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• The Witcher 4's narrative director says he knew the decision to make Ciri the protagonist could be "controversial"
• Narrative director Phillipp Weber understands that some players would prefer Geralt but hopes to prove Ciri's role by delivering on "a lot of interesting things"
• Weber said making Ciri the next Witcher "really was the natural evolution of what we’ve already been making for so long"

CD Projekt Red knew that making Ciri the protagonist of The Witcher 4 "could be controversial" for some people, but it was a decision the team made "a very long time ago".

In a recent interview with VGC, following the reveal of The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards, narrative director Phillipp Weber addressed the fan reaction to Ciri starring as the playable protagonist.

"I think we definitely knew it could be controversial for some people because of course, in the previous three Witcher games Geralt was the protagonist and I think everyone really loved playing as Geralt," Weber said.

"I really loved playing as Geralt, so I think we’re aware that if some people think right now that they would still prefer to be Geralt, I do think that’s a legitimate concern, so if this is where that concern is coming from, that’s valid."

According to Weber, the decision to make Ciri the titular Witcher of the next major game was made "a very long time ago" and hope to deliver on "a lot of interesting things" with Geralt of Rivia's adopted daughter at the forefront.

The narrative director also pointed out that the Ciri was originally set up as the secondary main character of Andrzej Sapkowski's novels and in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, so for the development team "it really was the natural evolution of what we’ve already been making for so long".

It also allowed CDPR to "honor" the ending of the Blood and Wine expansion where players get to see Geralt retire.

The Witcher 4's executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga also commented on the positive reaction from fans, saying the team is "overwhelmed by so many people liking the choice, being excited for," and "understanding where it came from".

"Also actually doing a little bit of our job, the community itself is doing the explanation on why it’s the correct choice," Mitręga said.

"Everyone has the right to have an opinion, and we do believe it comes from the passion for our games and I think the best answer for that will be the game itself when the game is released."

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• The Witcher 4 will introduce new regions, but the map will remain "more or less the same" size as The Witcher 3
• CD Projekt Red announces The Witcher in Concert to celebrate 10 years of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Sony is officially the largest shareholder of FromSoftware owner Kadokawa

A court ruled that Fulton County DA Fani Willis and her office can't continue prosecuting the Georgia election interference case involving Donald Trump — the last active prosecution against Trump.

(Image credit: Alex Slitz)

Fulton County DA Fani Willis and her office can't continue prosecuting the Georgia election interference case involving Donald Trump — the last remaining criminal charges against the president-elect.

(Image credit: Alex Slitz)

• The Witcher 4 will feature "new regions" but the map will be around the same size as The Witcher 3's
• CD Projekt Red teased that players will be able to explore regions in the north, like the village showcased in the trailer
• Game director Sebastian Kalemba said the team "want to deliver a super compelling experience"

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that it will introduce new regions in The Witcher 4, but fans shouldn't expect a bigger map than the one featured in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

In a recent interview with Easy Allies, game director Sebastian Kalemba and executive producer Gosia Mitręga spoke on the surprise reveal of The Witcher 4 at The Game Awards 2024 and the decision to make Ciri the titular Witcher and playable protagonist.

When discussing the game's open world, Mitręga confirmed the development team is "introducing new regions" for players to explore.

Mitręga also hinted that we could see the "village in the trailer" make an appearance, which is "far North" of The Continent, meaning players could travel much further than Geralt did in The Witcher 3.

In terms of the map's size, Kalemba confirmed in a separate interview with Skill Up that The Witcher 4's is "more or less" the same as The Witcher 3's, which if you've played you'll know is pretty massive (thanks, GamesRadar).

"The map is definitely more or less when it comes to size, the amount of quests, more or less the same," Kalemba said. "Again, the game is going to be big. But also, the ambition of the entire team is huge. So first and foremost, we want to deliver a super compelling experience."

Kalemba continued, saying, "Again, quality over quantity. But definitely, what we can promise: yes, this game is going to be pretty big. It's going to be big compared to everything we've prepared so far..."

There's no release date for The Witcher 4 just yet, but we do know that it will be developed in Unreal Engine 5 and will mark the beginning of a new Witcher saga.

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The Trump administration's rollbacks of electric vehicles and emissions policies will be more far ranging than previously thought, according to a report.

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• Amazon had announced full-time RTO mandate for January 2025
• But the company still isn’t ready for the influx of desk workers
• Some workers are worried RTOs are designed to push them away

Amazon’s return-to-office (RTO) policy has apparently been paused because the company doesn’t have enough office space in some locations.

New reports by Bloomberg and Business Insider state that insufficient office space in several of the ecommerce giant’s US locations has caused the temporary pause.

Already a controversial move that sparked widespread worker dissatisfaction, the news follows CEO Andy Jassy’s September announcement that workers would transition from their previous three-day office-working policy to a full-time mandate, which left a bitter taste in the mouths of many.

Amazon’s RTO isn’t working

The move would require workers to be in the office five days per week starting January 2, 2025, yet weeks before the policy is set to be enforced, and with office set to shut over Christmas and the New Year, the company has failed to provide enough office space.

Jassy had hoped that bringing people back into the office would enable better collaboration, cohesion and social benefits. The policy is more akin to pre-pandemic working setups, with assigned desks, rather than more flexible measures that have followed in the post-pandemic world of hybrid working.

Due to capacity limitations in offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, New York and Phoenix, some staff have been told that they might not need to go in full-time for another four months.

The company told GeekWire that most of its offices would meet the January 2 target, but acknowledged that some locations might be delayed.

Employees who were previously working remotely, or a hybrid of the two, have previously expressed concerns that returning to the office full-time would make it difficult for them. Many would have to relocate or change their lifestyles to suit, with some believing that RTO mandates are rolling out across tech giants, including Amazon, to get workers to resign.

News that the company has not prepared enough office space certainly reflects that sentiment, but this could just be a coincidence. TechRadar Pro put that notion to Amazon, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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• Drone maker DJI has escaped a US import ban for now
• The company has a year to prove its security or be automatically banned
• DJI protests that Chinese firms are being unfairly singled out

DJI is the world’s largest drone maker, and its products are so good that they occupy seven of the top 10 spots on our list of the best drones money can buy. But that hasn’t stopped it from facing increased scrutiny in the US, and while the company has just narrowly escaped being banned altogether in the United States, things could look very different in a year’s time.

So, what’s happened? Well, the US Senate has just passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which allocates defense spending for the year. To DJI’s relief, it did not contain any provisions from the Countering CCP Drones Act, which sought to essentially block imports of all DJI products into the United States.

But DJI isn’t out of the woods yet. The NDAA has started a one-year countdown, during which DJI has to prove that its products are not a national security risk to the United States. If it can’t, all of its devices will be automatically banned in the US, as will those of rival firm Autel Robotics.

DJI must prove its innocence to “an appropriate national security agency” (which has not yet been named). Otherwise, the FCC will add DJI products to its “covered list," which would block DJI devices from running on US networks and prevent the FCC from authorizing their internal radios for use in the United States. It would essentially be an import ban.

Flights grounded

(Image credit: Future / Tim Coleman)

DJI is a Chinese company that has provoked ire and suspicion among US lawmakers. As with many Chinese companies, some in the US are concerned that DJI could have overly close links to the Chinese authorities and that its products could pose a national security threat.

In a blog post, DJI has responded to the allegations by saying it “welcomes the scrutiny and looks forward to the opportunity to demonstrate our privacy controls and security features.” The company also claims that Chinese firms are being unfairly singled out and worries that the US government has not yet assigned an agency to carry out the assessment – if no agency takes charge, DJI will be banned automatically, it believes.

The NDAA has passed both the House of Representatives and the US Senate, meaning it just requires President Biden’s signature. While Biden is almost certain to sign it as it received bipartisan support, it remains to be seen what action – if any – President-elect Trump will take once he assumes office in January. If you’re a fan of DJI drones, you’ll need to watch closely – or start looking for alternative options.

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Modern gaming laptops are lighter, slimmer, and more powerful than ever, but how did we get from the bulky pioneers of portable gaming to today’s thin and sleek kit which boast AAA-ready performance?

Gaming has changed drastically in the last two decades, with new releases continuing to defy the recurring belief that graphics are the best they’ll ever be. In 20 years, we’ve seen a jump from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to Cyberpunk 2077, from Halo 2 to Black Myth: Wukong, alongside countless other examples.

While software and artist developers have continued to evolve their craft to produce stunningly realistic games like those we have today, so too have hardware and system manufacturers. The evolution of laptops are the gaming world’s archaeological fossils, demonstrating how form factor, weight, bulk, and performance have developed over time, making huge strides for gaming-on-the-go with each milestone.

Today’s laptops can compete with their desktop counterparts, thanks to a combination of increasingly efficient graphics cards that make use of AI-enhanced tech to boost performance and visual clarity, paired with carefully designed lightweight chassis and internal cooling systems. Serving as a prime example of this progress, MSI’s RTX 40-Series powered laptops benefit from both sleek, lightweight portability and highly capable gaming performance, boosted by performance-enhancing tech such as NVIDIA DLSS.

As the holiday season approaches, many of these powerful machines are on sale here, with plenty of options for every budget. With top new releases like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle recently released, MSI’s RTX 40-Series powered laptops are the perfect option for those looking to experience cutting-edge gaming tech. With all the advancements made this year, we’re taking a walk through history to discover exactly how we got here.

(Image credit: NVIDIA) Ready Player Fun

The story starts way back in 2007 with the MSI GX600, the world's first overclockable laptop with MSI's exclusive Turbo Drive Engine Technology; this gave gamers the choice between better battery life or extra performance with just the push of a button. The system boasted a GeForce GT8600M, which was housed inside a squared, bulky chassis, patterned with the all-powerful red decal, a symbol that the laptop was primed and ready for gaming.

A complete demon in its prime – it was the world’s first overclockable gaming laptop, after all – this old soul doesn’t quite hold the same reputation today. It’s fair to say its once-almighty GPU is somewhat outdated, and with a thick 32mm of bulk weighing a whopping 2.8kg, it’s definitely not the go-to choice when travelling. Of course, it’s no surprise that a laptop released nearly 20 years ago would struggle with the latest AAA titles, though, and it still holds a place in our hearts.

(Image credit: NVIDIA) Gaming with a Ghost

Jumping forward a few years, the early 2010s saw a steady improvement in performance from both CPUs and GPUs. The MSI GS60 2PE certainly marked this moment upon its release in 2014. Shipping with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M, which packed 1344 cores compared to the GT8600M’s measly 32, the system was a pretty significant upgrade, especially at a time where relying on raw raster performance was the only option.

Thanks to some really clever engineering, the Ghost Pro was as powerful as it was portable: it was the lightest NVIDIA 800 Series laptop on the market at just 1.96kg, and despite its huge horsepower it wasn't hefty; in fact, it was as light as many top ultrabooks that were built specifically for lightweight and slim size. Given that it was also a mere 19.9mm thick, this was a gaming wolf in sleek clothing, and the 2010 equivalent of what modern gaming laptops can achieve.

(Image credit: NVIDIA) Hiding in Plain Sight

In 2017, MSI pushed boundaries once more with the MSI GE62 7RE Camo Squad Limited Edition. It took its name from the very distinctive, world-first camo finish on the case, and once again MSI pulled off the tough challenge of packing high-end components into an easily portable laptop. Though a decent contender at the time, the 2.4kg and 29mm thickness is no shining star by today’s standards. However, with a choice of 15.6" FHD or UHD displays, an optional M.2 SSD, and a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti inside, it provided an affordable and stylish option for the new generation of NVIDIA GPU systems.

The Camo Squad’s secret power was not only within its display, however, as the GTX 1050 Ti was the first series of GPUs to support NVIDIA Reflex, a latency-reducing setting which would have a notable impact on gaming and esports for years to come. This new architecture was a true upgrade, breaking records for both performance and efficiency, offering the best experiences available in top releases at the time, especially with the growing surge of VR.

(Image credit: NVIDIA) The Fighting Titan

In 2020 MSI launched the MSI GT76 Titan with the astonishing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER. There was no camo this time, but the Titan was super-stealthy in its sleek black case – or at least it was until you hit the lights to see its RGB keyboard and accents. Made with a streamlined aluminum cover and carbon fiber-themed bodywork it was absolutely stunning, though at a cost.

Packing the mighty RTX 2080 SUPER into this system required some compromises, most notably its 4.2kg of weight and 42mm bulk. Though it undoubtedly made an impactful first impression and benefited from a sturdy feel, it wasn’t the ideal system to be lugging around on-the-go.

Nonetheless, the Titan had serious power to match the style, with an i9 10900K inside, boasting 20 threads and 10 cores capable of up to 5.3GHz single-core and 5.0GHz at full-core overclock. Paired with the first of the RTX series graphics cards, the GeForce RTX 2080SUPER, it delivered serious graphics power, too. This generation was a milestone for laptop gaming, introducing AI-powered, game-enhancing tech such as DLSS to boost framerates without compromising on image quality. Using dedicated Tensor Cores, the RTX 2080 SUPER was the beginning of the current evolution in gaming. The challenge with all that power is how to keep it cool, and MSI had that covered with an extreme cooling system that made use of four fans and 11 heat pipes to deliver 2.25x the airflow of previous cooling systems. That enabled it to deliver massive performance without being held back by pesky thermal throttling.

(Image credit: NVIDIA) The Evolution of Everything

Those years of evolution and revolution bring us to today, where MSI and NVIDIA have combined all the lessons of the last two decades to create a sleek, light, and incredibly powerful laptop – the MSI Stealth 14 AI Studio.

The first thing you'll notice about the Stealth 14 AI Studio is the striking two-tone design available in Pure White or Star Blue. Beneath those colours is the super-light and super-strong magnesium alloy chassis, a premium material that helped MSI get the weight down to just 1.7kg in a case that's only 19mm thick. That’s more than a kg lighter than the 2007 MSI GX600, and almost half the bulk – a pretty sizable improvement.

MSI Stealth 14 AI Studio Closed (Image credit: NVIDIA)

Don't let that lightweight and thin chassis fool you: there's a serious engine room in there, with up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, complemented by a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 4060. Building on the foundation of the 20-Series GPUs, the 40-Series cards support the next generation of AI-enhancing DLSS 3 tech, which introduced Frame Generation to supported titles, further boosting performance by more than 2x the framerate compared to native processing.

That performance wouldn't be sustainable without MSI's expertise in cutting-edge CPU and GPU cooling. The Stealth 14 AI Studio is designed with a dedicated vapor chamber cooler on the CPU and GPU, which can manage the thermal flow and maximize performance. The larger heat capacity reduces the noise and temperature, keeping performance stable even under exceptionally high demand.

With modern laptops weighing sometimes less than half the weight of previous models, taking up a fraction of the space with significantly reduced bulk, and housing GPUs five times more powerful than even the previous generation in certain titles, laptop gaming has never been better.

The MSI Holiday Sale is live now, so there has never been a better time to pick up an RTX 40-Series laptop. To enjoy the ultimate gaming experience, click here to discover which MSI Series 40 laptop is perfect for you.

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• Google for Android has a new feature for duplicate tabs
• It archives duplicate tabs and displays the most recent one
• It's available in Chrome Canary right now

Avid Google Chrome users often grapple with juggling multiple tabs, especially with duplicate tabs. On the desktop browser, there’s the battery saver and memory saver features to mitigate the massive memory costs of all the open tabs but Android browser users haven’t had a proper option until now.

According to Chrome researcher @Leopeva64 from X (formerly Twitter), the latest Chrome Canary build has a new feature that, when switched on, will automatically archive duplicate tabs. If you have several tabs duplicating information, Chrome will archive the older ones and leave the most recent one in the tab switcher. This is only for the Android version of the browser, with the process remaining manual on the desktop version.

Keep in mind that this is still only usable in Canary and therefore for only developers, meaning there’s no guarantee that it’ll be released globally as a stable build. That said, users can still install the Canary version of the browser and test out the feature for themselves.

What else is new with Google Chrome for mobile?

Google Chrome for Android isn’t the only mobile version that’s been getting attention. The iOS version has been getting plenty of love too. Back in November 2024, four upgrades were announced: improvements to Google Lens search, online shopping, and integrations with Google Drive, Google Photos, and Google Maps.

The Google Lens upgrade affects the search, which already lets you use a photo from the camera or your gallery, by letting you refine them with extra text. The second one is Shopping Insights, in which if you see a product in Chrome that Google knows is available online at a discount, it’ll display a "good deal now" notification in the address bar.

There’s also integration between Chrome for iOS and other Google services, allowing you to transfer files between them. Finally, the process of bringing up a map pop-up without actually opening Google Maps has been streamlined, only requiring a single tap.

That said, in typical iOS fashion it’s late to the party as Android already has these features. But better late than never right?

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• Microsoft blog post outlines the strengths of Windows 11 for gamers
• They include AutoHDR mode, DirectStorage tech, and more
• Whether you benefit from some features will depend on your PC setup

Microsoft is keen to push Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11, and the latest part of that drive is persuading PC gamers that they need to make the leap to its newest OS.

Neowin spotted a blog post from Microsoft on how to ‘Elevate your PC gaming experience with Windows 11 this holiday season’ outlining all the perks gamers get with the operating system. (Assuming you can upgrade from Windows 10 – not every PC will meet Windows 11’s more stringent system requirements).

The biggest carrots to make the move to Windows 11, as Microsoft sees it, include the Auto HDR feature, which gives SDR games an HDR makeover (for those with a supporting monitor).

Then there’s also DirectStorage, which turbocharges loading times considerably (and in-game frame rates, too) for those with NVMe SSDs (the caveat being that the game must be coded to support this tech).

Microsoft’s third highlight is Compact Mode for Game Bar, which allows the bar to be downsized to make it more usable on small displays such as the screens on gaming handhelds like the Asus Rog Ally X.

Other major features that have the spotlight shone on them are Dynamic Lighting, which gives you a central hub for controlling all devices with RGB lights, and Windows 11’s optimizations for running games in windowed mode. The latter smooths over lag and screen tearing issues that you might otherwise suffer when playing a game in a window rather than full-screen.

Further, more minor benefits are listed too, including the HDR Calibration app (does what it says on the colorful tin), color filters for colorblind players, and Automatic Super Resolution for upscaling tricks – but that last one is for Arm-based Copilot+ PCs only as it uses the beefy NPU on those machines.

(Image credit: Pexels) Analysis: A better gaming life on Windows 11?

What’s the reality of these Windows 11 features – do they really make life for PC gamers better? Well, yes, they do, but there are considerations Microsoft doesn’t mention here.

Fair play on Auto HDR, which is a great feature for those with HDR monitors, as it really does elevate the visual quality of SDR games (those that don’t offer native HDR support). You must have an HDR display, though, of course.

DirectStorage is also an excellent feature, but again, there’s a hardware requirement, which is an NVMe SSD. The bigger catch with this game-speeding tech, though, is that it must be supported, and there aren’t many titles that do so (approaching 20 games or so). I should also note that DirectStorage works in Windows 10; it simply works better and speeds things up more in Windows 11, though.

Compact Mode for Game Bar is only useful for gaming handhelds, as already observed, and the rest of the tricks Microsoft brings our attention to in the blog post are helpful but more bonus trimmings than anything meaty.

Anecdotally, Windows 11 doesn’t run games appreciably faster than Windows 10 in the main, but there may be outliers, and of course, DirectStorage will help very much in supported titles. Auto HDR is definitely nice for those with an appropriate monitor, but is all this a compelling argument for a Windows 11 upgrade?

Not hugely, in my opinion, though it depends very much on your PC setup and whether you fall into any of the above categories. That said, upgrading to Windows 11 doesn’t really have any downsides, either – although you might want to stay off the 24H2 update until Microsoft fixes some of the fair few problems that have hit PC gamers who’ve upgraded to the latest version.

One final reason to upgrade that Microsoft doesn’t mention is if you have an AMD Ryzen 7000 or 9000 processor, there’s tuning work in Windows 11 (23H2 and 24H2) that boosts the speed of the CPU for gaming by a hefty amount (something like 10% faster). For those running that silicon in their gaming PC, this could be a compelling reason to make the jump.

At any rate, those on Windows 10 must consider their next move soon, as the operating system will hit End of Life in October 2025.

Expect Microsoft to not shut up about this as next year progresses, so if you’ve been mulling a Windows 11 upgrade, you may as well get on with it soon enough. It’s either that or stumping up the cash to get an extra year’s support for Windows 10 – or switching to an entirely different desktop OS. Linux gaming, however, is a bit of a minefield, albeit somewhat less so these days…

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• The first official trailer for 2025's Superman movie has been released publicly
• It arrives 24 hours after a 30-second teaser was released by DC Studios
• Superman will take flight in cinemas worldwide on July 11, 2025

The first trailer for 2025's Superman movie is finally here – and, if I wasn't already excited for the DC Cinematic Universe's (DCU) first film, I certainly am now.

Unveiled today (December 20), the two-minute-plus trailer, which arrived 24 hours after DC Studios released a teaser for the actual Superman movie trailer, is all that I and many other Superman fans wanted for Christmas this year. If this first proper look at the superhero film is anything to go by, it's going to be one of the biggest new movies to launch in theaters in 2025, too.

There's a lot to unpack from the trailer for James Gunn's Superman movie. For one, we get first looks at the Man of Steel's fellow heroes in action, including Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, Isabela Merced's Hawkgirl, and Edi Gathegi's Mister Terrific. All of them are shown using their weapons and/or abilities to fight their enemies – or, in Gardner's case, keep Metropolis' population away from Clark Kent/Superman, who retreats into a building to escape an angry mob for reasons unknown. Are they simply afraid of who or what he is, or did he accidentally cause some major damage while (ironically) trying to save them from some intergalactic threat?

Regardless, this isn't the first time we've seen Supes' fellow heroes before. During production, leaked images emerged online that gave us our first look at Gethegi's Mister Terrific in his comics-accurate costume, with other images showing us Merced's Hawkgirl and Fillion's Green Lantern, both of whom appear to be working (initially, at least) for another DC villain in Maxwell Lord.

Lex get ready to ruuuumbbbllleeee! (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Studios)

Then there are are the multiple, ominous shots of Nicholas Hoult's imposing version of Lex Luthor, aka one of the legendary DC hero's most notorious foes. There are also a fair few clips of Clark Kent/Supes and perennial love interest Lois Lane getting physically intimate. Oh, and there's also a kaiju of sorts that the eponymous Kryptonian will square off against, as well as two other engimatic foes – one of whom was teased when the first image of 2025's Superman movie was revealed earlier this year.

The true star of the show, though, is Superman's fluffy best friend in Krypto the Superdog. Appearing in one of the trailer's longer clips between the 1:06 and 1:22 mark, we see the canine Kryptonian – who's based on Gunn's own rescue dog Ozu – racing through the arctic tundra to aid Clark, who looks utterly exhausted after a bruising encounter with... something. I wonder if this scene takes place after he battles that clad-in-black individual on an American football field...

Man's best friend, indeed (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Anyway, Krypto doesn't think twice about helping his fellow alien when Clark/Supes asks Krypto to "take me home". And, considering we already know Krypto will cross paths with Mister Terrific at some point in the DCU Chapter One movie, Superman won't be the only hero that Krypto interacts with. We may head to theaters to watch the legendary DC hero take flight on the big screen once more, but we (or, at the very least, I) will be paying to watch Krypto be a good and mischievous boy.

As I mentioned earlier, Superman will arrive in cinemas worldwide on July 11, 2025. It'll feature a stacked cast, too, with – deep breath – David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince, and Neva Howell all set to appear.

Time to go to work, Clark (Image credit: DC Studios/Warner Bros. Pictures/James Gunn)

As for its story synopsis, here's what a Warner Bros. Pictures press release had to say: "In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind. "

Gunn, one of DC Studios' co-head, has written and directed the DCU's first silver screen project. He's joined by fellow studio co-chief Peter Safran, as well as other producers in Nikolas Korda, Chantal Nong Vo, and Lars Winther, on the film's executive producing team.

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• Scientists have tested the level of PFAS in some consumer smartwatch bands
• They found elevated levels of "forever chemicals" in some models
• These chemicals are potentially toxic and have been linked to diseases such as cancer

Scientists from the University of Notre Dame have called for more comprehensive studies and greater transparency from manufacturers after a study found elevated levels of so-called "forever chemicals" in some consumer smartwatch and fitness tracker bands.

The study, published this week in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, analyzed 22 watch bands from numerous brands and price points and found that some of these bands contained elevated levels of PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), namely perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). These chemicals are colloquially known as "forever chemicals" because they have an almost unbreakable chemical structure which means they don't degrade or break down over time.

The tested brands include many of the best smartwatch manufacturers and accessory makers including Apple (and Apple Watch Nike sport bands), CASETiFY, Fitbit, Google, and Samsung.

As reported by Notre Dame News, nine of the 22 bands tested contained elevated levels of PFHxA, with more expensive bands generally found to have higher levels.

"The most remarkable thing we found in this study was the very high concentrations of just one PFAS — there were some samples above 1,000 parts per billion of PFHxA, which is much higher than most PFAS we have seen in consumer products," said Graham Peaslee, study co-author and professor emeritus in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

PFAs in smartwatch bands, should you be worried?

(Image credit: Future)

"This discovery stands out because of the very high concentrations of one type of forever chemical found in items that are in prolonged contact with our skin," Peaslee told Independent. "We have never seen extractable concentrations in the part-per-million range for any wearable consumer product applied to the skin," he warned. The study's lead author, Alyssa Wicks, recommends buying lower-cost silicone bands, or avoiding products listed as containing fluoroelastomers if they want a more expensive band.

While the study does mention some big names in the smartwatch sector, notably Apple, Samsung, and Google, it's difficult to extrapolate too much because the study doesn't give the results for each brand. Companies like Apple clearly advertise Fluoroelastomer as present in its best Apple Watch bands, notably its Nike offerings, Sport Band, and the Apple Watch Ultra's Ocean band. However, the study doesn't tell us which of the bands offered by these major players were tested, or if they were the bands with notably high PFA levels.

Samsung and CASETiFY were not immediately available to comment on the story. Apple pointed TechRadar to its work on testing materials and its commitment to totally phasing out PFAS from its products and manufacturing processes from 2022.

More specifically, Apple also highlighted its Regulated Substances Specification document, which specifically lists PFHxA, the offending chemical highlighted in the study, as a restricted substance. Apple says that for PFHxA, its salts and related substances, it has a threshold limit of "25 ppb for the sum of PFHxA and its salts" and "1000 ppb for the sum of PFHxA-related substances."

"Don't panic"

As Wicks notes, there are also "few studies" on the absorption of PFAS through the skin. She cites one such article that found that a couple of types of PFAS had "significant transfer through the skin", but that it was a limited study that only examined 20 of the 14,000 known types of PFAS.

Speaking to Yahoo Life, Jamie Alan, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University called the findings "interesting", but said that the study doesn't give any insight into how much PFHxA is absorbed through the skin, if any is absorbed at all. Other specialists in toxicology and dermatology agreed, stating that it is unlikely a significant amount of PXHxA would be absorbed through the skin. Finally, Alan pointed out that the study involved chemically extracting these compounds from Apple Watch bands, something users aren't doing when they wear these items day-to-day. "So although they found very high levels, that does not mean any significant amount is getting into our system," she concluded.

Alan said there's no need to panic if you own a smartwatch or fitness tracker band with fluoroelastomer, but that "it is good to be aware of cumulative exposure." If you're looking for a new band, you could always choose a PFAS-free option.

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• A security researcher found Hapn website is spilling sensitive information
• The data includes people's names and business affiliation
• No location data was leaked, but the company is remaining quiet for now

Hapn, a company that sells GPS tracking hardware and software, is reportedly spilling sensitive user information online, and is not responding to researcher alerts or media inquiries, experts have claimed.

In late November 2024, a security researcher reached out to TechCrunch, saying they observed a bug in Hapn’s website, which allows malicious actors to view the exposed data using the developer tools in the web browser.

The data being exposed apparently includes customer names, and the names of their workplace. It also includes data on more than 8,600 GPS trackers, and IMEI numbers for their SIM cards. Location data is not included, though. TechCrunch analyzed some of the data, and even reached out to a few people whose names were found in the leaked data, and confirmed the information is correct.

No response

Hapn is used by both commercial entities, and individuals, with the company advertising its tools as means of tracking valuables and loved ones, and claims there are more than 460,000 active devices, with customers reportedly including some Fortune 500 companies.

Tracking services are always a sensitive topic, whether they are hardware, or software-based, since in many instances, they are abused to spy on people and track their location without consent or knowledge.

Misconfigured databases, website bugs, and other errors, can happen to anyone. How the companies respond to being notified is what matters, and in this case, it seems that Hapn failed. TechCrunch says “several emails” to the CEO went unreturned, and some even bounced with an error message that the address is non-existent.

“The company does not have a web page or form for reporting security vulnerabilities,” the publication added.

We have reached out to Hapn anyway, and will update this article if we hear back from the company.

Via TechCrunch

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