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Marco Rubio said no one has died due to U.S. aid cuts. This mom disagrees

NPR News Headlines - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 10:05

Mariam Mohammed says her younger son died when she could not get treatment for him at a U.S.-funded clinic that had temporarily closed. Researchers say there are many thousands of cases like his.

(Image credit: Lawrence Abah)

Categories: News

I just used Veo 3 to create a wild AI video and it's easier than you think

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 10:03

It was just a glimpse, two 8-second Veo 3 videos, but as with so many life-altering things, I'll never forget my first time generating synchronized audio and video with one deftly crafted prompt.

I'm currently running Google AI Pro, the $19.99 a month account that gives you access to the Gemini 2.5 Pro model and, more importantly, a limited trial of Veo 3 video generation.

Veo 3 is the tipping-point level of generative video creation that, for the first time, makes it possible to create videos with dialogue, background noises and sound effects, all synced to the action.

While I understood that my Veo 3 access might be limited, I wasn't sure how many videos I could generate with the new model. The answer, it seems, is exactly two. If I want unlimited access, I can switch to Google AI Ultra for an eye-watering $249.99 a month (there's a three-month deal for $124.99 a month). And Veo 3 is currently US-only.

Since Veo 3 launched at Google I/O 2025, my TikTok feed has been filled with these incredible and often quite realistic AI clips. Some look like infomercials or commercials, others are just impossible, like a woman interviewing a smiling man who is clearly on fire.

I was torn between creating realism, hyper-realism, and something fantastic. In the end, I built a prompt in the Gemini 2.5 Pro window that supports video creation that was a mix of sci-fi, drama, and whimsy.

Writing inside the prompt window, though, turned out to be a mistake because I accidentally hit return before fully fleshing out my idea, and suddenly Veo 3 was busy generating my video.

This was my first prompt:

"Bill and Jessica live in a log cabin built on the surface of Mars. Bill emerges from the cabin to find jessica fighting a martian using nothing but a stuffed animal.

Bill screams at Jessica: What are you doing?

Jessica: This damn martian wants our land and he can't have it."

As you can see, there isn't much detail, and as easy as it is to generate a video in Veo 3 (and the audio-free Veo 2), you'll get a better result by including more detail and dialogue. Veo 3 will not have the characters say anything you didn't script. In this case, because I hit return too soon, Jessica's dialogue is cut off and I didn't get to polish my prompt.

Even so, Veo 3 took the scant details and in roughly 5 minutes created a striking piece of video. Take a look (sound up for the full effect).

It's far from perfect. Bill doesn't actually speak his line, though we hear it from off-camera. Jessica's scream (or is it the Martian's?) also comes from somewhere off camera.

There's an unfortunate sound effect that might be coming from Bill, and that I did not script. Also, I don't know why Jessica speaks her lines directly to camera.

Again, I assume that had I directed who she should be talking to, Veo 3 might have made a different choice.

Still, there are so many more subtle things that are impressive. Veo 3 gets the setting right; notice the reddish overcast of Mars daylight. The Martian is terrifying. I'm more impressed, though, by the sound effects like the sound of the cabin door, footfalls on the Martian soil, and the sound of the stuffed animal hitting the Martian's chest.

Take 2

For my second prompt, I wrote and edited it outside of Gemini. I did my best to set the scene, describe the characters, and delineate the dialogue and any sound effects. Here's the prompt:

The scene is a lush forest with sunlight streaming in from overhead. We hear the shrieks of pterodactyls in the background and the sound of leaves swaying in a light breeze.

A Tyrannosaurus is carefully painting a large canvas that depicts a colorful image of a man about to be destroyed by an asteroid.

The Tyrannosaurus is quietly singing to himself, “Pink Pony Club, I’m gonna keep on dancing at the...”

A Velociraptor wanders over and asks, “Why are you painting that?”

The Tyrannosaurus: “The AI made me do it.”

The Velociraptor backs away in horror and says, “The what?!!”

As you can see, I was, in part, inspired by some of the self-referential Veo 3 videos I'd been seeing on TikTok where the characters break the fourth wall and mention they're AIs in a video. While my detail work mostly paid off, Veo did make a number of questionable choices.

I don't know why it chose to dress the T-Rex but neglected to give him a paintbrush, or why the character in the painting looks like some sort of 1970s kid detective. And while Gemini clearly knows a thing or two about what dinosaurs look like, it got the relative sizes of the T-Rex and Velociraptor all wrong. I was also disappointed that instead of "shrieks of pterodactyls," I got a static image of pterodactyls and the sound of birdsong in the background.

The dialogue sync is mostly good, though I was hoping for more emoting from the velociraptor.

Overall, it took me a few minutes to write these prompts and another 3-to-5 minutes for Veo 3 to generate each video. I believe that if I spent more time painting a detailed picture, even writing a whole short story, I might get an even better result.

I'd let you know for sure, but I just ran my brief trial dry. If you plan on attending a couple of Veo 3 videos, here are my core tips:

  • Write your prompt outside of Gemini
  • Choose your topics carefully
  • Spell out every detail, from the look of the characters to the scene
  • Detail every action, or Veo 3 will make something up or have a character doing nothing
  • Spell out the dialogue so it's clear.
  • Describe the emotion behind dialogue delivery
  • Include details on background noises
  • Include sound effect descriptions if you desire specific sounds
  • Each video is 8 seconds maximum. Plan accordingly
  • Try creating multiple videos that continue a storyline, but keep descriptions consistent

Good luck with your Veo 3 test drives. Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

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Categories: Technology

Nintendo has updated its Switch 2 game compatibility page, identifying over 100 titles with 'start up issues' on the upcoming console

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 10:02
  • Nintendo's list of compatible Switch games for Switch 2 has been updated
  • The company has identified well over 100 games with start-up issues
  • The vast majority should still work without issue on the new system

The list of Nintendo Switch 2 games that could have compatibility issues at launch has been updated by the company.

Nintendo's compatibility page has links to three PDFs. These highlight 115 games "with start up issues on Nintendo Switch 2," 46 games that successfully start up but may have some compatibility issues, and finally 49 games that have issues "planned to be addressed at launch or shortly after."

Furthermore, Nintendo has highlighted software that outright cannot be used on Nintendo Switch 2. These include Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit, as well as video apps including Crunchyroll, Niconico, Abema, and Hulu. The comics and manga app InkyPen will also be unusable. It remains to be seen if these apps will receive dedicated Switch 2 versions in the future.

Lastly, a bunch of original Nintendo Switch games will require the use of that console's Joy-Con controllers, and presumably won't be compatible with the Joy-Con 2. These are as follows:

  • Ring Fit Adventure
  • 1-2 Switch
  • Everybody 1-2 Switch!
  • Game Builder Garage
  • Nintendo Switch Sports
  • WarioWare: Move It!
  • Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit
  • Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit
  • Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 03: Vehicle Kit

So far, Nintendo has tested well over 15,000 Nintendo Switch games for Nintendo Switch 2. The vast majority, around 99% of Nintendo games and 65% of third-party games, have no compatibility issues.

For everything else, the issues are at least being investigated by Nintendo, and it should be fair to expect most Switch 1 games to work just fine on Switch 2 by the end of 2025.

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Categories: Technology

Claude AI adds a genuinely useful voice mode to its mobile app that can look inside your inbox and calendar

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 10:01
  • Anthropic is rolling out a new voice mode for its AI chatbot Claude
  • You can use it to search Google Calendar and Gmail on a paid plan
  • Voice mode will also be available on the free tier, but with usage limitations

Claude, the popular AI chatbot from Anthropic, is rolling out a voice mode to all its mobile app users. Whilst still in beta, the new voice mode will be in English and accessible for users on all current plans, including the free plan.

Voice mode with Claude works just like voice mode in Gemini or ChatGPT. In fact, you tap on an icon that looks pretty much identical to the Gemini Live icon to activate it.

Once voice mode is activated, you just start talking to Claude to hear its voice responses. As it talks, it displays its key points on screen, which enables you to seamlessly switch between text and voice within the same conversation.

You get five different Claude voices to choose from, according to the Claude voice mode documentation, and you can change between them at any time by simply going to Settings, then Voice Preferences.

Hey Claude

You can get a preview of how voice mode will work in Claude thanks to a handy video Anthropic has posted on X.com:

We're rolling out voice mode in beta on mobile.Try starting a voice conversation and asking Claude to summarize your calendar or search your docs. pic.twitter.com/xVo5VHiCEbMay 27, 2025

The video demonstrates how, by simply talking to Claude (even while brushing your teeth) you can get the AI to check your calendar, search through your Gmail inbox or Google Drive, and even draft an email for you.

This kind of ability moves Claude firmly into the role of a digital assistant however it’s worth noting that Gmail and Google Calendar integrations are only available on Claude’s paid plans, which start at $20 (around £16 / AU$32)for a Pro account, and go up to $200 (around £148 / AU$311) a month for Max 20x.

Usage limits

You don’t get unlimited access to voice conversations in Claude. Each conversation counts towards your regular usage limits based on your subscription plan.

Free users of Claude can expect approximately 20-30 voice messages before reaching session limits, while paid plans have significantly higher limits.

Voice mode is a timely upgrade to Claude, which was lagging behind its rivals, ChatGPT and Gemini, by not providing a voice mode. Anthropic has also just updated Claude's LLM to Claude Opus 4.0 and Claude Sonnet 4.0. Opus 4.0 is a powerful AI model that excels at coding, while Sonnet is a lightweight model designed for regular use and a big improvement on the previous Sonnet 3.7 model.

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Categories: Technology

'Is this for real?': Lilo and Stitch fans are furious about the live-action remake's ending, so they're watching the original movie on Disney+ instead

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:50
  • Lilo and Stitch fans are raging about the changes made to the story's ending
  • The live-action remake's final scene is completely different from the animated classic
  • Viewers are heading to Disney+ to watch the original movie and its sequels amid the controversy

Disney's live-action remake of Lilo and Stitch might be breaking records at the global box office, but it's also breaking long-time fans' hearts over the unnecessary change to the story's ending.

Following its release last Friday (May 23), one of 2025's most anticipated new movies set a new record for the largest four-day Memorial Day weekend in the US. Indeed, according to an official press release from The Walt Disney Company, Lilo and Stitch's reimagining earned over $182 million stateside and $361 million worldwide across its opening weekend.

It's not all good news for the rambunctious but lovable blue alien and his Hawaiian counterpart, though. Despite also earning a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, some viewers have hit out at Disney for altering the film's final scene – a creative decision that's infuriated some who adored the 2002 animated original.

Full spoilers immediately follow for 2002 and 2025's Lilo and Stitch.

"Ohana means family", unless your sister wants to pursue her own career on the other side of the US (Image credit: Disney)

In the original, the film ends with Stitch remaining on Earth with Lilo and her older sister Nani. That's because, according to an adoption form that the pair signed at an animal shelter that was housing Lilo (he was presumed to be a dog at the time), Nani and Lilo legally own him.

However, the live-action remake upends that heart-warming ending. Instead of staying with Stitch and her younger sibling and rebuilding their family home, Nani heads off to the University of California to study marine biology. Meanwhile, Lilo and Stitch are taken in by David and Tutu, with the latter duo becoming the former pair's guardians.

Why has this alteration enraged fans? Because, in some viewers' eyes, Lilo and Stitch's most recognizable line of dialogue – "Ohana means family" – and, by proxy, the film's primary theme, is completely ruined by the fact that Nani leaves her sister and Stitch behind to study on the other side of North America.

Indeed, numerous irked fans have taken to Reddit to express their frustration and exasperation over the unwelcome change. "I’m happy Nani got her ending," Parmesan_Pirate119 wrote, "But it felt forced and untrue to the original spirit of the film."

Comment from r/disney

"This was not a Lilo & Stitch story, this was a Nani story," an annoyed TownIdiot25 said. "And, as a Nani story, I don’t like how they completely changed the ending when it comes to the guardianship-of-Lilo situation."

"In the end, they actually have Nani give Lilo up to the neighbors (...though nani gives lilo up to state first) and go to college instead, which feels completely wrong and out of character," spider-man2401 added. The most frustrated reaction that I've seen, though, comes from noakai, who wrote: "Nani agreeing to give custody of Lilo to the state and then Lilo going to live with other people so Nani could go to California for college is so amazingly stupid I can't believe they went with it."

This quartet is a mere snapshot of fans vexed by the change, but there are some who have defended the remake's final sequence. For example, MrChiquitaBananaRN said: "The ending will be the big divide – Ohana IS family, but Ohana is also found family (i.e. Stitch). So, Lilo telling Nani to 'go to the marines' and Nani actually doing it, while Lilo has her new support system there, I think it works."

2002's Lilo and Stitch movie is the most popular film on Disney+ in the US and UK right now (Image credit: Disney+)

Regardless of what people think of Lilo and Stitch's modified ending, there's one unmistakable positive impact that the remake has had: it's caused an uptick in the number of people watching the original and its sequels on Disney+.

Indeed, in the UK, viewers have flocked to one of the world's best streaming services to watch the 2002 animated movie and its sibling films. At the time of publication, Lilo and Stitch is the number one movie on Disney+ UK, with Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch placing at number two. Stitch! The Movie and Leroy and Stitch find themselves at numbers five and six, respectively.

It's a similar story in the US, with Lilo and Stitch sitting atop of the most-streamed movies list and Stitch! The Movie ranked at number two. Leroy and Stitch is in fifth position, too.

Will these flicks have staying power on Disney+? Probably not. They've likely seen a surge in viewership off the back of the remake's release and the controversy surrounding its ending. Nevertheless, it's interesting to see how well these animated films are performing on Disney's primary streamer. Maybe 2002's Lilo and Stitch deserves a spot on our best Disney+ movies list!

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Categories: Technology

Trump is pardoning Todd and Julie Chrisley, the reality TV couple convicted of fraud

NPR News Headlines - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:50

Todd and Julie Chrisley, who rose to fame in a reality show highlighting their lavish lifestyle, had been serving yearslong prison sentences after 2022 convictions on bank and tax fraud offenses.

(Image credit: Jordan Strauss)

Categories: News

Despite its co-op framework feeling stuck in the past, after 30 hours with Elden Ring Nightreign, I just want to keep playing it for years

TechRadar Reviews - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:36

With Elden Ring Nightreign, FromSoftware has created the definitive blueprint of how to use the parts of an existing game to craft an entirely different experience. In doing so, the developer has built a refreshingly freeing and flexible co-op experience that draws upon Elden Ring’s best bits while continuing to innovate and push FromSoftware into new territory, even if the matchmaking and co-op still feel partially stuck in the past.

Review information

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: May 30, 2025

FromSoftware has always reused aspects of its previous games for new IPs or titles. For example, Bloodborne and Dark Souls animations can be found in Elden Ring, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice bosses like the Blazing Bull were given a new paint job in Elden Ring to create the Fallingstar Beast. It’s a smart, efficient way to constantly generate new content and worlds without having to redo a bunch of work.

But here, the studio goes one step further and uses Elden Ring’s bones to craft a game in an entirely new genre, resulting in a clever roguelike with a lot more going on than first meets the eye. On top of that, unsurprisingly, Elden Ring Nightreign is an incredibly fun and addictive combat experience on par with FromSoftware’s other work.

A convergence of worlds

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Set in an alternate timeline from the main lore of Elden Ring, in Nightreign, you play as one of eight Nightfarers. These are mysterious characters with their own combat specialisms that act as classes. They have been summoned to the land of Limveld and the Roundtable Hold. Upon meeting a mysterious hooded maiden, you are urged to survive three days in Limveld and defeat the Nightlord who appears on the third day. Fail and you begin your journey in Limveld again from the beginning of your first day.

During each day, you will drop into a random spot in Limveld and explore the map, gearing up as a ring of rain called The Night’s Tide closes in on you from all directions. Upon exploring during a 45-minute run, you will come across an assortment of castles, outposts, camps, and landmarks from Elden Ring that are filled with randomized enemies, loot, items, consumables, and, most importantly, bosses from the base game and even some of the older Dark Souls titles.

You can also find nods to other FromSoftware games, whether it be a character’s ability that resembles a Bloodborne weapon or reference to a beloved Souls NPC.

Despite seeing bosses and references from old games pop up, they never felt like eye-rolling fan-service moments. It was actually fascinating to see how these challenges from older games have been updated to keep up with Elden Ring’s combat, and there are compelling lore tidbits hidden away in the game that hint at what has caused these many worlds to collide and why these Nightfarers have been brought together.

Learning the lay of the land

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

While it takes a few runs through Limveld to attune to the game’s faster pace and freeform structure, by the time I tackled my first Nightlord, I was already addicted to the captivating concoction FromSoftware had cooked up.

Instead of a guiding path pulling you and your friends from location to location, Nightreign is all about learning how to make the most of each day in Limveld. Whether that is running from boss to boss at each landmark to stock up on Runes and upgrades to obtain new weapons or level up, exploring caves to find smithing stones to enhance your armaments, or traversing the map to find extra healing flasks to improve your survivability.

Best bit

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Finally defeating the Darkdrift Knight after several attempts, only succeeding because my rapier dealt rot damage and slowly ticked down his health as we all dodged attacks with low health and no healing flasks left. The Darkdrift Knight is the hardest fight in the game, I think, and the satisfaction, rush, and relief at finally beating it was immense.

It is very easy to think Nightreign is a brainless boss rush, combat sandbox at first glance, but it is actually a considered roguelite that focuses on map knowledge, where to find the best loot, and when it is best to adjust strategies in a similar way to a battle royale or extraction game. The satisfaction of doing this also reminds me a lot of the best puzzle games like Return of the Obra Dinn or Blue Prince, where you finally decipher how a mechanic works or uncover a clue.

Learning the map and how to optimize my runs through Limveld was one of the most satisfying parts of Nightreign. It is not something I expected to be as vital as it is, but through talking with others in voice chat, sharing findings from our own individual runs, and combining ideas, we eventually found buried strategies.

Examples include figuring out how to max out our level or discovering how to obtain the most legendary weapons in a run to increase our chances of defeating the Nightlords. This sense of player discovery and word-of-mouth knowledge that was rife throughout Elden Ring’s launch is just as potent here in Nightreign, and it’s part of the magic that makes it work, especially if you are able to play with a large group of friends or Discord server.

The same goes for the game’s overarching progression, which revolves around randomized relics you unlock at the end of runs through Limveld. Three of these can be equipped before each run on each character in the Roundtable Hold and unlock small buffs like extra elemental damage, or bigger Nightfarer bonuses like enhancing Nightfarer abilities or allowing you to share the healing from your healing flasks with your co-op partners - giving you triple the healing if standing near each other.

I heard about abilities on these that I never saw from other people while playing during the review period, and the flexibility of Elden Ring’s many levelling systems, elemental damage types, weapons, and the Nightfarers themselves open up the possibility for hundreds, if not thousands, of build combinations and optimizations.

Play your way

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Nightreign is about doing as much as you can with the little time you have, rewarding players who stick together and melt bosses in seconds. It encourages teams to combine abilities and attacks to stun foes quickly, while communicating to ensure they are all on the same page.

This makes it an incredibly hard game to play alone (which is an option that is available). While it can be done, the game’s enemy scaling and progression rewards teams that can complete as many objectives as possible, which just isn’t easy to do on your own.

I could spend ages talking at length about the Nightlords themselves, but in reality, fans already know what to expect, and the actual structure and systems in Nightreign are far more innovative. Even still, these Nightfarer fights are incredible spectacles, and some of the best FromSoftware has made. They are brimming with difficult moves to master and a combination of abilities and forms to learn, all set against an impressive, bombastic orchestral soundtrack for each one. FromSoftware simply doesn’t miss when it comes to combat and enemy design, and Nightreign is no different.

One area FromSoftware could have fumbled is the Nightfarers. While they could have felt like cheap forced classes, they are actually really flexible and well-rounded archetypes, with abilities that have a variety of uses. For starters, every Nightfarer can use any weapon or item. If you want to play the katana-wielding, parry-centric Executor with a dagger, you can, even though you won’t be as effective as you would be with a katana.

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

This means you can craft your build on the fly and you never feel locked into a certain playstyle, allowing you to adapt during your run through Limveld. Bows don’t have ammo, and weight isn’t factored in either, which gives the game’s combat a brisk speed and pace that isn’t found in Elden Ring. It also removes a lot of the barriers to enjoying the game’s wide variety of weapon types, as you can basically pick up anything and begin using it right away. Yes, they actually made ranged combat and magic fun here.

On top of that, the ability kits for each Nightfarer are multi-faceted with several uses that aren’t immediately obvious. For example, Ironeye, the archer, can use his Single Shot ultimate ability to fire a huge supersonic arrow. That arrow can be used to stun larger bosses, wipe out hordes of mobs, and also revive teammates instantly if they are downed. Not only can it do those things individually, but you can also do all three at once with a well-placed shot, and it has saved my team’s run many times.

Each character and their abilities can be used in many ways to deal damage and also support your party and discovering how to utilise them in new ways is just as satisfying as discovering Limveld itself. You can also easily use three of one Nightfarer or any combination and succeed, removing even more barriers, as you don’t need any particular Nightfarer to come out victorious (even if some of them have stronger abilities than others).

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Some major barriers to Nightreign, however, do emerge after a few hours. Because so much of Nightreign comes from Elden Ring, it is imperative that you have that existing knowledge to enjoy what Nightreign is offering. You can’t sit and try to fight the Golden Hippopotamus again and again to learn its attacks, because the next time you run through Limveld, it could be in a different location or not spawn at all.

The same goes for the Nightlords. You can’t just skip to the third day and practice them over and over, you need to complete a full 45-minute run through Limveld to reach them again, which is taxing. So, you need to be familiar with Elden Ring’s combat and have completed both the base game and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion because of the difficulty of some of those Nightlords.

While returning players will be able to pick things up after a few runs, it feels like Nightreign is built for the hardcore Soulslike players and addicts who have memorised every attack pattern in Elden Ring and across FromSoftware’s pantheon of titles.

Another key issue at the time of this review is the matchmaking and lack of crossplay. During the pre-release period, we had issues creating lobbies using passwords where matchmaking would fail or simply not put players together when we all tried to matchmake with the same password set. Nightreign definitely retains some of the dated multiplayer quirks of FromSoftware’s other games.

It is also unforgivable in my eye that in the year 2025 Nightreign doesn’t have crossplay, and because of the demanding nature of the game and the reliance on communication, I simply do not see how you can complete any of the Nightlord bosses reliably, especially the tougher ones, without friends whom you know and people you can talk to. I don’t necessarily think this is a straight-up weakness of the game, but it's a huge condition attached to the game that will prevent a lot of people from seeing everything it has to offer.

Should I play Elden Ring Nightreign?

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)Play it if...

You are an Elden Ring veteran with a lot of experience with FromSoftware’s other games
Nightreign is built on Elden Ring’s foundations, and the roguelike nature rewards those who have already memorised existing bosses and are familiar with the franchise’s combat.

You have a group of friends whom you can rely on and play with consistently
Trying to play Nightreign solo is not a fun time initially, and remains a challenge even for experienced players. The game is built for 3-player co-op, and you need to be able to strategize and talk to your teammates to assist each other and optimize your builds.

Don't play it if...

You don’t have any experience with Elden Ring or other soulslikes
Nightreign is not a game you can use to introduce yourself to FromSoftware’s behemoth world, especially if you want an experience you can enjoy at your own pace, as the game is focused on time-limited, fast-paced 45-minute runs through the world.

Accessibility

Elden Ring Nightreign offers limited accessibility options. There are basic speed adjustments for the camera and aiming with ranged weapons. There are no difficulty settings, and the game is best played in a co-op party of three, where you can communicate, which may not be possible for everyone.

There is also no subtitle customization or HUD alteration options, and there are no specialist options for those with eyesight or hearing issues. While you can rebind some controls on console, you cannot rebind every button, potentially preventing some people from playing on custom controllers.

How I reviewed Elden Ring Nightreign

I played Elden Ring Nightreign for 30 hours, completing all of the game’s Nightlord bosses and experiencing most of the world and map events available. I played the game entirely in performance mode on PS5 with a DualSense Edge controller on a Gigabyte M28U gaming monitor and using SteelSeries Arena 3 computer speakers.

This review was conducted in an environment where I was able to team up with other creators and journalists reviewing the game to play with them and complete the game’s various challenges.

First reviewed May 2025

Categories: Reviews

Simplify to accelerate: effective enterprise security and networking strategies for 2025

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:25

The cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve, with new threats and solutions appearing every day. But the rate of change in the past two years, intensified by the mass implementation of AI, has seen meteoric growth in the number of cyber-attacks. Unfortunately for businesses and their IT security teams, AI-driven attacks are becoming more sophisticated, and businesses must rethink their security strategies to stay resilient in the face of changing cyber threats.

Accelerating security and networking enhancements will continue to take center stage for UK organizations in 2025, but added complexity can slow enterprises down. Adding simplicity as a key vector for networking and security posture optimization is key to successful, secure connectivity strategies for the year ahead.

The growing threat of AI-powered attacks

In today’s threat landscape, cybercriminals are leveraging artificial intelligence to orchestrate attacks with unprecedented speed and accuracy. AI’s capability to identify vulnerabilities, craft hyper-realistic phishing scams, and execute complex malware campaigns is increasing the difficulty of threat detection and mitigation. One of the most concerning trends is the rise of “deep phishing” attacks, where AI-generated deepfake content is used to impersonate trusted individuals and deceive employees into revealing sensitive information.

Cyber breaches are already a top concern for organizations, downtime prevention and data protection taking center stage, but what is more unsettling is not being aware when a breach occurs. The longer an attacker remains in the system - intruder dwell times can range from several weeks to months and even over a year - the more costly and damaging these “silent breaches” become. Being unable to identify when a breach took place means that restoring systems to a safe version is much harder.

To counteract these risks, organizations need to deploy security tools capable of recognizing behavioral anomalies and responding in real time to potential breaches.

AI cyber defense - the other side of the cybersecurity coin

As the advent of AI presents new security challenges, it also offers us the tools to strengthen cyber defenses. AI-based networking assistants and correlation engines are gaining traction, providing advanced capabilities in real-time threat detection and response.

The potential for human-supported with various degrees of AI autonomy for secure networking deployments is being explored, which could change how enterprises approach security and networking. By leaning into AI-led penetration testing, automated vulnerability mitigation, and self-healing network infrastructure AI is revolutionizing security strategies.

With intuitive AI tools, security teams can gain deeper insights into vulnerabilities and rapidly address potential threats. This will be particularly crucial as UK businesses face a growing cybersecurity skills gap, requiring intelligent automation to bridge expertise shortages and upskill quickly. In 2025, we will see more businesses will turn to AI-driven security intelligence tools that allow teams to query complex security data using natural language interfaces.

The democratization of security intelligence through intuitive AI tools will empower non-experts to play an active role in cyber threat mitigation. This shift will be instrumental in fostering a culture of shared responsibility between IT and security teams, enhancing collaboration and improving overall security outcomes.

The shift from prevention to incident response

While traditional security strategies have focused on threat prevention, 2025 will also see a distinct shift towards rapid incident response. Companies will do well to prioritize detecting and containing breaches to augment preventive measures, increasingly allocating budget resources to solutions that enable swift incident identification and response.

This shift reflects an understanding that breaches cannot always be prevented, and in reality, should be expected. Instead, mitigating their impact through rapid detection and containment will be the key to minimizing damage.

One development that is representing this shift is the adoption of self-healing security systems. These AI-powered systems can autonomously detect, analyze, and respond to threats, significantly reducing response times and mitigating damage.

Indeed, using machine learning, self-healing networks can dynamically adjust a company’s cybersecurity measures based on real-time risk assessments. This self-healing security will be a game-changer, as automated incident response will enable businesses to bolster their security teams and protect their assets. AI and human partnerships can help businesses strengthen their overall resilience when facing a cyber-attack.

So, what’s next for businesses navigating the threat landscape?

As cyber threats become more advanced, businesses must embrace a holistic approach to security, that can introduce simplicity for observability, control, management and response. Consolidating cyber defense, network and data management, and operational resilience into a single, integrated platform will help organizations navigate the increasingly turbulent threat landscape efficiently.

This access to and complete visibility over these systems and tools means that teams can identify risks and opportunities as a passive activity, and invest time into value-driving initiatives, as opposed to combing through multiple applications for status updates.

Ultimately, 2025 will be the year where more AI-driven corporate security strategies move from theory to practice. Organizations that proactively adapt to these emerging trends will be better equipped to withstand the ever-evolving challenges of the digital age. For businesses, staying ahead of the curve will require embracing automation, strengthening incident response capabilities, and continuing to hold security as an organizational priority.

We've featured the best encryption software.

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

Categories: Technology

Misconfigured Docker instances are being hacked to mine cryptocurrency

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:25
  • Security researchers spot new campaign targeting Docker instances
  • The attack deploys a cloud crypto miner, and a worm for further propagation
  • The miner generates the Dero currency

Hackers are building a botnet out of misconfigured Docker API instances and using it to mine the Dero cryptocurrency, experts have warned.

Security researchers from Kaspersky reported finding a “container zombie outbreak” that started with an exposed Docker API.

“This led to the running containers being compromised and new ones being created not only to hijack the victim’s resources for cryptocurrency mining but also to launch external attacks to propagate to other networks,” they explained.

Negotiations ongoing?

In this zombie outbreak, the “patient zero” is a misconfigured API that’s left open to the internet. There, the attackers deploy a piece of malware disguised as ‘nginx’, a high-performance, open-source web server and reverse proxy server.

The malware scans for vulnerable instances and infects them, and then creates new malicious containers and forces existing ones to mine Dero. At the same time, it continues to spread to other systems.

This is a two-step process, Kaspersky explains. Nginx is the propagation tool that scans for new victims, with the miner being a cloud-based solution. Both components are written in Golang, which makes them rather difficult to detect.

Kaspersky also says that unlike traditional cryptojacking campaigns, this one doesn’t rely on a command & control (C2) server, but instead spreads autonomously, like a worm.

Users running Docker should check their API settings, and make sure it’s not exposed to the internet. Furthermore, they should fortify their login credentials, and perform regular security audits and monitoring.

While cybercriminals usually hijack servers to mine Monero with the XMRig, this is not the first time researchers spotted Dero. According to The Hacker News, CrowdStrike saw Kubernetes clusters being targeted back in March 2023, and a subsequent iteration of the same campaign was spotted by Wiz in June 2024.

Similar to Monero, Dero is also a privacy-focused Layer 1 blockchain, built to support decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts.

Via The Hacker News

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Categories: Technology

The governance challenge: aligning AI with ESG priorities

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:16

The AI race is accelerating, with tech giants announcing multi-billion-dollar investments to supercharge computing power and infrastructure. From headline making supercomputer projects to record-setting data center expansions, the scale of ambition is unmatched.

This surge, supported by billions in investment from governments and corporations, has extended from advanced chipmaking to the expansion of high-powered data centers. The AI market has tripled in size over the past year alone and is expected to quadruple again by 2030.

Yet alongside the opportunity lies a growing complexity. AI brings with it a new wave of environmental, ethical, and operational challenges that organizations, particularly their boards, must confront with urgency. While the excitement around AI often focuses on what it can do, there is an equally critical question being: is it being done responsibly?

Board visibility and decision-making are becoming ever more important to navigate the opportunities and challenges.

But the challenge of keeping pace with AI’s rapid evolution while sustaining progress on long-term sustainability goals remains. Addressing this requires a governance approach that is both agile and strategic, capable of enabling quick decisions, without compromising ethical considerations. One that requires stronger alignment between technology, ESG targets, and long-term value creation.

AI – both part of the problem and the solution

AI is already testing the boundaries of many companies’ ESG strategies. We’ve already seen big corporations like the famous GAFAM (Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, Microsoft) struggling to manage the environmental impact of AI expansion, with some AI investments consuming millions of liters of water or gigawatts of power.

That said, organizations are also exploring how AI can actively support in reducing emissions through the additional capabilities it brings to the table.

Optimizing energy & asset utilization in data centers through AI driven workload and capacity distribution is one of the promising use cases AI bring to the table.

Greater visibility on current status and data-driven insights on sustainability projects with direct prioritization based on ROI and impact, is another one. For example, conversational AI tools designed to help business leaders see and interact with their energy and sustainability data. Tools like this allow companies to ask natural language questions about their energy use and sustainability projects, instantly generating prioritized recommendations to maximize carbon reduction and financial return.

These initiatives, among others, show that while AI presents new sustainability challenges, it can also be part of the solution. The central question for companies of all sizes is how to understand how AI can apply to their business model and operating models in a way that bring tangible business value, but also how that usage is meaningful with regards to the resource consumed for it, which are not yet part of the economic equation of AI business models for the time being, without losing eye on the longer term implications of AI.

Indeed, responsibly embracing its potential without compromising environmental targets or stakeholder trust is key. Maximizing it’s impact on workforce future proofing & ethical usage with regards to customers are others aspects to look into.

Boards have a central role to play in this balancing act. As stewards of long-term strategy, they are uniquely positioned to oversee the development of frameworks that can mitigate AI’s risks- while unlocking its potential to support sustainability goals.

However, this requires foresight, subject matter expertise, and adaptability to the sheer speed of evolution we see in the AI space, and hence an updated and adapted governance structures that is adapted to the pace of change.

Evolving board structures for effective AI Oversight

To manage AI’s risks and opportunities effectively, organizations need to evolve their own internal governance structures. One way companies are doing this is by including dedicated AI or technology oversight committees. These may be supported by panels of external advisors, futurists, ethicists, data scientists who help translate emerging risks into actionable insight.

Equally important is the distribution of responsibility across the board, ensuring that AI oversight doesn’t rest with a single function or team. Adapted executive compensation and well defined leading and lagging KPIs, tied to the outcomes and progress sought after are a good way to ensure the above.

Education is also a critical enabler here. Many board members (but also executives!) today are not technologists, and that’s entirely reasonable. However, in the context of AI’s growing influence on strategy, risk, and reputation, a baseline understanding of its capabilities and implications is now essential. Ongoing board & executive education, training programs, and engagement with research institutions or industry conferences will help bridge this gap and ensure AI oversight is both informed and effective, beyond the current hype seen in the market.

Another practical mechanism for improving oversight is the use of real-time metrics. Much like ESG dashboards that track emissions or water usage, similar systems should be developed for AI-related performance, ethics, and environmental impact. These tools can give board members a clearer view of how AI is evolving inside the business, whether it’s aligning with sustainability commitments or where interventions may be needed.

Empowering the ecosystem

Importantly, boards must also consider how AI’s effects ripple through their entire value chain, especially for large corporations aiming to reduce Scope 3 emissions.

Be it the need for resources the investment in AI will require; to the issues (including Sustainability related ones) companies will be enabled to solve with AI tools. Implications certainly do not limit themselves to the very company’s very own operations but go across. In this context, a company’s business ecosystem is a strategic resource giving access to expertise, applied knowledge, access to markets and customers, as well a common drive for mutual success, and should not be overlooked, but rather engaged and if possible embedded when making plans in order to reach objectives.

Building transparent, structured frameworks that boards & executives can look to when shaping responsible AI strategies inclusive of the whole value chain will help maximize outcomes and turn sustainability and AI from siloed priorities into shared ecosystem goals that can drive impact at scale.

Future proofing governance

In the end, the challenges AI presents are significant, and hence need to be anticipated for financial returns and impact maximization. The key lies in understanding the speed and scale at which technology evolves and responding with governance that is equally adaptive, in term of knowledge (or access to it), access to data and insights, and with strong frameworks to maximize value and mitigate risks across the value chain, with strong translation mechanisms into the business operations, including through executive compensation mechanisms.

Whether through dedicated oversight committees, external advisory panels, real-time performance dashboards, companies have the tools to lead responsibly. Boards that embrace this moment, investing in education, fostering cross-functional agility, and embedding sustainability at all levels-will be better positioned to harness AI for long-term impact, not just for short-term gains.

As we look to the future, one thing is clear: effective AI governance is no longer optional. It is a fundamental requirement for preserving stakeholder trust, delivering on climate commitments, and ensuring that innovation serves the business together with people and the planet.

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

Categories: Technology

Elden Ring Nightreign Review: An Addicting Multiplayer Roguelike for Challenge Junkies

CNET News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:00
FromSoftware's first multiplayer game is as tough as its oeuvre, sure to please longtime fans and test new ones.
Categories: Technology

Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, May 29 (game #1221)

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:00
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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, May 28 (game #1220).

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 #1221) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1221) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1221) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo 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 #1221) - 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 #1221) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• D

• S

• N

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

Quordle today (game #1221) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1221, are…

  • CRIER
  • DRAPE
  • STRUT
  • NEIGH

A tricky Quordle today thanks to a pair of double letter words in CRIER and STRUT.

Had I gone with COULD instead of WOULD as a starter word I might have reduced my thinking time a little, but that’s the only wrong choice I made. Getting out after seven turns feels good after a run of close shaves. 

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1221) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1221, are…

  • SOBER
  • SHIRE
  • CHEAT
  • IDYLL
Quordle answers: The past 20
  • Quordle #1220, Wednesday, 28 May: HELLO, BEADY, VIGIL, PURER
  • Quordle #1219, Tuesday, 27 May: TWEET, RANGE, POPPY, RADAR
  • Quordle #1218, Monday, 26 May: BLEAT, HOWDY, ASIDE, SCOOP
  • Quordle #1217, Sunday, 25 May: OCEAN, AMBER, PIPER, GLEAN
  • Quordle #1216, Saturday, 24 May: HUSKY, HEIST, FOGGY, POLAR
  • Quordle #1215, Friday, 23 May: SHIRE, GIANT, AWAIT, CAPER
  • Quordle #1214, Thursday, 22 May: LOSE, GLOVE, STINT, EXCEL
  • Quordle #1213, Wednesday, 21 May: NOVEL, CHOSE, DIRTY, DONUT
  • Quordle #1212, Tuesday, 20 May: DECOY, SHAKE, MAPLE, PURER
  • Quordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVE
  • Quordle #1210, Sunday, 18 May: QUACK, ROACH, PURGE, DOWNY
  • Quordle #1209, Saturday, 17 May: STRIP, RANGE, UNITE, GEESE
  • 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
Categories: Technology

NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, May 29 (game #718)

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:00
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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, May 28 (game #717).

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 #718) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

  • FROST
  • RIGHT
  • MUSCULAR
  • HONOR
  • HAIL
  • FIT
  • POLISH
  • POWDER
  • PROPER
  • ENTHUSIAST
  • NUDE
  • APPLAUD
  • SPRINKLE
  • PRAISE
  • APT
  • GLAZE
NYT Connections today (game #718) - hint #1 - group hints

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

  • YELLOW: Tribute
  • GREEN: Satisfactory
  • BLUE: Dunkin and Krispy
  • PURPLE: Connecting word rhymes with “stuff”

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 #718) - hint #2 - group answers

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

  • YELLOW: SALUTE 
  • GREEN: SUITABLE
  • BLUE: VERBS FOR FINISHING DONUTS
  • PURPLE: WHAT "BUFF" MIGHT MEAN

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

NYT Connections today (game #718) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #718, are…

  • YELLOW: SALUTE APPLAUD, HAIL, HONOR, PRAISE
  • GREEN: SUITABLE APT, FIT, PROPER, RIGHT
  • BLUE: VERBS FOR FINISHING DONUTS FROST, GLAZE, POWDER, SPRINKLE
  • PURPLE: WHAT "BUFF" MIGHT MEAN ENTHUSIAST, MUSCULAR, NUDE, POLISH
  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: 1 mistake

Fools jump in... so I immediately thought that FROST, POWDER and SPRINKLE were describing types of snow, added HAIL… and got "one away".

That’s when I realized it had to do with baking instead, although I wasn’t thinking VERBS FOR FINISHING DONUTS.

I got SALUTE next, which was quite tricky for the so-called easiest group and then the SUITABLE green group.

I missed seeing WHAT “BUFF” MIGHT MEAN but four different meanings for one word make it the archetypal hardest Connections group – and I say this as a Connections buff.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, May 28, game #717)
  • YELLOW: CONNECT BRIDGE, JOIN, LINK, UNITE
  • GREEN: PARTS OF A BIKE CHAIN, PEDAL, SADDLE, WHEEL
  • BLUE: BEST PICTURE WINNERS SINCE 2000 CHICAGO, CRASH, GLADIATOR, MOONLIGHT
  • PURPLE: MUSIC GENRES PLUS A LETTER BLUEST, POPE, ROCKY, SKAT
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.

Categories: Technology

NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, May 29 (game #452)

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 09:00
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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, May 28 (game #451).

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 #452) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… It's a little buggy

NYT Strands today (game #452) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • GIANT
  • SPARE
  • SPAM
  • SALE
  • FAST
  • ANTICS
NYT Strands today (game #452) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 6 letters

NYT Strands today (game #452) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #452) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #452, are…

  • BUTTERFLY
  • MOTH
  • WASP
  • FLEA
  • HORNET
  • DRAGONFLY
  • SPANGAM: INSECT
  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

After getting BUTTERFLY, MOTH and WASP in succession, I thought we were looking for a spangram describing flying minibeasts. Instead it was the much more straightforward INSECT

A six-letter spangram is very off-brand for Strands these days, but this game's ability to keep players guessing is impressive. That said, this was one of our easier days.

I know many people like them, but the sight of a DRAGONFLY freaks me out a bit as I’ve got an irrational fear that they’re going to fly in my mouth. So, whenever I see one I clamp my mouth shut. I guess I’m the freak, not them.

That said, they do breathe out of their rectums, so there is that too. I don't want something that breathes out its rectum in my mouth, thanks.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, May 28, game #451)
  • WINNER
  • CHAMP
  • TITLEHOLDER
  • VICTOR
  • MEDALIST
  • SPANGRAM: FINISH STRONG
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.

Categories: Technology

Vietnam blocks access to Telegram – here's all you need to know

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 08:52
  • Vietnam has issued an order to block Telegram for failing to cooperate with authorities in halting crimes
  • According to authorities, nearly 70% of Telegram channels and groups in Vietnam contain harmful content
  • A new law requires social media providers to store Vietnamese users' data and share it with authorities upon request

Vietnam has blocked Telegram for failing to cooperate with authorities in halting crimes allegedly happening on the platform.

As reported by Reuters, the country's Head of the Telecom department issued the blocking order against telecommunications companies on May 21, 2025, with an obligation to report back to the ministry by June 2.

While the block didn't come into force immediately, Telegram appears to be inaccessible from the country at the time of writing. This means everyone living in or visiting Vietnam now needs one of the best VPN services to keep accessing the popular messaging app from the country.

Vietnam Telegram block

As per international and local sources, Vietnamese police said that nearly 70% of the almost 10,000 Telegram channels and groups accessible in the country contain "poisonous and bad information," Al Jazeera reported. Some groups have even been found to have links with illicit activities, like drug trafficking or terrorism.

This is why authorities decided to issue an order to all the country's telecoms providers "to deploy solutions and measures to prevent Telegram's activities in Vietnam."

Talking to Reuters, a Telegram spokesperson said to be "surprised by those statements," adding that the team responded to legal requests from Vietnam on time.

Yet, as per what a government official told Reuters, Telegram failed to share user data with authorities when asked as required by law.

Vietnam indeed enforced a controversial law in December last year that requires social media providers to store Vietnamese users' data and share it with authorities upon request. However, as per Surfshark's data, Vietnam had already restricted social media twice before that, with temporary blocks on Facebook and Instagram in 2016.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in August 2024 in France for, among other things, failing to properly moderate the app to combat crimes occurring on the platform. After that, Telegram appears to have strengthened its moderation policies.

Globally, Surfshark recorded a total of 34 countries that have banned Telegram since 2015, either temporarily or permanently, with Vietnam being the 35th to do so.

TechRadar needs you! We want to know what you think about the world of VPNs. Whether you're a novice or a VPN pro, we want to hear your thoughts. Don't worry, though, your responses are completely anonymous, and it takes less than a minute to complete!

To take part, click the link below: https://futurenet.questionpro.eu/tr-vpn

How a VPN can help

A virtual private network (VPN) is security software that encrypts your internet connections while spoofing your real IP address location. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Some local journalists and internet users lamented difficulties in accessing Telegram from Vietnam without a VPN starting from May 25, 2025.

Local users also confirmed TechRadar that Telegram is blocked in the country at the time of writing, but VPNs keep working fine to bypass restrictions.

This is because VPN services and similar circumventing tools come with IP-spoofing capabilities that allow users to look like they're browsing from a different country entirely within a couple of clicks.

All you need to do is download a reliable VPN for Vietnam, pick a server in a country where Telegram isn't blocked, and keep using the app as usual. You can find all the up-to-date information on how to unlock Telegram with a VPN on our dedicated page.

If you aren't willing to invest some money in a premium services, I reccommend checking out our free VPN page to pick the most secure freebie out there. Tor browser is also a great alernative to stay anonymous and bypass internet cenrsohip free of costs.

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Categories: Technology

I’ve Seen the New Star Wars Villainous Expansion and Ahsoka Fans Are Going to Love It

CNET News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 08:34
The new Villainous expandalone has two new Star Wars villains and some unique gameplay features
Categories: Technology

The new Alienware Area-51 (2025) delivers incredible performance, but at an obscene cost

TechRadar Reviews - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 08:30
Alienware Area-51 (2025): Two-minute review

Alienware has a reputation among system-building enthusiasts for being, well, a little odd, a little out of the ordinary. As premium brands go, there's a certain air about it, a je ne sais quoi, so to speak. Iconic? Perhaps, but it also doesn't know quite what it wants to be. Whether it's a company that's dedicated to the teenage gamer from yesteryear or the modern-day millennial professional is still up for debate, and its products show that. None more so than the Alienware Area-51 (2025), I've been testing over the last few weeks.

Built for a gamer who's not interested in the finer details, yet equipped with enough hardware to simulate the sun, it has a professional workstation price tag but a physical appearance that'd be more at home in 2009 than 2025. It's got a top-tier spec sheet, yet lacks some of the fundamentals that would make it a more pro-grade workstation. In short, who it's for is kind of a mystery.

The unit I tested comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU, 64GB of DDR5, and a 2TB PCIe 5.0 SSD, so this is not going to be a budget gaming PC, that's for sure. The configuration I tested comes in at $5,700 in the US (although that's with a 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, not the 5.0 SSD in review), £5,469 in the UK, and an obscene AU$12,320 in Australia. That is a staggering cost, particularly when you consider similar-spec'd DIY machines can be built for a lot less.

That, of course, comes with some fairly major caveats. If you do want to build your own machine, you have to know what you're doing, put in the research, and be comfortable buying all those individual parts and putting it all together. There is some justification for skipping all of that and picking one of these up. Particularly if you're dead set on the hardware and have the budget for it.

(Image credit: Future / Zak Storey)

What you get is otherworldly performance, as you'd imagine. Computational tasks absolutely crumble before the Area-51, and gaming, particularly at 4K, is outstanding with even the most intense titles out there landing north of 100 fps on average without AI upscaling or any of the more modern frame generation shenanigans. Slap those settings on top of that stock performance, and that RTX 5090 just runs away with it, hitting frame rates well into the 200s.

The Area-51 keeps its components nice and cool too, thanks to twin 180mm intake fans in the front, two 120mm fans in the PSU floor, plus a 360mm AIO in the roof, exhausting upwards. That's all backed up with a rather curious 1500W platinum-rated PSU delivering power to the lot.

Aside from the premium pricing, problems also arise when you begin to dig under the surface. The rear I/O on that custom Alienware motherboard is sub-tier at best, with an overreliance on USB-C and very little USB-A at all, and the rest of the I/O is equally as lackluster, with minimal ethernet support and little in the way of integrated HDMI/DisplayPort or other features all too commonplace on even the cheapest of modern-day Z890 boards.

Then there's the case itself. It's big, bulky, and far too heavy. The dimensions are massive, and on delivery, the entire thing weighs 88 lbs (or 40 kg), requiring either one strong PC gamer or a two-person team to lift it and chuck it on your desk. That's surprising given the exterior of the chassis feels particularly dull, mostly composed of an unemotive satin plastic, rather than the thick, girthy steel you'd likely expect, given the heft.

Yes, there are those signature Alienware curves and lines and enough RGB lighting dotted around to keep that 15-year-old kid in you happy, but it just lacks the finesse that the best gaming PCs of this price and caliber should come with, and that's a problem.

Alienware Area-51 (2025): Price & Availability
  • How much is it? Starting at $3,749.99 / £3,799 / AU$7,271
  • When is it available? You can pick one up today
  • Where can you get it? Directly from Dell's webstore

Let's be fair, we all knew the price tag for this thing was going to be ridiculous; after all, it's without a doubt Alienware's signature party trick and is loaded down with top-tier specs from the best graphics cards, best processors, best RAM, and best SSDs you can find on the market right now.

The Area 51 starts at $3,749.99 / £3,799 / AU$7,271 in the US, UK, and Australia, respectively, which is still pretty premium as far as gaming PCs go. That's especially true considering you're getting a Core Ultra 7 system with an RTX 5080, 32GB DDR5 (or even 16GB DDR5 in Australia), and fairly modest 1TB or 2TB storage. The RTX 5090 configuration I tested (with Core Ultra 9 285K, 64GB RAM, and 2TB PCIe SSD) comes in at $5,699.99 in the US, £5,469 in the UK, and a frightful AU$12,320 Down Under.

If I'm honest, we've not tested much like this PC at TechRadar to date, largely because of the RTX 5090 at its heart. And while it's an unabashed monster that delivers exceptional performance, compared to last gen's RTX 4090, it's seen a significant price increase—and that was before Nvidia's low availability and stock issues that it's suffered since its release.

Put this against the best price possible on a DIY rig, though, with the same component tier as my review unit, and the price difference is substantial. According to PC Part Picker, a DIY build would set you back just $4,842.91 in the US, £4,267.64 in the UK, or AU$9,914.60 in Australia. It's up to you whether you want to pay a roughly 18-28% premium to have a prebuilt system like this, but you can likely get the same performance for cheaper.

  • Value: 3 / 5
Alienware Area-51 (2025): Specs

(Image credit: Future / Zak Storey)
  • Solid starting configurations in the US and UK
  • Easy to upgrade later down the line
  • Configuration options vary greatly by region
Alienware Area-51 (2025) Base Specs

Region

US

UK

Australia

Price

$3,749.99 at Dell.com

£3,799 at Dell.com

AU$7,271 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 7 265

Intel Core Ultra 7 265

Intel Core Ultra 7 265

GPU

Nvidia RTX 5080

Nvidia RTX 5080

Nvidia RTX 5080

Memory

32GB DDR5-6400

32GB DDR5-6400

16GB DDR5-5600

Storage

1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

1TB SSD

Cooling

240mm AIO

360mm AIO

240mm AIO

PSU

1500W 80+ Platinum

1500W 80+ Platinum

850W 80+ Gold

All configurations come with a custom 02JGX1 E-ATX Z890 motherboard and vary from there based on region. Additionally, all models feature a bespoke PSU, with the US and Australia starting with an 80+ Gold 850W power supply, while the UK only has an option for a 1500W 80+ Platinum PSU.

The US and Australia start with 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD storage, while the UK starts with a larger 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. The US and Australia also start with a smaller 240mm AIO cooler, while the UK only has a 360mm AIO option.

There are also a total of eight fans included: two 180mm intakes, two 120mm intakes in the PSU floor, and three 120mm exhausts hidden above the topmost radiator.

Starting memory options come in the form of a dual-channel kit of Kingston Fury DDR5, ranging from 16GB all the way up to 64GB capacity, depending on your region.

Alienware Area-51 (2025) Max Specs

Region

US

UK

Australia

Price

$6,099.99 at Dell.com

£6,299.02 at Dell.com

AU$14,120.70 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

GPU

Nvidia RTX 5090

Nvidia RTX 5090

Nvidia RTX 5090

Memory

64GB DDR5-6400

64GB DDR5-6400

64GB DDR5-6400

Storage

4TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD

4TB + 4TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs

4TB + 4TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs

Cooling

360mm AIO

360mm AIO

360mm AIO

PSU

1500W 80+ Platinum

1500W 80+ Platinum

1500W 80+ Platinum

When it comes to max spec configurations, there's not much difference between regions, other than the US maxing out at just one 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, while the UK and Australia come with two 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSDs for a total of 8TB of storage.

For the top-tier configurations, you get an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, an Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU, 64GB DDR5-6400 memory with XMP overclocking, a 1500W Platinum-rated PSU, and a 360mm AIO cooler.

Alienware Area-51 (2025) review configuration

Price

$5,699.99 at Dell.com / £5,469.01 at Dell.com / AU$12,320 at Dell.com

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

GPU

Nvidia RTX 5090

Memory

64GB DDR5-6400

Storage

2TB PCIe NVMe SSD (PCIe 4.0 in the US, PCIe 5.0 in UK and Australia)

Cooling

360mm AIO

PSU

1500W 80+ Platinum

The configuration I'm reviewing here is towards the higher end, featuring a Core Ultra 9 285K, RTX 5090, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB SSD, though the closest US config to my review unit has a PCIe 4.0 SSD, rather than a PCIe 5.0. It also has a 360mm AIO cooler and the beefier 1500W PSU.

  • Specs: 4 / 5
Alienware Area-51 (2025): Design

(Image credit: Future / Zak Storey)
  • Oversized case leaves much to be desired
  • Internal industrial styling is intense
  • External shell a bit dull in the modern era

The Alienware Area-51 desktop is big. Seriously big. Its monstrous size will likely keep it off most desks. Even on my own test bench, at three meters long and 60cm deep, it could easily hang off the edge if I had situated it like I do my normal machine.

It's heavy too; that nearly 90 lbs/40kg weight is nothing to snort at—it's the kind of heft I'd expect from a custom liquid-cooled machine, not a pre-built system like this that's mostly comprised of plastic and a single AIO cooler.

(Image credit: Future / Zak Storey)

The overall design is alright. It's got that Alienware chic, with the curves and the alien head logo on the front. Fonts are tidy, and cooling is for the most part well implemented across the board. The internal layout is massive, and there are QR codes littered everywhere for you to scan if you ever need a handy guide on how to update the graphics card or install new memory in the future. It still looks better suited to a launch a decade ago by modern styling standards.

(Image credit: Future / Zak Storey)

What's less impressive is Alienware cutting some corners to bring this machine to market. Cable management internally is less than stellar. There are no braided cables here, and although the rear of the case is tidy, neat, and well-managed, there's a lot of extra cable around the front jutting out that's quite unsightly, or it's bound together awkwardly, pushed into headers on that bespoke motherboard.

(Image credit: Future / Zak Storey)

There's even a massive chunk of metal strapped to the right-hand side of the GPU, solely to help cable-manage that 12VHPWR cable going into the RTX 5090, which not only feels massively overkill but also kind of doesn't work, as it's still draped along the top of it anyway. I mean, yes, technically it is acting as an anti-sag bracket as well here. The RTX 5090 isn't the lightest of cards out there, but there are so many better, more elegant solutions out there these days than just a large block of rectangular metal. It's a real shame.

(Image credit: Future / Zak Storey)

Then there's that custom Z890 motherboard, the adorably named—hang on, let me check my notes here—ah yes, the 02JGX1. A bizarre-looking thing, complete with two DIMM slots for your RAM, three M.2 ports, and, well, that's about it.

It does look like Alienware has attempted to lean into that industrial aesthetic here, but there's so much exposed PCB, wireless cards, and ports just littered everywhere, combined with that poor cabling, it's seriously distracting.

(Image credit: Future / Zak Storey)

Power phase setup is fairly tame too (which directly translates to CPU performance, which I'll speak to momentarily), with a 14-phase design, and the rear I/O is practically nonexistent, with only a smattering of USB Type-A and far too many USB Type-C.

You get one Ethernet port and WiFi support (weirdly running as a passthrough all the way at the bottom of the chassis), and that's kind of it. No Clear CMOS, BIOS flashback, HDMI or DisplayPort out, and no 5.1 audio either.

I bring this up very specifically because this is a $5,700 machine, and motherboards at $235 deliver far more for far less.

  • Design: 3 / 5
Alienware Area-51 (2025): Performance

(Image credit: Future / Zak Storey)
  • Incredible 4K gaming framerates
  • PCIe 5.0 SSD rips
  • CPU relatively sluggish
Alienware Area-51 (2025) Benchmarks

Here's how the Alienware Area-51 (2025) performed in our suite of synthetic and gaming benchmarks:

Cinebench R24 (Multi-core): 2,186; (Single-core): 136
Geekbench 6.4 (Multi-core): 21,786; (Single-core): 3,148

CrossMark Overall:
2,500
CrossMark Creativity):
2,872
CrossMark Productivity:
2,256
CrossMark Responsiveness:
2,242

3DMark Fire Strike:
44,342
3DMark Time Spy: 36,886
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra: 30,352
3DMark Time Spy Extreme: 22,215
3DMark Speed Way: 14,285
3DMark Steel Nomad: 13,707
3DMark Port Royal: 34,020

Black Myth: Wukong (1080p, Cinematic): 102 fps; (4K, Cinematic): 59 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 120 fps; (4K, Ultra): 57 fps
Metro: Exodus (1080p, Extreme): 149 fps; (4K, Extreme): 90 fps
Monster Hunter Wilds (1080p, Highest): 102 fps; (4K, Highest): 79 fps
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p, Highest): 244 fps; (4K, Highest): 169 fps
Total War: Warhammer III Battle (1080p, Ultra): 291 fps; (4K, Ultra): 150 fps

When it comes to performance, the Area-51 delivers, although you probably expect it to with top-line specs like it has.

Cinebench R24 performance was well into the two thousands, with a multi-core count of 2,186, on average, and an average single-core score of 136. That's not too shabby at all. In fact, the multi-score number is around 91 points per thread, making it wildly efficient. Similarly, Geekbench 6 also had a pretty good outing, with 21,786 points scored on the multi-core and 3,148 in single-core performance.

That SK Hynix PCIe 5.0 drive in my system, though, is the real winner, and although its sequentials were relatively low for a modern-day PCIe 5.0 drive (averaging just 12.3 GB/s on both read and write), the random 4K performance absolutely decimates pretty much every drive I've seen this year. Its random 4K read performance hit a relatively speedy 113 MB/s, with random writes coming in at 350 MB/s. You're going to see some seriously quick load times with this drive.

Temperatures and power draw were well within parameters, too, with the CPU topping out at around 92°C and the GPU at 75.8°C. Nothing out of the ordinary there. And while it is power-thirsty, the max power draw I saw during testing hit 840.8 W from the wall at peak, which isn't great, but isn't the worst either.

On the gaming side, in my 1080p testing, pretty much every title was well into the 120+ fps range or higher without the help of DLSS or Frame Gen, and a 4K, I saw upwards of 150 fps in Total War: Warhammer III's Battle benchmark, while Cyberpunk 2077 averaged 57 fps at 4K with ray tracing and no DLSS support at all.

The only mild problem I have with this setup is the slight discrepancy against an equally kitted-out rig I built earlier this year. Complete with an RTX 5090 plus Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, my own DIY rig beat out the Area-51 in practically every graphical and computational test.

At a guess, this is likely down to that CPU performance being heavily limited by the 14-phase VRM design, as it just couldn't produce enough juice to keep that Ultra 9 running at full speed for as long as its DIY counterpart.

The odd element about that, though, is that the DIY machine only featured a $220 Gigabyte motherboard, yet temps were at 100°C for the chip (and stable), but performance, both computational and in-game, was around 5-10% higher, depending. For a system that's $1,500 cheaper, that's not a good look.

  • Performance: 4 / 5
Should You Buy The Alienware Area-51 (2025)?Alienware Area-51 (2025) Scorecard

Category

Verdict

Score

Value

This isn't a cheap gaming PC, not one bit. Unless you can justify the cost, or it saves you time in some manner, you'd be far better off building your own.

3 / 5

Specs

With the right config, you can easily get the best of the best hardware on the market right now, and you can upgrade it later—if you've got any budget left over.

4 / 5

Design

A design straight of the 2010s, there's numerous fumbles here that let down an otherwise stellar spec sheet.

3 / 5

Performance

Unsurprisingly with that top-tier hardware it absolutely dominates 4K gaming and any task you can throw at it.

4 / 5

Total

Big, bold, and a bit brash. It delivers on the performance front, but with mediocre styling, average build quality, and an insane price, it doesn't quite hit the mark.

3.5 / 5

Buy the Alienware Area-51 If…

You need to save time
If you're not interested in building your own machine but want the best hardware, there's no denying this is a good pick, and easily upgradable long-term.

You have the desk space for it
It's massive; the case is seriously long, and it's heavy enough that you'll need help just getting it on your desk.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best value
A similarly kitted-out gaming PC, built yourself, can save you a lot of money.

You're looking for something a little more stylish
Alienware has a style you'll either love or hate, but if you're after something with sharp lines and modern flair, then aside from the interior, you might want to look elsewhere.

  • Originally reviewed May 2025
Categories: Reviews

The Ring Outdoor Camera Plus is tough and versatile, but its advanced security features come at a price

TechRadar Reviews - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 08:19
Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: two-minute review

Keeping an eye on your property remotely has become an obsession for many of us. No matter where you are in the world you can see exactly who is in your house and who has come to the front door. You can even use your camera to monitor the miserable weather back home while you are abroad enjoying sunshine.

Now owned by retailing behemoth Amazon, Ring was originally set up by US entrepreneur Jamie Siminoff as ‘Doorbot’ in 2013, but has since gone on to become one of the biggest names in the home security industry. As the name suggests, the Outdoor Cameras (previously known as Stick-Up Cameras) are designed for outdoor use, though there is no reason why you couldn’t use it indoors too – it can be just as easily placed on a table or desk as on the wall outside.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

The Outdoor Camera Plus is certainly a versatile model with several mounting options, including a wall bracket (with wall plugs) as well as a rechargeable battery pack if a power cable isn't feasible (this wasn’t provided). Plastic covers stop water getting into the USB-C power port and the model is ‘weather-resistant’, not waterproof, so shouldn’t be submerged in water!

As with most home security cameras, set up is straightforward. Simply download the Ring app and scan the QR code with your phone’s camera to add the device to the app (several Ring devices can be viewed within the app, including cameras, video doorbells, chimes and alarms). You will then be taken through a set of voice-based instructions for syncing the camera to your home’s Wi-Fi, naming the device and updating its firmware. Usefully this new model features dual-band support so you can add it to either your 2.4GHz or 5GHz network as well as Amazon Alexa compatibility. For added security, two-factor authentication is also now provided.

When it comes to features, the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus doesn’t disappoint. You can set motion detection zones to avoid the camera capturing footage from, say, the swaying of tree branches. And it’s also possible to set up privacy zones that allow you to block out certain areas of the frame, even in ‘live view’. Instead, all you see on the screen is a black rectangle. It’s an unusual feature but one which is quite useful if you have neighbours concerned your camera can view/capture recordings from their property.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

Another unusual feature in the menu is Smart Responses. This enables you to send out a warning message to people to tell them they are being recorded. However, it isn’t live on this device – at least yet. Other more conventional features include motion sensitivity for adjusting the amount of footage you capture (useful if you want to preserve battery life) and motion schedules for setting the times of day you want to record movement.

But that’s not all. For those who subscribe to Ring’s monthly subscription plans, other functions are available too. These include ‘smart alerts’ which filter different types of motion into categories – ie parcel, person and vehicles. Providing you pay for the £15.99 per month Ring Premium service, there’s also an AI-driven smart video search tool that can identify certain objects in your device's recorded motion events.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

For example, just enter ‘dog’ into the search bar you can see all the times your dog has been captured by the camera while ‘red top’ will bring up footage of anyone wearing a red top in the recorded events. Particularly useful is that you can log into your Ring account on the web so you can view footage of all your cameras while working on your laptop, something which isn’t possible with more basic models.

Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: price and availability
  • Prices start at $69 / £69 / AU$179
  • Additional solar panel costs extra
  • Launched March 2025

Ring security cameras certainly aren't expensive to buy compared to some of the best home security cameras. At the time of writing, you can pick up the Ring Outdoor Cam Plus for £69 / $69 / $179 (considerably cheaper than the launch price). However, just like printer companies make their money from selling expensive printer cartridges, home security companies make theirs from selling costly subscriptions.

And really you don’t get too much more expensive than Ring’s monthly subscriptions. Whereas some companies, such as Blink, charge under $5 / £5 / AU$10 a month for a subscription, with Ring you are looking at double that – and that’s just the entry level subscription. If you want all the bells and whistles, such as the Smart Video Search outlined earlier, it will set you back a hefty $19.99 / £15.99 per month (and this top-tier subscription isn't even available in Australia).

In my opinion that’s simply far too much money, unless you are using the Ring for professional purposes such as monitoring, say, high street shops (in which case there are more advanced video surveillance systems available). Far better if you need to keep the recordings is to choose a security camera which provides the option of recording footage locally on a USB stick or MicroSD card.

  • Value score: 3/5
Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: subscription options

Ring Home Basic:

$4.99 / £4.99 / AU$4.95 per month

$49.99 / £49.99 / AU$49.95 per year

Subscription for a single device. Includes up to 180 days of video event history, person and package alerts, video preview alerts, and 10% off Ring.com purchases.

Ring Home Standard:

$9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 per month

$99.99 / £79.99 / AU$149.95 per year

Includes everything in Basic, plus all devices at one location, doorbell calls, extended live view, alarm cellular backup, and daily event summary.

Ring Premium:

$19.99 / £15.99 per month

$199.99 / £159.99 per year

Not currently available in Australia. Includes everything in Standard, plus 24/7 recording, continuous live view, and smart video search.

Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: design
  • Upgraded from Ring Stick Up Camera
  • Versatile mounting
  • Flexible power options

With the Outdoor Camera Plus, Ring has made a few improvements over its predecessor, the third generation Ring Stick Up Camera (now called the Outdoor Camera). Most notable is its improved design, particularly the versatile mounting options. The Ring Outdoor Cam Plus can be mounted on a desktop/table, on a wall or roof eave using the screws and wall plugs provided. It can be mounted on the ceiling with an additional accessory (not provided as standard) and easily angled for optimum use.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

Power is provided via the USB-C connector in the middle of the camera (a power cable wasn’t provided with our sample). Alternatively, you can take the Lithium-Ion battery out by swivelling the base to the unlock icon and removing it (ensuring you remove the card covering the charging points). You can then charge it via the orange Micro-USB cable provided until it’s ready for installation. Spare batteries are also available to buy online at Amazon of course.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

Available in black or white, the Outdoor Cam Plus features a lens on the front which provides a 160-degree diagonal, 140-degree horizontal, and 80-degree vertical field of view. Underneath is a speaker while above there’s a small microphone for two-way conversations with visitors. When movement is recorded a solid blue light is displayed at the top of the unit while during set up this flashes blue.

  • Design score: 4/5
Ring Outdoor Camera Plus: performance
  • 2K image quality
  • Stable video connection
  • Overly sensitive camera

Ring claims the Outdoor Camera Plus offers ‘brilliant 2K video quality’ but in all honesty there’s not a massive leap in quality between this model and its predecessor, the Ring Stick Up Camera. Whereas the previous model offered 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, this one boasts 2,560 x 1,440 (2K). In other words, an increase of 360 horizontal pixels and 640 vertical pixels – enough to see the difference when you zoom in to an image, but probably not otherwise.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

That said, I didn’t have any complaints about picture quality at all. Images are sharp even at night thanks to the ‘low-light sight’ feature (although colour is limited in low light) and the field of vision is also quite wide: 140-degree horizontal compared to 115 degrees on the Ring Stick Up Camera.

Another benefit is having dual-band Wi-Fi support (2.4GHz and 5GHz) which ensured images recorded on the camera and viewed in Live View were extremely stable even though the camera was mostly located in the back garden, a significant distance from my broadband router.

(Image credit: Chris Price)

One thing worth noting is that the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus isn’t as sensitive as some models which record every bit of motion detected, even moving branches. Instead, you will probably need to turn the motion sensitivity option up a little bit just to capture all the footage you want. This will in turn use up more battery power so it’s worth considering either using the mains or a solar panel as a power supplement.

After nearly two weeks our sample model was already down to 50% so you will probably have to take the battery pack out for charging once a month – not the worst we’ve ever tested, but not the best either.

  • Performance score: 4/5
Should you buy the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus?Ring Outdoor Camera Plus score card

Attribute

Notes

Score

Value

While the actual camera itself is relatively cheap, the subscription which gives you most of the added functionality is very expensive.

3/5

Design

Available in black or white, the Ring Outdoor Cam Plus looks OK and is both compact and reasonably well designed. Suitable for a number of locations (indoors or outdoors) it can be powered by mains, battery or even solar power.

4/5

Performance

Offering 2K video quality, the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus provides stable, good quality, images in record mode and live view. However, battery life isn’t the best and the motion sensor isn’t particularly sensitive.

4/5

Overall

A decent home security camera, but the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus loses points for its expensive subscription packages and so-so battery life. Performance isn’t that much better than its predecessor, the Ring Stick Up Cam

3.5/5

Buy it if

You need a versatile home security solution

With support for battery, solar and mains power, the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus is particularly flexible. It can also be used indoors and outdoors.

You want the latest features

There’s no shortage of handy features including Amazon Alexa compatibility and different motion and privacy zone settings, as well as smart video search (if you subscribe).

Don't buy it if

You already have the Ring Stick Up Camera

While picture quality and design are slightly better than the Ring Stick Up Cam there aren’t too many other benefits to justify the upgrade

You don’t want to pay for a subscription

Unfortunately Ring charges more than most other home security camera manufacturers for subscriptions, and you'll need one to get the most out of the Outdoor Camera Plus.

How I tested the Ring Outdoor Camera Plus
  • I used the camera both indoors and outdoors
  • I installed it myself
  • The camera was integrated into my home system with other Ring cameras

Like most manufacturers, Ring makes adding new cameras to its app very simple indeed. Because I already had several Ring security cameras and doorbells connected to my existing app, I simply added another using the QR code at the back of the device. However, starting from scratch would have been just as straightforward.

I started off using the device mostly indoors to get the feel of it and then moved it to my garden where I mounted it on top of the shed focused on the back door. There it has remained ever since (about 12 days at the time of writing), capturing people and pets who go out into the garden. Ring provides a 30-day trial for all the advanced features, such as smart video search and person/package/video alerts, but after this runs out you will need to subscribe online at Ring.com (you can’t do this via the app).

First reviewed May 2025

Categories: Reviews

Most of CISA’s senior leaders are leaving the agency

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 08:04
  • Many of CISA's senior leaders are leaving the agency, memo claims
  • The organization is currently facing its third staff reduction of 2025
  • There are worries about how the agency will perform going forward

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is reportedly experiencing a serious flight of senior personnel, with most planning to leave by the end of May 2025.

CISA is responsible for safeguarding US critical infrastructure, and its senior personnel are critical in the agency’s ability to liaise with its strategic partners, other federal agencies, and international security organizations.

The sudden exodus in senior leadership across five of CISA’s six operational divisions and six of its 10 regional offices comes as the agency faces its third workforce reduction this year.

CISA loses leadership

A statement issued by CISA’s executive director, Bridget Bean, said, “CISA is doubling down and fulfilling its statutory mission to secure the nation’s critical infrastructure and strengthen our collective cyber defense. We were created to be the cybersecurity agency for the nation, and we have the right team in place to fulfill that mission and ensure that we are prepared for a range of cyber threats from our adversaries.”

While the remaining CISA leadership may be putting on a brave face, a number of CISA employees who spoke to Cybersecurity Dive shared reservations about the agency’s future and performance following the departure of senior leadership.

One employee, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said, “With these significant number of senior departures, several of which are leaders who have been here since the days of US-CERT, there’s a lot of anxiety around when the cuts and departures will finally stop and we can move forward as an agency.”

A second employee, also speaking anonymously, said, “It feels like the wrong people are leaving. All of these departures make it feel like people are leaving the mission and creating a vacuum.”

For CISA’s operational divisions, acting head of the Infrastructure Security Division Steve Harris left on May 16, acting head of the Stakeholder Engagement Division Trent Frazier left on May 2, No. 2 official in the Emergency Communications Division Vince Delaurentis is due to leave on May 30. These follow the previous departures of No. 2 official in the Cybersecurity Division Matt Hartman, and head of the Integrated Operations Division Boyden Rohner.

Recent and upcoming regional office departures include Region 2 Director John Durkin, Region 4 Director Jay Gamble, Region 5 Director Alex Joves and Deputy Director Kathy Young, Region 6 Director Rob Russell, Region 7 Director Phil Kirk, and Region 10 Director Patrick Massey.

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Categories: Technology

Time to change your Netflix password? Millions of login details have leaked, according to a cybersecurity report – and it’s not just Netflix

TechRadar News - Wed, 05/28/2025 - 07:46

Internet security giant Kaspersky has released a report saying that it identified over 7 million "compromised accounts" for the best streaming services that have leaked online in 2024 alone.

The details weren't leaked due to a breach in the security system of the streaming services themselves, but were instead grabbed by other malicious means, such as spyware browser extensions, which scrape the information you type into your computer and send it away to scammers, or fake websites that trick you into entering your account information (known as phishing).

Netflix accounts were by far the majority of the leaked information identified by Kaspersky, numbering over 5 million of the 7 million in total. However, there were also leaked accounts for Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max, and Apple TV+.

The highest number of leaked accounts appears to be for people based in Brazil, then Mexico, then India – but accounts leaked from everywhere, from the UK to Canada to Australia to Japan.

How big a problem is this?

If your account has been breached, the good news is that it shouldn't put your financial information in much danger, with a couple of notable exceptions.

Your billing info should be securely stored by all of these streaming services, and not visible to anyone simply browsing your profile if they log in maliciously.

With the likes of Netflix and Disney+ cracking down on password sharing between households, someone using your logins to watch from another country could cause these streaming services to give you a warning about adhering to their terms.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

However, the larger danger is whether the passwords involved give them access to other services. For example, if your Prime Video login is the same as your Amazon Prime login, then that one account may mean they can order things online from your account.

Similarly, if your Apple TV+ login is the same as your overall Apple ID login, then someone could potentially spend money from the payment details connected to your Apple ID.

However, Amazon and Apple both support two-factor authentication, meaning the password alone shouldn't be enough for someone to log into your account – if you don't have this active, you absolutely should change that now.

However, in all cases, if your password for these services is the same one you use for every other login, then the danger isn't someone logging into your Netflix – it's them using the same details to log in as you on online shopping platforms, or other sites where they could do some financial damage.

This is why we always recommend using one of the best password managers, so you have a unique password for every service without the hassle of needing to remember them all. iPhones and Android phones all have this capability built into them.

What should you do next?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you're concerned about your accounts for these services, you should log in to them and change your password right away.

In general, activating two-factor authentication on any services that support it is a no-brainer. Netflix, notably, doesn't offer this option, but it has its own page on how to keep your Netflix account secure.

If you aren't already using one of the best password managers, now is the perfect time to start. Many of these services will tell you if one of your passwords appears in leaked account information, so you can take action to change it right away.

But also bear in mind how these details leaked: not through hacks of the services, but because people downloaded dodgy browser extensions and software, or were caught in phishing schemes that asked them to enter their details into fake websites.

Being cautious online is just as important as using technical options like a password manager or two-factor authentication.

Kaspersky's report highlights three things to remember:

  • "Always use a legitimate, paid subscription when accessing streaming services and ensure you’re using apps from official marketplaces or the official websites."
  • "Always verify the authenticity of websites before entering any personal information. Stick to trusted, official pages when watching or downloading content and double-check URLs and company name spellings to avoid phishing sites."
  • "Be cautious about the file extensions you're downloading. Video files should not have .exe or .msi extensions — these are typically associated with harmful programs."
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