Technology

• A content creator has claimed that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection could come to Nintendo Switch 2
• A PS5 port is also allegedly on the cards
• Though Microsoft has released games on other platforms recently, this seems unlikely

A prominent Nintendo YouTuber has suggested that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection could land on Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5 in the future.

This comes from content creator ‘NateTheHate’, who has accurately leaked a handful of game reveals in the past. Speaking on the ‘Nate the Hate Podcast’, they stated that they “have heard” that “Flight Simulator (presumably referring to the recently released Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection) will be coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 as well.”

Yeah right

This wouldn’t be the first time that Microsoft published games have arrived on platforms outside of its Xbox and PC ecosystem. In addition to Xbox and PC, Pentiment, Sea of Thieves, Grounded, and Hi-Fi Rush are all available on Nintendo Switch and PS5. Late last year, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer also stated that Microsoft will release more Xbox games on other platforms and that there were no “red lines” as to what they might be.

Even so, I wouldn’t put much stock in these claims. A Halo: The Master Chief Collection port does seem plausible, but I’m finding it hard to believe that Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 would also make the jump. A PS5 port of it could be on the cards, but I seriously doubt the Nintendo Switch 2 will have the hardware specs to support such an intensive title.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 pushes even the Xbox Series S to its absolute limits and requires hundreds of gigabytes of storage space to play. Even if the Nintendo Switch 2 could run the game at an acceptable level, I do not believe that it will ship with enough storage capacity to even hold a full installation as Nintendo has form in keeping costs down by doing this.

Of course, Microsoft could still push out a wholly streamed ‘cloud version’ of the title, but that doesn’t seem likely given that it hasn’t taken that kind of approach before. We’ll just have to wait and see how Microsoft will support the console when it finally arrives.

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• Microsoft increases M365 Family price by 29%, M365 Personal by 46%
• The extra cash is to fund its AI tools, whether you want them or not
• Six countries have seen rises so far, unconfirmed for the UK and the US

Customers across six Asian and Australasian nations are having to contend with major price hikes to stay connected to their Microsoft 365 online services as the company struggles to identify the right pricing for its AI tools.

Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand are now seeing hikes of up to 46% in their bills, according to a report from The Register., which notes customers from the six nations received emails last week notifying them of the significant changes.

The company says charging more will “ensure Microsoft customers are among the first to access powerful AI features in our apps”.

Microsoft 365 prices are going up… because AI

Screenshots seen by The Register indicate Microsoft 365 Family subscriptions have increased from AU$139 to AU$179, with Personal subscribers set to pay AU$159, up from AU$109. That means a staggering 29% increase for Family members and an eyewatering 46% increase to Personal subscribers’ bills.

The company’s website has since been updated to reflect the pricing – AU$159 or AU$16/month for Personal, and AU$179 or AU$18/month for Family. Pricing in other countries has not yet been affected – the two tiers still cost £59.99 and £79.99 in the UK.

“These price changes reflect the extensive subscription benefits that Microsoft has added over the past 12 years including advanced security with Microsoft Defender, creative tools like Clipchamp, and countless enhancements to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook, in addition to new features such as Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft Designer," a Microsoft spokesperson stated.

It’s unclear whether more countries will be subjected to rising bills - TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft to confirm, but we did not receive an immediate response.

For comparison, Google One AI Premium with 2TB of cloud storage for up to six family members costs AU$32.99/month – even more than the AU$18/month that Microsoft wants to charge for its Family plan, which includes 6TB of storage for up to six family members.

iCloud+ with 2TB of storage costs AU$14.99, or UA$44.99 for 6TB. It can be shared among up to six, but Apple Intelligence features are more limited and ship with the hardware, rather than a cloud storage subscription.

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• A Finnish retailer has aired price tags for Gigabyte’s RTX 5080 models
• Only the WindForce variant is at the MSRP
• The six other RTX 5080 boards shown are 15% to 35% pricier

Nvidia’s RTX 5080 is priced at an MSRP of $999 in the US – and in line with that in other regions – which was a pleasant surprise, but it seems that the worst fears of some gamers might be realized, if pricing on some third-party boards that just popped up is anything to go by.

This info come from a Finnish retailer, Proshop, which has jumped the gun and listed Gigabyte’s RTX 5080 models with pricing, and only one graphics card is set at the MSRP in Finland (€1,229) out of a total of seven boards.

As VideoCardz reports, only the Gigabyte WindForce model is pitched at that €1,229, with the other six variants being a good deal more expensive.

Even the most affordable of those non-WindForce offerings, the Gaming OC and Aero OC, are both €1,419, which is a considerable premium over the baseline graphics card.

The Aorus variants are a good deal more expensive still, with the priciest version of those, the Aorus Xtreme WaterForce, reaching €1,669.

What this means is that Gigabyte has one RTX 5080 board, the WindForce, at the MSRP, and the other flavors are between 15% and 35% pricier. Obviously we should exercise a whole lot of caution around these prices, in case they turn out to be wrong somehow, or placeholders, but we’re very close to release now (and they sound plausible).

(Image credit: Nvidia) Analysis: An ominous sign – but don’t panic yet

As noted at the outset, this was the worry I – and many others – expressed at the time of Nvidia’s announcement of the RTX 5080 pricing.

On the one hand, it was great to see that $999 MSRP attached to the RTX 5080, when rumors had suggested Nvidia might sell it at $1,200 in the US (and proportional to that elsewhere), or maybe a good chunk more than that. Especially considering that the RTX 5090 price got jacked up.

On the other hand, the main concern was that most third-party models wouldn’t be at MSRP, and that scenario is exactly what appears to be playing out with Gigabyte’s RTX 5080 graphics cards – at least if the info from Proshop is correct. And it may not be, as already mentioned, so we mustn’t jump to any conclusions yet.

This remains just an ominous hint at the moment, then, although even if it proves right, there’s a chance that other graphics card makers won’t follow suit, and may have more models at the MSRP level. Or rather, their second-tier above baseline models hopefully won’t have a 15% hike, and instead exhibit a more modest increase.

If there are very few third-party RTX 5080 models on sale at the MSRP (or close), then the likelihood is that at launch – and maybe for quite some time after – those boards will sell out in a flash (along with Nvidia’s Founders Edition). Making the reality of getting an RTX 5080 at the MSRP level a shaky prospect, in short, but there’s still hope yet that this scenario won’t play out.

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• A new rendering of the Galaxy S25 Ultra has been leaked
• Some minor design tweaks are on show
• The phone is expected to launch on January 22

The Samsung Galaxy S25 leaks are certainly showing no signs of stopping as we head towards the Samsung Unpacked launch event on January 22 – and a newly leaked render gives us another look at the design of the Ultra model.

This comes from well-known tipster @UniverseIce, and is notable because it puts an image of the Galaxy S25 Ultra next to images of its two immediate predecessors: the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (from 2023), and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (from 2024).

While there are a lot of similarities, we can see some of the tweaks being made to the most premium of Samsung's flagships this year. The bezels are apparently getting even thinner, and the corners are expected to become more rounded.

That would make the Galaxy S25 Ultra more like the standard Galaxy S25 and the Galaxy S25 Plus in terms of its aesthetics. These changes have been talked about in previous leaks, so it's looking more and more likely that they are actually on the way.

An updated design

S23 Ultra，S24 Ultra，S25 Ultra pic.twitter.com/9yynHzJnStJanuary 11, 2025

It's not clear if these leaked renders are to scale, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to have a slightly larger screen than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, coming in at 6.9 inches – both the S24 Ultra and the S23 Ultra had 6.8-inch displays.

Much of that increase is expected to be down to the smaller bezels, so the actual size of the phone won't change all that much. According to leaks, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will measure 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm, so a little wider and thinner than its predecessor.

We've also heard from those in the know that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be adopting a more asymmetrical shape this year, which should make it more comfortable to hold in the hand. Of course, none of this is guaranteed until Samsung makes it official.

Samsung has now sent out invites for an Unpacked event on January 22, and while the Galaxy S25 phones aren't mentioned by name, they're almost certainly going to take center stage – alongside, perhaps, the Galaxy Ring 2 and a new VR headset.

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• Scammers have a new trick up their sleeves, and are using it on iPhone users
• They tell you to reply to their texts, which disables Apple’s scam protection
• Thankfully, there are a few ways you can stay safe

Apple has built several scam-protection tools into iOS, one of which disables links in SMS messages if the text comes from an unknown number. However, it looks like scammers have found a way to bypass these defenses and send you dangerous links, despite Apple’s best efforts.

As noted by Bleeping Computer, links are re-enabled if you reply to a message from an unknown source, as Apple assumes that replying means you trust the sender enough to also trust the URLs they’ve included.

However, scammers have latched onto this by instructing their victims to reply to their message, then click the re-enabled links. For instance, one scam message seen by Bleeping Computer contained a phishing link (which had been disabled), with the following text underneath it:

“Please reply Y, then exit the text message, reopen the text message activation link, or copy the link to Safari browser to open it.”

The idea seems to be that people are so used to replying to automated texts with things like 'YES' and 'NO' that they will automatically do the same with the phishing messages, thereby enabling potentially dangerous links to work again.

How to stay safe

(Image credit: Sora Shimazaki / Pexels)

If you receive an unexpected message from an unknown source and see that the text contains links, do not reply to it. Doing so will make the links live again, but simply ignoring the text (and reporting it as spam) will ensure you can’t fall victim to it.

If you aren’t sure whether a message is genuine or not, the advice remains the same: do not reply to it. Instead, contact the company directly using its official channels. This will put you in touch with a legitimate employee who will be able to tell you whether the message you received is trustworthy or not.

Even if you don’t click any suspicious links in the text, simply replying to the message will signal to the scammer that your number is active and that you are willing to engage with phishing messages, making you a inviting target.

It’s better to be safe than sorry in these situations. If you’ve been sent a text you weren’t expecting from a sender that claims to be an official source, it’s best to be cautious rather than take any unnecessary risks. If in doubt, simply report it and don't interact with it.

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At last week's CES 2025 event, Signify – the company behind Philips Hue smart lights – announced that it's developing a new AI assistant that will let you use voice commands to set the mood for your home. Instead of scrolling through the Philips Hue app to find a suitable Scene (a color scheme that can be applied to all the lights in a room), you will simply be able to state what feeling you want to evoke, and your virtual lighting engineer will pick suitable shades for all your fixtures.

It sounds fun, but it's not what I really want to see from Philips Hue this year. No, what I'm really hoping for is something much more simple – a price cut that brings the lovely but eye-wateringly expensive Philips Hue Twilight wake-up lamp down to a price that won't give me nightmares.

I've tested a lot of the best wake-up lights, from budget-friendly models through to premium lights that promise to rouse you as gently as a summer sunrise. The most affordable ones tend to suffer the same issues – the light increases in brightness too rapidly, or in abrupt steps that jolt you awake. Any 'nature' sounds provided tend to be so short they're just annoying. A three-second loop of synthetic birdsong won't get anyone's day off to a soothing start.

Even pricier wake-up lights that do a better job of creating an artificial dawn usually jolt me awake because their lowest brightness setting isn't dim enough. The second the wake cycle starts, I'm shocked awake by the sudden change in illumination.

The Philips Hue Twilight is an extremely accomplished wake-up light, but its price might keep you awake at night (Image credit: Future) Not so fast...

According to my colleague Josephine Watson, who tested it at home for two weeks, the Twilight is different, starting each morning with a barely visible glow and ramping up the brightness very gradually, not in sharp jolts. "Dimming proved incredibly smooth, with a near-imperceptible transition between the light's lowest brightness and fading out completely," she said.

The Twilight's gentle glow comes from two sources: the main bulb, which also works as a reading lamp during your nocturnal wind-down routine, and a strip light down the back that casts a flood of diffuse color onto your bedroom wall. The result is more like being woken gradually by the warm sun during a summer camping trip than having a spotlight thrown in your face during an interrogation.

Philips Hue products are some of the best smart lights around, and the Twilight also works with the rest of your Hue bulbs and lamps. For example, you can set its rear lighting strip to work like a Philips Hue Gradient Signe Table Lamp and function as part of a lighting scene applied to your whole bedroom.

The downside is the price: at $279 / £249 (about AU$450) the Twilight is easily one of the costliest wake-up lights on the market, and the most expensive Philips Hue table lamp you can buy. I'd hoped that it might receive at least a modest price cut on Black Friday, but sadly it wasn't among the many lamps and bulbs included in the November sales.

A voice-controlled AI lighting assistant sounds nice, and would probably make me more likely to use Philips Hue Scenes on a regular basis, but personally I'm not planning to upgrade my home system until the Twilight gets its first significant discount, no matter how long that takes.

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• Copilot and Microsoft Teams get new features
• Copilot will now suggest follow-up questions in meetings
• Extra questions could be on meeting topics, clarification or other areas

Wrapping up your Microsoft Teams meetings on time may soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new Copilot feature.

Microsoft's AI tool will now be able to suggest follow ups to, "keep the conversation going", when responding to a prompt, whether you like it or not, the company has revealed.

This could mean your video conferencing calls drag on a little longer than expected - or you and your colleagues are able to stumble on some previously unknown insights.

Microsoft Teams and Copilot

News of the update was revealed in a post on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, where it was simply entitled "Copilot in Meetings will suggest follow up questions to ask it".

The post noted that the feature will consist of Copilot in Teams Meetings suggesting follow ups when it answers a prompt from a user.

Microsoft says these follow-up questions will "generally" be based on the response Copilot has given in the past, meaning they could focus on a particular topic, asking for more details, or clarifying what a particular person has said during the meeting.

The feature is still listed as being in development for the time being, but Microsoft has listed an expected rollout start date of March 2025, meaning users won't have too long to wait.

When released, the feature will be available to users on Windows and Mac, on desktop, across the world.

The news is the latest in a raft of additions and improvements to Microsoft Teams in recent months as the service looks to stay useful for users across the world.

Most recently, Microsoft Teams revealed it will be introducing transcription for multi-lingual meetings, supporting more languages than ever, even when it comes to meeting recaps.

The news will also see an improved version of document summaries, generated and supplied by Copilot, to help users stay on track with their chats.

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• Apple is expected to unveil three new Apple Watch models in 2025
• There will reportedly be a new Ultra 3, SE 3, and Apple Watch Series 11
• The SE is rumored to feature a new design, while the Ultra and Series 11 likely won't

Apple is expected to unveil three new Apple Watch models in 2025, according to a reliable source.

Apple releases a new Apple Watch alongside its new iPhone for the year, usually in September at its main keynote, and according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, 2025 will be no different.

In his Power On newsletter, Gurman says Apple will offer its "usual major announcements" in the second half of 2025, including the iPhone 17 and upgrades to all of the best Apple Watches.

Specifically, Gurman says Apple is planning a "fresh" version of the Apple Watch SE with "a new look." We can also expect a new Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11; however the report suggests that these will "probably stay roughly the same." So what else can we expect from these new models?

Apple Watch SE 3 and Ultra 3 details

The Apple Watch Series 11 is unlikely to iterate on the design of the Series 10. (Image credit: Future)

Gurman notes that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 may add both satellite connectivity and 5G RedCap (Reduced Capability) network access. Gurman also says it's "highly likely" that high blood pressure detection will be added to both the Series 11 and Ultra 3.

The rumored redesign of the Apple Watch SE 3 is particularly noteworthy, and makes a lot of sense given the current lineup. The Apple Watch SE 2 design sticks out against the rest of the lineup – it hasn't changed since the first generation of the Apple Watch SE, which in turn was based on the Apple Watch Series 6.

As such, the current model's design language lacks the sleeker edges and thinner bezels of today's best Apple Watch models. Gurman doesn't say exactly what will change with the Apple Watch SE 3, but it's likely that Apple is planning to bring its budget model into line with the main series' more modern look.

The Apple Watch SE 2 is easily one of the best cheap smartwatches available right now, so a design tweak, plus the usual slew of upgraded internals that we can probably expect, should be enough to enable Apple to maintain a lead in this space for another year or two. Other likely upgrades are a new chip – the SE 2 runs on the older S8 SiP – and possibly a larger 41/45mm form factor.

Whichever way you slice it, 2025 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for Apple Watch fans.

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• AI will displace 92 million workers, but create 170 new roles
• Clerical and secretarial roles are most at risk of displacement
• New skills to learn include AI, big data, networks and cybersecurity

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released its latest report on the future of jobs, staing AI might actually create more jobs than it destroys.

The prospect that artificial intelligence could be beneficial to the labor market goes against initial concerns surrounding the technology, and echoes findings from other studies that have been published since the public preview launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, which is credited with starting the AI boom.

WEF’s report not only suggests that a net job increase could happen, but it also explores the changing landscape and evolving skills demand.

AI will create more jobs than its destroys

We’ve recently heard from AI and ML expert Tak Lo that artificial intelligence will lead to “net job creation [and] new job creation,” but official WEF documentation confirming this should be music to the ears of skeptics.

By the end of the decade, the report predicted AI will displace 92 million roles, however the creation of 170 million jobs will result in a net creation of 78 million positions. The total amount of new roles set to be created equates to around 14% of today’s total employment.

“As we enter 2025, the landscape of work continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Transformational breakthroughs, particularly in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), are reshaping industries and tasks across all sectors," said WEF Managing Director Saadia Zahidi.

The report reveals a big emphasis on AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy skills, which are said to be the fastest growing, while predicting the demise of clerical and secretarial roles as a result of automation.

On the flip side, some of the safest roles include manual labor, such as farmers, laborers and truck drivers. As for knowledge workers, software and application developers look to be the safest from AI’s impacts.

Employers are also still looking for workers with traditional skill sets, like analytical thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, leadership and social influence.

To that point, WEF expects two-fifths (39%) of the current skill sets to be “transformed or become outdated” between now and 2030.

Looking ahead, WEF’s research suggests more than three in four (77%) companies are planning to implement retraining programs to support their workers, while 70% intend to hire AI specialists, highlighting the importance of upskilling in that area.

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