Feed aggregator

For years now, I’ve heard many The Elder Scrolls fans proclaim that Oblivion is a better game than Skyrim. After nearly 80 hours spent exploring the diverse and fantastical land of Cyrodiil in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, I couldn’t agree more.

I’m floored by how well the core of Oblivion holds up almost 20 years after its release. This is a beautifully crafted RPG game with a true heart of gold, a wicked sense of humor, and a deceptively deep well of things to do and places to explore. Despite its name, Oblivion Remastered is closer to a full remake, with smart updates while keeping the core untouched. It’s just about perfectly executed, if just a touch too careful in its approach to modernizing certain systems.

I missed The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion the first time around, having jumped aboard the Bethesda RPG train with Fallout 3 and then sinking my teeth into Skyrim around the time I should have been studying to get into University.

In the years since, I’ve learned to understand Oblivion’s reputation as a classic, but one that’s been made somewhat irrelevant by the juggernaut success of it’s sequel. Pair that thinking with my lack of interest in diving into RPGs of a certain age, especially ones as notoriously buggy as Bethesda’s, and it’s really no wonder I’d largely written Oblivion off until now.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5 Pro
Available on: Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, PS5
Release date: April 22, 2025

With Oblivion Remastered being perhaps the worst kept secret in gaming ever, I can’t say I was excited at the idea of a remaster of a 2006 fantasy RPG. Slap the word remaster onto a project, and I think we’ve all learned what to expect. A higher resolution, all of the DLC tied up into one neat package, maybe some re-recorded VO for good measure. Great for fans of the original, fairly unexciting for those that never played it.

But Oblivion Remastered isn’t what you would expect. This isn’t a simple facelift, it’s a meticulously crafted reconstruction, meshing old and new in ways that I don’t think we’ve really seen up to this point.

The visual upgrades are stunning, additional voice lines add new depth to character class choices, and combat is now just the right mix of Skyrim jank and contemporary action. This is the upgrade Oblivion always deserved, giving it the chance to finally step out of Skyrim’s shadow.

That old Bethesda charm

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Whatever your opinions are on Starfield, Fallout 76, and Fallout 4, Bethesda’s modern RPGs are undeniably a bit of a mixed bag, with wildly different approaches to open-world design when compared to The Elder Scrolls series.

Still, I’ve found myself liking something about each, after digging deep to find the parts that prove the studio’s pedigree is well-earned, and ongoing. Oblivion might well be where Bethesda’s unique brand of game design is best showcased.

There are bugs and jank, oh the jank, but it’s all completely outweighed by excellent writing, an almost impossibly detailed world, and RPG systems that reward you for actually roleplaying. You can be a thief, an assassin, a mage. You can specialize in alchemy, go out into the world and clear fortresses for loot, and even run Guilds as the big boss in charge.

Best bit

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

The Dark Brotherhood questline in Oblivion Remastered is perhaps my favourite from all the Bethesda RPGs I’ve played. It rewards you for completing assassinations in specific ways, more akin to something found in Hitman rather than a fantasy RPG. Every single member of the Brotherhood is a standout, from the pale, vampiric leader Vicente Valtieri (who, in my playthrough, would sometimes appear completely bald due to what I’m assuming to be a glitch), to the obnoxious Khajiit sorcerer M'raaj-Dar. There’s a murder-filled escape room quest too that’s one of the best side quests I’ve ever played.

NPCs talk over each other, camera angles switch wildly in conversation, and picking up the wrong item can send the game into a hard crash, but it’s worth the trade off for moments that only Bethesda games can offer. Moments where you walk into a tavern and witness an argument that you have to intervene in, and before you know it you’re helping a man fake his own death to avoid paying his debts.

Moments like accidentally discovering a vampire lair and contracting Vampirism, which then must be cured if you’re ever to travel during daylight hours again. I can count the memorable quests and moments from the last few Bethesda RPGs I’ve played on one hand, but have no doubt that there’ll be twenty plus that’ll stay with me from my first Oblivion playthrough.

Best of both worlds

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

I’ve mentioned that Oblivion Remastered sits somewhere between a traditional remaster and a remake, but what does that mean exactly?

Well, in many ways, the team at Virtuous have Skyrim-ified Oblivion, bringing systems like levelling and player physics more in line with that of The Elder Scrolls 5. You now level up both major and minor skills just by doing that particular skill - e.g. improve lockpicking by picking more locks, get better at persuasion by attempting to persuade NPCs.

It’s a simple but elegant solution that helps remove some of the barriers that previously punished players for behaving out-of-character. You’re constantly improving your build as you go, whether that’s by sprinting between cities, or blocking attacks with a shield. These are very minor changes to the original formula, but offer a big enough quality of life improvement to make Oblivion feel like a game from 2016 (and a forward-thinking one at that), not 2006.

Then there’s the graphics, and oh boy, does Oblivion: Remastered look fantastic. By switching over to Unreal Engine 5, the developers have applied all new lighting tech. At night, this means moonlight dances across the surface of lakes, adding depth and vibrancy to even the darkest of settings. Wall-mounted torches flicker and cast shadows, filling cold sewer tunnels and deep subterranean caves with dynamic oases of light.

The game’s brilliant environmental design is left to provide the backbone here, but high-tech extras have been layered atop to accentuate and compliment, rather than remake completely.

You can tell Oblivion Remastered is a new version of an old game, absolutely, but it also gives some contemporary open world RPGs a run for their money in terms of presentation, art direction and atmospheric effects. It’s a strange mix - part old, part new, part something else entirely - but it works.

Moving forward, Oblivion Remastered should be a reference point for how to update an old game for new audiences, while keeping the magic of the original intact.

"Oblivion Remastered should be a reference point for how to update an old game for new audiences, while keeping the magic of the original intact."

As someone who had only played the latest instalment of The Elder Scrolls series until now, I’m impressed to find that Magic plays a deeper, more complex role in Oblivion. Mage builds are not only more viable, but easier to put together thanks to the superior Guild quests found in major cities. You can cast spells with your weapons out, and Conjuration can be used to truly kit yourself out as a versatile battlemage.

Like many players, I’ve tended to slip into a stealth archer build when playing these sorts of games, but in Oblivion I’m being constantly rewarded for experimenting with play-styles, and sampling from all aspects of the game’s build-mechanics. In general, this all feels more in-line with my experience with Dungeons & Dragons, in that regardless of the situation I’m in, there’s probably a stat change, an enchantment, a spell or consumable that can help me tip the scales in my favor.

There’s certainly room to roleplay if you want to stick to one defined path and character, but for those looking for more of a comprehensive experience of the game, there’s very little punishment for trying out something new.

Almost too faithful?

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Remastering a game like Oblivion is no easy task, given that the original’s inherent bugginess and unpredictability are big reasons as to why players still bring it up to this day.

The memes are ancient at this point, the slightly wonky line deliveries and erratic camera snaps now heavily ingrained in internet culture. To remake Oblivion completely would be to snuff out its originality and heart, but just how faithful can you be before you simply offer up what amounts to the same game just on newer platforms? Well, Oblivion Remastered is just about as close as I think it’s possible to get to while walking this particularly precarious tightrope.

As a modern way to play a historically significant game, this is perfect for new players, preserving the spirit of the original while making it as pain-free as possible to experience. The developer has definitely erred on the side of caution with Oblivion Remastered, choosing to leave things the way they were back in 2006 instead of switching them out for elements that would probably be better to play in 2025.

This devotion to the source material, while admirable and ultimately the right call, does lead to a few downsides. The difficulty settings are all over the place, not quite managing to bridge the gap between simplified levelling systems and the newly updated combat mechanics.

I was constantly switching between two settings, finding one too easy and the other tough as nails. There’s also stability issues, where the new atmospheric effects and lighting slow things down in the open world. Whether these are new issues, or remnants of ancient bugs, I don’t know. But really, it’s disheartening to run into so many inconsistencies in what is an otherwise beautiful game.

Throughout my 80 or so hours of play time, I’ve actually run into fewer bugs than I’ve come to expect from a Bethesda RPG. That’s not to say it’s been smooth sailing, with strange visual glitches, quest-halting bugs, and straight hard-crashes being semi-frequent.

What’s really disappointing is that after looking up fixes for the issues I was experiencing, I found that they were predominantly issues that were rampant in the original version. This is unfortunately a consequence of choosing to remaster rather than remake, likely unavoidable with the level of care put into preserving the original’s more charming blemishes.

Still, I’d rather deal with twenty year old bugs than play a sterilized, over-polished remake that’s missing what fans loved about Oblivion the first time around.

On the whole, Oblivion Remastered is a triumph. A carefully considered love-letter to a game that’s been somewhat overshadowed in the years since its successor’s launch. By skating the line between remaster and remake, Bethesda and Virtuos manage to offer up a worthy modernization that finally gives more players the chance to weigh Oblivion up as the best game in The Elder Scrolls series.

It’s so good in fact, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but perhaps just one more version of Skyrim wouldn’t be so bad? Okay, maybe we should settle for Morrowind first.

Should I play The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered?

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks) Play it if…

You want to experience Oblivion for the first time
This has been my very first Oblivion experience, and I haven’t been able to put it down. I tend to struggle playing older RPGs, but found this one to be modern enough, and good enough, to ignore some of the dated design.

You’re a fan of colorful, whimsical fantasy like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Fable
Oblivion’s world is much more colorful, varied and silly than the one found in Skyrim or even Fallout 4 or Starfield. It’s more Lord of the Rings than Game of Thrones, with rolling green hills, larger than life characters and a dark but whimsical sense of humor.

There’s a part of you itching for more of what you loved about Skyrim-era Bethesda
While I found something to enjoy in Starfield, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76, I have been itching to recapture the magic I felt playing Skyrim for the first time. Oblivion is Bethesda at its best, warts and all.View Deal

You need something to tide you over until The Elder Scrolls 6 finally comes out
Look, I know you don’t want to hear it, but The Elder Scrolls 6 is likely years off at this point. Still, with Oblivion Remastered being so good, it’s like we’ve gotten a new game anyway. This is plenty to keep you busy until we hear more about what’s next for the series.View Deal

Don’t play it if…

You’re expecting an excellent main story or cinematic cutscenes
Oblivion is quite bare-bones in its presentation, with a main quest that’s solid, but unspectacular when compared to modern RPGs. There’s no sprawling narrative, no lengthy cutscenes, and no real set-pieces. Instead, there are brilliant side quests, character-driven dialogue and choices, as well as a world that’s fun to explore and teeming with things to do.

Accessibility

Oblivion Remastered features expanded accessibility options when compared with the original.

Aim Assist, five difficulty settings, and the option to turn off blood splatter are the only gameplay features on offer.

Sound is broken down into multiple categories that can be tweaked to personalize the experience, and FOV can be changed for both the first and third person viewpoints.

Text size and subtitle text size can be increased, though I found the largest options to be on the smaller size, especially when playing on a TV. There’s full button mapping, meaning the game should be compatible with accessibility controllers like the PlayStation Access.

Overall, this is a pretty standard suite of accessibility features. It would have been nice to see more resources put into further expanding the options, given this is a remaster, with gameplay-specific contrast modes and colorblind options being missing at present.

How I reviewed The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered

I played Oblivion Remastered for 80 hours on the PlayStation 5 Pro. During that time I completed Guild Quests for Fighters Guild, Thieves Guild and The Dark Brotherhood.

I played around half of the campaign, choosing instead to focus on thievery to get myself a house in Anvil, which did end up being haunted. I’m planning to continue playing the game, leveling up my lockpicking, Heavy Armor and Blocking, hoping to set off clearing Forts around the map. I played in Performance Mode throughout, which prioritizes frame rate over graphical resolution.

On PlayStation 5 Pro, I played the game using a 4K LG gaming monitor (LG UltraGear 4K Gaming Monitor 27GR93U). I used a DualSense Edge controller, with the Razer Blackshark V2 gaming headset connected via the controller jack.

Occasionally, I’d move the game onto PlayStation Portal to play on the go. I found Oblivion Remastered to be the perfect PS Portal game, with great presentation and stability throughout.

First reviewed May 2025

• YouTube is trialling a two-person subscription
• It costs less than two individual subscriptions, and less than a family plan
• It's currently available in France, Taiwan, India and Hong Kong

YouTube is currently piloting a two-person YouTube Premium membership in select countries that allows a two people to split a subscription without going all-in on a family plan.

Much like Spotify Duo, YouTube’s two-person tier allows two people who live together to split a subscription at a cost that’s lower than if both subscribed separately, and also cheaper than a full family plan.

YouTube told TechCrunch that it’s part of the company’s experiments looking into “new ways to provide greater flexibility and value to our YouTube Premium subscribers.”

For example, in France, one of the test countries, an individual plan costs €12.99 per month and a family plan is €23.99, while a two-person plan is €19.99.

(Image credit: YouTube)

Based on these prices we’d expect a US-based duo plan to cost perhaps $18.99 (so maybe £16.99 or AU$26.99), though we’ll have to see if YouTube deems the test a success or not.

If you want to try this two-person subscription sooner rather than later you’ll need to live in India, France, Taiwan or Hong Kong.

Otherwise you’ll want to consider splitting a family plan or opting for another of YouTube’s cost-cutting experiments, YouTube Lite. That plan just rolled out in the US and it costs $7.99 per month – compared to $13.99 per month for a full plan.

It allows you to watch "most" videos ad-free but doesn’t include ad-free music videos, YouTube Music access, or offline background play. So it’s ideal if you want YouTube Premium but already have access to a music streaming service.

YouTube Premium still feels pricey (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Duo sounds perfect for me and my partner, as while we use a fair few streaming services, the one we both rely on most is YouTube.

I had thought about snagging a Premium plan for a while, but an individual account each is way too much, and a family plan feels like overkill. But I’m still not sure I’m ready to pay for YouTube.

While the ads have gotten worse, they are (generally) far from unbearable in my experience, and certainly not so bad that I’d consider jumping from paying nothing to paying $13.99 / £12.99 / AU$16.99 a month – or even splitting a duo plan.

The biggest advantage would be offline video, but I can only see that being essential when I’m on a flight – which has been a few times so far this year, but not enough to warrant paying every month.

To that end I’m waiting for something truly essential from YouTube Premium that elevates the experience above simply being ad-free. As tempting as duo plan is, it’s not yet enough to seal the deal for me.

You might also like

• YouTube just got a big TV app upgrade – here are 9 new time-saving improvements
• The best YouTube VPN in 2025
• YouTube’s new TV app redesign looks promising, but I hope it fixes this annoying subscriptions problem

• Operators of the Rhysida ransomware add Peruvian government to their data leak site
• Hackers claim to have stolen sensitive files and are demanding five bitcoin
• The government says it hasn't been targeted and that it operates normally

Infamous hacking group Rhysida has claimed it breached the digital platform of the Peruvian government, but the South American country denies any ransomware incidents.

The cybercriminals added the Peruvian government to their data leak site, including some documents allegedly stolen from the gob.pe portal, noting they also demanded a five bitcoin ransom, which equals roughly $471,000.

This prompted Peru’s Ministry of Government and Digital Transformation to publish a statement and deny any hostile takeover of its digital assets.

Get Keeper Personal for just $1.67/month, Keeper Family for just $3.54/month, and Keeper Business for just $7/month

​Keeper is a cybersecurity platform primarily known for its password manager and digital vault, designed to help individuals, families, and businesses securely store and manage passwords, sensitive files, and other private data.

It uses zero-knowledge encryption and offers features like two-factor authentication, dark web monitoring, secure file storage, and breach alerts to protect against cyber threats.

Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

Tax admin was struck

“The Single Digital Platform of the Peruvian State, www.gob.pe, has not been compromised or breached. All its services remain operational and functioning normally,” the government said in a statement published on Facebook.

“The posts circulating on social media suggesting a supposed hijacking of the domain www.gob.pe are inaccurate,” it stressed, but added that an attack has, indeed, taken place recently.

“The incident in question is related to a service associated with the domain www.satp.gob.pe, which is not administered by the PCM (Presidency of the Council of Ministers) or the Secretariat of Government and Digital Transformation.”

This, according to The Record, is the tax administration website of regional capital Piura.

This government entity also released a statement, confirming a cyberattack in late March 2025. It disrupted its operations briefly, but they were restored within 48 hours. Allegedly, no files were stolen in this attack.

“As soon as we became aware of the possible security event, the National Center for Digital Security (CNSD) immediately activated preventive alerts to mitigate any potential risk,” the notice continues.

“Currently, investigation and analysis efforts are being carried out in coordination with relevant entities, both nationally and internationally. Additionally, direct collaboration is underway with the institution allegedly affected to clarify the facts and determine the extent of the incident.”

You might also like

• Ransomware gangs allegedly hit two major US healthcare firms, 300,000 patients have data stolen
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

• 4K HDR streaming appears "washed out" on some Roku TVs
• HD and SDR content seems to be fine
• The culprit may be the latest firmware update

If you're a Roku TV owner and you think your 4K HDR streaming doesn't look right, it could be a software fault. Since the latest software update there have been multiple reports of "washed-out" HDR across multiple streaming services.

The first reports, shared on the Roku issue tracking board and reported by The Verge, were about problems with the video while streaming from Disney Plus on TCL TVs. But more reports have since emerged of video issues with Prime Video, YouTube TV, Netflix, Apple TV Plus and others, and on Hisense Roku TVs, too.

The good news is that it's clearly a software issue: some users reporting problems also say that their Blu-Ray players are working just fine, and others say there are no issues with non-4K HDR. So the TVs themselves appear to be okay.

What's wrong with Roku's streaming?

This photo shows how lush greens and brown buildings all appear to be washed with grey on an affected Roku TV. (Image credit: Squinky / Roku Community)

The common denominator appears to be the Roku software version 14.5, with streaming services suffering from what The Verge describes as "desaturated, almost black-and-white images" with HDR enabled. Some other users are finding their streaming video is overly bright.

It does look like there is an issue that kicks in when the video starts to stream: this post on the Roku Community pages shows the dramatic difference between affected and unaffected TVs, and replies from other affected users say that everything's fine with the app's menus and static images. It's only once you start watching the actual movie or show that the problems occur.

Roku is aware of the reports, although at the time of writing it apparently hasn't responded to press requests for comment. We've asked Roku directly and will update this story when we hear back.

This seems to be yet another example of automatic updates apparently introducing problems to people's A/V kit: just a few weeks ago Samsung owners found their expensive soundbars were being bricked by a firmware update.

You might also like

• Google TV and Chromecast users are finally getting a great free upgrade for smart home control
• Roku's new streaming stick lineup is needlessly confusing
• Brace yourselves, Fire TV Stick fans – Amazon may make a huge, risky software change later this year

The next evolution in personal aviation safety: a self-landing plane.

• A new Onlooker Detection feature is apparently coming to Windows 11
• This works with a presence sensor on a laptop to warn you if someone is sneaking a peek at your screen – plus it can also dim the display
• We don’t have concrete evidence of the feature yet, so don’t get too excited

Windows 11 is apparently going to be graced with a new capability as part of its Presence Sensing feature, with the system warning you if someone is sneaking a look at your screen.

PhantomOfEarth, a regular leaker of Windows info on X, flagged up the potential new feature, which is called ‘Onlooker Detection’. As they explain, it offers you a couple of options for actions you can take.

New Presence Sensing feature coming soon to Windows 11: Onlooker Detection. When your device notices that someone else is looking at your screen, it can dim the screen, notify you that someone's looking, or both.May 2, 2025

When a nosy onlooker is detected, Windows 11 can either dim your screen to make it difficult for the person who’s looking over your shoulder to make out the content, or it can warn you of what’s going on. Or the OS can do both, and flag the onlooker as well as dimming the screen.

However, you’ll need the necessary hardware on board your laptop to use Presence Sensing, namely the requisite presence sensor (unsurprisingly – or multiple modules as there may be more than one). The technical name for this is HPD or Human Presence Detection hardware, and it’s a feature facilitated by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips – in conjunction with said sensor – as well as AMD and Intel chips.

If you’re unsure whether your notebook has a presence sensor or not, you need to look in the Settings app, under System > Power & battery, and see if the relevant options are there as detailed in this Microsoft support document.

Elsewhere in the world of Windows 11 development, new Dev and Beta channel builds have arrived. In those preview versions – which have essentially the same features – Microsoft is trying some fine-tuning of the interface for Recall which consists of repositioning some banks of icons. (This is the AI-supercharged search function that’s only for Copilot+ PCs).

Those builds have also seen the addition of a bolder way to highlight apps on the taskbar that are requesting your attention (or are in a ‘needy state’), with a wider, more visible line under the app icon to make it clearer.

Some tweaks have been made to HDR options within Windows 11, as well, which includes a choice to allow for HDR to be used when streaming a video even if the system-wide switch for HDR is turned off. That’s a neat touch, too.

(Image credit: Unsplash / Windows) Analysis: A top-notch feature for when you’re out and about – if it happens

Currently the presence sensor is used to offer the ability to automatically turn off your screen when you leave the PC, and wake your device when you return (using Windows Hello sign-in to make everything seamless and secure).

A new function to detect anyone sneakily stealing a glance, or indeed a longer, more invasive look, at the contents of your screen would be an excellent addition on the privacy front. Whenever you’re working on your laptop on public transport or in a cafe, there’s always a feeling someone might be peeking over your shoulder.

The catch here is that we don’t have any concrete evidence of this feature yet. Presumably, PhantomOfEarth dug up references to Onlooker Detection in recent preview builds of Windows 11, but the leaker doesn’t explicitly say so. The alternative is that they heard from a source at Microsoft that this feature is in the pipeline, but whatever the case, this is far from certain.

We'll need to see the feature officially in testing before we start to get excited about its arrival. Hopefully, it won’t be long before that happens, so keep those digits firmly crossed.

You might also like...

• Been hiding from Windows 11 24H2 due to the fuss about all the bugs? There’s nowhere to run now as Microsoft’s made the update compulsory
• Microsoft could be working on the next update for Windows 11 – but 25H2 could end up being a disappointment
• Windows 11 fully streamlined in just two clicks? Talon utility promises to rip all the bloatware out of Microsoft’s OS in a hassle-free way

• A new Material 3 Expressive redesign is coming for Android
• Google has leaked some of the updates ahead of time
• We can expect an official unveiling at Google I/O later this month

Android is getting a fresh coat of paint in the very near future, and the team at Google is apparently so excited about the visual overhaul that it's accidentally leaked the changes ahead of time, giving us all a sneak preview of what's coming.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the now-deleted blog post outlining the upcoming "Material 3 Expressive" changes talks about it being "the most-researched update to Google's design system" ever applied to the software.

Google says the new look "makes you feel something", inspiring emotion, communicating function, and helping you achieve your goals – even if those goals are just making sure your phone alarm wakes you up on time, or you can connect to the office Wi-Fi quickly.

Colors and shapes have been revamped, with key actions and navigation options now better highlighted. There are more floating elements, and more curves, and this new leak builds on some of the details that we saw at the start of the month.

Android for the people

An early look at some of the visual changes (Image credit: 9to5Google / Google)

Google is keen to emphasize that a lot of research has gone into Android's new look, with engagement stats backing up the changes and showing how they improve usability and user satisfaction – proving that they "connect with people on an emotional level".

A floating toolbar that pops up in certain scenarios is one of the tweaks we can look forward to, while Google has also done work to improve consistency, and to make sure related items are better grouped together on screen.

It looks set to be the biggest design overhaul for Android since Material Design was introduced more than a decade ago, though of course phone manufacturers such as Samsung and Nothing will have their own spin on this new approach.

You can see some of the visual refreshes over on 9to5Google, while Google's own blog post has been preserved on the Wayback Machine. This will be made official very soon, once the Google I/O 2025 showcase gets underway on Tuesday, May 20.

You might also like

• Android 16 could bring an improved Samsung DeX-style desktop mode
• The biggest Pixel 10 rumors so far
• How Android 16 will upgrade the screen unlocking process

Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney are set to meet today as tensions between their two countries rise. And, the best looks from last night's star-studded Met Gala.

(Image credit: Dominic Gwinn)

• The Ninja Luxe Café Pro is an new version of Ninja's popular coffee maker
• It has a lever-operated tamper to apply even pressure and prevent mess
• It's considerably more expensive than the original Ninja Luxe Café

Ninja has launched a new version of its best coffee maker, the Ninja Luxe Café, with a lever-operated tamping system that takes the guesswork out of creating a perfectly compressed puck of espresso.

The Ninja Luxe Café is one of the best espresso machines we've tested, and our reviewer awarded it four and a half stars out of five thanks to its smart design, guided weight-based dosing system, handy suggested grind sizes, and very reasonable price.

The new Ninja Luxe Café Pro goes one step further, taking the guesswork and mess out of tamping your coffee as well. With the new machine, there's no need to move a portafilter full of loose grounds and risk spilling them all over your work surface.

Instead, you leave it in place under the grinder and pull down a manual lever to compress it into a perfect puck.

(Image credit: SharkNinja) Pro features, pro price

This extra feature does increase the price quite considerably though; the Ninja Luxe Café Pro has a list price of $699.99 / £699.99 (about AU$1,100) compared to $549.99 / £549.99 (about AU$850) for the original model without the tamping lever.

That's a relatively high price, even for one of the best coffee makers, but the Ninja Luxe Café doesn't just brew espresso. It's a multi-functional machine that can also prepare tasty filter coffee, plus refreshing cold brew in a fraction of the time it would take to infuse the traditional way.

At the time of writing, the Ninja Luxe Café pro is available direct from Ninja in the US, but is out of stock in the UK.

You might also like

• What are ESE coffee pods? Everything you need to know about these quick alternatives to freshly ground coffee
• De'Longhi's smart espresso machine learns what type of coffee you enjoy, and when you want to drink it
• Craving cold-brew coffee this summer? We've tested three machines that will let you make it at home in seconds rather than hours

• Apple has improved transfer speeds when switching from Android to iOS
• The speed boost affects wired connections, not those over Wi-Fi
• The update might placate users who have faced long transfer times

If there’s one thing Apple would love more than anything, it’s for users of the best Android phones to switch to iOS. But Apple isn’t just crossing its fingers and relying on wishful thinking – it has a dedicated Move to iOS app for Android users to swiftly transfer their data to a new phone. And it’s just made a major change that could make the process a whole lot easier.

That alteration affects data transfer speeds, which have now been made faster if you’re using a USB-C to USB-C cable or one that runs from USB-C to Lightning. That should help ensure switchers can get up and running faster than ever, without needing to hang around to be able to use their new device.

Apple didn’t specify how much faster these transfer speeds will now be on the Move to iOS app’s download page. Yet the fact that Apple decided to point this change out in the app’s release notes suggests that it’s not merely a minor speed boost.

Browse through the app’s reviews on the Google Play Store and you’ll see that data transfer speed has been a serious issue for numerous users. People have complained about the process taking hours and even timing out if it takes too long, so any improvement to transfer times should be welcomed.

Swifter setups

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Mr.Mikla)

This is not the only change that has come to the latest Move to iOS app update. The release notes also explain that “iOS tips are now displayed during migration,” while “call history and Dual SIM labels are now migrated” as well.

Elsewhere, your Android voice recordings will be automatically added to either the Voice Memos or Files apps on iOS (depending on their format), and there’s expanded support for languages such as Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, and more.

Finally, while Apple has improved the data transfer speeds for wired connections, it has also added the ability to connect an Android and iOS device over Wi-Fi or a personal hotspot. While transfers using those methods won’t be as fast as over a wired connection, you now have a few more options.

So, if you’re about to make the switch from Android to iOS, you shouldn’t have to wait around as long for your new phone to be set up. That sounds like good news whichever way you look at it.

You might also like

• I ditched my Android for an iPhone 15 for a week – and Apple has some work to do
• How to switch from Android to iPhone using Move to iOS
• Best apps to transfer Android phone data of 2025

• Ticket To Cash, a ticket reselling website, kept an open database
• It held more than 500,000 customer records
• Among the records were partial credit card data, names, and more

Ticket reselling platform Ticket To Cash kept an unprotected database online, exposing sensitive information on hundreds of thousands of customers, experts have warned.

The database was discovered by cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler, who managed to get in touch with the company and get the database locked down, sharing the details withVPNMentor.

Ticket To Cash is a resale service site, using a network of thousands of partner resale sites to help users sell their concert, sports, and other tickets quickly.

Get Keeper Personal for just $1.67/month, Keeper Family for just $3.54/month, and Keeper Business for just $7/month

​Keeper is a cybersecurity platform primarily known for its password manager and digital vault, designed to help individuals, families, and businesses securely store and manage passwords, sensitive files, and other private data.

It uses zero-knowledge encryption and offers features like two-factor authentication, dark web monitoring, secure file storage, and breach alerts to protect against cyber threats.

Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

Partial credit card data

According to Fowler, it kept a non-password-protected, non-encrypted database with 520,054 records, totaling 200 GB in size.

The name of the database indicated that it contained customer inventory files in PDF, JPG, PNG, and JSON formats, Fowler explained.

We don’t know how many of these documents belonged to a single person, therefore it’s difficult to determine how many people are affected. We can assume that it’s no more than 520,000.

A “limited sampling” of the exposed documents determined that the database held “thousands” of concert and live event tickets, proof of ticket transfers, user-submitted screenshots of receipts, and other sensitive files.

Some of the documents even contained parts of people’s credit cards, as well as full names, email addresses, and postal addresses.

This type of information is crucial for cybercriminals, as it allows them to engage in targeted phishing, identity theft, and possibly even wire fraud.

Since Fowler did not say when the database was generated, if you’ve ever used Ticket To Cash before, you should keep a close eye on your banking statements and watch for potentially suspicious transactions.

Fowler said he reached out to Ticket To Cash, but it seems the company never responded. It did, after the second attempt, lock the database down. We don’t know for how long it remained open, or if any threat actors accessed it in the meantime.

You might also like

• Top API testing firm APIsec exposed customer data during security lapse
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Most Americans frequently use federal science information. But few are concerned that cuts to federal science spending could affect their access to such information, a new poll finds.

(Image credit: Gemunu Amarasinghe)

• UNA Watch is a new sustainable smartwatch
• The Edinburgh-based company just closed its Kickstarter campaign
• More than 1,200 people have backed its first watch to the tune of $330,000, including a host of potential developers

Sustainable wearable outfit UNA Watch has secured more than $330,000 in funding from its Kickstarter campaign in just over four weeks, ahead of the planned launch of its first watch.

As we've previously reported, UNA Watch is a sustainable wearable with a unique, modular design, and features GPS, health monitoring, and 10-day battery life.

The USP? It can be put together like Lego, and its modular design means it's both repairable and upgradeable in a way that owners of the best Apple Watch models can only dream of.

Edinburgh-based UNA Watch has now closed its Kickstarter, having garnered support from 1,249 backers and raised a cool £251,276 (about $335,000).

Developers flock to UNA Watch

(Image credit: UNA)

As well as proving popular with smartwatch fans, the UNA Watch has also generated excitement among developers, who are flocking to be first in line to buy one. UNA Watch offers both a Software Development Kit (SDK) and a Hardware Development Kit (HDK), which will let developers code their own apps and create new sensors and hardware modules.

It's a similar open-source approach to the one that made Pebble popular back in the day, and UNA has confirmed to TechRadar that one in six backers has bought the company's Development tool, suggesting that a high percentage of backers are developers.

UNA is targeting an estimated delivery date of August 2025 for its first Kickstarter packages.

You may also like

• UNA Watch is the sustainable wearable that wants to replace your Apple Watch
• New figures claim the smartwatch market just shrunk for the first time ever, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is to blame
• Apple sued over 'false and misleading' Apple Watch claims – here's what you need to know

• Former PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida knew the cost of games would increase "sooner or later"
• Yoshida says inflation and production costs are the cause, so more expensive games were inevitable
• He doesn't know if Rockstar Games would increase the price of Grand Theft Auto 6, but thinks "a balance must be found between production costs and game prices"

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment executive Shuhei Yoshida has said that the recent rise in the cost of games "was going to happen sooner or later" due to inflation and production costs.

In a new interview with PlayStation Inside, Yoshida was asked about the increase in game prices, specifically regarding Nintendo Switch 2 games, like Mario Kart World, which will now cost upwards of $80, and if he thinks this will affect other studios and publishers.

The ex-PlayStation boss explained that he predicted the rise in prices would happen eventually, mainly due to inflation and the cost of resources, but didn't think Nintendo would be the one to kick it off.

"I think it was going to happen sooner or later, maybe not from Nintendo, but it was going to happen eventually," said Yoshida. "We live in contrasting times, where inflation is real and significant, but people expect games that are ever more ambitious and therefore expensive to develop to cost the same. It’s an impossible equation. Everything in video games today is more advanced and more technologically demanding than ever before, and therefore requires more resources.

"Each publisher or manufacturer sets the price of its games, of course, but in the end the heart of the matter lies in production costs. And that’s why industry actors are so keen to diversify their revenues, in order to continue producing the AAA games that the public buys before anything else."

Just last week, Microsoft raised the prices of its Xbox consoles and accessories, with some first-party games expected to release at $80 later this year. Elsewhere, Sony recently upped the prices of its PS5 consoles.

Although there is a very obvious shift happening within the industry, Yoshida doesn't know if studios like Rockstar Games would consider setting the price of Grand Theft Auto 6 higher, but that "a balance must be found between production costs and game prices".

"So I don’t know if Rockstar will jump at the chance to set the price of GTA 6 at 90 euros or more, to speak with your currency, but the situation is this. And we could even add subscription platforms and games as a service, which, while providing huge revenues in their own right, also help to finance AAA down the line.

"In any case, a balance must be found between production costs and game prices. GTA 6 will obviously be a case in point, but if you take the example of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the game is just as phenomenal visually, despite the fact that the team only has around thirty people. This is one of the ways forward, I think, because you can make excellent games with tighter teams and budgets without compromising quality."

You might also like...

• Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders live: latest UK stock updates as My Nintendo Store's pre-order date arrives, while US pre-orders remain delayed
• Here are the Nintendo Switch 2 launch games that you'll be able to pick up and play on June 5
• The latest Nintendo Switch update makes it impossible to play the same digital game while connected to the internet on two systems at the same time

• The foldable iPhone will reportedly have a smaller crease than other foldable phones
• It's also said to have a higher-quality hinge, likely leading to improved durability
• And it could launch as part of the iPhone 18 series

Apple is entering the foldable phone market very late in the day, as while Samsung is expected to launch the seventh generation of its Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip models this year, Apple’s first foldable probably won’t land until 2026. But when it does, it could come with some key advantages.

According to Bloomberg's resident Apple expert Mark Gurman (via GSMArena), the foldable iPhone will have two major advantages over other foldable phones, with the first of these being a “nearly invisible” crease in the foldable screen.

While Samsung and other foldable phone makers have been gradually decreasing the prominence of the crease in their phones – which appears where the display folds in the middle – they still haven’t eradicated it entirely, and it sounds like the foldable iPhone may come close to doing so.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a visible crease (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) A tough hinge for the top iPhone 18 model

Secondly, Gurman claims that the foldable iPhone will have a "much higher-quality hinge" than current foldables. He doesn’t expand on that tip, but we’ve previously heard that the phone's hinge might use liquid metal, which could improve durability and help reduce the size of the crease.

We’re not sure how much of a selling point a more durable hinge will really be, though it certainly sounds desirable. But a foldable phone with little to no crease in the display is likely to prove popular, especially one with Apple branding.

What's more, the foldable iPhone could be positioned as the highest-end iPhone, rather than as part of a separate smartphone series with "a niche alternative design," according to Gurman.

That sounds reminiscent of how Apple has now positioned its mid-range models as part of the main line; it recently ditched the ‘SE’ branding and instead released an iPhone 16e. So, if the foldable iPhone does land next year, it may well include ‘iPhone 18’ in its name.

We still probably have over a year to wait, though, so while Gurman has a great track record for Apple information, we’d still take all of this with a pinch of salt.

You might also like

• The iPhone 17 could miss out on a long-awaited display upgrade – here's why Apple fans are upset
• The iPhone 17 Pro looks chunky in the latest leak, but it could still sell better than the sleek iPhone 17 Air
• 'Those are so ugly': new iPhone 17 dummy unit photos show all four models side by side – and the internet isn’t impressed

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 430 for May 7.

Prime Minister Mark Carney won the Canadian election vowing to take on President Trump. Tuesday, they meet for the first time in the Oval Office.

(Image credit: Dominic Gwinn)

Critics warn that despite President Trump's call to end the purported weaponization of the Justice Department, it has become more politicized in the president's first three months back in office.

(Image credit: AP)

The Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that's been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation's public assistance programs.

(Image credit: Al Drago)

The Posse Comitatus Act restricts using federal troops in civilian law enforcement. Exceptions exist, but Trump's crackdown on immigration is shaping up to be a major test for the law.

(Image credit: David Swanson)