Feed aggregator

You deserve a bank that treats you right.

• Not for taking photos or video: it's an extra input for AI
• Meta is reportedly unhappy with progress so far
• Samsung's plans are still largely secret

Apple isn't the only firm considering sticking cameras into your earbuds, although it's probably closer than most: as we reported last year, Apple has been experimenting with IR cameras in AirPods, and is apparently planning to use them to help inform AI and deliver the audio equivalent of smart glasses.

A new report says that Apple isn't the only firm wanting to be an eye-in-ear pioneer. Meta and Samsung are apparently looking into people's ears too, but the path to in-ear cameras has proved to be a little tricky.

Ear we go, ear we go, ear we go

The report, by Bloomberg, details the efforts of Apple's earbud rivals. Meta's system appears to have the same goal as Apple's one – not to take photos or record video, but to analyze the world around you and provide input to AI assistants – and "would let users look at an object and ask the earbuds to analyze the item", much like Meta's Ray-Ban glasses do. However, such devices are at least a few years away.

Meta has encountered several issues, which presumably Apple has encountered too. The report says that there have been issues with people who have long hair, and Meta is apparently unsatisfied with the camera angles of the devices currently named "Camera Buds".

As for Samsung, those legendary leakers "people with knowledge of the matter" say that the firm is also considering a version of earbuds with cameras inside. However as yet there's no detail of how advanced that project is, or if it's even begun.

Cameras on earbuds make a lot of sense as an alternative to the idea of smart AR glasses, because there will be a big hurdle to get people who don't wear glasses normally to put them on. But so many of us wear a pair of the best earbuds when out and about that they might be a better solution to the question of what kind of camera people would really wear. But as mentioned above, they bring their own troubles, ranging from hair to hats.

Is there an option to simply not have cameras feeding information to your phone's AI? That seems to be Plan Z…

You might also like

• Can Apple beat Meta's smart glasses with AI AirPods Pro?
• Meta's AI additions to its Ray-Ban smart glasses
• Cheaper smart glasses could be coming soon

captive chimpanzees, peeing is contagious'/>

A new study finds that captive chimpanzees may sometimes catch the urge to pee from other chimps.

(Image credit: Outback to Coast/Getty Images)

• President Donald Trump has signed a “full and unconditional” pardon for Ross Ulbricht
• The Silk Road operator had received two life sentences and a further 40 years
• Trump said the same “lunatics” were behind the fight against him

President Trump has signed a “full and unconditional” pardon for Silk Road foudner and operator Ross Ulbricht.

Silk Road was a notorious dark web marketplace selling illegal drugs, hacking tools and stolen passports during its operation between 2011 and 2013.

Ulbricht, who has been in prison since 2015, was arrested in 2013 and later convicted in 2015 on charges of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, money laundering and computer hacking. The result was two life sentences and a further 40 years without parole.

Trump pardons Silk Road operator

The President informed Ulbricht’s mother about the pardon via a phone call, he stated on TRUTH Social.

“I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbricht to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross," the post read.

Trump described the sentencing as “ridiculous,” adding the same “lunatics” who convicted Ulbricht were also involved in the “modern day weaponization of government against [himself].”

Silk Road was a dark web site accessible via the open source, decentralized Tor browser. It supported anonymized transactions via Bitcoin – something that he declared during his sentencing was important to his desire to “empower people to make choices in their lives and have privacy and anonymity.”

It’s believed that the site generated more than $200 million in drug sales during its short two-year lifespan, but Ulbricht acknowledged the site’s unintended consequences. Court documents also indicated the site had close to a million registered users.

“I was trying to help us move toward a freer and more equitable world,” he said in 2021 (via SiliconANGLE).

Ulbricht, who went by the pseudonym ‘Dread Pirate Roberts,’ was also accused of soliciting six murders-for-hire, however no evidence was found.

The now-president had previously pledged to commute Ulbricht’s sentence immediately if he was reelected, which Ulbright shared to X on May 26, 2024.

No further comments from Trump or Ulbricht have been shared at this time.

You might also like

• Trump issues executive order to make DOGE official, targets "software modernization"
• Stay safe online with the best privacy tools and anonymous browsers
• Protect your digital footprint by installing the best VPN

Trump's administration has cleared the way for arrests in schools of people suspected of being without legal status. And, Pete Hegseth battles new allegations before receiving Senate confirmation.

(Image credit: Anna Moneymaker)

It's Brendon McCullum's first white-ball series as England coach.

Astound delivers solid perks and competitive rates, but beware of the steep price hike after the first year. Here’s what you need to know.

Need to send some money without getting scammed or robbed? Follow this advice.

Cox might be the popular choice for internet in Glendale, but there are many other service providers available. Here are the best internet plans in Glendale according to CNET.

You’d imagine that meeting your favorite music artists would feel like the most spellbound and full-circle moment of your life, but when it comes to A24’s first trailer for upcoming music thriller Opus, this is far from the case. Yesterday (January 21) A24, which has made some of the best Max movies, dropped the first-look trailer (see below) for Opus starring John Malkovich and Ayo Edebiri, star of one of the best Hulu shows, The Bear. With its March 14 release date now in the calendar, I’m already buckled in for what will undoubtedly become one of my favorite new movies this year.

From filmmaker Mark Anthony Green in his feature directorial debut Opus is a music horror-thriller focussing on Ariel Ecton (Edebiri), a magazine writer determined to get her hands on a career-altering story when missing pop star of 30 years, Alfred Moretti (Malkovich), surfaces from a compound to unveil new music to a private select group of celebrities. When Ariel accepts a personal invitation to spend the weekend at his compound, she sees it as a bold career opportunity but finds herself amidst a cult run by Moretti himself, whose plans to release new music are much more unsettling than anticipated. Think Mark Mylod’s The Menu (2022), but with a pop cult fandom edge.

Though the movie’s theatrical release isn’t until spring, Opus is set to premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival on January 27. In addition to its two leading stars, Green’s feature packs a solid supporting cast including Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder, Stephanie Suganami, Young Mazino, and Tatanka Means.

Macro Film Studios, creators of Sorry to Bother You (2018) and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), has taken the reins on production, enlisting Joshua Bachove, Collin Creighton, Poppy Hanks, Jelani Johnson and Brad Weston as producers.

Pop music meets Ayo Edebiri - is this movie made for me personally?

You can bet your bottom dollar that when the trailer for Opus dropped, I paused everything in the moment to fully immerse myself in yet another Ayo Edebiri-centric piece of media. Since watching her in FX’s The Bear, Inside Out 2 (2024), and of course Emma Seligman’s black comedy high school satire Bottoms (2023), I’ve become the self-styled president of the Ayo Edebiri fan club.

But as an admirer of movies like The Menu (2022) and someone who actively participates in fan culture, I’ve been patiently waiting for a movie like Opus to examine and exaggerate fan behavior through the lens of a cult. And since platforms like TikTok have enhanced the ferocity and defensive nature of music fandoms, there has never been a more appropriate time for a movie like this to come along - hence why it has shot right to the top of my must-watch list for 2025.

All things aside, the trailer reinforces a fun conspiracy about artists taking long absences that I can’t help but hyperfixate on. Who knows, maybe Rihanna’s decade-long break from music is much more than a simple retirement period…?

You might also like

• 5 of the best Severance season 2 goat theories I've seen, from the bizarre to the quite plausible
• Hulu drops full trailer for A Thousand Blows and Stephen Graham's performance already has me hooked
• Hear that? It's the sound of Marvel's Daredevil: Born Again trailer being released – and I'm delighted that it's as gritty and brutal as its Netflix predecessor

CNET evaluated Hayward’s internet providers to bring you the top picks for your needs.

Looking to improve your kidney health? Add these foods to your diet.

• Warhorse Studios has released a new Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 post-launch roadmap
• It details the free updates coming to the game
• It also provides further information about the three upcoming DLC expansions

Developer Warhorse Studios has outlined some of the post-launch content for upcoming open-world role-playing game (RPG) Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 in a newly revealed roadmap.

Four updates will be delivered throughout the year, with the first arriving in spring and containing a number of free features. This includes a new Hardcore Mode for those seeking the most rigorous challenge, the ability to participate in horse races to improve your riding skills, and the option to visit barbers in order to give Henry a haircut and further customize your look.

The other three updates then contain content from the paid expansion pass, which is available as part of the game's Gold Edition. In summer, the new Brushes with Death quest will be added, challenging you to uncover the secrets of a mysterious artists.

Legacy of the Forge arrives in autumn, focusing more closely on Henry's history and his beginnings as a blacksmith's assistant.

This will then be followed by Mysteria Ecclesia in winter, where you will be able to explore the large Sedlec Monastery in a covert mission. These will be accompanied by free quality of life updates, to "further enhance the game experience".

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is set to launch for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S on February 4. Pre-orders are open now, with those who opt to pick up the game early receiving the Lion’s Crest bonus items.

You might also like...

• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 preview: shaping up to be an even more authentic and ambitious open-world adventure
• Potential US tariffs could hike game prices and hurt physical releases
• Ayaneo Pocket Micro review: a tiny Android tablet ideal for emulation

• Security researchers observe new botnet-building campaign called Murdoc
• Its attacks are targeting IP cameras and routers
• More than 1,000 devices have been identified as compromised

Cybersecurity researchers from the Qualys Threat Research Unit have observed a new large-scale operation exploiting vulnerabilities in IP cameras and routers to build out a botnet.

In a technical analysis, Qualys said the attackers were mostly exploiting CVE-2017-17215 and CVE-2024-7029, seeking to compromise AVTECH IP cameras, and Huawei HG532 routers. The botnet is essentially Mirai, although in this case it was dubbed Murdoc.

Qualys said Murdoc demonstrated “enhanced capabilities, exploiting vulnerabilities to compromise devices and establish expansive botnet networks.”

The persevering Mirai

The campaign most likely started in July 2024, and has so far managed to compromise 1,370 systems. Most of the victims are located in Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

With a network of internet-connected devices (bots) under their control, malicious actors can mount Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, bringing websites and services down, disrupting operations and causing financial and reputational harm.

Mirai is a highly popular botnet malware. Created by three college students in the US: Paras Jha, Josiah White, and Dalton Norman, Mirai became infamous in 2016 after orchestrating a large-scale DDoS attack on Dyn, that temporarily disrupted major websites, including Netflix, and Twitter.

The creators released the source code online, right before their arrest in 2017. They pled guilty to using the botnet for DDoS attacks and other schemes.

While law enforcement continues to target and disrupt the botnet, it has shown great resilience and continues to be active to this day.

Less than two weeks ago, a Mirai variant named ‘gayfemboy’ was found exploiting a bug in Four-Faith industrial routers. Although clearly spawned from Mirai, this new version differs greatly, abusing more than 20 vulnerabilities and targeting weak Telnet passwords. Some of the vulnerabilities have never been seen before, and don’t have CVEs assigned just yet. Among them are bugs in Neterbit routers, and Vimar smart home devices.

You might also like

• Industrial routers are being hit by zero-days from new Mirai botnets
• Here's a list of the best antivirus tools on offer
• These are the best endpoint protection tools right now

When it comes to runtime, Snapdragon X laptops and the MacBook Air run laps around it.

A few cats have died from bird flu after eating raw food. And some raw pet food products have been recalled. Here's what to know about the risks to your fur babies, and how to keep them safe.

(Image credit: eclipse_images/iStockphoto)

Get rid of those monthly subscription fees on your home security system. These are the best security cameras without that dependency.

This review first appeared in issue 357 of PC Pro.

This year’s update to Asus’ Vivobook Pro 15 makes one thing obvious: the days when you had to pay over £2,000 for a powerful mobile workstation are gone. Packed inside this 1.8kg monster you’ll find Intel’s top-end Core Ultra 9 185H processor and GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, and with Nvidia’s Studio software it’s ready to go with a bunch of professional apps.

Asus certainly has its eye on designers here, even building a dial into the top left of the touchpad. If you’re dexterous enough to keep within its 3cm diameter then you can use it to whizz through timelines in Premiere Pro, adjust brush sizes in Photoshop and switch font sizes in PowerPoint. It’s no replacement for a hardware dial, but could be a time-saver on the move.

The huge touchpad includes a dial for use in apps such as Photoshop (Image credit: Future)

The Pantone-validated OLED display is another plus point. Not merely because it’s incredibly sharp, thanks to 2,880 x 1,620 pixels across a 15.6in diagonal, but also because it ships with presets for sRGB, DCI-P3 and Display P3. Or you can stick with its native color gamut, which covers 99% of the DCI-P3 space (with a 115% volume) and reproduces colors with near-perfect accuracy. It hit a respectable 387cd/m2 in SDR mode, and with VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification it should be no surprise that films look incredible.

There’s a fine pair of speakers here, too, with vocals coming through with particular clarity. That quality extends to the 1440p webcam. If you find, as I did, that the captured audio isn’t as clear as you hoped, head into the settings within the MyAsus app and switch off all the AI enhancements.

At 1.8kg this is no lightweight, but in return you get pro levels of power (Image credit: Future)

This app is also where you’ll find the color gamut options and control over the fan settings. I don’t see the point of buying a laptop as powerful as this and not putting those fans into Performance mode; they’re noisier, but you’re rewarded with significantly faster frame rates in games: Metro Exodus Enhanced’s averages went up by over 10%, for instance, moving from 61fps at 1080p High settings to 68fps. And 3DMark Time Spy jumped from 7,969 to 8,605.

If you buy this laptop then you’ll get faster results still, as the system Asus sent me had RTX 4050 graphics rather than RTX 4060. As mentioned in the HP Omen Transcend review, you’ll struggle to get above 120fps to take advantage of the screen’s 120Hz refresh rate in most games – I only breached 100fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p medium and Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p High – but all current AAA games will play fluidly at reduced settings.

(Image credit: Future)

Our test machine came with a Core 7 Ultra, but shipping units include the Core Ultra 9 185H. With Asus providing combined CPU and GPU power of 125W it will never feel sluggish. The thick – by modern standards – chassis also has plenty of room for a chunky heatsink and fans, but the drawback is battery life. It lasted for 8hrs 19mins in PCMark’s video-rundown test, but switching to Modern Office dropped that to 5hrs 59mins. You’ll need to take the meaty 200W power supply with you.

This has its own power socket, which sits on the right-hand side of the chassis along with Thunderbolt 4, USB-C and USB-A ports. And a gigabit Ethernet connector, 3.5mm jack and HDMI 2.1 output. Safe to say it’s crowded. A single USB-A port and SD card reader sit on the left, along with the heat exhaust vents.

Asus includes every port you’ll need on the right-hand side of the chassis (Image credit: Future)

With a crisp keyboard, complete with number pad, this is a laptop computer that has appeal across the spectrum. I can see reasons for writers, gamers, designers and video editors to reach for their wallets.

You’ll notice its bulk and weight when travelling, but sometimes only a powerhouse will do. And that’s exactly what the Asus Vivobook Pro 15 OLED is.

We also ranked the best laptops for animation.

US age verification laws threaten people's data privacy and security – and not even the most secure VPN services are a solution.

This is the warning coming from experts at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), pointing out the risks of collecting more users' data to fulfill mandatory online age checks.

Florida citizens have been the last to turn en masse to the best VPN services to bypass new legislation requiring age verification to access adult content sites. Despite their privacy-enhancing technology, these tools "are not foolproof," the EFF explains, "nor should they be necessary to access legally protected speech."

More data, more dangers

In January 2025, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee joined 15 US States already enforcing age verification laws. Louisiana was the first to do so in 2023, alongside Utha, Texas, and Montana, among others. Seven States, including Kansas, Alabama, and Oklahoma, also joined this list in 2024. Georgia is also expected to enforce a similar law in July this year.

These laws come as an effort to regulate online content to protect children online. Florida's HB 3 rules, for example, include mandatory age checks to access adults and a ban on those under 14 from having a social media account.

To do so, these laws require online service providers to collect vast amounts of personal identifier data, such as government-issued identification. Companies could face penalties for failing to comply.

Privacy experts have long warned against the risks of getting rid of online anonymity. According to the EFF, these laws introduce "surveillance systems that threaten everyone’s rights to speech and privacy, and introduce more harm than they seek to combat."

While VPNs may be able to disguise the source of your internet activity, they are not foolproof—nor should they be necessary to access legally protected speech. https://t.co/rmZHsmDzZkJanuary 19, 2025

The more data collected, the higher the dangers of compromise. This is a risk that the popular adult site, PornHub, understood, deciding to block access to users based in the regions where intrusive age verification checks are in place.

"Any regulations that require hundreds of thousands of adult sites to collect significant amounts of highly sensitive personal information is putting user safety in jeopardy," said Aylo, Pornhub’s parent company, in a statement to local news, pointing out how easy it is for users to find ways of evading these laws.

On these premises, VPN usage spikes in Florida – reaching a peak of 1150% only four hours after the HB3 law came into effect, according to some statistics – aren't so surprising.

Did you know?

(Image credit: Photo by Jaque Silva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

VPN usage also soared in the US on Sunday, January 19, 2025, reaching spikes of up to 1566% within minutes of the block against TikTok coming into force. While TikTok has now been restored in the country, VPNs weren't a one-click solution to bypass the blockage.

A virtual private network (VPN) not only encrypts your internet connection to prevent third-party access but also masks your real IP address location to make you appear like you're browsing from somewhere else entirely.

This is why streaming VPNs can help you access content unavailable in your region. However, Not even the most reputable VPNs come without limitations.

As the EFF experts explain, your IP address isn't the only method online services use to track down your location. They may also use GPS tracking, web cookies, mobile ad IDs, tracking pixels, or device fingerprinting.

Not only that, as age verification laws spread, experts predict that VPN apps will become less effective in circumventing these requirements as enforcement methods may improve.

All in all, the EFF said: "The ever-growing conglomeration of age verification laws poses significant challenges for users trying to maintain anonymity online, and have the potential to harm us all – including the young people they are designed to protect."

• Sega has launched a new Sega Account service
• It's free to sign up and offers exclusive in-game rewards
• This includes a bonus outfit for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Sega has just launched a brand new online account system, simply called 'Sega Account'.

The official Sega Account website reveals that its "lets you maximize Sega's online services" and that it "offers a ton of benefits." Much like Sega's email newsletter system, Sega Account is free to sign up for and seems like it'll offer exclusive in-game rewards for those who do.

Right now, users who sign up will receive an exclusive outfit for Majima in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. The Kazuma Kiryu Special Outfit dresses Majima in the garb of his best frenemy, which is sure to feel out of place in the best possible way when that game launches on February 21, 2025.

It also appears that Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis players will receive free in-game currency via Sega Account. This is a bit more convoluted, as the Sega Account link takes you to the Japanese Phantasy Star Online 2 website. However, a quick machine translation shows that players can link their PSO 2 account to their Sega account to receive the in-game benefits there.

Sega promises more features will be coming to Sega Account soon, including the ability to look at records for applicable Sega and Atlus games that you own. There's no date on this feature as of yet, but we imagine it'll be happening in the near future.

You might also like...

• Potential US tariffs could hike game prices and hurt physical releases
• Microsoft officially reveals the Pulse Cipher Xbox Wireless Controller and yes, you can pre-order one now
• A Diablo 4 port is reportedly in development for Nintendo Switch 2