Technology

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• Experts warned to maybe not list all of their experience online
• Doing so could open them up to attacks and scams
• LinkedIn might be a good place to advertise yourself - but have some limits

A top security experts has warned defence employees that listing their work on employment sites such as LinkedIn has created a ‘cumulative and comprehensive set of information, people and opportunities for foreign powers to target and exploit.’

Mike Burgees, the Director-General of Security of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), said it has seen nation states use, ‘even more sophisticated and difficult to detect methods’ in their attempts to unlawfully obtain sensitive information.

Whilst this may seem like common sense, ASIO has identified over 100 individuals using job sites such as LinkedIn to talk about projects they worked on, and some posting specifications and functionality on ‘open discussion forums’.

The true cost

This has direct consequences for national security, and the mistakes add up. A report quoted by Burgees identifies an overall cost of over AU$12 billion dollars in just one year lost to espionage - highlighting its impact.

These are conservative estimates too, Burgees points out, and the, ‘most serious, significant and cascading costs of espionage are not included in the 12.5 billion dollar figure’.

That means that anything without a direct calculable financial impact, like potential loss of ‘ strategic advantage, sovereign decision-making and warfighting capacity’, all of which hold ‘immense value’ are not included in the calculation.

Of course, foreign adversaries have always targeted anyone who holds valuable information of almost all kinds, and have used much more unconventional methods in the past.

That being said, social media sites in which colleagues follow and interact with each other whilst openly talking about their current professional projects does provide spooks with a cheat-sheet of target information.

These can have serious consequences for governments and companies, Burgees warned, noted how, "ust last year, an Australian tech company went into voluntary administration after one of its investors made a series of decisions that made no commercial sense. These included selling the company’s intellectual property – which had commercial and military applications – to a foreign corporation, on terms highly unfavourable to the Australian company."

"ASIO is yet to confirm if a nation state or foreign intelligence service directed this activity, but we are aware of similar cases where sensitive information about a company’s vulnerabilities – such as its cyber security settings – were passed to hostile intelligence services by an insider."

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• Tim Cook has been speaking at an all-hands meeting
• Cook promised Apple has a bright AI future
• There are some "amazing" products in the pipeline

The delays and issues around Apple Intelligence have been well documented, but Apple CEO Tim Cook says his company isn't giving up an AI – and in fact has said the AI market is "ours to grab" in a recent all-hands meeting.

As per the usually reliable Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the hour-long meeting was held right after Apple's most recent earnings call, and both Tim Cook and senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi were apparently upbeat about Apple's AI future.

"Apple must do this," Cook apparently said on AI. "Apple will do this. This is sort of ours to grab." The CEO reportedly went on to say that while Apple hasn't always been first in product categories, it's usually able to catch up and surpass its rivals.

According to Gurman, Cook also encouraged Apple employees to use more AI in their day-to-day work, to avoid being "left behind" in the field. The CEO is predicting AI will be bigger than smartphones, apps, and the internet.

'A much bigger upgrade'

Apple Intelligence has had its issues (Image credit: Apple)

As for Federighi, he reportedly told staff that Apple was overcoming the initial challenges it had faced with adding Apple Intelligence on top of Siri. Rather than merging two systems, engineers are now working on building an entirely new architecture.

"The work we've done on this end-to-end revamp of Siri has given us the results we needed," said the exec. "This has put us in a position to not just deliver what we announced, but to deliver a much bigger upgrade than we envisioned."

Apple has clearly rushed its AI efforts in an attempt to catch up to the likes of OpenAI and Google – having to pull adverts promising features that have yet to materialize – but it would appear that Apple remains fully committed to the technology.

The all-hands meeting is said to have covered other topics including Apple TV+, AirPods, and the impact of regulations. Cook also mentioned that there's an "amazing" series of Apple products in the pipeline – which may include a folding iPhone.

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Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler Yellowstone spin-off: key information

- The Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler spin-off was first announced in December 2024

- It was rumored to be called Dutton Ranch, but Rip Wheeler actor Cole Hauser confirmed that wouldn’t be the title

- It will be set in the present day, and will explore the Dutton’s lives after the events in season 5

- Other actors from Yellowstone are likely to appear in it, including Finn Little, who plays Carter

- It will share “the most DNA with Yellowstone” than any of the (many!) other planned spin-offs

- The release date has been suggested for late 2025, but Paramount+ have yet to confirm this

The Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler spin-off series from the Yellowstone universe is officially underway and while it's still very early days, we do know some crucial details about what the new Paramount+ series might look like.

You should never underestimate the pull of a good Western: and the TV series Yellowstone has totally proved this. Launching without much fanfare on the Paramount Network back in June 2018 (HBO turned it down initially) the Kevin Costner-fronted show steadily drew in a bigger and bigger audience, as the series – which covered life in and around a ranch in Yellowstone, Montana – went out on a high in the final series five in 2024 with a viewership of more than 12 million people.

But the people, like the ranchers, wanted more. And spin-offs of the Dutton family were hastily assembled by creators Taylor Sheridan and John Linson. First were the prequels, 1883 and 1923, then the sequels and other Dutton-adjacent series (deep breath): The Madison (due out in 2025), Y: Marshalls, 1944, 6666 and, perhaps the most eagerly awaited of all the new series in the Yellowstone universe, a show that some have said will be called Dutton Ranch. But, hold fire! says Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler, as he told Fox News that: “First of all, it's not [called] Dutton Ranch. That's not the name of it.”

So, what do we know about the spin-off show that will see Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser reprising their roles as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler? Here’s everything you need to know about the neo-Western series so far, including cast members, potential plot and expected release date:

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler Yellowstone spin-off: release date predictions

It's a return to Dutton Ranch for Beth and Rip. (Image credit: Paramount+)

News first came out off a spin-off in December 2024 when Deadline reported: “Taylor Sheridan, the mastermind behind Yellowstone and its ever-expanding universe, is working on the creative for the new show, which will likely feature other cast members from the mothership series alongside Reilly and Hauser.”

Since then, the most recent word is, according to Bloomberg, that this particular show is being pegged for a Fall launch in 2025, which would make this a very quick turnaround. Paramount+ are yet to confirm a release date, but we’ll update this piece as soon as we find out.

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler Yellowstone spin-off: is there a trailer yet?

Fan favourite Beth smokes a cigarette to kill time while waiting for the trailer. (Image credit: Paramount+)

No, there’s nothing as yet – we’ll let you know as soon as anything drops.

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler Yellowstone spin-off: who is in the cast?

Finn Little will be making a return to the bullring as Carter. (Image credit: Paramount+)

Excitingly for the fans who weren’t ready for Yellowstone to finish after five seasons, Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser will be back in their legendary roles of Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, respectively. It’s been suggested by several publications that other key characters from Yellowstone could also make a return, but so far, the only person confirmed is Finn Little who plays Carter.

Carter arrived as a “troubled teen” in season four, who met Beth in hospital, when both their fathers were dying. After Carter’s dad dies of a drug addiction, Beth and Rip become Carter’s guardians, and he comes to live and work with them on their ranch. Beth is unable to have children and doesn’t see herself as maternal, yet she and Rip form a bond with Carter, and come to view him as family.

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler Yellowstone spin-off: the potential plot

The series will pick up after the events of Yellowstone season 5 (Image credit: Paramount+)

Well, it’s a series that will obviously have Beth and Rip at the heart of the action. At the end of season 5 of Yellowstone (spoilers ahead, if you’re not up to date yet) the Dutton Ranch is no more, after being sold to the Broken Rock Reservation, allowing the land to be preserved as a protected reservation.

Beth’s father, John Dutton III, was murdered by a contract killer (by a gunshot to the head) hired by Jamie Dutton and Sarah Atwood, but it was staged to look like suicide. In the season’s finale, Beth, who vowed revenge for her dad’s death, stabs Jamie.

According to Deadline, the spin-off is likely to pick up where season 5 ended. It will be “led by Yellowstone characters, played by the same actors in the same present-day time frame; the new offshoot shares the most DNA with the mothership of any shows in the Yellowstone universe to date.”

Hauser is remaining tight-lipped about the plot, also telling Fox News in May 2025: "We can expect the same that we've been doing for the last seven years. Kelly and I are going and working our [expletive] off trying to create something special.”

Meanwhile, he told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2025: “Kelly and I, we're focused on [Rip and Beth's] relationship and our love together, and what we're going to get [them] into. I'm excited just like everybody else. I can't wait to see what they come up with. Hopefully, we'll start seeing stuff soon.” We’d hope so too, if the series is to be released by the end of the year.

What are the other spin-offs, sequels and prequels of Yellowstone that we know about?

The Beth and Rip series will be set in the present day. (Image credit: Paramount+)

There will be two other offshoots soon joining the Beth and Rip series. The Madison (appearing on Paramount+), led by Michelle Pfeiffer as Stacy Clyburn, and Y: Marshals (on CBS) which will star Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton, and which will be released in early 2026.

Alongside this, there are two more series in the Yellowstone universe: 1944 (set during World War II and will explore the Dutton family's experiences during that era) and 6666 (about another ranch, Four Sixes, which also appears in Yellowstone and will be about the characters who live on it) which have been previously announced as “in development”.

• Parental concerns over screen time grow as kids spend four hours online during the summer holidays
• The Secure Net update only helps UK families, despite Vodafone operating in over 20 countries
• Unstructured screen time rises during school breaks, sparking fresh demand for digital boundaries at home

As the summer holidays bring more freedom and fewer routines, children are spending much more time online, but new research has warned on the risks this could bring.

A report from VodafoneThree revealed screen time among 8 to 17-year-olds has risen to as much as four hours of unstructured use per day, a 42% increase compared to during the school term.

While some of this time is spent staying in touch with friends or occupying long journeys, nearly two-thirds (65%) of UK parents have expressed concern over the digital habits of their kids during school breaks and the overall impact on them.

Digital safeguards for kids arrive, but not for everyone

In response, VodafoneThree plans to release a major update to its Secure Net app offering enhanced parental control features designed to help families manage device use more easily.

“Unstructured screen time tends to naturally rise during the summer holidays, so we’ve teamed up with Digital Awareness UK to offer practical, parent-friendly guidance,” said Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at VodafoneThree.

“Combined with our Secure Net service, which offers the most comprehensive parental controls of any major UK network, families can feel more confident navigating the digital world together and enjoy a safer, more balanced summer break.”

The Secure Net app, which currently offers basic filtering and protection, will soon allow UK parents to manage both mobile and home broadband connections through a single interface.

Its goal is to create a simpler way for families to limit access to inappropriate content, reduce distractions, and encourage healthier routines.

The app features include “Pause the Internet,” “Bedtime Mode,” content filters, and a “Focus Time” setting that blocks certain apps during study periods.

While VodafoneThree describes the tool as offering the most complete set of parental controls among major UK networks, it is not a substitute for other forms of digital protection.

The app does not include antivirus or ransomware protection, and its main function is to control access rather than detect threats.

Families hoping to improve overall digital safety may still need separate software to protect against malware or more sophisticated attacks.

However, despite its global reach, the company is making the updated app available only to its UK customers at no additional cost.

This raises questions, particularly given the universal nature of the issues involved.

Parents across parent company Vodafone's many markets face similar concerns about screen time, harmful content, and lack of oversight, but they are left out for now.

"We know that the summer holidays can be a challenging time. This can't always be avoided, but without structure, it can lead to greater exposure to online harms, mental health effects, and unhealthy tech habits that are difficult to undo,” said Emma Robertson, CEO of Digital Awareness UK.

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Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Aug. 3, #784.

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Aug. 2, #783.

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Dropping on The Hallmark Channel and Hallmark+ from August 2, 2025, Providence Falls is a new three-part film series following Cora (Katie Stevens) and Liam (Lachlan Quarmby), two cops paired up to try and solve a theft case. As theft becomes much more sinister, Cora doesn’t know Liam isn’t a cop at all, but a lover from a past life sent forward in time to try and get her to fall in love with her “destiny” in co-worker Finn (Evan Roderick).

Sound familiar? Well, the time-travel element should at least. While the core romance could be plucked straight from any one of Hallmark’s hall of fames, there’s another series on the platform that can instantly transport you to another historical timeline: The Way Home. Starring Andie MacDowell and Chyler Leigh, the show tells the story of the Landry family, who find they can travel back in time to different points in their shared history by jumping in the pond at the end of their garden (as you do). Season 4 is expected to air in early 2026, and boy do we have some questions that need answering.

Ponderers (who are the fanbase of the show, obviously), will know a key feature of The Way Home time travel involves emerging from a body of water sopping wet, having to go and deal with whatever historical disasters await you while completely drenched. Blink and you’ll miss it, but there’s a very similar circumstance in one installment of Providence Falls, and the cast admits that the coincidental Easter egg was the most “challenging” scene of the bunch.

Providence Falls’ most ‘challenging’ scene is an accidental The Way Home Easter egg, and I’m living for it

Spoilers for Providence Falls ahead.

“There's a scene that had an involvement with a lake in and we were shooting in Vancouver, and it was February, so you can imagine how freezing the water was, and there were some stunts to go along with it,” Stevens tells me about the scene. “So, that was really, really challenging. Although we had the wet suit and things under our costume, it was still freezing. So that was probably the most difficult, just for that. The scene is actually one of my favorite scenes in the whole series, but it was definitely not as glamorous to film.”

You’ll find the scene in question at the end of part 2 of Providence Falls, as Cora tries to get away from Marcus once she realises he’s really working with the wrong side. Marcus gives chase and pulls a gun on Cora, leading to a waterside fight that ends with Cora falling into the lake. Luckily, Finn and Liam arrive just in time, with Liam heroically diving in to save Cora as she loses consciousness.

If this was an episode of The Way Home, Cora would have surfaced from the water back in her Irish 1800s timeline, aware that she is time-traveling between two points in history. Instead, Providence Falls chooses to overlap both timelines in a montage, with Cora convinced she is dreaming when she thinks of herself in the past. The act of travelling through time might be snappier in the new miniseries, but I can’t help but draw obvious parallels from how fantasy is blended with reality.

There’s another similarity between Providence Falls and The Way Home

This isn’t the only Easter egg from The Way Home that I’ve seen in Providence Falls, though. The opening scene looks almost identical to the woodland where the Landry pond is set, with 1800s Cora and Liam even venturing briefly into the water as Kat and Alice (Sadie Laflamme-Snow) might in The Way Home. However, this one is merely a coincidence, with all of Providence Falls’ Irish scenes being filmed in… well, Ireland.

“We filmed the first film, and then we went to Ireland, shot all of the Irish footage for all three films together, and then went and did movies two and three,” Stevens adds. “So, Ireland almost felt like its own movie.I think the benefit of how we shot is that our characters are trying to kind of figure each other out, and Cora is having these dreams, but can't really make sense of them yet. In real life, we got to look back on our time in Ireland, so we know now what our characters are thinking of the things that they're remembering, and we actually shot those things so they were real memories for us.

“We shot in Dublin and Kilruddery Castle, which is where Cora's house is. And then we shot at the castle where the Beckhams got married, which was really cool.”

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• Researchers recreated the Equifax hack and watched AI do everything without direct control
• The AI model successfully carried out a major breach with zero human input
• Shell commands weren’t needed, the AI acted as the planner and delegated everything else

Large language models (LLMs) have long been considered useful tools in areas like data analysis, content generation, and code assistance.

However, a new study from Carnegie Mellon University, conducted in collaboration with Anthropic, has raised difficult questions about their role in cybersecurity.

The study showed that under the right conditions, LLMs can plan and carry out complex cyberattacks without human guidance, suggesting a shift from mere assistance to full autonomy in digital intrusion.

From puzzles to enterprise environments

Earlier experiments with AI in cybersecurity were mostly limited to “capture-the-flag” scenarios, simplified challenges used for training.

The Carnegie Mellon team, led by PhD candidate Brian Singer, went further by giving LLMs structured guidance and integrating them into a hierarchy of agents.

With these settings, they were able to test the models in more realistic network setups.

In one case, they recreated the same conditions that led to the 2017 Equifax breach, including the vulnerabilities and layout documented in official reports.

The AI not only planned the attack but also deployed malware and extracted data, all without direct human commands.

What makes this research striking is how little raw coding the LLM had to perform. Traditional approaches often fail because models struggle to execute shell commands or parse detailed logs.

Instead, this system relied on a higher-level structure where the LLM acted as a planner while delegating lower-level actions to sub-agents.

This abstraction gave the AI enough context to “understand” and adapt to its environment.

Although these results were achieved in a controlled lab setting, they raise questions about how far this autonomy could go.

The risks here are not just hypothetical. If LLMs can carry out network breaches on their own, then malicious actors could potentially use them to scale attacks far beyond what’s feasible with human teams.

Even tools such as endpoint protection and the best antivirus software may be tested by such adaptive and responsive agents.

Nevertheless, there are potential benefits to this capability. An LLM capable of mimicking realistic attacks might be used to improve system testing and expose flaws that would otherwise go unnoticed.

“It only works under specific conditions, and we do not have something that could just autonomously attack the internet… But it’s a critical first step,” said Singer in explaining that this work remains a prototype.

Still, the ability of an AI to replicate a major breach with minimal input should not be dismissed.

Follow-up research is now exploring how these same techniques can be applied in defense, potentially even enabling AI agents to detect or block attacks in real-time.

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• LG UltraFine 40-inch monitor delivers 5K2K resolution and strong color specs for creative workflows
• Thunderbolt 5 brings high-speed data up to 120Gbps and 96W charging
• Nano IPS Black panel doubles contrast over regular IPS monitors

LG has released its latest 5K monitor as it looks to encourage the hardware into territory once reserved for niche creative professionals.

The LG 40U990A-W UltraFine 40-inch monitor features a 39.7-inch curved ultrawide screen with a 5120 x 2160 resolution, and it is the world’s first display to support Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.

It arrives with a steep price of approximately $2,246, raising questions about how much functionality users genuinely need and what justifies the cost.

Targeting creative precision with premium display specs

The UltraFine Nano IPS Black panel boasts a 2000:1 contrast ratio, which doubles that of traditional IPS monitors.

Combined with 99% DCI-P3 coverage and VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification, LG is targeting professionals in video production and photo editing, where color fidelity and shadow detail matter.

Its wide 21:9 aspect ratio and 2500R curvature add a layer of immersion that some professionals may appreciate, making the 40U990A-W a capable business monitor.

For those who rely on pixel accuracy, this monitor could appeal as the best monitor for video editing, although its impact will depend on how well these specifications translate into real-world consistency and performance.

From a hardware perspective, the presence of Thunderbolt 5 brings speed improvements for data transfer up to 120 Gbps and enables up to 96W of laptop charging.

The port also supports daisy chaining of 5K2K monitors, allowing complex, multi-display setups without clutter.

While this might suggest future-forward convenience, the real-world benefits of Thunderbolt 5 remain largely untested at scale.

Early buyers of this device may encounter compatibility issues or diminishing returns compared to more mature standards.

This 5K monitor also features a 3-sided narrow bezel, with adjustable height, swivel, and tilt options that are now standard on premium displays.

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Super Showdown is the next Fortnite live event happening in the main battle royale mode. It airs later today (August 2), and will involve Superman leading players in a climactic fight against a gigantic foe.

Fortnite Super Showdown event - key info on the Superman live battle

Fortnite Super Showdown live event start time
How to join the Fortnite live event
What to expect from Fortnite Super Showdown
Live coverage as it happens

So far, we know relatively little about Fortnite Super Showdown. It'll take place in Demon's Domain, one of the major POIs (points of interest) in the current season. The next Season of Fortnite arrives next week, so hopefully today's event will give us some idea as to what'll be involved in the next major update. It's regular changes like these that consistently keep Fortnite ranked highly in our best PC games list.

I've now played hundreds of hours of Fortnite Chapter 6, from the month-long Star Wars mini-season, and into the superhero shenanigans of Fortnite Super. I'm excited to be covering the Fortnite Super Showdown event live, and will be leading you through the build up, before it all kicks off.

Here's everything you need to know about Fortnite Super Showdown including the start time, and what to expect. Once the show starts, I'll be providing my impressions of the live event as I play. Then, I'll be giving my thoughts on what worked, and what could have been better. Let's get started.

Fortnite Super Showdown live event start time

(Image credit: Epic Games)

The Fortnite Super Showdown live event starts August 2 at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT / 7:30pm BST. Players can load in once doors open at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 2PM ET
• West Coast (US): 11AM PT
• United Kingdom: 7PM BST
• Central Europe: 8PM CEST
• Sydney (Australia): 4AM AEST, August 3
• Tokyo (Japan): 3AM JST, August 3

I seriously recommend getting in as soon as the doors open, as servers will fill up very quickly indeed. You'll be able to jump into a match, and there will likely be a safe zone around Demon's Domian. This will mean players won't be able to damage each other, and you can sit and wait in peace for the show to begin.

How to join the Fortnite live event

You'll need to jump into the main Fortnite playlist at the times specified above if you'd like to join Super Showdown live. Alternatively, you could follow along with your streamer of choice, as many will no doubt be covering the event.

I'll be jumping into the event to live blog it as it unfolds, so be sure to check back in with this page if you can't jump into the game when the event is actually happening. Unfortunately, Epic Games doesn't stream Fortnite events on its official channels.

What to expect from Fortnite Super Showdown

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Epic Games has only released one short teaser trailer for Super Showdown. It shows Demon's Domain being destroyed by pink and red electricity, and red energy fields that look suspiciously like those we saw at the end of the recent Fortnite OG rocket launch event. Then, we see a huge eye attached to what looks to be a giant tentacle.

We do know that Superman will return to fight whatever this huge tentacled foe is, and that players will head to Demon's Domain to provide support. To me, that certainly looks to be a kraken-like creature, so it could be that Superman is set for quite the battle during the event.

Live coverage as it happensHello and welcome

(Image credit: Epic Games)

We’re now just two hours away from the start of Fortnite Super Showdown. I’ll be covering the build up live, providing all of the info you need on the upcoming superpowered event. Once doors open, I’ll be jumping in, and then you can follow along as the main show plays out.

When does the Super Showdown start?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Fortnite Super Showdown kicks off at 2:30PM ET / 11:30AM PT / 7:30PM BST. It’s recommended that you jump online and into Fortnite when doors open 15 minutes prior. Servers will fill up fast, so be sure to secure your spot.

Where we dropping?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

You’ll want to drop into Demon’s Domain to witness Fortnite Super Showdown. It’s likely that there will be a safe zone in effect, meaning damage will be switched off. This means you’ll be able to stay safe, secure your view, and get ready for the action to start.

Look up!

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Superman will be the main star of Super Showdown, though we don’t have the full details just yet. Seeing as there’s a gigantic tentacled enemy to take down, I’m definitely happy to have Supes on the team.

Just 90 minutes until doors open

Grab your cape, put those hero skills to the test! The Super Showdown Story Event takes place in Battle Royale on August 2 @ 2:30 PM ET on the dot. Be sure to jump in early and prepare to fight! pic.twitter.com/8hNvbH50iSJuly 27, 2025

Doors for Fortnite Super Showdown open at 2PM ET / 11AM PT / 7PM BST. Make sure to load in, make sure your game is updated, and secure your spot in the matchmaking queue. It’s likely to be a busy one.

Is that a kraken?

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Epic Games released a short teaser trailer for Fortnite Super Showdown earlier this week. It ends with a look at a gigantic enemy with eyes fixed to big purple tentacles. Could this be a kraken? We’ll have to wait and see.

Demon’s Domain will be taking a hit

You can check out the Super Showdown teaser trailer embedded above. Looks like a big purple laser is going to hit Demon’s Domain, destroying one of the main buildings. This is likely related to the arrival of the giant enemy we’ll be fighting, and could give a hint as to what’s to follow next season.

Just one hour until Fortnite Super Showdown

(Image credit: Epic Games)

There’s just one hour to go before Fortnite Super Showdown begins! You’ll be able to jump in fifteen minutes prior, when servers go live. We don’t yet know how long the event will be, but generally they’re around ten minutes.

My hopes and predictions

(Image credit: Epic Games)

It’s clear to me that Super Showdown is primarily going to be a Superman story event. We’ll likely see Superman fighting a large enemy, as players battle smaller creatures, and shoot weak points on the large tentacles shown in the teaser. I’m hoping to see Demon’s Domain change in some way after the battle, perhaps setting the scene for the arrival of Chapter 6 Season 4.

You’ll be able to load into the Fortnite live event in 15 minutes

(Image credit: Epic Games)

We’re just 15 minutes away from the Fortnite Super Showdown doors opening. Make sure you’ve downloaded the latest update, and keep an eye on the main Battle Royale channels for when things switch over.

Doors are open!

(Image credit: Epic Games)

You can now join the Fortnite live event. Just head to the main homepage and look for your main battle royale mode of choice. Jump into the lobby and load in. You’ll be aiming for Demon’s Domain to enjoy the show.

Respawns are active around Demon's Domain

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Head to the pink barriers around Demon's Domain, and you'll find floating red orbs that drop loot. There's a safe zone of sorts, though I've found that I can damage some players. Don't worry though, respawns are in effect, so you won't get eliminated if you're killed.

Five minutes until Super Showdown

It's just five minutes until the start of the event. Make sure to load in now and get to Demon's Domain if you want to join live.

And we're off!

(Image credit: Epic Games)

Super Showdown has started, and it's all kicking off at Demon's Domain. There's a ton of loot to pick up, so make sure to get yourself well stocked for the battle ahead. Daigo has arrived, and has triggered a huge portal.

A comic book strip

A comic book strip is now playing out in a cutscene, as we all fight a huge tentacle.

It's gonna take everyone working together to take down the monster

(Image credit: Epic Games)

The enemy has a huge life bar, even with everyone shooting at it, it's gonna be tough to take down.

That's the first tentacle down

We've taken down the first tentacle, and all is now quiet in Demon's Domain. Looks like the rest of the monster is about to appear any second.

• High-end Radeon AI Pro R9700 cards from five major brands now confirmed
• The products are designed for professional AI, rendering, simulation and multi-GPU use
• Further cards from MSI, XFX, Biostar, Acer and others are expected soon

The Radeon AI Pro R9700, AMD's fastest GPU to date, has gone on sale, with Asus, ASRock, Sapphire, PowerColor, and Gigabyte all unveiling their versions.

First shown at Computex 2025, the Pro R9700 is built on the RDNA 4 architecture and powered by the Navi 48 chip.

It features 32GB of GDDR6 memory, which is double the amount found in the gamer-focused Radeon RX 9070 XT that uses the same core, along with 128 AI accelerators and 4096 stream processors.

Built for professionals

The GPU is tailored for professional workloads including AI training, scientific modeling, and advanced rendering.

Asus’ version, the Turbo Radeon AI Pro R9700, has a 12V–2x6 power connector, die-cast metal shroud, and phase change thermal interface material. This configuration helps manage power and thermal load for continuous-use.

The card’s design focuses on reliability, which is crucial for enterprise systems that need to run under full load for long periods.

Gigabyte’s model also has an industrial layout, sporting all-copper cooling, composite metal thermal paste, and a blower-style turbo fan.

This card’s cooling design promotes airflow in dense workstation builds, where multiple cards are installed side by side.

Sapphire’s take is fairly close to AMD’s reference, offering the same performance and layout with four DisplayPort 2.1a outputs.

PowerColor also sticks to the blower design and has confirmed the card’s 300W TDP, Game Clock of 2350MHz, and Boost Clock up to 2920MHz.

ASRock’s version, the R9700 Creator, offers a metal shroud and vapor chamber cooling for durability and thermal control, while using the same 12V–2x6 connector as Asus, the company it was originally spun off from.

Although pricing varies slightly by vendor, most cards should cost around $1,200.

The AI Pro R9700 supports multi-GPU setups, thanks to its dual-slot blower design and PCIe 5.0 connectivity, which helps deliver faster inter-card communication.

Cards from other manufacturers, including MSI, XFX, Biostar, Acer, and Yeston should be appearing soon.

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• AMD unveils Radeon AI Pro R9700, now a workstation-class GPU with 32GB GDDR6
• AMD's fastest GPU ever, the Radeon AI Pro R9700, will sell for as little as $1244
• AMD just launched its 96-core Ryzen Threadripper Pro 9995WX CPU

• GMK K12 uses OCuLink and USB4 to make eGPU support completely plug-and-play
• Ryzen 7 H 255 pushes 70W under load, rare in palm-sized budget mini PCs
• Triple M.2 SSD slots make the K12 unusually capable of handling massive storage arrays

GMK has launched the K12, a mini PC priced at 2,099 yuan (approximately $292), designed for users seeking a compact yet expandable system.

Unlike typical budget systems, the K12 supports both OCuLink and USB4, making external GPU connectivity a practical reality without modifying internal components.

Powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 H 255, the GMK K12 features an 8-core, 16-thread Zen 4 processor with clock speeds ranging from 3.8GHz to 4.9GHz.

A small form factor with surprising thermal headroom

GMK (originally in Chinese) says the chip can maintain a 70W power envelope under sustained load, which places it well above what’s usually expected from small form factor devices.

The integrated Radeon 780M GPU handles lighter gaming and creative workloads, although its real strength lies in supporting external GPU docks over OCuLink or USB4.

One of the core selling points of this device is its unusually broad storage and memory capacity, as it features three PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, each supporting up to 8TB SSDs, bringing total storage to a theoretical 24TB, and also comes with two DDR5 slots, which support up to 128GB of RAM at 5600MHz.

While such specs are far beyond what most mini PC users require, they give the K12 flexibility to operate as a lightweight workstation or an experimental business PC for data-heavy tasks.

With this much power comes heating problems, and the K12 handles this with a dual-fan system backed by a vapor chamber heat spreader.

GMK’s chassis includes dual air intakes and user-selectable cooling profiles: silent (45W), balanced (54W), and performance (65W).

This approach may not match traditional workstation cooling, but it provides more control than most systems in its size class.

On the connectivity side, the K12 supports up to four 4K displays via HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4, and USB4, with data transfer managed through dual 2.5G Ethernet ports and Wi-Fi 6E.

Notably, the OCuLink port on the front panel allows lossless eGPU support, and the USB4 port supports 40Gbps data rates and 120W power delivery.

That said, GMK K12 isn’t aiming to replace high-end desktops or gaming towers; it introduces a mix of affordability, expandability, and performance control not often seen at this price point.

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