TechRadar News

• A new leak shows off The Sony WF-C710N earbuds in huge detail
• Specs suggest a proximity sensor and updates to ANC and battery life
• The earbuds could launch as soon as May 2025

Two years after the Sony WF-C700N were released, and topped our list of the best budget wireless earbuds at the time, the electronics manufacturer looks set to do it again.

The Walkman Blog has obtained leaked photos of the WF-C710N earbuds, alongside a host of specifications and guidance on price and a release window, seemingly provided by “a well trusted source”.

This follows a previous design leak via a Taiwanese certification body in January, but there are plenty more details this time around.

The earbuds are shown in four different colors – black, white, pink, and a pleasingly retro transparent blue that shows the bud’s inner workings – alongside a companion charging case.

The WF-C710N earbuds share its predecessor’s 5mm drivers, IPX4 water resistance, and support for ANC, with a couple of notable changes.

For one, there’s now a dual microphone setup for more advanced noise cancellation, and a proximity sensor hopefully means they'll offer wear detection, which the previous model lacked. Bluetooth 5.3 is also included, up from Bluetooth 5.2 in the last model.

Battery life will be slightly changed too, with the buds reaching 8.5 hours with ANC activated and 12 hours total through the charging case, rather than the 7.5 hours from the buds and 15 hours total through the charging case of the previous model. That's an improvement in one direction, but a step back in the other – perhaps we'll be pleasantly surprised and will find out the total battery life is better than it looks.

The Walkman Blog predicts a late May release window, at an RRP of $110-120, around the same price as the previous model.

Sony's WF-C700N earbuds are some of our favorite budget headphones. (Image credit: Future) Improving on perfection

In our WF-C700N review, TechRadar’s Audio Editor Becky Scarrott wrote that “Sony has taken everything I loved about its more expensive earbuds and squirrelled it into smaller earbuds, at a lower price. You don't get lossless LDAC or the firm's top-tier DSEE upscaler, but for this money, the audio quality cannot currently be beaten.”

While there are better headphones out there, this line of earbuds are pretty much perfect for their near-$100 price, and it’s exciting to see Sony build on that success with a new model. It does seem like an iterative upgrade, rather than a transformative change, but if it keeps the WF-C710N earbuds affordable, we’ve got little to complain about.

Let’s just hope we get some of the more interesting colors of the WF-C700N, like lavender or sage green, down the line.

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• Purple Rain will be back in movie theaters for one night only with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
• You’ll need to make it to a Dolby Cinema on March 5, 2025
• To up the visuals, Dolby performed an 8K scan on the 35mm Original Camera Negative, then color-graded it

Whether you love listening to the sweet, rocking guitar solo of Prince on Purple Rain or are a fan of the epic 1984 film, Dolby and Warner Bros. Discovery offer a downpour of good news.

The film Purple Rain will be re-released with better visuals and audio for a one-night-only event at Dolby Cinemas across the United States and the United Kingdom. On March 5, 2025, Purple will take center stage at select AMC theaters in the US or Odeon theaters in the UK with tickets on sale now. Suffice it to say there will be demand.

The film shown on March 5th at Dolby Cinema theaters will be up to the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos standards, which did require some heavy lifting on Dolby’s part. For starters, the film was completely digitally restored by running an 8K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative, and then that footage was color-graded for Dolby Vision.

On the audio side, Dolby restored the original stereo tracks at the same time as remixing the 20th anniversary 5.1 multi-channel mix – both from the original master files. The end result is promised to be “a faithfully remastered Dolby Atmos” experience.

Dolby also promises that the film will remain epic rock musical drama but that the restoration process is delivering much-improved visuals – likely with a higher peak brightness and wider contrast range – along with much improved audio quality. I wouldn’t mind hearing the roaring solos during the title track of When Doves Cry, assuming it’s a well-outfitted Dolby Cinema location.

Jed Harmsen, Head of Cinema and Group Entertainment at Dolby calls the re-release a “celebration of Prince’s genius and enduring legacy” and explains that “Devoted and new fans alike prepare to be exhilarated by an unforgettable and unparalleled performance from one of music’s greatest of all time.”

(Image credit: Dolby)

Purple Rain represents Prince’s acting debut, but the rockstar also produced the entire soundtrack, including original tracks. The film itself won a Best Original Song Score Oscar at the Academy Awards and the Grammy for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.

If you’re sold and ready to experience the Purple Rain on March 5, tickets are up for presale now at Dolby Cinemas in the United States from AMC and Odeon theaters in the United Kingdom.

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• Trend Micro has spotted Earth Preta dodging antivirus in new attack
• The malware deployment checks to see if ESET antivirus is installed
• Malware hijacks legitimate processes to inject malicious code

A Chinese hacking group tracked as Earth Preta and Mustang Panda has been spotted using the Microsoft Application Virtualization Injector to dodge antivirus software by injecting malicious code into legitimate processes.

New research from Trend Micro’s Threat Hunting team revealed how the group has also been using Setup Factory, a third-party Windows installer builder, to drop and executive malicious payloads.

Earth Preta’s region of focus mostly revolves around the Asia-Pacific region, with the group targeting Taiwan, Vietnam, and Malaysia in recent attacks.

Dodging antivirus software

The attack begins with Earth Preta spear-phishing a victim and depositing a mix of legitimate and malicious files into the ProgramData/session directory using IRSetup.exe. Contained within this mix of files is a legitimate Electronic Arts (EA) app (OriginLegacyCLI.exe) that is used to sideload a modified TONESHELL backdoor, EACore.dll.

While this is happening, a decoy PDF is loaded in the foreground to distract the users from the payload deployment. In the vector studied by the Trend Micro researchers, a PDF asking for the user’s cooperation in listing phone numbers to be added to an anti-crime platform supported by multiple law enforcement agencies was shown to the victim.

In the background, the EACore.dll file is checking to see if two files associated with ESET antivirus are running on the device - ekrn.exe and egui.exe. If either file is detected on the system, EACore.dll executes the DLLRegisterServer function by registering itself with regsevr32.exe.

In order to bypass the antivirus, the malware will then use MAVInject.exe to exploit waitfor.exe in order to inject malicious code into a running process. The waitfor.exe function is used to synchronize processes or trigger a specific action after a signal or command is received, and is therefore typically ignored by antivirus software as it is a legitimate and trusted system process.

If the files associated with ESET are not detected, an exception handler is triggered causing the waitfor.exe to directly inject malicious code using the WriteProcessMemory and CreateRemoteThreadEx APIs. Finally, the malware will establish connection to a threat actor controlled command and control (C2) server.

Due to the attack vector’s similarity to other campaigns observed by Trend Micro, and the observance of the same C2 server in another Earth Preta attack, the researchers attribute this attack to Earth Preta with medium confidence.

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• Eufy has launched a new smart lock with a built-in video camera
• The FamiLock S3 Max has an extra-wide field of view to record visitors
• The lock also has palm recognition, and can release the door in one second

Eufy has just launched a new smart lock with a built-in camera to record visitors, and palm recognition that can open your door in just one second when it recognizes the unique pattern of blood vessels in your hand. The Eufy FamiLock S3 Max is available to pre-order now for $329.99 (about £260 / AU$530) if you're an existing Eufy customer, and will go on general sale for $399.99 (about £320 / AU$640) from March 17 at online stores including HomeDepot.com and BestBuy.com.

That's considerably more than most of the best smart locks we've tested, but the FamiLock S3 Max effectively doubles as a video doorbell thanks to its wide-angle 2K camera that captures crisp footage of visitors and package deliveries.

The camera offers a 150-degree vertical head-to-toe view and a 180-degree diagonal view, which beats many of the best video doorbells on the market and covers blind spots other devices may miss. For example, although the latest Ring Battery Video Doorbell is excellent, its field of view is only 150 x 150 degrees, meaning it could miss movement that the FamiLock would detect.

You can check out footage from the camera on your phone via the Eufy app, or using an indoor video screen (sold separately) that effectively works like a high-resolution peephole, and should be particularly useful for children and senior users who may not have ready access to a suitable smartphone.

(Image credit: Eufy) Handy access

The FamiLock offers a range of different opening options, the most interesting of which is palm-recognition. This tech (also used in the Philips 5000 Series Video Palm Recognition Smart Lock) uses an infrared sensor to detect the unique pattern of blood vessels in your hand and compares it to a database of up to 50 scanned palms to determine whether it's a match. If so, the lock will open in just one second, letting you in without the hassle of rummaging for keys.

You won't need to worry about power outages, either. The lock has a 15,000mAh rechargeable lithium battery, plus four AAA batteries as a backup, which keeps it fully functioning for up to six months, and offers basic functions (auto-locking and PIN access) for up to a year.

We've got our hands on the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max already, and will bring you a full review of the device very soon.

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• Google Wallet is starting to show upgrades for some loyalty cards
• These upgrades provide benefits like coupons and automatic updates
• It seems to be a case-by-case basis, so not all cards will upgrade right now

Google Wallet has a new feature that can automatically flag outdated loyalty cards, so that you can upgrade them to take advantage of new money-saving programs and offers, and it gives you yet another reason to ditch your real wallet for a virtual one.

For some time in Google Wallet you’ve been able to save your loyalty cards to the app and use it just like a physical card. It was already pretty helpful – either as a way to easily carry around multiple cards without making your real wallet bulge, or as a backup if you forget a physical card – and now Wallet looks set to take advantage of the digital medium with loyalty card upgrades.

As spotted by 9to5Google, when some users opened Wallet the app automatically moved an old CVS loyalty card (a US-based pharmacy brand) to the top of their list with a banner on it saying 'Upgrade available.' When clicking to see what said upgrades entailed they were shown three details:

• Automatic pass updates like changes in reward points
• Related passes like offers or coupons
• Messages from CVS Health

This looks to be one of the first implementations of a feature Google mentioned back in October, when release notes for Play services teased that “You’ll now be able to upgrade your passes in Google Wallet.” It wasn’t explained what form these upgrades would take, but now we have a clearer idea.

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

'Automatic pass updates' sounds simple enough – it seems that if CVS changes its loyalty scheme the digital card will automatically update so you don’t need to manually change it – while 'Related passes like offers or coupons' suggests that Google Wallet will automatically populate with CVS coupons your account receives, which sounds super handy – who amongst us hasn’t trekked all the way to a store only to realize we left our coupon at home.

Then 'Messages from CVS Health' suggests that you’ll be opting into receiving marketing, though it’s not clear if this would appear in the Wallet app or in your email inbox – we’re hoping it’s the latter.

Based on how the upgrade is presented, it appears to be a bespoke setup from CVS, so other Google Wallet card upgrades may look different. What’s more, it’s still early days for this feature, and it's not clear how much of an upgrade it'll turn out to be (if it does just lead to more marketing spam I’m sure many of us would see these as downgrades). But taking advantage of Wallet’s digital nature to automatically flag coupons and offers is something most users will likely appreciate.

We’ll just have to wait and see what other Wallet upgrades look like as they roll out – CVS might be one of the first, but we expect it won’t be the last.

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• The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies expansion pack launches next month
• It lets you set up your own small business
• It includes new skills, aspirations, items, and more

The next expansion pack for The Sims 4 will launch on March 6 and it's one that I've always wanted.

As the name would suggest, The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies focuses on allowing you to set up your own small business, with loads of new skills and gear to help you create your own dream shop. You will have plenty of freedom over how to earn Simoleons, with a new ticket kiosk item allowing you to charge customers an entrance fee or fee for their time spent on the premises.

Want to build a gym, art gallery, or even a nightclub? This will finally let you do just that. You will also be able to designate a specific area of your home as open to the public (or even an employee-only space for up to five Sims that you've hired) preventing random people from just showing up in private parts of your house.

New skills are also included in the pack, including a tattooing skill that lets you create and share your own custom designs. This is on top of a pottery skill which sees your Sims make their own usable ceramic objects like plant pots. Presumably, you will be able to sell your tattooing skills or clay creations to eager customers.

This is all brought together by the new Idealist and Shady traits, which help you gear your character towards certain ways of running a business. Business growth is rewarded with new Business Perks, with Dreamer and Schemer that are ideal for running a by-the-books or more dubious enterprise respectively.

On top of this, there will be two new aspirations: Esteem Entrepreneur for those keen to build a flourishing shop and Master Mentor if you'd prefer to focus on teaching others your skills.

Of course, it wouldn't be an expansion pack for The Sims 4 without the addition of a new town. This time it's Nordhaven, a Scandinavian-themed city with a historic old town and trendy up-and-coming district.

All things considered, it looks like a pretty well-rounded pack - even if part of me thinks some of this should have been included in the The Sims 4 Get to Work expansion pack back in 2025, which first introduced retail lots. Still, I've been quietly hoping for a small business overhaul, so I can't wait to dive in when it arrives.

The Sims 4 Businesses & Hobbies will be available on all the platforms where The Sims 4 is currently playable, including PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. That's on top of Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility.

You can pre-order it now for $39.99 / £34.99, with early purchasers bagging the 'Set Up Shop' digital content pack that comes with a cool statue, sweet treat display case, and special lamp.

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• Acer CEO warns customers will see laptop prices rise from March 2025
• 10% rise follows news of tariffs imposed by Trump administration
• The tariffs apply to products imported from China

The chairman and chief executive of Acer, one of the world’s biggest computer manufacturers, has warned a 10% price rise is coming to US customers ‘by default’ as a result of President Trump’s tariffs on imported Chinese goods.

In an interview with The Telegraph, CEO Jason Chen confirmed price adjustments for customers will be added on Acer laptops to reflect the tariff, noting “we think 10pc probably will be the default price increase because of the import tax. It’s very straightforward.”

The tariffs are applicable on items imported from China, but don’t apply to products that left before February 2025, so it could be a few weeks before the prices rise to reflect this. Since electronic goods make up a significant portion of Chinese imports, and most Acer products are manufactured in China - it's likely many products across the industry will be affected.

Customers bear the brunt

The move was pretty widely predicted in the industry, with the CEO of the Consumer Technology Association recently warning the tariff plan would be ‘devastating’, reminding that tariffs are not paid for by either country involved, “they're paid for by the consumers that are paying for a tax”.

Whilst 10% may not seem like a lot, Acer laptops can often sit between $2,000-$3,000, meaning customers will see hundreds of dollars added to their bills.

Acer is not the only company to manufacture their products overseas, in fact almost 80% of laptops and 40% of all tech products imported into the US are made in China and will be affected by these tariffs one way or another - so Americans can expect to see their pockets hurt in the near future.

Some firms may use the tariffs as an excuse to raise prices beyond 10%, but many companies have not yet confirmed how they expect their products to be affected.

Chen confirmed that Acer is looking into the possibility of “different supply chains beyond China”, and that “one of the options” was an American manufacturing line.

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• An Avowed display featuring real fungi has appeared in London
• It offers the chance to win some cool prizes...
• ...but won't be around for much longer!

Microsoft is celebrating the recent launch of Avowed with a striking interactive pop-up, the 'Bloomboard' on Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, London.

Modeled after the striking, creeping Dreamsourge threat, the 'Bloomboard' is basically a large diorama featuring a real-life version of the corrupted hero from the game's cover art. It looks very striking, but is also filled with real fungi. This means that its appearance changes naturally, as mushroom begin to bloom and parts of the model begin to break down.

A wide variety of mushrooms have been used, including Pink, Golden, Summer and Yellow oyster, plus Lion's Mane and Pioppini mushrooms. That's not all, however, as there are also some cool prizes up for grabs.

You can see the display for yourself in a video from Xbox below.

Eagle-eyed gamers will be able to locate a QR code hidden within the display and scanning it will let you enter a competition with goodies like Avowed game codes, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate memberships, and even some Xbox hardware up for grabs.

Regarding the marketing stunt, Xbox game marketing lead for the UK Samuel Bateman commented: "The Obsidian team has a long-standing reputation for building some of the most creative and diverse worlds within the RPG genre, and we’ve taken inspiration from them in recreating Avowed in the (decaying) flesh for fans here in London.

We’re looking forward to people coming to check out the installation and encourage them to pay close attention to what’s hidden within so that they can be in with a chance of winning some great gaming prizes.”

That said, the display is set to end today - so there's no that long to go if you want to get your hands on them! If you're nearby, there's no real reason not to pop down for one cheeky last-minute look.

Avowed released on February 18, 2025, and is currently available for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC. It is also part of Xbox Game Pass.

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Black Ops 6 Season 2 Reloaded launches Thursday, February 20, adding new maps, some new weapons, as well as a set of iconic tie-in skins. This means that later this week, players will have a whole host of new features to check out, whether that's in Zombies, Warzone, or core Multiplayer.

Even without extra Season Two Reloaded content, we're still having a blast with Black Ops 6, landing it a place on our list of the best FPS games to play in 2025. This upcoming midseason refresh adds a new Strike map set on a bullet train, as well as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle-themed map called Grind Ooze.

Here's what we know about Black Ops Season 2 Reloaded so far, including a closer look at tomorrow's confirmed release time, as well as what's set to be added. It's worth noting that times do vary depending on your time zone, so be sure to check out the information below for when Season 2 Reloaded launches in the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and Japan.

Black Ops 6 Season 2 Reloaded release time in your time zone

(Image credit: Activision)

The Black Ops 6 Season 2 Reloaded release time is Thursday, February 20 at 9AM PST / 12PM EST / 5PM GMT. Here are some more specifics related to the release schedule per your timezone:

• 9AM PST: West Coast (US)
• 12PM EST: East Coast (US)
• 5PM GMT: United Kingdom (UK)
• 6PM CET: Europe
• 2AM JST (Friday, February 21): Japan
• 4AM AEDT: (Friday, February 21): Australia

Black Ops 6 Season 2 Reloaded - what's being added?

(Image credit: Activision)

Activision has now announced what'll be added to Black Ops 6 as part of Season 2 Reloaded. This includes new maps, weapons, and modes, as well as updates to Warzone. Here's a brief summary of what's being added:

• Maps: Grind Ooze (6v6), Bullet (6v6, 2v2)
• Weapons: D1.3 Sector (Special Secondary), Skateboard (Melee), Katanas (Melee), Bo staff (Melee), Nunchaku (Melee), Sai (Melee)
• Attachments: Belt-Fed Attachment
• Modes: TMNT Moshpit
• Perk: Hunter's Instinct (Mark the next target for elimination and swap your Dedicated Melee for a Launcher with two new Loadout items expanding your options in the field.)
• Wildcard: Flyswatter (Allows a player to replace their Dedicated Melee weapon with a Launcher.)
• Bundle: The Terminator Ultra
• Warzone: Low Profile Perk (Move more quickly while crouched and prone. Enemies you kill will not have death markers for their allies. Move slightly faster when downed.)
• Zombies: The Tomb (Directed), Cowabunga Cranked Mode
• Events: Call of Duty x Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (MP, ZM, WZ)
• Operators: TMNT

For a full breakdown of Black Ops 6 Season 2 Reloaded, head on over to the Call of Duty blog. This includes some limited-time modes that'll be available to enjoy over the holidays.

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• A new ‘Migration’ feature has been found by digging around in the inner workings of Windows 11
• It’s part of the Backup app and allows for a wireless transfer of all your files and settings from an old PC to a new one
• The idea is to use Nearby Sharing, with both PCs in close proximity and on the same Wi-Fi network

Microsoft is apparently working on a way to make it easier for Windows 11 users to make the move from an old PC to a new computer that’s just been purchased (or built).

This is a ‘Migration’ app which is purportedly part of Windows 11’s existing Backup app, and will transfer all your files and settings across wirelessly from the old PC to the new one, providing the devices are in close proximity.

There are a few people to credit for spotting this via a recent Windows 11 preview build, as reported by Windows Latest, who noticed Dongle, an X user, had flagged up the feature in the below post.

Migration app, build 22635.4945 (UI reconstruction)Courtesy of @phantomofearth for discovering the feature and @AhmedWalid605 for providing the decompiler.1/4 pic.twitter.com/XdGRvpdJgdFebruary 17, 2025

Dongle further credits regular leaker PhantomOfEarth on X for digging around and uncovering said feature, and also AhmedWalid605 for providing the decompiler used to reconstruct what this new feature might look like (based on the interface clues found by PhantomOfEarth in the preview build).

The screenshots of the Migration app in the X post are mocked-up by Dongle (a best guess of what it’d look like), but the functionality is correct going by the clues dug up from the inner workings of Windows 11.

As noted, the transfer of files happens wirelessly, and Dongle guesses that the feature might use Nearby Sharing, which is essentially Microsoft’s take on AirDrop, requiring both machines to be on the same Wi-Fi network, and near to each other.

(Image credit: Getty Images) Analysis: A sound and handy alternative to a cloudy path

Remember that what’s presented in this X post is just a mock-up and so the end version of Migration could look (or work) very differently. Indeed, because this is just code buried in Windows 11 and not even enabled in testing yet, it’s possible this is a capability Microsoft is toying with, but may yet abandon. In short, don’t get your hopes up too much.

In theory, though, the Migration feature is a sound idea and plugs a gap in the existing functionality that the Backup app delivers. Backup already provides a way to transfer your old PC data over to a new system, but that’s facilitated via the cloud (files are uploaded to OneDrive to make the backup, which is then extracted from the cloud and onto the new PC at setup).

The trouble is that if you’re looking at a hefty Windows 11 installation, and a ton of files, that could be sluggish to download from the cloud – especially if you don’t have a decent internet connection. Or indeed you may not have enough cloud storage space on OneDrive in the first place.

Clearly, there are scenarios where the cloud is a less-than-ideal solution, so the idea with Migration is to facilitate a local transfer that doesn’t need anything aside from both PCs being next to each other (and being able to connect to the same local Wi-Fi network). That’s going to be a convenient and useful option to have for a good few folks, I’d imagine.

As Window Latest observes, the hope is that Migration might also cater for third-party apps (and not just Microsoft Store apps, as with Backup), which would be a really nifty addition. Fingers crossed on that front, though I wouldn’t place any bets.

There are, of course, other options for migrating your stuff from one PC to another aside from Microsoft’s official methods included in Windows 11.

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• Corsair's CEO suggests Grand Theft Auto 6 could be making its way to PC in early 2026
• Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick also recently teased the PC port for the highly anticipated title
• Fans still await any new information and a new trailer

The wait for Rockstar Games' next installment of its most successful franchise, Grand Theft Auto, has spanned just over a decade now, and its publisher Take-Two Interactive recently reaffirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6's launch is still late 2025 for consoles - and now, new reports suggest PC gamers could also be seeing Grand Theft Auto 6 sooner than expected.

According to Corsair (the PC hardware manufacturer) CEO Andy Paul, GTA 6 could be making its way to PC gamers in early 2026 (as reported by Wccftech) - this comes amid the ongoing concern among fans that the highly anticipated title could face a delay regarding its console release.

While there's still plenty left to be unveiled about what GTA 6 has to offer, Paul suggested "it's going to come out in the fall [of 2025] for console, and then early 2026 for PC", during an investors call - and we've seen a similar case with Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick, who hinted at Rockstar potentially repeating a familiar staggered release pattern for other platforms after the game's console launch.

Despite its first reveal in late 2023, there has been radio silence on Rockstar's end ever since as many anxiously await a second GTA 6 trailer. Based on this, there's no guarantee that the slated late 2025 release date will go as planned, especially if marketing doesn't start soon…

We're so close, but yet so far... (Image credit: Rockstar Games) The wait is exhausting, especially as a PC gamer...

Let me make one thing clear: we've waited a long while for GTA 6, which is arguably the most anticipated game of all time, so surely we can wait a little longer for more information.

That being said, as a PC gamer the wait is painful as there's currently no confirmation of its existence on PC. I know it's clearly going to make its way to the platform at some point (as GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 did years later after their console debuts), but even so, alongside Corsair CEO's comments, I doubt we will see it any time soon.

I get that it takes time to optimize PC ports - there's been a litany of poorly optimized PC ports at launch recently, and I certainly don't want that for a title this monumental. However, I feel that I'll have no choice but to purchase it on my PS5 and then do the same later down the line on PC - a new entry in Rockstar’s beloved franchise is a once in a lifetime experience, one that I’d hate to have spoiled for myself while waiting for an enhanced PC version.

If cross saves were more common, I'd have less qualms about waiting - but knowing you'll likely have to start from scratch when playing the better version visually (whilst paying twice for the same game), is frustrating to say the least...

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Making sense of priorities in your work calls could soon be a lot more straightforward, thanks to an AI-assisted update coming to Google Meet.

The video conferencing service has announced it will now be using Gemini to create a checklist of "next steps" following the end of every call, collating the key actions that need attention going forward.

And in order to make sure nothing important gets missed, Google Meet is also making any live captions generated during your calls available for up to 30 minutes after they're created, rather than instantly disappearing when the conversation moves on.

Next steps on Google Meet

(Image credit: Google Workspace)

The "next steps" feature is an expansion to the existing "Take notes for me" tool launched for Google Meet back in August 2024, which aimed to identify key points in the discussion and send a recap email after a call, saving users time.

Now, next steps and follow-up points will be "automatically identified and organized within the meeting notes document," with users able to review and edit as needed, and assign tasks to particular people.

"This latest note-taking enhancement will help ensure important follow-ups aren’t missed and keeps everyone aligned on what happens next after your meeting," a Google Workspace updates blog post announcing the launch noted.

(Image credit: Google Workspace)

Users will also now be able to scroll back through live captions, including translated captions, for up to 30 minutes. Google says this will be particularly helpful if you’ve missed a portion of the conversation or you want to review specific details mentioned earlier in the conversation, with the feature available for all Google Workspace customers, as well as users with personal Google accounts.

Both features are rolling out to rapid release domains now, although the "next steps" feature will take more time to be available for most as Google says it wants to "carefully monitor performance and quality."

Next steps will be available to users on Google Workspace Business Standard and Plus tiers, along with Enterprise Standard and Plus users. It will also be available with the Gemini Education Premium add-on, as well as to anyone who previously purchased the Gemini Enterprise or AI Meetings & Messaging add-ons.

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• Gemini is no longer available in the Google app on iOS
• You'll now only find Google AI in its own dedicated Gemini app
• Gemini is free to download via the App Store

If you're looking to use Google Gemini on iOS you'll find that, as of today, it's no longer accessible through the Google app, where it has lived since its launch on iPhone. Instead, if you don't already have it, you'll need to download the dedicated Gemini app on the App Store to use Google's AI chatbot on the best iPhones and take advantage of everything it has to offer.

Gemini's new 2.0 Flash model goes head to head with ChatGPT, and it's a seriously impressive chatbot that can help you organize your life, create AI images, and even access Gemini Live, one of the most impressive AI voice assistants we've tested so far.

2.0 Flash isn't the only new Gemini addition for 2025, with Google announcing that Deep Research, its research model that can analyze and create reports similar to ChatGPT Deep Research, is also now available on iOS.

While Gemini is free to download from the App Store, you can subscribe to Gemini Advanced for more features via an in-app purchase which costs $18.99 / £18.99 / roughly AU$30. With Gemini Advanced you can take advantage of the aforementioned Deep Research, as well as Gemini integration with other Google apps such as Search, YouTube, Maps, Gmail, just to name a few.

The best place for Gemini

I've been using the Gemini app since it launched in November last year, and it's been excellent. Removing the AI chatbot from the Google search app will make it less convoluted for people to access Google AI, as before the launch of the Gemini app it was often overshadowed, hidden in plain sight. Gemini is a well-designed app with everything Google AI has to offer, and thanks to the AI functionality offered by the iPhone 16's Action button you can seamlessly integrate it into your life instead of, or alongside, Apple's first-party tools.

Gemini might be ruling the roost alongside ChatGPT as the best AI chatbot on iPhone at the time of writing, but Apple Intelligence will give Siri a major upgrade in iOS 18.4 set to launch in the next few months. Siri's major upgrade will bring personal context and on-screen awareness to Apple's voice assistant which should make it more approachable and beneficial to users.

Until then, Gemini is one of the best chatbots for AI right now – you may just need to download a new app in order to access it from now on.

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• Queer is arriving on Max on Friday, March 8
• It joins a great line-up of other A24 titles, making Max the place to be for the studio's movies
• The movie can be rented or bought in other territories like the UK and Australia

If you're an A24 fan, you'll be pleased to hear that Queer is making its streaming debut on Max in the US this March, but sadly other territories will have to wait for a confirmed release date.

The movie has received an impressive 77% Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics so far, so it's worthy of a spot on our best Max movies round-up, joining other popular A24 titles. In my opinion, the studio rarely misses to the point I'm among the minority who actually think that Alex Garland's Men is a good movie. But that's for another article.

As for Queer, it's certainly had an impression on viewers. Director Luca Guadagnino has been having a great time lately, considering the success of Challengers, which is currently one of our best Prime Video movies, and soon, you'll be able to stream his more recent hit Queer when it arrives on Max on Friday, March 8.

Recently, the Queer trailer made TechRadar's Rowan Davies want to stream his favorite forbidden romance movie on Netflix, and funnily enough, it's another Guadagnino movie. So his work is widely available across the best streaming services at the moment and we're happy about that.

What is A24's Queer about?

Guadagnino's Queer follows William Lee (Daniel Craig) who becomes obsessed with a younger man, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) in 1950s Mexico City. The movie is based on the novella of the same name by William S. Burroughs, with Craig playing a fictionalized version of him.

There's a stellar supporting cast here including Jason Schwartzman, Lesley Manville, and Ariel Schulman, the latter of whom I have loved ever since the original Catfish documentary, so it was great to see him among the cast list.

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• NetEase Games has laid off staff in one of its Seattle teams
• This included Marvel Rivals director Thaddeus Sasser
• The company claims that the cuts were made for "organizational reasons"

Last night, Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games laid off an unspecified number of staff from its Seattle design team.

This included one of the game's directors, Thaddeus Sasser, who posted about the layoffs on his LinkedIn page. "My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise," he said.

"... and were just laid off!" He then explained his desire to help the affected staff find new jobs, spotlighting the contributions of former level designer Garry McGee.

The layoffs certainly seem unexpected, in no small part thanks to the apparent massive success of Marvel Rivals. It was rated highly in our review, with praise leveled at its impressive roster of varied heroes and overall fun factor. It's been a mainstay of the Steam charts since it launched back on December 6, 2024.

NetEase has commented on the layoffs in a statement to PCGamer, claiming that they were made "to adjust Marvel Rivals’ development team structure for organizational reasons and to optimize development efficiency for the game."

It also stated that the main development team, which is located in China, is still "fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience" with "new super hero characters, maps, features, and content" on the way.

NetEase also made cuts at its other western studios throughout last year. This included stopping funding for the recently-founded Worlds Untold studio, the closure of Jar of Sparks, and major layoffs at Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios. This could suggest that the company is planning to shift its focus more heavily towards its Chinese developers.

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• Juniper Networks says it found a critical flaw during internal testing
• Session Smart routers bug has a 9.8 severity score and allows full device takeover
• A patch is already available, so update now

Juniper Networks just released a patch for a critical vulnerability that allowed threat actors to take over Session Smart Routers (SSR).

In a security advisory, the company said that during internal testing, it discovered CVE-2025-21589, an authentication bypass vulnerability with a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical). This issue affects Session Smart Router, Session Smart Conductor, and WAN Assurance Managed Router - the affected endpoints include:

Session Smart Router:

from 5.6.7 before 5.6.17,
from 6.0.8,
from 6.1 before 6.1.12-lts,
from 6.2 before 6.2.8-lts,
from 6.3 before 6.3.3-r2;

Session Smart Conductor:

from 5.6.7 before 5.6.17,
from 6.0.8,
from 6.1 before 6.1.12-lts,
from 6.2 before 6.2.8-lts,
from 6.3 before 6.3.3-r2;

WAN Assurance Managed Routers:

from 5.6.7 before 5.6.17,
from 6.0.8,
from 6.1 before 6.1.12-lts,
from 6.2 before 6.2.8-lts,
from 6.3 before 6.3.3-r2.

No workarounds

Juniper said that there are no workarounds for this issue, and that the only way to safeguard the endpoints is to apply the patches: SSR-5.6.17, SSR-6.1.12-lts, SSR-6.2.8-lts, SSR-6.3.3-r2 and subsequent releases.

“In a Conductor-managed deployment, it is sufficient to upgrade only the Conductor nodes and the fix will be applied automatically to all connected routers,” Juniper explained. “As practical, the routers should still be upgraded to a fixed version however they will not be vulnerable once they connect to an upgraded Conductor. Router patching can be confirmed once the router reaches the “running" (on 6.2 and earlier) or “synchronized” (on 6.3+) state on the Conductor".

Devices that operate with WAN Assurance, connected to the Mist Cloud, are automatically updated. The routers should still be upgraded, it was said.

So far, there is no evidence of the flaws being abused in the wild.

Via BleepingComputer

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• The majority of Daredevil: Born Again's release schedule has been revealed
• The Disney+ show's episodic release format differs slightly from other Marvel TV series
• Fans have come up with two big theories about why the change has been made

Daredevil: Born Again's release schedule (most of it, anyway) has been revealed, and it's immediately sparked discussions among fans about its unusual episodic release format.

A direct continuation of the beloved Daredevil TV show that originally ran on Netflix from 2015 to 2018, Born Again is one of the most highly-anticipated Marvel projects in years. And, with its launch is fast approaching – Marvel confirmed Daredevil: Born Again would arrive on March 4 (US) and March 5 (UK and Australia) in October 2024 – fan excitement has stepped up a notch in recent weeks.

That excitement turned to curiosity yesterday (February 18), though, after the release schedule for its first six episodes was revealed. In a Disney press release outlining Disney+'s March 2025 line-up, fans were immediately drawn to the fact that Born Again's fifth and sixth episodes will arrive on the platform on the same day – that being March 25 for US audiences, and March 26 for British and Australian viewers.

Why is Daredevil: Born Again getting a two-episode release midway through its first season?

Born Again will reunite us with Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

It's not unusual for Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) shows to receive two-episode premieres on Disney+. Many of its predecessors, including Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Agatha All Along similarly launched with dual episode drops on release day. Disney+'s latest press blast confirmed Daredevil: Born Again is getting the same treatment.

This is the first time that a Marvel TV show will get a two-episode drop mid-season, though. It's even more bizarre when you realize that other episodes follow the traditional Marvel TV show weekly release format, too. For example, episodes 3 and 4 will be released on March 11 (US) / March 12 (UK and Australia) and March 18 (US) / March 19 (UK and Australia).

So, why is Marvel experimenting with a dual episode mid-season release here? I have two big theories and, given what I've read online since this information came to light, other MCU fans are thinking along similar lines.

The first hypothesis is a story-based one. Daredevil: Born Again's first season comprises nine episodes and it's possible that, if the narrative playing out across episodes 5 and 6 is essentially a two-parter, it makes sense to release them together. Why make fans wait a week to find out what happens if episode 5 ends on a cliff hanger? Sure, it would generate plenty of discussion post-episode 5's release, but that might not be in the best interests of the story that one of the best Disney+ shows (potentially, anyway) is trying to tell.

Marvel fans think Andor season 2's forthcoming release is also behind Born Again's unusual release schedule (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)

The other and more likely reason, however, is that Disney doesn't want this Marvel Phase 5 production to clash with another eagerly-anticipated series that'll debut on one of the world's best streaming services in the near future. The program in question? Andor season 2, which is one of the best-rated Star Wars projects of the last five years.

Last November, Disney confirmed Andor's second and final season would premiere on April 22. If Daredevil: Born Again followed the usual Marvel TV show release format after its two-episode premiere, its season 1 finale wouldn't land on Disney+ until April 22. That would pit it against the two-episode premiere of Andor's sophomore outing. It would be a baffling movie if Disney released those three episodes on the same day and subsequently cannibalize each series' viewing figures.

But, what do you think? Am I and my fellow Marvel devotees on the right track about Born Again's mid-season dual header? Or have you come up with another theory? Let me know in the comments! Once you have, get the complete lowdown on everything we know about Daredevil's first standalone MCU adventure by reading my dedicated Daredevil: Born Again guide.

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• AMD’s RX 9070 is supposedly set to have reviews aired on March 5
• That’s the same day as Nvidia releases its RTX 5070 GPU
• This further backs up the rumor that the on-sale date for RX 9070 models could be March 6

More evidence has emerged from the rumor mill that AMD is setting up a mid-range GPU showdown between its RX 9070 and Nvidia’s RTX 5070.

VideoCardz brings us what’s purportedly the review embargo date for RX 9070 models, which is March 5, ahead of a theoretical March 6 on-sale date (all AMD has officially said, though, is that these graphics cards will go on sale in early March).

However, as review embargoes tend to fall a day (or maybe two) ahead of the arrival of GPUs on shelves, this does further suggest that the RX 9070 on-sale date might in fact be March 6 as rumored.

What’s also telling about March 5 is that it’s a huge date in Nvidia’s own launch diary – this is the day that RTX 5070 graphics cards officially go on sale.

So, the plan would appear to be for AMD to trigger a flood of reviews of RX 9070 GPUs, no doubt comparing them to the RTX 5070 (which will already have been reviewed at that point). And presumably the hope for Team Red is that this could dampen the enthusiasm for Nvidia’s graphics cards as they hit the shelves.

(Image credit: PowerColor) Analysis: Pricing cards on the table, please, AMD

Of course, all this depends on how these reviews pan out, and the rival graphics cards actually stack up to each other. But thus far, the leaks around the RX 9070 paint a promising picture, and you’ve got to think AMD must be reasonably confident to have set up an (almost) head-to-head launch here.

At any rate, I can’t wait to find out, and obviously I’m not alone there – anyone looking for a good mid-ranger at a (relatively) more affordable price is doubtless as keen as I am to discover where the final performance of these AMD and Nvidia GPUs will lie.

While we know the asking price for Nvidia’s RTX 5070 – which is $549 / £539 – what we don’t know is where AMD is pitching its RX 9070 and 9070 XT. So far, Team Red is playing its pricing cards close to its chest, but I’m hoping we will finally find out the MSRP at the big launch event AMD has planned for February 28.

Another interesting point here is that VideoCardz observes that when the embargo material supposedly provided by AMD talks about that big launch at the end of February, it calls the event an “RX 90x0 announcement” not an RX 9070 affair. That further suggests we will get details on other RDNA 4 desktop graphics cards, perhaps the specs of RX 9060 models, too? Or at least something of a teaser for those more wallet-friendly GPUs.

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• The Thrustmaster SimTask FarmStick X has launched
• It's compatible with Xbox and PC and made for Farming Simulator 25
• It also features Hall effect technology and a huge number of customizable buttons

Attention, virtual farmers. Thrustmaster has just launched the SimTask FarmStick X, a bespoke joystick that's designed with Farming Simulator 25 in mind.

This is a follow-up to last year's SimTask FarmStick which was only compatible with PC. Now, the SimTask FarmStick X has compatibility with Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PC, bearing the official 'Designed for Xbox' seal of approval.

The Thrustmaster SimTask FarmStick X features the company's H.E.A.R.T. tech (that's short for Hall Effect AccuRate Technology) which is also the selling point of the Thrustmaster Heart controller. This means you can likely expect a drift-resistant and precise thumbstick that won't wear out any time soon.

You're also getting 33 customizable buttons on the stick, including two rocker switches, two triggers, a smaller mini stick, and a thumbwheel. There is also a dedicated 'Combo' button which appears to let you bind multiple inputs to a single button press, though this only seems to work on PC.

On top of all this, it looks like you won't have to worry about any kind of complex setup process, as Thrustmaster assures the SimTask FarmStick X is a "plug and play" device for Farming Simulator 25, meaning it'll work with your game right out of the box. It can also be paired with some of the best racing wheels including the Thrustmaster T248.

The Thrustmaster SimTask FarmStick X is available to buy now for $129.99 / £99.99 (around AU$204). You can pick one up yourself over at Thrustmaster's official website.

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• A research study has suggested mood changes can be detected by your wearable
• This would allow the prediction of mood data, helping you counteract it with advice
• It could be huge for helping manage the symptoms of mental health conditions

We've seen that the best smartwatches can track everything about your physical health, from detecting sleep apnoea to predicting your best marathon times, but the next frontier could be predicting your mental health.

Research published in the journal Nature last year leverages the power of a smartwatch and the data it collects to map out manic and depressive episodes in patients with mood disorders, based on sleep-wake data. Because stress and mood can have an effect on circadian rhythms, the study hypothesized that it's possible to predict upcoming 'mood episodes'.

"Disruptions in sleep and activity patterns have been observed in individuals diagnosed with mood disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD)," the study's introduction explains.

"To gain a deeper understanding of these mood-related patterns, sensors in smartphones and wearable devices, such as accelerometers, Global Positioning System sensors (GPS), and light sensors, have been employed to noninvasively and passively collect data within individuals’ real-life environments."

"This approach allows for long-term, objective assessment of a patient’s physiological and behavioral status, providing a valuable complement to conventional psychiatric assessments that rely on subjective patient recall through clinical scales or interviews."

Huge impact on mental wellbeing

As per the study, this could make a huge difference to anyone suffering from a mental health condition, and not only major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.

By tracking this data and mapping it out over an extended period, smartwatches could offer coping strategies to a whole host of people with mental health concerns, from permanent diagnoses such as bipolar disorder, to temporary episodes such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Spotting signs that can contribute to a higher risk of depression, like later bedtimes, and varied day structures, could help users develop coping mechanisms to manage or minimize their symptoms.

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