Technology

Sir Keir Starmer has outlined what he considers ambitious plans for AI growth, positioning the UK as a global leader in artificial intelligence. The AI Opportunities Action Plan, published in January, promises to significantly expand AI research resources by 2030, alongside the rapid development of AI Growth Zones to support data center expansion.

However, there’s a critical challenge: Can the UK’s energy infrastructure keep pace with this exponential AI demand? AI infrastructure requires unprecedented power density — as much as 120 kW per rack with Nvidia’s technology today and plans for 600kW in 2027 — far exceeding traditional computing needs. The UK is already facing power shortages in major data center hubs, forcing a tough question:

Does the UK’s AI strategy align with today's realities?

To deliver, the government must balance innovation with sustainability, ensuring long-term success rather than short-term policy wins. There needs to be a clear overarching strategy on what success looks like: an AI driven economy at all costs, or a focus on UK net zero efforts which could mean a compromise on AI growth plans. Here are five key considerations that will determine whether the UK’s AI ambitions become a global success story or an infrastructure crisis.

1. Balancing AI growth with energy infrastructure

AI is an energy-intensive technology, and power constraints are already delaying new data center developments in key UK hubs. London remains the epicenter for datacenter deployments; a recent report from Cushman & Wakefield highlighted over 1GW of datacenter capacity in production today with a pipeline of over 1.5GW.

Given the UK’s computing demands are increasing, concerns about grid stability and potential power shortages remain. The government must collaborate with energy providers to ensure that satisfying the demand data centers is balanced with increasing energy demands to support societal shifts. This may include dedicated, scalable and sustainable power sources for datacenters, as well as encouraging data center operators build facilities that include the necessary power generation.

Investments in smart grid technology and demand-side response programs will be critical to managing energy loads efficiently. Without a long-term energy plan, AI’s expansion could put pressure on the broader grid, affecting homes, businesses, and essential public services.

2. Sustainable energy solutions for AI

Datacenters including those supporting AI workloads require a consistent energy supply that is at odds with the variable supply from renewable sources that vary by the amount of wind or sunshine. The UK must continue to develop a cohesive diversified energy strategy that integrates nuclear, wind, and solar power alongside advanced energy storage solutions. Clearly efforts to diversify energy production are advancing, but the combination of sources is key.

Nuclear energy can provide a consistent baseload, but comes with large drawbacks in the form of the overall carbon footprint required to build, maintain and dispose of nuclear energy; the introduction of small modular reactors could be an important development here. Renewable sources are intermittent therefore grid-scale battery storage will be essential to stabilise the supply. Additionally, investments in AI-powered energy forecasting models could help optimize grid efficiency and balance energy supply and demand in real time.

Another important sustainability angle that is being increasingly adopted is using heat from datacentres for district heating, thus reducing the overall energy demand for the area. An 80MW datacentre has the potential to provide heating for as many as 13,000 homes.

Without a strategic approach to aligning AI expansion with sustainable energy generation, the UK risks jeopardizing its progress on the renewable make-up of the grid.

3. Optimizing data center efficiency

Unlike traditional enterprise data centers, AI data centers require higher-density compute, advanced cooling, and fast access to data. If UK data centers are not upgraded to meet these demands, issues with power, cooling, and efficiency will limit AI progress.

Emerging cooling technologies such as liquid cooling and direct-to-chip cooling are fundamental to being able to use the most demanding GPUs. Without modern cooling methods, data centers will struggle to handle the thermal load of AI training and inference workloads.

Storage will also play a key role. High-density flash storage is significantly more energy-efficient than legacy spinning disk drives and can provide the data throughput required to feed GPUs and keep them operating efficiently.

Given that energy is the most important commodity when thinking about datacenters it’s essential that the equipment within the datacenter is as efficient as possible getting the most value out of every kW.

4. Policy and regulatory support

While the UK government is investing in AI infrastructure, policy gaps could slow progress. AI-friendly regulations should enable innovation rather than create additional bottlenecks.

While AI Growth Zones (AIGZ) consider both datacenter growth from a land, planning and power perspective incentivizing energy-efficient AI data centers, through tax breaks and grants, could accelerate sustainable development based not only on the efficiency of the datacenter itself but also the technology deployed within it. The AI Opportunities Action Plan, while ambitious, lacks a clear roadmap for aligning AI’s energy consumption with net-zero commitments.

Public-private collaboration will be essential to ensuring AI infrastructure aligns with national sustainability goals. At the same time, policymakers must address AI’s ethical and security challenges, ensuring that regulations protect data integrity, privacy, and public trust without stifling innovation.

5. Lessons from global AI leaders

The UK is competing with the US, China, and the EU, all of whom have massive AI infrastructure investments. To stay competitive, the UK must learn from other countries' strategies and adapt accordingly.

France has committed €109 billion in AI investment, significantly outpacing the UK’s financial backing and positioning itself as a European AI hub. Meanwhile, the US and China continue to dominate AI innovation, leveraging government-backed infrastructure expansion and large-scale energy investments.

If the UK cannot match these AI superpowers in raw infrastructure scale, it must instead focus on agility, efficiency, innovation, and regulatory leadership to carve out a competitive advantage. The UK’s AI success will depend not just on investment, but on smarter, more efficient execution.

Final thought: what could derail the UK’s AI vision?

The UK’s AI ambitions are bold, but without the right energy, storage, and compute infrastructure, these plans may struggle to materialize.

AI will not just push the limits of existing energy grids and data centers; it will demand an entirely new approach to sustainability, efficiency, and scalability.

If the UK is to lead in AI, it must move beyond policy ambitions and deliver real infrastructure advancements, before global AI leaders continue to look elsewhere.

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• An incoming version of Spotify's iOS app contains changes to audiobooks
• If approved by Apple, it'll let you buy audiobooks via links from the app
• Premium subscribers will also be able to buy 'Top Up' hours for audiobooks

Spotify is looking to improve its iOS experience for audiobook fans in the US by enabling them to purchase audiobooks (via links) and 'Top Up' hours from within the Spotify app.

The streaming giant has submitted an update to its App Store listing to Apple that would allow it to add links and pricing information for audiobooks to the Spotify app, allowing users in the US to use external links to purchase audiobooks.

If Spotify’s iPhone app update gets approved by Apple, non-Premium users will be able to purchase individual audiobooks and Premium subscribers can purchase additional ‘Top Up’ hours for audiobook listening.

Spotify already offers 15 free monthly hours of audiobook streaming for Premium users, and this update would allow them to access even more of Spotify’s library of audiobooks, if they’re willing to pay.

This news follows Spotify’s recent iOS update, which it issued in response to the Epic Games vs Apple legal battle, which resulted in Apple having to ease its control over the App Store.

Why is this happening?

(Image credit: Spotify)

Apple had previously limited the extent to which developers could advertise and use link-to-payment options outside the App Store – where Apple could take a 30% cut from in-app purchases.

Since this ruling, Apple has been ordered to stop taking commission from purchases made via external links, creating the opportunity for Spotify to seek to earn more revenue from App Store purchases.

In a blog post Spotify said: “It helps level the playing field by allowing developers to offer basic pricing information and easy-to-access links to purchase digital goods through iPhones with no unnecessary steps or additional taxes levied by Apple.

This change also unlocks new revenue opportunities for audiobook publishers and authors, allowing them to reach fans and access new audiences seamlessly.”

Previously, Spotify tried to get around Apple’s App Store restrictions by not showing audiobook prices in the app, instead emailing links to users where they could purchase audiobooks on the web.

This change would make a huge difference for Spotify’s audiobook library, and would mean that the streaming service wouldn’t have to take alternative measures to improve audiobook access and revenue opportunities. Now we’re just waiting for Spotify to display a similar sense of urgency in bringing us Spotify HiFi.

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• Florida has rejected a bill to require mandatory encryption backdoors for social media
• The Social Media Use By Minors bill was "indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration" on May 3, 2025
• Privacy experts have strongly criticized the proposal, warning that it would have made young people less safe instead

Florida has finally rejected a bill that would have required, among other things, mandatory encryption backdoors for all social media platforms that allow minors to open an account.

The "Social Media Use By Minors" bill came as a way to improve children's safety online and also included obligations to prevent minors from using ephemeral messaging features, while providing full access to their activities to parents and legal guardians. Yet, privacy experts have strongly criticized the proposal, warning that it would have made young people less safe instead.

On May 3, 2025, the bill was "indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration," as indicated on the official Florida Senate's website.

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"A win for privacy"

Encryption is the technology used by secure messaging apps and the best VPN services to keep users' online activities private.

Signal, WhatsApp, iMessage, and Instagram use end-to-end encryption to scramble all messages leaving a device in an unreadable form to prevent unauthorized access.

Florida lawmakers, however, wanted to force social media platforms "to provide a mechanism to decrypt end-to-end encryption when law enforcement obtains a warrant or subpoena."

Yet, experts have long warned that it's impossible to create an encryption backdoor that only law enforcement can exploit, de facto undermining a crucial security feature for everyone.

Despite the Senate voting for the "Social Media Use By Minors" bill (SB 868/HB 743) to pass, Florida's House of Representatives blocked it on May 3.

Failing to attract the support of both legislative chambers means the proposal did not pass and was prevented from becoming law.

Update May 5, 2025: In a win for privacy and encryption, the Florida Legislature ended its regular 2025 session on May 2 without passing SB 868 / HB 743. https://t.co/jxAwOexDUGMay 5, 2025

"In a win for privacy and encryption, the Florida Legislature ended its regular 2025 session on May 2 without passing SB 868 / HB 743," digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) commented the decsion in a tweet on May 5.

Experts at EFF have previously deemed the proposal "dangerous and dumb," arguing how lawmakers were "asking for the impossible" – an encryption backdoor only for minors that only good guys would have been able to use.

This is not the first time a similar bill failed to receive the needed majority to become law across the world.

In Europe, for example, France rejected the controversial encryption backdoor provision included in the Drug Trafficking Act in March on similar grounds.

The EU Commission also consistently fails to agree on what's been nicknamed Chat Control, a bill that would use mandatory scans of all citizens' chats in a bid to halt the spread of sexual abuse material.

Nonetheless, encryption remains at the crossroads globally – on one side, law enforcement sees it as an obstacle to criminal investigation, on the other, cybersecurity experts reiterate its importance for everyone's privacy and security online.

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• A researcher claims a DOGE employee's data was found in four infostealer logs
• A security expert claims the employee wasn't actually hacked
• Since Waltz's Signal fiasco, US gov employees' security hygiene is being scrutinized

A DOGE worker has had his personal computer infected by infostealer malware on multiple occasions, a researcher claims, hinting that the US government’s security lapses go way past Mike Waltz’s Signal fiasco. Not everyone agrees with this assessment, however.

As picked up by The Register, recently a security researcher named Micah Lee took a closer look at the security posture of one Kyle Schutt, allegedly a 37-year-old "DOGE software engineer". Wired also reported that Schutt was “on the CISA staff”.

Lee claims that Schutt’s personal computer was compromised by infostealer malware at least four times so far, saying that they found his data in four different infostealer logs.

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Infostealing malware

“Stealer logs are collections of URLs paired with usernames and passwords, compiled with the help of malware. If malware infects your device, it can do things like log your keystrokes or record everything entered into forms in your web browser – building a list of your usernames and passwords for various websites – and then send this data back to the person who controls the malware. This is where stealer log data comes from,” Lee explained.

Lee also said that he doesn’t know enough about these incidents - when they happened, and if they occurred on Schutt’s personal, or work devices (or a single device that does both).

The media were quick to pick up on this information, but not everyone agrees with Lee’s assessment. For example, Alon Gal, CTO and co-founder of Hudson Rock, an Israeli cybersecurity company specializing in cybercrime intelligence, thinks Schutt was not infected by malware and believes that Lee’s research means nothing:

“I checked the data myself, and this is not true,” Gal said in a LinkedIn post. “Since the article has been picked up and is currently going viral, I figured I'll make it clear that Kyle Schutt was in fact not infected by malware,” he added.

Via The Register

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, May 12 (game #1204).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1205) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• A

• P

• Y

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1205) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1205, are…

• SCENT
• AGAPE
• POLAR
• YEARN

I’m reeling from not seeing POLAR despite knowing all five letters it contained – somehow I found an alternative word by misspelling what I thought was the answer.

Thankfully, I didn't make any more errors, although this was a far from easy Quordle round.

Even though I knew it was incorrect I wanted to enter the word GRAPE, as it was taking me so long to think of anything else. Tapping in X-G-A-P-E finally unlocked my blocked thinking.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1205) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1205, are…

• EMAIL
• WOMEN
• GLEAN
• ABLED

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1204, Monday, 12 May: ROYAL, ARGUE, BUNCH, READY
• Quordle #1203, Sunday, 11 May: QUASH, MUNCH, ALTER, UNDUE
• Quordle #1202, Saturday, 10 May: RELIC, BADGE, CHAMP, SATIN
• Quordle #1201, Friday, 9 May: MINUS, CRIME, NOSEY, SLAIN
• Quordle #1200, Thursday, 8 May: ELUDE, GREET, POPPY, ELITE
• Quordle #1199, Wednesday, 7 May: QUOTH, TRUNK, BESET, NAIVE
• Quordle #1198, Tuesday, 6 May: UNITE, SOGGY, FILET, PORCH
• Quordle #1197, Monday, 5 May: WREAK, COWER, STEAD, QUEUE
• Quordle #1196, Sunday, 4 May: PINCH, SMOKE, SCARY, CANNY
• Quordle #1195, Saturday, 3 May: PLUSH, VERGE, WROTE, CONDO
• Quordle #1194, Friday, 2 May: CAUSE, RISEN, MACAW, SMELT
• Quordle #1193, Thursday, 1 May: IDIOM, EXILE, SPOOF, DRAPE
• Quordle #1192, Wednesday, 30 April: BATON, TORSO, ANNEX, DROWN
• Quordle #1191, Tuesday, 29 April: HOVER, HENCE, OCTAL, COPSE
• Quordle #1190, Monday, 28 April: JAUNT, ALLOW, FRUIT, BURNT
• Quordle #1189, Sunday, 27 April: PRIOR, YOUTH, CREDO, CHIDE
• Quordle #1188, Saturday, 26 April: LINGO, LOCUS, THROW, CLICK
• Quordle #1187, Friday, 25 April: SHALT, WRATH, MAMBO, HUMPH
• Quordle #1186, Thursday, 24 April: CHOKE, COLOR, FRAME, CAIRN
• Quordle #1185, Wednesday, 23 April: VALET, PUPAL, CREEP, DRIFT

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, May 12 (game #435).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #436) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Keep on keeping on

NYT Strands today (game #436) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• BEGS
• PEST
• SALT
• DUNE
• PATE
• SNORE

NYT Strands today (game #436) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #436) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #436) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #436, are…

• LAST
• ENDURE
• SURVIVE
• ABIDE
• PERSIST
• PERSEVERE
• SPANGRAM: STAY STRONG

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today’s Strands theme immediately made me think about running the London Marathon a few years ago and all of the emotions you need to muster in order to get to the finish line.

In fact, you need them to get to the starting line too – as that is half the battle with endurance events, especially running ones. 

Everyone I know will be yawning at the mention of the London Marathon. I do tend to go on about it a bit, but I see it as a metaphor for life’s eternal struggle. Plus, I like seeing the shock on people's faces that someone as unfit as me could run 26 miles.

Of course, today’s search words are relevant to plenty of other situations. The human ability to SURVIVE and find a way forward is always something worth celebrating – even if it comes in the form of a word search.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, May 12, game #435)

• STANDING
• CHARACTER
• REPUTATION
• STATURE
• NAME
• SPANGRAM: STREET CRED

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, May 12 (game #701).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #702) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BAZAAR
• SUPREME
• VACUUM
• VEGGIE
• EVERGREEN
• BATHROOM
• FAIR
• HAWAIIAN
• PIPE
• INFRARED
• PLAIN
• OUTLET
• MARIGOLD
• MARKET
• DRY
• QUICKSILVER

NYT Connections today (game #702) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Buy stuff here 
• GREEN: Types of slice 
• BLUE: Words with colorful endings
• PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “meaner”

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #702) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: PLACES TO SHOP 
• GREEN: KINDS OF PIZZA 
• BLUE: ENDING WITH COLORS 
• PURPLE: ____ CLEANER 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #702) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #702, are…

• YELLOW: PLACES TO SHOP BAZAAR, FAIR, MARKET, OUTLET
• GREEN: KINDS OF PIZZA HAWAIIAN, PLAIN, SUPREME, VEGGIE
• BLUE: ENDING WITH COLORS EVERGREEN, INFRARED, MARIGOLD, QUICKSILVER
• PURPLE: ____ CLEANER BATHROOM, DRY, PIPE, VACUUM

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I like getting the Connections groups in order of difficulty. I feel like my brain is slowly ratcheting through the gears in preparation of the hardest quartets.

However, I can’t deny that I also feel a sense of disappointment when I get yellow first – especially on a day when all four seemed equally easy!

The only group I felt doubt over was KINDS OF PIZZA, but this was due to cultural differences. PLAIN pizza is not something that exists in the UK, although I’m guessing it means cheese and tomato as opposed to dough with absolutely nothing on it.

I met someone at a festival a couple of years ago who ran a pizza restaurant and he said that he banned anyone who asked for a HAWAIIAN or pineapple on their pizza.

This seems incredibly snobbish and harsh, as cheese, pineapple and ham is a classic combo – or at least it was in the 1970s, when each of them would be found together on a cocktail stick. And as we know all the best food originates from the 1970s!

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, May 12, game #701)

• PURPLE: THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LIPS CURL, PUCKER, PURSE, SMACK
• BLUE: THINGS TRACKED BY WEB ANALYTICS CLICK, HIT, PAGE VIEW, VISIT
• GREEN: REBOUND BANK, BOUNCE, CAROM, RICOCHET
• YELLOW: PLACES TO FIND PAPER MONEY ATM, CASH REGISTER, TIP JAR, WALLET

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

• Purchasing V-Bucks using Epic Games' payment service on PC or mobile now grants a 20% Epic Rewards rate
• This gives you 20% back as credit for each transaction
• The company has also announced a limited-time 20% Epic Rewards rate for Epic Games Store purchases

Epic Games has revealed that those purchasing Fortnite in-game currency using the publisher's own payment service on PC or mobile will now benefit from a 20% Epic Rewards rate.

This gives you 20% back on every purchase, which you could then save to spend on even more V-Bucks in the future, letting you get your most wanted skins for less.

To give you a practical example of what this means, buying 2,800 V-Bucks for $22.99 using the Epic Games Store payment system will give you $4.60 back in Epic Rewards. Do that twice and you can get 1,000 extra V-Bucks (normally $8.99) effectively for free.

This is absolutely fantastic and one of the most generous reward systems that I've seen in gaming yet. It's no coincidence, however, that this announcement comes ahead of the expected return of Fortnite to the US iOS App Store.

It follows a landmark ruling that allows app developers to link to payments in external app stores, without giving any commission to Apple. The lack of commission, which is usually 30%, means that Epic Games is able to pass on some of the savings to consumers through this program while still increasing the revenue it receives from each transaction.

Aside from Fortnite, that 20% rate will apply to purchases in other Epic Games titles such as Rocket League and Fall Guys.

The company has also announced that purchases on the Epic Games Store using Epic's payment system will receive a boosted 20% Epic Rewards (up from the usual 5%) for a limited time. This is in place until August 31 and includes games from companies distributed via the store.

If you've been waiting for the chance to add the likes of Alan Wake 2 to your PC games library, then this limited offer period could be the time to strike.

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• Rumors from supply chain suggest Nvidia’s hiked pricing for GeForce GPUs
• Blackwell gaming GPUs could be set for 5% to 10% price increases
• Trump’s new deal with China over tariffs has just happened, but the rumored hikes could already be in the pipeline

A gloomy cloud of potential price hikes is hovering over Nvidia’s GeForce graphics cards, despite the news that there’s been a climbdown with Trump’s tariffs, which have been a major worry regarding the pricing of those (and other) GPUs.

Tom’s Hardware highlighted a report from DigiTimes (the Taiwanese site – so bear in mind translation issues from Chinese) which contends that Nvidia recently raised its prices for “almost all of its products,” with partners hiking their own prices simultaneously.

The report claims to have info from the supply chain over in Asia that indicates this is the case, and that Nvidia is facing “multiple crises” in terms of its overall business, with gaming graphics cards (GeForce models) affected as well as AI products.

DigiTimes gives an example of an Asus RTX 5090 model which has just risen in price by 10%, while some of Nvidia’s other graphics cards are facing price hikes of between 5% to 10%. The serious business of AI GPUs is hit worse, with up to 15% price increases, we’re told (obviously sprinkle plenty of seasoning with all this).

The causes of this trouble include the direct ban on AI GPUs being sold to China (which includes the RTX 5090, even though that’s a top-end consumer board, it’s also great for AI tasks), as well as the new trade tariffs of recent times. On top of that, another point to bear in mind is that Nvidia has moved the production of Blackwell (RTX 5000) chips to TSMC’s US factory, which has also inflated costs.

Analysis: Uncertain and turbulent times

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Dean Drobot)

That’s an unfortunate combination of factors, although as noted at the outset, there has just been a development in terms of Trump’s tariffs imposed on China (and vice versa) in the form of a 90-day pause (and reduction by 115% for imports in both markets).

However, if the above chatter from the supply chain is true, these price hikes are already in the system. In other words, they’ll still potentially be coming through to increase prices on gaming graphics cards anyway. There’s still a lot of uncertainty around where these trade wars are going in the near future, too, despite this undoubted positive bit of relief to the situation.

Besides, the tariffs aren’t the only element in this pricing equation, because there’s also the cost of Nvidia rejigging its production plans for Blackwell GPUs. More broadly, Nvidia’s graphics cards remain difficult to find – at least anywhere near their recommended prices – and it doesn’t feel like that situation is going to turn around anytime soon.

We do have some hope for the future, though. When production disruption settles, and if the trade tariffs are addressed with longer-term positive policies to resolve the battle between the US and China, we should start to see GPU pricing improve. There’s still some way to go before I start feeling more optimistic about this, though.

Meanwhile, AMD will hopefully attack with competitive pricing when its rumored RX 9060 XT graphics cards pitch up in (theoretically) just over a week. However, there’s speculation that Team Red may not go as low as I’d ideally like with those RDNA 4 GPUs. What with Nvidia’s current pricing, there isn’t a lot of pressure to drive AMD to be thinking about more affordable price tags itself, of course. (We’re not short of rumors to that effect, sadly – but we’d take them with a fistful of salt, to be fair).

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• North Korean hackers have been impersonating job applicants
• These applicants gain employment in western firms
• New research suggests these campaigns have been going on since 2016

North Korean hackers have been making the headlines recently by fraudulently gaining employment in western firms. Research from Sophos’s Counter Threat Unit (CTU) has been tracking this as the Nickel Tapestry campaign, identifying infrastructure links that suggest money-making schemes have been operating since 2016.

The research shows that the campaign is increasingly targeting European and Japanese organizations - probably thanks to increased awareness amongst American companies. These fraudulent job applicants have been observed impersonating Japanese, Vietnamese, and Singaporean professionals, as well as American personas.

Previous research has shown that North Korean hackers are posing as software development recruiters to target freelancers, spreading malware through the recruitment scams and stealing cryptocurrency from victims.

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Dual objectives

The salaries earned by the hackers seem to help fund the government interests of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea - and record breaking crypto scams have also successfully earned the Lazarus hacking group $1.5 billion. Around $300 million of this was successfully converted by the group into unrecoverable funds from this one incident alone, so these campaigns are lucrative for the state.

That’s not all though, as the fraudulent workers have also been observed stealing credentials and exfiltrating data, as well as deliberately gaining employment in industries with sensitive data, like defense, aerospace, and cybersecurity.

These roles allow the workers to use remote access software and AI generated writing, CV building, image editing, and video enhancing tools to impersonate legitimate workers and circumvent default systems.

Organizations are urged to remain vigilant and to check candidate identities thoroughly, and review their CVs and addresses thoroughly, even suggesting in-person interviews where possible.

As remote positions become increasingly popular, companies should “monitor for traditional insider threat activity, suspicious usage of legitimate tools, and impossible travel alerts to detect activity often associated with fraudulent workers” Sophos confirms.

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• Freepik unveils new AI plan for enterprise users
• Unlimited users and legal protections among benefits
• It seems to me, the company's trying to take on Adobe's own "commercially-safe" AI generation

Freepik, the creative design suite, has unveiled a new plan aimed at attracting large B2B teams to its platform - and comparisons to Adobe’s own approach to AI tools for business users is hard to miss.

Dubbed Freepik Enterprise, the plan offers a range of benefits to business users, including rights over their AI-created assets, third-party integrations with the likes of Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Adobe Creative Cloud, and that all important legal indemnity.

On the face of it, this looks to me like the company is starting to park its tanks on Adobe’s lawn. As adoption of Adobe Firefly rises, Freepik will be keen to move some of its 64 million users over to the new enterprise plan with a host of business-centric features and benefits.

What can users expect from Freepik’s enterprise plan?

According to Freepik, this new tier is designed for those who need “secure, scalable creative tools,” with the company aiming to attract teams across media, marketing, and technology who want to integrate AI into the wider workflow.

With this in mind, users are being offered, among other things, free reign to create on-brand assets, training AI with internal assets, single sign-on (SSO), and greater legal protections. Centralised management is also part of the package, with the company claiming this will help streamline account and asset administration.

Arguably, the most attractive benefit is the unlimited aspects, where users will have full access to the AI suite for generating images, video, and content. Expect no user limits here, as Freepik states this plan is “built for real teams.” Firms will also own the rights over AI-generated content, with the option to use and modify what they create across the board, covered by legal indemnity, protecting users against possible lawsuits when deploying them in a commercial setting. What I especially like is the guarantee that neither Freepik, nor its third-party providers, will re-use enterprise subscribers’ AI-generated assets or data for future AI training.

Support forms a large part of the offering. The company says it intends to deliver guidance, training, and legal assistance around IP and copyright - one of the chief concerns around AI usage in the workplace.

Given this is targeting corporations, security and compliance are also topping the bill, where GDPR, ISO/IEC 27001 and 27002, SOC 2 Type II are built into the service.

Speaking about the new plan, José Florido, Chief Market Development Officer at Freepik, said: “It’s no longer just about downloading visual assets. Large companies are looking for solutions that help them integrate AI across all their processes, offering scalability, legal compliance, and deep customization of their resources. Freepik Enterprise directly addresses that need.”

You can check out Freepik Enterprise by clicking here, and the company is currently giving users a three-month trial before an annual subscription is required.

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• MSI has a new Claw 8 AI+ model ready to ship for consumers on July 15
• The Polar Tempest Edition features a new snow-white color scheme, and an optional 2TB of storage
• It will be available at $999 / around £990 / AU$1,890

MSI has quietly revealed a new model of its recent handheld on its main site, which features more powerful and beneficial specifications over the Nintendo Switch 2 - and it's coming shortly after the console's launch on June 5.

As highlighted by VideoCardz, the new MSI Claw 8 AI+ Polar Tempest Edition features a new snow-white color scheme and an optional 2TB of storage available at $999 (around £990 / AU$1,890). It will reportedly ship to consumers on July 15.

The base model starts at $900 / £899 / AU$1,799, and provides fantastic performance across several games using Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V processor. It's also worth noting that battery life is key with the Claw 8 AI+; it uses an 80 WHr battery and can still yield high frame rates at only 17W power usage.

This could likely be significantly better than the Switch 2's 5220mAh battery, which should be roughly around 20 WHr. While the Claw 8 AI+ is undoubtedly the more expensive option, it's likely going to outperform the Switch 2 in every region in terms of hardware and game performance.

In a world of inflated GPU prices, consumers looking to dive into PC gaming could potentially be spending over $1,000 for hardware parts alone - and that's without mentioning the cost of a pre-built system - and MSI's handheld seems to be in a league of its own versus competitors like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X.

The only issue is that the base model already seems scarce in terms of availability in the US, and there's a chance the same could happen to this new Polar Tempest Edition. Even worse, it could see a major price jump due to US tariffs.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) If US tariffs affect the MSI Claw 8 AI+ price, then I'll take back everything I've said

Without sugarcoating it, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is a very expensive piece of hardware - and it's quite possibly the only reason I wouldn't recommend it for most gamers. It's potentially only going to get worse if US tariffs impact its price; the 90-day pause on tariffs is keeping things steady for now, but if this changes, I'll eat my words.

However, compared to buying parts for a desktop gaming PC, it's much cheaper, and its $450 (or more, depending on the configuration) higher cost over the Switch 2 is worth it considering the greater gaming performance capabilities. Traditionally, PC games are also cheaper to buy (especially since Nintendo revealed Switch 2 games could cost as much as $70), so if you want a large library, it could save you money in the long run (though, of course, you’ll be missing out on Nintendo’s first party exclusives, which could be a deal breaker).

The Switch 2 is using Nvidia's T239 chip, which will give users access to DLSS upscaling, but it's hard to see this being enough to power demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, let alone compete with other handheld gaming PCs.

I won't pretend that $900 / $899 / AU$1,799 isn't much, especially for most gamers on a budget, but if I had the choice of buying a Switch 2 or saving for an MSI Claw 8 AI+, I'm picking the latter.

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Prime Video has no shortage of notable films and shows, but not all of them are free with your subscription. Some of these movies sometimes even disappear without warning, so the best Prime Video movies might not even be safe.

It's hard to tell exactly what's leaving Prime Video because there isn't a dedicated filter that neatly lists expiring titles, including the best Prime Video shows. So, we've taken the time to comb through the library for the best movies you should watch before they leave the library.

Rotten Tomatoes ratings are one of the most 'objective' ways to determine a film's critical reception. If it has a 'Certified Fresh' rating, it generally means critics liked it, even if the score isn't 90 or above. Here are three 'Certified Fresh' movies on Rotten Tomatoes that you should watch before they leave Prime Video.

Forrest Gump (1994)

• RT score: 75%
• Directors: Robert Zemeckis
• Age Rating: PG-13
• Length: 2 hr 22 min
• Leaving on: TBA

Forrest Gump only has a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it's a fan-favorite film that's got more cultural appeal than most. It follows the life of Forrest Gump and his romance with his childhood friend, Jenny.

Tom Hanks stars as the innocent yet simple Forrest Gump, who is bullied in his youth for a physical disability and below average intelligence. When his leg braces come off, folks realize he's an exceptionally fast runner, which helps him throughout his life in many situations like playing football, serving in the army, and running marathons. Thus, the iconic quote, "Run, Forest, run!".

Unlike the usual 'Leaving Prime in XX days' label, it only has a caption that reads 'Limited time offer. Terms apply'. These types of promotions are unpredictable and may disappear at any time between the next few days to the next few weeks. Since we can't go back in time to confirm when it became a limited-time offer, I'd suggest watching it ASAP!

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

• RT score: 79%
• Directors: Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone
• Age Rating: R
• Length: 1 hr 26 min
• Leaving on: May 16

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is a comedy mockumentary musical directed, produced, and starring the members of the The Lonely Island comedy group: Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg. It stars the fictional rap star Connor Friel (played by Samberg) and follows his rise to fame, starting from his days as part of a rap group with his childhood friends to his lessons and struggles with stardom after his solo debut.

While it received positive reviews from critics, it never quite reached the same popularity with viewers. If you want to see where you stand on the matter, you can watch (and hopefully laugh at) Popstar before it leaves Prime Video.

A Royal Affair (2017)

• RT score: 90%
• Directors: Nikolaj Arcel
• Age Rating: R
• Length: 2 hr 17 min
• Leaving on: May 12

A Royal Affair is what it sounds like – a story about the relationship between Caroline Matilda of Great Britain and German doctor Johann Friedrich Struensee, who is the royal physician to Christian VII of Denmark.

It not only follows the affair between the queen and the physician, but also the complications of politics within the Danish court. I'd especially recommend it for folks who enjoy dramatic romances and historical fiction.

It received two Silver Bears (second highest honor) at the Berlin International Film Festival and multiple nominations as an international film. Just a heads up: You'll probably have to read, unless you know Danish. A Royal Affair is dubbed in Danish with English subtitles.

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• IoT in the enterprise is a major liability, the UK government claims
• Most organizations are running old and outdated software
• They are also not adhering to security standards

Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the enterprise are a major security liability. This is according to a new report from the cybersecurity professionals NCC Group, on behalf of the UK’s government.

“The government is concerned about the security of these products as vulnerable devices can provide a route for hostile actors to attack the IT systems used by businesses,” the UK government said in an announcement for the report. “As part of the government’s work to address this issue and improve cyber resilience across the UK economy, the government commissioned NCC Group to conduct a vulnerability assessment of some commonly-used enterprise connected devices.”

The results have shown that UK businesses have plenty of reasons to be concerned. Apparently, NCC Group found a “number” of software and hardware vulnerabilities that could lead to remote code execution (RCE) attacks, granting threat actors full control of a device, over the network.

Outdated software

One of the bigger problems was outdated software. The report states that unpatched solutions were “prevalent across devices”, also stating that one of the analyzed devices ran a 15-year-old bootloader.

The UK government also said that in “most cases”, an attacker with physical access to a device would be able to fully compromise it, installing a persistent backdoor to be used in future attacks. The majority of the tested devices ran all of their processes as the highly privileged “root” user, which means there’s no access granulation and the consequences of a breach could be dire.

There is nothing particularly unique about these IoT devices, or the vulnerabilities they carried. The UK government said they were “generally insecure”, especially when it comes to configuration of services, applications, or features. It also warned that adherence to the NCSC’s Device Security Principles, and the ETSI EN 303 465 standard was “mixed”.

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The tech company could increase prices of its next flagship product line, as it introduces a thinner design and new features.

• Cisco surveyed 8,000 security and business leaders for a new report
• Most firms suffered an AI-powered attack last year
• Filling cybersecurity roles seems to be a major challenge

Most businesses cannot fill vacant roles for cybersecurity professionals, leaving huge gaps in their defenses which threat actors can easily exploit. These are some of the findings echoed in the 2025 Cybersecurity Readiness Index, a report recently published by networking giants Cisco.

The paper was drafted based on a double-blind survey of 8,000 private sector security and business leaders in 30 global markets. In it, Cisco said that almost nine in ten (86%) of the respondents identified the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals as a “major challenge”. Furthermore, it was said that more than half of the respondents reported having more than ten vacant positions.

The shortage of skilled staff is not a new issue - TechRadar Pro has been reporting on it for years now. Even three years ago, Harvey Nash Group claimed that there is a shortfall of 10,000 people a year in the UK’s cybersecurity talent pool, alone. To make matters worse, those who remain in the industry are overwhelmed with work and often burnt out, resulting in health problems, as well.

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Investing in AI

To address the problem, Cisco’s new paper argues that businesses should “invest in AI-driven solutions, simplify security infrastructures, and enhance AI threat awareness.”

“Prioritizing AI for threat detection, response, and recovery is essential, as is addressing talent shortages,” the company concluded.

Artificial Intelligence seems to be the underlying theme of the entire paper. Cisco said the technology is both “revolutionizing security” and “escalating threat levels” adding that 86% of the respondents faced AI-related security incidents last year, and half (49%) were confident their employees are aware of the threat.

Finally, Cisco warned that just 4% of organizations worldwide can be considered “mature” when it comes to the level of readiness needed to effectively withstand today’s cybersecurity threats.

"As AI transforms the enterprise, we are dealing with an entirely new class of risks at unprecedented scale - putting even more pressure on our infrastructure and those who defend it," said Cisco Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel.

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The free version of the Duolingo app is getting new mechanics that are meant to help you keep learning.

• Windows 11 is getting more Copilot functionality
• An ‘Ask Copilot’ option is arriving for the right-click menu on the desktop
• Copilot is also being deployed in the Microsoft Store to provide buying advice (in testing)

If you’re expecting to see more AI in Windows 11, well, you’d be bang on the money there, as it seems Copilot is creeping into another couple of places in Microsoft’s desktop OS.

Neowin noticed that the latest version of the Copilot app (1.25044.93.0) has planted a new choice to invoke Copilot when working with certain files on your Windows 11 desktop.

So, if you right-click on a compatible file, it’ll offer an ‘Ask Copilot’ option in the context menu (which contains common actions you might like to pursue with any given file).

If you select that Copilot choice, it’ll fire up the app for the AI assistant with relevant options available (for example, if it’s a document, you’ll get the ability to summarize it there and then).

You may have seen that Microsoft recently revealed it’s set to introduce AI actions to File Explorer (the app which displays the contents of the folders on your PC). So, this move appears to be happening now.

Elsewhere, Microsoft is also planning to bring Copilot into the Microsoft Store to advise those browsing through its various wares.

The move – which is still in testing, according to Windows Latest – consists of adding a Copilot button to product pages in the store.

Clicking on that button pops up a small dialog box allowing you to ‘Ask Copilot about this product’ with suggested questions you might want to use, and a ‘compare’ button that allows you to see how the app (or game) stacks up to a rival piece of software.

However, the catch is that this integration in the Microsoft Store is hardly seamless, as all the store does is just throw your query to the Copilot app.

Analysis: Clever or clutter?

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan)

With the latter change, the idea is to help spur sales in the Microsoft Store with Copilot, although the integration being so basic isn’t going to help there.

It doesn’t feel very advanced to ask for a comparison of two apps, and to then be simply presented with a query of the differences between them in the Copilot app. Yes, it’s still a convenience, but it feels clunkier than the way it works now – but perhaps Microsoft is thinking of improving it down the line. Remember, this is still in testing for now.

Furthermore, not that many folks ever tread the virtual aisles of the Microsoft Store anyway, and the bigger move here is the wider deployment of Copilot as a right-click, context-sensitive option in Windows 11.

With that concept – which wasn’t unexpected, given Microsoft previously announced that this is the course it’s taking – the problem is it’s going to be a love or hate thing.

Those people who use Copilot will appreciate the convenience of added ways in which to easily access the AI direct from files on the desktop. However, those who don’t care about Copilot aren’t going to want an extra line of space taken up in their right-click menu, and will just regard this as additional clutter.

That said, those haters have choices. Neowin points out that you can perform a Registry edit to remove this new functionality from the right-click menu, but I really wouldn’t recommend that. Not unless you’re tech-savvy, and you want to keep the Copilot app, but not this extra option. (And even then, I should warn that messing with the Registry could cause trouble with your system if not immediately, then potentially down the line).

Rather, if you’re getting fed up with the various tendrils of Copilot extending too far into the interface of Windows 11, just uninstall the Copilot app completely. That’ll remove the AI from your context-sensitive menus (and taskbar, and everywhere else). Just find the app in the Start menu, right click it and choose the uninstall option to banish Copilot. Of course, you won’t be able to use the app at all then, so that’s not a good road to travel for those who might want to occasionally fire up the AI.

Not everything is bad about AI in Windows 11 by any means, and I should note that there’s a smart ability inbound, namely additional powers to be able to find and change settings in the OS (something that was promised from the outset by Microsoft, but never delivered until now). I say delivered now, but this hasn’t gone into testing just yet, and it’s only for Copilot+ PCs sadly (as is the case for another really useful AI-related tweak, better Windows search).

So, that’s another rather unfortunate theme for some folks, as well as AI spreading across more of Windows 11 – all of the best functionality is reserved for Copilot+ PCs. This is because some features require the NPU they have on-board for processing AI workloads on the actual device, rather than via the cloud.

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Suits LA, the West Coast-set spin-off from the hugely successful show Suits, won't be getting a second season. That makes it the second Suits spin-off to be canceled given that Pearson was canceled last year.

The original Suits was a huge success and introduced us to Meghan Markle, becoming the must-watched show of 2023 when it moved from broadcast TV to Netflix. It was the number one streaming show for 12 consecutive weeks. But Netflix chose not to buy this spin-off, so it wasn't exposed to the same huge potential audience as the original show.

Why Suits' spin-offs don't last

While The Hollywood Reporter shared the news of Suits LA's cancellation, it didn't go into the reasons why. But like its fellow spin-off Pearson, the reason is almost certainly poor viewing figures.

As TVLine reported last year, Pearson only averaged 513,000 viewers – half the viewership of Suits Season 9, and lower than all but one USA Network drama at the time (the exception was the final season of Mr Robot, which had 360,000 viewers on average). While 1.07 million people watched the pilot, the finale was watched by 490,000 people – just over half the audience for the Suits finale.

Pearson struggled to find viewers even though it got decent reviews. I suspect Suits LA struggled even more, because its reviews have often been terrible.

The show is currently sitting with just 39% from the critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and just 54% from the audience. As the AV Club put it: "There’s no way to sugarcoat it: Suits LA is a disaster. In every conceivable way, this offshoot fails to capture the original’s breezy allure."

The first and only season of Suits LA is currently streaming on Peacock in the US. While it's not currently streaming in the UK, those in Australia can catch it on 7plus.

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• Nintendo has updated its user agreement in both the US and the UK
• In the US, it now states Nintendo could brick your console due to unauthorised use
• In the UK, your digital software could be disabled

Nintendo has updated its user agreement, toughening its stance on those who pirate games, attempt to emulate titles, or otherwise modify their consoles.

The changes were announced in an email distributed to users in the US and applies to all existing and new Nintendo accounts. Game File reports that the agreement received a little over 100 edits.

Some of the most interesting edits include a massive expansion of a portion that used to state that players "are not allowed to lease, rent, sublicense, publish, copy, modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble all or any portion of the Nintendo Account Services without Nintendo's written consent, or unless otherwise expressly permitted by applicable law."

Now, it says that: "Without limitation, you agree that you may not (a) publish, copy, modify, reverse engineer, lease, rent, decompile, disassemble, distribute, offer for sale, or create derivative works of any portion of the Nintendo Account Services; (b) bypass, modify, decrypt, defeat, tamper with, or otherwise circumvent any of the functions or protections of the Nintendo Account Services, including through the use of any hardware or software that would cause the Nintendo Account Services to operate other than in accordance with its documentation and intended use; (c) obtain, install or use any unauthorized copies of Nintendo Account Services; or (d) exploit the Nintendo Account Services in any manner other than to use them in accordance with the applicable documentation and intended use, in each case, without Nintendo’s written consent or express authorization, or unless otherwise expressly permitted by applicable law."

Nintendo is effectively now spelling exactly what you're not allowed to do. Being forbidden to "bypass, modify, decrypt, defeat, tamper" with parts of the system completely rules out activities like installing your own homebrew apps. The fact that you are not able to "obtain, install or use any unauthorized copies of Nintendo Account Services" also more strongly emphasizes that any kind of software piracy is not allowed.

As for what could happen if you break these rules, the agreement now states that: "You acknowledge that if you fail to comply with the foregoing restrictions Nintendo may render the Nintendo Account Services and/or the applicable Nintendo device permanently unusable in whole or in part."

This outlines Nintendo's ability to brick your device (render it "permanently unusable in whole") if you don't adhere to the agreement. The company could also potentially disable certain functions (render it unusable "in part") which might, for example, mean preventing cheaters from being able to access online services in games.

The agreement has also been updated in the UK, though the new wording is less drastic. Players in the region now accept that: "Any Digital Products registered to your Nintendo Account and any updates of such Digital Products are licensed only for personal and non-commercial use on a User Device."

"Digital Products must not be used for any other purpose. In particular, without NOE's written consent, you must neither lease nor rent Digital Products nor sublicense, publish, copy, modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble any portion of Digital Products other than as expressly permitted by applicable law," it continues. "Such unauthorised use of a Digital Product may result in the Digital Product becoming unusable."

These agreements currently apply to the Nintendo Switch, but, unless changed ahead of launch, would also presumably govern your use of the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. With this in mind, it would be wise to read the new terms carefully and ensure that you don't end up

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