Technology

I spent a month using Apple's newest Pro iPhones, and I am even more sold on them -- even if they don't have Apple Intelligence out of the box.

Some chicken classifications speak to farming practices while others mean nothing at all. We break it down in this guide to chicken labels.

I tried out Mixbook's new AI-powered design technology to help celebrate moments over the last decade.

Designed to compete with Beats' popular Fit Pro earbuds, Sony's second-gen LinkBuds have an improved design and performance, along with color-swappable fins and case covers. CNET Editor David Carnoy explains why he likes them better in some ways than Sony's flagship WF-1000XM5 earbuds.

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Space heaters are a top cause of house fires during cold months: Never put them in these danger zones.

Switching repayment plans could help you wipe out your student loan debt faster.

If your AirPods are acting up, a simple factory reset could resolve the issues. Here's how to quickly get that done.

Want a svelte streaming amp that looks for all the world like it was hewn by the Greek God Chrysus – the one most associated with precious metal? Devialet can help, with its all-new Astra (which is essentially the name of the Titan God of the stars, planets and so on).

The Astra Opéra de Paris edition is finished in 23-carat gold leaf by artisans from Ateliers Gohard. But under its stunning exterior, it is of course built on past greatness. In this case, Devialet wouldn't necessarily point you towards its spherical Devialet Mania (also available in a 'sunset rose' hue) or the company's fabulous high-end Dione soundbar which boasts the same drivers as those premium in-flight seats. No, Astra is the evolution of Devialet's first creation, the Devialet Expert amplifier, unveiled 15 years ago – yes, now I also feel as old as the Gods.

Devialet says Astra is "our most advanced integrated audiophile system yet", and despite its proportions of just 38.6cm x 38.6cm x 4.7cm – so about the same as a very high-end pizza box – and a pretty slimline weight of 7.2kg, it totes 2x300 watts of power. There's also Wi-Fi 6 for Airplay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, UPnP and Roon Ready support. Bluetooth 5.3? Yes, it's here, although with only SBC and AAC codecs supported, you'd probably want to stick with Wi-Fi streaming.

Astra is a preamp, amp, DAC, streamer and phono stage in a single and ultra-compact unit. You can daisy-chain up to 8 devices, the built-in phono stage works with MM and MC cartridge turntables, the pre-amp out can be set to mono or stereo, and Devialet says its proprietary Speaker Active Matching (SAM) technology makes the Astra compatible with over 1,200 passive speaker profiles.

Connectivity? Ethernet, USB-C 2.0 (data port), digital coaxial inputs (up to 4x RCA 75Ω) digital optical ins (2x Toslink) analog inputs (up to 2x RCA stereo, plus that MM/MC phono stage with 13 equalization curves) are all here – and should you want to stack two of them for double the power, Devialet says that'll be seamless too, with the Devialet control app at the wheel.

Devialet's hi-fi lineup in undeniably stylish – and premium…

I've loved Devialet products since the company announced its luxury in-seat airplane sound systems – the subsequently news that they were arriving in business class on Japan Airlines last year.

For me, the Devialet Astra looks not dissimilar to the also-aspirational Beosound Level wireless speaker made my Bang & Olufsen – but machined from a single aluminum block then anodized, laser-engraved, brushed, and covered with 23-carat gold leaf, rather than the Hygge wood-texture look of the B&O product.

You also get a redesigned, battery-powered USB-C remote in the box. The large knob central to its design reminds me of the even-more-expensive Moon North 761 and 791 amplification system I spent a joyous evening enjoying last year, which can only be a Very Good Thing.

Each Devialet Astra Opéra de Paris in individually numbered – so you know it's not going to come cheap. Ready? The Devialet Astra Opéra de Paris is available now, priced £18,000, which is around $23, 340 or AU$35,070, before any associated duties.

Bit rich for the blood? That's OK, Devialet is also offering the Astra in 'Light Bronze' for just £14,000, or around $18,150. I'll take two…

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Black Ops 6 release times

(Image credit: Activision)

Black Ops 6 starts rolling out worldwide on October 24 at 9PM PT. Then, the game slowly goes live across each time zone, ending with Sydney on October 25 at 3PM AEDT. For the full info on the Black Ops 6 release time for your time zone, check out the sections below. If you're looking to get in as soon as possible, check out our Black Ops 6 preload guide.

Black Ops 6 release times start rolling out later today, beginning at 9AM PDT, allowing players to jump into the all-new campaign, multiplayer and other modes. It's all happening as a kind of rolling release, with the game going live at different times depending on your time zone. There's no Black Ops 6 early access this time around, either.

Depending on where you are in the world, you'll be able to get your hands on Black Ops 6 very soon indeed. From what we played of the beta, Black Ops 6 absolutely has a chance at ending up on our best FPS games list by the end of the year. The new Omnimovement mechanics are the star of the show, allowing you to dive in basically any direction while shooting. We'll have to see how the first season of content goes, but hopefully, this new Call of Duty game will be an impressive entry into the series.

To make sure you can jump into Black Ops 6 as early as possible, we've gathered together the Black Ops 6 release times for your timezone. We'll detail the Black Ops 6 release time for the US west coast, east coast, the UK, Europe, and Australia.

Black Ops 6 release times for PC

(Image credit: Activision)

Black Ops 6 will launch on October 24 at 9PM PDT for PC players. Here's the Black Ops 6 release time in your time zone:

• Los Angeles: October 24 at 9PM (PDT)
• Mexico City: October 24 at 10PM (CST)
• New York: October 25 at 12AM (EDT)
• São Paulo: October 25 at 1AM (BRT)
• London: October 25 at 5AM (BST)
• Paris: October 25 at 6AM (CEST)
• Johannesburg: October 25 at 6AM (SAST)
• Dubai: October 25 at 8AM (GST)
• Seoul: October 25 at 1PM (KST)
• Tokyo: October 25 at 1PM (JST)
• Sydney: October 25 at 3PM (AEDT)

Black Ops 6 release times for PlayStation and Xbox

(Image credit: Activision)

The Black Ops 6 release time for PlayStation and Xbox is midnight local time (October 25). This means that you'll be able to jump in as soon as October 25 hits. Make sure to have the game preloaded if you can, as it's if a hefty file size.

Black Ops 6 Game Pass launch time

(Image credit: Activision)

Black Ops 6 will launch on Xbox Game Pass at midnight local time. You'll need to have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Console, or PC Game Pass subscription to be able to download the game. You can also preload it now if you're a Game Pass subscriber.

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Hackers are targeting vulnerable Docker remote API servers, and using them to mine cryptocurrencies on the underlying hardware, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers from Trend Micro stated the crooks took an “unconventional approach” with this attack, noting, "the threat actor used the gRPC protocol over h2c to evade security solutions and execute their crypto mining operations on the Docker host."

"The attacker first checked the availability and version of the Docker API, then proceeds with requests for gRPC/h2c upgrades and gRPC methods to manipulate Docker functionalities."

Which tokens are they mining?

The experts explained that the crooks would first seek out public-facing Docker API hosts where HTTP/2 protocol can be upgraded. Then, they would send out a request to upgrade to the h2c protocol which, after conclusion, allows them to create a container. That container is ultimately used to mine cryptocurrencies for the attackers, via the SRBMiner payload, hosted on GitHub.

The researchers added the crooks used SRBMiner to mine the XRP token, native to the Ripple blockchain built by the company of the same name. However, XRP is a minted token that cannot be mined. We asked Trend Micro for clarification.

SRBMiner uses algorithms like RandomX, KawPow for mining. It can generate a number of different tokens for its operators, but not XRP. Among the available tokens are Monero, Ravencoin, Haven Protocol, Wownero, and Firo.

It’s safe to assume that the crooks were actually mining Monero, one of the most popular tokens among cybercriminals, given its advanced privacy and anonymity features. Monero is also commonly mined via the XMRig cryptojacker, and its ticker is XRM, quite close to XRP.

Trend Micro warned all users to secure their Docker remote API servers by implementing stronger access controls and authentication mechanisms, thus barring access to unauthenticated individuals. Furthermore, users are advised to monitor the servers for unusual activities, and implement best practices for container security.

Via The Hacker News

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Intel’s Arrow Lake desktop processors go on sale later today, officially at any rate – but the CPUs are already available to buy, though we most certainly wouldn’t recommend doing so.

VideoCardz spotted that someone on eBay in the UK is selling the Core Ultra 7 265K (which is the Core i7 equivalent, for those still not used to Intel’s new naming scheme). It’s exorbitantly priced at £450, although the ability to make an offer is present – and given that the retail price in the UK for the 265K is £380, you’d be pretty daft to pay a £70 premium at this point.

In the US, the Core Ultra 7 265K is also up on eBay with a couple of listings, though unlike the UK, these chips are just supplied in a plastic clamshell (the UK listing is at least the full boxed product).

That said, one of the US listings is at $340, so it’s at least cheaper than the $410 we can see the Core Ultra 7 265K is priced at Newegg. Officially, it’s still on pre-order at US (and UK) retailers, but that will change later today Thursday October 24, when the ‘go’ button is hit to make sales live.

Whatever you do, don’t buy these chips (or any others listed prerelease in this manner) – even when one may appear to be a bit of a bargain.

(Image credit: ShutterStock) Analysis: Steer well clear

As noted, these Core Ultra 7 265K processors are mostly at silly high prices anyway, although one might tempt you with that $340 asking price which is a fair bit less than you can get it at an official retailer. But note that the eBayer in question only has a couple of bits of feedback, and so you’re buying from a completely unknown source, as opposed to a proper retail channel where you’ll get full support and aftersales backup.

Even if the chip you buy on eBay does turn out to work, who knows whether it’s older sample silicon that might have been put through the mill in some way, and so could more likely manifest problems in the longer run. Issues you doubtless won’t be covered for in any way, shape or form.

And that’s not even considering that it isn’t, of course, even legal to be selling these chips in this way.

At this point, the temptation to get a next-gen chip early is pretty meaningless anyway – the full retail release is literally about to come about later on today. Just don’t let any low pricing fool you, either. And besides, you’ll need a compatible motherboard – Arrow Lake uses an entirely new CPU socket – and these listings are not offering that rather vital piece of hardware to go with the processor anyway.

In short, don’t waste your time – or money – in case you were in any doubt.

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Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will feature a ton of enhancements including three performance options at launch.

Ahead of the game's October 31 release, Digital Foundry was able to take the remastered version of the 2017 PS4 game for a spin on PS5, highlighting the many upgrades the game has to offer.

While visuals have been enhanced in almost every aspect, whether it be the highly detailed character designs, lush environments, lighting, and effects, it's Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered's three frame rate options that are able to make those features shine.

Players will be able to choose between 30fps, 40fps, and 60fps, each of which offers their own trade-offs between performance and image quality, just like Horizon Forbidden West.

According to Digital Foundry, the game uses the same dynamic resolution scaling as the 2022 sequel with quality mode aiming for native 4K output, while performance modes slightly drop below targeting 1800p "on average".

"Thankfully, the anti-aliasing matches the current version of Forbidden West so it's very clean compared to the initial launch version of that game," Digital Foundry said.

The three frame rate options are "roughly the same" but image quality in performance mode is "strong enough" to be recommended over the others.

Developer Nixxes is working on Horizon Remasted and was able to confirm to the tech experts that it already includes PS5 Pro support which will be automatically activated when played on the new mid-generation consoles.

Performance is also "by and large, perfect", Digital Foundry added, explaining that each mode delivers on their performance targets, as well as for the 40fps unlocked frame-rate mode for VRR-capable displays.

For those who already own Horizon Zero Dawn, you'll be able to purchase the remastered upgrade for just $10 / £10 when it launches next week on PS5 and PC.

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Microsoft is adding Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to Windows' Photos app, enabling users to scan and copy text directly from images. This feature will be available on Windows 11 and Windows 10 when it is officially released.

On 22 October 2024, Microsoft announced upcoming updates to its Photos app, some of which are already available for preview to Windows Insiders via Windows 11’s Insider Channel. This allows Insiders to test and provide feedback on the new features before a full rollout.

For Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft also plans to introduce 'super resolution' to enhance its Photos app. These updates aim to improve the overall user experience by using AI to enhance and enlarge images by up to 8x their original size through the super resolution feature.

How does OCR work?

OCR will essentially allow users to effortlessly extract text from images. Whether you’re dealing with notes, pictures, documents, or screenshots, the app can automatically detect and copy text straight to your clipboard. This will streamline your workflow by letting you paste the extracted text into other apps, reducing the need for manual data entry.

Using the OCR feature is pretty simple: just tap the icon below an image to extract text. Microsoft designed the tool to make tasks like managing information in images easier and improve productivity. It’s particularly valuable for accessibility, as users with visual impairments or similar disabilities can have text read aloud or converted to formats compatible with screen readers.

The OCR feature can also benefit professionals, students, and researchers by enabling them to copy and paste text from images into emails or documents thus streamlining their work. Additionally, it supports over 160 languages.

Despite Windows 10 reaching its End-of-Life support on 14 October 2025, Microsoft will roll out these features to both Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs. Microsoft is obligated to provide Windows 10 updates until support officially ends, and the operating system still has a significant user base due to hardware limitations, business needs, and personal preferences. As users eventually transition to Windows 11, they will already be familiar with many of the new features.

More improvements incoming for Windows users

There are additional updates coming too, like bug fixes for the Restyle image features on Copilot+ and Image Creator designed to improve overall image quality. If users want these new features, they’ll need to update their Photos app to version 2024.11100.17007 or higher via the Microsoft Store.

These features aren’t fully available yet, but Insiders are encouraged to send feedback to Microsoft. Their feedback can help resolve any issues and refine the features before they’re fully rolled out. For example, it was due to user feedback that Microsoft announced it is also introducing single-click support in the Photos app gallery, allowing for more efficient navigation.

While it’s great that Microsoft has introduced OCR to its Photos app, it is long overdue. Accessibility should be at the forefront of any modern app, especially given that leading tech companies like Apple integrated similar features, such as Live Text in iOS 15, quite some time ago. Features like this, along with other accessibility tools, should be standard across all platforms, not only to improve general productivity but more importantly to support users with disabilities.

Hopefully, this is a sign that Microsoft will make a greater effort to prioritize accessibility in the future, with more tools and updates designed with inclusivity in mind.

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Capcom and Sony have revealed new Monster Hunter WIlds-themed PS5 accessories and they are easily some of the nicest for the current-gen console yet.

Announced alongside the open beta for the game happening towards the end of October, the Monster Hunter Wilds DualSense Wireless Controller and PS5 Slim faceplates will be available exclusively in Japan and Asian territories. Pricing (thanks, Push Square) will be 12,480 yen (around $80 / £64) for the controller and 9,980 yen (around $65 / £50) for the faceplates.

The limited edition DualSense Wireless Controller is absolutely gorgeous, sporting a glossy crimson finish and emblazoned with various bits of Monster Hunter Wilds iconography. I'd say it definitely gives the 30th Anniversary DualSense a run for its money in terms of pure aesthetics. In any case it's a fine addition to the lineup of one of the best PS5 controllers.

The faceplates are much more subdued, offering a clean matte black look with a logo at the bottom right. If you're desperate to own either, or both, despite being available exclusively in Japan and Asia you'll likely be able to shop for them on import websites. Though you should expect to pay a bit of a premium here thanks to shipping and potentially customs costs.

Monster Hunter Wilds launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on February 5, 2025. An open beta is also on the way, taking place from October 31 to November 3. PS Plus members will be able to squeeze out a few extra days too, with an early access period beginning on October 28; that's almost a full week of monster hunting. The beta will include a handful of hunts to undertake as well as feature full character creation, so it's absolutely worth checking out if you're pining for the full release next year.

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