Technology

• Nintendo has revealed the times its Nintendo Switch 2 Direct will air
• Expect to watch it on April 2 at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm GMT / 3pm CEST
• No other details have been revealed about the Direct's contents so far

We now have an official time for the April 2 Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, and it perhaps unsurprisingly falls in line with historical Nintendo Direct air times.

Announced by Nintendo's regional social channels on X / Twitter, the April 2 Nintendo Direct - which is set to be a full reveal and deeper dive on Nintendo Switch 2 - will go live at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm GMT / 3pm CEST. This is about standard for most Nintendo Direct presentations, which typically air in the morning in the US and the afternoon for UK and European folks.

Before this, we only had that general April 2 live date to go off, which was revealed in the official Nintendo Switch 2 announcement trailer. Now, we have actual times set in stone, which will make it easier for budding viewers to plan their days around the presentation (or, you know, book the day off work which I will sadly not have the luxury to do. Sigh).

Join us on April 2nd at 6am PT for #NintendoDirect: Nintendo Switch 2 – 4.2.2025, where we will share a closer look at #NintendoSwitch2.► https://t.co/XCecVa9Zid pic.twitter.com/ACu5pZUd0DFebruary 5, 2025

As for what we'll see during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, the company remains tight-lipped. While we probably won't get an exhaustive specs breakdown - at least not the kind you'd see from, say, PlayStation's Mark Cerny - it should give us a better idea of what improvements we can expect over the base Nintendo Switch hardware.

There are likely to be plenty of new game reveals, however, as well as the potential of an official launch date for the system. We already know a brand new Mario Kart game is on the way thanks to the Switch 2 announcement trailer, but could we also get updates on Metroid Prime 4 Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Both are still slated for a 2025 release, so one can certainly hope.

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• The first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth has been released online
• Rebirth will see Scarlett Johansson lead an all-star cast in a story set five years after Jurassic World Dominion
• Universal's dinosaur-centric film series returns in theaters worldwide on July 2

The first trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth has roared its way online. And I don't know about you, but I get the feeling that it'll be a return to form for Universal Pictures' dinosaur-starring movie series – and I'm not just saying that because of its clear ties to Jurassic Park.

Rebirth, which will be the seventh film in the sci-fi action film franchise, is aiming to, well, breathe new life into the multi-billion dollar-spinning movie brand after some not-so-well received instalments. Heck, you only needed to read my scathing review of Jurassic World Dominion for an example of how the franchise bag has been fumbled in recent times.

But I digress. You're here to watch Rebirth's first teaser, aren't you? Check it out below:

What is the plot of Jurassic World Rebirth?

Scarlett Johansson's Zora is Rebirth's protagonist (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Per a Universal press release, the latest film in the Jurassic series is set five years after the events of Dominion. Despite their attempts to co-exist with humanity, dinosaurs have struggled to adapt to planet Earth, especially from an ecological standpoint. Those that remain now populate various islands that sit close to or on the equator, due to how similar their climates are to weather conditions that existed tens and hundred of millions of years ago.

However, humans just don't know when to leave these fierce, skyscraper-sized reptiles alone. Indeed, the crux of Rebirth's plot is this: the DNA of the world's three biggest dinosaurs apparently hold the key to creating a life-saving drug that could benefit humanity for eons. Thus begins an expedition to an archipelago – one that housed a research facility for the original Jurassic Park (yep, the very one situated on Isla Nublar in Steven Spielberg's 1993 classic) – to track down these beasts and extract their genetic code.

Who's part of the Jurassic World Rebirth cast?

Mahershala Ali (center) is another big name actor attached to Jurassic World Rebirth (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

The Jurassic film franchise is renowned for its star-studded casts. From the original trilogy's, erm, iconic trio of Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, to the first set of World movies that featured Marvel alumnus Chris Pratt and actor-turned-Star Wars director Bryce Dallas Howard and many more besides, A-listers have appeared in their droves to get their fill of these dinosaur action-driven flicks.

Jurassic World Rebirth has assembled its own cast of talented individuals, especially in front of the camera. Scarlet Johansson, who's best known for playing Black Widow, aka Natasha Romanoff, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), is one of the new movie's lead stars. In it, she'll play skilled covert ops expert Zora Bennett, who's enlisted by paleontologist Doctor Henry Loomis (Bridgerton alum Jonathan Bailey) and Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs (Anatomy of a Scandal's Rupert Friend) to lead said expedition.

Oscar winner Mahershala Ali is also on board as Duncan, Zora's most trusted lieutenant, as is Manual Garcia-Rulfo (star of Netflix's The Lincoln Lawyer) as Reuben, the father of a shipwrecked civilian family. Rounding out Rebirth's supporting cast are Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty), and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs Lopez) as Reuben's family, as well as Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF), and Ed Skrein (Rebel Moon), who are Zora and Duncan's fellow operatives.

Gareth Edwards is on directing duties for the first entry in what's been planned as another Jurassic film trilogy. His filmmaking credits include 2014's Godzilla and 2023's The Creator, so he seems an ideal choice to bring sci-fi spectacle and deadly, titanic monsters to the big screen once more.

When is Jurassic World Rebirth's release date?

The latest Jurassic movie will make its theatrical debut in mid-2025 (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

If you skipped over the bullet point list at the start of this article, Jurassic World Rebirth will bare its teeth in theaters worldwide on July 2, 2025.

It won't be the only blockbuster to arrive that month, either. James Gunn's Superman movie, which marks the true beginning of the DC Universe (DCU) will take flight in cinemas globally just over a week later on July 11. Then, on July 25, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the first Marvel Phase 6 film, will make its silver screen debut. Start saving your pennies now, everyone, because July is going to be an expensive one for all of us cinephiles.

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• Monster Hunter Wilds' PS5 Pro enhancements have been revealed
• The console will offer three different performance modes
• Prioritize Framerate will feature 60FPS but won't have ray tracing

Capcom has revealed the PS5 Pro enhancement details for Monster Hunter Wilds.

Following Capcom's Spotlight + Monster Hunter Wilds Showcase yesterday, which offered a brand new look at the upcoming game ahead of the its release, the company has provided the system features for PS5 Pro.

It's confirmed that the console will offer three performance settings, including Prioritize Resolution, Balanced, and Prioritize Framerate. Ray tracing will be enabled for the first two, but disabled for the latter, and each one will output at different frame rates.

Prioritize Resolution will offer 30FPS, Balanced will have 40FPS, while Prioritize Framerate will feature the highest at 60FPS. It's noted, however, that "frame rate may drop in situations of high system load".

Thanks to the PS5 Pro's AI-upscaling technology, PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), the visual quality of Monster Hunter Wilds will also be boosted while maintaining performance "for an ultra-smooth image" when playing.

Capcom also revealed the details about Monster Hunter Wilds' second open beta test. It's set to begin on February 6 and will run across two weekends ending February 16.

Players who download the open beta client will be able to try out some of the game's features ahead of time, including the Training Area exclusively built for solo play, private lobbies, and online single-player mode, and even take on the flagship monster Arkveld.

Content from the previous open beta test held in November will also be featured, including the character creator, story trial, and a Dogshagma Hunt.

Monster Hunter Wilds launches on February 28 for PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC.

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• Hulu has ordered a pilot for a revival of the cult TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Sarah Michelle Gellar is set to return as Buffy Summers, with Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao eyed up to direct
• Original show producers Fran and Kaz Kuzui will return, but Joss Whedon will not be involved

Since Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended with its seventh season over 20 years ago, not only has it become one of the best Hulu shows but a potential revival of the supernatural cult series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar has been bubbling away for some time. Now, it seems as though the Buffyverse is about to be expanded once more (with feeling) thanks to a pilot order from Hulu - and you bet that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it.

Returning to the role that made her a household name, Sarah Michelle Gellar will star as Buffy Summers on one of the best streaming services, with Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) eyed up to take the reins on the pilot episode with Nora and Lilla Zuckerman (Poker Face) lined up as writers. But one of the more exciting parts of its production team is the addition of Gellar herself as executive producer, in addition to the return of the original show’s producers Fran Kuzui and Kaz Kuzi. Original show writer Joss Whedon won’t be returning, which is only appropriate given his misconduct allegations.

Whether or not the original scooby gang members Willow (Allison Hannigan), Xander (Nicholas Brendan), and Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) will make a comeback is yet to be determined, but for now, the news of Gellar’s return is enough to lock me in.

(Image credit: 20th Century Fox) What’s next for Sunnydale?

In retrospect, the scale of the Buffyverse has grown since its final episodes aired in 2002 and 2003 with Buffy’s adventure continuing in the comic book series, and of course not forgetting its spin-off series Angel (1999-2004). Therefore, when it comes to its Hulu revival, there are many paths that Zhao and fellow executive producers could go down to relight the Buffy fire.

Following the news of the pilot order, The Hollywood Reporter has briefly touched on which direction Hulu’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival will take and has stated that it could focus on a new central character - another young slayer. Despite the golden rule of the Buffyverse being that there’s only one slayer at a time, the Hulu reboot could flip this on its head and explore the possibilities of there being multiple slayers just as its final episode did. With a new central slayer in place, this means that Buffy’s character will sit on the sidelines, however, in spite of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s previous stance on a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot I’m surprised her character is returning altogether.

An exciting return, or a nerve-wrackingly ambitious project?

In short, the answer is both. Being a huge fan of the original Buffy show, there’s no lie that I’m very excited to relive watching the show for the first time again, but now that it’s finally coming together I can’t help but wonder, what changed?

An official reboot was never really on the cards despite fans desperately craving one, and even Gellar (Buffy Summers herself) had never considered returning until now, having recently shared in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter; “I always used to say no, because it’s in its bubble, and it’s so perfect,” she said during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. “But watching Sex and the City (sequel And Just Like That) and seeing Dexter, and realizing there are ways to do it, definitely does get your mind thinking, ‘Well, maybe.’”

I think that when it comes to TV shows that have amassed a cult following like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a reboot is inevitable which is an exciting proposition, yet one that could easily crumble if not executed perfectly. As it stands, shows like And Just Like That have taken to the art of the reboot by modernising its approach to characters and story while maintaining that familiar charm we love in the original Sex and the City series. If they want a successful Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot, in my opinion all they have to do is bring back James Marsters as Spike, and it’s all 10s from me.

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• The Australian Home Affairs department has banned the use of DeepSeek
• India's finance Department has also warned against its use
• Concerns have arisen over the privacy and safety of AI models

The new DeepSeek AI chatbot has been making headlines, and even briefly became the world’s most popular chatbot within 10 days of its launch - overtaking existing models like ChatGPT and Gemini.

However new research has claimed the DeepSeek chatbot is ‘incredibly vulnerable’ to attacks, sparking national security concerns which have caused Australia’s Department of Home Affairs to ban the use of the model on federal government devices.

The policy, issued on the February 4 2025, determines the use of DeepSeek products and web services ‘poses an unacceptable level of security risk to the Australian Government’ and warns that departments must manage the risks from the ‘extensive collection of data’ and the exposure of the data to ‘extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law’.

Following the trend

Australia isn’t alone in this. India’s finance ministry has also asked its employees to avoid using any AI tools, like DeepSeek and ChatGPT for official purposes, and have cited the risk to confidential government documents and data.

Similarly, the US Navy banned the use of DeepSeek in ‘any capacity’ due to ‘potential security and ethical concerns’, and Italy’s data protection authority said it ordered DeepSeek to block its model in the country after the company failed to address the regulator’s privacy policy concerns, only providing information that the regulator found ‘totally insufficient’.

AI companies, like ChatGPT and DeepSeek collect vast amounts of data from all corners of the internet to train their chatbots, and have run into trouble against data privacy laws around the world.

Beyond that, some models have worrying privacy policies. For example, OpenAI has never asked people for consent to use their data, and it’s not possible for individuals to check what information has been stored.

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More than 8 companies out of every 10 have admitted to actively spying on their employees in the UK. Yet, over half of British workers said they would be ready to quit their jobs if subjected to workplace surveillance.

These are the tensions rising across the UK workspace revealed by the latest research conducted by ExpressVPN, one of the best VPN providers on the market.

"These findings highlight an urgent need for greater transparency and trust in the workplace," said Lauren Hendry Parsons, Privacy Advocate at ExpressVPN.

The boom of bossware tools

While we're all accustomed to physical surveillance in the workplace – think about all the security cameras or your personal badge – remote work surveillance isn't as visible. Yet, as remote working gets more widespread, bosses are finding new ways to monitor their employees.

Known as bossware (portmanteau of boss and spyware), it refers to software installed on workers' devices to monitor their activities. This may include the websites they visit, the apps they use, keystrokes, and even screen monitoring to gauge performance and productivity levels.

The team of privacy experts interviewed 1,000 employees and 1,000 employers all across the country to discover their attitudes toward this rising trend, unveiling a clear discrepancy between British bosses and employees.

As mentioned earlier, 85% of employers in the UK admitted to using some form of online monitoring. Not only that, nearly three-quarters of UK bosses (72%) said they were more comfortable with in-person work as it requires less surveillance.

(Image credit: ExpressVPN)

On the other hand, British workers have expressed concerns about workplace surveillance, with the vast majority (79%) arguing that the government should better regulate the use of bossware technologies.

Almost half of the respondents (42%) believe online communications monitoring, such as emails, chats, and video calls, to be unethical. Yet, 45% of employees suspect that they've already been the object of workplace monitoring.

Worryingly, even more Brits (46%) said that the prospect of their boss spying on their online activities and communications has an impact on their stress and anxiety levels. A few respondents (17%) would even be willing to take a 25% pay cut to avoid being monitored.

According to Parsons, employers must find a balance between enabling productivity and respecting employee privacy, no matter where their employees are working.

She said: "Over-surveillance can lead to a toxic work environment, increased stress, lower productivity, and ultimately, higher turnover rates. It’s essential for organizations to adopt transparent and ethical monitoring practices that prioritize the well-being of their employees."

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• Regardless of rowing back on its decision, the USPS is still thought to have new obligations to inspect incoming parcels from China and Hong Kong
• 'De minimis' rule previously granted exemptions to parcels valued under $800 from customs duties and inspection
• Chinese sellers on popular ecommerce platforms and their customers get a reprieve from an intensifying trade war between the US and China

Update 02/05/2025:

Hours later, the USPS has now confirmed (via CNBC) that, effective immediately, it will resume accepting packages from China and Hong Kong.

“The USPS and Customs and Border Protection are working closely together to implement an efficient collection mechanism for the new China tariffs to ensure the least disruption to package delivery,” it wrote in an update to its website.

Original story follows.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has begun rejecting international parcels from China and Hong Kong following the former’s introduction of tariffs on US imports in retaliation against President Trump’s own introduction of a 10% tariff on Chinese imports.

In a short statement (via CNN), the USPS said the measure would be in place until “further notice”, but also, “the flow of letters and flats from China and Hong Kong will not be impacted”.

The move is almost certainly going to impact the day-to-day business of ecommerce platforms such as Temu, Shein, Wish and AliExpress, who often rely on sellers from these territories to list products that are often shipped as small parcels.

USPS China parcel ban

To remain financially sustainable, and viable to end users, these platforms have, up to now, generally relied on what was known as the “de minimis” exemption, which allowed anyone to ship parcels worth less than $800 to the US and not be subject to exemption or taxes. The past tense is important here, as the President ended de minimis via executive order (external paywall) earlier in February 2025.

“This is a significant challenge for [USPS] because there were 4 million de minimis packages per day in 2024, and it is difficult to check all the packages — so it will take time,” wrote Chelsey Tam, a Morningstar senior equity analyst, in a research note according to CNN.

Other multinational delivery firms, such as UPS, DHL, and FedEx, are also expected to respond, perhaps via a similar blanket refusal of packages from China and Hong Kong.

Retaliatory Chinese tariffs

China’s own tariffs on goods to the US, set to take effect on 10 February, 2025, are wide-ranging and potentially set the stage for a trade war that’ll affect much more than consumers being prevented from, to take Temu’s slogan, ‘shopping like billionaires’.

In addition to a 15% tax on coal and gas, plus 10% on oil and certain vehicles such as those in the agricultural sector, it also introduced new export controls on several metal products and associated technologies, while adding biotech and life science research firm Illumina and clothing company PVH Group to its list of ‘unreliable entities’; sending their share prices plummeting.

Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said, “China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly defend the legitimate rights of Chinese companies,” and called the US’ tariffs “unreasonable suppression” of its busn

Washington must “cease its unreasonable suppression of Chinese companies,” spokesman Lin Jian said when asked about the US postal announcement. “China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly defend the legitimate rights of Chinese companies.”

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• The US government has been confirmed as a Paragon customer
• Paragon was recently accused of targeting journalists by WhatsApp
• Paragon "explicitly prohibit(s)" the targeting of journalists

Notorious Israeli spyware manufacturing company Paragon Solutions has confirmed the US government is a purchaser of its products.

Speaking to TechCrunch, Paragon’s executive chairman John Fleming said, “Paragon licenses its technology to a select group of global democracies — principally, the United States and its allies.”

The confirmation comes days after WhatsApp revealed Paragon had attempted to illegally install its spyware on the devices of up to 90 journalists and members of civil society through a zero-click deployment.

Paragon prohibits targeting journalists, does it anyway

Fleming's statement continued, saying Paragon, “requires that all users agree to terms and conditions that explicitly prohibit the illicit targeting of journalists and other civil society figures. We have a zero-tolerance policy against such targeting and will terminate our relationship with any customer that violates our terms of service.”

TechCrunch said Fleming did not respond to a number of other questions, such as who Paragon considers as a US ally, and the specifics on the terms of service regarding the targeting of journalists, among other targeted questions about the accusations made by WhatsApp, and if Paragon investigates allegations of abuse or had severed a contract because of violations.

Two of the journalists targeted in the WhatsApp campaign have come forward. Italian journalist Francesco Cancellato, director of Fanpage.it, which published undercover video recordings of the youth wing of Italy’s ruling party, Fratelli d’Italia, making racist and anti-semitic remarks, and chanting Nazi and pro-fascist slogans of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

Libyan activist Husam El Gomati, who is based in Sweden, has criticized efforts made between the Italian and Libyan governments to stop Libyan immigrants from crossing into Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. Both Cancellato and Gomati confirmed they had been targeted by Paragon in the spyware attack.

Via TechCrunch

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• Gemini notifications now look like phone calls on some phones
• This should make it easier to tell when Gemini is Live
• Could be an early roll.out of a feature or an A/B test

Last week Google’s Gemini Live service received its 'Talk Live about this' update, which allows the AI to have a real-time chat with you about the images, files, and YouTube videos showing on your device’s screen. Now it appears that Google is making a subtle tweak to the service’s notification to make it look more like you’re phoning a friend than chatting with a robot.

Usually when you’re in a Live chat with Gemini and not in the app, the only on-screen sign is a small notification symbol at the top of the screen, and a message in your notification centre that your mic is on and Gemini can hear and respond to you. Now, as spotted by 9to5Google, some Pixel smartphones are instead showing this notification as if it were a phone call – with a more obvious on screen chip saying you’re live with Gemini , and the option to Hang Up or put Gemini on Hold.

While this change does seem to offer some user-friendly advantages – more on that below – we can’t help but feel that this is a not-so-subtle trick from Google to make Gemini feel more like a friend you’re calling rather than some ethereal, impersonal AI.

We should note that most people still aren’t seeing the style change. This means it could have been rolled out by accident to a select few, or is still in the A/B testing stage. We haven’t been able to see call-style notifications on any of our devices, with 9to5Google saying it appeared on one “Pixel 9 Pro running Google app beta version 16.4” – which suggests this may not yet be a change that's ready for the mass market.

Phone an AI friend

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

We hope this notification change does make it to more devices, as one major advantage is that it serves as a more constant reminder that Gemini is listening in. The previous notification was more hidden, so it was easy to forget that you were still in a live chat with Gemini even though you'd left the app (until it responded seemingly out of nowhere).

Now there’s a constant obvious on-screen reminder that the AI is still on the other end of the line – with an easy option to either leave the conversation by hanging up, or, if you just want to pause the conversation, put the AI on hold (I wonder what Gemini’s preferred choice of hold music would be?).

This privacy awareness will be particularly useful as Gemini grows its ability to respond to on-screen stimulus. Currently, its more limited feature set means there's not too much reason to leave it running in the background – so you can just end the conversation before leaving the app. But as Gemini gets better at helping you understand a recipe you’re reading, or summarizing a complex science video, or performing some other trick which relies on it ‘seeing’ a different app on your screen, it’ll likely be a lot easier to forget to turn the AI off when you’re finished using it.

At least that would be the case with the old-style of notification, and turning the conversation into a call should be a lot more obvious – although we’ll have to wait and see when or even if this style tweak will be rolled out more widely at some point in the future.

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• Panasonic's president is considering a sale of its TV business
• The manufacturer is struggling in a crowded TV market
• No interested buyers have been confirmed so far

Panasonic is one of the best TV makers on the market today – but given how crowded that market has become, even Panasonic is having to consider whether its TV business is sustainable in the long term.

According to a report in Nikkei (via FlatpanelsHD), the Japanese electronics manufacturer is considering a sale of its TV business, after company president Yuki Kusumi declared on an online earnings call that "We are prepared to sell it if necessary, but we have not yet decided on a plan."

The news comes only months after Panasonic confirmed an 80% sale of its projector business with financial services group ORIX, suggesting more measures may be required to balance the company books.

But given the sheer quality of so many Panasonic TVs – many of which I've had the pleasure of reviewing – it'd be a true shame if we had to say goodbye to its TV lineup as we know it.

The Panasonic Z95B is coming this year, and it looks stunning. (Image credit: Future) What's the issue?

Panasonic is a name of some prestige in the TV market, thanks partly to the company's great history in plasma TVs, partly to glowing reviews of models such as the Panasonic Z95A, and partly to its close links with Hollywood colorists, with Panasonic touting its OLED TVs has being used as master monitors during film production.

Panasonic TVs tend to excel at accurate color reproduction and good motion processing, and have often led the way with high-end features such as automatic brightness adjustment (Dolby Vision IQ) or advanced built-in Dolby Atmos speaker systems, resulting in its TVs ranking among the best TVs for sound.

Panasonic's MyHomeScreen smart platform has often lagged behind other TV operating systems such as Samsung's Tizen or LG's webOS, but its products are still a consistent contender among elite TVs.

However, despite its commercial connection to Hollywood, Panasonic TVs haven't been on sale for US citizens in around a decade. The company pulled from the US consumer market in 2016 in the face of widespread, low-cost LCD production, which coincided with flagging sales of the plasma TVs Panasonic had become synonymous with.

These days, Panasonic makes some of the best OLED TVs, but then again so does LG, Sony, Philips, and even the long-time OLED detractor Samsung.

And while Panasonic has since re-entered the US market, and released a series of OLED TVs featuring Amazon's Fire TV smart platform, it may be a little too late for the company to catch up with the competition.

A new era?

Of course, a sale of Panasonic's TV business could see the line-up continue under the guidance of another electronics company – and it's possible that the Panasonic name could continue to be used on TVs under license, much as with Toshiba or Sharp TVs today.

As a fan of Panasonic's TVs, I'd certainly be concerned of a drop in quality in this case, or a pivot away from Panasonic's blockbuster OLED reputation – the models it makes feel so uncompromized, and it's hard to imagine them staying that way if another company took over.

By the sounds of it, there isn't a confirmed buyer yet for Panasonic's TV business, and executives are looking to address several areas of Panasonic's expansive electronics empire, including consumer appliances, industrial devices (motors, sensors, compressors) and mechatronic systems – meaning the TV business might not be the first thing on the auction block.

But Kusumi spoke of "drastic measures" to come by the end of the 2025/2026 financial year, so it's clear that everything is on the table. I just hope that the fruits of Panasonic's TV labor won't disappear in the process.

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• The Find N5 is coming in "two weeks" according to an Oppo exec
• The super-thin foldable will be launched internationally at the same time
• The OnePlus Open 2 should follow in certain markets

We've been waiting a while for a follow-up to the Oppo Find N3 – known outside of China as the OnePlus Open – but thanks to an Oppo executive we know that the foldable's successor is going to get its grand unveiling in two weeks' time.

This comes from Oppo's Zhou Yibao on Chinese social media site Weibo (via Android Authority), and the post backs up claims that this is going to be the thinnest foldable in the world when it arrives – beating the Honor Magic V3, which is 4.4mm-thick when unfolded.

Oppo representatives have been busy on social media in recent weeks, showing us just how thin the Oppo Find N5 is going to be. It's been compared to an M4 iPad Pro, and put up against an iPhone 16 Pro Max, in official images.

As well as giving us that two-week time frame – putting a launch on February 19 or February 20 – Yibao has also said this will be the first of Oppo's foldable phones to be available globally under its original name.

What about the OnePlus Open 2?

We've already seen some images of the Oppo Find N5 (Image credit: Oppo)

That global availability raises some questions about the OnePlus Open 2, as the Oppo Find N3 was rebadged globally as the OnePlus Open – a foldable that we were very much impressed with, as you'll see from our OnePlus Open review.

We might get some clues from the Oppo Find X8 Pro, which launched last year and was released in several places internationally as well as China: it's currently available in the UK, Australia, and Europe, though not in the US.

If Oppo follows that plan again, the OnePlus Open 2 may land in the US, UK, and Europe – essentially the same phone but under a different name and branding. That means UK and European shoppers would have two pretty much identical foldables to choose between.

All should be revealed in a couple of weeks – at least as far as the Oppo Find N5 and its availability is concerned. Besides the ultra-thinness, we're also expecting a titanium build, the biggest battery yet in a foldable, and a substantial camera upgrade.

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