TechRadar News

• Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W is a $7 wireless microcontroller
• Designed for IoT projects; aimed at hobbyists and professionals
• Unofficial MicroPython build available now; official support coming soon

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched the Pico 2 W, a wireless successor to the $5 Pico 2 which came out just a couple of months ago. Priced at $2 more, the Pico 2 W is built around the RP2350 microcontroller and includes the same wireless modem featured in the original Pico W.

The RP2350 microcontroller builds upon the legacy of the RP2040, first introduced in 2021. It offers faster cores, more memory, floating-point support, optimized power consumption, and improved security through Arm’s TrustZone for Cortex-M.

For wireless functionality, the Pico 2 W is equipped with the CYW43439 modem, providing 2.4GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. The microcontroller supports programming through C and MicroPython libraries, offering flexibility for enthusiasts and engineers alike.

More to come

Eben Upton, co-founder of Raspberry Pi, said, “Many of the projects and products that people build on top of our platforms - whether that’s our Linux-capable Raspberry Pi computers, our microcontroller boards, or our silicon products - answer to the general description “Internet of Things”. They combine local compute, storage, and interfacing to the real world with connectivity back to the cloud.”

Raspberry Pi’s Pico 2 W, with its low price point and solid capabilities, is an appealing choice for hobbyists and professionals working on IoT projects like smart home hubs, environmental monitoring systems, and wireless weather stations, but Upton hints that this is just the beginning.

“We’re very pleased with how Pico 2 W has turned out. And, where the Pico 1 series ended with Pico W, we have a few more ideas in mind for the Pico 2 series. Keep an eye out for more news in early 2025,” he said.

The Pico 2 W is available to buy now, and for those eager to start experimenting, an unofficial MicroPython build for the new board is already available, with official support expected soon.

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It all comes down to this for the MLS faithful: the 2024 season champions will be decided tomorrow, December 7, 2024. The New York Red Bulls will face off against LA Galaxy for the 2024 MLS Cup and will be the epic conclusion to a post-season that has been nothing if not historic.

The final game of the 2024 MLS Season is set to start at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT / 9 PM GMT / 8 AM AEDT on December 7, 2024, and here’s the best news: Whether or not you subscribe to Apple TV Plus’ MLS Season Plus or typically tune into the MLS action on Fubo TV or Fox, you can watch it for free on the Apple TV app. That’s right, you can watch the entire 2024 MLS Cup plus pre- and post-game commentary in over 100 countries and locales courtesy of Apple TV.

So whether your fandom runs deep for LA Galaxy or the New York Red Bulls, you can watch and might just fall in love – or deeper in love – with Major League Soccer.

How to watch the 2024 MLS Cup (LA Galaxy vs New York Red Bulls)

(Image credit: Apple)

Now, the 2024 MLS Cup will be a heated match by the two best teams in the league, at least for the 2024 Season. For the New York Red Bulls, this will be a long-awaited return to the championship of Major League Soccer after the team's last appearance in 2008, but the LA Galaxy might be a bit more at home as it's their 10th appearance in the MLS Cup.

Further, the LA Galaxy is the home team, and hosting it from the Dignity Health Sports Park in California is certainly an advantage. You don't need to be in California or the United States to watch the action, though.

While every game, including specials, is available streaming on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV Plus, Apple is streaming the 2024 MLS Cup for free in over 100 countries and regions. You'll open the Apple TV app on your iPhone, Mac, iPad, or even Apple TV, visit the service on the web, or use the streaming app on another connected device like a smart TV, streaming box, or even a game console.

The 2024 MLS Cup will kick off at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT / 9 PM GMT / 8AM AEDT, the actual coverage kicks off at 2:30 PM ET / 11:30 AM PT / 7:30 PM GMT / 6:30 AM AEDT. There will be two lengthy pre-game shows, MLS Countdown and MLS La Previa, broadcast live from the stadium and offer commentary in both English and Spanish.

Once the game wraps with either the LA Galaxy or New York Red Bulls declared as winners, there will be postgame commentary in English and Spanish on MLS Wrap-Up and MLS El Resumen.

If you want to feel like you're in the stadium, maybe on a massive screen, you can watch the 2024 MLS Cup on an Apple Vision Pro. I'd recommend watching with AirPods Pro as the broadcast is mixed in Dolby Atmos audio, which makes for a great immersive, Spatial Audio mix.

Still, if you want to be amongst a crowd, Apple's set up a few options. Several stores in the United States, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico will livestream the MLS Cup, but if you're in New York City, you'll want to visit Times Square to watch it on a screen the size of a city block. In fact, it's on Silvercast Media’s high-definition Mega-Zilla, and you can even see a replica of the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, which will be awarded to the winning team.

And if you care about reading the play-by-play, or might be on the move during the game, the free Apple Sports app for the iPhone is ideal and available in the US, UK, and Canada. I'd turn on the Live Activity as well to see it on your lock screen and at the top of your iPhone.

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All Italian residents can now digitalize their identity documents with a single application.

The IT-Wallet is Italy's iteration of the EU Digital Identity Wallet scheme, created to "provide a safe, reliable, and private means of digital identification for everyone in Europe," explains the European Commission.

The European initiative passed last year despite strong criticisms from privacy experts warning against a potential increase in surveillance and security risks.

IT-Wallet: the privacy and security conundrum

Starting from December 4, 2024, Italians can use the IT-Wallet feature to digitally scan their driving license and health card directly from the IO app, Italy's public services application.

The project is set to expand and accept other documents, like ID cards and passports, while also integrating new functionalities, such as the possibility to make payments, book medical appointments, or transport.

The launch follows the pilot that started at the end of October and involved 50,000 citizens. Other European countries are currently testing their own iterations of the EU digital wallet at the time of writing, including France, Germany, and Luxembourg.

While the European Union argues that ID Wallets will provide a simpler and safer way for citizens to prove their identity, the ongoing implementation continues to spark concerns among commentators.

I’m extremely worried about the direction of the #eIDAS trilogue negotiations. We see a massive attack on core privacy principles in the text proposed by the @EU_Commission and @eu2023es Presidency. The EU ID Wallet risks becoming a privacy nightmare that is not safe to use!!!September 3, 2023

Italian journalist Martina Pastorelli, for instance, has described the IT-Wallet as "the EU digital cage, which will reduce governments into platforms and citizens into users, transforming rights into concessions and services into products."

The EU ID Wallet has been a contentious issue since the beginning, creating a lot of friction among policymakers.

It's certainly more convenient to have all your identity references in one single app, but this could also "enable governments to surveil citizens more effectively," Udbhav Tiwari, Mozilla's Head of Global Product Policy, told TechRadar back in September 2023.

The fact that member states need to develop their own application is also reason for concern among experts.

As per Bart Preenel, a cryptographer professor at Leuven University, "This makes adding privacy much harder because it means that every member needs to pay attention to this effort and adds privacy [protection] to the design," he told TechRadar in February. Features like anonymization of credentials, noted Preenel, are optional requirements, in fact.

There's also the issue of security, especially considering that data breach incidents have become almost a daily occurrence lately, with medical records being a constant target of hackers.

Italians can decide for themselves whether or not to start using the IT-Wallet, however, as the service is voluntary at the time of writing.

• Windows 11 will soon allow easy webcam resolution adjustments in settings without extra software
• A hidden feature in Windows Insider build lets users manually select webcam resolution and frame rate
• New options include multi-app webcam use and a ‘basic’ mode for troubleshooting camera issues

Adjusting your webcam’s resolution on Windows 11 PCs is about to get a lot easier - without needing to install extra software. The operating system already offers several webcam settings, which can be found by going to Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Cameras. Here, you can change webcam settings like brightness, sharpness, and contrast, and soon you’ll be able to control your webcam’s resolution too.

Signs of the new addition to Windows 11’s webcam settings were picked up and shared by reliable Windows leaker @PhantomOfEarth on X. In a recent Windows Insider Canary Channel preview build of Windows 11, they found a hidden feature ID that could be enabled that adds an option to modify your webcam’s image resolution. According to Neowin, this option will allow you to let Windows 11 choose the best resolution for your webcam automatically or manually select a fixed resolution and frame rate.

Recent Canary builds include an additional advanced camera option: media type, which lets you choose a specific camera resolution. (ID is disabled by default, 27744+)vivetool /enable /id:52142480 pic.twitter.com/vZxAmv7RqkDecember 4, 2024

If you enable this hidden feature ID, new options will be added to the camera settings menu. There, your webcam will (hopefully) now be listed with an ‘Edit’ option. Upon selecting this, you’ll be met with a list of resolutions available for your webcam, as well as two other new options, including letting multiple apps use your webcam at the same time and a ‘basic’ mode you can turn on if your webcam seems like it’s malfunctioning - not unlike booting Windows in ‘Safe Mode’ to debug OS problems.

When we expect to see the new settings and how you can get it now

If your computer is running one of the latest versions of Windows 11 (build 27744 or newer), you can enable this new setting for yourself, although you have to use ViveTool to do this. I would recommend you check out Neowin’s explanation of how to do this if you’re eager to test out this new feature early.

Overall, this is a positive update to Windows 11 (something that has been… a little rare of late), especially since more in-depth customization of your webcam has often required the use of third-party apps. This could be especially useful while you’re in video calls or meetings or if you want to quickly switch video quality while making a recording.

This change is still a hidden feature in a preview version of Windows 11, but if it’s made it this far, I expect that we’ll see it in a future update for the live public version of the OS fairly soon.

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• America’s sanctions limiting China’s access to semiconductors criticized
• Huawei and its partners are all subject to different rules
• Letter calls for the preservation of documents for Trump’s analysis

Despite very public efforts to limit China’s access to advanced semiconductors and chipmaking equipment, a leading House Republican has accused Biden’s administration of leaving loopholes that companies like Huawei are benefiting from.

The concern comes from none other than Representative John Moolenaar, the chair of the chamber’s China Select Committee, who expressed his concerns in a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Acknowledging that some restrictions, like curbs on high-bandwidth memory chips, have been largely successful, Moolenaar argued that other measures have created opportunities for Chinese firms to bypass America’s sanctions, rendering them ineffective.

US restrictions on China deemed ineffective

Moolenaar highlighted rules that impose varied restrictions on different production facilities belonging to Huawei’s chipmaking partner, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC).

He criticized licensing policies allowing “case-by-case” sales to some SMIC facilities in Shanghai despite denying other shipments to its Beijing operations, and questioned why some Huawei-linked firms like Shenzhen Pensun Technology Co and SwaySure are subject to less stringent policies compared to others, such as Qingdao Si’En.

An extract from the letter (via Bloomberg) reads: “There is no national security justification for these loopholes.” All of this, he says, “raise[es] real questions about the culture at [The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security] and why BIS continues to facilitate shipments of US technology.”

Moolenaar has been instrumental to the US’ efforts to limit China’s access to advanced technologies – he and Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi were the driving force behind adding many of the latest companies to the so-called entity list, announced earlier this week.

In his letter to Raimondo, Moolenaar is asking the Department of Commerce to “preserve all documents and communications” related to the restrictions so that US President-elect Donald Trump “can properly identify any other loopholes.”

A Commerce spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter, adding that it “will respond through the appropriate channels.”

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OpenAI has started the holidays early with the launch of a 12-day event called "12 days of OpenAI". Each day over the next week or so, OpenAI will be unveiling new updates to existing products as well as new software, including the much-anticipated Sora AI video generator.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that there will be daily live streams with a launch or demo each day, "some big ones and some stocking stuffers".

The company kickstarted the festivities with the huge unveiling of the o1 reasoning model as well as a new business tier of ChatGPT, called ChatGPT Pro. That's not a bad start, and we fully expect to see even more huge reveals throughout the event.

We're here to cover everything "12 days of OpenAI" throughout the coming days, so grab a cup of hot beverage, sit back, and relax, as we uncover the next era of OpenAI software.

LIVE UPDATES

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Welcome to TechRadar's "12 days of OpenAI" live blog, where our resident AI experts will be taking you through the next 12 (well, 11) days of everything exciting coming out of the world's most famous AI company.

What will Sam Altman reveal? How will these new updates and products change the way we use artificial intelligence? Who knows, but we're incredibly excited to find out.

(Image credit: OpenAI)

Yesterday, OpenAI kicked off the 12-day event with the announcement that the company's o1 reasoning model would no longer be in preview, ready for everyone to try.

The AI model thrives with scientific equations and math problems with OpenAI saying o1 can solve 83% of the problems in the International Mathematics Olympiad qualifying exam, a massive improvement on GPT-4o, which only scored 13%. The new model makes fewer errors than the preview version, cutting down on major mistakes by 34%.

That wasn't the only reveal, however...

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

OpenAI also announced ChatGPT Pro yesterday, but who is it actually aimed at?

For $200/month ChatGPT Pro gives you unlimited usage and an even smarter version of o1 with "more benefits to come!"

The fact is that for almost everybody the current $20 a month ChatGPT Plus option will be easily sufficient. Perhaps it can do special things (like writing "David Mayer" with no problems), but it seems hard to justify beyond a select few users who need massive computing power. To me, the $200 price point seems more like a price anchor. Essentially, it makes the $20 ChatGPT Plus price point look really good value.

(Image credit: Open AI)

One of the biggest announcements we expect to see over the next week or so is the official launch of Sora, OpenAI's video generator which can transform a text prompt into an incredible video.

Sora was leaked last month by unhappy artists who have accused OpenAI of taking advantage for unpaid research and development purposes. There's definitely a debate to be had on how OpenAI trains its AI models, but that's maybe one for another day.

In terms of what Sora offers, well, imagine one of the best AI image generators, but video. I've not tried Sora yet, but from the demos online, it looks pretty awesome.

(Image credit: OpenAI)

What are TechRadar's predictions for day 2 of OpenAI's "12 days of OpenAI" I hear you cry? Well, Sam Altman said that we can expect "some big ones and some stocking stuffers" throughout the 12 days, and considering that yesterday we got a brand new version of ChatGPT (ChatGPT o1) I'd predict that today's Xmas gift from OpenAI will be more of a "stocking stuffer" than one of the "big ones".

Perhaps a minor update to ChatGPT search or ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode. What am I really hoping for? I want ChatGPT search to be rolled out to all users on the free tier. Fingers crossed!

OpenAI's next livestream kicks off at 10 am PT / 1 pm ET / 6 pm GMT and you can watch it live directly from OpenAI's website.

If you go to the "12 days of OpenAI" section of the website right now, you'll see a gorgeous advent calendar, hinting at the exciting days to come. Just like an advent calendar, some days will be better than others, so I'm very intrigued to see if OpenAI keeps up the momentum or if today isn't quite as stellar as yesterday.

Bookmark that link too, as you'll be able to revisit all the highlights from the events even if you miss one of the livestreams. Or, you could keep checking in with TechRadar as we'll keep you up to date on everything you need to know over the next week or so.

OpenAI o1 is now out of preview in ChatGPT.What’s changed since the preview? A faster, more powerful reasoning model that’s better at coding, math & writing.o1 now also supports image uploads, allowing it to apply reasoning to visuals for more detailed & useful responses. pic.twitter.com/hrLiID3MhJDecember 5, 2024

If you're just joining us, OpenAI announced the official launch of o1 yesterday, with a "faster, more powerful reasoning model that's better at coding, math & writing."

If you want to try it out yourself, just head to ChatGPT and choose the o1 model from the dropdown. Give it a try on your math homework, or a coding challenge, you might be surprised by the results.

(Image credit: OpenAI)

ChatGPT uses Dall-E 3 for image generation, which is right up there with the current crop of AI image generators on the market, however, it's starting to look a little long in the tooth. New upcoming AI image generators like Flux have been slowly getting better and better.

Could we see a new version of Dall-E in our 12 days of OpenAI? It's a hotly tipped possibility. If OpenAI can give us image generation that's better than Flux Pro then it will certainly be a happy holiday season for everybody.

I mentioned Sora earlier, but just in case you haven't heard of the AI video generator, here's an unbelievable trailer from OpenAI showing just what it's capable of.

My personal favorite here is the prompt "a litter of golden retriever puppies playing in the snow. Their heads pop out of the snow."

How can AI be so cute? I can't quite wrap my head around it.

(Image credit: Future)

Here's another prediction for "12 Days of OpenAI" announcements: videochatGPT. You might be familiar with the Norad Santa Tracker It's a fun way to track Santa's flight around the world on the 24th of December. This year I'm thinking that it's the perfect time for OpenAI to take this a step further with an AI Santa video call demo as part of a new AI video ChatGPT.

So, imagine talking to ChatGPT just like you're currently doing in ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, but you're seeing a video avatar talk back to you. Santa Claus would be the perfect video avatar to kick this off, and it would delight children everywhere. Let's just hope AI Santa doesn't start hallucinating because the result could be hilarious...

(Image credit: Future)

One of the nice things about Day 1 of OpenAI's "12 days of OpenAI" was its brevity. When Sam Altman sat down before us with three of his engineers, we wondered it we were in for hours of exposition on major AI updates across every aspect of OpenAI's business. Turned out that OpenAI was really spreading out all its news over 12 days. Yes, that means we're in for a lot over the next week or so but at least we can count on each day of news being digestible.

On the other hand, can we get to that Sora update and release today? Please? We're just 10 minutes from finding out...

Day 2 of '12 Days of OpenAI' is now kicking off, and Sam Altman is not here. Instead, some other team members are teasing a tool that will arrive next year. It's not a new model or anything in the realm of Sora, but OpenAI's customization for models will now support reinforcement fine-tuning.

(Image credit: Future)

While this is not necessarily consumer-focused, OpenAI welcomed Justin Reese, a researcher for rare genetic diseases at Berkeley University. Now, in a live demo on o1 mini, we're trying to have the model ID genes from a sample data pool that might be responsible for a disease. Of course, it will be fact-checked against known results, but it's a good test of reinforcement fine-tuning for validation on o1 mini.

Furthermore, within o1 mini, you can refine and customize this fine-tuning process. The aim is to let you get the most out of the data by tweaking the model to your specific needs. It was noted that depending on the amount of data and the task, it can take anywhere from a few seconds to hours to complete.

The results at the end will be plotted within an evaluation dashboard with several presets.

(Image credit: Future)

Of course, OpenAI had to bring us back down to earth with another joke, though this time, we didn't get to hear Sam Altman laugh at it, though. With Christmas fast approaching and the business being based in San Fransisco – home to many a self-driving car – it's pretty on point.

The joke went along the lines of: We live in San Fransisco, self-driving vehicles are all the rage, and Santa's been trying to get in on this. He's been trying to make a self driving sleigh, but it keeps hitting trees left and right. Any guesses? He didn't pine-tune his models.

To help you better visualize it, TechRadar's Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff asked ChatGPT to create an image of it.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

• Security pros from watchTowr found a new bug in Mitel MiCollab
• Mitel has not yet released a patch
• WatchTowr suggested a number of mitigations to minimize risk

A zero-day vulnerability, allowing crooks to read files they shouldn’t be allowed to read, is still sitting in Mitel MiCollab three months after being reported.

This is according to a new report from cybersecurity researchers watchTowr, who claim to have found and reported the flaw in late August this year.

Mitel MiCollab is a unified communications and collaboration solution designed to enhance teamwork and productivity by integrating messaging, voice, video, and conferencing tools into a single platform.

Immediate effect

The researchers at watchTowr were looking into a different vulnerability when they discovered a flaw that allows threat actors to access sensitive information about the accounts on a system. They reached out to Mitel, who acknowledged the findings and set a deadline for the patch for the first week of December, this year.

“At the time of publishing, there has been no update on the Mitel Security Advisory page." watchTowr said in a recent report. The researchers also released a proof-of-concept, describing how the flaw might be exploited.

Communication and collaboration platforms are often targeted by cybercriminals, as they usually contain sensitive information such as contracts, payment information, employee and customer data, and more. Criminals can use that information to pressure the victims into paying a ransom, or to mount phishing attacks that can result in the deployment of ransomware and other malware.

To make matters worse, BleepingComputer claims that MiCollab was targeted in the past as well, suggesting that it is only a matter of time before this new zero-day gets exploited, especially with a proof-of-concept already available.

Since the patch is not yet released, users are advised to limit access to the MiCollab server, implement stringent firewall rules, monitor logs for suspicious activity, and disable (or restrict) access to the ReconcileWIzard servlet, if possible.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Anker is recalling its Soundcore and PowerConf Bluetooth speakers 
• The company received 33 reports of the speakers’ lithium-ion batteries overheating and in some instances causing smoke
• Anker has said it will replace any speakers with affected SN codes

In what has been a difficult month for overheating audio products, Anker is the latest manufacturer to be asking known purchasers to return items. The Chinese tech manufacturer is recalling its Soundcore and PowerConf Bluetooth Speakers after receiving 33 complaints of the lithium-ion batteries within them overheating and, in some cases, causing smoke or even small fires.

Do you own an affected model? First off, the speakers were sold exclusively on Amazon in 2023. The affected models are: A3102016, A3302011 and A3302031 and they are priced between $28 and $130, according to the US-based Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

As first reported by The Verge, the CPSC confirms that Anker and Amazon have contacted all known buyers, and the affected speakers can be identified by an SN code printed on the underneath of each speaker. To check whether your device or devices are potentially hazardous, you can type the SN code on Anker’s website. Anker has said it will offer free replacement speakers to those affected.

According to the report, approximately 69,000 of these speakers were sold in the US, and an additional 9,764 were sold in Canada. Anyone who owns a recalled speaker is advised to stop using it immediately, make sure it's switched off, and to disconnect it from any chargers or external power sources.

Smoke on the water (and from speakers and earbuds too)

This is not the first instance of smoking batteries in portable audio equipment we've spotted this month. Just a few weeks ago, Audio-Technica was forced to warn customers that certain batches of its inexpensive 2024 earbuds had a similar overheating issue (and actually, a couple of years ago the company had a similar issue, publishing a product safety notice for its ATH-CK3TW earbuds due to another overheating problem with its charging case).

Anker and Audio-Technica are not alone here either. On November 28, Belkin also had to issue a recall notice for its BoostCharge Pro (model number BPD005) power bank, adding that the model could pose a fire risk due to a manufacturing defect that's now known to cause overheating.

But back to Anker, and the company's products (which are often backed by proprietary temperature control tech, such as Anker ActiveShield 2.0) are otherwise 100% non-combustible, right? Well, no. The company makes some of the best power banks we've tested, but it seems to have had increasing issues with manufacturing defects this year – with another recall hitting three more of its backup batteries for smartphones in September 2024.

And that's not all. Back in June, Anker announced that it was recalling its popular 321 Power Bank, the Soundcore A3102 speaker and A3302 speakerphone, due to potential fire hazards from those lithium-ion batteries.

Obviously these cases are rare given the hundreds of excellent Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, power banks, and in fact tech in general on the market in 2024. We just hope none of these particular companies starts advertising 'red hot sales' or 'smoking deals' any time soon…

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Encrypted email service Tuta was the victim of multiple DDoS attacks this week.

The German-based provider first announced the incident with a post on X on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, with another attack causing the service downtime two days later. Tuta is said to have successfully mitigated both attacks, but some users are still lamenting issues accessing their accounts or using the service.

Short for Distributed Denial of Service, a DDoS attack's goal is to make a website, service, or machine inaccessible to users. Cybercriminals achieve this by flooding the targeted network with internet traffic to overwhelm their capacity to carry on with legitimate requests.

The impact on Tuta's users

"While we have to mitigate DDoS attacks constantly, and usually do so without the users noticing, the attackers used new attack vectors which our DDoS protection system was not prepared for," Hanna Bozakov, press officer at Tuta, told TechRadar, commenting on this week's incidents.

We are a privacy-focused service, we can not simply hide our application behind mitigation services

Matthias Pfau, Tuta's co-founder

DDoS attacks cause downtime to targeted networks as they become unable to respond to user queries. On a practical level, people using Tuta services couldn't get into their accounts.

While Tuta users couldn't access their mailbox for some time, Bozakov ensures that no emails received during the attack have been lost or users' privacy has been compromised. She said: "[Users' data] is encrypted end-to-end on our servers, and no data has been harmed. The attacks only aim at the availability of our service."

The team is currently working on hardening its systems against these types of attacks. As Matthias Pfau, co-founder of Tuta, explains, however, these incidents are among the challenges of building a privacy-first secure email service.

He said: "As we are a privacy-focused service, we can not simply hide our application behind mitigation services that require our SSL key for their service. This would be a violation of the trust that users put into Tuta Mail to keep their data safe and private."

We should support Tuta - especially NOW from r/tutanota

Tuta's sub-Reddit group has been filled with frustrated customers reporting connectivity issues starting on Monday, with the latest report being shared only a few hours ago.

The provider, however, confirms the attacks have now been mitigated. At the time of writing, Tuta's status page also confirmed that "all systems are operational."

If you are still experiencing issues accessing your inbox, this could mean your IP address has been blocked during the attacks by Tuta's DDoS protection system.

One of the best VPN apps could help here as it spoofs your IP by assigning you another one for each session. Bear in mind, though, that VPNs could also have been blocked by Tuta's mitigation systems as many people tried to use them during the attack.

Bozakov then suggests rather using a completely different connection to access your Tuta's app, such as another WI-Fi or mobile internet data.

The provider is still analyzing the attacks at the time of writing and is set to publish a detailed report of what happened in the coming days.

• Microsoft says a new threat actor started targeting critical infrastructure
• The group is linked to Silk Typhoon
• It engages in spear phishing and vulnerability exploits

Storm-0227, a Chinese state-sponsored advanced persistent threat (APT) actor started targeting critical infrastructure organizations, as well as government entities, in the United States.

This is according to Sherrod DeGrippo, director of threat intelligence strategy at Microsoft.

Speaking to The Register recently, DeGrippo said that the group abuses software vulnerabilities and engages in spear phishing attacks to gain access to people’s devices.

Commodity malware

Once they get the access, they deploy different Remote Access Trojans (RAT) and other malware to obtain login credentials for services such as Microsoft 365. They also steal sensitive documents and whatever else they can get their hands on. The goal of the campaign is cyber-espionage.

An interesting thing about Storm-0227 is that it uses off-the-shelf malware which, a few years ago, would come as quite the shock: “Even national-aligned threat actors … are pulling commodity malware out of that trading ecosystem and using it for remote access," she told the publication. Half a decade ago "that was sort of a shocking thing to see a nation-sponsored, espionage-focused threat actor group really leveraging off the shelf malware," she added. "Today we see it very frequently."

There was no word on the number of victims, but DeGrippo described the group as an “embodiment of persistence”.

"China continues to focus on these kinds of targets," she said. "They're pulling out files that are of espionage value, communications that are contextual espionage value to those files, and looking at US interests."

Storm-0227 seems to overlap, at least in part, with Silk Typhoon, it was further said. There is a whole list of “typhoon” threat actors, all on the payroll of the Chinese government, and all apparently tasked with spying on western governments, critical infrastructure firms, and other areas of interest (military, aerospace, and similar).

That includes Volt Typhoon, Salt Typhoon, Flax Typhoon, and Brass Typhoon. Salt Typhoon was recently linked to a number of high-profile breaches, including at least four major US telecom operators.

Via The Register

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The Christmas countdown is underway, with the best streaming services serving up a variety of festive films and not-so-seasonal favorites. From this year's best new movies finally getting a streaming release to the premieres of new DC Cinematic Universe (DCU) and Star Wars series, there's a real mix of fresh content to get through this weekend.

The star power in this week's lineup is also immense: You'll be able to catch Margo Martindale as a maple syrup farmer, Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum faking a moon landing, Kiera Knightly kicking ass, a haunted Winona Ryder, Sabrina Carpenter being, well, Sabrina Carpenter, David Harbour as Frankenstein, and Nick Frost as a rusty droid. Enjoy!

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney Plus)

It's high time that Star Wars started dipping its toes in other genres. And, after the critical success that spy thriller series Andor was met with in mid- to late 2022, a pirate-themed galactic misadventure in the shape of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has arrived to expand the iconic sci-fi franchise's horizons.

So, what's it about? Essentially, four kids who get lost in space who, with the aid of Jude Law's enigmatic Jod Na Nawood and a cranky, decrepit droid named SM-33 (voiced by Nick Frost), try to get back home. Think of it as 'Goonies in space' and you'll get the gist. Its first two episodes are already available on Disney Plus, but read my Star Wars: Skeleton Crew review first to find out why it's not only a show worth *ahem* treasuring, but also one that's destined to join our best Disney Plus shows guide.

Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

• Watch Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on Disney Plus

Creature Commandos (Max)

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is dead, long live the DCU! Okay, the acronyms are almost identical, but James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted DCU couldn't be more different to its now-defunct and frustratingly inconsistent shared universe.

A prime example of how different the DCU will be is clear in DCU Chapter One's first project: Creature Commandos. An R-rated animated series, it follows Task Force M, a group of supervillains and anti-heroes charged with protecting Princess Ilana of Pokolistan from Circe, a powerful sorceress and long-time Wonder Woman adversary.

Check out my spoiler-free review of Creature Commandos to learn more about it ahead of tuning in to see its two-episode premiere on Max. In short: it's good enough that it'll squeak onto our best Max shows list, but I hope future DCU projects like Gunn's Superman movie will be even better.

Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

• Watch Creature Commandos on Max

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (Netflix)

Which artists were at the top of your Spotify Wrapped 2024 this year? I've been hearing a real eclectic mix in the office, but Sabrina Carpenter has been a clear favorite. Indeed, when TechRadar's Rowan Davis heard about Netflix's holiday music special with the pop princess, he couldn't contain his excitement.

Expect to tune into Carpenter performing songs from her holiday record Fruitcake, then, as well as other Christmas covers, alongside some guests, including comedians and other artists tonight at 6pm ET / 11pm GMT on Netflix. Now, please please please grab an espresso, as you won't want to sleep through this.

Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter on Netflix

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Max)

The anticipated follow-up to 1980s classic horror comedy Beetlejuice is a real treat. With a star-studded cast including the return of original stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara, plus newcomers Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe, Beetlejuice 2's ensemble easily made it one of my most anticipated new Max movies for December.

Set more than 30 years after the first movie, it follows Lydia Deetz who's, unsurprisingly, now a woman – and one struggling to keep her family together in the wake of a loss as Beetlejuice returns to haunt her. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of the first flick, but it’s still a very good watch and worthy of a spot on the best Max movies list.

Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on Max

Black Doves (Netflix)

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Not because it's the festive season, but because I get to see Keira Knightley as a butt-kicking secret agent in new Netflix spy thriller Black Doves.

In it, Knightley is worlds away from her period drama era as she takes on the role of Helen Webb, a fearless spy who goes on a quest for revenge when her secret lover is murdered by the dangerous London underworld. Joining Helen on her mission is old assassin friend Sam (Ben Whishaw) after he's called in to protect her.

I knew it was going to be one of the best Netflix shows of 2024 after I watched the action-packed Black Doves trailer, and now I can't wait for the comedic spy duo to bring bullets, bloodshed, and British wit during the holidays. Oh, and it's already been renewed for a second season, so Merry Kill-mas!

Grace Morris, entertainment writer

• Watch Black Doves on Netflix

Fly Me to the Moon (Apple TV Plus)

Some of the best Apple TV Plus movies often attract Hollywood A-listers like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Jennifer Lawrence. Now, Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum are part of that famous list with the rom-com Fly Me to the Moon. Set against the backdrop of NASA's historic Apollo 11 moon landing, marketing specialist Kelly Jones (Johansson) and launch director Cole Davis (Tatum) are tasked with creating a fake moon landing in case the mission fails.

I love a good rom-com and Fly Me to the Moon looks like an old-fashioned Apple-produced romance I can get behind, especially if it involves Johansson and Tatum. Is the sci-fi TV show utopia that is Apple TV Plus about to produce a top-tier romantic comedy? Judging by its respectable 65% Rotten Tomatoes score (it was released in theaters earlier this year, FYI), maybe!

Grace Morris, entertainment writer

• Watch Fly Me to the Moon on Apple TV Plus

The Sticky (Prime Video)

When I first saw the trailer for Prime Video's The Sticky, I said it looks like Breaking Bad with maple syrup instead of meth. If that isn’t enough to sell you, I don’t know what will, because this show looks bonkers in the best possible way. The Sticky is actually based on a bizarre real-life crime story called the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, which saw $18.7M worth of maple syrup was stolen in Quebec. In the dramatized version, a syrup farmer turns to a Bostonian mobster and a French-Canadian security guard for their aid in stealing Quebec's maple syrup surplus.

I can’t wait to watch it either, especially with legends like Jamie Lee Curtis and Margo Martindale attached to the cast. If I had things my way, it would already have a spot on our best Prime Video shows list. I just hope it doesn't come unstuck when more people check it out!

Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch The Sticky on Prime Video

For more streaming coverage, read our guides on the best Hulu movies, best Apple TV Plus shows, best Paramount Plus movies, and best Netflix movies.

• Security researchers found two new malware variants, an infostealer and a loader
• The developers seem to be the same group that's behind more_eggs
• The infostealer can grab passwords, cookies, and more

Venom Spider, a threat actor behind the infamous More_eggs malware, is expanding its malware-as-a-service (MaaS) operation. This is according to a new report from cybersecurity researchers Zscaler ThreatLabz, who recently found two new malware families linked to the same developer.

In a detailed report published earlier this week, the researchers said that Venom Spider (also known as Golden Chickens) built an infostealer called RevC2, and a loader named Venom Loader.

The infostealer can grab people’s login credentials, and cookies from Chromium-powered browsers (Chrome, Edge, Brave, and others). It can run shell commands, grab screenshots, and proxy traffic using SOCKS5. Finally, it can run commands as a different user, as well. The loader, on the other hand, is customized for each victim, and uses their computer’s name to encode the payload, it was said.

VenomLNK

The researchers first observed the new malware being used in August this year, and have been tracking it ever since. They don’t know exactly how the malware is distributed to the victims, but suspect it all starts with VenomLNK. This is an initial access tool that the researchers observed being used to deploy both of the above-mentioned malware, while at the same time, showing a decoy PNG image to the victim.

This is not the first time VenomLNK was seen in the wild, as the experts said it was used to deploy More_eggs lite before.

More_eggs is a JavaScript-based loader used to infiltrate systems by downloading and executing additional malicious payloads, typically after gaining an initial foothold through phishing emails or malicious links.

The malware is notorious for its stealthy behavior, as it leverages legitimate processes and tools to evade detection. Attackers often deploy more_eggs to install ransomware, steal sensitive data, or provide remote access to compromised systems.

More_eggs has been around for at least three years, possibly for longer.

Via The Hacker News

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• Google Photos is rolling out a new Recap feature today
• Recap videos give you a Spotify Wrapped-style summary of your year
• The feature includes highlights and stats like your longest photo streak

If you're a big Google Photos fan, the service knows a lot about your life – and from today it's crunching all of that data together to make a new Spotify Wrapped-style highlights video of your year called Recap.

Rolling out from today in the Google Photos app, Recap goes a bit further than the Memories feature it's based on. There are the usual photo and video highlights, but like Wrapped you get stats based on your photos – like your longest photo streak and the top colors you photographed in 2024.

Recap can also reveal who you smiled the most with this year, but to power all of this you need to have Google Photos' 'Face Groups' setting turned on. To check that, inside the app go to your Account profile photo or initials in the top-right, then Settings > Privacy > Face Groups.

The Recap feature takes the form of a short video that sits in your Memories carousel and you'll get a notification in the Google Photos app when yours is ready. Google says it'll sit in the carousel throughout December so it's handy for sharing over the holidays, but you can also share it to social media from the app.

Google also says that "select users" in the US can also opt in to receive a version of their Recap video with personalized captions that are generated by Google Gemini. To do that, you'll need to head into the app's Settings and opt into using Gemini features.

How much do you want Google Photos to know?

(Image credit: Google)

New Google Photos features like Recap and 'Ask Photos' could divide opinion among its users. For some, they'll be fun, time-saving tools that save them from what were once huge photo book projects. But others could find its all-knowing analysis of their photo libraries a little creepy and invasive.

Recap goes a step beyond being a highlights reel with stats like the number of smiles you captured, who you smiled with the most and your favorite colors of 2024 (above).

That's all pretty innocent, but there's also a danger that those who haven't delved into Google Photos Memories settings like 'hide a face' could get a Recap video that treads on sensitive ground. A Google spokesperson told us: "Not all memories are worth revisiting, so we use filters and do our best to avoid resurfacing upsetting memories. However, there may be times where we don’t get it right."

"That’s why Google Photos includes controls to hide photos of certain people or time periods within Memories. Hidden people and dates will not appear in your Recap," the spokesperson reassured us.

Gemini-powered features like 'Ask Photos' (and the personalized Recap captions available to "select users" in the US) are also opt-in, so Google recognizes there is a sensitivity to its most powerful AI features being applied to Google Photos.

The tech giant's privacy hub for Google Photos says that your personal data in Photos is "never used for ads" and that your 'Ask Photos' responses "aren't reviewed by humans", but with cloud photo libraries becoming increasingly smart it's worth deciding how much you want the services to know about your life.

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• Apple has introduced Passwords support for Firefox
• The extension allows Mac users to store, sync, and autofill credentials
• Apple has apparently taken ownership of an existing extension

Apple has gradually added more credential management features to both iOS and MacOS, with autofill features and a password generator being added in software updates.

The release of iOS 18 and macOS 15 Sequoia saw Apple introduce its very own password manager, suitably named ‘Passwords’, allowing users to sync, store, and autofill password from a single app.

Now, Apple is setting its sights on introducing more password support for browsers outside of its native Safari.

Passwords for Firefox

Apple has now introduced a browser extension for Firefox, allowing MacOS users with a preference for the flaming Vulpes to enjoy the same functionality offered in Safari and supported Chromium based browsers such as Chrome and Edge.

The extension simply requires a Mac device that is already synced with your iCloud account running either macOS Sonoma or macOS Sequoia. Once installed, the extension will prompt you to type in a six-digit code, and you can now store and autofill passwords in Firefox.

The basis for the extension, however, is not new. Apple has apparently claimed ownership of an existing extension that offered support for Apple passwords in the Firefox browser, with the Github page stating that Apple “are now the sole owners in charge of maintaining their own official iCloud Passwords extension.”

Unfortunately, Windows users are going to have to wait before Apple Password sync is enabled, as the Firefox extension is not compatible with the Firefox browser when running on Windows or Linux - however the Github page for the original extension does support Windows version that can run iCloud for Windows, so Apple may have Firefox Password support for Windows in the pipeline.

Via Ars Technica

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• A yearly certification should be mandatory for US telcos, FCC Chair said
• The initiative should help businesses tackle rising attacks
• China denies any involvement

It should be mandatory for American telecommunications organizations to every year submit a certification, confirming they have a solid cyber-incident response plan set up.

This is a proposal set forth by US Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, in response to recent news that Chinese state-sponsored threat groups have entrenched themselves deeply into US telecom providers, possibly snooping in on important communications for years.

Earlier this year, multiple cybersecurity organizations, and then government agencies too, reported that Chinese threat actors named Salt Typhoon infiltrated some US telecommunications giants and were pulling valuable data.

Immediate effect

Later, a number of organizations confirmed the findings, including T-Mobile, Verizon, Lumen Technologies, and AT&T. The campaign seems to be global, affecting “dozens” of private and public sector firms around the world.

"While the Commission's counterparts in the intelligence community are determining the scope and impact of the Salt Typhoon attack, we need to put in place a modern framework to help companies secure their networks and better prevent and respond to cyberattacks in the future," Rosenworcel said in a statement.

Reuters cited Rosenworcel saying the proposal was being circulated to other commissioners in her agency. If adopted, it would take effect immediately, it was added.

The victims are now working diligently on ousting the spies in an ongoing effort, with no concrete deadline set up.

At the same time, the Chinese government remains silent. In the past, it has denied these allegations on numerous occasions, even accusing the US of being the world’s cyber-bully at one point. A few months ago, it released a report in which it claimed that Volt Typhoon, another hacking collective, was actually a CIA asset.

The document asserts that China consulted over 50 cybersecurity experts, who collectively determined both the US and Microsoft do not have enough evidence to implicate China’s involvement with Volt Typhoon. However, the names of the experts are not included in the document.

Via Reuters

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• Romania has cancelled its presidential election as a result of a spate of cyberattacks
• The cyberattacks targeted electoral systems, with over 85,000 attacks in total
• The election will be re-run, likely with closer oversight over systems and social media

A recently declassified report [PDF] from Romania’s Intelligence Service (SRI) has revealed that the election’s infrastructure was targeted by over 85,000 cyberattacks over the run up to election day.

The primary concern from these attacks is the state-sponsored online influence campaign promoting the election of front-runner and Pro-Moscow candidate Călin Georgescu. Access credentials for election websites were stolen by threat actors and leaked on a Russian hacker forum, which is a worrying development given the volatility of the region’s political landscape.

The SRI confirmed that an attack on the IT infrastructure of the Romanian Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP) compromised a server which mapped data connected to the AEP’s network, which occurred on November 19th. In light of these developments, the election has since been cancelled by Romanian courts to allow for a re-run of the presidential election first round.

Significant breaches

Between the initial breach and November 25th, which was the end of the first round of Presidential elections, BleepingComputer reports that the 85,000 attacks were targeting the information systems which support the electoral process. Analysts have confirmed that the scale of the campaign would point to a state actor.

"Romania—along with other states on NATO's eastern flank—has become a priority for Russia's hostile actions; there is a growing interest in the Kremlin to influence (at least) the mood and agenda in Romanian society in the electoral context through propaganda and disinformation." the report confirms.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that anulling the election was "the only correct decision," with the judges of the Constitutional Court citing the same report as a factor in its decision making.

It’s important to note that the SRI has not directly attributed these attacks to a specific threat actor, but geopolitical tensions do seem to suggest that they’re looking in a specific direction.

Russian cyber influence campaigns have been reported during the US election cycle, so there is precedent for similar incidents. Russia has denied any interference with Romanian elections.

Romania’s infrastructure is still being affected by vulnerabilities, the agency warned, and these could be exploited heading into the second round of the election.

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• Broadcom gives 1,500 of its 2,000 biggest customers back to channel partners
• The company hopes partners will be able to offer customers better deals
• It’s all in an effort to stop losing VMware customers

According to new information revealed by Ars Technica, Broadcom has reversed its plans to take its 2,000 biggest customers directly, instead taking just 500 and leaving channel partners to pick up the rest.

It’s believed that Broadcom is branding the change as one that will drive additional value for money to customers through partner-driven deals, which it hopes will keep customers using its services rather than looking to migrate.

Since its acquisition of VMware a little over a year ago, Broadcom has caused uproar in the virtualization world by implementing a series of changes it said were meant to simplify its portfolio, but the reality has been increased costs for many customers.

Broadcom giving VMware deals back to partners

Some of the changes affecting customers have included the company’s decision to end perpetual licenses and move to subscription-based models, the bundling of multiple products into fewer (and more expensive, in some cases) SKUs, and the termination of the channel partner program.

Broadcom’s decision to reintroduce channel partners is likely a strategic move to help it maintain business and not lose any more customers.

The firm said in a statement: “We announced a program that is currently in development to offer qualified VCF customers a 15 percent professional service entitlement of their annual contract value to access partner-delivered or Broadcom professional services. This will help customers improve both time to value and ROI.”

Speaking about the change, Canalys Chief Analyst Alastair Edwards said that Broadcom handing back 1,500 big customers back to channel partners and giving its channel 15% of the value of deals they win would be its best defense against potential migrations.

However, posting on LinkedIn, Edwards said that Broadcom CEO Hock Tan’s efforts to “strip out layers of cost and complexity” have so far “come at the expense of customer and partner relationships.”

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• Leaked FCC filings in the US suggest Mavic 4 Pro will land soon
• Mavic 4 Pro would replace the triple-camera Mavic 3 Pro from April 2023
• It could sport a new camera array and a bigger battery

It appears that the looming threat of a US ban has only served to accelerate DJI's drone production, as yet another new drone has seemingly leaked – the DJI Mavic 4 Pro.

Prominent DJI leaker @JasperEllens shared on X (formerly Twitter) a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing in the US of DJI's latest flagship camera drone, the Mavic 4 Pro, which comes just a few days after an all-new foldable DJI Flip was leaked in the same way.

A double whammy of what could be two of the best DJI drones is certainly something for fans to get excited about, especially given the Flip is a mysterious new model, while the Mavic 4 Pro would succeed the superb Mavic 3 Pro, the world's first triple-camera drone that was launched in April 2023.

We awarded the Mavic 3 Pro both best drone and best camera in the TechRadar Choice Awards 2023 – it's that good. The Mavic 4 Pro has a tough act to follow then, so what can we expect from DJI's next flagship camera drone? There are a few leaks that hit the feeds of DJI leakers on X on the same day, so let's see what we can learn already.

A serious flagship on the horizon

Suddenly a #wild 'Drone' registration appears. All with censored white pages and a 'empty' FCC label. But then... BINGO. It is the #Mavic4 PRO label. It's coming.... Will they actually launch it before the USA DJI ban in 2025? Exciting times. Cheers Jasper pic.twitter.com/i3VjtC3FfsDecember 5, 2024

There's not much by way of product info to learn from these first leaks, besides two FCC filings suggesting that the Mavic 4 Pro is coming soon, possibly in two iterations, and that it packs a beefier 6654 mAh battery to the Mavic 3 Pro's already impressive 5000 mAh battery.

A new battery unit suggests a new design, and we were given a glimpse of the product itself in a video shared on X that seemingly shows a DJI staffer packing the Mavic 4 Pro drone away, covered in development stickers, after a test flight.

Another blurry image of what appears to be the same drone in flight shows a spherical camera unit which looks a little different to the one in the Mavic 3 Pro, so perhaps we can anticipate a new camera array.

That's not a lot to go on right now. But as with all recent DJI product launches, we can expect plenty more leaks in the build up, when we will find out more about what could be the best drone in 2025.

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• Only 1.8% of the 45,000 individuals analyzed were bothered about AI ethics
• Consumers believe organizations should be held accountable
• EU AI Act brings multimillion-euro penalties

According to Pluralsight, of the 45,000 people who wanted to learn about artificial intelligence, only a mere 1.8% actively searched how to adopt AI responsibly.

The study revealed a rise in interest surrounding generative AI, machine learning and AI for cybersecurity, however Pluralsight Chief Content Officer Chris Herbert said that no significant interest in ethical AI was seen on the platform.

Herbert added: “It’s crucial that learners understand the risks and pitfalls associated with AI so they can adopt it ethically.”`

We’re not interested in ethical AI

The report highlights Google DeepMind research showing how AI can be misused, manipulated and exploited. Herbert said we should be focusing on “mitigating its risks and negative consequences while maximizing its positive outcomes.”

Lead Content Strategist Adam Ipsen also noted Accenture research reveals that more than three-quarters (77%) of global consumers believe organizations should be held accountable for AI misuse, highlighting the need for greater awareness.

The reality is that four in five executives and nearly as many (72%) IT practitioners say their organization often invest in new tech without considering employee training. In a similar vein, only 12% of execs have significant experience working with AI.

Consequences for not adopting AI ethically are also set to have a financial value, with the EU AI Act entering force in August 2024 and gradually seeing enforcement increased over the course of the next few years. Maximum fines stand at €35 million or 7% of global turnover.

Looking ahead, Ipsen urges businesses not to see AI as a “one and done” project, but one that requires constant upskilling. Those who take the time to learn will realize the true benefits of AI rather than see it become a liability that causes them to face legislative and regulatory hurdles.

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The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could be the best Android phone of 2025. At the very least it will probably be in the conversation, but while we’re still in 2024 at the time of writing, you probably won’t have to wait very long for this phone, as it’s likely to land near the start of 2025.

Between leaks and past form we have a very good idea of when the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could be announced, right down to a potential day. And based on that we can also take some educated guesses as to when pre-orders will open and when it will ship.

So to find out when you might be able to purchase the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, read on. And check back soon, as we’ll be updating this article whenever we hear any new release date information.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra announcement date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Our best guess for when the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will be announced is January 22. A source with a good track record for Samsung leaks points to that January 22 date, and that also matches with another leak, which technically said the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra would be announced on January 23, but once you account for time differences (as that source is in South Korea) it becomes January 22.

This is the only specific date that’s been leaked, so with no conflicting reports and two sources pointing to January 22, we’d say that’s a very likely date.

Plus, in recent years Samsung has always announced its new Galaxy S models in either January or February, so a January announcement would make sense.

More specifically, the timing has always recently been between mid-January and mid-February, which again fits with January 22, and that date also gives the announcement enough breathing room from CES 2025, which runs from January 7-11.

Samsung is likely to announce various smart home products and TVs there, and likely wouldn’t want to take attention from them with a phone launch, but by January 22, CES will be long finished.

All that said, while we think Wednesday, January 22 is very likely, we’re not certain of it. But at the very least, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will probably be announced sometime between mid-January and mid-February, alongside the Samsung Galaxy S25, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, and perhaps the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra pre-order date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Samsung usually lets you pre-order its new Galaxy S phones the same day as they’re announced. So based on the above, the most likely pre-order date for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is January 22, but it could be anytime between roughly January 15 and February 15.

So you’ll probably be able to place your order soon, but hopefully you’ve been saving, as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra price could be very high.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra on-sale date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

There tends to be a roughly two week gap from when new Galaxy S models are announced to when they go on sale.

For example, the Samsung Galaxy S24 went on sale exactly two weeks after its announcement, on January 31, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Samsung Galaxy S22 both went on sale 16 days after they were announced, and the Samsung Galaxy S21 went on sale 15 days after it was announced.

So assuming the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is announced on January 22 it will probably ship sometime around Wednesday, February 5, which is two weeks later, and we’d imagine no later than Friday, February 7, since it’s not likely to hit stores on a weekend, and any later would be a change from Samsung’s usual patterns.

Of course, it could be announced earlier or later than January 22, but assuming an announcement sometime between mid-January and mid-February, the on-sale date will likely be between late January and early March.

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