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Sam Altman says there’s ‘Something about collectively deciding we're going to live our lives the way AI tells us feels bad and dangerous’ as OpenAI CEO worries about an AI-dominated future

TechRadar News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:32
  • Sam Altman is worried about people's over-reliance on ChatGPT
  • The OpenAI CEO says, "Something about collectively deciding we're going to live our lives the way AI tells us feels bad and dangerous."
  • ChatGPT receives over 2.5 billion prompts a day, making OpenAI one of the most popular platforms on the planet

OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, says people have an "over-reliance" on ChatGPT and it's worrying for future generations.

Speaking at a Federal Reserve banking event, Altman said, "People rely on ChatGPT too much. There's young people who say things like, 'I can't make any decision in my life without telling ChatGPT everything that's going on. It knows me, it knows my friends. I'm gonna do whatever it says.' That feels really bad to me."

This comes after new data has found ChatGPT receives over 2.5 billion prompts a day from more than 500 million weekly active users.

Altman's comments highlight the unknown about AI and its rapid growth, with those pioneering in the space unsure about the detriment it might cause.

Last month, following the major ChatGPT outage, I wrote about how AI is "genuinely helping millions of people get through life," and while that seems to be the case, there's also a worrying number of people who use the technology so much that they can't cope with life without it.

During that 10-hour outage, I received emails from ChatGPT users who hadn't written emails in months without the help of AI, used the technology to help with their online dating, and even a user who told me they needed ChatGPT to help them get to sleep.

Now, Altman wants to emphasize his concern surrounding the wider population's use of AI. "Something about collectively deciding we're going to live our lives the way AI tells us feels bad and dangerous," he says.

Sam, you can't have your cake and eat it

In this rapidly evolving industry, we're seeing a rate of innovation that I don't think I've ever experienced in my 30 years on this planet. Almost daily, new AI software breaks through glass ceilings, performing exponentially better than previous versions.

OpenAI's innovation in the space has been a major driving force in Altman's estimated $1.8 billion net worth, but now he's starting to get concerned by people using it?

The AI space is largely unregulated, from copyrighted AI image generation tools to chatbots like Grok hallucinating in some of the worst ways possible (I won't get into that here).

That said, the rate at which companies like OpenAI are releasing products means they are providing powerful tools to users without truly knowing how they'll have an impact on people's lives.

I agree with Altman in the sense that we're becoming over-reliant on AI and ChatGPT in particular, but does a tech billionaire who's profited from this over-reliance have the right to now say they are fearful? I don't think so.

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Categories: Technology

Here's how you can pre-order the Lego Game Boy now that its release date and surprisingly affordable price have been revealed

TechRadar News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:26

The Lego Game Boy has now been officially revealed, and is the latest in a long line of Nintendo-themed Lego products.

Shown off at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 for the first time (following a teaser from a few months back), the Lego Game Boy launches on October 1 for a surprisingly affordable price of $59.99 / £54.99. Honestly, given the costs of previous Nintendo Lego sets, I was expecting something much higher than that.

The best part is that pre-orders are live now, and you can secure your very own either at the official Lego online store or at Amazon in the US and the UK. However, the UK has yet to receive an Amazon store page for the product at the time of writing. You can check the deal blocks below, which will take you exactly where you need to go to get your pre-order in for the Lego Game Boy.

Lego Game Boy pre-orders: cut to the chase
  • Price: $59.99 / £54.99
  • Pre-order date: July 24, 2025
  • Release date: October 1, 2025
  • Availability: Lego and Amazon in the US, currently only Lego in the UK
  • Design: 421 pieces of nostalgic Game Boy goodness. It's almost 1:1 scale, and features unique bricks for the d-pad and buttons. It also ships with cartridge bricks featuring art from Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, as well as some screen art that can slot into the device's front.
Lego Game Boy: US pre-orders

Featuring 421 pieces and lovely aesthetic touches like cartridges and screen art, the Lego Game Boy looks like a brilliant little collector's piece. And at 60 bucks, it won't set you back too much compared to pricier sets.

Price check: $59.99 at Amazon (pre-order)View Deal

Lego Game Boy: UK pre-orders

You can also pre-order the Lego Game Boy in the UK for £54.99. It's available at the Lego Store, but there's currently no Amazon store page for the product, unlike in the US.View Deal

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Categories: Technology

Only Murders in the Building season 5 finally confirms a release date on Disney+ and Hulu – and it’s the show’s most impressive achievement yet

TechRadar News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:17

Grab your podcasting microphones and magnifying glasses, because Only Murders in the Building season 5 is confirmed to return on September 9, 2025, and it looks like we’ll finally find out what happened to poor old Lester. The beloved doorman was binned off at the end of season 4, with Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) refusing to believe it was an accident.

As Disney+ tells us: “Their investigation plunges them into the shadowy corners of New York and beyond – where the trio uncovers a dangerous web of secrets connecting powerful billionaires, old-school mobsters, and the mysterious residents of the Arconia. The trio discovers a deeper divide between their storied city they thought they knew and the new New York evolving around them – one where the old mob fights to hold on as newer, even more dangerous players emerge.”

The next installment is set to feature newbies such as Renée Zellweger and returning favorites like Meryl Streep, who will all be embroiled in the plot somehow, though it’s absolutely incredulous how many poor souls have bitten the dust in such a short space of time. What’s more astonishing, though, is how consistently Only Murders in the Building has stuck to its production schedule, and in my opinion, that only makes it all the more binge-worthy.

Only Murders in the Building season 5 is one of the most consistent shows to binge on Hulu and Disney+

Selena Gomez (Mabel), Steve Martin (Charles), and Martin Short (Oliver) in Only Murders in the Building. (Image credit: Disney/Hulu)

I’m as shocked as any of you that Only Murders in the Building has gotten as far as season 5, let alone that each new season feels as fresh as the last. But all of this is thanks to the show’s sharp schedule, rigidly adhered to by its entire company of actors. As fans pointed out when the season 5 release date was announced on X/Twitter (see below), five seasons in five years is incredibly impressive in this cultural economy.

5 seasons in 5 years... they’re singlehandedly saving television https://t.co/YHi4tQtGGlJuly 23, 2025

Let’s put that into a wider perspective. Stranger Things has kept us waiting far too long, delivering its final season of eight episodes after a lengthy three-year hiatus. The length between Squid Game and Severance’s first and second seasons wasn’t too far behind, with fans (including me) finding it difficult to summon the same level of interest when you’ve likely forgotten what has already happened in the meantime. So, the fact that Only Murders in the Building season 4 is still fresh enough in our heads to remember Lester’s sorry fate before season 5 begins is joyous.

The fact that the industry has changed so much in the last decade (or even following the Covid-19 pandemic, for that matter) often gets thrown around as to why TV production has changed, as does the delay caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. But if a TV show like this can keep on trucking – with more episodes per season than most of its competitors, it should be noted – there really is no excuse. No standards have been dropped, no creativity has been compromised, and no magic has been lost along the way. If Streep can fit this into her bulging schedule, anybody can.

If Only Murders in the Building season 5 suddenly loses its footing, maybe my praise will be for nothing. But when there is comically-timed murder, there is TV success, and nobody has got a hold of that like this nosey trio.

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Categories: Technology

Hades 2 is expected to get a full release soon but Supergiant Games has just one more early access update for us

TechRadar News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:16
  • A new Hades 2 early access update has been released
  • Supergiant Games said it wanted to drop another patch before the game gets a full launch
  • Patch 11 includes further improvements, balance adjustments, and more bug fixes

Supergiant Games has released another Hades 2 update ahead of the game's full launch.

Patch 11 is now available to download and offers even more balance updates and other fixes. Despite previously suggesting that the early access game would soon enter full release, the developer explained in the Steam patch notes that it wanted to deliver one more before it does.

"While we said our prior patch would likely be our last before our v1.0 launch, as the Fates would have it, there is indeed this one more, which includes further improvements, balance adjustments, and fixes based on your feedback and what we've observed. Thank you for playing in Early Access!" Supergiant said.

Among the long list of changes, the patch notes also feature an important notice for players before the launch of version 1.0.

Supergiant said that, in preparation for the version 1.0 launch and forthcoming story sequences surrounding the True Ending, any Zodiac Sand or Void Lens resources players have will automatically be converted to Prestige when they load their save progress when the game is fully released.

The studio hasn't given a reason for this, but players have theorized it's so they can't trigger the True Ending and share spoilers as soon as the game launches. It would also mean players will need to collect Zodiac Sand and Void Lens again.

If players do already have a stockpile of these currencies, it's best to spend them to unlock their respective rewards before they're converted.

Hades 2 was released in early access in May 2024. A full launch date has yet to be announced.

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Categories: Technology

Amazon's New Kindle Colorsoft E-Reader Drops Its Price and Its Storage

CNET News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:12
Amazon's color e-reader now comes in a 16GB version with no wireless charging or auto-adjusting lighting feature for $250 or $30 less than the Signature Edition. A new Kindle Colorsoft Kids is also available for the first time.
Categories: Technology

Clorox sues Cognizant for "giving away" passwords which led to major breach

TechRadar News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:09
  • Clorox 2023 breach happened when a threat actor impersonated an employee and had their credentials reset
  • Clorox argues Cognizant did not follow standard procedures
  • Cognizant says cybersecurity wasn't its job to begin with

Clorox is suing its IT service provider Cognizant following a 2023 ransomware attack which cost the firm millions of dollars in damages.

Recently filed with the Superior Court of California, the lawsuit says Cognizant is being sued for breach of contract, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, gross negligence, and intentional misrepresentation.

Back in 2013, Cognizant was contracted to operate Clorox’s employee service desk, which included tasks such as password recovery, credential resets, and IT support for staffers. In 2023, a cybercriminal called a Cognizant employee on the phone, said they were a Clorox employee, and asked for a password and multi-factor authentication (MFA) recovery, since they lost access to their account.

Whose job is it, anyway?

In the filing, Clorox argues the Cognizant employee complied without following established procedures on identity verification, providing alleged transcripts of phone calls between the attacker and the Cognizant employee which allegedly prove the password reset was granted on the spot.

Once the attackers gained access, they reset MFA tokens, changed phone numbers linked to SMS authentication, disabled cybersecurity tools, and exfiltrated sensitive files from the system.

As a result, Clorox had to shut down its systems, pause manufacturing, and rely on manual order processing for weeks. This allegedly resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in lost sales and reputational damage.

Clorox is now seeking $49 million in direct remediation damages, as well as $380 million in total damages.

In response to the lawsuit, Cognizant told the press it wasn’t their job to defend the IT network from attacks.

Speaking to BleepingComputer, a company spokesperson said: "It is shocking that a corporation the size of Clorox had such an inept internal cybersecurity system to mitigate this attack. Clorox has tried to blame us for these failures, but the reality is that Clorox hired Cognizant for a narrow scope of help desk services which Cognizant reasonably performed. Cognizant did not manage cybersecurity for Clorox."

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Categories: Technology

After weeks of testing, the 11th-gen iPad proves it's still one of the best – even without Apple Intelligence

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:07
Apple iPad (A16): One-Minute Review

Choosing the best iPad these days can be tricky. Not only are there several models to choose from, but all of those models are also pretty well-specced, and they increasingly look similar.

I've spent several weeks testing the latest iteration of Apple's entry-level tablet, which for the purposes of this review we'll mostly refer to as the 11th-gen iPad. You may also have seen it referred to as the iPad (A16), or the iPad 2025. It’s not noticeably different from the 10th-gen model that arrived in 2022, and which ushered in a significant redesign that brought plenty of modernization.

Instead, this is a more under-the-hood upgrade that keeps Apple's most affordable iPad ever-so-modern and ensures that it'll still be kicking for many years to come. The biggest change is a jump in processing power to the Apple-made A16 – it's not a light-years-ahead upgrade from the A14 Bionic in the 10th-gen iPad, but it's still zippy-fast for opening apps and completing most tasks you'd want to do on an iPad.

Those tasks include playing games, browsing the web, multitasking with two apps, using handwriting recognition with the Apple Pencil, or doing any of the above while on a FaceTime call, without slowing things down or unduly draining the battery life. While testing this iPad alongside an iPad Pro with M4 and the 11-inch iPad Air with M3, I didn't always find myself reaching for those to perform more demanding tasks, thanks to the performance on offer here.

This iPad still boasts a sizable 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display, offering a nice experience for watching almost anything; however, the glossy finish does make it harder to use in very bright environments. Still, there are no issues with color accuracy or the reproduction of visuals here. Apple's still tucking the front-facing cameras alongside the top here, which makes the Magic Keyboard Folio, or at least a Smart Folio, a nice addition. The Magic Keyboard for this iPad still splits into two, which I quite like, but it's not a free upgrade.

Out of the box, this iPad is running iPadOS 18, and it runs really well here, thanks to the A16 chip, but it's not enough power to support Apple Intelligence. That might be a deal breaker for some, but I don't see it as a major shortcoming based on my testing. Remember, you can download ChatGPT from the App Store and it'll work just fine here.

One piece of excellent news is that there will be no price increase for the new entry-level iPad, which means no premium for the A16 chip, and Apple is also doubling the starting storage to 128GB.

While the 11th Gen iPad is sticking with more affordable prices at $349 / £329 / AU$599, it's still more expensive than the 9th Gen iPad once was – with hindsight, that tablet was an excellent deal. Even so, I think many people will find themselves at home with the 11th-gen iPad, they just need a basic model or someone who wants to get a bit more out of an older iPad, like the 9th Gen.

Apple iPad 11th-gen: SpecsiPad Air (A16) Specs

iPad (A16)

Starting price

$349 / £329 / AU$599

Operating System

iPadOS 18

Chipset

A16

Memory (RAM)

6GB

Storage

128GB / 256GB / 512GB

Display

11-inch LED Backlit (2360 x 1640) IPS LCD

Cameras

12MP wide main, 12MP ultrawide front

Battery

28.93Wh

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. 5G Sub-6Ghz and Gigabit LTE on Cellular models.

Weight

1.05lbs / 0.475kg without cellular and 1.06lbs / 0.48kg with

Dimensions

9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches / 24.9 x 17.95 x 0.7mm (L x W x D)

Apple iPad A16: Pricing and Availability

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
  • The 11th-gen iPad starts at $349 / £329 / AU$599
  • One major change: it now starts with 128GB of storage
  • It comes in Pink, Yellow, Blue, and Silver

Apple's 11th Gen iPad – also known as the iPad A16 or the 2025 iPad – is on sale now with a starting price of $349 / £329 / AU$599. That starting price gets you 128GB of storage, which is double the starting storage of the 11th-gen iPad with no price increase.

You can choose to upgrade that storage to 256GB or 512GB, but it will cost you. Storage aside, all models have the same specifications, including the A16 chip inside. The 11th-gen iPad comes in four colors: Blue, Pink, Yellow, or Silver.

Apple iPad 11th Gen: Design

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
  • The 11th-gen iPad keeps the more modern design that the 10th-gen model ushered in
  • It no longer says 'iPad' on the back, now matching the rest of the lineup
  • This iPad still feels pretty high-end, with an aluminum build, and is easily portable

As I hinted at above, my favorite part of the iPad A16 – aside from the value proposition it provides – would be the design, and specifically the colors, as the rest of it is basically unchanged. My review model is a lovely shade of Pink that’s vibrant and fun.

Like most other iPads, and different from the likes of a Samsung Galaxy Tab or an Amazon Fire HD tablet, the entry-level iPad A16 is mostly a slice of aluminum. It’s effective at hiding fingerprints on the sides and rear, thanks to its mostly matte finish. This also allows the shade of Pink to vary here, depending on how the light hits it – either bouncing off with a highlight or looking a bit more muted.

The only glossy and fingerprint-prone area on the rear would be the Apple logo. Just like the updated iPad Air with M3 in the 11-inch or 13-inch size, this iPad no longer says iPad on the back. It’s a simple cosmetic change that gives this iPad a more minimalist finish.

If pink isn’t your thing, Apple also offers the iPad A16 in Yellow, Blue, or Silver – all crafted from that single piece of aluminum.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

The rest of the story with the design is mainly bezels and buttons. Apple reserves Face ID and the True Depth Sensor stack for the iPad Pro, meaning that to unlock or authenticate securely without entering a pin, you place a finger on the power and sleep button, thanks to it being finished with a piece of glass.

That critical material enables Touch ID, and it works well – I just recommend setting up one finger from each of your hands so that you can better unlock your iPad, regardless of how you’re holding it. The power/sleep button, located at the top, is accessible when you hold the tablet vertically or on the left-hand side when held horizontally, making either position convenient. The volume up and volume down buttons are right next to it.

The only other input-output element is the USB-C port on the bottom, which remains unchanged from the previous-generation 10.9-inch entry-level iPad. In fact, almost every part of the design is unchanged here.

There are stereo speakers that push sound out at the top and bottom when the tablet is vertical or left and right when it’s held horizontally. There’s a main 12-megapixel camera centered along the longer side of the iPad – that’s on the top when held horizontally or on the right side when held vertically – and it delivers excellent performance for video calls. Apple has also kept a 12-megapixel camera on the rear as well.

While Apple didn’t redesign anything here, the 10.9-inch iPad remains a well-crafted tablet, and its modern look and feel complement its performance. It has nearly identical looks to the higher-priced iPad Air and feels at home next to an iPad mini or even an iPad Pro. It still comes in just one screen size, and as I’ll detail below, the 10.9-inch size, which Apple markets as 11-inch, is ideal for a wide range of tasks.

It’s easily portable, weighing in at just 1.06lbs / 0.48kg if you opt for cellular connectivity, or 1.05lbs / 0.475kg with a standard Wi-Fi-only connection. If you’re upgrading from the previous generation, it keeps the exact dimensions – 9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches / 24.9 x 17.95 x 0.7mm – which means your existing Smart Cover Folio or Magic Keyboard Folio will work just fine.

  • Design score: 4 / 5
@techradar

♬ Storytelling - Adriel Apple iPad 11th Gen: Display

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
  • The 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display is great for most tasks
  • The glossy display can make it harder to use in very bright conditions
  • The 11th-gen iPad supports two Apple Pencils

If you’re looking for an iPad to browse the web, use various apps, stream movies or TV shows, play some games, and even do a little work, you’ll have no problem with the iPad in almost any scenario.

That’s a testament to the upgrades Apple rolled out in 2022, when it introduced this updated look for the most affordable iPad. The iPad A16 still boasts a 10.9-inch display, although, as Apple has done with the iPad Air and iPad Pro, it rounds that up to 11 inches in the marketing blurb – you’ll see in a footnote on Apple’s tech specs page for the iPad A16 saying it has a 10.86-inch display, which we’ve found to be the same as the 10.9-inch size of the previous generation.

Apple is still opting for its Liquid Retina display technology, and the 11th-gen iPad has an LED IPS screen that offers a resolution of 2360 x 1640 pixels. In my testing, I’ve found that it’s great for watching Severance on Apple TV+ or Nobody Wants This on Netflix, as well as for browsing the web, working within TechRadar’s CMS, or typing in a document. I’ve found that it can get punchy with colors. It’s a great screen to use in general.

The only issues are that it has a glossy, reflective finish, which makes it challenging to use the iPad A16 in really bright scenarios, and that fingerprints easily show on this display. The 11-inch iPad Air with M3 most certainly has the iPad A16 beat here, as it features an additional coating to block reflections, and it can produce even more vibrant colors. Then again, it is a bit more expensive.

I also had no issues with writing or sketching using either the Apple Pencil (first generation) or the Apple Pencil with USB-C on the iPad A16. Using both models here felt quite close to writing with an actual pencil or pen on a sheet of paper, in that there wasn’t a noticeable lag.

  • Display score: 4 / 5
Apple iPad 11th Gen: Cameras

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
  • The camera setup on the 11th-gen iPad remains unchanged from that of the 10th-gen
  • That's fine, though, as the selfie camera is awesome, mainly thanks to its CenterStage tech
  • There's still a rear 12-megapixel camera with no flash as well

The previous-generation iPad (10th-generation, also known as the 10.9-inch or 2022) saw Apple correcting its placement of the selfie camera on its iPads, and the iPad A16 doesn’t make waves by moving it again.

As I mentioned above, the 12-megapixel CenterStage camera lives on the longside of the iPad A16, so if you have it placed in the Magic Keyboard Folio or the Smart Cover and have it laying horizontally, it’ll be in the right spot for you to record a video – maybe a monologue or an audition tape – or to take a video call.

The latter is really where this camera excels. Sure, it’s fine for snapping a selfie, but the CenterStage tech uses some onboard software tricks to always keep you in the frame. So, if you’re prone to pacing on video calls, the A16 processor inside will do the work to keep you in the shot. It’ll work in tandem with the stereo microphones to pick up your voice as well.

If you jump up, crouch down, move to the left, or the right, the camera will slowly but surely pan to keep you in the frame. Remember, though, that it can only follow you so far, as the camera itself isn’t moving. The 12-megapixel camera itself supports up to 1080p HD recording, and is the same one that’s used on the 10th-gen and 9th-gen iPads.

If you want to take photos or record video with your iPad, this model again has a 12-megapixel camera on the rear that works just fine. Don’t expect it to rival the camera built into your phone, or a dedicated camera, though.

  • Cameras score: 4 / 5
Apple iPad 11th Gen: Software

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
  • Fans of iPadOS will feel right at home on the 11th-gen iPad, as it's the classic experience
  • With iPadOS 18, you can still split the screen between two apps and also use picture-in-picture
  • Apple Intelligence isn't supported here, but Math Notes does work

Ever since Apple split the iPad’s operating system off from iOS into iPadOS, its tablets have been increasingly treading the line between being entertainment devices and productivity machines. The 11th-gen iPad is similarly multi-talented, and the leap to Apple’s A16 chip over the A14 Bionic in the 10th Gen or the A13 Bionic in the 9th Gen ensures that everything runs smoothly here.

I threw a wide range of tasks at the iPad A16, and it didn’t let me down, although it might have made me wait a bit longer for some things. iPadOS 18 here, though, runs very well and didn’t exhibit any noticeable slowdowns when doing the things most people will use the iPad for. I could open nearly every app in what felt like the blink of an eye, from Safari, Messages, games and streaming services to more demanding ones like iMovie or Final Cut Pro. I could also split the screen without slowing things down and run a video in picture-in-picture, or a FaceTime call while having two other applications open.

The iPad A16 is a very competent device for most tasks – you could easily use it in school or college, splitting the screen to take notes with an Apple Pencil on one side and viewing a slide deck or highlighting lines in a virtual textbook on the other. I could use it for work, responding to emails and Slack, then switching to Safari or Google Chrome to edit or write stories on the web. I also edited a few photos in Pixelmator Pro without a hitch.

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Something you won’t find supported here, though, is Apple Intelligence. The A16 is not one of the chips that Apple says can handle it, so those features are not here, nor will they arrive in the future. That means the 11th-gen iPad will not receive the new AI-powered Siri whenever it ships and, currently, doesn’t support features like Writing Tools, Genmoji, Imagic Playground, the new look for Siri, or – one of my favorites – Clean Up in Photos.

If you're looking for an iPad that can run Apple Intelligence, the iPad A16 isn’t the model for you, and you’ll need to consider the iPad mini, Air, or Pro. However, I don’t think this will be a deal-breaker for the type of user this tablet is aimed at. If you’re simply after an iPad on which you can browse the web, work with nearly any app on the App Store, and enjoy some gaming, FaceTime with friends, or Netflix streaming, with some productivity tools thrown in and Apple Pencil support, you’ll be right at home.

Furthermore, you can get AI features running on the iPad A16 by downloading Google Gemini, ChatGPT, or any number of services. I’ve tested those first two here, plus Copilot, and they work just fine. And one of the standout machine learning features from Apple, MathNotes within the Calculator or Notes app, also works just fine here.

One last note on software – while the iPad A16 with iPadOS 18 can’t run StageManager, Apple’s more advanced multitasking solution for iPads, it will support iPadOS 26 and receive a whole host of upgrades when that arrives later this year, likely in September or October 2025. And yes, that does mean true to the iPad windowing of apps, a menu bar, and the ability to place folders in the dock. I think it will stretch the mileage even further here, and the Apple silicon inside should keep it running for many years.

  • Software score: 4 / 5
Apple iPad 11th Gen: Performance

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
  • The A16 chip keeps things running promptly, even if it's not a night-and-day upgrade over the previous generation
  • Even more power-hungry tasks like creative edits run well here, but will take some time

Now let’s break down the specifics of the Apple-made A16 chip that powers the 11th-generation iPad. The A16 consists of a 5-core CPU, a 4-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine, and remains relatively modern even in 2025, despite being introduced with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.

The other hardware change, alongside the A16 chip, is the doubling of the storage to 128GB from the start, which means plenty of room for apps, videos, and anything else you’d want to store on the iPad. It certainly punches up the value of the device as well.

Inside this iPad, the A16 gives you a tremendous runway – think of it as a performance superhighway – for really any conceivable task you might want to run here. No, it doesn’t essentially eliminate load times, as is the case with the M3-powered iPad Air or the M4-powered iPad Pro, but you’ll be hard pressed to make things slow down here.

I primarily encountered slowdowns when using more creativity-focused applications, such as Pixelmator Pro, Final Cut Pro, or any Adobe Suite product, including Premiere Rush or Photoshop for iPad. Most games, whether Apple Arcade titles or just purchased from the App Store, ran just fine here, and multitasking with picture-in-picture on top didn’t seem to cause much of an issue.

I also ran the iPad A16 through Geekbench 6, which runs the device through a series of tests in a stress-test fashion, and here are the results: 2,577 on single-core and 5,408 on multi-core. While those scores don't beat those of the iPad Air with M3 – and we wouldn’t expect them to – they show that the latest entry-level iPad isn’t any slouch. It matches up pretty clearly without everyday use.

It’s also a highly efficient chip, and it’s paired with a 28.93Wh rechargeable battery inside, which is the same-size cell as in the 11-inch iPad Air with M3. Apple promises up to 10 hours of video playback or surfing the web over Wi-Fi, and up to nine hours on cellular. A better benchmark is that the iPad A16 can last for a full workday of use, depending on the apps you're using. It ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable and a power brick in the box, allowing you to recharge when needed.

  • Performance score: 4.5 / 5
Apple iPad 11th Gen: Should you buy it?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

With double the starting storage and the same starting prices as well as the A16 chip and promised future software updates, the entry-level iPad strikes a great value posistion.

4.5/5

Design

The entry-level still looks like a modern tablet with a higher-end design over competitors and support for Touch ID.

4/5

Display

Everything from streaming movies to browsing the web with calls, games, and editing in between looks great, I just wish it got a little brighter to combat using it outside on sunny days.

4/5

Cameras

The CenterStage functionality of the front-facing camera makes this a great device for calls.

4/5

Software

iPadOS 16 runs really well here and gives you basic multitasking and supports the Apple Pencil.

4/5

Performance

The A16 isn't a huge leap over the A14 Bionic and doesn't support Apple Intelligence, but it keeps things running very smoothly and lets you use the iPad for really any conceivable task.

4.5/5

Buy it if...

You have an aging iPad or other tablet

Apple's latest entry-level iPad makes a lot of sense if you have an older iPad (maybe something beyond the 9th Gen) or another tablet and have been wanting better performance, battery life, or a larger screen. View Deal

You want an iPad for the basics and then some

With 128GB of starting storage, an excellent 10.9-inch screen, and the A16 chip, the 11th Gen iPad works exceptionally well for a broad range of tasks, including work and entertainment.View Deal

You don't want to spend a ton

With a starting price of $349/£329/AU$599, this is the most affordable way to enter Apple's iPad lineup in terms of a new model.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You need more power

If you want an iPad that can rival the best laptops and serve as your one device for everything, you'll likely want to consider the M3-powered iPad Air or the iPad Pro with M4.View Deal

Your current iPad is working just fine

Considering that even the 9th Gen iPad will receive iPadOS 16 later in 2025, if your current iPad still meets your needs, then you don't need to make the upgrade just yet.View Deal

Also Consider

Apple iPad Air with M3 (2025)

With the 11-inch size just as portable as the 11th Gen base iPad, the Air is all about speeding things up even further, featuring a better screen that doesn't have issues operating on a bright, sunny day, and the ability to pair it with an even better Magic Keyboard.View Deal

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9

It's our pick for the best Android tablet for most folks, and the Galaxy Tab S9 really toes the line of being an excellent slate for both work and play, nearly as well as the iPad.View Deal

Apple iPad 11th Gen: How I Tested

(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

I spent several weeks with the 11th Gen iPad (A16) in Pink, using it with a few Apple-made accessories, including the Magic Keyboard Folio, a Smart Folio, a first-generation Apple Pencil, and the Apple Pencil USB-C. I first unboxed the iPad and then set it up as a new tablet, before beginning to install my usual apps to start using it.

I tested the new, entry-level iPad alongside the new iPad Air with M3 for a few days, conducting comparison testing to see how the two similar iPads, in terms of build, hold up.

I also tried to use the iPad A16 as my primary device for testing. I use the iPad for a broad range of tasks, including much of my job, like responding to Slack, emails, editing photos or videos, and writing and editing stories. I also streamed hours of content from some of the best streaming services and played several games on the tablet.

Categories: Reviews

Google's AI-Powered Virtual Try-On for Online Shopping Is Now Live

CNET News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:00
The feature was previously limited to Labs users, but it's now widely available.
Categories: Technology

'Sullivan's Crossing' Is Dominating My Netflix Feed. Why Have I Never Heard of It?

CNET News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:00
It stars two Gilmore Girls alums, so how did I not know this show existed?
Categories: Technology

I Couldn't Stop Shooting Zombies in Killing Floor 3, but It's Two Bloody Steps Forward, One Step Back

CNET News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:00
It's never been more satisfying to slay hordes of zombies, but Killing Floor 3 adds several new features that feel out of place in the series.
Categories: Technology

Must-Have Summer Essentials for Parents, as Recommended by the Mom of a 2-Year-Old

CNET News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:00
Don’t get caught outside during your summer adventures without these helpful tools.
Categories: Technology

Killing Floor 3 Perks Explained: Which Class Makes Sense for You?

CNET News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:00
The perk system has been completely revamped since Killing Floor 2. Here's how to navigate it in this sequel.
Categories: Technology

KontrolFreek reveals new Minecraft thumbsticks, including a model for Nintendo Switch 2

TechRadar News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 08:00
  • KontrolFreek has revealed new Minecraft themed controller accessories
  • This includes thumbsticks and grips
  • Both are available now

Gaming accessory brand KontrolFreek has unveiled a new series of controller add-ons in collaboration with hit survival game Minecraft.

The KontrolFreek Minecraft Thumbstsicks are compatible with the DualSense Wireless Controller or Xbox Wireless Controller and feature a bright green, blocky Creeper-inspired design.

A set of two mid-rise sticks, they're intended to increase comfort and control over extended Minecraft sessions. They also help your controller stand out from the crowd, making them the perfect choice for fans of the popular creative sandbox game.

They arrive alongside the KontrolFreek Minecraft Thumb Grips, more compact versions that slip over the top of your thumbsticks like a cover. They have a similar design, and are available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 controllers.

The Minecraft Thumbstsicks cost $19.99 / £19.99, while the Thumb Grips come in a little cheaper at $12.99 / £12.99. Both are available now via the KontrolFreek website and other retailers.

KontrolFreek is the most popular controller enhancement brand according to data from market research firm Circana. They remain a mainstay of the first-person shooter (FPS) community, with some players and content creators swearing by the small accessories.

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Categories: Technology

How Samsung's Galaxy AI Boosts Gaming Performance

CNET News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 07:39
Samsung's latest flagship devices, the Galaxy S25 and S25 Ultra, deliver console-level gaming in your hand.
Categories: Technology

Wild Hearts S isn’t exactly definitive, but I’m glad the underrated monster hunting game has a home on Switch 2

TechRadar Reviews - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 07:00
Review information

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2 (originally released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC)
Release date: July 25, 2025

Wild Hearts S is the Nintendo Switch 2 port of the 2023 action game, developed by Dynasty Warriors team Omega Force, and this time published in-house at Koei Tecmo. No longer an EA Originals title, Wild Hearts S has been given a chance to shine on Nintendo’s new hardware. So how does it fare?

Well, performance and visuals are a mixed bag. Wild Hearts S targets 60 frames per second (fps), but unfortunately rarely meets that goal. Instead, frame rate can fluctuate wildly, especially in busy, visually dense areas. Graphics on Switch 2 are also noticeably worse than the original PS5 and Xbox Series X|S release, with greatly simplified textures and geometry. Thankfully, the kemono (Wild Hearts’ term for monsters) still look and animate fantastically, as does your player character.

Thankfully, it never reaches a point that I’d call outright unplayable. If you can get used to the performance and presentational downgrades, Wild Hearts S is a solid port of an underrated game that was never able to leave the long, wyvern-like shadow cast by Capcom’s Monster Hunter series.

Far from being an uninspired clone or quickly-made cash-in, Wild Hearts brings plenty of its own ideas to the monster-hunting subgenre. Its karakuri system is fantastic, as it lets players quickly place down contraptions that are useful for both combat and traversal. Its roster of weapons is interesting, too, with each category falling squarely in that satisfying ‘easy to learn, hard to master’ stable.

It’s a game that I strongly believe doesn’t get enough credit for the things it does right. But that’s not to say there aren’t some frustrating elements. Overall movement can feel a bit stiff, the camera can be your worst enemy, and even early game kemono punish new players hard by hitting like trucks.

But if you’re willing to overlook its shortcomings - and a relative lack of polish compared to Capcom’s flagship franchise - there’s plenty to love about Wild Hearts S.

Real face

(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)

The main drive of Wild Hearts is that you’re a hunter from a distant land, trying to find a new purpose away from the chaos of the world. You’re drawn to a land ravaged by deadly beasts - known as kemono - and decide to help the town of Minato rebuild and fight back against the threat these creatures pose.

The story is as basic as it gets, but it’s certainly not offensively bad. It’s very much a vehicle to guide you from monster to monster, location to location. What is neat, though, is that the four main areas outside of Minato are massive, and each is inspired by a different season of the year.

After a brief tutorial, which introduces you to some basic combat against smaller monsters and the awesome karakuri system (more on that soon), you’ll have a chance to create your character. If you’ve done character creation in other Koei Tecmo games, like Nioh 2 or Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, it’s very similar here with plenty of options to customize your appearance, hairstyle, and cosmetics. Definitely one of those where you can literally spend your first hour perfecting your look.

Threads of fate

(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)

Your initial run of hunts in Wild Hearts will gradually introduce you to the karakuri system, which is easily my favorite part of the game. Karakuri are wooden, mechanical contraptions that you can spawn instantly from a quick-select menu, and there are tons of different types that aid you in both combat and traversal.

The most basic of these is a stackable box, which can either help you climb to high ledges or allow you to jump into the air for a plunging attack. Springs, meanwhile, can propel you over gaps or let you lunge at a monster for a surprise attack. These and more have multiple uses, providing a good amount of depth to the game.

That’s kind of a running theme with most karakuri devices - they’ll almost always have more than one use. The game doesn’t always spell out the uses to you outright, either, so there’s plenty of room for experimentation.

Furthermore, some karakuri can combine into larger, more powerful devices. Stacking six boxes creates a bulwark, for example, which can stop charging beasts dead in their tracks. Elsewhere, three torches stacked together create a firework that can ground flying beasts.

Naturally, these hybrid karakuri are more expensive to spawn (the system has its own ‘currency’ called thread, which you can gather from rocks, trees and so on), and outside of tutorial moments introducing you to their uses for the first time, it’s largely up to you to figure out when best to deploy them against specific monsters.

Maybe what I love most about karakuri is that you can place them literally anywhere on the open map. Struggling to locate a monster? Pop down a radar tower to scan the surroundings. Need to cross a large swath of land? The flying vine can zip you over there in a flash. What if you need an extra fast travel point? You can set up a base camp and various amenities anywhere you want. It’s an impressively fluid and dynamic system, and one that can help you shape any hunting ground in your favor.

Hunter monster

(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)

Wild Hearts’ core objective of hunting large monsters may sound part and parcel for the subgenre, but its pace is decidedly different from that of Capcom’s Monster Hunter series, especially. In Wild Hearts, there’s nothing in the way of item management, and food buffs can be applied at any time, just while you’re out in the field.

That may disappoint some looking for something a bit more slow-paced and preparatory. But Wild Hearts does make up for this in its fast-paced action, aggressive monsters, and its interesting take on build variety.

To start, Wild Hearts handles weapon categories pretty differently from what you might expect. The karakuri katana, for example, is perhaps the easiest to understand. It builds meter as you attack, and when full, it can transform into a whip-like weapon with a powerful, modified move set.

Best bit

(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)

Wild Hearts S’s karakuri system is a creative and innovative addition to the monster hunting subgenre, greatly expanding traversal and combat possibilities. Examples include planting a spring to launch yourself at a monster for a surprise attack or placing a zipline to cross massive distances quickly. It’s awesome, and I hope we get to see the system expand in a potential sequel someday.

The karakuri staff is a bit more interesting. It morphs between four forms - each with its own move set - with a carefully timed press of ‘ZR’, and these morph attacks build meter when connecting with a monster. At full gauge, you can morph the weapon into a comically large buster sword, unleashing diabolical amounts of damage. It’s a very risky weapon, though; the sword combo is slow and locks you in place, while knowing the best time to morph the weapon is a learning experience in and of itself.

The bladed wagasa is similarly risky, rewarding successfully-timed parries with massive damage. However, my favorite has to be the claw blade, which has a hook you can embed into a creature before swinging around and towards it like a deranged, combat-ready George of the Jungle.

The way you go about upgrading weapons and armor is really interesting, too. Each weapon type has a universal skill tree, which branches off into weapons you can create from various monster parts. While you can beeline from the start of the tree to your desired weapon, it actually can pay dividends to plan out a route on the skill tree that provides unlockable traits which you can carry over to the final build. You don’t need to worry about wasting materials if you mess up or change your mind, either, as you can reset the tree at any time for a small gold fee, refunding all materials used.

Armor is a similar story, most featuring unique skills like increased health or dodging distance while out on a hunt. The key thing here, though, is a gauge that tilts in either a ‘human’ or ‘kemono’ direction depending on which pieces you have equipped. This is important as certain skills will only become active if you’re in the right spot on this gauge, either on the human or kemono side. You can also make human or kemono-inspired versions of armor sets after crafting the base piece, to further influence the gauge.

It’s a really interesting approach that reminded me of how Monster Hunter players craft hybrid sets that target specific skill activations. In Wild Hearts’ case, you may have to sacrifice some defence or elemental resistances in order to get the skills you want, again bringing an element of risk-versus-reward to gameplay. It’s cool.

What's the 'S' for?

(Image credit: Koei Tecmo)

So what are the big differences in the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Wild Hearts? Well, the game now supports multiplayer for up to four players, an increase from the original release’s three. It’s unfortunately not crossplay, though, which makes Wild Hearts S an independent experience that’ll live or die on the Switch 2’s player base. Another slight downer is that the game doesn’t support voice chat, so you’ll need to rely on GameChat or an app like Discord when playing with friends.

Wild Hearts S does pack in all of the original’s post-launch support from the get-go at least. That includes additional kemono and quests, though there isn’t anything brand new or exclusive to this Switch 2 version that you wouldn’t have seen in the original 2023 package.

Aside from four player multiplayer, then, it’s all sounding like a bit of a downgrade so far. And if you were hoping for a fresh, transformative experience compared to the original release, you’re going to be let down. What doesn’t help here is that the game on Switch 2 does look noticeably worse in the visuals department, and performance can be rocky at the best of times.

Wild Hearts S does at least boast some pretty impressive load times, and quality-of-life features have been implemented. These include buffs to certain weapons and armor sets, as well as a reduced frequency of how often kemono will flee to another area (which was a huge gripe I had with the original).

Otherwise, while the port itself certainly leaves a lot to be desired, Wild Hearts S is still a great and more affordable version of the original at retail price. There’s a ton of content to sink your teeth into here, especially if you’re looking for something different in the lull period between Monster Hunter Wilds patches. It’s definitely not as polished or long-lasting as Capcom’s game, but there are plenty of fresh, fun ideas in Wild Hearts that absolutely make it worth checking out.

Should you play Wild Hearts S?Play it if...

You want a unique take on the monster-hunting subgenre
Wild Hearts has plenty of ideas all of its own, including the innovative karakuri system and an interesting take on weapon and armor upgrades.

You’ll have friends to play with on Switch 2
Wild Hearts S has support for four players via online multiplayer. If you know some friends who’re interested in picking up this release, then you’ll probably have a blast.

Don't play it if...

You were hoping for pristine performance
There have been some impressive Switch 2 ports on the performance front, like Street Fighter 6 and Cyberpunk 2077, but Wild Hearts S isn’t quite there with a notable drop in fidelity and performance that often can’t sit still.

Accessibility

There’s a healthy amount of accessibility options in Wild Hearts S, which could be a knock-on effect of Koei Tecmo working with Electronic Arts for the original release. EA is typically on point when it comes to accessibility options, too, so to see them maintained in this Switch 2 version is great.

You’re getting a suite of colorblind options here for the game’s user interface - protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia - as well as subtitle customization including size, color, and background opacity. You can also change the size of in-game text in general, alter how long you need to hold a button down for certain prompts, and force monophonic audio from all sources.

How I reviewed Wild Hearts S

I’ve put 15 hours into Wild Hearts S on Nintendo Switch 2. Having played through the original release on Xbox Series X back in the day, I was already greatly familiar with the game, and I enjoyed it as much now as I did back in 2023. That said, the Switch 2 version doesn’t offer much in the way of substantial additions or improvements, so the overall experience is very similar.

I largely played in docked mode on an LG CX OLED TV, using the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller as my go-to gamepad. I also spent some time in handheld mode, but performance is predictably worse here, so I stuck to TV play as much as I could.

Categories: Reviews

Avengers: Doomsday’s second lead is rumored to be Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, and I know exactly how he’s trained for the next Marvel movie

TechRadar News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 06:52

We know all too well that Avengers: Doomsday will put Robery Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU as Doctor Doom front and center, but if rumors are to be believed (first discussed by entertainment journalist Matthew Belloni on The Town podcast), Chris Hemsworth’s Thor will be the new Marvel movie’s secondary lead character.

Chris Hemsworth’s potential casting update in Avengers: Doomsday makes sense, given that he’s the most prominent Avenger of the bunch out of the movie’s confirmed cast, meaning it’s only natural he’ll step up to lead our heroes as the newbies find their feet and the X-Men make their full transition into their new cinematic universe.

I should stress “confirmed” here. After the studio’s five-hour Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement that convinced millions of people to watch a bunch of empty chairs, it’s still suspected that a hefty percentage of actors involved in the movie have been kept under wraps. If any of the original Avengers who survived the post-Thanos chaos happen to pop up, it could be endgame (pun intended) for Thor’s leading man reputation. Even so, how much attention anyone can successfully draw away from Doom himself remains to be seen.

Regardless, I’ve been keeping an eye on Hemsworth’s moves in the build-up to Doomsday filming (in a non-stalkery, appreciative way), and one of his biggest new projects likely explains how he’s prepared for Marvel’s most momentous moment of the decade. And if I’m right, everyone else he’s squaring up to better be wary.

Chris Hemsworth’s new series Limitless was ideal training for Thor’s return in Avengers: Doomsday

I’m talking about the second season of Limitless: Live Better Now, Hemsworth’s documentary series made in conjunction with Darren Aronofsky, Disney+ and National Geographic. We’re veering off course from how he was pushed to his limits the first time around, instead exploring how to live a better life through three high-stakes challenges focused on pain, fear, and cognitive decline. Translated, that means scaling the highest man-made rock climbing wall in Switzerland, being put through South Korea’s rigorous SAS training program and learning the drums to play with Ed Sheeran on his most recent sold-out stadium tour.

Not only does this mean Thor can now serenade Doctor Doom with ‘Thinking Out Loud’ if it all goes belly up, but the physical and mental demands of Hemsworth’s tasks should mean he’s in the best shape possible to give the action-packed performance of his life. From the trailer alone, we see him push through feats that even his stunt double hasn’t had to endure, going far beyond the typical fitness regimes we know the actor has always kept up with. He’s not so successful when he’s hooked up to a cramp simulator while trying to play Jenga with his mates, but hey, even the best of us are wiped out by a bad tummyache.

Taking on two huge physical feats within the last year likely means Hemsworth’s resilience is built up to brand-new levels, with the Swiss climbing wall and South Korean training regime being among the hardest in the world to get through. It’s also likely he’s built up a new kind of tolerance for managing pain (episode 3 will look at this more directly), meaning he can push himself ever further on Marvel’s set. Does this mean Doctor Doom can do less fictional damage on our alleged lead Avenger? I’d like to think so.

Thankfully, we’re going to get Limitless episodes a lot sooner than we have to wait to find out if Thor is indeed our second lead in Doomsday. Limitless arrives on Disney+ (internationally) and Hulu (US) on August 15, 2025, with all three episodes released in one go. Doomsday arrives in cinemas on December 18, 2026, delayed from its original release date of May 1, 2026.

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Categories: Technology

Microsoft claims Windows 11 24H2 is the 'most reliable version of Windows yet' - but there are PC gamers out there who disagree

TechRadar News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 06:49
  • Microsoft is claiming Windows 11 24H2 is the most reliable version ever
  • The company says it has 24% fewer crashes than version 22H2
  • In a blog post about resiliency, Microsoft also clarifies the benefits of the latest Windows update for 24H2

Microsoft has put forward a case for Windows 11 24H2 being the "most reliable version" of its desktop operating system ever made.

The long and short of this is that the software giant claims there are a good deal fewer crashes with version 24H2 compared to version 22H2 of Windows 11.

XDA Developers spotted that Microsoft made this assertion in a post on the Windows IT Pro Blog, stating that: "We're also proud to share that Windows 11 24H2 is our most reliable version of Windows yet. Compared to Windows 10 22H2, failure rates for unexpected restarts have dropped by 24%."

This is based on telemetry data gathered this month (July 2025) by Microsoft, we're told. Unexpected restarts refers to complete lock-ups of the system, and as noted earlier in the post, these Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) experiences have been changed to a more streamlined black screen. That happened in the latest update for Windows 11 24H2, which just arrived in preview (but will be a full release next month).

Microsoft underlines the benefits of the new BSoD (which handily enough uses the same acronym) and notes that: "In Windows 11 24H2, we made significant improvements to crash dump collection that reduced the time users spend on the [BSoD] screen from 40 seconds to just 2 seconds for most consumer devices." (I should note that the bolding for emphasis is Microsoft's).

Furthermore, Microsoft reminds us of recent progress in terms of recovery from nasty crashes, namely boot failures, observing that the most recent Windows 11 update also represents the rollout and general availability of quick machine recovery. QMR is a new spin on attempting to fix a PC that will no longer boot to the desktop.

Analysis: crash tests, dummy

(Image credit: Future / Jasmine Mannan)

There's no doubting that Microsoft has made some useful strides forward here in terms of making Windows 11 devices more resilient, which is the theme of the blog post. But does the latest version of Windows 11, 24H2, really have a quarter fewer crashes than 22H2?

Well, we obviously need to be cautious about stats produced by internal testing - not that I'm accusing Microsoft of anything underhand, but we're all aware that in these kind of scenarios, multiple tests can be carried out and results cherry-picked. (This practice is common across all marketing, of course).

There are doubtless those who would argue vehemently that 24H2 very much isn't the most reliable take on Microsoft's desktop OS that's ever been seen - mainly based on all the bugs that came with this release. I won't bang on about those glitches again, save to say that there were indeed a lot of them initially, and some were very odd affairs indeed.

I've always been of the opinion that the shift to a new underlying platform for Windows 11 (called Germanium) threw a number of unexpected spanners in the works for the OS.

Microsoft has made a lot of headway in fixing those bugs, mind - although not all of them - and I've got to accept the stats the company presents here at face value. (I can hardly disprove them with my own crash testing, after all).

However, what I can say is that this is all relative, anyway. By which I mean I've not seen a BSoD in ages, on my Windows 11 PCs, or indeed my Windows 10 machines.

So, fewer crashes means those BSoD instances are even closer to next-to-nothing - and how meaningful is the difference, then? I'm not sure. There's no disputing that in contemporary times, full-on lock-ups are a lot rarer in Windows than they used to be. Rewind time by 15 years or so, and crashes like this were more of a problem (and go back further, to the turn of the millennium, and that was doubly true).

Whatever the case, Microsoft deserves some credit here, and I'm also hoping that the new quick machine recovery feature will be a useful string to the troubleshooting bow when a PC hits a boot failure (that most dreaded of problems).

I have my reservations about the redesigned BSoD, mind - as I've said before - and you can bet that Microsoft's assertion that Windows 11 24H2 is the most reliable version ever is going to cause the grinding of some gears out there - particularly with those who adopted 24H2 early, and were unfortunate to run into some of the many bugs that plagued the release (gamers were especially in the firing line).

However, there are anecdotal reports on Reddit that Microsoft is finally getting it right with version 24H2, even if it was wonky to begin with - though note that in the same thread, others are still reporting negative experiences (again, particularly those who are keen PC gamers).

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Categories: Technology

CISPE files official EC legal complaint against Broadcom's VMware takeover

TechRadar News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 06:27
  • Broadcom was given European approval to acquire VMware in July 2023
  • CISPE's European Cloud Competition Observatory has issued Broadcom two red warnings
  • CISPE is now asking the European Commission to annul its decision amid ongoing concerns

The Cloud Infrastructure Service Providers in Europe (CISPE) has filed a formal appeal to challenge the European Commission's decision to approve Broadcom's 2023 acquisition of VMware.

CISPE – a group representing Europe's sovereign cloud infrastructure providers, and recently in the news for bringing complaints about Microsoft's unfair cloud licensing fees – is now seeking annulment of the Commission's decision.

The news comes around two years after the European Commission approved the takeover, at which point Broadcom promised to deliver continued interoperability.

CISPE isn't happy about Broadcom's VMware acquisition

In November 2024, CISPE announced it would be launching the European Cloud Competition Observatory (ECCO) to monitor competition. Later in February 2025, the organization wrote: "In the case of Broadcom, CISPE members and customers report little or no engagement from the company on their issues."

As such, ECCO assigned a Red/Critical status to Broadcom, which was reconfirmed in May 2025 when ECCO wrote: "This second report finds that Broadcom’s wide ranging and brutal imposition of unfair contract terms for cloud infrastructure service provides continue unabated."

At that time, ECCO called for "urgent official investigations," while CISPE Secretary General Francisco Mingorance noted that "Broadcom shows no interest in finding solutions, or even of working with European cloud infrastructure providers."

"Urgent action is needed," Mingorance added.

On July 24, 2025, CISPE claimed there had been errors in law and a flawed competitive assessment by the Commission in the first place – although the Commission had acknowledged competitive risks, it had not imposted conditions on Broadcom.

Since the VMware takeover, Broadcom has terminated contracts with short notice periods and introduced new licensing terms with drastic price hikes (up to 10X) and mandatory multi-year commitments.

In this most recent development, Mingorance noted that hospitals, universities and municipal authorities have also been affected – not just cloud service providers.

"The Commission was warned this would happen, yet it stood by. It must now reconsider its decision," the Secretary General concluded.

TechRadar Pro has asked Broadcom for a response to CISPE's complaint, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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Categories: Technology

DOJ to question Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. And, Trump unveils new AI order

NPR News Headlines - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 06:12

Columbia has agreed to pay over $200 million in a federal settlement. And, President Trump's new AI policies set requirements for companies wanting to do business with the federal government.

(Image credit: Stephanie Keith)

Categories: News

There's No Way a Controller This Good Should Be So Affordable

CNET News - Thu, 07/24/2025 - 06:00
The GameSir Super Nova is a fantastic controller at an even better price.
Categories: Technology

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