TechRadar News

• New Denon buds have 12mm drivers and a choice of open or ANC models
• Denon AH-C500W open earbuds are £99 / $99 (about AU$208)
• Denon AH-C840NCW ANC earbuds are £159 / $159 (about AU$334)

Denon has announced two pairs of true wireless earbuds; one with an open-ear design for environmental awareness, and one with hybrid active noise cancellation and transparency modes.

The new Denon AH-C500W and Denon AH-C840NCW earbuds come with Bluetooth LE Audio, Auracast and multi-point pairing, and they're both rated IPX4 for water resistance. Both offer strong battery life and feature Denon's 'FreeEdge' 12mm drivers.

These should be very impressive earbuds: we've previously reviewed the AH-C830NCW from 2022 and we really loved the sound quality. Our only major gripe was the "unremarkable" noise cancellation of those ANC buds, and Denon's had three years to work on that to rival the best noise cancelling earbuds.

The AH-C500W earbuds have an open design so you can hear the world around you (Image credit: Denon) Choose your fit

The open earbuds are the Denon AH-C500W, and they promise up to 24 hours of listening time from a single charge with a fast charge adding an extra hour of playback in just 10 minutes. The drivers are 12mm and there are dual microphones in each bud for clear calls.

They're open-ear in the same sense as the AirPods 4 are – they sit just outside the ear canal, with no tip inserted inside (unlike many of the best open earbuds that leave a bigger gap between your ear and the speaker). And then the ANC buds, the AH-C840NCW, are like the AirPods Pro 2 (and most of the best earbuds) in that they're a similar design but with the in-ear isolating tips.

The ANC buds, the AH-C840NCW, use their charging case to deliver battery life of 35 total hours, and they charge faster than their siblings: the extra hour of playback takes just five minutes from flat. There are three eartip sizes included.

The pair have similar designs to the AirPods models referenced above, but have two tempting elements that make them a great alternative. The first is more likely useful for Android users, and it's Bluetooth LE Audio support, which is capable of higher quality and better stability than regular Bluetooth (though support is still thin on the ground). Bluetooth Auracast support is also nice as a future-proofed option.

The other element is the price. The AH-C500W are £99 / $99 (about AU$208) and the AH-C840NCW are £159 / $159 (about AU$334). These are the kinds of prices that AirPods fall to when they hit record-low prices, so by having these as a starting price, Denon has a nice edge. Both sets of buds will be available to buy from 15 April 2025.

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• Another Galaxy S25 Edge price leak has appeared
• The phone could be costlier than the Galaxy S25 Plus
• We might see a full launch sometime next month

It seems clear that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is on the way, but how much is it going to cost? If the latest leak is accurate, the super-slim handset could be the second most expensive phone in the series, just behind the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

This comes from listings on two online retailers, Zanetti and Epto, spotted by 91mobiles. They put the pricing at either €1,361.41 or €1,363.90 for the 256GB version of the Galaxy S25 Edge, and €1,487.99 or €1,490.90 for the 512GB variant.

There's not much point giving you currency conversions for those prices, as they're unlikely to reflect the pricing elsewhere in the world. The main takeaway is that those prices are above the €1,246.99 starting price of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus in Italy.

That means the Galaxy S25 Edge pricing may well exceed the $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 that you can get the Galaxy S25 Plus for – even if these two retailers disagree about exactly how much money you're going to have to part with for the final S25 phone to launch.

The waiting game

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

This isn't the first time we've heard pricing rumors around the Galaxy S25 Edge. Information that emerged last month pointed to a price somewhere between €1,200 and €1,300, which lines up neatly with what we've heard in this latest leak.

All this is assuming the Galaxy S25 Edge is actually going to see the light of day again. We were given a brief glimpse of it at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked in January, and then again at the MWC 2025 trade show in Barcelona in March.

Since then, there's been talk of technical issues with the phone's production, and the rumored launch date has been pushed back from April 15 (next week) to May 13. Let's hope those issues can be resolved sooner rather than later.

There's lots to look forward to if and when the phone actually does appear. It's rumored to be bringing with it a vapor chamber cooling system, a bundled Gemini Advanced subscription, and impressive internal specs, as well as its ultra-thin chassis.

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• President Trump’s tariffs could lead to higher iPhone prices
• This appears to be causing customers to panic-buy Apple products
• But one analyst report says the rises might not be as bad as feared

Trump’s tariffs are already having an effect, but it’s unlikely to be one that the US President had anticipated. According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple customers are panic-buying iPhones ahead of what they fear could be steep price hikes.

Bloomberg cited “Employees from different Apple locations across the country” who reported that Apple Stores were filled with customers over the past weekend.

These buyers were seeking to snap up iPhones to beat price rises that could potentially happen as a result of the US tariffs, Bloomberg said, with some Apple employees saying they were being bombarded with questions on the matter.

Right now, most iPhones are made in China, which is due to be hit with 54% tariffs over the coming days. That could rise to as much as 104%, as per Trump’s latest threat, which might be spurring shoppers to buy now.

Impossible to predict

(Image credit: Apple)

Interestingly, there’s very little consensus on how the tariffs will affect Apple. Late last week, Rosenblatt Securities claimed that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could end up costing $2,300 – up from its current $1,599 price – thanks to the tariffs, with iPhone and Apple Watch costs shooting up 43% across the board. The analysts predicted similar 42% and 39% rises for the iPad and AirPods, respectively.

Yet a competing analysis has just emerged that suggests the price rises might not be as severe as has been feared. According to a report from analysts at UBS (via AppleInsider), the iPhone 16 Pro Max could see a price hike of up to $2,062 – still a hefty margin over the regular $1,599 price, but not as wince-inducing as the $2,300 alternative suggested by Rosenblatt Securities.

Part of that comes down to how Apple will deal with the tariffs. The company has a long history of keeping prices the same through thick and thin – the flagship iPhone has cost $999 since 2017, after all. It’s likely that it will put pressure on its suppliers to lower costs, and could absorb some of the price increases itself, Bloomberg reports.

That said, Apple is not averse to pushing up prices where necessary, something it did in the UK after the Brexit referendum caused market uncertainty, for example. Ultimately, Trump’s tariffs have resulted in so much uncertainty that predicting what will happen to the iPhone’s price is a fool’s errand, although it does mean that some degree of panic buying is understandable.

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• The Joy-Con 2 controllers will not feature Hall effect thumbsticks
• This was confirmed by a Nintendo executive in a new interview
• The technology could help prevent thumbstick drift

Almost every Nintendo Switch owner is aware of the dreaded Joy-Con drift, where the thumbsticks of the controllers can register false inputs after even just light use.

It was one of the biggest complaints with the original Nintendo Switch console and, while Nintendo did begin to offer free Joy-Con repairs in both the US and UK, many were hoping that the Joy-Con 2 controllers of the Nintendo Switch 2 would feature a revised design intended to address these issues.

One possible solution that has been posed by many would be the implementation of Hall effect technology, which removes the need for physical contact between components to increase durability in the long term.

Unfortunately, we now know that the Joy-Con 2 will not feature Hall effect technology. This was confirmed by Nintendo of America's senior vice president of product development and publishing Nate Bihldorff in a new interview with Nintendolife.

"The Joy-Con 2 controllers have been designed from the ground up," he said. "They're not Hall effect sticks, but they feel really good."

Bihldorff was also evasive when asked whether the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller will use Hall effect parts, which would indicate that it doesn't.

This is definitely bad news for those concerned about the durability of the Nintendo Switch 2 and, in my eyes, seems like a massive missed opportunity. What's the point of redesigning the entire console if you're just going to make the same mistakes as the first time around all over again?

Still, it might not be the end of the world as there are other technologies available that can help prevent drift.

TMR (Tunneling Magnetoresistance) thumbsticks, for example, rely on magnets that, like Hall effect components, remove the need for physical contact between parts. Hopefully we will learn a little more about the Joy-Con 2 controllers in the coming weeks.

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• Audio-Technica ATH-R30x are available now for $99 / £85 / AU$219
• Open-back headphones promising reference quality sound
• Made for content creators and home audio producers

Audio-Technica's latest open-back headphones come with a price so low I had to check it wasn’t a misprint: the ATH-R30x headphones are just $99 / £85 / AU$219. That's a very low price for a set of headphones with this kind of specification.

The ATH-R30x promise to deliver reference-quality audio, so they're targeted primarily at content creators and home-based music producers. That's me! And according to Audio-Technica, the new model delivers pro-level performance without the pro-level price tag of many of the best wired headphones.

(Image credit: Audio-Technica) Audio-Technica ATH-R30x: key features

The ATH-R30x are one of three pairs of reference headphones launched by the brand: they're launching alongside the ATH-R50x and the flagship ATH-R70xa, both of which attracted rave reviews.

Like those headphones the ATH-R30x offer a natural, neutral open-back listening experience – which can be just as attractive to audiophiles on a budget as creators. The driver here is 40mm, which is very slightly smaller than the one in the R30x's siblings, and unlike the other models the cable isn't removable.

Audio-Technica says that the "meticulous" transducer design "translates every diaphragm movement directly into sound" to deliver a spacious soundstage with natural clarity. Frequency response is 15Hz to 25kHz, impedance is 36 ohms and the sensitivity is 92dB.

I haven't heard these headphones yet but the hi-fi and music production blogs have, and they've said that these are very credible studio headphones: for example, Recording Magazine says they are "highly enjoyable" and "deliver outstanding sound at an incredible price."

The ATH-R30x are available from today, 8 April 2025.

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• Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has confirmed the cost of the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
• The software will seemingly cost $9.99 and releases day one on Nintendo Switch 2
• Bowser says the mini games in Welcome Tour are "very deep" and thinks $9.99 is "a fair price"

It looks like Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has confirmed the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.

Welcome Tour was unveiled during the exciting Nintendo Switch 2 Direct last week, where the company finally revealed the release date for the upcoming console - June 5, 2025 - and several launch titles, such as Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.

The price of Welcome Tour, a piece of launch day software featuring a series of mini games, was notably absent from the showcase; however, in a new interview with The Verge, Doug Bowser has now seemingly confirmed that it will cost $9.99, which he thinks is a "fair price".

"As this game was being developed, what’s been packed into it is a depth of minigame experiences," Bowser said.

"They’re very deep, they’re very repeatable. And so, as we looked at that depth of play experience and opportunity, we felt that $9.99 was a fair price to ask for that."

The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 was also missing from the Direct, so we didn't learn that the console will cost $449.99 / £395.99, or $499.99 / £429.99 for a Mario Kart World bundle, until after the broadcast.

Pre-orders are scheduled to open on April 8 in the UK, however, Nintendo has announced that it has delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in the US from its original April 9 date as it assesses the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration.

Nintendo confirmed it will share the new pre-order date soon and that the console's launch date is unchanged.

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• OpenAI is testing watermarks on ChatGPT 4o's image generation
• Found in the latest Android app beta, watermarks could affect free users
• Paid ChatGPT subscribers are likely to not see watermarking on images

ChatGPT 4o's image-generation capabilities have been the talk of the town over the last week or so, but it looks like free users might get hit with a downgrade very soon.

OpenAI is currently testing watermarks in a new version of the ChatGPT Android app and it looks like free users are going to be the ones to suffer.

Shared by @btibor91 on X, code in version 1.2025.0912509108 beta references "image-gen-watermark-for-free", hinting at upcoming watermarking presumably for users on the ChatGPT free plan.

This watermark implementation comes off the back of ChatGPT server overload following the release of 4o's impressive image-generation capabilities and the viral use of the platform to create Studio Ghibli-esque imagery.

Up until this point, the Studio Ghibli-style images have had no watermarking, causing huge concern among creatives as the ethics of AI image generation has once again been called into question.

Now it looks like you'll need to pay for ChatGPT Plus, which costs $20 / roughly £16 a month, in order to get full access to 4o's image-generation tool without watermarks and without a minuscule 3-a-day limit.

ChatGPT updates- Student Plus referral program now also available for Colombian students (Universidad Nacional de Colombia)- new mentions of "shared posts" in addition to shared conversation, canvas and deep research in the web app- the new ImageGen watermark is mentioned… pic.twitter.com/j4sYfWJXLBApril 5, 2025

Not confirmed, but likely

(Image credit: Future / ChatGPT)

While it's possible that OpenAI is just testing watermark capabilities in the beta release of the ChatGPT Android app, this implementation is likely to occur sooner rather than later.

There has been significant backlash following the viral trend of anime images that resemble Studio Ghibli, and this looks to be the first step in addressing those copyright concerns.

While ChatGPT Plus is already a compelling value proposition for those who use AI frequently, including a watermark on images generated by free users could see an increase in paid subscriptions.

That said, we don't know what these watermarks look like as of yet, and depending on how large they are it could be a positive step in regulating AI-generated images on social media.

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• A possible iOS 19 design has been shown off in a video
• App icons look a bit more circular and Android-like
• However, there's reason to doubt the accuracy of this leak

One of the more consistent rumors we’ve heard about iOS 19 is that it will usher in a major redesign, and look quite different to iOS 18 as a result. Exactly what it will look like, however, is disputed.

Leaker Jon Prosser claims to have a good idea though, having followed up an early look at the possible design of Apple’s upcoming software with a new YouTube video (via AppleInsider), showing a mock-up of iOS 19 that’s supposedly based on a more recent build.

If the video is accurate, iOS 19 could be taking some inspiration from Android, as the app icons are shown as being more circular than in iOS 18, bringing them more in line with some Android skins.

Other changes include a more glass-like design, with some translucent elements to the interface, and some visionOS-inspired parts, such as a new pill-shaped bar at the bottom of many built-in apps.

Don't count on this

You can see all this in the video, but it’s worth taking these images with a serious helping of salt. For one thing, Prosser has a mixed track record – he has accurately leaked some things in the past, but he's also been very wrong about others.

For another thing, when Prosser previously leaked iOS 19, Apple watcher Mark Gurman (who has a much better track record) posted on X saying the images aren’t representative. This time around he simply reposted that message, so he’s seemingly no more confident about Prosser’s updated iOS 19 information than he was about the original leak.

Who’s right here? We probably won’t know for sure until WWDC 2025 in June, where Apple is likely to announce the new operating system. Given Gurman’s better track record though, we’re skeptical of this leak.

It’s worth noting, though, that Gurman himself has said to expect a redesign of some kind, so we’re likely to see big changes in iOS 19 – it just might not look like this.

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• Google's Scam Detection feature uses AI to detect calls from scammers as they happen
• The feature is now available on Pixel Watch
• It means users will get Scam Detection alerts without the need to take their phone out of their pocket

Google recently rolled out its AI-powered Scam Detection feature to Pixel phones, and now the feature is coming to the Pixel Watch, bringing alerts directly to your wrist in real-time.

From today, Pixel Watch 2 and 3 users will be able to get Scam Detection alerts directly on their wrist, meaning they don't have to take their phone out of their pocket while on a call in order to receive the alerts.

Scam Detection uses AI to detect conversation patterns commonly used by scammers as they happen. While it's not 100% accurate, and scammers often switch up their approach, if the AI picks up anything fishy, it'll alert you with a notification, sound, and vibration.

Previously, that would work on the Pixel Phone, and now it works on the Watch too. It means you can take calls from unknown numbers directly from your wrist with more confidence, and it is a brilliant extension of this very helpful feature.

Pixel Watch scam detection

There are many ways to deal with scam calls, but Google's AI-powered solution is definitely one of the most novel solutions and much more effective than simply choosing to ignore calls or silencing calls from unknown numbers.

To get it to work on your wrist, you'll need either a Pixel Watch 2 or 3 connected to a Pixel 9 or later. The two devices will need to be paired via Bluetooth for the feature to work, and Scam Detection only works in the US for calls in English.

Scam Detection is turned on via your Pixel Phone's Settings under Scam Detection. Once turned on, you'll hear a beep at the start of the call and intermittently during calls so that you know it's working.

The latest Scam Detection addition is another reason the Pixel Watch 3 (and its predecessor) are some of the best Android smartwatches you can buy, especially when paired with a Google phone.

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• Microsoft is deploying the monthly patch for Windows 11 24H2 today
• It’ll arrive with useful fixes, including the cure for a weird File Explorer bug
• A couple of problems with wake-from-sleep functionality have also been resolved, but Microsoft has taken some time to implement these fixes

Microsoft pushes out its monthly round of updates later today (likely imminently), and the patch for Windows 11 version 24H2 is set to come with some important fixes.

As Windows Latest reports, the cumulative update for April delivers the resolution of an annoying File Explorer bug, and more besides.

As a quick reminder, File Explorer is the app in Windows that powers the very folders and files you work with on the desktop likely on a daily basis. The bug means that when users click the three-dot icon in the top menu bar (to access extra options), the flyout menu extends upwards rather than down.

What this means is that if the File Explorer window in question is near the top of the screen, the menu actually goes off the top of the desktop, so you can’t click on some of those extra options, as they’re not visible.

Windows Latest further outlines some other fixes Microsoft is providing with the April update, and that includes the cure for a problem where a Windows 11 24H2 device would wake from sleep and immediately crash with a Blue Screen of Death. (Perhaps soon to become a Black Screen of Death).

Another issue with coming out of sleep mode, where a 2-in-1 laptop would change its screen orientation to portrait mode randomly, has also been remedied – likely a driver-related issue with the orientation sensors.

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: Fixing the holes

These are some useful fixes, then, and Microsoft will possibly deliver more with the April update for Windows 11 24H2, too. We shall have to see the full patch notes when the update actually lands.

The File Explorer issue may not have been a huge problem, as it was easy enough to work around. By this, I mean if a File Explorer window had a menu flying off the top of the screen, you could simply drag that window down lower on the desktop to see the full contents of the three-dot menu.

Still, that’s clunky, and not something you should have to do at all. What’s odd is the rather baffling nature of this bug – how did this go wrong in the first place? – and the time Microsoft took to fix it. This gremlin has been present in Windows 11 since November 2024, in fact.

On top of that, Windows Latest notes that Microsoft is currently deploying bug fixes (or at least some of them, including this one) as a controlled rollout. In other words, not every Windows 11 user will get this to begin with, and you may have to wait. Officially, this cure became available with the preview update of this imminent patch – released late in March – and the bug fix was only provided to a limited number of folks with that rollout.

Hopefully, from today, every Windows 11 user will see this problem - and the other aforementioned bugbears - ironed out in swift fashion.

Speaking of ironing, there’s still work to be done smoothing out further wrinkles with Windows 11 24H2 – some of which have been very weird affairs indeed – but hopefully Microsoft will start to get fully on top of all the issues for the latest incarnation of its desktop OS as we come towards the middle of 2025.

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The American National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) is rather busy on the cryptographic front these days. Not only has it been busy in the area of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), it is also in the process of standardizing the lightweight cipher Ascon, and it is also embarking soon on a major effort to examine threshold cryptography, but in late 2024 it announced that it would be looking at standardizing a larger block size variant of the AES algorithm.

To understand what this proposal is, and why it is important, we need to dig a bit deeper into what a block cipher is, and the history of the AES algorithm.

Block ciphers explained

A block cipher is a mechanism to encrypt single blocks of data using a secret key. The two important characteristics of a block cipher are the number of bits needed to determine the key (the so-called key size) and the size of the data which each application of the block cipher encrypts (the co-called block size).

Children often encounter block ciphers as a first introduction to cryptography by making a table of letters, and then placing a random permutation of the letters underneath them such as

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M

T - M- A - H - X - S - C - Q - N - R - P - D -E

So the word BAD would encrypt to the ciphertext MTH. In this example the key is the second row of the table (you need the second row to encrypt and decrypt). This gives a total number of keys of

26 · 25 · 24 ··· 3 · 2 · 1 ≈ 2 88.3

which corresponds to a key size of 88.3 bits. The block size is however only one letter, i.e. something which can be represented in bits. This key size is quite large, if I just gave you an encrypted message of three letters it would be hard to determine the key.

However, because the block size is small it is easy to break in practice, since a large encrypted text will reveal repeats of plaintext blocks. For example the words “HIDE ME” will encrypt to “QNHX EX”, and we can see the repetition of X encrypting E. As we know E is the most likely letter in English this means it is likely that the attacker can guess X encrypts E.

Even if we were encrypting random messages (and not English) this repetition of blocks is a way for an attacker to attack any system which uses the block cipher. Due to the birthday paradox, if we have a block size of b bits, then we expect such a collision to after a few blocks. For the case of our toy cipher this means, for a random message, we expect a collision to occur after about 5 blocks.

AES

AES is a block cipher, which is the workhorse of almost all cryptographic systems in the world today. It was standardized by NIST in 2001, and has a variable key size of 128, 192 and 256 bits, but a fixed block size of 128 bits. This fixing of the block size was not originally on the cards.

In the original preliminary call for AES, NIST proposed having 128, 192 and 256 bit key sizes, with a fixed block size of 128-bits, but with the option for other block sizes.

However, as the process to choose AES progressed, in the official first call in 1997 NIST decided to focus only on 128 bit block sizes. In 2001 this block size seemed alright. After all, it means that for a random message we only expect to output blocks to be identical after ciphertext blocks, or 256 Exabytes.

The problem is that this “seemed alright” was not quite true. AES was actually based on an algorithm called Rijndael (invented by two Belgian mathematicians called Joan Daemen and Vincent Rijmen). In its original design, submitted to NIST, Rijndael had three possible key sizes (128, 192 and 256 bits) and three possible block sizes (128, 192 and 256 bits).

As we just remarked, during the AES process, in order to simplify the competition, NIST decided that it would only focus on 128-bit block sizes. Thus the original Rijndael design was modified to only allow one block size.

Unfortunate consequences

The fact that collisions happen more likely with a smaller block size means that applications needed to limit the number of blocks they could encrypt. This means that we only use a single 128-bit key to encrypt a relatively small amount of data. In practice this limit on the amount one can encrypt with one key becomes blocks, or only 64 Gigabytes (which is less than most harddisks in a laptop these days) , when AES is used in its most popular scenario (called AES-GCM mode). Meaning we need to rekey our ciphers more often, or use another method of calling AES.

Due to AES being super fast in hardware it would be good if we could use AES to construct a hash function (which are very slow normally). One can use block ciphers to construct hash functions, but they are not very secure (or are more complex to construct) unless the block cipher has a big block size (such as 256 bits).

The mismatch between block size and key size for the AES algorithm led to a theoretical “attack” (in a very special situation) on the AES algorithm with 256 bit key size in 2009 due to Biryukov and Khovratovich. Thus AES-256, with its 128-bit block size, was not as good as one would expect. On the other hand using Rijndael with 256-bit key and 256- bit block size would have avoided this “attack”.

Summary

Thus what NIST has announced is to revisit, what in hindsight, was the mistake it made back in 2001. AES should really have been standardized with a 256 bit block size variant.

If cryptographers had a DeLorean time machine they would go back about twenty five years, and modify the AES competition so that the final decision would have allowed AES to be used with a 256-bit block size.

We've compiled a list of the best encryption software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Watch Celebrity Big Brother 2025 online

Celebrity Big Brother is back, with another set of familiar faces looking to stick out the UK version of television's original social experiment to its end. UK viewers can catch daily episodes live and on demand on the free-to-air ITV and ITVX services, and if you're away, you can watch Celebrity Big Brother 2025 online from anywhere with a VPN.

AJ Odudu and Will Best are back on hosting duties for the 24th edition of the celebrity-based shenanigans and Monday's launch episode saw the 13 contestants enter the house – you can see a full list at the bottom of this article.

This year's main attraction is Oscar-nominated actor Mickey Rourke, with the Hollywood star intermingling with the likes of the unlikely best chums RuPaul's Drag Race UK's Danny Beard and bouffant-haired former MP Michael Fabricant. Joining them are one-hit-wonder Chesney Hawkes, Eastenders legend Patsy Palmer and double Olympic champion Daley Thompson, with Love Island's Chris Hughes looking like an early favorite.

Thankfully for Mickey (and some viewers, no doubt), Hawkes has been on hand to explain who his fellow housemates are. The actor's low key manner is the polar opposite of JoJo Siwa's pink-and-sequin energy. So far it's all been good vibes, special powers and getting-to-know-yous – the drama is yet to come.

Below we’ve got all the information on where to watch Celebrity Big Brother 2025 online and stream every episode from wherever you are.

Can I watch Celebrity Big Brother 2025 for FREE?

Viewers in the UK can watch series 24 of Celebrity Big Brother completely FREE on ITV1 on TV and its ITVX streaming service online.

Use a VPN to access you usual streaming services from abroad. Full details on how follow...

How to watch Celebrity Big Brother 2025 from outside your country

If you’re traveling abroad when Celebrity Big Brother 2025 airs, you’ll be unable to watch the show like you normally would due to regional restrictions. Luckily, there’s an easy solution.

Downloading a VPN (Virtual Private Network) will allow you to stream online, no matter where you are. It's a simple bit of software that changes your IP address, meaning that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.

Use a VPN to watch Celebrity Big Brother from anywhere.

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How to watch Celebrity Big Brother 2025 online in the UK

Since returning to screens last year, Brits can now watch Celebrity Big Brother 2025 episodes every night of the week at 9pm BST on ITV1. Episodes will be an hour each.

It will also be available to stream for FREE both live and on demand on the ITVX streaming platform.

Its sister show – Celebrity Big Brother: Late & Live – goes out immediately after each daily episode on ITV2 and will also be available to stream online in the same way on ITVX.

Away from the UK right now? Just use a VPN to alter your IP address so you can stream your favorite TV shows and films online just like you would at home. More details above.

Can I watch Celebrity Big Brother UK online in the US, Canada or Australia?

The British version of Celebrity Big Brother only airs in the UK, so you won't find it in your TV listings or on streaming services if you're overseas.

That means that the only way that Brits abroad can watch episodes is by using a VPN. We've explained above how to do that and what service we recommend – for us, the best is NordVPN.

Celebrity Big Brother 2025 housemates

• Danny Beard – drag queen
• Angellica Bell – TV presenter
• Michael Fabricant – politician
• Trisha Goddard – TV presenter
• Chesney Hawkes – singer
• Chris Hughes – Love Island contestant
• Patsy Palmer – EastEnders actress
• Donna Preston – actress
• Mickey Rourke – Hollywood actor
• Jack P. Shepherd – Coronation Street actor
• JoJo Siwa – TV personality
• Daley Thompson – former Olympic athlete
• Ella Rae Wise – The Only Way Is Essex cast member

• Apple has released its iOS 18.4 software update, which includes 8 new emojis
• The new emojis come at the same time as iOS 18.4's Ambient Music feature and new Photos tool
• Since being released, users have taken to the new additions well, especially Apple's new smiley emoji

It’s been a week since Apple released its latest iOS 18.4 update, and despite its rather rocky rollout of Apple Intelligence, the new software update packs some redeeming features - one of them being the addition of eight new emojis.

Apple’s library of emojis is extensive to say the very least, offering small visual elements that iPhone users including myself rely on to bring a text message or group chat to life.

Although the company has introduced only eight new ones, each is unique, and there’s one in particular that’s far too relatable. It’s easily the best one of the bunch.

Yes, new emojis are the most basic feature iOS 18.4 introduces – it also brings a new Photos tool and Ambient Music feature – but that doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to be excited about them.

I’ve had a real hard look at the eight new additions to Apple’s range of emojis and already I know which ones I’ll be using the most, and the ones I could do without - here’s my verdict.

8. Root vegetable

(Image credit: Unicode / Emojipedia)

Is it a turnip? Is it a radish? I don’t know. But what I do know is that this is the emoji I will be using the least. There are enough food emojis out there already, so what impact is this one having?

7. Bare tree

(Image credit: Unicode / Emojipedia)

I use Apple's nature emojis quite often, especially when captioning a photo with a picturesque natural landscape or quirky plant. The new bare tree emoji just looks a little sad, though.

The only instance where I would maybe use this is during autumn or even Halloween, but it’s not one I’m itching to use right now.

6. Spade/ shovel

(Image credit: Unicode / Emojipedia)

Let’s call a spade a spade. This one is on the more boring side of Apple’s iOS 18.4 emojis. If you have a particular attachment to spades or shovels, then perhaps you’ll find yourself visiting this emoji over and over. For me, not so much.

5. Flag of Sark

(Image credit: Unicode / Emojipedia)

Like most flag emojis, you’d only use them in very specific contexts or if you’re expressing national pride (I use the Welsh flag emoji constantly). That aside, it’s a pretty neat-looking flag, and it's nice to see Apple bring more national flags to its library.

4. Splatter

(Image credit: Unicode / Emojipedia)

From its design, the purple splatter emoji is another one that I would’ve thought was always part of the emoji gallery. But alas, it’s shiny and new.

This is another one that looks good, but the only thing that lets it down is the lack of different color options, which would entice me to use it more.

Perhaps the next iOS update will fix this?

3. Fingerprint

(Image credit: Unicode / Emojipedia)

The fingerprint emoji is just cool to look at. Is it as exciting as the new smiley emoji? I wouldn’t say so, but design-wise, it still packs a punch and is a solid addition to the emoji library.

2. Harp

(Image credit: Unicode / Emojipedia)

It’s strange that a harp emoji is one of the new additions to iOS 18.4 because I would’ve assumed that this was always there. That shows how often I use musical instrument emojis.

Though this is a very specific emoji, it’s very summery. With all the summer photo dumps I have planned for the coming months, I could definitely see myself using this in an Instagram caption somewhere.

1. Undereye bags face

(Image credit: Unicode / Emojipedia)

Okay, so Apple does have a sense of humor after all. The new emoji face with undereye bags wins by a landslide, not because it’s particularly inventive or creative, but because it’s the most relatable.

Since iOS 18.4 was released, this emoji has received a lot of praise from Apple users for the reason above alone. This shows that relatability is everything when it comes to emojis, and there’s no doubt this one will be a hit with users.

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• The Nintendo Switch 2 retail price has proven controversial
• Some have speculated that the cost was in part due to potential US tariffs
• Nintendo of America Doug Bowser has now said that this is not the case

There's been a lot of discussion about the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 and now the Nintendo of America president has chimed in.

Some, including several notable industry analysts, have speculated that the $429.99 / £395.99 starting price was decided with potential US tariffs in mind.

Speaking in a new interview with The Verge, Doug Bowser has clarified that this is not the case. "Any previous tariffs were not factored into the price itself," he said plainly.

This would help explain why Nintendo has made the unprecedented decision to delay Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the US. In a statement provided to TechRadar, Nintendo stated that this was due to "the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions."

Bowser added that "the new [of the tariffs] is fresh, and like many companies right now, [Nintendo] are actively assessing what the impact may be."

He went on to try and explain the reasons behind the price tag, citing its improved specs and new features. He also said that "you want to consider pricing relative to Switch since we still have that in distribution but, really, the consideration was driven more by what is a part of this particular gaming experience versus what it is relative to the Switch."

The varied prices of games, for example the $79.99 / £74.99 Mario Kart World, has also been controversial. Bowser said that "each game, we believe, is a unique experience, and therefore can command a distinct price tag.

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• Security researchers uncover new flaw in WinRAR
• The flaw allowed threat actors to bypass Mark of the Web and deploy malware to Windows devices without warning
• WinRAR released a new version to fix the bug, so update now

Experts have uncovered a flaw in WinRAR which could allow threat actors to bypass the Mark of the Web (MotW) and deploy malware on people’s computers.

The vulnerability was discovered by Japanese researcher Shimamine Taihei from the Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions, and is now tracked as CVE-2025-31334, and was given a severity score of 6.8/10 (medium).

MotW is a security mechanism that displays a warning when an executable file is downloaded from the internet. It is built into Windows and serves as an additional layer of security, warning people that files downloaded from the internet might be dangerous - however, there is a way to work around the warning when a file is shared in an archived format.

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Symlink

“If symlink pointing at an executable was started from WinRAR shell, the executable Mark of the Web data was ignored,” WinRAR explained the vulnerability.

A symlink (short for symbolic link) is a shortcut or alias to a file or folder. Instead of copying a file, a symlink just points to it. Therefore, a hacker could create a symlink pointing to an executable with MotW, and if a victim runs it, the MotW wouldn’t show.

The vulnerability was found in all older versions of WinRAR, and it was addressed in version 7.11, which is now available for download.

Ever since Mark of the Web was introduced, cybercriminals have been looking for different ways to bypass it and deliver malware without warning.

In late January 2025, 7-Zip patched a major flaw that enabled just that. It is tracked as CVE-2025-0411 and was given a high severity score, 7/10. Earlier still, in 2022, researchers found a password-protected .ZIP file with an .ISO file inside that was able to bypass MotW.

To mitigate the risk, users should always keep their archivers up to date, and be vigilant when downloading files from the internet.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Marvel has released one final trailer for its Thunderbolts* movie
• The new teaser puts the focus squarely on Lewis Pullman's Sentry
• It reconfirms the superhero's dark alter-ego will be the film's Big Bad

Well, Marvel isn't hiding it anymore. As it ramps up its marketing campaign for Thunderbolts*, the comic book titan is no longer being coy about the movie's Big Bad.

Admittedly, it wasn't anyway. Anyone who's kept tabs on the final Marvel Phase 5 film's development since January 2024 will know who its main villain was likely to be. With each new round of footage, it's become more and more obvious who it'll be, too.

While Thunderbolts' official trailer heavily implied that its primary antagonist would be someone you expected to be a good guy, though, its latest teaser, which you can view below, just comes out and says it.

Who is the villain in Marvel's Thunderbolts movie?

The film's latest trailer confirms the titular band of misfits and disgraced heroes will face off against The Void, aka the nefarious alter-ego of Lewis Pullman's Bob Reynolds/Sentry. Heck, Pullman's mentally unstable superpowered being even says "I am The Void" in the teaser, which is as good a confirmation as any.

It sounds like Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, and company have got their work cut out, too. Pullman's Reynolds informs them "there's no use fighting" him, before CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine calls him "invincible, all-powerful [and] stronger than all of the Avengers rolled into one."

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If planet Earth had a supremely powerful human at its disposal, it begs the question: why wasn't he called upon to help the Avengers to try and stop Thanos from wiping out half of all life in the universe in Infinity War?

Based on how terrifying The Void appears to be, it wouldn't have been worth the risk. That's made clear when he menacingly says: "You have no idea what I'm capable of... maybe I should show you." Anyone else get shivers down their spine?

This seemingly timid guy – Bob Reynolds – is a potentially world-ending threat (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Anyway, Reynolds/Sentry/The Void will be sticking around in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for longer than many Marvel villains. Indeed, he was announced as part of the initial 27-strong cast that was announced for Avengers: Doomsday in late March. So, while we don't know how the eponymous ragtag group will actually 'defeat' Sentry/The Void, he will make it out of this film alive and play an active role in that Marvel Phase 6 flick.

Do you want to spoil anything else before Thunderbolts crashes into theaters on May 1 (UK) and May 2 (everywhere else), Marvel? I hope not. While we wait for the Disney subsidiary's next big-screen project to arrive, get the latest on it via my dedicated hub on Marvel's Thunderbolts movie.

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• Researchers found three malicious PyPI packages, two targeting bitcoin developers, and one WooCommerce stores
• Two are designed to steal data, and the third to test for valid credit cards
• All three have since been removed from the repository

Multiple open source software packages on the Python Package Index (PyPI) repository were found to be malicious, likely compromising thousands of devices, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers at ReversingLabs found two malicious packages, “bitcoinlibdbfix” and “bitcoinlib-dev”, which cumulatively have around 2,000 downloads.

They claim to be a fix for a legitimate Python module named “bitcoinlib”, which contains features for creating and managing cryptocurrency wallets.

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WooCommerce stores also under attack

Recently, the community discussed an issue related to how the package generates error messages.

The crooks saw this as an opportunity, created the two malicious packages and jumped into the conversation in an attempt to distribute them. It doesn’t seem to have worked: “The malicious content of that library was detected by the package contributors and the comments were deleted,” ReversingLabs said.

Both libraries attempted a similar attack, the researchers further explained. The idea was to overwrite the legitimate ‘clw cli’ command with malicious code, exfiltrating sensitive database files.

At the same time, researchers from Socket found a third package, which doesn’t target bitcoin developers, but rather WooCommerce stores. Furthermore, this package doesn’t even try to hide its true intentions, and instead is “openly malicious”. Despite being obvious malware, it still managed to rake in 37,217 downloads.

The malware is called “disgrasya” and works as a fully automated carding script. "The malicious payload was introduced in version 7.36.9, and all subsequent versions carried the same embedded attack logic," Socket said.

Carding is a type of cybercrime where stolen credit card information is used to make unauthorized purchases or test if the card is still active. Since criminals often buy these card details from the dark web, whoever built and distributed disgrasya could have profited greatly from it.

Via The Hacker News

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• Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones just got a free major AI upgrade
• S25 users will gain access to Visual AI in Gemini Live, via an update that's rolling out now
• Visual AI allows users to ask questions about what they see in real time on screen or via camera access

Samsung just announced that all Galaxy S25 users will get a brand-new Visual AI experience on their smartphones, and it's starting to roll out today – April 7, 2025 – as an update.

The upgrade, powered by Google Gemini, allows S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra smartphone owners to have 'real-time visual and conversational interactions' with Gemini Live.

In the press release published on Samsung's website, the company gives multiple examples of how Visual AI can help users get even more from Gemini, which is built into the best Galaxy smartphones.

With Visual AI, you can grant Gemini Live access to your camera and screen sharing, and the AI voice assistant will be able to tell you what you're looking at.

Samsung says the new upgrade to Gemini Live means the AI can 'have a real-time conversation with users about what it sees – making everyday tasks easier.'

If you own a Samsung S25 device, the free update is starting to roll out today. So, you'll want to keep your eyes peeled for an update to take full advantage of this new Visual AI feature.

(Image credit: Samsung) Google and Samsung continue their strong partnership

“Together with Google, we are marking a bold step toward the future of mobile AI, delivering smarter interactions that are deeply in sync with how we live, work and communicate,” said Jay Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Customer Experience Office, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics.

The partnership between the two companies is stronger than ever, with Galaxy AI deeply intertwined with Google Gemini on S25 devices.

Kim added, "With this new visual capability, Galaxy S25 series brings next-generation AI experiences to life, setting new standards for how users engage with the world through their devices.”

I'm excited to try Visual AI, as I absolutely love the ability to ask Gemini questions about what's on my screen via text on Android.

Adding that functionality to Gemini Live will make S25 devices feel even more alive, taking a huge leap towards a future where we all have an AI voice assistant in our pockets capable of managing the mundane elements of life.

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Disney has unveiled the first trailer for the upcoming sequel to a legacy sequel, Tron: Ares.

Some 15 years since we last ventured inside the Grid, the new film "follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with AI beings". And judging by the trailer, which can be viewed below, it’s going to be a wild ride, with all the Light Cycle action fans could want after a decade and a half of waiting.

The history of the Tron franchise has been a case of enduring IP, little content. The first film arrived in 1982, riding the wave of the then-new video game and arcade craze with a story that saw a fresh faced Jeff Bridges play Kevin Flynn, a game developer transported inside a computer world. Using pioneering CGI, the film introduced the iconic Light Cycles, presenting a wholly original fantasy world.

While sequels were mooted straight away, it took until 2010 for Tron: Legacy to finally hit screens, focusing on Kevin’s son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) and his investigation into his father’s disappearance, ultimately leading him into another, altogether more modern digital world.

While the film saw Jeff Bridges reprise his role and used state of the art 3D effects, a sequel failed to materialize, and it’s best remembered for the iconic soundtrack by Daft Punk.

An Animated TV series, Tron: Uprising – which you won't see ranking among the best Disney+ series – set between the two movies, aired on Disney XD in 2012, but failed to gather momentum and was cancelled after one season. Disney has kept the franchise alive via their parks however, with Tron Light Cycle Power Run serving as a flagship roller coaster attraction in both their Shanghai and Orlando resorts.

What can we expect from Tron: Ares?

Tron: Ares looks to be a big swing from Disney to keep the franchise relevant, and judging by this first trailer, could be one of the best Disney+ movies of the year.

While much of the plot is being kept under wraps for now, we do know that Jared Leto plays Ares, a sophisticated, sentient program which makes its way from the digital world to our own. The trailer’s glimpse of a neon red Light Cycle slicing a police cruiser in two while speeding down a packed highway has us very excited for what’s in store, especially if Nine Inch Nails’ full score (Daft who?) is half as thumping as the snippet we hear in the trailer.

Coming from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales director Joachim Rønning, the third installment in the saga also appears to be very much a soft reboot of the franchise, with none of the threads left hanging after Legacy’s conclusion seemingly picked up, and although we hear Jeff Bridges gravely voiceover, his role could well be cameo stuff. The new sneak peak also gives us our first glimpse of Greta Lee as Eve, Evan Peters as Julian and Gillian Anderson.

With a topical spin pitting the human race against ever-learning AI and eye-popping visuals, Tron: Ares looks like it will be well worth the wait for content starved franchise fans. We can't wait to plug back into the Grid when the threequel arrives on October 10.

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• Hackers are targeting business CRM accounts to steal mailing lists
• Emails used to send spam and trick people into setting up compromised crypto wallets
• The goal is to steal the money, so be on your guard

Hackers are stealing mailing lists from major companies and using them to break into people’s cryptocurrency wallets and snatch their funds.

A new report from cybersecurity researchers Silent Push, who dubbed the campaign ‘PoisonSeed’, outlined how the criminals first set up spoofed landing pages for companies such as Coinbase, Ledger, Mailchimp, SendGrid, Hubspot, and others. They harvest people’s login credentials, which allow cybercriminals to log into mailing service accounts and exfiltrate any mailing lists.

Then they would send emails, impersonating those companies, and urging users to set up a new Coinbase Wallet, using the seed phrase embedded in the email. A seed phrase is a series of 12 to 24 words generated by the wallet that gives access to the funds inside. It acts as a master key, so anyone who has it can restore the wallet and control the cryptocurrencies inside.

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Seed phrase poisoning attack

"Recipients of the bulk spam are targeted with a cryptocurrency seed phrase poisoning attack," Silent Push explained.

"As part of the attack, PoisonSeed provides security seed phrases to get potential victims to copy and paste them into new cryptocurrency wallets for future compromising."

Once users set up new wallets, and top them up with their funds, the criminals can simply send the money elsewhere, which is a permanent loss for the victims.

The researchers believe the campaign is the work of two “loosely aligned” threat actors, called Scattered Spider, and CryptoChameleon, both of which are reportedly part of a broader cybercrime ecosystem called The Com.

Since cryptocurrency is permissionless and decentralized, once the funds are sent from one wallet to another, the only way to retrieve them is to have the other side send the money back.

In 2024, the US government has seized tens of millions of dollars' worth of crypto, as part of a broader investigation into market manipulation, theft, fraud, and more.

Via The Hacker News

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