TechRadar News

• New study trained AI models on answers given in a two-hour interview
• AI could replicate participants’ responses with 85% accuracy
• Agents could be used instead of humans in future research studies

You might think your personality is unique, but all it takes is a two-hour interview for an AI model to create a virtual replica with your attitudes and behaviors. That’s according to a new paper published by researchers from Stanford and Google DeepMind.

What are simulation agents?

(Image credit: Getty Images / Mikkelwilliam)

Simulation agents are described by the paper as generative AI models that can accurately simulate a person's behavior 'across a range of social, political, or informational contexts'.

In the study, 1,052 participants were asked to complete a two-hour interview which covered a wide range of topics, from their personal life story to their views on contemporary social issues. Their responses were recorded and the script was used to train generative AI models – or “simulation agents” – for each individual.

To test how well these agents could mimic their human counterparts, both were asked to complete a set of tasks, including personality tests and games. Participants were then asked to replicate their own answers a fortnight later. Remarkably, the AI agents were able to simulate answers with 85% accuracy compared to the human participants.

What’s more, the simulation agents were similarly effective when asked to predict personality traits across five social science experiments.

While your personality might seem like an intangible or unquantifiable thing, this research shows that it's possible to distill your value structure from a relatively small amount of information, by capturing qualitative responses to a fixed set of questions. Fed this data, AI models can convincingly imitate your personality – at least, in a controlled, test-based setting. And that could make deepfakes even more dangerous.

Double agent

(Image credit: Getty Images / Vesalainen)

The research was led by Joon Sung Park, a Stanford PhD student. The idea behind creating these simulation agents is to give social science researchers more freedom when conducting studies. By creating digital replicas which behave like the real people they’re based on, scientists can run studies without the expense of bringing in thousands of human participants every time.

You can have a bunch of small ‘yous’ running around and actually making the decisions that you would have made.

Joon Sung Park, Stanford PhD student

They may also be able to run experiments which would be unethical to conduct with real human participants. Speaking to MIT Technology Review, John Horton, an associate professor of information technologies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, said that the paper demonstrates a way you can “use real humans to generate personas which can then be used programmatically/in-simulation in ways you could not with real humans.”

Whether study participants are morally comfortable with this is one thing. More concerning for many people will be the potential for simulation agents to become something more nefarious in the future. In that same MIT Technology Review story, Park predicted that one day “you can have a bunch of small ‘yous’ running around and actually making the decisions that you would have made.”

For many, this will set dystopian alarm bells ringing. The idea of digital replicas opens up a realm of security, privacy and identity theft concerns. It doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to foresee a world where scammers – who are already using AI to imitate the voices of loved-ones – could build personality deepfakes to imitate people online.

This is particularly concerning when you consider that the AI simulation agents were created in the study using just two hours of interview data. This is much less than the amount of information currently required by companies such as Tavus, which create digital twins based on a trove of user data.

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• The S25 Slim camera may be "stronger" than the standard S25
• There's still a lot of uncertainty around this model
• The standard Galaxy S25 may not get any significant camera upgrades

As rumors around the Samsung Galaxy S25 have increased in number, we've started to hear reports of an additional 'Slim' model in the pipeline – and this particular handset could be set for a major camera boost, according to a new leak.

Well-known tipster @UniverseIce says the Galaxy S25 Slim (as we'll call it for now) is going to have a camera setup that's "stronger than S25". That should add to its appeal, beyond being thinner and lighter than a regular Samsung Galaxy flagship phone.

In the same leak there's a reference to the Vivo X200 Pro mini, which has apparently been something of an inspiration for Samsung. That 6.31-inch Vivo phone is fitted with a big triple-lens 50MP+50MP+50MP rear camera around the back.

As our Samsung Galaxy S24 review will tell you, that handset has a triple-lens 50MP+10MP+12MP with 3x optical zoom capabilities. Based on previous rumors, the Galaxy S25 isn't going to be much of an improvement in the camera department.

Camera specs

The difference between Samsung Galaxy Slim and iPhone Slim models is that Samsung wants to make the camera stronger, stronger than S25, and more similar to the idea of vivo X200 Pro mini, not just thin and light.November 23, 2024

This isn't the first time we've heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim would offer a top-tier camera: the camera on this upcoming phone has previously been described as being on an "ultra" level – possibly a reference to the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review goes into detail in terms of the rear camera setup on that phone: a quad-lens 200MP+10MP+50MP+12MP with a 5x optical zoom feature. Perhaps the 2025 Slim model will offer something similar.

The tipster behind this latest leak compares Samsung's approach to Apple's with the iPhone 17 Slim (or iPhone 17 Air) – with the rumored iPhone model, the focus is said to be on the thinner form factor, rather than any significant spec upgrades.

There has been talk that the Galaxy S25 Slim is just the Galaxy S25 FE – the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE – with a different name. However, a major camera upgrade would make this a more powerful (and expensive) proposition.

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• AI voice-clone scams are on the rise, according to security experts
• Voice-enabled AI models can be used to imitate loved ones
• Experts recommend agreeing a safe phrase with friends and family

The next spam call you receive might not be a real person – and your ear won’t be able to tell the difference. Scammers are using voice-enabled AI models to automate their fraudulent schemes, tricking individuals by imitating real human callers, including family members.

What are AI voice scams?

Scam calls aren't new, but AI-powered ones are a new dangerous breed. They use generative AI to imitate not just authorities or celebrities, but friends and family.

The arrival of AI models trained on human voices has unlocked a new realm of risk when it comes to phone scams. These tools, such as OpenAI’s voice API, support real-time conversation between a human and the AI model. With a small amount of code, these models can be programmed to execute phone scams automatically, encouraging victims to disclose sensitive information.

So how can you stay safe? What makes the threat so problematic is not just how easily and cheaply it can be deployed, but how convincing AI voices have become.

OpenAI faced backlash for its Sky voice option earlier this year, which sounded spookily like Scarlett Johansson, while Sir David Attenborough has described himself as “profoundly disturbed” by an AI voice clone which was indistinguishable from his real speech.

(Image credit: Getty Images / d3sign)

Just a few seconds of audio is enough to simulate the voice of a loved-one. This could easily be sourced form a video shared on social media.

Even tools designed to beat scammers demonstrate how blurred the lines have become. UK network O2 recently launched Daisy, an AI grandma designed to trap phone scammers in a time-wasting conversation, which they believe is with a real senior citizen. It’s a clever use of the technology, but also one that shows just how well AI can simulate human interactions.

Disturbingly, fraudsters can train AI voices based on very small audio samples. According to F-Secure, a cybersecurity firm, just a few seconds of audio is enough to simulate the voice of a loved-one. This could easily be sourced form a video shared on social media.

How AI voice-cloning scams work

The basic concept of a voice-clone scam is similar to standard phone scams: cybercriminals impersonate someone to gain the victim’s trust, then create a sense of urgency which encourages them to disclose sensitive information or transfer money to the fraudster.

The difference with voice-clone scams are two-fold. Firstly, the criminals can automate the process with code, allowing them to target more people, more quickly and for less money. Secondly, they are able to imitate not just authorities and celebrities, but people known directly to you.

All that’s required is an audio sample, which is usually taken from a video online. This is then analyzed by the AI model and imitated, allowing it to be used in deceptive interactions. One increasingly common technique is for the AI model to imitate a family member requesting money in an emergency.

The technology can also be used to simulate voices of high-profile individuals to manipulate victims. Scammers recently used an AI voice clone of Queensland Premier, Steven Miles, to try an execute an investment con.

How to stay safe from AI voice scams

According to Starling Bank, a digital lender, 28% of UK adults say they have been targeted by AI voice-clone scams, yet only 30% are confident that they’d know how to recognize one. That’s why Starling launched its Safe Phrases campaign, which encourages friends and family to agree a secret phrase which they can use to confirm each other’s identity – and that's a wise tactic.

TL;DR How to stay safe

(Image credit: Getty Images / Ronstick)

1. Agree a safe phrase with friends and family
2. Ask the caller to confirm some recent private information
3. Listen for uneven stresses on words or emotionless talk
4. Hang up and call the person back
5. Be wary of unusual requests, like requests for bank details

Even without a pre-agreed safe phrase, you can use a similar tactic if you’re ever in doubt as to the veracity of a caller’s identity. AI voice clones can imitate a person’s speech pattern, but they won’t necessarily have access to private information. Asking the caller to confirm something that only they would know, such as information shared in the last conversation you had, is one step closer to certainty.

Trust your ear as well. While AI voice clones are very convincing, they aren’t 100% accurate. Listen for tell-tale signs such as uneven stresses on certain words, emotionless expression or slurring.

Scammers have the ability to mask the number they’re calling from and may even appear to be calling from your friend’s number. If you’re ever in doubt, the safest thing you can do is hang up and call the person back on the usual number you have for them.

Voice-clone scams also rely on the same tactics as traditional phone scams. These tactics aim to apply emotional pressure and create a sense of urgency, to force you into taking an action your otherwise wouldn’t. Be alert to these and be wary of unusual requests, especially when it relates to making a money transfer.

The same red flags apply to callers claiming to be from your bank or another authority. It pays to be familiar with the procedures used by your bank when contacting you. Starling, for example, has a call status indicator in its app, which can you check at any time to see if the bank is genuinely calling you.

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Science fiction promised us robot butlers, but it seems they rather fancy themselves as artists instead. And who can blame them? On November 7, a painting of the mathematician Alan Turing by an AI-powered robot called Ai-Da sold at auction for a cool $1,084,000 (around £865,000). That's a more appealing lifestyle than having to sprint around a Boston Dynamics assault course.

The Sotheby's auction house said Ai-Da is "the first humanoid robot artist to have an artwork sold at auction." It probably also set the record the most online grumbling about a painting, which is understandable – after all, shouldn't robots be sweeping up and making the tea, while we artfully dab at the canvases?

The Ai-Da robot (seen here standing in front of her record-setting 'AI God' painting) uses a combination of cameras in her eyes, AI algorithms, and a robotic arm to make her artworks. (Image credit: Ai-Da)

Naturally, the Ai-Da robot and its maker Aidan Meller don't agree that art should be ring-fenced by humans. As Marvin from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy once noted: "Here I am, brain the size of a planet and they ask me to take you down to the bridge. Call that job satisfaction? ’Cos I don’t.”

But rather than rely on Douglas Adams to fill in the blanks, we asked Ai-Da and Meller what they'd say to those who are skeptical about AI-generated art – and what the landmark 'A.I. God' painting means for the future of creativity...

The latest 'non-artist'

Ai-Da herself usually prefers to let her art do the talking. When we asked her why she paints her answer was: "The key value of my work is in its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies".

Fortunately, her creator Aidan Meller, a gallerist and veteran of the art world, was more forthcoming on why team Ai-Da doesn't think the painting or her work should be considered a threat to human artists.

"Contemporary art has always provoked discussions about what art is and Ai-Da and her work is no different," Meller told us. "Just her existence is quite controversial for the art world," he added. Given the reaction to the 'A.I. God' painting, her presence is also pretty controversial for amateur artists, too.

Meller prefers to see Ai-Da as the natural successor to the artistic disruptors of the past. "History is littered with artists that society called “non-artists”. Everyone from Picasso to Matisse challenged people’s idea of what art was during their time. Because it didn’t fit into their conception of what art should be," he told us.

The heart of the project is a robot artist that explores the impact new technologies are having on society.

Aidan Meller, Ai-Da Project Director

"Duchamp challenged the idea of what art could be by putting a urinal in an art gallery and changed the future of art. The Ai-Da Robot challenges the idea of what an artist can be, by creating art using AI technology and creative agency," he added.

But how exactly is AI art created, in Ai-Da's case, and are humanoid robots a necessary part of it gaining mainstream acceptance? After all, there's a difference between hitting the 'create' button in the best AI art generators and seeing a robot physically apply strokes to a canvas.

Who's really holding the brush?

In reality, Ai-Da's work is a collaboration between AI, robots and humans, with the latter still a very necessary part of the process. "We had a discussion with Ai-Da about what she might paint in relation to the concept of “AI for Good”, and she came up with Alan Turing," Meller explained.

"We then showed Ai-Da Robot an image of Alan Turning, which Ai-Da responded to by creating the artwork. She painted 15 images of Alan Turing and then selected three to be combined together to form A.I. God," he added.

A combination of Ai-Da and human artists apply the finishing textures to her artworks – which means she is very much a "machine-human collaboration", as her creators describe her. (Image credit: Ai-Da)

Those three portraits were uploaded to a computer and then printed on a canvas, with Ai-Da then applying marks and textures to finish the painting. Some final bits of texture were added by human assistants, in the parts of the canvas where Ai-Da couldn't reach.

The finished artwork has more in common with Warhol's 'Factory' process, then, rather than a decade-long Da Vinci masterpiece. But what does this all mean for the future of art?

The $1 million question

Ai-Da's creator definitely isn't on the side of the AI cynics like Linux founder Linus Torvalds, who recently slammed AI as "90% marketing and 10% reality".

History is littered with artists that society called “non-artists”. Everyone from Picasso to Matisse challenged people’s idea of what art was during their time.

Aidan Meller, Ai-Da Project Director

"I think the response to the painting at auction shows that people understand the importance and power of AI in how it is shaping the world we live in and all of our futures," Aidan Meller said. "The auction shows that AI is on the rise and it is going to change society enormously".

The painting's landmark price tag, which shattered its pre-auction estimate of around around $120,000-$180,000 (£100,00-£150,000) suggests something has shifted in art collecting, too.

"I think it does also mean that the art world is beginning to accept that AI art is here to stay. It also shows that creativity comes in many forms and that AI has the ability to be creative and to add value to the world," Meller added.

Ai-Da has also perfected the artful side-glance pose perfected by artists over the decades. (Image credit: Ai-Da)

That last point is up for debate and will likely remain so indefinitely. The makers of the popular digital art app Procreate, for example, recently said it will never embrace generative AI. In fact, they went a bit harder than that, with CEO James Cuda stating: "I really f***ing hate generative AI. I don’t like what’s happening in the industry and I don’t like what it’s doing to artists."

Clearly, Ai-Da and her process is few steps beyond the basic generative AI we're seeing bolted onto consumer apps, but it could be a tough battle to win over skeptics. Then again, Ai-Da's creator says the point of the robot is to stimulate debate rather than convince you to swap sides...

The 'fourth industrial revolution'

For many, Ai-Da herself is the art story rather than the $1 million painting she co-created. That's something Meller echoed when we asked him why Ai-Da was created in the first place.

"The key value of Ai-Da as a robot artist is not necessarily in acceptance, but in the capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies," he said. Clearly, the art world thinks there's a monetary value in the results produced by the project, but Meller thinks it goes beyond that.

(Image credit: Ai-Da)

"One purpose of contemporary art is to ask questions of our time and to challenge the status quo, creating debate," he said. "So art created by an AI-powered robot was a good platform to engage audiences into a discussion around the ethical issues surrounding the development of AI technology and our response as a society."

When sat-nav came out, we didn't quite trust it, but now we wouldn't go anywhere without it. AI has infiltrated every part of our lives.

Aidan Meller, Ai-Da Project Director

Ai-Da herself isn't new – we first covered the portrait artist back in 2019 – but the rapid development of AI models has helped transform her skills and make her the face of a hot debate that is sparking controversies on a weekly basis. And Meller admits that Ai-Da is as much as a conduit for debate as an established artist.

"We are currently going through the fourth Industrial revolution, and this is resulting in extreme shifts in both technology and human behavior globally," he said. "So the heart of the project is a robot artist that explores the impact new technologies are having on society".

Art vs sat-navs

The core of the Ai-Da debate revolves around the question of whether there's something unique, even sacrosanct, about art.

For many, art is a communication between humans – the creator and audience – which gives AI-driven art a hollow air of meaninglessness. But Meller disagrees, seeing Ai-Da's approach as the latest development of how humans are using technology.

"Many people look at Ai-Da and think about her being an AI-powered robot, but in many ways humans are becoming more robotic in our use of technology," he said. "We are transferring our decision-making and our agency onto machines, and in lots of ways as humans we are merging with machines and becoming cyborgs ourselves" he observed, pointing to smartphones as the obvious example.

"When sat-nav came out, we didn't quite trust it, but now we wouldn't go anywhere without it. AI has infiltrated every part of our lives, from what work we will do, what news we watch, what kind of partner we have, what kind of baby even we might want to have," he added. "By painting this picture of Alan Turing, Ai-Da Robot is really digging into all of these big ethical issues."

We've been here before

While some will flinch at parallels being drawn between sat-navs and paintings, there's no doubt Ai-Da has succeeded in reviving a debate that's as old as at art itself.

The key value of my work is in its capacity to serve as a catalyst for dialogue about emerging technologies.

Ai-Da

The obvious example is the invention of photography in the mid-1800s, which shocked painters who dismissed the mechanized 'imitation' of their painterly hand as an art form.

Ultimately, photography and art learned to not only co-exist, but to develop a symbiotic relationship. The French painter Degas was influenced by photography, while holding a contempt for the commercialized industry it became. As 'pictorialist' photographers sought to imitate traditional watercolors, painters moved towards impressionism.

(Image credit: Ai-Da)

Will AI-driven art and human artists do the same, rather than seeking to extinguish each other? History would suggest so. Whatever the financial or artistic merits of the 'A.I. God' painting, it's certainly a lightning rod for debate – and whichever side of the debate you're on, it's one that's worth engaging in.

As the Hungarian artist Laszlo Moholy-Nagy said in the early 1900s, "anyone who fails to understand photography will be one of the illiterates of the future". AI-driven art is clearly here to stay and, while we may eventually get our robot butlers, it'll probably pay to engage with, rather than dismiss, their artistic cousins in the meantime.

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*Contains spoilers for Spellbound*

I was left surprisingly moved after watching Netflix’s newest animated adventure Spellbound. It's no surprise that these types of films often explore deep emotional themes, but Spellbound has an incredibly touching message that many families will appreciate.

Spellbound is a perfect family-friendly film that unravels nicely without surprising anyone. So you can understand my shock when I left the Spellbound screening with a tear in my eye as I discovered that this wasn't just your average kids movie - it actually serves a very important purpose, in helping children understand divorce in a positive way.

Spellbound follows Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler), the spritely young daughter of King Solon (Javier Bardem) and Queen Ellsmere (Nicole Kidman) of Lumbria, as she goes on an adventure to break the spell that has turned her parents into monsters. It may sound like the plot of your average children's fantasy, but the film is brimming with metaphors about separation, grief, and family that you don't even realize until towards the end.

A traditional fairy tale with a modern twist

In Spellbound, 15-year-old Ellian has been forced to become a caregiver to her own parents as they've become a pair of rambunctious monsters causing havoc in the castle that’s the family’s home. While trying to tame her rollicking royals and hide their unfortunate transformation from their subjects, she also has to assume other adult responsibilities like ruling the kingdom alone with the guidance of Minister Bolinar (John Lithgow) and Minister Nazara Prone (Jenifer Lewis). After Ellian summons two magical Oracles for help, the wisecracking pair tell her that the King and Queen have "lost their light" and she must venture into the Dark Forest to the Lake of Light and get it back.

What follows is a magical, musical delight that's straight out of a Disney adventure with its bright, imaginative world and weird and wonderful creatures that reminded me of my favorite Disney story Tangled. Ellian's quest isn't all song and dance though, as she and her monster parents must avoid being swallowed by The Darkness, a black tornado that consumes people's negative emotions and transforms them into a monster. This means the trio need to stay upbeat, which is a tall order given the King and Queen’s constant bickering and disagreements when they remember how to talk again, the spell having robbed them of the power of speech.

The obligatory happy ending appears to be on the horizon when they reach the Lake of Light - but this isn’t your traditional fairy tale. As the King and Queen step into the golden shimmering pool, it's revealed that their fractured marriage is the cause of their transformation. The couple’s continuous quarreling is the reason why The Darkness came and turned them into monsters, a clever metaphor for how destructive and transformative a broken relationship can be on a family.

Once the King and Queen realize the detrimental effect their marital issues are having on their daughter, they make the decision to separate. Unfortunately, this revelation sends Ellian into a spiral of anger, despair and resentment that’s heartbreaking to watch. Even though I haven't gone through this experience, I instantly empathized with the sense of devastation, betrayal, and inner turmoil that many children go through when their parents divorce. Ellian's woe soon attracts the wrath of The Darkness and her parents put aside their differences, and join forces to save their daughter before she's turned into a monster herself. Ultimately, thanks to her parents’ endless reassurance, comfort and love, Ellian comes to terms with their divorce, and goes back to being the happy girl she was before.

Divorce can bring huge changes to a child’s life that can feel like the world is ending. But this potential best Netflix movie approaches the topic with a positive mindset in a way that can help children cope with divorce and explore their emotions. It's an important message that I'm sure kids and adults will benefit from, and Spellbound will definitely make you shed a tear or two, even if you haven't experienced a life-changing event like this.

Spellbound is available to stream on the best streaming service from November 22.

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Slow Horses season 5: key information

- Season 5 wrapped production in October 2024
- No official release date yet
- Teaser trailer unveiled after season 4 finale
- Main cast returning
- Plot to follow Mick Herron’s ‘London Rules’ novel
- Season 6 already renewed
- Showrunner Will Smith hints at a potential Slough House spin-off

Apple TV Plus’ gritty spy thriller, Slow Horses, has impressed viewers with its action-packed scenes, gripping drama, and incredible acting. It’s one of the longest-running Apple Originals and an Emmy-nominated TV show for good reason and there's more to come as Jackson Lamb and his Slough House team are set to return for season 5.

The fact that Slow Horses has so far managed to release a new season every year is a wildly impressive feat in today’s streaming landscape and they’re clearly not stopping anytime soon. Slow Horses season 4 has secured a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and season 5 is already well on the way. Here’s everything we know about it so far from the Apple TV Plus release date, trailer, possible plot, and more news and rumors.

Potential spoilers follow for Slow Horses season 1-4. This is your fair warning.

Slow Horses season 5 release date prediction

‘SLOW HORSES’ season 5 has wrapped production.Season 4 aired its final episode last week. pic.twitter.com/pSao2Sx89uOctober 13, 2024

Apple TV Plus renewed Slow Horses for a fifth season back in January 2024. And, in October, a X/Twitter post from FilmUpdates revealed that season 5 had already wrapped production, just ten months after renewal.

To back this up, during an interview with Collider in early October, showrunner Will Smith said: “We've nearly done Season 5. We've got a couple of days to finish off on it, but we're already into the edit, so it's coming. Don't worry, it's coming. Not as quick as you want, but it's coming.”

When asked when it would be out, Smith replied: “I genuinely don't know the answer as to when it's gonna be out, but I can't imagine that Apple would want to leave it longer than a year since Season 4. So, the latest it would be out, I would say, would be the same slot next year.” And Apple certainly haven't left it longer than a year so far.

Slow Horses has demonstrated an impressive release schedule, dropping a season every year since 2022 – and season 1 and 2 even came out in the same year. So, given that season 5 has wrapped production and was reportedly in edit in October, we’d make a release date prediction of mid-to-late 2025.

Slow Horses season 5 trailer

The teaser trailer for Slow Horses season 5 isn't available on YouTube (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

In what appears to be establishing itself as a Slow Horses tradition, there was a season 5 teaser trailer shared at the end of the season 4 finale.

In less than a minute, someone tries to kill Roddy, a terrorist plot threatens London, and once again, the police turn to Lamb to help them predict the next move. Plus, an unknown killing, although if Slow Horses’ history is anything to go by, it could be anyone – no cast member is safe. We’ll get into more about what the teaser trailer alludes to when it comes to plot below, and we'll update here as soon as we have a full trailer to share.

Slow Horses season 5 confirmed cast

Kristin Scott Thomas will reprise her role as Diana Taverner (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Full spoilers follow for Slow Horses season 4.

Given who we saw in the season 5 teaser, here’s the confirmed cast for Slow Horses season 5:

• Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb
• Jack Lowden as River Cartwright
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner
• Saskia Reeves as Catherine Standish
• Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho
• Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Shirley Dander
• Rosaline Eleazar as Louisa Guy
• Ruth Bradly as Emma Flyte
• James Callis as Claude Whelan
• Tom Brooke as J.K. Coe

While there wasn’t any sign of Joanna Scanlan (Moira Tregorian), Hugo Weaving (Frank Harkness), or Jonathan Pryce (David Cartwright), we’re not yet sure if they’ll be reprising their roles. Though Smith hinted at a highly possible return of Hugo Weaving, when speaking to Collider: “All I can say is that Hugo's character reappears in the books. That’s the only tantalizing glimpse I can give you of that.”

Slow Horses season 5 potential plot synopsis and rumors

How much more complicated can things get for River? (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Major spoilers follow for Slow Horses seasons 1-4.

Slow Horses season 5 is confirmed to be an adaptation of Mick Herron’s ‘London Rules’ novel, the sequel to ‘Spook Street’ which acted as the basis for season 4.

To get a strong look at the possible plot for season 5 then, here’s the book’s official synopsis: “Regent's Park's First Desk, Claude Whelan, is learning this the hard way. Tasked with protecting a beleaguered prime minister, he's facing attack from all directions himself: from the showboating MP who orchestrated the Brexit vote, and now has his sights set on Number Ten; from the showboat's wife, a tabloid columnist, who's crucifying Whelan in print; and especially from his own deputy, Lady Di Taverner, who's alert for Claude's every stumble. Meanwhile, the country's being rocked by an apparently random string of terror attacks, and someone's trying to kill Roddy Ho.

Over at Slough House, the crew are struggling with personal problems: repressed grief, various addictions, retail paralysis, and the nagging suspicion that their newest colleague is a psychopath. But collectively, they're about to rediscover their greatest strength - that of making a bad situation much, much worse. It's a good job Jackson Lamb knows the rules. Because those things aren't going to break themselves.”

The Slough House team get another chance to redeem themselves (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

From the season 5 trailer, we know that much of the show will stay true to the book. We also catch a glimpse of most of the main cast to confirm their return to Slough House, and there's an awkward kiss between River and Louisa that we're keen to unpack.

Following suit with the previous seasons, Slow Horses always runs for six episodes with the plot spanning the events of two or three days. It appears with season 5, they’ll be sticking to this tried-and-tested method, as Smith spoke to Collider: “You feel if you stretch it beyond that — I mean, you can invent — I worry it would feel like padding, and it would take you away from what is great about the books. So, six, I think, is the magic number.”

Will Hugo return as Frank in Slow Horses season 5? (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

In season 4, River met his biological father, Jack (Hugo Weaving), which only looked to strengthen his relationship with Lamb. But what about more from Frank? Well, the man himself spoke to Forbes, further confirming a reappearance: "You probably know that Frank is in one of the other books, and so the assumption is at the end of this season, and certainly to anyone who had read the books, is that Frank will be coming back.”

He adds: "Frank gets to play his Get Out of Jail Free card, which he has had all along because he knows that MI5 and David Cartwright tried to set him up. He knows he's got that, so he can say that fabulous line, 'I'll get the next train.' He can be that sort of a character because he actually is a survivor and excellently slippery."

With the book synopsis and teaser trailer as a starting point, it's fair to say the core plot is etched out. But, for those who haven't read the books, and with the unique additions of the cast & crew, Slow Horses will undoubtedly bring twists and turns that we didn't see coming.

Will Slow Horses get more seasons on Apple TV Plus?

Who's that calling? It's Slow Horses season 6 (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Slow Horses has already been renewed for season 6, so yes there’s most definitely more to come. As reported by Deadline, season 6 will be based on Mick Herron’s ‘Joe Country’ and ‘Slough House’ which are the sixth and seventh books in the series. Adding: “In season 6, the spies head out on the run as Diana Taverner embroils them all in a fatally high-stakes game of retaliation and revenge.”

While season 6 will take its plot from two novels, that leaves only one behind in the series. Though, according to Smith when speaking to Collider, Herron is working on book nine.

Furthermore, Smith adds that there’s interest from his perspective in a spin-off, “I do think, though, there’s a great book he wrote, the last book that came out, which is in the Slough House universe, and Slow Horses do come into it, which is called The Secret Hours. That could be a movie or a more limited number just because of the nature of that story.”

When asked about the potential for a Christmas special, Smith said: “Gary and Gisele [Schmidt], his wife, had a fantastic idea that I loved, which was to do a Slow Horses advent calendar where we did 25 little films, and you kind of went in each day like an advent calendar, but you could dot around the timeline.

So, you could maybe do one where Min was still alive, and you could just go in and have these little vignettes. I've also spoken to Gary about, “What do you think Lamb's Christmas is like, his actual Christmas Day? Where's he going?” We think he probably goes to the pub on his own. But that would be a great thing to do.” We didn’t have Slow Horses advent calendar on our 2024 bingo card, but we’re certainly here for it.

For more Apple TV Plus show-related coverage, read our guides on Ted Lasso season 4 and Severance season 2.

• Phison announces 122.88TB PCIe Gen5 Pascari D205V SSD
• Delivers 14,600 MB/s reads, 3,200 MB/s writes
• Includes Power Loss Protection, 128 namespaces, 2.5M-hour MTBF

Phison has announced the Pascari D205V SSD, the first PCIe Gen5 data center-class SSD with a huge 122.88TB capacity.

The drive, set to be showcased at SC24, is designed to address the growing demands of modern data centers, where increasing data volumes require efficient storage solutions. It is tailored for high-demand environments, including AI, media and entertainment, and research.

The D205V is equipped with PCIe 5.0x4 (single port) or PCIe 5.0 2x2 (dual port) connectivity and supports NVMe 2.0, ISE, TCG Opal, and NVMe-MI standards. It also features Power Loss Protection (PLP), 128 namespaces, and a durability rating of 0.3 DWPD, with a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 2.5 million hours.

U.2 and E3.L form factors

The new drive offers 122.88TB of usable storage, providing a four-to-one capacity advantage over traditional cold storage drives. Phison says the D205V combines the company’s industry-leading X2 controller and the latest 2Tb 3D QLC technology to deliver sequential read speeds reaching up to 14,600 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 3,200 MB/s. The drive also supports random read performance of up to 3,000K IOPS (4K) and random write performance of up to 35K IOPS (16K).

Phison told TechRadar Pro: "We were originally going to have 122.88 under D200V but created D205V for 122.88TB. D200V caps at 61.22TB. To be clear, the D205V is 122.88TB and we will ensure the website is corrected. "

The Pascari D205V is available for preorder, with shipments expected in Q2 2025. It will be offered in the U.2 and E3.L form factors. No word on pricing at the moment.

“With the acceleration in AI training and data-intensive workloads, there has been a tangible shift to a future-forward focus on storage as a critical component in capturing necessary volume to support data quality and integrity," said Michael Wu, General Manager and President of Phison US.

"With today’s launch, each drive maximizes capacity while reducing power, space, and cooling constraints to minimize bottlenecks for transformative use cases. Customers can essentially push past previous infrastructure barriers to continue to scale as the market demands.”

The drive’s enhanced capacity per watt and support for larger datasets make it a good fit for organizations looking to scale their infrastructure while maintaining cost efficiency and minimizing physical footprint.

More from TechRadar Pro

• These are the fastest SSDs you can buy right now
• And these are the largest SSDs and hard drives on the market
• Price of world's largest SSD has nearly doubled since launch

• Gen Threat Report shows emerging trends in cyberattacks
• Attackers are increasingly involving AI in their attack vectors
• Consumers and businesses alike are being hit harder and more often

Cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging AI technologies to enhance their attacks, experts have warned.

A report from Gen has underlined a growing need for vigilance as scammers integrate voices, images, and videos using AI.

It warned attackers are leveraging the technology to create deepfake videos, often featuring celebrities, to endorse fake cryptocurrency schemes. Scammers have also been spotted exploiting global events and hijacking platforms such as YouTube to run scams, such as the SpaceX Starship integrated flight test (IFT-4) scam, which stole over $1.4 million via fake crypto campaigns.

Cybercriminals expand attacks with AI

Scammers are not just adopting new technologies but also revamping older tactics, the report warns. For instance, the antivirus scam, which was popular in the 2000s, has made a comeback, as cybercriminals now deploy aggressive pop-up alerts mimicking legitimate antivirus programs, falsely claiming the victim’s computer is infected.

These alerts abuse the Windows notification system to appear as credible system messages, urging users to take action by purchasing fake antivirus software. The endgame is to earn commissions through third-party referral programs, while victims are left with a false sense of security.

Scammers are also taking advantage a fluctuating employment market by offering jobs such as promoting goods on social media, which evolve into more sophisticated schemes involving AI-generated voice communications. Victims are convinced to send money, often without realizing they have been duped until it's too late.

The report also reveals that this year has seen a surge in large-scale data breaches, with cybercriminals increasingly focused on stealing digital identities. While buying personal data on the Dark Web remains a popular method, hackers are now turning to more direct techniques such as InfoStealers to access sensitive information.

Cybercriminals are now shifting focus to less protected consumers as companies strengthen their defenses against ransomware attacks. According to Gen telemetry, there was a 24% increase in ransomware attacks targeting consumers in Q2/2024, with India witnessing a staggering 379% rise. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom also saw significant spikes in these attacks.

“We continue to see cybercriminals expand their toolkits with even more uses of AI to strengthen their attacks,” said Siggi Stefnisson, Chief Technology Officer at Gen. “Scammers are cunning and adept at exploiting what is most likely to be on consumers’ minds – whether it has to do with elections, love or financial security."

"Now with AI and other new tech, their schemes are more sophisticated and convincing than ever before. We urge consumers to stay informed and alert. We will continue to keep a watchful eye on the latest threats and provide the latest knowledge and tools needed to be safer despite the evolving threat landscape,” Stefnisson added.

Gen has also continued to strengthen its collaboration with governments worldwide to combat ransomware and provide free decryption tools to victims with the recent release of the Avast DoNex Ransomware Decryptor, designed to help individuals recover from damaging ransomware.

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

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

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

NYT Connections today (game #532) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• LURCH
• TRANCE
• TREE
• THING
• TRAY
• REEL
• WEDNESDAY
• JUNGLE
• PITCH
• IDEA
• HEAVE
• PERSON
• BLOND
• HOUSE
• AMBIENT
• PLACE

NYT Connections today (game #532) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Move from side to side
• Green: Subject
• Blue: Hey DJ!
• Purple: [Residue of fire] blank

Need more clues?

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

NYT Connections today (game #532) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CAREEN
• GREEN: WHAT A NOUN MIGHT BE
• BLUE: ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC GENRES
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER “ASH”

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

NYT Connections today (game #532) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #532, are…

• YELLOW: CAREEN HEAVE, LURCH, PITCH, REEL
• GREEN: WHAT A NOUN MIGHT BE IDEA, PERSON, PLACE, THING
• BLUE: ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC GENRES AMBIENT, HOUSE, JUNGLE, TRANCE
• PURPLE: WORDS AFTER “ASH” BLOND, TRAY, TREE, WEDNESDAY

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Fail

Sigh. My fledgling streak is back to zero again after a mere two victories, and today I don't even have the excuse that it was a particularly difficult day. It wasn't an easy one either, mind, but I'd say this counted as a standard day, rather than anything worse than that.

I managed to solve blue, too, so the fact that I couldn't get any of the others was frustrating. Blue was ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC GENRES with AMBIENT, HOUSE, JUNGLE and TRANCE, so my long-ago past in the clubs of London helped here. But that was as far as it went.

I thought there was an Addams Family connection with WEDNESDAY, THING and LURCH, but this was classic misdirection by the NYT and cost me two guesses as I tried to think of what the fourth could be (TREE? PERSON? I didn't remember the show well enough to know). I then wasted the other two on IDEA, PITCH, REEL as some kind of 'calling cards for an ad agency' type group, but was on the wrong track here too. Still, tomorrow is a new day…

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 23 November, game #531)

• YELLOW: TELLING OF EVENTS ACCOUNT, CHRONICLE, DESCRIPTION, STORY
• GREEN: SECRETED BY TREES GUM, LATEX, RESIN, SAP
• BLUE: THINGS ON STICKS BALL-IN-CUP, CORN DOG, COTTON SWAB, LOLLIPOP
• PURPLE: BLACK OR RED BALANCE SHEET, CHECKERS, LICORICE, ROULETTE

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NYT Strands today (game #266) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Start small

NYT Strands today (game #266) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• ROUGE
• ROGUE
• CREW
• RIDE
• PIPER
• DIRE

NYT Strands today (game #266) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• No big deal

NYT Strands today (game #266) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: right, 4th row

Last: left, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #266) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #266, are…

• DEVIL
• SPOON
• DIPPER
• WOMEN
• RASCALS
• FOOT
• LEAGUE
• ROCK
• SPANGRAM: LITTLE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

Now, this is more like it! This is absolutely the hardest Strands puzzle we've had for weeks, in large part because the concept is much more abstract than some of the recent list-items-in-a-specific-category games.

Instead, this is akin to the 'Blank word' groups you regularly get in Connections, with all of these being words that can go after LITTLE: LEAGUE, RASCALS, ROCK, DEVIL, WOMEN and so on. The only ones I don't understand are SPOON and FOOT, but I presume they have some relevance for others and that's just a lack of general knowledge on my part shining through.

Anyway, I solved it in the end, but had to think about it for a while, and didn't really get what the concept was until about halfway through; I kept finding words based on nothing more than looking for letters that often went together, then using the limited options in some corners of the board to get more. It was only when I got RASCALS that it became clear, which led me to the spangram and ultimately success. Good work, NYT.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 23 November, game #265)

• BANG
• HONK
• SIZZLE
• CRASH
• CRUNCH
• JINGLE
• KAPOW
• SPANGRAM: SOUNDEFFECTS

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now 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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

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

Quordle today (game #1035) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1035) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1035) - 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 #1035) - 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 3.

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 #1035) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• C

• P

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1035) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1035, are…

• CLOTH
• CLAMP
• PETTY
• CHEST

It's very rare that we get a Quordle with only four vowels in total, and indeed only 13 distinct letters across the 20 that are used. If you had C, which appears three times, and T (which appears four) you'll have been on easy street here.

PETTY is arguably the most difficult of the quartet, on account of having a repeated T, but it's hardly an obscure word. My three start words gave me all five letters for two of the answers and four of them for the other two, so it was all rather simple.

The Daily Sequence was even more formulaic in the sense that three of its words began with ST, but the plethora of possible answers here made it a tougher challenge and I needed all but one of my guesses to solve it.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1035) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1035, are…

• STAGE
• STEAM
• GRIPE
• STOVE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1034, Saturday 23 November: AVOID, PLANT, FILET, TWIRL
• Quordle #1033, Friday 22 November: CUTIE, ALOOF, ETUDE, SILLY
• Quordle #1032, Thursday 21 November: RABBI, EAGER, COUGH, BRASH
• Quordle #1031, Wednesday 20 November: MINTY, TOPAZ, BRUSH, LAPEL
• Quordle #1030, Tuesday 19 November: NINJA, PENCE, PAINT, FOIST
• Quordle #1029, Monday 18 November: ASCOT, BRINK, WEIRD, HOMER
• Quordle #1028, Sunday 17 November: STATE, BRAWN, SWORE, URBAN
• Quordle #1027, Saturday 16 November: NOTCH, BENCH, BUSED, FOUND
• Quordle #1026, Friday 15 November: PURER, TRUSS, TORCH, FORUM
• Quordle #1025, Thursday 14 November: EXALT, TASTE, CRONY, CLOUT
• Quordle #1024, Wednesday 13 November: YEARN, ELBOW, SURGE, PINEY
• Quordle #1023, Tuesday 12 November: CHORD, ATTIC, OLIVE, EIGHT
• Quordle #1022, Monday 11 November: COPSE, REGAL, GRUNT, GOODY
• Quordle #1021, Sunday 10 November: GROIN, FAULT, FERRY, SUITE
• Quordle #1020, Saturday 9 November: FLUME, THERE, ATOLL, SANER
• Quordle #1019, Friday 8 November: DELAY, NAVAL, MOLAR, SWARM
• Quordle #1018, Thursday 7 November: REPAY, SYNOD, LOATH, PITHY
• Quordle #1017, Wednesday 6 November: SASSY, DRUID, THREW, SLOSH
• Quordle #1016, Tuesday 5 November: BEGET, AMUSE, STONY, LOUSY
• Quordle #1015, Monday 4 November: CHILL, TACKY, GRAPH, PLAZA

• Stanford scientists are looking to combine SRAM and DRAM
• The new memory type would help solve issues with AI computing
• Gain Cell memory looks to bridge the gap between the two types

The development of more energy-efficient hardware for artificial intelligence (AI) systems is receiving increased support, with a focus on improving memory technology.

A hybrid type of memory that blends the high density of DRAM (Dynamic Random-Access Memory) with the speed of SRAM (Static Random-Access Memory) is at the forefront of this effort.

The project is being led by electrical engineers at Stanford University, with the team’s goal being to create faster, more efficient memory hardware for AI applications that addresses the current limitations in processing power and energy consumption.

Memory, a key AI bottleneck – hybrid gain cell memory to the rescue

This research is being funded under the CHIPS and Science Act, with a recent boost of $16.3 million in US Department of Defense funding to the California-Pacific-Northwest AI Hardware Hub.

AI systems are heavily reliant on hardware that can efficiently move and process large volumes of data. However, moving data between memory and logic unites takes time, which slows down GPUs and leads to increased energy consumption.

As AI models become larger and more complex, these memory bottlenecks become more pronounced. Therefore, faster and denser memory located directly on chips is seen as a potential solution to this problem.

Stanford University’s H.-S. Philip Wong, an electrical engineer and chair of the AI Hardware Hub, emphasizes the importance of memory in making AI hardware more energy efficient.

Wong’s team has turned to a new type of memory design called Gain Cell memory, which combines the advantages of both DRAM and SRAM. The hybrid gain cell offers a middle ground which has the small footprint of DRAM, but it also provides the faster readout speeds characteristic of SRAM.

The key difference in this new design is the use of two transistors—one for writing data and one for reading rather than the capacitor found in traditional DRAM. This allows the gain cell to retain data more reliably and to boost the signal strength when data is read.

Gain Cell memory has faced limitations such as rapid data leakage in silicon-based designs and slower readout speeds in oxide-based designs. However the Stanford team combined a silicon transistor with an indium tin oxide transistor, significantly enhancing the device's performance, offering faster readouts while maintaining a compact footprint.

The new design can hold data for over 5,000 seconds, far longer than traditional DRAM, which needs refreshing every 64 milliseconds. Additionally, the hybrid memory is around 50 times faster than oxide-oxide gain cells.

Wong likens this advancement to transitioning from a basic 3-gear bicycle to a sophisticated 20-gear bicycle, emphasizing that this evolution of memory technology will extend beyond traditional options like DRAM, SRAM, and flash memory. “We want to provide better options so designers can optimize better…it’s an opportunity to rearchitect computers,” Wong said.

Via IEEE

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• espresso Display 15 offers FHD screen, 300 nits, 99% sRGB
• Stand+ provides flexible height adjustment and magnetic attachment
• Glide software enables seamless automatic multi-screen arrangement

Using dual screens is an effective, and proven way to boost productivity for many of us - and now, Espresso Displays, an Australian company specializing in portable monitors, has introduced a new product that simplifies adding a second screen to any laptop.

The bundle features a magnetic stand that will allow you to position the display alongside your laptop, or above it.

The espresso Display 15 features a 15.6-inch LCD screen with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution with 16.8 million colors and 99% sRGB color coverage. With a brightness of 300 nits and a contrast ratio of 1000:1, the screen should provide consistent image quality, suitable for work tasks and content viewing. The display is super-slim, measuring only 0.2 inches (5.3 mm), and weighs 865 grams, making it highly portable. It comes with two USB-C ports.

Portrait and landscape modes

Stand+ is built from durable aerospace-grade aluminum and includes rubber pads to ensure stability on various surfaces.

The magnetic stand (which is compatible with other espresso displays) offers variable height adjustment and will allow the screen to be used in both portrait and landscape modes, providing flexibility for different workspace setups. Stand+ is also designed for easy attachment and detachment, which espresso says will help users transition seamlessly between tasks.

In addition to the new hardware, espresso Displays has introduced a software tool called Glide, which is part of its multi-screen management system, espresso Flow.

Glide offers automatic digital screen arrangement by detecting the physical location of the espresso Display in relation to a laptop. This removes the need for manual adjustments, as users can simply move their cursor across screens.

espresso Display 15 and Stand+ are available for $299 and currently come with a free case and protector. If you want to buy just the Stand+ that will set you back $69. We reviewed an earlier version of espresso Displays' portable monitor, and you can see what we thought of it here.

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• Apple has shared the most popular podcasts of 2024
• True crime, politics, and interview shows dominate
• You can view stats for your country in the Podcasts app

It's the season to look back on the last 12 months – we're seeing announcements every day now about the apps of the year, the movies of the year, and annual music recaps – and now Apple has published stats on the top podcasts of 2024.

The charts cover the most popular shows overall, the most popular new shows, the most popular individual episodes, the most widely shared shows, and the shows with the most subscribers across the year. You can see the results for the results in your own part of the world by opening the Browse tab in the iOS Podcasts app.

For the US, the top three shows overall were The Daily news show, the true crime podcast Crime Junkie, and The Joe Rogan Experience interview series. Over in the UK, the podcast charts were topped by The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett, The Rest Is Politics, and The Rest Is History.

When it comes to the best new shows for 2024, the US list was headed by The Tucker Carlson Show, Three (true crime), and Mortal Sin (true crime again). In the UK, the winners were The Rest Is Entertainment, The Rest Is Politics (US version), and Olivia Attwood's So Wrong It's Right – so you can see some of the trends.

Top episodes

Crime Junkie has been one of the big winners this year (Image credit: Crime Junkie)

For top episodes in the US, we've got a Crime Junkie episode on the Alphabet murders, Joe Rogan's interview with Donald Trump, and the Daily episode on the Harris vs Trump debate during the US election.

In the UK, the top three episodes were claimed by the UK election episode from The Rest Is Politics, the Paul Rudd episode from Off Menu with Ed Game and James Acaster, and the Angela Rayner episode of The Rest Is Politics.

Politics, true crime, and interview shows have been dominating the podcast charts in 2024 then – though bear in mind this is based on listening happening through the Apple Podcasts app and not anywhere else (like Spotify, for example).

As for the most shared shows we're recommending to friends and family, the top three were Huberman Lab (health), Scamanda (true crime yet again), and Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the US, and Zoe Science & Nutrition, The Rest Is Politics, and The Rest Is History in the UK.

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Full spoilers follow for Arcane season 2 act 3.

After two critically-acclaimed seasons, multiple award wins, and millions of hours streamed, Arcane has ended – and what an ending it was. Following the release of season 2's final trailer on Tuesday (November 19), the hugely popular Netflix series has bowed out with an emotionally stunning finale, and I'm certainly struggling to comprehend how Arcane season 2's third and final act could end in such bittersweet fashion.

As one of the best Netflix shows' final credits roll and the dust begins to settle on an animated masterpiece that'll stand the test of time, I imagine you've got plenty of questions rattling around your head. Well, as I fight back tears, I'll do my best to answer them. This is your final warning: full spoilers immediately follow for the entirerty of Arcane, including its final three episodes.

Arcane season 2 act 3 ending explained: is Jinx dead?

Is Jinx really dead? I'm not so sure she is (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Let's start off with the big one: did Jinx die? It certainly seems that way, but I'm not buying she is.

In the final 15 minutes of season 2's mind-bending and bloody ninth episode, titled 'The Dirt Under Your Nails', Vi, Jinx, and an apparently dead Warwick are left strewn across the dilapidated Hexgate tower, with Jinx marooned on a steel beam above another that Vi and Warwick are perched on.

As Jinx and Vi stagger to their feet, the latter looks down at the monster that used to be Vander, aka the siblings' surrogate father. Intuitively knowing that Vi will try to save Vander once more, Jinx pleads with her older sister to leave it be and head for a safer metal beam. Ever the stubborn individual, Vi ignores her sister's pleas and, as she reaches out to Vander/Warwick, the beast awakens and begins lashing out at Vi.

The entire Arcane fandom when Jinx let go of Vi's hand (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

With every attack from Warwick further destabilizing the beam that it and Vi are on, Jinx – using her shimmer-based powers – leaps from her girder, ploughs into Warwick, and knocks them off Vi's beam. Vi reaches out and grabs Jinx's right hand with one of her Hextech gauntlets to try and haul her sibling to safety, but Warwick grabs Jinx's waist; the pair's combined weight meaning Vi must make a choice: save herself, or they'll all perish in the inevitable fall.

Jinx, realizing that Vi needs to let her go but knowing full well she won't, delivers a tear-jerking goodbye to her sister, saying "Always with you, sis". Using her free hand, she removes the Hextech gemstone from Vi's gauntlet, which causes it to power down, and release Jinx and Warwick. As the pair seemingly fall to their death, Jinx pulls out the Hextech gemstone bomb she'd originally made to kill herself at the start of episode 9, pulls the pin, and seemingly kills her and Warwick as a grief-stricken Vi watches on.

Did Jinx survive by using one of the Hexgate towers' air ducts or cooling tunnels? (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

All of that would suggest Jinx is dead, right? Not quite. You see, during episode 9's final scenic medley, Caitlyn is seen scrolling through the Kiramman family archives and stumbles upon the Hexgate's construction plans. There, she spots a set of cooling tunnels (see the image above for more) that branch off from the building, which leads to a wry smile spreading across Caitlyn's face. To me, this implies that Caitlyn thinks Jinx used one of said tunnels to escape her own bomb blast, and there's more evidence to suggest she does, too.

For starters, season 2's final scene depicts an airship flying off to whereabouts unknown. This might seem like a strange scene to end things on but, if you remember back to Arcane's very first episode, Jinx (then known as Powder) says "one day, I'm going to fly one of those things". What other perfect ending could there be to Jinx's story, then, than realizing that dream and sailing off into the proverbial sunset?

As for the other crucial piece of evidence, as the screen cuts to black after that scene, a Jinx-style smile and a graffiti-esque 'The End' quickly flashes on the screen. The revelation about the cooling tunnel, coupled with these obvious Jinx references, lead me to believe that Zaun's self-appointed "big, fat hero" is alive. Even better, she seems to take the advice from Silco (well, the apparition of him that appears before her while she's imprisoned in episode 8) and end the cycle of violence by walking away from it all.

Arcane season 2 act 3 ending explained: do Caitlyn and Vi end up together?

And they (kinda) lived happily ever after (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Yes! After almost two seasons' worth of teases, the couple affectionately dubbed 'CaitVi' by Arcane's fanbase get their happy ending. They're seen snuggling in one of the last scenes in 'The Dirt Under Your Nails'.

It's been a long road to get to this point. Indeed, season 1 was full of hints that Caitlyn and Vi had feelings for each other, but it wasn't until season 2's third episode that Arcane finally gave us a huge 'CaitVi' moment – that being their first kiss, which the show's creators told me they "couldn't have done in season one."

Alright, own up: how many of you cheered when this happened? (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Regardless, Caitlyn and Vi's dynamic suffered some significant setbacks throughout this season, not least because Caitlyn's mom was one of three Piltover councillors who died in Jinx's attack in the season 1 finale. Given the diverging nature of their journeys from season 2 episode 3 onwards, there was no guarantee that 'CaitVi' would survive this season's explosive storyline. Thankfully, they did – and it came after they finally consummated their relationship by having sex for the first time, too, albeit we only got a tasteful glimpse at that in episode 8 before that chapter moved onto other matters.

The duo have been impacted by some truly traumatic events before and since we've met them, including Caitlyn losing her left eye in her final showdown with Ambessa and Vi losing, well, everyone she's loved (Jinx's undetermined fate notwithstanding) apart from Caitlyn. Despite their personal losses, though, Netflix, Riot Games, and animation studio Fortiche Production didn't incite a riot among fans by giving 'CaitVi' the happy ending they deserved.

Arcane season 2 act 3 ending explained: is Heimerdinger dead? And who else lost their lives?

You came good in the end, Heimerdinger *sniff* (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Before season 2 act 1 aired on Netflix, aka the world's best streaming service, on November 9, co-creator Christian Linke warned fans (via the Black Girl Nerds podcast) that this nine-episode installment would be something of a bloodbath. Indeed, he suggested it would be something on the level of Games of Thrones – a comparison I'm not afraid to admit I rejected because I didn't think Linke and co-creator Alex Yee would kill any of their darlings.

How wrong I was. There had already been numerous significant deaths this season – read my season 2 act 1 ending explained and season 2 act 2 ending explained articles for more on who shuffled off their mortal coil prior to act 3's launch – but season 2's final three episodes and, in particular, 'The Dirt Under Your Nails', though, were an absolute massacre.

Indeed, episode 7, aka 'Pretend Like It's the First Time', got things off to a hot start with the demise of Heimerdinger – the centuries-old Yordle scientist appearing to sacrifice himself to allow Ekko to return to the pair's original universe after the Anomaly sent them to a parallel dimension. This season's penultimate entry, titled 'Killing Is a Cycle', saw the destruction of Sky's consciousness when Viktor made the fateful decision to fully embrace his Glorious Revolution plan, too.

I wonder how many people cheered when Maddie bit the dust... (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

It was episode 9, though, where the most significant deaths happened. Loris, Vi's friend, is killed in a hail of crossbow bolt fire during Ambessa's assault on Piltover. Gert, one of Jinx's followers, also dies in the initial wave of attacks.

Then there's Maddie, the Piltover enforcer who idolized Vi (but not enough to stop her jumping into bed with Caitlyn in a rebound-style relationship in season 2 episode 4), also dies. After betraying Caitlyn to side with Ambessa, Maddie prepares to execute her former lover, but she's killed when the bullet she fires towards Caitlyn bounces off a magic-based shield – one created by Mel, whose mage powers have fully activated by this point – and strikes and kills Maddie instead.

For all the bad things she did, I still felt a bit sorry for Ambessa when she died (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Ambessa is a casualty of her own invasion, too. Thanks for Caitlyn and Mel, she's eventually captured by the Black Rose – it turns out they weren't, as some of us believed, Arcane's main villain after all – whose leader starts using her dark magic to kill Ambessa. For what it's worth: I still believe this individual, aka the so-called 'Illusionary Sorceress' voiced by Minnie Driver, is LeBlanc – for more details, read my Arcane season 2 cast and character guide.

But I digress. In a bait-and-switch move, Mel saves Ambessa (aka her mom) by not only interrupting this Black Rose member's attack, but also by sending them away using her own magical abilities. Despite everything Ambessa has put her through, Mel still clearly loves her mother. Recognizing this, a grateful Ambessa says "now you are the wolf" – a reference to Noxian strength – before dying in Mel's arms.

As I mentioned earlier, Jinx and Warwick appear to die in episode 9 as well, but this pair's fates aren't the only ones left up in the air...

Arcane season 2 act 3 ending explained: is Jayce dead? And what happened to Viktor?

After losing a fight he was never destined to win, Jayce had to try a new approach with Viktor (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Of all of these questions, this is the one I'm least confident about answering. Like Jinx, it would appear Jayce and Viktor perish in season 2's final chapter – the pair using their combined willpower and consciousnesses to halt Viktor's Glorious Evolution plan that would've turned Runeterra into a dystopian nightmare.

They succeed in this endeavour, too, but the duo suddenly disappear as they prevent this Calamity – one bigger than the Rune Wars, a near-world-ending event that threatened Runeterra millennia ago, apparently – from happening.

So, what happened to them? Sure, we finally got answers about why Arcane season 2 was seemingly sending Jayce down a very dark path, but this query largely goes unanswered. So, it appears they died to not only save Piltover and Zaun, but also Runeterra as a whole.

Partners to the end *double sniff* (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Again, though, I'm unconvinced Jayce and Viktor are dead. In fact, I believe they were either whisked away by Jayce's crystal shard to another realm or, because of Viktor's celestial-like magical powers, have undergone the process known.

Without getting into the weeds of Riot's hugely popular game franchise, which Arcane is based on, according to League of Legends (LoL) lore, Ascension is a process by which humans were altered by celestial magic. Originating in an area of Runeterra known as Mount Targon (they're Ascended where known as Aspect Hosts), and later copied by the lost empire of Shurima (they're Ascended were called God-Warriors), Ascension allowed blessed individuals to channel celestial magic through their connection to entities that are considered to be LoL's version of Gods. It's my opinion, then, that Jayce and Viktor have temporarily disappeared and will return as Ascended in future LoL adaptations, which would continue to prove Arcane season 2 has rewritten large parts of established League lore.

Arcane season 2 act 3 ending explained: is there a mid- or post-credits scene?

It turns out Viktor was the mage all along (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

No. Once Arcane season 2's end credits roll for the last time, there isn't an end credits scene to stick around for. That didn't come as a surprise to me, especially as Linke and Yee exclusively told me prior to this season's release that "we're not in production" on other LoL movie and/or TV adaptations.

Arcane season 2 act 3 ending explained: what is the three-eyed raven? And who is Swain?

We've got our eyes on you, Grand General Swain... (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

There may not be a post-credits sequence that teases what's to come after Arcane, but that doesn't mean there aren't hints towards likely follow-up projects. Indeed episode 9's final montage drops a big clue about one such story that may be told next.

First, though, we need to back things up a little. Throughout Arcane's 18-episode run, black ravens have been spotted by viewers and the series' characters – indeed, the earliest appearance of one that I can recall is in season 1 episode 5, which sees Jinx return to her and Vi's former hideout and shoot a raven when it spooks her.

At the time, I didn't think much about it or subsequent raven appearances. But, as I've come to learn about Riot and Fortiche in particular, they're very meticulous about the imagery and Easter eggs they've littered throughout Arcane. That is to say, a lot of things they include are added in for a reason.

It's going to be a long time until we find out if Swain will appear in the next LoL adaptation (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

So, as more ravens showed up, I did a little digging – and LoL diehards won't need me to tell them what I discovered. For those less familiar with LoL lore, though: ravens are a bird most commonly associated with a very specific LoL champion called Swain. Even more explicitly, the six-eyed raven who appears in episode 9's final sequence – the one seen pecking at Jayce's corrupted Hextech hammer to unearth its Hextech gemstone – is directly tied to Swain.

Alright, so who is he? Again, I don't want to turn this into a particularly lengthy explanation. But, for anyone curious to know something about him: Grand General Jericho Swain is Noxus' visionary ruler who possesses demonic abilities. That makes him another dark magic wielder, with Swain acquiring such powers after losing his left arm in Noxus' invasion of Ionia – another magic-infused region of Runeterra.

How does this potentially set up the next LoL adaptation? Per LoL lore, Swain is one of three individuals who currently rule Noxus (one of the others is LeBlanc, by the way) as a group known as the Trifarix. With Mel seen sailing to Noxus in episode 9's final sequence, coupled with the wider mystery surrounding her abilities, the Black Rose, and how all of this ties to Ambessa, I'm convinced that the next League adaptation – or, at the very least, one of them – that lands on Netflix will expand on Noxus, its complicated history, and its impact on Ionia and other Runeterran regions and kingdoms.

Arcane season 2 act 3 ending explained: will there be a third season of Arcane?

Stare into the distance all you like, Ekko, but there won't be a season 3 of Arcane (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Nope. In June, Netflix and Riot confirmed Arcane's second season would also be its last, so a third season isn't on the way. Ahead of season 2's arrival, there were reports that Arcane was originally going to run for five seasons. However, just 48 hours after those rumors emerged, Linke and Yee told me that it was "never the plan" for Arcane to last for five seasons.

While this is the end of Vi and Jinx's story, Netflix, Riot, and Fortiche aren't done adapting LoL in animated and/or live-action form. In a video accompanying the announcement that Arcane was ending, Linke revealed other projects were being developed. Unfortunately, per Linke and Yee, those ideas are still in their very early stages, so it sounds like it'll be a long wait for future League projects to follow in Arcane's footsteps.

Arcane season 2 act ending explained: what other League of Legends stories could be told? Will Orianna star in one?

Will Singed's daughter Orianna star in another LoL adaptation? (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

A movie or TV series centered on Noxus aside, there are other narratives that, based on how Arcane ends, are ripe for exploration.

For starters, one could star Orianna, aka the Lady of Clockwork. The final few minutes of episode 9 revealed that Singed – the man formerly known as Doctor Corin Reveck – successfully brought his daughter Orianna back to life. He did so via a combination of Apex Hexcore and the clockwork-inspired design of Viktor's former followers, so it would be fascinating to see how her rebirth impacts Orianna and Singed individually, as well as their familial bond.

Another possible project could follow Ekko. Sure, it seems Netflix, Riot, and Fortiche are keen to explore other regions of Runeterra and the characters inhabiting them, but Linke told ScreenRant that there's the potential to continue the stories of some characters from Arcane. We only got a glimpse of Ekko's true potential in this show, and I'd certainly be keen to see him get more screen time, whether it's in the alternate timeline that episode 7 was built around, or the reality that the main show is set in.

Orianna, Ekko, or any of the individuals who survived Arcane, however, are but a fraction of the near-170 LoL champions who exist in Riot's massively successful videogame series. There's no guarantee that we'll see these individuals again, then, but it would be nice if we did, wouldn't it?

• It seems there'll be no 5x zoom upgrade for the iPhone 17
• The iPhone 18 is tipped to get a LTPO+ display upgrade
• A major chip improvement could land with the iPhone 18 too

We've just seen a flurry of leaks around the iPhone 17 (due September 2025) and the iPhone 18 (due September 2026) – and if the information in them is accurate, you might want to wait until the latter handset is out for your next iPhone upgrade.

First up, a report in respected South Korea outlet The Elec (via 9to5Mac) says that Apple's camera module suppliers are upgrading their production facilities ready to start pushing out cameras ready for the iPhone 17 Pro.

However, there won't be any periscope lenses for the standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air (or iPhone 17 Slim), according to the report. That apparently means no 5x optical zoom upgrade to match the Pro and Pro Max next year.

Have a read of our iPhone 16 review and you'll see it comes with a dual-lens 48MP main + 12MP ultrawide camera on the back, like the iPhone 16 Plus, with no optical zoom capabilities. There might be camera upgrades next year, but it doesn't seem as though a 5x optical zoom will be among them.

Displays and chips

Exclusive: Apple is reportedly planning to use upgraded LTPO+ panels for the iPhone 18 Pro series, replacing the current LTPO panels.LTPO+ is a display technology that has not yet been introduced to the market. It is expected to enhance speed and power efficiency compared to…November 20, 2024

Our second little tidbit of information comes from established tipster @Jukanlosreve, who says that an LTPO+ display tech upgrade is in the offing for the iPhone 18 series. LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) is the tech that enables dynamic refresh rates and always-on displays that don't destroy battery life.

Although we don't get any information about what the 'plus' variant of LTPO involves, we're assuming it means further performance increases and power efficiency improvements, in order to reduce the demands on the battery even further.

Last but not least, Chinese leaker Fixed Focus Digital (via @Jukanlosreve) says that there won't be major improvements in the A19 chips manufactured for the iPhone 17, but there will be in the A20 chips for the iPhone 18 – which may be made with the help of Intel.

Apple currently partners with TSMC (the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) for its iPhone processors, so a switch to Intel would be significant – and might make the iPhone 18 a more appealing upgrade than next year's iPhone 17.

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• DK07 combines motorized desk and PC case
• Supports dual systems, multiple motherboards, and extensive cooling
• Includes ample storage, USB ports, and wireless charging pad

If you’re in need of a new desk, perhaps one that can easily transition from a sitting to standing desk, and you’re also in need of a new PC case, Lian Li’s DK07 desk station could be exactly what you’re looking for… if money is no object.

Priced at $1,399, the DK07 motorized desk doubles as a high-performance PC case, appealing to users who want an all-in-one workspace solution with advanced customization.

February, Lian Li showcased a prototype of this desk with an OLED screen built into the surface in February 2024, and while the production model of the DK07 doesn’t include the screen, it remains mostly the same in terms of features. It supports both single and dual computer systems, with capacity for two E-ATX motherboards and dual ATX power supplies.

Support for up to 16 drives

Equipped with an electric motor, the DK07 allows smooth height adjustments, enabling users to easily switch between sitting and standing positions with a touchpad control. Constructed from a durable combination of steel, 6.0mm tempered glass, and aluminum, it supports up to 100kg in weight, combining strength with a streamlined design.

The DK07 is optimized for cooling, accommodating up to 17 fans and various radiator configurations, including front, side, and middle placements. With compatibility for GPUs up to 383mm in length, it can support powerful graphics cards for intensive setups. A modular bracket design at the rear makes it easy to switch between system configurations.

Storage is ample, with room for up to 16 drives, and it has two drawers built in with removable organizers to help maintain a tidy workspace. Each system features dual USB Type-C and Type-A ports with transfer speeds up to 20 Gbps, along with dedicated mic and audio ports. A wireless charging pad is also built into the desk surface, adding functionality without clutter.

For safety, the DK07 includes a screen lock to prevent accidental height adjustments, a useful feature in homes with children or pets. Internal Velcro straps and tie points support effective cable management, so cables stay organized within the desk.

With dimensions of 80.5 cm (31.7 inches) in depth, 148 cm (58.3 inches) in width, and an adjustable height range from 67.6 cm to 116.2 cm (26.6 to 45.7 inches), the DK07 should fit comfortably into most homes or offices. It supports a wide array of motherboards, including E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, and Mini-ITX.

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• Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal can detect cold spots and leaks
• Rugged design with 10.36-inch display, IP68/IP69K certified
• Long-lasting 11800mAh battery, dual SIM, and 5G support

Cold spots in homes and offices - those persistently chilly areas - are often signs of underlying issues such as poor insulation, air leaks, or structural problems that allow heat to escape. Identifying and addressing these areas, whether by sealing leaks, improving insulation, or repairing defects, can significantly improve comfort and reduce energy consumption.

The Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal is a rugged tablet that can help locate these cold spots. It features a GPU-powered ThermoVue thermal imaging sensor capable of detecting heat variations beyond the visible spectrum, pinpointing leaks and other problems.

Features of the 160x120 resolution thermal sensor include <50mk sensitivity, 25Hz refresh rate, and temperature measurements from 10°C to 550°C, with a measuring range of up to 1,000m.

11800mAh battery

Ulefone highlights its suitability for inspecting pipe blockages, building issues, and mechanical or electrical maintenance. It can also be used for wildlife monitoring, overnight construction, gas leak detection, vehicle maintenance, and by first responders in critical situations, such as during house fires.

The tablet sports a 10.36-inch IPS display with a 2000 x 1200 pixel resolution, 500 nits brightness, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Built to withstand demanding environments, the Armor Pad 4 is certified to IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STG810H standards, ensuring durability against drops, extreme temperatures, water, dust, and dirt.

The device includes a 48MP Samsung S5KGN1 main camera with an f/1.9 aperture and an 85° field of view for 2K video recording, along with a 32MP front camera for selfies and video calls.

A powerful 11800mAh battery provides up to 64 hours of talk time and supports 33W fast charging. The tablet runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB UFS 2.2 storage, expandable via microSD. Dual SIM compatibility supports up to 5G networks.

Additional features include Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 5, NFC, GPS, a versatile uSmart Connector 2.0, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a 1100-lumen camping light with 483 LEDs.

You can buy the Ulefone Armor Pad 4 Ultra Thermal on Amazon for $599.99, but there's currently a $50 discount coupon available, bringing the price down to a more affordable $549.99.

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The UK's cybersecurity and law enforcement have issued an "urgent alert" as people get ready to grab the best Black Friday deals around.

Data from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and Action Fraud shows a significant surge in financial losses to online shopping scams.

Between November 2023 and January 2024 alone, Brits lost over £11.5 million in online shopping scams, with each victim losing £695 on average.

Black Friday warning

"Our message to anyone shopping online as we approach Black Friday is simple: if you come across anything that doesn’t feel right – stop what you’re doing, break contact, and do not click any links," said UK's Fraud Minister Lord Hanson, admitting that more needs to be done to tackle online fraud.

You should especially be wary of offers you find on social media platforms. The Action Fraud report also revealed, in fact, that almost half of the incidents (43%) came from social media platforms in 2023.

"Never feel pressured into buying anything online - creating a false sense of urgency is a tell-tale sign of a fraudster," suggests Adam Mercer, Deputy Head of Action Fraud.

Mercer also recommends avoiding bank transfers if you can, whether you're shopping on online marketplaces, social media, or retailer websites. A credit card is the preferred option for the privacy-conscious as it provides more protection if anything goes wrong.

Do you know?

(Image credit: Vektor Illustration/Shutterstock)

Black Friday isn't just a hotly anticipated time for shoppers, but also for scammers. From offers that are too good to be true to suspicious messages and dodgy-looking websites, we put together the main red flags for Black Friday scams you should look out for this shopping season.

Besides being vigilant at all times, the NCSC has also launched a nationwide campaign, as part of Stop! Think Fraud, to encourage people to set up 2-step verification on their most important accounts.

Two or multiple-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security as it requires you to provide an additional form of identification, on top of your password, to access your account. This might be a one-time code sent in an SMS, a magic link sent to your email, a biometrical print, or clicking on a specific app on your device.

Experts at Surfsark, one of the best VPN providers on the market right now, have shared extra tips on how to avoid Black Friday scams.

These include avoiding browsing on potentially compromised public Wi-Fi without a virtual private network (VPN) as scammers may set up malicious Wi-Fi hotspots in busy shopping areas. Most notably, they suggest always checking the sender's email address to minimize the chances of falling victim to phishing attacks.

Yet, according to Surfshark's cybersecurity expert Miguel Fornés, fake websites and deals remain the most common tactics.

He said: "Stick to the brands you know well, or do additional research if you are shopping at a new site. Be cautious of poor grammar, misspellings, and unusual phrases, as these can indicate that a site or message might be a scam."

• TCL has begun production of a 21.6-inch inkjet-printed OLED panel
• Inkjet-printed panels are cheaper to produce and more efficient
• Larger IJP panels still remain at the prototype stage

The OLED panel in your next monitor, and TV could be made by an inkjet printer. It’s a technology that TCL has been talking about for more than a decade, but the Chinese panel-maker has finally made its screen-printing ambitions a production reality.

TCL has officially begun mass-production of inkjet-printed OLED panels. Their first application isn’t something you’re likely to see in your living room, mind: a 21.6-inch 4K OLED display that’s intended for professional medical use.

TCL also unveiled a prototype 27-inch inkjet-printed OLED panel for monitors. It joins the catalog of prototypes we’ve already seen from the manufacturer, including the folding 65-inch OLED TV shown off at Display Week in Los Angeles last year.

What makes the production news exciting is that it indicates TCL has finally made the leap to real-world implementation of the prototype technology. It’s the first concrete evidence that the OLED panels of the future could be produced by inkjet printers.

TCL has long touted the benefits of panels made this way. The new production method has lower costs and produces OLEDs that last longer and require less power. The question has always been whether the technique is viable for mass production, and whether it’s capable of producing the larger panel sizes that feature in our list of the best OLED TVs.

What's new?

Traditionally, OLED panels are made by depositing organic materials on a glass layer through a stencil. This is achieved by a process of evaporation inside a vacuum chamber. In contrast, inkjet-printed (IJP) OLEDs use large printers to precisely deposit the material.

This significantly reduces the amount of production waste, which in turn means that IJP panels can be made for less money. TCL reckons that its IJP panels are 20% cheaper overall and can be made 30% faster than traditional OLED displays, and also that the materials used have a longer lifespan.

It also claims that its printed RGB OLED loses 50% less light due to internal reflection, resulting in “higher light output efficiency compared to traditional OLED displays”. According to TCL, this means it can display brighter images using the same amount of power.

(Image credit: TCL)

That improvement in efficiency doesn’t mean IJP panels are brighter, though. With a maximum brightness of 350 nits, the 21.6-inch display that TCL has put into production is significantly dimmer than rival OLED panels from LG and Samsung, which peak north of 1,000 nits.

The consumer benefits are instead a potential reduction in the cost of OLED displays. IJP panels should be cheaper to run and last longer. And assuming that the lower cost of production is reflected in retail prices, TVs with IJP screens could significantly reduce the cost of owning an OLED display.

Question marks remain over whether the technology can be effectively applied to produce larger panels. While TCL has demonstrated larger prototypes, there’s a long way to go from its 21.6-inch production panel to the 55-inch and 65-inch panel sizes required by the best OLED TVs.

Still, with a 204PPI density and 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space, TCL’s IJP panel is otherwise competitive.

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