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The final trailer for Venom: The Last Dance has been released online – and the online conversation is being dominated by one particular part: its villain.

With Venom 3 set to chomp its way into theaters on October 25, Sony Pictures, in association with Marvel Entertainment, have left it later than usual to release the Spider-Man film franchise's final teaser. That, though, appears to have been intentional, especially in light of the fact that the identity of the movie's primary antagonist has been withheld until now. Way to increase the hype for Tom Hardy's final outing as Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote buddy, Sony.

But I'm getting off-track. The near-three-minute trailer provides more details about the film's plot, plus its full of new footage to pore over. And, yes, there's more footage of the infamous Venom-Horse first seen in The Last Dance's first trailer, as well as glimpses of other fauna that the extraterrestrial can bond to, including Venom-Fish.

As I said up top, however, it's Venom 3's villain who's been a hot topic of discussion since the latest trailer debuted yesterday (September 12). So, who is he? That'll be Knull, a relative newcomer to the Spider-Man comic book universe who's not only an incredibly powerful being, but also someone that Brock and Venom might not be able to defeat.

Who is Knull? And is Norman Reedus really playing him?

Knull is the creator of the alien symbiotes, which includes Venom and Carnage (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

While he was technically introduced in March 2013's Thor: God of Thunder #6, Knull didn't make his full comic book debut until August 2018, with the incredibly dangerous villain's true form being unveiled in Venom Vol. 4 #3.

Alright, so who or what is he? Essentially, he's the Marvel universe's god of darkness. Oh, and he's also the creator of the symbiotes, the race of parasitic extraterrestial lifeforms, which includes Venom, whose initial purpose was to strike out across the universe, infect powerful beings, and form the Symbiote Hive-Mind, which Knull would control.

Long story short, Knull's army of symbiotes eventually rebelled and locked him away in a far corner of the cosmos known as Klyntar. Since then, the symbiotes have traveled the universe to not only atone for their destruction that their master wrought, but also seek out and bond to heroic individuals to aid them in their fight against the darkness.

A rumor linking Norman Reedus with the role of Knull has caught fire online (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)

Interestingly, this isn't the first time that Knull has played a part in a Marvel superhero film. Indeed, his main weapon – All-Black the Necrosword – was the blade used by Christian Bale's tragic villain Gorr the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder. Knull also has a long-running feud with the Celestials – you know, those giant, cosmic beings we've seen in Guardians of the Galaxy and Eternals – in the comics so, technically, he also has very tentative ties to these other Marvel-developed films, too.

Understandably, given Sony holds the cinematic rights to every Spider-Man character, Marvel Studios couldn't use Knull in that Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film. Still, whilst Knull will make his big-screen debut in Venom: The Last Dance, it won't be the first instance where the supervillain has been referenced in theaters.

Of equal intrigue is who's reportedly playing Knull in Venom 3. Now, a Sony press release, which accompanied the new trailer's arrival, didn't disclose which actor would play Knull. However, two apparent industry insiders – Soulless Cinema and Rejected Scooper – took to X/Twitter post-trailer release to claim that The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus will portray the malicious entity. For some bizarre reason, fans have taken this as gospel, but these are unsubstantiated reports, so take this casting rumor with a massive pinch of salt for now.

I've reached out to Sony for comment and I'll update this article when I hear back.

Why have Knull's original creators reacted negatively to his Venom 3 appearance?

Yes, I did co-create knull. No, I didn’t know until today that he was gonna be in Venom: The Last Dance. Yes, I do expect to finally be able to afford that lazy river moat around my houseSeptember 12, 2024

Basically, they weren't given prior warning that Knull was being used as the third Venom film's central antagonist.

Taking to X/Twitter (see above) after the newest trailer dropped, co-creator Ryan Stegman revealed that he'd only found out about Knull's inclusion alongside the rest of us. Based on the final sentence of his tweet, Stegman is clearly – and rightly – angling for some form of payment and/or future royalties for the character's use in a live-action format.

lol pic.twitter.com/VLKtdhmG9NSeptember 12, 2024

Donny Cates, who created Knull with Stegman, also voiced his opinion on the same social media platform. Where Stegman wrote down his thoughts, however, Cates simply tweeted "lol" with a Venom logo-inspired image that replaced the word 'Venom' with 'Money'. Clearly, Cates isn't impressed about being compensated for Knull's appearance, either.

As with reports about Reedus supposedly playing Knull, I've asked Sony for a response to Stegman' and Cates' tweets, and I'll report back with any news.

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Most Samsung Galaxy S25 leaks so far have focused on the top-end model, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but now we've had our first look at what may be the design of the standard Samsung Galaxy S25.

This comes in the form of renders shared by reputable leaker @OnLeaks, in collaboration with Android Headlines, one of which you can see below – and at first glance you might think you’re looking at the Samsung Galaxy S24, as these renders show a very similar design to that phone.

As with the Galaxy S24, these Galaxy S25 renders show a triple-lens camera array arranged vertically at the upper-left of the phone's rear, with an identically positioned flash, while on the front there’s once again a punch-hole camera aperture in the top-center of a flat screen.

(Image credit: @OnLeaks / Android Headlines)

There are some small changes though. For one thing, the housing around the camera lenses is larger and black here, while on the Samsung Galaxy S24 it’s smaller and more of a silver color. Also, the bezels are apparently smaller on the Galaxy S25.

They don’t really look any smaller in these renders, despite the source saying they are, but leaker @UniverseIce agrees that they’re smaller and has shared an edited version of one of the renders, showing how they might actually look, which you can see below.

The actual bezel of Galaxy S25 is as shown in the Right picture, and the Left picture is wrong. pic.twitter.com/LFb8vMOlCfSeptember 13, 2024

Slightly smaller but ultimately similar

In any case, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is also said to have a 6.17-inch screen which Samsung will likely market as being 6.2 inches, as on the Samsung Galaxy S24. But – probably in part because of the reduced bezel size – the handset overall is said to be slightly smaller than the S24.

This leak points to dimensions of around 146.9 x 70.4 x 7.2mm, while the Samsung Galaxy S24 is 147 x 70.6 x 7.6mm.

So if this all proves accurate then the Samsung Galaxy S25 will probably look marginally different to the S24, but will be almost identical overall. That’s a bit disappointing, especially as, while many observers felt that Apple’s iPhone 16 announcement was underwhelming, the company at least added some new buttons to its phones. Still, maybe what’s on the inside of the Galaxy S25 will be more interesting.

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In a bid to meet the spiraling energy demands of advanced AI models, Oracle is set to build a data center powered by three small modular nuclear reactors.

Larry Ellison, Oracle's co-founder and chairman, revealed this ambitious plan during a recent earnings call transcribed by The Motley Fool.

The proposed nuclear-powered data center aims to produce over one gigawatt of energy, sufficient to meet the substantial processing needs of Oracle's upcoming projects, including efforts to create a supercomputer more powerful than xAI’s new supercluster, Colossus.

Building permits for three nuclear reactors

“Today, Oracle has 162 cloud data centers, live and under construction throughout the world. The largest of these data centers is 800 megawatts, and it will contain acres of Nvidia GPU clusters able to train the world's largest AI models," Ellison noted.

"That's what's required to stay competitive in the race to build one, just one, of the most powerful artificial neural networks in the world. Soon Oracle will begin construction of data centers that are more than a gigawatt. Building giant data centers with ultra-high bandwidth RDMA networks and huge 32,000-node Nvidia GPU clusters is something that Oracle has proven to be very good at. It's the reason we're doing so well in the AI training business,” said Ellison.

Ellison went on to explain the rising costs of AI development, saying, “This race goes on forever, to build a better and better neural network. And the cost of that training gets to be astronomical. When I talk about building gigawatt or multi-gigawatt data centers… the entry price for a real frontier model from someone who wants to compete in that area is around $100 billion. Let me repeat, around $100 billion.”

Ellison highlighted the complexity and scale of the projects Oracle has under development, saying, “We're in the middle of designing a data center that's north of a gigawatt. We found the location and the power source. We've looked at it, they've already got building permits for three nuclear reactors. These are the small modular nuclear reactors to power the data center. This is how crazy it's getting.” Oracle's chairman remained tight-lipped about the exact location and timeline for the project.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) have recently been gaining traction as a viable power source for large-scale data centers. Notebookcheck notes that currently, there are only a few operational SMRs around the world, notably in Japan, China, and Russia. NuScale Power, an Oregon-based company, secured certification for the first SMR in the US last year, and it's likely that Oracle will utilize this cutting-edge technology.

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Alogic, known for peripheral devices and displays, showed off a range of smart tech productivity devices at IFA 2024, including three premium displays.

Particularly eye-catching among these is the Clarity 5K Touch 27” UHD Monitor, a device that is positioned to take on Apple’s Studio Display in home and workplace settings.

As the name suggests, the Clarity 27 5K Touch Display has a 27-inch screen with an ultra-crisp 5120 x 2880 resolution, putting it on par with Apple’s Studio Display in terms of pixel density and image sharpness. But interestingly, it also boasts 10-point multi-touch functionality, making it one of the few high-resolution 5K monitors on the market to offer a touchscreen.

Clarity 27 versus Apple Studio Display

In addition to its high resolution and touchscreen capabilities, the Clarity 27 5K Touch Display offers 99% coverage of the sRGB color space, 350 nits brightness, and supports up to 1.07 billion colors.

The touchscreen feature allows users to interact directly with the display, enhancing workflows in tasks such as drawing, annotating, and editing.

Unlike the Apple Studio Display, which has been criticized for limited adjustability without the purchase of a costly optional stand, the Clarity 27 comes with a flexible built-in stand allowing for a wide range of adjustments, including tilt, height, pivot, and swivel options.

One of the most common complaints about the Apple Studio Display is its limited port selection. The Clarity 27 5K Touch Display, by contrast, offers an array of connectivity options, including USB-C, HDMI, and DisplayPort inputs, along with additional USB ports for peripherals.

While the Clarity 27 5K Touch Display comes packed with a range of additional features, it is priced competitively against the Apple Studio Display. This device is available for $1999.99 in the US, £1499.99 in the UK, €1799.99 in the EU, and AU$2299.99 in Australia. In comparison, the Apple Studio Display starts at $1599 for the standard tilt-adjustable model and goes up to $1999 for the version with the tilt- and height-adjustable stand.

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Amazon proclaimed its shopping AI chatbot Rufus as a solution for people overwhelmed by the dizzying array of products on its website. But, since it’s Amazon, that’s now going to include some ads, as Adweek first noted. Rufus (named for a pet corgi owned by early Amazon employees) uses AI to research products and recommend purchases through conversations. 

“To help customers discover more products in Amazon’s generative AI-powered shopping assistant, referred to as Rufus, your ads may appear in Rufus-related placements,” the update to advertisers explains. “Rufus may generate accompanying text based on the context of the conversation.”

Rufus generates results based on Amazon’s vast product catalog, customer reviews, and community Q&As. In some ways, the advertising is just another category of information. The update brings it closer to how the standard Amazon shopping search works. Instead of ‘sponsored’ suggestions for products as links on the page, Rufus will directly highlight advertised products as it answers your questions.

Obviously, Amazon doesn’t want to spam Rufus users with unrelated ads, hence the reference to “context.” So, when you ask Rufus to compare different products or ask for gift ideas, you won’t get nonsensical suggestions. It’s just that anything an advertiser has paid to sponsor will likely join the comparison or be included early in the collection of gift ideas. 

Rufus is still technically an experiment, and Amazon has warned that its responses might be inaccurate. What that might mean for sponsored products is unclear, but presumably, Amazon doesn’t want hallucinations to mar the ads it serves for its clients.

AI Ad Men

Rufus isn't the first to start mixing ads with its AI. Microsoft began testing advertising through its Copilot AI chatbot a year ago. And AI conversational search engine Perplexity has begun including sponsored suggestions for its search results in a way that more closely resembles Google’s business model. 

But Amazon is the king of e-commerce, and other platforms will likely be watching closely. If Rufus ends up being a real boon for companies advertising on Amazon, you can bet imitators will rapidly roll out elsewhere if they haven't already. The ads may just be a revenue driver for Amazon, but Rufus might be fetching the next iteration of online advertising.

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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 #460) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BEETLE
• JUICE
• ENERGY
• LEVEL
• COW
• PEP
• FOCUS
• BEANS
• ZIP
• JACK
• LIFE
• TENET
• GIANT
• VOLT
• CIVIC
• REFER

NYT Connections today (game #460) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Dynamism
• Green: Reads both ways
• Blue: In a specific fairy tale
• Purple: What are you driving?

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 #460) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: VITALITY
• GREEN: PALINDROMES FEATURING “E”
• BLUE: FEATURED IN “JACK AND THE BEANSTALK”
• PURPLE: CAR MODELS

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

NYT Connections today (game #460) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #460, are…

• YELLOW: VITALITY ENERGY, JUICE, LIFE, ZIP
• GREEN: PALINDROMES FEATURING “E” LEVEL, PEP, REFER, TENET
• BLUE: FEATURED IN “JACK AND THE BEANSTALK” BEANS, COW, GIANT, JACK
• PURPLE: CAR MODELS BEETLE, CIVIC, FOCUS, VOLT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Is it just me or has Connections got a lot easier lately? I don't feel like I'm doing anything different, but after multiple failures over a two-to-three-week period I've now beaten eight in a row. And today's might be the simplest of them.

The only one I didn't solve was green – PALINDROMES FEATURING “E”. I'm surprised this was the green group, because it's harder than either blue or purple, and they are meant to be in difficulty order. I guess finding CAR MODELS (purple) might be tricky if you're not a driver, but they're all generally well known. And as for blue… is there anyone on the planet who wouldn't spot that the BEANS, COW, GIANT and JACK go together?

Not that I'm complaining – it's nice to actually feel like I'm good at this game!

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, 12 September, game #459)

• YELLOW: MARK ONLINE FOR LATER BOOKMARK, FAVORITE, LIKE, SAVE
• GREEN: BEHALF ADVANTAGE, BENEFIT, INTEREST, SAKE
• BLUE: NBA LEGENDS, FAMILIARLY BIRD, CURRY, KOBE, MAGIC
• PURPLE: ENDING WITH GREEK LETTERS BIOTA, FETA, MOCHI, PEPSI

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.

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 #963) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* 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 #963) - 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 1.

Quordle today (game #963) - 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 #963) - 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 #963) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• L

• O

• F

• P

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

Quordle today (game #963) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #963, are…

• LEANT
• ORGAN
• FILLY
• PLAIT

When my start words – STARE, DOILY, PUNCH – don't work well enough, I turn to my unofficial fourth word BEFOG. And more often than not, it does the trick. That was certainly the case today. Not only did it give me the F that enabled me to choose between FILLY and BILLY, but it also uncovered the G that I needed for ORGAN and placed the E that I needed for LEANT. Result!

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

Daily Sequence today (game #963) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #963, are…

• DONOR
• GREAT
• EJECT
• BALMY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER
• Quordle #960, Tuesday 10 September: PLUMB, SEIZE, EARLY, ASSET
• Quordle #959, Monday 9 September: CHIRP, BEADY, THETA, MINUS
• Quordle #958, Sunday 8 September: TEASE, AGATE, PRIDE, PLATE
• Quordle #957, Saturday 7 September: LASSO, TILDE, BUNCH, PRONG
• Quordle #956, Friday 6 September: FARCE, WOOLY, LOCAL, NIGHT
• Quordle #955, Thursday 5 September: SNIDE, EGRET, AMONG, SHINY
• Quordle #954, Wednesday 4 September: POINT, WITTY, GAFFE, ABUSE
• Quordle #953, Tuesday 3 September: ATOLL, ANGER, OCEAN, SWEEP
• Quordle #952, Monday 2 September: HABIT, LODGE, PLAIN, DRIFT
• Quordle #951, Sunday 1 September: RABBI, CRAWL, GUPPY, BRAND
• Quordle #950, Saturday 31 August: AWOKE, TIBIA, ITCHY, SNACK
• Quordle #949, Friday 30 August: ARISE, OLDER, ISSUE, ERUPT
• Quordle #948, Thursday 29 August: DECAY, DRUID, AVOID, KNEED
• Quordle #947, Wednesday 28 August: VIOLA, GONER, CAVIL, SHARE
• Quordle #946, Tuesday 27 August: ABYSS, DAILY, AGONY, MUSKY
• Quordle #945, Monday 26 August: NEVER, CHUNK, AUNTY, CROUP
• Quordle #944, Sunday 25 August: APTLY, LEVER, STORK, WIDOW
• Quordle #943, Saturday 24 August: EVENT, APNEA, SWATH, IRONY

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Boots and saddles

NYT Strands today (game #194) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• STORE
• SNORE
• COWS
• COWL
• TOOL
• TOOT

NYT Strands today (game #194) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Open range

NYT Strands today (game #194) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: right, 3rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #194) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #194, are…

• COWBOY
• SHERIFF
• DUEL
• BOUNTY
• HORSE
• SALOON
• OUTLAW
• SPANGRAM: WESTERNS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Here's yet another easy Strands puzzle to get your day off to a good start. And frankly, it's been a while since we've had a truly difficult one.

Today's theme is WESTERNS as per the spangram, a concept that was heavily teased by the theme clue of 'Boots and saddles' and confirmed the second I uncovered COWBOY. After that it was simply a question of hunting through those letters like a prospector sifting for gold… None were too hard to find, and I completed this one in about five minutes flat.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday 12 September, game #193)

• LANE
• STREET
• ROAD
• AVENUE
• HIGHWAY
• BOULEVARD
• SPANGRAM: THOROUGHFARE

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.

At Apple’s “It’s Glowtime.” special event, the technology giant unveiled a pretty important and powerful health feature coming to AirPods Pro 2. Of course, that’s the forthcoming “Hearing Aid” functionality coupled with hearing protection and a hearing test feature – all of which would be arriving in a software update at no additional cost.

Now, three days after Apple unveiled the feature and noted that it was pending FDA authorization, a greenlight was just issued. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (aka the FDA) authorized the AirPods Pro Hearing Aid feature as the “first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid software device.”

It’s a critical step for Apple, as they needed this approval to roll out the feature. Furthermore, it’s a big deal for the over-the-counter hearing aid industry, and Apple getting the first-ever authorization is a significant step. 

The acting director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health said, “Today’s marketing authorization of an over-the-counter hearing aid software on a widely used consumer audio product is another step that advances the availability, accessibility and acceptability of hearing support for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss.”

(Image credit: Future)

The FDA evaluated the feature “in a clinical study with 118 subjects with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, at multiple U.S. sites,” and the results “demonstrated that subjects who used the HAF self-fitting strategy achieved similar perceived benefit as subjects who received professional fitting of the same device.” This validation by the FDA led to the overall marketing authorization of the feature for Apple, which likely matches the tests and studies that the technology company conducted internally. 

AirPods Pro gaining the Hearing Aid feature is a big step, especially for folks with mild to moderate hearing loss. As an over-the-counter solution, and, actually, a software update that will hit existing AirPods Pro 2, it offers an alternative to purchasing other over-the-counter hearing aids, which can be more expensive.

Once available, to use the Hearing Aid feature on AirPods Pro 2, you’ll conduct the Hearing Aid test to establish a hearing profile, and then AirPods Pro 2 will make adjustments in real-time to boost sound. Apple notes that the AirPods Pro 2 will function as a “clinical-grade hearing aid,” and users will be able to make adjustments to tone, volume, and balance when they choose so.

Additionally, this authorization from the FDA allows Apple to roll out the hearing test feature on AirPods Pro 2, which TechRadar’s Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff had the chance to test. This feature, as well as hearing aid functionality and other hearing protections baked into AirPods Pro 2, move the earbuds past just being a device for listening and connecting with others. It builds upon noise level alerts for what you’re listening to on AirPods and environmental alerts for noise built into the Apple Watch.

With Apple gaining the FDA’s authorization for its AirPods Pro Hearing Aid feature, we’re likely one step closer to the feature being rolled out. As shared during the keynote and in a press release, Apple plans to release the Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features this fall in over 100 countries, including the United States, Germany, and Japan. 

These will come in the form of a software update for AirPods Pro 2 in conjunction with an iPhone or iPad that is running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18.

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Fast answers aren't always the best, which might be the key takeaway from the arrival of OpenAI Strawberry – now called o1-preview – a new ChatGPT reasoning model that takes longer to give you what might be vastly better answers.

OpenAI announced the preview release on Thursday in a blog post, saying that it will arrive in ChatGPT and the generative AI company's API. I can confirm that the o1-preview and a faster, cheaper model o1-mini are both live in our ChatGPT Plus account. The new models will not yet appear in the free ChatGPT accounts, though.

Strawberry has been eagerly anticipated because of its possible human-like-thinking capabilities. In the weeks before this announcement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has teased us with numerous cheeky fruit references, but has also made it clear in recent months that generative AI was set to make a significant leap forward.

In the blog post, OpenAI explained, "We trained these models to spend more time thinking through problems before they respond, much like a person would. Through training, they learn to refine their thinking process, try different strategies, and recognize their mistakes."

Ph.D intelligence

OpenAI claims this more powerful o1-preview has performed "similarly to PhD students on challenging benchmark tasks in physics, chemistry, and biology." And that's key here. o1-preview is a generative model that might have the greatest application in academia, not for helping you write an engaging prom-posal.

One example given in a video accompanying the blog is gene sequencing. In it, a scientist notes that while humans can't keep track of everything in gene sequencing, an AI can. The scientist refers to the new model as "chat with reasoning" and shows how when she types in a question, there's a moment where o1-preview says "Thinking." The value of it is that it keeps her from rabbit-holing into the wrong part of gene theory.

However, o1-preview is not a replacement for ChatGPT-4o, which is barely a month old. The new model isn't searching the web or capable of ingesting files and images. Though, that will likely show up at some point.

If biology and math are not your thing, the lighter and slightly more agile o1-mini might be for you, and is also live in ChatGPT Plus now. It's particularly adept at coding.

You can try out the new models in ChatGPT Plus ($20 a month) by logging in and then selecting the model drop-down menu. You'll see o1-preview, and o1-mini have been added to the list as of this story publishing.

It will be interesting to see what people do with the model formerly known as Strawberry and if people grow impatient while waiting for an o1-preview to deliver answers. Perhaps they'll feel better if they can see that the extra reasoning is resulting in more useful answers for some really big problems.

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If you have a lot of reading to do for school or work but would rather listen to a podcast, Google's new AI-powered Audio Overview tool has you covered. As first demonstrated at Google I/O this year, Audio Overviews lets you convert documents, slides, and other text into an audio show where AI hosts discuss the topic. Google is pitching the feature as a way for people who learn better by listening than reading to digest complex information. The feature personalizes learning for you if you would rather hear a topic discussed than read reports. 

Audio Overviews are part of the NotebookLM note-taking app introduced earlier this year. The feature relies on Google's Gemini AI models to summarize and organize documents, enhancing them with audio AI. The most interesting bit is that it's not just an AI voice reading the same text summary; you'll hear synthetic personalities talking about the documents to each other. The virtual hosts explain the subject and the connections between different topics in the documents. They try to make studying and research easier or at least something you can enjoy while driving. The back-and-forth discussion even includes jokes and banter like you've commissioned a hyper-specific podcast episode just for you. You can hear an example below based on this Google blog post on NotebookLM. 

(Image credit: Google) Your AI Podcast Pals

NotebookLM includes a generate button within the app to make an Audio Overview from a notebook. Once the overview is made, you can download the file and listen to it whenever you want. The audio is built using just your uploaded files; however, there is no additional research, so it's hardly a comprehensive study guide. Plus, as with all AI-generated content, you have to watch out for hallucinations and wrong information.

At I/O, Google promised that there would be more advanced versions of Audio Overviews to come. That includes the possibility of real-time interaction, not just a passive listening experience. It would turn the audio from a podcast to more of a call-in radio show with an audience of one and hosts who only want to talk about a very specific set of information. And while Google is centering Audio Overviews on academic or other research and studying, it's very easy to imagine the same tech being used for hyper-focused (and conversational) news reports or perhaps even a way of getting all the updates on your friends and family from their social media posts. 

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Adobe’s Acrobat Reader, the go-to PDF reader for many of us, is vulnerable to a flow that allows threat actors to remotely run malicious code on the target device.

The vulnerability is described as a “user after free” flaw, and is tracked as CVE-2024-41896. A “use after free” flaw happens when a program tries to access data in a memory location that was previously freed. If a malicious actor manages to deploy malicious code in that freed piece of memory real estate, it could be executed on the device and, consequently, compromised.

It was discovered by cybersecurity researcher Haifei Li, who created a sandbox platform called EXPMON, designed to detect advanced zero-day exploits. After multiple files were submitted to the platform, the flaw was discovered, and with it the fact that it is being actively exploited in the wild. The silver lining here is that the weaponized .PDF files were not deploying any malware, but were simply crashing targeted endpoints, which could also mean that the PoC is still in its infancy or experimental stage.

A fix is out there

However, now that the news is out, it is also safe to assume that different threat actors will start looking for unpatched Adobe Acrobat Reader variants to use. Therefore, it is pivotal that IT admins apply the fix as soon as possible.

While we don’t know who is using it, or against whom, we do know that it all begins with a weaponized .PDF document, so it’s safe to assume that the attack starts with a phishing email. PDF files are often used as invoices, purchase orders, and similar.

Adobe released a patch last month, which did not properly address the problem - but the bug was ultimately fixed earlier this week, and was given a new tracking number - CVE-2024-41869.

Via BleepingComputer

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A cybersecurity researcher recently stumbled upon an Internet vulnerability allowing him to track people’s email, run code on servers, and even counterfeit HTTPS certificates - in fact, it gave him so many options, it has been described as having “superpowers”.

The vulnerability is quite a simple one in nature - an expired domain, still being pinged by numerous servers. The domain in question is dotmobiregistry.net - which used to host the WHOIS server for .mobi.

A WHOIS server provides information about the registration details of domain names and IP addresses. It is part of the WHOIS protocol, used to query databases that store the ownership and registration information of domain names and network resources on the internet. On the other hand, .mobi was a top-level domain (TLD) specifically designed for websites intended to be accessed via mobile devices. It was launched in 2006, and designed to ensure that websites hosted under this domain are optimized for mobile viewing.

Moving the WHOIS server

At some point, and no one seems to know when or why, the WHOIS server was moved from whois.dotmobiregistry.net, to whois.nic.mobi. When the CEO and founder of security firm watchTowr, Benjamin Harris, discovered this, he purchased the domain and used it to set up an alternate .mobi WHOIS server.

Over the next couple of days, Harris’ doppelganger received millions of queries from hundreds of thousands of systems, including domain registrars, governments, universities, and others.

This allowed him, for example, to dictate who gets TLS certificates.

“Now that we have the ability to issue a TLS/SSL cert for a .mobi domain, we can, in theory, do all sorts of horrible things—ranging from intercepting traffic to impersonating the target server,” Harris said in a technical write-up. “It’s game over for all sorts of threat models at this point. While we are sure some may say we didn’t ‘prove’ we could obtain the certificate, we feel this would’ve been a step too far—so whatever.”

Via Ars Technica

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Google TV is continuing to go hard on free, ad-supported channels (otherwise known as FAST channels) in the US – and it's just added several more to its home screen to take it past a significant milestone.

As spotted by 9to5Google, Google TV has added an extra 14 channels to its lineup (below), taking its total to 150 channels. As you can see from the list, there isn't anything quite on the level of BBC Earth, but if you like Billiards or true crime, there could be some comforting time-sinks in there for you.

This ramping up of free channels comes as we head rapidly towards the launch of the Google TV Streamer box, which will go on sale on September 24 for $99 / £99 / AU$159. When that box launches, the free channels will apparently be listed under a new Google TV Freeplay heading.

The new channels follow the addition of 10 new ones at the end of August, which included CBC News, FilmRise Horror, and Rig TV, which is themed around "showcasing the toughest jobs on earth." Here's the full list of new channels being added to Google TV's home screen in the latest push:

• Billiard TV
• Buzzr
• The Rifleman
• Xumo Free Nature & Wildlife TV
• The Conners
• World’s Most Evil Killer
• Untold Stories of the ER
• Xumo Free Bollywood & Indian Cinema
• Ghost Hunters Channel
• Highway to Heaven
• Unspeakable
• Cook’s Country Channel
• Ebony TV by Lionsgate
• FilmRise: The Dick Van Dyke Show

Unfortunately, there's still no news on when Google TV's free channels will be coming to the Live tab outside of the US. Hopefully, we'll hear more about that when the Google TV Streamer lands in a couple of weeks.

If you do live in the US, you can find the channels by heading to the Live tab on the main Google TV interface on your smart TV or Chromecast with Google TV. For a full list of Google TV channels, head to Google's official list. 

The FAST race 

(Image credit: Google)

Google isn't the only tech giant embracing free, ad-supported TV – the best free streaming services now include The Roku Channel, Amazon Freevee, and Samsung TV Plus, which runs on Samsung TVs.

We've also recently seen Sony One, a collection of 54 FAST channels, land on Samsung TVs, LG TVs, and TiVo Plus. In the UK, a new free, live TV service called Freely launched in April to bring together the country's major live TV channels in one place.

But there's no doubt that Google TV is a significant player in the space, particularly with the Google TV Streamer launching soon. Naturally, Google has a new ad network called the Google TV Network, which is rolling out across its TV platform and onto the many devices that support it, including Sony, Hisense, and TCL TVs.

Fortunately, despite the imminent arrival of the Google TV Streamer, Google has said it will continue to update its Chromecast with Google TV dongles. A recent one rolled out a couple of days ago, and a bigger update with Android 14 and Matter support is due later this year. 

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SK Hynix, the world’s second-largest memory maker (behind fellow South Korean chip giant Samsung), recently turned down a 500 billion won ($374 million) advance payment from an unnamed AI accelerator company to secure a dedicated high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production line.

Instead, according to The Korea Economic Daily, SK Hynix has committed to supplying over 1 trillion won ($749 billion) worth of HBM products to Nvidia, the leader in AI chip development.

HBM, a critical component in AI accelerators and high-performance computing, has become a hot commodity as demand for AI chips continues to surge. Nvidia’s AI chips, which are crucial in data centers and AI applications, heavily rely on HBM, making memory suppliers like SK Hynix key players in the supply chain.

AI and data center growth

Samsung and SK Hynix, the two largest DRAM producers globally, are both expanding their HBM production capabilities. Samsung is currently building a new production line for DRAM and HBM at its Pyeongtaek facility, which will supply AI accelerator chips for companies like AMD. Meanwhile, SK Hynix recently teamed up with TSMC to advance HBM development.

SK Hynix's decision to reject the offer from Nvidia's competitor underscores its strong commitment to Nvidia, which continues to dominate the AI chip market. The global DRAM market, which includes HBM, is expected to double to $175 billion this year, driven largely by the growth of AI and data center technologies.

Both Samsung and SK Hynix are set to benefit from this boom, with increasing investments in DRAM production. Samsung’s capital expenditure for DRAM is expected to rise by 9.2 percent in 2024, reaching $9.5 billion, while SK Hynix is tripling its DRAM spending to $7.1 billion this year.

As AI continues to grow, memory chipmakers like SK Hynix and Samsung are ramping up HBM production to meet the increasing demand from tech giants like Nvidia. HBM prices, currently five to six times higher than standard DRAM products, are expected to further boost profitability for both companies as they continue to benefit from the skyrocketing AI market.

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Full spoilers follow for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's first two seasons, up to – and including – season 2 episode 5.

The Rings of Power actor Owain Arthur has opened up on the incredibly personal memory he used to inform season 2's gut-wrenching scenes between his character Prince Durin and Peter Mullen's King Durin.

Speaking ahead of The Rings of Power season 2's launch on August 29, Arthur discussed the deeply private and moving story – one that, in his own words, he's "never shared before" – that super-charged emotional scenes between Khazad-dûm's ruler and his heir-apparent.

Sequences involving the pair have always been melodramatic, especially since they fell out in The Rings of Power season 1 episode 7 over the mining of Khazad-dûm's vast reserves of mithril. However, with the dwarven king and prince reconciling early on in the hit Prime Video show's second season, it seemed they'd repaired their relationship.

Initially, it seems King Durin's ring will solve Khazad-dûm's problems (Image credit: Prime Video)

Not so. Numerous problems, including the destruction of their sun shafts, have impacted the dwarven kingdom of Khazad-dûm since the highly-rated Amazon series returned. Understandably desperate for a solution, the dwarves – a suspicious Prince Durin notwithstanding – accepted Lord Celebrimbor and the mysterious Annatar's offer of help to prevent their realm falling into ruin. Cue the forging of seven of the titular rings for King Durin and his fellow dwarf lords.

Unfortunately, these rings are not like the elven ones that were crafted in The Rings of Power season 1 finale. As the series' creators told me prior to season 2's release, they're "more seductive and sinister"; a by-product of Annatar – the latest of Sauron's disguises – being more heavily involved in their creation.

Ahead of The Lord of the Rings prequel series' return, Princess Disa actor Sophia Nomvete also suggested "there has to be a cost" with the dwarven rings' creation – and "a cost" there most certainly is. Even though the dwarf lords' hard-headedness saves from being fully corrupted by Sauron's ring-based influence, the dark magic housed within has a manipulative effect on them. Indeed, it makes them greedy for gold and jewels, which is why we see King Durin become unexpectedly covetous for riches as season 2 episode 5, titled 'Halls of Stone', progresses.

The Rings for Dwarves are complete. Watch The Rings of Power Episode 5 now on Prime Video. pic.twitter.com/Z1J9EWmhGHSeptember 12, 2024

Knowing full well that his father has never been one for hoarding treasure, Prince Durin senses something has changed – and, clearly, not for the better. What fans have glimpsed in this season's fifth episode, especially in the gut-punching scene where Durin III deflects his son's concerns over the rings by officially reinstating him as the kingdom's heir to the throne, is the beginning of another downturn their father-son relationship. And, as Arthur exclusively told me, what happened during that sequence, as well as other emotionally impactful scenes to come in season 2's final three episodes, hit a little too close to home for him on a personally difficult level.

"King Durin is such a strong anchor for Khazad-dûm and his son, and he's always offering advice" Arthur said. "And, when he begins wearing the ring, there's a change in him. It's almost like he's got Alzheimer's [disease]. I've not said this to anyone before, but I've dealt with people who suffer from Alzheimer's and I couldn't escape that feeling of losing your father, even though he's right there in front of you.

"The ring is taking him away from Prince Durin and, though he tries, he can't tell his father, and his own king, not to wear the ring again, but it kills him inside to see his father changing before his eyes. So, that's the challenge that faces him and the big shift we see between them in season two."

Clearly, Annatar/Sauron has got a lot to answer for by driving yet another wedge between Durin III and Durin IV, but he's not drawn the most ire from viewers in The Rings of Power's latest episode. Indeed, in the wake of episode 5, fans have reacted with fury over events surrounding arguably season 2's slimiest individual. I won't spoil what's to come in one of the best Prime Video shows' final three installments, either, but rest assured: you're all in a much bleaker and explosive ride as season 2's endgame approaches.

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More research has come to light confirming that VMware customers, unhappy with the Broadcom takeover, are looking to move elsewhere.

Analysis by cloud computing company Civo revealed that more than half (51.9%) of VMware customers are considering leaving the platform.

The news comes around 10 months after Broadcom acquired VMware in a deal worth $69 billion – a move that has left customers uncertain about changes to their licensing agreements and costs.

VMware customers still aren’t happy about the Broadcom takeover

Months of instability and drastic changes enacted by Broadcom have prompted customers to reevaluate their cloud strategies, with almost half (48.7%) actively exploring alternative providers.

Civo revealed growing interest in open-source alternatives to VMware. Customers are attracted to their simplicity and predictable pricing structures. In fact, the majority of those looking to move (44.9% of all respondents) are considering migrating to open-source alternatives.

However, these aren’t without their drawbacks – 28.6% are worried about security issues and 23.2% are apprehensive about the lack of support and service level agreements (SLA) that typically form part of a proprietary package.

Civo VP of Global Sales Henry Godwin commented: “We’ve heard from a lot of concerned VMware customers over the previous nine months. Ultimately, businesses want certainty. They cannot continue in a situation where prices are skyrocketing, without any parallel improvement in service.”

In the months that followed Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, major changes were announced including the simplification of its portfolio and the termination of perpetual licenses.

Looking ahead, Godwin said that prospective open-source platforms should focus on delivering cost, security, support and service reliability in order to catch customers leaving VMware.

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It’s been a big week for Apple. The technology giant unveiled the iPhone 16 family – 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max – two pairs of AirPods, a brand new Apple Watch, and a fresh paint job for the Ultra 2. We’ve been unpacking, analyzing, and even going hands-on with everything Apple dropped at its special event titled “It’s Glowtime.”

In between going hands-on with the latest devices, Lance Ulanoff and I also took some time to visit the ultra-cool and ultra-sleek podcast studio within Apple Park. Two special guests joined us for the latest special edition of the TechRadar Podcast. 

Tech content creator and TikTok superstar Katarina Mogus and KTLA tech reporter and nationally syndicated radio host Rich DeMuro joined us for a wide-ranging discussion on all of Apple’s new devices. 

(Image credit: Future)

Do the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro offer enough changes for you to upgrade? Are we excited about the eventual rollout of Apple Intelligence, and are AirPods Pro 2 about to make hearing aids even more accessible?

We tackle all of this, plus the new Apple Watch Series 10 – and that gorgeous new display – and whether anything was missing from the special event that we were hoping to see. And considering both Katarina and Rich are experts at creating content, we got their respective takes on the all-new Camera Control button – though, is it a button?

You can watch the full podcast in video form below or click the links here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Of course, while you’re there, why not subscribe to hear future episodes?

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FromSoftware has released a new update for Elden Ring which introduces a number of adjustments to Shadow of the Erdtree's final boss.

Promised Consort Radahn is generally considered to be the toughest foe in the expansion by players who have managed to come face-to-face with him, so some who have been having trouble with him will be glad to know that the final boss has now been considerably nerfed.

As detailed in the patch notes for version 1.14, FromSoftware has changed the action pattern of the boss when the battle first starts - which could mean he'll no longer dive headfirst towards you when you enter the arena - and some attack moves have also been adjusted, though it's not mentioned which ones.

Some of Radahn's attacks have also been reduced in damage and stamina, as well as the attack range of some non-weapon-based attacks, which could mean his phase three abilities, and the visibility of some attack effects have been improved.

Aside from the highlight of the patch, the update has also made adjustments to PvP equipment and skills, while a selection of base game equipment, incantations, and spells have received their usual tweaks.

Elden Ring - Version 1.14 Patch Notes:

Final Boss Adjustments

• Changed the action pattern when the battle starts
• Adjusted some attack moves
• Decreased the damage of some attacks
• Decreased stamina damage of some attacks
• Decreased the attack range of some non-weapon-based attacks
• Improved the visibility of some attack effects

PvP-exclusive balance adjustments

Equipment:

• Decreased the damage of Backhand Blades against other players (The Smithscript Cirque's throwing attacks are not affected by this change)
• Decreased the damage of Spears’ dual wield attacks against other players
• Decreased the damage of the Pata weapon against other players
• The “Spread Crossbow” weapon will no longer cause the headshot damage motion when hitting another player

Skill:

Scattershot Throw

• Decreased damage against other players
• This skill will no longer cause the headshot damage motion when hitting another player

Discus Hurl

• Decreased the damage animation value generated by this skill when hitting another player

Weed Cutter

• Decreased the poise value of follow-up attacks when using this skill against other players

General balance adjustments

Equipement:

• Increased the attack speed of the uncharged version of the first heavy attack for the following weapon types:
  Dagger / Throwing Blade / Straight Sword / Great Sword / Colossal Sword / Heavy Thrusting Sword / Curved Sword / Twinblade Sword / Katana / Great Katana / Axe / Flail / Great Spear(Except Serpent-Hunter) / Halberd / Reaper / Whip (Except Urumi) / Hand-to-Hand Arts / Beast Claw.
• After performing left handed attacks with weapons of the Great Katana category, cancelling into subsequent attacks using the right handed weapon will now take longer.

Hand-to-Hand Arts weapon type

• Increased damage
• Shortened the recovery time between some normal attacks and follow-up attacks

Colossal Sword weapon type

• Increased the move distance when attacking
• Increased the speed of the first normal attack

Backhand Blade weapon type

• Decreased the attack speed of normal attacks from a crouching position

Small Shield and Medium Shield weapon types

• Increased the damage negation of some shields when blocking physical attacks
• Increased the guard strength of some shields

• It will now take longer to be able to cancel into most actions after performing one-handed normal attacks with the Swift Spear.
• Extended the Smithscript Dagger’s throwing attacks range.
• Increased the attribute scaling of Rellana's Twinblade for lower Intelligence and Faith attributes.

Rellana’s Cameo Talisman

• Reduced the delay before the damage enhancement activates
• Increased damage enhancement

Weapon Arts

Light

• Increased attack speed

Darkness

• Increased attack speed

Dynastic Sickleplay

• Reduced stamina consumption
• Increased poise damage of follow-up heavy attacks
• Increased the movement distance of the first follow-up heavy attack
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when the second follow-up heavy attack hits another player

Shield Strike

• Cancelling other actions to perform this weapon art will now take longer

Moon-and-Fire Stance

• Increased the light wave range, poise damage, and attack speed of the stance’s normal attack
• Increased the poise damage from the stance’s heavy attack
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when a stance’s heavy attack hits another player

Devonia's Vortex

• Increased attack power
• Extended the attack range of the Great Hammer’s spin
• Increased poise value and poise generation speed
• Adjusted the damage animation recovery time when a charged attack hits another player

Spell

Rellana's Twin Moons

• Increased attack range for the first and second attacks
• Reduced the knockback distance of the second attack

Incantation

Aspects of the Crucible: Thorns

• Increased attack power
• Increased attack power, stamina attack power against guarding enemies
• The close-range hitbox now follows the movement of the player

Aspects of the Crucible: Bloom

• Increased attack speed, increased size of the hitbox
• Shortened recovery time between using this incantation and follow-up actions

Divine Bird Feathers

• Decreased the minimum delay between consecutive hits
• Increased range

Furious Blade of Ansbach

• Cancelling this incantation into rolls will now take less time
• Increased poise damage
• Increased enemy knockback distance

Midra's Flame of Frenzy

• Increased attack speed
• Increased Frenzy status buildup range against enemies
• Decreased Frenzy status buildup when using this skill

Bayle's Flame Lightning

• Increased attack power

Bug Fixes

• Black Pyreflies items will now correctly reappear when resting at a site of grace.
• Fixed a bug where performing a Light Greatsword heavy attack while jumping did not consume stamina.
• Fixed a bug where unintended Weapon Skills could be used when equipping the Ballista in the left hand.
• Fixed a bug that caused critical hit damage dealt to Taylew the Golem Smith when using certain weapons the be lower than intended.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the player from acquiring runes when an enemy was killed while holding a shield.
• Fixed a bug where casting the Inescapable Frenzy Incantation using the Staff of the Great Beyond would cause its hitbox to be generated incorrectly.
• Fixed a bug where whiffed backstabs with the Pata weapon had a smaller fist hitbox that intended.
• Fixed a bug where some attacks of the Lizard Greatsword weren’t registered as strike attacks.
• Fixed a bug where Euporia could increase the attack power of other weapons when its luster is restored.
• Fixed a bug where the restored luster effect of Euporia was sometimes displayed on different weapons.
• Fixed a bug where the power of some Weapon Skills of a right-handed Falx changed depending on the level of the weapon equipped in the left hand.
• Fixed a bug where the enchantment effects of certain skills were being applied to some attacks that did not use weapons.
• Fixed a bug that could cause incorrect player motions to be performed when using lock-on for the following Skills.
• Wild Strikes / Spinning Strikes / Unending Dance
• Fixed a bug that caused the Rolling Sparks Skill to go through some terrain.
• Fixed a bug where the Blades of Stone Spell did not hit targets at a different height level correctly.
• Fixed a bug where some attacks of the Bayle’s Tyranny Incantation did not hit multiple enemies.
• Fixed a bug that caused the attack of the Bayle’s Tyranny Incantation to go through certain terrain.
• Fixed a bug where Godfrey’s Icon Talisman did not apply to some Skills, Spells, and Incantations.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the player from becoming translucent when the Crepus’ Vial Talisman is equipped and the Unseen Form Spell is used.
• Fixed a bug where the hitboxes of some attacks of Rellana, Twin Moon Knight were different than intended.
• Fixed a bug where the “Leave” option could not be selected in the inventory menu for some equipment.
• Fixed a bug that made some Site of Graces difficult to touch under certain circumstances.
• Fixed a bug in some areas where the invasion spawn-in position was different than intended.
• Fixed a bug where the displayed name of certain areas was different than intended.
• Fixed a bug in which, under certain circumstances, the combat state was not released after defeating an invading NPC.
• Fixed a bug that prevented some effects from being displayed correctly.
• Fixed a bug where the Watchful Spirit Incantation’s attacks were sometimes invisible to other players in multiplayer.
• Fixed a bug where the effects of some tools and incantations were not correctly applied when trying to deflect or cancel.
• Several performance improvements and other bug fixes
• Corrected a descriptive error in the game’s credit that was incorrectly added in patch 1.12

Possible unstable performance fixes

• For the PS5 version of the game, unstable framerate may be improved by using the "Rebuild Database" option from the device’s safe mode. 
• In some PC versions, Ray Tracing may be unintentionally enabled and cause unstable performance. Please check the Ray Tracing setting in the "System" > "Graphics " > "Ray Tracing Quality" from the title screen or in-game menu.
• In the PC version, the message "Inappropriate activity detected" may appear without cheating. To fix this issue, please verify the integrity of the game's files before restarting the game.
• In the PC version, unstable framerate may be caused by third party applications that control mouse behavior.  Deactivating these third party applications may improve performance.

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You can't always get what you want, but with prices starting at just $40 / £35, you can probably afford at least one of The Rolling Stones' new Bluetooth speakers. 

Dartford's finest just announced a collaboration between their own fashion and lifestyle brand, RS No.9, and Californian audio brand Speaqua, to unveil a range of five bijou Bluetooth speakers. And there's no need to paint them black, as that would cover up the iconic tongue and lips logo on the front of the two different designs; The Cruiser ($40 / £35) and The Barnacle (from $75 / £60).  

The Cruiser design is the perfect pocket size for midnight ramblers, and even includes a bottle opener when in need of a cold drink – like mother's little helper. 

Can't you hear me knocking? Not with this speaker… 

(Image credit: RS No. 9 / Speaqua)

Start them up and these smaller speakers promise to give you satisfaction for five hours using their dual speaker pairing system. There's also a leash attachment to link to a backpack, belt loop or tent, because you don't want to mess it up. The Cruiser comes in white, red and a checker graphic.  

The larger Barnacle design in 'Vibe' and 'Pro' comes with a GoPro mount, a built-in carabiner clip, and even suction cup. It can also store 2,000 songs, has an eight-hour battery life and is waterproof, so even if your outdoor gathering starts screaming 'Gimme shelter', your speaker will keep bringing sweet sounds of heaven. 

A quick summary of the models? Sure, time is on my side, after all. The largest Barnacle Vibe is $105 / £90 (sadly they aren't available in Australia at present), the Barnacle Pro is $75 / £60 and the smallest Cruiser is just $40 / £35.

Might they be joining the beggars banquet that is our best Bluetooth speakers roundup soon? We'll get the steel wheels in motion. My advice? Don't be waiting on a friend to buy you one… 

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