode solution at the same event.

This rack-scale platform, described as a 'Nuclear-level product', reportedly exceeds the performance of Nvidia’s GB200 but consumes more power, something that is not seen as a major concern in China compared to the West.

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The first models of the Nest Learning Thermostat are losing all app support this year, removing most of their smart features as a result.

• DragonForce is selling its ransomware as a service that can be rebranded
• The group will handle malware development, leak sites, and more
• RaaS democratizes malware – as if AI hadn't done enough damage

Inspired by drug gangs, ransomware group DragonForce is bringing a new business model to the ransomware scene, and it involves cooperating with other ransomware gangs.

DragonForce has now been observed offering a white-label affiliate model, allowing others to use their infrastructure and malware while branding attacks under their own name.

With this model, affiliates won't need to manage the infrastructure and DragonForce will take care of negotitation sites, malware develpoment and data leak sites.

DragonForce evolves the ransomware scene with a new business model

"Advertised features include administration and client panels, encryption and ransom negotiation tools, a file storage system, a Tor-based leak site and .onion domain, and support services," cybersecurity researchers from Secureworks explained.

Secureworks explained that, in a March 2025 underground post, DragonForce rebranded itself as a "cartel," announcing a shift to a distributed model. DragonForce first appeared in August 2023.

Anubis, a much newer ransomware group that's been operating since December 2024, has also launched its own affiliate scheme, including a traditional ransomware-as-a-service product that nets affiliates 80% of their ransoms.

Much like artificial intelligence has already democratized access to coding, these models are further extending access to ransomware, meaning that less technical threat actors can target victims. The flexibility and reduced operational burdens are also key selling points.

The exact number of affiliates using these schemes is virtually untraceable, however Bleeping Computer has reported that RansomBay has already joined DragonForce's scheme.

"Cybercriminals are motivated by financial gain, so they are adopting innovative models and aggressive pressure tactics to shift the trend in their favor," Secureworks added.

The usual principles apply when it comes to protecting yourself from any type of ransomware – regularly patching internet-facing devices, implementing phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA), maintaining robust backups and monitoring networks for malicious activity are all important steps to take.

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• Asus GPU Tweak III software notifies ROG Astral GPU users of any potential GPU sag
• It's possible thanks to a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer
• The feature appears to be unavailable in the latest version of the application

Considering the multitude of Nvidia and AMD third-party GPUs that come with different designs and sizes, GPU sag is an undeniable issue (even if the recent RTX 5000 series has largely been a move in the right direction from the comically large RTX 4090). Fortunately, a popular GPU and motherboard manufacturer has introduced a solution - well, sort of.

As reported by VideoCardz, Asus' ROG Astral RTX 5000 series GPUs have an 'Equipment Installation Check' feature within the GPU Tweak III software, which alerts users if their GPU has tilted or moved out of place. This is made possible thanks to a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer, effectively helping detect GPU sag.

The strange thing is that this feature hasn't been included in any of the ROG Astral GPU marketing. GPU Tweak III, a GPU monitoring and tuning software, has several features to prevent issues, such as Power Detector+, which indicates any potential issues with the 12VHPWR cable - but this GPU sag preventative measure was only just discovered by users.

This is perhaps even more baffling: according to Asus forums, the Equipment Installation Check feature is no longer available in the latest version of the software. Whether the omission was entirely intentional is unclear at this moment, but it's a feature that GPU and motherboard manufacturers should consider including going forward.

(Image credit: Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock) I see this as nothing but a win, and I'm hoping other manufacturers can follow suit...

There's nothing worse than finding your PC components damaged due to cases of oversight or necessary precautions being forgotten: that's why GPU sag should be taken far more seriously.

Fortunately, I've never had it happen to me since I made it my priority to obtain a good anti-sag stand (I'm using a fairly chunky GPU), but it's easy to see the potential damage to the PCIe slot or the GPU itself in the long run if there isn't any support inside your case for a heavy graphics card.

It's a different conversation if you're using a GPU riser cable (in a mini-ITX build, for example) as the card can be placed vertically to alleviate concerns of sag - but good luck placing some of today's modern beefy third-party GPUs in those cases.

Of course, this won't apply to all GPU owners, as it seems the heavier GPUs are mostly third-party high-end offerings to compensate for cooling: prime examples are my current GPU, the Asus TUF RTX 4080 Super, a triple-slot card, and the ROG Astral RTX 5090.

It's good to see that Asus even thought about a feature to at least notify users of any sag or movement: in my experience, it's not always easy to tell if your GPU is sagging, so while some might see it as a nonsensical addition, I'd argue it's one worth applauding.

However, it's gone at the moment and no one knows if it will return: if it doesn't come back (which I'll be shocked by), then I'll be hoping other GPU manufacturers have at the very least taken note.

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• Meta's smart glasses with a screen again tipped for 2025 launch
• They're expected to land in October and cost over $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500
• Apple is also working on smart glasses according to rumors, but they're still some time off from launch

Meta's incoming AR smart glasses could eventually face an Apple-made rival with Apple Intelligence, according to new rumors. The details add credibility to other rumors we’ve heard previously and hint at a big AR glasses battle in the coming decade – though it’s a fight Meta has a big headstart on right now.

The information comes via Mark Gurman’s latest PowerOn newsletter (behind a paywall) where he details some insider reports of what the two companies are apparently working on.

Gurman’s comments support a few details we’ve heard previously about Meta’s upcoming glasses. They’ll be smart glasses like its existing Ray-Bans but will also have a display, they’ll be pricey (we’re talking over $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500), and Meta is targeting an October 2025 release (which is when it usually releases new Quest and smart glasses hardware).

However, Meta is at risk of slipping from this target date. Gurman adds that “top managers on the team” have reportedly told their staff to pick up the pace – and in some cases employees may need to work through their upcoming weekends to achieve Meta’s goals.

Apple glasses incoming (Image credit: Shutterstock / Girts Ragelis)

There’s no word on when the glasses might be released if they miss their October deadline – we’re hoping they’ll fall this side of 2025 rather than 2026, though ideally their release date will arrive without any excessive crunch Meta's employees.

We've also heard the first signs of some potential pressure from Apple’s first smart glasses – codenamed N50.

Based on how Gurman describes them (“an Apple Intelligence device” that can “analyze the surrounding environment and feed information to the wearer” but stops short of proper AR) sounds just like what Meta has and is working on in the smart glasses space.

The issue? Apparently a launch is still some time away.

Gurman isn’t specific on when a launch might follow, but with Meta, Snap and now Google and Samsung (via Android XR) getting involved in the smart glasses space it seriously feels like Apple is giving everyone a major headstart.

(Image credit: Meta) Analysis: Will Apple be late or right on time?

Given its success with the Apple Watch and AirPods from both a portability and fashionability standpoint (the two key areas smart glasses need to succeed in), Apple has the potential to catch up.

But if its non-AR glasses do launch in 2027 that could coincide with when Meta launches full-on AR specs, according to leaked development timetables – which means Apple's rival runs the risk of being dated out of the gate. Then again, Apple’s delayed release will only matter if Meta, Android XR, Snap, and others can capitalize on it.

These other AR glasses might be out in the wild sooner, but if they’re expensive and lack innovative applications, they likely won’t be super popular. This could especially be an issue for Meta’s upcoming XR specs, as the existing Meta Ray-Ban smart specs are already great and only continue to get better thanks to software updates.

(Image credit: Jason Redmond / TED)

A display would be a significant enhancement, sure, but it doesn’t yet seem like an essential one – especially when you consider the display-less specs start at just $299 / £299 / AU$449 and are already the best AI wearable around.

On the other hand, if the upcoming Meta and Google XR glasses can match even half of the cool uses that I experienced on the Snap Spectacles during my demo, then they have the potential to take people’s perception of XR technology to new heights. That would be an exciting prospect, and a high price would seem significantly more justifiable.

We’ll just have to wait and see what Meta, Apple, and Google have up their sleeves, if and when their next-gen XR glasses finally release to the public.

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• A breach has impacted thousands of Carolina Anesthesiology PA patients
• Sensitive health information and patient data was exposed
• This leaves anyone affected at risk of identity theft or social engineering

Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler has discovered a non password-protected database, believed to be owned by Carolina Anesthesiology PA - a healthcare firm based out of North Carolina. This dataset contained 21,344 records, was almost 7GB, and spanned multiple states.

The information contained sensitive data, including patient information like names, physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, as well as insurance coverage details, anesthesia summaries, diagnoses, family medical histories, and doctors notes. According to the researcher, there were files marked ‘Billing and Compliance Reports’, which gives an idea of the type of data included.

While there is so far no evidence to suggest the database fell into malicious hands, the potential compromise of the unprotected database could put many at risk of social engineering attacks like phishing, identity theft, or fraud.

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Database on show

The researcher outlines that the dataset contained a “detailed analysis and key metrics related to medical billing and healthcare services provided” - but that, when contacted, the healthcare firm indicated that it did not own or manage the database, but that the owner has been notified and public access restricted.

It’s not clear if the information was accessed by a threat actor or third party, as only an internal audit would show this - and as far as we know, the information has not appeared on any dark web sites for sale by cybercriminals. Investigation by the researcher indicate that this folder’s contents was likely affiliated with Atrium Health - a partner of Carolina Anesthesiology PA.

“Our cyber security team immediately launched an internal investigation upon receiving an email tip in mid-February 2025 about a possible data breach. Our investigation found that Carolina Anesthesiology, P.A., who regularly provides anesthesia services at select facilities, misconfigured the technology service used for billing data, exposing some of their patient data,” said Atrium Health in response to the breach.

“We immediately shut down all data feeds to Carolina Anesthesiology and, as a courtesy, notified the regular governing entities. We continue to learn more from the Carolina Anesthesiology team about their plan to notify their patients of this breach. All data feeds remain off until this issue has been satisfactorily addressed.”

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Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: One minute review

The Sony UBP-X800M2 is the company’s flagship 4K Blu-ray player, and it’s one that sits at an affordable price ($289 / £299 / roughly AU$481). It supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks and plays a wide variety of disc formats, including SACD. It also features built-in Wi-Fi for streaming from apps such as Netflix and Prime Video.

The Sony UBP-X800M2 delivers picture quality that competes with the best 4K Blu-ray players, showcasing accurate textures, bold colors and excellent contrast. It also demonstrates superb upscaling with both regular Blu-rays and DVDs getting a picture quality uplift. It may not maintain film grain as accurately as the rival Panasonic DP-UB820 (something for film purists to bear in mind), but it’s still an excellent player. Paired with one of the best TVs, it will serve any home theater system well.

The X800M2’s interface is on the dated and plain side, but it’s very responsive and easy enough to navigate. There are plenty of settings on offer for both video and audio, but frustratingly, its Dolby Vision setting needs to be switched off or on depending on the disc. The player itself is reassuringly sturdy for the price, though the lack of an alphanumeric front panel display is a disappointment.

While the X800M2 may not offer as much as the Panasonic DP-UB820 and doesn’t provide the same value as the step-down Sony UBP-X700, it is still a fantastic 4K Blu-ray player. Pair it with one of the best OLED TVs, and you’ll be happy.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Prices & release date

The UBP-X800M2 provides multiple connections, though not as many as the rival Panasonic DP-UB820 (Image credit: Future)

• Release date: May 2019
• Price: $289 / £299 (roughly AU$481)

The Sony UBP-X800M2 is Sony’s flagship 4K Blu-ray player, sitting above the Sony UBP-X700. At launch in May 2019, it cost $299 / £350, putting it in direct competition with Panasonic’s mid-range 4K Blu-ray player, the Panasonic DP-UB820.

Several years on from launch, prices have remained largely unchanged for the X800M2 in the US, though discounts appear sporadically. In the UK, stock is becoming thin, with most units available second-hand. In some cases, prices have even gone up (quite dramatically in some places), but I'd only recommend buying it at or around its initial launch price.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Specs Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Features

The Sony UBP-X800M2 has a quick 30 second disc load time (Image credit: Future)

• Dolby Vision HDR support
• SACD playback
• Built-in Wi-Fi for streaming

The Sony X800M2 has comprehensive disc support including 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD (in multiple formats), CD and SACD, the latter of which is not supported by many 4K Blu-ray players including more premium ones like the Panasonic UB9000.

For HDR formats, the X800M2 supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 but not HDR10+. (The Panasonic DP-UB820, the X800M2’s closest rival, supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+.)

The X800M2 supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (bitstream) and decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD soundtracks. Hi-res audio is also supported via USB, including 24-bit files and DSD (11.2 mHz).

The X800M2 features two HDMI outputs, a coaxial digital audio output, a USB port for audio and video file playback, and an Ethernet port. It has built-in Wi-Fi for streaming, with access to some of the best streaming services, including Netflix and YouTube, and BBC iPlayer pre-installed for UK-based customers. There are no analogue audio outputs as found on the Panasonic DP-UB82, but there is a Bluetooth wireless output for headphones. I tested this feature when watching La La Land, and the connection was solid with only minimal delay.

The X800M2 is responsive during use and its menus are easy to navigate. There are a good number of picture settings, including multiple 4K upscaling options, and there are audio presets to improve the quality of lower-resolution files. While easy to navigate and read, the interface itself is on the plain side, and it has the same outdated look as its more budget Sony UBP-X700 counterpart.

A frustration that carries over from the Sony UBP-X700 is that Dolby Vision must be manually turned on and off per disc; it does not work automatically like on Panasonic players. Instead, with the Dolby Vision setting turned on, the X800M2 forces Dolby Vision on regardless of the disc's content.

• Features score: 4.5 / 5

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Performance

With the UBP-X800M2, pictures have fantastic contrast (Image credit: Future)

• Superb picture reproduction
• Effective upscaling
• Fast load times

The X800M2 demonstrated a short load time in my testing. It took roughly 30 seconds from a disc being loaded into the disc tray to the first logos appearing on screen, which is 5-10 seconds faster than the Panasonic DP-UB820 and a full 30 seconds faster than the Panasonic DP-UB150.

For testing, the X800M2 was connected to a Panasonic MZ1500 OLED TV.

The X800M2 demonstrated superb picture quality. When viewing a 4K Blu-ray of The Batman, black levels were rich and deep, and contrast was powerful. Textures and details were true-to-life, and the Dolby Vision HDR added extra visual punch. It was a similar story with Oppenheimer: black and white scenes were presented with a full range of gray tones, creating a balanced and dynamic image.

Colors were also presented with plenty of vibrant punch. In the opening sequence of La La Land (in HDR10), the full array of brightly colored clothing on display looked natural, yet vivid. The same was true for a later scene where Mia’s yellow dress is shown against a dark backdrop, though I noticed that the X800M2 has a cooler color palette than my reference Panasonic DP-UB820 player.

The X800M2 also demonstrated brilliant upscaling. Watching the Blu-ray version of The Batman, the picture was very close to the 4K version, with only slightly softer-looking textures. A DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man didn’t quite hit 4K quality, but the clean upscaling of textures improved picture quality.

While the X800M2 demonstrated mostly accurate reproduction with films, it did smooth out some film grain, which is something purists will want to take note of. One scene I watched from a Blu-ray of Thief has a high level of film grain, and while this was mostly maintained, the picture looked overly cleaned up compared to the same disc played on the Panasonic DP-UB820. The same situation held for The Batman, an intentionally grainy movie.

The X800M2 played Dolby Atmos soundtracks flawlessly and CD playback was also issue-free.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Design

The UBP-X800M2 has a solid, sturdy design, but the lack of an alphanumeric LED front display is disappointing (Image credit: Future)

• Solid, premium design
• No front-panel display
• Cheap remote

For a mid-range player, the X800M2 has a premium build quality, with a weighty, solid chassis comprised of metal and plastic. The design is typical plain black, but it looks sleek and minimal compared to rival 4K Blu-ray players.

Similar to its step-down X700 counterpart, the X800M2 does not have an alphanumeric LED display on its front panel, making it difficult to easily tell where you are in a movie or see what screen/functions you’re using. It’s disappointing that Sony’s flagship player lacks this feature, which is one that Panasonic’s players provide.

The X800M2’s supplied remote is functional, but sadly feels cheap. It’s an improvement on the smaller one supplied with the Sony X700, but it’s still not as easy to use as the remotes supplied with Panasonic’s 4K players.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Value

The UBP-X800M2 has great overall picture quality but it does favour a cooler color palette, shown here during La La Land (Image credit: Future)

• Good features and performance for the price
• Step-down X700 is a better value

At $289 / £299, the Sony UBP-X800M2 is a great mid-range 4K Blu-ray player, but one that sits in an awkward spot. It has great features, including Wi-Fi for streaming, and its picture quality and responsiveness are excellent for a mid-range 4K Blu-ray player. In the UK, however, the similarly priced Panasonic DP-UB820 with its more comprehensive HDR support is probably the better option. And in the US, the step-down Sony X700 is significantly cheaper than the X800M2 and offers better overall bang for your buck.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player?

The UBP-X800M2 does maintain film grain in older movies such as Thief, but there is some smoothing happening (Image credit: Future) Buy it if...

You want superb picture quality
The X800M2's delivers refined detail, brilliant contrast and bold colors, especially with 4K Blu-rays. View Deal

You watch a lot of Blu-rays and DVDS
Your regular Blu-rays and DVDs will benefit from the X800M2's upscaling prowess, which improves textures and colors. View Deal

You want a feature-packed 4K Blu-ray player
With Dolby Vision HDR, Wi-Fi for streaming and a good number of connections and settings, the X800M2 is a well equipped 4K disc player. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want the best value 4K Blu-ray player
The step-down Sony UBP-X700 has similar features and picture for less. And the Panasonic DP-UB820, though slightly pricier, offers significantly more features for the money.View Deal

You don't want to mess with settings
When switching between Dolby Vision and non-Dolby Vision discs, the X800M2 has a frustrating setting that needs to be changed each time.View Deal

You want a modern interface
As you may end up spending time in the settings menus, be prepared to deal with a dated interface. View Deal

Also consider

Sony UBP-X700
The step-down Sony 4K Blu-ray player from the X800M2, the UBP-X700 delivers similar features and performance for less, demonstrating better value. Yes, the X800M2 might beat its picture quality, but not enough to justify the price difference.

Read our full Sony UBP-X700 reviewView Deal

Panasonic DP-UB820
Our best-in-class 4K Blu-ray player choice, the DP-UB820 offers full HDR support and more connections than the X800M2. It may be pricier than X800M2, but the DP-UB820 delivers the ultimate bang for your buck.

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB820 reviewView Deal

Panasonic DP-UB150/154
A more budget 4K player than the X800M2, the UB150/154 doesn't offer the same performance or features. It's still worthwhile if you're on a strict budget, as it supports a wide variety of discs and HDR10+ high dynamic range.

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB150/154 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player

• Tested using a variety of discs including 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and CD
• Tested with Panasonic MZ1500 OLED TV

For my testing of the Sony UBP-X800M2, I connected it to a Panasonic MZ1500 OLED, a TV with Dolby Vision HDR support.

To test the X800M2's video and audio quality, I predominantly used reference scenes from 4K Blu-rays, including The Batman, La La Land, Top Gun Maverick, and more.

I used several regular Blu-rays, including Thief, and DVDs such as The Amazing Spider-man to analyse the X800M2's upscaling.

I also evaluated the X800M2's video and audio settings, its menu layout and its streaming capabilities.

• First reviewed: April 2025
• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

Turn-based role-playing game (RPG) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is easily an early game of the year contender. It has some of the best visual execution and artistic design I’ve ever seen, some of the most beautiful environment and world building I’ve immersed myself in, and also some top-tier, multifaceted combat that has changed me from a skeptic to a turn-based convert.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5, PS5 Pro
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date: April 25, 2025

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 deftly carves out its own style despite the clear influence of JRPGs (Japanese role-playing games) that it so readily wears on its sleeve, but not once does it feel like it’s purely imitating other games, or tamely reimagining established elements.

Instead, it delivers a sublimely sombre story with fantastic performances, in a world full of breathtakingly beautiful environments, that has some exhilarating, slick, and rewarding combat that is fantastic to get your teeth into.

There are a few wrinkles along the way that affect some elements of the game such as dialogue, progression and navigation, and the overall pacing a little, but this effort Sandfall Interactive’s small team of developers is as good as some of the best RPG games, and is definitely an early contender for game of the year discussions.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive / Microsoft) A world worth fighting for

As I have touched upon, there are three core elements of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that combine to create its brilliance.

The first is the immensely high-quality and breathtaking setting, environments, and art direction. The entire game is a visual treat, with every map, level, environment, and locale designed with intelligence, but also aesthetic brilliance.

Each and every place in the game is itself a staggeringly beautiful environment. From Giants Causeway-esque volcanic rock coastal areas, to strangely underwater (but not actually underwater) zones and huge mountainous areas where each cliff is a face, to icy stalactite riddled caves and all kinds of lush landscapes in between, there’s never a dull moment.

Navigating is a simple joy too: you can seamlessly switch between characters with the press of a button, and Lune’s smooth gliding movement (the character’s alternative to sprinting) is one of the many simple things that Clair Obscur does tremendously.

This environmental excellence even extends to the overworld used to navigate between the main areas of the game. Much like the map, it has a wonderfully painterly quality to it, and you can move your characters around from a different perspective, almost like miniatures on a tabletop game.

You can engage in battles in this overworld-come-map too and navigate it like almost any other part of the game, while also deploying your camp - your expedition’s hub area where conversations and upgrades happen.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative)

Each main area in the game is largely linear, with some tucked-away ends with rewards for those who explore. You’ll come across expedition flags regularly, too. These remnants of expeditions past act a little like bonfires from Souls games: you can heal your party, tinker with skills and attributes, and replenish your supplies at the cost of spawning defeated enemies.

Everything is further enhanced by the wonderful acting and voice work provided by the game’s cast. Dressed in the dark fantasy Belle Époque aesthetic, stars such as Charlie Cox, Ben Starr, Jennifer English, Kirsty Rider, and Andy Serkis give emotive and powerful performances.

The design of non-player characters (NPCs) and foes contributes to the overall level of artistic brilliance, too. The former are quirky beings named Gestrals, who appear as if they’ve been designed around Salvador Dali’s impressions of living paintbrushes, and the latter come in a variety of forms that beautifully complement the areas in which you find them. There’s some repetition here and there, but generally, each was a joy to face - though a lot of that joy comes from the combat, more on that below.

All in this wonderfully stylish execution and presentation has a cinematic quality at times, and it sometimes feels like you’re playing in a stylish film from French cinema. It’s an incredibly imaginative and unique setting, and with such strong placemaking, it will be a game world that stays with me.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive) Masterfully crafted combat

More than anything else, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s combat is quite possibly the biggest accomplishment in the entire game - despite my heaped praise above.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has what I’d call ‘active turn-based combat’. Built upon the staple turn-based action found in JRPGs, the game adds a small tweak - a tweak that was one of the main things that drew me in initially.

This affects the ‘passive’ part of turn-based combat - i.e. between turns or as enemies engage make their moves, and inserts active actions like dodging and parrying. There are also quick-time events (QTEs) in your moves to enhance the impact and power of your attacks.

This not only means that you can still influence both attack and defense throughout each turn, but the execution of these also elevates the combat masterfully. Foremost because the parries, dodges, and QTEs are all extremely well balanced and can be game changers once you’ve mastered them. They aren’t always essential, and they are hard to time perfectly, but when you nail them, it can turn a losing encounter into a winning one in a split second.

Within each battle, your characters can perform a basic attack to gain one action point (AP), fire their free aim weapon at the cost of one AP per fire, use a potion, or execute one of their many skills, should you have enough APs available.

The points requirement can be an obstacle, but you can swiftly gain APs by dodging and parrying perfectly. This places extra importance on the combat’s active elements, though thankfully, it never feels like you’re being forced to play a specific way.

And there’s also a whole lot more to the combat than APs, dodging, and parrying. An incredible amount more, and the game offers plenty of cogs to its combat wheel that can be a total blast to experiment with as you form impactful loadouts and combinations.

For example, as well as their own weapon types - that you can, of course, upgrade as you go - each character has their own unique skill tree with a variety of options that do different levels of damage for different amounts of action points. There are also Pictos (a sort of rune that can be equipped to offer boosts), three of which can be equipped by characters in their loadout at any one time.

Best bit

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative)

Successfully navigating your way through a battle against multiple enemies turn by turn - either fully planned or on the fly - is superbly satisfying, especially when clawing back victory from what looks like certain defeat by complementing your characters’ attacks and capitalizing on enemy weaknesses.

Lumina points can also be applied to characters, which enables them to make use of Pictos equipped by other party members. Then there are also base attributes which can be boosted with each level-up, and that change in importance depending on the characteristics of the weapon you have equipped.

While each character has a host of skills to use, none ever feel unobtainable as the game isn’t shy about giving you plenty of the items that let you reset attributes and skills. I ended up with nearly two dozen of these left over at the end of my playthrough, despite having used a fair few.

So if you really like skill swapping and experimentation, then you’ll be well served here and you’ll be rewarded for getting to know each style, especially as grander skills open up later in the game. With so many systems to get stuck into, there’s a chance that they may be overwhelming - especially given their unique names and terms - but I appreciate the freedom to create your own style.

Combine this with each party member being very different and can be played in a multitude of different ways due to all of the above, and the options you have are wonderful.

Some of my favorite moments of the combat are when it feels like a chess game - perhaps even after a failure or two first planning multi-character moves in advance to make the most of buffs and a good sequence of blows on an enemy. However, I have also really enjoyed being able to react, relying on parrying and dodging to overcome an unforeseen challenge, reacting on the fly.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative) A superbly sombre story

Forming the bedrock for the wonderful combat and beautiful lands is the extraordinarily gripping story. You play as a party of expeditioners embark on a mission to eliminate the ‘Paintress’ and her effect on the island of Lumière, which means that every year, people above an ever-decreasing age perish is what’s referred to as a Gommage.

Following each Gommage, the populace sends out an Expedition to try and slay the Paintress, with each previous to the 33rd attempt being unsuccessful. Finding out what happened to the past expeditions through lost journals adds further depth to the worldbuilding, pulling you in and ensuring you want to find out more and more.

I was locked into the narrative extremely quickly, with the actors' performances combining beautifully with the setting and the pacing of the setup. There’s no barrage of lore here, though: it hooks into you right from the off. And as the story progresses, you get to know the characters more, get invested in their relationships, and see and meet a variety of interesting parties that all play a part in the narrative.

I’m eager not to reveal any spoilers, as it is riveting throughout and wholly unique in games I’ve played. It’s immediately intriguing, always engaging, and perpetually sombre, dark, and melancholy - though never quite truly bleak. It’s not so relentlessly miserable that it would make folks turn off, but it’s never very far from relentlessly melancholy.

(Image credit: Kepler Interactive)

That’s not to say it’s totally without fault, as some minor frustrations are present.

Dialogue can be a bit disjointed at times, and there are multiple instances where you need to press X to say “Yeah”, for example. This is on top of some more baffling omissions, such as having no journal for quests or minimap, and not being able to quickly compare weapons in character menus or when trading. There are also times when areas drag on a bit, or multi-cutscene narrative moments go on for a while.

Those minor qualms aside, and they are very minor, never impacting on my experience enough to put me off, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a wonderful, beautiful, sombre, exceptional game that I can’t recommend highly enough.

Should you play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Play it if...

You’re after a visual and audio spectacle
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a treat for all the senses. It’s one of the most stunning games I’ve played in terms of its art and environment design, but also audio and voice acting.

You’re not usually into turn-based combat
I’m no turn-based combat lover, but the action in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is fantastic. Mixing both planning-essential turn-based combat with active elements and complementing attacks between party members, the action is always gripping and perpetually rewarding.

You want to be engrossed in a gripping narrative with top-notch acting
If games’ stories are what you value most, then you’ll not be let down by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s wonderful writing and immersive story.

Don't play it if...

You’re looking for simple and straightforward combat
While I feel that the combat in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is generally one of the game’s great strengths, with so many elements and unique phrases, and terminology, it may be overwhelming for those who prefer combat to be straightforward.

You’re after a cheerful experience
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not a truly bleak slog by any means, but it’s certainly not a cheery tale either. If you’re looking for something that’ll be spirit-lifting and feel-good, then this isn’t it.

Accessibility

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a smattering of accessibility options that can be tinkered with. The headline is the three difficulty levels present, which you can switch between at any time to find the right challenge for you.

There’s also an auto quicktime mode for executing attacks during combat, which can certainly take some of the stress out. However, there’s no such mode for defence, which feels like an, albeit very specific, oversight.

Elsewhere, there are customisations for subtitles and good colorblind options, along with camera adjustments, but there are no control customization options available by default.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative) How I reviewed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

I played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for more than 40 hours, completing the main storyline (in about 30 hours) as well as visiting every corner of the map I could and carrying out a host of side quests.

I reviewed the PlayStation 5 version of the game on my two PS5 setups: a PS5 Slim combined with an Acer X32QFS gaming monitor and a Yamaha SR-C20A soundbar; and a PS5 Pro teamed with a Samsung Q6F 55-inch 4K QLED TV and Samsung soundbar.

When using a headset, I opted for a SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 on the PS5 Slim, and a set of Sennheiser HD 550 headphones, or a SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset with my PS5 Pro. I used a regular DualSense Wireless controller with both machines and played many hours of the game on my PlayStation Portal, too.

I tested the game thoroughly in both its graphics modes, Performance and Quality, and preferred the former, playing the vast majority of the game in it. The smoothness of the framerates - and extra quality on PS5 Pro - made for a slicker experience, especially in the exhilarating combat, but whichever mode you choose, you’ll be treated to an absolute spectacle, visually.

First reviewed April 2025

CNET’s experts have rounded up the top internet providers available in Warner Robins.

I always have my ear to the ground when it comes to the best streaming services, so trust me when I say there's another wave of brand new Paramount+ movies and TV shows coming to the platform in May 2025 that you'll want to know about.

This month it's TV show premieres galore, and Paramount+ has a number of shows returning for new installments, from season 18 of Criminal Minds, to RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 10 where you can expect the show's biggest cast yet – 18 queens altogether.

In addition to new Paramount+ shows, the service is also giving its library of best Paramount+ movies a glow up with an assortment of movies spanning a range of genres, but the ones that stick out for me are '90s staple Clueless (1995) and modern cinematic epic Parasite (2019). I'm also excited to finally see Pride (2014) come back to streaming but that's down my obvious bias – I am Welsh after all.

Everything new on Paramount+ in May 2025

Arriving on May 1

A Very Brady Sequel (movie)
Addams Family Values (movie)
Aeon Flux (movie)
Atlantic City (movie)
Awake (movie)
Black Rain (movie)
Book Club (movie)
Bound (movie)
Bride & Prejudice (movie)
Bruce Lee, The Legend (movie)
Charlotte's Web (movie)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (movie)
Clueless (movie)
Crocodile Dundee (movie)
Crocodile Dundee II (movie)
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (movie)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (movie)
Cursed (movie)
Days of Thunder (movie)
Dreamland (movie)
Drillbit Taylor (movie)
Duplex (movie)
Erin Brockovich (movie)
Extraordinary Measures (movie)
Finding Neverland (movie)
Flight Of The Intruder (movie)
Frank Miller's Sin City (movie)
Freedom Writers (movie)
G.I. Jane (movie)
Gandhi (movie)
Green Book (movie)
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (movie)
Hostage (movie)
Hotel for Dogs (movie)
I.Q. (movie)
In Her Skin (movie)
In The Bedroom (movie)
Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (movie)
Just Friends (movie)
Just Like Heaven (movie)
Kate & Leopold (movie)
Kingpin (movie)
Last Vegas (movie)
Life of Pi (movie)
Memoirs of a Geisha (movie)
Mercy (movie)
Minari (movie)
Monster Trucks (movie)
Nebraska (movie)
Norbit (movie)
Oldboy (movie)
Once Upon a Time in America (movie)
Once Upon A Time In The West (movie)
Parasite (movie)
Patriots Day (movie)
Paycheck (movie)
Pride (movie)
Private Parts (movie)
Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (movie)
Rango (movie)
Rio Grande (movie)
Romeo Must Die (movie)
Sahara (movie)
Scary Movie 2 (movie)
Scary Movie 3 (movie)
Some Kind of Wonderful (movie)
Son of Rambow (movie)
Southside With You (movie)
Spell (movie)
Stardust (movie)
Terminator: Dark Fate (movie)
Texas Rangers (movie)
The Addams Family (movie)
The Adventures Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (movie)
The Brady Bunch Movie (movie)
The Comeback Trail (movie)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (movie)
The Edge of Seventeen (movie)
The Four Feathers (movie)
The Ghost and the Darkness (movie)
The Last Airbender (movie)
The Last Castle (movie)
The Mist (movie)
The Prince and Me (movie)
The Queen (movie)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (movie)
The Two Jakes (movie)
The Weather Man (movie)
Things We Lost In The Fire (movie)
Top Five (movie)
Trading Places (movie)
We Were Soldiers (movie)
Yours, Mine & Ours (movie)

Arriving on May 6

Beckham & Friends Live

Arriving on May 7

PAW Patrol: Aqua Pups
Everybody Still Hates Chris season 1

Arriving on May 8

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 18

Arriving on May 9

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 10
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: Untucked

Arriving on May 12

Hard Truths (movie)

Arriving on May 14

Assassin Club (movie)
Air Disasters season 21 (TV show)
First Wives Club season 1 & 2 (TV show)
The Family Business seasons 1-3 (TV show)
Tyler Perry’s Sistas season 4 (TV show)
Tyler Perry’s The Oval season 4 (TV show)

Arriving on May 15

SkyMed season 3 (TV show)

Arriving on May 16

The Chi season 7 (TV show)

Arriving on May 17

The Greatest @Home Videos season 5 (TV show)

Arriving on May 21

Dora the Explorer: Mermaid Adventures! (TV show)
American Gangster: Trap Queens season 1 & 2 (TV show)
Tyler Perry’s Zatima season 1 & 2 (TV show)

Arriving on May 23

Couples Therapy season 4 (TV show)

Arriving on May 26

American Music Awards (TV show)

Arriving on May 28

Rock Paper Scissors season 1 (TV show)

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The Android Show: I/O Edition will happen a week before Google's I/O developer conference.

Andor season 2 is already a quarter of the way through its entire run. Indeed, with the first three episodes making their Disney+ debut last Tuesday (or Wednesday, depending on where you live), there are only nine more set to arrive in the weeks ahead.

Still, at least we've got three more chapters to look forward to very soon. That's right, episodes 4 to 6 of the Star Wars TV show's second season will air imminently, so you'll want to know when you can stream them.

Below, I'll tell you when Andor's next three-episode act will debut on Disney+ in the US, UK, and Australia. A full launch schedule for the rest of this season's entries follows, too. So, strap in, folks, because we're going to rattle through this article quicker than Han Solo completed the legendary Kessel Run.

When can I watch Andor season 2 episodes 4 to 6 in the US?

Andor season 2 episodes 4 to 6 will be an explosive affair (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

Andor season 2 act 2 will be released on Disney's primary streaming platform on Tuesday, April 29 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET in the US. That's the same time that their three predecessors debuted on one of the world's best streaming services.

What is the launch time for Andor season 2 act 2 in the UK?

Prepare to visit Ghorman with Syril Karn over the next three episodes (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

British-based viewers can stream Andor season 2's next three installments on Disney+ UK on Wednesday, April 23 at 2am BST.

Yep, that means those of us based over here have got another late night or very early morning ahead of us if we want to watch them as soon as they drop on the service.

When will episodes 4 to 6 of Andor's second season be released in Australia?

Forest Whitaker's Saw Gerrera will appear in Andor season 2 act 2 (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

One of the best Disney+ shows will get new episodes in Australia on Wednesday, April 23 at 11am AEST.

If you're unable to stream one of 2025's new Star Wars shows' latest chapters at that time, it might be best to mute certain words or hashtags on social media so you can avoid spoilers.

As I outlined in my Andor season 2 review, I've watched all 12 episodes and there's stuff that happens in episodes 4 to 6 that you won't someone to ruin before you can watch them.

When do new episodes of Andor season 2 come out? Full release schedule explained

Will Vel and Cinta patch things up in Andor season 2 episode 4, 5, or 6? (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

If it wasn't obvious by now, new episodes of Andor will be released every Tuesday in the US, and on Wednesdays in the UK and Australia.

For a complete rundown on when the final six chapters will arrive, read the list below:

• Andor season 2 episode 1 – out now
• Andor season 2 episode 2 – out now
• Andor season 2 episode 3 – out now
• Andor season 2 episode 4 – April 29 (US); April 30 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 5 – April 29 (US); April 30 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 6 – April 29 (US); April 30 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 7 – May 6 (US); May 7 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 8 – May 6 (US); May 7 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 9 – May 6 (US); May 7 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 10 – May 13 (US); May 14 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 11 – May 13 (US); May 14 (UK and Australia)
• Andor season 2 episode 12 – May 13 (US); May 14 (UK and Australia)

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• Patchstack spotted a new phishing campaign targeting WooCommerce users
• The email warns the users about a "critical vulnerability" that must be fixed
• The "fix" is actually malware that creates a rogue admin account and drops stage-two malware

If you are a WooCommerce user, pay attention, since there is a new phishing campaign going around targeting people like yourself.

Recently, security researchers from Patchstack spotted a new phishing attack, which they described as “large-scale” and “sophisticated”. In the attack, the crooks would send an email, warning their targets about a critical vulnerability in their websites that needs to be addressed immediately.

The email also comes with a “Download Patch” link which, instead of the supposed fix, actually deploys a malicious WordPress plugin. The plugin is hosted on a website mimicking the WooCommerce Marketplace, and can be spotted in the typosquatted URL "woocommėrce[.]com" (notice the ė character).

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Old actors or new copycats?

The plugin first hides itself from the list of installed plugins, and then creates a new admin account. It also hides this account from the victim and relays the credentials to the attackers. Finally, it deploys stage-two malware, which includes web shells such as P.A.S.-Fork, p0wny, and WSO.

Patchstack, which usually tracks WordPress threats, says that a similar campaign was observed back in December 2023, with the key difference being that the phishing email warned about a non-existent CVE. Since both the emails and the malware are rather similar, the researchers speculate that both attacks are either the work of the same threat actor, or that the new campaign is the work of a copycat,

"They claim the targeted websites are impacted by a (non-existent) 'Unauthenticated Administrative Access' vulnerability, and they urge you to visit their phishing website, which uses an IDN homograph attack to disguise itself as the official WooCommerce website," the researchers explained.

If you are running a WordPress website with WooCommerce installed, you should scan your site for suspicious plugins and admin accounts, and make sure to update both WordPress and the plugins/themes you are running.

Via The Hacker News

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• Figma releases wide-ranging AI survey
• Adoption and roll-out increasing for design and development
• But users still think it’s not as useful as it could be

As artificial intelligence continues its path to world domination, Figma has unveiled a new survey that seeks to explore how designers and developers are deploying AI tools in the field.

The findings are a bit of a mixed bag, showing that while AI is becoming an integral part of the workflow, it’s not always living up to the promise.

The survey follows on from news that Figma, alongside Adobe and Canva, has integrated OpenAI’s ‘gpt-image-1’ model into its design platform.

What users really think about AI

85%. That’s the headline figure from the survey, which states “85% of respondents say AI will be essential to future success in their role.” But how that success is achieved, or what it even looks like, remains unclear right now.

The company has explored how businesses are building AI-powered products for the market, as well as uncovering how design and dev teams are using the tools in day-to-day workflows. Either way, the results show that despite embracing the technology, right now it’s failing to live up to frankly over-hyped expectations.

According to Figma, one in three say they’ve shipped AI-powered products - a 50% increase since last year’s survey. This includes a wide range of uses, including analytics, document interpretation, and product strategy and marketing growth.

However, designers and developers admitted that “many AI projects still lack clarity in purpose,” with Figma pointing to nebulously defined goals like AI experimentation and CX improvements offered by respondents. This, the company claims, makes it difficult to measure the true impact of artificial intelligence.

The gulf between reality and potential can also be seen in how designers and developers are using AI. Because, while 78% believe the use of AI makes their workflows more efficient, just 58% reckon it improves the quality of the work. Fewer than half of those surveyed, says Figma, “made them better at their job.”

Figma also notes that despite 83% of those surveyed think learning to work with AI is essential to future success, those who believe it will have a “significant impact” on reaching company goals plummets to only 27%. Users who say AI will be “transformational” linger at 15%, exactly where it was in last year’s survey.

In other words, the company says, belief in the potential is high, but expectations, while stabilizing, are low due to experiencing the true limitations of current artificial intelligence technology.

Despite the general scepticism over just how useful AI is right now, there is some optimism in the design and dev world. Agentic AI is now the fastest-growing category, doubling year on year - although it’s yet to unseat text generation as the biggest project type.

Usage is also increasing, particularly among developers. Where just 69% of designers say they’re satisfied with AI tools and 54% of them feel the quality of their work improves when using AI, these figures jump to 83% and 67% for those working in development.

However, Figma points out that the disparity is likely down to how artificial intelligence is used across different projects, with designers chiefly using the tools for the likes of asset creation (31%) compared to core development responsibilities, such as code generation, used by 59% of developers.

So, all in all, results are mixed right now - how that will change as AI continues to improve will be one to watch.

Figma surveyed 2500 developers and designers globally between January 8 and January 30, 2025. You can get the full report here.

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• New research shows AI can help identify which dogs are most likely to be candidates
• It can help reduce the emotionally draining problem of ‘late-stage failure’ in guide dog training
• AI can map dog personality types

AI is being used to help identify which pups have the greatest potential to go on to become guide dogs (also known as seeing-eye dogs) or service dogs earlier and with more accuracy.

In a new research project at the University of East London, Dr Mohammad Amirhosseini, Associate Professor in Computer Science and Digital Technologies, found that one AI model achieved 80% prediction accuracy over a 12-month period.

“One of the biggest challenges in assistance dog training is the emotional and financial cost of late-stage failure,” says Dr Amirhosseini. “This is more than a tech innovation – it’s a leap forward for animal welfare.”

To perform the analysis the trainers who work most closely with the dogs record their behaviour at six months and 12 months using detailed questionnaires, which function as snapshots of the dog’s temperament, focus and personality.

AI then weaves its magic and spots the early signs of suitability for guide or service dog training. The AI can detect patterns of behavior that even experienced trainers could miss.

Paw patrol

The project brought together an international dream team of dog experts including members of The Seeing Eye, which is the oldest dog training centre in the world, as well as Canine Companions, the team featured in Netflix’s Inside the Mind of a Dog documentary.

While many industries are under threat from AI removing human jobs, the study shows that there are plenty of opportunities for AI to positively benefit mankind.

AI can potentially be a game-changer for many dog training programmes, saving time, money and even heartbreak because dogs that don’t make the cut have to get rehomed and split from their potential new vocations and owners.

If an AI can pick up patterns that even seasoned dog trainers miss then it will become a powerful new ally in the field of animal training.

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Sam Altman is calling out ChatGPT's personality as "too sycophant-y and annoying."

• Phishing attacks are more common than ever
• New research shows Microsoft impersonators are targeting users
• These aim to steal credentials and information from victims

Phishing attacks top the tables for most popular intrusion points for cybercriminals over and over again, and new research from Check Point reveals the most commonly imitated firms for the first quarter of 2025. Criminals impersonating Microsoft were by far the most common, making up 36% of observed brand related social engineering attacks in the study.

Following behind are Google and Apple, making up 12% and 8% respectively - meaning that over half of all incidents (56%) come from a false address associated with one of those three brands.

A notable change though, is in a rise of Mastercard impersonations - with a campaign of fraudulent websites discovered, primarily aimed at Japanese users, and attempting to steal sensitive financial information from victims using a fake website and prompting users to enter their card numbers and CVVs.

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Trending attacks

Unsurprisingly, the research shows that technology is the most impersonated sector for attacks in Q1 of 20225 - most likely because more and more people use the services, and because criminals can prompt users to enter credentials with ‘password reset’ scams, or can lure victims onto a malicious site, especially given the trust awarded to these services.

This isn’t the first time researchers have identified Microsoft as the most commonly imitated company in phishing scams, and the best way to stay safe against phishing is to be hyper vigilant - double checking any email address for discrepancies, and never clicking a link from an unverified source.

“As we progress through 2025, organizations and users alike must stay alert to the evolving threat of phishing attacks,” says Check Point.

“The most frequently targeted brands are not just household names — they are gateways to sensitive personal and financial information. Cyber security awareness, combined with robust protection strategies like multi-factor authentication (MFA), can help minimize the risk of falling victim to these increasingly sophisticated scams.”

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Dr Geoffrey Hinton deserves credit for helping to build the foundation of virtually all neural-network-based generative AI we use today. You can also credit him in recent years with consistency: he still thinks the rapid expansion of AI development and use will lead to some fairly dire outcomes.

Two years ago, in an interview with The New York Times, Dr Hinton warned, "It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things."

Now, in a fresh sit-down, this time with CBS News, the Nobel Prize winner is ratcheting up the concern, admitting that when he figured out how to make a computer brain work more like a human brain, he "didn't think we'd get here in only 40 years," adding that "10 years ago I didn't believe we'd get here."

Yet, now we're here, and hurtling towards an unknowable future, with the pace of AI model development easily outstripping the pace of Moore's Law (which states that the number of transistors on a chip doubles roughly every 18 months). Some might argue that artificial intelligence is doubling in capability every 12 months or so, and undoubtedly making significant leaps on a quarterly basis.

Naturally, Dr Hinton's reasons for concern are now manifold. Here's some of what he told CBS News.

1. There's a 10%-to-20% risk that AIs will take over

That, according to CBS News, is Dr Hinton's current assessment of the AI-versus-human risk factor. It's not that Dr. Hinton doesn't believe that AI advances won't pay dividends in medicine, education, and climate science; I guess the question here is, at what point does AI become so intelligent that we do not know what it's thinking about or, perhaps, plotting?

Dr. Hinton didn't directly address artificial general intelligence (AGI) in the interview, but that must be on his mind. AGI, which remains a somewhat amorphous concept, could mean that AI machines surpass human-like intelligence – and if they do that, at what point does AI start to, as humans do, act in its own self-interest?

2. Is AI a "cute cub" that could someday kill you?

In trying to explain his concerns, Dr Hinton likened current AI to someone owning a tiger cub. "It's just such a cute tiger cub, unless you can be very sure that it's not going to want to kill you when it's grown up."

The analogy makes sense when you consider how most people engage with AIs like ChatGPT, CoPilot, and Gemini, using them to generate funny pictures and videos, and declaring, "Isn't that adorable?" But behind all that amusement and shareable imagery is an emotionless system that's only interested in delivering the best result as its neural network and models understand it.

3. Hackers will be more effective – banks and more could be at risk

When it comes to current AI threats Dr. Hinton is clearly taking them seriously. He believes that AI will make hackers more effective at attacking targets like banks, hospitals, and infrastructure.

AI, which can code for you and help you solve difficult problems, could supercharge their efforts. Dr Hinton's response? Risk mitigation by spreading his money across three banks. Seems like good advice.

4. Authoritarians can misuse AI

Dr Hinton is so concerned about the looming AI threat that he told CBS News he's glad he's 77 years old, which I assume means he hopes to be long gone before the worst-case scenario involving AI potentially comes to pass.

I'm not sure he'll get out in time, though. We have a growing legion of authoritarians around the world, some of whom are already using AI-generated imagery to propel their propaganda.

5. Tech companies aren't focusing enough on AI safety

Dr Hinton argues that the big tech companies focusing on AI, namely OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, and Google (where Dr Hinton formerly worked), are putting too much focus on short-term profits and not enough on AI safety. That's hard to verify, and, in their defense, most governments have done a poor job of enforcing any real AI regulation.

Dr Hinton has taken notice when some try to sound the alarm. He told CBS News that he was proud of his former protégé and OpenAI's former Chief Scientist, Ilya Sutskever, who helped briefly oust OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over AI safety concerns. Altman soon returned, and Sutskever ultimately walked away.

As for what comes next, and what we should do about it, Dr Hinton doesn't offer any answers. In fact he seems almost as overwhelmed by it all as the rest of us, telling CBS News that while he doesn't despair, "we're at this very very special point in history where in a relatively short time everything might totally change at a change of a scale we've never seen before. It's hard to absorb that emotionally."

You can say that again, Dr Hinton.

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is likely to land in just a few months' time, and when it does, it should provide an enticing foldable alternative to the flagship Samsung Galaxy S25 series.

Like most big-name upcoming phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has leaked extensively, with leakers and tipsters revealing, among many other things, the price you might have to pay for it.

Of course, nothing will be certain price-wise until Samsung itself unveils the phone later this year, but we do have a solid idea of what to expect. Below, you’ll find details of what you’ll probably have to pay for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, based on a combination of leaks, past form, and educated guesses.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 price predictions

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Before looking at any possible price changes for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, it’s worth being aware of what the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 costs, so you have a jumping-off point.

Below, you can see a chart with full pricing details for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, but notably, it starts at $1,099.99 / £1,049 / $1,799.

So, will the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 cost any more or less than that? Well, we haven’t heard loads of price rumors yet, but two separate leaks have suggested that it will have exactly the same starting price.

We first heard this Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 price claim in January 2025, and while the claim comes from a leaker who doesn’t yet have much of a track record, the same claim was later made by Android Headlines in an article written in collaboration with @OnLeaks – a source with a very solid track record.

These are the only price leaks we’ve heard so far, so for now, our best guess is that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will start at $1,099.99 / £1,049 / $1,799, just like its predecessor.

That said, it’s possible that even if these leaks are correct, the price could change in some regions. Android Headlines, for example, only mentioned the US price when saying that nothing would change.

It’s also certainly possible that Samsung will increase the price. After all, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 costs more – at least in some regions – than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, a phone that started at $999.99 / £1,049 / AU$1,649. So, Samsung could increase the price again, though it could equally be argued that the company might be reluctant to raise the price two years in a row.

It might not have much of a choice, though, especially now that Trump has started introducing tariffs to most countries, which will likely mean Samsung’s costs will increase.

Still, until we hear otherwise, we’re going to say the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will probably have the same price as its predecessor, and we’re even more confident that it won’t cost less, as price reductions for new models are rare (though not totally unheard of) and with tariffs coming in it seems especially unlikely to happen.

On top of all that, Samsung is reportedly making a Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, which is sure to be cheaper than the main model, so if Samsung was to also lower the price of the Z Flip 7, that might eat into the FE’s potential audience.

What about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, then, could be the foldable flip phone to buy if you’re hoping for a lower price tag. But just how low will this model go?

Well, so far there aren’t any Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE price leaks, but logically it will be cheaper than the Galaxy Z Flip 7, which – if the Z Flip 7 retains its predecessor’s price, as has been rumored – would mean a price of under $1,099.99 / £1,049 / $1,799.

As such, we'd guess that this would mean the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE will probably start at no more than $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,650.

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• Nintendo has released a special Switch 2 edition for its official magazine
• The "Nintendo Magazine 2025 Special Issue" is available digitally online, with a physical copy set to release in May
• The magazine offers a look at the Switch 2, its hardware features, and new games

Nintendo has released a special issue of its official magazine dedicated to the Nintendo Switch 2.

The company shared the news on its Japan website today, announcing that the digital version of the "Nintendo Magazine 2025 Special Issue" featuring the Switch 2 has been released.

The magazine, which you can access here, is a total of 80 pages and offers a look at the Switch 2, its hardware features, like its new Joy-Cons, and the console's line-up of software, including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and The Duskbloods.

There are pages dedicated to third-party titles, too, like Cyberpunk 2077, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, Split Fiction, and more. Each feature page also has links to official websites and videos related to the content.

A physical booklet version of the special issue will begin shipping around May 9, 2025, in Japan. Nintendo said the magazine is "expected to be available at video game stores nationwide around May 24th."

[トピックス]Nintendo Switch 2 総特集の「ニンテンドーマガジン 2025特別号」デジタル版を公開。冊子版も5月9日ごろより全国のTVゲーム取扱店へ順次発送予定。https://t.co/lmmo3R6NMhhttps://t.co/lmmo3R6NMhApril 28, 2025

I was able to skim through the magazine via the provided link, but it appears that the site is currently facing issues. When it reloaded, an error message appeared, which reads: "The page you requested could not be found", but I imagine Nintendo will resolve the issue soon.

The Nintendo Switch 2 launches on June 5, 2025, for $449.99 / £395.99 or $499.99 / £429.99 for the Mario Kart World bundle. UK pre-orders and US pre-orders are now live.

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