Technology

Commentary: Apple's often-neglected entry level iPhone is getting a refresh just as new phone buyers could use one, despite a notable price increase from the iPhone SE.

Apple's newest phone is less a successor to the iPhone SE and more a budget iPhone 16, offering value but not as much affordability.

• Meta Connect is coming on September 17 and 18
• The first-ever LlamaCon is coming on April 29, 2025
• Meta is teasing big AI and XR announcements for these events

Meta has announced the dates of its next two events: LamaCon and Meta Connect; in doing so it has potentially told us precisely when we’ll see its next-gen AI glasses, and maybe a sneak peek at what XR tech it has up its sleeve.

Starting with LamaCon as that’s coming up first – on April 29, 2025 – here Meta says it will share updates on its open-source AI collection Llama. This developer conference will seemingly focus more on back-end tools rather than consumer-facing products. However, these tools could be used to create some impressive AI software down the line.

Then there’s Meta Connect 2025, which is scheduled for September 17 and 18. That’s just under seven months away which is a lot more notice than we’re used to for tech events – look at Apple which gave us about a week’s notice for its February 19 event (where it announced the iPhone 16e). Connect, as always, will feature VR, MR, and AI hardware announcements – such as Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses – either as products we'll get our hands on soon or tech that’s coming down the line but is still at the in-development stage.

Meta is remaining tight-lipped on specifics for either event but says it’ll be back with updates in the coming months. I’m pretty sure we already have a good idea of what Meta Connect 2025 will have in store for us based on leaks.

What we expect to see at Meta Connect 2025

(Image credit: Meta)

Meta made sure to specifically call out AI glasses in its announcement, and we’re expecting Meta Connect 2025 is where it will launch at least two new products. The first is Oakley versions of its existing Ray-Ban meta smart glasses; they’ll shift the camera from the edge to the nose bridge in the center, and they’ll reportedly be aimed at athletes and cyclists – which could include some AI-powered fitness tools.

The other launch could be next-gen Ray-Ban specs with a display. This single in-lens screen could let a wearer see phone notifications, a preview of images they capture, and other useful info, allowing the Ray-Ban smart specs to communicate with you visually rather than just relying on audio or your phone screen.

Lastly on the AI glasses front I’m predicting the arrival of Meta’s ‘smartwatch’ which is likely just a simple band that allows your specs to pick up hand gesture controls – which we’ve seen a version of for the Meta Orion AR glasses. We’ve heard rumors Meta is working on such a band and has been trying to decide if it should launch it alongside the next-gen Ray-Bans. I’m leaning towards the band dropping later this year, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s held back until Meta’s proper AR specs.

The old Meta Quest Pro (Image credit: Meta)

AR glasses aren’t likely – based on leaks, consumer versions of Orion aren’t expected before 2027 – however, I think we have a shot at seeing at least two XR devices.

The first is from Asus in a VR headset codenamed ‘Tarius.’ While it isn’t Meta-made it will boast Meta Horizon OS software – Meta’s operating system which currently only powers Quest devices. Meta has said Asus is working on a Horizon OS device, leaks have started to appear this year for it (hinting that a launch could be approaching), and Meta says in its Connect date announcement that the show will include “the latest and greatest Meta Horizon updates” – it doesn’t get much greater than the platform’s first-ever third-party VR headset. Not much is known about Tarius but leaks tease a high-end gaming headset with top-notch displays.

Finally, I think Meta’s ‘one more thing’ at Connect 2025 will be the Meta Quest Pro 2. But much like the original Pro I think we’ll only be getting a teaser of a device we won’t see properly until Meta Connect 2026. While the Quest Pro was ultimately a flop, and rumors have suggested its sequel has been canned twice (or, specifically, that prototypes that were intended to become the Quest Pro 2 both got scrapped) a third attempt is in the works as a showcase of high-end mixed reality glasses. If that's the case then the Quest Pro 2 could be a super intriguing and unique MR headset – but as with all leaks and predictions we won’t know what Meta has in store for Connect 2025 until its keynote (which usually takes place at the start of the first day, so September 17, 2025).

Whatever announcements Meta makes we’ll be here and ready to cover them.

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• A data breach has apparently hit the US Coast Guard
• The paychecks of over a thousand employees have been affected
• The Coast Guard is investigating the incident

A data breach has affected the personnel and payroll systems of the US Coast Guard, and has impacted member pay, and forced the agency to to take systems offline to prevent further intrusion until “at least February 19th, 2025”.

The Coast Guard told Cybernews researchers it is, “investigating the breach of data within its personnel and payroll system, which has impacted the timeliness of bi-weekly pay to 1,135 members.”

The sensitive financial information of service members was reportedly exposed in the hack, meaning they could be at risk of fraud or identity theft - so it could be dangerous for anyone exposed, here’s what we know so far.

Compromised accounts

The data breach was discovered by a junior petty officer, who alerted the agency to irregular activity on their account, and the source of the breach is yet unknown.

The full scope of the breach also hasn’t been determined yet, and the Coast Guard have confirmed it will “ensure it is resolved as soon as possible”.

“Concurrently, the Coast Guard Personnel Service Center and Pay and Personnel Center are expediting pay to any impacted Coast Guard members,” the agency said, calling “the men and women of the USCG workforce our most valuable resource.”

The service’s Pay and Personnel Center, has pulled its Direct Access military pay and benefits system offline while it investigates the issue, but the spokesperson confirmed that members will be paid “as soon as possible”.

The Coast Guard spokesperson reiterated to Cybernews its members “deserve transparency into the causes and resolution of this incident” and that through the “ongoing response and investigation,” the USCG will “continue to provide timely updates to the workforce.”

In April 2024, the Coast Guard Reserve suffered a data breach which exposed the private information of thousands of individuals, including home addresses, employee identification numbers, and names.

With increased cybercriminal activity from rogue nation states across the world, it's unsurprising that critical infrastructure and government agencies are being targeted. In fact, US military and defense contractors have been increasingly attacked by Infostealer malware, with the US Army, Navy, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and others all affected.

Employees at risk

Since Personally Identifiable Information was leaked as part of this breach, there is a risk for those affected. Financial information puts personnel at risk of fraud, such as false credit card claims, so employees should be sure to monitor their accounts very carefully.

With any data breach, a serious danger is the risk of identity theft for families and employees, which these plans can help with. Staying on top of your accounts and your details is the basis of it, but the plans often offer insurance, dark web monitoring, and antivirus software to keep you protected all in one place.

Besides that, social engineering attacks like phishing are a risk, because attackers can use the personal information gained from the breach to construct a specific email (usually) that references family members, websites you use, the company you work for, or another convincing scam.

These will often prompt the victim into action, like clicking a link, entering credentials, or scanning a QR code. Our advice is to never click links or scan codes you don’t 100% trust, and be very, very wary of communications you aren’t expecting.

Banks are unlikely to email or call you out of the blue, and so are the social media companies or communication platforms you use - and they won’t ask for your information either. If you receive an email from one of these you’re not sure about, look up the official email address and compare them, or call the company up to verify.

Make sure you create a strong and secure password and a unique one for all platforms which hold medical or financial information (like banks and messaging apps) - this quarantines any accounts that do suffer a data breach.

Also important, is to enable multi-factor authentication or MFA. Although this can be a bit of a hassle, it's an extra layer of security and gives you a peace of mind knowing that criminals would face an extra barrier to steal your details.

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Commentary: It's a lesson other devices could learn from.

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• Sales of discs, including 4K Blu-ray, fall for another year
• There was an overall decline of 23.4% year-over-year in 2024
• Subscription streaming services, such as Netflix, grew by 25.3%

Sales of 4K Blu-ray discs (our top format choice for testing the best TVs), Blu-ray discs and DVDs declined for another year in 2024, falling below $1 billion for the first time in the US. Digital movie sales also fell during that time, adding yet more woes for Hollywood studios.

As reported by FlatpanelsHD, the sale of physical media formats fell after a 23.4% year-over-year decline, which is a record low after a peak for physical media sales of $16 billion in 2005. The 4K Blu-ray format accounts for a growing portion of the declining disc sales, though it has seen its sales decrease every year since 2018. Digital movie sales, from places such as Apple TV, fell 10.2% from the previous year.

Interestingly, figures suggest that the home entertainment market is actually growing, up 25.3% from the previous year. That includes revenue from the best streaming services such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and more. At $57.17 billion, it is seven times larger than the US theatrical box office.

This news comes after a year of ups and downs for physical media in 2024, which saw Best Buy and Disney decide to cease selling and distribution of discs, only to be followed shortly thereafter by an agreement between Sony and Disney for the former to take over physical media distribution for the latter. LG also announced it would no longer manufacture 4K Blu-ray players, while retailers such as Fred Meyers and GameStop announced plans to stock 4K Blu-rays.

Are you missing out?

4K Blu-ray remains the best way to view your favorite movies, such as David Fincher's '90s crime epic Se7en (pictured), which had a 4k Blu-ray release in January 2025. (Image credit: Future)

We here at TechRadar are fans of 4K Blu-ray as we use them to test TVs, including the best OLED TVs and even the best soundbars. That’s because playing a disc on one of the best 4K Blu-ray players lets you enjoy your favorite movies and TV shows with superior picture and sound quality compared to streaming.

When you stream from services such as Netflix in 4K, the quality level is actually closer to a 1080p HD Blu-ray. The average video bit rate for a 4K Blu-ray is 128mbps, whereas 4K streaming averages 18mbps, maxing out at 40mbps on services like Apple TV. When I tested Blu-ray vs streaming, however, the impact was felt most with audio: streaming services compress Dolby Atmos soundtracks, whereas the uncompressed version present on Blu-rays sounds much clearer and more powerful.

Another issue with streaming services is that you don’t ‘own’ the movies and TV shows they carry. I’ve consistently found examples of movies I enjoy migrating from one streaming service to another (usually ones I don’t subscribe to) or disappearing altogether. It’s an incredibly frustrating situation that doesn’t happen if you own a physical copy.

The last year was a rollercoaster for 4K Blu-ray and this doom-and-gloom news of falling sales hasn’t got 2025 off to the best start, but I still remain hopeful for 2025. Our readers have shown strong interest in 4K Blu-ray, so much so that we’ve launched a monthly roundup of some of the best 4K Blu-ray releases named the ‘Blu-ray Bounty’, with our latest edition from January 2025 available to read at the link.

For anyone fed up with rising streaming prices, or maybe looking to dip their toe into the world of serious home theater, 4K Blu-ray is an excellent option. If you’re only focused on streaming, you’re missing out on the wonderful world of 4K Bu-ray.

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• Wicked Part One has finally conjured up a streaming release date on Peacock
• The Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-starring musical movie will arrive on March 21
• That means fans of the hit film won't be able to watch it at home before the 2025 Oscars

Get ready to sing your lungs out, everyone, because Wicked has finally landed a streaming release date.

That's right, Universal Pictures' hit film adaptation of the beloved Broadway musical of the same name is set to be released on Peacock in the US next month. Indeed, it'll make its streaming debut on the NBCUniversal-owned service on Friday, March 21. At the time of this article's publication, that's just over a month from now.

Holding space for March 21. #WickedMovie will be streaming exclusively on Peacock. pic.twitter.com/xvlWvhmPQtFebruary 19, 2025

That's the good news. The bad news is that Wicked – or, to give its full title, Wicked: Part One – won't be available to watch at home before this year's Academy Awards ceremony. The 2025 Oscars are set to take place on Sunday, March 3, meaning almost three weeks will have passed before one of 2024's best movies is released on one of the world's best streaming services. If you were hoping to catch the multi-Oscar contender before the glitziest event of the year, then, you're bound to be disappointed.

In some ways, it makes sense that Wicked wouldn't be available to stream on Peacock before the 97th Academy Awards take place. Wicked has been nominated for 10 Oscars following its November 2024 theatrical debut, and I'd be very surprised if its cast and crew don't walk away with a few gongs on the night. There'll be more than a few fans who'll want to check it out on Peacock if (or, rather, when) it's won an award or four. That said, the timing of its streaming debut is a bit strange. Interest in Wicked is likely to be at its highest in the week before and after the 2025 Oscars. To me, then, it would be more logical for it to be released on Peacock on February 24 or March 4.

Anyway, if you're interested in watching any of this year's Best Picture Oscar nominees from the comfort of your own home, check out our guide on where to stream The Substance, Conclave, Anora, The Brutalist, and Wicked's other Academy Award competitors.

Where can I stream Wicked in the UK and Australia?

UK and Australian viewers will need to rent or buy Wicked from a digital store if they want to stream it (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Unfortunately, there's no word on when Wicked will be available to stream for 'free' – that is, by way of owning a subscription to a streaming platform – on British or Australian shores. The only way you can currently watch it at home is by renting or buying it from online retailers, such as Amazon, Apple TV, Microsoft, and Sky.

If you're planning on doing so, you'll need to be quick. The Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-starring movie won't be around for much longer on Amazon and Sky in the UK. As of this article's publication, it's leaving these platforms in three days so, if you're reading this after February 22, you'll be out of luck. Australian audiences only have five days to rent or buy it on Amazon down under, too, so you've got until February 24 to see what all of the fuss is about.

Thankfully, it seems that the Apple and Microsoft stores will still allow you to purchase Wicked permanently or temporarily. Anyone who wants to belt out 'Defying Gravity' from their couch between now and March 3, then, will be able to do so. Just don't be surprised if you get a knock at the door from your slightly annoyed neighbor if you do!

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A win for Arne Slot's men today would give them a 10-point lead at the top of the EPL.

• Apple has announced the new iPhone 16e
• The iPhone SE, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Plus have been discontinued
• The iPhone 16e is available to preorder on February 21

Apple has announced the iPhone 16e, a cheaper addition to the iPhone 16 lineup that we previously suspected would be known as the fourth-generation iPhone SE. We're still covering the iPhone 16e announcement live as Apple reveals more details.

The new iPhone 16e packs the A18 chipset, 48MP Fusion camera, and Apple Intelligence compatibility of the mainline iPhone 16 into a chassis modeled after the iPhone 14.

However, the announcement of the new mid-range iPhone has in fact signaled the end of the iPhone SE and iPhone 14 product lines altogether.

It seems that the iPhone 16e is a direct replacement for the iPhone SE – the SE’s product page is still accessible for now, but there’s no option to buy the phone anymore.

With the iPhone 16e available to preorder on February 21, and shipping on February 28, it makes sense that Apple would stop sales of the iPhone SE to push customers towards the new iPhone 16e.

The third-generation iPhone SE was modeled after the iPhone 8 and carried the internals of the iPhone 13 – so from an aesthetic and performance point of view, it was getting a little long in the tooth.

Not just a 14 with a new name

As mentioned, the iPhone 16e can be seen as a spiritual successor to the iPhone SE, though it is much more expensive at a starting price of $599 / £599 / AU$999 compared to the third-gen iPhone SE at $429 / £429 / AU$719.

The situation with the iPhone 14 is a little more complex. Until today, Apple had the baseline iPhone 14 on sale for the same price the iPhone 16e launches at: $599 / £599 / AU$999.

However, the iPhone 16e’s A18 chipset, 48MP main camera, and Apple Intelligence support effectively make the iPhone 14 redundant, as the iPhone 14 doesn’t have any of these features. Both phones have the same notched 6.1-inch display and the same dimensions. The only thing the iPhone 16e misses out on that the iPhone 14 has is a secondary ultra-wide camera.

Apple has never concurrently sold two iPhones at the same starting price, so the new iPhone 16e has taken the iPhone 14’s spot in the lineup.

Finally, today brings bad luck for anyone looking to pick up a cheap big iPhone – the iPhone 14 Plus has been discontinued along with its smaller sibling.

Your cheapest option for a 6.7-inch iPhone is now the iPhone 15 Plus, which remains on sale for $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.

We'll be testing the iPhone 16e as soon as we can to see if it ranks among the best iPhones.

What do you make of these changes? Will you miss the iPhone SE or iPhone 14? Let us know in the comments below.

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It feel like it was just yesterday that I was gearing you up for everything new on Hulu in February 2025 – but that's only because the month is as short as it is. Now that a new month is upon us that means you have a new Hulu streaming schedule for March 2025.

It's always exciting to see what's in store for the best streaming services each month, and March is a particularly thrilling month for Hulu as it marks the long overdue release of Sean Baker's Oscar-nominated Anora (2024) on streaming. This new movie comes just in time for the 2025 Oscars (that will be live streaming on Hulu on March 2), which will be accompanied by previous Oscar-winning flicks such as The Social Network and, a personal favorite of mine, Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance (2014).

There's no hiding that Anora is the movie I have my eye on out of all the new titles coming to Hulu in March 2025, and there's an open spot in our list of best Hulu movies waiting patiently for Anora to fill. Which movies and shows are you going to dig into to kickstart the transition into a month?

Everything new on Hulu in March 2025

Arriving on March 1

Akeelah And The Bee (movie)
Alien (movie)
Alien 3 (movie)
Alien Resurrection (movie)
Alien Vs. Predator (movie)
Alien: Covenant (movie)
Aliens (movie)
Aliens Vs. Predator – Requiem (movie)
The Amateur (movie)
American Hustle En Español (movie)
American Hustle (movie)
The Angry Birds Movie (movie)
Anger Management (movie)
Big (movie)
Birdman Or (The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (movie)
Bohemian Rhapsody (movie)
Brooklyn (movie)
Couples Retreat (movie)
Crazy Heart (movie)
Dangerous Beauty (movie)
Firehouse Dog (movie)
Good Will Hunting (movie)
High Fidelity (movie)
Jojo Rabbit (movie)
L.A. Confidential (movie)
The Last King Of Scotland (movie)
The Legend of Zorro (movie)
Life Of Pi (movie)
Lincoln (movie)
My Cousin Vinny (movie)
The Other Guys (movie)
The Other Guys En Español (movie)
Pacific Rim: Uprising (movie)
Predator (movie)
Predator 2 (movie)
Predators (movie)
The Predator (movie)
The Princess Bride (movie)
Prometheus (movie)
Pulp Fiction (movie)
Sideways (movie)
The Social Network (movie)
The Wrestler (movie)
Think Like A Man Too En Español (movie)
Think Like a Man Too (movie)
The Truman Show (movie)
3:10 to Yuma (movie)
True Grit (movie)
The Ugly Truth En Español (movie)
The Ugly Truth (movie)
Unbreakable (movie)
Wadjda (movie)
War Horse (movie)
Welcome To The Rileys (movie)
Whatever Works En Español (movie)
Whatever Works (movie)
Wild Target (movie)

Arriving on March 2

The Oscars
Love Again (movie)
Love Again En Español (movie)

Arriving on March 3

Sensory Overload (movie)

Arriving on March 4

The Gutter (movie)

Arriving on March 6

Deli Boys season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on March 7

The Banger Sisters (movie)
Classified (movie)
Confessions Of A Shopaholic (movie)
Hellboy: The Crooked Man (movie)
The Inner Portrait (movie)
Notes On A Scandal (movie)

Arriving on March 8

Babylon (movie)
Babylon En Español (movie)

Arriving on March 10

American Idol season 8 Premiere (TV show)
The $100,000 Pyramid season 8 Premiere (TV show)
The Benefactor (movie)
Ca$h (movie)
Hesher (movie)

Arriving on March 11

Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna (documentary)
New Life (movie)

Arriving on March 12

Murai In Love season 1 (TV show)
Am I Being Unreasonable? season 2 (TV show)
The Conners seasons 1-5 (TV show)

Arriving on March 13

Control Freak (movie)
After the First 48 season 9B (TV show)
American Godfathers: The Five Families season 1 (TV show)
Brigham Young: Architect Of Faith season 1 (TV show)
Lifetime Presents Women Making History season 1 (TV show)
Parents Gone Wild season 1 (TV show)
Pawn Stars: Best Of season 5 (TV show)
Sentenced to Life: Teen Killers season 1 (TV show)
The First 48 season 26 (TV show)
The Boston Strangler (movie)
The First 48: Critical Minutes (TV show)
Monster Hunter (movie)
Stepmom from Hell (movie)

Arriving on March 14

Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years (TV show)
Fight Club (movie)
Force of Nature: The Dry 2 (movie)
The Last Of The Mohicans (movie)
The Prestige (movie)
True Lies (movie)

Arriving on March 15

Premonition (movie)
Premonition En Español (movie)
The Roundup: No Way Out (movie)
The Roundup: Punishment (movie)

Arriving on March 17

The Sabrina Soto Show season 1 (TV show)
Anora (movie)

Arriving on March 18

Carol (movie)
Exhibiting Forgiveness (movie)

Arriving on March 19

Gannibal season 2 (TV show)
Good American Family (TV show)
Hyper Knife (TV show)
Tokyo Revengers season 2B (TV show)
Magi seasons 1-2 (TV show)
Rega Crimson season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on March 20

O’Dessa (movie)
My Strange Arrest season 2 (TV show)
Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys season 1 (TV show)
The Proof Is Out There: Alien Edition season 1 (TV show)
Rachael Ray in Tuscany season 1 (TV show)
Trapped in the Rocky Mountains (movie)

Arriving on March 21

The Demon Sword Master of Excalibur Academy season 1 (TV show)
I’ve Somehow Gotten Stronger When I Improved My Farm-Related Skills season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on March 22

The Jesus Music (documentary)

Arriving on March 23

The Machine (movie)
The Machine En Español (movie)

Arriving on March 24

Wildflower (movie)

Arriving on March 25

Big Boys season 3 (TV show)
Dandelion (movie)

Arriving on March 26

The Conners season 6 (TV show)

Arriving on March 27

The Conners season 8 (TV show)
Alone season 11 (TV show)
Biography: WWE Legends season 4 (TV show)
Find My Country House season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on March 28

Chosen Family (movie)
The Line (movie)

Arriving on March 31

The Fable season 1 (TV show)
Alex Cross (movie)
Bachelorette (movie)

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• Reviews and benchmarks reveal the RTX 5070 Ti's position between the RTX 5080 and RTX 4070 Ti Super
• It's 20% faster than the RTX 4070 Ti Super in Cyberpunk 2077 at native 4K
• An inflated retail price may ruin its potential success in the GPU market

Nvidia's RTX 5000 series GPU launch hasn't been the best, notably due to supply and scalper issues - but the RTX 5070 Ti's release is on the horizon and reviews suggest it's nearly as good as the RTX 5080, if it can be found at its retail price.

Based on multiple reviews and benchmarks, the general consensus surrounding the RTX 5070 Ti is that it's an RTX 5080 lite GPU - it utilizes the same GB203 GPU die and reports (before reviews went live) suggested its placement in between the RTX 5080 and RTX 4070 Ti Super, as highlighted by KitGuru based on 'leaked' benchmarks.

That appears to be the case: a prime example is KitGuru's benchmarks in Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K on maximum graphics settings without using DLSS 4, where the RTX 5080 is 19.2% faster than the RTX 5070 Ti. Sure, it sounds like a big margin, but that's excluding the use of DLSS 4 which is a huge game changer for image stability and would undoubtedly increase the average frame rate for both GPUs.

Compared to the RTX 4070 Ti Super, the RTX 5070 Ti is 20% faster in the same Cyberpunk 2077 test - with advantages like Multi Frame Generation to significantly boost frame rates with reduced ghosting compared to the RTX 4000 series model, it would knock the previous gen GPU out of the water based on this metric. However, the problem doesn't stem from how well the new Blackwell GPU performs, but rather its potential retail pricing.

You're probably not going to get it at its retail price...

Similar to the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, the RTX 5070 Ti will reportedly suffer from a limited supply. Inflated prices (for the RTX 5090 and 5080) are widespread at retailers and scalpers are also an issue - unless you're willing to throw your wallet at either of Team Green's premium GPUs, I doubt you'll find them at their retail prices.

The RTX 5070 Ti will launch tomorrow at $749, but the chances of this being the real listed price are very slim due to high demand and potentially limited availability. It's worth noting that there is no Founders Edition GPU, so you'll be left at the mercy of retailers - some retailers clearly don't care about Nvidia's embargoes since some have already received the GPU, so don't expect the $749 price to be honored.

If you own at least an RTX 4070 Ti Super, I wouldn't recommend the RTX 5070 Ti, especially because you're likely going to be overspending. However, if you're still using one of Team Green's RTX 3000 series GPUs, I'd suggest keeping an eye out for one that is hopefully at its retail price.

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• Snake Keylogger seen in more than 280 million blocked infection attempts
• The malware uses advanced obfuscation mechanics
• There are ways to defend the endpoints

Cybersecurity researchers from Fortinet have warned about a new, dangerous threat called Snake Keylogger.

This information-stealing piece of malware has been observed in more than 280 million infection attempts blocked just by Fortinet’s solutions, meaning the threat is widespread, and the threat actors are casting quite a wide net.

In its in-depth report, Fortinet says that Snake Keylogger is most prevalent in China, Turkey, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Spain, but added that its widespread presence highlights it as a global threat.

Advanced evasion techniques

The malware is primarily being spread through phishing emails with malicious attachments and links, and is used to steal sensitive information from browsers such as Chrome, Edge, or Firefox. Furthermore, Snake Keylogger can log keystrokes, capture credentials, and monitor for clipboard activity. Finally, it uses SMTP (email) and Telegram bots to exfiltrate whatever information it steals.

What makes this malware particularly dangerous is its use of AutoIT for evasion, Fortinet further explains. By hiding malicious code within compiled AutoIT scripts, the threat actors are making static analysis difficult, and ensure that the executables make it past traditional antivirus detection solutions.

There are ways to mitigate risks, though. Fortinet says that users should be careful with incoming email messages, and should avoid opening unsolicited email attachments, or clicking on unexpected links. Furthermore, users should make sure their antivirus software is up-to-date, and should keep their other software patched up, as well.

Finally, the cybersecurity community should continue working on improving user awareness on topics such as phishing, social engineering, and identity theft.

Keyloggers and infostealers are dangerous pieces of malware since they grant attackers keys to the kingdom, which can later be used in ransomware attacks, extortion, and more. In this particular case, Fortinet did not say who built the keylogger, or if they usually target a specific industry.

Via Infosecurity Magazine

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• Bookie has been canceled at Max after two seasons
• The streaming service announced the news in a statement, but did not cite a reason for the decision
• Bookie currently has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes critical rating, so this may come as a surprise

Cancelations are never fun, and it's especially disappointing when a show is well-received by critics. With a 90% Rotten Tomatoes critical score, Bookie could be considered one of the best Max shows, but that still wasn't enough to save it from getting axed after a two season run on one of the best streaming services. So if you were hoping for more, it's unlikely to happen unless it gets picked up elsewhere.

Commenting on the decision, a Max spokesperson told Deadline: "For two seasons creators Chuck Lorre and Nick Bakay and their hilarious cast, led by Sebastian Maniscalco, made us laugh while pulling back the curtain on the world of sports betting. We won’t be moving forward with a third season, but we are grateful to have worked with such a brilliant team on this laugh-out-loud comedy.”

What else has Max canceled recently?

(Image credit: HBO)

It can be frustrating when our favorite shows are unexpectedly canceled, and while Netflix remains the worst streamer for this especially as it has a habit of axing shows after a single season. We put together 9 canceled Netflix shows that you should still watch, and we're still feeling pretty upset about the fact they're gone.

Most recently, Max canceled Tokyo Vice, and fans of the highly-rated crime series weren't happy, so it suffered a similar fate to Bookie. They also canceled Raised by Wolves after two seasons, and a third has not yet happened. It's also been completely removed from the streamer so you can't even watch previous episodes there, though they can be purchased on Apple TV.

Cancelations are inevitable, and if you are a fan of Bookie, you'll just have to hope someone else takes an interest in it. If not, you can always watch old episodes unless they meet a similar fate as Raised by Wolves, which was entirely pulled from HBO Max in 2023. Let's hope not!

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Apple's new affordable iPhone is slightly more expensive, has a design based on the iPhone 14 and runs Apple Intelligence. Preorders start on Friday.