TechRadar News

Robert Eggers has just unveiled a brilliantly unsettling new trailer for his upcoming gothic horror Nosferatu, which is set for a December 25 release date in the US (the UK can expect it on January 1). Being one of our must-see horror movies of 2024, the trailer teases another quintessential Eggers horror – one fuelled with folkloric and historical elements, as well as a killer ensemble cast. 

Eggers’ take on the classic vampire villain is the latest addition to the filmmakers growing filmography, which includes The Witch (2015), The Lighthouse (2019) and The Northman (2022) – the first two you can catch on some of the best streaming services including Max, Prime Video, and Hulu. 

Now leaning into gothic horror, Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent movie Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror by F.W. Murnau. It follows the supernatural relationship between the vampire and Ellen Hutter, a young woman with whom he’s obsessed with. Bringing the story to life is Lily-Rose Depp (HBO's The Idol) as Hutter and Bill Skarsgard as the vampire Count Orlok, whose nightmarish relationship is teased in the haunting trailer below.  

“Standing before me was death, but I’d never been so happy," Depp says in character behind a happy yet eerie smile as she makes her Eggers feature debut alongside Nicholas Hoult, who stars as her husband Thomas Hutter. In addition to newcomers Depp and Hoult are Emma Corrin (The Crown), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy), and returning actors Ralph Ineson (The Witch), and Willem Dafoe (The Lighthouse) all of whom are wrapped in the chaos of Hutter’s spiralling sanity.  

After years of pushbacks, Eggers’ vampire horror is almost here  

It’s been a long time coming for Eggers’ follow-up to his 2022 viking revenge tale The Northman, as cast rearrangements and the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in its production delay. The idea was conceived by Eggers in 2015 after he released his directorial debut The Witch, describing his idea for a Nosferatu remake as a passion project. 

Initially, Anya Taylor-Joy, who starred in The Witch, was cast as the lead role of Ellen Hutter before dropping out due to scheduling conflicts. For a brief moment, the news of Harry Styles possibly joining the cast of the new movie was circulating before he dropped out for similar scheduling reasons shortly after – and to be honest, I wouldn’t have been as excited for the project if they went ahead with this casting choice. 

You might also like

• 4 horror movies coming to Netflix in October 2024 with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
• Peacock's new comedy horror series Hysteria! trailer is packed with Evil Dead references that I'm obsessed with
• Horror movie mogul James Wan swaps the big screen for streaming, bringing his new series Teacup to Peacock this Halloween

Have you bought a new camera in the last few years, only to discover the all-important charger is missing from the kit? Instead, there’s just a USB-C (PD) cable for in-camera charging. Camera manufacturers might argue that the kit is already complete with a charging cable, and they're avoiding unnecessary waste given many people don't need a dedicated charger – those that really must have a traditional charger, can buy one separately.

Yes, I have to concede that this is in part true, but at the same time, I still maintain that not including a traditional charger doesn’t constitute a full camera kit. Not to mention, with camera prices rocketing, I can’t help but feel somewhat short-changed when I have to buy a charger separately.

So, you’re probably wondering why this bothers me so much. The simple answer, alongside the cost element, is that if you have two or more batteries, as many photographers do, you can’t charge one of those batteries via USB-C while using your camera with the other one inside. You need a dedicated charger for that.

Thankfully, I recently came across a compelling third-party alternative that I just had to try out – the Llano 18W Fast Dual USB charger.

A high-speed alternative

(Image credit: James Abbott)

I mainly shoot with a full-frame Sony A-series camera and a charger was fortunately included, but not with my other two cameras.

If I needed to buy a Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger for Sony's common NP-FZ100 batteries, it would set me back $98 / £79 / AU$130; I was looking for a dual charging alternative. Some manufacturers, however, charge much more than this for proprietary chargers.

All this got me thinking that there must be a much better and more cost-effective option available, which led me to the Llano 18W Fast Dual USB Charger for Sony NP-FZ100 batteries.

There are currently Llano chargers compatible with various Canon and Sony batteries, and they’re much less expensive than their proprietary counterparts. Plus, Llano claims its product can charge batteries much faster.

You can purchase the Dual USB Charger individually, but I opted for the kit that included two Llano 2400mAh NP-FZ100 batteries for $120 / £139 (discounts are available on Amazon). The charger alone costs $54 / £59 if you don’t require additional batteries. If you're in Australia, sadly Llano chargers aren't available at the time of writing.

(Image credit: James Abbott)

The charger looks like a large black AirPod case and you simply plug the PD cable into a compatible charger and away you go. The charger also acts as a battery case for storing batteries on the go, has a screen to tell you the current battery charge, an SD card slot for storage and can also be powered by a USB power bank. That’s much more functionality than a proprietary charger.

Taking things a step further, Llano has also recently released the pricier Llano 2-in-1 NP-FZ100 Portable Camera Dual Fast Battery Charger, which is like a giant charging AirPod case. Batteries are charged just like AirPods in their case. This has a built-in 12400mAh battery so you can charge batteries anywhere and costs $76 / £100. This is incredibly useful for location photographers and videographers who don’t have access to a power source.

Can third-party outperform proprietary?

(Image credit: James Abbott)

It’s claimed that the Llano 18W Fast Dual USB Charger is 50% faster than standard chargers, while the llano 2-in-1 NP-FZ100 Portable Camera Dual Fast Battery Charger is 58% faster. That’s a bold claim that I couldn’t resist putting to the test. And although my testing was far from scientific, it was made as fair as possible with two of the chargers going head-to-head.

I ran two Sony NP-FZ100 batteries down to 17% before charging them back to 100% in the lano Dual USB Charger and my Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger. For the Llano, I used my 100W PD/USB charger to provide more than enough power to meet the output. Only one battery was charged in the Llano charger, rather than two, to maintain a like-for-like charging situation.

Results in, and it turned out that the Sony charger was faster taking one hour 25 minutes to reach a full charge; the lLano came in at two hours. This was tested twice, first with batteries run down to 50% and then to 17% because some chargers adjust charging speed as a battery nears full charge, and the results were consistent across both tests.

For the Portable Camera Dual Fast Battery Charger, I charged two new and unused Llano NP-FZ100 compatible batteries to 100% and then used them until both were at 50% before charging them back to 100% again. This charger took both batteries up to a full charge in one hour and 30 minutes. So, the Llano chargers aren't as fast as advertised, but I've still been impressed with what they have to offer overall.

I'm still impressed

(Image credit: James Abbott)

If you buy a new camera that doesn’t come with a traditional charger and need one, there are plenty of third-party options out there. The Llano chargers are unique, offering good value for money, but it’s impossible to say whether they will last as long as my Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger and handle the knocks it’s received. Only time will tell, but they certainly look and feel well-made.

The Llano chargers are much bulkier than my Sony BC-QZ1, but the 18W Fast Dual USB Charger is only 1.58oz / 45g heavier. The Portable Dual Fast Battery Charger is more than twice the size and weighs 11oz / 312g more. On the flip side, it does provide the ability to charge batteries anywhere, even if it’s a shame it’s not more compact. It would, however, easily fit into most medium-sized camera bags, taking up one lens compartment or a side pocket.

To be honest, I'm not surprised that the Llano chargers aren't as fast as the Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger. Perhaps they're twice as fast as other third-party chargers. But the fact they're less expensive than proprietary options and offer more features including dual charging, battery level check and battery storage, make third-party chargers a no-brainer if a charger isn’t included in your camera kit.

You might also like

• The best mirrorless camera for 2024: top picks for every budget
• The best Canon camera for 2024: Canon's finest DSLR, mirrorless and compact cameras
• Best Sony camera 2024: the top choices for both stills and video

One of the best website builder and web hosting companies, DreamHost has released a suite of new tools on its WordPress AI website builder platform. The new DreamHost Liftoff website builder employs AI to streamline WordPress website creation and deployment without requiring extensive coding skills. 

Instead, Liftoff is aimed at business owners who want to put together a website without technical training or extensive hiring. DreamHost users can install Liftoff with a single click to start the process.

DreamHost Liftoff works through a conversation with the AI in a series of questions. The user only has to explain what they are looking for from a website and the details of the business. The AI will produce a personalized design, including a customized layout that is ready to publish almost immediately. 

It won't be empty, either. The AI will fill the website with content, compose text, and select images from free stock libraries that match the user's requests. If it's not quite right, the user can then edit or generate text and images directly within the WordPress editor.   

Notably, DreamHost Liftoff operates in intimate coordination with the WordPress platform. Liftoff relies on native WordPress components, which speeds up the website and makes it more reliable. It's also more secure thanks to both the native WordPress connections and the fact that DreamHost gives owners control over the website and its content, making it possible for users to move on from DreamHost to another web host without losing their website and data. 

AI in website building 

“We know that creating a website can feel like a daunting mission, and hiring a developer can be costly, especially for small businesses,” DreamHost director of product Justin Lund said in a statement. “That’s why we launched DreamHost Liftoff. It takes customers from zero to website in no time. Whether building a business, online portfolio, or e-commerce storefront, Liftoff fuels the journey, turning dreams into reality.” 

DreamHost Liftoff is primarily pitched at small business owners and freelancers. They are most likely to need a website fast and without the backing of a big budget or technical background. Automating website creation with AI is likely to make Liftoff, and DreamHost in general, appealing to their needs. 

DreamHost isn’t alone in providing AI tools to build websites, with Wix, Google, and others rushing to offer their takes on the idea.

You Might Also Like

• Learn more about the web hosting platform with our full DreamHost review. 
• Save on one of the best website builders with Squarespace promo codes.
• Here is the biggest list of AI website builders on the web

If you booted up your PlayStation 5 over the last few days, then there’s a chance that you saw something pretty horrifying. I’m of course talking about the big ugly, blown-up promotional art that was dominating every game icon that you hovered over on the home screen.

Although some speculated that the issue, which seems to have caused the images associated with the latest news posts for each of your games to appear in place of the usual background art, was a cynical attempt to push promotional content on users before the launch of the PS5 Pro, it turns out that it was just a bug. 

According to a new post on the official Ask PlayStation X / Twitter account, “there have been no changes to the way game news is displayed on PS5.” The post also states that the situation arose due to “a tech error with the Official News feature on the PS5 console” and that it “has since been resolved”.

I just booted up my PS5 to verify this and it does indeed seem like everything is now back to normal. This is certainly a big relief as this was a very aesthetically unpleasant problem. Many of the images that appeared by mistake were incredibly low resolution or filled with hard-to-read text, ruining the rather pleasantly minimalist look of the PS5 UI. 

Sony recently announced a huge PS5 update that introduces customizable home screens, though this hasn’t rolled out to everyone yet. There’s a definite chance that this bug had something to do with the implementation of this new system.

Elsewhere, the company announced and officially revealed the PS5 Pro. PS5 Pro pre-orders are open right now, though stock appears to be quite scarce. We also saw the reveal of 30th anniversary PS5 and PS5 Pro designs plus some special edition accessories, though these sold out in a matter of minutes when pre-orders opened last month. 

You might also like...

• Loads more PS5 Pro enhanced games have been spotted on the PlayStation Store
• Scalpers are now selling the PS5 Pro for thousands after the console sells out in minutes
• If you just pre-ordered the PS5 Pro, don't miss these huge savings on six enhanced games

Google has announced $1 billion investment into the construction of a data center in Thailand to help meet growing cloud storage and AI tool load demands in Southeast Asia (SEA).

The news, per Reuters, comes hot on the heels of Google Cloud announcing a multi-year deal to provide sovereign cloud services to Malaysia this week, as well as a $2 billion investment towards the construction of a data center as its first inroad into SEA back in May 2024.

The Thai data center will be based in Chonburi, while the cloud region (i.e. infrastructure dedicated to providing services to businesses and organizations) will be based in Bangkok.

Southeast Asia and cloud expansion

"Google’s cloud and data center infrastructure in Bangkok and Chonburi will help meet growing demand for Google Cloud capabilities and AI innovations, and the company’s popular digital services - such as Search, Maps, and Google Workspace," Google said in a statement, citing a study by Deloitte claiming 14,000 jobs would be created by the investment over the next five years.

Meanwhile, in Malaysia, Google Cloud is partnering with local technology firm DAgang NeXchange Berhad (DNeX) to address growing cloud demands while also operating within the country’s stringent data protection laws relating to residency and privacy.

To this end, DNeX will run Google Distributed Cloud to provide “air-gapped” services - that don’t have to connect to a Google cloud region - to Malaysian customers.

It’s unclear if this is just a temporary solution while Google’s construction project gets underway, and in a joint statement, neither company gave a timeframe or valuation for the deal.

Karan Bajwa, Google Cloud Asia Pacific’s VP, did say, "Google Cloud and DNeX will empower organizations with the state-of-the-art distributed cloud infrastructure, developer tools, and AI services they need to drive digital transformation on their own terms."

Both companies confirmed they were considering opening a facility for training up local talent in AI skills.

Google isn’t the only tech giant eyeing up SEA as a growth market for cloud, with Microsoft also announcing similar plans to open a Thailand-based data center in May 2024, citing demand and availability concerns, alongside spurring economic growth.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Google is spending billions on new data centers and subsea cables to connect them
• Google Cloud is expanding into a bunch of new regions, despite hefty losses
• We’ve also listed the best cloud computing services right now

Sports Interactive has announced that Football Manager 25 will launch on November 26 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC, and day one on Xbox Game Pass.

The Nintendo Switch version of the sports game, Football Manager 25 Touch, is also planned for a December 3 launch, with more information promised "in the coming weeks".

For the first time ever, the next installment in the Football Manager series will utilize the Unity engine. The developer claims this marks "the biggest technical and visual advancement for the series in a generation", featuring enhanced graphical fidelity and new volumetric player animations taken from real football matches.

Football Manager 25's UI has been revamped, too. It will also be the first game to feature Women’s Football thanks to Sports Interactive's multi-year partnership with the Premier League.

"It’s a great honour today to be confirming the forthcoming release of Football Manager 25," said studio director, Miles Jacobson. "As I’ve mentioned in interviews and development updates, the FM25 cycle has been challenging for the entire SI team.

"FM25 is just the starting point for the studio’s next 20, 30 years. It’s also the point where the world gets to see two of our multi-year projects come to fruition: the switch to the Unity engine and the introduction of Women’s Football. It gives us a real sense of achievement to begin sharing our hard work with you and we're really looking forward to showing you more of the game in the weeks before the game’s release."

Sports Interactive has also promised the first look at the game's official roadmap starting October 7, where fans will receive new announcements and details about the game leading up to the game's November launch.

PC pre-orders are now available, with Xbox, PS5, and Nintendo Switch pre-orders coming soon.

You might also like...

• Football Manager 2024 review - extra time
• PS5 Pro pre-orders start today: here's where to buy one
• Scalpers are now selling the PS5 Pro for thousands after the console sells out in minutes

Google could be planning something unusual with the Pixel 9a, because while typically the company's a-series handsets look similar to the other Pixel models in a given generation, the Pixel 9a might not look a whole lot like the Google Pixel 9, or indeed the Pixel 8a. At least, that’s the impression given by some newly leaked renders.

Android Headlines, in collaboration with leaker @OnLeaks, has shared renders supposedly showing the Google Pixel 9a, one of which you can see below. The design ditches the camera bar that sticks out of the Pixel 9, with the lenses instead sitting almost flush with the back of the handset.

It makes for an arguably more ordinary and bland design, and one that we’re not overly fond of, especially coupled with the large bezels shown around the screen.

(Image credit: Android Headlines / @OnLeaks) Sadly, this design is likely

Now, there’s always a chance that this leak is wrong, but the source has an excellent track record, and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this particular Pixel 9a design, so for now, we’d say it’s likely accurate.

In any case, this latest leak also includes some specs, with the source claiming that the Pixel 9a will have a Tensor G4 chipset like the rest of the Pixel 9 line, and that it will unsurprisingly launch with Android 15.

We can also see that it has a dual-lens camera in these images, and the source claims that most of its specs will be similar to those of the Pixel 8a, a phone with a 6.1-inch screen, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 64MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide, and a 4,492mAh battery.

The Google Pixel 9a will also apparently get seven years of software updates, like its pricier siblings, and based on past form it’s likely to land in May, so there’s still probably a little while to wait.

You might also like

• Best Pixel phones: these are the Google phones to buy right now
• Google Pixel 9 review: a fantastic phone* (*added fees may apply)
• Google Pixel 10 series codenames leak, and it's bad news for big phone fans

This year, Apple has seriously ramped up the battery life of its new iPhones. The iPhone 16 Pro Max, for instance, offers some of the best battery life of any smartphone on the market and lasted an average of 16 hours at a time in our review. Now, a new report has put the battery life of Apple’s flagship device under the microscope in a different way, and the results are similarly impressive.

In an extensive suite of tests, ChargerLAB examined the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery from a variety of angles: temperature while charging, reverse charging a set of AirPods, compatibility with third-party chargers, and more. But the tests that were perhaps the most interesting were those that rated the phone’s wired charging speeds.

Here, ChargerLAB measured how much wattage the phone was able to draw upon with a wide variety of chargers made by both Apple and third-party manufacturers. When comparing the results to those that ChargerLAB recorded for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it’s clear that the iPhone 16 Pro Max can draw far more power from the same charger – in most cases.

For instance, this year’s iPhone 16 Pro Max can get 28.39 watts from an Apple 30W charger, compared to 24.55 watts for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, a boost of about 15%. When Apple’s 70W plug is used, the newer phone can take on 30.15 watts compared to 24.93 watts for last year’s device, an increase of almost 21%. That suggests that the iPhone 16 Pro Max should get a noticeable charging boost compared to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The only exception was using a charger with 20W of power or less, where both phones drew almost identical wattages.

Boosting the first hour

(Image credit: Future / Apple )

There is something of a catch here. When using that same 70W adapter, ChargeLAB found that it took the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s battery two hours and 20 minutes to go from empty to full. Interestingly, the outlet said this was actually “much slower” than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, although its review of last year’s model doesn’t record how long it took that device to fully charge.

Still, the charging process is not a linear timeline. With the iPhone 16 Pro Max and that 70W plug, charging ran at 28W for the first 13 minutes, dropping to 22W after 29 minutes and 15W after 41 minutes. It fell again to roughly 9W after about 47 minutes, before slowly decreasing down to almost zero over the next 90 minutes.

What that means is that although the iPhone 16 Pro Max took a while to fully reach 100%, it’s in that first hour or so that you’ll really see the contrast compared to older iPhones. Since it can reach a higher peak charging wattage, it should get a much better initial burst of charge in the first hour than you’ll see in the likes of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

It’s worth noting that Apple doesn’t make much of a distinction between the two Pro Max phones in this way. It says that 30 minutes of charging will get the iPhone 16 Pro Max to about 50% battery capacity – the same as what it claims you’ll get with last year’s phone.

Still, if ChargerLAB’s tests are anything to go by, you may well notice a difference, at least in the first hour of charging: ChargeLAB says this year’s product will get to 80% battery life after 57 minutes. If getting your iPhone juiced up as quickly as possible is important to you, the iPhone 16 Pro Max could be worth considering.

You might also like

• The results are in: the iPhone 16 Pro Max is Apple’s battery champ
• iOS 18 gives the iPhone 15 Pro Max an extra hour of battery life – but two iPhone 16 models still have it beat
• Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max review: a beautiful, intelligent beast

Public Wi-Fi can be hugely convenient when out and about or working on the go, but trusted public networks can be spoofed by cybercriminals looking to trick strangers into handing over their browsing data and sensitive info.

Following Microsoft Defender’s recent introduction of its privacy protection VPN, the security software has now announced it offers protection across macOS, Android, and iOS, alongside Wi-Fi security auto detection and more.

According to the Microsoft blog, Defender’s unsecure Wi-Fi detection will now recognize networks that offer weak encryption that could allow an attacker to steal your data and show a warning notification with the option to turn on Defender protection with one click.

Defending across devices

This feature is currently available for Android, iOS and Windows, and will be available soon on macOS. Automatic VPN activation for public Wi-Fi is also coming soon for all supported devices.

Android and iOS devices have had an additional boost to unsecure Wi-Fi detection allowing Defender VPN to be turned on directly from a warning notification, offering almost instantaneous network traffic protection. This feature will also soon be available for Windows and macOS devices.

To enable enhanced detection on mobile, users need to download Microsoft Defender from the App Store, Google Play or Microsoft Store, log in, and then click the ‘Get Started’ icon within the privacy protection options.

Microsoft introduced Defender for Endpoint in 2023 to improve the ability for IT teams to protect their network from cyberattacks and ransomware.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Take a look at the best business VPNs
• QR Code phishing is advancing to a new level, so be on your guard
• These are the best endpoint protection solutions around

Projector maker Epson has dropped details about a pair of new models joining its “Mini” lineup. The EF-22 ($999.99) and EF-21 ($899.99) are portable projectors designed for easy set-up that beam images as big as 150 inches. These models feature Google TV for streaming – a welcome upgrade over the company’s earlier portable projectors, which used the more bare-bones Android TV platform.

The new Epson pair has better brightness specs than what you typically get with the best portable projectors. Both models are rated for 1,000 lumens (ISO) of white and color brightness. Image resolution is 1080p Full HD, and both support HDR10 high dynamic range.

Epson’s proprietary EpiqSense technology automatically sizes, focuses, and aligns pictures when the projectors are set up and positioned. The EF-22 model also features a 360-degree swivel stand that can tilt to project images at any angle, even on the ceiling.

With a 2x 5W Dolby Audio speaker system, both the EF-22 and EF-21 are all-in-one home entertainment systems. They also feature a 3.5mm audio output for connecting headphones and an HDMI input for connecting one of the best 4K Blu-ray players or a laptop computer. 

Color options for the EF-22 and EF-21 include Diamond White, Opal Green and Quartz Rose, and the EF-22 also comes in Stone Blue and Onyx Black. An optional EpiqVision Mini Custom Travel Case for taking your projector on the go is available for $49.99.

The Epson EF-22 and EF-21 will be available starting in early October.

Epson's EF-21 portable projector lacks the built-in swivel stand of its EF-22 big brother (shown at top) (Image credit: Epson) A promising pair of portables 

Epson is well known for its home theater projectors, including the Epson Pro Cinema LS12000, which tops our list of the best 4K projectors as the best overall model. However, it has only taken tentative steps into portable “lifestyle” projectors. The new EF-22 and EF-21 look to be the company’s best portables yet, with Google TV built-in for streaming and a sleek new design with multiple color options.

The portable projector space has become fairly oversaturated, with projectors like Samsung’s The Freestyle and LG CineBeam Q competing with models from XGIMI, Anker, JMGO, Dangbei, and other brands, including super-cheap projectors on Amazon. Given the crowded nature of the portable market, will Epson be able to make a name for itself in this space as well?

A key advantage Epson has going for it is its reliable, no-nonsense specifications. Epson uses the internationally recognized ISO 21118 standard to create brightness specs for its projectors, portable models included, so when Epson says its projector puts out 1,000 lumens, you can count on that number being accurate. That stands in contrast to multiple other projector manufacturers, a number of which have been sued by Epson for making misleading or downright false projector brightness claims.

We can’t wait to get an up-close look at Epson’s new portable projectors and expect they might just join the ranks of the best portable projectors after we’ve completed our review.

You might also like...

• Best ultra short throw projectors 2024
• Projectors in 2024: the year's biggest launches so far and what's coming next
• Welcome to TechRadar’s Home Theater Week 2024

Even some of the best wireless headphones have a flaw that isn't obvious to music fans, but that can be a deal-breaker for music makers and DJs: latency. That's the delay between the audio being sent and it arriving in your ears, and while a little latency isn't usually a problem for music listening, it can be a real problem for anyone who needs to have perfect timing – such as a DJ matching beats as they're mixing records together. That's why AIAIAI is launching a brand new pair of headphones specifically for DJs that promise wire-free convenience without the latency (via DJMag).

AIAIAI says that its new TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones are a "world's first". You can use them as normal Bluetooth headphones or as cabled headphones, but when it's time to fill the dance floor you can use their special wireless mode instead. Their dedicated transmitter plugs into the headphone port of your mixer, controller or other audio equipment, and it transmits the signal directly to your headphones using an "ultra-low latency" tech that's different to Bluetooth.

(Image credit: AIAIAI) TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones: key specs and pricing

The new headphones promise 25 hours of wireless listening, high sound isolation for even the noisiest DJ booth, and exceptional comfort. And like other TMA headphones, they're modular, making it easy to customize them, upgrade them, or replace worn-out bits such as ear cushions. AIAIA promises a suitably bassy sound too, thanks to a 40mm bio-cellulose diaphragm tuned for big bass in loud venues.

These aren't AIAIAI's first low-latency headphones. We reviewed their TMA-2 Studio Wireless+ headphones in 2022, and found that they delivered exactly what the firm promised in terms of an effectively zero latency connection. However, we also found that they had a very high noise floor using the W-Link connection: that could be because it uses the 2.4GHz frequency band, which is increasingly crowded. Hopefully that's been addressed in these newer headphones, although given that they're made for use in already loud environments it's less of a concern than with studio headphones.

The AIAIAI TMA-2 DJ Wireless headphones will be available in early 2025. UK DJ sites are already offering pre-orders for £249 (about AU$480); the US price is expected to be around $300.

You might also like

• Four months since they launched, there’s not been a day I haven’t worn the Sonos Ace headphones
• Audeze's new electrostatic headphones will SLAM you with 'unparalleled' clarity and bass
• Edifier's awesome planar headphones tech is coming to noise-cancelling earbuds, and these could be special

A future Intel architecture for its performance cores – the hefty cores that do most of the grunt work, as opposed to smaller efficiency cores in its hybrid CPUs – is expected to be a big leap forward for IPC, according to a new rumor.

This is the Panther Cove architecture – not to be confused with Panther Lake (we’ll come back to that shortly) – and it’s seemingly going to forge ahead in a major way with IPC. IPC stands for Instructions Per Clock, meaning that processors built with this future architecture will be able to get tasks done faster (literally processing more instructions every clock cycle).

As Tom’s Hardware reports, leaker InstLatX64 on X brought our attention to Panther Cove getting this boost, as per a post on the Real World Technologies forum (add seasoning).

That post observes that: “Panther Cove is big uarch (sic) change with large IPC [boost] and APX/AVX10 and more.”

According to @SShwartsman's post on @rwt, #Intel #APX will be supported in #PantherCove core.It seems that it's no coincidence that #DiamondRapids (CPUID 400F10) is no longer a member of Fam6...https://t.co/dZppDKHerM https://t.co/urk3xIVqR2 pic.twitter.com/JvAULqg4IlSeptember 29, 2024

Where does Panther Cove fit in with Intel’s CPU roadmap? Well, here’s where it gets slightly complicated, as you might think it’s for Panther Lake processors, right?

Nope, wrong. True, it seems a logical enough conclusion, bearing in mind that Panther Cove is an architecture – the nuts and bolts of the tech that makes a CPU core, a performance core in this case – and Panther Lake is a family of processors (built on a given architecture, or actually two architectures, as the efficiency cores have a different one – but let’s not complicate things any further than necessary, this leak is about performance cores).

However, despite the naming commonality, the two don’t go together, and in actual fact, Panther Lake CPUs will use the Cougar Cove architecture (processor families are ‘Lakes’ and architectures are ‘Coves’ it should be noted). If the rumors are right, that is – some of this leaked info may prove incorrect, as always.

(Image credit: Intel) Analysis: Cougars and Panthers and Coyotes, oh my brain hurts

So, the theory as it stands is that Intel’s next-gen Arrow Lake desktop processors, which are imminent, will use Lion Cove for their performance cores, and then we’ll have Panther Lake – laptop CPUs only, arriving in 2025 – with Cougar Cove.

After that, we’ll see the generation with Panther Cove, which in theory would be the Nova Lake family (the next desktop chips for Intel after Arrow Lake, going by the grapevine – the purported Arrow Lake Refresh has been canceled). That said, the caveat here is that elsewhere on the rumor mill, others are saying Nova Lake performance cores will be built on Coyote Cove, another name that has only recently come onto the scene, adding to the confusion.

All of this underlines how tricky it can be to digest rumors on hardware that’s a long way down the line, and how Intel’s naming scheme for CPUs and their architectures is confusing (not matching Panther Lake and Cove just seems a bit daft, and is presumably a result of development timings going awry at some point).

However, the apparent message is clear – we’re due a big jump in performance with Arrow Lake, a more modest one with Panther Lake, and then a large leap again, as noted with IPC, in the family using Panther Cove (maybe Nova Lake – maybe not). Whatever the case, large gains are in the pipeline for the architecture that follows Arrow and Panther Lake, quite possibly the Core Ultra 400 chips – if this rumor is right.

The mentioned APX support – which stands for Advanced Performance Extensions – will also help speed up apps, and could have a pretty wide impact, depending on how much developers leverage it. This is more likely to be for apps than games, but that said, the major game engines could take advantage of APX (fingers crossed) for further gains.

Intel’s CPU future seems a bit brighter then, adding skepticism appropriately, and things are already looking up on the laptop front with Lunar Lake, mobile chips that have just arrived and have impressed already.

You might also like

• Intel boss confirms Panther Lake is on track for mid-2025 release
• What is a processor: Your CPU explained in plain terms
• Intel looks set to supercharge thin-and-light laptops to fight back

Disney has responded to fan complaints over the removal of multiple Disney Plus movies and shows, many of which were highly rated.

As first reported by What's on Disney Plus on Sunday (September 29), the entertainment giant axed numerous Disney Plus Originals from the streaming service's library. Critically-acclaimed projects, such as historical drama A Small Light, which holds a perfect 100% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and the Willem Dafoe-starring adventure-drama film Togo (92% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes) are among the 25 productions that are no longer available to stream.

Here's the full list of titles that have been consigned to the streaming scrap heap:

• America’s Funniest Home Videos: Animal Edition
• A Small Light
• The Biggest Little Farm: The Return
• Cesar Millan: Better Human, Better Dog
• Farm Dreams
• Freeks
• Genius MLX/X
• Going Fur Gold
• Hailey’s On It
• Home In The Wild
• Living For The Dead
• Locked Up: Abroad
• Love & WWE: Bianca & Montez
• Love In Fairhope
• Narco Wars
• Never Say Never with Jeff Jenkins
• Pretty Freaking Scary
• Saturdays
• Superhot: The Spicy World Of Pepper People
• Science Fair: The Series
• Science Fair
• Togo
• Top Ten: 80’s
• Wicked Tuna
• Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks Showdown

It isn't just certain nations that have been impacted by this latest back-catalog culling, either. I've checked Disney Plus' library in the US, UK, and Australia, and I can confirm that none of these films or TV series are now viewable in these countries. It appears, then, that they've been permanently removed worldwide. It also appears that projects like A Small Light, which debuted exclusively on Hulu in the US, have been axed from Disney Plus' sister streamer, too.

Comment from r/DisneyPlus

Unsurprisingly, this latest streaming cull has created a furore online. Threads on forums and social media platforms, including ResetEra and Reddit, are full of users who are angry at the sudden removal of these projects.

Given the ire that this axing has created, I reached out to Disney for an official comment on the matter. A spokesperson told me: "Like all media companies, we regularly review our titles and make assessments and content decisions based on what makes the most sense for the business. Collectively, it is less than 2% of our total titles globally. Fans still have unprecedented access to a wide variety of Disney’s film and television entertainment."

So, if you're a fan of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney's classic movies collection, you can rest easy in the knowledge that Disney's biggest franchises are safe. Almost all of the best Disney Plus movies and best Disney Plus shows are still available to watch to your heart's content, too. Even so, I suspect that's scant consolation to subscribers who enjoyed any of the 25 productions they can no longer stream.

Another kick in the teeth for Disney Plus' userbase

Disney Plus users aren't impressed by this latest round of movie and TV show culling (Image credit: Shutterstock / Ivan Marc)

This isn't the first time that furious Disney Plus users have lashed out at Disney for unceremoniously dumping TV and Movie Originals. 

In May 2023, we reported that Disney Plus and Hulu's libraries were about to get a lot smaller, with shows including Willow, Pistol, and Y: The Last Man being removed from these platforms. A few weeks later, we covered the news that Disney was looking to cut more content from its streaming back catalogs in the coming months. Then, in late August, two highly anticipated Disney Plus Originals were shelved just months before their own debuts – that duo being The Spiderwick Chronicles and Nautilus, which have found new homes on The Roku Channel and Prime Video in the past year.

On the movie front, things haven't been as severe from a culling perspective. However, one of 2023's new Disney Plus movies – Crater – was dumped just two months after it debuted on the streaming giant, which proves the House of Mouse isn't averse to permanently deleting films from its streaming library if they don't perform well.

Comment from r/DisneyPlus

This latest jettisoning of content comes at something of an awkward time for Disney. Indeed, with rumors of another Disney Plus price hike circulating online, plus the recent confirmation about how much it'll cost you to share your Disney Plus password with people outside of your household, further fan outrage is the last thing that the entertainment titan and one of the world's best streaming services needs right now. Still, at least Inside Out 2 was a massive it for the platform, eh Disney?

You might also like

• Fed up of Disney Plus? Here's how to cancel your subscription
• Alternatively, get the lowdown on everything we know about Disney Plus' account sharing crackdown
• Sticking with Disney Plus? Read our review of the latest Marvel series Agatha: All Along

The Samsung Galaxy S25 leaks aren't showing any signs of stopping, and in particular leaks around the most premium-level Ultra model – and we now have a leaked dummy unit of the most expensive and largest S25 variant, showing off its redesigned contours.

These dummy units are typically based on schematics given to case and accessory manufacturers so that they can get their wares ready in time for launch day, and this particular one arrives courtesy of tipster @xleaks7 via Android Authority.

The dummy unit backs up the rumors and leaks we've already seen up to this point, primarily that the Galaxy S25 Ultra is going to be more rounded and easier to hold compared to its Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra predecessor.

There's also apparent confirmation that we're once again going to get a quad-lens rear camera setup around the back of the phone – with the other raised circle you can see in the below tweet housing the camera flash module.

Dimensions and bezels

EXCLUSIVE: These are images, video + dimensions of upcoming #Samsung #GalaxyS25Ultra aluminum dummyMore details: https://t.co/CRSmSi0zBWEnjoy! & follow for more content! pic.twitter.com/hyvNH3h4HXSeptember 30, 2024

Around the front of the unit we've got a look at the front-facing camera cutout, and the bezels – which would seem to be even thinner than the ones on the current model. It's all along similar lines to the Galaxy S25 Ultra case leak we saw recently.

The dimensions of the Galaxy S25 Ultra are provided by the same source as well: 162.82 x 77.65 x 8.25mm, which would make it slightly taller, slightly narrower, and slightly thinner than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

We had previously heard that the Galaxy S25 Ultra would be setting new standards as far as thinness goes, while smaller display bezels have also been rumored. This dummy unit also matches up with the unofficial Galaxy S25 Ultra renders we've seen.

Away from the design of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, there's been talk that we could get a bump up to 16GB of RAM, as well as significantly faster performance. The S25 Ultra is expected to be launched in January, alongside the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus.

You might also like

• The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE has now officially landed
• Pick up one of the best Samsung phones on the market right now
• This Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 'downgrade' actually works

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #478) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• QUICK
• LATHER
• CURRENT
• CONDITION
• RAPID
• RINSE
• HEALTH
• SWEAT
• NORMAL
• WAVE
• FORM
• SANITIZE
• STEW
• SHAPE
• CASCADE
• TIZZY

NYT Connections today (game #478) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: All het up
• Green: In good…
• Blue: H20 actions
• Purple: No scrubber required

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #478) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: FLUSTERED STATE
• GREEN: FITNESS
• BLUE: FAST-MOVING WATER
• PURPLE: DISHWASHER CYCLES

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #478) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #478, are…

• YELLOW: FLUSTERED STATE LATHER, STEW, SWEAT, TIZZY
• GREEN: FITNESS CONDITION, FORM, HEALTH, SHAPE
• BLUE: FAST-MOVING WATER CASCADE, CURRENT, RAPID, WAVE
• PURPLE: DISHWASHER CYCLES NORMAL, QUICK, RINSE, SANITIZE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

It was good to get back on track again with a victory today, following my failure yesterday. Admittedly, I was helped out by this Connections puzzle being on the easier side of things, with four relatively straightforward groups and not too many fiendish red herrings to contend with.

There were some, though – notably in the purple DISHWASHER CYCLE group. I nearly guessed this early on, but wasn't sure which of the six possible answers formed the correct quarter; the eventual solutions were NORMAL, QUICK, RINSE and SANITIZE, but I figured LATHER and RAPID were also possibilities. And no, you don't get dishwashers with a LATHER setting, but I didn't know that was the connection then, merely that there was probably one about some kind of appliance – maybe a washing machine…

I worked it out in the end, ticking off some of the easier groups first then solving that by default at the end, as is usually the way things work out.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 30 September, game #477)

• YELLOW: COOK WITH HEAT AND WATER BLANCH, BOIL, POACH, STEAM
• GREEN: COMMON PERFUME INGREDIENTS AMBERGRIS, MUSK, ROSE, VANILLA
• BLUE: CHARACTERS WITH PET DOGS CHARLIE, DOROTHY, SHAGGY, WALLACE
• PURPLE: CAPITAL CITY HOMOPHONES KETO, ROAM, SOPHIA, SOUL

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #212) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Channel surfing

NYT Strands today (game #212) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• MEAL
• LEND
• SEND
• COVE
• COVER
• SITE

NYT Strands today (game #212) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• 57 Channels (And Nothin' On)

NYT Strands today (game #212) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #212) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #212, are…

• PARAMOUNT
• DISCOVERY
• HISTORY
• HALLMARK
• LIFETIME
• SPANGRAM: NETWORK

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

This is a similar one to yesterday's in that not everyone will find it easy, but some definitely will. I didn't – because I'm not based in the US and therefore don't have access to all of the same NETWORKs as many Strands players will. I've never heard of LIFETIME, for instance, and have never watched HALLMARK (I'm not sure it's even available here).

That said, I didn't find it that difficult once I'd got the spangram and confirmed the overall theme. The likes of PARAMOUNT, DISCOVERY and HISTORY are well known and available around the world, so this puzzle is beatable even if you're not that familiar with US cable TV.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday 30 September, game #211)

• HEAVY
• MIDDLE
• FEATHER
• LIGHT
• WELTER
• BANTAM
• CRUISER
• SPANGRAM: BOXING

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #981) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #981) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #981) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #981) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #981) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• F

• M

• G

• N

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #981) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #981, are…

• FRILL
• MADLY
• GRANT
• NYLON

I very nearly screwed up again here, and could have lost my streak for the second time in a week. Fortunately, that didn't happen – but it was a close-run thing. The problem, for me at least, was that both FRILL and MADLY had a couple of solutions; the former could also have been GRILL, the latter also BADLY. What I should have done is to have played BEFOG, my go-to word in these situations, to establish what both were. But I only looked at the MADLY/BADLY quadrant to begin with, so played BADLY and then had to use another narrowing down word when I came to -RILL in the top left. I escaped with a last-guess victory, but should really have been wise to this trap.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #981) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #981, are…

• QUACK
• LIMBO
• PIPER
• HOUND

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #980, Monday 30 September: CRUSH, TARDY, TEACH, STUMP
• Quordle #979, Sunday 29 September: SERIF, BORNE, WRITE, SLEEK
• Quordle #978, Saturday 28 September: BUSHY, CIVIC, SNOUT, EQUIP
• Quordle #977, Friday 27 September: GUEST, CHASM, ROOST, BASAL
• Quordle #976, Thursday 26 September: STAGE, VOGUE, CLUMP, HEATH
• Quordle #975, Wednesday 25 September: UMBRA, DADDY, GLAZE, PRANK
• Quordle #974, Tuesday 24 September: SPACE, INNER, SPAWN, BEGAT
• Quordle #973, Monday 23 September: GUILT, STERN, ANNEX, FIELD
• Quordle #972, Sunday 22 September: ZESTY, MEATY, ALIVE, DRAWN
• Quordle #971, Saturday 21 September: VITAL, FRAIL, SPEAR, EERIE
• Quordle #970, Friday 20 September: ELIDE, DITTO, SHAWL, BONUS
• Quordle #969, Thursday 19 September: MARRY, OWING, DICEY, LUCKY
• Quordle #968, Wednesday 18 September: CEDAR, VENOM, MIGHT, MEDIC
• Quordle #967, Tuesday 17 September: ETHOS, COUNT, PRINT, THREE
• Quordle #966, Monday 16 September: ROUGE, SWAMP, FUGUE, UNDUE
• Quordle #965, Sunday 15 September: VILLA, SMOKE, BULKY, THRUM
• Quordle #964, Saturday 14 September: ESSAY, GENRE, WIMPY, CHUTE
• Quordle #963, Friday 13 September: LEANT, ORGAN, FILLY, PLAIT
• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER

It’s no secret that Intel has been experiencing major issues with its 13th and 14th-gen desktop processors for nearly a year now, which has been slowly tanking some of its best processors — especially the Core i9-13900K and Core i9-14900K — in terms of performance. And now there’s a new instability update that seems to be dropping speeds even more.

Users have been testing out Intel’s latest BIOS patch, which is supposed to fix instability on Intel’s 13th-gen and 14th-gen processors. However, user twfox on the Chiphell forums has noticed a 6.5% drop in the Core i9-13900K in Cinebench R15’s single-core performance. In the Cinebench R23, the Core i9-14900K dropped about 2% of its multi-core performance score, putting it behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X.

While this may seem bad (and that would be the understandable take), as Digital Trends notes, this is much milder compared to previous drops in performance that ranged from 9 to 20%. Intel has clearly learned from its first round of motherboard updates and is gradually mitigating the issue to far more acceptable levels.

Intel could still be in danger 

According to an Intel blog update, the final issue with the 13th and 14th-gen processors has been discovered, which the current BIOS update addresses. “Microcode and BIOS code requesting elevated core voltages which can cause Vmin shift especially during periods of idle and/or light activity.”

However, ‘mitigated impact’ is not ‘no impact,’ and the latter is what Intel seemed to promise when it reported on the patch’s internal test results. However, 2% and 6.5% performance differences are typically well within the allowable margin for system variances, so in the end, Intel's chips look to have been fixed by the new update.

Fortunately for Intel, Team Blue is moving on to a whole new architecture with Arrow Lake and these current issues shouldn’t affect the new chips. This is especially important, as Arrow Lake is set for an October launch. Coupled with performance-improvement updates for both AMD Ryzen 9000 series and Intel’s last two generations, it’ll be vital to pay attention to benchmark test scores in upcoming reviews. 

Hopefully, Intel will have this whole situation dealt with for next-gen, because right now AMD is gunning for Intel’s desktop market share and Team Red’s chip game has been evolving by leaps and bounds while generally keeping its MSRP lower than Team Blue’s offerings. We'll see soon enough though if Intel can hold the line with Arrow Lake.

You might also like

• No, Qualcomm is not buying Intel
• Intel has reportedly canceled Beast Lake and its follow-up
• Intel Core Ultra 9 285 leak reveals spec of tamed Arrow Lake flagship CPU – and its potential performance levels

Be careful when receiving emails with QR codes, because Quishing (QR code phishing) has evolved to become as dangerous as never before, experts have warned.

A report from Perception Point has outlined one such campaign, claiming it is able to bypass most email security solutions around.

The attack is just like any other QR code phishing attack - the recipient gets an email, and in it a QR code. They scan it, and it leads them to a fake Microsoft 365 landing page, where they type in their login credentials and essentially share it with the crooks. However, since most email security solutions these days come with QR code scanners, simply sending the image in the email will not suffice. Such emails will simply get blocked, which is why crooks came up with a creative new way of bypassing the protections.

Two QR codes

As Perception Point explains, the campaign involves abusing two legitimate services - SharePoint, and me-qr.com. SharePoint is a Microsoft-built, web-based platform for collaboration, document management, and content sharing. Me-QR.com is a website where users can create and manage QR codes.

The landing page is hosted on SharePoint. Me-QR.com is used as an additional obfuscation layer, so that the scanners cannot read where the QR code points to.

Here is how the scam works: The recipient gets the usual phishing email, containing a .PDF attachment that’s either a purchase order, an invoice, or something similar. When they open it, there is a QR code that points to me-QR.com. Since this is a legitimate service, the code passes security scans.

When the victim scans this code, they are redirected to me-QR.com, where the service scans a second QR code (a malicious one, which would most likely be blocked by email security). This code leads to SharePoint, where the phishing page is hosted.

Perception Point calls this tactic “Quishing 2.0”, and describes it as highly sophisticated.

The best way to defend against spam remains the same - be suspicious of all incoming emails and use common sense when opening up attachments.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Spam texts are getting creative and trying to play on your emotional needs – Don't fall for it
• Here's a list of the best firewalls around today
• These are the best endpoint security tools right now

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, which is our choice as one of the best processors in the market period, beat out two of the best Intel processor options when it comes to pure gaming ability. Its reputation has made the chip a hot commodity, and its price has been skyrocketing as of late.

This is due to dwindling stock, which is all happening right before the rumored launch of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in October. Of course, nothing has actually been confirmed, but price hikes and lower stock often tend to be tied into imminent launches of new products as retailers rush to clear stock and take advantage of high demand, while not replenishing its current stock.

The dwindling stock is driving up prices, delaying delivery, or simply selling out at US retailers like Amazon and Newegg. As PCGamesN points out, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D can only be shipped from China on Newegg but at a higher $679.99 price point, which is about $200 more than MSRP. Meanwhile, Amazon has it in stock for about $50 more with a shipping delay of a week or so.

PCPartPicker graphs the steady increase in the processor’s US pricing over a 60-day period at major retailers. However, it seems that some other regions, like the UK, haven’t been affected nearly as much or even at all, according to the site’s UK data.

(Image credit: PCPartPicker)

If you're looking to kit your gaming rig with a new processor right now, it might be better to wait for AMD or Intel’s new offerings before investing. And since there are rumors of both the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and the Intel Arrow Lake chips launching in October, that time might be far sooner than you think.

We need more affordable options 

This situation shows how badly the market needs and wants for affordable mid-range and low-end components. The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is considered the best processor for gaming, standing toe-to-toe with some of Intel’s best chips like the Intel Core i9-14900K or the Intel Core i7-14700K. And because it’s AMD, the pricing is (or rather was) quite reasonable considering its specs.

Now with new chips on the horizon, it makes sense that buyers are trying to snap up mid-range chips now while they can. But if you truly want the best deal, it would be much better to wait until the 9800X3D launches. Either the chip will be cheaper than the 7800X3D or its release will reduce demand and lower prices to a more affordable level.

You might also like

• This gamer's secret to playing Valorant at 1,200 FPS is AMD's X3D processors
• AMD admits Ryzen 9000 CPUs won't steal the gaming crown
• AMD Ryzen CPUs are selling well and making steady gains