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• A Nintendo Direct livestream will take place tomorrow
• It will not feature any Switch 2 information
• It will last for around 30 minutes

Don't rush to sell your original Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch OLED, or Nintendo Switch Lite in anticipation of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 quite yet, as it's clear that Nintendo still has some plans for the console.

The company has revealed that a new Nintendo Direct presentation will take place at 7am PT / 10am ET / 2pm GMT tomorrow on March 27, 2025. It will last for "around 30 minutes," which is slightly shorter than the usual 40 or so-minute format.

Tune in tomorrow, March 27th, at 7 a.m. PT for a livestreamed #NintendoDirect, featuring around 30 minutes of upcoming games for Nintendo Switch. There will be no updates about Nintendo Switch 2 during this presentation.Watch it here: https://t.co/sJFoxe0mq0 pic.twitter.com/1XeAuff5o1March 26, 2025

Nintendo is careful and quick to clarify that "there will be no updates" regarding the Nintendo Switch 2 in the presentation. If that's what you're interested in, you're going to have to wait until the previously announced Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct that is set to take place on April 2.

Knowing that there won't be any new Nintendo Switch 2 information does raise an important question, though. What exactly will Nintendo have in store?

My personal prediction is that we'll be getting a few more Nintendo Switch games to help tide us over in the build-up to the Nintendo Switch 2's release. I'm expecting a few remasters of older games, potentially the long-rumored Kirby: Planet Robobot re-release. I wouldn't be surprised if a few other Nintendo 3DS titles get the remake treatment, as it seems like a logical, low-cost way to help fill out the release schedule.

We might also get some more information on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but I still think that the next installment in the franchise is more likely to appear in the Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct instead as part of the system's launch line-up.

I would be shocked if we don't also get a few more games added to the Nintendo Switch Online service, as that's often a regular part of these presentations.

Do you have any predictions? You can let me know in the comments below.

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The best Assassin's Creed Shadows graphics settings for PS5 and Xbox will make a huge difference on how good the huge open world looks and runs. Thanks to new dynamic seasons, the game really sings if you get it looking right, which is where we come in having played the game collectively for hours and hours.

On most platforms, players will need to choose between three main modes, before further tweaks can be made to clean things up. I personally am still fairly early in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but I've already been floored by how good the coastal towns of Sakai look, with the PS5 Pro really offering a boost to all the puddles and beaches found in the area, and Rob, our managing editor is more than 60 hours in now.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a real step forward for the franchise, offering up the best open-world yet, as well as some truly excellent action and stealth mechanics. You can read what we thought of the full game in our Assassin's Creed Shadows review, but needless to say, we hugely enjoyed it, and it's now ranked highly in our best Assassin's Creed games list. Personally, I've been particularly enjoying the exploration, which is bolstered by just how great the graphics are.

Here are the best Assassin's Creed Shadows graphics settings for PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S. I'll cover whether to choose the Fidelity or Performance mode or if it's worth selecting the Balanced Mode.

Then, you'll find some specific settings that can be tweaked to clean up the image a bit, though the game definitely looks great by default anyway.

Assassin's Creed Shadows best graphics settings for PS5

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

On PS5, you'll have the choice between three main graphics modes in Assassin's Creed Shadows. You can see the key info on each in the table below:

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an action-stealth game. As such, I'd recommend playing it in Performance Mode on PS5, given that you'll get 60fps (frames per second). Generally, you'll need to have quick reaction times to stay out of sight, and take down any enemies that are about to spot you. Higher frame rates definitely help with this, and in fighting multiple enemies at once, as well. The cutscenes and Hideout section are all at 30fps anyway, but the gameplay will be silky smooth, making stealth a lot easier.

If you do have a display that supports HDMI 2.1 and is either 120hz or 240hz however, we think you should go for Balanced Mode. You'll get access to standard Raytracing, at 40fps. This keeps the game looking beautiful while giving you some extra performance required for action.

Assassin's Creed Shadows best graphics settings for PS5 Pro

(Image credit: Sony)

Now onto PS5 Pro, which, in terms of graphics settings at least, is the best place to play Assassin's Creed Shadows on console.

In fact, it offers a massive upgrade when compared to the base console. As before, there are three settings to choose from:

If you're playing Assassin's Creed Shadows on PS5 Pro, and have access to a 120hz/240Hz display then you have what we think is the best way to play the game: Balanced Mode on Sony's enhanced PS5.

This setting allows for a decent frame rate, and thanks to the Pro's extra power, you'll get to enjoy the game's Standard Ray Tracing features. The reason to go with the Balanced Mode is additional visual fidelity, like a strand-based hair system. This is the mode I've played most on so far, and find it to be the best of the three.

If you find that you'd rather have a higher framerate, then you can switch to Performance Mode - you'll still get to enjoy the standard Ray Tracing features there - and while the Fidelity mode looks incredibly beautiful, it being locked to 30fps has us going for the Balanced mode all day long.

Assassin's Creed Shadows best graphics settings for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

(Image credit: Future)

Finally, let's take a look at the best Assassin's Creed Shadows graphics settings for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S:

As you can see, the Xbox Series X is in line with the PS5 settings for Assassin's Creed Shadows. As such, I recommend the Performance Mode. There's only selective Ray Tracing to take advantage of here, but the 60fps really improves the gameplay.

Just like with the PS5, there's also a Balanced Mode, which is great for those using a compatible display.

For those with an Xbox Series S, there are no modes to choose from, with the game locked at 1620p upscaled and 30fps. There are some selective Ray Tracing features however, which is a nice touch.

Other graphics settings to change for Assassin's Creed Shadows

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Aside from the main graphics setting in Assassin's Creed Shadows, I recommend switching off Motion Blur and Chromatic Aberration for a cleaner image. In addition, HDR should be tuned for your display. Try to bring the Exposure slide down a bit and see how it looks, as some areas of the open world have very intense lighting and bloom effects.

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• Marvel Studios is currently making a big announcement about the MCU
• A live feed appeared on the comic titan's YouTube page at 11AM ET today (March 26)
• It's all but confirmed that a full cast reveal for the next two Avengers movies is taking place

Editor's note: this is a developing story. New updates will appear further down the page!

Marvel is making a huge announcement about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), according to a live feed that's, well, gone live on its social media platforms.

Yesterday (March 25), there were tentative rumors that the comic book giant would make a big announcement today (March 26) at 11AM ET / 3PM GMT. And, as if by magic, a live video appeared on the studio's YouTube channel, as well as the likes of X/Twitter, at that exact time.

The live feed began with an out-of-focus individual (Marvel chief Kevin Feige, is that you?) walking into frame to place a chair bearing Chris Hemsworth's name on it. Unsurprisingly, that sent MCU fans into a frenzy over a possible Thor 5 reveal.

Fun though it would be to get confirmation that another Thor movie is on the way, though, that's not the big announcement I'd expect Marvel to make, especially one that's devoting an entire live feed to.

18 minutes later, another chair bearing the name of Vanessa Kirby, who'll play Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, was placed next to Hemsworth's. Moments later, a piece of music slowly started to kick in and, 23 minutes into the live feed, the Avengers' iconic MCU theme began to play, and it's been rising and falling ever since.

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Update 1: More chairs are being periodically added, too. One minute after the Avengers musical score began, a third chair adorned with Anthony Mackie, aka the latest actor to play Captain America, was brought in. At the 40-minute mark, Sebastian Stan's (i.e. Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier) seat was added to the mix.

Update 2: At 11:50AM ET, 12:05PM ET, and 12:15PM ET respectively, current Black Panther star Letitia Wright, whose character Shuri assumed the mantle in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Paul Rudd's Scott Lang/Ant-Man, and Wyatt Russell's John Walker/US Agent, who'll next appear in Thunderbolts* in early May, joined the aforementioned quartet on the confirmed cast roster.

Update 3: In perhaps the most surprising cast reveal so far, Tenoch Huerta Meija's anti-hero Namor was confirmed to feature at 12:30PM ET. He was last seen licking his wounds after getting a severe whopping from Wright's Shuri in Black Panther 2. Then, at 12:40PM ET, Ebon Moss-Bachrach's The Thing was also added to the roster. Next, at 12:52PM ET, Simu Liu's Shang-Chi – yes, he's finally in another MCU project – was revealed to be part of the cast.

Update 4: Two hours in, and the reveals keep coming. This time (i.e. 1:05PM ET), Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova was added to the roster. At 1:18PM ET, Kelsey Grammer's Beast – yes, he of X-Men fame who was last seen in The Marvels' mid-credits scene – was announced, so there'll be at least one mutant in Doomsday!

2019's Avengers: Endgame was the last time that Earth's Mightiest Heroes assembled on the big screen (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

That, my friends, means one thing: we're getting a full cast reveal for the next two Avengers movies – those being Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

It's in Marvel's best interests to take control of the cast roster narrative. With filming expected to start on Doomsday and Secret Wars in April, there has been, and would've continued to be, plenty of speculation about which heroes might appear in either or both films. This is Marvel's way of getting ahead of any industry leaks or rumored appearances before principal photography begins.

More cast reveals are going to be made about the aforementioned Marvel Phase 6 projects in the coming minutes and hours. So, stay tuned to TechRadar for more details as and when I have it!

In the meantime, read on for some exclusive coverage from my recent chat with Doomsday and Secret Wars directors Joe and Anthony Russo, plus the latest actors linked with roles in the films. Alternatively, tell me in the comments who you want to see in the Multiverse Saga's movie duo capper.

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• Third-party cybersecurity risks are a growing threat, report claims
• More than a third of all breaches in 2024 were related to third parties
• Retail and hospitality were most heavily hit

Third-party security issues are probably the biggest threat your business is facing, new research has claimed.

The new 2025 Global Third-Party Breach Report from SecurityScorecard analyzed 1,000 breaches across different industries and regions, and concluded that more than a third (35.5%) of all breaches in 2024 were related to third parties.

To make matters even worse, this figure is “likely conservative,” the company said, due to underreporting and misclassification.

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Retail and hospitality

The report further states that there has been a significant diversification of attack surfaces in 2025, compared to the year before, since less than half (46.75%) of third-party breaches involved technology products and services (down from 75% the year prior).

Looking at specific industries, SecurityScorecard found retail and hospitality to have suffered the highest third-party breach rate (52.4%), followed by the technology industry (47.3%), and the energy and utilities industry (46.7%).

Even though it had a below-average rate of 32.2%, the healthcare industry suffered the most third-party breaches in absolute numbers (78).

Geographically, Singapore fared worst (71.4%), followed by the Netherlands (70.4%), and Japan (60%).

SecurityScorecard also warned about the dangers of ransomware through third-party risk. More than two in five (41.4%) of all ransomware attacks now start through third parties, with the infamous Cl0p group leading the charge.

“Threat actors are prioritizing third-party access for its scalability. Our research shows ransomware groups and state-sponsored attackers increasingly leveraging supply chains as entry points. To stay ahead of these threats, security leaders must move from periodic vendor reviews to real-time monitoring to contain these risks before they escalate throughout their supply chain,” said Ryan Sherstobitoff, SVP of SecurityScorecard’s STRIKE Threat Research and Intelligence.

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The Malcolm in the Middle revival continues to gather steam over at Disney+, with more new cast members announced.

The four-episode arc comes from original show creator Linwood Boomer and will pick up with Malcolm and the rest of the family some twenty years since they last appeared on our screens.

For the uninitiated, Malcolm in the Middle, which originally ran for seven seasons – 151 episodes – on Fox in the US from 2000 to 2006, followed child prodigy Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his often dysfunctional, always loving, working class family, including parents Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). As the family made one pratfall after another, Malcolm would often break the fourth wall to make sarcastic asides to the audience.

The new mini-season sees “Malcolm and his daughter drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal and Lois demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.” It sounds like a perfect hook for a short but hopefully sweet, return to Malcolm’s universe, especially as the heart of the original show was the titular character’s relationship with Cranston’s long-suffering Hal, so it’ll be interesting to see Muniz character in the reverse of that dynamic, grappling with fatherhood himself.

Who is returning to Malcolm in the Middle?

Of the original cast, Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, and Jane Kaczmarek were confirmed to be returning to their respective roles when the revival was announced, and Variety has now confirmed that more familiar faces will be rejoining the cast with Christopher Masterson and Justin Berfield set to be reprising their roles as Malcolm’s older brothers Francis and Reese.

However, Malcolm’s younger siblings, Dewey and Jamie, have been recast with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark and Anthony Timpano taking on the roles. Neither replacement comes as a huge surprise mind you, with original Dewey star Erik Per Sullivan having quit acting after the show’s conclusion, and Jamie – introduced in season four – still a toddler when the show ended.

Meanwhile, the revival will introduce a fifth sibling for Malcolm to contend with with confirmation that post-series, Lois and Hal finally gave birth to a daughter, Kelly, played in the new episodes by Vaughn Murrae. Additional casting news sees Keeley Karsten take on the role of Malcolm’s daughter Leah, while Kiana Madeira will play his girlfriend, Tristan.

We can’t wait to check back in with Malcolm and the gang, and confirmation that a whole host of familiar faces will be returning has got us very excited for the return of Malcolm in the Middle on one of the best streaming services. If you're in the US, make sure to check out the below Disney+ bundle deal before it expires to save on your next subscription.

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• Windows 11 has a new update, although it’s optional (in preview) for now
• It brings in some really handy features, including an important accessibility tweak for a core part of the Windows 11 interface
• New PC spec cards in the Settings app are a surprise addition, coming through testing very swiftly – albeit without the key FAQ feature

Microsoft just released a new update for Windows 11, albeit an optional one (still in preview), and it delivers some useful work – not to mention a surprise.

Windows Latest flagged up the changes that are part of the March preview update for Windows 11 23H2 (known as KB5053657). They include a smoothing over of accessibility wrinkles in File Explorer, and the addition of PC spec info cards that have previously been seen in testing.

Regarding File Explorer – which is the app that powers the windows that show your folders, and files within them, on the desktop – those of you who use larger text sizes for better visibility in this part of the interface have doubtless noticed that text scaling isn’t uniform here.

In other words, only some parts of File Explorer have the user’s specified text scaling applied, and some text, or indeed parts of the interface like buttons, remains overly small (with no scaling).

Obviously, that’s awkward and unhelpful, plus it just looks messy, but thankfully, Microsoft has fixed this so the scaling is correctly applied across all elements of File Explorer, as per testing conducted by Windows Latest.

Moving onto the new spec cards, these were spotted in testing early in 2025, but seem to have been put in place very quickly, shuttling through testing and into this new optional update. That’s a pleasant surprise indeed, and these cards provide at-a-glance info on your CPU, RAM, storage, and graphics card – although it doesn’t look like the FAQ element has been implemented yet.

Another significant change with KB5053657 is the new gamepad keyboard layout, which allows you to type using Windows 11’s virtual keyboard with an Xbox controller (including button shortcuts for spacebar, delete, and so on).

Finally, there’s a new emoji button on the taskbar, which pulls up the combined emoji, GIF, and clipboard panel. It’s an optional feature, so you can turn off the icon in Settings if you’ll never use it. Oh, and the Voice Access functionality in Windows 11 now has support for the Chinese language (for both Simplified and Traditional Chinese).

Remember, this is for Windows 11 23H2, and we haven’t yet seen the release of the new update for 24H2 (though it’s likely imminent, and it’ll probably turn up later today). It should carry these same changes, and perhaps more besides.

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan) Analysis: Caution > Valor with preview updates, especially as the wait for full release won’t be long

This is a very worthwhile update, then, given its accessibility improvements and that gamepad keyboard. The latter is going to be very handy for those running Windows 11 on a gaming handheld (and it’s a sign that Microsoft is still perhaps thinking about that full-on handheld mode for Windows 11, which has been rumored for some time).

It’s also good to have the spec cards present, and I can’t believe how quickly these have transformed from a hidden feature not even visible in testing to going through into an optional update. I guess it’s a relatively easy piece of work to implement (it must’ve been), although the FAQ section – providing tailored advice, which as noted, isn’t present yet – is going to be the key element (as I recently discussed). With any luck, that extra feature will be incorporated here before too long.

If you’re keen to see this shiny new stuff, I should caution you that installing a preview update isn’t without potential perils. These features remain in testing, and could still be wonky, even if it is the very last stage of testing, and nothing’s too likely to be seriously awry (those could be famous last words, of course).

Generally, unless you’re super-stoked for one of the above features, I’d wait until next month for the full release. That’s when this preview update will become the April cumulative update for Windows 11, and that’s not far off now (it’ll be April 8, so it’s an early debut for the upgrade next month).

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• Upcoming life sim game inZOI has hit the top of the Steam wishlist charts
• It's currently ahead of Hollow Knight: Silksong and Deadlock
• It comes to PC in early access on March 28

The excitement around the upcoming life sim game inZOI seems to know no bounds as it shoots to the top of the Steam wishlist charts.

According to publisher Krafton, the game amassed more than 50,000 new followers in a single week - a seriously impressive figure that would suggest the game is on track to become one of the biggest releases of the year.

This certainly goes to show that there is a lot of pent up demand in the life sim market, which has been almost entirely dominated by the The Sims series from Electronic Arts (EA) for two decades.

The latest major instalment in that franchise, The Sims 4, launched all the way back in 2014. Although it has received a steady stream of free updates an countless paid downloadable content (DLC) packs over the years, many players now want a full-on sequel with more modern features but there is no indication that this is in the works at EA.

If you head over to the Steam Top Wishlists page, you can see that inZOI is currently sitting just ahead of hugely anticipated titles including the long-awaited indie sequel Hollow Knight: Silksong, Valve's own Deadlock, and Elden Ring Nightreign. It's also substantially ahead of the likes of Doom: The Dark Ages, Dying Light: The Beast, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and much more.

inZOI is set to release in early access on March 28, 2025. Developer Inzoi Studio has confirmed that it will cost $39.99 throughout the early access period, which is expected to last for over a year. The game will then come to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.

Is it worth getting excited for?

On paper, inZOI looks like a perfect successor to The Sims, with almost photorealistic visuals and loads of customization options. Many fellow life sim fans seem to be looking forward to it a great deal, though I would personally suggest tempering your expectations somewhat.

I've had to opportunity to play an early build throughout the last couple of weeks and I was ultimately quite disappointed with it. Everything here would be a great foundation, especially the pretty visuals and superb character creation plus building mechanics, but there's not much proper meat to keep you entertained during day-to-day life.

Throw in some annoying glitches and you have a game that would likely be a lot more enjoyable after a substantial patch or two. Of course, this isn't too unusual when it comes to early access products, and I'm optimistic that inZOI will improve a great deal over the coming weeks and months.

Just don't expect anything too ground-breaking if you plan to dive in on day one.

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• Google Chrome has patched its first zero-day flaw of the year
• The bug allowed cyber-espionage, primarily against targets in Russia
• Kaspersky researchers thanked for finding bug, and users told to update now

Google has fixed a high-severity zero-day vulnerability in its Chrome browser that was being exploited in the wild.

In a security advisory, the company described the bug as an “incorrect handle provided in unspecified circumstances in Mojo on Windows”.

The flaw is tracked as CVE-2’25-2783, and it’s yet to be given a severity score. Google just lists it as “high” in its advisory. It was fixed with version 134.0.6998.178 that already rolled out, so make sure to double-check if you’ve already received it.

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Operation ForumTroll

The company did not detail who the attackers, or the victims, are, and just said it will restrict access to bug details and links until the majority of users update their browsers. It did, however, thank two Kaspersky researchers - Boris Larin and Igor Kuznetsov, for uncovering the flaw.

In a separate report, Kaspersky said the vulnerability was being used to escape the browser’s sandbox and deploy malware against targets in Russia.

The researchers spotted it while investigating a "spike in infections" from a previously unknown malware strain, Cyberinsider reported.

The campaign involves phishing, redirecting victims to primakovreadings[dot]info. The entire campaign was dubbed Operation ForumTroll and apparently, the goal is to conduct cyber-espionage.

Kaspersky also said Operation ForumTroll attackers also used a separate vulnerability to enable remote code execution on compromised endpoints. However, patching the Chrome flaw breaks the entire infection chain.

​"While research is still ongoing, but judging by the functionality of the sophisticated malware used in the attack, Kaspersky says the attackers' goal was likely espionage," Kaspersky said.

"The malicious emails contained invitations supposedly from the organizers of a scientific and expert forum, 'Primakov Readings,' targeting media outlets, educational institutions and government organizations in Russia. Based on the content of the emails, we dubbed the campaign Operation ForumTroll."

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As Saturn and Earth line up, Saturn's iconic rings will appear to vanish.

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• Xbox is testing a new feature known as Game Hubs
• It displays a one-stop dashboard for your game when you attempt to launch it
• Game Hubs are currently available to just a small number of Xbox Insiders

If you're part of the Xbox Insider program on Xbox Series X|S consoles, you might have been rolled into the testing of a new feature known as Game Hubs.

As reported by VGC, Game Hubs are appearing for Insiders when choosing a game to launch. Game Hubs are unique to the game you're choosing to play, and appear as a sort of dashboard before launching the game.

The hub displays information including total play time and achievements earned for each individual game. There are also tabs for quick access to DLC purchases and any screenshots you've captured.

According to VGC, some Hubs - like one for Disney Dreamlight Valley - may also show an 'Events' section which will detail upcoming or current in-game events. Presumably, such sections will show up in popular live service titles like Monster Hunter Wilds or Fortnite.

At present, the feature is only available to a select number of Xbox Insiders, and it's not yet known if or when it'll roll out to the wider Xbox user base.

Personally, it's a feature I've got mixed feelings on. It's certainly handy to have a one-stop dashboard for each game - PS5 games have a similar layout on the home dashboard.

However, I feel the PS5 implementation is less intrusive, as all this information is presented without opening up a separate menu. I'm also not a huge fan of having a good portion of the Game Hub dashboard dedicated to the display of downloadable content.

This will seemingly be on a game-by-game basis of course, and Game Hubs appear to default to the 'Play' button without exception. So at least you can still jump right into a game when they're implemented.

And with the way the Xbox dashboard is designed, this was probably the best way to add such a feature without doing a total user interface overhaul. For now, I'll reserve judgment until I get to try out Game Hubs for myself.

But I can't shake the feeling that it'll be a feature that I'll want to disable fairly swiftly.

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• A new early benchmark reveals that the RTX 5090 laptop GPU outperforms the RTX 4090 variant
• It performs 65% faster in Hogwarts Legacy on DLSS balanced at maximum graphics settings
• With Multi-Frame Generation frame rates are above and beyond what is provided by the RTX 4090 laptop GPU

Nvidia's RTX 5000 series GPU lineup still has more to offer, with new desktop and laptop GPUs in the pipeline. Fortunately, some early benchmarks on the upcoming flagship laptop variant are already here. Spoiler alert: they're very promising.

As reported by YouTuber Dave2D in a new video, the RTX 5090 laptop GPU outperforms its RTX 4090 predecessor across several different demanding titles, using DLSS upscaling in early benchmarks. This was in the new Razer Blade 16, utilizing an OLED 2560x1600 display, and it's currently available for pre-order.

The RTX 5090 features 24GB of GDDR7 VRAM over the previous 16GB GDDR6 seen in the 4090, likely playing a significant part in the performance uplifts. One of the examples in Dave2D’s video is Hogwarts Legacy: with ray tracing and DLSS on 'balanced' mode at ultra graphics settings, the RTX 5090 is 65% faster than the RTX 4090, a significant boost over the last-gen flagship laptop GPU.

In another demanding title, Black Myth: Wukong, the RTX 5090 runs 33% faster on the highest graphics preset, 'Cinematic', with DLSS set to balanced mode - and considering how heavy the title is even on desktop GPUs, that's definitely a significant boost.

It's also worth noting that the RTX 5090 also has a major advantage in Multi-Frame Generation, as it introduces up to three additional generated frames (per each rendered frame) compared to the original Frame Generation's one generated frame.

With MFG, an RTX 5000 series desktop or laptop GPU is a no-brainer

It's evident that Frame Generation is still frowned upon among some PC gamers: I'm aware of the 'fake frames' nickname, and while that may be true to an extent since the frames are AI-generated, it's not necessarily a bad thing if it provides a strong performance uptick with minimal downsides.

If gamers are lucky enough to own an RTX 5000 series desktop GPU or laptop, then it's fair to suggest that performance in most games will be at acceptable standards. Achieving at least 60fps (frames per second) with the likes of an RTX 5070 isn't difficult (even with the recent awful PC ports), and features like MFG take performance up another notch.

With a base frame rate of 30fps or slightly below, enabling Frame Generation will indeed increase frame rates, but it comes at the cost of significant input lag and ghosting in-game. However, when the base frame rate is already close to or above 60fps, input lag is reduced, and games feel smooth. Fortunately, the upcoming Reflex 2 feature from Nvidia intends to tackle latency issues.

While it's hard to obtain any RTX 5000 series hardware right now due to low availability and inflated prices (and I wouldn't advise it yet until all major issues are addressed), MFG makes it worthwhile, especially in non-competitive titles. And with new laptops on the way, there will soon be a new avenue for gamers to get their hands on Nvidia’s latest tech.

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• The Nespresso Vertuo Pop is available in a new color called Candy Pink
• It's the smallest and most affordable Nespresso machine around
• Nespresso has also launched two new flavored coffee capsules

The Nespresso Vertuo Pop is one of the best Nespresso machines you can buy, and now it has a fresh new look with a makeover in a pastel shade called Candy Pink.

It's available direct from Nespresso for $99.99 in the US (reduced from $129.99), £99 in the UK, and $229 in Australia.

The Vertuo Pop is the smallest Nespresso machine currently available, as well as the cheapest, but it doesn't skimp on performance. In fact, it's the machine I have in my own kitchen, which I use when I want one of my favorite Nespresso Coffee+ Ginseng Delight capsules, which launched earlier this year.

This energy-boosting brew is a blend of robusta and arabica beans with a hint of caramel to take off the bitter edge of the higher caffeine robusta. I find it works particularly well as a latte with oat or dairy milk.

(Image credit: Nespresso)

I'm not the only fan, either. Our reviewer Jennifer Olson called the Vertuo Pop "a fabulous entry-level coffee maker" and awarded it a full five stars. She particularly appreciated its compact design and ability to brew four different drink sizes: espresso, double espresso, gran lungo, and mug.

New brews

It's an exciting time for Nespresso fans. Last week, the company released two new capsules to try in your machine: limited-edition Barista Creations White Chocolate and Strawberry, with a 100% arabica base for a fruity flavor, and Coffee+ Active, with biscuit and vanilla notes and added vitamin B6. I've got my hands on both new flavors and will bring you my full tasting notes very soon.

Thinking about picking up a Nespresso Vertuo Pop machine? Take a look at our full review, and check out today's best prices below.

If you prefer to make your coffee the traditional way, our list of the best coffee makers will steer you in the right direction, whether you prefer espresso, filter, or capsules.

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• Broadcom was recently tipped off about an authentication bypass flaw in VMware Tools
• The 7.8 bug was quickly fixed, but no workarounds are available
• The bug affects Windows users, while Linux and macOS users are safe

Broadcom has warned its users of a high-severity vulnerability recently discovered in VMware Tools, a toolset for virtual machines (VM) running on VMware platforms.

In a security advisory, the company said it released a fix for the flaw, suggesting users apply it as soon as possible.

VMware Tools is a set of utilities that enhances the performance, usability, and management of VMs running on VMware platforms. It improves graphics, enables seamless mouse movement, synchronizes time between host and VM, and allows for better integration between the guest OS and the host system.

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Performing "high-privilege operations"

Broadcom, the owner of VMware, said it was recently tipped off about an authentication bypass vulnerability by security researcher Sergey Bliznyuk of Positive Technologies.

The flaw is now being tracked as CVE-2025-22230, and was given a severity score of 7.8/10 (high).

“A malicious actor with non-administrative privileges on a Windows guest VM may gain the ability to perform certain high-privilege operations within that VM,” Broadcom said in the advisory, without mentioning if there is any evidence of abuse in the wild.

The company stressed there were no workarounds for this issue, suggesting applying the patch is the only way to mitigate the risk.

The bug was only found on the Windows platform, with Linux and macOS being safe.

“VMware Tools 12.4.6 which is part of VMware Tools 12.5.1 addresses the issue for Windows 32-bit,” Broadcom concluded.

Ransomware gangs and state-sponsored hackers “frequently target” VMware vulnerabilities, BleepingComputer reported, stating that VMware products were “widely used in enterprise operations” to store or transfer sensitive corporate data.

In late January 2025, for example, TechRadar Pro reported cybercriminals were using SSH tunneling functionality on VMware’s ESXi bare metal hypervisors for stealthy persistence, to help them deploy ransomware on target endpoints.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Apple Music Classical gets Listening Guides, Personalized Recommendations and Editorial Playlists
• These updates are app-only, and not for the web browser
• Apple Music Classical remains free for all Apple Music subscribers

If you're an Apple Music subscriber who's never thought to get into its dedicated and available-for-no-extra-cost Apple Music Classical app, now would be a good time to hit the download button.

Why? Because Apple Music Classical, the place where Apple Music has housed its massive classical music catalog since its launch in March 2023, (much of it in Dolby Atmos), just added three excellent new features: Listening Guides, Personalized Recommendations and – my favorite – Editorial Stations.

The trio of new perks are exclusive to the app (which is a shame, since just this month Apple Music Classical became available on the web), but Listening Guides is available in over 100 works from launch. It's described by Apple as "a groundbreaking new feature that takes users inside a notable work of music as they listen, highlighting details and explaining a work in real time as it unfolds phrase by musical phrase."

Every day is a learning day

I tried it while streaming Wolfie M's as no one calls the hugely prolific composer, who died tragically young) Clarinet Concerto in A Major, and it's like getting CliffsNotes in real time as you stream. Text appears happily on my iPhone, mentioning florid arpeggio runs, intense high trills, and smooth interchanges from the string section to guide us back to the major scale.

It's delightful – I even now know that in 1791 the clarinet was still a relatively new instrument, and that Mozart actually wrote this concerto for the bass clarinet. Every day is a learning day.

Right now, Listening Guides is available in English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. But Apple says more languages and works will be added – and won't those writers have their good work cut out for them? I look forward to it.

Personalized Recommendations, meanwhile, does what the name suggests, using your listening history to suggest related offerings, as well as new recordings of works you previously listened to.

Both of these perks are hugely welcome in a genre that has felt a little stoic to me thus far (it often feels like discovery across streaming sites is a little stilted when it comes to classical – you're expected to know what you like), but Editorial Stations is by far my favorite.

As you've probably guessed, it's a selection of continually playing playlists (like radio stations but without the DJ or ads) arranged by instrument, composer, period, or genre, curated by Apple Music Classical’s editors. I'm currently listening to one titled Opera, and Bizet's Carmen is all around me in Dolby Atmos.

Added to yesterday's launch of DJ in Apple Music to help budding disc jockeys build epic sets, plus the unavoidable fact that Apple Music Replay walked all over Spotify Wrapped at the end of last year, you can say this for Apple Music and its free-to-users Apple Music Classical sibling: it's good. It's one of the best music streaming services out there, and then some.

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