Technology

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• Wolfs will not be getting a sequel at Apple TV Plus, the director has confirmed
• This news comes after the movie broke records for the streaming service
• Director Jon Watts told Deadline he "no longer trusts Apple as a creative partner"

Wolfs broke a new record for one of the best streaming services, as it ended up being the most-watched feature film in the entire history of Apple TV Plus, according to Deadline. So much so, that the streamer decided to greenlight a sequel, but we can now reveal that it will no longer be going ahead.

The comedy-thriller movie is led by an all-star duo of Brad Pitt and George Clooney, who play two professional fixers who are forced to work together on a job despite their preference to operate as lone wolves. Despite the fact it got a 66% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, rendering it unable to qualify for our best Apple TV movies list, it was still widely viewed to the point that Apple TV Plus decided it wanted more. Unfortunately, director Jon Watts has decided not to give it to them.

Here's what happened.

Why has the Wolfs sequel been canceled?

We're used to streaming services pulling the plug on movies and TV shows but this time, Jon Watts has decided not to move forward with a sequel. A lot of this decision was influenced by the fact Wolfs did not get a worldwide theatrical release and instead got a streaming one.

In an exclusive interview with Deadline, Watts revealed: “I showed Apple my final cut of Wolfs early this year. They were extremely enthusiastic about it and immediately commissioned me to start writing a sequel. But their last minute shift from a promised wide theatrical release to a streaming release was a total surprise and made without any explanation or discussion.

He added: "I wasn’t even told about it until less than a week before they announced it to the world. I was completely shocked and asked them to please not include the news that I was writing a sequel. They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot. And so I quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel."

Watts went on to say he had stayed silent on the matter because he didn't want to generate "negative press", but that he chose to cancel the Wolfs sequel because he "no longer trusted them as a creative partner". The director also added he loved working with the cast and would do so again given the opportunity.

If you haven't seen the original Wolfs movie, here are all the ways you can get an Apple TV Plus free trial so you can watch this movie and many more, including the best Apple TV shows.

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• Google crackdown identifies four PR firms infiltrating search results
• 'Glassbridge' firms spread Chinese propaganda
• Google removed 1,000 domains form the network

Google’s Threat Intelligence Group has revealed it has blocked over 1,000 sites belonging to a small number of PR firms that spread pro-China propaganda through inauthentic news sites.

The sites posed as local news networks, even publishing authentic localized content alongside state sponsored press releases to deceive readers.

The network, dubbed ‘Glassbridge’, was made up of four companies who bulk-created and operated hundreds of domains which posed as independent news sites. These sites published content which “emphasizes narratives aligned to the political interests of the People’s Republic of China”, said Google.

A new kind of influence campaign

The Glassbridge network used private PR firms to gain plausible deniability and obscured their role in the spreading of coordinated misinformation. The sites violated Google’s policies which prohibit deceptive behavior and require editorial transparency, and will no longer appear in Google News Features and Google Discover.

The four firms, Shanghai Haixun Technology, Times Newswire, Durinbridge, and Shenzhen Bowen media. The most prolific, Shanghai Haixun Technology, was found to be operating over 600 policy-violating domains, all of which have since been removed.

“By posing as independent, and often local news outlets, IO (information operations) actors are able to tailor their content to specific regional audiences and present their narratives as seemingly legitimate news and editorial content,” said Vanessa Molter.

Google believes this is an evolution of previously observed mass produced social media disinformation campaigns, which have targeted western states and US voters in particular, aiming to spread discourse and divide public opinion.

Most of us can spot the social media ‘bot’ accounts with relative ease, and most bots generate very little authentic engagement, which highlights the difficulties states like China, Russia, and Iran have had in producing convincing political content through social media.

Whilst it’s unlikely that foreign actors will abandon social media campaigns, its clear that new tactics are being adopted to try and sew distrust in western political systems and spread favorable narratives for Beijing.

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• Apple has announced the finalists for its App Store Awards 2024
• It highlights the best new apps for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and more
• For the first time, it also includes apps for the Apple Vision Pro

Yes, it's that time of year again – no, we're not talking about the Black Friday sales, but the end-of-year highlights lists that arrive for everything from Spotify Wrapped to Google TV. Today, it's Apple's turn – with the tech giant revealing the finalists for its annual App Store Awards.

If you're looking for a new app for your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, the App Store Awards is a handy breakdown of the new ones you may have missed. We now have shortlists for the potential winners across every Apple platform –including, for the first time, the Apple Vision Pro.

In this round-up, we've focused on the non-gaming nominees across all of Apple's categories. We've also rounded up the apps included in Apple's more nebulous 'Cultural Impact' award, which nevertheless highlights some interesting and more left-field apps.

iPhone apps of the year 1. Kino

(Image credit: Apple)

The team behind the Halide camera app is a mainstay of the App Store Awards, having won the iPhone App of the Year in 2019 with Spectre – and now it's been nominated again for the video app Kino.

Kino landed earlier this year with support for the iPhone 15 Pro's Apple Log video format, which gives you much more flexibility when color-grading videos. But it's not just for pros either, with handy features that help you pick the best settings to achieve a cinematic motion blur and more.

Apple praised the app for "turning everyday moments into cinematic masterpieces", which is potentially going overboard. But Kino certainly has a strong shout for being one of the best video editing apps around for iPhone.

• Download Kino for iPhone

2. Runna

(Image credit: Apple)

We're happy to see Runna in Apple's App Store Award finalists, because it's a fine new option for planning and executing your running goals. Our Runna review praises its detailed stat breakdowns and also the audio prompts to help you understand your pacing.

The app first launched back in 2021, but the motivational tool has developed into a popular option for those who need a motivational coach for anything from a 5km to a marathon. Its layout is pretty, but that's something beginners will appreciate – particularly when hitting 'the wall' after 200m.

• Download Runna for iPhone

3. Tripsy

(Image credit: Apple)

Tripsy is another app that's been around for a while (first launching in 2019), but it's aging like a fine wine – particularly now that travel's been back on the agenda for a couple of years.

The app is designed to lower your stress levels while traveling by rounding up your itinerary (including hotels, must-see spots, and more), giving you flight alerts, and storing your documents in one place.

More recently, Tripsy's added support for weather conditions and a customizable dashboard – so if 2025 is going to be a big travel year for you, it's worth checking out.

• Download Tripsy for iPhone

iPad apps of the year 4. Bluey: Let's Play

Not content with making our guide to the best Disney Plus shows, the Australian animated TV series Bluey is also in Apple's App Store Awards finalists for its iPad app.

Bluey is about a family of Blue Heeler dogs who are exploring the realities of everyday day life and is naturally aimed at young kids (even pre-school or toddler age). The app lets you explore the family home, make up stories, and rebuild the house as you see fit.

Apple praised the app for "delivering lovable characters and family-friendly fun" and it certainly seems to deliver on that.

• Download Bluey: Let's Play for iPad

5. Moises

(Image credit: Apple)

We expected to see a lot of AI-powered tools in this year's App Store Awards – and this music app fits that bill. The idea is pretty simple: Moises lets you separate a song into its various elements (or 'stems') and remove those parts so you can practice along.

For example, you can split a song into vocals, drums, bass, guitar, and more, and also adjust their speed or pitch to suit. Naturally, you need to pay for its more powerful features (subscriptions start at $5.99 / £4.99 / AU$9.99 a month), but there's a free starter plan to give you a taste of its handy talents.

• Download Moises for iPad

6. Procreate Dreams

(Image credit: Apple)

Procreate has long been one of our favorite drawing apps, so we were very excited to try out its animation-themed Dreams sibling earlier this year – and it's impressed Apple enough to make its shortlist for iPad app of the year.

We certainly fell for some of its charms, particularly the fact that it's completely subscription-free and supports older iPads (running iPadOS 16.3 or later). We found it to be very intuitive for first-time animators too, particularly the Performance Mode which lets you animate your assets and effects in real-time.

That said, there were a few niggles and missing features when we first tried Procreate Dreams, so we're looking forward to giving it another spin following its App Store Awards nomination.

• Download Procreate Dreams for iPad

Apple Watch apps of the year 7. LookUp

(Image credit: Apple)

Not to be confused with the Visual Look Up feature on iPhones, which works a bit like Google Lens, this handy Apple Watch app is instead designed to improve your English vocabulary.

Powered by the Oxford English Dictionary, it includes 'Word of the Day' cards complete with illustrations. You can also tap cards to confirm pronunciations, etymology, and synonyms – which sounds ideal whether you're an English learner or an improver.

• Download LookUp for Apple Watch

8. Lumy

(Image credit: Apple)

Lumy has been around for over a decade now, but it remains one of the best ways to track the location of the sun and moon on any date – making it ideal for planning a 'golden hour' photo shoot.

It isn't just for photographers, with the seven-day weather info making it a useful ally for hikers and walkers. And Lumy's clean design and Apple Watch complications make it particularly good on a smartwatch. If Photopills is a bit too much for you, Lumy looks like a fine alternative, particularly for Apple Watch fans.

• Download Lumy for Apple Watch

9. Watch to 5K

(Image credit: Watch to 5K)

This app has been a mainstay on our guide to the best Apple Watch apps, so we're glad to see it given a nod in the App Store Awards 2024 – even if it's far from new.

The appeal of Watch to 5K remains its simplicity – if you're not quite ready to tackle an ultra-marathon, it'll guide you through making a training plan that'll push you towards finishing a 5km run in under 30 minutes.

You get all the usual metrics like pacing, calories burnt, and heart rate – and it integrates nicely with Apple Fitness, too.

• Download Watch to 5K for Apple Watch

App Store Awards – Best of the rest

An interesting inclusion in this year's App Store Awards is a category for the Apple Vision Pro – and even though most of us won't get to try those apps, it's fascinating to see what Apple thinks is the current gold standard for its pricey headset.

Apple has praised the NBA app for "redefining the future of how users watch the sports they love". If that future is to go fully mainstream then everyone will need to be wearing a mixed-reality headset, which seems quite far off – but the app's courtside seats are certainly a novel experience.

Elsewhere on Vision Pro, Apple has highlighted the What If…? An Immersive Story "for inviting players into a new kind of Marvel experience". We described the "part film, part game" app as "the most fun" we've had on the Vision Pro, so it certainly justifies its place – even if the competition is relatively thin.

The final non-gaming app that Apple has praised for the Vision Pro is JigSpace, which has been included for "empowering users to view 3D and augmented reality models with ease". That's a pretty niche one right there, so we'll take Apple's word for it.

And what about those Cultural Impact finalists? It seems sleep (or lack of it) has been a big theme of 2024, with two apps receiving mentions in that category. The Bear was praised "for turning bedtime into a calming, interactive experience", while Apple gave BetterSleepthe nod for "helping users sleep – and feel – better".

Outside of games, Apple has included DailyArtfor "inspiring curiosity about artistic masterpieces" and, slightly strangely, Pinterest for "inspiring new ideas and endless possibilities". A suitable choice for this time of year is also Partiful, which Apple says has helped to simplify "social gatherings to foster connection and community".

Lastly, Apple has included three apps that genuinely go beyond the usual remit of apps, including Do You Really Want to Know 2for "addressing misconceptions about HIV through an endearing interactive story", Okofor "for making street-crossing safer and more accessible to all" and EF Hellofor "empowering language learners with AI-enhanced tools".

Despite many apps in the list existing well before this year, we think it's a pretty strong App Store Awards lineup. Here's the full list of finalists, with Apple likely picking each category's winner very soon.

App Store Awards – the full list of 45 apps and games

iPhone App of the Year

• Kino
• Runna
• Tripsy

iPhone Game of the Year

• AFK Journey
• The WereCleaner
• Zenless Zone Zero

iPad App of the Year

• Bluey: Let’s Play
• Moises
• Procreate Dreams

iPad Game of the Year

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage
• Disney Speedstorm
• Squad Busters

Apple Arcade Game of the Year

• Balatro+
• Outlanders 2
• Sonic Dream Team

Mac App of the Year

• Adobe Lightroom
• OmniFocus 4
• Shapr3D

Mac Game of the Year

• Frostpunk 2
• Stray 
• Thank Goodness You’re Here!

Apple Watch App of the Year

• LookUp
• Lumy
• Watch to 5K

Apple Vision Pro App of the Year

• JigSpace
• NBA
• What If…? An Immersive Story

Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year

• Loóna
• THRASHER
• Vacation Simulator

Apple TV App of the Year

• DROPOUT
• F1 TV
• Zoom

Cultural Impact Finalists

• Arco
• The Bear
• BetterSleep
• Brawl Stars 
• DailyArt
• Do You Really Want to Know 2
• EF Hello
• NYT Games
• Oko
• Partiful, 
• Pinterest
• The Wreck

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• ChatGPT might be coming to Samsung phones
• This could match OpenAI's deal with Apple
• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman may have already met with Samsung

According to a new tweet by financial analyst Dan Nystedt, Open AI is in talks with Samsung to bring ChatGPT, its popular AI chatbot, to its mobile devices in an arrangement that would be similar to the one that Apple has with OpenAI.

OpenAI is in talks with Samsung Electronics to bring its AI capabilities to Samsung’s electronic devices, media report, which could mean a challenge to Google, which already provides AI services on Samsung smartphones. The OpenAI-Samsung discussions are said to mirror that…November 23, 2024

As the tweet points out, it would be a surprising move because Samsung already has the Google Gemini LLM behind its Galaxy AI, which is powering its most recent smartphones, as we discussed in our recent Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, powered by Galaxy AI. (Image credit: Samsung) A blow to Google

If Samsung makes the move to ChatGPT it will be another blow to Google, which has recently seen its search business targeted by OpenAI with the release of ChatGPT search, and would put it on equal footing with Apple, which has already integrated Apple Intelligence with ChatGPT.

Apple’s ChatGPT integration with its iPhone 16 range is expected to go live in December with the release of iOS 18.2, which is the first iteration of Apple Intelligence to feature Siri handing off requests to ChatGPT when they become too complicated for it to handle on the device.

The rumor of Samsung and OpenAI doing a deal has been around since a Reuters report of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman traveling to South Korea to meet executives from Samsung and SK Hynix to discuss a potential partnership for making semiconductor chips for AI processing, back in January.

Recently, Samsung unveiled its next-gen Bixby AI, but a move to ChatGPT could shortcut its path to having a powerful AI assistant on board its smartphones and mobile devices.

In July, Samsung announced it was on track to bring Galaxy AI to 200 million devices this year alone. Its recent releases include the innovative Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, which you can find in our roundup of the best Samsung phones of 2024.

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• Peacock and Sky have renewed The Day of the Jackal for season 2
• The Day of the Jackal has been a huge success in both the US and UK following its launch
• No other details about season 2 have been revealed yet

My day has been made as The Day of the Jackal has been renewed for a second season at Peacock and Sky.

The espionage thriller has been a successful hit on both sides of the pond since it aired on Peacock in the US and Sky in the UK, earning an impressive 84% Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics. The series became the number one most-watched show on Peacock and was a top five streaming original in the US for its opening weekend, according to Nielsen data. Meanwhile, it has become Sky's biggest original of all time, with 3 millions views in one week.

The Day of the Jackal is a modern day reimagining of Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel of the same name. The 10-part series follows an extraordinarily elusive assassin, the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne), who carries out hits for the highest fee. After pulling off an impressive kill in Munich, he's hired to assassinate a powerful tech tycoon, but he soon meets his match in determined MI6 agent Bianca (Lashana Lynch) as she tails the elite contract killer in a gripping cat-and-mouse chase across Europe.

What can we expect in The Day of the Jackal season 2?

Since The Day of the Jackal is still releasing new episodes in both the US and UK, there's no news just yet regarding plot details for season 2, whether Redmayne and Lynch will reprise their roles, or when we can expect it to return to our screens.

The Day of the Jackal was previously adapted into a 1973 feature film, which saw Edward Fox play the titular Jackal, a hitman who is hired by the French militant far-right to assassinate president Charles de Gaulle in 1963.

Now 27 years later, Sky and Peacock have put a contemporary twist on the source material, which I think has really paid off thanks to the team of executive producers on board, which include Ronan Bennett, Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant, Brian Kirk, Sam Hoyle, Sue Naegle and Marianne Buckland.

In an interview with GQ, executive producers Neame and Marchant revealed that they were initially hesitant to develop this iconic story into a TV series, but it was too good of an opportunity to turn down. "We both loved the book, and we saw the film when we were kids - I’ve seen the film many times through my life, and always really respected it. It’s such an iconic, gripping story, that to revisit that in a contemporary context, with all the benefits of a multi-episodic show … we thought that would be really interesting to take this much-respected IP and develop it this way” they shared.

With The Day of the Jackal armed for another season, there's one thing that I'm hoping for – more espionage thrills, spills, and kills.

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• More rumors are lining up behind a CES 2025 launch for RTX 5090 and 5080
• However, Nvidia might just pitch both GPUs at the ‘professional’ market
• That could indicate the RTX 5090 and 5080 will end up seriously pricey

It’s looking more and more likely that Nvidia’s RTX 5090 and 5080 graphics cards are indeed being revealed at CES 2025, as previous chatter has indicated – plus we’ve heard some more worrying hints on pricing, sadly.

Much of the latest next-gen Blackwell speculation over the weekend comes from Moore’s Law is Dead (MLID), and the info here should be regarded with some skepticism, naturally.

MLID’s latest YouTube video has word from two sources at Nvidia’s retail partners who both claim that the unveiling of the RTX 5090 and 5080 is set to happen at CES 2025.

The first source MLID has heard from notes that their firm is currently talking to Nvidia about initial shipment numbers of these graphics cards, and that the on-sale date of the RTX 5090 and 5080 is a matter of weeks after the reveal – so likely late January.

On top of that, VideoCardz noticed that a leaker on X, MegaSizeGPU, has aired details of the GB202 chip (the GPU in the RTX 5090), which will supposedly be 20% bigger than the AD102 in the RTX 4090.

Furthermore, a second leaker on X, Hongxing2020, has shared a purported image of the PCIe 5.0 interface for the Blackwell flagship, and these pieces of spillage are likely from sample 5090 cards that have been sent out – which underlines that the next-gen GPU could be imminent.

Back to MLID’s video (which you can view below), and interestingly, the second source cited also mentions the RTX 5070 is going to be revealed in January – possibly teased at CES 2025, and then getting a proper announcement later in the month, by the sound of things.

That third Blackwell GPU will go on sale shortly after January, MLID says, so we could reasonably guess it will be in February (and this isn’t the first time the RTX 5070 has been rumored to be inbound for the near future).

This second source also mentions pricing, and the more positive piece of news here is that on the topic of the RTX 5090, it seems this GPU will be priced at the lower end of the range that was previously leaked.

If you recall, that rumored range was $1,999 to $2,499 in the US (and proportional to that elsewhere, as ever), so it seems that two grand is what Nvidia is now mulling. That is, of course, still 25% pricier than the MSRP of the RTX 4090, and therefore a major hike, so it’s hardly great news – and there’s a gloomier note to follow.

Namely, a claim that some of the marketing materials Nvidia has provided on the subject of talking to customers notes that retailers should be telling would-be buyers that anything above the RTX 5070 Ti is “really for professionals” – so that’s effectively a hint that the RTX 5080 could be pricey, too. Why, exactly? Let’s dive into that next.

Analysis: GeForce is for gaming – right?

What Nvidia appears to be doing here – take all of this with plentiful seasoning, and this bit of speculation, even more so – is preparing retailers for the reality that the top Blackwell models, the RTX 5090 and 5080, are going to be seriously expensive.

So, when PC gamers come into the shop and see the price tags on those GPUs, staff are primed to basically justify those asking prices on the basis that these are really graphics cards for professional use. In other words, gamers don’t need that much horsepower and should be looking at the RTX 5070 (or its variants) or indeed lower (eventually, when the range is filled out).

Now, you could certainly argue this is true of the RTX 4090 already, but it seems like Nvidia is shifting up a gear in this respect, and including the RTX 5080 in that ‘pro’ bracket – possibly due to a weighty price tag of perhaps $1,200 in the US, or maybe even more, up towards $1,400, or so MLID has theorized in the past.

However, if this is true, it feels a bit odd to have not just the flagship, but the top two tiers of the GeForce range of Blackwell GPUs as models angled towards ‘professionals’ – remember, this is a gaming brand. However, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here really, and we need to see if this pricing pans out.

On that point, we should note that in the past, we have heard more positive predictions about pricing not being a ‘significant’ hike for the RTX 5090 – which we’d read as maybe more like a $200 rise – but MLID is very much doubling down on his previous forecast here.

Whatever happens with pricing – and Nvidia may still be judging online reaction to these leaks at this point – it seems that with the weight of rumors now, the RTX 5090 and 5080 are likely imminent (and we might well see Blackwell laptop GPUs at CES 2025, too).

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• Google Tasks is now part of Google Calendar on Android
• It follows the web apps merging last year
• Google Tasks may eventually be retired as a standalone app

Google has certainly never been afraid of killing off apps and products it's not that interested in any more (see Killed by Google for details), and it appears that Google Tasks could be the next app on the chopping block.

The Google Tasks app is now available inside Google Calendar for Android, Google has announced (via 9to5Google). Google is positioning this as a benefit – but are we wrong to be a little worried about the future of the standalone Google Tasks app?

Perhaps not, given Google's history with merging and dropping products, and the way that Google Tasks has been slowly finding its way into other apps – not just Google Calendar, but also Gmail and the Google Assistant.

The Android update follows the addition of Google Tasks to Google Calendar on the web, which happened last year. "This update makes it easier for users to stay on top of and organize their tasks, especially while on the go," Google says.

The future of Google Tasks

Google has killed off a lot of projects, including Google Stadia (Image credit: Colleen Michaels)

There's no indication that Google Tasks is going to be killed off in the very near future, and we're doing a little bit of reading between the lines here. It's still available for Android and iOS, in addition to being available on the web.

However, as noted above, the old Google Tasks website portal now takes you to Google Calendar instead. There's a toggle switch up in the top-right corner that lets you switch between seeing your schedule and seeing your to-do lists.

It makes sense for your tasks to be inside your calendar – most of them will probably have a due date, after all – but it would be a shame if Google were to get rid of the separate Google Tasks app entirely. Sometimes less is more, and part of the appeal of Google Tasks is its simple, uncluttered interface.

We'll have to wait and see what Google's next move is, but we hope Google Tasks sticks around for many years to come. It does at least seem to still have more life in it as an independent app than Google Fit does.

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