TechRadar News

• Google is removing SMS messages as an authentication option
• It will be replaced with on-screen QR codes
• Removing SMS authentication reduces the risk of phishing and fraud

Google is officially moving away from using SMS messages in its Gmail account two-factor authenticator.

Gmail spokesperson Ross Richendrfer told Forbes, “we want to move away from sending SMS messages for authentication” to “reduce the impact of rampant, global SMS abuse.”

SMS authentication codes can be easily intercepted by hackers simply by porting your phone number to a new device - just one of the many security issues plaguing SMS messages for authentication.

QR codes to replace Gmail SMS authentication

Google will instead introduce on-screen QR codes that will have to be scanned with your chosen authentication device in order to verify that it is actually you trying to log in. This potentially adds an extra layer of biometric security for those who use a facial recognition or fingerprint scan to access their device or applications.

QR codes will also solve two other concerns related to SMS authentication methods. The first being that QR codes are more phishing resistant, as there will no longer be a security code to share with an attacker. The second being the authentication will no longer be reliant on the phone service provider’s abuse and fraud protections.

Authentication will still be reliant on the user having access to their mobile device, but removes a significant amount of the risk of abuse. For Google, it is also a win, as it cuts down on threat actors being able to run ‘traffic pumping’ campaigns.

In these campaigns, criminals will abuse online service providers to generate a huge amount of SMS messages to phone numbers they control, allowing them to generate revenue through access charges and intercarrier compensation.

In the future, Google hopes to move to a fully passkey supported authenticator system, but the move from passwords to passkeys hasn’t been as fast as Google had hoped, despite their best efforts to convince users to make the switch.

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• SonicWall's Cyber Threat claims malware attacks are on the rise
• Hundreds of new variants were detected every day
• Cyberattacks are moving at an unprecedented pace

A ‘continued onslaught of cyberattacks’ is hitting SMBs, new research from SonicWall has claimed, with 210,258 ‘never-seen-before’ malware variants detected - amounting to 637 new variants per day.

Shockingly, in a single 40-hour work week, SonicWall sensors detected 50 hours worth of critical attacks, meaning the average firewall was under 125% capacity of attacks.

The researchers also estimated 12.6% of all revenues are exposed to cyberthreats without proper protection - which could be incredibly costly.

An unprecedented pace

The attacks aren’t just getting more frequent, they’re getting more sophisticated too. Encrypted threats rose 92%, the research shows, and TLS-encrypted transfers are increasingly utilized to deliver malware and other threats.

This strain is taking its toll too, with cybersecurity teams struggling to keep up with the growing levels of threats, many reporting increased stress, burnout, and an impact on mental health.

“Threat actors are moving at an unprecedented pace, exploiting new vulnerabilities within days, while we’re observing that it takes some organizations 120 to 150 days to apply a critical patch,” said SonicWall President and CEO Bob VanKirk.

“Now more than ever, businesses need the expertise of an MSP/MSSP backed by with real-time threat monitoring and SOC capabilities. Legacy security solutions are no longer enough, businesses must adopt a new mindset to stay ahead of modern cyber threats.”

Despite threat actors moving at an “unprecedented pace”, VanKirk claims organizations have been observed taking 120-150 days to apply a critical patch, meaning the company is seriously vulnerable to intrusions.

Security teams are facing an enormous amount of pressure, especially since a successful cyberattack can cost an organization millions of dollars, with this cost doubling in 2024.

“The threat landscape is completely overwhelming for organizations and the teams who defend them,” said Steven Huang, COO at Fornida.

“Most cybersecurity breaches include some degree of human error. Ultimately, there are two ways to battle this; reducing opportunity and educating users. The fewer opportunities there are for an error, the less users will be tested. And the more knowledge they have, the less likely they are to make a mistake even when they face an opportunity to do so.”

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With more than 400 million monthly users, ChatGPT is the most popular of all AI chatbots. Trained on huge amounts of data, it can process written prompts and generate contextual answers which feel like you’re chatting to a human in real time.

Based on a Large Language Model, the AI bot is evolving all the time. In its latest iteration, ChatGPT is capable of answering in-depth questions, helping with website code and even generating images.

New features are being added all of the time, so read on to find out what ChatGPT can do and why it’s worth using.

This article was correct as of February 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries.

What is ChatGPT?

When it launched in November 2022, ChatGPT signalled a new era for artificial intelligence. Developed by OpenAI, the AI chatbot became a hugely popular tool almost overnight. Much of the appeal of ChatGPT lies in its use of natural language. Built on Large Language Models, it’s able to understand human queries written as plain text prompts and generate conversational responses.

In March 2023, OpenAI announced GPT-4, the latest version of its language model. This iteration is multimodal, meaning it can process text, images and audio. Apps running on GPT-4, including ChatGPT, are also better able to process the context of queries and produce more accurate, relevant results.

The result is a chatbot that can be leveraged for a wide range of queries, with answers rendered quickly and accessibly.

What can you use ChatGPT for?

The full capabilities of ChatGPT are still being explored by its millions of users. Almost any query that can be phrased and answered using written words can be addressed – or at least attempted – by ChatGPT. Its remit can be summarized as language-based tasks, whether that language is English, foreign or computer code.

ChatGPT can create computer code from natural language instructions or troubleshoot existing code. It can write a wedding speech for you or re-write your draft in a way that flows better. It can create personalized workout plans, generate business ideas and even act as your therapist.

The introduction of ChatGPT search unlocks the ability for users to get a summary of answers to a specific query sourced from the web, while integration of OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 text-to-image model means all ChatGPT users can also ask the chatbot to generate images from prompts.

What can’t you use ChatGPT for?

As powerful as it is, ChatGPT still has limitations. Chief among them is fact-checking. Famously, the chatbot’s responses are not always accurate and it’s known to hallucinate facts. OpenAI says that ChatGPT “may be inaccurate, untruthful, and otherwise misleading at times.”

ChatGPT is also subject to a number of guidelines and ethical restrictions. The AI chatbot tries its best to avoid explicit, violent or discriminatory content. It won’t engage in political discussions, nor will it offer legal, medical or financial advice on an individual basis.

OpenAI also emphasizes that the generative chatbot cannot show empathy or engage with real emotions. Nor will it promote anything relating to self-harm.

How much does ChatGPT cost?

ChatGPT is available for free, but there are also two paid tiers for individuals, as well as Team and Enterprise plans for organizations.

For free, users get access to OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini model, plus limited access to GPT-4o and o3-mini. They can also use ChatGPT search to access results informed by real-time data from the web. Hitting the 'Reason' button on a query gives you limited access to the ChatGPT o1 model. You get a limited number of images from DALL-E.

Plus costs $20 (about £16 / AU$30 ) per month and unlocks a number of additional features, including access to multiple reasoning models, ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode and limited access to Sora, OpenAI’s video generation model, as well as more images with DALL-E.

The Pro tier will set you back a much more significant $200 (about £165 / AU$325) per month. Designed for advanced users, it unlocks deeper capabilities for every tool in ChatGPT’s arsenal, including unlimited access to the latest reasoning models and extended Sora access for generating AI video.

The Team option is priced at $25 (about £19 / AU$38) per user per month and allows users to create and share custom GPTs within a workspace.

Where can you use ChatGPT?

ChatGPT can be accessed through its web interface at chatgpt.com using almost any browser. For a while, this was the only way to use the chatbot. However, you can now download official iOS and Android apps for free, as well as a desktop app for macOS and Windows.

The interface and features are broadly consistent, but the mobile apps come with the added benefit of being able to engage in a voice conversation with ChatGPT, by tapping the audio icon next to the text input field.

Is ChatGPT any good?

Based on our extensive hands-on experience with ChatGPT, it’s a powerful tool with a lot of uses. Its conversational interface makes it easy for almost anyone to interact with the chatbot, whether you’re asking it to summarize a report or generate an image. The quality of its responses often depends on the wording and context of the prompt, which can vary significantly.

The paid experience is faster and more accurate than the free tier, turning up better quality responses across a range of queries and topics. That said, it’s still vulnerable to factual inaccuracies and hallucinations, while data sourced from the web isn’t necessarily the most up-to-date. As a fact-checking tool, ChatGPT still can’t be relied upon.

As a shortcut for everyday queries or a way to turbocharge your workflow, though, ChatGPT has plenty of potential. Leveraged in the right way, it’s a very powerful tool.

Use ChatGPT if...

You want to use a capable chatbot

From writing content to generating website code, ChatGPT is a hugely capable tool that allows you to get a lot done simply by writing your queries in natural human language.

You want a lot of features for free

Recent updates mean ChatGPT’s free plan now includes access to ChatGPT search and image generation using OpenAI’s DALL-E 3 model, meaning you can get a lot done without a paid subscription.

Don't use ChatGPT if...

You need completely accurate information

Even with real-time web access enabled, ChatGPT is prone to responding with factual inaccuracies. Results need to be cross-referenced with reliable sources before they can be relied upon.

You don’t want to pay for the best features

The free tier is fine for casual users, but if ChatGPT is built into your workflow, you’ll need to pay for a subscription to unlock the faster processing and greater reliability of the latest models.

Also consider

• Gemini is Google’s alternative to ChatGPT. Previously known as Bard, it’s a Large Language Model that can do a lot of the same things as OpenAI’s chatbot, including answering questions, writing code and creating images.
• Copilot is Microsoft’s take on the AI chatbot, aimed mainly at business users. Available as a website, an app and as a sidebar in the Edge browser, it’s billed as an AI companion that offers contextual help with everyday tasks.

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• The new Lumix S1R II is a major upgrade of the S1R, with a new 44MP sensor
• First full-frame camera with 8K open gate video and 32-bit float audio recording
• Launched alongside a new Lumix Flow app, the S1R II costs $3,299 / £2,999 / AU$5,499

Panasonic has unveiled its most powerful full-frame mirrorless camera yet, the Lumix S1R II. It upgrades the 47MP Lumix S1R in just about every regard, even if a few megapixels have been shaved off with its new stabilized 44MP sensor.

Key upgrades include beefy video features such as 8K open gate video recording (coming via a firmware update soon), plus 32-bit float audio recording through an XLR adaptor that debuted in the Lumix GH7.

10-bit 8K video recording up to 30fps delivers 14EV dynamic range, while it's also possible to record 5.8K Apple Pro Res raw internally – that's a first for Lumix. We've also got the usual array of color profiles, including V-log to maximize detail for those that like to grade footage, plus a Cinelike profile that emulates the popular Rec.709 look.

Naturally, 8K video recording is memory-hungry. As such, the option for proxy recording is welcome, as is Frame.io support – a tool that can ease workflow for collaborative projects.

The Lumix S1R II is also equipped with refined hybrid phase-detection autofocus, which Panasonic says is twice as effective as in the Lumix S5 II for its best-ever autofocus performance.

In-body image stabilization is rated up to 8EV, and includes a new crop-less mode which we're keen to test properly – you can check out our early impressions in our Lumix S1R II hands-on review.

Design-wise, there are further Panasonic firsts too: a new multi-angle screen, much like the one in the Sony A1 II, for easy viewing from any angle in vertical and horizontal format.

There are front and rear tally lamps so users know when the camera is rolling, direct recording from USB-C to SSD portable drives, and grilles under the 5.76m-dot EVF to dissipate heat for impressive video record times.

We've already got the Lumix S1R II for in-depth testing and our first impressions are highly favorable. (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Photographers can enjoy blackout-free 10fps burst shooting with the mechanical shutter, a rate that's upped to 40fps when using the electronic shutter, with the option for pre-burst capture up to 1.5 seconds with the shutter half pressed, before fully pressing the shutter button. That 44MP resolution can also be upped to 177MP when using the High Res shot mode.

All this is squeezed into a dust-, splash- and freeze-resistant body that's 20 percent smaller than the Lumix S1R and which is almost the same size as the Lumix S5 II.

Panasonic also announced a new app alongside the Lumix S1R II: Lumix Flow. A key feature of the new app is the ability to use an iOS or Android phone as a monitor, over a direct USB-C to USB-C connection. It's currently compatible with the Lumix S5 II, GH7 and S1R II, and users can also rate each take as they go to streamline workflow. Another element to the app, which is open to any user with any camera, is a script, shoot and edit project management tool.

The Lumix S1R II costs $3,299 / £2,999 / AU$5,499 body-only, and is also available in the UK only with the Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm F4 Macro OIS lens, for £3,799. That's a particularly competitive price versus Sony, Canon and Nikon rivals. So how do the flagship models stack up?

(Image credit: Panasonic) Step aside Sony, Canon and Nikon?

As a flagship mirrorless camera with superb photo and 8K video skills, the Lumix S1R II has fierce competition, with obvious rivals including the Sony A1 II, Canon EOS R5 II and Nikon Z8.

The Lumix S1R II starts life with super-competitive pricing – it's half the price of the A1 II, around 50% cheaper than Canon EOS R5 II, and 25% less than the Z8, even if Nikon's mirrorless camera can now be found for around the same price as the Lumix S1R II.

If you're coming in new to any of those systems, the Lumix S1R II offers the best value, and I'd only expect it to go down in price in the coming months. The S1R II also beats those rivals with some of its video features; it's the only camera with open gate 8K video (coming via a firmware update later this year) – meaning you can use the full height and width of the 3:2 aspect ratio sensor, with no 16:9 limit.

It's also the only camera here with the option for 32-bit float audio capture, albeit via Panasonic's XLR adaptor. There's also the intriguing crop-less image stabilization mode, and I expect the S1R II to have the best stabilization performance of any flagship full-framer.

The Sony A1 II is a pricier Lumix S1R II rival that's probably better for photographers, but Panasonic's camera holds its own, especially for video (Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

Where the Lumix S1R II potentially comes up short versus its rivals is that its sensor is a regular back side illuminated sensor, whereas the other models use a speedier 'stacked' sensor type, which is better equipped to deal with rolling shutter distortion. Overall, photographers are probably better catered for with the other cameras too, with features like even faster burst shooting, and in Canon's case, an upscale function and superb sport priority autofocus modes.

We're currently reviewing the Lumix S1R II, and you can read our first impressions in our Panasonic Lumix S1R II hands-on review, with our in-depth review soon to follow. What do you make of Panasonic's best-ever Lumix? Let us know in the comments below.

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• A researcher claims a fix for an older Parallels Desktop flaw doesn't work properly
• There are multiple ways to bypass it and gain access to the root device
• The bypass works on the latest version of the tool

Parallels Desktop apparently has some worrying flaws which could put Mac users at serious risk attack. The flaws were first spotted in mid-2024, and after not being properly fixed, a researcher decided to publish working exploits.

Parallels Desktop is a virtualization software allowing Mac users to run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems alongside macOS without rebooting. It offers seamless integration, enabling users to switch between operating systems effortlessly, share files, and run Windows applications as if they were native Mac apps.

In May 2024, a researcher called Mykola Grymalyuk discovered the program did not have code signature verification, resulting in a privilege elevation flaw now tracked as CVE-2024-34331. After disclosing the findings to Parallels Desktop, the developers issued a fix in September of the same year. Soon after, another researcher - Mickey Jin - analyzed the patch and came to the conclusion that there are workarounds.

Microsoft 365

Jin then reached out to the company, and despite being given assurances that his research will be scrutinized, that never happened. Now, seven months later, to force their hand, Jin released two exploits.

"Given that the vendor has left this vulnerability unaddressed for over seven months—despite prior disclosure—I have chosen to publicly disclose this 0-day exploit," Jin said in his analysis. "My goal is to raise awareness and urge users to mitigate risks proactively, as attackers could leverage this flaw in the wild."

Jin found two ways to abuse the flaw. One is to perform a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) attack to exploit a race condition between checking if 'createinstallmedia' is Apple-signed and executing it with root privileges. The second one is via the 'do_repack_manual' function, which seems to be vulnerable to arbitrary root-own file overwrites.

The TOCTOU attack works on the latest version of Parallels, Jin said. Older versions are vulnerable to different methods.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Adobe has launched a powerful new Photoshop app for iPhones
• The free app also has a paid tier that unlocks tools like Content-Aware Fill
• An Android version is coming "later this year"

Adobe is no stranger to launching Photoshop apps, but it has just launched its most powerful one so far for iPhones – and it's the closest thing we've seen to the desktop experience on smartphones.

The new Photoshop iPhone app, which you can download today for free (with paid upgrades), combines desktop-style tools like layers and masking with Firefly AI image generation. An Android version of the app is coming "later this year".

While Adobe Express will continue to be the company's main Canva rival on smartphones, there is some crossover with the new Photoshop app. Rather than replacing the desktop app, it's been designed to help turn your images into podcast cover art, personalized posters or whatever else you need to look like a creative wizard on social media.

In this sense, the new Photoshop app takes the baton from recently-retired apps like Photoshop Fix and Photoshop Mix, alongside the current Photoshop Express. But it does also go a bit further than those apps, offering some of the advanced tools that are the hallmark of the full-fat desktop app for free.

Alongside layers and masks, the free version offers the Spot Healing Brush, a Tap Select tool to edit specific parts of an image, and lets you dabble with Adobe Firefly tricks like Generative Fill and Generative Expand. If you don't want to use your own photos, you can also start with the free Adobe Stock assets instead.

If those tools aren't enough for you – as Adobe no doubt hopes – then the new Photoshop Mobile and Web Plan ($7.99 p/month, or $69.99 annually) will unlock more powerful tricks, plus access to the browser-based version of the app. We don't yet have international pricing for that plan, but it converts to around £7 / £13 per month or £55 / AU$110 annually.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: Adobe)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Adobe)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Adobe)

With that paid plan, you get handy tools like Magic Wand, Object Select and the classic Clone Stamp (which was in the very first version of Photoshop). You'll also unlock extra Firefly tools like 'Generate Similar' to make is super-easy to whip up some fun visuals.

If you already subscribe to Photoshop with Creative Cloud, you'll now get access to this new mobile Photoshop app (alongside Photoshop on iPad and Photoshop on the web). We're looking forward to taking it for a spin soon.

Analysis: Photoshop's biggest smartphone push, but is it too late?

(Image credit: Adobe)

Photoshop recently celebrated its 35th birthday – and with its competition hotter than ever, the influential app is at something of a crossroads.

Adobe launched Photoshop for iPad way back in 2019, so it's about time we got a more powerful smartphone app. But its appeal will depend very much on what you're looking to do.

Rather than trying to cram the full version of Photoshop into a smartphone app, Adobe has created a powerful free alternative to the likes of Snapseed and Pixelmator. Naturally, it's also left out just enough tools to push you towards a (reasonably affordable) subscription.

From our brief first look, it looks like Adobe has successfully translated some of Photoshop's traditional complexity – built around 'layers' for a non-destructive editing process – into a more intuitive, touch-based experience for smartphones. Given the tools on offer, the discounted annual plan could in particular offer decent value.

On the other hand, there's a chance that the new Photoshop app could fall between two stools. I argued a few years ago that Google's AI editing tricks were making Photoshop irrelevant for most people, and since then the best photo editing apps have made Adobe's jumbled approach to offering a mobile Photoshop look like a mistake.

The increasingly ambitious graphic design king Canva snapped up Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher last year in a clear shot at Adobe. And with Apple also recently buying the popular Pixelmator photo editing app, the competition in the AI-powered image editing space is hot.

This competition is good news for us, as it's forced Adobe to create the closest thing so far to a desktop-level Photoshop for our iPhones (and soon, our Android phones). Adobe no doubt also wants to get more people using its Firefly AI image generation, which it brands "commercially safe" because it was apparently trained on licensed content.

Whether that's successful remains to be seen, but for now we're looking forward to spending more time with the new Photoshop app to see how it compares to the best photo editors for smartphones.

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It's a funny thing, your desktop PC, isn't it? For those of us who have been around the block somewhat, each system and its components almost have a kind of personality to them. Whether that's tied to the point in time we used it and the surrounding circumstances, or something greater than that, each experience hits differently, and each OS is almost like a landmark in our own history. You can remember Windows XP not just because of what it did, or how it looked, but also because it was on your school computer, and you used to play flash games on it with a USB stick that your buddies would pass around class.

In my case, I remember Windows 98, and using that, how that felt. How buggy and laggy it was. Constantly crashing, with its odd wallpapers and brutalist UI. I remember my friends having Windows 2000 and how clunkily it ran on their systems that weren't really designed for it. I remember that it felt exactly the same to me, but slower.

Recognise this image? If you do, you've got good taste in operating systems. (Image credit: TechRadar)

I remember how XP came along, an almost god-tier OS, and the games I played on that; Battlezone II, the mods, the communities, the friends I made online for the first time—the real blossoming of the internet. Vista, my teenage years, World of Warcraft, Wrath of the Lich King, and onwards. Windows 8, 8.1 (which still makes me shudder), and of course the prodigal son: Windows 10, which debuted near the start of my professional career in tech journalism. It's still touted by many today as one of the best operating systems Microsoft has ever launched (bar XP, of course).

Like the Star Trek movie timeline though, in the world of custom PCs, the quality and caliber of Microsoft's OS seemingly follows an upwards and downwards tick. One's good, one's bad; one's good, one's bad ad infinitum. And yet still, I genuinely do believe Windows 11 bucks that trend, despite some of its more glaring changes and controversial flaws.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Take the taskbar, for example. The biggest change and arguably the biggest upset came with the introduction of that "Apple-esque" centered design. For a generation of users who'd had nothing but a left-aligned bar, it was a cardinal sin, unthinkable that Microsoft would change it. Yet unlike many other operating systems (yes, I am talking about macOS), you can still go in and revert it back.

You can shift the alignment, remove the taskview modes, hide the search bar, get rid of the ridiculous widgets, and yeet any mention of Microsoft's Copilot AI out of the door entirely. The same goes for the Start Menu, cluttered with ads, and Skype, and other crud you'd never use, but again, delete all that, shuck a load of your own equally rarely-used programs in, and wham: a highly versatile, highly usable solution, that's arguably far better than the Start Menu found in its predecessors.

The honest truth is that Windows 11 is effectively a more refined version of Windows 10. It is to 10 what 8.1 was to 8, and that's why it's better - of course, it helps that Windows 10 was a hell of a lot better than Windows 8 to begin with. Yes, there have been some pretty dramatic decisions made to encourage folk to shift over (DirectStorage being limited to 11 being one of them), but it just feels smoother and easier to use, certainly on modern hardware. The settings menus have been radically expanded; there's so much more that's just straight-up accessible than before, features that are better thought out.

The challenges faced by Windows 11

No, it's not perfect. It hasn't entirely avoided the enshittification effect. The fact that an OS that still costs you around $139 for a license will feed you ads for OneDrive, Office365, and more is admittedly a little grim. I've already paid you a small fortune, Microsoft, particularly in an aggressively overpriced inflationary climate - do you really need to bombard me with notifications on the joys of Outlook 2.0? Probably not.

And then there's the TPM problem. The fact that you need TPM 2.0 just to get the thing installed practically eliminated a lot of older systems from the equation. That's just diabolical, really, particularly as Windows 10 is approaching end-of-life now, and Microsoft has committed to no longer providing system security updates for it.

It means that rigs that run perfectly fine, that operate normally - optimally, even - for the tasks their users have to hand, are now going to be vulnerable. The silicon, hardware, and resources inside need to be scrapped in order to meet Microsoft's new security standards or otherwise become vulnerable to malicious malefactors across the planet. Not exactly environmentally or economically friendly. Yes, that affects us as individuals, but what about the government agencies, or nations with smaller asset pools that can't exactly just re-tool their entire systems? Healthcare, security, financial, and education could all be affected. We've already seen what can happen when these systems are compromised, and yet still, Microsoft is pushing ahead with this almost pseudo-Y2K disaster.

On an individual level, you can of course bypass that. Our computing editor, Christian Guyton, wrote a fantastic guide on how you can upgrade to Windows 11 without a TPM right here, but that's not exactly a solution for government agencies now, is it?

Kiss, marry, push off a cliff

Here's the thing though: just look around at the modern OS ecosystem that we have available to us. We have ChromeOS, which, let's face it, is fairly limited in scope and hardware - mostly used for cheap laptops and light office work. MacOS, which follows in Apple's design ethos, namely that it's incredibly well built but incredibly rigid and locked down in how you can use it, and boy oh boy, you better not try and game on it. And then there's Linux, which, well, is Linux... fantastic in every way, and just as complicated to get into.

Out of all of those, and even comparing Windows 11 to its predecessors, for me, it's still the go-to operating system of choice. With one exception, of course: Windows on Arm. Yes, I know it's apparently a lot better these days. I'm still not touching it.

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• Balatro's PEGI 18 rating has officially been reclassified to PEGI 12
• Even though Balatro explains poker, it was concluded that the game "contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating"
• PEGI confirmed it will "develop a more granular set of classification criteria" when it comes to rating games with gambling elements

Balatro has officially had its PEGI 18 age rating overturned following an appeal.

That's according to a new press release published by PEGI, where it confirmed that the popular, poker roguelike has had its PEGI 18 rating reclassified to PEGI 12 following a "successful appeal submitted by publisher Sold Out Sales & Marketing".

Since the game is poker-inspired, Balatro was initially rated an 18 for having "prominent gambling imagery", even though the game doesn't actually feature any microtransactions or in-game currency.

"The Complaints Board concluded that, although the game explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained Balatro's PEGI 18 rating has officially been reclassified to PEGI 12," it reads.

Balatro solo developer LocalThunk took to X / Twitter following the news to also confirm the new reclassification.

"After an appeal from my publisher, Balatro has been reclassified by PEGI from 18+ to 12+," LocalThunk said. "This is a good step from PEGI - bringing nuance to their rating criteria that used to be 18+ or nothing. I hope this change will allow developers to create without being unfairly punished."

LocalThunk followed up in his thread by posting an image holding physical console copies of Balatro, which feature the PEGI 18 rating on the covers, joking "Guess these are limited edition now!"

Another game, Luck Be A Landlord, was also confirmed to have been changed to a PEGI 12 in the press release after an appeal was submitted by publisher Fangamer. It was reasoned that although the game does feature a slot machine mechanic, "there were no specific transferable gambling skills and the game can therefore be rated PEGI 12."

It was stated that going forward, PEGI will "develop a more granular set of classification criteria" when it comes to games featuring gambling themes such as Balatro.

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It's been more than two years since DC Studios co-chief James Gunn announced the official lineup for Chapter One of his rebooted DC Universe (DCU). Since then, not a lot has changed – indeed, only one project has been released (that being Creature Commandos season 1) while two more (Clayface and Dynamic Duo) have added to the DCU's current slate.

That was the case until the latest DCU press event was held last Friday (February 21), anyway, with Gunn and fellow studio CEO Peter Safran providing the most significant update yet on their DCU Chapter One plans. Here are the six biggest takeaways from the presentation:

1. Robert Pattinson won't be the DCU's Batman

Matt Reeves' Bat-Verse will continue to sit independent of the DCU (Image credit: Jonathan Olley/Warner Bros.)

After months of speculation, Gunn and Safran confirmed that Robert Pattison's Bruce Wayne/Batman won't be integrated into the DCU. The pair's stance on the matter comes after numerous reports that Matt Reeves' Batman Universe, dubbed The Batman Epic Crime Saga, would be folded into the DCU. Apparently, that would have seen Reeves installed as the main creative voice for the Caped Crusader's big- and small-screen adaptations at DC Studios, and seen forthcoming films like The Batman Part II merged into Chapter One's lineup.

That won't be happening, though. Gunn told reporters (per IGN) that Reeves' Bat-Verse will continue to sit independently of the DCU, and that progress is being made on the DCU Chapter One's upcoming Dark Knight movie, aka The Brave and the Bold. Indeed, a writer has been hired and, once they've filed a script, it'll be looked over by Gunn, Safran, and the film's director Andy Muschietti to determine whether it's good enough to enter full production.

2. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Lanterns get significant filming updates

Supergirl's next big-screen adventure will arrive next June (Image credit: James Gunn/Instagram)

Gunn's Superman movie is the next DCU project that will be released – it'll fly into theaters on July 11 – but two other Chapter One productions I'm really excited about received big production updates at last week's presentation.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which will launch in cinemas worldwide in June 2026, is midway through its shooting schedule (per Deadline). That flick will star House of the Dragon alumnus Milly Alcock as the titular hero, who we got our first look at in an image that'll be very familiar to DC comic book fans, with Jason Momoa recently cast as immortal anti-hero Lobo.

On the TV front, Lanterns, which is being billed as a 'new weird' sci-fi take on HBO's acclaimed anthology crime series True Detective, just wrapped its first week of filming. According to the same Deadline article in the previous paragraph, it could be released on Max in early 2026. It'll star Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as co-leads Jon Stewart and Hal Jordan, too, who are two of the most recognizable characters to have held the Green Lantern moniker.

3. New details emerge about Mike Flanagan's Clayface movie

Clayface is officially getting his own movie from popular horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan (Image credit: DC)

One of the more recent projects that was greenlit for DCU Chapter One, horror auteur Mike Flanagan's Clayface film is due to start filming in mid-2025, according to Gunn and Safran. Per IGN, it'll also be an R-rated flick, with Gunn adding that it'll be "pure f***ing horror, like, totally real. Their version of that movie, it is so real and true and psychological and body horror and gross."

Gunn and Safran confirmed reports that James Watkins, the filmmaker behind 2024's Speak No Evil movie, is on board to direct Clayface. It's currently penciled in for release in September 2026.

4. Paradise Lost, Booster Gold, and Swamp Thing are all still in development...

Paradise Lost has been described as a Themyscira-set version of Game of Thrones (Image credit: DC Comics)

Given the length of time that's passed since DCU Chapter One's lineup was revealed, fans have started to grow concerned that some of the announced projects won't get made after all. Well, Gunn and Safran have moved to allay some of those fears.

For starters, the duo revealed that Paradise Lost, a Game of Thrones-esque series that could introduce Dian Prince/Wonder Woman to the DCU, is still in the works. No writer has been found to pen its scripts yet, though.

Meanwhile, while a showrunner/head writer had been found for Booster Gold, another DCU TV show, Safran revealed (per The Hollywood Reporter) that the unnamed individual eventually walked away from the project. A new scribe has been found, so it sounds like it's full steam ahead on this one again.

Then there's Swamp Thing, another horror-fueled film that's coming from James Mangold (Logan, A Complete Unknown). Safran said (via Deadline) that the ball is firmly in Mangold's court about its development, but added that he and Gunn are confident he'll get around to it in the near future.

5. ...but it's not great news for Waller or The Authority

The Authority's first-ever film adaptation hasn't progressed as Gunn and Safran had hoped (Image credit: DC Comics)

Two DCU productions that are in trouble, however, are Waller and The Authority.

Where the former is concerned, Safran admitted: "We’ve taken a couple of cracks at it but still haven’t been able to land [it]", so this follow-up to 2021's The Suicide Squad, last year's first season of Creature Commandos, and this year's Peacemaker season 2 (it's set to arrive sometime in August) is on ice for the time being.

As for The Authority, Gunn told the assembled press: "(It’s) the one that got messed with through all of the other things that were happening. The script had a harder time coming along". The reason? Gunn and Safran said it's difficult to make a superhero movie or TV show that takes a cynical approach to the comic book medium, which The Authority's source material does. Despite the huge success that The Boys' TV adaptation has had at Prime Video, the pair added that audiences may have grown tired of such projects, hence the decision to put The Authority on the back burner.

6. There could be up to seven DCU releases every year

Superman is one of two DCU projects that'll be released in 2025, but there'll be many more per year moving forward (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Ever since he became DC Studios' co-CEO, Gunn has consistently stated that DCU projects won't be greenlit unless he and Safran believe they're ready to go.

It seems that the pair are slowly changing his tune. In quotes attributed to Safran by Collider, there could be up to seven (!) DCU productions released every year. That includes new movies of the live-action and animated variety (two of the former, one of the latter) and four TV shows (two live-action and two animated) every 12 months. It was no great surprise to learn, then, that Gunn and Safran have greenlit a number of new animated productions, including My Adventures With Green Lantern and Starfire.

Given the current climate around superhero fatigue, the possibility of seven DC Studios projects launching each year will raise a few eyebrows. Of course, there will be people who don't watch every single one of those but, considering that some Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans have lost interest in it, there's every chance that potential DCU fans may grow weary of feeling like they have to consume every film and series for fear of missing key storylines, character introductions, and more. Hopefully, we'll get some clarity soon as to whether all of these movies and TV shows are officially part of the DCU or not.

You might also like

• Find out how to watch the DC movies in order
• Or see if you agree with our ranking of the best Batman movies
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• Job cuts at DBS will take the form of “natural attrition [...] over the next few years” as temporary and contract workers are not rehired
• Permanent staff will not lose their roles
• 1,000 new jobs are expected to be created

Singapore’s largest bank, DBS, has confirmed it will continue using AI tools by cutting as many as 4,000 roles (9.7% of DBS’ total workforce), so the technology can take a larger role in its operations.

A DBS spokesperson told BBC News, “reduction in workforce will come from natural attrition as temporary and contract roles roll off over the next few years."

The spokesperson did not confirm which roles will be affected, or strictly how many will be cut in Singapore alone, but it’s understood that permanent roles won’t be affected. As a silver lining, CEO Piyush Gupta, who is set to leave the company in March 2025, said the bank expects to create around 1,000 jobs built around working with AI.

DBS’ AI model workforce and the future of work

In 2024, Gupta said DBS’ AI push had been ongoing for at least a decade, and it now deploys, “over 800 AI models across 350 use cases, and expect the measured economic impact of these to exceed S$1bn ($745m USD, or £592m) in 2025."

Experts are mixed on whether machine-learned large language models (LLMS — what ‘artificial intelligence' has largely come to mean to the layperson) will drastically change the state of employment and the way we live our lives. In 2024, the IMF's managing director Kristalina Georgieva estimated AI technology would come to affect 40% of jobs worldwide and “likely worsen inequality.”

However, Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England (BoE) also told the BBC in 2024 he thought that AI wouldn’t be a “mass destroyer of jobs”, but that “there is great potential with it. In case you missed it, vast swathes of artists might want a word with him.

For me, It’s not entirely clear whether an AI-led ‘human skills revolution’ is on the way.

On Valentine’s Day, I reported on, amongst other things, survey findings from antivirus software from Norton that found 62% of respondents wouldn’t be able to spot AI content in an online dating profile. If they can’t spot or understand the technology, they won’t grow with it at work, and that will make them seem even more expendable to executives — who you never hear about being replaced with AI, oddly enough.

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• Google Messages is rolling out a new camera and gallery layout
• The new tools include an easier way to send photos and videos in their original high quality
• The gallery has been redesigned to show more photos at once

Google Messages is getting an overhaul to its camera and gallery functions which should make it much easier to send photos and videos at their original high quality size.

As 9to5Google reports, some Google Messages beta users are noting a change to their in-app camera and gallery as Google implements the new layout. The changes have not been rolled out to the stable release of the app just yet.

Alongside a redesigned gallery from which to choose your desired photos or videos, the new layout includes a handy “HD” icon that appears in the top right of the final screen before an image is sent.

Tapping the icon brings up a new menu that allows you to select either “Optimized for chat”, which trades some quality for a lower file size, or “Original quality”, which, as you might guess, sends the entire original image as found on your phone’s built-in storage.

This new menu makes it clearer and easier to send high-quality images through Google Messages, avoiding an annoying loss in quality due to compression.

It’s not entirely a new feature, though – in the current stable build of Google Messages, users can send original quality images by heading into the app, tapping their profile picture, opening Messages settings, and turning off the “Send photos faster” option.

As it stands, “Send photos faster” is analogous to the new “Optimized for chat” option – the new menu makes the switch to higher quality photos and videos much clearer.

Still, those with slower connections or who are conscious of sending large files to their family and friends can select the “Optimized for chat” option for quicker uploads and smaller file sizes.

As for the new gallery layout, tapping to insert an image will now bring up a larger, more comprehensive view of your recent photos and videos, rather than the current menu of folders, which have now been relegated to a small tab on the bottom of the screen.

These new updates are the latest in a slew of new features and functions added to Google Messages recently, including changes to emergency messaging and the ability to text yourself using RCS – Google Messages is the default messaging app for many of the best Android phones, so it tracks the Google is keen to keep it up to date.

What do you think of the new camera and gallery functions? Will they be useful, or are they just a pointless shake up? Let us know in the comments below.

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• More details of Samsung's tri-fold phone have leaked – and it could launch alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 7
• The iPhone 17 might miss out on Apple’s latest new feature – but it’s not one you’d expect
• New video leak may have revealed the full Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro design

• The Philips Hue Sync app is now available for LG TVs
• The app lets you sync smart lights with your TV without an HDMI Sync Box
• It works with HDMI devices plus native apps like Netflix and Disney+

The Philips Hue Sync app is now available for LG TVs, letting you sync your smart lights with movies, games, and TV shows on your screen, without the need for a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box. Your Hue lights will react instantly to whatever's currently on screen, whether it's from an external source like a games console, or a native smart TV app like Netflix and Disney+.

Signify, the company behind Philips Hue, announced that the app would be arriving on LG TVs at CES 2025 in January, but didn't give an exact date for its arrival, only saying that it would be available early this year, but now it's officially here.

At CES, Signify explained that the app would work with all LG TVs using webOS 24 or later, which includes many of the best TVs you can buy today. If you're not sure whether yours is compatible, you can search for your model on LG's website to see which apps it supports.

To use the Philips Hue Sync app, you'll need at least one color-compatible Philips Hue light (the Philips Hue Play Gradient Strip and Philips Hue Play Light Bars work particularly well), plus a Philips Hue Bridge, which creates a mesh network that connects your Hue devices to each other, and to your home Wi-Fi network. You can then download the Philips Hue Sync app through the LG Content Store on your TV.

Hue Sync alternatives

If you don't have a TV compatible with Hue Sync, you can still synchronize your smart lights with your screen using a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box. It's easy to set up, and works with any form of HDMI input, including Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, and games consoles. However, unlike the Hue Sync app, the Sync Box won't work with native apps on your smart TV.

It doesn't come cheap, either. Last year Signify launched a version of the Sync Box that supports 8K TVs and HDMI 2.1, making it ideal for gaming, but with a price tag of $349.99 / £299.99 / AU$699.95, it's a big investment.

If that's outside your budget, take a look at our guide to the best Ambilight alternatives, which aim to create a similar effect by using a camera to capture what's on your TV screen, then mirroring the colors using an LED light strip mounted behind your TV. These systems aren't perfect (they have some latency and can be affected by reflections on the screen) but are usually much more affordable.

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• A new Galaxy S25 Edge leak has hinted at the cooling tech it might use
• It could come with a special vapor chamber to maintain its performance
• The phone is expected to land globally sometime in April

So far we've only seen the briefest of glimpses of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: we know the phone is coming, but we don't know much more than that. Now a new leak reveals some of the cooling tech Samsung might have used for this super-thin handset.

According to well-known tipster @PandaFlashPro (via Wccftech), the Galaxy S25 Edge is going to come with a vapor chamber that's thinner than the one inside the standard Galaxy S25 phone, but larger overall.

Vapor chambers essentially use tiny amounts of liquid to help dissipate heat from the main chipset more quickly, which means it can run faster and more reliably – avoiding any slowdowns or crashes related to heat.

And that cooling is going to be needed, too: the Galaxy S25 Edge is rumored to measure a little over 6mm front to back. The lack of space around the core components means overheating might be a risk without a proper cooling system in place.

The rumors so far

"Confirmed" Yes! The S25 Edge Cooling System is Thinner than S25 but Bigger than the S25. https://t.co/1teM1sj4MBFebruary 24, 2025

We've already heard plenty about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, even if Samsung is being coy about the specs of this phone and when it might actually get a launch (leaks suggest it'll be available globally sometime in April).

Only a couple of days ago, a leaked hands-on video of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge appeared, giving us a better look at its design. The video also revealed certain specs, including a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and 12GB of RAM.

It seems the Galaxy S25 Edge could come with better cameras than the standard Samsung Galaxy S25 too: rumors suggest it could have the same 200MP primary camera as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra included in its setup.

As our Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review will tell you, we've been impressed by what the S25 series has had to offer so far, and there's the promise of more to come from the Galaxy S25 Edge. As soon as Samsung gives it a full unveiling, we'll let you know.

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• Nvidia has admitted its RTX 5080 GPU also suffers from a chip-level fault
• It’s the same problem revealed last week that slows down PC gaming for all existing Blackwell GPUs
• Those affected can arrange for a replacement graphics card with the manufacturer of the board

Nvidia has admitted that more of its new Blackwell graphics cards are affected by a fault in their chips that hampers the performance level of the GPU.

Previously, Nvidia said that RTX 5090 (and 5090D, the Asian variant) and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs were potentially hit by the issue whereby the chips have mysteriously lost some ROPs (Raster Operations Pipelines). These are essentially rendering pipelines for 3D graphics, and having fewer of them means performance in PC gaming is slowed down a bit (though the impact is variable).

However, Team Green has now said that RTX 5080 models can also be affected.

Nvidia told The Verge: “Upon further investigation, we’ve identified that an early production build of GeForce RTX 5080 GPUs were also affected by the same issue. Affected consumers can contact the board manufacturer for a replacement.”

This means that all of the new RTX 5000 graphics cards currently available are potentially hit by this problem, although the hardware-level glitch remains rare according to Nvidia. Indeed, Nvidia hasn’t changed its original advisory statement, which states that only 0.5% of Blackwell chips could be affected (around 1 in 200).

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: Give me some ROPs, I’m coming loose…

This revelation comes after scattered reports on Reddit from RTX 5080 owners who’d investigated the ROP count of their graphics card and found it fell short of the official spec. These cards should have 112 ROPs, and as with the other faulty Blackwell GPUs, affected GPUs are missing 8 ROPs.

If you’re worried that your new Blackwell graphics card might be affected, you can check the ROP count using a monitoring utility like GPU-Z (I discuss this further in my original article about the issue).

Customers with an affected graphics card have been promised a replacement, and should contact the manufacturer of their card to organize this swap. Sadly, that’s a bit of a rigmarole to go through, and one that could be made a worse experience given that supply levels and stock are still problematic for Blackwell graphics cards.

For those worried that the incoming RTX 5070 (which is due to land next week) could also be affected, that isn’t the case; Nvidia made this clear after The Verge asked specifically about this model. No other GPUs outside the Blackwell range are affected by the problem either, Team Green clarified.

Nvidia estimates that the typical performance loss an affected card will experience is an average of a 4% slowdown specifically for gaming (with no impact outside of that for tasks like AI or compute workloads). Remember, that’s an average, so for some games, it’ll be more, and for others it’ll be truly negligible (as some games don’t really make much use of the render pipelines in question). Still, it's not a good look for Nvidia after an already-rocky launch for the Blackwell generation.

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Midjourney is one of the most powerful AI image generators available today. A paid tool with a range of subscription plans, it allows you to create accurate and artistic visuals based on simple text prompts.

Midjourney has to be accessed through Discord. This comes with a learning curve, but has the benefit of an active community element, which encourages collaboration.

It’s capable of rapidly generating images and running several jobs at the same time, making it a strong choice for power users.

This article was correct as of February 2025. AI tools are updated regularly and it is possible that some features have changed since this article was written. Some features may also only be available in certain countries.

What is Midjourney?

Midjourney is one of the best AI image generators. Known for its distinctive stylization and artistic looks, the paid tool can turn simple text prompts into high-quality digital renders. Developed by an independent research lab, Midjourney has evolved significantly since its first beta version launched in 2022, generating consistently high-quality results.

Instead of a standalone web platform or app, Midjourney is accessed through a dedicated Discord server. This gives it a unique social component, allowing you to explore and interact with artwork generated by the Midjourney community. This collaborative aspect is one reason why the tool is popular with artists and designers.

Its Discord-based interface is less accessible than some tools, but the pay-off is more granular editing control of image variations once you’ve mastered it.

What can you use Midjourney for?

Midjourney can be used to generate artistic images based on just about anything your mind’s eye can conjure. Enter a text prompt and, after a short wait, you’ll be rewarded with a rich visual representation. It can produce everything from photorealistic human hands to digital cartoons to watercolor landscapes.

This makes Midjourney a win for quickly visualizing ideas, whether that’s concept art for a video game or textures for a mood board. It’s also useful for people who might lack the digital design skills required to create the image assets they need.

All Midjourney plans also feature useful editing tools, including the ability to selectively refine images by painting over certain areas, as well as the option to generate four variations of a given image with strong or subtle differences.

What can’t you use Midjourney for?

Although Midjourney is a powerful AI image generator, it still has limitations. It’s editing toolkit is generous, but can’t match the fully granular layer editing offered by traditional graphic design software such as Adobe Photoshop.

Midjourney is also subject to limitations based on your subscription level (see below). With a basic plan ($10 a month / $96 a year), for example, you’re not entitled to unlimited generations.

Like any AI image generator, Midjourney should not be used to infringe the intellectual property rights of other creators. Under Midjourney’s terms, responsibility for this falls on the user, although Midjourney itself has come under fire for potentially training the model on copyrighted images.

How much does Midjourney cost?

Midjourney is a paid tool with four subscription tiers. All of its plans are available on a monthly or an annual basis. Subscribing annually saves you 20%.

• Basic Plan $10 per month / $96 per year (about £8 / £76 and AU$16 / AU$151)
• Standard Plan $30 per month / $288 per year (about £24 / £228 and AU$47 / AU$455)
• Pro Plan $60 per month / $576 per year (about £48 / £456 and AU$95 / AU$910)
• Mega Plan $120 per month / $1,152 per year (about £95 / £912 and AU$189 / AU$1,820)

The differences between each plan relate mainly to how fast you can generate images and how many jobs you can have running at a single time.

With the basic plan, for example, you’re entitled to 200 minutes of “Fast GPU Time” per month, with support for up to three fast jobs at once. Compare that to the Pro Plan, which gives you 30 hours of Fast GPU Time and 12 fast jobs simultaneously, plus unlimited generations using the slower “Relax Mode”.

You can find the full entitlements of each plan here.

Where can you use Midjourney?

Midjourney is accessed through Discord, a web-based social platform. Once you’re on the server, you interact with the text-to-image model by messaging the Midjourney Bot.

Discord can also be downloaded as an app for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, allowing you to message the Midjourney Bot directly.

Is Midjourney any good?

In our full review of Midjourney, we rated it as a superb option for generating artistic images using AI. We praised the “stunning” quality of its image output, as well as the distinctive style and flair of results. In particular, we noted how well it handles lighting and textures.

We also welcomed the array of editing options included with every Discord plan, including the ability to upscale images, create variations and tweak prompts with custom zooms.

The main drawback is the interface: for those unfamiliar with Discord, there’s a definite learning curve. Still, ongoing refinements mean that Midjourney is much slicker and easier to use than it used to be. The community aspect is also unique in creating a collaborative user environment which we found genuinely inspiring in our review.

Use Midjourney if...

You want a fully featured AI image generator

Beyond text-based prompts and a deep understanding of different artistic styles, Midjourney includes a range of tools designed to unlock your creativity, including upscaling, two-strength variations and selective editing.

You want to collaborate with digital artists

Because it’s built around Discord, community is at the core of Midjourney. Hit the explore tab and you’ll find a feed of images generated by other users, encouraging inspiration and collaboration with Midjourney’s artistic flair.

Don't use Midjourney if...

You want a simple AI image generator

Midjourney’s interface is more intuitive than it used to be, but there is still a learning curve associated with the Discord-based platform. Getting to grips with its more advanced controls takes a little time.

You want a free AI image generator

Midjourney is capable of producing beautifully artistic results, but you’ll pay for the privilege. After a free trial, subscriptions range from $10 to $120 per month for the full set of features. Others are available for less – or even free.

Also consider

• DALL-E 3 is an AI image generator. Developed by OpenAI, it can be accessed through ChatGPT or Microsoft Designer. Its chatbot interface is easier to use than Midjourney, yet it still supports selective editing and support for complex prompts.
• Leonardo is a feature-packed AI image generator with a versatile creative toolkit, including real-time editing and upscaling. It’s fast, too, making it a good option for professionals, provided you don’t mind an interface that’s slightly clunky in places.

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• Kaspersky products have been banned on Australian government devices
• Australia government cites national security concerns
• Kaspersky has always denied ties with the Russian government

Kaspersky antivirus and security software will no longer be permitted on Australian government devices, with the nation's government citing national security concerns as being behind the ban.

“After considering threat and risk analysis, I have determined that the use of Kaspersky Lab, Inc. products and web services by Australian Government entities poses an unacceptable security risk to Australian Government, networks and data, arising from threats of foreign interference, espionage and sabotage,” said Department of Home Affairs secretary Stephanie Foster.

Australian public organizations now must identify and remove all existing instances of Kaspersky products, and will no longer be allowed to install any security software from the firm.

Geopolitical motivations

The news follows recent decisions by the US government to also ban sales of Kaspersky security software over concerns the firm may be passing sensitive information over to the Kremlin - an accusation Kaspersky has always adamantly denied.

Kaspersky has repeatedly invited third party and independent assessments of its data services and engineering practices, and has reassured partners and customers of the security of its products and services - and strenuously denied any ties to the Russian Government.

“Kaspersky is disappointed with the decision of the Department of Home Affairs of Australia to stop and prevent the use of Kaspersky products and web services on Australian Government systems and devices,” the company told TechRadar Pro.

“Kaspersky believes that the decision stems from the current geopolitical climate and was not supported by any technical assessment of the company’s products, which the company has been continuously advocating for. The fact that the directive was issued without any warning or opportunity for engagement to address the Australian Government’s concerns highlights its political nature.”

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• LocalThunk has released a new Balatro: Friends of Jimbo update
• The latest collaboration update adds card skins themed after Assassin's Creed, Civilization 7, Fallout, and more.
• The award-winning poker roguelike is also now available on Xbox Game Pass

LocalThunk has unveiled the latest Balatro update for its Friends of Jimbo collaboration pack, which adds even more crossovers to the game.

The announcement comes from the latest ID@Xbox showcase, where the developer released the teaser trailer for Balatro Jimbo Pack 4, while also shadow-dropping the award-winning, poker roguelike on Xbox Game Pass.

From the trailer, we know that the free update adds new card skins themed after Assassin's Creed, Civilization 7, Fallout, Dead by Daylight, Rust, Slay the Princess, Bugsnax, and Critical Role.

All cards featured in the collaboration pack will have artwork based on fan-favorite characters from their respective games, like Fallout's Vault Boy and Dead by Daylight's The Trapper.

For the Assassin's Creed, in particular, players can expect to collect skins for some of the series' most iconic characters. These include Ezio Auditore da Firenze as the King of Spades card, Jacob Frye as the Jack of Spades, as well as Fujibayashi Naoe as the Queen of Spades, one of the playable protagonists from the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows.

This latest patch is the fourth update to Balatro's Friends of Jimbo collaboration pack. It was first released in August 2024 and added decks inspired by The Witcher, Vampire Survivors, Dave The Diver, and Among Us.

The crossover later saw card skins based on Cyberpunk 2077, Shovel Knight, Don't Starve, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Stardew Valley, Warframe, and more. It's unclear if LocalThunk has plans for even more updates, so we'll have to see what cards the sole developer has up his sleeve.

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• Google Cloud now offers PQC algorithms for digital signatures
• The move comes as part of Google Cloud quantum-safe roadmap
• The feature is available in preview now, with more PQC changes to come

Google Cloud has taken an additional step to secure its platform from the threat posed by quantum computing to public-key cryptography by announcing the availability of quantum-safe digital signatures in preview in the Google Cloud Key Management Service (KMS).

Theoretically, quantum computers will be able to crack most modern encryption algorithms in a matter of hours, but the viability of such a system is still at least a decade away by most expert estimates.

This does present threats today, however, with cybercriminals stealing vulnerable encrypted data today in order to decrypt it when ‘Q-Day’, or the day when the availability of cryptographically-relevant quantum computers arrives. This has necessitated the development of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) to secure data against ‘harvest-now-decrypt-later’ attacks.

Securing the future of digital signatures

Quantum-safe digital signatures are just one step in Google Cloud’s roadmap towards a fully PQC platform.

For digital signatures specifically, quantum brings the threat of forgery and tampering, with Google Cloud highlighting that working to resolve these threats now will help build a more resilient infrastructure and inspire other platforms to do the same.

Google Cloud has also revealed in the announcement that to help enforce transparency and code-auditability, the quantum-related software implementations will be available as part of Google’s open-source cryptographic libraries BoringCrypto and Tink.

This update to digital signatures specifically implements the ML-DSA-65 and SLH-DSA-SHA2-128S PQC algorithms in line with NIST standards. Google Cloud will also be implementing new PQC algorithms and techniques into its Hardware Security Modules (HSM).

Google Cloud customers will be able to use the latest PQC algorithms in Cloud KMS and provide feedback on their implementation, and suggestions on other specific cryptographic requirements. Essentially, the use of Cloud KMS’s latest algorithms acts as a testbed for building and expanding the availability of PQC across the Google Cloud platform.

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• The Kindle's Download & Transfer via USB feature is going away soon
• The feature will be disabled on February 26
• You'll need a pre-2024 Kindle for this to work

Last week we got the news that Amazon was killing off an older but very useful tool called Download & Transfer via USB, which lets you download your ebook purchases to a computer. It's set to disappear tomorrow – Wednesday, February 26 – so today's your last chance to get copies of your ebooks.

Amazon hasn't gone into any detail about why the feature is going away, but it's most likely related to piracy. The Download & Transfer via USB option is one of the more commonly used ways to rip Digital Rights Management (DRM) protections off ebooks and distribute them to anyone.

The most recent generation of Kindles actually removed this feature and locked ebooks to the newer KFX format – much harder to crack – so if your first Kindle was a 2024 Kindle (like the 12th-gen Amazon Kindle Paperwhite) you never had the option to download your ebooks to a computer anyway.

For those of you with any older Kindle model registered, now's your last chance to download your ebooks as files on your computer to keep them backed up. You will still of course be able to transfer all your titles wirelessly to your ereader, and use the Kindle desktop apps for Windows and macOS as before.

How to get your ebooks

You can find all your purchased ebooks on the Amazon website (Image credit: Future)

You can find your ebook downloads by opening up the Amazon website in your region, signing into your account, then hovering the cursor above Account & Lists up in the top-right corner of the screen.

Click Manage Your Content and Devices, then choose Books from the options that appear. You'll see all the ebooks you've ever purchased from Amazon, together with details of the Kindle devices they're synced to.

Select More actions next to the ebook you want to download, then Download & transfer via USB. As long as at least one pre-2024 Kindle is linked to your Amazon account, you'll be able to choose a registered ereader and get the download in AZW3 format.

There's no bulk download option, unfortunately, so you'll need to do these steps for each ebook. When they're on your computer, you can transfer them over a USB connection to a Kindle, or open them up with a program such as Calibre.

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• Russian NCIRCC warns about a cyber-attack against major IT firms
• LANTER and LAN ATMservice seem to have been hit.
• The culprits or the goals were not disclosed

Two major Russian IT companies have suffered a major cyberattack, putting many financial and credit institutions in the country at risk.

In a security bulletin, the country’s National Computer Incident Response & Coordination Center Incidents (NCIRCC) said LANTER, a Russian company specializing in payment solutions and POS terminal integration, and LAN, whose ATMservice provides ATM and self-service terminal solutions, including maintenance and software development, had been hit. Both are operating under the LANIT Group.

In the bulletin, NCIRCC said that on February 21, FinCERT (Financial Sector Computer Emergency Response Team - a division of the Bank of Russia responsible for cybersecurity in the financial sector) notified credit and financial institutions of the possible compromise of the two organizations.

Monitoring for compromise

“NCIRCC recommends that all organizations change passwords and keys to access their systems operated in LANIT data centers as soon as possible,” the bulletin says.

Furthermore, NCIRCC said that companies granting LANIT Group’s engineers remote access to their infrastructure should revoke the credentials and secure their premises. Furthermore, the potential victims are urged to strengthen threat monitoring, and to report to RuCERT if they spot any signs of compromise.

The bulletin does not discuss who the threat actors are, or what the nature of the attack is. However, since Russia is at war with Ukraine, it’s safe to assume this could be the work of local cyberattackers. Ukraine and Russia have exchanged significant cyber-blows over the last three years, including a major Russian strike on KA-SAT, a satellite internet service operated by Viasat.

This attack, which occurred hours before Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, targeted the satellite modems used by the Ukrainian military and government, disrupting communications at a critical moment. The attack also had unintended spillover effects, affecting internet services across Europe, including for wind farms in Germany.

LANIT Group’s clientele includes prominent entities, such as the Russian Ministry of Defense, as well as “major players” in the military-industrial complex, including Rostec. The group got sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury in May 2024.

Via BleepingComputer

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