TechRadar News

• Amazon has launched its biggest-ever smart display – the Echo Show 21
• It combines a 21-inch screen with new features like improved audio
• The Echo Show 15 has also been upgraded with the same new features

If you like the idea of having a wall-mounted smart display for video calls, photo sharing, and family organization, Amazon has just launched two tempting new options – an upgraded Echo Show 15 and its biggest-ever smart screen, the new Echo Show 21.

The Echo Show series is already available in bewildering array of screen sizes, starting with the Echo Show 5. But these two new models are unique – not only are they Amazon's largest options, with 15-inch and 21-inch screens respectively, they're also designed to be wall-mountable. That makes them particularly suitable for busy kitchens with cluttered worktops.

The original Amazon Echo Show 15 launched in September 2021, but it's been updated with several upgrades, which are also in the new Echo Show 21. The first of those directly addresses one of our main criticisms of the first Echo Show 15, which is improved audio quality. Rather than two 1.6-inch tweeters, the displays combine dual 2-inch woofers with two 0.6-inch tweeters for a bassier sound.

Combined with some new noise reduction tech and improved auto-framing skills, this should make the Echo Show 15 and 21 much better for video calls. Amazon also says that both displays now offer double the field-of-view compared to the first Echo Show 15 and "65% more zoom", although this is presumably still just digital zoom.

The final two improvements should boost Echo Shows' streaming and smart home powers. They now have Wi-Fi 6E, which offers better speeds and lower latency compared to Wi-Fi 6. Depending on your router, that should boost the streaming experience from YouTube, Netflix, and Prime Video.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Amazon)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Amazon)

Lastly, the Echo Show 15 and 21 have a built-in smart home hub with Matter support. The original Echo Show 15 already supports Matter, but connecting to your various smart home devices should be easier thanks to direct support for Wi-Fi, Thread, or Zigbee protocols. Both are powered by an octa-core processor with Amazon's AZ2 neural network engine.

On the downside, the price of getting a large, wall-mountable Echo Show has gone up since the original Echo Show 15 was launched. The new Echo Show 15 costs $299 / £299 (around AU$460) – a $50 increase from the original – while the Echo Show 21 will set you back $399 / £399 (around AU$615).

We'll update this story when we get the official Australia pricing – and we'll also be testing both soon to let you know if they're new contenders for our best smart displays guide.

Analysis: The battle for your wall space heats up

The new Amazon Echo Show 21's size (above) and improved speakers should make it a good option for video calls. (Image credit: Amazon)

We've seen rumors grow in recent months that Apple is planning to launch a wall-mounted smart display in early 2025 – and it seems that Amazon has pre-empted that by launching its new Echo Show 21 and refreshing its Echo Show 15.

Both of these new displays are built on the same idea as Apple's rumored Apple Intelligence-powered screen – namely, letting you easily video call family, watch YouTube, and control your smart home from one unobtrusive kitchen hub.

As our Amazon Echo Show 15 review noted, the original kitchen nerve center wasn't perfect. Our main complaints were the disappointing speakers, average display with weak colors and brightness, lack of resizable widgets, and the fact that the tilt stand was sold separately.

Amazon certainly seems to have addressed the criticisms of audio quality in these new Echo Shows. But while they do both come with an Alexa Voice Remote, you still need to buy the pricey stand separately (for $99 / £99).

The other big unknown is the future state of voice assistants on these devices. The upgraded Alexa AI seems to be perpetually delayed, Apple won't be meaningfully upgrading Siri until iOS 18.4 in 2025, and Google is being characteristically non-committal with its smart home plans, despite our pleas for it to upgrade its aging Nest Hub.

Still, Amazon certainly has the most experience in making big, wall-mountable smart home displays – and on paper, the Echo Show 15 and 21 look like its best efforts yet.

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• Wix Studio adds AI visual sitemap and wireframe generator
• The results can be tweaked and customized in many ways
• Any changes are synced in real-time, from both ends

Wix Studio has gotten richer for yet another AI-powered feature - a visual sitemap and wireframe generator.

In a press release shared with TechRadar Pro earlier this week, Wix, one of the best website builders on the market, said the new offering “allows agencies and enterprises to accelerate site planning” with the new tool.

A visual sitemap is a graphical representation of a website's structure, showing the relationships and hierarchy of its pages and content. It provides an organized overview of how the site is laid out, helping to plan navigation, user flow, and content distribution. To create such a sitemap with Wix Studio, agencies, and web professionals can now simply input project details such as business type, site description, goals, target audience, and tone of voice.

After that, the AI takes over, generating a tailored sitemap with pages and sections. Users can then refine and customize the design, add or remove sections and pages, or shuffle things around. The final step is to export the solution for easy sharing with clients, partners, and search engines.

This is a new feature that helps further position Wix Studio as one of the best website builders for agencies.

Adding AI to website builders

Users can also opt for a sitemap with wireframes - simplified, low-fidelity visual guides that represent the layout and structure of a website or app.

"With the visual sitemap and wireframe generator, we’re offering users a powerful new way to streamline the website creation process," said Gali Erez, Head of Wix Studio. "By automating the initial site planning and structuring, users can now focus more on the creative aspects of their work, delivering fully-customized, client-ready websites faster than ever before."

Wix also said that any changes can be synchronized in real time. If a user makes a change to the visual sitemap, it instantly gets reflected on the site, and vice-versa.

The new offering will come pre-installed with Wix’s business solutions, the company added, stressing that it will be available on Wix Studio to users “on a rolling basis.”

Over the last couple of months, most website builders have implemented generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) solutions in one form or another. Bluehost, Crazy Domains, GoDaddy, Wix, and many others, have recently introduced chat-based website building capabilities, helping agencies and web professionals create sites faster and more seamlessly, thus freeing up valuable time to focus on more pressing matters.

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• Apple has issued a patch to a number of its operating systems
• The patch addresses two critical vulnerabilities in JavaScriptCore and WebKit
• Users should install the patches immediately

Apple has issued a patch for macOS following the exposure of two critical zero-day vulnerabilities found in the software.

The macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 update looks to mitigate a vulnerability in JavaScriptCore that would allow attackers to create malicious web content that could result in arbitrary code execution.

A second vulnerability found in WebKit would allow attackers to also use malicious web content for cross site scripting attacks, with Apple stating for both vulnerabilities, it is “aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited on Intel-based Mac systems.”

Patch now, warns Apple

While the vulnerability may have only been potentially exploited on Intel-based Mac systems, Apple has also issued patches across its range of operating systems, including Safari 18.1.1, iOS 17.7.2 and iPadOS 17.7.2, iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, and visionOS 2.1.1. The JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilies could allow attackers to compromise vulnerable devices and steal data or install malware.

The vulnerabilities are tracked as CVE-2024-44308 and CVE-2024-44309, and have not yet received a severity score from NVD. However, due to the nature of the vulnerabilities and the fact that they were previously unknown to Apple, they are likely to be deemed critical and users should apply patches immediately.

The vulnerabilities were discovered by Google’s Threat Analysis Group which typically deals with state-sponsored threats, suggesting that a government or state-sponsored actor was responsible for the exploitation of the vulnerabilities.

Mac users can apply the patch by searching for updates in the usual manner by using the Apple menu to navigate to System Settings > General > and then clicking Software Update. iPhone users can apply the patch by navigating to Settings > General > and then clicking Software Update. Be aware that older devices that use older operating systems may not have a patch available.

Via TechCrunch

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Nike, maker of some of the best running shoes out there, has today unveiled its new transformed lineup of road running shoes for 2025, and the new Vomero 18 is leading the charge.

The Vomero 18 is Nike's new maximum-cushioning shoe for the most comfortable ride possible, expanding the benefits of Nike's current cushioning king, the Invincible 3. That's Nike's version of shoes like the ASICS Gel Nimbus 25. The new Vomero offers more cushion than ever before and the tallest stack height in its history, using a combo of Nike's ZoomX and ReactX foams double stacked for maximum comfort.

The stack height stands at 46mm, 6mm tallest than the Vomero 17. Most notably, Nike has extensively tested the shoe with women runners. The sole is made from durable rubber for traction, and the upward curve delivers increased rocker geometry for a smoother heel-to-toe transition.

(Image credit: Nike) Nike's new 2025 running lineup Image 1 of 1

(Image credit: Nike)

As mentioned, the Vomero now sits in Nike's new, simplified road running lineup for 2025. The Vomero is the maximum cushioning option, and sits alongside the Pegagus, Nike's responsive ride option. The final offering is the Structure, offering supportive cushioning and stability for runners who overpronate.

Each of these three lines will feature an "Icon" shoe (like the Pegasus 41 or the Vomero 18), alongside Plus and Premium silhouettes. Nike's Pegasus 41 and Pegasus Plus are already available at Nike.com, while the Pegasus Premium is launching in January 2025.

The Vomero 18 drops globally on February 27, with Plus and Premium models coming later in 2025. Next year will also deliver new Structure silhouettes.

Today's announcement also includes new running essentials, Nike Swift for women and Nike Stride for men.

(Image credit: Nike)

• Oracle reports patching a security flaw in Agile PLM
• The bug was being exploited in the wild to steal files
• More than 1,000 companies could be vulnerable

Oracle has fixed a vulnerability in its Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) product which could have allowed threat actors to download files from the platform.

Since the bug was exploited in the wild as a zero-day, the company urged users to apply the patch immediately and thus secure their endpoints.

Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is the company's software tool to help businesses manage the entire lifecycle of a product, from ideation and design to production and retirement.

Confirmed exploitation

More than 1,100 companies reportedly use Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), predominantly large enterprises with more than 10,000 employees and revenues exceeding $1 billion. The total number of individual users across these organizations is not publicly disclosed and can vary significantly based on each company's size and specific deployment of the software.

The patch fixes a bug tracked as CVE-2024-21287, with a designated severity score of 7.5 (high). It is remotely exploitable without authentication, Oracle explained in an advisory, adding, “it may be exploited over a network without the need for a username and password. If successfully exploited, this vulnerability may result in file disclosure."

"Oracle strongly recommends that customers apply the updates provided by this Security Alert as soon as possible."

In the advisory, the company did not state the bug was being exploited in the wild, but a later blog post by the company’s VP of Security Assurance, Eric Maurice, confirmed it, BleepingComputer found.

"This vulnerability affects Oracle Agile Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). It was reported as being actively exploited "in the wild" by CrowdStrike," Maurice said.

At press time, other details were not available, so we don’t know who the threat actors are, or who they are targeting in their campaign. In any case, it’s better to be safe than sorry, so make sure to apply the patch ASAP.

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• Intel is still planning for 3rd-gen desktop GPUs to follow Battlemage
• This dismisses other rumors that Intel may not make these desktop cards
• The truth is likely that Intel hasn’t yet fully made the decision itself

Intel’s Celestial graphics cards for the desktop, which will be the 3rd-gen of Arc GPUs, to follow Battlemage – the next-gen that’s imminent – are still being planned and worked on for the future.

That’s the latest word from the grapevine, courtesy of a well-known leaker on X, Bionic Squash.

Nah, they still have plans for DGPUs after BattlemageNovember 16, 2024

As you can see, the leaker says that Intel still has plans for discrete GPUs (DGPUs), meaning desktop graphics cards, after the desktop models for Battlemage have been unleashed.

If the current run of rumors is correct, those Battlemage graphics cards could arrive in December, with one model being the B580 – possibly the top-of-the-range GPU – which was recently leaked.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: Some mixed messages from the rumor mill

You might be wondering: why would there be any concerns about Celestial, anyway? Well, in the recent past, there have been some suggestions that Intel might not have another generation of GPUs after Battlemage, or at least not desktop models – and that Celestial could be for integrated graphics only.

Bionic Squash seems pretty confident this isn’t the case, and recent hints appear to back that up. Intel is certainly working on Celestial already, and could even have radical plans for more powerful desktop GPUs in the 3rd generation, going by a recently spotted patent.

That said, Celestial GPUs of the desktop variety still haven’t turned up in leaks – it’s too early for that at this point – and some other recent chatter has suggested that Intel may be waiting to see how successful Battlemage is, before fully committing to discrete Celestial products. However, take that past rumor, and this new one, too, with plenty of caution.

It’s very likely that the truth is Intel still has decisions to make on this front, but if Bionic Squash is right, the plan for now is to release a 3rd-generation of Arc desktop GPUs.

Via Wccftech

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• Nvidia may keep the RTX 4050 mobile when RTX 5000 laptop GPUs launch
• It will sit at the bottom tier, below the Blackwell mobile graphics cards
• What isn’t clear is if it’ll drop in price to help with cheaper gaming laptops

Nvidia will apparently keep its RTX 4050 GPU for laptops when new RTX 5000 mobile graphics cards arrive, though the rest of the Lovelace notebook range will be canned.

Wccftech grabbed the scoop on this rumor, which comes from a leaker on Weibo who we’re not familiar with, so we’d advise doubling down on the skepticism with this info.

The RTX 5000 laptop range could arrive as soon as CES 2025 in January (alongside Blackwell desktop GPUs), according to previous buzz on the grapevine, and when Nvidia does launch these new mobile GPUs, we can expect the RTX 4060 laptop graphics card and above – running through to the RTX 4090 – to be discontinued.

Does Nvidia keeping the RTX 4050 mean there won’t be an RTX 5050 graphics card for gaming laptops? Actually, that’s not the case because the leaker claims Team Green will indeed launch an RTX 5050, but what will happen is the RTX 4050 will be kept alive to serve as the tier below that offering.

So, in theory, we’ll have an RTX 5090 running all the way down to the RTX 5050 mobile, with the RTX 4050 underneath that – but again, we should underline the speculative nature of this chatter.

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: Fresh hope for cheaper budget laptops? Or not…

What we hope will happen (if the rumor is true) is that the RTX 4050 remains as a (cheaper) budget option for more affordable gaming laptops, away from the new Blackwell mobile GPUs. However, the Weibo leaker seems to hint that the price of the RTX 5050 will not be kept the same as the RTX 4050 when it was launched, and it might increase by a ‘step’ – but we should caution the wording (and translation) is confusing and unclear here.

However, we take it as a suggestion Nvidia might maintain RTX 4050 pricing as it is, and increase the (launch) asking price of the RTX 5050 (what’s charged to laptop makers, that is – and naturally that’s reflected in the final price of the notebook to the consumer). But, as we say, this is far from clear – though if Team Green wants to go the moneymaking route, obviously this would be the thing to do.

We can still hope the RTX 4050 is being maintained as a wallet-friendly option going forward, and its price could drop, with the new RTX 5050 coming in at the 4050’s old level. There's precedence for this already, too: Nvidia kept the RTX 2050 sticking around as a budget laptop alternative after the 3000 series was released.

Nvidia keeping the RTX 4050 suggests it has proved a popular mobile option for laptop gamers, although it can’t hold a candle to the RTX 4060. At least not going by Valve’s Steam hardware survey, where the RTX 4060 mobile is the second favorite mobile GPU of all, with 4.3% of market share, compared to the RTX 4050 mobile with around 1.1%.

That’s still pretty popular, though, and obviously, the RTX 4050 can have a place in Nvidia’s new Blackwell mobile GPU regime, where it neatly slots in at the bottom tier, whereas that isn’t true with the RTX 4060 (assuming Nvidia really is making an RTX 5050, of course – presumably as a laptop-only GPU, again).

We’ve just got to hope Nvidia prices these next-gen mobile GPUs reasonably and gives us more options in the way of cheap gaming laptops – though if you’re after one of these, Black Friday could see some killer offers, as ever. Notebook price cuts are always plentiful, and sometimes we see some very deep discounts, with those Black Friday gaming laptop deals having started already.

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• Google is calling the DOJ’s proposal to sell off Chrome “radical”
• The government’s involvement could damage American technological leadership
• Disconnecting Chrome from Android could have serious implications on pricing

Google has hit back at a recent US Department of Justice (DOJ) proposal that could see the tech giant forced to sell off Chrome as part of alleged antitrust violations.

The DOJ’s measure, expected to be presented to a federal judge, would challenge Google’s monopolistic practices in the online search market.

In response, Google called the proposal “radical,” criticizing the move for potentially “hurting consumers, businesses and developers.”

Google thinks selling off Chrome would be “radical”

Lee-Anne Mulholland, VP for Regulatory Affairs at Google, stated: “There are enormous risks to the government putting its thumb on the scale of this vital industry – skewing investment, distorting incentives, hobbling emerging business models – all at precisely the moment that we need to encourage investment, new business models, and American technological leadership.”

The DOJ also suggested Google should share users’ search queries, clicks, and results with competitors, however Mulholland notes that this could “create major privacy and security risks,” something that the DOJ already knows.

Furthermore, Mulholland argues that splitting Chrome away from Android would “change their business models [and] raise the cost of devices.”

The company also proudly proclaimed that its browser is “secure, fast, and free,” and that not many other companies would be able to keep it open-source and invest as much as Google has in its browser.

Google Chrome accounts for 66.7% of all browser sessions across all device types (via Statcounter). It’s slightly higher, at 68.0%, for mobile. Given that Android accounts for 71.1% of all mobile operating systems, Chrome’s reach is clearly extensive.

Mulholland concluded: “Government overreach in a fast-moving industry may have negative unintended consequences for American innovation and America’s consumers. We look forward to making our arguments in court.”

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• Another leak hints at the iPhone SE 4 launch date
• It could show up in March, three years after its predecessor
• Internal upgrades could include a 5G Apple modem

All the signs are pointing towards a March 2025 arrival for the iPhone SE 4, the latest in Apple's more affordable line of handsets – and another well-respected analyst has weighed in to back up previous predictions about the phone's launch date.

As per MacRumors, Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues have been speaking to supply chain sources in Asia. In the resulting report, it was "confirmed" that the iPhone SE 4 would be making an appearance near the end of the first quarter of 2025.

Add in previous rumors and the launch date of the iPhone SE 3 – which was revealed to the world in March 2022 – and it looks increasingly likely that we can put a big circle around March 2025 on our calendars.

It probably won't be the only product we see then either: the 11th-gen iPad and 7th-gen iPad Air are also rumored to be showing up around the same time. They'll all come rocking Apple Intelligence features too, of course.

Spec rumors

The iPhone SE 3 launched in 2022 (Image credit: Future)

The analyst report had more to say about the iPhone SE 4 too, mentioning that it'll be the first iPhone with an Apple-designed 5G modem (which will presumably speed up data transfer rates a little). Again, that's something we've heard before.

Based on leaks up to this point, the iPhone SE 4 is going to be quite the upgrade – as you would expect after a three-year gap. It's apparently going to be the first iPhone SE to ditch the Touch ID home button and go with the more modern Face ID design.

In fact, it's reportedly going to borrow several components from the iPhone 14. At the same time, the rumors are that the CPU and RAM will match the iPhone 16 – which would be necessary for Apple Intelligence support.

This might all add up to a small price hike as well, but we'll have to wait and see. When it launched in 2022, you could pick up the iPhone SE 3 for $429 / £419 / AU$719, which was slightly more expensive than the iPhone SE that came before it.

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• Alexa AI latency problems are a "critical issue"
• Leaked memo claims Alexa AI has missed three 2024 launch dates
• Amazon wants to give Alexa supercharged skills

Generative AI updates from Google and Apple have made their artificial assistants more useful in a number of ways – giving them new features, and generally making them easier to instruct – but one big name in the smart assistant world has been noticeably absent from the upgrade list: Alexa. Amazon is reportedly working on rolling out an Alexa AI, but it’s just too slow to respond to queries to be launched yet.

Fortune has shared leaked internal documents highlighting a few critical flaws with Alexa, with the big one apparently being latency – the AI takes way too long to respond when given an instruction or asked a question.

This issue has reportedly led to low satisfaction scores from testers. Before launch Amazon reportedly wanted to achieve an average satisfaction score of 5.5 out of 7, but testers rated the AI service at just 4.57. This is why it appears Amazon has missed its three target launch dates in 2024 – the most recent being November 14.

Another concern, not one not labeled a “critical issue” like latency but still a concern, is that the Alexa AI may be incompatible with some older models which could force a lot of users to upgrade their tech to access the new AI. Admittedly, this isn’t a major surprise given that for many phones only the latest models are getting some AI improvements, but Amazon might fear it’ll upset customers who have been wanting this kind of update for years only to miss out when their ‘smart’ assistant finally gets a brain.

One thing that is noticeably absent from the leaked memo is any mention of Claude AI. Athropic’s Claude is seen as one of the best ChatGPT alternatives but it lacks a voice mode; a partnership with Amazon when it was teased by leakers therefore made a lot of sense as it would give Amazon a leg up in the AI race and Anthropic assistance in teaching Claude to communicate with a voice.

It could mean the Claude leak was false, or perhaps the partnership was decided on after this memo was published as a way to resolve the issue. Either way it highlights that as with all leaks these details should be taken with a pinch of salt; as such issues such as Alexa AI’s latency could be in a much better state now than when the memo was written.

(Image credit: Amazon) Teaching an old Alexa new Skills

Beyond Alexa AI delays, the leak also teases upgrades to Alexa services involving Amazon’s partners like GrubHub, Ticketmaster and Uber (via Business Insider, behind a paywall). While these services already had Alexa skills Amazon wants to alter their relationship with the smart assistant.

Specifically it wants its AI enhanced Alexa to perform more of the task itself, rather than handing things over to a third-party app on your phone as it does with some skills. So you could instruct the smart speaker to call you a ride to the movie theatre, or reorder that takeout you had last week and it could – using data from your linked accounts – perform those tasks for you without any manual input from you.

It’s certainly an intriguing idea, but this strategy’s success will come down to whether users trust the AI to get their request completely right, and trust it not to accidentally reorder a takeout because of something it overhears from your TV. It’s one thing for Alexa to play the wrong song, it’s another thing entirely if it spends your money on the wrong thing.

We’ll have to wait and see what Alexa AI has in store for us when it eventually launches. All signs point to a 2025 release, that is assuming it doesn’t face any more bumps in the road.

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• Apple TV Plus has released the first teaser for a new tragicomedy series called The Studio
• The show, which stars and has been co-created by Seth Rogen, will be released in March 2025
• Rogen plays the new CEO of a fictional film studio struggling to survive in the cut-throat world of movie making

Have you ever heard of 'twin films' or 'copycat movies'? It's a term used to describe two movies with near-identical stories that are released by different studios in close proximity to one another. Think back to 1998 when Pixar's A Bug's Life and DreamWorks' Antz came out. Or, more recently, two new movies in Immaculate and the First Omen, with the two horror flicks releasing within weeks of each other earlier this year.

Why am I telling you about this? Because this phenomenon isn't restricted to movies anymore. Indeed, just two months after satirical superhero series The Franchise debuted on Max and HBO, Apple has produced its own comedy-oriented take on the corporate world of movie making with a new show called The Studio. Co-created by and starring Seth Rogen, it'll debut on Apple TV Plus next March – and its first trailer, which you can watch below, makes it look like a more star-studded offering that's coming for The Franchise's cringe comedy TV crown.

Did you spot every A-lister who'll cameo in The Studio? I suspect you noticed Marvel stars like Kathryn Hahn (Agatha All Along, WandaVision) and Anthony Mackie (Captain America: Brave New World), as well as other esteemed actors including Catherine O'Hara, Bryan Cranston, Paul Dano, and Charlize Theron. I bet you didn't spot legendary director Martin Scorsese or actor-director Zoe Kravitz, though. All the more reason to go back and watch it, especially if you're a fan of proverbially curling up in a ball and dying while laughing your butt off.

What is Apple TV Plus' The Studio series about?

Seth Rogen plays the new CEO of a fictional albeit embattled movie studio (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

As tragically funny as The Studio looks, I imagine you're wondering what it's actually about. Fear not, for I am – or, rather, Apple is – to answer that question by way of a press release's story brief.

"In The Studio, Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios," the plot synopsis reads. "As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their own insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films.

"With their power suits masking their never-ending sense of panic, every party, set visit, casting decision, marketing meeting, and award show presents them with an opportunity for glittering success or career-ending catastrophe. As someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes movies, it's the job Matt's been pursuing his whole life, and it may very well destroy him."

First look at Seth Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, Anthony Mackie and Bryan Cranston in ‘THE STUDIO’Also starring Catherine O’Hara, Zac Efron, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Bryan Cranston, Martin Scorsese, Charlize Theron & Ron Howard.Releasing March 26 on Apple TV+ pic.twitter.com/nDK15jTnIZNovember 19, 2024

As I mentioned, the 10-episode, half-hour comedy has been co-developed by Rogen, with his frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg (The Boys, Sausage Party) creating the series alongside him. The pair are also among the show's five-strong executive producing team, with Rogen also directing a number of episodes. Multi-Emmy award winners Peter Huyck, Frida Perez, and Alex Gregory also helped to pen the scripts.

Joining Rogen on the main cast roster of his second Apple series – the first one being Platonic – are Hahn, O'Hara (The Last of Us season 2), Ike Barinholtz (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), and Chase Sui Wonders (Bodies Bodies Bodies). Expect plenty of other world-famous actors, directors, and other entertainment industry gurus to show up in what I'm predicting to be one of the best Apple TV Plus shows we've seen in a while.

The Studio will launch with a two-episode premiere on March 26, 2025. New episodes will air weekly after that date until the finale on May 21.

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• The Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam Air Fryer is available now
• The fryer has a steam-cleaning mode to remove stubborn grease
• It can steam and air fry two dishes simultaneously, with synced finish times

Philips has launched a new two-in-one air fryer and steamer, which has a self-cleaning cycle to prevent built-up of fat from your fries and chicken wings. The Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam Air Fryer lets you use two different cooking methods at once, making it easier to prepare a balanced meal.

During our years of testing here on TechRadar, we've found that even the best air fryers can be a hassle to keep clean. You may be able to put some baskets or racks in the dishwasher (always check the instruction manual to make sure it's safe first) but the rest of the machine is often prone to getting greasy. Using abrasive cleaners risks damaging the appliance.

That's not a problem with the 5000 Series, which uses its built-in steam generator to remove fat from the large basket and around the heating tube, which would normally be tricky to get thoroughly clean.

(Image credit: Philips) Two in one

Two-in-one appliances that combine a microwave or a toaster oven with an air fryer are quite common, and can be a good way to save space on your kitchen counter but air fryer/steamer hybrids are much rarer.

As our colleagues at T3 explain, the new dual Philips fryer has one three-liter basket and one six-liter basket, which can be set to use different cooking methods and synced to finish at the same time. That means you can steam your green beans and carrots while air frying your chicken wings without risking either being over-cooked.

The Philips 5000 Series Dual Basket Steam Air Fryer is available now from John Lewis for £249.99, or for AU$499 from JB Hi-Fi (about $300).

If you've been thinking of picking up an air fryer, this is the perfect time. Our roundup of the best Black Friday air fryer deals feature hand-picked lists of all the biggest savings in the US and the UK, and features only air fryers from reputable brands that you can trust.

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• New features for Android 16 are emerging
• The developer preview is still a work in progress
• There are upgrades for audio, alerts, and privacy

Google pushed out the first developer preview of Android 16 yesterday (November 19), and while there weren't many new features mentioned in the announcement, users who've installed the software are already coming across numerous upgrades.

It's worth emphasizing that it's early days for the software, and these features might disappear as suddenly as they appeared. They're here for now though, and we'll be keeping an eye on them as development on Android 16 continues.

First up, as spotted by 9to5Google, the Privacy Dashboard (available through the 'Security and privacy' menu in Settings) now lets you review a full seven days of history, rather than the 24 hours that's currently available.

It means you're able to look further back through time for apps that may have been misbehaving – accessing your phone's camera, microphone, or location when they shouldn't have been, for example.

Audio and notifications

Bluetooth Auracast support is arriving (Image credit: Future)

Next there's the Audio Sharing feature previously spotted (but currently disabled) in Android 15. As Android Authority reports, this lets you share audio to multiple Bluetooth devices at once – two pairs of headphones, for example.

However, it relies on the Bluetooth Auracast standard, so you are going to need an Auracast-compatible phone for Audio Sharing to work – that's any Pixel 8 or Pixel 9 handset, excluding the Google Pixel 8a.

Lastly in our mini round-up of new Android 16 features, there's a new way to manage notification overload (via Android Authority again). As with Audio Sharing, this feature had shown up in Android 15 code that hadn't been enabled – but now it's live.

It's called 'Notification cooldown', and it means multiple notifications from the same app, one after the other in a short space of time, will gradually decrease in volume. It's a small tweak, but it should reduce the annoyance caused by multiple alerts.

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• Strava has made some big changes to its API
• Users are upset and angry because they preclude third-party apps from  using a lot of Strava data
• Some have warned it could destroy the app ecosystem built up around Strava

Strava says that less than .1% of applications will be affected by a major change to its API (application programming interface) agreement, following user backlash to a series of proposed changes by the popular fitness platform.

A few days ago, Strava announced new API terms for its users and partners that will restrict the data that can be used and shown by third-party apps. Specifically, the company is introducing more privacy so that third-party apps can only display a user's Strava activity data to that specific user.

Third parties are now explicitly prohibited from using any data obtained by Strava's API in artificial intelligence models, and more terms have been added: "to protect Strava’s unique look and feel and functionality, helping users easily distinguish between Strava and third-party platforms."

Why are users unhappy?

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

The changes made by Strava have generated some quite intense user backlash, notably a YouTube video from DC Rainmaker that explains the impact of some of the changes. As he notes, tens of thousands of apps and training platforms rely on Strava's API to provide users with fitness insights. He warns that Strava's new changes could have a series of unfortunate consequences.

For instance, under the new rules, data synced to third-party platforms can't be shown to a coach. This is a change apps like Intervals.icu are already getting to grips with. Intervals, a popular cycling app, relied on its users funneling data from cycling program Zwift into Strava, which then funneled data into Intervals. Now, according to a post on the Intervals.icu forum, developers are working on a direct pathway from Zwift to Intervals without requiring Strava to be involved at all. Furthermore, apps like VeloViewer may no longer be able to show user data on their leaderboards.

The AI changes noted could cripple apps like TrainerRoad, which currently provides AI-generated plans and workouts using Strava API Materials. Stats.training developer Pedro Araújo said the change was "bad news" for his app, which provides Personal AI training using imported Strava data. "Strava is forbidding third-party apps from displaying user info to other users, so I'll have to disable public user profiles and scrap the whole initial idea... Bold move for a company that gets all their data from third parties. This is why I hate building on top of other services."

However, the biggest change prevents the processing and disclosing of Strava data (even publicly viewable data) for the purposes of analytics, analyses, customer insights, products, or service improvements.

As DC notes this is a massively vague and nebulous change that could include a huge range of services and features provided by apps that currently rely on Strava's API. He cites one exasperated company that reached out to say they're not even sure what they can do with the Strava API anymore.

The changes, it seems, broadly threaten to destroy the ecosystem of third-party apps that rely on Strava's API data to provide valuable fitness insights to users. Over on the Strava Community Hub, users were not shy about letting the company know exactly what they thought of these changes.

"Bunch of psychos. I've unsubscribed today," one user wrote. Others lamented that users themselves, not Strava, should decide whether their data should be used by other apps. "I just don't understand the reason why Strava thinks they need to do this. If I authorize a 3rd party to use my data then why should Strava decide that same 3rd party can't use my data? It just makes no sense. It really needs more explanation to understand the reasoning," one user added.

Others described the decision as "embarrassing," and a multitude have indicated they're canceling their Strava subscriptions.

Strava seeks to quell user unrest

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

Strava has clearly heard enough user outcry to issue additional context around the changes to its API agreement, and the impact it will have on its users and developers. Most notably, Strava claims "We currently anticipate these changes will impact less than .1% of applications and proactively notified the majority of those affected last week."

Addressing the changes more specifically, Strava says its increased privacy controls and limiting the display of users data is designed "to thoughtfully address situations where users connect to a third-party app and are unaware that their data is being surfaced not just for their own use and visibility, but also to other users (for example, in a public feed or heatmap)."

On AI, Strava says it believes in the transformational power of AI to handle personalized insights, route and training recommendations, and more but says "innovation in this space must be handled responsibly and with a firm focus on user control."

"Third-party developers may not take such a deliberate approach to training AI models and as a result, we believe the best decision for the platform and for users is to prohibit the use of data extracted from Strava users in this manner," the company explains.

On developer impact, Strava says "We recognize that our platform thrives because of the creativity and dedication of third-party developers who build tools to complement and extend Strava’s capabilities" and says it remains "steadfast in our commitment to fostering this ecosystem." It reiterated that less than .1% of applications on the Strava platforms will be affected by the changes, and says "the overwhelming majority of existing use cases are still allowed, including coaching platforms focused on providing feedback to users and tools that help users understand their data and performance."

Responding to the update, DC notes there's still a lot of ambiguity here. The reassurance around coaching apps, for instance, still appears to preclude human coaches from seeing data, noting many coaching apps have confirmed Strava hasn't changed its position.

Clearly, the user reaction and posited sweep of the changes are misaligned with what Strava believes will be the real-term impact, but it seems the nebulous and vague wording of some of the changes may have spooked developers of some of those aforementioned services.

One other point of contention around the changes is that developers were only given 30 days to prepare for the changes. Whether Strava makes any changes in the meantime remains to be seen, but the true impact of the overhaul might start to manifest in just a few weeks as a result.

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• OnePlus is reportedly working on a 13-inch tablet.
• This would likely be a direct competitor to the iPad Pro.
• OnePlus has yet to confirm the existence of the rumored device.

The iPad Pro has long been considered the peak of the tablet market, with even the best Android tablets rarely challenging Apple’s top-of-the-line iPad directly.

However, a new rumor suggests the iPad Pro could finally be getting some targeted direct competition from the Android world, though this may not come from who you’d immediately expect.

OnePlus is reportedly working on a 13-inch tablet to complement the OnePlus Pad 2, which sports a 12.1-inch display.

This rumor stems from a Weibo post by blogger Whylab, which suggests the new OnePlus tablet will sport a 13-inch 3840 x 2400 144Hz display, with 600 nits of brightness and a 240Hz touch sampling rate.

The poster claims in the comments section that the display will be an LCD panel, rather than an OLED.

The post also includes images which supposedly show the device’s screen, though the products shown are labelled as TCL products – it’s possible that the images are from a demonstration of the screen technology in question, rather than a prototype of the finished OnePlus product.

Taking on Apple

The OnePlus Pad 2 – launched in China as the OnePlus Pad Pro – is already a fairly close analogue to Apple’s iPad Air, with a similar form factor, versatile performance, and stylus compatibility.

The version of the OxygenOS Android supplied to the OnePlus Pad lineup is notably similar in appearance to iPadOS, too.

At a starting price of $549 / £499 / AU$699, the OnePlus Pad 2 substantially undercuts the $599 / £599 / AU$999 11-inch iPad Air price-wise and offers double the storage at the base tier.

With Apple’s cheapest 13-inch tablet – the enlarged iPad Air – starting at $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 there’s definitely room for OnePlus to take the same approach with an enlarged version of its pro-sumer tablet.

We didn’t review the OnePlus Pad 2, but we did get to grips with its predecessor: our OnePlus Pad review found the device to be a powerful “flagship-killer” disguised as a cheap tablet.

We liked the OnePlus Pad so much, in fact, that it still holds a place on our list of the best tablets.

For the moment, though, most of the above is based only on rumors and speculation. For the latest updates as we hear them, be sure to keep up with our Android coverage and tablets coverage.

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• Black Ops 6 owners will receive 30% bonus XP in Warzone
• This was confirmed by a new trailer for the game
• Some players are also seeing a prompt to purchase the game after Warzone matches

The latest Call of Duty trailer has confirmed that Black Ops 6 owners will receive 30% more XP in Warzone.

The trailer, which is titled ‘Maximize your Gameplay’, appeared on the official Call of Duty YouTube channel yesterday. It shows off a few clips from the campaign, plus some of the recently released Season One multiplayer content. Plenty of Warzone is also shown, with on-screen text stating that players can “Get a 30% XP boost” and “level up faster in Warzone” when they "experience the blockbuster hit” Black Ops 6.

As noted by Call of Duty fan page ‘CharlieIntel’ on X / Twitter, some players have also started to spot a new prompt when they complete matches in Warzone. It reportedly states that you can “activate your premium XP boost” and is accompanied by a bright orange button that opens the Black Ops 6 purchase page on your platform of choice.

A 30% XP boost is quite a big deal, especially for the most dedicated Warzone players. It dramatically speeds up progression, allowing you to unlock new weapons, camos, and operators at a much faster rate. If you enjoy the battle royale mode but have been on the fence about picking up a copy of Black Ops 6, this could very well be enough justification to finally take the plunge.

Presumably those who have been accessing the game via an Xbox Game Pass subscription will be able to benefit from this 30% boost, which could make subscribing for a few months a good alternative to purchasing a copy at retail price if all you’re after is the bonus XP.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 released back on October 25 and is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC.

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• Gen Q3 Threat Report reveals 'Scam Yourself' attacks saw a huge rise
• 614% increase in social engineering scam
• Ransomware and crypto scams are also claiming more victims

The last few months have seen a worrying escalation in ransomware, malvertising, infostealers, and crypto scams, new research has claimed.

The Gen Q3 Threat Report has revealed a major rise in ‘Scam Yourself Attacks’, a type of social engineering tactic tricking users into compromising their own systems, which saw a staggering 614% rise quarter over quarter.

The ‘scam yourself’ term covers a number of threats, including FakeCaptcha, fake tutorials, and ClickFix scams. The familiarity of Captcha uses ClickFix to trick unsuspecting victims into running malicious scripts and downloading malware.

How to: download malware

YouTube tutorials are being used by cybercriminals to encourage users to download malware under the guise of installing software. Security vendors and antivirus software should detect this, even if the user is the one who clicks, copies, and executes the threat.

However, as part of the tutorial, many users are prompted to turn off their antivirus controls - which is what makes this attack so alarming.

Alongside these threats , the report outlines a 24% increase in ransomware attacks from the previous quarter, which echoes reports from earlier this year which revealed such incidents are soaring to new highs around the world.

The rise of Lumma stealer, a Malware-as-a-Service, has fueled a 39% rise quarter of quarter in infostealer activity. These attacks are gaining prominence thanks to their ability to bypass protections, the report states.

Crypto scams also saw a spike in activity thanks to evolving deepfake technology which exploits media events, which is something we have seen on the rise in recent months. The growingly convincing fake videos can attract huge audiences and leverage the likenesses of well known figures and celebrities and encourage viewers to invest in fake crypto schemes.

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• Samsung is rolling out some of its latest smartwatch features to older models
• The company says it'll help users better understand their health
• It's a far cry from Google's rollout of Wear OS, which continues to go slowly

If you own a Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, 5 or 4, you're about to get a host of new features. Samsung is now rolling out the Wear OS 5 operating system, using Samsung's own One UI 6 Watch interface, to older watches

The tech giant is offering the latest software update to users of Galaxy Watch devices going back to the Galaxy Watch 4, bringing with it some of the latest features found in the current Galaxy Watch 7 and the Galaxy Watch Ultra.

We scored both of those watches with 4 stars in our reviews, noting how much we appreciated the new wellness features on each, and those same features could be coming to your existing devices at no extra charge. Now beta testing for the Watch 6 is complete, Samsung is rolling out the new OS to "previous generations of Galaxy Watch around the world including Galaxy Watch6, Galaxy Watch6 Classic, Galaxy Watch5, Galaxy Watch5 Pro, Galaxy Watch4, Galaxy Watch4 Classic and Galaxy Watch FE" according to a blog post.

The software will arrive first on Watch 6 via , with updates for other watches "available sequentially".

(Image credit: Future) Here's what One UI 6 adds to your Samsung smartwatch

Energy Score is the headline addition, and leverages AI to collect data points from sleep, activity, sleeping heart rate and more to offer an easy to read and understand metric to show you if you're in need of a rest, or can push your exercise a little further.

The FDA-authorized Sleep Apnea feature is also coming to a 'wider range of Galaxy Watch devices', the company said in a press release, as well as new watch faces.

Compatible devices will gain Double Pinch Gestures and AI-powered suggested replies, too, along with AI-powered Suggested Replies and a new Workout Routine, which "allows users to combine various exercises and create personalized routines, uniquely tailored to their individual goals and preferences". The Race functionality, also new, acts as a virtual pacer for runners and cyclists.

It's in stark contrast to Google, which has been struggling to get Wear OS 5 out to older devices. The company pulled the software because it was bricking devices, but will finally resume the rollout now.

That's good news for Pixel Watch 1 and 2 owners, but it's understandable they may be looking over at Samsung with some degree of jealousy right now.

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• Cloud Streaming has come to the PlayStation Portal via a firmware update
• It's in beta form for now, but grants access to over 120 PS5 games
• Portal owners will also need to be PS Plus Premium subscribers

The latest PlayStation Portal firmware update has finally added a feature that many owners have wanted since launch: cloud streaming.

The update is detailed in an official PlayStation Blog post, where vice president of product management Hiromi Wakai explains that cloud streaming is available on PlayStation Portal now in beta form.

Just like on PS5, Portal owners will also need to be PS Plus Premium subscribers to take advantage of cloud streaming, which is rolling out in today's firmware update. Players will have access to over 120 games via cloud streaming, including Ghost of Tsushima, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Monster Hunter Rise, and much more.

Cloud streaming on PlayStation Portal targets 1080p 60fps, and Sony recommends internet speeds of at least 13 Mbps to achieve this. However, players on slower connections should still be able to access games in 720p with at least 7 Mbps.

The cloud streaming feature, which also includes up to 100GB of cloud storage for save data, can be enabled via the Settings menu on the PlayStation Portal. Simply toggle the 'Cloud Streaming (Beta)' option as it's going to be off by default. This should add a new cloud streaming option to your handheld's Home dashboard.

There are some limitations to note, however. Players currently can't stream PS4 or PS3 games, nor can they stream games purchased from the PlayStation Store. The same goes for party chat and PS Plus game trials, which are also unavailable. This is likely because the feature is still in beta, and these options will hopefully be implemented down the line.

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• CISPE launches new European Cloud Competition Observatory to monitor competition
• ECCO’s first mission is to focus on Microsoft’s CISPE settlement
• Broadcom/VMware is also under the spotlight

Non-profit trade association Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe (CISPE) has launched a new body to monitor unfair software licensing practices in the cloud market.

The newly formed European Cloud Competition Observatory (ECCO) was established as part of CISPE’s settlement with Microsoft following a complaint filed with the European Commission regarding the company’s anticompetitive business practices.

In a press release, CISPE confirmed that ECCO “will focus on Microsoft’s adherence to the July 2024 commitments, while monitoring licensing practices impacting both cloud providers and customers.”

CISPE launches new cloud competition regulator

The consortium also noted that ECCO will be operate under a separate governance structure, with customer organizations like France’s Cigref and Belgium’s Beltug acting as observers to reflect customers’ perspectives.

Although the new regulator will first focus on Microsoft, it also has other “software giants” in its sights, including Broadcom’s VMware, which is also being accused of anticompetitive business practices in Europe.

Francisco Mingorance, CISPE Secretary General, commented: “We appreciate Vice President Vestager’s role in establishing ECCO as part of our settlement with Microsoft. ECCO will serve as a watchdog over any software vendors using unfair practices to disrupt the European cloud market, with Broadcom under our current scrutiny.”

Although ECCO isn’t set to file complaints itself, the findings it could reveal in its reports will increase the pressure on companies to address unfair practices before they risk facing a full-blown investigation.

Beltug CEO Danielle Jacobs added: “ECCO’s work is essential to help deliver a fair cloud software licensing environment in Europe.”

With regard to its initial focus on Microsoft, ECCO is set to release its first report after a December technical summit with CISPE and Microsoft members – further follow-ups are planned for February and April.

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