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• The Sex Lives of College Girls has been cancled by Max after three seasons.
• There's a possibility the show may find another home on another streaming service.
• Co-creator Justin Noble released a statement on social media regarding the show's cancelation.

Max has canceled The Sex Lives of College Girls after three seasons, but the hit comedy series might find a new home on another streaming service.

The Sex Lives of College Girls wrapped its most recent season in January, which saw beloved cast member Reneé Rapp (Mean Girls) depart the series after the first two episodes. By the third season, the characters were only midway through their sophomore year and its cliffhanger-free finale left fans wondering if this was the end for the show.

But despite the coming-of-age comedy making it onto Max's top 10 list of most-watched shows over the years, the streamer has decided not to renew the series. However, there is still hope for The Sex Lives of College Girls as Warner Bros. Television is reportedly looking for another streaming service to pick it up, sources familiar with the matter told The Hollywood Reporter.

'We are living in an era where we need comedy badly'

Justin Noble, who co-created the series with Mindy Kaling, made an Instagram announcement (see below) regarding the cancelation. Although he was disappointed and surprised by Max's decision to ax The Sex Lives of College Girls, he wrote that there are “discussions with some new potential homes for the show".

He added that: "I can’t help but mention that it feels like there are fewer and fewer comedy series every month – and we are living in an era where we need that comedy badly. So I really hope that turns around, but I will always be proud of this show for being the things that we weren’t seeing enough of: a hard comedy ensemble where ladies get the jokes."

A post shared by Justin Noble (@thejustinnoble)

A photo posted by on

The Sex Lives of College Girls follows the lives of four 18-year-old college roommates as they navigate their sexually active lifestyle and the challenges of adulthood. The Guardian hailed it as a "modern-day Friends," but it unfortunately hasn't met the same success as some of the other best Max shows like Hacks or Barry.

This isn't the first time one of Kaling's projects has been canceled and moved to one of the best streaming services. Her sitcom The Mindy Project first aired on Fox in 2012, before being canceled after three seasons. The Mindy Project was then saved by Hulu and finished its six-season run.

If The Sex Lives of College Girls were to be re-homed on another streaming service, there's a potential it would attract a wider audience and be renewed for a fourth season. For now though, it remains as another canceled show on Max's scrap pile.

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• Windows 11 could get a feature to better inform you on how fast your PC is
• It’s still hidden in testing, but a new FAQ to help the less tech-savvy has just been discovered
• As this is still in the very early stages – and not an official feature at all yet – we should temper our excitement somewhat

Microsoft is developing a feature in Windows 11 that provides some easy to understand information on the spec of your PC, and how powerful the hardware inside the device is.

Neowin noticed that a regular contributor to the Windows rumor scene on X, PhantomOfEarth, uncovered some new work on this capability which remains hidden under the bonnet of Windows 11.

New Frequently Asked Questions list in Settings > System > About, hidden in builds 26120.3576 and 22635.5090. Has some questions related to the Windows version and device specs. (vivetool /enable /id:55305888) pic.twitter.com/AkaP8XR3PRMarch 17, 2025

PhantomOfEarth found the new FAQ section in preview builds 26120.3576 and 22635.5090, and they enabled the functionality using a Windows configuration utility (ViVeTool).

You may recall that this feature was first discovered in the background of Windows 11 back at the start of 2025, when the same leaker aired images of some ‘cards’ in the Settings app, which are compact info panels that display the specs of the PC so they’re easy to see at a glance.

These panels (in System > About, within Settings) display core specs such as the CPU, graphics card, and amount of memory and storage. On top of that, as we noted at the time, Windows 10 users already had this feature live, in testing, and it came with a FAQ section tacked on.

Now that FAQ has arrived in Windows 11, as mentioned, and it provides a range of questions and answers on elements of the spec of the host PC.

The nifty bit is that the FAQ is tailored based on the PC that’s running Windows 11. So for example, if you haven’t got a discrete GPU, and you just use the integrated graphics provided by your processor, Microsoft will provide info on exactly what that means for your prospects of running certain software or games.

Or if you’ve got a low amount of system RAM, you’ll be given details on how that leaner allocation might affect the running of apps on your PC.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: Shaping up nicely (albeit at a very early stage)

It’s good to see this FAQ section arriving in Windows 11, although it was expected to do so, given that it was present in Windows 10 (testing) already. (However, I’m not quite sure why Microsoft is developing this for Windows 10 at all, given that the OS is shuffling off its coil before too long, something Microsoft is now regularly reminding us about in, erm, creative ways, shall we say).

We still must remember that at least for Windows 11, this is a hidden feature and not yet enabled in testing, so there’s no guarantee it’ll ever arrive in the finished version of the operating system (the same’s true for Windows 10, for that matter).

I think it’s quite likely that it will be pushed through to Windows 11, though, given that this will be a helpful feature for computing novices who aren’t sure about the capabilities of their PC. The tailored nature of the new FAQ is particularly useful, so the info provided is guaranteed to be relevant to the user.

Still, the answers to the questions posed do remain a little generic, but I can see them being fleshed out by AI in the future. This could be a good use of Copilot in getting the assistant to be of more use to the less tech-savvy out there.

As I’ve discussed in the past, this new approach looks far superior to the Windows Experience Index, which computing veterans may recall from back in the day. The WEI, as it was known, was introduced with Windows Vista, and rated your PC’s performance in a bunch of categories – but it was convoluted and confusing, rather than helpful.

It looks like Microsoft is going to do much better with this fresh take on the concept, but the proof, as ever, will be in tasting the pudding – and this feature is still very much at the mixing ingredients stage right now.

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• Twin ultrasound transducers create highly focused audio
• Curved sound waves aren't audible if you're not in the sweet spot
• Could be great in classrooms, exhibitions or vehicles

Wouldn't it be great if you could have all the benefits of headphones without having to bother with the headphones? That's what a new technology creating "audible enclaves" could one day deliver.

The technology comes from professor of acoustics Yun Jing at Pennsylvania State University, whose team has found a way to project sound so that only the intended listener can hear it. It's currently short range – about 1m – and relatively quiet at 60dB, but both range and volume should be improved by using higher power transmitters.

(Image credit: Heyonu Heo) How do audio enclaves work?

Audio enclaves are made using ultrasound waves, which are higher frequency than the sound waves we can hear. Two waves are passed through acoustic lenses that bend them, creating a curved path for the waves to follow. Those paths converge at the destination – that's you.

The clever bit here is that each individual wave is inaudible on its own, so nobody hears anything unless they're at the sweet spot where the two waves are in the right place for the listener's ears – then they form something your brain can actually make out.

The hope is that the technology could be used to deliver private audio in public places, such as in classrooms or at outdoor venues, and possibly inside vehicles too.

This isn't the first time we've been promised personalized directional audio. In 2016, Turtle Beach announced their Hypersound speakers which used transparent glass to create "highly directional audio". The promotional video is below.

Turtle Beach announced a partnership with Chinese audio firm Audfly in 2021, and the resulting Focusound speakers demonstrate one of the downsides of the tech: where normal speakers start at a double-digit low frequency (ie, down to 20Hz), these directional speakers have a much higher starting point: 500Hz to 600Hz. That makes them good for speech but not great for music.

This tech isn't likely to remove all need for the best wireless headphones, and may not work on something like an airplane, where the ambient noise is so loud that you'll still need some of the best noise cancelling headphones – but imagine if you could switch your TV to sending sound that only you can hear with a push of a button once the family goes to be, or imagine hearing interesting commentary about a museum exhibit simply by standing in the right place. No headset needed – I like the sound of that (if I'm in the sweet spot).

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• A new leak shows that AMD's Zen 6 APUs will use RDNA 3.5 architecture instead of RDNA 4
• RDNA 4 is shown to be exclusive to discrete GPUs only via GPUOpen Drivers
• This means future handhelds or laptops using Medusa Point APUs may not have FSR 4

While we await AMD's addition to its Strix Point Ryzen AI 300 series processors - like the Ryzen Z2 Extreme for handheld gaming PCs - Team Red is already planning its next generation of mobile APUs, codenamed ‘Medusa Point’. Unfortunately, there’s been some disappointing news.

According to Kepler_L2 (who covers tech rumors and leaks) on X, AMD's upcoming Zen 6 APUs (notably the Medusa Point lineup) won't use RDNA 4 architecture - based on unearthed code in AMD’s GPUOpen Drivers - and instead, will likely use RDNA 3.5. This discovery was made via RDNA 4's device ID 'Gfxlp12', which is for discrete GPUs only according to one line of the code.

Essentially, this means that next-gen features like FSR 4 potentially won't be available on any devices that use next-gen Zen 6 APUs - which will be a huge disappointment for many expecting the new upscaling tech to come to handhelds or laptops. We don't yet know what APUs are included in the Medusa Point lineup or whether any of its processors will star in future handheld gaming PCs, but given the pace of development in the handheld market right now, it would be a surprise if they didn’t.

While no FSR 4 isn't exactly a dealbreaker, it's been shown to provide exceptional image quality enhancements - specifically within its performance mode, in some sequences even outdoing Nvidia's DLSS 3 CNN model - and it would help replace FSR 3's existing performance mode, which significantly sacrifices image quality for better performance.

(Image credit: Lenovo) This leaves me worried about the state of potential Medusa Point APU-powered handheld gaming PCs…

I must clarify again that we still know very little about Medusa Point APUs, particularly whether they’ll be used for handheld gaming PCs. But assuming that they will (which I'm almost certainly sure of), no FSR 4 is a disappointment, to say the least.

I'm aware that AMD isn't ruling out the chance of FSR 4 coming to RDNA 3: Nvidia's Frame Generation tech could only now be making its way to RTX 3000 series GPUs, similar to FSR 4’s potential backport. However, I'm convinced that even if it does, it won't be the full package, with the new frame-gen model potentially missing.

The good news is that the upcoming Medusa Point processors may yield fantastic performance results in games regardless - we've seen AMD’s chief rival Intel achieve this recently, with the MSI Claw 8 AI+ using Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V processor to provide a huge jump over the original Intel-powered Claw, but there are still games that definitely require upscaling.

Hopefully, FSR 4 exclusivity on RDNA 4 GPUs can end soon (as this would even help current handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally), but I doubt it. Let's pray that I'm wrong.

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• Trend Micro warns of an old Windows zero-day still in use today
• Many nation-states are abusing the bug to run espionage campaigns
• Microsoft doesn't deem it critical

A Windows zero-day vulnerability which has remained unpatched for eight years has been exploited by 11 nation-state attackers, and countless financially motivated groups, experts have warned.

Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) criticized Microsoft for downplaying the importance of the findings into the vulnerability, tracked as ZDI-CAN-25373, which is a flaw in Windows that allows attackers to craft malicious shortcut (.lnk) files, enabling the execution of hidden commands when a user interacts with these files.

This exploit can be abused by embedding harmful code within the .lnk file, which the victim then unknowingly runs when opening the shortcut. The vulnerability was used in data theft attacks, espionage, and malware distribution.

"Very detailed information"

The researchers said the bug has been in use since 2017, and that they found some 1,000 weaponized .LNK files recently. The total number, obviously, is much bigger.

After sifting through the files, ZDI said the majority came from nation-state actors (70%), and were used in espionage or data theft. Of that number, almost half (46%) were built by North Korean actors, followed by Russia, Iran, and China, with roughly 18% each. The rest fell to financially motivated groups.

That being said, most victims are government agencies, followed by firms in the private sector, financial organizations, think tanks, and telecommunications firms.

The researchers also slammed Microsoft for allegedly downplaying the issue: "We told Microsoft but they consider it a UI issue, not a security issue. So it doesn't meet their bar for servicing as a security update, but it might be fixed in a later OS version, or something along those lines,” Dustin Childs, head of threat awareness at the Zero Day Initiative, told The Register.

"We consider that a security thing. Again, not a critical security thing, but certainly worth addressing through a security update," Childs opined.

Microsoft seems to agree, at least about the “not critical” part. A spokesperson told The Register: "While the UI experience described in the report does not meet the bar for immediate servicing under our severity classification guidelines, we will consider addressing it in a future feature release."

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The lower-cost sequel to the Pixel 8A arrives earlier than usual for Google.

• Google just revealed the Pixel 9a and it launches in April
• It comes with a host of new upgrades, including the Tensor G4 chip and a new display
• The Google Pixel 9a starts at $499 / £499, undercutting the iPhone 16e

The Google Pixel 9a is official and brings with it a mix of neat upgrades to keep the budget phone firing on all cylinders.

Starting at $499 / £499 (we're still waiting on Australian pricing), the Pixel 9a isn't as affordable as Pixel a-series models of the past but tracks with the Pixel 8a, and notably undercuts the iPhone 16e.

Like the Pixel a-series releases in recent years, at a quick glance you’ll not see a huge amount of difference in the Pixel 9a over the full-fat Google Pixel 9 or the outgoing Pixel 8a. But digging deeper there are a suite of changes here that could make it a new contender for our best cheap phones list.

(Image credit: Google)

For starters, the Pixel 9as comes with a new design. The rear-spanning camera bar of the Pixel 8 and the pill-shaped module of the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro models has been ditched for a smaller, narrower module, which to my eyes has made the 9a seem more compact.

Helping with that are new sides that are less rounded than those of the Pixel 8a but still curve at the top, which should make the Pixel 9a feel a little more comfortable to grip for longer prions. The dust and water resistance has also got a boost and now has a rating of IP68. Just don’t expect a glass back, as Google has stuck with a plastic composite, which is pretty much a signature of the Pixel a-series.

You do get a nice choice of colours for the Pixel 9a, comprising a lavender-esque ‘Iris’, a bright pink ‘Peony’, the standard ‘Porcelain’ white, and the ever-present ‘Obsidian’ black.

(Image credit: Google)

One neat but not immediately obvious upgrade is the new “Actua Display”, which comes in at a larger 6.3 inches and can now hit a peak brightness of 2,700 nits; that’s a decent jump from the Pixel 8a’s 2,000-nit peak brightness.

A variable refresh rate of 60Hz to 120Hz remains present, but Google noted the new display is more scratch-resistant than that of the Pixel 8a, which should help make the 9a more durable than the older phone.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar New Tensor chip, a fresh camera, and a lot of AI

(Image credit: Google)

At the heart of the Pixel 9a you’ll find Google’s latest Tensor G4 chip, which gets paired with 8GB of RAM. Don’t expect screaming fast raw performance to take on the latest Snapdragon or Apple A-series chips, but do expect capable performance such as the kind we’ve seen in the main Pixel 9 models, and responsive AI features.

The smart processing chops of the chip should also help get the most out of the new 48-megapixel main camera on the Pixel 9a. What may seem like a downgrade in sheer resolution on the Pixel 8a’s 64MP main camera, doesn't look set to be the case, as the new camera has a wider aperture that should deliver brighter photos, especially in low-light citations.

A 13MP ultra-wide camera remains, but it now has a Macro Focus mode, a first for the Pixel a-series, and should help deliver crisp up-close photos.

Around the frost you’ll find a 13MP f/2.2 camera, which is business as usual for this Pixel, though the larger display should help make snapping a selfie easier than ever.

The big upgrade for the cameras will likely come from improvements in the sensor and the processing on the Tensor G4 chip.

But the real photography chops will come in the form of the AI features, with the Pixel 9a getting the host of tools that its predecessor came with, but also those introduced with the Pixel 9 phone last year, such as Add Me that lets users combine two shots into one, along with upgrades to tools like Magic Editor and native access to the Pixel Studio that lets you create images with text prompts.

Google Pixel 9a specs

Other AI features include Google Gemini being at the heart of the Pixel 9a, including Gemini Live that allows you to have natural conversation with the generative AI-powered virtual assistant.

There’s also Theft Detection that uses AI to identify potential theft attempts and lockdown the phone if needed, and Crash Detection that also uses AI to detect when you might have had a crash and alert the emergency services.

Rounding all this out is a larger battery, coming in at 5,100mAh, which is a solid jump from the 4,492mAh on the Pixel 8a, plus seven years of software support.

Could this be the best Pixel phone for everyone?

(Image credit: Google)

Now I and the phones team need a closer look at the Google Pixel 9a before we draw any conclusions. And I’d advise you to wait for our full review before buying the phone when it’s released in April.

But Google rarely misses with the Pixel a-series, and the 9a looks to bring a decent mix of upgrades to make it a compelling phone at a palatable price. If that 48MP camera delivers the photography goods, then the suite of AI features, neat design and new display should all be icing on the cake.

Take all this into account and then contrast it to the more-expensive, less well-equipped iPhone 16e and I’d argue Google has somewhat embarrassed Apple on the affordable phones front. The Pixel 9a offers a lot more for a chunk of change less.

I think we could be looking at a new budget phone champion here, when all things are considered, and perhaps an Android phone that I’ll recommend for most people. Stay tuned to TechRadar for more, and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Viltrox 135mm F1.8 LAB: two-minute review

Ever since I saw the Viltrox AF 135mm F1.8 LAB lens for Sony full-frame cameras I've been counting down the days until Viltrox made it made available for Nikon Z-mount cameras. That day has now come.

Viltrox's first professional LAB lens gets the Z-mount treatment, and I've already had the chance to test the lens for several weeks, pairing it with my Nikon Z6 II for supreme shallow-depth-of-field portraits and more.

It's the affordable alternative to my dream Z-mount lens, the pricey Nikon 135mm f/1.8 S Plena, as well as to Sony's own 135mm F1.8 GM.

At $899 / £829 / around AU$1,500 (discounts are available on the Viltrox website too), it's half the price of the Sony lens, and just a third of the price of Nikon's Plena, which originally cost around $2,600 / £2,700 / AU$4,600. For Nikon Z users like me, that's clearly a huge difference.

135mm is an ideal focal length for portraits, but I also love the perspective for landscape photography, together with the excellent light-gathering capabilities of a fast f/1.8 aperture prime lens like this.

So what do I think of the Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB now that I've tested it? It's a truly stunning lens, although it does have one significant drawback that has me thinking twice.

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(Image credit: Tim Coleman) Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB specs Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB: Design

• Premium design and build quality
• Very heavy
• Unique customizable LCD screen is a fun touch

It's clear that the Viltrox 135mm is built for pros. The build quality is top-drawer, from the weather-resistant metal barrel, front lens element and rear mount to the reassuringly secure connection to the camera – you'll need some muscle to click the lens into place – and the premium controls dotted around the exterior.

There's a smooth focus ring, a second ring that can be set to smooth or clicked and which by default is set to control aperture, plus custom buttons and a customizable top LCD.

It's possible to customize the welcome screen of the top LCD (seriously), which is a nice touch, even if I can't see myself creating my own welcome screen... yet. It's also possible to apply firmware updates easily through the USB-C port built into the rear mount.

Focus distances are marked precisely on the LCD, down to the centimeter, which is something you don't get with other lenses. There's also a AF / MF switch plus a focus-range limiter. These exterior controls cover all the bases for the scenarios in which I see myself using the lens.

Autofocus is smooth and essentially silent. Viltrox says focus speeds are "150% faster", although I'm not sure what that's in comparison to, and I wouldn't say this is the fastest-focusing lens I've used, even if it is smooth. I'll touch on why I think so in a bit.

In the box is a decent-sized lens hood and a soft lens pouch for packing the lens away safely. So, all in all, the Viltrox 135mm F1.8 sounds great, right? And it is, but for one thing.

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As I mentioned in my verdict at the start of this review, this lens is heavy – very heavy. It's the first thing you notice as you take it out of the box. How heavy? 43.6oz / 1,235g, without the lens hood. Ouch.

To be clear, quality 135mm f/1.8 lenses like this are heavy, but the Viltrox is another level; it's about 25% heavier than the Sony and Nikon lenses I've mentioned.

I wish the Viltrox was lighter, at least for using it with my Z6 II. The balance is so front-heavy that this is a lens that's best used in short bursts, which is a shame because I could see myself using a lens like this for event photography, and those jobs are long hours.

If you shoot with a larger camera such as the Nikon Z8, or more so the Nikon Z9, the balance of the Viltrox lens will be much better.

Still, there's also a very good reason why this lens is so heavy – its supreme optical quality.

Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB: Performance

• 135mm focal length ideal for isolating subjects
• Virtually flawless optical quality
• Precise and smooth autofocus, but not the fastest

The optical quality of the Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB lens is virtually flawless, much like the Nikon Plena lens, and the MTF charts shared by Viltrox back this up.

Detail is sharp from center to edges, even when using the maximum f/1.8 aperture. There's not a huge amount of vignetting either – it's hardly noticeable if you stop the aperture down to f/2.8, while at f/1.8 it's easily corrected if you don't want those darker corners that help your subject stand out all the more.

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A portrait taken with the aperture set to f/1.8 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 2 of 7

The same portrait, but at f/2.8 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 3 of 7

With aperture set to f/1.8, bokeh is smooth, big and round (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 4 of 7

Even at f/2.8, bokeh quality is lovely. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 5 of 7

I tried my hardest to induce lens flare, and even then the quality of shots is top drawer (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 6 of 7

Another lens flare attempt (Image credit: Tim Coleman)Image 7 of 7

135mm is an excellent focal length for isolating subjects, and focus fall-off at f/1.8 is smooth. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

I purposefully pushed the lens in tricky scenarios, such as backlit portraits at golden hour, and it handled flare admirably. It also focused precisely, no mean feat when its VCM motors are working hard to shift those weighty lens elements, of which there are 14 in nine groups, although focusing is slightly snappier with Sony's and Nikon's lenses in my experience.

Most photographers splashing the cash on a lens like this do so for its ability to produce attractive bokeh, and the Viltrox lens impresses on this front, especially for the price.

The 11-blade circular aperture delivers buttery smooth and circular bokeh in out-of-focus areas of dappled light, as you can see in the sample images. This kind of bokeh quality is the holy grail for pro portrait photographers, and it's now available in a lens that costs a fraction of the price of Nikon and Sony's own lenses.

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f/2.8 (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

The top-drawer optical quality, especially for the competitive price, cannot be overstated, and Viltrox has really given me something to think about. Would I buy this lens? Absolutely. I'll just hit the gym first, or upgrade my gear with the chunkier Z8 for better balance, or – more cost-effectively – the Z6 II battery grip.

Its weight and slightly sluggish autofocus are the only drawbacks to an otherwise flawless lens.

Should you buy the Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB? Buy it if...

You want a long portrait lens

The telephoto 135mm focal length is ideal for head-and-shoulder portraits and for isolating subjects.

You want top-drawer optical quality

Supreme sharpness, buttery smooth bokeh, excellent control of flare and lens distortions… optically this lens is essentially flawless.

You want a well-made lens

Build quality and handling (aside from the weight) are excellent – this is a lens that's built to last and which offers you all the controls you need.

Don't buy it if...

You want a lightweight lens for long shoots

Weight is the lens's Achilles heel – at 45.6oz / 1,235g, you'll only want to use it in short bursts.

You want class-leading autofocus performance

Autofocus speeds are slightly on the sluggish side, even if the end results are precise and reliable.

You like to include surroundings in your portraits

The 135mm focal length is designed to isolate a subject, with little room for including surroundings unless you're shooting from some distance.

How I tested the Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB

• Tested intermittently for a few weeks
• Paired with a Nikon Z6 II
• Used in a range of scenarios and at different times of day

I received the Viltrox 135mm f/1.8 LAB lens for Nikon Z-mount a few weeks ahead of its official unveiling on March 19, 2025. It's already available for Sony E-mount.

I've paired the lens with a Nikon Z6 II body, and used it in a range of challenging scenarios to test its optical quality. These situations included backlit portraits during golden hours, with the light dancing around the sun included in some photos.

I haven't yet had the opportunity to test the lens during inclement weather yet, so I can't comment on its weather-resistance credentials.

• First reviewed March 2025

• Adobe Firefly can now translate and lip-sync any marketing video
• Reframing and shifting between portrait and landscape is even easier
• You could expect a 70-80% increase in asset variant production efficiency

Adobe has announced major updates to its Firefly generative AI services to support even more media types, including video and 3D.

Revealing the new offerings at its Adobe Summit 2025 event, the company introduced a new Firefly Creative Production tool with a no-code interface for creating new variants of existing assets and making repetitive multimedia production tasks even quicker.

Adobe said that marketers might want to change the language or aspect ratio of a video to cater to different markets and services, but editing video has previously been a mission that takes hours, days or even weeks.

Adobe Firefly just revolutionized video editing

The update consists of a series of new APIs, but the most game-changing is the translate and lip sync API which will translate spoken dialogue into other languages while maintaining voice authenticity and also matching lip movements.

The reframe API also promises handy productivity boosts for designers and editors – it will automatically resize videos while identifying scenes to accurately keep subjects central. A handy tool for converting a landscape video to mobile-friendly portrait productions.

Already, early adopters have reported a 70-80% increase in asset variant production efficiency and a 75% reduction in asset revision time. Estée Lauder has been using Firefly’s updates to shorten the time it takes to deliver digital marketing campaigns across its 25 brands in 150 countries.

Adobe GenStudio and Firefly Enterprise Solutions GM Varun Parmar summarized: “Generative AI increases the capacity of marketers and creatives, enabling them to focus on what matters most, their craft.”

Moreover, Firefly also works with Custom Models via Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing for businesses to create new assets that adhere to brand guidelines.

The translate and lip sync, reframe and Custom Models APIs are all generally available now.

Discover the power of generative AI with Adobe Firefly

See what's new in Firefly and how it can help power individuals and teams to quickly and creatively design on-brand content customized for your business. Try out Firefly's new tools by clicking here.

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Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer is a movement-based fitness Nintendo Switch game, developed by Imagineer. Holding the Joy-Con controllers in either hand, you dodge, duck, and throw out combos following on-screen prompts, progressing through daily structured workouts of increasing difficulty. Warm-ups, cool-downs, a Free Training mode, and separate mitt drills provide enough variety for those looking to switch things up.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Available on: Nintendo Switch
Release date: December 5, 2024

Movement-based console games are an odd bunch, and none more so than fitness games. I remember when you could get Dance Dance Revolution on the original PlayStation, complete with a much worse, fold-away version of the arcade’s iconic dancefloor. Since then, most movement-based games have been party ones like Wii Sports, but offerings like Wii Fit and Ring Fit Adventure have attempted to bring actual workout programming to consoles with mixed success. Who are they aimed at: existing Switch users looking to get fit, or existing fitness fans Nintendo is hoping to sell a Switch to?

Fitness Boxing 3 is solidly aimed at the former, although its harder workouts move at a pace to challenge most. As TechRadar’s Senior Fitness and Wearables Editor, I’ve got a solid background in reviewing fitness kit. I’ve also got a lot of experience punching things, having been a kickboxer for many years in a previous life. It felt as though I was tailor-made to review this thing.

I duly fired the Switch up and worked my way through the tutorial. Anyone who’s played Dance Dance Revolution or one of its many clones, or even Guitar Hero, will understand the principle at work here: you see the prompt work its way up to the on-screen target, and you throw a punch at the exact time required. The better your timing, the higher your score.

Once you complete the initial section, comprised of jabs and straight punches, you work your way through the different combination-based daily classes, adding in hooks, uppercuts, body blows, dodging (by holding the Joy-Cons close to your chest and moving your body) and other moves designed to complicate things, all while increasing speed.

(Image credit: Nintendo/Imagineer) Get with the program

The game will ask you to pop in some details, including your age, weight, target weight, and so on, and set about generating programs for you based on your preferred difficulty level. The Daily Workouts still require you to go through the various combinations in order to unlock types of punches and moves for use in Free Training, which was a little frustrating as I wanted to immediately get stuck in and test everything. However, if you’re moving through a workout program from beginner to advanced as intended, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue for you.

The workout programming is excellent. As someone well-versed in fitness programs, I was glad to see everything started with an optional warm-up and cooldown and reminders to hydrate, and that frustration in lack of customizable programming for me would be a boon for people who need their hand held through their introduction to fitness.

Once you start unlocking workouts and combos, you can string them together in custom programs in the Free Training room, so my itch was eventually scratched with a bit of patience. You can view all your stats and progress in the My Data section, which is very comprehensively laid out in graphs and, in a really nice nod to the sensitivity of health data, it’s passcode-protected.

The huge customizability of everything was also a big plus for me. You can change trainers, from the default instructor Lin to the bulky Bernado or distinctly Eurotrash-looking Guy. They’ve all got birthdays, and hobbies and you can buy them new outfits with your earned points or switch their Kindness levels on and off, depending on whether you prefer a gentle carrot or a drill sergeant stick for workout motivation.

A distinctly parasocial ‘box and bond’ session is available for each trainer, where they’ll talk to you more and tell you about themselves. A little odd to be bonding with a program, but I’m sure it’s a good idea to get people attached to a virtual instructor to keep them motivated.

(Image credit: Nintendo/Imagineer) Once more, mitt feeling

Between the customizable instructors and the stage/song selection, from neon cyberpunk to garage gym to serene aquatic environment, it felt a bit like Tekken or a similar fighting game, which is thematically very appropriate. As someone used to real-life boxing training, mitt drills in the Free Training section were my favorite part: rather than the DDR format, you’ll get a combination to remember and then the trainer will hold a mitt up, testing your mind-to-muscle connection and reflexes.

It’s all very slick, and when used properly, it feels as though it works incredibly well. I really enjoyed it, performing and executing the moves to the best of my ability, until I found a fatal flaw, one that completely soured my experience.

As the mitt drill sped up, I was getting the routine wrong, but the game was still registering “Perfect” with each punch, Bernado lauding my performance as I threw hooks instead of uppercuts. After a bit of experimentation, I soon found that pretty much any fast, forward movement of the Joy-Con would register as a successful punch, regardless of what kind of punch I was actually supposed to be throwing!

Best bit

The customizability of the game. Pick your stage, and music, choose sitting or standing modes, and your preferred trainer - you can even turn the “kindness” setting on or off!

I tried throwing the Joy-Cons out to either side of me, flailing wildly, and to my disappointment, I still got successful Perfect combination recognitions. I was reminded of Wii Sports, in which people would lie on their sofas and flick their wrists to control their avatar during on-screen tennis. At some point, most people playing this game will realize that their carefully choreographed movements actually don’t matter, and they could be doing anything to score their Perfects and earn those points. This realization stung like a bee and sapped a lot of enjoyment from my remaining playtime.

Still, there’s a lot to like about Fitness Boxing 3 despite this, namely the intense customizability and the careful construction of its workout programs. Those buying this game for fitness purposes are unlikely to be looking to cheat themselves: boxing is a terrific workout, and Fitness Boxing 3 is a great primer, daily workout motivator, and reminder to move. You’ll just have to keep yourself honest and throw your punches properly.

Should you play Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer? Play it if...

You want to work out at home
Fitness Boxing 3 has comprehensive workout programming to help you structure your weekly workouts.

You’re a beginner boxer
The on-screen prompts and demonstrations will clearly guide you through how to throw lots of basic and advanced combinations.

Don't play it if...

Movement mapping matters
If you want feedback from the Joy-Con, for it to register when throwing a correct or incorrect punch, Fitness Boxing 3 can’t give you that guidance. I’ve yet to find an at-home trainer which can.

Accessibility

A sit-down boxing mode allows those users unable to stand for long periods to play the game and get movement into their day. All lines from instructors come with subtitles, and the instructor’s kindness can be toggled on if you need gentle encouragement.

All in all, the accessibility features are better than I expect from a fitness-orientated gamer.

(Image credit: Nintendo/Imagineer) How I reviewed Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer

I played the game for around ten hours on an original Nintendo Switch console using the device’s own screen and my LG TV. I worked my way through intermediate combinations, trying Daily Workouts, Free Training using Mitt Drills, and Basic Training with several different instructors.

I spent accumulated points to buy new songs for different stages (such as I Was Made For Lovin’ You by KISS) and outfits for instructors, and I also stress-tested the controls by deliberately throwing incorrect punches.

First reviewed January-March 2025

• Wix Functions will make the online shopping experience more customized
• Sites will react in real-time to customer trends and business needs
• Launch comes shortly after a new Automations tool was launched

In a bid to keep up with emerging tech and boost customer acquisition and retention, website builder giant Wix has unveiled its new no-code interface, Wix Functions.

Businesses can use the no-code tool to create custom business flows and elements like dynamic pricing rules, checkout conditions and tailored loyalty rewards without needing any coding expertise.

Besides creating their own flows from scratch, users can also pick from a library of templates to help them get up and running.

Wix Functions

In an announcement, the company described how businesses may want to impose location-based fees for some customers and trigger discounts for returning buyers, which they can now do through Wix Functions with ease. “

The function then outputs the desired action, which the Wix app executes in real-time,” the announcement explains.

“Wix Functions gives businesses even more control over their operations, enabling them to customize more workflows, further automate processes and implement advanced business rules," said Tomas Petras Rupšys, Head of Wix Functions.

“The function’s output directly influences how the Wix app behaves in real-time, ensuring that businesses can seamlessly adapt their operations to meet unique needs, further empowering business owners to operate more efficiently and scale with ease,” Rupšys added.

To get the most out of Wix Functions, Wix suggests customers use it in conjunction with Wix Automations, a feature that was launched earlier this month and described as a tool to “support advanced business workflows” with a fully customizable automation engine.

Wix and Wix Studio for Wix Stores, Wix Bookings, Wix Restaurants, Wix Donations, Wix Forms and Wix Loyalty Program will all work with Functions, which is available for free, just like Wix Automations.

Also like Automations, the company is also charging for optional premium upgrades, unlocking unlimited actions and access to business solutions like checkout and payments.

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• XeSS 2's SDK is now freely available to game developers, as Intel releases it via GitHub
• Assassin's Creed Shadows will feature XeSS 2 when it launches on March 20
• This will be great for handheld, Intel Arc GPU, and ultrabook laptop gamers

While AMD and Nvidia make big moves for gamers with the Radeon RX 9000 series and RTX 5000 series GPUs respectively, Intel remains a potential dark horse for affordable PC gaming this generation. Its already-launched Battlemage Arc B580 and B570 GPUs offer strong alternatives to AMD and Nvidia's more affordable options - and now, it's taken a great step that will further help gamers.

As reported by TweakTown, Intel's XeSS 2 SDK is now available to download via GitHub, meaning game developers will be able to implement the technology (with full functionality) into their games. This means XeSS 2 (powered by AI) Super Resolution, Frame Generation, and XeLL Low Latency will likely show up in upcoming titles - and the prime example is Assassin's Creed Shadows, which will feature XeSS 2 and launches on March 20.

A wide range of Intel's hardware including the Arc B580 and B570, Lunar Lake APUs, and the full suite of Intel Core Ultra laptop chips will have access to the full range of XeSS 2 features, notably within the best Ultrabooks and the recent MSI Claw 8 AI+. However, some older hardware won't have access to XeSS 2's Frame Generation due to a lack of AI capabilities - this is similar to Nvidia's DLSS 3 and 4, as its AI-powered Frame Generation tech isn't available on RTX 3000 and older GPUs.

In short, Team Blue is making a serious effort to catch up to AMD and Nvidia; the Battlemage GPUs are a great starting point, and future enhancements to its XeSS technologies could take it a step closer.

I want it... (Image credit: MSI) This has me even more excited to own an MSI Claw 8 AI+ handheld...

As much as I love my Asus ROG Ally, it's gradually starting to collect dust. I yearn for a more powerful handheld gaming device, to push performance levels higher, and the MSI Claw 8 AI+ looks like the perfect answer. With XeSS 2's SDK now readily available for developers, it's probably the ideal time to get my claws on a Claw.

AMD's FSR 4 won't be available on anything other than RDNA 4 hardware - and that's a huge bummer for me and many other hoping that the likes of the ROG Ally or Lenovo's Legion Go (including its new prototype) would benefit retroactively from the new upscaling technology. The only other serious option (for now) is the MSI Claw 8 AI+, as it has access to all of XeSS 2's offerings - and I've been absolutely gushing over it based on performance showcases and benchmarks.

The same goes for Ultrabooks using compatible Intel processors - gamers will be able to enjoy XeSS 2 in more games in the future, and as integrated graphics keep improving, it's exactly what is needed for more variety away from Nvidia and AMD: it's worth noting that DLSS 4 and FSR 4 are already available in a decent amount of titles (a number that will only continue to grow), so it's great to see that Team Blue has made efforts to expand XeSS 2's reach.

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• Bitdefender found more than 300 Android apps used to display unwanted ads
• Almost all apps have so far been removed from the Play Store
• Some of the apps even tried to steal sensitive data

Hundreds of Android applications, installed millions of times from the Google Play Store, were part of a large-scale ad fraud campaign that displayed unwanted ads and tried to steal sensitive data from the victims, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers from Bitdefender, who also credited IAS Threat Lab, said they discovered at least 331 apps that were available via the Google Play Store which, cumulatively, amassed more than 60 million downloads, mostly on older Android variants (Android 13 and older).

The apps were mimicking simple utility apps such as QR scanners, expense tracking apps, health apps, wallpaper apps, and others.

Protecting your Android phone

Most applications first became active on Google Play in Q3 2024, and by the time Bitdefender’s research completed, only 15 remained active. The vast majority of victims are located in Brazil, followed by the US, Mexico, Turkey, and South Korea.

When the victims downloaded one of the apps, they first hide their icons from the launcher (something that’s only possible on older versions of Android). The apps retained “some functionality”, but they are able to show out-of-context ads over other applications in the foreground. Some try to gather user credentials, credit card data, and other information.

Some apps can even start without user interaction, something that shouldn’t be possible even on Android 13.

While eventually all of the apps will be removed from the Play Store, people who have them installed on their devices remain at risk. If your Android smartphone is acting strange (lagging, displaying ads over different ads, overheating, spending data while idle), make sure to remove any unwanted apps, or those that you aren’t actively using.

Furthermore, if possible, make sure to use the latest version of Android. At the moment, that is Android 15, with the next iteration scheduled for later in 2025.

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• Microsoft is sending out emails to push people to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11
• While on the face of it, that seems a useful move to help some users, Microsoft’s angling of the email is far from ideal
• It also runs the risk of making Windows 10 users feel spammed, particularly as they’re still getting nudged numerous times within the OS itself

Microsoft is once again trying to persuade Windows 10 users that they need to upgrade to Windows 11, ahead of the impending cessation of support for the older operating system later this year.

This time, though, the nudge to upgrade isn’t being delivered within Windows 10 itself, but via email – although it isn’t the first time Microsoft has tried this approach.

I received an email from Microsoft (sent to the email address linked to my Microsoft account) regarding my Windows 10 PC needing an upgrade at the end of November 2024, a few months back, but now the software giant is sending out fresh messages to upgrade this month.

I didn’t get this latest mail (not yet, anyway), but Windows Latest did, and although it carries the same title, a warning that ‘End of support for Windows 10 is approaching,’ the email itself is somewhat different.

The overall thrust of the content is similar though. There’s a prominent reminder of the exact date that Microsoft halts support for Windows 10 – which happens on October 14, 2025 – and some suggestions of what to do with your old PC (trade it in, or recycle the machine). You can also click a link to check your upgrade eligibility for Windows 11.

Microsoft also clarifies that your PC will continue to work, it’s just that there will be no more support – as in software updates – piped through. There’s also a link to some blurb on how Windows 11 is more secure (which is certainly true), and a nudge to use OneDrive to back up your files if you plan to use Windows 10 after the deadline has passed, heading into 2026.

(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird) Analysis: Overstepping boundaries and taking some odd angles

There are a couple of things that strike me as odd here. Firstly, the plug for OneDrive feels very gratuitous, and hardly a solution to counter the prospect of having your PC compromised by running an out-of-date OS. Where on earth is the stern warning that it really isn’t a good idea to run Windows 10 on your PC when support for the operating system expires?

As you may be aware, without security updates, your computer will be left vulnerable to exploits, as when holes appear in Windows 10, they will no longer be patched up – a recipe for disaster, potentially.

Of course, if you really want to stick with Windows 10, then for the first time ever, consumers can pay to extend support, and I’d recommend you do so (for other options, explore my article on how to prepare for Windows 10 End of Life). Oddly enough, Microsoft doesn’t mention this extension of support in its email.

I say it’s odd, but then, Microsoft would really prefer you upgrade to Windows 11 anyway, either on your current PC – if it’s eligible – or by purchasing a new Windows 11 computer. And to that end, there’s a link in the email to ‘explore new computers’ which is something Microsoft has been urging us to do for a while now. As I’ve discussed before, there’s arguably merit to the suggestion in some ways, but a whole lot of other concerns outweighing that around the environmental toll that a ton of Windows 10 PCs ending up on the scrapheap might usher in.

These are serious worries, and likely why Microsoft is sending the other message in this email advising on recycling (or trading in) your old Windows 10 PC if you do upgrade.

The other point here is do you want to be getting emails direct from Microsoft about Windows 10 upgrades? Well, in some ways, I guess it’s better (or at least slightly less annoying) than being pushed to upgrade within the operating system itself, but the problem is, Microsoft is doing that as well – so Windows 10 users are getting both barrels, as it were. Sigh…

We can likely expect several further barrages of these kind of emails as 2025 progresses, and the October support deadline draws nearer – messages that folks may well be wanting their spam filter to deal with, frankly.

Don’t get me wrong here: I’m not saying it isn’t important to warn consumers about the dangers of an out-of-date operating system – it definitely is – but Microsoft is rather overstepping with its broad approach here, and worse still, this particular email actually undersells those dangers (while overselling other Microsoft products).

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(Image credit: Dr. Kurt Papenfus)

• Adobe launches 10 new CX and marketing agents at Summit 2025
• One of them will optimize your website for you completely hands-free
• AI agents are also enhancing customer interactions

Adobe has introduced 10 new purpose-built AI agents it says can enhance customer experiences and marketing workflows across its Adobe Experience Cloud and has already promised to add more soon.

Unveiling the new offerings at its Adobe Summit 2025 event, the company boasted of the one trillion experiences per year its Adobe Experience Platform activates, which gives its latest AI tools a “deep, semantic understanding of enterprise data, content and customer journeys.”

Adobe’s approach revolves around simplicity, and while many enterprises might want to personalize their agents, the pre-configured tools have data governance and regulatory compliance built-in off-the-shelf, which all helps companies get up to speed more quickly.

Adobe agents - and an Agent Orchestrator

To manage agentic AI, Adobe has launched a new Adobe Experience Platform Agent Orchestrator interface, which works with Adobe’s own agents and third-party ecosystems.

From launch, the 10 new agents include: account qualification, audience, content production, data insights, data engineering, experimentation, journey, product advisor, site optimization and workflow optimization agents.

Adobe’s content production agent is perhaps a standout, allowing marketers and creatives to automate parts of their workflows by generating and assembling content based on a brief. The system adheres to pre-defined brand guidelines to produce accurate results the first time around.

The site optimization agent is also noteworthy for its always-on support for performant brand websites – it can automatically detect, recommend and then fix issues to boost customer engagement.

“Adobe is uniquely positioned to help brands meet this moment, with deep expertise in unifying AI, data and content production workflows to execute the right digital experiences with precision, while uncovering unseen problems,” said Digital Experience Business SVP Amit Ahuja.

At the same time, Adobe launched its Brand Concierge, a new AI application that enables conversational experiences tailored to individual brand interactions by using a company’s unique brand attributes and customer data.

Citing a 1,200% increase in traffic to US retail sites from GenAI sources between July 2024 and February 2025, Adobe Brand Concierge can create a more tailored experience in B2C settings, for example booking follow-up meetings on behalf of customers, but it also has B2B applications such as connecting sales and marketing teams.

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This review first appeared in issue 353 of PC Pro.

Workstation technology is the pinnacle of desktop PC power, and this month we’re testing a computer that showcases some of the latest high-performance components. Not only is the Scan 3XS GWP TR Ada our first look at AMD’s latest Ryzen Threadripper, back after a hiatus, but also Nvidia’s Ada generation graphics, and it boasts a bevy of PCI-E 5 NVMe storage as well.

First, that processor. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7980X is top of the resurgent range, offering 64 cores running at a base 3.2GHz but with a boost up to 5.1GHz. Scan has chosen Corsair H150i Elite Capellix RGB liquid cooling to eke the most out of this processor. The 360mm version has been installed on the front of the chassis, with three 120mm fans providing plenty of heat dissipation.

With the Ryzen Threadripper supporting quad-channel memory, Scan naturally populates all four DIMM sockets of the Asus Pro WS TRX50 Sage WiFi motherboard. These are 32GB 4,800MHz Samsung ECC Registered DDR5 modules, for a total of 128GB. You would need to replace all of them if you wanted more memory up to the motherboard’s 1TB maximum, but 128GB should be enough for the lifetime of this system.

The powerful components are kept cool by Corsair’s H150i Elite Capellix RGB liquid cooling (Image credit: Future)

No expense spared

Another top-level component is the Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada graphics, which uses Nvidia’s Ada Lovelace architecture, a 4nm design that takes professional GPU performance to the next level and is used in the incredibly potent GeForce RTX 4090 consumer graphics card. The RTX 6000 Ada packs 18,176 CUDA cores, a considerable upgrade on the 10,752 cores of the A6000 it replaces. Both cards have 48GB of GDDR6 memory, but the Ada’s memory is faster (2,500MHz versus 2,000MHz) so bandwidth has increased from 768GB/sec to 960GB/sec. The GPU clock is also up to 2,505MHz on boost, compared to 1,800MHz, so this is a seriously fast 3D graphics accelerator.

Scan has spared no expense when it comes to storage, either. The boot drive is a single 2TB Corsair MP700 NVMe M.2 device. This takes advantage of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series’ support for PCI-E 5. Running CrystalDiskMark 8, it delivered 11,492MB/sec reading and 11,773MB/sec writing, which are phenomenal levels of throughput. As if this wasn’t enough, there’s an 8TB array consisting of four more of the same drive in a RAID0 configuration, installed in a Hyper M.2 X16 expansion card that sits in one of the motherboard’s x16 PCI-E 5 slots. This array delivered mind-blowing 34,186MB/sec reading and 42,176MB/sec writing. That’s not a misprint – you’re getting 30 to 40GB/sec throughput. This will make editing even 8K video relatively painless, for example.

The drives offer throughputs of incredible speeds (Image credit: Future)

Touch of style

This plethora of potent components has been housed in a sizeable Fractal Design North chassis. The slats down the front make this look more like a stylish freestanding radiator than a PC, and it’s packed with features. There are two mounts for 2.5in drives, and two more for 3.5in or 2.5in units. None are used as all of Scan’s storage is NVMe-based. The power supply is a 1,000W Corsair RM1000X 80 Plus Gold unit, which should be well within its comfort zone despite the power-hungry core components. Even under full load, this isn’t a noisy computer.

The Asus motherboard offers both 10GbE and 2.5GbE LAN on the backplane, plus a built-in Wi-Fi 7 2x2 radio that can operate at up to 2.8Gbits/sec. There are three PCI-E 5 slots, but the two x16 ones are taken by the graphics and RAID storage array adapter, while the third operates in x8 mode. There’s also an x16 PCI-E 4 slot with a second that operates in x4 mode. The board contains three M.2 storage slots, with two operating at PCI-E 5 x4 speed (one taken by the boot drive), plus a third with PCI-E 4 x4 performance. The motherboard also has hardware and software support for Asus IPMI remote management expansion cards. However, there are only two 20Gbits/sec USB-C ports – one on the backplane and one on the top of the chassis at the front. The rest are Type-A ports of lesser speeds.

There are 10GbE and 2.5GbE LAN ports on the back, plus Wi-Fi 7 within (Image credit: Future)

Blasted with speed

We were expecting top performance from the new Threadripper, but we weren’t quite ready for just how fast this system is. An overall score in the PC Pro benchmarks of 954 is way ahead of anything we’ve tested before. Most of this is provided by the incredible 1,224 in the multitasking test, which is no surprise with 64 cores available. But the video result of 892 is phenomenal as well. Only the image editing score of 267 has been beaten before. This is a mostly single-threaded test, and there are CPUs with faster boost core frequencies.

If you want a true demonstration of how incredible this system is, however, look no further than the Maxon Cinebench R23 multithreaded result of 107,189. Putting this in perspective, the fastest 64-core Threadripper Pro 5995WX workstation we’ve tested – the Armari Magnetar MC64TP – only managed 76,330. The single-threaded result of 1,728 shows the improvement, too, as the Magnetar managed 1,492, although CPUs with lower cores and higher frequencies such as the Ryzen 7000 series or recent Intel Core chips do better in this test.

Further underlining these abilities, the Blender Gooseberry render took only 94.6 seconds using the CPU, the first time we’ve seen a processor complete this frame processing task in less than two minutes. On GPU (using CUDA) it took 69.2 seconds, much less time than any other professional card we’ve tested. The LuxMark 3.1 score of 26,426 is similarly high, showing just how much GPU compute power the Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada has on offer.

Power trip: the 1,000W Corsair PSU is an 80 Plus Gold-certified unit (Image credit: Future)

Tour de force

This GPU power translates into incredible 3D modelling capabilities. The standout result in SPECviewperf 2020 is an astonishing 1,235 with the snx-04 viewport, almost twice the fastest scores we’ve seen before. The catia-06 result of 208 is also impressive, as is 604 in solidworks-07, showing that CAD and product design capabilities are unparalleled, although the creo-03 score of 76 is surprisingly mediocre. For 3D animation, 295 in 3dsmax-07 and 807 in maya-06 tell their own story.

The Scan 3XS GWP TR Ada is a tour de force. Its 64-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper blows everything that went before out of the water with multithreaded tasks, and it’s no slouch with single threads, either. The Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada graphics also dominate for viewport acceleration or GPU rendering, and storage throughput is unparalleled. Of course, this workstation is expensive, but you certainly get what you pay for: the best possible workstation performance on the market.

There are plenty of good reasons to welcome back the non-Pro Threadripper, which is better than ever (Image credit: Future)

For a few years, it seemed like the regular AMD Ryzen Threadripper was history. After the Pro version arrived, there was no non-Pro 5000 series. But now the vanilla Threadripper is back with the 7000 generation. It’s based on the same Zen 4 core as the Ryzen and Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7000 series CPUs, manufactured using variants of TSMC’s 5nm fabrication process, but sits between the two in features and price.

Where the Ryzen 7000 series tops out at 16 cores, the Ryzen Threadripper 7000 series offers 24-, 32- and 64-core iterations. The Pro goes from 12 to 96 cores. Further differentiation comes with memory configuration. All three 7000 series ranges support DDR5 memory at up to 5,200MHz, but where the basic Ryzen has a dual-channel controller, the Threadripper’s controller is quad-channel and the Pro’s is eight-channel.

All three ranges now offer PCI Express 5, but the number of lanes available is another point of difference. The basic Ryzen has 28 PCI-E 5 lanes, but the Threadripper has 48, plus 24 PCI-E 4 lanes, and the Pro has 128 PCI-E 5 lanes. The greater number of lanes will mean that faster storage devices such as NVMe M.2 drives can be attached, faster networking devices can be used, and more graphics cards can be installed.

Since we last had non-Pro Threadrippers, AMD’s Zen core technology has moved on apace. Both the previous 3000 series and new 7000 series top out at 64 cores, but the 3000 version (3990X) had a base clock of 2.9GHz with 4.3GHz boost, whereas the 7980X as found in this month’s Scan system has a base clock of 3.2GHz with 5.1GHz boost. This will offer significantly better performance with software that favors fewer, faster cores and with applications that can use as many cores as possible. With AMD’s Precision Boost 2, you’ll get as many cores as your cooling and motherboard power delivery can handle to run at maximum frequency, although some will be flagged as the most capable after manufacturer testing. Putting this further in perspective, the 32-core AMD Threadripper 2990WX only had a base clock of 3GHz and a boost of 4.2GHz, so the 7980X is a huge leap forward.

As such, this Zen 4-based Threadripper represents another significant update for AMD. Intel has been posing a challenge to the Ryzen 7000 series with its 13th generation Raptor Lake chips, but its Sapphire Rapids Xeon workstation processors have only arrived recently and max out at 56 cores and a 4.8GHz boost frequency. The Threadripper undercuts it in price while the Threadripper Pro now goes up to 96 cores.

With the return of the non-Pro Ryzen Threadripper, there’s a more affordable route once again if you want more than 16 cores in your workstation for the best possible multithreaded performance.

We've also ranked the best large SSDs and hard drives.

This review first appeared in issue 353 of PC Pro.

As the latest member of the HP Poly Studio family, the X52 video bar delivers an advanced all-in-one solution for medium-sized meeting rooms. Taking over from the Studio X50, it features an uprated 20MP 4K UHD camera, a more powerful Qualcomm 865 CPU, improved dynamic framing algorithms, advanced microphones and Wi-Fi 6 support.

Apart from the larger camera there’s little to tell the two models apart but at 95°, the X52 has a narrower FoV (field of view) than the X50. This is because the X52 is designed to deliver a higher resolution when zooming in to participants at the far end of the meeting table.

Its mic array claims a six-meter pick-up range, while sound output is handled by two 20W ported speakers. You have two HDMI-out ports for dual monitor support, HDMI-in and USB-C for host connections, a gigabit network port and a port for Poly’s optional extension mic. All are easily accessible at the rear.

The X52 runs Poly’s Android-based VideoOS software, which supports BYOD (bring your own device) mode and includes built-in video apps. The guest list is impressive, and includes Microsoft Teams, Zoom Rooms, Google Meet, GoToRoom, RingCentral Rooms and BlueJeans Rooms.

Deployment is simple: you connect power and network, wait a minute while it boots up and point a browser at its IP address. The web interface presents a system status dashboard with the active video app and you move to the Provider section to choose another app from the drop-down list.

You can swap between them as required and, although a reboot is necessary, it only takes two minutes to regain access. BYOD mode is always available with the X52 automatically swapping to it when it senses a USB connection and, once you’ve finished, you can exit back to the app.

The Studio X52 delivers excellent video quality and can be remotely managed (Image credit: Future)

We had no problems cloud-managing the X52 by registering it with our Lens portal account. You can remotely manage all your Poly devices, assign them to sites and rooms, run remote firmware updates and upgrade to the premium Lens service for detailed meeting analytics.

We tested with Microsoft Teams and used the registration code presented on the screen to assign it to our Microsoft 365 account, where the X52 appeared as a new Teams Rooms on Android device. We also paired the X52 with Poly’s TC10 PoE-powered controller tablet and used the same registration process.

Our Teams console showed both devices as online and paired, after which the tablet moved all meeting controls to its own display. We had no problems creating and joining Teams meetings using the tablet’s 10in touchscreen, and in BYOD mode we could use its menu to manually control the camera and create up to ten presets for specific camera positions.

Video quality is excellent, and we noted the camera’s focus is markedly sharper than the Poly P15 we use in the lab. The mics worked well, as remote participants could hear us clearly when we were 4.5 meters away, while the dual speakers delivered a clean sound quality that easily filled our 24m2 meeting room at a 60% volume level.

The X52 gets the benefit of Poly’s NoiseBlockAI and Acoustic Fence technologies, which remove annoying background noises, while the DirectorAI feature handles group and speaker tracking. Also accessed from its web console, the DirectorAI Perimeter option allows you to define a custom tracking zone.

Although still in a preview testing phase, the X52 offers people framing, which shows all participants using up to six split screens. Whichever mode you choose, you’ll be impressed with its speed as the camera snaps to active speakers in no more than two seconds.

Poly’s Studio X52 is perfect for businesses that want a professional video conferencing solution for their medium-sized meeting room. Video quality is excellent, speaker tracking is impressively fast and the big choice of built-in VC apps makes it incredibly versatile.

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This review first appeared in issue 353 of PC Pro.

Despite its competitive price – the range starts at £649 inc VAT for a Core i3-1315U/8GB/256GB spec with Windows 11 Home – the E14 Gen 5 is everything a ThinkPad is expected to be. This graphite black laptop has the chrome ThinkPad logo on its aluminum lid, complete with the red-lit dotted “i” that gives it a hint of business elegance.

I tested the version with a polycarbonate/ABS cover, but you can choose aluminum. This adds nothing to the price and only 20g to the weight, and the latter is one of this laptop’s most attractive features: 1.4kg with the 47Wh battery, 1.5kg with the 57Wh option. However, with the bigger battery in place, the laptop only survived 7hrs 48mins in our web-surfing test. With this spec, we expected something over nine hours.

The power drain doesn’t come from Lenovo squeezing every last drop out of the supplied Core i7-1355U CPU. Although the E14 Gen 5 never missed a beat in my daily usage, the benchmarks don’t lie: Lenovo’s own ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 scored 8,979 in Geekbench 6.2’s multicore test to the E14’s 8,000. Similarly, in our Handbrake test, the E14 took 10mins 57secs to convert our sample 4K video to 1080p compared to 9mins 5secs for the X1.

(Image credit: Future)

Both machines have 16GB of RAM and, while the X1 has the advantage of LPDDR5 memory, it’s all soldered onto the motherboard. Here, 8GB is soldered on but there’s an 8GB DIMM that can be replaced by a 32GB module. You can also swap out the supplied 512GB SSD, a short but speedy M.2 2242 unit, or specify a 1TB model for an extra £60 when ordering.

The E14 continues Lenovo’s tradition of excellent keyboards, with snappy, deep-travel, chiclet-style keys, the trademark red TrackPoint and plenty of spacing. I loved typing on it and managed 91 words per minute in the 10FastFingers.com test with 97% accuracy, compared to my average of 88wpm with 91% accuracy. A smooth and centrally located touchpad adds to its attractions.

As ever with budget laptops, Lenovo has made a sacrifice with the screen. This is no wide-gamut affair, covering 65% of the sRGB space and 46% of DCI-P3. However, it’s strong in other areas: peak brightness of 374cd/m2 is actually 74cd/m2 more than Lenovo claims, while an average Delta E of 0.3 confirms excellent colour accuracy. It’s anti-glare, too, so great for office work, while a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution looks sharp over the 14in diagonal.

The excellent keyboard makes speedy typing for long periods a breeze (Image credit: Future)

A webcam perches above the screen, and it’s worth choosing the 1080p unit in my machine over the 720p option (at a cost of £20). It produced excellent video in good lighting, and even coped in low-light conditions. Autofocus and tracking were speedy, while using Windows Hello proved a breeze.

The dual mics did a fine job of focusing on my voice while keeping background noise to a minimum, and I was similarly pleased with the speakers.

Music emerged with discernible depth, mid-tones and highs. Take Megan Thee Stallion’s “Her”. The house music bassline hit hard, with no distortion even at the highest volume. Despite being lightweight and pretty slim – 19mm at the front, 22.7mm at the rear – Lenovo includes a generous number of ports. The left side packs two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-A port, an HDMI out and a combo audio jack. The right features a USB-A port, gigabit Ethernet and a nano Kensington lock. The latter adds to an impressive roster of security features, with a physical cover on the webcam, a self-healing BIOS and the option of a fingerprint reader (£10) built into the power button.

Ethernet and plentiful USB ports make this a fine workhorse (Image credit: Future)

Our price includes all these options, including Windows 11 Pro, but one of the great things about Lenovo’s approach is that you can customize it. For example, switching to a Core i5-1335U saves £200. You might prefer to spend some of this to extend the one year of on-site cover to three years; this has a list price of £210, but Lenovo frequently offers generous discounts.

So while battery life disappoints and we have criticisms of the screen and its outright speed, the E14 Gen 5 adds up to a strong choice for businesses on a budget. And even if you do cut it down to its most basic specs, it will exude professionalism for years to come.

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