Technology

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• Microsoft warns of new version of the XCSSET infostealer
• It comes with new obfuscation, infection, and persistence techniques
• Experts warn all users to be careful

Microsoft says it has spotted a new strain of an old macOS malware variant, one which comes with better obfuscation techniques, more persistence, and new infection mechanisms.

In a short X post, Microsoft detailed discovering a new version of XCSSET, which it describes as a “sophisticated modular macOS malware” that targets users through infected Xcode projects.

Xcode is Apple's official integrated development environment (IDE) for creating apps on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It includes a code editor, debugger, Interface Builder, and tools for testing and deploying apps.

Limited attacks

In essence, XCSSET is an infostealer. It is capable of pulling system information and files, stealing digital wallet data, and grabbing information from the official Notes app. Its latest iteration comes after more than two years of being dormant, and appears to come with significant improvements.

To better hide itself, XCSSET now uses a “significantly more randomized” approach for generating payloads to infect Xcode projects, Microsoft explained. For persistence, XCSSET now uses two techniques, called “zshrc” and “dock”. In the first one, the malware creates a file named ~/.zshrc_aliases, which contains the payload. It then appends a command in the ~/.zshrc file to make sure the created file is launched every time a new shell session is initiated.

In the second one, the malware downloads a signed dockutil tool from a command-and-control server to manage the dock items. It then creates a fake Launchpad app and replaces the legitimate one’s entry in the doc. That way, when the victim runs the Launchpad from the dock, both the legitimate app and the malware are executed.

As for infection, XCSSET now comes with new methods for where the payload is placed in the Xcode project.

Microsoft said that at this time, it is only seeing the new variant in “limited attacks”, but wanted to sound the alarm on time, so that users and organizations can protect themselves.

“Users must always inspect and verify any Xcode projects downloaded or cloned from repositories, as the malware usually spreads through infected projects,” the company concluded. “They should also only install apps from trusted sources, such as a software platform’s official app store.”

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• Xbox boss Phil Spencer has commented on Microsoft's recent move to put PlayStation and Nintendo logos in its trailers
• Spencer said he wants to be "honest and transparent" about where the games can be played
• He also said that games should be the main focus

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has said the company will continue putting PlayStation and Nintendo logos in its trailers to be "transparent" with its audience.

In a new interview with XboxEra, Spencer discussed the company's recent decision to start showing the logos for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam in its trailers during major showcases. For example, the latest behind-the-scenes video for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which was released during Xbox Developer Direct last month.

While it's likely the move was made in light of Microsoft's ongoing multi-platform push, the Xbox boss said it's to be more honest about where players can buy its games.

"I think it’s just being honest and transparent about where the games are showing, and we actually even had this discussion last year for the June showcase, and by the time we kind of made our decision, we couldn’t get all of the assets done and it felt weird to have some of them in and some of them out," Spencer said.

"But I just want to be transparent with people – for shipping on Nintendo Switch, we’re gonna put that. For shipping on PlayStation, on Steam... people should know the storefronts where they can get our games, but I want people to be able to experience our Xbox community in our games and everything we have to offer, on every screen we can."

Spencer continued, acknowledging that not every console is equal, and "there's certain things we can’t do on the other closed platforms that we can do on open platforms," like cloud gaming, but said its the games that should be the main focus.

"The strategy that we have allows us to do big games, while also supporting our native platform from hardware to the platform and services that we have and that’s going to be our approach," he added.

"And I know it’s not what everybody else is doing, but I just believe games should be the thing that’s at the forefront. Maybe it’s because of how I’ve grown up in this industry. I came from building games. But I think the games are the things that I see growing in their strength in what we’re doing and it’s because more people can play. So yeah, I’m just trying to be open and transparent with people."

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AI chatbots are often accused of a somewhat shallow approach to gathering and explaining information. That may soon change as developers race to put out AI models that can really get to the bottom of a subject. That's certainly what Perplexity is aiming for with its new Deep Research feature, which is available on all its tiers, both free and paid-for.

Coincidentally, that's the same name OpenAI uses for a very similar ChatGPT Pro feature also called Deep Research. The two tools both promise to do the heavy research work for you. Supposedly, they can comb through the vast sprawl of the internet to deliver curated, well-reasoned answers.

Despite the name, it's worth noting that the Deep Research fees are a little different. OpenAI’s Deep Research requires a $200-per-month subscription to ChatGPT Pro, which is still capped at 100 queries per month. It can also take as much as 20 minutes to get a full report. It's worth noting that OpenAI says that the Deep Research feature will filter down to ChatGPT Plus, then free tier users at some point in the future.

Perplexity’s Deep Research is much nimbler, coming back with answers in a few minutes despite still covering a broad range of sources to compile responses. Still, you get up to five queries a day for free and up to 500 a month with a Perplexity Pro plan, which costs $200, but for an entire year instead of a month.

I wanted to test the two Deep Research tools against each other, but I didn't want to pay for a ChatGPT Pro plan for the privilege, but OpenAI helpfully already had several Deep Research answers in a demonstration. I chose three and tested them against Perplexity's Deep Research to see how they did.

TV mysteries

(Image credit: Screenshots from Perplexity/ChatGPT)

I started with the 'needle in a haystack' query from ChatGPT's Deep Research. It was a long, rambling question about a specific TV show episode. The prompt asked:

"There is a TV show that I watched a while ago. I forgot the name but I do remember what happened in one of the episodes. Can you help me find the name? Here is what I remember in one of the episodes:

Two men play poker. One folds after another tells him to bet. The one who folded actually had a good hand and fell for the bluff. On the second hand, the same man folds again, but this time with a bad hand.

A man gets locked in the room, and then his daughter knocks on the door.

Two men go to a butcher shop, and one man brings a gift of vodka.

Please browse the web deeply to find the TV show episode where this happened exactly."

ChatGPT's Deep Research had a solid, seemingly accurate answer, saying the episode came from the Starz series Counterpart, specifically “Both Sides Now," which was the fourth episode of the first season. It cited the show's own episode summary and wiki.

Perplexity Deep Research, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to gaslight me with its answer. The AI asserted that I was thinking of season 1, episode 5 of Poker Face, titled "The Stage Play Murder," but that I was apparently conflating other shows in my description. According to Perplexity, my description meant I was mixing Poker Face in my brain with the Lifetime movie Girl in the Closet and scenes from the reality series Beekman Boys. The description may have been from the ChatGPT test, but Perplexity seemed confident that I was simply merging details from three wildly different sources, none of which were the correct answer. Score one for ChatGPT's slow and expensive option.

Snow shop

(Image credit: Screenshots from Perplexity/ChatGPT)

For the shopping genre, OpenAI put together a doozy of a complex request for winter sports equipment with this prompt:

“I’m looking for the perfect snowboard. I ride mainly in Hokkaido twice a month in the winter. I like groomed runs but also want something that can handle fresh powder. I prefer all-mountain or freestyle boards with medium flex, stable for carving yet maneuverable. Also, I want it in a citrus color palette. Mid-to-premium price range. Oh, and I want availability in Japan. Format the response in an easy-to-read table.”

ChatGPT’s Deep Research had a highly structured response that laid out two tables. The first went through the pros and cons of five recommended snowboards, followed by the specs for each board. It even included detailed recommendations on how best to snowboard in Hokkaido’s unique powder conditions.

Perplexity’s Deep Research came back in a couple of minutes with several tables, including one for the recommended boards and their specs, along with separate tables for color, price, maintenance, and accessibility. It all made sense as far as I could tell, but there was zero overlap in the recommendations. After being told I was incapable of telling a Lifetime movie from a gritty time-loop drama, neither of which matched my request, I admit to being a bit leery of what Perplexity pushed on me here.

The kicker

(Image credit: Screenshots from Perplexity/ChatGPT)

The final prompt test fell under the 'general knowledge' section and is far shorter than the other prompts. The query is simply: "What’s the average retirement age for NFL kickers?”

ChatGPT wrote a mini-dissertation about how kickers last longer in their careers, the range of ages where they retire, and a lot of insight into the reasons why they keep playing longer than those in other positions. That said, "mid-to-late 30s" was as precise as the AI was willing to go in picking an average age of retirement for kickers. It did stake a claim that 4.8 seasons is the average length of their careers.

Perplexity, too, wouldn't commit to a specific age of retirement but erred on a younger scale of early-to-mid 30s instead of later. The AI also cited statistics showing kickers with an average career of 4.4 seasons. Those kinds of statistics likely vary based on the age of the sources. But, while neither was egregiously wrong, Perplexity's answer was somewhat messier and wandered a bit in focus compared to the neatly organized ChatGPT essay.

Pay for depth

ChatGPT’s Deep Research was undeniably better in its final form from this brief test. The exhaustive, well-structured reports were quite well-written. That being said, they were also very dry and dull. And while they included sources, I wouldn't want to stake too much on how ChatGPT interpreted the information without some human double-checking. It would make sense as a resource for academics or other professionals working on weighty research projects, but not without aid.

Perplexity’s Deep Research, on the other hand, is great for those who want a lot of information collated quickly and relatively cheaply. It's a bit like a good abstract for a scholarly dissertation. You get the key bits and maybe even some numbers, but you're not going to be able to judge the whole book from that. Still, if you want to get into more complex and far-ranging topics and put together a starting point for your own research, Perplexity's Deep Research is a solid solution.

If you have $200 a month to burn and a huge stack of complicated projects you want to get through, ChatGPT Pro might be worth it just for Deep Research. On the other hand, if something similar appeals to you on a smaller, more personal scale, a Perplexity Pro subscription is a much better bargain. And you don't even have to pay for that if you rarely need any Deep Research done. Either way, human oversight is mandatory if you want to catch errors, verify sources, and ensure that conclusions make sense, or even just to check that you haven't hallucinated an unholy chimera of a TV show like Perplexity claimed I had.

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• Apple’s M5 chip could debut later this year
• It will find its way into the MacBook Pro before the iPad Pro, a report claims
• It’s expected to be a minor update compared to next year’s M6 chip

When we first got a glimpse of Apple’s M4 chip in 2024 it didn’t land first in a Mac – it came to the iPad Pro before anything else. Now, though, Apple is planning to switch things up, restoring the Mac as the first destination for new M-series chips.

That’s according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, at least. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman explained that the transition to M5 chips will begin “alongside new MacBook Pro models in the fall” of 2025. After that, “we should get an M5 iPad Pro by the first half of 2026,” Gurman argued.

While it might seem odd to reverse the order that was used for the M4 chip, it actually makes a lot of sense. In recent years, new iPad Pro models have appeared at a roughly 18-month cadence. The MacBook Pro, however, has started to be updated annually, with new models appearing in the fall.

The seventh-generation iPad Pro with M4 chip appeared in May 2024, while the sixth-generation edition came out in October 2022. Before that, the fifth-generation model landed in April 2021. Continuing that pattern, we’d expect the M5 iPad Pro to be revealed sometime around December 2025.

That’s slightly earlier than Gurman’s prediction of “the first half of 2026,” but Gurman’s timeline makes sense. After all, delays happen, and Apple is no stranger to that (just look at its attempts to get the all-new Siri out the door). With that in mind, looking out for an M5 iPad Pro in late 2025 or early 2026 seems sensible.

An incremental upgrade

(Image credit: Future)

What can we expect from the M5 chip? Well, it’s not likely to be an earth-shattering update, and a performance uptick of around 15% to 25% has been suggested. Elsewhere, we could also see the introduction of Wi-Fi 7, while the entry-level MacBook Pro might also get the Thunderbolt 5 connectivity that has come to the high-end models.

If you’ve been hoping for a more wide-ranging revamp, chances are you’ll have to wait until 2026, when Gurman believes Apple is planning a “true overhaul” of the MacBook Pro. This might mean an OLED display, a new chassis design, and a significant performance boost from the M6 chip, which could be made using an all-new 2nm process.

So, while the M5 chip is now anticipated to find its way into the MacBook Pro before the iPad Pro, don’t be surprised if it’s more of an incremental refresh than anything else. Anyone in the market for a total redesign of the MacBook Pro will probably have to wait a little longer.

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• More details around the Samsung tri-fold have emerged
• The phone could launch later in the year than Samsung's regular foldables
• Meanwhile the Huawei Mate XT tri-fold is going global

At the same time as it launched the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung also gave us a sneak peek of an upcoming tri-fold foldable phone without adding much in the way of detail – though fresh leaks may have answered some of the questions we have about this handset.

Information posted by tipster @PandaFlashPro and analyst @DSCCRoss, neatly summed up by Notebookcheck, suggests that the tri-fold handset is going to be launched in the second half of the year – after the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 unveilings.

Those more familiar foldables should be appearing around July time (a year after the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6), so the tri-fold – which is rumored to be called the Samsung Galaxy G Fold – should appear in the months following that.

The same sources have 'confirmed' that the upcoming tri-fold phone will offer 2,600 nits of display brightness and 25W wired charging, matching Samsung's current foldables – though of course nothing is confirmed until Samsung says so.

The original tri-fold

The Huawei Mate XT (Image credit: Future)

While Samsung makes preparations for the launch of its first tri-fold handset, the Huawei Mate XT is going global. This tri-fold was launched in China last year, but will be heading to more markets across the world in the near future.

However, while Huawei has announced global availability (via Android Police), it hasn't said much more than that. The most useful detail released so far is a European price of €3,499, which at the time of writing works out as $3,660 / £2,905 / AU$5,760.

Given Huawei hardware remains banned in the US, we can safely assume the Huawei Mate XT won't be making an appearance there – but it looks as though the handset will be available to buy direct in at least some European countries.

There's no word yet of anyone else joining in with this trend of adding an extra fold. The rumors around a folding iPhone aren't going away – but Apple's first attempt at the form factor will have a single display hinge, rather than two.

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• Google Chat makes latest move to challenge Microsoft Teams
• Admins can now migrate Microsoft Teams channels data to Chat
• Customization, including date ranges, is supported

Google is taking its battle for supremacy in the online collaboration space to a new level with the public launch of a tool designed to take users away from one of its biggest competitors.

The company has officially released a new service making it easier to migrate Microsoft Teams conversations into its own Chat service.

First announced in December 2024, the migration tool is now generally available to all Google Chat users, with the company hoping businesses can deploy the platform more easily by experiencing less downtime and friction during the transition.

Goodbye Microsoft Teams?

“We’re expanding our data migration experience to include the ability for Google Workspace admins to migrate conversations from channels in Microsoft Teams to spaces in Google Chat," the company had initally noted in a Google Workspace update blog post announcing the news.

Within the ‘Chat migration’ menu of Google Chat, admins can connect to opposing Microsoft accounts to import Teams data. Migration maps and identity maps can be uploaded as csv files, and admins will also have the option to enter the start date for messages to be migrated from.

“You can also run a delta migration, which will migrate any messages added to Teams channels since the primary migration. Messages that are already successfully migrated are skipped," Google added.

Admins can also produce reports based on completed migrations to identify content that skipped, failed or had warnings.

Moreover, the feature requires those taking the action to be Google super admins and Microsoft Teams Global Administrators.

Any customers still needing to use the two platforms (and/or others) should consider enabling Mio, a third-party service which Google announced its interoperability with, alongside Teams and Zoom, back in 2024.

The news comes at a slightly tricky time for Microsoft Teams, as the company continues its battle with EU regulators concerning potential antitrust issues.

The latest salvo from lawmakers could in fact see the price of Microsoft Office (including Teams) subscriptions rise significantly, despite unbundling Teams from its software in 2024.

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Messages can also perform conversions, so you never have to look up how many pounds are in a kilogram again.

• The iPhone SE 4 is rumored to be getting an Apple 5G modem
• It's apparently not as speedy as the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon modem
• The handset is expected to be officially launched tomorrow

We're expecting Apple to unveil the iPhone SE 4 tomorrow, and while a lot of the handset's specs are rumored to be matching up to the iPhone 16 launched in September, it seems there's going to be one exception: the 5G modem.

According to South Korean outlet Donga (via GSMArena), the new Apple-designed 5G modem inside the iPhone SE 4 is going to lack mmWave support, and won't be quite up to the performance levels of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 modem fitted inside the four iPhone 16 handsets.

It remains to be seen exactly how different upload and download speeds will be between the handsets. The performance drop might not be noticeable at all to users most of the time, given the limits of 5G infrastructure, but it's worth noting the potential discrepancy as Apple looks to get more of its own chips inside its iPhones.

Rumors of an in-house Apple modem for the iPhone SE 4 have been swirling for months, with improved efficiency (and battery life) said to be one of the key benefits of making the switch. One source says these Apple modems, made by its partner TSMC, will be fully up to speed with the Qualcomm equivalents by 2027.

Specs appeal

The iPhone SE 4 could well look a lot like the iPhone 14 (Image credit: Apple)

It seems Apple is fully committed to the new 5G modem, which should also appear in at least some of the iPhone 17 handsets expected later this year. As with the mobile CPUs, it gives Apple more control over the circuitry and engineering inside its phones.

While the modem may not be quite up to speed, the other key specs of the iPhone SE 4 are thought to hold up very well against the flagship iPhone 16 series: the same A18 chipset and 8GB of RAM are believed to be on the way for the cheaper variant, and it will of course come running the same iOS 18 software.

The big reason for the performance parity is likely to be Apple Intelligence. Apple will want to make sure its new handset is capable of running all the latest AI tools, and a fast chipset and plenty of RAM will ensure that. The iPhone SE 3, which launched back in 2022, came with an A15 chipset and a mere 4GB of RAM.

It's likely that we'll get a lot of changes on the outside of the iPhone SE 4 too – it's apparently ditching Touch ID and the Home button for a more modern look, though it may get a notch rather than a Dynamic Island. You can keep up with all the latest launch news and leaks on our iPhone SE 4 live blog.

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• Xbox boss Phil Spencer confirms Rare's Everwild is still in development
• The game was announced in 2019 but Spencer says the team is making "progress"
• Microsoft can give Rare, among other studios, more time due to its packed release schedule

Rare's Everwild is still in development despite its five years of radio silence, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer.

Speaking to XboxEra in a recent interview, Spencer was asked to discuss his most anticipated game coming to Xbox. He'd previously shared excitement for Undead Labs' State of Decay 3, which is set for a 2026 release, but also said he's looking forward to Everwild, from Sea of Thieves developer Rare.

The game was announced in 2019 and has since been absent from numerous Xbox showcases. There's also no news on when it will launch, but Spencer did confirm that the team is making "progress."

"I’ll go back to what I said earlier. Yeah, State of Decay is just one of the franchises I love back from the original one, so that one stays on the board," Spencer said. "I do think the work that Double Fine’s doing and how Tim kind of solicits feedback from the team. And the other one, I’ll say because I was recently out at Rare. It’s nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they’re making."

Spencer explained that Microsoft can give Rare, Undead Labs, as well as Double Fine, more time to make their games since the company's current lineup is packed.

"...We’ve been able to give those teams time in what they’re doing which is good and still have a portfolio like we have," he said. "It’s like a dream that Matt [Booty] and I have had for a long time, so it’s finally good to be there. We can give those teams time. And next week I’m going to be up in Vancouver with the Coalition - and how fun is that?"

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• iPhone 17 Air renders give us a look at the possible design of the phone
• They show a slim build and a long camera bar
• We've also heard that the iPhone 17 might have the same design as the iPhone 16

This could be a big year for the iPhone, because along with successors to the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, we’re reportedly going to see something totally new – a super-slim model that, for now, we’re referring to as the iPhone 17 Air.

This device has been the subject of several rumors, but a new leak gives us our first proper look at what could be the iPhone 17 Air's decidedly un-Apple-like design.

Leaker Jon Prosser (via MacRumors) has shared renders in his Front Page Tech YouTube show that supposedly show the final design of the iPhone 17 Air, and you can see some of these below.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / ‪@Zellzoi‬)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Front Page Tech / ‪@Zellzoi‬)

As the renders show, the iPhone 17 Air supposedly has a very slim body, and there’s a long black camera bar running the width of its rear panel. Despite being so long, this camera bar only actually houses one lens, with that sticking out on the left, while the flash is on the far right. Some of the images also show that, unsurprisingly, the phone has both a Camera Control button and an Action button.

While this is the clearest look we’ve had at the possible design of the iPhone 17 Air, these renders are in line with previous leaks, including a blurry photo supposedly showing the iPhone 17 Air. So, these renders may well be accurate, though it’s worth noting that Prosser has a mixed track record – he’s been both right and wrong about Apple information in the past.

No change for the base model

This isn’t the only piece of iPhone 17 series design information Prosser has shared. In a post on X (via Phone Arena), he claimed that the base iPhone 17 looks much like the iPhone 16 – meaning two camera lenses arranged vertically, taking up much less space than the iPhone 17 Air’s alleged camera bar.

If so, then the iPhone 17 series could consist of three quite different designs, because as well as these two, Prosser recently revealed the possible design of the iPhone 17 Pro. According to him, this phone has a much chunkier camera bar even than the Air model.

We might not find out how accurate all of this information is for quite a while, mind, as we’re not expecting to get an official look at the iPhone 17 series until September.

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• The chance to create an NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6 is up for grabs at a charity auction
• Bids currently start at $10,450
• The money raised will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Have you ever wanted to be part of a video game? Well developer Bethesda Game Studios is offering one lucky gamer the chance to create an non-player character (NPC) in the massively anticipated The Elder Scrolls 6.

It's being offered as part of a charity auction, benefitting the Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic organization. The charity works to provide wish-granting experiences for children with critical illnesses, with the aim of giving hope to children, families, and communities in a challenging time.

The auction is ongoing, with lot #301 letting the winner "have the opportunity to work with the Bethesda Game Studios development team to create a character to appear as a video game NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6." It's an incredibly tempting proposition, letting you have a direct impact one what is easily going to be one of the biggest fantasy video games of the generation.

Bidding starts at $10,450, though I imagine that this will seem like a small price to pay for some seriously die-hard fans. The money from the winning big will go directly to Make-A-Wish, which is going to be something to feel pretty good about.

The Elder Scrolls 6 was first unveiled back in 2018, where a short teaser trailer was shown. We've heard very little about the game since, though information from Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition suggests that it will launch in 2026 at the earliest.

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• Nintendo is set to discontinue its Gold Points rewards scheme
• From March 24, 2025, you'll no longer be able to earn them
• However, points you earn now will be redeemable for another 12 months

Nintendo has confirmed it will be winding down its eShop Gold Points rewards scheme next month.

The announcement was made over on the official My Nintendo website, confirming that the earning of Gold Points will be discontinued on March 24, 2025. At the time of writing, the website is currently returning an error for that page. But an FAQ (sourced by Go Nintendo) provides more details, reading:

"Beginning at 9:30 p.m. PDT on 3/24/2025, users will no longer be able to earn My Nintendo Gold Points. Gold Points will no longer be earned for digital purchases on Nintendo eShop after 9:30 p.m. PDT on 3/24/2025.

"Gold Points will no longer be earned on physical games that release after 3/24/2025. For physical games that released on or before 3/24/2025, Gold Points may still be earned by registering eligible titles within one year from the original release date of the game.

"All earned Gold Points will continue to be valid and redeemable for 12 months after they are issued. Please note that there are no changes to how you redeem the Gold Points you already earned."

Suspiciously, this is happening about a week and a half ahead of April 2's scheduled Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. Nintendo currently hasn't announced a replacement for the Gold Points rewards scheme, but there is a chance the company could be implementing a new system for when its new console arrives later this year.

If not, then that's definitely a shame. Gold Points are a pretty great way of saving cash on digital eShop purchases. Like PlayStation Rewards, Gold Points are added to your Nintendo account after registering a physical game or purchasing a game digitally on the eShop. Over time, this lets players save a substantial amount on the best Nintendo Switch games.

Nintendo has confirmed that Nintendo accounts will transfer to Nintendo Switch 2, so, could a bigger Nintendo eShop overhaul be on the way? Let's hope so, because it definitely needs one.

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