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• Sony's chief financial officer Lin Tao has admitted that its current live-service strategy "is not entirely going smoothly"
• Tao said, despite Concord's shutdown and Marathon's delay, she still believes in Sony's strategy but will learn from its mistakes
• Live-service games accounted for 40% of Sony's first-party software revenue in Q1, but "for the full year it's a little less, probably between 20-30%"

Sony has admitted that its current live-service strategy "is not entirely going smoothly" following the disastrous launch of Concord, but says it will continue with its plan and learn from its mistakes.

During a recent Q&A session after the company's latest financial results (via VGC), one caller asked the panel of executives for an update on PlayStation's live-service strategy amid the delay of Marathon and following the shutdown of Concord.

In response, Sony's chief financial officer Lin Tao said that she still believes in live-service games, despite recent negativity, explaining that other games like Helldivers 2 and Destiny 2 have managed to produce a steady revenue stream that didn't exist five years ago.

"Last year Concord [shut down], and this year Marathon was postponed, so somewhat negative news has been coming out," said Tao (via an interpreter).

"But if we look at the past five years, five years ago live service games were almost non-existent for PlayStation Studios. We [now] have Helldivers 2, MLB The Show, and Gran Turismo 7, and Bungie’s Destiny 2, so we have these four live services contributing to sales and profits in a stable manner."

During the presentation, it was revealed that live service games accounted for 40% of first-party software revenue for Q1 and "for the full year it's a little less, probably between 20-30%".

"So in terms of the transformation, it’s not entirely going smoothly, but from a longer-term perspective, if you look at the changes over five years, you see that there’s definitely been a change," Tao added.

"Of course, we recognise that there are still many issues, so we should learn the lessons from mistakes and make sure that we introduce live service content where there’s less waste and it’s more smooth."

Concord was shut down just two weeks after its launch due to poor sales and a low player count.

At the time, game director Ryan Ellis said Firewalk Studios was exploring options, had ceased the sale of Concord, and offered refunds to all PS5 and PC players.

While this live-service game overwhelmingly underperformed, PlayStation's Helldivers 2 was a massive success, selling 12 million copies in its first 12 weeks on sale. The game was so popular at release that Arrowhead was forced to increase its concurrent player cap to 700,000 after it breezed past 450,000.

Developer Arrowhead Game Studios also recently announced that the Sony-published game will launch on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on August 26, 2025.

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• NordVPN just launched 'Is it down?,' a service that checks whether popular websites and services are working correctly
• The tool relies on user reports to function; if users report problems, 'Is it down?' reflects that
• This isn't the only service to check website outages available on the market

NordVPN is the brand behind the best VPN service according to our extensive ranking, but today's announcement is about something slightly different. The company announced the arrival of "Is it down?," a new website checker.

The checker works much the way you'd expect. Users can report outages for some of the most popular services, including Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. If enough users report an outage, NordVPN's service will show it.

This is a great way to calm those "is it my internet, or is it this specific website" fears that we're no strangers to. However, NordVPN's new feature is entering a saturated market, as it isn't the first service to check website outages.

How does 'Is it down?' work?

(Image credit: Nord Security)

Much like similar services, NordVPN's "Is it down?" is simple and, most importantly, completely free to use. If you're having trouble loading a specific website or app, you can visit NordVPN's website and select the service that's currently acting up.

Once you're there, simply click on "Report" and confirm that you're a real person experiencing issues with said service. You can also leave a comment for other users to see if you scroll down the page.

"By providing crowdsourced visibility into service health, we aim to empower users with first-hand information," said NordVPN's CTO, Marijus Briedis.

Beyond the basic reporting function, NordVPN's new tool also lets you see outages that took place over the last 24 hours, as well as short descriptions of past issues.

For instance, on the YouTube page, everything looks like smooth sailing, with the last reported outages noted in 2021, 2020, and 2018. This comes from external sources – NordVPN wasn't monitoring these websites back then.

(Image credit: Nord Security)

To determine whether a website is down or not, NordVPN recalculates the status of each service once every 30 minutes. This is based on user reports submitted during a 24-hour window.

The company says that as long as the number of reports doesn't cross the 50% baseline, the service is deemed to be online. Between 50% and 75%, NordVPN reports a partial outage. If the number of reports crosses 75% of the baseline, the service is deemed to be fully down.

NordVPN lets you look up the status of a few different services, including:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Reddit
• Yahoo
• Discord
• Cox
• Xbox Network
• X (Twitter)
• PlayStation Network

We reached out to NordVPN to ask about its plans for the new feature. A representative for the company confirmed that it’s planning to add more websites and services to ‘Is it down?’ sometime in the future.

Other options exist, but NordVPN could succeed

NordVPN's new feature could certainly come in handy. Many of us wonder whether there's something wrong with our internet when a website won't load – this should fix the problem. However, NordVPN enters a fairly saturated market.

Similar services already exist, in fact, including DownForEveryoneOrJustMe and IsItDownRightNow.

The advantage these have over NordVPN is that they're not limited to a handful of websites; you can type in an address and check whether it works. They ping the server themselves as well as allow user reports, which makes them a little more standalone than the NordVPN alternative.

However, NordVPN could very well succeed in this field. It's a well-known brand, globally recognized for excellent VPN solutions. This could make it easier for users to find the new service and adopt it as their go-to option during website outages.

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• Google has confirmed suffering a data breach
• The attack was carried out by ShinyHunters, once again hijacking systems
• The group apparently snuck into a Salesforce instance

Cybercriminals known as ShinyHunters (UNC6040) recently broke into Google and stole business customer information from one of its corporate Salesforce instances, the company has confirmed.

In a blog post breaking down ShinyHunters’ modus operandi, the company somewhat played down the importance of the incident, noting the miscreants didn’t really grab anything sensitive, or of particular value.

“In June, one of Google’s corporate Salesforce instances was impacted by similar UNC6040 activity described in this post,” the company said, “the data retrieved by the threat actor was confined to basic and largely publicly available business information, such as business names and contact details.”

"Publicly available business information"

ShinyHunters is a threat actor that targets corporate Salesforce instances, by impersonating company staff and calling IT support on the phone.

During the call, they tell the IT technician that they lost access to their work platform and manage to convince them to change the login credentials.

Although it might sound trivial, the technique seems to be working rather well, as multiple organizations have recently reported losing sensitive data to the same group, in the same manner.

Google did not say how many companies were affected by the breach, and declined commenting further. We don’t know if ShinyHunters reached out with a ransom demand in exchange for destroying the stolen files.

Currently, ShinyHunters is one of the most active threat actors, and probably among the most successful ones.

In recent weeks, the group managed to break into both Pandora and insurance giant Allianz Life, and has also taken credit for breaches at AT&T, Santander, Ticketmaster, and many others.

The group does not deploy an encryptor, and is rather just focused on data exfiltration, making it one of several ransomware groups which have recently pivoted away from encrypting files, a process that is apparently expensive and time-consuming.

Via TechCrunch

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Specs

Type: mono laser printer

Functions: Print

Connectivity: Ethernet, USB

Data storage slots: None

Print speed: 42ppm

Max paper size: Letter/A4

Print quality: 1,200 x 1,200 dpi

Memory: 256MB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: black toner (2,900 pages)

Dimensions/Weight: 381 x 357 x 216 mm (WxDxH)/19lb/8.6kg

Oftentimes, a simple mono laser printer is the best and most economical way to serve the print demands of a busy shared office and the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn (known as the 4002dn outside the US) is designed for just that. It’s a compact desktop unit with two paper inputs, strong security features and a very fast auto-duplex print speed.

The HP LaserJet Pro 4000 series includes eight near-identical variants, which all lack a touchscreen, NFC and Bluetooth connectivity, while this model doesn’t even have Wi-Fi. It’s all about keeping the cost competitive. Instead of Wi-Fi, you have an Ethernet port to get online and network with up to ten users.

With their high speed and high capacity for paper and toner, the 4000 series promise to keep everyone printing efficiently. HP suggests a massive monthly duty cycle up to 80,000 pages, so let’s see if this little HP printer can really deliver.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Design and buildImage 1 of 2

(Image credit: HP // Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: HP // Future)

HP’s designers are the best at shrinking printers to desktop-friendly dimensions, and the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn is a good example. Its footprint is only 14 by 15 inches, so when you load A4 paper, a rear flap opens up just enough to accommodate its length.

Despite the small size, it can hold 250 sheets of paper in the main drawer and 100 in the multipurpose tray. You can even add a paper cassette accessory for around $140 that’ll take another 550 sheets.

Being a monochrome printer, there’s only one cartridge on board, so there’s plenty of room for toner too. The supplied setup cart gives you up to 2,900 black and white pages, which isn’t bad, but high-yield carts are available that will print up to 9,500 pages.

There’s a backlit two-line display on top with basic button controls and ports at the rear for Ethernet, USB and power cables. I can also see a USB Host port, but it’s blanked off as that’s a feature reserved for more expensive variants of the 4000 series.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Features & specifications

The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn has few features, but a strong specification sheet. There’s no touchscreen, no Bluetooth, no NFC, no working USB Host port and no Wi-Fi, for example. For wireless variants, you’ll need the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dw, or 4002dw, where that final ‘w’ stands for Wi-Fi.

The maximum print speed of 42ppm, however, makes this one of the fastest laser printers in its price category. The max toner and paper capacity is also impressive at 350 sheets and 9,500 sheets respectively. There’s an ample 256MB internal RAM and 1,200MHz processing speed.

Naturally, it can auto-duplex and the in-built Wolf Pro security is up to HP’s usual high standard. You can, for instance, protect print jobs by requiring a PIN to be entered.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Setup and operation

(Image credit: HP // Future)

With no Wi-Fi to set up and the toner cartridge already installed, there’s really not much to do in order to print your first page. Simply load your paper, turn on and wait for the printer to warm up.

The FPOT (first page out time) is a prompt 6.1 seconds although I found it can take a lot longer depending on the print job. I concur with the 42ppm print rate for consecutive simplex pages. By the way, if you’re wondering why the US specification says 42ppm, while the European manual says 40ppm it's because 8.5x11-inch letter paper is slightly shorter than A4 paper.

It also prints quickly in duplex mode, with the pages being turned smoothly and quite quietly each time. The LCD screen may be small, but it’s backlit and clearly readable, making the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn an easy printer to operate.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Performance

(Image credit: HP // Future)

The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn printed all of my test pages promptly and without a misprint or paper jams. The overall print quality is perfectly acceptable, although black text on plain paper doesn’t look quite as bold and crisp as the best laser printers. Switching from draft to best quality mode gives you darker lines that look more professional, but it’s a slightly slower and less economical way to print.

Black and white photos on plain paper are also acceptable, but too grainy and soft to impress. You can achieve slightly better results by using laser photo paper, but there’s no preset for photo paper within the printer’s settings, proving that it’s really not geared up for photos.

The front-loading multipurpose tray works just as well as the main tray, but it’s limited to 120g/m², whereas the drawer input can take thicker 200g/m² paper. It would not accept the 300 g/m² card that some printers are ok with.

For speed and consistency, the HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn is hard to fault. Churning out long double-sided text documents is its forte and every page will look good enough for most purposes. It’s only if you’re looking for that dark black professional finish that I’d recommend turning to a premium laser printer like the Xerox VersaLink B600DN.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Consumables

(Image credit: HP // Future)

The HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn comes with a pre-installed black toner cartridge capable of delivering up to 2,900 letter-sized pages, which is not bad for a start-up cart. And it can be replaced with a cartridge yielding a whopping 9,500 pages. With a big HP 149X cart costing around $300 (£183), that’s a slightly lower CCP (cost per page) than the Brother HL-L2865DW.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Maintenance

Even the best laser printers require less upkeep than inkjets and the only component you’ll need to replace here are the empty cartridges. HP has the imaging drum built into the cartridge so you’re replacing that at the same time.

When your prints look faded and you receive a low toner warning from the printer, I find that it’s worth extracting and gently shaking the cartridge to get more toner out of it. And when it comes to installing the new one, don’t open the box and leave it exposed to the light for too long as that can damage it.

HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn: Final verdictImage 1 of 2

(Image credit: HP // Future)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: HP // Future)

I found the HP LaserJet Pro 4001dn (or HP LaserJet Pro 4002dn) to be an easy printer to use, with the right features to meet a heavy print load and print quality that’s good enough for most purposes. It might not have the bold black and high detail you get with a more expensive monochrome printer, but it’s just right for general office duties.

I think the HP LaserJet Pro 4000 series, puts a strong case for buying a mid-price mono printer, as opposed to a cheaper laser or inkjet alternative, mainly because the duplex print rate is so much faster.

This is a hard-working office printer that can serve a workgroup of ten, while having the high toner and yield capacity to keep everyone printing without too much downtime. The compact design is expandable and its inbuilt security is sufficient for me to recommend it as a safe investment for any growing business.

For more, I've tested out the best home printers and the best small business printers.

• Experts warn Akira is using SonicWall VPNs to deploy two drivers
• One is a legitimate, vulnerable driver that allows the other one to be executed
• The other one disables antivirus and endpoint protection tools

Akira ransomware has dominated the headlines recently due to its abuse of SonicWall SSL VPNs to gain initial access and deploy an encryptor.

However, while initial access is important, it is still not enough to infect a device, especially if it’s protected by an antivirus, or an endpoint protection and response solution (EDR).

Now, security researchers from Guidepoint Security believe they have seen exactly how Akira disables security solutions, which allows them to drop the ransomware.

A handful of targets

In a recent report, researchers from Guidepoint outlined how Akira is engaged in a bring-your-own-vulnerable-driver (BYOD) attack, using the initial access to drop two drivers, one of which is legitimate.

“The first driver, rwdrv.sys, is a legitimate driver for ThrottleStop. This Windows-based performance tuning and monitoring utility is primarily designed for Intel CPUs,” the researchers explained. “It is often used to override CPU throttling mechanisms, improve performance, and monitor processor behavior in real time.”

The second driver, hlpdrv.sys is registered as a service but when executed, it modifies the DisableAntiSpyware settings of Windows Defender within the system registry.

“We assess that the legitimate rwdrv.sys driver may be used to enable the execution of the malicious hlpdrv.sys driver, though we have been unable to reproduce the exact mechanism of action at this time," the experts said.

Multiple researchers have observed attacks coming from SonicWall SSL VPN’s, and since some of the instances were fully patched, they have speculated the threat actors could be exploiting a zero-day vulnerability.

However, in a statement shared with TechRadar Pro, SonicWall said that the criminals were actually exploiting an n-day vulnerability.

“Based on current findings, we have high confidence that this activity is related to CVE-2024-40766, which was previously disclosed and documented in our public advisory SNWLID-2024-0015, not a new zero-day or unknown vulnerability,” the company said.

“The affected population is small, fewer than 40 confirmed cases, and appears to be linked to legacy credential use during migrations from Gen 6 to Gen 7 firewalls. We’ve issued updated guidance, including steps to change credentials and upgrade to SonicOS 7.3.0, which includes enhanced MFA protections.”

Via BleepingComputer

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• Over 86% of Iranians now rely on VPNs to access blocked content, according to the latest Tehran E-Commerce Association's report
• The report also ranks Iran as 97th out of 100 countries for internet quality
• Iran outlawed the use of "unauthorized" VPNs in February 2024, de facto banning their usage without a legal permit

Nearly 90% of internet users in Iran rely on VPN services to navigate widespread internet disruptions, according to the latest report from the Tehran E-Commerce Association published on Sunday, August 3.

The report, which ranks Iran as 97th out of 100 countries for internet quality, also criticizes Iranian authorities for failing to address calls to improve national connectivity, the Iran International reported.

The use of the best VPN services and other circumvention tools, like Starlink, keeps rising despite a law enforced in February 2024 outlawing their usage without a legal permit.

Iran's internet crisis

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

"Our findings show that 93% of youth and 86% of the general public use VPNs," said Pouya Pirhosseinlou, head of the Internet and Infrastructure Committee of the Tehran E-Commerce Association, the Iran International reported.

Despite easing some internet restrictions like those against WhatsApp back in January, many websites remain filtered in Iran at the time of writing, forcing Iranians to find alternative ways to stay connected.

"Today, around 700,000 small businesses operate on Instagram. At least one million jobs are tied to that platform alone. Disruptions here directly hit people’s livelihoods," explains Pirhosseinlou.

Yet, via a reliable virtual private network (VPN), people in Iran can trick their local internet service provider and gain access to Instagram and other restricted platforms within seconds.

This surge in VPN usage may also contribute to worsening the precarious connectivity level of Iran's internet. Citizens' traffic is forced "through distant, inefficient routes and lowering speed," Pirhosseinlou explains, adding: "Even on unfiltered websites, users keep VPNs on –further degrading national internet performance."

This isn't the first time that the Tehran Electronic Commerce Association – an independent body that monitors and evaluates the internet situation in Iran – has placed Iran's internet among the worst worldwide. In another report dated January 2024, experts precisely blamed the President and Iranian officials' lack of knowledge for this "self-inflicted" situation.

Commenting on the latest findings, Pirhosseinlou said: "Even if we had America’s infrastructure, Iran’s internet would still be full of disruptions because of the current filtering.[..] Filtering equipment is inherently disruptive. It causes serious malfunctions across many emerging protocols and websites."

Using a VPN in Iran – all you need to know

Despite being increasingly a necessity, authorities have been actively working to prevent the use of Iranian VPN over the years.

For example, in 2023, Iran was second only to China for VPN censorship. This also occurred in 2024, when Iran topped the VPN censoring list across the country's official app stores.

Not only VPN-targeted blocking, though. The regime has even challenged the legality of using a VPN in the first place. In February 2024, Iran outlawed "unauthorized" VPNs, de facto banning their usage without a legal permit. Three months later, the government also resurrected an internet bill that could put VPN usage at risk even more.

Cybersecurity experts have also recently found a new spyware campaign mainly targeting Iranian Android VPN users via infected fake VPN apps.

For all these reasons, it is very important to choose a reliable, secure, and private service. I recommend checking TechRadar's up-to-date guide of the best free VPN on the market to download only the most secure freebie out there – Windscribe Free and Proton VPN Free are today's top picks.

TechRadar's reviewers also rank NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN as the best overall (in order) at the time of writing, but you'll have to pay for a subscription in order to use these services.

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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The Nintendo Indie World Showcase for August has officially wrapped, and those 15 minutes were jam-packed full of announcements for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

While we didn't see the long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong, there were plenty of other indies to get excited for, including several metroidvania-style games, a new debut project featuring Celeste's pixel artist, and multiple titles that are available starting today.

In case you missed it, here's everything that was announced during the latest Indie World Showcase.

Mina the Hollower

(Image credit: Yacht Club Games)

From the developers of Shovel Knight, Mina the Hollower is coming to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 on October 31, 2025.

In this game, you play as Mina, a renowned Hollower, on a quest to save a cursed island. It's an action-adventure experience that shares the same pixel art style and music as Yacht Club Games' previous games, featuring environmental hazards, monsters, and a customizable gear set.

A demo is available today.

Well Dweller

(Image credit: Kyle Thompson)

Well Dweller is a dark fairytale, metroidvania-style game from the creator of Crypt Custodian and Islets, featuring 2D platforming, sidescrolling mechanics, and scary-looking boss fights.

Announced for Nintendo Switch and releasing in 2026, you play as Glimmer, a tiny bird armed with a matchstick, who must burn the wicked queen to save his family before they become part of her royal gown.

On your journey, you'll meet new characters and reunite all your sheltered siblings, snatched from the nest one night in a turn of events that lead to the coming of an unlikely, little hero.

Neverway

(Image credit: Coldblood Inc)

Neverway is a debut game developed by Coldblood Inc., a studio co-founded by the pixel artist behind the award-winning Celeste and TowerFall, and featuring an original soundtrack by Disasterpeace.

"After quitting her dead-end job, Fiona starts over on a farm and becomes the immortal herald of a dead god," the game description reads. "Make friends, fight through horrors, and pay off your debt in Neverway, a nightmarish life sim RPG."

The game is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2026.

Herdling

(Image credit: Okomotive)

Herdling is a brand new game from Okomotive, the creators of the acclaimed FAR games and the publishers of Firewatch.

In this adventure, you set out on a grand alpine expedition with a herd of mysterious beasts called Calicorns. As you ascend the mountain path, you'll encounter eerie dangers, obstacles, and beautiful views.

It's your mission to guide and protect the Calicorns while avoiding dangers and solving environmental puzzles.

Described as "an emotional, wordless tale of trust, survival, and companionship during a great crossing through a fallen world", Herdling is heading to the Nintendo Switch and PC on August 21, 2025.

Is This Seat Taken?

(Image credit: Wholesome Games Presents)

Available on Nintendo Switch today, Is This Seat Taken? is a cozy puzzle game where you must play seating matchmaking with multiple characters in social situations.

"Your mission is to organize groups of people according to their preferences," the trailer description reads. "Whether it’s the cinema, a crowded bus, a wedding reception, or a cramped taxicab, every setting introduces new characters with specific tastes.

"A party guest with a sensitive nose won’t be happy sitting next to a stranger who’s wearing too much cologne. A sleepy passenger won’t be happy trying to nap on the bus next to someone listening to loud music. It’s all about reading the room to find the perfect placement!"

Little Kitty, Big City

(Image credit: Double Dagger Studio)

Little Kitty, Big City was released last year for Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, but today's announcement comes in the form of The Picture Purrfect update, which is arriving later this year.

With this free content update, a cat customizer has been added, along with new areas to explore, new and familiar friends to meet, and additional photo mode options.

Content Warning

(Image credit: Landfall)

After first releasing on PC and taking the livestreaming space by storm in 2024, Content Warning is officially heading to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026.

This online co-operative hit combines action roguelike mechanics with horror, tasking you with filming "scary stuff" with friends to try and go viral on SpöökTube.

Every run in the Old World lasts for three days; the more scary the stuff you film, the more you go viral. Ad revenue from your SpöökTube videos also allows you and your teammates to upgrade your gear to film better videos and survive more easily.

Ball x Pit

(Image credit: Kenny Sun)

Ball x Pitt is a brick-breaking, ball-fusing, base-building survival roguelite, inspired by games like Vampire Survivors. Featuring a low-poly, pixel art style, there'll be over 60 randomized balls to equip that can be used by ricocheting them off hordes of enemies.

Each level will offer new challenges and boss fights, characters to meet, and riches to earn that can be used to expand your homestead.

Ball x Pitt launches on October 15, 2025, for Nintendo Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. It's also coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in Fall 2025.

A free demo is available now.

Ultimate Sheep Racoon

(Image credit: Clever Endeavor Games)

Ultimate Sheep Raccoon is an adorable eight-player, bike-racing party game where you and your friends build courses and race against obstacles and dangerous traps.

It's coming to Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in Winter 2025.

Glaciered

(Image credit: Studio Snowblind)

Glaciered is an action-adventure game developed by Japanese indie studio Studio Snowblind.

Set 65 million years in the future, the world has frozen over, caused by the Everwinter, and the oceans have been sealed under a thick layer of ice. New species dwell under the glacier-covered seas called Tuai, descended from birds and successors of the dinosaurs.

You play as a Tuai who explores the underwater world, fighting marine creatures with real-time, dynamic combat to protect the new Ice Age.

Glacieredis launches on Nintendo Switch 2 as a timed console exclusive this winter. The game is coming to Steam, with a "Q3 2025" release window.

Winter Burrow

(Image credit: Pine Creek Games)

This cozy woodland game from Pine Creek Games will find you surviving the harsh winter and rebuilding your childhood burrow as a mouse. Gather, craft, bake, meet the locals, and try to stay warm.

Winter Burrow launches on Nintendo Switch this winter.

Undusted: Letters of the Past

(Image credit: Toge Productions)

In Undusted: Letters of the Past, you play as Adora, who returns to her childhood home after her mother’s passing. While tidying the abandoned house, she uncovers and restores old mementos, and fragments of a forgotten past slowly come back together.

"Leave no item undusted, and awaken memories long buried in dust to find meaning in the present."

The game launches on Nintendo Switch in October 2025. A PC release is also planned.

Tiny Bookshop

(Image credit: Neoludic Games)

Tiny Bookshop is a cozy, narrative management game where you must stock and run your tiny second-hand bookshop with different books and items, and set up shop in scenic locations.

You can customize your shop with collectible items like plants and candles, recommend the right book to the right customer, befriend Bookstonbury's quirky cast of characters and help them out, stock your shelves, and more.

Tiny Bookshop rolls onto Nintendo Switch and PC today.

Caves of Qud

(Image credit: Freehold Games)

The award-winning Caves of Qud is officially heading to Nintendo Switch in late 2025.

The game, which originally released on PC in 2024, is a science fantasy roguelike where players must chisel through thousands of years of civilizations, all while surviving a deeply simulated world of sentient plants, mutant kindred, and retrofuturist cataclysm.

Strange Antiquities

(Image credit: Bad Viking)

In Strange Antiquities, you play as the custodian of a store dealing in occult antiquities. It's up to you to find and identify arcane artefacts and use them to aid fellow townsfolk.

The cozy simulation game arrives on September 17, 2025, for Nintendo Switch and PC.

OPUS: Prism Peak

(Image credit: SIGONO)

OPUS: Prism Peak is a narrative-driven adventure game that finds you in the shoes of a weary, middle-aged photojournalist who has left behind city life, only to find yourself stranded in an ethereal mountain inhabited by spirits.

You encounter a spirit girl who has no memory of who she is. As their journey unfolds, her presence offers a different angle that helps him see the world more clearly.

"To uncover the secrets of this mystical world and find your way back home, you must gather clues and unravel its secrets—with nothing but an old camera in hand.

"Tweak your camera’s aperture, shutter, and focus to capture what each spirit longs to see. Offer your photos to the sacred flame, and they will answer with guidance."

The game launches on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC this Fall.

Go-Go Town!

(Image credit: Prideful Sloth)

Go-Go Town! is currently an early access game on Steam and also offers a demo.

In this sandbox city builder, you landed the job of mayor of a crumbling city. Like similar city builders, you must build and manage everything in your town, assign workers, plot out zoning, and more until it's thriving.

You can play solo, but there's also an option for co-op.

The game is heading to Nintendo Switch in Spring 2026.

UFO 50

(Image credit: Moss Mouth)

In UFO 50, you can play a collection of 50 single and multiplayer games that span a variety of genres, including platformers, shoot 'em ups, puzzle games, roguelites, and role-playing games (RPGs).

"As you journey through the library, make connections and learn more about UFO Soft, the fictional 80s company behind the games, as well as their expansive shared universe that includes sequels and recurring characters," developer Moss Mouth said.

The indie was released on PC in 2024, but is now available on Nintendo Switch.

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Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 is now less than 24 hours away. Blade will be added alongside a massive update that refreshes ranked play and tweaks Hero balancing. Here's TechRadar Gaming's live coverage of the launch, including info on the build-up to downtime.

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 key info

Start time
Downtime
Blade info
Hero Balancing
Ranked Changes

Now that NetEase has revealed the full details for Marvel Rivals Season 3.5, we know that there's not long to wait before we get a whole host of new additions to the game. There's even a full roadmap for Season 3.5, detailing upcoming events, skins, and new maps and modes. It's regular updates like these that have kept Marvel Rivals ranked highly in our best PC games list since it launched.

I've now played hundreds of hours of Marvel Rivals and even got early access to the upcoming season. As such, I've played as Blade, testing out his unique abilities at the Practice Range. He's a powerful Duelist, and I could see him becoming a true contender in the coming days.

Here's everything you need to know about the launch of Marvel Rivals Season 3.5. I'll detail what's been announced as we move towards downtime. After that, you can follow my live impressions of the new season once Marvel Rivals is back online.

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 start time

(Image credit: NetEase)

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 will arrive after downtime expected to last 2-3 hours. As such, I've estimated the season's start time below:

• East Coast (US): 7AM ET (August 8)
• West Coast (US): 4AM PT (August 8)
• United Kingdom: 12AM BST (August 8)
• Europe (Central): 1PM CEST (August 8)
• Japan (Tokyo): 8PM JST (August 8)
• Australia (Sydney): 9PM AEST (August 8)

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 downtime

(Image credit: NetEase)

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 downtime kicks off at the times below:

• East Coast (US): 5AM ET (August 8)
• West Coast (US): 2AM PT (August 8)
• United Kingdom: 10AM BST (August 8)
• Europe (Central): 11AM CEST (August 8)
• Japan (Tokyo): 6PM JST (August 8)
• Australia (Sydney): 7PM AEST (August 8)

Downtime is estimated to be 2-3 hours according to NetEase, and the last two seasons have followed that guidance. Hopefully, things go according to plan, though I'll be updating this page live on the day with any news of potential delays.

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 Blade

(Image credit: NetEase)

Blade will release on August 8, 2025, in Marvel Rivals. He's the new Hero that's being added as part of Season 3.5. As a new Duelist, Blade primarily focuses on damage output. He has a block that reduces incoming damage, a dash strike ability, a shotgun ranged attack, and a katana for close range.

Interestingly, Blade is able to unleash his Ultimate using Dracula's Sword. This deals massive damage to foes in a small area, and can even be used on flying enemies. Blade is also being added to the Moon Knight and Cloak & Dagger Team, so he will be able to cloak himself and reposition while staying invisible to opponents.

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 Hero balancing

(Image credit: NetEase)

A bunch of Heroes are being tweaked for Marvel Rivals Season 3.5. Below, you'll find a summary of who's being nerfed and who's receiving a buff. For the full details on each character, head to this Marvel Rivals blog post.

• Hero balancing (buffs): Star Lord, Iron Fist, Spider-Man, Dr Strange, Groot, Thor, Adam Warlock,
• Hero Balancing (nerfs): Black Panther, Wolverine, Magneto, Mantis, Cloak & Dagger

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 ranked changes

(Image credit: NetEase)

Ranked Mode is changing quite a bit for Marvel Rivals Season 3.5. Here are the key points:

• New Rewards: Blade- Emerald Blade costume (Gold), new frames for Diamond and Platinum, Crests (Grandmaster, Eternal, Celestial, Top 500)
• Matchmaking: Players in Bronze, Silver, and Gold can queue for Competitive in any team size except 5-player teams. Players in Platinum, Diamond, and Grandmaster can queue for Competitive in teams of up to 3 players. Players in Celestial, Eternity, and One Above All can queue for Competitive in teams of up to 2 players
• Surrender Trigger: In the first round, if a player disconnects and does not reconnect within 90 seconds, their team may vote to surrender. The required votes pass with 1 less than the current team members. (E.g., if 4 remain, 3 votes are needed.)
• Disconnect Penalty and Compensation: If any player disconnects during loading, ban/pick phase, hero select, or within the first 70 seconds of a match, the match is deemed invalid. Point adjustments and compensations vary depending on the situation. See the table above.
• Misc: Rank reward Nameplate Frames can now be displayed in more areas

Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 live coverage as it happensHello and welcome!

(Image credit: NetEase)

We’re now just under 24 hours away from the launch of Marvel Rivals Season 3.5. We’ll get a whole new Duelist to try out, as well as a new event that features skins for Hela, The Thing and Black Widow as rewards. Join me as I break down the new season in the live build up to downtime.

When does downtime start?

Let’s kick things off by taking a look at when Marvel Rivals will be taken offline for maintenance. Downtime begins in Marvel Rivals at the following times:

• East Coast (US): 5AM ET (August 8)
• West Coast (US): 2AM PT (August 8)
• United Kingdom: 10AM BST (August 8)
• Europe (Central): 11AM CEST (August 8)
• Japan (Tokyo): 6PM JST (August 8)
• Australia (Sydney): 7PM AEST (August 8)

The Queen’s Codex event launches with the new season

(Image credit: NetEase)

The Queen’s Codex event will arrive with Season 3.5, and there’s free and premium rewards to earn. Over on the free side, The Thing finally gets a symbiote skin. You’ll need to purchase the Premium Pass to get the Queen in Black skin for Hela, and there’s an awesome Phoenix-themed Black Widow skin too.

New skins in the store

(Image credit: NetEase)

The following skins will be available to purchase in the store once the new season launches:

• Blade - Polarity Edge Bundle
• Blade - Emoji Bundle
• Blade Dynamic Mood Bundle

Twitch Drops for Season 3.5

New Twitch Drops are on the horizon, Rivals!Watch your favorite streamers live to get a spray, nameplate, emote, and the cosmic and otherworldly "Will of Galacta" Mantis costume!Event Time:Starts: August 8, 12:00 PM UTC / 5:00 AM PT / 8:00 AM ETEnds: September 5, 9:00 AM… pic.twitter.com/TZ7nL35onUAugust 6, 2025

There’s a Mantis skin to earn in Season 3.5 through Twitch Drops. Watch 4 hours of eligible streamers on Twitch to get ahold of the Will of Galacta skin for Mantis. There’s other rewards to earn as well.

Blade joins the battle

(Image credit: NetEase)

Blade arrives as a new Hero in Marvel Rivals. He’s a Duelist that uses a katana and a shotgun, and can summon the blade of Dracula to trigger a devastating Ultimate. He can block incoming damage, and then dash towards enemies to get in close for the kill.

Doctor Strange gets a buff

(Image credit: NetEase)

Doctor Strange is finally getting a buff, hopefully bringing him back into contention against Emma Frost and Magneto. Here’s what’s changing:

• Increase Daggers of Denak projectile charges from 8 to 10.
• Reduce Cloak of Levitation cooldown from 15s to 12s.

New Team Up for Adam Warlock and Luna Snow

(Image credit: NetEase)

Luna Snow and Adam Warlock Team Up with Duality Dance. Luna Snow will get healing as she damages enemies. This adds a new level of self-healing for Luna, who would previously have to wait for her Ice Shards to gain health.

The ruling deems the government's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities "unlawful" and allows a lawsuit brought by humanities groups to move forward.

(Image credit: Kayla Bartkowski)

• Principal photography will begin on the next Batman movie in early 2026
• It's got nothing to do with the superhero's eventual debut in the DC Universe
• Cameras will start rolling on the long-gestating sequel to The Batman instead

It's been three and a half years since The Batman was released in theaters – and after numerous setbacks and delays, there's light at the end of the tunnel for its long-awaited sequel.

Today (August 7), Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) confirmed filming will finally get underway on The Batman Part II in early 2026. The entertainment giant confirmed the news in a shareholder letter that accompanied its Q2 2025 earnings report.

The reveal is the second piece of good news that's arrived recently. In late June, Matt Reeves, co-creator of the DC comic book franchise known more widely as The Batman Epic Crime Saga, announced the film's script had been completed. At the time, Reeves, who directed The Batman and who'll helm its follow-up, took to Instagram to post an image of the finished screenplay alongside co-writer Mattson Tomlin.

Before this pair of relief-inducing announcements, fans had grown increasingly concerned about the fate of Reeves' next Batman film. There were reasons why the superhero flick was trapped in development hell, including issues that had impacted Reeves' private life.

A post shared by Matt Reeves (@mattreevesla)

A photo posted by on

However, while many fans sympathized with Reeves over said personal problems, others were growing increasingly frustrated with the amount of time it was taking to get The Batman 2 off the ground. It was left to James Gunn to placate those individuals in mid-June, with DC Studios' co-CEO telling fans that The Batman Part II hadn't been canceled and that they should "let him [Reeves] do this thing" – aka, give him space to finish co-penning its script.

Thankfully, The Batman 2's troubled road appears to be coming to an end. Indeed, with the film not set to hit theaters until October 2027 – its revised launch date was one of six big stories that broke over the 2024 holiday season – there's plenty enough time for Reeves and company to shoot the DC Universe (DCU) adjacent movie, and complete its likely lengthy post-production phase.

Speaking of the DCU, Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted cinematic universe got a major update in February, which included news on whether The Batman Epic Crime Saga would be folded into it. There's been some movement on The Brave and the Bold, the Batman film that was announced as part of the DCU Chapter One line-up in January 2023, too. For the latest on that big-screen offering, check out my DCU Chapter One guide.

For more on Reeves' next project starring the world's greatest detective, read my dedicated guide on The Batman Part II. Oh, and remind yourself what happened in The Penguin – aka The Batman's first spin-off – and how it might set up the sequel film's story by reading my ending explainer on The Penguin.

The Batman and The Penguin are available to stream on HBO Max (US and Australia), Sky/Now TV (UK), and more of the world's best streaming services where you live.

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• The Penguin is an absorbing, epic, and violent Batman spin-off that deserves to sit next to The Sopranos in HBO's crime drama pantheon
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Apple's deal with the South Korean company means that Sony won't be sole image sensor maker for the iPhone 18.

• Microsoft finds high-severity flaw in hybrid Exchange instances
• Both Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019 are affected, and so is Microsoft Exchange Server Subscription Edition
• A hotfix is available, so users should update now

Microsoft has urged its customers to be on high alert after discovering a dangerous vulnerability in hybrid Exchange deployments.

Microsoft describes the issue as an “improper authentication” bug, tracked as CVE-2025-53786 with a severity score of 8.0/10 (high). Threat actors with admin access to an on-prem Exchange Server can use the vulnerability to escalate privileges into the connected Exchange Online environment due to trust flaws in shared service principal configurations.

Matters could be even worse as activity from on-prem Exchange doesn’t always generate logs associated with malicious behavior in Microsoft 365, which could result in cyberattacks not being spotted via cloud-based auditing.

"Publicly available business information"

A hybrid Microsoft Exchange deployment combines on-premises Exchange servers with Exchange Online in Microsoft 365, allowing them to work together as one system. It lets organizations support seamless email, calendar, and contact sharing across both environments.

"In an Exchange hybrid deployment, an attacker who first gains administrative access to an on-premises Exchange server could potentially escalate privileges within the organization's connected cloud environment without leaving easily detectable and auditable trace," Microsoft said.

Both Exchange Server 2016 and Exchange Server 2019 are affected, and so is Microsoft Exchange Server Subscription Edition.

Even though there is no evidence of abuse in the wild yet, Microsoft has urged its customers to apply April 2025 hotfixes, transition to the dedicated Exchange Hybrid app, and reset the shared service principal’s credentials to mitigate the risk.

At the same time, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) also issued an advisory, urging IT teams to, besides the hotfix, review Microsoft's Service Principal Clean-Up Mode and then run the Microsoft Exchange Health Checker.

Failing to do so could result in “hybrid cloud and on-premises total domain compromise," CISA warned.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Microsoft extends support for Exchange, Skype business servers - here's how to keep access
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

One of the brightest stars in the night sky seems to be orbited by a planet like Jupiter. The news is sure to cheer fans of the Avatar series, which centers on a moon that orbits a fictional gas giant planet in this particular star system.

(Image credit: R. Hurt (Caltech/IPAC))

After spending some time with the impressive Taycan, its range and charging speed impressed me more than its speed and performance handling.

I've spent some time sat in the Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, and it's a gorgeous car.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09: two-minute review

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 is a tower fan and air purifier combo with smart capabilities, which allows for easy control and air data reviewing via the MyDyson companion app.

With a list price of $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99, the white and gold Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan is well-priced in the UK and Australia, but curiously costs much more for the nickel and gold colorway at Dyson US. Fortunately, I’ve spotted the white and gold model at a discounted rate from third-party retailers, with Walmart offering it for just $519 at the time of writing.

Replacement filters are on the pricey side at a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99, and Dyson recommends changing them every 12 months, so it’s important to factor this cost into your budget.

(Image credit: Future)

I really like the aesthetics of the UK model I tested, the white and gold colorway is a little more exciting to look at than the standard white and nickel we see on other Dyson purifying fans – though I must say, I consider the color of the shroud to be more copper than gold.

There are 10 fan speeds on offer, plus an auto mode that rouses the TP09 into action whenever it detects contaminants. And it's able to detect these from an impressively wide range of sources, including PM2.5 and PM10, VOCs, formaldehyde, and nitrogen dioxide.

As well as having better detection skills than cheaper Dyson purifying fans, the TP09 also boasts Diffused mode, which diverts the airflow out of the back of the loop amplifier. This means you don’t have to worry about it blasting cold air toward you as it tackles contaminants in the winter months.

The MyDyson companion app proved insightful and responsive when communicating air quality changes and when I was using it to control the TP09. It offered insight into the air quality readings and also provided access to some great additional controls, such as selecting the point to begin oscillating from, saving me from needing to adjust the position of the TP09 manually.

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(Image credit: Future)

The TP09 reacted promptly to contaminants both in testing and day-to-day use. It was quick to notice whenever I sprayed myself with perfume on the other side of the room, and automatically increased the airflow to tackle the detected VOCs. Despite this though, it didn’t have any noticeable effect on the fragrance in the air.

The TP09 delivered an impressive performance overall. It proved easy to operate, the controls were responsive, and it was quick to react whenever contaminants were introduced. It didn’t appear to tackle odors well, but I’m yet to test an air purifier that performs particularly proficiently in this area.

Considering the range of contaminants the TP09 is capable of detecting and reacting to, plus the responsive controls, air quality breakdown and air quality history available on the MyDyson app, you get plenty of bang for your buck with the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09. I highly recommend shopping around for the best price if you’re in the US, though.

In fact, I’m such a fan of the purifying abilities of the TP09 that I could easily see it sneaking its way into our list of the best air purifiers. The fan’s very good too, but at this price point, you’re better off checking out our guide to the best fans if you’re not interested in the purifying element.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: price & availability

• List price: $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99
• Available now in the US, UK, and Australia

Available to buy from the Dyson website and other third-party retailers in the US, UK, and Australia, the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan has a list price of $749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99. This is an attractive price in the UK and Australia, but a little high in the US.

If you’re in the US, then I’d highly recommend shopping around. While the nickel and gold model is pricey on the Dyson website, at the time of writing, I’ve spotted the white and gold Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 for much more reasonable prices at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, with the latter offering the TP09 for just $519.

(Image credit: Future)

When shopping for an air purifier, it’s always a good idea to check out the prices of replacement filters, so you don’t get a nasty shock when it comes time to switch them out. Dyson recommends changing the HEPA H13 filter every twelve months, based on it running twelve hours a day. As a replacement filter for the TP09 has a list price of $79.99 / £75 / AU$99, it’s worth factoring this cost into your budget.

If you’ve got your heart set on a Dyson purifying fan, but don’t have the budget for this model, I’d recommend taking a look at the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 Purifying Fan instead. However, if you can afford the extra spend, it’s worth it for the benefits of the air quality data, app control, and the diffused mode.

• Value score: 4 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: specs

Type

Purifying tower fan

Fan speeds

10

Oscillation

45, 90, 180, 350 degrees

Timer

Yes

CADR (Clean air delivery rate)

Requested

Filter

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

Particle sizes detected

PM2.5, PM10, HCHO, VOCs, NO2

Dimensions

8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

Weight

10.7 lb / 4.85kg

Control

Onboard power button, remote control, app, and voice control

Additional modes

Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: design and features

• Attractive design and colorway
• Diffused mode for purifying when you don’t need cooling
• Capable of detecting and reacting to a wide range of contaminants

With its large loop amplifier, it doesn’t take a second look to know that the TP09 purifying fan is a Dyson. The materials look and feel good quality, and the overall build feels satisfyingly sturdy. I’m also a big fan of the white and gold colorway, though I’d say it’s really more of a copper tone than gold, personally.

A clever combo of a bladeless tower fan and an air purifier, the TP09 offers a solution to a niggle I had with the cheaper Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10 model, which was that I couldn’t make use of the higher purifier settings without being blasted with air from the fan. This solution comes in the form of Diffused mode, which diverts the airflow out of the back of the loop amplifier, so I no longer feel like I’m making it face the corner in shame when I want to make the most of its purifying capabilities.

(Image credit: Future)

The setup process was fairly easy, though at a weight of 10.7 lb / 4.85kg and with no carry handles, I’d definitely recommend pulling the side of the box down before sliding the TP09 out, rather than trying to lift it out as stated in the online manual. Curiously, Dyson included a leaflet that’s only printed on one side to communicate that they’ve moved the setup process online to save paper.

I’d also really like to see brands like Dyson doing more product and transit testing to see whether they can cut back on their use of plastic wrap, as individually wrapping both halves of the air filter, the entire tower fan and the outer cardboard box in plastic feels somewhat excessive.

(Image credit: Future)

The TP09 uses the same H13 HEPA filter that’s used in most of their newer models, including the cheaper ones, but adds a permanent catalytic filter, which continuously traps and converts formaldehyde (HCHO) into water and CO2. Another big difference between the TP09 and cheaper models is its ability to detect and react to more than just PM2.5 and PM10 – which are particles up to ten microns in size, including smoke, bacteria, and dust – as it can also detect and react to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen dioxide, too.

The large and well-lit LCD screen on the front of the purifying unit made it easy to keep an eye on the overall air quality or the level of individual pollutants. I could cycle through the different readings using the satisfyingly color-matched remote, which also allowed me to enable diffused mode, auto mode, and night mode, as well as adjust oscillation angle, and airflow speed.

• Design score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: app

• Shows a week's worth of air quality data in 15-minute intervals
• App remote control is responsive
• Provides extra options for timer and oscillation

It’s quick and easy to get an insight into the air quality in the room on the MyDyson app, thanks to the helpful graph that shows the overall air quality in fifteen-minute intervals over the last week. It specifies the most dominant pollutant at the time, which is useful for working out exactly what’s causing any drops in air quality. There are also graphs available to show the level of each pollutant, as well as for ambient temperature and humidity.

The app offers lots of detail on what various terms mean; for example, it lists the different air quality ratings, explains what each one means, what action should be taken, and gives details on each contaminant type it detects. It also provides the ranges of the pollutant readings, such as a reading of 0-35 micrograms per cubic meter being considered Good, and 151-250 being Extremely Poor.

One thing that anyone purchasing the TP09 (or any of Dyson’s air purifiers, really) needs to do in the first instance is to make sure that continuous monitoring is turned on, as it is switched off by default. Without doing this, your air purifier won’t consistently collect data. It’s simple enough to enable, either in the machine settings within the MyDyson app, or by holding the Auto button on the remote for roughly five seconds, until the LCD screen on the device confirms the setting has changed.

(Image credit: Dyson / Future)

Along with providing plenty of data on the air quality inside my home, I was also able to keep up to date with what was going on outside. After entering my location into the MyDyson app, I had access to a simple-to-read dashboard detailing the external temperature, humidity, grass pollen level, plus PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 readings.

The level of controls on offer was fantastic. There are basic settings for power, auto mode, oscillation, and fan speed available on the main TP09 dashboard, but further controls became available after pressing the remote icon. This gave me access to all of the controls I had on the remote, but with far more flexibility. For instance, there's a timer that’s separate from Night mode and offers a wider duration variety. There's also an option to choose which position the TP09 begins its oscillation from – this is a fabulous feature to have, as it saves having to go and manhandle the fan if it’s not quite in the right position.

• App score: 4.5 out of 5

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: performance

• Easy and straightforward to operate
• Detects and reacts to a wide range of contaminants
• Fast detection and reaction speeds

The Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan was satisfyingly easy to operate throughout my weeks of testing it. Controlling it was simple and stress-free, as both the remote control and the controls on the app were straightforward and very responsive.

I didn’t have much luck when setting up voice control, but I can’t say if this is a fault with the appliance or the third-party apps I was using. I could voice record Siri shortcuts, and they would appear in the Shortcuts app on my iPhone, but my voice commands failed to work.

I had a bit more success when using my Alexa Echo Dot (5th Gen); it was easy to add the Dyson skill on my Alexa app, and I could turn the purifier on and off, and ask to increase or decrease the fan speed. However, I couldn’t get it to switch to Auto mode or oscillate; instead, it would state the action request was not supported on the Dyson machine, which is disappointing at this price point.

(Image credit: Future)

From a fan perspective, the airflow was nice and smooth, and the strength was as I’d expect from one of Dyson’s bladeless tower fans. I found I could feel a noticeable breeze from around 3ft / 1m away on the lowest setting, 8ft / 2.4m on setting five, and 13ft / 4m on top setting ten.

The TP09 was speedy to react when I sprayed dry shampoo towards it from roughly 2 feet away, raising the PM2.5 reading to Severe almost instantly and upping the fan speed in response, swiftly returning the air quality reading within a minute of the contamination being detected.

The TP09 was quick to notice whenever I sprayed myself with perfume in the mornings, too, even though I was on the other side of the room. After promptly bumping the airflow up to setting five, it gradually lowered fan speed over the course of an hour. It didn’t have an impact on the fragrance in the air, which I was happy with in this instance, as my bedroom smelled pretty. But considering this alongside the performance of the TP10, which has the same filter, it looks likely that it’d struggle to make any noticeable effect on cooking smells without manually running it on a higher fan speed for a longer period of time.

(Image credit: Future)

I found it easy to sleep with the TP09 placed on the other side of my small nightstand, both in Night mode – which lowered the fan speed if I was running it higher and turned off the display – and when in standard Auto mode.

The decibel readings I got from the TP09 were, unsurprisingly, very similar to those of the TP10; with readings of 33dB on fan speed one, 43dB on speed five, and 52dB on speed ten. This means that its volume levels were similar to that of soft music at its quietest, and moderate rainfall at its loudest. The key difference between the two models is that the TP09 was not as quiet when in auto mode, as its superior detection skills meant that it didn’t relax and sit idling like the TP10.

Overall, I was very happy with the performance of the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan, thanks to its prompt contamination detection and great level of detail and fine-tuning available in the fantastic companion app.

• Performance score: 4.5 out of 5

Should I buy the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09?

Section

Notes

Score

Value for money

This isn’t a bad price for a Dyson tower fan combined with a good spec and well-performing air purifier. It offers more value for money than some of the slightly cheaper models that don’t have the skills to detect more than just PM2.5 or PM10.

4/5

Design & Features

I love the premium-looking aesthetic and colorway of the TP09, and I’m pleased with its features, too. It can detect and react to a wide range of contaminants, and has a useful Diffused mode so it won’t blast me with cold air when purifying in the winter months.

4.5/5

App

The MyDyson app offers a good level of insight into ambient and local air quality readings, both inside and outside the home. It also worked well as a responsive remote control, which offered useful additional settings.

4.5/5

Performance

The TP09 delivered an impressive performance overall. It proved easy to operate, the controls were responsive, and it was quick to react whenever contaminants were introduced.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want a purifier that can react to a wider range of contaminants
If you can afford one, it’s always better to opt for an air purifier that can detect more than just PM2.5 and PM10, as reduced air quality is often caused by other contaminants like VOCs, so having a purifier that’s reactive to these changes makes it easier to improve the air quality in your home.

You want to keep an eye on your air quality levels
With an overall air quality graph and others dedicated to each contaminant, it’s easy to get an overview of your home's air quality throughout the day and pinpoint potential sources of contamination.

You want settings you can fine-tune
The MyDyson app gives you access to a wider range of timer durations, allows you to choose exactly where the TP09 starts oscillating from, and offers scheduling too, so you can set it this Dyson up just as you’d like it.

Don't buy it if...

You want something cheap and simple
This is a pricey purifying fan, and you could buy a cheaper tower fan and air purifier separately if you’re happy with a more basic air purifier that requires more manual intervention.

You want a desktop-sized air purifier
The TP09 is tall and heavy, and would likely be overkill if you just want to freshen the air in a small home office.

You don’t want a tower fan
If you’re only really interested in a high-tech air purifier, then you’d be better off looking at something like the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde instead.

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 review: Also consider

Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i

Type

Purifying tower fan

Purifying tower fan

Air purifier

Price

$749.99 / £549.99 / AU$999.99

$429.99 / £449.99 / AU$799

$169.99 / £169

Fan speeds

10

10

3

Additional modes

Auto, Night mode, Diffused mode

Auto, sleep mode

Auto, night mode

Oscillation

Up to 350 degrees

Up to 350 degrees

N/A

Filter

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

HEPA H13 and activated carbon

HEPASilent and activated carbon

App support

Yes

No

Yes

Dimensions

8.7 x 8.7 x 41 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

8.7 x 8.7 x 41.3 inches / 22 x 22 x 105cm

18.9 x 10.6 x 10.6 inches / 48 x 27 x 27cm

Weight

10.7 lbs / 4.85kg

10.4 lbs / 4.7kg

7.5 lbs / 3.4kg

Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10
If you’re looking for a cheaper Dyson model, the TP10 is a very similar size and weight to the TP09, and uses the same HEPA 13 filter, but is only able to detect and react to the presence of PM2.5 and PM10 contamination. While it isn’t compatible with the MyDyson app, the large integrated display makes it easy to check the status of the air quality in the room. For more details, head over to my full review of the Dyson Purifier Cool Gen1 TP10.

Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i
If you’re looking for a stand-alone air purifier that’s more cost-friendly, but still smart, then this lightweight air purifier from Blueair is worth your consideration. It’s ideal for smaller rooms like bedrooms or offices, and offers an insight into the ambient air quality and remote control via the companion app. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at my full Blueair Blue Pure 411i Max / Blue Max 3250i review.

How I tested the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09

• I used the Dyson TP09 purifying fan in my living room and bedroom
• I observed its detection and purification skills
• I evaluated the strength of the airflow and the sound levels

I used the Dyson Purifier Cool Formaldehyde TP09 purifying fan in our photo studio, my living room, and my bedroom over the course of a few weeks. I evaluated how easy it was to operate, along with the build quality and aesthetics, and explored the available functions and features.

I tested the strength of the airflow by determining at what distance I could still feel a cooling breeze. I also observed the TP09 Purifying Fan’s detection and purification skills during standardized testing, which included spraying dry shampoo towards it from around two feet away to test how quickly it would react and clear the contamination, and to see how it tackles odors. I also used it passively in my bedroom and my living room over a couple of weeks to see how it performed and how well it would report readings over time.

I used a decibel meter app on my iPhone to record the noise levels, taking readings from around two feet away and ensuring the fan wasn’t blowing directly into the microphone.

I checked the timer worked as expected, and tested out the sleep mode to see whether the TP09 was quiet enough for me to be able to sleep well with it running overnight.

• First reviewed: August 2025
• Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee

• Reports claim DJI’s first 360 drone will weigh under 250g
• It's allegedly based on similar 8K camera tech to the Osmo 360
• The launch is tipped before the end of 2025

DJI is widely expected to release one new ultra-lightweight drone this year, with the hotly-anticipated DJI Mini 5 Pro seemingly gearing up for a 2025 launch. But if recent online rumblings are to be believed, though, the company might actually be announcing two models by the end of the year – with one being an entirely new type of drone based around a 360 camera.

We’ve already had official confirmation that Antigravity is prepping its own lightweight 360 drone powered by Insta360 camera technology – although just via a teaser, with specifics remaining unknown for now. And, if a report at Notebookcheck is accurate, it’ll have a competitor right off the bat.

The report details rumors coming out of China that claim DJI is working on a similarly lightweight drone (under 250g, to ensure it stays in the regulation-dodging sweet spot) that will also offer 8K 360 video recording, using a mechanical three-axis gimbal to hold its camera.

The camera, apparently, will built on similar foundations to the hardware inside the recently-released DJI Osmo 360, the company’s first 360 action camera.

A flying Osmo 360?

The DJI Osmo 360 proves that DJI knows how to make a superb 360-degree camera (Image credit: DJI)

The Osmo 360 is an excellent 360 camera (I know because I’ve tested it for our DJI Osmo 360 review), using two 1/1.1-inch sensors married to two ultra-wide fisheye lenses and a gaggle of clever software tricks to create panoramic 8K videos with a minimum of effort.

These videos can then be reframed in DJI’s companion apps (either the DJI Mimo mobile app or the DJI Studio desktop app) before being exported for sharing or use in other editing programs.

A flying version of the Osmo 360 that manages to remain under 250g sounds almost too good to be true, particularly if it’s going to have two large sensors on board. I suspect we may see smaller sensors on the drone, in order to keep weight below that key 250g mark.

If the reports are correct, DJI seems to have a busy few months ahead. The company is also tipped to be releasing the DJI Mic 3, a new model in its popular wireless microphone range, as well as the DJI Osmo Nano, a small modular action camera, and the DJI Romo, the company’s first ever robotic vacuum cleaner.

You might also like

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• DJI Osmo 360 vs Insta360 X5: the premium 360 cameras battle it out in a hands-on test
• Will DJI drones be banned in the US? DJI says the clock is ticking – and it urgently needs its fans to help

The latest Nintendo Indie World Showcase has been and gone. August 7's Indie World Showcase, as confirmed by Nintendo's socials, lasted roughly 15 minutes and featured game announcements for both Nintendo Switch 2 and the original Nintendo Switch.

Sadly, Hollow Knight: Silksong didn't appear, but its absence certainly didn't invalidate all the other excellent-looking titles we saw, and after all, Silksong is likely launching soon, so there was no reason to lose heart when it didn't show up in this stream.

We covered the event live, and you can see exactly how at the bottom of this page. Directly beneath this chat, however, is a list of everything announced, just in case you were after a quick list for convenience.

August Nintendo Indie World Showcase: everything announced and shown

Mina The Hollower

• New game from Shovel Knight studio
• Launches 10/31/2025 for Switch and Switch 2
• Demo available today

Well Dweller

• Metroidvania-style game with side scrolling mechanics
• Boss fights
• Coming to Switch in 2026

Nerverway

• Coldblood studio
• Same pixel artist as Celeste
• Pixel action game
• Meet a variety of characters with stories to follow
• Unlockable combat abilities
• Fast-paced combat
• Available 2026
• Nintendo Switch release

Heardling

• From the publisher of Firewatch
• Escort a herd of mysterious creatures
• Puzzle solving
• Nintendo Switch release
• August 21, 2025, release
• Pre-orders open now

Is This Seat Taken?

• Play seating matchmaking with characters in social situations
• Puzzle solving and scenarios to be figured out
• Available today on Switch

Little Kitty, Big City

• Free update
• Cat customizer to give your cat a new look
• Explore new areas and visit familiar friends
• Additional photo mode features with stickers
• Available this year on Switch

Content Warning

• The PC online co-op hit is coming to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in 2026

Ball x Pit

• Low-poly pixel art style
• From Devolver Digital
• Over 60 randomized balls to equip
• Collect resources to rebuild your city
• Each level has challenges and boss fights
• Other treasure hunters to meet along the way
• Use their abilities in your own kit
• Coming to Switch and Switch 2 on October 15, 2025

Ultimate Sheep Racoon

• 8-player co-op
• Switch and Switch 2 release
• Winter 2025

Glaciered

• JRPG-action style
• Set 65 million years in the future
• Explore the underwater world as an evolved dinosaur (????)
• Timed console Switch exclusive
• Coming Winter 2025

Ending montage featuring...

• Winter Burrow - Switch, Winter 2025 release
• Undusted: Letters of the Past - Switch, October 2025
• Tiny Bookshop - Available today Switch
• Caves of Qud - Winter 2025 on Switch
• Strange Antiquities - Switch release, September 17. Pre-order now
• Opus: Prism Peak - Fall 2025 for Switch and Switch 2
• Go-Go Town! - Spring 2026 on Switch
• UFO 50 - Switch release later today

August Nintendo Indie World Showcase start time

This Nintendo Indie World Showcase went live on August 7 at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 3pm CEST.

August Nintendo Indie World Showcase: how to watch

Nintendo's 15-minute August 2025 Indie World Showcase was broadcast live on its regional YouTube channels. You could also catch it over at Nintendo's official Twitch page.

Well met travellers!

Greetings and welcome to our live coverage of today's Nintendo Indie World Showcase! We're going to be giving you all the pertinent and crucial information regarding how to catch the stream, while also sharing some of our thoughts, hopes, and predictions along the way!

Strap in, and let's hope we see some absolute bangers!

Indie World start time

Let's start off with the really simple, but really crucial stuff: when the showcase will start.

Nintendo confirmed that the Indie World Showcase will begin at the usual time of 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST.

It's going to run for only about 15 minutes, so you won't have to block off loads of time to catch this stream.

How to watch the Nintendo Indie World Showcase

Next, here's how to watch it, and the best stream to use.

Below is the Nintendo of America placeholder YouTube link, which will go live with the show at start time. You'll also be able to watch it on Twitch if you prefer.

The Silksong question...

(Image credit: Nintendo)

This probably won't be the last time we speak about Silksong, but the big question today is: will we see Silksong in the Indie World Showcase?

Here at TechRadar Gaming, we're split on it. Some of us think that it's just too close to Gamescom now, where it's been confirmed that the game will be playable - and likely shown off during a showcase of some sort.

While others on our team think a snippet or brief look will be enough to keep that hype train going at full speed.

I don't think we'll see a huge amount of the game if it is present today, but something would be excellent.

What else might we see?

Away from the potential Silksong-shaped-elephant in the room, what else could we see? Well, we've done some brainstorming here and have a few ideas about what might appear, but also what we hope to appear...

Hope: Blue Prince to Switch?

(Image credit: Dogubomb)

One indie-shaped announcement we're hoping for is to see Blue Prince make the jump over to Switch and/or Switch 2.

The puzzle adventure game took the world by storm earlier this year and is one of the highlights of 2025 so far. It's a perfect game for the handheld nature of the Switch consoles, and we can't imagine it being a drain on even the older console's hardware either.

What an absolutely welcome addition to the Switch library this would be.

45 minutes to go!

We've got less than 45 minutes to wait now! This is your 45 (ish) minute warning klaxon!

25 minute warning!

Less than half an hour to go now! Only 25 minutes

Hope: Maybe a Hades 2 full release date for Switch 2

Another thing we've been wondering about is whether we might get a full release Hades 2 release date...

it's not a bad shout, and the Hades games absolutely bang on Switch console.

I've been joined by my Nintendo-fan pal Josie who's an expert in the field of all things Nintendo, so she will likely guide you through the show itself, while myself (Rob) and another colleague watch along, grab some snaps, and fill out this live blog with other information.

10 minutes to go!

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, wherever you are! Josie here, ready to give you the downlow on all things Indie World. I'm excited to see what's in store, with just 10 minutes to go!

It's go-time!

(Image credit: Nintendo UK (YouTube))

And we're about to go live! Let's see what Nintendo has in store for us...

Mina the Hollower

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Starting us strong, we have Mina the Hollower.

Featuring an adorable mousey main character, Mina the Hollower comes from the creators of Hollow Knight. It looks fun, but we've not got much to go off here!

Neverway is made by the pixel artist of Celeste

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Neverway, made by the pixel artist from Celeste, looks like a darker, slightly post-apocalyptic Stardew Valley.

There's even a mention of "paying off debt", so I hope Tom Nook knows he's got some competition there.

Herdling

Ever dreamed of herding yak-like creatures? Well, Calicorns fit the bill, and in Herdling your job is to ascend to the summit of a mountain range. It looks gorgeous, and I can't wait to see how it runs on the Switch 2!

Little Kitty, Big City

(Image credit: Nintendo)

This is one I've been waiting for for quite some time; Little Kitty, Big City is like a cozier, more uplifting version of Stray, where you adventure around a suitably big city as, you guessed it, a little kitty. Now with a free update, there's some fun-looking customization features and a new camera mode I can't wait to try out!

Ball x PIT

(Image credit: Nintendo)

This arcarde-style rogue-like block breaker sees you restore New Ball-bylon, but to me looks more like sensory overload waiting to happen. With tonnes of unlockability, hopefully the mechanics won't age too quickly.

Glaciered

Play as an evolved alien species evolved from dinosaurs in Glaciered, an underwater adventure with real-time combat mechanics and ample explorability around Everwinters oceans.

Release date: This year's holiday season

It's montage time!

Here's all the games we just saw in the whistle-stop montage tour:

Winter Burrow
Undusted: Letters from the past
Cozy bookshop
Caves of Qud
Strange antiquities
OPUS: Prism Peak
Go-Go town
UFO 50

And it's over already!

Short and sweet, as promised, that's all we get this time round! As we feared, there's no Silksong nor Hades II, but there's a good amount to be excited for in there nonetheless. We'll be going over some of those games anounced in more detail shortly!

Is this seat taken?

This simple and sweet puzzler sees you matching seats in various environments to the needs of cute little shape-people. It's not overly complex, but it's a fun addition to your library if you like portable play!

Content warning

The PC online co-op hit will be coming to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 in 2026. In this horror-comedy hit, you'll dive head-first into spooky scenarios all for the love of clout, filming the scares you experience all in a desperate plea to go viral.

We've updated this page to feature a list of everything announced and shown in the Indie World Showcase, by the way, if you're looking for a one-stop shop of information.

There were some solid announcements today, though perhaps not the crowdpleasers we'd hoped for, but my top picks are definitely Little Kitty, Big City, Herdling and Neverway.

Let's start with Little Kitty, Big City. As I mentioned earlier, this is one I've had my eyes on since the earliest teasers appeared on X (back in the days of yore when it was still Twitter). I adored Stray, and I've always found it puzzling how the fascinating, mysterious lives of our feline friends aren't more often documented in games. I reckon I'll love the more light-hearted alternative Little Kitty, Big City offers.

My top 3: Herdling

(Image credit: Okomotive)

Next up on my personal hit-list is Herdling, which gives me the vibe of Shadow of the Colossus meets Journey in its tone and art style.

While the post-apocalyptic setting can be a little samey, I love the concept of the game, and from what we've seen in this trailer, there's a lot more to it than just walking around a barren world.

My top 3: Neverway

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Lastly, I've got to touch on Neverway from Coldblood studio. My first non-first-party Switch game was Celeste, which made a profound impact on me at the time, due in large part to its gorgeous art style.

This pixel action game-come-farming sim looks gorgeous, even with the slightly bleak art style. It's packed with a variety of richly detailed characters, unlockable combat abilities and punchy fight sequences, making for an excellent title that'll feel right at home on my Switch 2.

Ultimate Sheep Racoon

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Here's one I missed earlier: Ultimate Sheep Racoon. Probably because I just assumed it was a random collection of words, but can you blame me?

Offering up to 8-player co-op, this whacky racer looks like Happy Wheels-come-Party Animals, coming to Switch and Switch 2 in Winter 2025.

What did you think?

We thought it was a pretty good Indie World Showcase; neither ground breaking, nor really underwhelming.

The lack of Silksong might disappoint some folks, but in reality I'm not that surprised.

We're wrapping up our coverage shortly but we'll keep this page up for posterity and so that you can use it as a resource.

That's all from us!

Now that the dust has settled, we're going to be leaving our live coverage here. Shortly this page will revert to showing our live coverage as it happened from start to finish so you can revisit what was shown in the stream, and we'll keep all the pertinent details at the top of this page so you can get all the info at a glance.

Thanks for joining us, and see you soon!

• Audioengine's new HD3 speakers are out now for $359 (about £267 / AU$550)
• Bookshelf / desktop speakers with Bluetooth and USB-C for Hi-Res Audio
• 60W Class AB amplification and a high-output headphone amp

Audioengine's highly rated HD3 desktop speakers have been out for a while now: the first generation launched in 2016, and both speaker technology and audio formats have evolved a bit since then. Last year, Audioengine upgraded its bigger HD4 models to take advantage of some of the most recent developments, and now it's done the same with the more compact HD3.

Like the previous model, the new Audioengine HD3 Next Gen (2025) speakers are once again designed to sit on a desk or bookshelf, and they're particularly well suited to near-field listening with laptop and desktop computers.

But now they have built-in Bluetooth with aptX HD, as well as a powerful headphone amp. And they've been given an important Hi-Res Audio upgrade too.

(Image credit: Audioengine)Audioengine HD3 Next Gen (2025): key features and pricing

The new Audioengine HD3 Next Gen (2025) speakers have an upgraded DAC, which is 24-bit rather than 16-bit, and they also have USB-C input lossless audio – so they can connect straight to the USB-C port of your machine and pull in the highest-quality sound that the best music streaming services have to offer.

The headphone amp is a high-output OPA2134 amplifier outputting up to 380mW into 32 ohms.

Frequency response is 65Hz to 22kHz (the larger HD4s go lower in the bass) which should be fine for close listening without requiring extra low-end thump, and near-field listening is of course what these speakers have been designed for. If you do want a sub, Audioengine's S6 six-inch subwoofer goes down to a more subterranean 33Hz.

The integrated amplifier is an analog Class AB amp with 30W peak per channel, rather than the more traditional Class D amplification you expect here – this has the potential to make them more dynamic and sharper in details.

The speakers are a 2.75-inch woofer and a 0.75-inch tweeter per speaker. The cabinets are real wood, not MDF, and there are improved finishes in high-gloss Piano White, Real Walnut Veneer and Satin Black.

Given their small size and some great spec decisions, these look like interesting potential candidates for our list of the best stereo speakers when it comes to something compact and active. We look forward to giving them a test.

The Audioengine HD3 Next Gen is available in the US for $359 and the S6 sub is $299. UK and other pricing and availability haven't been announced just yet but the HD3 price works out pre-tax as £267 / AU$550.

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For many businesses, 2020 was a fundamental year, marking the shift to a cloud-first mentality as companies around the globe embraced public cloud solutions. At the time, the cloud appeared to be an obvious choice, offering reduced infrastructure costs, scalability, and unmatched flexibility.

However, as is often the case with rapidly evolving technologies, the wider implications of such a significant shift only became apparent over time. Many companies weren’t fully prepared for the long-term consequences of migrating their data, especially regarding how vital that data truly was. In recent years, as regulations have tightened and the value of data has become more apparent, organizations are reassessing their strategies.

Today, businesses are facing a mix of pressures that are forcing them to reconsider their reliance on public cloud infrastructure. Surging cloud costs, mounting regulatory demands (both local and international), issues around data sovereignty, and geopolitical concerns regarding dependency on a few U.S.-based cloud providers are all prompting organizations to explore alternatives. As a result, the idea of "cloud repatriation", or more broadly, "data repatriation" is gaining traction.

The movement towards repatriation: it's already happening

There’s clear evidence that the trend of moving data back from the cloud is well underway. A 2024 CIO survey from Barclays revealed that 83% of enterprises are planning to move workloads from public cloud to private or on-premises solutions, up from just 43% in 2021. Additionally, 94% of IT leaders have already engaged in some form of cloud repatriation project, and 25% of organizations in the UK have migrated at least half of their workloads back on-premises. Within our own client base, we've seen a growing number of cloud-native companies realize that remaining in the cloud is no longer economically sustainable for their long-term success.

Shifting back to private cloud, on-premises, or colocation solutions offers several advantages: more predictable pricing compared to fluctuating cloud bills, lower latency from being closer to end-users, and greater business resilience due to a more diversified set of infrastructure providers.

Additionally, with some large cloud providers admitting they can’t guarantee data stays within a specific jurisdiction during transfer, these alternative infrastructure options help businesses stay compliant with data protection laws, such as those in the UK and EU, while avoiding financial penalties and reputational harm.

Maximizing the potential of private data

There’s also a growing realization that many organizations have underutilized the value of their private data. Studies show that private data vastly outnumbers public data, with a ratio of 9 to 1. This is especially concerning as AI and digital business processes continue to expand. By reclaiming ownership of their data through repatriation, businesses can have greater control, unlock more cost-effective opportunities, and customize how they use that data, ultimately extracting more value from it.

For example, while public cloud tools like Co-Pilot and ChatGPT are not private, companies using colocation and private infrastructure to build their own AI models can retain ownership of intellectual property, benefiting from cutting-edge technologies while protecting their sensitive data.

The threat of data tariffs: a changing economic landscape?

While the benefits of data repatriation are clear, there are potential hurdles ahead. As more companies consider moving their data, cloud economics could face a shift toward data tariffs. The recent introduction of tariffs, like those imposed during the Trump administration, has highlighted the global implications of trade policy. While industries like manufacturing have felt the immediate effects, the service-based economies of the UK, where data plays a central role, may be next in line.

If tariffs are applied to data transfers from U.S. cloud providers to the UK, the cost of data repatriation could rise significantly. This makes it all the more critical for companies to weigh the financial and operational risks of continuing to rely on foreign cloud providers. Beyond the direct financial impact, businesses also need to consider the potential political leverage these providers could have over their operations.

In today’s world, where data is increasingly viewed as an economic asset, companies need to carefully consider the implications of allowing foreign entities to manage their most sensitive information. The rapid shifts in global politics over the past few years show just how quickly international relations can change, and the potential economic consequences of those changes. Ensuring control over their own data will help businesses better shield themselves from external disruptions.

2025: a turning point for IT strategy

All signs point to 2025 being a crucial year for businesses reevaluating their cloud strategies. However, companies looking to move away from public cloud solutions need to be fully informed about the viable alternatives. UK-based cloud providers, for instance, may offer clear advantages, such as data sovereignty, compliance with regulations, and reduced latency, making them a compelling option for businesses.

Public cloud services, while still important, are not a one-size-fits-all solution. The future of enterprise IT will rely on making strategic decisions that account for more than just cost, embracing a mix of cloud solutions, private infrastructure, and on-premises resources that are tailored to a company’s specific needs and workloads.

Rather than a wholesale departure from public cloud, businesses are likely to adopt a hybrid model that blends public, private, and on-prem infrastructure. This approach will enable organizations to optimize performance and costs while building long-term resilience in an ever-evolving digital world.

We've featured the best cloud database.

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