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• Microsoft & Oracle absent from nuclear pledge signed by Amazon, Meta, and Google
• It aims to triple nuclear capacity by 2050 to support global energy needs
• Nuclear seen as key to powering AI-driven data centers with clean energy

Even through Microsoft is seriously exploring nuclear energy as a way to power its data centers – even signing a deal in 2024 to purchase energy from the restarted Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear plant - it is notably absent from a new Large Energy Users Pledge that supports the global expansion of nuclear capacity.

That pledge has attracted major signatories such as Amazon, Meta, and Google, but neither Microsoft nor Oracle, which is also exploring nuclear energy, are on the list.

Led by the World Nuclear Association, the pledge was first introduced at the World Nuclear Symposium in September 2023, and has gained backing from 14 major global banks and financial institutions, 140 nuclear industry companies, and 31 countries.

Around-the-clock clean energy

Its purpose is to drive home nuclear energy’s “essential role in enhancing energy security, resiliency and providing continuous clean energy,” and sets a target to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050.

Nuclear power currently supplies about 9% of the world’s electricity via 439 reactors.

The call to action goes beyond traditional energy applications. It also outlines nuclear's potential to serve high-demand sectors like data centers, where the rise of artificial intelligence has led to soaring energy needs.

While it typically takes at least five years to construct an atomic plant, micro nuclear reactors, expected to be available by the early 2030s, could be a quicker, cheaper solution for powering large-scale computing operations.

"We are proud to sign a pledge in support of tripling nuclear capacity by 2050, as nuclear power will be pivotal in building a reliable, secure, and sustainable energy future," said Lucia Tian, Google’s Head of Clean Energy & Decarbonization Technologies.

"Google will continue to work alongside our partners to accelerate the commercialization of advanced nuclear technologies that can provide the around-the-clock clean energy necessary to meet growing electricity demand around the world."

That message was echoed by Urvi Parekh, Head of Global Energy at Meta. “As global economies expand, the need for a reliable, clean, and resilient energy supply is paramount. Nuclear energy, with its ability to provide continuous power, can help meet this rising demand. We’re excited to join alongside this multi-organizational effort with the Tripling Nuclear Pledge to reiterate our commitment to nuclear energy.”

Brandon Oyer, Head of Americas Energy and Water for AWS, emphasized the urgency of scaling nuclear power. “Accelerating nuclear energy development will be critical to strengthening our nation’s security, meeting future energy demands, and addressing climate change. Amazon supports the World Nuclear Association’s pledge, and is proud to have invested more than $1 billion over the last year in nuclear energy projects and technologies, which is part of our broader Climate Pledge commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040.”

You can view the Large Energy Users Pledge, which is signed by Meta, Amazon, Google and ten other companies, with a statement of support by Siemens Energy, here (PDF).

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The astronomer's early work included finding evidence of dark matter.

The Fed held rates steady, but left the door open to cut them later this year if inflation continues to ease. Trump's tariffs, however, could complicate efforts to bring prices under control.

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Compounding pharmacies have been allowed to essentially make a cheaper version of Eli Lilly's Zepbound, but they have to stop Wednesday. That's left many patients wondering what to do next.

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One-minute review

Thrustmaster is arguably at the top of its game when it comes to flight sticks, so it’s perhaps not all that surprising that the company is now making a play for space sim gear.

The Sol-R range has a cute name, but don’t let that fool you – this is a serious stick (or pair thereof) for anyone who spends plenty of time in the hour-devouring black mass of titles like Elite Dangerous.

If you’re not playing a whole lot of space games, it might not appeal, and the taller and more integrated nature of the Thrustmaster F/A-18 Super Hornet would still be our pick for the best flight stick. Still, if what you’re playing has a whole host of fiddly toggles, mapping those to the Sol-R’s array of switches, buttons, and dials feels like magic.

Ahead of the launch, it’s worth noting that things aren’t quite dialed in, so for the time being, you can expect to spend plenty of time tweaking buttons and mapping, but if that’s what you’re looking for in your next voyage, this is a great place to start for under $200/£200 – at least sort of.

I was sent the Duo pack which includes both Sol-R sticks for the right-hand and left-hand, which will cost you considerably more ($389.99 or £299.99). Still, with each packing plenty of inputs, even a single stick could be ideal for your setup.

(Image credit: Future) Price and availability

• List price: $199.99 / £159.99, or $389.99 / £299.99 for the Duo
• Available worldwide
• Pre-orders open March 19, available April 16

While each stick in the Sol-R range will run you $199.99 / £159.99, they’re considerably cheaper than rivals like the Saitek Pro Flight, but a little more than Thrustmaster’s own T.Flight Hotas One.

You can preorder from March 19, and they’ll start shipping on April 16, 2025. While no throttle is included, you can use the Thrust sliders on the front of the base.

That pricing makes it a little more than the T-Flight Hotas One, which remains Thrustmaster’s entry-level model but doesn’t include as many buttons, switches, or LED lighting. In fact, it’s around a similar price to Turtle Beach’s VelocityOne which is relatively similar in terms of feature set.

Specs

(Image credit: Future) Design and features

• Plenty of customizable inputs
• Flexibility of two sticks
• Nice lighting

While I was sent the Sol-R stick’s ‘Duo’ configuration which includes two of the sticks and bases for use at the same time, anyone buying a single one is unlikely to feel short-changed.

Each stick screws on easily but securely to the base, but even before doing that, it’s worth taking in the base itself. Each one has eight buttons, two dials, a thrust slider (with accompanying lighting), and a quarter of switches.

Moving to the stick, there’s a subtle button near the base, and a main trigger at thumb rest height, with an additional one beyond that. Then there are two hat switches, two more buttons, and a thumbstick, all of which combine to make menu navigation much, much simpler.

Speaking of which, you can actually use the F/A-18C Hornet grip or the Viper Grip on the base, giving you plenty of flexibility with your setup.

The blue lighting around the base and top of the stick is a nice touch, too, adding to the futuristic, space travel feel.

There’s a pleasing resistance to the dials and thrust slider, but I do wish the stick didn’t quite wobble so much. The included stabilizers click on with ease and do a great job of minimizing the way the base tends to roll to each side, but it’s still not quite perfect in those intense dogfights.

Those dials aren’t just inputs, either. They’re actually used as modifiers, so you can trigger different effects for any button, trigger, or switch depending on which position they’re in. That makes 44 customizable inputs per stick.

If you’re a left-handed pilot and you’re not looking to invest in both sticks, there’s good news — you can swap the included ergonomic supports over to make the Sol-R ambidextrous. And, if you’re looking for the Z axes, you can find that by twisting the grip.

It’s also worth noting that I have relatively large hands, but the Sol-R fits in them nicely in both hands, with the thumb rest perfectly located.

(Image credit: Future) Performance

• Maps as ‘Generic stick’
• Rewards tinkerers
• T.A.R.G.E.T. download is still very much just for drivers

I wanted to put the Sol-R to the test with one of my favorite games in Elite Dangerous. While I did test with more traditional flight sims, Elite is a game that’s about exploring space in your own way, meaning it’s a great way to test out everything from dogfighting to space cargo hauling.

It’s also the kind of game that the Sol-R was built for, with a whole host of controls to tweak and map — and therein lies the rub.

Because the Sol-R, at least in its pre-launch stage, is identified in compatible games as a ‘Generic Joystick’, you can expect to do a lot of customization to get it just right in your game of choice. Elite recognized both sticks, for example, but I had to manually map each button.

That might be something that’ll be ironed out at launch, but on the plus side, it does give you scope to tweak as you see fit. In my testing, I got to a really great spot where the thrust slider adjusted my speed, while the variety of buttons switched power to various systems on my virtual ship.

(Image credit: Future)

The hat switch and scroll wheel allowed me to check in-game messages and I could use the toggle switches for landing gear. Is that the kind of thing I’d have painstakingly done if the setup defaulted to a “good enough” button mapping layout? It’s hard to say.

For flight sims, it performs admirably, too. The sheer number of buttons is like a blank canvas for the likes of Microsoft Flight Simulator so you can set a button for your altimeter, anti-ice and more, and the fact the Sol-R appears as a generic stick means you can tailor it just like any other.

I also played Star Wars Squadrons, but the game doesn’t really need many inputs so it was actually more enjoyable with a single stick. Pulling off tight turns and loops did serve to highlight that wobbliness of the base, though.

Thrustmaster’s T.A.R.G.E.T. software is still pretty rudimentary, and while you can download presets, that wasn’t available for the Sol-R ahead of launch — but I’m curious to see how players adjust to the tools on offer. T.A.R.G.E.T. really just acts to get your drivers installed otherwise, and to its credit, it’s a simple, centralized hub for everything Thrustmaster.

Unlike the T.Flight HOTAS One, the Sol-R 1 is sadly PC only — so you won’t be able to use it on your PS5 or Xbox console.

Should I buy the Thrustmaster Sol-R? Buy it if...

You’re big on space sims
For this price, even the single stick will give you a fantastic space sim experience, juggling comfort with a whole host of input options.

You’re patient
With the button remapping, you’ll get out of the Sol-R what you put in, meaning you can make it feel like a stick (or pair of sticks) entirely bespoke to your use case.

Don't buy it if...

You’re looking for a more stable flight stick
The Sol-R comes with stabilizers for the corners, but if you’re dogfighting, you might find your stick moving all over the place even with those fitted.

Also consider

Still not sold on the Thrustmaster Sol-R 1? Here’s how it compares to two similar products.

Turtle Beach VelocityOne
Turtle Beach’s VelocityOne is arguably the closest rival to the Sol-R, mainly because it offers a great stick experience flanked by additional inputs. It has a similar build quality, too, but you don’t get the flexibility of adding a second stick.

For more information, check out our full Turtle Beach VelocityOne review

Thrustmaster T Flight Hotas One
T Flight HOTAS is still close to the gold standard for new flyers, offering a comfortable stick with a detachable throttle — all at a great price. It’s also ideal for console gamers that play on Xbox.

For more information, check out our full T Flight Hotas One review

How I tested the Thrustmaster Sol-R

• Tested over a period of weeks
• Used on a gaming PC with an RTX 4070 Ti
• Tested using Elite Dangerous, Star Wars Squadrons, and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

I spent the majority of my time (around 15 hours testing) with Elite Dangerous, simply because it has such a vast array of things that can be triggered by the Sol-R inputs.

I also had a blast blowing away TIE Fighters in Star Wars Squadrons, and also taking on some transatlantic flights in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 — but it feels best for an open-ended experience like Elite Dangerous where you can engage with an array of systems with the huge number of input options.

I tested on my gaming PC rig where I recently tested the F/A-18 stick and Viper TQS mission pack, as well as the T.Flight HOTAS One.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2025

• Thrustmaster has announced the Sol-R range of flight sticks
• They are designed with space sims like Elite Dangerous in mind
• Pre-orders are available now ahead of the April 16, 2025 launch

Thrustmaster, a gaming hardware maker that specializes in flight sticks, racing wheels and all manner of genre-specific controllers, has just announced a set of sticks designed for space flight sim titles like Elite Dangerous.

The Thrustmaster Sol-R 1 Flightstick and the Sol-R 2 HOSAS Space Sim Duo are set to release on April 16, 2025 and pre-orders are available now via the brand's website. The Sol-R 1 retails for $219.99 / £159.99. Meanwhile, the Sol-R 2 HOSAS is a beefier package, containing two flight stick modules for $399.99 / £299.99.

The Sol-R range is comprised of a flight stick and a base for which to slot it into. The base features two dials on either side, as well as a set of buttons and switches which collectively allow for a total of 44 programmable actions.

The stick looks incredibly ergonomic, with a hand rest and a thumb grip. Up top you'll find two four-way hat switches, a small thumbstick, two buttons and a thumbwheel dial. There's also a pair of triggers on the underside, presumably used for blasting space bandits into next week. The ergonomic hand rest can also swap sides, making the Sol-R accessible for both right and left-handed folks.

Crucially, Sol-R makes use of Thrustmaster's bespoke Hall effect tech, which these days is a must for providing long-lasting controllers that don't succumb to dreaded stick drift.

Lastly, for those who like to add a little flair to their space sim sessions, the Sol-R base and stick have a combined 11 customizable RGB lighting zones. That'll allow you to change the lighting color of certain buttons for easy visibility. Or alternatively, you can go wild with a multicolored setup for extra style points.

Will the Thrustmaster Sol-R range land on our list of the best PC controllers? That remains to be seen. But at a glance, it looks like a high-quality package that's well-suited for space sim beginners and enthusiasts alike.

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• Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows appears to run smoothly on the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally
• Both devices with adjusted graphics settings maintain an almost stable 30 fps
• Frame Generation on the Asus ROG Ally seems to work better on the ROG Ally than the Steam Deck

Ubisoft's long-awaited next entry to the Assassin's Creed franchise is almost here, with Assassin's Creed Shadows launching on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on March 20 - and while it's a very demanding game even on high-end PC hardware, its performance stability on handheld gaming devices shines through.

Based on several benchmark videos, Assassin's Creed Shadows manages to maintain a stable 30 fps (frames per second) on low and medium presets across Valve's Steam Deck and the Asus ROG Ally respectively. This was notable in Santiago Santiago's (a tester reputable for benchmarking games on multiple GPUs) Steam Deck tests on YouTube - with 'RT Everywhere' enabled (the game's ray tracing global illumination mode), the frame rate rests at a steady 30 to 32 fps at a 1280x800 resolution, and dynamic TAA between a 19% minimum to 56% maximum.

With ray tracing set to 'Hideout Only', similar performance results are evident, with dynamic TAA between 30% and 75%. For a Steam Deck, those are impressive results. However, the only downside is enabling frame generation on Valve's handheld only pushes the frame rate up to 40 fps but increases input lag significantly.

Fortunately, things fare a little differently with the Asus ROG Ally: Intel's XeSS 2.0 can be used on other hardware besides the likes of the MSI Claw 8 AI+, and it works great in Asus' handheld. It's worth noting that AC Shadows doesn't tie frame generation tech with specific upscalers, so it's possible to use XeSS 2.0 while using AMD's Frame Generation.

With XeSS 2.0 performance mode enabled at 1080p 30W TDP on the Asus ROG Ally, Shadows again stays steady at 30 fps with some dips down to 29 fps (evident on DeckWizard on YouTube). When enabling frame gen on the medium graphics preset at 720p and with FSR 3.1 performance mode, the Asus ROG Ally X, (via NotAGameAddict on YouTube) 60 fps can be achieved.

Perhaps the delays indicate Ubisoft's focus on optimization

It's clear Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Shadows certainly isn't the best performance-wise: Ubisoft's new title supposedly struggles to gain above 60 fps at 4K maximum settings with low ray tracing (RT Hideout Only) on an RTX 5090 as reported by DSOGaming. However, slightly lower graphics settings or the use of DLSS 4 should help with improvements (which does sound absurd for an RTX 5090 don't get me wrong).

On weaker hardware, the game's performance is good, particularly while using upscaling or frame-gen tech - and while I don't like the reliance on this from game developers, Shadows seems to utilize this well. Compared to the unacceptable performance of other big AAA releases on PC, this one stands out for good reasons especially since it's playable on handhelds.

This is a title that has been delayed multiple times - and I'm willing to believe that those delays played a big part in refining any major issues, such as performance. If delays are what it takes from PC game devs to ensure we get well-optimized games, I'll take it any day of the week - but given the trend of bad PC ports, I doubt that will happen.

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• The Pixel 9a has just been announced by Google
• Its launch date has been pushed back from March to April
• Google blamed a vague “component quality issue”

If you’ve been eagerly looking forward to the Google Pixel 9a phone, we’ve got some bad news: Google has had to briefly delay its launch in order to investigate a “component quality issue” affecting the device.

We reached out to Google to see what had happened and a company representative told us: “We’re checking on a component quality issue that’s affecting a small number of Pixel 9a devices.” The company apparently did not go into any more detail than that, so it’s unclear what exactly the issue is that’s caused the hold-up.

After announcing the device today, Google originally wanted to launch the Pixel 9a in March, yet that date has now slipped to April. Interestingly, Google isn’t allowing pre-orders on its website despite saying the device will be available within the next few weeks.

With our early hands-on with the Pixel 9a, we could only show the home screen and the design of the device, which is new. That, plus the fact that the device was actually listed for sale in a few locations before it was officially announced earlier today, makes it a bit of an awkward scenario for Google.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar Heavily leaked

(Image credit: Google)

The Pixel 9a is Google’s latest mid-range phone, and it’s fair to say that it’s probably been one of the most heavily leaked phones of the last few years. The leaks and reveals were so rampant, in fact, that we knew more or less everything there was to know about it long before Google lifted the lid.

It’s highly unusual for Google to delay a product like this right at the last minute, and you would think that a severe problem such as this would have been discovered earlier in testing. Further, it is rare for Google hardware to be affected in this way, but evidently, some things can slip through the net.

Still, it’s better for Google to delay the Pixel 9a’s launch than to release it and find out the seriousness of its problem only when it reaches the public. Ultimately, a few weeks delay won’t mean much in the grand scheme of things.

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• Apple's Password App has been patched after a vulnerability was discovered
• The flaw left users exposed for three months, experts claim
• Users were at risk of social engineering attacks

A bug in the iOS 18.2 Passwords app which left users vulnerable to phishing attacks for over three months after its release, has been fixed, according to an update from Apple.

The flaw was discovered after security researchers at Mysk noticed that their device’s App Privacy Report showed the Passwords App had contacted 130 different websites over insecure HTTP traffic.

The app used the HTTP protocol instead of a more secure HTTPS when opening links and downloading app icons. Upon further investigation, the researchers found that the app also defaulted to opening password reset pages with the unencrypted protocol. This left users vulnerable as an attacker “privileged network access could intercept the HTTP request and redirect the user to a phishing website,” the researchers told 9to5Mac.

Patch now

The risk in this attack is that cybercriminals will use the vulnerability to carry out social engineering attacks by redirecting victims to insecure websites.

The Password app will now use HTTPS for all connections by default - so ensure your Apple devices are all updated and using iOS 18.2 or later.

Research has shown security attacks on password managers have soared in recent months, with reports finding a threefold increase in malware that targets credentials in password stores.

The attacks are also growing in sophistication , with cybercriminals prioritizing “complex, prolonged, multi-stage attacks” delivered with an all-new generation of malware. This new malware, like infostealers, comes with more persistence, stealth, and automation.

The best, and most secure, password manager tools will safely store, generate, and crucially autofill your website and app passwords. These can help you create and manage your unique and strong passwords without the hassle of having to remember each one.

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• McAfee's researchers find a "cocktail" of malware hiding behind fake DeepSeek apps
• The campaign preys on people searching for the generative AI tool
• Infostealers, crypto miners, and more, are being deployed this way

The hype around DeepSeek is the next big thing cybercriminals are exploiting in their hacking campaigns, researchers from McAfee Labs are saying.

The team has outlined how they saw cybercriminals setting up various websites, offering different versions of DeepSeek for download. Victims would reach these websites through search engines, meaning that some SEO poisoning was involved in the campaign, as well.

When they reach the websites and download the software, the victims are infected with a “cocktail of malware”, ranging from keyloggers and password stealers, to coin miners. These malware variants can steal sensitive information (including banking credentials and cryptocurrency wallet information), and can force the infected computer to mine cryptocurrency, rendering it useless for pretty much anything else.

Fake CAPTCHA

While on some websites, the victims are invited to download a DeepSeek app or program, on others - the devil is in the CAPTCHA.

In some cases observed by McAfee, victims would visit a website with a CAPTCHA that can be “solved” by copying and pasting a command into the Run program on Windows. This command just downloads and runs a malware dropper.

To stay safe, you should stay vigilant at all times. Instead of “googling” for something, visit the website directly, and if you don’t know the address, scrutinize every link returned by the search engine.

Furthermore, a real CAPTCHA will never ask you to paste a command into the Run program.

Hackers are known for tapping into current trends to distribute malware. Similar campaigns were observed when Chat-GPT was first released, both for Windows and Android.

Major events, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the Olympic Games, World Cup, and others, have all been abused in the past. The Covid-19 breakout, Russo-Ukrainian war, and the US presidential elections, all served as platforms for information theft, malware distribution, and wire fraud.

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The Pixel 9A joins the family with a better battery and a svelte profile with less impressive cameras.

KontrolFreek has given us an exclusive early look at its latest special edition controller accessory, the Call of Duty Performance Thumbsticks Speed Cola Edition.

A successor to the popular Deadshot Daiquiri Edition released late last year, these thumbsticks boast a unique design inspired by the world of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 zombies.

They feature a proprietary rubber material in a charming bright green shade with a distinct laser-etched pattern based on the emblem for the in-game Speed Cola power-up.

You get two thumbsticks in the box, a standard mid-rise version designed for your controller's left thumbstick and a taller high-rise one that you can attach to the right thumbstick for increased precision and more accurate aiming.

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(Image credit: KontrolFreek)

The product comes in special packaging too with a collectible can that would look right at home on any gamer's shelf. It even includes a code for a limited weapon charm in Black Ops 6 which could be worth the price of admission alone for the most dedicated fans.

KontrolFreek thumbsticks remain a popular choice among more serious Call of Duty players and, having used them frequently over the last year, I can attest that they do actually make a difference to your in-game performance. Given the relatively low asking price of many models, there's no reason not to give them a try and see if they work for you.

If you're keen to get your hands on this latest release, the Call of Duty Performance Thumbsticks Speed Cola Edition launches on March 20, 2025. Xbox and PlayStation versions will be available today via the official KontrolFreek website for $29.99 / £29.99.

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• House of David has been renewed for a second season on Prime Video.
• The historical drama brought in 22 million viewers in its first 17 days.
• Season 2 will follow David's rise to the throne after his battle with Goliath.

Prime Video has renewed the historical drama House of David for a second season ahead of its series finale on April 3.

House of David, which launched with three episodes on February 27, attracted 22 million viewers in its first 17 days of streaming and claimed the second spot in Prime Video's top 10 shows list, falling behind Reacher season 3.

With a growing library of historical dramas, Prime Video is becoming one of the best streaming services for religious TV shows. Its sprawling library has the likes of The Chosen, a hugely successful series that dramatizes the life of Jesus Christ. With a 60% Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics, House of David doesn't make it onto our best Prime Video shows list. However, it's clearly been a huge hit among audience given its staggering results.

Show creators Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn said of the renewal: “We are humbled by the extraordinary reaction this show has earned from the faith audience worldwide. Thanks to them and our partners at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, Wonder Project will bring more of the Bible and this epic saga to a global audience. Congratulations to our incredible cast and crew.”

What is House of David season 2 about?

The biblical epic tells the story of David (Michael Iskander), a teenage outcast who is anointed the new king of Israel as the once-mighty King Saul (Ali Suliman) falls victim to his own pride and begins to lose power.

House of David season 2 follows David's rise to the throne in the aftermath of his battle with Goliath (Martyn Ford). As he navigates palace politics, his family's jealousy and a growing romance, David learns what it means to become a great leader.

Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios shared: “Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn’s compelling creative vision has solidified our belief in the series and we are excited to deliver more of the story to our customers. We look forward to a continued journey with Wonder Project as we further expand our slate to encompass faith-based series.”

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• Kape Technologies, owner of ExpressVPN, has announced a wave of redundancies at the VPN firm
• The total number of redundancies remains unconfirmed
• This comes weeks after major updates to its proprietary Lightway WireGuard protocol

ExpressVPN has announced a round of redundancies in an official statement.

This is the second time the Kape Technologies-owned company has taken the axe to its workforce in two years after it shed 12% of its staff in July 2023.

According to Tom’s Guide, ExpressVPN has not specified the number of jobs lost, so far, with the statement only reading that the company has taken the “difficult decision to reduce the size of our workforce".

The statement does not mention any cuts at either Private Internet Access (PIA) or CyberGhost – two VPNs also under the Kape umbrella.

ExpressVPN is still currently advertising several job openings in both Engineering and Security on the company website, as well as in Marketing and Accounting & Finance. So, how significant this is as signs of trouble ahead for this VPN service is hard to gauge.

(Image credit: ExpressVPN)

Indeed, ExpressVPN recently released significant updates to its VPN protocol, Lightway, alongside major updates to its Linux app earlier this month. The company also entered the eSIM market with the launch of holiday.com back in December.

There also seem to be plenty of funds in the marketing coffers with ExpressVPN announcing a partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club as the official Digital Privacy Partner in November.

ExpressVPN places third in TechRadar's best VPN guide at the time of writing. It topped those charts for several years until the beginning of 2024 when NordVPN was named best VPN.

ExpressVPN slipped further later that year when Surfshark climbed to second.

We look forward to re-testing ExpressVPN in the coming months to see how its Lightway protocol has improved and whether its bid to be the fastest VPN on the block has received a boost from Lightway Turbo.

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• Nanoleaf has launched a new lighting strip that syncs with your monitor
• It could provide an immersive boost to Mac gamers
• Apple has also patented a Magic Mouse with haptic feedback

Things have been looking up for Mac gamers in recent years, with Apple launching increasingly powerful hardware and AAA games coming to the company’s computers in increasing numbers. Now, there are a few new reasons why Mac gaming could be getting a touch more immersive.

The first is that Nanoleaf has just launched the PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip, which is a lighting strip for Mac and PC desktop monitors that provides rainbow effects for an immersive experience while gaming, listening to music, or watching TV shows and movies.

The strip connects to your computer over USB-C and needs to be paired using Nanoleaf’s desktop app. Once that’s done, its lights can actively match what is happening on your screen, providing a backlighting effect that extends the on-screen colors to your surroundings.

Nanoleaf’s Lightstrip costs $49.99 and can be pre-ordered from the company’s website. It’ll start shipping at the end of March.

Apple patent points to a haptic gaming Magic Mouse

(Image credit: Kaboompics.com / Pexels)

While Nanoleaf’s latest product is available to order now, there’s another idea that could give Mac gamers a boost that’s a little more experimental, and it comes in the form of a freshly uncovered patent (via Patently Apple).

The patent describes how a future Magic Mouse could be embedded with haptic sensors that mimic the effects of on-screen action. For example, it could enable you to feel the texture of moving through sand or sliding on ice, providing a much more immersive gaming experience.

Right now, Apple’s Magic Mouse is poorly suited to gaming due to its slippery top surface, unergonomic shape, and lack of customizable buttons. While the ideas discussed in the patent might help make it more viable for gaming, it will need a more wide-ranging overhaul before it becomes gamers’ pointer of choice. That said, the idea of a mouse embedded with haptic sensors could equally apply to creative and productivity tasks, so there’s a degree of flexibility here.

Being a patent, we don’t know when – or if – this will ever come to fruition. But it’s interesting to imagine how it could benefit Mac gamers and productivity lovers alike.

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