TechRadar News

• Vodafone Italy gets snapped up by Swisscom in a €8 billion deal
• It no longer operates networks in Italy or Spain
• Vodafone is focused on growth in the UK

Vodafone has confirmed the completion of the sale of its Italian business (Vodafone Italy) to Swisscom AG in a deal with €8 billion ($8.3 billion).

Switzerland’s Swisscom, primarily operating in its home country through its self-named network and mobile virtual network operators like Coop Mobile, already has some market share in Italy with its Fastweb brand, which it partly acquired in 2007 (€3 billion for 82%) before fully acquiring in 2010.

As part of the deal, Vodafone has agreed to continue providing certain services in Italy for up to five years post-completion.

Vodafone sells off Italian subsidiary to Swiss giant

The company confirmed that the proceeds of its sale would go toward reducing the Group’s net debt.

Walter Renna, CEO of Swisscom’s Fastbweb, will head the new Fastweb + Vodafone brand.

The sale of its Vodafone Italy follows the sale of its Spanish business in late 2023 – the Zegona Communications deal was worth €4.1 billion in cash.

At the time, company CEO Margherita Della Valle said that the sale would “enable [Vodafone] to focus [its] resources in markets with sustainable structures and sufficient local scale.”

Vodafone has also had a busy few months in the UK, following CMA approval of its merger with Three at the beginning of December 2024. The deal, set to benefit “tens of millions of consumers and businesses,” will see the two former network giants invest £11 billion ($13.7 billion) into the UK’s 5G infrastructure.

Margherita Della Valle commented: “Today’s approval releases the handbrake on the UK’s telecoms industry, and the increased investment will power the UK to the forefront of European telecommunications.”

Speaking about the sale of Vodafone’s Italian business, Swisscom CEO Christoph Aeschlimann said: “The improved positioning in Italy will create long-term value for all stakeholders – thanks to growing cashflows and dividends in the future.”

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Something special is coming to Las Vegas this month, and if you're looking for home entertainment Heaven then you're going to want to tune in for the big reveal. That's because Yaber plans to unveil the ultimate in home entertainment.

You might not know the Yaber name just yet, but it's becoming a really big deal in home entertainment technology. The youthful brand – the "Y" in its name represents the innovation and youthful energy of Generation Y – is developing an enviable reputation for pushing the boundaries of audio-visual innovation while delivering incredible value for money.

Yaber has already won shelves full of awards including the Red Dot Award, the IDEA Award, the VGP Award and the CES Innovation Award 2024. And we're quietly confident that what Yaber's about to unveil will gain them even more gongs.

(Image credit: Yaber) The start of something special

Yaber was founded in 2018 and launched the world's first entertainment projector the following year, pioneering a whole new category in audio-visual excellence. Its combination of superb visual quality and exceptional audio made it an instant hit, and today Yaber entertainment projectors are delighting millions of streaming fans, gamers and movie buffs in over 120 countries.

The firm has been making lots of great friends, too. Yaber has been working with audio legends JBL since 2023 to bring its speaker smarts to Yaber's equally clever projectors. In late 2024 Yaber announced an exclusive partnership with the studio of legendary artist Keith Haring to release a special edition of its T2 protector inspired by his art, and Yaber has also collaborated with the Pantone Color Institute to debut an exclusive version of the flagship K3 projector to light up Paris Fashion Week.

(Image credit: Yaber) What to expect from Yaber's big reveal

We've been sworn to secrecy about what Yaber will unveil at CES 2025. But we can tell you that it builds on the optical excellence and innovative technology of its very best award-winning entertainment projectors, the Yaber K3 Series and the Yaber T2 Series.

Let's take the K3 Series first. It's Yaber's premier home theatre projector, capable of truly amazing visuals on an epic scale. The pictures it projects are stunningly clear and bright, and it's able to create a projection from 40 inches to a massive 200 inches – ideal for the biggest blockbusters. It's a super-smart, super-low-noise projector with one-tap operation, voice control, NFC screencasting and effortless setup to give you a perfect picture in seconds. And with dual 15W JBL speakers, it sounds as good as it looks.

Its sibling, the super-portable Yaber T2 Series, is even smaller and just as incredible. The T2 Series comes in two flavors: the regular projector and a special Keith Haring Edition.

The Keith Haring Edition features Haring's iconic motifs and a classic color palette of red, white and black, adding a splash of artistic flair to transform everyday entertainment. "Partnering with Yaber to bring Keith Haring's art onto a projector for the first time is a wonderful way to extend his legacy," said David Stark, Founder and CEO of Artestar, who represents the Keith Haring Studio. “This product allows his art to be experienced by a new audience, bringing awareness to his work and adding a special vibrancy to everyday viewing experiences.”

Whether you go for the fun and funky Keith Haring Edition or prefer the clean good looks of the standard version, we think you'll be amazed by how big an entertainment experience such a small projector can deliver both indoors and out. Both versions of the Yaber T2 Series are small enough to hold with one hand, with an integrated handle that makes them ideal for taking anywhere - so you can have the full cinema experience at a party or just in your own back yard when the weather’s nice.

The T2 Series are perfectly portable, but those small projectors think big. That’s because they can produce silky-smooth visuals up to a massive 120 inches in size. They both come with JBL speakers and Dolby Audio support for immersive audio, plus auto-focus and auto keystone correction for effortless setup. And with over 7,000 smart apps to choose from, you'll always be able to stream something worth watching on that giant display.

That’s not all. With the T2 Series’ music mode, you can also use your projector’s superb sound system as a portable Bluetooth speaker to get the party started. Thanks to their built-in batteries you don’t need to worry about finding a power socket: in music mode they can keep the music going for up to 18 hours.

(Image credit: Yaber) Share the secret of exceptional entertainment

There's not long to wait for the future of home entertainment to be revealed: Yaber will be unveiling the ultimate in home entertainment, its very first ultra-short throw projector and a cinema-level sound projector, on 6 January 2025 at the CES exhibition. If you're lucky enough to be in Las Vegas it's all happening at Caesar's Palace at 4pm local time, but if you can't make it along don't worry, because Yaber will be sharing all its secrets online immediately afterwards.

Click here to find out more about Yaber's story and its incredible products. And don't forget to save the date!

Max has announced its new slate of January 2025 content and there are some excellent movies for you to stream. Max is easily one of the best streaming services because it has a massive library of films covering a whole range of genres with new titles added every month. But with so many options, figuring out what’s worth your time can feel overwhelming. That’s where we come in.

Our everything new on Max in January 2025 guide covers every addition to the platform this month, but if you’re looking for the best of the best, we’ve got you covered. We’ve spotlighted three must-watch movies below, all boasting stellar critical ratings on Rotten Tomatoes that make each one of the best Max movies.

Whether you’re craving a mix of action and sci-fi dystopia, a stunning and heart-wrenching romance, or a gripping historical drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat, these picks deliver. Read on to discover your next movie night masterpiece.

Call Me By Your Name

Score: 95%
Rating: R
Run time: 132 minutes
Director: Luca Guadagnino

Call Me By Your Name is a visually stunning and tender romance set in Italy, which follows the story of Elio (played by Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (played by Armie Hammer). In career-defining performances, the pair have a passionate summer fling.

Expect to be completely stunned by this beautiful coming-of-age masterpiece that does an incredible job at capturing the bittersweet nature of first love with authenticity and depth. Directed by Luca Guadagnino (also known for Challengers, Queer and Suspiria), it’s set against a backdrop of sun-dappled vistas and piano melodies. It’s one of those movies you'll be thinking about long after the credits roll.

The Imitation Game

Score: 90%
Rating: PG-13
Run time: 113 minutes
Director: Morten Tyldum

An incredibly gripping historical drama, The Imitation Game tells the real life story of Alan Turing (played by Benedict Cumberbatch). Turing was the genius mathematician who famously cracked the Enigma code during World War II. Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Turing is heartbreaking and brilliant. He captures both the triumphs and struggles of a man whose groundbreaking work helped to end the war and yet his personal life was filled with deep injustice.

Yes, it's a biopic but The Imitation Game feels more than that, a celebration of perseverance and intellect, but also a grim reminder of the prejudice and persecution he faced only decades ago. It's a movie that's both thrilling and deeply moving.

Mad Max (1980)

Score: 90%
Rating: R
Run time: 88 minutes
Director: George Miller

Sure, George Miller has returned to direct a newer version of this gritty action classic, but the original 1980 version is where it all began for the iconic Mad Max franchise. This movie introduced audiences to Miller's dystopian world, as well as Mel Gibson's Max. Expect a relentless ride filled with car chases, combat and a very dark vision of the future.

Granted, the movie may look dated compared to modern-day standards, but it's still a must-watch classic. It's also a testament to inventive filmmaking, and revolutionized the action genre at the time.

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• Sony is planning gradual, measured updates to the PlayStation Portal experience
• Executive Hiromi Wakai explains "incremental steps" will be taken to improve gaming on the device
• Peak time for PS Portal usage is around 9pm, according to Sony

It seems that more PlayStation Portal improvements will be coming in 2025 and potentially beyond, and Sony is paying close attention to community feedback.

That's according to Sony Interactive Entertainment's vice president of product management, Hiromi Wakai. In an interview with Game File, Wakai explained that Sony will likely be taking a more measured, long-term approach to expanding PlayStation Portal's feature set.

“PS Portal was a new type of product for us, so we wanted to be extra careful to ensure our users get the best possible user experience,” Wakai said, referencing the addition of PS5 game streaming via the cloud to PlayStation Portal. She added: “We want to continue that approach with PS Portal, and make incremental steps based on community reception on the beta.”

Wakai also noted that PS Portal owners might just be bigger gamers than you, telling Game File: “Players who own a PS Portal tend to spend more time playing games than those who don’t. Of course, it’s likely that users who purchase PS Portal were naturally more engaged in the first place, however, our data shows that PS Portal owners tend to spend more time playing games compared to non-owners.”

It's also stated in the interview that peak time for PlayStation Portal usage appears to be around 9pm - roughly an hour later than the PS5 console itself. This could suggest that players are hopping off of their consoles and continuing play sessions on the Portal, whether that be to wind down with a game in bed or to hand the TV over to someone else in the house.

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• CarPlay 2.0 has missed its 2024 deadline
• Small updates were spotted in November
• A full launch could still happen in 2025

You may remember Apple teasing a next-gen CarPlay experience back in December 2023, with Porsche and Aston Martin apparently signed up to help – and we were then promised that the software would be rolling out in the US sometime in 2024.

Well, it's now 2025 – happy new year by the way – and CarPlay 2.0 has yet to arrive. As MacRumors notes, at the time of writing the official Apple website still says the first models fitted with the next generation of CarPlay will "arrive in 2024".

That raises the question of whether Apple is still working on this improved version of its in-car software, or whether it's abandoned the idea of a more integrated experience – in the same way that it's apparently abandoned plans for an Apple Car.

Apple hasn't spoken about a CarPlay upgrade for quite some time, though a few updated icons did appear in the code for iOS 18.2, which was pushed out in November. It seems the project might be delayed, rather than completely dead.

What is CarPlay 2.0?

The current CarPlay runs on top of existing in-car software (Image credit: Shutterstock / Hadrian)

Apple went into quite a bit of detail about this new and improved CarPlay at its WWDC event in June 2024. We heard about branding that would be tweaked for each car maker, and new apps offering deeper hooks into the different parts of the vehicle.

Essentially, that's what Apple CarPlay 2.0 is about: deeper integration into features such as climate control, on-board cameras, and electric vehicle charge status, which the current version of CarPlay can't access.

All of this will require help from the automobile manufacturers, which may be the reason for the delay. Getting these companies to commit to Apple's car software rather than their own is perhaps one of the major stumbling blocks in the way.

We were a little concerned about the delay back in December – but let's hope it is just a delay and not a full cancellation. Another WWDC show will no doubt be set for June, and we might have heard more by then.

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• A Nintendo patent could reveal some of the AI upscaling technology that will power the Nintendo Switch 2
• It details a method to increase picture quality using machine learning
• The patent suggests this could be used to keep game file sizes low

Another day, another huge flurry of potential information about the Nintendo Switch 2. This time we’ve learned more about the kind of upscaling technology that we might see implemented in the upcoming console.

The information comes from a patent filed by Nintendo in July 2023 and recently made public. The patent details a technology that is capable of “converting images of one resolution into another (e.g. higher) resolution and may be used in real-time applications from images generated by, for example, a video game engine”.

It’s powered by machine learning algorithms and, put simply, would allow a video game console like the Nintendo Switch 2 to increase the resolution of its picture output with little additional hardware strain. A few examples of how it could be used are included in the patent, which outlines how a 540p picture could be upscaled to 1080p for “increased graphical fidelity”.

It might be tempting to assume that this means that the Nintendo Switch 2 will target a 1080p output, but it’s important to bear in mind that such examples are included for illustrative purposes only. The patent is also careful to clarify that “whenever 1080p is mentioned in connection with a target image, the techniques [...] may also be applied to 4K images”.

We also don’t know for sure that this technology will even be implemented in the Nintendo Switch 2, though of course it seems highly likely given the given the document's focus on video game applications.

Interestingly, the patent suggests that the technology could be used to keep game file sizes low “so as to fit onto relatively smaller sized physical media”. This would be achieved by, for example, lowering the resolution of the textures downloaded by the player and then using the AI upscaling technology to increase it to produce a final picture.

It’s clear that AI upscaling tech is becoming an increasingly important part of the gaming landscape. Solutions such as Nvidia's DLSS and AMD's FSR are popular ways to boost video game performance on PC. The PS5 Pro recently shipped with Sony’s PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaling. We’ll have to wait for the console's official reveal to see whether Nintendo will opt to follow suit.

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• Experts warn executives are being hit with personalized AI phishing attacks
• AI tools can process huge amounts of data on targets
• 90% of successful cyber attacks start with a phishing scam

Top businesses such as eBay and Beazley are reporting huge increases in the volume of personalized phishing attacks levied against high-level employees.

A recent report by the Financial Times, outlined the growing concerns about the growing use of AI in targeted scams against executives at major firms.

“This is getting worse and it’s getting very personal, and this is why we suspect AI is behind a lot of it,” Beazley’s chief information security officer Kirsty Kelly told the publication. “We’re starting to see very targeted attacks that have scraped an immense amount of information about a person.”

Expensive consequences

By processing vast amounts of data, AI can quickly scrape and retain information about victims, and mimic the tone and style of an individual or company. This means that the hyper-personalized phishing scams are becoming increasingly convincing and harder to spot.

As these attacks become more sophisticated, they are costing victims more and more. Almost all (90%) of successful cyber attacks originate with a phishing email, and the global average cost of a data breach has risen almost 10% to $4.9m in 2024, IBM reports.

Phishing attacks have been on the rise for a long time, with some businesses receiving up to 36 phishing emails per day, and reports reveal a 28% increase in phishing attacks in the second quarter of 2024.

Until recently, phishing attacks were generally impersonal, including only vague information with a reasonably low success rate. However, AI tools are lowering the entry threshold for these types of attacks, with ‘polished and closely targeted’ scams being seen in huge volumes.

“Businesses need a multi-layered approach to avoid any damage as a consequence of phishing attacks.” said Tim Callan, Chief Compliance Officer at Sectigo.

“Employees should be trained in order to be able to realise when they could be targets of phishing attacks, but businesses should also look at tried-and-tested technologies and implement phishing prevention infrastructures through their IT ecosystems.”

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This year Meta’s Quest app (called Meta Horizon) – which is required to set up the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S headsets – once again rocketed to the top spot of the App Store’s free app chart on Christmas day, and I’m hardly surprised the VR headsets were seemingly the top tech gift of 2024.

The Quest success was spotted by Upload VR who noted that this is the third time Meta has achieved this feat – with it doing so in 2021, 2023, and now 2024 (it missed out in 2022, with that being blamed on the controversial Meta Quest 2 price hike).

Adding to the Meta Quest 3 and 3S’ success are Amazon sales figures, with Amazon.com saying the Quest 3S was bought by over 100,000 people in the past month, and the Quest 3 was bought by over 50,000 Amazon shoppers (together, that’s well over the number of PS5, PS5 Pros, and Xbox Series S and X models sold in the same month combined); it seems shoppers took advantage of those excellent Black Friday Meta Quest deals we saw in the run up to Christmas.

But beyond sales making the VR headsets look like an even better deal than usual, I’m not surprised the Meta Quest 3 and 3S proved popular – and those of you without one should consider changing that and joining all those Christmas buyers.

VR is better than its ever been

(Image credit: Meta)

In 2024, the biggest reason you should get a VR headset (specifically a Meta Quest 3 or 3S) is that the devices feel like they’ve truly come into their own. There’s a fantastic suite of games and apps across various genres and uses – you can become Batman, experience immersive simulators, watch TV and play non-VR games on massive virtual screens, and even use it for work with productivity tools.

And this is across both fully immersive VR, and the blended real and virtual experiences offered by mixed reality (MR); thanks to the decent-quality, full-color cameras on these Quest 3 headsets, booting up an MR app feels like a worthwhile experience rather than simply a novelty, as has been the case in the past.

Additionally, while I think the full-on Meta Quest 3 is worth the price bump, the Meta Quest 3S costing only $299.99 / £289.99 / AU$499.99 means it delivers superb bang for your buck. Yes, the displays aren’t as crisp and it’s bulkier, but the Quest 3S’ games and apps still run just as well as they would on the pricier system, and the price is much easier to justify to yourself – or your parents if you wanted it as a gift – when you’re looking to pick up a gadget.

Plus, as standalone headsets, these systems don’t require any extras like a PC or PS5 – unlike the PSVR 2 headset, for example. This makes it easier to set the systems up for newcomers to VR or gaming, and reduces the effective cost of the systems.

Oh, and that Batman experience I mentioned – which is titled Batman: Arkham Shadow – is being included with Quest 3 purchases for free until the end of April 2025. It’s a truly superb game, a must-play for Batman fans, and only goes to further sweeten the deal for anyone interested in picking up either the 3 or 3S.

If that’s you – or you’ve already snagged one – then I’d recommend also browsing my picks for my favorite VR games and apps of 2024 so you can download them and start your Meta Quest 3 journey off right.

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• Creature Commandos episode 6 reveals the DCU's Batman for the first time
• The Dark Knight can be seen near the end of the Max show's latest chapter
• There's still no word on who'll play him in James Gunn's rebooted superhero franchise

Creature Commandos episode 6 has provided a first official look at the DC Cinematic Universe's (DCU) Batman, and it's a justifiable disappointment.

The Max show's penultimate episode, titled 'Priyalat Skelet', gives us our best look yet at the DCU's take on the legendary crimefighter. Well, if you discount Batman's appearance in Creature Commandos episode 4's harrowing Justice League premonition.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Creature Commandos' latest chapter, so turn back now if you haven't seen it yet.

Oh no, it's The Bat! (Image credit: Max/DC Studios)

So, when does Batman show up? The Caped Crusader can be seen in the final flashback of Doctor Phosphorus's tragic backstory. After the irradiated supervillain enacts revenge on Rupert Thorne for killing his wife and son, Phosphorus takes control of Thorne's Gotham City-based criminal empire. A montage of Phosphorus reimagining Thorne's enterprise in his own image follows, with the former scientist clearly trying to use his newfound status and wealth to replace what he's lost and bury his trauma.

Unfortunately, Phosphorus's days as a Gotham crime lord are numbered. During a party at one of Phosphorus's night clubs, the lights suddenly go out. Unsure what's going on, Phosphorus looks up at the night club's skylight to see the Dark Knight gazing down at the criminals on display. A flash of lightning – a pleasing nod to the beloved Batman: The Animated Series' intro sequence – lights up the sky behind Batman. We don't get to see what happens next but, considering Phosphorus is one of the five metahumans incarcerated at Belle Reve Penitentiary at the start of Creature Commandos, it's clear he was apprehended by Bruce Wayne's vigilante and sent to jail.

The DCU's Batman was first spotted during Circe's premonition in episode 4 (Image credit: DC Studios/Max)

Really, we should've expected Batman to appear at some point in one of the best Max shows. Phosphorus is just one of many members of Batman's iconic rogues gallery, so it makes sense that he'd run into the legendary superhero in this DCU Chapter One project.

What's less surprising is the fact that we still don't know who'll play Bruce Wayne and his brooding alias in the DCU. Batman doesn't speak in the R-rated animated show's sixth episode, so nobody isn't credited as playing him in Creature Commandos' latest instalment. DC Studios co-chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran haven't found somebody to play him in Warner Bros' rebooted superhero franchise, either. Indeed, The Brave and the Bold, the first Batman-fronted project in the DCU, is still in very early development, so it'll be some time before a cast announcement is made. In short: Batman's appearance in Creature Commandos isn't as satisfying or stunning as it could've been but, given the circumstances, his silent cameo is nonetheless forgivable.

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As 2025 kicks off, artificial intelligence isn’t just something to look forward to in the future anymore, it's here right now, but that doesn't mean there's not a lot of room to grow.

After a jam-packed 2024, there are still plenty of plans in place from OpenAI with ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Apple Intelligence, Meta AI, and others. All of the AI developers are racing to outdo each other, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Here are some of our predictions for what your life might look like with AI in 2025.

Your AI agent

AI assistants are pretty good already at answering questions, but 2025 will likely see a lot more proactive action and anticipation of your needs. Imagine ChatGPT reorganizing your day based on traffic updates and weather, rescheduling a missed doctor’s appointment without you needing to ask, and even drafting a birthday card for your friend (complete with suggestions for gifts they’ll love). Google Gemini is working on embedding similar predictive features into Google Workspace, while companies like Amazon are rumored to be enhancing Alexa with task prioritization and advanced calendar integration of their own.

The rise of these tools means people might finally put an end to juggling apps and to-do lists. Instead, your smart homes and mobile devices will become a hub from which your AI assistant will juggle your personal and professional life. Think of it as having an omnipresent executive assistant, but one that doesn’t require lunch breaks or overtime pay.

Smart(er) devices

Though the Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pin may not have been the successes their creators predicted, you're going to see some very smart gadgets in the coming year. Some will be because AI is embedded in smartphones and existing products. Apple Intelligence will keep adding more features, and that's powered by OpenAI models. iPhones and Apple Watches will feature a Siri that's more active than ever. The same goes for Gemini's ongoing integration in Android, especially with Google Pixel phones, and the Chrome browser.

You'll see similar AI upgrades in appliances. Companies like LG and Samsung are doubling down on AI in refrigerators, ovens, and washing machines. A 2025 fridge could scan its contents, recommend recipes, and automatically add missing ingredients to your grocery app.

And there will be plenty of AI right on your body, particularly sitting on your face as 2025 is certain to be the year of AI smarglasses. That includes Meta's next-gen Ray-Ban smart glasses and Orion augmented reality headset. It will be like having an extra brain right in front of your eyes.

Seeing and hearing AI

Multimodal AI exploded this year, with image, audio, and video creators popping up and adding new features in what felt like weekly updates. Those are often treated as separate systems, but that's going to be a thing of the past. Gemini and ChatGPT are already encouraging users to make images within their text conversations, and ChatGPT added Sora's AI video maker to the tools available. Text, images, audio, and video that you submit and that the AI produces will become interchangeable depending on context. This means you could snap a picture of a broken household item, and your AI could suggest repair steps, find the replacement part on Amazon, and even connect you to a local repair service.

Apple is reportedly exploring multimodal AI for its Vision Pro headset, expected to launch a more refined version in late 2025. This headset might take advantage of multimodal AI to overlay real-time information on physical objects in your environment. For example, it could guide you through assembling furniture by identifying each part and providing step-by-step AR instructions.

In creative fields, Adobe’s AI-enhanced Creative Cloud tools are already using multimodal capabilities to improve workflows. By 2025, these tools might automatically generate mood boards or edit videos based on a simple text prompt. For professionals, Microsoft’s integration of multimodal AI into Teams and Office suites could offer features like summarizing video calls and turning meeting notes into PowerPoint presentations with relevant visuals.

We're expecting an upgraded Vision Pro in 2025, with Apple Intelligence added. (Image credit: Apple) Social media AI

Meta has been vocal about its intentions to make AI a cornerstone of Facebook and Instagram, and 2025 is shaping up to be the year these plans hit full stride for both brands and its other social media services. Expect to see AI-generated characters popping up everywhere, from influencers to online marketplaces. These AI bots will interact with users, offering everything from travel planning advice to fashion tips. For example, a chatbot on Instagram could help you plan a trip to Tokyo, providing restaurant recommendations and activity ideas while syncing with your Google Calendar for booking confirmations.

Meta’s rumored project, known internally as 'Metabots', might also become a key feature of Messenger. Imagine messaging a virtual stylist who curates outfits for your weekend based on your budget and favorite brands. These bots could even act as customer service agents, instantly resolving issues like order refunds or account troubleshooting without the dreaded 'please hold' music.

The flip side is that distinguishing between human and AI accounts could become a major headache. Platforms will need to walk a fine line between using AI to enhance user experience and eroding trust by overloading feeds with synthetic content. Meta has promised safeguards, but skepticism remains.

Less work, more fun

AI in 2025 will touch nearly every aspect of our lives, from how we shop and communicate to how we work and relax. For the average person, this could mean less time spent on mundane tasks, more personalized tech experiences, and some awkward moments navigating whether that Instagram influencer is real or AI-generated. Either way, one thing is clear: AI is no longer on the horizon—it’s firmly in the driver’s seat. Buckle up.

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• Nationwide CEO says leaders need to have a “physical presence” in the office
• The company’s RTO mandate has been in force for 12 months
• Extra childcare support should be offered to support this

The debate surrounding hybrid working continues to rumble on, with UK banking giant Nationwide taking a stance against working from home in favor of job opportunities.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's ‘Today’ programme (via the BBC), its CEO, Debbie Crosbie, stated a “physical presence” helps employees access more career growth opportunities at work.

Last month marked the 12-month anniversary of the company’s return to office mandate, but the two-day-per-week policy has been less demanding than the tech industry standard three-day policy.

Nationwide is against WFH

Crosbie didn’t write off working from home altogether, acknowledging that it can offer the flexibility needed for workers with caring responsibilities, however on the flip side, she indicated that leaders should be present to set an example and be on hand for their teams, suggesting that office-based working is a crucial part of becoming a leader.

She added: “Being seen and then seeing other leaders is a really important part of development… I benefited enormously from watching some really excellent leaders and how they navigated challenging problems.”

The boss’s stance on remote working marks a significant shift from her predecessor, Joe Garner, who supported the flexible working setup.

At Nationwide specifically, men have proven more likely to work from the office than women, leading Crosbie to urge businesses to support female workers and families with flexible childcare options.

Despite championing office-based working, Crosbie is desperate not to discriminate against those who are less able to leave home: “We just need to be careful that we don't inadvertently prevent women from taking some of the opportunities by not being in the office when they feel it's beneficial both to their skills and to contribute to the business.”

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• Make your workplace comfy with the best office chairs

Max's January 2025 schedule features an impressive lineup to start the new year right. From timeless classics and kid-friendly favorites to edge-of-your-seat thrillers, there’s no shortage of excellent movies to watch on Max this month. Plus, several new seasons of top Max TV shows are ready to binge.

As one of the best streaming services out there, Max consistently delivers fresh content for those who love movies, TV shows and even documentaries. In this guide, we’ve rounded up all of the titles arriving in January 2025 to keep you entertained through the winter chill. If you’re after the cream of the crop, don’t miss our separate guides to the best Max movies and best Max shows. For now, here’s everything coming to Max this month.

Everything new on Max in January 2025

Arriving on January 1

A Star is Born (movie)
Act of Valor (movie)
Annabelle Comes Home (movie)
Annabelle: Creation (movie)
Balls Out (movie)
Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World (documentary)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (movie)
Batman: The Killing Joke (movie)
Best Of Enemies (movie)
Bitter Creek (movie)
Black Gold (movie)
Blue Velvet (movie)
Buffaloed (movie)
Calamity Jane (movie)
Call Me by Your Name (movie)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (movie)
Cow Country (movie)
Crazy Rich Asians (movie)
Desperately Seeking Susan (movie)
Destination Tokyo (movie)
Diggers (movie)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (movie)
Each Dawn I Die (movie)
Eat Pray Love (movie)
Fast & Furious (movie)
Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (movie)
Free Birds (movie)
Green Lantern (movie)
Heaven Help Us (movie)
Home Again (movie)
Hot Tub Time Machine (movie)
Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (movie)
House at the End of the Street (movie)
I Am Love (movie)
Injustice (movie)
Iris (movie)
It Follows (movie)
It: Chapter Two (movie)
Jason Bourne (movie)
Johnny Angel (movie)
Justice League vs. Teen Titans (movie)
Justice League: Doom (movie)
Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (movie)
Justice League: War (movie)
Keeping Up with the Joneses (movie)
Kept Husbands (movie)
Kicks (movie)
Lemon (movie)
Mad Max (movie)
Matilda (movie)
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (movie)
Morgan (movie)
Mortdecai (movie)
Mrs. Doubtfire (movie)
My Favorite Wife (movie)
Mystic Pizza (movie)
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (movie)
Night and Day (movie)
Nocturne (movie)
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band (documentary)
Paddington (movie)
Rebel Without a Cause (movie)
Red Light (movie)
Reframed: Next Gen Narratives, Season 1 (TV show)
Room for One More (movie)
School Life (movie)
Sex and the City 2 (movie)
Shining Vale, Season 1 (TV show)
Shining Vale, Season 2 (TV. show)
Showing Up (movie)
Silver Linings Playbook (movie)
St. Vincent (movie)
Steel Magnolias (movie)
Stephen King's It (movie)
Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (documentary)
Sully (movie)
Supergirl (movie)
Superman & Lois, Season 4 (TV show)
Tangerine (movie)
Task Force (movie)
Teen Wolf (movie)
Tennessee Johnson (movie)
The Accountant (movie)
The Addams Family 2 (movie)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (movie)
The Big Year (movie)
The Birth of a Nation (movie)
The Boondock Saints (movie)
The Cable Guy (movie)
The Conjuring 2 (movie)
The Craft (movie)
The Curse of La Llorona (movie)
The Imitation Game (movie)
The Leopard Man (movie)
The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (movie)
The Mouthpiece (movie)
The Narrow Margin (movie)
The Prince and the Pauper (movie)
The Prisoner of Zenda (movie)
The Purge: Election Year (movie)
The Red Badge of Courage (movie)
The Student Prince (movie)
The Usual Suspects (movie)
The Whistlers (movie)
The Wrong Man (movie)
Volunteers (movie)
Warcraft (movie)
Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic (TV show)
Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulger (documentary)
Wild Boys of the Road (movie)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (movie)
Woman in Gold (movie)
World Without End (movie)

Arriving on January 2

Expedition Files, Season 1 (documentary)
Isadora Moon, Season 1A (TV show)
My 600-lb Life, Season 13 (TV show)

Arriving on January 3

Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation, Season 10 (TV show)
Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Season 49 (TV show)
The Front Room (movie)

Arriving on January 4

Belle Collective, Season 5 (TV show)

Arriving on January 5

Craig of the Creek, Season 6B (TV show)
Mecum Top 10, Season 10 (TV show)
Totally Spies, Season 7A (TV show)

Arriving on January 6

Worst Cooks in America Celebrity Edition: Heroes vs. Villains (TV show)

Arriving on January 7

Cleats & Convos with Deebo Samuel, Episode 111 (TV show)
How It Really Happened, Season 8 (TV show)
Kids Baking Championship, Season 14 (TV show)
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter, Season 3 (TV show)
The Edge with Micah Parsons, Episode 219 (TV show)

Arriving on January 8

7 Little Johnstons, Season 15 (TV show)
CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute (TV show)
Fixer to Fabulous, Season 6 (TV show)
Wildcard Kitchen, Season 2 (TV show)

Arriving on January 9

Aaron Hernandez and the Untold Murders of Bristol (documentary)
Sons of Ecstasy (documentary)
The Pitt, Season 1 (documentary)

Arriving on January 10

Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This? (TV show)
Black Butterfly (movie)
Holla (movie)
Look Into My Eyes (movie)
Vinnie Jones: In the Country, Season 1-2 (TV show)

Arriving on January 12

Naked and Afraid Spain (Aventura En Pelotas Espana), Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 13

Barney's World, Season 1B (TV show)

Arriving on January 14

Baylen Out Loud, Season 1 (TV show)
Death by Fame, Season 3 (TV show)
The Curious Case of..., Season 1 (TV show)
The Last Party: Death on Tresco, Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 15

An Update On Our Family (documentary)
Cult of Fear: The Asaram Bapu Story (documentary)
Marshall (movie)
Uncharted (movie)

Arriving on January 16

Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail (documentary)
Divided By Design, Season 1B (TV show)
Harley Quinn, Season 5 (TV show)
Murder Under the Friday Night Lights, Season 4 (TV show)
My Sesame Street Friends, Season 15 (TV show)
Sesame Street, Season 55 (TV show)

Arriving on January 17

A Different Man (movie)
Better Off Dead (movie)
Real Time with Bill Maher, Season 23 (TV show)
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (movie)

Arriving on January 21

Contraband: Seized at the Airport, Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 22

Expedition X, Season 8 (TV show)

Arriving on January 23

C.B. Strike: The Ink Black Heart (TV show)

Arriving on January 24

Harpoon Hunters, Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 25

Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 2B (TV show)

Arriving on January 27

Scars of Beauty (Beleza Fatal), Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 28

Chopped, Season 60 (TV show)

Arriving on January 29

The Flip Off, Season 1 (TV show)

Arriving on January 30

Mermicorno: Starfall, Season 1A (TV show)
The Other Side (Del Otro Lado Del Jardín) (movie)

Arriving on January 31

Guy's Ultimate Family Cruise (TV show)
The Eastern Gate (Przesmyk), Season 1 (TV show)

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Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 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 NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

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 #1074) - 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 #1074) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #1074) - 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 #1074) - 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 #1074) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• U

• S

• D

• I

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

Quordle today (game #1074) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1074, are…

• UNIFY
• SWORE
• DEPOT
• INTRO

This was close to being my most successful game of Quordle for ages but in a choice between Snore and SWORE I picked the wrong word – I think it’s because I’ve got snoring on my mind, seeing as I woke myself up snoring last night. Although that did also involve some swearing, so…

Getting the O for INTRO in my first round was also a big help, as was landing all five letters with subsequent guesses. So far, 2025 is looking good.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1074) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1074, are…

• BASIN
• CADDY
• SLACK
• MUDDY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1073, Wednesday 1 January: CLING, SUITE, WORRY, TONIC
• Quordle #1072, Tuesday 31 December: PLUMP, TUBER, IRATE, ICILY
• Quordle #1071, Monday 30 December: TODDY, GROIN, GROWN, VERVE
• Quordle #1070, Sunday 29 December: PURER, SPLAT, RABID, EMCEE
• Quordle #1069, Saturday 28 December: BUNCH, LABOR, TRIPE, BUNNY
• Quordle #1068, Friday 27 December: BRAWL, LYING, ORGAN, CRONY
• Quordle #1067, Thursday 26 December: TATTY, OVERT, FLOUR, SWEPT
• Quordle #1066, Wednesday 25 December: LIVER, CRIER, SHORE, MURKY
• Quordle #1065, Tuesday 24 December: TIPSY, SCALE, FLYER, VALVE
• Quordle #1064, Monday 23 December: SNAKE, SAVVY, ELBOW, TWEED
• Quordle #1063, Sunday 22 December: DOUBT, SLURP, PAPER, CIVIL
• Quordle #1062, Saturday 21 December: STRIP, BUDGE, SAPPY, SHELF
• Quordle #1061, Friday 20 December: PENAL, EAGLE, DILLY, QUITE
• Quordle #1060, Thursday 19 December: JEWEL, GNOME, TRAMP, IDLER
• Quordle #1059, Wednesday 18 December: LITHE, BIRTH, HUMID, ROBOT
• Quordle #1058, Tuesday 17 December: DOING, ENJOY, SNAKY, AMPLE
• Quordle #1057, Monday 16 December: HYDRO, CREAM, CHIDE, SLIME
• Quordle #1056, Sunday 15 December: DROVE, STILT, LINEN, GIANT
• Quordle #1055, Saturday 14 December: SPIEL, ONSET, TIGER, DITTO
• Quordle #1054, Friday 13 December: ERECT, REBAR, MOIST, IDIOM

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 NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Super bowl

NYT Strands today (game #305) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• LOSER
• POOL
• STUN
• CRANK
• CHICK
• PICK

NYT Strands today (game #305) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• … for the soul

NYT Strands today (game #305) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #305) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #305, are…

• STOCK
• CELERY
• ONIONS
• CARROTS
• PEPPER
• NOODLES
• SPANGRAM: CHICKEN SOUP

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The classic ingredients (although you may want to add some water/stock) to chicken soup – or any soup for that matter – make up today’s Strands.

Soup is the perfect January meal – it’s really simple to make, as once you have your base ingredients loaded you are virtually there and no matter what you’ve put in the pot it will feel way healthier than anything you ate in December.

The problem is, no matter how hearty a soup is, it seldom feels enough and I can never resist the temptation to supplement it with a sandwich… or two sandwiches. But maybe that’s because I’m British, we’re a bit obsessed with sandwiches.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 1 January, game #304)

• CRUNCH
• SQUAT
• LUNGE
• PLANK
• SITUP
• DEADLIFT
• BURPEE
• SPANGRAM: EXERCISE

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.

• ST32000NM003K is part of the Exos M range and uses SMR which is more complex to run and manage
• Reveal comes weeks after Western Digital launched its own 32TB HDD
• And almost a year after Seagate debuted its next-largest drive, a 30TB model

Seagate has launched its largest-ever hard drive, a 32TB model in the Exos M series, just weeks after Western Digital unveiled its own 32TB HDD.

The new Exos M is available in two capacities, a 30TB, model ST30000NM004K, which uses Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR), and a 32TB, model ST32000NM003K, which uses Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR). The latter's overlapped write tracks are the reason for the increased capacity and WD's drive employs the same recording technology.

This release comes nearly a year after Seagate introduced its previous largest drive, a 30TB model in the Exos range.

Stop, HAMR time!

The drives, which feature a SATA III interface with data transfer rates of up to 6 Gbps, are built on Seagate’s slightly controversial Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) platform combined with Mozaic 3+ technology.

This combo allows the drive to deliver 3TB per platter, maximizing storage density while maintaining the industry-standard 3.5-inch form factor for seamless integration into existing server setups.

Seagate says the new drive offers three times the power efficiency per terabyte compared to typical models, reducing operational costs and supporting the company’s sustainability goals. The Exos M series is also constructed using more renewable energy and recycled materials than any previous Seagate product.

The drive blends what the company calls proven components from previous generations with next-generation enhancements. Approximately 90% of the components are carried over from earlier models.

There has long been skepticism surrounding HAMR technology, which Seagate took over a decade to perfect, with concerns about its readiness, quality, reliability, and compatibility.

However, Seagate insists that these concerns are unfounded. The rated mean time between failures (MTBF) for Seagate Mozaic 3+ hard drives and Exos enterprise hard drives is reported to be 2.5 million hours.

While development experienced numerous delays, Seagate states it has now passed qualification testing for its HAMR-based Mozaic drives and remains on track to ramp up production in 2025.

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Almost every year, we get a report telling us that something in the PC industry is dying, or fading away, or the days of some aspect of computer technology are numbered.

So, when I saw an article about Micron not selling enough memory chips for AI PCs and smartphones, which meant the company downgraded its revenue forecasts for the coming quarters, and so some folks are panicking that ‘AI is dying’ – well, it did not surprise me in the slightest.

This industry does love a bit of doom and gloom at times, but much of this errant noise is purely down to public understanding of modern-day AI as a whole – certainly in the enthusiast sector.

Let me be clear here: AI isn't dying – we know that. Hell, all you have to do is look at how well Nvidia is doing to get a good grasp of just how wrong that assertion is. The thing is, out of all the numerous AI laptops and phones, or other gadgets, out there – everything that's currently being marketed with the AI tagline (I go on another long rant about that here) – the fact is that the vast bulk of AI processing doesn't come from your tiny laptop. It just doesn't.

Even the best custom-built gaming PC right now barely has the capability of running ChatGPT at 10% of its total capacity. And that is even if you could do so, as it's not an open source program that anyone can just go and download.

Sadly, it requires far too much data and processing power to fully simulate that kind of program locally on the desktop. There are workarounds and alternative apps, but they generally pale in comparison to the likes of Gemini or GPT in both depth of knowledge and response times. Not exactly surprising given you're trying to compete with multiple server blades operating in real-time. I'm sorry, your RTX 4090 just ain't going to cut it, my friend.

(Image credit: SvedOliver / Shutterstock)

And that's another important point here – even looking at your custom PC, anyone that tells you that a CPU with a built-in NPU can outgun something like an aging RTX 3080 in AI workloads is pulling the wool over your eyes. Use something like UL's Procyon benchmark suite with its AI Computer Vision test, and you'll see that the results for a desktop RTX 4080 versus an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H-powered laptop are around 700% to 800% higher. That's not a small margin, and that's giving the Intel chip the benefit of the doubt and not using the Nvidia TensorRT API too, where the results are even better for Team Green.

The thing is, the companies, tools, and techniques that are doing well in the AI ecosystem are already well-established. If you have an RTX graphics card, the likelihood is you've already got plenty of performance to run rings around most modern-day 'AI' CPUs with an NPU built in. Secondly, pretty much every AI program worth running utilizes server blades to deliver that performance – there's very little that runs locally or doesn't have some form of hookup with the cloud.

Google has now pretty much rolled out Gemini to the bulk of its Android OS devices, and it'll be landing on its Nest speakers as well in the coming months (with a beta version technically already being available, thanks to some fun Google Home Public Preview skullduggery). And to be clear, that's a four-year-old speaker at this point, not exactly cutting-edge tech.

(Image credit: Future) This is just the beginning

Many years back, I had a discussion with Roy Taylor, who at the time was at AMD as Corporate Vice President of Media & Entertainment, specializing in VR and the advancements in that field.

My memory is a little hazy, but the long and short of the conversation was that as far as graphics card performance was concerned, to get a true-to-life experience in VR, with a high enough pixel density and sufficient frame rate to ensure a human couldn't tell the difference, we'd need GPUs capable of driving petaflops of performance. I think the exact figure was around the 90 PFLOPs mark (for reference, an RTX 4090 is still well over 100x less potent than that).

In my mind, local AI feels like it falls very much in the same camp as that. It's a realm of apps, utilities and tools that won't likely ever inhabit your local gaming PC, but will instead reside solely on server blades and supercomputers. There's just no way an isolated computer system can compete – even if we were to halt all AI development at its current state, it would take us years to catch up in terms of overall performance. That's not necessarily a bad thing or the end of the world either.

There is a silver lining for us off-the-grid folk, and it all hinges on GPU manufacturers. Naturally, AI programming, particularly machine learning, predominantly operates through parallel computing. This is something that GPUs are wildly good at doing, far better than CPUs, and particularly Nvidia GPUs utilizing Tensor cores. It's the tech behind all those DLSS and FSR models we know and love, driving up frame rates without sacrificing in-game graphical fidelity.

However, developing a GPU from the ground up takes time – a long time. For a brand-new architecture, we're talking several years. That means the RTX 40 series was likely in development in 2020/2021, at a guess, and similarly, the RTX 50 series (when the next-gen arrives, supposedly imminently) probably began life in 2022/2023, with different teams shuffling about from task to task as and when they became available. All of that prior to the thawing of the most recent AI winter and the arrival of ChatGPT.

What that tells us is that unless Nvidia can radically pivot its designs on the fly, it's likely that the RTX 50 series will still continue on from Lovelace's (RTX 40 series) success, giving us even better AI performance, for sure. But it won't be until the RTX 60 series that we really see AI capacity and performance supercharged in a way that we've not seen before with these GPUs. That may be the generation of graphics cards that could make localized LLMs a reality rather than a pipe dream.

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• The iPhone SE 4 might be rebranded
• A new iPhone 16E name has been rumored
• Expect a launch around March time

The next iPhone announced by Apple is expected to be the iPhone SE 4, probably around March time – but the latest rumors suggest the handset will go by another name when it's officially introduced into the world.

Tipsters Majin Bu and FIxed Focus Digital both say that the phone will be called the iPhone 16E, which of course ties in with the naming of the four iPhone 16 handsets already available, having been launched by Apple in September.

Neither of these sources have perfect track records, and rumors are by their very nature not guaranteed to be true, so bear that in mind. However, it's a naming scheme move that doesn't seem to be beyond the bounds of plausibility for Apple.

Majin Bu has also posted a rendering of a case that's supposedly for the iPhone SE 4 (or iPhone 16E), though it doesn't really tell us anything more than previous leaks have: that the phone's design will be largely based on the iPhone 14 from 2022.

What's in a name?

Based on what my source has reported, it seems that the new iPhone that Apple will unveil in 2025 will not be called iPhone SE4, but iPhone 16E. It should feature a design similar to the iPhone 14, with an OLED display and an action button. The available colors will be white and… pic.twitter.com/Vm8DCh1Xo0December 31, 2024

We've had three iPhone SE handsets so far – the SE stands for Special Edition – and the most recent was the iPhone SE 3 launched in 2022. Apple has simply called all these handsets the iPhone SE, without attaching numbers to them.

What makes this rumor more likely is that Apple hasn't been afraid to change up the monikers it gives to its iPhones down the years. In previous years we've had the iPhone X, the iPhone XS, and the iPhone XR, for example.

Have a read through our iPhone SE (2022) to get up to speed with what the latest version of this handset offers. The idea is that you get some key iPhone components, plus the latest iOS software updates, for a more mid-range price.

The next version of the device should bring with it some noticeable upgrades, including an OLED screen, the introduction of Face ID for the first time on an SE handset, and a bump up to 8GB of RAM – meaning the phone will be able to support Apple Intelligence features.

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Last year, as the winter months rolled in here in the UK, and in the US, I gave you my list of seven board games that were guaranteed to help you survive the long, dark evenings without needing to reach for your phone, boot up your PC, or turn to a screen of any kind.

It proved super-popular with TechRadar readers, so I’m back this year with six new board game recommendations – and one returning entry that’s so good I had to give it another shout-out – for you to sink your teeth into.

As before, my suggestions take into account a range of group sizes, play styles, and experience levels, so you can be sure that you’ll find something that will entertain you and your friends, family, or flatmates this January. If you’re looking for more recommendations than you can also read through the seven games I recommended last year.

You'll find links under each entry to online stores where you can buy these games, though if you have an independent board game shop local to you, I’d recommend that you shop there. These stores are an excellent resource for finding games in a way a faceless monolith like Amazon never can be, and if they have an in-store play space you might be able to try a game before you buy it – and the staff can also usually help you parse any rules you might be unsure about.

Arcs

(Image credit: Future / Leder Games)

For Black Friday the TechRadar team in the UK congregate in Bath in south-west England so we can all work together to coordinate our coverage of the event, and while I’m there I always try to make the short train journey to Bristol so I can visit Excelsior, a comic and board game store.

While browsing its shelves, searching for a new game to take home, I asked a couple of the assistants for a recommendation, and no sooner had the words left my lips than they replied “Arcs” – and I think their enthusiasm convinced a few other patrons to buy the game too.

From the team behind Root – the hit cutesy woodland fantasy game – Arcs takes us to the stars with a sci-fi strategy game for two to four players that’s probably the most complex title on this list, but which is well worth your time.

Using Arcs’ variation of typical playing cards you simultaneously take actions, vie for ‘Initiative’ (going first, which is very important tactically) and declare ambitions (how you score points). The result is that this chunky game is filled with variety and a little controlled luck courtesy of the battle dice, and it feels like every action really counts – either because you're claiming domination, or positioning yourself to blow your foes away in a round or two provided your opponents don't scupper your plans.

There are also additional Lore and Leaders cards which add new mechanics to the base game if you’re looking to spice things up once you're used to Arcs’ challenges.

It's not a game for 5pm on Christmas Day when everyone is a little tipsy or falling asleep in front of the TV, but Arcs is sure to excite board game aficionados looking to devour a new game that will easily make an evening fly by.

• Check out Arcs on Amazon

Railroad Ink

(Image credit: Future)

Yes, I recommended this game last year, but as I said then, “if I could only play one board game for the rest of my life I’d pick Railroad Ink.”

Starting with identical blank boards ready to be filled in with dry-erase markers, players are tasked with creating the best network of roads and railway tracks they can to score the most points at the end of seven rounds (six if you use bonus dice).

The design and shape of the railroads you can draw is determined by dice; one player rolls the four (or six) of them at the beginning of each round, but everyone shares their results to draw the same pieces of road or railway. Theoretically this means every player could score an identical amount of points if they draw the same pattern, but in all my games I’ve never seen this happen. And it becomes even harder to just copy everyone when you use optional bonus dice or the limited-use four-way junctions players can rely on at any time.

Railroad Ink is easy to learn, games are fairly quick, and with its many expansions you can mix things up with rivers, forests, and meteor strikes (to name a few) in a package that I simply adore.

When it comes to which base game box to buy, the Deep Blue or Blazing Red editions are best because they can support six players, while Yellow and Green only support four (though they do include extra rules and bits to make up for it). Each box includes custom dice, which makes purchasing all four worthwhile, but the best standalone option is the Underground expansion pack, which adds a whole extra network of tunnels to work around – if you have enough boards you can play using the underground and overground layers simultaneously, bringing a level of complexity that’s perfect for players who’ve spent a lot of hours with this game.

• Check out Railroad Ink on Amazon

Carcassonne

(Image credit: Future / Klaus-Jürgen Wrede)

This year’s oldie-but-goodie is Carcassonne (named after the medieval fortified town from which the game also draws some stylistic inspiration in its setting), which I affectionately describe as a competitive jigsaw puzzle. It’s an excellent option for newcomers to the world of ‘proper’ board games, yet still a delight for veterans, making it an excellent alternative to the (let’s face it) drab games of Monopoly some families will force themselves to endure over the holidays.

Players take it in turns to draw tiles from a randomized stack, with each one featuring some combination of city walls, roads, fields or other structures (if you’re playing with expansions), and place them into the map of Carcassonne that you’re collectively creating. When you place a tile you can choose to also place one of your Meeple (a wooden cutout in a humanoid shape) onto a feature shown on the tile, and once the feature is complete – say your road has a start and an end, or your city wall completes an unbroken loop (and the space inside is filled in) – you collect your Meeple and score points.

When you run out of tiles the player with the most points wins.

By carefully placing tiles in tactical ways you can attempt to steal features, and their associated points, from another player, or you can form alliances by working with your opponents to inflate the size of a feature, so that you can claim an equal share of the massive point total it amasses.

This relaxed friction between players leads to some light-hearted competition that doesn’t feel quite as cut-throat as other games out there – though if you prefer that more cut throat edge, or simply want to expand your Carcassonne experience, I’d highly recommend The Princess & The Dragon, The Tower, and the Traders & Builders expansions from the game’s long list of options.

The Princess can distract your opponent’s Meeples and remove them from a feature, while the Dragon can eat them, making it easy to yoink unfinished features from your foes; similarly, the Tower lets you arrest Meeples with the goal of ruining your opponents’ plans. Traders & Builders invites a little more cooperation, with Goods that you can earn for completing a city (even if another player owns it), or a Builder who lets you take a second turn if you add a tile to the feature they are scoring on.

• Check out Carcassonne on Amazon

Magic: The Gathering

(Image credit: Future / Wizards of the Coast)

The first of two suggestions on this list which push the concept of ‘board game’, Magic: The Gathering is far and away my favorite TCG (trading card game), and its recently launched Foundations set has made it much more accessible for newcomers.

Magic pits you against other players in a battle of spell-casting where you hurl bolts of lightning, summon powerful creatures, and wield incredible artifacts – all represented by cards you draw from your deck, or library as the game calls it. If you can make your opponent run out of life, run out of cards in their library, or achieve one of a few other more niche win conditions, you emerge victorious.

While Magic has a consistent set of underlying rules, it has different ‘formats’ which mix up the card pool and impose different deck-building restrictions. The main one I play is Commander, Magic’s most popular and casual format. Instead of a one-on-one match it’s a three-or-more-player free-for-all (four is the ideal amount, five is doable, six or more is too chaotic). Commander players each rely on a 99-card deck of unique cards, ignoring Basic Lands (Magic’s resource system, kinda like Energy in Pokemon). Your 100th card is your Commander, a Legendary creature who you can always call upon to aid you, and who defines the theme and colors of your deck.

Wizards of the Coast has made preconstructed Commander decks for several years that you can play with right out of the box, and some of its 2023 and 2024 releases are actually quite powerful – I’ve even seen someone open one of these premade decks, shuffle it up, and then run away with a game against decks which cost several times more. Now, Foundations is bringing some newfound accessibility to Magic’s more competitive formats with a Beginner Box designed to teach players the game, and a 350-card Starter Collection which will give you an excellent starting point for a Standard deck (60 cards, four copies of a spell maximum), a Pauper deck (like Standard but with only ‘Common’ cards), or your own custom Commander deck.

That’s not to mention Magic’s Universes Beyond sets – decks and packs containing cards from non-Magic IP like Assassin's Creed, Fallout, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, and in 2025 Spider-Man and Final Fantasy – which you might find make the game more enjoyable, as you’re getting to play as Edward Kenway or Frodo Baggins or The Tenth Doctor rather than someone from Magic’s unfamiliar cast.

Grabbing the Beginner Box as an entry point to play with your partner, or a handful of Commander decks and learning to play with a group of friends, will be an excellent way to spend the winter months. And if you do want to venture outside I’m sure your local game shop will be able to help you get to grips with the game, and they’ll likely host regular events at which you can meet other players – if you ever attend an event at Brighton’s Dice Saloon you might even play a game against me.

• Check out the Magic The Gathering store at Amazon

Dungeons & Dragons

(Image credit: Future / Wizards of the Coast)

My second pick for a ‘board game’ which slightly bends the definition, Dungeons & Dragons is excellent every year, but in 2024 its latest book releases make it a better time than ever to finally try the legendary tabletop RPG.

If you’ve somehow never heard of this game, Dungeons & Dragons is the fantasy tabletop game, and sees players take on the role of elvish warriors, dwarven spell casters, and human rogues (or whatever class and species combination you want) to face off against monsters in an adventure controlled by a Dungeon Master (DM).

What is so special about 2024 though? Well, the new Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide have been released. I have both, and while they don’t change a massive amount rules-wise (but what they do tweak does seem to be for the better based on my experience from my campaign so far) they boast clearer and more beginner-friendly explanations of Fifth-Editon’s core rules and concepts. Whether you’re a new player or a new DM, these books are a more solid foundation to build your knowledge on compared to the 2014 releases.

Additionally, one of my favorite adventure books ever has been released this year: Quests from the Infinite Staircase. Not only is it a love letter to D&D’s history, with a collection of adventures inspired by classic books released in the 80s; I feel it’s perfect for so many different kinds of campaigns, which makes it an easy pick up for any kind of DM.

I’m using the Infinite Staircase as inspiration for my current game – relying on this sprawling mass of doorways to other worlds as the glue for a collection of loosely connected one-shots, as I’ve found my group’s session cadence doesn’t suit a more typical campaign adventure.

That said, it could also slot into a more grand narrative which develops over time – perhaps one arc of your campaign has your heroes accidentally end up on the staircase and face one of the book’s adventures – or maybe you could build upon an adventure to craft a campaign – as while the main quests are aimed at levels 1 to 13, their conclusions and some additional details pave the way for quests and combats that would better suit more seasoned heroes.

Or if you’re new and just want a simple place to start, the book’s stories work as phenomenal one-shots – short one or two session-long games that are ideal for new DMs and players who want to get a taste of D&D without over committing right away.

I could write so much more, but know that over this holiday period, whether you’re gathering together in-person or online over Discord to play a game, you couldn’t do much better than Dungeons & Dragons.

• Check out the Dungeons and Dragons store at Amazon

13 Beavers

(Image credit: Future / Format Games)

I always like to recommend a more dedicated family-friendly game on this annual list, one that’s easy to grasp for younger players, or inebriated adults who’ve enjoyed a bit too much mulled wine (remember folks, drink responsibly).

This year I’m recommending 13 Beavers.

You are in a race to reach Beaver Paradise, and to move forward you must correctly guess if the next card in the deck is higher or lower than the last card revealed (with numbers ranging from 1 to 13). Guess correctly and you take a step forward; guess incorrectly and you must float all the way back to your dam. You can reposition your dam by choosing to end your turn early before drawing the next card, or if the card is the same as the previous one (i.e., you draw a five and the card before that was also a five) your turn ends and you build a dam where you are.

@norollsbarred

♬ original sound - NoRollsBarred

There are a few luck-based twists and challenges you’ll face along the way, but by far my favorite is the Tempting Tunnel (which is highlighted in the No Rolls Barred clip above). Found near the beginning of the board’s map, this shortcut takes you to practically the end of the river, mere spaces from Beaver Paradise. All you need to do to pass through is correctly guess the exact number on the next card (a roughly 1-in-13 chance), but if you’re incorrect not only is your turn over, but your dam breaks and you return to square one.

Is 13 Beavers the world’s perfect board game? Nope. But it is ridiculously fun and silly, and sometimes that’s all you need from a game to have a great time.

• Check out 13 Beavers on Amazon

Sheriff of Nottingham

(Image credit: Future / CMON)

Last but by no means least is Sheriff of Nottingham. You and your fellow players are all merchants of Nottingham, attempting to bring your wares into the city in order to sell them and make the most money. However the Sheriff (who players take it in turns to take the role of) is keeping a close eye on everyone to make sure they aren’t smuggling any contraband amongst their apples or wheels of cheese.

Each round has the merchants stashing cards in their pouches, which the Sheriff can choose to inspect or let through unchallenged. If they search the bags and find anything they shouldn't, the Sheriff discards any contraband and collects a fine, but they must pay a fine if the merchant was telling the truth. Merchants can try to convince the Sheriff to leave them alone in exchange for money, or offers to be more lenient when they're the Sheriff in a few turns.

This game is at its best when players lean into the role-play aspect, and offer more interesting bribes than merely “I’ll give you two coins to leave my produce alone.” Instead, try offering the Sheriff a bribe to open someone else’s pack to spoil their game plan (or trick the Sheriff into paying a hefty fine), or blatantly admit that you have contraband, but offer the Sheriff their pick of something you’ve smuggled in exchange for them turning a blind eye. Heck, even double-cross the sheriff to up the stakes.

If you always think hyper-tactically and take the risk-averse or non-emotional approach it can sap the enjoyment out of the Sheriff of Nottingham experience. Instead, lean into your Sheriff and Merchant persona, and see how your gameplan fares – you might not end up winning, but you’ll have a much more enjoyable time.

• Check out Sheriff of Nottingham on Amazon

Apple TV Plus was crowned our Streaming Service of the Year of 2024 for good reason. The streamer consistently delivers high-quality content month after month. For January 2025, there are four standout TV shows we're especially eager to watch. New seasons of three already-popular titles and a new mystery-thriller that has all the makings of a binge-worthy box set.

As one of the best streaming services, we have high expectations for Apple TV Plus in 2025. Luckily, it looks like it’ll continue to shine by offering a diverse range of genres, perfect for cosy nights during the chilly winter season. These four highlights are just a glimpse of what’s making its way onto our watchlist.

With January release dates to mark on your calendar, there’s plenty to look forward to in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, you can check out the best Apple TV Plus movies and best Apple TV Plus TV shows already available.

Severance season 2

Fans have been waiting years for a new season of Severance, and this January it finally lands (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Age rating: TV-MA
• Creator: Dan Erickson
• Arriving on: 17 January 2025

Widely regarded as one of the best sci-fi TV shows in recent years, fans will be thrilled to know that Severance season 2 is finally here. Arriving on January 17, 2025, the new season promises to pick up right where it left off – on one unforgettable cliffhanger.

The series follows Mark Scout (played by Adam Scott), who leads a team at the mysterious company Lumon Industries. Employees in Mark’s department undergo a procedure called “severance,” which splits their memories between their personal lives and work lives, supposedly to create the perfect work-life balance.

But, as you’d expect, tampering with the human mind on such a scale comes with staggering consequences. Honestly, the less we reveal, the better – this show is a mind-bending, mysterious, and thrilling experience with a stellar cast and a truly unique premise.

Prime Target

Leo Woodall (The White Lotus, One Day) plays maths whizz Edward in new Apple TV Plus show Prime Target (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Age rating: PG-13
• Creator: Steve Thompson
• Arriving on: 22 January 2025

Prime Target is a brand new title from Apple. It follows the story of Edward Brooks (played by Leo Woodall who you might recognize from The White Lotus and One Day), a bright young maths postgraduate who is on the brink of a new discovery. His research into the patterns of prime numbers has the potential to unlock a key to control every computer system in the world. But as he gets closer, he learns that someone is determined to shut his idea down.

Enter Taylah Sanders (played by Quintessa Swindell). She's an NSA agent who becomes an unlikely ally for Edward as they work together to uncover a conspiracy at the center of his research. We're expecting this show to be a crime-meets-mystery-meets-thriller with some twists and turns.

Eva the Owlet season 2

Eva (voiced by Vivienne Rutherford) in the show Eva the Owlet, which is getting a second season this coming January 2025 (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Age rating: TV-Y
• Creator: Annabeth Bondor-Stone and Connor White
• Arriving on: 24 January 2025

If you're looking for a kid-friendly new addition to your Apple TV Plus library, you'll only have to wait until 24 January 2025, when a new season of animated show Eva the Owlet lands on the platform.

Eva the Owlet follows Eva, a spirited young owl who loves adventure. Living in the woodland world of Treetopington, she’s always dreaming up big ideas and sharing them with her best friend, Lucy, who lives right next door. It's fun, cute and an easy watch with kids if you've already binged all of the other new shows on this list.

Mythic Quest season 4

Ian Grimm and Poppy Li star in Mythic Quest, a TV show about a video game design company (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Age rating: TV-MA
• Creator: Charlie Day, Megan Ganz, and Rob McElhenney
• Arriving on: 29 January 2025

For those who haven't seen the first three seasons, Mythic Quest takes viewers behind the scenes of a fictional video game studio, where a quirky team works to maintain the world’s most popular multiplayer game of the same name.

Led by the visionary, but often egotistical, creative director Ian Grimm (played by Rob McElhenney of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame), the team has to navigate the chaos of office politics, creative clashes, and the high tension of the gaming industry. It's a must-watch if you like comedy shows, you're already a fan of Rob McElhenney or you're just interested in the gaming industry. The highly-anticipated fourth season is the last big show to land on Apple TV Plus in January 2025, catch it on the streamer on the 29th.

You might also like

• All the ways you can get an Apple TV Plus free trial in 2024
• Apple TV Plus is now available on Prime Video in the UK
• 3 new movies and shows on Apple TV Plus that I can’t wait to watch

We’re filling out our CES 2025 prediction bingo cards at TechRadar right now, and I’m going to lose - because mine just has 25 boxes that all say ‘new Lenovo ThinkBook Twist’.

Yeah, I’m probably not getting what I want from Santa for CESmas this year, which is the return of Lenovo’s boldest (and weirdest) laptop design, the ‘twistable’ ThinkBook. What that basically means is that the display hinge is mounted in the exact center of the panel base, and can rotate on an axis - letting you spin the screen around and ‘close’ the lid to turn it into a tablet.

We reviewed the old ThinkBook Twist way back in 2013 and thought it was pretty decent, even though today the form factor has been made effectively redundant by 360-degree hinges for an easier and more intuitive switch into ‘tablet mode’. But that’s not the one I really want, no: I want a new-and-improved version of the award-winning ThinkBook Plus Twist I saw at MWC 2023, which had displays on both sides of the lid: a conventional OLED touchscreen, and a full-color E-Ink panel on the reverse.

Weird and wonderful

I know, this is an extremely silly design for a laptop at first glance. I’m not here to dispute that; watching Windows 11 run at about four frames per second on an E-Ink display was a bizarre experience, even if it did technically function fine.

But E-Ink has fantastic potential as an alternative to more power-hungry (and therefore less environmentally damaging) display types. It’s also gentler on the eyes, and works great for any activity that doesn’t demand a high refresh rate; Lenovo calls spinning the display around to use the E-Ink panel as the primary screen ‘typewriter mode’, which as a writer I find strangely endearing.

The ThinkBook Plus Twist looks like this with the lid closed - don't worry, that E-Ink display is surprisingly durable. (Image credit: Future)

Of course, a more practical use for this sort of external E-Ink display is to display information while the laptop is in sleep mode with the lid down; since E-Paper panels only require electricity when they’re changing what appears on the screen, it can show you the time, battery life, local weather, notifications and more without you even needing to open the laptop up - and all while using virtually no power.

The future of E-Ink

In ‘standard mode’ with the lid open and the OLED display facing you, the ThinkBook Plus Twist just feels like an ordinary - though fairly premium - Lenovo laptop, capable of doing everything you’d expect. But when flipped into typewriter mode, that power-guzzling OLED panel shuts off, significantly boosting your battery life for lengthy writing stints away from a wall outlet.

I want to see more laptop makes - and the tech industry as a whole - commit more to the electronic paper format. E-Ink was revolutionary, but since its debut, it’s stagnated somewhat, largely relegated to overpriced Kindles.

Yet it has such potential: I can envisage many use cases beyond simple handheld devices. Every time I drive into a certain nearby city after dark, I get positively flashbanged by an enormous LED billboard that I loathe with a deep, fiery passion. But if that billboard was made using E-Paper, it would not only be less blinding (thus making the road safer and reducing local light pollution) but it would also use less electricity. If more tech companies take the time and effort to invest in this technology’s improvement, that could become a reality.