TechRadar News

• Robert Downey Jr has posted two new behind-the-scenes images from the Avengers: Doomsday set
• The photographs don't give anything away about the Marvel movie
• However, they've given fans renewed hope over his performance as the film's Big Bad

Ever since Robert Downey Jr took to the stage at Comic-Con 2024 to reveal he'd be playing Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it's safe to say fans have been divided into two camps.

Indeed, Marvel optimists believe the returning MCU superstar, who previously played Tony Stark and Iron Man between 2008 and 2019, is a great fit for the Multiverse Saga's new Big Bad. However, others hold the opinion that his return is a sign of the comic titan's desperation amid the mixed reception to its recent film and TV releases.

It seems, though, that the number of those who were seated firmly in the naysayers' camp is slowly dwindling. That's been particularly noticeable over the past few days, too, especially in light of new behind-the-scenes images that Downey Jr has posted from the Avengers: Doomsday set.

It should be noted that there are no story spoilers for Doomsday from this point onwards. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to say that, if you don't want to know a single thing about the highly anticipated Marvel Phase 6 film, you're best turning back now.

A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. (@robertdowneyjr)

A photo posted by on

The first image, which was uploaded to Downey Jr's Instagram account on May 14, showed the A-lister reading fellow MCU actor Jeremy Renner's recently-released autobiography.

Ordinarily, you'd think that's nothing worth reporting on. But if you look closer at said photograph, you'll notice two things.

For one, Downey Jr is wearing a muscle suit. This implies his take on one of The Fantastic Four's most notorious foes will be as physically imposing as he is mentally, and suggests he'll be able to go toe-to-toe with many of the Marvel heroes who were included as part of Doomsday's initial 27-strong cast.

The other, arguably more important detail is the black dots on Downey Jr's face. This indicates that, with a bit of CGI trickery, Marvel will give Downey Jr's Doctor Victor von Doom his unmistakable scarred face, which he usually hides behind his iconic metal-based mask.

Now, this doesn't confirm that Downey Jr won't show his face as Doom at some point in one of 2026's new movies. My reading of the situation, though, is that his disfigured face will be covered by said mask for a fair amount of this movie's runtime. I believe it'll only be revealed if his mask is knocked off during a fight, or if Doom wants his adversaries to take a look at the permanent physical damage he's endured in his potential quest to halt (or cause, we don't know which yet) the Multiverse's destruction.

A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. (@robertdowneyjr)

A photo posted by on

The other image, which appeared online yesterday (May 16), doesn't contain any teases that might spark new fan theories about this iteration of Doom. Nonetheless, it's intriguing to see that Downey Jr is reading Marvel comics that star Doom, especially ones written by Jonathan Hickman.

For the uninitiated: Hickman is the scribe behind the 2015 edition of Marvel's 'Secret Wars' comic series. Joe and Anthony Russo, who returned to the MCU alongside Downey Jr to direct the next two Avengers films, previously told me that Hickman's run, plus the original 'Secret Wars' storyline, have inspired the plot of Doomsday and its sequel, aka the 2027 MCU flick Avengers: Secret Wars.

Considering both comic runs will influence this movie duo, it's no great surprise to see Downey Jr reading Marvel literary works penned by Hickman, especially those that involve Doom. Downey Jr is someone who appears to conduct plenty of research for whatever role he's playing, but it's still pleasing to see that he'll tackle this role with the same gusto and seriousness as any other.

Such preparation hasn't gone unnoticed, either. As I alluded to at the beginning of this article, fans have unsurprisingly picked up on the work that Downey Jr is putting into this role, and many are becoming increasingly impressed. Indeed, a quick scan of threads on the Marvel Studios and Marvel Studios Spoilers Reddit pages confirms as much.

Of course, as the saying goes, the proof will be in the pudding as to whether Downey Jr's performance is as good as fans expect. I'm still concerned that his Doom will be revealed as a multiversal Stark variant, which would be the wrong approach to take for such an iconic Marvel supervillain. That said, I have renewed hope that Downey Jr will be a good, if not great, Doom, and these images definitely prove why he likely will be.

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The Apple Vision Pro remains the apex mixed-reality experience – and also the most unattainable for most people.

You won't hear Apple directly admit that the powerful headset is, at $3,499, too expensive. A couple of years ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook called the Vision Pro "a great value". A year later, though, he admitted that the pricey headset is not aimed at "the masses."

We now have some evidence that Cook's comment was on the, well, money.

During a recent Price is Right episode, contestants were presented with the Vision Pro and asked to guess the price. For those unfamiliar with the premise of the game show, the idea is to guess a price that is as close to the actual price as possible. Whoever gets nearest moves on to the next round of the game.

(Image credit: Future)

In the widely shared clip, the Vision Pro headset is lowered from the rafters to a position just in front of the contestants as the show's announcer briefly describes the headset's capabilities.

After a moment's consideration, the four players guessed prices ranging from $750 to $1,250. That latter price won – but saying that the contestant who guessed that amount got close is like saying California is close to New York because they're part of the same land mass.

What we learned is that consumers are not only unfamiliar with Vision Pro – they have no idea why anyone would pay $3,500 to own one. The price, according to those contestants, is wrong.

As much as I love the Vision Pro experience, I've known this for a while, but it wasn't until I saw some news today that I believed Apple understood this and that it is, perhaps, trying to do something about it.

The price gives us Vertigo

The news came from a seemingly unlikely source: U2 front man Bono, whose new documentary, Bono: Stories of Surrender, is coming to Apple TV Plus. The rock star has a long-time friendly relationship with Apple; more than a decade ago, Apple dropped an entire new U2 album on iTunes, much to the chagrin of those who were not U2 fans.

Apple, though, is clearly not done putting U2 content inside Apple products. An immersive version of Stories of Surrender is also coming to the Vision Pro, putting you on stage with the musician.

I've used the Vision Pro, and I've tried these immersive experiences often enough to tell you that they're extraordinary to the point of almost being uncomfortable; an artist or athlete is doing their thing, and it feels like you're invading their space.

Bono details in the interview with Deadline the difficulties of filming in the immersive format, especially getting the lighting right. Then, in answer to a question about how the Vision Pro further personalized the story, Bono shared something I'm not sure Apple would want him to share:

It made it really playful. I know Apple are dying to make the Vision Pro more affordable and more democratic, but they’re committed to innovation, they’re committed to experimenting. They know not everyone can afford this, but they’re still going for it, believing that some way down the line, it’ll make financial sense for them. But the fact that they may have to wait a while is not putting them off.

At least Apple is commited

"More affordable and democratic". That's quite a statement, and I guess it does align with Cook's comments about the headset still not being for the masses. However, most Vision Pro rumors point to Apple launching a different, cheaper version of Vision Pro (Vision Lite) and not necessarily making the existing headset cheaper.

Dropping the price of the existing Vision Pro is a strategy I suggested last year: "It costs a lot to build the Vision Pro (one estimate puts it at over $1,540) [...] [Apple] should simply cut the price by more than half and take the hit."

My point was that Apple is making more and more services revenue, and that the Vision Pro is just another platform on which it can deliver all that content and all those features (but at a very high level). Why not put it in more hands?

I'm not sure that Bono is fully in touch with current economic realities, when he suggests that, somehow, some way, people will eventually be able to afford the Vision Pro or that, at least, it'll make "financial sense."

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

I don't see that happening. At $3,500, the Vision Pro costs as much as a modest vacation, a powerful gaming computer, or luxury goods like a watch or designer bag. These are more than considered purchases, and the latter two are for the well-off or even rich.

Apple's products may generally be more expensive than the competition, but they do not sell only to the elite. Take a look around: virtually everyone has an iPhone. If the iPhone started at $3,000, that would not be the case.

I always encourage people to visit an Apple Store and experience the Vision Pro for themselves. They'll quickly see what all the fuss is about, but that experience also makes the price that much more painful. You may want to take the Vision Pro home, but we're still not living in a mixed-reality democracy, at least not yet.

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• Nova Scotia Power confirmed suffering a cyberattack in March 2025
• The attackers stole sensitive customer data, including names, SSNs and - in some cases - banking information
• The customers are being offered free identity theft monitoring

Nova Scotia Power, a major electricity provider in the Canadian province, suffered a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive customer information. The company confirmed the news in an announcement published on its website.

The original announcement, published in late April 2025, said the attack did not disrupt the company's physical operations, or its ability to serve its customers, but added that the team was working on bringing parts of its IT system back online.

A subsequent update stated that the attack occurred on March 19, 2025, and that the miscreants stole people’s names, phone numbers, email addresses, mailing and service addresses, Nova Scotia Power program participation information, dates of birth, and customer account history (such as power consumption, service requests, customer payment, billing, and credit history, and customer correspondence), driver’s license numbers, and Social Insurance Numbers.

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No evidence of abuse

“For some of our customers, bank account numbers (for pre-authorized payment) may also have been impacted, if this information was provided by these customers.”

While all of the stolen data is valuable to criminals and can be used in a wide range of ways, from identity theft to phishing, this last part - the loss of bank account numbers - is particularly worrisome, as it allows crooks to mount wire fraud, as well.

Nova Scotia Power stressed that there is no evidence the data was abused in the wild and added that it is offering impacted individuals a two-year subscription to a “comprehensive credit monitoring service” at no cost.

People who are affected by the breach are currently being notified, the company added, without disclosing exactly how many people that is. At press time, no threat actors claimed responsibility for the attack.

Users are advised to remain vigilant and particularly careful when receiving unsolicited email messages, or phone calls, from people claiming to be from Nova Scotia Power.

Via BleepingComputer

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• You can now speak with Darth Vader in Fortnite
• Disney and Epic Games announced the revival of Darth Vader's iconic voice thanks to the power of AI
• James Earl Jones died in 2024, but his voice lives on

Disney and Epic Games have confirmed Darth Vader's iconic voice will be coming to Fortnite, thanks to the power of AI.

Darth Vader, one of Star Wars' most famous characters, was voiced by actor James Earl Jones, who died last year at the age of 93. Now, starting today, fans of a galaxy far, far away will be able to hear his voice once more... in Fortnite.

In a blog post, Epic Games confirmed Jones' AI voice will appear in Fortnite and that the company is "honored to feature the voice of the late Mr. Jones, and we thank his estate for the opportunity to make this happen for players."

There's also a quote from the actor's family: "James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it. We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character."

The new Darth Vader dialogue was created by Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash model, and the audio by ElevenLabs' Flash v2.5 model. Fortnite players will be able to speak to Darth Vader in-game and recruit the Star Wars villain to help win a Victory Royale.

Darth Vader returns

There's been an ongoing debate surrounding the use of AI to bring a deceased actor's likeness to life. Jones, who's not only famous for his role as Darth Vader, but also as Mufasa in Disney's The Lion King, signed over rights to his archival voice, collaborating with the Ukrainian company, Respeecher.

You may have heard of Respeecher before, as the company's software was used to improve Hungarian dialect in Oscar-nominated The Brutalist earlier this year.

This collaboration will come under scrutiny, as the debate of whether or not we should keep actors' likenesses alive following their passing rages on. That said, Disney and Epic Games, alongside Jones' family, are clear that they've recreated his voice in the most tasteful way possible.

In the collaboration announcement, Disney and Epic said, "Epic Games and Disney have worked together to thoughtfully develop this innovative feature with a strong focus on transparency, consent, and safety — ensuring that creators, Disney IP, and players are protected in interactive experiences."

So, whether you like it or not, you can chat with Darth Vader in Fortnite this weekend, although you'll need to be over 13 as your data is sent to Gemini to generate a response.

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• The FBI published a new announcement, warning about ongoing attacks
• In the attacks, the crooks are impersonating senior US officials on both federal and state level
• In many cases, the attackers are sending cloned voice messages

Cybercriminals are impersonating senior US officials in highly sophisticated smishing and vishing attacks that leverage state-of-the-art technology such as deepfake and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI).

This is according to the FBI, which warned US citizens about an ongoing phishing campaign, in a new public service announcement published May 15.

The announcement states that threat actors are creating credible audio and text messages, in many cases impersonating current and former senior US federal and state government officials, or their contacts, the FBI said. “If you receive a message claiming to be from a senior US official, do not assume it is authentic,” the warning reads.

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Smishing is short for SMS phishing, while vishing is short for voice phishing. Both are a variant of the traditional phishing attack in which threat actors throw a bait and “phish” for sensitive data. Victims are often tricked into sharing passwords, credit card information, or other valuable information, when tricksters promise them huge discounts on popular goods, or threaten them with closing down their social accounts.

In almost all cases, phishing messages leverage people’s emotions and force the victims to act quickly and without second thought.

The FBI did not discuss the contents of the messages being sent out, but it did say that the attackers are trying to move people to a secondary messaging platform, where distributing malware would be easier. It also gave a few recommendations on how to be safe, including verifying people’s identities and listening to the voice messages carefully for inconsistencies in tone and word choice.

Phishing has been around since the dawn of the internet, basically, but with the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence and deepfakes, the problem has gotten even worse. One of the most abused individuals is Elon Musk, whose face is constantly being plastered on ads for fake crypto exchanges and giveaways.

Via The Register

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As AI grows, tough questions about data privacy are hitting the mainstream.

Here in the UK, the government’s Data (Use and Access) Bill has just entered its second reading in the House of Commons. At the same time, the government is navigating a legal challenge from Apple, which refuses to allow it to access a customer’s private data if required. Concerns around privacy, and the rules that guarantee it, are being examined at the very top.

The details are complex, but for most people it boils down to one simple question: “Is my data the cost of progress?”

From an enterprise perspective, we know that the technology used to house, transmit, and safeguard data isn’t necessarily built to prioritize privacy. Insufficient security, siloed data, and the pains of outdated infrastructure can all leave an organization exposed — in other words, those consumer concerns can be well founded.

Fixing this starts with how we collect and move data. If we can embed privacy straight into the data collection process, assessing and directing data in real time, we can minimize risk to both organization and consumer.

Tackling patchwork infrastructure

One of the reasons that fear around data privacy have risen in recent times is that it’s extremely difficult to keep up with new regulations – particularly given how quickly AI is evolving as a technology.

New and important legislation is constantly being introduced, with the UK’s Data Bill just one of many: the EU’s AI Act, China’s Deep Synthesis Provisions, and so on. But such laws are attempting to regulate technology as it develops, and can’t necessarily pre-empt the next big application of AI. The rule of law can’t always keep up with the blistering pace of change, often focusing on compliance at the expense of proactive security measures.

As a result, many organizations will continue to depend on a unique mix of hardware and infrastructure. The business can function, but it can’t robustly enforce a consistent standard of cybersecurity and data privacy.

Take, for example, the classic problem of data fragmentation. Spreading private data across multiple systems — each with their own capabilities, purposes, and cybersecurity measures — makes it incredibly difficult to standardize the use of data. It might be duplicated, accessible in some systems and not others, or simply absent from where you’d expect it.

The chinks in this armor are exacerbated by human intervention. Employees might have differing levels of access across different systems, retain permissions that they’re no longer supposed to, or not understand how to protect the data they’re accessing once they’ve used it. All of these things can cause a serious breach.

While regulations like GDPR and HIPAA are designed to mitigate these risks, insisting on the immediate execution of data deletion requests, the infrastructure that houses this data might not be capable of meeting these demands. Legacy technology both decelerates audits and response times and fails to paint a comprehensive picture of exactly what data needs to be deleted.

Introducing data streaming

All of these challenges make it clear that privacy can’t be an afterthought. If you don’t prioritize it at the points where data enters your ecosystem, it’s incredibly difficult to work back to a point of robust compliance.

This is where real-time data streaming excels. In processing data as it arrives, data streaming prevents the creation of vast datasets that demand slow, cumbersome batch processing en-masse. Being able to contextualize data and the protection it needs even as that data is in motion frontloads that security and organizational work, literally point by point.

Data streaming platforms (DSP) take this a step further. As a platform purpose-built to coordinate the streaming of data across a business, they offer a single point of access that integrates advanced security capabilities by design.

End-to-end encryption, for example, offers an additional layer of protection while the data is in transmission. Similarly, tokenisation can replace business-critical information with identifiers that make transcription impossible. Another option is differential privacy – the introduction of mathematical noise to datasets, protecting individual identities without stopping a business benefitting from analyzing that data.

All of these elements offer protection against the myriad of potential cybersecurity concerns across an organization — from accidental access to bad actors.

Security and the DSP

Research suggests that a vast majority of UK tech leaders — 91% — believe that data streaming improves cybersecurity and digital risk management.

Much of that value comes from the DSP acting as the organization's central nervous system, managing systems to keep everything in sync, and guaranteeing access to real-time data where it’s needed. Privacy and security are inherently baked into the system, from the point of entry to the point of use.

As AI continues to establish itself as a norm, this will only become more important. The business world is speeding up – and the technology we use to protect it has to accelerate, too.

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The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is here. After months of waiting, we’ve finally had our first look at the long-awaited thin and light addition to this year’s Galaxy S25 lineup.

While our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review has a full rundown of the phone’s specs, pricing, and availability, I want to take a second to recognize what I think is the phone’s best feature – its design.

To cut to the chase, I think the Galaxy S25 Edge is an extremely good-looking device – in fact, I think it’s the best-looking smartphone of 2025 so far.

That might come as a surprise to some, given that the Galaxy S25 Edge is actually pretty plain-looking. It’s impressively thin at just 5.8mm, but construction-wise, two slabs of glass, titanium rails, and a dual-camera island on the top-left corner of the rear panel are pretty much all you get.

However, I think this simplicity is one of the phone’s greatest strengths. While other simple-looking phones like the iPhone 16e and Google Pixel 9a have been released this year, none have merged form and purpose quite as elegantly as the Galaxy S25 Edge.

The Titanium Silver color option was first teased at the January 2025 Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event (Image credit: Future/Lance Ulanoff)

Here on TechRadar’s phones desk, we’ve gone back and forth about the state of phone design in 2025, running polls, penning features, and wondering whether the trend of minimalism will prevail.

After all, it’s been a few years now since the convergence of flagship phone design around simple, flat designs – I’m sure some folks would struggle to tell the difference between the Galaxy S25 and Sony Xperia 1 VI, for instance, and the recently launched Google Pixel 9a is maybe the simplest-looking handset we’ve ever seen.

The latest rumors suggest that this trend could be about to change. The iPhone 17 series has been heavily tipped to bring radical design changes to the table, and where Apple goes, the phone industry typically follows.

In a way, these latest rumors make me even happier to see that Samsung has stuck to its guns with the Galaxy S25 Edge.

The phone’s central concept – and what people will look for when they first pick one up – is its thinness, and by following its own ultra-minimal design language, Samsung has shown confidence that this engineering prowess is enough to make the phone stand out.

As our US Phones Editor Philip Berne puts it, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge “isn’t a phone you should experience on paper”. Having gone hands-on with the device myself, I agree that there’s a certain je ne sais quoi about it – I actually found it quite enthralling to hold for the first time, and I think users will appreciate the lack of visual distractions on a device that’s built around ergonomics.

After the wobbly launch of One UI 7 and several months of radio silence on the Galaxy S25 Edge before its launch on May 13, it’s genuinely encouraging to see Samsung show confidence and competence in launching what really amounts to quite a simple product.

You say boring? I say elegant (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

But even beyond the context of Samsung's year so far and the wider phone industry, I’m a straight-up fan of the way this phone looks.

In particular, the Titanium Silver color option is an absolute knockout, and had me thinking the phone was an all-metal construction during my first encounter. It’s shiny, industrial, and oh-so-stylish.

As for the other colors, I appreciate the way the understated Titanium Jetblack option complements the phone's minimal dimensions, and the remaining Titanium Icyblue color was already my favorite of the base Galaxy S25 options, so I’m happy to see it make the jump.

Ultimately, this is all a matter of personal opinion – we take design into account in our lists of the best phones and best Samsung phones, but aesthetics are certainly more subjective than something like comfort or durability.

With that, I want to know what you think – let us know what you make of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s design in the comments below.

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• America could soon tackle diverted and misused advanced chips with geotracking
• The proposed legislation could enforce tracking within 6 months
• Manufacturers would also have to report back to the US

New proposed legislation in Congress could see the US integrate geotracking capabilities within high-end GPUs, marking the introduction of more dynamic ways to monitor exports rather than just blanket bans.

Bipartisan lawmakers introduced the Chip Security Act to prevent high-end GPUs and AI chips from reaching countries of concern, such as China.

Currently in review, if passed, exporters would need to comply with new tracking rules while also reporting violations, such as disabled tracking, back to the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).

US could introduce advanced chip tracking measures

"Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall require any covered integrated circuit product to be outfitted with chip security mechanisms that implement location verification, using techniques that are feasible and appropriate on such date of enactment, before it is exported, reexported, or in-country transferred to or in a foreign country," the bill reads.

Lawmakers cite national security risks and concerns over smuggling networks and shell companies exporting US chips to China illegitimately as key drivers for the tracking proposals.

"I know that we have the technical tools to prevent powerful AI technology from getting into the wrong hands. With advanced AI chips being smuggled into China and posing a national security risk, Congress must act," Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) added.

Location sharing should be enabled and supported before chips are exported if the bill gets passed, with the Secretary of Commerce to be made responsible for assessing second-level security mechanisms to prevent the misuse or diversion of chips covered under the proposed rules.

The bill follows the Trump administration's removal of Biden-era chip export diffusion rules, with the White House pledging renewed export restrictions that don't negatively impact allies.

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• The Audio-Technica AT-LPA2 is high-density acrylic for reduced resonance
• Power housed in a breakout box to eliminate interference (and to stop it ruining the looks)
• $2,000 / £1,699 / €1,999 (about AU$3,488)

If you're looking for a great gift for The Invisible Man, Audio-Technica has just the thing: its new flagship turntable is (almost) completely transparent.

The new Audio-Technica AT-LPA2 is made from high-density transparent acrylic, and has a clear acrylic platter too. The internals such as the power supply unit are housed separately, and the result is a turntable that looks so good it's almost a shame to cover it up with a record.

The acrylic isn't just there to look good, though. Audio-Technica says it provides "exceptional" resonance control, leading to sound that's as clear as its plinth and platter.

Audio-Technica AT-LPA2: key features and pricing

Recommended listening: I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash; How To Disappear Completely by Radiohead, Heart of Glass by Blondie… (Image credit: Audio-Technica)

The AT-LPA2 is a belt-drive turntable with an optical sensor immediately below the spindle to monitor and correct the platter rotation. Like most current turntables it's a two-speed model; you won't be able to play 78s on it if you're a collector of really old records.

The turntable has a newly designed carbon-fiber tonearm that features adjustable VTA, azimuth adjustment, a finely adjustable string-type anti-skate mechanism, and interchangeable counterweights (110g and 130g) for wide cartridge compatibility.

The cartridge is Audio-Technica's AT-OC9XEN dual moving coil, which features a nude elliptical stylus and high-purity PCOCC coils that Audio-Technica says delivers low distortion and excellent clarity.

The Audio-Technica AT-LPA2 is available now with an RRP of $2,000 / £1,699 / €1,999 (about AU$3,488).

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We’re living through a moment of massive, accelerating problems. Social, political, and economic upheaval is reshaping how we live, how we think, and how we spend. These issues are more interconnected than we realize, and we are only scratching the surface of how deeply intertwined these problems are.

We can’t keep solving the surface. We have to go deeper

There is an opportunity to not just look at the problem, but to go deeper into the causation and correlation of these issues as one system. From the chemicals in our water to the food on our plates and the air we breathe, what once seemed like separate issues are revealing themselves as symptoms of something bigger. Infertility. Obesity. Chronic disease. Fragile supply chains. Food insecurity. These aren’t isolated problems. They’re outcomes of larger, systemic breakdowns.

Too often, we treat symptoms while ignoring the root. The true drivers such as chemical exposure, over-processed supply chains, degraded ecosystems and outdated infrastructure remain largely absent from mainstream conversations. But they’re driving the cascade of issues we face today.

Systems issue

And we’ve barely begun to unpack the scale. Consider these stats and the downstream consequences:

- More than half of all couples could be infertile in 20-30 years because of the chemicals in our environment that we’re coming into contact with daily.

- 75% of the world’s food comes from just 12 plants and 5 animals.

- 90% of crop varieties have disappeared as 70% of U.S. farmland has been converted to monocropping.

- Over 45% of U.S. tap water contains at least one PFAS chemical, linked to cancer, infertility, and immune disruption.

- Microplastics have been found in human blood, placentas, and across soil systems.

- Since 1970, wild animal populations have dropped by more than 70%, today, just 4% of land mammals are wild.

- Semiconductor manufacturing, central to the AI boom, is a growing source of toxic chemical waste.

More than half of all couples could face infertility within the next 20-30 years due to environmental toxins. These trends predict larger problems from food scarcity, lack of biodiversity, increased cancer rates, inefficient supply chains, and unsustainable energy sources.

This isn’t just a climate or healthcare issue. It’s a systems issue, and it’s moving faster than most institutions can keep up.

Cultural shifts driving change

Major transitions are happening, based on much more than “climate.” For instance, people are realizing the real health consequences of materials they use, air they breathe in, or water they drink.

They are changing their behavior as a result - everything from filtering water, to choosing less processed food, demanding supply chain transparency, choosing non toxic products, changing to electric vehicles, installing electric or solar in households to lower household costs or prevent house fires, rethinking building materials and construction, buying used products over new, taking proactive measures on wildfire preventive, and replacing disease school businesses to lower asthma rates in children.

Driving this change are factors beyond sustainability, like health, cost-efficiency, and time-efficiency. As a result, there’s pressure to modernize infrastructure that was never built for this era, including construction, manufacturing, CPG, food, agriculture and energy infrastructure.

It’s not about “climate” alone, it’s about upgrading trillion dollar infrastructure to meet the needs of people today. In fact, we think the word climate needs a full rebrand. Sustainability is a value prop to an overall systems problem.

We need systems-level thinking

We’re not just managing one crisis. We’re standing on the threshold of something bigger, a chance to rethink how we live, work, and care for each other. There are multiple ways to change the trajectory of these problems. For instance, government policy could make change, consumers can shift behaviors and products they purchase (as we see happening), and companies can choose different solutions because they are frankly better for business.

The acceleration of innovation and technology gives us an opportunity to solve some of these problems. Entrepreneurs must be bold and ambitious to solve these massive problems, and investors should take bolder bets on transformative long-term technology versus incremental innovation.

While the problems are complex and interconnected more than we realize, it starts with us and the power is in our hands to drive real change. These technologies can be real businesses, scalable companies that solve massive problems in trillion dollar industries. They will impact both people and the planet.

We need to commercialize more of this breakthrough technology. We need to tell better stories around it where it’s less abstract, and why it matters. We need to show and prove that these businesses are not just better for the planet, but better, cheaper, healthier, more sustainable. Because in the end, this isn’t just about climate or chemicals or cancer alone. It’s about how we live, work, and operate. It is about how humanity flourishes for the long-term. It’s about how we have more cost-efficiency, less dependency, better outcomes, more reliability, more abundance.

Technology and science can help.

The change won’t be easy, but it’s already happening. If we’re bold enough to focus on root causes, not just symptoms, we can create a world that doesn’t just work better for everyone—it’s also more sustainable.

We've featured the best green web hosting.

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

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, May 16 (game #1208).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1209) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1209) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1209) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1209 - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1209) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• R

• U

• G

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1209) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1209, are…

• STRIP
• RANGE
• UNITE
• GEESE

Yesterday it was SHEEP and today it was GEESE, so I’m fully expecting more animal plurals tomorrow – ZEBRA, maybe.

I had an easy start with all the letters for RANGE and the next three letters opened up nicely, with minimal thinking required.

I experienced some deja-vu with UNITE, as we had that word recently and I guessed UNTIE instead. The aforementioned GEESE was the only word that took some brain noodling, as I tried to think of words that started with G and ended SE, but eventually realized there was only one possibility.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1209) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1209, are…

• THROB
• MELON
• ALOUD
• CROWN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1208, Friday, 16 May: SHEEP, SNUCK, DRIFT, BREAK
• Quordle #1207, Thursday, 15 May: PAINT, CROUP, PEDAL, FLUKE
• Quordle #1206, Wednesday, 14 May: FAVOR, METER, PICKY, MAKER
• Quordle #1205, Tuesday, 13 May: SCENT, AGAPE, POLAR, YEARN
• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO
• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE
• Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNT
• Quordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDE

Congratulations, you've made it to the end of another week. You know what that means – yep, it's time to kick back and enjoy a plethora of new movies and TV shows that have just landed on the world's best streaming services.

I'll admit that this week's streaming list is very light on the new film front, but at least there are lots of options for TV aficionados to be entertained by. So, without further ado, these are seven things you won't want to miss before Monday arrives. – Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Love, Death & Robots volume 4 (Netflix)

Netflix's animated anthology series Love, Death and Robots has finally returned with 10 new episodes, each hailing from a different team of talented artists. Indeed, what's so striking about the series is the drastically different visual styles on showcase, from stop motion and hand-painted 3D models to photorealistic CGI.

It's one of the best Netflix shows for this exact reason and has wide appeal because of the different stories it brings to life. In volume 4, you can expect to find a mix of genres again, including horror, sci-fi and fantasy. To give you an idea of the variety, there's even a Red Hot Chilli Pepper music video that David Fincher directed.

If, however, you don't want to go into the series blind and risk falling prey to a jump scare, then make sure to give our episode ranking of Love, Death and Robots volume 4 by fear factor a read to avoid any unwelcome surprises. – Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch Love, Death & Robots volume 4 on Netflix

The Brutalist (Max)

The Brutalist is out now on Max this weekend, and the three-hour-plus movie has received much critical acclaim, making it worthy of a space on our best Max movies round up.

As well as scoring a healthy 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, it also won three Oscars including Best Actor for Adrian Brody and Best Cinematography, so it's no surprise people were excitedly waiting for its streaming release.

The movie is so long, in fact, it had an intermission in theaters, which is a very rare occurrence these days. Watching it in the comfort of your own home, though, means you can choose your own intermission where you can get up and make a cup of tea. Or, you can stay glued to your screen the whole time, and given how good it is I wouldn't blame you if you did! – Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch The Brutalist on Max

Overcompensating (Prime Video)

This new Amazon TV Original is a yet another comedy about fraternities, football players, and enjoying the perks that college has to offer. But, before you roll your eyes, it's got a very surprising score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. I guess that's what I get for judging a series by its marketing!

Prime Video's latest offering follows Benny, a football player who struggles with his sexuality. As the title suggests, he starts overcompensating to try and fit in as someone he's not, and the result is a heartfelt comedy show that's really all about self-acceptance.

Those who love coming-of-age-dramas will likely have a good time with Overcompensating, which should join our best Prime Video shows hub by virtue of its high RT rating. It's also soundtracked by Charli XCX, so you can expect some catchy tunes along the way. – LB

• Watch Overcompensating on Prime Video

Duster (Max)

J. J. Abrams helms this new Max thriller series, which seems to be a divergence from his usual brand of 'watch out for lens flares!' sci-fi. Instead, he's honing in on the FBI's first Black woman agent as she works to stop a crime syndicate with the assistance of a talented getaway driver.

It's set in the Southwest in 1972, looks like it'll be a very intriguing watch, and is a marked change for projects Abrams is involved in. It's important to note that the characters and their storylines have no direct connection with real-life people or events so, while it may have been inspired by things, it's ultimately a work of fiction. – LB

• Watch Duster on Max

Murderbot (Apple TV+)

You've heard of The Terminator, now get ready for Murderbot. Alexander Skarsgård leads the cast of this new Apple TV+ show, which follows a rogue security robot who secretly gains free will and spends more time trying to decipher humanity than, well, murder people he comes across.

TechRadar recently spoke to Murderbot's cast about, their bias aside, it sounds pretty unique for its primary genre. Sci-fi has done well on Apple TV+ so far, so this looks like another genre-based winner for the tech giant that'll deserve a spot on our best Apple TV+ shows list. – LB

• Watch Murderbot on Apple TV+

Bad Thoughts (Netflix)

New Netflix sketch comedy Bad Thoughts has proven divisive with the critics, which asks the question: what would happen if you actually followed through on your intrusive thoughts.

However, I’m among those that actually had a very good time with this. While it’s not rated highly enough by my peers, I’d still argue it’s worth a go and its controversial brand of comedy will definitely land with some viewers. If you’re a fan of dark comedy and crude humor, then Tom Segura’s latest project might be your ideal binge watch this weekend

You can expect parodies of things like action flicks, disaster movies, and A24 movies, as well as some ridiculous characters, many of which are played by Segura himself. If you’re looking for something quick to watch, its episodes are on the short side, too. – LB

• Watch Bad Thoughts on Netflix

Welcome to Wrexham season 4 (Hulu/Disney+)

The soccer-based docuseries that just keeps on giving, Welcome to Wrexham returned for its fourth season on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally) this week. And, spoilers notwithstanding, it may be the show's most intense installment yet.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McIlhenney, two of Hollywood's most recognizable faces and the owners of Welsh soccer club Wrexham FC, are the driving force behind this program and the sport team's rapid rise up the English football pyramid. But, as always, it's the personal stories of those involved in the day-to-day running of Wrexham FC, plus the local community, that make this such a compelling and oft-times tear-jerking watch.

Season 4's first two episodes are out now and, with new entries releasing weekly, I'm ready to laugh, cry, and learn more about one of the UK's oldest soccer institutions in one of the best Hulu shows' (and best Disney+ shows') latest chapter. – TP

• Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

For more streaming suggestions, read our guides on the best Netflix movies, best Prime Video movies, best Paramount+ shows, and best Apple TV+ movies.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, May 16 (game #439).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #440) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… She's got game

NYT Strands today (game #440) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• RALLY
• SORT
• VETO
• SEEM
• MASK
• BRUT

NYT Strands today (game #440) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #440) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 4th column

Last side: top, 5th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #440) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #440, are…

• LYNX
• WINGS
• STORM
• LIBERTY
• DREAM
• FEVER
• MERCURY
• SPANGRAM: BASKETBALL

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

In my ignorance I thought we were looking for female game characters – and being unfamiliar with game characters male and female, I thought LYNX (which I got from a hint) sounded like a possibility.

It wasn’t until I tapped out the spangram that the penny dropped and I realized we were looking for WNBA team names to coincide with the start of the 2025 season.

Today’s search didn’t include the best-named and newest team to join the league – the Golden State Valkyries.

In Norse mythology, a valkyrie (which means  'chooser of the slain') is a female figure who guides souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. I don’t quite know how this translates to basketball prowess, but it sounds good. Maybe they’ll arrive on court in a longboat.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, May 16, game #439)

• GOWN
• PHOTO
• SPEECH
• DIPLOMA
• TASSEL
• PROCESSION
• SPANGRAM: GRADUATION

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, May 17 (game #705).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #706) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MACARONI
• ANIMAL
• KING
• MAIL
• RULER
• SCOOTER
• PLANT
• EMPEROR
• BEAKER
• BACTERIA
• COMMERCE
• SYRINGE
• FUNGUS
• SIGNATURE
• CHINSTRAP
• PROTRACTOR

NYT Connections today (game #706) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Classification of organisms
• GREEN: Tools to measure 
• BLUE: Varieties of flightless bird 
• PURPLE: Precede with a letter

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #706) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: MEMBER OF A KINGDOM IN TAXONOMY 
• GREEN: GRADUATED INSTRUMENTS 
• BLUE: KINDS OF PENGUINS 
• PURPLE: "E" THINGS 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #706) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #706, are…

• YELLOW: MEMBER OF A KINGDOM IN TAXONOMY ANIMAL, BACTERIA, FUNGUS, PLANT
• GREEN: GRADUATED INSTRUMENTS BEAKER, PROTRACTOR, RULER, SYRINGE
• BLUE: KINDS OF PENGUINS CHINSTRAP, EMPEROR, KING, MACARONI
• PURPLE: "E" THINGS COMMERCE, MAIL, SCOOTER, SIGNATURE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A clear run for me today. My only hesitation was over KINDS OF PENGUINS, as I knew CHINSTRAP, EMPEROR and KING but took a guess with MACARONI as there seemed no likely alternatives.

Meanwhile, I got the group MEMBER OF A KINGDOM IN TAXONOMY thinking the four words described an evolutionary scale from BACTERIA to FUNGUS to PLANT to ANIMAL. Wrong, but also right.

“E” THINGS is somewhat of a cruel category as there are hundreds of products that have the same prefix. In fact, think of anything and it’s likely that there’s also an “E” version of it – from eAlarm to E-Zips. 

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, May 16, game #705)

• YELLOW: KINDS OF PLANTS HERB, SHRUB, TREE, VINE
• GREEN: DISCONTINUE DISSOLVE, END, SCRAP, SUNSET
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH BULLS MICHAEL JORDAN, RODEO, TAURUS, WALL STREET
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH BUILDING MATERIALS HOLLYWOOD, HOURGLASS, KUBRICK, NEUROPLASTIC

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

• Inkjet-printed OLEDs are very close to mass production
• Samsung Display seems may have solved EL-QD's longevity problem
• Don't pause your new-TV plans if you're currently shopping

The race to find the next big thing in TV tech just passed two big milestones: TCL CSOT – TCL's display-making subsidiary – has demonstrated its inkjet-printed OLED tech at a TV size with panels up to 65 inches, and Samsung Display has demonstrated the potentially OLED-beating EL-QD in a new and brighter version.

IJP OLED and EL-QD are vying to be the next tech that replaces current OLED production, and both are self-emissive technologies like current OLED.

Both are very exciting, but neither's coming to your front room any time soon – and of the two, printed OLEDs are likely to arrive long before EL-QD. But they could both prove to be revolutionary.

Why we're a bit excited about printed OLED and EL-QD

Inkjet-printed OLED panels are the most immediately exciting, because they can be used in a wide range of applications: phones, tablets, laptops, PC monitors, TVs, car dashboards... pretty much anywhere you might want to put a display.

TCL has showed inket-printed 65-inch panels before: an early prototype in 2021, and a curved prototype in 2023. But this one is much closer to production than before, and some of the smaller panels TCL showed off included a new oxide backplane that apparently delivers faster response times and lower power consumption.

Although TCL CSOT says that it has become "the first manufacturer to commercialise a complete family bucket of IJP [inkjet printed] OLED products", we're not pausing our new-TV plans just yet: any new panel technology starts off eye-wateringly expensive until yields improve and costs come down.

IJP OLED is still very much an OLED tech in that it uses organic material to create self-emissive pixels, but structure of the panel is totally different because of the manufacturing process, so it's very much a next-gen OLED rather than just tweaking the current tech.

It has the potential to be more power efficient and cheaper long-term – but it's not quite ready to go.

TCL has told TechRadar directly that it will likely be several years before IJP OLED will be affordable in TVs – but it's landing in smaller screens already.

(Image credit: FlatpanelsHD.com) Is the future bright for EL-QD?

EL-QD sounds like it should be the name of a bullfighter, and Samsung Display is bullish about its prospects: it uses quantum dots as light-emitting diodes and could deliver wider color gamuts, faster response times and lower power consumption than other display technologies.

Like TCL CSOT, Samsung Display was showing off its tech at the SID show in the USA. It brought some printed OLEDs and some bendable ones, but the most technically interesting was EL-QD because Samsung seems to have solved that tech's biggest problem.

So far, EL-QD displays have suffered from a lack of longevity: early versions used cadmium, and that's banned in many countries; without it, the longevity of the blue materials essential to EL-QD wasn't great. But Samsung Display says it has "dramatically increased" the lifespan with its latest cadmium-free prototypes.

That enabled Samsung to make the brightest EL-QD prototype to date, but it still falls far short of the brightness you'd want in your front room: the latest EL-QD panel has 400 nits; many of the best OLEDs deliver over 1,000 nits while my mini-LED TV appears to put out ninety billion nits.

It's also quite a bit smaller than your TV: 18.2 inches with 3,200 x 1,800 pixels.

EL-QD is a long way from production, then – assuming it ever makes it into mass production at all. The future's bright, but it needs to get a lot brighter before it can be an HDR TV.

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• Acer, a company best known for computing components, is releasing a new health-tracking smart ring
• The Acer FreeSense Ring comes in Rose Gold or Black, and will pack 'AI enhanced' wellness insights
• Acer hasn't announced a price of the ring, but it has said there will be no additional subscription fee

Acer has announced the Acer FreeSense Ring, a new health-tracking smart ring offering 'AI enhanced' wellness insights.

It was unveiled at this year's Computex conference in Taipei, and we don't yet know how much the Ring will cost, or when it will go on sale – but we do know that it won't come with any additional subscription fees.

With two color options, Rose Gold (a matte finish) or Black (gloss finish), the Ring will be available in sizes 7-13. It'll weigh between 2-3g, and Acer says it's "crafted from ultra-light titanium alloy."

Even the best smart rings have a plastic interior to better accommodate the sensor array, and we imagine that will also be the case here. It's waterproof-rated at 5ATM, which means it's shower- and swim-safe, but likely not suitable for diving.

The Acer FreeSense sounds a lot like other smart rings from Oura and Samsung, specifically in terms of the data it collects. A press release from Acer states that "the ring tracks vital physiological metrics such as heart rate, heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels, and sleep quality.

"The data points are analyzed through a companion mobile app, which generates personalized wellness insights and provides suggestions. With features such as sleep stage analysis and continuous tracking, the Acer FreeSense Ring helps encourage proactive health management and lifestyle awareness."

Back in the health & fitness ring

Acer has released smartwatches and fitness trackers in the past with its Acer Leap range, but none of those devices ranked among the best fitness trackers of the era, and never really caught on. With smart rings now a rapidly growing category of health device, this could prove to be a second chance for Acer in the health space.

Acer is also the latest of several smart-ring manufacturer to make a point of the fact that its device doesn't require an additional subscription, as a key selling point to differentiate it from the likes of the Oura Ring 4. With so many health and fitness services now requiring a subscription, it's refreshing to see more companies embracing the one-time-purchase philosophy.

Acer is already busy at Computex this year – in addition to the FreeSense Ring it's also announced a pair of earbuds specifically for translation, a new range of electric bikes, and computing equipment.

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With Computex 2025 now just a few days away, we can expect a whole host of new PC hardware announcements soon – and fortunately, Acer has already made a start on that, with its new Swift and Aspire laptops ready to hit the market for consumers as early as June and, in the case of the ones below, July.

While there are plenty of new Acer devices coming your way, we've cherry-picked a few in particular that stand out the most; the Acer Swift X 14, Swift X 14 AI, the Swift Go 16 AI, and the Acer Aspire 16 AI (Intel).

All of these new laptops share similar specifications, such as processors that are built to provide great performance in a number of scenarios including gaming – most importantly for AI workloads as Copilot+ PCs. But here are the four main things you need to know about Acer's new laptops...

1. Acer's Swift X 14 AI, Swift Go 16 AI, and Aspire's 16 AI laptops will all have OLED displays

(Image credit: Acer)

Yet again, OLED is getting the attention it deserves, and Acer is using OLED panels across a wide range of its new laptops – fortunately, all of these cherry-picked laptops are among them.

The Acer Swift X 14 AI will feature an OLED 14.5 WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) touchscreen display, which will also take advantage of the VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification. It's ideal for accurate image quality with deep blacks, with a minimum of 500 nits in brightness.

The Acer Swift Go 16 AI will fare slightly differently, with a 16-inch OLED WUXGA+ (2048 x 1280) display. It uses a lower-resolution panel, but to compensate for the difference in graphics capabilities (which I'll get into soon).

With the Acer Aspire 16 AI, only one of the configurations features an OLED (2048 x 1200) display; unlike the Swift X 14 AI, it won't be touchscreen but its IPS configuration will.

2. All of them will be powerful gaming machines, especially the Swift X 14 AI

(Image credit: Acer)

I must note that these aren't gaming laptops, as they're made for creators using tools like Copilot+. However, both processors and GPUs (including iGPUs) are powerful enough to yield great gaming performance.

The Acer Swift X 14 AI will be the most powerful among the group; configurations up to Nvidia's RTX 5070 (the laptop GPU, including Nvidia Studio Drivers) and AMD's Ryzen AI 9 365 processor will be available, which are both capable of great performance in demanding creative AI workloads, or gaming. Its non-AI counterpart (Swift X 14) will feature up to Intel's Core Ultra 9 285H processor.

While the Swift Go 16 AI and Aspire 16 AI won't feature any discrete GPUs, they'll both be powered by (depending on the configuration) Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V – the same processor and Arc 140V iGPU featured in the MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld gaming PC, known for its great gaming performance.

3. The Swift Go AI models are among the thinnest and lightest Acer laptops

Acer Swift X 14 (Image credit: Acer)

While it packs a powerful processor, fast Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and an OLED display, Acer claims the Swift Go (its 14-inch model in particular) is "as light as 15.9mm and as light as 1.39kg". To put it simply, this means it will be one of Acer thinnest and lightest laptops, easy for travel and packing – even with its 14-inch screen size.

It's a similar story with the Swift Go 16 AI. While it's not exactly as thin or light as its counterpart, it only weighs 1.6kg, which shouldn't be enough of a noticeable jump in weight.

They will both also take advantage of an "all-day battery life", ensuring you don't miss a beat during productive and creative workflows, and will have a 64Wh battery that should last a claimed 16 hours (likely with adjusted brightness levels or settings).

4. They will be available starting from July going into August

These new Acer laptops in particular will arrive as early as July; the Acer Swift X 14 AI (and Swift X 14) will be available in Europe in July, starting at €1,799 – prices in North America and Australia are yet to be announced, but that converts to around $2,015 / £1,515 / AU$3,140.

Unlike the Swift X 14 AI, the Acer Swift Go 16 AI will be available in Europe in August, starting at €1,299 – again, prices in North America and Australia have not been announced, but that converts to about $1,455 / £1,095 / AU$2,270)

In similar fashion, the Aspire 16 AI (Intel) will be available in Europe in August, starting at €1,099 as the cheapest of the group – there is again currently no word on prices in North America and Australia, but that equates to around $1,230 / £925 / AU$1,920.

It's worth noting that each laptop's price will vary depending on the chosen configuration, which ranges in processors, GPU, RAM, storage, and display.

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The best Marvel Rivals graphics settings can really make the difference in battle, allowing you to make use of higher frame rates, spot enemies more easily, and more. Depending on which console you're playing on, you'll have different options to work with. There are extra bells and whistles for some, allowing for a best-of-both-worlds balance between performance and resolution.

Now that I've played hundreds of hours of Marvel Rivals at this point, I'm in a good position to offer my advice on which graphics setting to pick. I've been playing since Season 0, and have been busy keeping my Marvel Rivals Tier List up to date as Season 2 continues on. After the time spent on my Marvel Rivals review back at launch, I'm impressed that it has managed to evolve with each seasonal update, something that's kept it firmly on my list of the best crossplay games to play in 2025.

Here's my recommendations for the Marvel Rivals best graphics settings, including which mode to pick on PS5 Pro. I'll give some info on each of the three modes, and some additional advice on settings to change to make the game clearer and easier to read.

Marvel Rivals best graphics settings for PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox

(Image credit: NetEase)

Here's an overview of the best graphics settings to use depending on the platform you're playing on. I'll then go into detail for each and offer some additional advice.

• PS5 - High Frame Rate Mode (120 FPS)
• Xbox Series X - High Frame Rate Mode (120 FPS)
• Xbox Series S - Standard Mode
• PS5 Pro - High Framerate Mode

It's worth noting that additional graphics options have been added since launch, like the Pro Mode for the PS5 Pro. Keep an eye on updates via our Marvel Rivals Patch Notes page.

Marvel Rivals best graphics settings for PS5

(Image credit: NetEase)

On PS5, you have two options to choose from: Standard Mode and HFR Mode (High Frame Rate). The former achieves 1440p resolution while hitting a consistent 60fps (frames per second), and HFR Mode boosts things up to 120fps while reducing resolution somewhat. I'd recommend HFR Mode if it's available to you.

You'll need a monitor capable of 120fps or higher, and you will get the best possible advantage over your opponents. You'll be able to react faster and generally have more control over your Hero.

Marvel Rivals best graphics settings for PS5 Pro

(Image credit: NetEase)

Once again, there are two modes to choose from for the PS5 Pro. One of them is exclusive to Sony's most powerful console, however, and it's a great option for those looking for a balance between graphical fidelity and performance.

Pro Mode targets a stable 60fps and delivers higher 4K resolutions. In addition to Lumen Global Illumination, it also features support Lumen Reflections, offering more immersive and dynamic lighting effects for an enhanced visual experience. PS5 Pro also offers higher resolutions in 120fps High Frame Rate Mode.

Personally, I recommend going with High Frame Rate Mode here, as extra frames per second can be crucial to improving your performance in a Competitive game like Marvel Rivals.

Marvel Rivals best graphics settings for Xbox

(Image credit: NetEase)

On Xbox Series X, you have two modes to choose from: Standard Mode and HFR Mode. As with PS5, and especially if you plan on playing Competitive Mode, you'll want to go with HFR Mode. Of course, you'll need a display capable of 120fps and above.

If you're playing on Xbox Series S, you unfortunately only have access to Standard Mode. This still hits 60fps, so you'll be on par with the majority of other players anyway.

Marvel Rivals best graphics settings - enemy outline colors

(Image credit: NetEase)

I also think that there are some extra changes you can make in an effort to make Marvel Rivals a little bit easier to read when you're in battle.

I find that heading to the Accessibility settings and switching the enemy outline to yellow makes it much easier to pick out targets. This is generally because maps tend to have dark purple, blue, and black areas. Yellow stands out more than red does for me personally. If you'd like to take things further, consider my guide on changing your Marvel Rivals crosshairs.

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• Coinbase confirmed suffering a cyberattack recently
• The attack started when crooks bribed the company's employees overseas
• Passwords, and user funds, were not affected

Coinbase, one of the biggest centralized cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, suffered a cyberattack which might cost it between $180 million and $400 million. This is according to Reuters, citing a regulatory filing submitted by the company earlier this week.

The exchange said that on May 11, it received an email from an unknown threat actor who claimed they obtained internal documents, and sensitive data about certain customer accounts. Coinbase later confirmed these claims, saying that only a “small subset” of customers were affected.

The data stolen doesn’t include login credentials or passwords, but Coinbase did say it would reimburse anyone who gave their money to the attackers. To obtain the files, the criminals allegedly paid “multiple contractors and employees” who were working in support roles outside the US.

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Demanding ransom

The individuals involved were identified and subsequently fired. There is no information on possible legal action against them.

The attackers demanded a ransom of $20 million in exchange for the data, which Coinbase refused to pay. Instead, it is now offering that exact amount of money - $20 million - as a bounty to anyone who comes forward with actionable information regarding the hackers’ identities or whereabouts.

Crypto is in a difficult position right now, trying to establish itself as a legitimate industry, while being surrounded by theft, scams, crime, and regulatory pressure. Just a few months ago, ByBit - another major cryptocurrency exchange - was hacked, with North Korean cybercriminals walking away with $1.5 billion in different tokens.

Earlier this May, Alex Mashinsky, the former CEO of the bankrupt crypto bank, Celsius Network, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to securities fraud and commodities fraud, and recently - in broad daylight - three individuals tried to kidnap the daughter of a crypto exchange CEO.

At the same time, Reuters is reporting that the SEC took the opportunity to investigate if Coinbase misstated user figures and if it has inadequate KYC practices. Coinbase denied the probing, though.

Via Reuters

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• Nikon Rumors says mirrorless Nikon Zr is coming later in 2025
• Nikon acquired RED in April 2024
• Since takeover, RED has released Z-mount versions of two of its cameras

Nikon could be working on a video-oriented mirrorless camera incorporating technology from RED – at least that's according to a new rumor.

Nikon Rumors posted a story claiming the next camera to be released by Nikon will be a Z-mount model bristling with cinema-focused RED features and tech. The story suggests it could even be called the Nikon Zr or Nikon ZR – the ‘R’ in the name possibly a nod to the RED tech on board.

Other claims in the story are that the camera will have a ‘brick-shaped’ design, without a pentaprism or an electronic viewfinder, and will look something like a cross between the Sony FX3, Nikon Z30 and the blocky look of existing RED cameras like the Komodo or V-Raptor.

It also states that the camera will have the same sensor as the excellent Nikon Z6 III (a 24.5MP partially-stacked full-frame sensor, then) and a ‘very large’ LCD screen. Most mirrorless cameras have 3-inch screens, so we think this suggests a 4-inch or even 5-inch screen is in the offing.

RED's V-Rapter and Komodo cinema cameras are now available in Z-mount editions. (Image credit: Nikon) Nikon is now firmly in the RED

RED, originally founded in the USA in 2007 as RED Digital Cinema, was acquired by Nikon in April 2024 for $85 million. Since then, it has released versions of the Komodo and V-Raptor with the Nikon Z-mount, but it’s long been expected that closer collaborations would emerge from the partnership.

In the wake of the RED purchase, Nikon president Muneaki Tokunari told Nippon.com, “Nikon Corp. aims to expand its market share for cameras by utilizing the video technologies of a U.S. movie camera company acquired in spring.” The rumored Nikon Zr could be the first all-new camera to come with those technologies.

Nikon Rumors believes the camera will be officially announced later in 2025, most likely in the third or fourth quarter. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more hints of what this rumored Nikon Zr might bring to the table.

Filmmakers and cinematographers, what would you like to see from RED-influenced Nikon Z camera? Let us know your dream features in the comments below.

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