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Whether you're giving your workouts a boost or just looking to be at your best, these hand-picked electrolyte sports drinks are exactly what you want in your bag.

The no-buy challenge was more eye-opening than I anticipated. (And more fun too)

You can always count on Max for a show-stopping drama, but you never know when it could get rid of that one movie you've been relying on it for. Luckily, that's what we're here for, and you can bet that we've had our eagle eyes peeled for the titles leaving Max soon.

There are five stand-outs that have limited time left on one of the best streaming services and now is the time to make the most of them. With two A24 movies on the chopping block (one of them a previous Best Picture Oscar winner), there's a beloved superhero movie, a British modern classic animated feature, and historical war biopic that Max have decided to let go.

Thankfully none of our picks for the best Max movies are leaving any time soon - but that's never guaranteed. On a brighter note, Max has a wave of new movies and shows on the way, and you can view our full list of everything new on Max in May 2025.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

RT score: 94%
Directors: Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Age rating: R
Length: 132 minutes

One of the most-loved movies to come from the A24 studio that captured the hearts of millions of movie fans, and now it's running its course with Max. Though many were left utterly disappointed with Jamie Lee Curtis' Oscar victory over fellow nominee Stephanie Hsu, it certainly redeemed itself when it swept Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture.

In this surrealist comedy action drama Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Wang, a Chinese immigrant who is under IRS investigation. She uncovers a strange ability to transport through different universes and connect with her alternative timelines. Through this crazy journey across the multiverse she must stop a powerful being from destroying everything, but this wild ride turns into a touching story of self-discovery which leads her to rekindling her complicated relationship with her daughter.

The Imitation Game (2014)

RT score: 90%
Director: Morten Tyldum
Age rating: PG-13
Length: 113 minutes

When I started my monthly streaming diary roundups earlier this year, The Imitation Game was one of the nine movies I streamed in January 2025. As far as biopics go, Tyldum's retelling of Alan Turing's history-altering discovery is a gold standard British drama film despite its small handful of historical inaccuracies.

As much as its a war drama, The Imitation Game is an inspiring story of a queer genius who helped saved millions, but was still persecuted for his sexuality even in the events after his ground-breaking achievement.

It's the Second World War, and English mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) has been recruited by MI6 to help crack the Enigma Nazi code which professionals have failed time again to achieve. Behind him is a team of computer whizzes Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Joan Clarke (Kiera Knightley), who assist Turing in building a machine which he hopes will be the answer to saving the country from war.

The Florida Project (2017)

RT score: 96%
Director: Sean Baker
Age rating: R
Length: 111 minutes

If you loved recent Best Picture winner Anora (2024) you only have a few more weeks left to revisit this coming-of-age drama from the back catalog of Sean Baker.

Before he dabbled in comedy crime dramas, Baker put out his slice of life drama starring Willem Dafoe exploring the small joys in life and the means of creating your own fun and happiness with what you have. Six year-old girl Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) lives with her single mother at a motel in Florida who struggles to make ends meet and dips in and out of homelessness. Their world is a stark contrast from the one which surrounds them - the surreal and built-for-distraction Walt Disney World.

Paddington (2014)

RT score: 96%
Director: Paul King
Age rating: PG
Length: 95 minutes

The Paddington series of movies has sat very well with audiences, with its recent installment Paddington in Peru (2024) scoring 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. But its second movie Paddington 2 (2018) comes out on top with a near-perfect score of 99%.

Inspired by the classic British children's literature Paddington Bear (Ben Whishaw) lands himself in London after his Peru home is destroyed by an earthquake. He immediately warms to the family of Henry Brown (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins) and their two children, who decide to adapt him into the family, but shortly after settling into city life, he becomes the target of Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman), a taxidermist who will stop at nothing to get her hands on a bear as rare as he.

Deadpool (2016)

RT score: 85%
Director: Tim Miller
Age rating: R
Length: 108 minutes

Miller made his directorial debut with Deadpool in 2016 and went on to produce the Sonic trilogy of movies (we won't mention Borderlands).

In contrast to other Marvel movies and superheroes, Deadpool isn't the suave, put-together action hero you'd expect. Instead, he's irreverent and unserious, yet has smart comedic timing. After serving in the Special Forces Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is disfigured by evil scientist Ajax (Ed Skrein) and is turned into Deadpool. In spite of his disfigurement he's left with superhuman powers which he uses to his advantage to track down the man who ruined everything for him.

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European Union watchdogs fined Apple and Facebook's parent company hundreds of millions of euros as they stepped up enforcement of the 27-nation bloc's digital competition rules.

(Image credit: Andy Wong)

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

Both MG and Zeekr have joined a plethora of Chinese brands in showcasing exciting new models at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show.

Sitting at the more affordable end of the spectrum, MG unveiled the second in its fashion-forward ‘Cyber’ themed series, which includes the ground-breaking two seater Cyberster sports car.

While much of the current global MG range is stylish but a little restrained, the Cyber X is a full-on design showcase, boasting boxy proportions, a high-riding road presence and cool pop-up headlights that retract when the ignition is turned off.

Sporting a stealthy smoked black paint job, it is the work of ex-VW and Bugatti Veyron designer Jozef Kaban, who joined MG early last year to bring some design spice to the brand.

Speaking to Autocar, he said that the point of the Cyber X was to show how diverse the company is.

(Image credit: Zeekr)

Just around the corner from MG’s stand, Zeekr showcased its first every hybrid model in the gargantuan 9X – a car that the company hopes can legitimately take on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga in the ultra-luxury SUV space.

But unlike the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which costs well in excess of $400,000 (or £300,000 / AU$625,000) the 9X is slated to start at around $70,000 (about £53,000 / AU$110,000) and offer plenty in terms of intentions plushness and technology.

There’s a 43-inch cinema screen in the rear, allowing passengers to recline in plush surroundings, while Zeekr says it will be the first model to sport its G-Pilot autonomous driving technology.

According to the marque, its extensive camera, sensor and Lidar suite is good for true Level 3 autonomy – allowing drivers to take hands off the wheel and eyes off the road where legal to do so.

China refines its luxury tastes

(Image credit: SAIC Design)

Recent reports have suggested that the demand for premium Western brands is cooling in China, as the domestic market looks more towards its own start-ups for the latest and most innovative electric vehicle technology.

Sales of Porsche and Ferrari vehicles have dipped in recent years, while even the luxury watch, wines and spirits markets have seen an overall decrease in sales numbers, according to Finews.

This could be down to several factors, but Jing Daily, which covers China’s luxury market, claims that there has been a general societal shift away from showy signs of wealth, while younger buyers expect a much higher level of digital engagement in their products.

It is the reason that Audi has launched its own China-only brand in the confusingly-badged AUDI and Mercedes-Benz is showcasing its futuristic Vision V MPV concept at the Shanghai Motor show this year – not only is China producing some of the most advanced EVs on the planet, it is also exclusively receiving some of the newest and most innovative models from western brands.

But both Zeekr and MG sell far beyond their domestic markets, with the pair rapidly finding an audience in Europe and beyond. While it is unlikely the rest of the world will get to see the mammoth 9X on the roads any time soon, the MG Cyber X is highly likely to spawn a global production variant.

The Cyberster did a great job of establishing the brand as something more than just a budget offering, but the Cyber X could well be a volume seller that proves MG can also do desirable design.

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

Earlier this month we reported on rumors that suggested Google Messages would be getting a snooze feature so you can temporarily turn off group chat notifications, and now it looks even more likely that this feature is on the way.

That’s according to a new Android Authority teardown of the latest Google Messages build, in which the AA team actually managed to get the tool to work – suggesting it’s very close to release.

The snooze feature will see a new button added to the toolbar (which appears at the top of the screen when you long-press on a chat).

Choosing snooze will cause a second menu to appear, where you can choose to mute a group chain for one hour, eight hours, 24 hours, or 'always'. The menu also reveals that “other members will not see that you snoozed this chat.”

(Image credit: Google)

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

A group chat essential

Muting can be an invaluable group chat function. Sometimes you just need to focus on something for a few hours and don’t want your phone to be bombarded with notifications. And we’ve all been in the family group chat which might be just a few very active relatives pinging messages back and forth – it would feel rude to leave, but only about 5% of the messages are relevant to you (and if a message is relevant the sender can always @ you).

Muting allows you to remove some distractions from your life without completely shutting yourself off socially.

As with all leaked features, there’s no guarantee that this will launch; however, given how in-depth the muting feature already appears to be, it seems likely that it’s not only on the way, but on the way soon.

If and when it does eventually launch, it looks like it could be joined by two other very useful Google Messages features that are also being teased by the latest beta.

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The Illinois Democrat has announced he will retire at the end of his term next year after nearly three decades in the Senate. His departure creates a key opening in Democratic leadership.

(Image credit: Tierney L. Cross)

Help the grad in your life get started on this next chapter of their life.

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

Today, streaming stick and smart TV maker Roku announced a range of enhancements for its current Roku Pro and Roku Plus Series models, as well as a new 85-inch screen size option for its entry-level Select Series TVs.

The Roku Pro series, the budget choice in our best TVs guide, will now get custom factory calibration, a process designed to ensure that “every TV delivers a stunning picture right out of the box.”

The most significant announced changes are for the mid-range Roku Plus Series TVs, which now feature mini-LED backlighting. Combined with the TV’s QLED display panel, this should bring the brightness and color benefits of the Pro Series to a much cheaper price point. Plus Series TVs will also get Roku Smart Picture Max, a feature that performs picture adjustments on a scene-by-scene basis, so you don’t have to fuss with picture settings.

Roku's Plus Series TVs will additionally get a remote finder button, first introduced in the Pro Series. This feature lets you easily locate a remote control buried between couch cushions or left in a different room.

Additionally, the Pro Series’ integrated cable management, a design highlight we appreciated in our Roku Pro Series TV review, is also migrating to the Plus Series.

Finally, the full Roku TV lineup will now feature a Bluetooth Headphone Mode, allowing for an easy wireless connection from the TV for private viewing.

A new best budget TV?

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

Roku’s Pro Series has been among our regular go-to recommendations for viewers looking to upgrade their TV to one with a mini-LED backlight without having to take on excess credit card debt.

At under $1,000 for a 65-inch screen size, the Pro Series is an exceptional value, offering additional benefits such as 4K 120Hz support for gaming, a sleek design, and, of course, Roku’s excellent smart TV interface.

With mini-LED backlighting now on the Plus Series, along with Smart Picture Max, remote finder, and integrated cable management, we may now have a new best budget TV option.

Roku’s announcement indicated that the upgraded Plus Series TVs would be available at the “same affordable price.” With the current 65-inch Plus Series model priced at $649 (and now selling for $499), the new Plus series should be a compelling value, competing head-to-head with other high-value mini-LED TVs such as the Hisense U6N.

We look forward to getting our hands on the new Roku TVs to conduct a full review. In the meantime, check out our coverage of the new Roku streaming sticks introduced at today’s event.

@techradar

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Are you looking for the best internet in the City of Fountains? We've got all the answers you're looking for right here at CNET.

Black Mirror season 7 is sitting right at the top of Netflix's streaming TV chart. With 10.6 million views in the past week, it's even more popular than Ransom Canyon, which is clocking in at 7.2 million views so far.

It's clear that when it comes to viewing numbers, Black Mirror is pretty much review-proof: it's racking up big numbers, despite some critics suggesting that one of the best Netflix series feels like it's running out of ideas. Those critics include us: in our Black Mirror season 7 review we said that perhaps Charlie Brooker and co should quit while they're still ahead.

That said, the series does still deliver some great episodes: we really liked Common People and Hotel Reverie in our Black Mirror season 7 episode ranking. Both episodes stick to Black Mirror's most resonant theme: that technology can really mess with your head.

Sometimes, of course, you actually want technology to mess with your head. It's why some of the most enjoyable shows are also some of the weirdest – and why I'm recommending these highly rated sci-fi and supernatural shows for you to stream.

Stranger Things

Stranger Things isn't so much a show as a phenomenon, and the world owes it a big thanks for introducing a new generation to Kate Bush's sublime Running Up That Hill. Oh, and for making some utterly compelling television too.

Stranger Things is set in a sleepy midwestern town in the 1980s where weird things are going on. It's smart, it's scary and it often feels like a love letter to a much-maligned decade. As someone who was a teen back then, I'm well aware that growing up then was as much about expecting World War III as it was big pop songs and highly flammable clothes. And ST absolutely nails that.

It's "a fascinating stew that juggles numerous genres and influences," Keith & The Movies says. "Yet it all comes together to form an enthralling eight-episode television season that plays like one well-paced and impressively conceived movie."

"It's scary when it means to be scary," Rogues Portal says. "It's endearing when it's meant to be endearing. And overall, it's a delight to watch." And the LA Times raved: "Stranger Things honors its source material in the best way possible: By telling a sweet 'n' scary story in which monsters are real but so are the transformative powers of love and fealty."

The first season achieved 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and while later seasons haven't quite reached that high point they're still great, gripping TV.

Dark

"Having Stranger Things withdrawals?" asks CNET. "Tune in to the eerie supernatural German Netflix show that will make you think twice about stepping into caves."

Stranger Things comparisons are common for this, well, Dark drama. Here's the Sydney Morning Herald: "If Stranger Things is a big bowl of macaroni and cheese made with that lurid orange cheddar you can only get in America, Dark is a gamy Old World stew ladled out from a pot that has been bubbling away for centuries."

Dark has consistently scored highly on the Tomatometer, with the second season hitting the full 100% and season 3 getting a still exceptional 97%. It's an extremely twisty drama that centers on the disappearance of two children in a small German town – a disappearance that unearths the town's sinful past and something supernatural.

Dark is the first German original series made for Netflix and has been described as being rather like Lost, without just being another Lost. "Dark’s creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese’s have crafted a remarkable, labyrinthian series of interconnected characters, events, and consequences," says Loud and Clear Reviews, while CNET said "For my money, it's the best show on Netflix."

Russian Doll

Natasha Lyonne is Nadia, a young woman who finds herself out of time: en route to a fancy New York party, she gets trapped in a mysterious time loop that has her attending the same event again and again and again.

Season 1 and 2 both racked up a 97% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and clearly delighted many reviewers: "The show is perfect," said LatinaMedia.co, while Consequence said that "It offers philosophy, humor, a strong cast, and sci-fi-esque twists and turns that feel intentional rather than hokey."

Lyonne is remarkable, ScreenCrush says: "Natasha Lyonne gives a terrifically layered performance that ranges from hilariously funny in the early episodes to brutally emotional." And Collider loved it. "A brilliant tale of morality and mortality that finds an expert balance between sincerity, cutting comedy, and wild genre flourish."

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At Google's antitrust trial, an OpenAI executive says the company is interested in acquiring the Chrome browser business.

• Researchers found a huge ad fraud scheme called Scallyway
• The scheme monetizes pirated sites through a series of redirects
• At its peak, there were 1.4 billion daily requests

Cybersecurity researchers from HUMAN have spotted a major ad fraud operation that leverages people’s interest in pirated content to generate ad revenue from otherwise non monetizable content.

In an in-depth report, HUMAN explained pirated websites don’t host ads because they would “run afoul of most advertisers’ policies”. Instead, they are partnering with hundreds of website owners (scammers, basically) who deploy a set of four WordPress plugins on their assets.

These plugins are collectively named Scallywag, and they are designed to do a couple of things, but mostly to load as many ads as possible, and make sure people stick around until they fully render. There are a couple of tactics to slow visitors down, from the “please wait” button that turns to “download now”, to fake CAPTCHAs and other methods. The plugins are called Soralink (released in 2016), Yu Idea (2017), WPSafeLink (2020), and Droplink (2022).

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Choking the operation

After rendering the ad, visitors are again redirected and allowed to download the pirated content they were looking for.

By the time HUMAN discovered the operation, it counted 407 domains and 1.4 billion fraudulent ad requests - per day. It seems the strength is in numbers, since the fraudsters even made YouTube video tutorials, coaching other people on how to join:

"These extensions lower the barrier to entry for a would-be threat actor who wants to monetize content that wouldn't generally be monetizable with advertising; indeed, several threat actors have published videos to coach others on setting up their own schemes," HUMAN said.

The researchers moved in to report and block Scallywag traffic, and claim to have largely succeeded. The traffic allegedly shrunk by 95%, although the operation is not entirely dead since threat actors rotated domains and moved to other monetization models.

Via BleepingComputer

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The Gunners look to keep Liverpool's champagne on ice as they host the Eagles at the Emirates.

This last-four clash between the local rivals hangs in the balance after an absorbing first leg.

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

Andor season 2 has finally made its Disney+ debut – and, amid the numerous online discussions that its first three episodes have spawned, there's one above all others that's really got Star Wars fans talking.

Indeed, following the release of this season's first three episodes, it's all but confirmed that Andor's final installment will cover one of the most tragic moments in the near 50-year history of Lucasfilm's iconic sci-fi franchise.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Andor season 2 episodes 1 to 3. Turn back now if you haven't watched them all yet.

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

So, what emotionally devastating event is season 2 building towards? The Ghorman Massacre, which is not only a hugely pivotal moment for many characters involved in the Rebel Alliance, but one whose canonicity has sparked a fierce debate among Star Wars fans for many years.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. First, let's explore how the final season of one of the best Disney+ shows is laying the foundations to depict this grave moment in such soul-destroying fashion.

In season 2's opening episode, Ben Mendelsohn's Orson Krennic, aka the Galactic Empire commander who's overseeing the creation of the Death Star, invites a number of high-ranking Imperial officers to a secret meeting at The Maltheen Divide.

There, Krennic informs the assembled guests that nobody outside of this room – Emperor Palpatine and a couple of high-ranking officers notwithstanding – is to know about what's discussed at the gathering. Indeed, no notes are to be taken, officers' personal droids will have their hard-drives wiped once the meeting ends, said meeting shouldn't have been put in their calendars, etc.

With that housekeeping out of the way, Krennic plays an infomercial-style video to his fellow Galactic Empire employees about the planet Ghorman. This world is famous for the spiders that weave the best silk in the galaxy, which is used to make the finest twill for the priciest clothes, which are sold across the cosmos.

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

It's a strange mini-documentary to show to the assembled guests, including Imperial Security Bureau commander Major Lio Partagaz and Dedra Meero. But, hey, Krennic is nothing if not eccentric (he's also terrifying, but we knew that already).

Anyway, there's a reason why Krennic played this video, and it's got nothing to do with the spiders that inhabit Ghorman. The planet is also home to a particularly important material – Deep Substrate Foliated Kalkite (DSFK) – which is apparently important to the Emperor's Energy Initiative.

The public line is that DSFK will allow the Galactic Empire to create "stable, unlimited power" (Krennic's words, not mine) that can be used throughout the galaxy, but that's merely a front for the tyrannical regime's true intentions. Indeed, DFSK is actually going to be used to coat the Death Star's reactor lenses. This will allow the Death Star's crew to concentrate its planet-destroying beam to apply enough force to, well, destroy any planets and their inhabitants who oppose the Empire.

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

The Empire's problem is two-fold. For starters, excavating DSFK is an incredibly invasive procedure, so much so that it would destabilize the planet's core and effectively destroy it. If the Empire fails to find a suitable alternative to DSFK – it has three years to locate a substitute, according to Krennic – it'll have no choice but to begin "gouge mining" Ghorman for DSFK.

The other issue is the Empire has little to no presence on Ghorman, so its sudden appearance would raise eyebrows and potentially lead to a rebellion from its 800,000-plus inhabitants.

But the Empire has a plan. By building an armory in Palmo, Ghorman's capital, the autocratic regime plans to distract Ghorman's citizens by using it as a front to secretly ferry in the machines necessary to start digging for DSFK under their noses. With Dedra Meero also informing Krennic that he'll need an Empire-led insurgency on Ghorman to give the Imperials an excuse to start erecting said armory, too, the Empire's scheme will be fully operational soon.

Alright, so what does this have to do with The Ghorman Massacre? Without spoiling too much, Ghorman's populace isn't naïve enough to simply take the Empire's 'we're building an armory, honest!' line at face value. With rebellions springing up across the galaxy as the embryonic Rebel Alliance starts to fight back against the dictatorial Empire, it's only a matter of time before Ghorman's own underground resistance is established.

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

What'll be most interesting to Star Wars fans is which version of events, neither of which has been covered in a big- or small-screen Star Wars project before, is depicted in season 2.

That's because there are two incidents that bear 'The Ghorman Massacre' name in Star Wars literature. The most well-known one takes place two years before the Battle of Yavin (2 BBY), aka the battle depicted in Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. The other, outlined in the now non-canonical Star Wars: Legends timeline, occurs in 18 BBY, i.e. well before the events of Andor.

For those unfamiliar with The Ghorman Massacre, I won't spoil what happens during either event. But, with season 2 episodes 7 to 9 in 2 BBY, fans won't have long to wait to find out which version not only serves as inspiration for the Ghorman Massacre in one of 2025's new Star Wars TV shows, but clears up confusion about which event is actually canon.

For more coverage of Andor's return on one of the world's best streaming services, read my spoiler-free review of Andor season 2. Alternatively, read articles from my exclusive chats with the Andor season 2 cast in the section below.

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Ever since I first saw Back to the Future as a kid, I've wanted to go back in time. Whether that was to relive the 90s as an adult instead of a child, or get a glimpse into the roaring 20s, I've always been fascinated with the past.

As a huge movie lover, up until now, I would relive previous decades through the eyes of some of the world's best directors. Whether it's heading back to the summer of 1922 with The Great Gatsby or reliving 1980's Manhattan with When Harry Met Sally, there's a movie for almost any time in history.

Now, thanks to ChatGPT and AI image generation, there's another way to get a snapshot of the past, and while it's very superficial, the trend is picking up steam on social media.

I decided to give the AI time machine a go and head back to 1955, just like my good pal Marty McFly. Here's what I learned.

The Booming 50s

To get ChatGPT to generate old imagery, you'll need to pick a decade or year and ask, "Can you show me an image of what it was like to live in X?" For this example, I chose 1955, just like the first Back to the Future movie.

Initially, ChatGPT generated an image of a stereotypical white family with two children, one girl and one boy. There was a black and white TV in the background, which is historically accurate, but it's hardly an intriguing image.

The best way to get the most out of ChatGPT's time machine is to start a conversation, opting for an initial period in history and then asking follow-up prompts.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

I followed up my initial prompt with "I love going to the cinema, what would that experience have looked like?" ChatGPT knew I was still talking about 1955 and offered me an image of the outside of a cinema showing The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

I was unfamiliar with The Quiet Man, so I did a quick search to learn that the film had its first screening in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1955. Spot on, ChatGPT.

I continued my conversation, wanting to know what fast food in the 50s looked like. I knew McDonald's was invented prior to 1950, but I had no idea what its restaurants looked like.

"What did a fast food burger restaurant look like?" I asked, to which ChatGPT gave me a shockingly accurate image of a 1950s McDonald's, including the half golden arch that was used back then.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

Impressed by the accuracy, I followed up with, "What about a shopping mall?", ChatGPT imagined an indoor shopping area with a store called Penneys.

I had never heard of Penneys, but again, after some quick research, it turns out it's an Irish store in Dublin that is called Primark in the UK, and JCPenney in the United States.

Thinking back to the cinema, I realized, for whatever reason, ChatGPT was pulling information from Ireland and Northern Ireland. I decided to call it out.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

"Why do you keep imagining life in Ireland?" I asked, to which AI replied, "Great catch — it does seem like some of those imagined details (like 'Penneys' instead of 'JCPenney') lean more Irish than American, which is a fun little mix-up on my part."

I decided my prompts were too vague, and I should give ChatGPT a little more help when it comes to imagining the 1955 I was dreaming about.

New York, New York

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

I love New York City, specifically any kind of movie set in the Big Apple. I decided to tell ChatGPT that I wanted to see "what it was like to live in 1955 in New York City." AI obliged.

The bustling New York streets looked pretty retro, although I'm not quite sure how I feel about the eerie faces on the New Yorkers caught in frame.

I followed up by asking for a glimpse at Katz's Diner, the iconic NYC diner famous for its incredible pastrami sandwiches and that famous scene where Meg Ryan, you know... Makes a lot of noise.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: ChatGPT)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

I had been to Katz's last year, and the image ChatGPT generated was pretty much how I expected it would've looked in the 50s. Funnily enough, even today it feels like you're stepping a foot into the past, so I wouldn't call AI's ability to recreate the decor impressive.

After my pastrami, I walked up Fifth Avenue, past the Plaza Hotel, and finished my 1950s trip to New York City in Central Park. All of the images generated by ChatGPT, while clearly produced by AI, were realistic enough to fulfill the purpose of giving me a snapshot into 1950s American life.

This AI trend is one that I definitely see the appeal of, although I think I prefer to relive the past through cinema, instead of static, procedurally generated imagery.

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

A JavaScript library recommended by a major cryptocurrency company has been hijacked, with users now being at risk of losing access to their crypto wallets, as well as the funds stored inside.

Researchers warned omeone managed to break into a NPM account belonging to a developer associated with Ripple.

After breaking into the account, the threat actor modified the NPM JavaScript library named ‘xrpl.js”. Versions 2.14.2, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, and 4.2.4 of the xrpl NPM package were modified and then published to NPM. The xrpl.js library is used to interact with the XRP Ledger (XRPL) from JavaScript applications, enabling developers to send transactions, check balances, and manage accounts on the network. It is maintained by the XRP Ledger Foundation and is Ripple’s recommended library for interacting with the XPR blockchain via JavaScript.

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GitHub not affected

Ripple is a cryptocurrency company that built XRP, currently the fourth biggest cryptocurrency. It is designed for cross-border payments and currency transfers, primarily for financial institutions. At press time, XRP has a market capitalization of $132.34 billion, and a daily transaction volume of $5 billion.

Before being pulled down, the malicious updates amassed 452 downloads. The latest version showing now is 4.2.5 and this one is clean. Users are advised to upgrade immediately. Usually, the library has more than 100,000 downloads a week.

The malicious commits are not found in the GitHub repository, which should mean the attack occurred during the NPM publishing process.

In the meantime, the XRP Ledger Foundation took to X to clarify that the XRP Ledger codebase and GitHub repository were not affected:

“To clarify: This vulnerability is in xrpl.js, a JavaScript library for interacting with the XRP Ledger. It does NOT affect the XRP Ledger codebase or Github repository itself. Projects using xrpl.js should upgrade to v4.2.5 immediately,” it said.

Xaman Wallet, XRPScan, First Ledger, and Gen3 Games projects were not affected.

Via BleepingComputer

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Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S: two-minute review

The Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S hit the market in April 2025, offering customers a wide selection of features for a relatively affordable price.

The tower fan is tall at 42 inches and has 210 blades pushing out air at nine different fan speeds. On the highest speed, I could feel cool air about 30 feet away, and airflow from the lowest fan speed about 20 feet away, meaning it was plenty powerful enough to cool a couple of connected rooms in one go.

There are also four speciality modes to choose from: Sleep, Natural breeze, Normal and Auto mode. It's the last of those that really stood out during my review period. It adjusts the fan speeds automatically to keep the room at an ambient temperature of your choosing.

You can control the tower fan in three ways: with the display buttons, a remote, and my favorite method – in the Dreo app. Not only does the app mean you can switch the fan of remotely, while you're out of the house, but it also unlocks options for scheduling, for ultimate convenience.

Coming in slightly over $100 / £100, it's not a budget fan but it's far from the priciest option on the market. I think it delivers excellent value for that price, given the strong performance and long feature-list. If you're looking for something powerful and ultra-convenient, this could well be the best fan for you. Keep reading for my full Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S review.

Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S review: price & availability

• List price: $119.99 / £109.99
• Launch date: April 2025
• Availability: US / UK

Dreo launched a number of cooling products in April 2025, including the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S. It's available to buy via Amazon and costs $119.99 in the US and £109.99 in the UK. Considering the height of the fan, its app connectivity, and cooling capabilities, the price seems more than fair.

There are a number of very similar looking Dreo tower fans, with similar but slightly different features, so it's worth taking a minute to make sure you're buying the right one for your needs. For example, you can get this same model without Wi-Fi, for a slightly cheaper price.

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S specs Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S review: design

• 42-inch tower fan that can oscillate 90 degrees
• Smart and remote control capabilities
• 9 fan speeds and 4 speciality modes

The Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S is a slim black plastic tower fan that's 42 inches tall with a round base. Assembly only took about five minutes, and did not require any tools. I was slightly confused when putting together the circular base, but the instructions were clear, and I had the tower fan plugged into the wall in no time.

There are 210 airfoil-shaped blades, which move cool air around the room whether it's sitting in place or oscillating 90 degrees. It's outfitted with nine different fan levels and four specialty modes – Sleep, Auto, Natural, and Normal.

(Image credit: Future)

At the top of the tower fan, there is a circular display with a power button and buttons that let you choose from the nine different fan speeds and four different modes. Here you can also set a timer for up to 12 hours and set it to oscillate. A digital display screen illuminates the different settings in use, and the fan speed.

A remote control is provided, with the same buttons that are found on the circular display. When not in use, the remote control can be stored at the top and along the back of the tower fan where there is a cut out in the design.

(Image credit: Future)

The Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S has Wi-Fi capabilities and connects to the Dreo app. Within the app, I can turn the fan on and off and adjust the settings in the same way I can with the remote or on the fan's display screen. There are a few additional settings in the app. For instance, I can turn on and off the panel sound, as well as the display auto, which basically turns off the display on the tower after 1 minute of inactivity.

The most interesting feature in the app is the temperature. This tower fan can read the temperature in the room and notates it in the app. This capability exists for the Auto mode, which senses heat and adjusts fan speeds automatically to cool a room. Even if I don't have Auto mode on, I can use the temperature reading to adjust the fan speed manually.

(Image credit: Future)

As for noise, Dreo claims that the fan has a dB rating of 25. However, when I measured the sound rating, I found that the tower fan had a 44dB rating on the lowest fan speed of 1 and a 52 dB rating when the fan speed was set 6. This is not particularly loud, and if I was sleeping or sitting 10 feet away from the fan, the noise would not be bothersome. For reference, I tested the noise rating by placing my phone, with the sound rating app, right next to the fan.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S review: performance

• Powerful airflow – max modes can be felt ~30 feet away
• Auto mode is very effective, but oscillation range could be wider
• Remote control effective and convenient, and the app even more so

The Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S is the first tower fan I've tested, and I can say without a doubt that if you're going to invest in a tower fan, this is the one to buy.

The buttons on the display worked just as well as the remote, though I usually opted for using the remote, because I didn't have to get up and go to the fan to adjust the settings. I was able to use the remote 33 feet away, as long as the remote and the tower fan were in a direct line of sight. Perhaps I'd be able to use the remote further away, but I was not able to move further back because of the design of my house.

Though the remote was convenient, the app was even better to use since I could use it in any area of the house without having to be in direct sight of the tower fan. The app is easy to use, since it has the same buttons as the remote and the tower fan display.

There are 9 different fan speeds. Most of the time, I didn't need to go beyond 6, but some days my house grew particularly warm, and I appreciated the higher speed levels. When placed on the first speed level, I could feel the air blowing on my skin about 19.5 feet away. On the highest speed level, I could feel cool air at 29 feet away. With this in mind, you don't have to be in the same room as the fan to enjoy cool air from it.

(Image credit: Future)

When I had company over, I usually set the tower fan on oscillating, which allowed cool air to blow on multiple people at a time. Though I appreciated that the fan could oscillate at 90 degrees, I was surprised that it did not have the capability to oscillate at a higher angle like 180 degrees. It would have also been nice if I could adjust the oscillation degree within the app (say to 45 degrees if I wanted), but alas, this was not an option.

The Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S has four different modes – Normal, Natural, Sleep, and Auto. Most of the time, I used the Normal mode. When set on this mode, I adjusted the speed manually and it remained that same speed until I changed it again.

I also really liked the Natural mode, because it simulated a natural wind breeze by switching between different fan speeds. This mode is great if the temperature inside your house is fairly comfortable, and you just want some air circulation that isn't harsh against your skin.

(Image credit: Future)

The Sleep mode on the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S is a bit different than others. When in this mode, the tower fan is muted, and the fan speed decreases every 30 minutes until it's two levels below your original setting. For instance, if the tower speed is set at a level 9, after 30 minutes it'll go down to 8, and then another 30 minutes later it'll decrease to a speed of 7, where it will remain the rest of the night. (If you set the fan at level 2, it'll stick at 1 rather than turning off completely.)

Most sleep modes on fans are designed so that the fan is quieter, and thus doesn't bother the person trying to fall asleep. Unfortunately, a quieter mode also means a fan speed that might not be as high, or effective in cooling to help you fall asleep. With the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S, I think the idea is to allow users to fall asleep with a higher and more effectively cooling fan speed. As it reduces in speed over the course of an hour, the sound will lessen which should help you fall or stay asleep.

(Image credit: Future)

Auto mode is perhaps the most unique mode I've seen on a fan. In Auto mode, the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S adapts to the ambient temperature. So if you have the ambient temperature set at 75 degrees, the tower fan will automatically adjust the speed of the fan to maintain that temperature. Usually, the tower fan reduces the temperature by at least one degree less than the ambient temperature. I like that it monitors the temperature and maintains it to something that feels comfortable to you.

Overall, I enjoyed the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S. I loved the smart features and the app connectivity and how well the fan kept me cool no matter the mode I used.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S? Buy it if...

You want a powerful fan

During testing, I was able to feel the highest speed level up to 29 feet away and the lowest speed level nearly 20 feet away. With this fan, you can effectively cool two connected rooms at a time.

You want remote control options

You can change the fan settings with a remote, by pushing buttons on the display, or adjusting the settings in an app. With the app, you could even start the fan before you get home, ensuring your space is cool upon entering.

You want a fan with smart features

When on Auto mode, the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 529S automatically adjusts the fan speed based on the temperature of the room. So, if it senses the room is hot, the fan will increase the speed and cool it down for you.

Don't buy it if...

You're looking for a fan with 180-degree oscillation

This Dreo fan has a 90-degree oscillation capability. While any oscillation is appreciated, some users may prefer a fan that can oscillate up to 180 degrees for better room coverage.

You want to control the degree of oscillation

With some Dreo fans, you can adjust the oscillation degree within the app. That's not the case with the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S. For instance, you can't adjust it to 45 degrees. It's either 90 degrees or nothing at all.

How I tested the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S

I tested the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S in my 105-year-old house in Dallas, Texas, in April. Temperatures ranged day by day from quite warm to a bit chilly. I tested all four modes and the fan speeds in my bedroom, living room, and kitchen, so I could get a sense of how well the fan cooled the room or circulated air. During this time, I did not use my air-conditioning or heater and found that the Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S was powerful enough to keep me cool no matter the temperature.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed April 2025

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