Technology

• Ubisoft has upgraded its loyalty program
• Earned Units can now be redeemed for a 20% discount on pre-orders and new releases
• 100 Units are required for the discount

Publisher Ubisoft has upgraded its Ubisoft Store loyalty program on PC, increasing the number of games that are eligible to receive discounts from earned Units.

Previously, 100 Units could be used to receive a 20% discount on your entire basket at checkout - even relatively recent releases if they were over three months old. The discount would stack with promotions too, which is a recipe for some really excellent deals.

It’s a loyalty program that I’ve taken a lot of advantage of myself, as it can make steeply discounted games that little bit cheaper. On top of this, Units can also be redeemed for in-game items in some titles, like a bonus skin or two in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege or an outfit in Assassin's Creed Mirage.

What really sets this particular scheme apart, however, is the fact that Units can be earned for free by completing challenges in certain Ubisoft games. They are also awarded as a purchase bonus, with 1 Unit per $1 spent.

Towards the end of last week, Ubisoft sent out an email confirming that it would be upgrading the scheme to make it even better. “We’ve expanded our program, allowing you to exchange Units on a wider selection of products,” it reads.

It goes on to state that the 20% will now apply to pre-orders and brand new releases, removing the three-month requirement. This is going to be pretty big news if you’ve had your eye on any upcoming Ubisoft release like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, though pre-orders for that specific title aren't open quite yet.

New Ubisoft accounts are given 100 Units from the get go too, so if you don’t yet have one set up you’re able to get one discount completely on the house.

You might also like...

• Fortnite's new first-person mode sounds an awful lot like Counter-Strike
• Amazon Prime subscribers can claim a frankly absurd number of free games like The Outer Worlds and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine with Prime Gaming right now - these are my top picks
• Sniper Elite: Resistance brings its best to justify a return to 1940s France and shows why Rebellion isn't leaving World War 2 behind any time soon

With plenty of great features, three different colors to choose from and a 64% discount, this Pixel 7 Pro offer won't last long.

Yes, you should be using a VPN on your mobile device. Protect your privacy on the go with the best mobile VPNs for Android and iOS phones and tablets.

An 83% discount at Woot makes this microphone one of the best budget tech deals around.

If you use MacOS, your virtual private network should be as smart as your machine. Here are the VPNs we recommend based on our latest testing.

With a great fit and class-leading sound, these pricey open-ear buds have me hooked.

Save big on this massive Bluetooth speaker and get the party started for less.

Get the right data each time by following this strategy.

Duvet covers make it easy to switch up your bedding while protecting your duvet. We’ve found the best duvet covers available, and there’s something for every budget.

• Report finds new generic top-level domains, such as .xyz, have disproportionally more phishing websites
• Researchers believe it is because they are affordable and come with very few registration requirements
• More new domains are being announced, making the risk that much greater

New forms of domain names, such as .top, .shop, or similar, are proving unfortunately popular among scammers and cybercriminals, new research has claimed..

The Cybercrime Supply Chain 2024 report, published by Interisle Consulting Group researchers, used data from the Cybercrime Information Center to analyze 16 million cybercrime events, concluded there is a severe discrepancy between the overall market share of newly created top-level domains, and their use in cybercrime.

New generic top-level domains (gTLDs), introduced wihin the last few years, currently make up 11% of the total domain name market - yet, the report found they accounted for more than a third (37%) of cybercrime domains. At the same time, more “traditional” domains, such as .com, .net, .org, and similar, make up more than half of the total domain name market, yet account for slightly more than 40% of cybercrime domains, almost the same as gTLDs.

Cheap and simple

Drilling deeper into the reasons for this discrepancy, the researchers established that new gTLDs try to attract customers with cheap prices and a fast registration process. In fact, the researcher said that some of the gTLDs with the highest cybercrime domain score offered registrations for less than $1, or $2. The cheapest price for a .com domain they could find was $5.91.

Cybercriminals use these domains to create fake websites, infostealing landing pages, and more. Paired with cheap email distribution, phishing attacks cost the threat actors virtually nothing, while at the same time resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, if not more.

Analyzing the report, Krebs on Security noted phishing attacks increased nearly 40% in the year ending August 2024, demonstrating the popularity of this attack vector among cybercriminals. And with new gTLDs soon to be introduced, these types of attacks will most likely spread even more, and cause even more damage.

You might also like

• Cloudflare developer domains increasingly abused by threat actors
• Check out our guide to how to choose a domain name for your website
• These are the best endpoint protection tools right now

People use AI pals for all sorts of reasons. Here’s what happens when you take one on a solo trip to Japan.

Performance is lackluster on this Windows 2-in-1 laptop, but it’s still a solid proposition at this low price.

• Prime Video has confirmed when The Wheel of Time season 3 will be released
• The high-fantasy series will return to our screens in March 2025
• Season 3's first trailer teases the potential death of one of its main characters

Amazon has announced that The Wheel of Time season 3 will weave its way onto Prime Video in early 2025.

As revealed during Prime Video's multi-title panel at CCXP 2024 last Saturday (December 7), the high-fantasy series' third chapter will debut on March 13, 2025. The launch date unveiling was also accompanied by the first footage of The Wheel of Time's next installment, with its first teaser suggesting that one of its central characters might not make it to the end of this season.

Potentially big spoilers immediately follow for season 3, so don't scroll on if you're avoiding them.

Season 3's first trailer doesn't reveal too much, but one thing is seemingly clear: Rosamund Pike's Moiraine might not survive The Wheel of Time's next eight-episode entry. Indeed, the iconic Aes Sedai can be heard saying that she's seen "a thousand, thousand futures" as the teaser progresses, before stating that "in every future where I lived, Rand dies". Considering that Josha Stradowski's Rand al'Thor is the so-called Dragon Reborn, aka the individual who possesses the power to save or destroy the world, his survival is key to our heroes potentially triumphing over the evil that threatens them all.

So, what's the solution? It seems that Moiraine is willing to give up her life in order for Rand to continue his quest. Of course, this wouldn't be the first instance in a fantasy show or movie where someone has sacrificed themselves for somebody else. Nevertheless, Moiraine's death would be the one of the best Prime Video shows' biggest so far if it happens. My advice? Don't go searching for answers in The Wheel of Time's source material, because Robert Jordan's book series of the same name spoils what occurs.

What is The Wheel of Time season 3's story about?

The Wheel of Time season 3 may be the show's darkest entry so far (Image credit: Prime Video)

I'm glad you asked! Here's a plot synopsis, courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios: "At the end of season two, after defeating Ishamael, Rand reunites with his friends at Falme and is declared the Dragon Reborn. But in season three, the threats against the Light are multiplying: the White Tower stands divided, the Black Ajah run free, old enemies return to the Two Rivers, and the remaining Forsaken are in hot pursuit of the Dragon… including Lanfear (Natasha O'Keeffe), whose relationship with Rand will mark a crucial choice between Light and Dark for them both.

"As the ties to his past begin to unravel, and his corrupted power grows stronger, Rand becomes increasingly unrecognizable to his closest allies, Moiraine and Egwene (Madeleine Madden). These powerful women, who started the series as teacher and student, must now work together to prevent the Dragon from turning to the Dark… no matter the cost."

Will Rand and Moiraine survive the events of this season? (Image credit: Prime Video)

Well, that sounds ominous. As I said, though, the Dragon Reborn can be a force for good or evil, so there's no guarantee that Rand will walk the right path. His fate and that of the world, then, is yet to be determined.

Joining Stradowski, Pike, O'Keeffe, and Madden on the season 3 cast list are returning series regulars Daniel Henney, Zoe Robins, Marcus Rutherford, Donal Finn, Ceara Coveney, Kate Fleetwood, Ayoola Smart, and Kae Alexander. Rafe Judkins returns as showrunner/executive producer. For more on what I thought of the series' past two seasons, read my The Wheel of Time season 1 review and The Wheel of Time season 2 review.

Early 2025 is already looking like a stacked one for Prime Video, aka one of the world's best streaming services. Joining The Wheel of Time season 3 on the anticipated TV show return front are Invincible season 3 and Reacher season 3, and you can learn more about their next installments below.

You might also like

• New Invincible season 3 trailer teases a superhero civil war, new heroes, returning villains, and Mark's 'serious' supersuit
• Reacher season 3 lands a February 2025 release date on Prime Video – and a teaser trailer that packs a literal punch for the titular hero
• Fallout season 2 gets an exciting filming update from two of its stars – but I'd be amazed if it's released before 2026

AI can tackle your email mountain so you don't have to. Here's how to decide whether Gmail's new productivity feature makes sense for your workflow.

• The Apple Vision Pro could soon support Sony's PSVR 2 controllers
• Apple and Sony are currently in talks to make it happen, rumors suggest
• The benefits could go beyond gaming and and include visionOS apps

The Apple Vision Pro hasn't really taken off in the way the tech giant had hoped, and one reason could be its lackluster gaming support. Right now, you must control games with just your hands and in-air gestures, which is far from ideal in titles where precision and accuracy are key.

That could all change in the near future, though, as Apple is reportedly in talks with Sony to make its PlayStation VR2 controllers compatible with the Vision Pro. That would give Apple fans a much better way to interact with games while using the advanced virtual reality (VR) headset.

In his weekly Power On newsletter, Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman has claimed that Apple and Sony are currently in talks to bring the PlayStation VR2 controllers to the Vision Pro. The two companies originally planned to announce the deal “weeks ago,” Gurman says, but the rollout has reportedly been postponed for the time being.

If Vision Pro users are able to connect Sony’s PlayStation VR2 controllers to Apple’s headset, it could finally help the Vision Pro compete with some of the best VR headsets on the market in terms of gaming features. That could fix a major weakness currently facing Apple’s flagship device.

Benefits beyond gaming

(Image credit: Apple)

It’s not just Sony that Apple is in talks with – Gurman also states that Apple has spoken with game developers about integrating support for Sony’s controllers into their Vision Pro games.

Many games made for Apple’s headset already support standard PlayStation and Xbox controllers, but these devices are designed for living room gaming, not VR headsets. Adding compatibility with the PlayStation VR2 controllers, on the other hand, would add a much more VR-friendly option for gamers.

The benefits of adding hand controller support could be felt beyond gaming. Thanks to the increased accuracy that these controllers bring, anyone doing precise work using the Vision Pro headset – such as editing photos and videos – would benefit from the new control method. And Gurman says Sony’s controllers could also be used to navigate Apple’s visionOS operating system, which some users might prefer to Apple’s current eye- and hand-tracking method.

Funnily enough, Sony recently announced that the PlayStation VR2 would be getting support for hand tracking, presenting a sort of mirror image of what’s apparently happening with the Vision Pro.

Sony has never sold the PlayStation VR2 controllers as standalone units, and they have always been included with the PlayStation VR2 headset. That means Sony would need to start producing and packaging them on their own, but Gurman believes this is only a “hiccup” in the process rather than a major issue.

With work apparently well underway on bringing Sony’s controllers to the Vision Pro, we could soon see a solution to one of the main problems holding Apple’s headset back. Whether it’s enough to turn it into a mainstream success, though, remains to be seen.

You might also like

• Vision Pro at one – I love Apple's revolutionary headset, so why do I hardly ever use it?
• The Apple Vision Pro is finally getting the VR games it badly needs, but is it too late?
• PSVR 2 gets surprise hand tracking update, and Sony should be making a bigger deal of it

Finished the new Apple TV Plus movie Fly Me To The Moon starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum? Great, because there's another film hot on its heels that's packing just as much star power.

Apple's streaming service released the official trailer for The Gorge over the weekend, and it looks very different to its most recent romantic comedy. The sci-fi mystery thriller sees Anya Taylor-Joy (Queen's Gambit) and Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick) as guards at the gates of what they've been told is hell.

The two trained operatives are tasked with keeping whatever evil lurks inside the titular gorge from escaping and the world's most deadly secret, well, a secret. It sounds like a hell of a job and one that will need a lot of fire power to get done right. Take a look at the action-packed trailer below.

What can we expect from The Gorge?

The action is interspersed with plenty of mystery and sci-fi thrills, and there's also a sprinkling of romance to be had as we watch the characters get to know each other from a distance, even though they've been told not to interact.

One clip from the trailer even shows them playing a game of chess, using binoculars to see the movement of each other's pieces (Queen's Gambit star Taylor-Joy might have a bit of an advantage there). However, their unlikely relationship is interrupted when one of them falls into the gorge. Will all hell break loose? Is this the next best Apple TV Plus movie? We'll have to wait until next year to find out.

Alongside Taylor-Joy and Teller, The Gorge stars Sigourney Weaver (Alien), Sope Dirisu (Slow Horses; Black Mirror) and William Houston (Wednesday). In the director's chair is Scott Derrickson (The Black Phone; Doctor Strange) with Zach Dean (The Tomorrow War; Fast X) writing the screenplay.

The Gorge is set to premiere on February 14, 2025, on Apple TV Plus, aka one of the world's best streaming services.

You might also like

• Apple TV Plus is now available on Prime Video
• 3 new movies and shows on Apple TV Plus in December
• All the ways you can get an Apple TV Plus free trial

Videos of minors. Illegal data collection. Lack of oversight. Lawsuits. Problems have dogged the popular porn site for years. Is its promise of transparency enough for a reset?

Biotechnologist Sebastian Cocioba started hacking plants to put himself through college. Now, from his home lab on Long Island, he wants to bring the tools of genetic engineering to the masses.

• Apple is purportedly ‘investigating’ a 5G modem for its Macs
• The modem won’t be in Macs until 2026, or maybe even later
• Its own modem would bring down costs making 5G viable for Macs

Apple is mulling over finally adding a cellular modem to its Macs, after that prospect has been floating around the rumor mill for some time.

A cellular (5G) modem would mean that MacBooks could hook up to mobile broadband when on the move, as opposed to having to find public Wi-Fi somewhere or be tethered to an iPhone.

The rumor comes from a reliable source regarding Apple’s inner machinations, Mark Gurman, in an article for Bloomberg (via MacRumors).

Gurman believes Apple is ‘investigating’ the idea of a 5G modem in its Macs, but that such a model won’t be here next year – it’ll be 2026 at the earliest (or maybe even later).

The chip will be a custom-built 5G modem that Apple is readying for certain iPhone and iPad models next year, including the rumored iPhone 17 Air (also referred to as the iPhone 17 Slim). It’ll first be deployed on lower-end devices to test the waters before coming to the more heavyweight iOS hardware.

Apple’s 5G chip will replace the Qualcomm modems that it uses in iOS devices now, and in theory, if the firm’s own modems prove to be a success, they’ll come to Macs as well as the flagship iPhone and iPad models.

While the first generation of Apple’s modem will probably be a relatively modest piece of tech, Gurman believes that the company is planning to outgun Qualcomm’s modems by the third generation.

That might be a realistic ambition if Apple can achieve a similar success to that witnessed with the transition from Intel processors in Macs to its own M-series chips.

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: Bringing down the costs

As MacRumors points out, Gurman has previously said that Macs with 5G modems probably wouldn’t debut until 2028, so that timeframe has possibly been moved up. 'Possibly' is the key word there, as 2026 is mentioned as the earliest year we might see cellular-toting Macs, so it could well be more like 2027 before these devices turn up. If at all – Apple could always kick this plan further down the road, too.

You might well be wondering: why has it taken so long for Apple to get this modem-for-Mac plan on the table? Well, mainly because of the costly expense of paying Qualcomm for the necessary modems (and associated tech patent fees) if this were to be done right now – something that’ll be mitigated considerably when Apple has its own 5G modem.

Certainly, a 5G modem isn’t on everyone’s Mac wishlist, as you’ll need to stump up for the necessary mobile data subscription to use it, of course. But it’s going to be a tempting prospect for those who spend a lot of time on the move with their MacBook, and definitely a useful option to have. Note that 5G will, of course, be an optional addition, and not something you’ll get on the entry-level models.

You might also like...

• MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: which MacBook is best for you?
• The best MacBook and Macs 2024: top Apple desktops and laptops
• These are the top MacBook deals right now

• Prime Video has debuted the official trailer for Invincible's third season
• The new teaser arrives ahead of season 3's release in February 2025
• Its footage teases new superheroes, returning villains, and who'll betray Mark Grayson next

Invincible season 3's official trailer is finally here and, despite what's come before, the hit animated show's next chapter might be its darkest yet.

Debuting at CCXP 2024 in Brazil last Saturday (December 7), the teaser contains melodrama aplenty and moments that foreshadow some awful events to come. Full spoilers immediately follow for Invincible season 2, as well as storylines from the comics that'll be covered in season 3, so turn back now if you don't want to have anything ruined ahead of time.

As I noted in an article discussing what a new poster for Invincible season 3 teased, Mark will end his working relationship with Cecil Stedman in the Prime Video series' next outing. Indeed, the Global Defense Agency's (GDA) shady boss has, unbeknownst to Mark, been working alongside evil scientist D.A. Sinclair to create an army of ReAnimen with the view to using these mechanical zombies as a last line of defense against anyone who threatens humanity. Someone like, oh, I don't know, the son of Omni-Man (that'll be Mark, for anyone unaware) who may follow in his father's footsteps and try to conquer Earth for the Viltrumite empire.

It isn't just the titular human-Viltrumite hybrid who ends his association with Cecil. As Invincible's latest footage suggests, some of Mark's fellow Guardians of the Globe will also walk away from the GDA after a tense Marvel-esque civil war showdown with those who are still loyal to Cecil. In the source material, Rex Splode, Robot, Monster Girl, and Bulletproof quit the Guardians alongside Mark, and it seems they'll do likewise in Amazon's R-rated animated adaptation.

Say hello to Kid Omni-Man, Multi-Paul, and Mark's comics-accurate new suit

Looking fresh, Mark! (Image credit: Prime Video)

There's plenty more that one of the best Prime Video shows' latest trailers reveals. New heroes will emerge to help Mark, such as his younger half-brother Oliver, who officially becomes Kid Omni-Man next season. However, considering season 3 will see Kid Omni-Man take on the Mauler Twins, and given what long-time Invincible fans know about this particular duel from the comics, maybe Kid Omni-Man won't be as morally righteous as his elder sibling.

But I digress. Season 3 will also see the return of villains including Titan, Battle Beast, and Doc Seismic, the re-emergence of Darkwing 2.0, the debut of Dupli-Kate's twin brother Multi-Paul, Allen trying to convince Nolan to break out of Viltrumite jail and join the Coalition of Planets' fight against his own tyrannical race, and a new, "serious" – Mark's words, not mine – supersuit for the eponymous hero. Unfortunately, there's still no footage confirming when Mark and long-time love interest Eve will get together. Don't make me wait another season to find out if they do, Amazon!

Need a reminder of what happened last season? Read my Invincible season 2 ending explained article to see where the adult-oriented show left off and the story threads it needs to pick up soon. And, by "soon", I mean it, because Invincible season 3 launches on Prime Video with a three-episode premiere on February 6, 2025. New episodes will air weekly after that until the finale on March 13.

You might also like

• 9 huge Comic-Con 2024 announcements that I'm most excited for, from Avengers: Doomsday to Invincible season 4
• Invincible season 2 part 2 proves Prime Video is the unbeatable king of epic superhero shows
• Check out the best Prime Video movies to stream today