TechRadar News

• Valve's SteamOS 3.7 stable has official support for the Lenovo Legion Go S
• It also features limited support for other AMD-powered handhelds
• It's promised future support for other devices

Microsoft's Windows 11 has been present on most handheld gaming PCs, notably the Asus ROG Ally and the Lenovo Legion Go. However, that may be on the verge of changing, with Valve's Linux operating system first making its way to a new handheld.

As reported by VideoCardz, Valve's SteamOS 3.7 stable has been released with full Lenovo Legion Go S support, along with other AMD-powered handheld gaming PCs. While solutions like preview drivers or beta builds have been available, this is the first time Valve has provided gamers with installation instructions (specifically for the Lenovo Legion Go and Asus ROG Ally).

Compatibility includes other AMD-powered handheld gaming PCs, but it's important to note that Valve has stated that only the Legion Go S (and, of course, the Steam Deck) will have official SteamOS support. However, it highlights that it's continually working on improved support for other handhelds.

Fortunately, gamers still have other options such as Bazzite, which is essentially a SteamOS clone with additional features like Handheld Daemon for greater handheld functionality; most importantly, it arguably has more support through updates for desktop PCs, laptops, and handhelds.

It could be a while before we see SteamOS at its full capacity on non-Steam Deck devices, so Bazzite, ChimeraOS, and other SteamOS or Linux distros ideal for handheld gaming are certainly ones to look towards in the meantime.

(Image credit: Future)Another reason for Microsoft to step it up for handhelds with Windows 11...

Besides the issues with anti-cheat games not running on Linux (specifically SteamOS), running Microsoft's Windows 11 on handheld gaming PCs has few benefits.

Even with tools like Armoury Crate on the Asus ROG Ally, Microsoft has yet to acknowledge and support portable devices. Further, with the run of game-breaking bugs from Windows 11 24H2, I was convinced to install Bazzite.

I must say, I'm glad I did, as the SteamOS user experience for handhelds is significantly better than Windows 11. It helped me further appreciate the sleep function on the Steam Deck, which is a pain to deal with on Windows, as games can crash completely upon waking up your device. It's not an issue now since it's possible with other handhelds using SteamOS via distros or Valve's SteamOS distribution.

There are plenty of reasons why Microsoft should step it up with better Windows 11 features for handhelds, but now is the best time to act. Once devices other than the Legion Go S and Steam Deck have greater SteamOS support, I suspect even more PC gamers will turn away from the popular operating system...

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• Bosgame M5 mini-PC features an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor
• Integrated Radeon 8060S Graphics, up to 128GB of RAM, dual PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs
• There's also a performance switch, but what it actually does is a mystery for now

A new mini PC featuring AMD’s high-end Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip has surfaced, but this one didn’t come from a major brand like HP, Dell, or Lenovo.

The Bosgame M5 AI Mini Desktop has quietly gone up for pre-order, priced at $1,699 (a saving of $1,000 off its usual MSRP of $2,700), and it's raising some interesting questions about AMD’s rollout strategy for its powerful Strix Halo processor line.

The compact M5 comes with integrated Radeon 8060S Graphics and includes support for up to 128GB of RAM, dual PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD slots, a USB 4.0 front port, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.4. A dual-fan cooling setup and three heat pipes aim to keep thermal performance under control.

Performance switch

As Notebookcheck observes, the M5 has already appeared in Geekbench results. The listing shows a single-core score of 2,852, which is in line with expectations, but a lower-than-average multicore score of 16,044. This likely points to early firmware or software issues, as the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 typically averages around 21,000 in multicore tests.

One curious detail about the M5 is the inclusion of a "performance switch" button, shown briefly in Bosgame's promotional material. It’s unclear what this toggle actually does. It might be linked to TDP profiles, fan curves, or some kind of AI workload optimization, but for now we have no idea.

The Bosgame M5 AI Mini Desktop includes dual USB4 Type-C ports, multiple USB 3.2 and USB 2.0 ports, full-sized HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs for multi-monitor setups, and a 2.5Gbps RJ45 LAN port for stable wired networking.

A full-size SDXC card slot offers convenient media transfer for photographers and videographers, while dual audio jacks ensure flexible sound input and output.

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• Volvo will be one of the reference hardware platforms for Google's dev work
• Volvo cars will be the first to receive Google Gemini in the vehicle
• The Swedish company showcased an EX90 with Gemini at Google I/O

Volvo has announced that it will be a key player in Google’s delivery of Android Automotive updates, acting as one of the tech giant’s reference hardware platforms to speed up the introduction of new in-car features.

Showcasing the partnership at Google’s recent I/O 2025 event, the Swedish marque said that it will be among the first in the world to debut Gemini’s ‘conversational’ AI in its vehicle, highlighting what that could look like with an EX90 demonstration vehicle.

Volvo, alongside sister company Polestar, were among the first automakers to use an Android Automotive operating system, introducing the Google platform into the car and allowing for a more seamless, tablet-like infotainment experience.

Now, Volvo customers will be among the first in the world to be able to make use of Gemini, which harness the power of AI to offer a more conversational approach to the typical voice assistant.

Alongside being able to ask detailed questions about the vehicle (‘how do I change a tire?’ or ‘when is my next service due?’ are just a few examples), drivers will be able to easily navigate to locations based on conversational requests.

Navigating to a charging point that’s close to a highly-rated cafe will be as easy as posing that question, rather than having to make several clunky inputs into Google Maps.

Reducing driver distraction is arguably the key driver behind the technology, negating the temptation to search the web for suggestions when behind the wheel or interacting with a cumbersome touchscreen.

Volvo says that this kind of natural conversation can help reduce “your cognitive load so that you can stay focused on driving, reducing distractions for everyone onboard”.

Analysis: Gemini has the potential to revolutionize navigation

(Image credit: Google)

The announcement is great news for drivers, as it means Volvo – arguably the final word in automotive safety – will have an active input into the new connected experiences provided by Google.

A heavy use of Gemini AI will not only reduce the amount of distractions that modern automotive infotainment systems suffer from, but should also limit the amount of clunky voice inputs that are currently required to send a message or navigate to anything other than a very precise destination.

Particularly in the world of electric vehicles, where quickly navigating to nearby charging stations is often required on-the-fly, Gemini will be able to whittle these results down to the fastest outlets, those near public conveniences or even points with the lowest cost per kilowatt.

Plus, the ability to plug into Google’s ratings and reviews platform also means it will be easier to quickly locate and even book the best places to visit, while greater integration with G Drive, Calendars and more will hopefully make those hours on the road slightly more productive.

Above all else, all of these features will hopefully reduce the temptation for drivers to resort to picking up a smartphone in frustration, increasing safety on our roads.

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• Hospitality businesses are among the worst at maintaining good password health
• 123456789 and P@ssw0rd were among the top 20 most used
• Using better passwords and MFA is the best advice

A new study by NordPass has revealed just how widespread weak and predictable passwords can be, particularly within the hospitality industry.

According to the research, hotels, restaurants and other similar businesses are failing to secure critical systems like reservation platforms, POS systems and even staff accounts by opting for weak passwords that could put guest data and business operations at risk of cyberattacks.

NordPass also realized that many businesses are reusing similar or outdated passwords across systems, meaning that if a hacker can gain access to one platform, they may be able to move laterally within the business.

Hospitality businesses are really rubbish at passwords

Five password categories were highlighted as common options for businesses in this industry, including simple numeric sequences (123456789), general terms (Reservattions2021!), brand-related terms (Ramada@123), easy-to-guess patterns (P@ssw0rd) and developer or role-related terms (developer2). The five examples given aren't simply examples – they appear in NordPass's top 20 most commonly used passwords in hospitality.

"In hotels and restaurants, guests expect great service – not for their personal data to be on the menu," Head of Business Product Karolis Arbaciauskas commented. "The presence of multiple 'reservations' variants and brand-related terms suggests that many businesses still lack clear password hygiene policies," the notice reads.

The company, known for its password manager, shared four pieces of advice, beginning with the most obvious – to avoid predictable passwords that can be easily guessed or extracted via social engineering, which continues to be the most common method of entry for attackers.

Businesses should also implement multi-factor authentication for further protection, store their credentials in password managers, and build a security-aware culture with frequent and comprehensive training.

NordPass has three separate business-focused plans – Teams, Business and Enterprise – which offer features like SSO, secure sharing and compliance features.

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• Solidigm’s monster 122.88TB D5-P5336 SSD is now officially available
• It's designed to meet demands of modern hyperscale data infrastructure
• Initial estimates suggested $14,000, but you can order it for "just" $12,399

Originally announced in November 2024, the 122.88TB model of Solidigm’s D5-P5336 SSD has officially gone on sale.

If you’ve ever wondered how much one of these giant-capacity SSDs might set you back, the answer is: maybe not quite as much as you’d expect, as although early estimates placed its price close to $14,000, but you can actually pick up the drive from Tech-America for a much more affordable $12,399.

Obviously, this isn’t a drive for your typical PC rig - it uses a PCIe 4.0 interface and comes in U.2 (available now) and E1.L (expected later this year) form factors. It’s aimed at enterprise storage environments handling large-scale AI, machine learning, and data-intensive workloads.

Longer lasting QLC

The drive is built with 192-layer QLC NAND. With endurance rated at 0.60 drive writes per day and a total of 134.3 petabytes written over five years, the 122.88TB model is designed to last longer than earlier QLC offerings.

Solidigm, a US-based subsidiary of SK Hynix, reportedly tested the drive under extreme conditions. Running 32KB random writes at full load, the drive operated continuously for five years and retained around 5 percent of its life.

Performance claims include up to 930,000 IOPS for 4K random reads and 7.4GBps for sequential reads.

Solidigm markets its large SSD as a solution to space and power constraints in data centers, claiming that replacing traditional hybrid systems with its all-QLC drives could reduce rack usage from nine to one and cut power consumption by around 90 percent.

The drive joins other high-capacity SSDs announced in 2024, including models from Phison, Samsung, and Western Digital. Phison’s SSD supports PCIe Gen5 and offers faster peak throughput, though the D5-P5336 delivers a higher endurance rating and greater storage density.

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• Kioxia CM9 Series SSDs use 8th gen BiCS FLASH for enterprise performance
• Faster NAND speeds and power efficiency support AI and data centers
• Offers 61.44TB max, dual-port design, and massive write improvements

Kioxia has announced its CM9 Series PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs, marking the first enterprise drives built using its 8th generation BiCS FLASH 3D TLC memory.

With PCIe 5.0 and NVMe 2.0 support, the CM9 SSDs are designed to meet modern standards for data center storage by offering high-efficiency storage capable of supporting AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing.

These new SSDs feature CMOS directly bonded to array (CBA) architecture, an update designed to improve performance, power efficiency, and memory density. Kioxia’s use of CBA-based flash architecture promises faster NAND interface speeds and lower latency, which helps the drives deliver quicker data access and improved power efficiency.

Top-tier bit density

Compared to the previous CM7 series, the CM9 line shows increases of about 65% in random write speeds, 55% in random read, and 95% in sequential write speeds.

The CM9 SSDs, currently sampling to select customers, are built to handle read-intensive and mixed-use workloads in enterprise data centers and offer capacities of up to 61.44TB in 2.5-inch form and 30.72TB in E3.S configurations.

The drives are compatible with both the NVMe-MI 1.2c and OCP Datacenter NVMe SSD 2.5 specifications, and support dual-port configurations, making them suitable for enterprise environments where reliability and continuous access are critical.

Kioxia, which recently helped Linus Tech Tips smash the Pi calculation world record, says gains in power efficiency include roughly 55% better sequential read and 75% better sequential write performance per watt.

Although it’s early in the lifecycle of the CM9 Series, the specs and performance numbers suggest the company is aiming to strengthen its position in high-performance enterprise storage.

Axel Stoermann, Vice President and CTO for Embedded Memory and SSD, Kioxia Europe GmbH, said, “Alongside processing power and energy efficiency, memory is fundamental to enable AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing applications. The CM9 Series powered by our BiCS FLASH generation 8, is designed to address these storage demands, providing top-tier bit density, rapid data transfer, and outstanding power efficiency, all of which contribute to the superior performance of our SSDs."

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• Adata teases Project Titan SSD with possible 8K video output
• Early signs suggest Titan may combine fast storage and monitor support
• Titan points to future hybrid devices with both speed and display capabilities

Memory and storage maker Adata is setting its sights on building what could be among the fastest SSDs to date.

Under the banner of its new enterprise brand Trusta, the company is teasing a concept called Project Titan.

Although very few details are available, what we've seen suggests this drive will not only push speed boundaries but also feature a DisplayPort output, hinting at possible direct 8K monitor support, an unusual move for a storage device.

Cross-functional potential

The SSD is part of Adata’s wider showcase at Computex 2025, where it's focusing on products for AI, gaming, and edge computing.

Project Titan is featured alongside other Thunderbolt 5 external drives, some already capable of reaching up to 6,000MB/s transfer speeds.

What sets Titan apart is its potential for cross-functional use, possibly allowing creators to transfer large files at high speed while also outputting video directly to a monitor. That could mean less reliance on multiple devices and a more streamlined workflow for professionals.

Project Titan’s inclusion in the mobile storage lineup signals that Adata sees a shift happening in how people interact with high-speed storage. If the video output function is fully realized, it might pave the way for a new category of hybrid storage-visual devices.

While the technical specs remain under wraps, the branding and placement of Titan at the front of Adata’s product range hint at ambitious performance goals, likely aiming to top 10,000MB/s read/write rates seen in current Gen5 drives.

Adata isn’t revealing much about Titan just yet. Still, its positioning among other high-performance SSDs and its project name (which could well change) suggest it's intended to be a flagship product for the company.

This isn't the first Project Titan in the tech world. The name was previously used for Apple’s decade-long electric vehicle effort, which was ultimately scrapped, and for a Google project involving solar-powered drones designed to fly base stations over remote areas of the planet.

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• Amazon is aiming to introduce some Prime Video shows to new audiences
• The Rings of Power and Citadel could air on terrestrial channels outside of the US
• The aforementioned pair are two of the most expensive Amazon TV Originals ever made

Two of the most expensively assembled Amazon TV shows ever created could be available to watch on platforms other than Prime Video.

According to Amazon MGM Studios Distribution chief Chris Ottinger (as quoted by Variety), viewers may soon see some of the studio's first-party TV titles on another service.

Indeed, programs like The Rings of Power and Citadel, which are believed to be among the costliest Prime Video projects, might make their way onto terrestrial channels in non-US territories.

Per Variety's report, Amazon is already shopping the aforementioned duo around. Indeed, the distribution arm of its entertainment division is said to already be in talks with UK broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV, German networks RTL and ZDF, and Italy's Mediaset.

If any of the above parties decide to beam Citadel and Amazon's Lord of the Rings prequel series into people's homes in their respective nations, though, they won't come cheap.

Citadel season 1 crashed and burned following its April 2023 premiere (Image credit: Prime Video)

Speaking about The Rings of Power specifically, Ottinger told Variety: "We would want premium pricing because it’s a premium product.

"Season 1 was the biggest TV series premiere in the history of Prime Video and season 2 was the most-watched returning season ever on Prime Video at the time. Ultimately, it depends on the partner and where they plan to place it. If someone wants it for Thursday at 8 p.m. – a prime slot – I expect top dollar."

It's unclear how much money Prime Video is seeking to syndicate – a fancy industry term for the distribution of movies and shows – its first-party titles.

Nevertheless, Ottinger is confident this is the right strategy for Amazon to take. That's based on the success that its streaming rivals, such as Netflix, have enjoyed, including the sizeable bump in viewership and subscribers that Netflix secured upon licensing the Meghan Markle-starring Suits in 2023. With that in mind, it's an approach that Prime Video hopes to replicate by offering out its Movie and TV Originals to others.

"We brought premium library titles to market to test their performance on Prime Video while they also aired on third-party platforms," Ottinger added.

"One of the goals was to see if they’d benefit from a Netflix-style boost or if they’d end up cannibalizing our own viewership. The effect we saw was neutral to positive for Prime Video."

Amazon wants more eyes on (and monetary compensation for) some of its most expensive TV shows (Image credit: Prime Video)

Will Amazon shop around less expensive films and TV series in the future as well? That remains to be seen. The company's entertainment division has plans to offer two other shows – Countdown and Butterfly – to third-party channels. However, they'll only be available after an 18-month exclusivity period on Prime Video.

Nobody knows how costly this pair were to make, either, so it's hard to discern if Amazon needs to make its money back on those two like it does with The Rings of Power and Citadel.

The Rings of Power season 3 is currently in development and, once it debuts on one of the world's best streaming services, it'll be over halfway through its five-season run. Well, as long as one of the best Prime Video shows isn't canceled ahead of time.

Meanwhile, the future of Prime Video's spy-thriller franchise Citadel is less certain. In April, Amazon canceled second installments of Citadel's two spin-offs. And, while work is ongoing on the main series' sophomore outing, Amazon's acquisition of the James Bond franchise in February might have unofficially sounded the death knell for the Russo brothers-produced Prime Video Original.

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• Hundreds of thousands of phishing emails are anime-themed
• The victims are mostly Gen Z'ers
• Anime has never been this popular

Hackers are increasingly disguising malware as anime shows, taking advantage of the rising popularity of the Japanese animation format.

This is according to cybersecurity researchers Kaspersky, who analyzed phishing attacks occurring between Q2 2024 and Q1 2025, and found more than 250,000 being anime-themed.

Anime is a style of animated entertainment, first made in Japan. It spans TV series, films, and other adjacent formats. Kaspersky claims the format has never been as popular as it is today, among the Gen Z’ers (those born roughly in the early 2000’s).

Exclusive access to... malware

Apparently, two-thirds of the generation (65%) regularly watch anime, which has never been the case before. Not only that, but they also “connect to the characters,” the researcher said, and become “emotionally invested” in the shows.

That makes them quite susceptible to anime-themed phishing. Naruto seems to be the number one choice among threat actors, with roughly 114,000 attempted attacks. Demon Slayer was second with 44,000, followed by Attack on Titan, One Piece, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

The criminals are usually promising “exclusive episodes”, “leaked scenes”, or “premium access”, in order to get the victims to click on links, download malware, or share sensitive information.

While anime most certainly works well, it’s not the only thing hackers are using to target Gen Z’ers. Shrek, Stranger Things, Twilight, Inside Out, and Deadpool & Wolverine, are all popular choices, accounting for more than 43,000 attack attempts. There was a notable spike in early 2025, too, coinciding with the latest release of the Shrek trailer.

As usual, Kaspersky is warning everyone that things sounding too good to be true - usually end up being just that. Those interested in watching the latest shows should sign up for well-established, reputable streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+, and not resort to pirated or otherwise questionable sources.

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• Elden Ring is getting a movie adaptation, produced by A24
• Alex Garland is set to direct, but no plot or casting details have been confirmed
• TechRadar Gaming's Rhys Wood said: "I’m not exactly expecting a masterpiece"

Elden Ring was a huge success, receiving a perfect five-star review from TechRadar Gaming, as well as other outlets. Given its popularity, it's now headed to the big screen with director Alex Garland at the helm.

It appears Garland isn't resting on his laurels one bit. He's just written the hugely anticipated horror follow up 28 Years Later alongside Danny Boyle, while his recent A24 movie Civil War is among our best HBO Max movies, and his latest movie Warfare only just left theaters.

Now, he's got his eyes on the fantasy roleplaying game Elden Ring, collaborating with A24 once again. We don't know anything about Garland's direction or storyline just yet, so it's still early days.

Initial thoughts on the Elden Ring adaptation

(Image credit: Bandai Namco Entertainment)

It's natural to feel some level of apprehension when any game is adapted for the screen. We've seen mixed results, ranging from HBO's stunning The Last of Us TV series down to the abysmal Eli Roth Borderlands movie, where I wrote that "the era of good video game adaptations is officially over".

Perhaps I was being dramatic about that, but it's endlessly frustrating when some of our beloved video games are adapted so poorly.

One of the biggest concerns about the A24 adaptation is the sheer size of Elden Ring. Its open-world universe is huge, and while players can comfortably clock hundreds of hours on a video game, movies need to condense things considerably.

This was part of my concern when Prime Video adapted Fallout, but thankfully, the creative team there managed to bring the Wasteland to life very well indeed, so all hope is not lost.

Speaking about the Elden Ring movie, TechRadar Gaming's Rhys Wood said: "You can make a solid argument that Elden Ring is the crowning achievement of developer FromSoftware’s back catalog.

"But in all honesty, I can’t help but think translating the open-world action RPG to the silver screen is a fool’s errand. Even with a director as accomplished as Alex Garland attached to the project.

"Elden Ring, the game, is made special by its encouragement of player expression. From how players like to build their characters, to the order of discoveries they’ll make on that first playthrough, that’s something a linear fantasy movie simply isn’t going to be able to capture.

"I’ve no doubt that the Elden Ring movie will be a polished and well-made project with Garland at the helm, so I’ll keep an open mind for now, but I’m not exactly expecting a masterpiece."

Right now, the TechRadar team at large remains on the fence about Elden Ring's movie treatment, but perhaps we'll be proven wrong. Garland's history of knotty, weird movies could certainly suit the material well, but that won't help if it turns out to just be too unsuited to a movie runtime. We'll just have to wait patiently for more updates.

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• Three in four developers see AI integration as a pain point when building apps
• GenAI and agentic AI is freeing up more time for creative tasks
• It's also democratizing app development to new skill sets

Integrating AI into applications as a significant or moderate pain point.

However, the strong momentum for AI continues, with CEOs especially interested in agentic AI and many businesses still exploring their generative AI strategies.

According to Gartner research, the AI application development platforms market could be worth $5.2 billion – a figure that's only expected to rise.

Engineers are fed up with integrating AI into apps

Gartner VP Analyst Jim Scheibmeir said: "Even with business leaders focusing more on this technology and despite the growing hype, execution is not easy."

On the flip side, artificial intelligence is starting to become more useful in the application development process, with AI agents allowing developers to focus on complex and creative elements instead of having to handle repetitive workloads.

AI is also democratizing app development, which Gartner sees as a positive thing. Traditionally, the industry has been dominated by those proficient in the STEM fields, however team members with a focus on design, psychology and the arts can offer new perspectives and approaches.

By 2028, 40% of software team members could come from "nontraditional software engineering or technical backgrounds," or double the number that we see today, and that's thanks to advancements in generative AI.

However, AI is best seen as a human aid and not a replacement, therefore hiring for strong foundational skills like logic building and algorithm development remains essential.

"The future will be dominated by composable or fusion product teams that consist of software engineers, UX designers, product managers and even data scientists coming from both technical and nontechnical educational backgrounds," Gartner Principal Analyst Nitish Tyagi added.

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It's hard to believe that almost seven weeks have passed since The Last of Us season 2 made its debut. But, with its finale set to be released very soon, it's nearly time to bid farewell to the dystopian survival drama once more.

So, when will the seventh chapter of The Last of Us' latest season be with us? Below, I'll tell you when the hugely popular HBO TV Original's next entry will come out. I'll also reveal where you can stream it in the nations with the biggest audiences.

What time can I watch The Last of Us season 2 finale?

Depending on where you live, The Last of Us TV show's forthcoming episode will arrive on different dates and at different times.

Here's when you can stream it in the US, UK, and Australia, and some other nations (NB: if your country isn't listed below, you can use the following launch times to work out when you can watch it):

• US – Sunday, May 25 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada – Sunday, May 25 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Brazil – Sunday, May 25 at 10pm BRT
• UK – Monday, May 26 at 2am BST
• India – Monday, May 26 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore – Monday, May 26 at 9am SGT
• Japan – Monday, May 26 at 10am JST
• Australia – Monday, May 26 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand – Monday, May 26 at 1pm NZST

Where can I watch The Last of Us season 2's final episode?

If I ever were to lose you… #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/1lgtQ2hxDsMay 20, 2025

In some cases, one of the best Max shows is unsurprisingly going to be released on Max.

However, one of the world's best streaming services isn't available worldwide. If you live in a region where you can't access the soon-to-be rechristened HBO Max, fear not, because HBO's live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog's hugely successful video game franchise is available on a variety of other platforms.

Read on to find out where you can stream it:

• US – HBO and Max
• UK – Sky and Now TV
• Australia – Max and Foxtel
• Canada – Crave
• Brazil – Max
• India – JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar
• Singapore – Max
• Japan – U-Next and Max
• New Zealand – Neon

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• Shopify announced 150+ changes to its platform
• Many of the changes are AI-powered
• You can now use AI to generate site themes and edit blocks

Shopify, one of the best website builders, has just announced the Summer ‘25 Edition, a collection of major, minor, and mid-sized upgrades across its platform. The company promises easier and more efficient operations, improved shopping experiences, and more store customization as a result.

With the launch of Horizons, Shopify's new design foundation, themes take center stage. This includes the addition of 10 new store templates and an AI-powered block editor to help make them your own. Alternatively, you can use the new AI store theme builder to create a theme from a simple description of your brand - although you can only generate up to 3 personalized themes for free.

Shopify has added 10 new, free templates to its library. (Image credit: Shopify)

The ecommerce platform's assistant, Sidekick, has seen a significant update to offer enhanced reasoning abilities. According to Shopify, users will be able to ask things like “Why did sales decline last month?” and get thorough analyses with data from inventory levels, marketing campaigns, and seasonal trends.

Sidekick now also supports 20 languages, can be voice-controlled, and can be used to generate images.

'Multiplier of human ambition'

Other updates include the launch of AI shopping agents (connecting products to conversational platforms such as Perplexity), Shopify checkout in Roblox (allowing your customers to checkout physical products in the digital world of Roblox), and the Shopify Knowledge Base App, which automatically generates AI-readable FAQs based on the store's policies and settings.

Shopify unlocks a new sales channel with its Roblox integration. (Image credit: Shopify)

Shopify has also introduced Storefront MCP, a feature that allows developers to build AI agents that can make product recommendations based on a shopper’s intent. They can answer questions, create carts, and guide shoppers to the checkout.

“At Shopify, we believe AI is a great multiplier of human ambition, amplifying what's possible when entrepreneurs dream big,” the company said in its blog post. “That’s why we’re weaving powerful and intuitive AI tools into every part of our platform, so that building your business feels as natural as chatting about your dreams over coffee.”

As part of Shopify's bi-annual updates, there are more than 150 changes to the platform. So, if you’re a Shopify user, we recommend reading through the whole thing here to discover how the updates can help you.

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• Multiple US government agencies were targeted by Chinese hackers, Cisco Talos warns
• The hackers used a bug in Trimble Cityworks
• The vulnerability was fixed in February this year

Local government organizations across the United States were recently targeted by a Chinese threat actor looking to deploy various web shells and malware loaders. This is according to cybersecurity researchers Cisco Talos, who have been tracking the attacks since early 2025.

Cisco says the threat actors are tracked as UAT-6382 (usually short for Unknown Adversary Threat), and have been targeting organizations through a zero-day vulnerability in Trimble Cityworks.

Trimble Cityworks is a Geographic Information System (GIS) asset management and permitting software designed to help local governments and utilities manage infrastructure, maintenance, and operations efficiently.

In February this year, we reported the software was vulnerable to CVE-2025-0994, a high-severity deserialization bug with a severity score of 8.6 (high). The vulnerability allowed threat actors to perform remote code execution (RCE).

Cisco said the attackers used the zero-day to drop a Rust-based malware loader which, in turn, installed Cobalt Strike beacons and VSHell malware, which provided the Chinese with long-term, persistent access.

Patching the flaw

"Talos has found intrusions in enterprise networks of local governing bodies in the United States (U.S.), beginning January 2025 when initial exploitation first took place. Upon gaining access, UAT-6382 expressed a clear interest in pivoting to systems related to utilities management," Cisco said in its security advisory.

With access established, the attackers started dropping different web shells: AntSword, chinatso/Chopper, and more. All of these are written in Chinese. They were also dropping a custom loader called TetraLoader, which was written in Simplified Chinese.

As soon as news of the zero-day broke, Trimble released a patch, bringing Cityworks to versions 15.8.9 and 23.10 and mitigating the risk. It also warned about discovering some on-prem deployments having overprivileged IIS identity permissions, and added that some deployments haid incorrect attachment directory configurations.

At the time, there were no reports of victims or damages, but the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) still released a coordinated advisory, urging customers to apply the patches as soon as possible. In early February, the agency added it to KEV, giving Federal Civilian Executive Branch agencies a deadline to patch.

Via BleepingComputer

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Dan Brown’s legendary symbologist/action-hero has a new home over at Netflix, with the streamer set to adapt the author's upcoming new Robert Langdon book, The Secret of Secrets.

The adaptation has been co-created by Brown alongside former Lost producer Carlton Cuse, who will also serve as showrunner, and marks the fifth live action appearance of Langdon after three blockbuster movies and a somewhat forgotten Peacock show.

The franchise kicked off with The Da Vinci Code back in 2006, after the original 2003 novel became a global smash, selling over 80 million copies and becoming the best-selling American novel of all time.

The film adaptation was directed by Ron Howard and starred Tom Hanks as Langdon, alongside the likes of Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jean Reno and Paul Bettany.

Despite mixed critical reviews, the film was a hit with audiences, generating $760 million worldwide and becoming the second-highest-grossing film of the year (after Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, if you're interested).

Two sequels followed, with Angels and Demons – based on the first book in the franchise – arriving in 2009, and the belated Inferno, based on the fourth novel, hitting screens in 2016.

Howard returned to direct both instalments but poor reception and disappointing box office results saw the cinematic aspirations for the franchise put to bed with Hanks' trilogy.

Langdon did return, however, in the form of Peacock’s The Lost Symbol in 2021. The show reimagined the source novel as a prequel of sorts, casting Ashley Zukerman (Succession, Fear Street) as a young Robert Langdon, hired by the CIA to solve a series of puzzles linked to the disappearance of his mentor Peter Solomon (Eddie Izzard). However, the show was met with poor critical response, and dwindling audiences saw Peacock cancel the series after just one season.

But there seems to be life in the franchise yet, with one of the best streaming services set to skip book five in the series, Origin, and instead deliver a big budget adaptation of the upcoming sixth installment, The Secret of Secrets.

What can we expect from The Secret of Secrets?

(Image credit: Penguin Random House)

While Peacock’s iteration served as a quasi-prequel to the films, Netflix look set to completely reboot the franchise, with neither Hanks nor Zukerman set to reprise their role currently (and it's incredibly unlikely that will change), and no involvement from Howard.

The novel doesn’t land until September, so there’s not a huge amount out there about what we can expect from the new series, but Netflix has teased: “In the upcoming novel, Langdon, an esteemed symbologist, races against ancient forces and time to rescue a missing scientist, whose groundbreaking manuscript contains discoveries that have the power to forever change humanity’s understanding of the mind. The yet-to-be-titled TV series will blend futuristic science with mystical lore, delivering on the heart-pounding suspense and international intrigue that have made the Langdon stories a global phenomenon.”

We do know from previews of the novel that The Lost Symbol’s Katherine Solomon is likely to appear, previously played by Valorie Curry, while settings could include Prague, New York and London.

If previous Langdon adventures are anything to go by, we’d expect a global treasure hunt, cryptic puzzles and terrifying henchmen wrapped up in a race against time with a final act twist that’ll make your head spin.

Whatever the case, it’s likely to be an addictive, binge-worthy series and potentially one of the best Netflix shows, and I can’t wait to see who’ll be next to strap on the Mickey Mouse watch.

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The Marvel Rivals best controller settings can really make the difference when playing as certain Heroes. Depending on which character you prefer to use, your controller settings might be slightly different, with fast-moving characters like Spider-Man benefiting from high sensitivity and button mapping, while slower, more deliberate Heroes like Magneto will benefit from a tighter controller sensitivity.

Whether you're planning on jumping into Marvel Rivals' Competitive Mode or still experimenting in Quick Play, the tips below will give an overview of the main things to consider when setting up your controllers. I'll cover things like button mapping for those using pro controllers, what to consider when setting sensitivity, and how to apply custom settings for each Hero you use.

I've been playing Marvel Rivals since the beginning of Season 0, and have used my expertise to put together a Marvel Rivals tier list recently. Having toyed around with every Hero in the game, I'm confident that I'm able to give some advice on changes that'll help level the playing field in battle.

Marvel Rivals best controller settings: general tips

(Image credit: NetEase)

The best Marvel Rivals controller settings below cover some general tips for choosing your sensitivity and button mapping, as well as more tailored advice for specific class types and Heroes. Here are some general settings to consider:

• Horizontal Sensitivity: 180
• Vertical Sensitivity: 130
• Aim Sensitivity Curve: Linear
• Button Mapping: Jump on back paddle where possible
• Vibration: Tactical
• Trigger Effect Function: Off
• Wall-crawling: Advance toward crosshairs (Rocket, Venom, Spider-Man)
• Ally Health bars: On
• Aim Assist Window: 30
• Aim Assist Strength: 80

Choosing the best sensitivity for your play style

(Image credit: NetEase)

The sensitivity you choose is extremely important in Marvel Rivals and depends mostly on what character you pick. Generally, you'll want to increase your sensitivity from the default. I tend to apply a Horizontal Value of 180 and a Vertical Value of 130 to all Heroes, then tweak from there. There are some Heroes, like Spider-Man and Wolverine, that benefit from very high sensitivity indeed. On Spider-Man, I run 220 and 170, respectively, to allow for quick movement while web swinging.

If you're playing a slower character like Magneto, who generally fires simple projectiles and faces forwards while shielding enemies, you can crank the sensitivity down. I go as low as 150 and 120 when playing Magneto, though sometimes I'll increase sensitivity if I find myself having to protect my healers more in a given match.

(Image credit: NetEase)

Some of the Heroes in Marvel Rivals function like third-person shooters, like The Punisher. I find that a tighter sensitivity helps me hit my shots here. Experiment with different Heroes, then dial in your sensitivity based on their particular play style. With nearly 40 characters to choose from, there are a lot of different variables to consider. You might even look into Marvel Rivals Crosshairs, which will help dial in your Hero even further.

Marvel Rivals best Aim Sensitivity Curve

(Image credit: NetEase)

I recommend sticking with a Linear Aim Sensitivity curve, as it's likely what you'll be used to in other games. Personally, I've switched over to the Dual Zone S-Curve setting as I've gotten more and more used to Marvel Rivals, and Vanguard class Heroes in particular. Generally, I'm playing characters that need to stay locked onto enemies, only tilting the sticks gently to aim. I still swing the camera around occasionally to pivot my focus to my Strategists, so the S-Curve gives me a more gradual sensitivity increase above the midpoint.

Because of my play style, I like to have two distinct sensitivity portions to my sticks. Dual-Zone covers this, allowing me to use light movement to track enemies far away, and switch to a high sensitivity at a medium push of the sticks. After a while, I've learned to feel these parts of the sensitivity graph and can adjust my aiming accordingly.

Ultimately, you'll find that you'll naturally prefer one setting over another, but when starting out, I'd definitely stick to the default. This is especially suited to your early hours, where you're still experimenting with a wide variety of Heroes. Once you've found a main, you may wish to switch to another mode, like I have.

Dig into the Hero-specific controller settings

(Image credit: NetEase)

While in the Controller settings, and under 'Combat', you'll find the option to set specific settings per Hero. The majority of the Heroes in Marvel Rivals have exclusive settings. In the image above, you'll see that Magneto has options related to his shield, as well as his passive that lets him fall slowly from a height. Generally, I'd recommend turning on the option that lets you see the health bars of your allies. This is on by default when playing as a Strategist, but it's extremely helpful to have on most Heroes. The only exception here is for characters like Hela, where you'll want an unobstructed view for long-range kills.

Heroes like Spider-Man, Rocket, and Venom have climbing abilities, where I'd recommend selecting 'Advance towards crosshairs' for the direction. This is much easier to control than the default option. Speaking of Venom and Spider-Man, disable Auto-Swing, and you'll be able to web zip to the ground. Hold to Swing gives you more control as well. Whenever you're picking up a new character, spend some time in the Practice Range and dig into their Hero-specific settings, as some of them make a huge difference.

Make use of your back paddles

(Image credit: NetEase)

Now onto back paddles, which some of you will be using on certain controllers. I play Marvel Rivals using the DualSense Edge PS5 controller, so I have access to two back paddles. I have two different profiles set up, for different Heroes that I play as. The primary profile binds the 'X' button to the left back paddle, allowing me to jump without taking my hand off the right stick. This is my main recommendation for a button to map to a back paddle.

On the other I map either 'Square' for reload, and certain abilities like Spider-Man's Uppercut, or 'Circle' for Heroes like Mantis and Mr Fantastic, who have regular abilities that need to be triggered there. If you're lucky enough to have four back paddles, like with the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, I recommend sticking your general Ping onto one of them, and leaving the last one down to another one of your Hero's main abilities. For example, placing 'Triangle' onto a back paddle lets you activate Peni Parker's Symbiotic Team Up with Venom, without having to take your thumb off the right stick.

Setting your Trigger Effect Function and Vibration

(Image credit: NetEase)

Now onto vibration and triggers. It's usually recommended to switch off vibration completely while playing competitive games like Marvel Rivals, but I like having the Tactical setting selected. This gives cues when enemies are setting off ultimates, and generally just adds an extra level of immersion to battles. I find Marvel Rivals can get very visually messy, so audio and vibration can help me pick out what's happening more clearly.

For Trigger Effect Function, switch everything off. While the PS5's adaptive trigger features can be fun at times, they can be quite distracting when playing shooters. Similarly, I set my DualSense Edge to the lowest trigger input setting (smallest dot icon) using the switches on the back. They're closer to being buttons, meaning faster firing and simpler inputs.

Marvel Rivals best controller settings FAQCan you be good at Marvel Rivals on controller?

Yes, you can be very good at Marvel Rivals on controller. While you'll not have the precision of a mouse and keyboard player, Marvel Rivals is a Hero shooter, and is as much about understanding the game as it is about good aim. For this reason, Vanguards tend to be good choices for controller players, especially Doctor Strange and Magneto. The Punisher is also great, as the aim assist on controller really pairs well with his primary fire at range.

Ultimately, unless you're planning on getting into the top three ranks in Marvel Rivals, you'll do just fine on controller. Heroes like Cloak and Dagger and Jeff are good to start with, as they don't require precision aiming, and will help you learn the ins and outs of battle while playing.

What's the best controller to use for Marvel Rivals

The best controller to use in Marvel Rivals is the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro. It features six mappable buttons (two on the bumpers, four on the back), and makes use of proprietary Razer PC gaming mouse tech for satisfying inputs. There's Hall effect thumbtacks too, eliminating the risk of stick drift. You can pick up either an Xbox or PlayStation version of this controller.

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• Researchers found a huge database on the dark web
• The threat actors claim to have scraped it abusing a Facebook API
• Facebook says the database is years old

A hacker claims to have scraped 1.2 billion user records from Facebook, including people’s names, locations, and phone numbers. This is according to cybersecurity researchers Cybernews, who recently spotted a new thread on a dark web forum, promoting the gigantic database.

In the thread, the threat actor claims to have generated an entirely new database (rather than compiling information that was already available in the murky waters of the dark web), and that it contains user IDs, names, email addresses, usernames, phone numbers, locations, birthday data, and gender information.

Cybernews’ researchers analyzed parts of the data and confirmed that it is legitimate (at least the parts they looked at). This means that whoever grabs this database, can use the information found inside to launch highly convincing phishing attacks, engage in identity theft, and possibly even wire fraud.

Abusing extensions

But there are other things to consider. Cybernews, for one, says that the claim of 1.2 billion user records should be taken with a massive grain of salt, for a number of reasons.

First, the threat actor only posted once before, so their reputation is questionable. Secondly, there’s been a similar, but smaller leak, in recent history, prompting the researchers to suggest that maybe this is the same archive, only re-packaged with a little extra information thrown in.

The data was allegedly picked up by abusing a Facebook API. Meta, the social media giant’s parent company, did not deny it, but did suggest that the attackers are simple fraudsters trying to share an old database as something entirely new.

“This is not a new claim. We disclosed this years ago and have taken steps to prevent similar incidents from happening since,” a Meta spokesperson told Cybernews, and shared a link to a company’s blog on how it combats scraping.

The researchers believe this could be one of the biggest data scrapes to have come from Facebook, and a testament to the company’s poor sense of customer security and privacy:

“Repeated incidents show a pattern of reactive rather than proactive security measures, particularly when it comes to protecting data that’s publicly visible but still sensitive. The lack of stronger safeguards and transparency undermines trust and leaves millions potentially exposed to phishing, scam, possibly identity theft, and long-term privacy issues,” the team said.

Via Cybernews

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The relationship between cybersecurity and machine learning (ML) began with an ambitious, yet simple, idea. Harness everything algorithms have to offer and use it to identify patterns in vast datasets.

Prior to this, traditional threat detection relied heavily on signature-based techniques – effectively digital fingerprints of known threats. These methods, while helpful against familiar malware, struggled to meet the demand of the increasingly sophisticated tactics of cybercriminals and zero-day attacks.

In the end, this created a gap, which led to a wave of interest in using ML to identify anomalies, recognize patterns indicative of malicious behavior, and essentially predict attacks before they could fully wreak havoc. Some of the earliest successful applications of ML in the space included anomaly-based intrusion detection systems (IDS) and spam detection.

These early iterations relied heavily on observed learning, where historical data – both malicious and benign – was fed to algorithms to help them differentiate between the two. Over time, ML-powered applications grew to incorporate unsupervised learning and even reinforcement learning to adapt to the changing nature of the present threats.

Falling short of expectations

Recently, conversation has shifted to the introduction of large language models (LLM) like GPT-4. These models excel at summarizing reports, synthesizing large volumes of information, and generating natural language content. In the cybersecurity industy, they’ve been used to generate executive summaries and parse through threat intelligence feeds. Both of which require handling vast amounts of data and presenting it in an easy-to-understand form.

In line with this, we’ve seen the concept of a “copilot for security” surface – a tool intended to assist security analysts like a coding copilot helps a developer. The AI-powered copilot would act as a virtual Security Operations Center (SOC) analyst. Ideally, it would not just handle vast amounts of data and present it in a comprehendible way but also sift through alerts, contextualize incidents, and even propose follow up actions.

However, the ambition has fallen short. Whilst they show promise in specific workflows, LLMs have yet to deliver an indispensable and transformative use case for SOC teams.

Undoubtedly, cybersecurity is intrinsically contextual and complex. Analysts piece together fragmented information, understand the broader implications of a threat, and make decisions that require a nuanced understanding of their organization. All under immense pressure. These copilots can neither replace the expertise of a seasoned analyst nor effectively address the glaring pain points that they face. This is because they lack the situational awareness and deep understanding needed to make critical decisions.

This means that rather than serving as a dependable virtual analyst, these tools have often become a "solution looking for a problem.” Adding yet another layer of technology that analysts need to understand and manage, without delivering equal value.

A problem and solution: AI meet AI

As it stands, current implementations of AI are struggling to get into their groove. But, if businesses are going to properly support their SOC analysts, how do we bridge this gap?

The answer could lie in the development of agentic AI – systems capable of taking proactive independent actions, helping to combine automation and autonomy. Its introduction will help transform AI from a passive handy assistant to a crucial member of the SOC team.

By potentially allowing AI-driven entities to actively defend systems, engage in threat hunting, and adjust to novel threats without the constant need for human direction agentic AI offers a promising step forward for defensive cybersecurity. For example, instead of waiting for an analyst to issue commands, agentic AI could act on its own: isolating a compromised endpoint, rerouting network traffic, or even engaging in deception techniques to mislead attackers.

Have you put your trust in the machine?

Despite this potential, organizations have often been slow in adopting new autonomous security technology that can act on its own. And this uncertainty may be well founded. Nobody wants to stop a senior executive from using their laptop based on a false alert or cause an outage in production. However, with the relationship between ML and cybersecurity set to continue developing, businesses mustn’t be deterred. Attackers don’t have this barrier to overcome. Without a second thought, they will use AI to disrupt, steal and extort their selected targets. This year, it appears organizations will likely face the bleakest threat landscape to date, driven by a malicious use of AI.

Consequently, the only way for businesses to combat this will be to be to join the AI arms race - using agentic AI to backup overwhelmed SOC teams. This can be accomplished through autonomous proactive actions, which can enable organizations to actively defend systems, engage in threat hunting and adapt to unique threats without requiring human intervention.

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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

• Avengers: Doomsday may go head-to-head with another huge movie in late 2026
• The Marvel film's release was recently pushed back from May 2026 to December of that year
• Florence Pugh is expected to star in both movies

It's time to start preparing for the 2026 edition of Barbenheimer, everyone.

With Avengers: Doomsday being delayed until December 18, 2026, the highly-anticipated Marvel movie is set to do battle with another massive film late next year.

The film in question? Dune: Messiah, the third entry in the Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi epic franchise. At the time of publication, another of 2026's most exciting new movies is also set to land in theaters next year on December 18, and as long as Avengers 5 and Dune 3 keep their current release dates we could have another Barnerheimer-style movie viewing event on our hands.

For those who might need a reminder, Barbenheimer was the title bestowed on the event that saw the Margo Robbie-starring Barbie film and Christopher Nolan-directed Oppenheimer flick released on the same day in 2023. Their contrasting styles and genres, coupled with the sheer amount of talent involved in both productions, saw many fans flock to their local theater to watch back-to-back screenings of these films.

Timothée Chalamet will reprise his role as Paul Atreides in Dune: Messiah (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Messiah won't be as polarizing stylistically, but two of 2026's hottest commodities occupy different genres. The fifth Avengers film is unquestionably a comic book/superhero movie, while the Dune franchise – both Frank Herbert's books and its movie series namesake – sits squarely in the sci-fi realm.

In my view, that's enough to ensure they meet the criteria first laid out by Barbenheimer. That being, the stark contrast between both films is valid enough to create a similar movie-based phenomenon event around them. Avengers: Dunesday, anyone?

Of course, none of this will matter if Avengers 5 suffers another launch day setback. Alternatively, Warner Bros. Pictures and subsidiary studio Legendary might blink first and decide to delay Dune: Messiah's own release so it isn't forced to compete with the cinematic juggernaut that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

If Dune 3 and the second Marvel Phase 6 film retain their current release dates, though, Christmas 2026 is sure to be a happy (and money-spinning) one for Florence Pugh.

Florence Pugh could end up starring in two of the biggest (and final) film releases of 2026 (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Pugh, who recently starred as Yelena Belova in another MCU movie in Thunderbolts*, was announced as part of the initial 27-strong cast for Avengers: Doomsday in late March. However, Pugh is also expected to reprise her role as Princess Irulan, who she first played in Dune Part Two, in Dune: Messiah.

As long as Irulan is part of the latter's cast, Pugh is set to appear in two of the most anticipated films that'll launch before the end of 2026 – not bad for someone whose breakout role only came in 2019's A24 folk horror indie flick Midsommar, eh?

Realistically, though, I can't see Doomsday and Messiah releasing on the same day.

Filming isn't underway on the latter yet, and won't be for some time. Meanwhile, since the 2023 Hollywood strikes, numerous Marvel films have been delayed at least twice, so Doomsday could suffer a similar fate.

I'm not sure which movie will be shunted back into 2027 but, as much as I want Avengers: Dunesday to be a thing, it's already looking like a pipe dream – and that's before any more release date delays are potentially announced.

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In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, the growing capabilities of hardware and software integration means unprecedented opportunity for innovative design. Yet with great innovation comes great responsibility. The need to act on climate change grows more urgent every day. The data is stark: natural disasters are increasing in frequency, wildlife populations have declined by 69%, and UN scientists are calling for a 43% emissions cut by 2030 to achieve the targets set out in the Paris agreement.

Despite these pressures, many companies are not yet up to standard when it comes to managing their environmental impact. Last year, hundreds of businesses that originally committed to the UN’s campaign were removed for failing to set sufficiently meaningful targets. Limitations around technology, geopolitical tensions and poor economic factors have all been cited as barriers for progress.

As the co-founder and CTO of TG0, I can see that one of the biggest opportunities we have to make a positive impact is in conscientious product design. EU Science Hub estimates that more than 80% of all product-related environmental impacts are determined during the design phase. Almost 70% of Apple’s gross carbon emissions are attributed to purchased goods and services. For BMW, it’s 81%, and for Siemens, it’s 96%.

As business leaders commit to sustainability initiatives and navigate regulations like the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products, it is crucial to recognize that genuine environmental impact begins at the design stage.

Consumer demand is also driving progress – a recent poll by Amazon found two in three UK shoppers prefer to buy products that have a more positive environmental impact.

The simplicity revolution

When Capgemini surveyed over 900 senior product designers and engineering executives, only 22% of companies had made sustainability a key component of their product design processes. Those that did reported remarkable benefits: 67% saw reductions in carbon emissions, 73% achieved higher revenue growth, and 70% experienced increased customer satisfaction.

But where to start? Through my work developing next generation human-machine interfaces, I’ve discovered that simplification at the design stage delivers benefits across almost every stage of the product life cycle. The choice of materials, for example, determines how easily a product can be repaired, recycled, or reused. The functionality dictates how many manufacturing steps are required. And the components and features will affect overall energy efficiency.

Materials reimagined

It starts with the materials that product designers choose. The environmental cost of our current approach is staggering: half of all global greenhouse gas emissions and around 90% of the world’s biodiversity loss is down to the extraction and processing of raw materials. Choosing recycled materials, reducing the complexity of a product’s bill of materials (BOM), and limiting the number of components significantly limits environmental impact without reducing any functionality.

Simplifying or rationalizing materials doesn’t have to mean sacrificing any sophistication of performance, especially in a world of evergreen products that are improved with regular software updates.

The economic case

Beyond environmental benefits, there are substantial economic advantages to simplified design. Fewer physical components means a more streamlined assembly process, reduced potential for errors, and lower production costs. Products become more durable with fewer points of failure, while digitization enables feature expansion without increasing material usage. And minimizing complexity often means the end products are lighter, which saves transport costs and associated emissions. This approach creates a virtuous cycle of sustainability and profitability. Conquering the E-Waste Crisis.

Perhaps most critically, these considerations address the growing issue of electronic waste. In 2022 alone, 62 million tonnes of e-waste were produced worldwide, with only 22% collected and recycled. When hardware consists of multiple materials, recycling becomes a challenge and often leads to products being discarded in landfill.

Reduced complexity means improved recyclability. When recyclers can easily separate different materials, products are less likely to end up in landfills. Smart design principles mean minimizing material types and creating products that are inherently easier to recycle at end-of-life.

More innovation at your fingertips

Beyond the cost savings and associated productivity gains, tackling these challenges can actually lead to more innovative products. This was something that Adidas discovered when it revolutionized its high-performance shoes by replacing twelve different materials with a single smart material. Assembly became easier, recycling more straightforward, and the company pioneered new manufacturing techniques using just heat and pressure rather than adhesives.

Similarly, in automotive, Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 exemplifies this approach with recycled PET bottle seat fabric, bio-based carpets derived from sugarcane and corn, leather interiors dyed with flaxseed oil, and doors finished with eco-friendly paint. These innovations demonstrate how simplification can lead to more sophisticated, sustainable outcomes.

The future of sustainable design

As designers create the next generation of products for the future, we must embrace innovation in our design approach alongside the features we deliver to customers. Simplifying product designs doesn’t mean compromising sophisticated functionality or a luxurious finish. Instead it’s a more streamlined way to deliver advanced capabilities, while minimizing carbon impact.

For technology leaders, sustainability can't be a check-box exercise. Only by embracing simplified design philosophy at every stage can we minimize costs, reduce environmental impact, and drive meaningful innovation. The future of product design isn't about adding more - it's about achieving more with less through intelligent design.

The time for this transformation is now. Our planet can't wait, and neither can our businesses.

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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