Technology

• Wine 10 is now out with more than 6,000 updates on its release log
• The emulator - which turns 32 this year - allows Linux/Unix users to run Windows software
• Open source project doesn't require Windows unlike virtual machine solutions

If you want to run Windows software on a Linux OS, you'll need to install the Wine compatibility layer. Wine, a recursive acronym for "Wine Is Not an Emulator," provides a runtime environment for running Windows applications natively on Linux without virtualization. It can also be configured as the default installer for Windows software, simplifying the setup process.

First released on July 4, 1993, Wine was created by Bob Amstadt (the project’s original lead) and Eric Youngdale as an open source implementation of the Windows API for Unix-based systems. Over the past 32 years, it has evolved into a powerful tool for bridging the gap between Windows and Linux environments and after a year of development, the developers behind it have announced the stable release of Wine 10.

This new version includes over 6,000 individual changes. While many are minor fixes, there are some notable highlights, including full support for the ARM64EC architecture and hybrid ARM64X modules, allowing seamless integration of ARM64EC and plain ARM64 code.

OpenGL support

High-DPI support has been improved in this release, with automatic scaling for non-DPI aware applications. Vulkan enhancements now support child window rendering and Vulkan Video extensions.

Direct3D updates include a new HLSL-based fixed function pipeline, Vulkan shader backend improvements, and dynamic state extensions to reduce stuttering. And, in a welcome move, OpenGL is now supported within the Wayland driver, which is enabled by default. This addition will allow for better integration with Wayland-based Linux environments.

Other changes include an experimental FFmpeg-based multimedia backend, improved HID and touchscreen input handling, enhanced Unicode and locale compatibility, and solid RPC/COM support on ARM platforms.

A number of other tweaks have been made too, such as process elevation, improved serial port event handling, and support for modern vector extensions like AVX-512. Developers also benefit from updated build tools, static analysis options, and bundled library upgrades like Capstone, Vkd3d 1.14, and FFmpeg.

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Both sides need a win to be in with a chance of a top-eight finish.

Arne Slot's returns to his homeland as the Reds look to claim top spot.

• IKEA announces a colorful new range of home electronics
• The range will be made in collaboration with the colorist Teklan
• Two new colors of its portable Vappeby Bluetooth speaker are out now

IKEA is no stranger to home tech, making smart lights, smart sensors and picture frame speakers, and more. Unfortunately, not many of those come decked in the bold colors that the homeware giant is famous for, but IKEA has just promised to fix that with a new series that it claims will "reimagine" home electronics.

The new home gadgets are being designed in collaboration with Tekla Evelina Severin, a designer and colorist known as Teklan on Instagram, and will apparently combine color, patterns and geometric forms to help the tech hold its own when surrounded by your bold, complementary home decor.

So far, so vague, but IKEA has given us a teaser of what to expect by refreshing its super-cheap (and surprisingly good) portable Vappeby Bluetooth speaker ($15 / £12 / AU$22) with two new colors. When the speaker launched last year it was available in black, red or yellow finishes, but the Teklan collaboration has delivered some rather fetching blue and pink versions that are available now.

The slightly less good news is that the full Teklan range isn't expect to launch until "early 2026" with more details to follow nearer that time. Come on, IKEAn – we were at least hoping to get some new stocking fillers in time for this Christmas. Still, the Vappeby speaker gives us some confidence that the new range could be worth the wait...

Cheap, cheerful...and actually good?

It's right at home with your bathroom accoutrements – but don't be fooled, the sound is no joke, not for this money (Image credit: Future)

If IKEA's refreshed Vappeby speaker is a taste of what's to come from its new Teklan collaboration, then that's a good sign – particularly if it applies that formula to some actually new, affordable products.

The Vappeby's price tag might create understandable caution, but TechRadar's Audio Editor Becky Scarrott tested the Vappeby last year – and her surprising conclusion was that it's "excellent" and an "alarmingly good Bluetooth speaker for the money".

While the speaker's new blue and pink variants look promising, it's hard to conclude that yellow (above) still isn't the best for bathroom tunes. Still, blue or pink could suit your decor better, and whatever version of Vappeby you go for it's hard to beat it on bang-for-buck.

Our testing found it to be "wholly worthy of its IP67 claim" for waterproofing, which means it can be dunked in water down to one meter and still survive for 30 minutes. And our review concluded that "there's very little wrong with the Vappeby sonically" as long as you "expect a forward-sounding, excitable performance rather than a laid-back or refined listen". That's why it made our list of the best cheap Bluetooth speakers last year.

It would be great to see IKEA repeat the Vappeby formula with other tech – I'm thinking portable heaters, desktop speakers, microphones, perhaps even a genuinely desirable router. What cheap-and-cheerful product would you like to see IKEA rustle up in this new designer collection? Let us know in the comments below.

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The Google Play Store has just introduced a new way for VPN providers to show they offer secure and trustworthy services – a "Verified" badge.

The new badge is designed to highlight consumer-facing VPN apps "that prioritize user privacy and safety," the Big Tech giant explains in a blog post. The goal is to help users make more informed choices about the VPN apps they download and use.

Google's new badge will be displayed on the VPN app's details page and in search results as a guarantee the virtual private network (VPN) service meets Google's safety standards.

How to get Google's "Verified" badge

"Earning the VPN badge isn't just about checking a box – it's proof that your VPN app invests in app safety," said Google, pointing out how the verification label will help providers stand out in a crowded VPN market.

To be eligible for the new verification badge, VPN providers need to complete a Mobile Application Security Assessment (MASA) Level 2 validation. This is essentially an evaluation of the app's security.

VPN apps must also have at least 10,000 installs and 250 reviews. They also require an "organization developer" account type and to be published on Google for at least 90 days to qualify.

Eligible app developers must also submit information on how they collect user data and opt into independent security reviews.

While other factors contribute to the evaluation, Google explains, fulfilling these requirements "significantly increases" the chances of getting the VPN Verified badge.

"In a market where trust is key, this badge not only provides reassurance to customers, but also highlights the integrity of developers committed to delivering secure and reliable products," commented NordVPN to Google. (Image credit: Google)

Google's initiative comes as a very much-needed move. Increasingly more instances have proven downloading a legitimate VPN app from the internet isn't enough to be safe.

At the beginning of the month, for example, Google warned of legit VPN apps being used as a backdoor to infect devices with malware.

VPN downloads have also increased across the US lately to evade age verification laws and temporary blocks enforced on TikTok.

Some of the best VPN apps have already received a verification badge. These include TechRadar's top pick NordVPN, Hide.me, and Aloha Browser.

Google's new Verified badge adds to Google's ongoing commitment to better transparency and security in its App Store. These include the privacy labels rolled out in 2022 and the independent security review banners introduced the year after.

NordVPN’s newly launched NordWhisper VPN protocol aims to bypass VPN restrictions by mimicking traditional web traffic.

A White House memo ordered a halt to federal assistance and a review to align spending with Donald Trump’s priorities. Many legal experts say the order is unconstitutional.

• New details about Phantom Blade Zero's gameplay features have been revealed
• The game will reportedly take 20-30 hours to beat and have 20 hours of side content
• The soulslike will have four difficulty options and a phase two checkpoint on all bosses

New details have emerged about Phantom Blade Zero, S-Game's upcoming soulslike action game.

The PS5 exclusive was announced last year and it wasn't until recently that the developer treated fans to a fresh look in a six-minute gameplay trailer showcasing an intense boss battle.

We don't have a release date just yet, but thanks to multiple Chinese outlets (via Push Square) we now have confirmation of a ton of features the game will have at launch.

Interestingly, it looks like Phantom Blade Zero will be straying away from the traditional soulslike formula by featuring at least four difficulty options, including easy, normal, hard, and extremely hard, something other games in the genre, like Elden Ring or Lies of P, lack.

In terms of story, it will reportedly take between 20 and 30 hours to beat the main campaign. There will be 20 hours of additional side content too, which could mean side quests and bosses not tied to the narrative.

Speaking of boss fights, each boss will have two battle phases - although we can't be sure if this will apply to every single boss just yet. Unlike other popular soulslike games, there will be a phase two checkpoint, meaning if the player were to die, they will respawn at the beginning of that phase without losing phase one progress.

Additionally, there will be a separate mode that will allow players to replay boss fights, similar to the Reflections of Strength mode in Sekiro Shadows Die Twice, which lets players challenge any boss to a re-match.

It's said that this mode will also lead to more "hidden" bosses to confront, but we don't know how many there will be.

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• McAfee researchers find number of malicious GitHub repositories
• The repositories change every week, but always promise game cracks, hacks, or free access to commercial software
• But instead of the cracks, the victims get infected with Lumma Stealer

Cybercriminals are using GitHub to target children with infostealing malware, a new McAfee report has claimed, saying it spotted an ongoing malicious campaign on the popular code repository.

In an analysis, the researchers said they observed many repositories pretending to be game hacks, cracks, or free versions of otherwise commercial software. However, instead of providing these programs, the repositories were actually hosting Lumma Stealer, a known infostealer malware.

“McAfee Labs encountered multiple repositories, offering game hacks for top-selling video games such as Apex Legends, Minecraft, Counter Strike 2.0, Roblox, Valorant, Fortnite, Call of Duty, GTA V and or offering cracked versions of popular software and services, such as Spotify Premium, FL Studio, Adobe Express, SketchUp Pro, Xbox Game Pass, and Discord to name a few,” the researchers said.

Disabling the AV

This “network of repositories”, as McAfee described it, changes the description every week, and creates new repositories, since the old ones get flagged and removed by GitHub. The payload, however, always remains the same.

“These repositories also include distribution licenses and software screenshots to enhance their appearance of legitimacy,” McAfee concluded.

The descriptions also contain instructions on how to download and run the malware, and how to disable any antivirus programs on the computer, before running it. The attackers said that antivirus solutions flag these programs as false-positives, and can safely be ignored.

McAfee says this social engineering technique, combined with the trust GitHub enjoys with its users works well, and that the campaign infected many users. The researchers did not share any numbers, but stressed that the targets are mostly on the younger side:

“Children are frequently targeted by such scams, as malware authors exploit their interest in game hacks by highlighting potential features and benefits, making it easier to infect more systems.”

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• Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked's first trailer just dropped
• It shows us the Demeo-meets-D&D experience we were expecting
• There's no release date, but we were promised post-launch DLC support

Just over a year ago it was announced that Demeo developer Resolution Games would be creating a VR Dungeons & Dragons title, a collaboration akin to combining peanut butter and jelly – it just made perfect sense. Now we’ve got the first trailer for the upcoming project: Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked (try saying that five times fast), and we’ve got our first look at the gameplay.

Demeo is the essential tabletop experience in VR with elements that fans of IRL games will recognize instantly – including dice rolling, miniatures, and fantastical settings. It was already approaching D&D in VR, so an official partnership between the two games wasn’t surprising. And the end result is exactly what people expected.

As seen in the trailer (we’ve dropped it below for you) various players come together as their diverse set of characters – a Dragonborn warrior, Halfling mage, Elf bard, and Tiefling rogue – to take on a band of Kobolds in a tabletop setting made to look like woodlands.

It ends with a quick flash of recognizable Demeo gameplay – a player rolling a die to make an attack, while the other members of their party scan their hand of cards to decide what actions they’ll take on their turn.

So far, the only distinctly D&D change is that the usual 12-sided die used in Demeo has been swapped for the iconic 20-sided die (D20) which all D&D campaigns rely on. However, other D&D elements have been stripped away to make the game more like Demeo; Battlemarked will be a Dungeon Master-less experience (a person who runs the game for the players) with the game deciding how NPCs and monsters engage with the players, and the title will focus on “social strategy rather than social roleplay” according to the developers – so expect combat galore.

Beyond what the trailer had to show us, Resolution Games and Wizards of the Coast have promised us two story-based campaigns at Battlemarked’s launch, with additional campaigns planned as DLC for future updates.

We’re not sure which settings will make an appearance, but we expect a few iconic locations and campaigns from the Forgotten Realms – Icewind Dale, the Tomb of Annihilation, Waterdeep, and Ravenloft to name a few – will be adapted for this upcoming title.

We unfortunately don’t know when that launch will happen however, nor which platforms Demeo x Dungeons & Dragons: Battlemarked will launch on, though we’re expecting it’ll match the core Demeo’s release – Meta Quest 3, PCVR, PlayStation VR 2 and Apple Vision Pro systems.

(Image credit: Wizards of the Coast) Give me customization, or give me death

There’s a lot we still don’t know about Battlemarked but one aspect of D&D I hope we do see is customization – the ability for players to create their own characters, and potentially even their own campaigns.

I’m not expecting something to the same degree of Baldur’s Gate 3’s character creation, but the ability to mix and match classes with different D&D species to create my choice of hero rather than having to select a pre-made champion – which is what you do in Demeo – would make this feel more like a D&D adventure.

I also know a lot of players – myself included – were hoping this Demeo collab might materialize as some kind of virtual tabletop experience that gives us control over the action for our own custom games. I certainly don’t mind the inclusion of a DM-less campaign mode, but a DM-led custom mode would be awesome – especially as a stepping stone for new groups to transition from playing Battlemarked to playing D&D-proper. Demeo isn’t new to PvP – with its Demeo: Battles variant – so pulling in elements into a 3v1 players vs DM environment would be a lot of fun.

Admittedly, I’m not holding my breath for either of these customization suggestions, but as a D&D and VR fan I’m excited to see what Resolution games and Wizards of the Coast have in store for us.

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The Gunners need just a point to seal their place in the last 16.

Two sides chasing an automatic qualification spot face off at Villa Park.

It's win or bust for Pep Guardiola's men as they host the Belgian champions at the Etihad.

Thanks to a unique recycling process, the secret to this high-performance puffer is repurposed climbing kit

Leading VPN provider, NordVPN, has just launched a “revolutionary” censorship-resistant VPN protocol as a response to greater online restrictions worldwide.

NordWhisper, the company explains, is designed to work against the most challenging network filtering techniques by mimicking regular web traffic. Despite the similarities, the new VPN protocol promises to differ from current VPN obfuscation solutions, ensuring a smoother and more consistent browsing experience.

NordVPN is rolling out NordWhisper gradually across its Windows, Android, and Linux apps, with more support expected for other platforms in due course.

How does NordWhisper work?

"We designed NordWhisper with our users in mind," said Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN. "It’s not just about getting around network restrictions; it’s about empowering people to work, communicate, and access essential services securely and freely, even in the most restrictive environments.”

Unlike traditional VPN protocols like OpenVPN or WireGuard, NordWhisper uses web tunnel technology designed to mimic normal web traffic. As per experts at Tor Browser who first released this technology, this method encapsulates the data in transit within standard HTTP packets. It essentially creates a hidden tunnel that can protect users' privacy and allow them to bypass network restrictions that might block specific types of traffic.

Such an infrastructure promises to be more efficient than VPN obfuscation, "While standard protocols using obfuscation techniques are effective on networks that prevent access to essential services or public resources, NordWhisper steps in when VPN-specific blocks make connecting to these networks more challenging," NordVPN explains in a blog post.

"We would like to remind people to ensure that their use of NordWhisper complies with all applicable laws, agreements, and network policies," said Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN. (Image credit: Nord Security)

Increasingly more countries worldwide have been heavily restricting the internet, investing copious amounts in developing always more efficient network filter technologies. This has resulted in a need for new solutions to enable everyone to bypass advanced online restrictions and access the open internet – no matter where they're browsing from.

You should use NordWhisper only when connecting to the internet from a highly restricted environment. That's because this VPN protocol may slow down your internet connection due to the technology it uses.

NordWhisper has been rolled out for Windows, Android, and Linux VPN users only. The provider plans to expand support for other platforms over time and will continue upgrading the VPN protocol to be on top of changes in the network filtering landscape.

Once available, you'll be able to manually select the option directly from the app's settings by heading on VPN connection and tapping on the NordWhisper button.

The company reportedly snuck the update into this week's iOS 18.3 release.

The era of console exclusivity continues to fade with remarks from Microsoft Games's master chief.

Philips Audio has revealed a new set of products all designed with a strong retro feel, called the Century range. As the name suggests, the idea is to celebrate of 100 years of the Philips name making audio gear, and the designs draw from different parts of the last century. Oh, and they're all named after big music artists.

The collection consists of two record players with built-in speakers, two pairs of headphones, and a portable digital radio, which will all launch officially in September 2025 in the UK and Europe (US availability isn't confirmed yet, but Philips Audio does sell products there, and will launch its new H8000E noise-cancelling headphones there).

I saw them all in person, though I couldn't hear them because the units weren't quite ready yet – but I saw enough to get me excited to try them, because there's some seriously cool stuff going on.

The Ringo

(Image credit: Future)

First, we've got to talk about The Ringo headphones, which are designed to look just like the '80s on-ear headphones you'd have expected to see all over Venice Beach in California connected to Walkmans.

They've got a metal headband, small circular on-ear pads, and colorful ear cup backs, with options for teal, black or white finishes (and possibly more to come). But don't be fooled, they're really modern inside, featuring Bluetooth 5.4 and 40mm drivers, which is impressive for such small ear cups.

Those who like the best on-ear headphones are a little starved of wireless options compared to the many over-ear options on the market, so these will be welcome – and they look super-cool. Pleasingly, they come with spare ear pads, so you don't need to worry about wearing them down. The battery life is about 20 hours.

The Tina

(Image credit: Future)

My next favorite from the collection is The Tina, which is a record player with a 120W built-in speaker, which Philips says is the most powerful speaker ever put in an all-in-one record player to date. It's a 2.1 stereo setup, featuring two full-range drivers facing forward, and a four-inch bass reflex subwoofer.

There's an aluminum platter and tonearm with adjustable counter-weight, and it comes with an Audio-Technica moving-magnet cartridge. As well as playing music out through the speakers, you can play over Bluetooth, including using Auracast to play to multiple speakers at once, and it has a 6.3mm headphone socket.

But this isn't just competing with the best turntables for vinyl-playing alone; you can also stream music into it over Bluetooth, or it has RCA aux-in, plus USB file playback, and even digital and FM radio tuners.

And on top of all that, it's a very striking thing to see in person. That mid-century wood veneer and front grille combo, with chunky dials at either end, is a cool statement on a sideboard.

The Freddie

(Image credit: Future)

Perfect for pairing with The Tina for private listening is The Freddie, a set of deeply cushioned open-back headphones with 50mm drivers. Philips has made a lot of very nice open-back headphones over the years from its Fidelio brand, and it looks like a lot of the principles have been used here – but with a brown finish that just screams 'old-school hi-fi'. Well, perhaps perhaps it screaming it isn't era-appropriate; more croaking it through a smoky haze in a listening club.

There's a 3m cable included, and the double-layer earpads are made to be more breathable than older headphones might have been, and with a suspended headband for lengthy listening.

The Stevie

(Image credit: Future)

Next on my personal favorites list is The Stevie, which is another all-in-one record player. It has a more modern look, and is very much aimed at vinyl beginners, featuring modest 12W speakers, and the option of streaming to it via Bluetooth as well as playing records.

The spinner is a three-speed, belt-driven affair, with an Audio-Technica MM cartridge again. As well as the built-in speakers, you can send the music out to Bluetooth speakers, and there's a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Janet

(Image credit: Future)

Finally, there's The Janet (pictured on the right, above), which is a DAB+ and FM radio that aims to suggest a '50s vibe with its curved sides, though I think its black finish and LCD screen make it look too modern to really tickle the retro-loving part of the brain. It has a 5W speaker, and you can stream music to it over Bluetooth as well as the radio.

It has a battery life of 16 hours, and this is one of many speakers Philips is launching that has an easily replaced rechargeable battery – if it stops holding charge years from now, you can just buy another from Philips, pop open a cover, and swap the units. It's great to see.

It's a shame I can't tell you more about how these sound – or, just as importantly – how much they'll cost. But I was totally charmed by the looks of The Ringo and The Tina especially, so I'm looking forward to September when we can see if what's inside lives up to the outside.

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• A travel service, integrated into many airline service providers, carried a security flaw
• This could be abused to log into people's accounts and change their bookings
• It has since been reported and mitigated

A “popular, top-tier” travel service for hotel and car rentals was vulnerable to a flaw which allowed malicious actors to take over anyone’s account, a new report from API security firm Salt Labs has claimed.

By abusing the flaw, they would be able to book hotel rooms, rent cars, and modify any booking information, easily. To make matters worse, since the service is integrated into “dozens” of commercial airline online services, it would also allow miscreants to spend airline loyalty points, and more.

Salt Labs said millions of people could be at risk, but that it did not want to say the name of the affected service.

Stealing session cookies

Here is how a theoretical attack would work: A malicious actor would create a custom-tailored link and share it with the victim via usual channels (for example, email). The victim would click on the link, leading to the rental service provider, which would ask it to log in with the credentials associated with the airline service provider.

At that point, the rental platform generates a second link, and sends the victim back to the airline’s website, to log in using OAuth.

OAuth (Open Authorization) is an open standard for secure access delegation, allowing applications to access a user's data on another service without exposing their credentials.

Because of the custom-built link, the authentication response is returned to the attackers, including the user’s session token, which grants them access to the platform.

"Since the manipulated link uses a legitimate customer domain (with manipulation occurring only at the parameter level rather than the domain level), this makes the attack difficult to detect through standard domain inspection or blocklist/allowlist methods," the researchers said in their write-up.

Salt Labs disclosed its findings to the affected service, which confirmed the flaw and deployed a fix.

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• Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer isn't ruling out a potential Starfield PS5 release
• Spencer said he can't "put a ring fence around any game and say this game will not go to a place where it would find players"
• The CEO wants Xbox to be a platform "that enables creators across any screen that people want to play on"

Bethesda hasn't announced if its Xbox console-exclusive game Starfield will make the jump to PS5, but Microsoft gaming head Phil Spencer isn't ruling out the idea.

Speaking on Save State Plus in a recent interview, Spencer was asked directly by host Destin Legarie if he could confirm whether the sci-fi role-playing game (RPG) will remain an Xbox exclusive forever, to which the CEO said, "No."

"There’s no specific game… this kind of goes back to my red line answer. There’s no reason for me to put a ring fence around any game and say this game will not go to a place where it would find players, where it would have business success for us," Spencer added.

"What we find is we’re able to drive a better business that allows us to invest in great game line-up, like you saw. And that’s our strategy. Our strategy is to allow our games to be available, Game Pass is an important component of playing the games on our platform. But to keep games off of other platforms, that’s not a path for us. It doesn’t work for us. What we’re doing now, we think really enables us to build the best platform for the world’s best games."

Phil Spencer on Starfield exclusivityDestin: "Can you solidify that Starfield is staying put for the time being?"Spencer: "No."Source: https://t.co/ccNXLG6GU5 pic.twitter.com/r6sfx9e193January 25, 2025

Microsoft kicked off its multi-platform push last year, which saw Hi-Fi Rush, Grounded, Pentiment, and Sea of Thieves make their way to PS5. We can also expect MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to be released on PS5 in Spring 2025, following its timed-exclusive launch on December 9 for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

Spencer continued, saying, "the world’s biggest games are available in multiple places. And more and more creators are asking us, 'how do we stay connected when our game might be playable in all these different places?' And we want Xbox to be absolutely the platform that enables that.

"We think that makes us unique. Most of the other platforms out there are single platform on single device. Whether that’s PC, whether that’s mobile, whether it’s a console. And we want Xbox to be a platform that enables creators across any screen that people want to play on."

Late last year, Spencer said there were no "red lines" regarding the release of more Xbox games on PlayStation but was unable to reveal any of the titles he had in mind.

"I think the ball is moving in the right direction. I think this idea of open platforms, where users have more choice, creators have more choice, you see the momentum, right?" he said at the time.

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