TechRadar News

The fall months are finally settling in and, in my opinion, this is the best time for you to be taking advantage of the best streaming services, especially Hulu. Trust me: When I say that you're spoilt for choice in October 2024, I really mean it. 

As we edge further into the spooky season, it's pretty much a given that horrors and thrillers are the genres leading the pack for Hulu in October, so it's refreshing to see a few dramas and family favorites weaved throughout giving this month's list a lot of variety. It's also set to be an exciting month if you're really into your TV shows, with Emmy Award winning Abbott Elementary returning for a fourth season. 

It's always great to see a busy streaming schedule, particularly at this time of year when you're likely to spend more time indoors and want plenty of entertainment options. But that means when it comes to updating our best Hulu movies and best Hulu shows lists, we we certainly have our work cut out for us. 

Everything new on Hulu in October 2024

Arriving on October 1

The Amazing Race seasons 31, 33 and 34 (TV show)
America's Next Top Model seasons 11-15 (TV show)
CSI: Miami seasons 6-10 (TV show)
Survivor seasons 14-19 (TV show)
Undercover Boss season 8 (TV show)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (movie)
All My Puny Sorrows (movie)
An American Citizen (movie)
Annabelle Comes Home (movie)
Barbarian (movie)
Beyond JFK: The Question Of Conspiracy (movie)
Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) (movie)
Blood In (movie)
Bogus (movie)
Cadillac Records (movie)
Celeste and Jesse Forever (movie)
Chasing Papi (movie)
Coco (En Espanol) (movie)
The Dancer Upstairs (movie)
Dashcam (movie)
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (movie)
Don't Say A Word (movie)
Edward Scissorhands (movie)
El Crimen Del Cacaro Gumaro (movie)
The Empty Man (movie)
Evita (movie)
The Fly (movie)
From Hell (movie)
The Happening (movie)
The Hills Have Eyes (movie)
The Hills Have Eyes 2 (movie)
The Hitmans Bodyguard (movie)
The Hitmans Wifes Bodyguard (movie)
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (movie)
It's a Wonderful Knife (movie)
Joy Ride (movie)
Just Wright (movie)
La Cara Oculta (movie)
La Misma Luna (Aka: Under The Same Moon) (movie)
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (movie)
The Lego Ninjago Movie (movie)
Long Shot (movie)
Ma (movie)
Miami Rhapsody (movie)
Miss Bala (movie)
Monsters vs. Aliens (movie)
Mrs. Doubtfire (movie)
The New Age (movie)
Nightmare Alley (movie)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (movie)
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (movie)
Planet of the Apes (movie)
The Princess Bride (movie)
The Purge (movie)
The Purge: Election Year (movie)
Q&A (movie)
Ready or Not (movie)
The Return of Tanya Tucker (movie)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (movie)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (movie)
Sideways (movie)
Signs (movie)
Silkwood (movie)
The Sixth Sense (movie)
Stripper (movie)
Sunchaser (movie)
Swimfan (movie)
That Night (movie)
The Curse of La Llorona (movie)
The Warrior's Way (movie)
Todo Cambia (movie)
Turtle Beach (movie)
Unbreakable (movie)
Underwater (movie)
We Bought a Zoo (movie)
X-Men: The Last Stand (movie)

Arriving on October 2

Last Days of the Space Age season 1 (TV show)
#TextMeWhenYouGetHome season 1 (TV show)
101 Fast Foods That Changed The World season 1 (TV show)
After the First 48 season 9 (TV show)
Ax Men seasons 2-3 (TV show)
Campus Nightmares season 1 (TV show)
Designing Blind season 1 (TV show)
Double Divas seasons 1-2 (TV show)
The Eleven season 1 (TV show)
Evil Up Close season 1 (TV show)
Flippin' Sisters! season 1 (TV show)
The Haunting Of. . . seasons 4 and 5 (TV show)
THE HAUNTING OF...SPECIALS season 1 (TV show)
House vs. House season 1 (TV show)
Jacked: Auto Theft Task Force season 1 (TV show)
Lost U-Boats of WWI season 1 (TV show)
My Ghost Story: Caught on Camera seasons 1 and 2 (TV show)
My Ghost Story: Hauntings Revealed season 1 (TV show)
My Life As A Gangster Girl season 1 (TV show)
Pawnography season 1 (TV show)
Scraps: Parts Uneaten season 1 (TV show)
Secrets of Polygamy season 1 (TV show)
Stalked by a Ghost season 1 (TV show)
Supernatural Sisters season 1 (TV show)
The Real Wolfman season 1 (TV show)
The UnXplained season 6 (TV show)
Tiny House Nation: Family Edition season 1 (TV show)
Tiny House Nation: Unpacked season 1 (TV show)
UFO Files seasons 1-2 (TV show)
Undercover: Caught on Tape season 1 (TV show)
Abracadaver

Arriving on October 3

Hold Your Breath (movie)
Witches: Truth Behind the Trials (TV show)
Dan Da Dan (TV show)
Killer Cases season 5 (TV show)

Arriving on October 4

Blood for Dust (movie)

Arriving on October 5

American Justice season 15 -16 (TV show)
American Murder House season 1 (TV show)
American Restoration seasons 2-3 (TV show)
The Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters season 2 (TV show)
Billy the Exterminator seasons 2-3 (TV show)
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War season 3 (TV show)
Cajun Pawn Stars season 1 (TV show)
Casey Anthony's Parents Speak season 1 (TV show)
Demon Lord, Retry! R (TV show)
Escaping Evil: My Life in a Cult season 1 (TV show)
First Blood season 1 (TV show)
Get Swank'd season 1 (TV show)
Invisible Monsters: Serial Killers in America season 1 (TV show)
Manhunters: Fugitive Task Force seasons 1-2 (TV show)
Swamp Mysteries season 2 (TV show)
Wahlburgers seasons 8 and 9 (TV show)

Arriving on October 7

Solar Opposites: Halloween Special (TV show)

Arriving on October 8

What Would You Do? season 17 (TV show)
Black Out: season 1B (TV show)
Coroner complete series (TV show)

Arriving on October 9

La Máquina complete series (TV show)
Scamanda (TV show)
Accused season 2 (TV show)

Arriving on October 10

Abbott Elementary season 4 (TV show)
Expedition Amazon (TV show)
American Hoggers seasons 1-2 (TV show)
American Pickers seasons 22-23 (TV show)
Ancient MonsterQuest season 1 (TV show)
Appalachian Outlaws seasons 1-2 (TV show)
Deadly Secrets: The Lost Children of Dozier season 1 (TV show)
The Family That Slays Together season 1 (TV show)
Flipping Vegas season 2 (TV show)
Griselda: The Godmother season 1 (TV show)
Growing Up Gotti seasons 1-2 (TV show)
Haunted Encounters: Face to Face season 1 (TV show)
I Love You...But I Lied season 3 (TV show)
I Love You...But I Lied: After Dark season 1 (TV show)
I Solved a Murder season 1 (TV show)
I Survived . . . seasons 6-9 (TV show)
I'll Haunt You When I'm Dead season 1 (TV show)
Long Island Serial Killer season 1 (TV show)
Mobsters seasons 3-5 (TV show)
MonsterQuest: Chasing Bigfoot season 1 (TV show)
MonsterQuest: Serpentine Creatures season 1 (TV show)
Ms. Murder season 1 (TV show)
Murder at the Country Club season 1 (TV show)
Swamp People season 15 (TV show)
Triple Digit Flip seasons 1-2 (TV show)
The Grab (movie)

Arriving on October 11 

Mr. Crocket (movie)
Dragon Ball DAIMA (TV show)
Aliens In The Attic (movie)
Fright Night (movie)
Sting (movie)

Arriving on October 12

Celebrity Close Calls season 1 (TV show)
Celebrity Ghost Stories (Classics) season 3-4 (TV show)
Celebrity House Hunting season 1 (TV show)
The First 48 seasons 4, 18-19, 21 and 24 (TV show)
Interrogation Raw season 2 (TV show)
My Haunted House season 3 (TV show)
My Haunted Vacation season 1 (TV show)
Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal seasons 1-3 (TV show)
Taking the Stand seasons 2-3 (TV show)
The Definitive Guide to the Mob season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on October 13

Tracker season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on October 14 

Pancho Villa: El Centauro del Norte season 1 (TV show)
Family Guy: Halloween Special (TV show)
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest season 3 (TV show)

Arriving on October 15

FX's American Horror Stories: Huluween Event (TV show)
The Three Musketeers – Part I: D'Artagnan (movie)
The Three Musketeers – Part II: Milady (movie)

Arriving on October 16

Nemesis season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on October 17th

Dark Side of the Ring season 5 (TV show)
Reginald the Vampire season 2 (TV show)
Butterfly Tale (movie)

Arriving on October 18

Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara (documentary)
Rivals season 1 (TV show)
The Devil's Climb (movie)
Mayhem! (movie)

Arriving on October 19

The Lego Batman Movie (movie)
Late Night with the Devil (movie)

Arriving on October 21

Carved (movie)
Beyblade X season 1A (TV show)

Arriving on October 22

What We Do in the Shadows season 6 (TV show)

Arriving on October 24

Parking Wars seasons 1-2 (TV show)
The Speedway Murders (movie)

Arriving on October 25

Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (movie)
The Beast Within (movie)

Arriving on October 29

Bachelor Pad season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on October 31

60 Seconds to Sell season 1 (TV show)
The Best And Worst U.S. Presidents season 1 (TV show)
Born in the Wild season 1 (TV show)
Duck Dynasty seasons 6 and 7 (TV show)
LIVING IN SECRET season 1 (TV show)
Miracles Decoded season 1 (TV show)
MysteryQuest (2022) season 1 (TV show)
Pawn Stars season 19 (TV show)
Transition of Power: Presidential Legacy season 1 (TV show)
Washington The Warrior season 1 (TV show)

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Cybersecurity researchers have revealed malware managed to sneak into the Google Play app store thanks to a compromised software development kit (SDK).

The malware, called Necro, ended up on at least 11 million devices, and quite possibly - a lot more, the team from Kaspersky noted. Necro infiltrated an advertising SDK named ‘Coral SDK’, which should have been used to integrate different advertising modules into an application. However, with steganography, the SDK deploys stage-two malware capable of a number of malicious activities, including loading ads through invisible WebView windows, downloading and running arbitrary JavaScript files, facilitating fraud, and rerouting malicious traffic.

Two seemingly legitimate applications picked up this SDK - a photo editing tool called Wuta Camera by 'Benqu,' and Max Browser by 'WA message recover-wamr.' The former has more than 10 million downloads, and the latter - one million.

Updating flawed apps

When Kaspersky discovered the malware and notified the developers - Wuta Camera was fixed, and the malware removed. If you are using this app by any chance, make sure to update it to version 6.3.7.138. Max Browser, on the other hand, is still compromised, and the researchers are suggesting deleting the app and switching to a different browser.

Google’s Play Store keeps track of, and displays, the number of downloads. Cumulatively, it is more than 11 million on the platform. However, compromised apps are being distributed through other means, too. Therefore, the number of compromised mobile endpoints is quite likely a lot bigger. Kaspersky found multiple other apps, distributed on third-party websites, carrying the Necro malware, including modded versions of WhatsApp (GBWhatsApp and FMWhatsApp), Spotify (Spotify Plus), Minecraft, Stumble Guys, and many others.

Google is usually very diligent when it comes to protecting its app repository, but even the strongest defenses can sometimes be breached. When downloading new apps, it would be wise not to blindly trust anything found on official stores. Instead, also look at the number of downloads, ratings, and reviews.

Via BleepingComputer

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Roku wants to make its Ultra streaming set-top box even more Ultra; at least, that’s the aim of its next-generation device. The new Roku Ultra keeps a very familiar look, with a basically identical build and – more importantly – sticks to the same $99 (about £75 / AU$145) price. 

The Ultra is still a simple, rounded square streaming box that comes in one color, black – though it does sport a flash of color with a purple tag displaying the Roku logo. It’s all familiar on the outside, and speaks to the fact that unlike, say, the new Google TV Streamer, the Roku Ultra isn’t necessarily designed to be seen. It can sit alongside the TV on a home entertainment cabinet, or just be shoved behind it. 

All the changes lie under the hood – and they're all centered around speed.

The fastest Roku yet

(Image credit: Roku)

The new Ultra is powered by a quad-core processor that Roku says was built from the ground up for "cinematic streaming," and which promises to be 30% faster than other players in the Roku lineup. 

It should make the Roku OS platform run smoothly and enable faster, more instantaneous application openings, but it also lets this player support more formats. With HDR10+ and Dolby Vision on board, this Ultra is the first to support all the major HDR formats – in addition to its 4K and Dolby Atmos support. This means that if you pair this with the right TV, streamed content will look especially nice.

Like the Roku Ultra (2020), the Ultra still features an HDMI 2.1 port. It also supports Quick Media Switching, which should reduce slowdowns if the refresh rate changes. Inside is Wi-Fi 6 for faster streaming, assuming you have the right Wi-Fi access points. Roku uses machine learning and AI to predict what you might want to watch next, and queue up the respective app or show for a faster start to streaming. It keeps an Ethernet port for a wired connection as well.

If you want to listen privately, you can now connect a pair of the best Bluetooth headphones to the Roku Ultra. This levels the playing field with the Apple TV 4K and the Google TV Streamer, and it’s a long-awaited and welcome addition.

Roku adds two buttons to the Voice Remote Pro and adopts USB-C

(Image credit: Roku)

In the box, you get Roku’s second-edition Voice Remote Pro, which keeps an ergonomic design and buttons for easy TV control, including power and volume. All of the buttons are now backlit, and there are two new ones. The Quick Launch button is shaped like a rocket ship and gives you easy access to shortcuts, such as engaging closed captions or opening your favorite streaming service. The other addition is a Live TV button, which gives you access to all over 400 channels that are available for free.

Perhaps the biggest change is the Voice Remote Pro second-edition gaining a USB-C port for easy re-charging. It still has a speaker built in for easy locating it should get lost in between the couch cushions. The new Roku Ultra features a dedicated button to ping the remote, as on the Google TV streamer. Lastly, the remote again has a microphone, so that you can easily control your Roku Ultra with your voice.

Roku is taking orders now for the new Roku Ultra at $99 in the United States and Canada. It will be available from additional retailers in the coming weeks, and we’ve contacted Roku for comment on whether it will launch in additional territories. 

We’ll be back soon with our full review of the Roku Ultra, as soon as we’re done testing the streaming box to see how well it stands up against our current best streaming devices. 

Roku also teased some software enhancements and feature drops arriving in the coming weeks as part of Roku OS 14. Building off the voice control functionality enabled by the Voice Remote Pro, Roku will eventually let you access a laundry list of settings with your voice. Teased was the ability to adjust home screen tiles, check for software updates, and even switch to a guest mode. 

Additionally, Roku is focusing more on content for families and children, with a new spot on the home screen that should make finding family-friendly content easier, including adding familiar characters including the Cat in the Hat and Peppa Pig to the home screen tiles.

The Roku app for Android and iOS is also getting a bit more powerful. It lets you keep your TV controls while browsing for content on the same screen. You can also search for content here, then make the call and have it start playing on your Roku streaming player or Roku-connected TV. 

Roku isn't giving a specific timeframe for the rollout of these features, but says the software improvements will arrive in the coming months.

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The scale of VPN removal in Russia is worse than previously reported as VPN apps keep disappearing from the local Apple App Store.

This is the worrying finding coming from an exclusive report from the App Censorship Project that found 60 apps, including some of the best VPN services on the market, were silently removed by Apple between early July and September 18, 2024. Russia's censor body, Roskomnadzor, publicly acknowledged only 25 VPN apps.

While the Kremlin has been targeting VPN tools for longer than a few months, the recent wave of removals began on July 4 when at least four VPN apps reportedly disappeared from the local Apple App Store. At the beginning of September, 50 human rights organizations, media outlets, IT companies, journalistic groups, and public figures wrote an open letter calling on Apple to "immediately restore" VPN apps to its Russian App Store. At that time, though, experts still believed the toll of removed VPN apps was set at 29.

98 Russia VPN apps unavailable in the App Store

"Apple's silent removal of close to 60 VPN apps from the Russia App Store is not just alarming – it's a direct threat to digital freedom and privacy," said Benjamin Ismail, Director of the App Censorship Project. 

Researchers used data from the App Store Monitor (ASM) on AppleCensorship.com – a platform put together by the experts at GreatFire to monitor app availability in Apple's App Stores – to verify Roskomnadzor's claims and assess the current number of VPNs in Russia unavailable on the local Apple App Store. 

A total of 360 VPN applications were tested globally across 175 App Stores. As of September 16, 2024, 98 VPN apps were found to be unavailable from the Russia App Store. These include some of TechRadar's favorites such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Proton VPN.

Did you knwo?

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

A VPN (virtual private network) is security software that encrypts internet connections and spoofs users' IP addresses to grant them access to geo-restricted content. The latter skill is exactly why people in Russia are forced to use VPN apps to bypass online restrictions – exactly what the Kremlin wants to prevent.

These results shed new light on the scale of VPN censorship in Russia. For starters, the report uncovers a significant discrepancy between the number of applications removed that authorities acknowledged (25) and the actual figure (around 60) suggesting the scale of VPN removals is much larger. 

Researchers also tracked removal patterns to see how these were concentrated on specific dates, suggesting coordinated actions. All in all, the findings show that Apple "continues to remove VPN apps from the Russia App Store without public acknowledgment, affecting more than 20% of identified VPN apps," the report reads. 

According to Ismail, Apple actively shares the blame for helping the Kremlin censor the web. "By unilaterally restricting access to these essential tools without transparency or due process, Apple is complicit in enabling government censorship. We demand that Apple uphold its commitment to human rights and provide a clear explanation for these actions."

Russia and VPNs 

Both Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) classify Russia as one of the worst countries for internet freedom. This is due to high levels of internet censorship which have been intensifying since the invasion of Ukraine started. 

The likes of Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) cannot be accessed unless using a VPN service, alongside an ever-growing list of websites that include news sites and even official sites of some VPN providers. Since March, a new law in Russia criminalizes the spread of information about ways to circumvent internet restrictions. All this makes the silent VPN removals occurring on Russia's Apple App Store since July a more serious issue.

"VPNs are lifelines for journalists, activists, and everyday citizens striving to access information and communicate securely," said Evan Greer, Director of Fight for the Future. "Apple's actions not only undermine the privacy and security of millions but also set a dangerous precedent for how tech companies may collaborate with authoritarian regimes. 

As mentioned earlier, though, Russia's actions against VPN services aren't anything new, with VPN apps disappearing even before the war in Ukraine kicked off. Specifically, researchers found that 32 VPN apps were already unavailable before July 2024. Among these, 14 applications had been removed even before February 2022.

Apple has removed four VPN service apps from the Russian AppStore—Proton VPN, Red Shield VPN, NordVPN, and Le VPN.According to a notice published by Red Shield and Le VPN, the company refers to Roskomnadzor, Russian internet watchdog pic.twitter.com/BLuehvjn1hJuly 4, 2024

The data being released suggests we are seeing a swift escalation in Russia's VPN actions. Over a dozen apps were targeted between July 4 and July 7 alone, including ExpressVPN and CyberGhost. As of August 11, about 30 more applications have become unavailable on the local App Store.

According to researchers, the concentration of these removals over a certain period suggests providers are not the ones deliberately pulling out their service from the country. "If voluntary, it would be highly improbable for multiple VPN owners to decide independently to withdraw their apps from Russia on the same specific days," the report reads. 

What's being done?

Experts now call on both Roskomnadzor and Apple for greater transparency over app removal policies and actions.

"Apple can no longer claim this isn't their concern or that they're simply following local laws. As a highly visible and influential corporation, Apple should recognize the image it's creating through its cooperation with censors," Sarkis Darbinian, a cyber lawyer at Russian digital rights advocacy group Roskomsvoboda and RKS Global told me.

"The situation has escalated to the point where anti-war songs by Russian punk and rap artists are being pulled from Apple's Russian music platform.  As a result, it may lead not only to a complete technical, but also to a cultural fencing of Russians and, ultimately, to the triumph of propaganda," he added. "What further concessions will Apple make to Russian authorities?"

At this time, Russia's Google Play Store remains unaffected by this push for VPN censorship. This may indicate the Big Tech giant is potentially resisting Roskomnadzor's demands at the time of writing. 

Or, as Ismail from the App Censorship Project told me: "Perhaps the authorities know that sideloading is possible on Android phones, and for that reason might try to focus on blocking the VPN servers rather than blocking access to the VPN apps themselves."

It's the news all Virgin River season 6 fans have been waiting for as Netflix has unveiled who will be playing the roles of Mel Monroe's (Alexandra Breckenridge) parents – and they've been perfectly casted.

After it was revealed that Virgin River season 6 would arrive on the best streaming service in late 2024, one of the best Netflix shows is now welcoming two new residents to the sleepy town as Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day) and Callum Kerr (One Piece) will join the sixth series as a young version of Mel's parents, Sarah and Everett Reid.

As well as Mel and Jack Sheridan's (Martin Henderson) upcoming weddings, Sarah and Everett will appear in the series through flashbacks as they meet and fall in love in the 1970s. First look images released by Tudum show the lovers in 1972, with Sarah described as: "a witty, free spirit from the big city with an ardent passion for activism, who is trying to avoid the conventional and traditional life of a young woman in the ’70s." 

Sarah shares an instant spark with Everett, "a handsome and freewheeling singer-songwriter with a poet’s soul" who will one day pursue his dreams of being on stage and is currently sailing through life in a VW van. However, a chance encounter with a beautiful hitchhiker may show him there's more to life.

How do Sarah and Everett fit into Virgin River season 6?

Spoilers follow for the ending of Virgin River season 5. 

(Image credit: Netflix)

The present-day version of Everett (John Allen Nelson) was introduced in the Christmas special, but Sarah has not been seen on the show – until now.

In Virgin River season 5 part 1, Mel's sister Joey discovered a man's love letters to their mother who turned out to be Mel's biological father. In Virgin River season 5 part 2, Mel and her fiancé Jack went on a mission to find the mystery man which eventually led them to Virgin River resident Everett. Initially, he didn’t want anything to do with her, but he eventually came round and wished to have a relationship with his long-lost daughter in true holiday spirit.

The cliff-hanger ending saw Everett reveal that he had “something important” to tell her, which is set to be revealed in Virgin River season 6. Showrunner Patrick Sean-Smith teased to Deadline that we would find out more about Sarah and Everett's romance in the upcoming series. 

“What we’re exploring more in season 6 is who Everett Reid is, what his backstory is, what his connection to Virgin River was when he met her mom and then also what it is today.” He added that season 6 will also explore the "relationship of Everett with the town as well as Everett and Mel.”

Mel's parents are also set to be the focus of a rumored Virgin River prequel that's currently in early development. The prequel will expand the Virgin River universe as it tells the love story between Sarah and Everett. 

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WP Engine’s lawyers have issued a cease and desist letter to Automattic after the latter's CEO criticized the company for profiting from the WordPress project without giving back.

Speaking at the WordCamp US Summit, Matt Mullenweg described WP Engine as a “cancer to WordPress” for exploiting the open-source project.

WP Engine’s lawyers have now revealed Mullenweg’s comments came in response to the CEO’s failed attempt to coerce WP Engine into paying Automattic millions to license the WordPress trademark in the runup to his keynote.

WP Engine hits back at Automattic CEO’s “cancer” comments

“Today WP Engine sent what is called a “cease and desist” letter to Automattic demanding that Automattic and its CEO Matt Mullenweg stop making and retract false, harmful and disparaging statements against WP Engine," the company confirmed in a post on X.

It also responded to accusations that WP Engine has not contributed sufficiently to the open-source project, adding that it has contributed tens of millions of dollars through events, sponsorships and the development of educational resources.

The company claimed Mullenweg wanted to launch a “scorched earth nuclear approach” if WP Engine were to fail to hand over tens of millions. Its lawyers also uncover a call between Automattic CFO Mark Davies and a WP Engine board member, alleging that Davies warned Automattic would “go to war.”

The letter from WP Engine’s lawyers also shows extracts of threatening emails sent from Mullenweg days before the event, indicative of his “nuclear” approach.

WP Engine and its lawyers are now demanding that Mullenweg and Automattic “cease and desist from disparaging WP Engine and/or its investor by making false factual statements” as well as remove false statements from public channels.

Automattic is yet to issue an official response, but WP Engine’s letter warns of potential legal action if Mullenweg does not retract his statements. TechRadar Pro has contacted Automattic to comment on the matter, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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As I’m writing this, Meta Connect 2024 is just a day away, which means we’re also just a day away from (hopefully) finally seeing the Meta Quest 3S in action – Connect is where many expect the much-leaked headset will make its debut. But its arrival could also be the end of one of the two Meta Quest 3 models, because leaks suggest the 128GB Quest 3 could be discontinued after the 3S launch.

This comes from two sources, @CezaryXR – Editor-In-Chief at XRDailyNews – and @Lunayian – the source of most Quest 3S leaks, just ahead of Meta itself. CezaryXR claims that the Quest 3S will have two models: a 128GB variant at around $300 and a 256GB model at around $400; this matches the price in that supposed leaked Amazon ad, and aligns roughly with the Quest 2’s prices of $299 / £299 / AU$479 and $399 / £399 / AU$599 for its two models respectively.

What’s more, Meta will also reportedly stop production of the 128GB Quest 3 by mid-November – so when it sells out it won’t come back. Both current Quest 3 models (128GB and 512GB) will be discounted too.

Exclusive Leak before Meta Connect:Meta will stop production of the 128GB Quest 3 by mid-November, leaving only the 512GB variant.Both versions will be discounted until the 128GB stock runs out, after which only the 512GB model will be available.September 23, 2024

Lunayian shared the post adding they “heard similar whispers” – however neither source can confirm what prices the Meta Quest 3 headsets will fall to.

In either case, it’s worth remembering to take these leaks with a pinch of salt, however they do support my one big piece of advice for anyone keen to buy a VR headset right now: wait. While I think a Quest 3 price drop makes sense (more on that below) whether it happens or not the Quest 3S looks set to be a headset at least worth considering – something you can’t do until it’s official.

A double-edged price cut

One question I’ve had about the Quest 3S is how its value proposition will stack up against the regular Quest 3. Yes the rumors say it’ll be bulkier, and have slightly worse specs in areas like its display and RAM – but still boast an identical processor – though as long as these downgrades don’t affect its performance too massively, the main deciding factor will be price.

And here there’s a lot of room for error. Make the Quest 3S too pricey and the Quest 3 will remain a no-brainer upgrade killing the new model, make it too cheap and the regular Quest 3’s sales could tank – yes older models get replaced eventually, but VR headsets are not yet at the yearly refresh cycle of smartphones (and they shouldn’t be).

This is why I was starting to convince myself the Quest 3S would start at around $350, or even $400 rather than being as cheap as the Quest 2 like many hoped. The strategy outlined in the leak above however is an alternative way to walk this pricing tightrope.

(Image credit: Meta)

Eliminating the cheaper Quest 3 helps to create more of a distinction between the Quest 3S models and the top of the line Quest 3, meaning we can have our super-affordable Quest 3S without as much risk of it cannibalizing its predecessor.

Unfortunately, while the Meta Quest 3 will get a price drop according to the leaks, I suspect the 512GB model will land a little above the 128GB version’s current price of $499 / £479 / AU$799. If that’s the case, then when the 128GB model sells out the Quest 3 would get an effective price increase, which wouldn’t be ideal.

We’ll have to wait and see what’s announced at Meta Connect 2024 and beyond, but if the leaks hold true I’d recommend trying to snatch up a 128GB Meta Quest 3 while you can as that’s looking like my pick for the best of the four Quest 3/3S models, and it might not be around for much longer.

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Researchers have discovered a huge data leak originating from background check firm MC2 Data, which apparently left a 2.2TB database online without a password, freely accessible to anyone on the internet.

The team at Cybernews says the data is said to have included the private information of 106,316,633 US citizens, almost a third of the nation's population. As a background check company, MC2 Data held personally identifiable information on a range of people - including names, addresses, phone numbers, legal records, employment history, and more.

The researchers suggest the leak was likely caused by human error, as it contained the information not just of those who had background checks performed, but also of over two million users who had subscribed to M2C Data services.

Inadequate protections

The event is the second huge data leak from a background check company in the last two months, with an August 2024 report confirming National Public Data suffered a data breach which sparked class actions for putting many at risk of identity theft.

“Background-checking services have always been problematic, as cybercriminals would often be able to purchase their services to gather data on their victims," said Cybernews researcher Aras Nazarovas. “Such a leak is a goldmine for cybercriminals as it eases access and reduces risk for them, allowing them to misuse these detailed reports more effectively”

Particularly concerning is the threat to the subscribers whose information was exposed, since they are likely to be higher value targets such as employers or law enforcement. With such a huge number of people exposed, the breach underlines the importance of robust security and privacy practices - we've listed the best antivirus software to help keep your information secure.

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Valve appears to be testing a version of its Proton translation layer – which facilitates playing Windows games on Linux – built for Arm processors (as opposed to x86 CPUs).

Tom’s Hardware spotted that in Valve’s recent round of testing a large number of PC games with Proton, there seems to be an Arm64 version of the tool (called ‘proton-arm64ec-4’) which is also being tried out with a whole bunch of titles.

Tom’s notes that this includes the likes of Left 4 Dead 2 and Shadows of Mordor, to pick a couple of more high-profile examples.

For some, this hints at the possibility Valve could be considering releasing a version of SteamOS for Arm64, meaning a potential Steam Deck running with an Arm chip as its engine – like the silicon that powers Copilot+ PCs, the new Snapdragon X processors – as opposed to an x86 AMD (custom Zen 2) CPU, which powers the Deck currently.

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Mojahid Mottakin) Analysis: Eyeing the potentially explosive growth in Copilot+ PCs?

What would the point be of such an Arm-toting Steam Deck? Well, we could be looking at a more wallet-friendly Deck with better battery life, in theory. Although that said, x86 is making big strides in terms of improving battery life as it is (just look at Intel’s new Lunar Lake mobile chips). Also, as Tom’s points out, the entry-level Steam Deck is already pretty affordable as it is – particularly when it’s on sale.

Rather than this being part of the future plans for Valve’s gaming handheld, what’s probably more likely is that Valve is simply looking more broadly to make a version of Steam for Arm-based Windows 11 laptops like the aforementioned Copilot+ PCs.

After all, we’ve been hearing quite a lot about how the sales spike in these Copilot+ PCs will be huge in 2025, if analysts are to be believed (add seasoning, naturally). So, perhaps Valve is eyeing that potential casual gaming market.

Of course, Arm-based Snapdragon X-powered Copilot+ laptops already do emulation of x86 PC games, using Microsoft’s Prism technology – but while this works well enough for a good number of titles, there have been a surprisingly large amount of games left out in the cold. Gamers feel that Microsoft hasn’t fully delivered on its big gaming promises with Snapdragon chips.

At any rate, what’s happened here only represents an early hint that Valve is working on developing Proton for Arm chips, and nothing may come of it. In short, we need to watch this space, but there’s bound to be plenty of speculation about where Valve’s going with this – if anywhere.

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Only a quarter (26%) of UK knowledge workers have a healthy relationship with their work, new research has claimed.

Despite a slight improvement compared with last year, the figures are indicative of poor performance and productivity across various sectors as a result of decreased motivation and satisfaction, the latest HP’s Work Relationship Index has reported.

However, all of this could be about to change if businesses act on the needs of workers – more widespread AI adoption and personalized work environments.

AI might help knowledge workers in more ways than one

HP found AI adoption among UK workers had more than doubled from 27% in 2023 to 66% in 2024, with workers noticeably happier over the same period.

Around three in four (73%) globally agree AI makes their jobs easier, with three in five noting the positive work-life balance effects.

Nevertheless, workers continue to worry about artificial intelligence’s impact on the jobs market, with 39% of UK workers concerned that AI could replace human jobs – more than last year.

Besides the assistance of emerging technologies, workers are also calling for more personalized and flexible work environments. As many as 85% would consider taking a lower salary if it meant they could have a more custom environment, highlighting a critical area for business investment. Knowledge workers prefer to have more control over how, where and when they work.

Neil Sawyer, Managing Director of HP UK and Ireland, summarized: “As workers' expectations continue to shift, many businesses have yet to fully adapt their workspaces, culture, tools, and leadership styles to meet these evolving needs.”

Thankfully, companies are starting to recognize the need for change – three-quarters (76%) of leaders agreed that urgent action is required to improve employees’ relationships with work.

Sawyer added: “Business leaders must recognise that these choices impact not only employees’ relationship with work but also their overall wellbeing and long-term engagement.”

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The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 has got a first-look trailer and I'm very excited for one of the best Netflix shows to return. If you're reading this, you are likely well aware of what happened last season and how that's about to set up some serious drama for the episodes to follow.

The best streaming service has given us a glimpse of Mickey Haller's (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) unquenchable thirst for justice after Glory Days’ death – not only is he mourning the loss of a client, but he needs to figure out exactly what happened to her and why. The series is still going strong and has, thankfully, not been added to Netflix's recent canceled shows list.

Take a look at the gripping new trailer below.

What do we know about The Lincoln Lawyer season 3 so far?

There's quite a lot going on in season 3, if recent teasers are anything to go by. According to Tudum, Mickey's ex-wife Maggie will be appearing, despite her decision to move to San Diego in the previous series.

Series showrunner Ted Humphrey told the site: “We decided that a fun (and poignant) way to come into the season would be via a flashback sequence that gave us some insight into how Mickey Haller became Mickey Haller – not just the brilliant criminal defense lawyer, but the husband, the father, and the man that he would come to be."

While a lot of Mickey's focus will be on what happened to Glory, it seems viewers will get a deeper look into his personal life too, especially what happened in his past marriage. The trailer also teases some faces from the past, including an "ex-cop who hates Mickey", and a scene that sees the lawyer getting punched in the face – so pretty dramatic stuff all around.

A full plot has not been released, but we still have plenty to look forward to!

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Gaming accessory brand PDP has revealed two new Call of Duty controllers, with options for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC players.

The biggest new arrival is the Call of Duty - Field Op edition of the Victrix Pro BFG. Compatible with PS5, PS4, and PC, the Victrix Pro BFG easily ranks among one of the best controllers for Call of Duty and even overall best PS5 controllers right now thanks to its brilliant modular design.

This allows you to fully customize the layout of the controller to your liking, whether that means an asymmetrical or symmetrical layout. The Victrix Pro BFG also comes bundled with alternate thumbsticks, including a tall one for more precise sniping, plus a fight pad module if you want to enjoy any of the best fighting games.

The Field Op special edition boasts a Call of Duty inspired grey camo pattern. The controller is available to pre-order now for $199.99 / £179.99 and is expected to launch on October 25, right alongside Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. The Victrix Pro BFG is also compatible with PDP's Hall Effect Module Pack, which costs $39.99 and replaces the thumbsticks with ones that use Hall effect technology.

The other controller revealed is part of the Rematch Glow line, which is known for its striking glow-in-the-dark patterns. The PDP Rematch Glow Advanced Wired Controller: Mister Peeks is designed for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC.

It is a wired controller with a colorful pattern inspired by the Call of Duty Zombies mascot. Despite costing just $37.99 / £34.99, the controller does offer some more premium features such as a trigger lock and remappable rear buttons. While it's not likely to win any tournaments, this could be a good low-cost option if you're searching for a spare gamepad to use with friends in split-screen multiplayer. 

The PDP Rematch Glow Advanced Wired Controller: Mister Peeks will also release on October 25 and is available to pre-order now.

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Just being mentioned on the dark web makes a company far more likely to suffer a cyberattack, new research has claimed.

A report from Searchlight Cyber and the Marsh McLennan Cyber Risk Intelligence Center looked to see if the presence of data relating to an organization on the dark web increases risk of cyberattacks.

The ‘dark web’ is the part of the internet that cannot be accessed via a browser in a usual manner, and is generally used by cybercriminals to share resources, sell goods and services, and communicate.

Combined sources for more risk

Analyzing Searchlight’s dark web dataset against a sample of 9,000+ organizations with an overall breach rate of 3.7% between 2020 and 2023, the report found a significant correlation - if a dark web mention contains compromised users, there is 2.56 times higher chance of that company being struck by a cyberattack.

The mention of an organization or data related to an organization on a dark web market increases the likelihood of a cyberattack 2.41 times. Also, the mention of an organization or data related to an organization on plain-text repositories increases the chance 1.88 times.

To make matters worse, combining multiple sources provides an even stronger indication of increased risks.

“If security teams can identify their exposure on the dark web they have a huge opportunity to proactively act, adjust their defenses, and effectively stop attacks before they are launched by cybercriminals,” commented Ben Jones, Co-Founder and CEO of Searchlight Cyber.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared that humanity is on the brink of a superintelligence revolution, and that "In the next couple of decades, we will be able to do things that would have seemed like magic to our grandparents." 

In a blog post titled The Intelligence Age, the AI pioneer, whose company created ChatGPT, is bullish on the power of artificial intelligence to help us accomplish things that were unimaginable just a few decades ago.

He wrote that "we’ll soon be able to work with AI that helps us accomplish much more than we ever could without AI; eventually we can each have a personal AI team, full of virtual experts in different areas, working together to create almost anything we can imagine. Our children will have virtual tutors who can provide personalized instruction in any subject, in any language, and at whatever pace they need. We can imagine similar ideas for better healthcare, the ability to create any kind of software someone can imagine, and much more."

Altman's post reaffirms his optimism about an exciting future for artificial intelligence, in particular his comments on the future of superintelligence, and when we might have access to it. "It is possible that we will have superintelligence in a few thousand days (!); it may take longer, but I’m confident we’ll get there," he wrote.

What exactly is superintelligence?

(Image credit: Shutterstock/SomYuZu)

Superintelligence, more commonly referred to as artificial general intelligence (AGI), would see AI surpass the brightest human minds, potentially enhancing humanity and becoming a tool to take development to the next level. As yet, AGI doesn’t supersede human intelligence, but it seems to be a matter of when, rather than if.

Altman’s vision that AI will help humanity achieve whatever we can imagine is not the  only attention-grabbing take from this blog post. He’s hesitant about some elements of AI, highlighting that "It will not be an entirely positive story, but the upside is so tremendous that we owe it to ourselves, and the future, to figure out how to navigate the risks in front of us."

He acknowledges that there are likely to be job losses along the way, writing that "we expect that this technology can cause a significant change in labor markets (good and bad) in the coming years, but most jobs will change more slowly than most people think, and I have no fear that we’ll run out of things to do (even if they don’t look like 'real jobs' to us today)."

Altman’s vision of the future will be seen as exciting to some and terrifying to others, but one thing is clear: AI and superintelligence are set to transform the way we live forever, and we may be too far down the road to change that, even if we wanted to.

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When Apple announced macOS Sequoia at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, the iPhone Mirroring feature quickly emerged as one of its most interesting new additions. This handy tool plonks a mockup of your iPhone onto your macOS desktop, letting you interact with your phone right on your Mac. Yet one of iPhone Mirroring’s best features has been totally absent, despite macOS Sequoia just launching – until now.

That’s because Apple has added the ability to drag and drop files between your Mac and your iPhone in the latest macOS Sequoia 15.1 and iOS 18.1 betas. That makes iPhone Mirroring far more capable and helps it live up to the potential it showed at WWDC.

Instead of having to rely on a cloud-hosting service like Google Drive or Dropbox, you can now move a file from your Mac onto your iPhone, or vice versa, saving you time and effort in the process. This feature also works when your iPhone is locked and charging, meaning it could be on the other side of the room and still enable you to move files between your devices.

In some ways, it’s also a superior alternative to using Apple’s AirDrop feature. While AirDrop opens the file that you share to your Apple device once it has transferred, iPhone Mirroring’s drag and drop functionality lets you move a file directly into a third-party app. Apple’s software chief Craig Federighi demonstrated this at WWDC by dropping a video file straight into a template in the Unfold app, showing the kind of things that are achievable with this new feature.

(Image credit: Apple)

To start using iPhone Mirroring’s drag and drop ability, you’ll need to download iOS 18.1 beta 5 on your iPhone and macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta 5 on your Mac, which can be done by creating a free Apple account on Apple’s website and then opting in to the relevant betas on your devices. Note that iPhone Mirroring is only available in the developer beta for now, but it should launch in the public beta soon.

Once you’ve downloaded the betas, open the iPhone Mirroring app from your Mac’s Dock and follow the on-screen instructions to set it up. Then you will be able to start shifting files between your devices with consummate ease. You can open an app like Photos in iPhone Mirroring on your Mac and drop a file there, or move something from your iPhone’s Files app onto your Mac’s desktop. There’s a lot of flexibility in how you use iPhone Mirroring.

It’s good to see this long-awaited feature arrive in macOS, but there are still plenty of other things that Apple announced at WWDC that have yet to make an appearance, notably many Apple Intelligence features and updates to Siri. While many of those aren’t expected to launch until next year, here’s hoping that – as with iPhone Mirroring – the wait is worth it.

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We’re expecting Samsung to announce the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE soon, but you don’t need to wait for that elusive date to learn about the upcoming phone, because a seemingly official unboxing video has leaked, showing off the handset and revealing many of its key specs.

The video was shared by @evleaks on X, and, as his account is private, you won’t be able to watch it if you don’t follow him. We have, however, included an image from the video below.

As you can see, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE shown here looks a lot like it does in previous leaks, with a triple-lens camera running down the back. It also has a flat screen with a punch-hole camera at the top.

(Image credit: @OnLeaks)

The unboxing element of the video shows that, as well as the phone itself, you get a USB-C charging cable, a SIM card removal tool, and a quick start guide – standard stuff, but the video also lists various specs and other details of the phone.

These include the colors, with the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE said to be coming in blue, graphite, gray, mint, and yellow shades.

The phone is also listed as having a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide one, and an 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, along with a 10MP selfie camera.

Those are the same specs as the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE’s camera, but the video states that this is the most powerful camera system ever on a Galaxy FE. That’s seemingly because of the ProVisual Engine, which is a suite of AI-powered tools found across the Samsung Galaxy S24 line, and which the video claims allows for “stunning low-light portraits.”

Other listed specs include an Exynos 2400e chipset, which is believed to be a slightly less powerful version of the Exynos 2400 used in some versions of the Samsung Galaxy S24.

A bigger screen and battery

The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

A 17-centimeter screen is also listed, which translates to 6.69 inches. Samsung would likely market that as 6.7 inches, and that’s quite a jump on the 6.4-inch panel of the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. The screen is also unsurprisingly listed as having a Full HD+ resolution, along with a peak brightness of 1,900 nits (up from 1,450 nits on the current model).

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE’s battery is apparently 4,700mAh (up from 4,500mAh on the S23 FE), allowing for up to 28 hours of video viewing, and the phone is said to have an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front and back, and an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. It’s also listed as supporting Galaxy AI.

Of course, we’d still take this video with a pinch of salt, but given how official it looks, and that it comes from a leaker with a superb track record, we’d be very surprised if this wasn’t the real deal.

We’ll probably find out very soon, as leaks suggest the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is being announced on September 26.

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A brand new Xbox wireless controller will seemingly be revealed today.

That's according to Dealabs' reliable data miner 'billbil-kun' - known for previously leaking many industry announcements like upcoming PlayStation Plus line-ups. They reported that Microsoft will be releasing a new wireless controller in October.

Called the Xbox Wireless Controller - Ghost Cipher Special Edition, this piece of hardware is set to be released on October 8, 2024, for $69.99 / £64.99 (around AU$136.99).

Preorders for the controller are also expected to go live today, September 24, after Microsoft formally makes the announcement.

The Ghost Cipher controller is expected to be another transparent design like the Xbox Wireless Controller – Sky Cipher Special Edition, which launched last month.

The blue Sky Cipher is "Inspired by revealing the mysteries inside of the Xbox Wireless Controller", featuring metallic silver interior parts, "that shine through from inside, exuding an aura of sophistication and futuristic appeal," according to Microsoft's description.

The leaker reports that the information is based on the fact that they discovered that a new controller was being made that shares the same characteristics as the Sky Cipher, but it's unclear what color the controller will be at this time.

This summer, Microsoft unveiled new Xbox models including a 2TB Xbox Series X in a new Galaxy Black Special Edition, an all-digital 1TB Xbox Series X in Robot White, and an all-digital 1TB Xbox Series S in Robot White.

All three consoles will be officially released on October 15, but they're expected to launch in select countries on October 29. Here's where to buy and pre-order the new Xbox Series X and S consoles.

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A new Sonic Central presentation is scheduled to go live later today (September 24), bringing what should hopefully be a slew of new Sonic-related announcements across games, movies, shows and merchandise.

The latest Sonic Central presentation was announced by the official Sonic the Hedgehog X / Twitter account. The announcement graphic reads: "Tune in for a sneak peek of some of our upcoming projects, partnerships, and events happening through 2025."

If you want to watch the Sonic Central 2024 presentation live, there are two ways you can do so. The first is over at the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube channel, and the second being over at the franchise's official Twitch page.

Sonic Central is airing today at 9am PST / 12pm EST / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST, so if you're keen on catching all the new announcements as they happen, be sure to have either the YouTube or Twitch page open at the times listed above to be among the first to learn about all the latest Sonic news.

Think fast! Sonic Central premieres TOMORROW at 9am PST. pic.twitter.com/zJkyW7ZzxiSeptember 23, 2024

To help keep your expectations in check, Sonic Central presentations are never anything too out there. We may get some updates on existing projects like Sonic X Shadow Generations as well as the third Sonic movie.

Previous Sonic Central showcases announced projects like Netflix's Sonic Prime as well as merch lines from Lego and other toy brands. Expect a decent portion of today's Sonic Central to be focused on merch such as this.

As for what's happening for the franchise in 2025, we may get a bunch of new dates and venues for the live Sonic Symphony World Tour. There may even be an outside chance at the reveal of some new games, whether that be the next mainline entry after Sonic Frontiers, a spin-off or a remaster of another classic Sonic title. 

The latter two seem much more likely than the former at this present date - especially as there's interest in the fanbase for remasters of Sonic Heroes and Sonic Unleashed. Personally, I'd love to see a new Sumo Digital-led Sonic racing game - ideally one of the Sonic Riders variety.

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The Google TV Streamer is on its way to early adopters, and Google has started to roll out a big Google TV update for it and for other Google TV devices, including many of the best TVs. And it's a big one, with a host of new features and smart home controls. And of course, there's AI in there too.

The most obvious new feature is the new Home panel, which enables you to check the status of, and to control, compatible smart home devices such as thermostats, lights and cameras. You can see who's at the front door courtesy of your video doorbell, and you can use your voice and Google Assistant to control those devices without having to mess around with the remote. 

What else is new in the Google TV update

The Ambient screensaver has been given an upgrade, enabling you to use prompts to create your own screensaver designs. You can also get Google Assistant to create a screensaver based on your Google Photos.

There's a new Sports page in the For You tab, making it easier to find live and upcoming games, catch YouTube highlights and get personalized recommendations. And there's an updated channel guide for Google TV Freeplay to make it easier to find things among the 150 channels of Freeplay.

You can see the new features in action on the official Google blog, which also notes that the range of Google TV devices is expanding: it highlights new art TVs from Hisense and TCL as well as smart projectors from Vankyo, Epson and XGIMI. Google TV is also expanding its geographical reach, with new countries supported including Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. 

The rollout began yesterday, September 23, and will be coming to all Google TV devices imminently.

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Multiple users of the Xiaomi Watch 2 and Watch 2 Pro are reporting the gradual rollout of Google's Wear OS 4 operating system to their devices, bringing a couple of nifty tweaks and new features. 

Xiaomi followed Samsung in integrating Wear OS into its smartwatch devices in late 2023 with the advent of the Watch 2 Pro, followed by the cheaper Watch 2 unveiled in February 2024. But while the introduction of Wear OS was a big shift for Xiaomi's smartwatch models, the company is strangely quiet on this latest update. 

As spotted by Gadgets and Wearables, users of both the Watch 2 and Watch 2 Pro are reporting the rollout of Wear OS 4 on Reddit. From the early reports, it seems that this is a fairly gradual rollout of the update limited to a few select regions including the UK, Poland, and Spain.  

Users who have successfully installed the update also seem to be doing it manually, rather than when prompted by Xiaomi. If you own a Xiaomi Watch 2 or Watch 2 Pro, you can check to see if you've got the update yourself by heading to the Update Firmware screen. 

Wear OS 4 comes to Xiaomi

(Image credit: Xiaomi)

Given the introduction of Wear OS is a fairly significant update to the Watch 2 and Watch 2 Pro, it seems a little strange that Xiaomi hasn't announced the rollout of Wear OS 4 ahead of time. It could be that the company is planning to let users know but the software has rolled out early. It's also possible that the release of Wear OS 5 this year has overshadowed the launch a bit, and Xiaomi doesn't want to advertise that it's a bit behind the curve. 

As to what's new in Wear OS 4 on Xiaomi, early adopters are reporting new fonts and icons, as well as support for some newer watch faces. Other users have reported a lot of bug fixes and overall stability improvements too, including one specific fix for a Do Not Disturb synchronization issue.

While Xiaomi's Watch offerings might not be considered the best smartwatches on the market, they're bost incredibly cheap compared to alternatives from Apple and Samsung. As noted, Wear OS support remains a significant shift and opens up the appeal of Xiaomi's models to a much broader range of Android users. Crucially, unlike Huawei, these smartwatch devices are available to buy in the US. 

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