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Lucy's hacking fighting style fits well within the Guilty Gear universe.

A federal EV tax credit worth up to $7,500 ends Sept. 30. But the IRS has just clarified that shoppers don't need to actually have the keys in hand by the deadline to get the credit.

(Image credit: Charles Krupa)

• Raspberry Pi shrinks the size of its touchscreen while keeping the same resolution
• It's cheaper and smaller, but it does not introduce new capabilities
• Retailers are already listing the new screen at higher prices

Raspberry Pi has announced a new addition to its display range, a 5-inch version of the Touch Display 2.

The company saysits new offering is a compact, low-cost option for hobbyists and developers who want to embed touch interfaces into projects.

At $40, it undercuts the 7-inch Raspberry Pi model which launched in 2024, although both share the same 720x1280 resolution.

A smaller screen for Pi projects

Apart from its reduced size, the 5-inch variant carries essentially the same specifications as the larger display.

It supports multi-touch input, connects via the DSI port, and draws power directly from the Raspberry Pi board.

Integration with Raspberry Pi OS is designed to be smooth, with no calibration steps or third-party drivers needed.

"Its capacitive touch screen works out of the box with full Linux driver support, no manual calibration required, no hunting through device trees, and no wrestling with incompatible touch controllers," said Gordon Hollingworth, CTO of Raspberry Pi software.

For users already accustomed to working with RPi distros, the device should feel straightforward to set up.

To illustrate the display’s capabilities, Raspberry Pi’s Gordon Hollingworth demonstrated a slideshow application built with the assistance of AI.

The process highlighted how AI can speed up development and provide a foundation for interactive coding, with multi-touch support ultimately working smoothly after fine-tuning.

The screen is being presented as a good fit for compact smart home controls, portable kiosks, or integrated dashboards.

In theory, mounting a Pi board on the back of the display offers an all-in-one system without external peripherals.

For casual projects, this could reduce clutter compared to juggling keyboards, monitors, and portable HDD storage devices.

Yet the hardware itself does not represent a leap forward, as resolution remains fixed at 720p, and touch responsiveness still depends heavily on software layers that may introduce quirks.

As with many Raspberry Pi peripherals, the new display will find an audience among tinkerers eager to explore interactive projects.

However, it is worth noting that the announcement reflects refinement rather than revolution, as the product is cheaper and smaller, but it does not introduce new capabilities.

For those already invested in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem, it may be another piece of the puzzle - but for others, it risks being just another component destined to sit in a drawer after the initial excitement fades.

This device is now available from several Pi retailers. PiShop and CanaKit list it at $50.95, while Vilros is selling it for the MSRP.

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• Check out the best 3D modeling software for 3D printing and more
• We've rounded up the best portable monitors available now
• A dual Intel GPU graphics card with 48GB of VRAM has gone on sale for $1200

A robot vacuum with an arm that picks up your socks may cost thousands now, but its maker Roborock is working on a mass-market version that will cost just hundreds.

• GPD Win 5 is an unusual gaming handheld and ultra mobile workstation hybrid
• It's powered by AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU with 16 cores and Radeon 8060S
• Compact 565g device includes 7-inch 120Hz touchscreen and dual-fan cooling system

GPD has unveiled the Win 5, a handheld PC that straddles the line between portable gaming console and mobile workstation.

With its compact form factor, the device is powered by AMD’s powerful Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU (Strix Halo), a processor that so far has mostly appeared in mini PCs and only a handful of laptops, including HP’s ZBook Ultra 14 G1a, Asus’s ROG Flow Z13 and Emdoor’s EM-959-NM16ASH-1.

While the Win 5 looks good and packs a lot of power, its expected price tag - around $2000 - will put it firmly in enthusiast territory.

Dual-fan cooling

The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is built on TSMC’s 4nm process and features 16 Zen 5 CPU cores and 32 threads, clocking up to 5.1GHz. There’s a Radeon 8060S GPU with 40 compute units running at 2.9GHz.

The chip also offers AI acceleration, with 16 TOPS from its NPU and 38 TOPS combined with CPU performance.

To keep that hardware under control, the Win 5 uses a dual-fan cooling system, which delivers consistent thermal management even under heavy loads, which would otherwise be a concern for a device this small.

The handheld supports up to 128GB of LPDDR5X RAM at 8000MHz and NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD storage options ranging from 1TB to 4TB.

Storage can be swapped from the rear panel, and microSD plus mini SSD expansion slots are included.

The display is a 7-inch H-IPS touchscreen at 1920x1080 resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate and FreeSync Premium support.

Wireless connectivity includes WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Ports include two USB-C (one at USB 3.2 speeds and another at USB 4 with support for external GPUs), a 3.5mm audio jack, and card slots.

Despite its undoubted power, the device weighs just 565 grams and measures 267 x 111mm, making it smaller than a Steam Deck.

The 80Wh battery supports fast charging up to 180W.

The Win 5 looks like a standard handheld games system, with dual analog sticks, a D-Pad, triggers, and action buttons, but includes extras like a fingerprint reader.

GPD Win 5 mobile workstation PC will be available to buy globally from October 17 2025.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Sixunited joins HP and Asus in offering a Strix Halo-powered laptop
• There are 15 AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 mini PCs in the world right now...
• Finally, Minisforum set to launch its own AI Max+ 395 Mini PC

Canada is dropping retaliatory tariffs to match U.S. tariff exemptions for goods covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada trade pact, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday.

(Image credit: Darryl Dyck)

Luis Enrique's men continue the defense of their title as they host Les Scoïstes.

You've no doubt heard of supermoons, blue moons, mini moons and blood moons, but have you ever heard of a black moon?

The major parties' redistricting battle escalated this week, with lawmakers in the country's two most populous states each taking a notable step toward a new congressional map.

Joe Gruters, a Trump-backed Florida state senator, was elected on Friday to serve as the Republican Party's new chairman. Former chair Michael Whatley is running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina.

(Image credit: Steve Cannon)

Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle: One-minute review

The Farming Simulator crowd is a pretty diehard one, but unlike the sim racing community they aren’t blessed with a world of choice when it comes to dedicated peripherals and accessories. The Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle is one of the few options available with a combination of a wheel, pedals, and input-rich side panel.

The wheel and pedals are pretty stock standard, bordering on being a little underwhelming. Both are made entirely of plastic with a real hollow feeling and no reassuring weight to them. There’s no force feedback on offer here either, instead the wheel relies on a tightly sprung return mechanism to recentre the wheel in a pretty aggressive and haphazard way. The pedals also lack any kind of resistance, both the accelerator and brake feel the same under foot with an identical size and travel. It all has a very arcade vibe but at least it gets the job done.

The control panel is a different story altogether, so much so it almost feels at odds with the rest of the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle. Once again it’s all plastic, but it’s much more solid and each of the 24 buttons are snappy and responsive. The front loader joystick is the highlight on the entire bundle, it feels premium and offers a great level of control.

I fired up Farming Simulator 25 and was delighted to see how well the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle was pre-mapped. Not only was the entire setup recognized immediately, it was truly plug and play with every in-game control for every machine I tried already configured out of the box. It made the experience far more welcoming than the Thrustmaster FarmStick X which required almost entirely manual setup before I could begin working the fields.

The lack of force feedback meant it wasn’t exactly a realistic experience, the entire time I spent behind the wheel I was fully aware it was essentially a toy, but it made me enjoy my farming a trailer-load more than when I’ve played with a controller or keyboard and mouse.

(Image credit: Future)Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle: Price and availability

• List price: $329.99 / £229.99 / €289.99
• Side panel also available separately as a standalone device
• Previously sold as the Saitek Heavy Equipment Bundle

Just like a scarecrow standing alone in a field, the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle seems to cast a pretty lonely figure in the category of farming simulation gear.

Racers are blessed with an abundant range of wheels but it's rare to see such a focused piece of tech. Much like that experienced, old scarecrow, the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle is somewhat of a veteran at this stage too. Celebrating its 10th birthday in 2025, this wheel and button box combo was originally released by sim hardware manufacturer Saitek shortly before its acquisition by Logitech back in 2016.

Logi then rebadged and re-released the Heavy Equipment Bundle under its Logitech G brand a couple of years later and it remains as one of the only dedicated farming sim rigs in the market. Little has changed since the original, you’ll still get a three-piece bundle of a wheel, pedals and side panel, and the price remains close to what it was at a reasonably steep $329.99 / £229.99 / €289.99. If you’ve already got a wheel and pedals, the side panel is available on its own for $169.99 / £139.99 / €169.99.

This sees the Logitech G Heavy Equipment bundle come in a chunk cheaper than its only major competitor, the Hori Farming Vehicle Control System, which will set you back just shy of $400. It also keeps it in-line with the sim racing staple Logitech G920, which does away with the side panel in favor of a higher-quality wheel. If you play more than just Farming Simulator it may be worth looking at that standalone option and spending a little more to pick up a higher quality wheel.

(Image credit: Future)Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle: Specs

Dimensions

Wheel: 13.98 x 10.83 x 12.60in / 355 x 275 x 320mm (HxWxD)

Pedals: 5.43 x 9.17 x 7.09in / 138 x 233 x 180mm (HxWxD)

Side Panel: 7.56 x 6.61 x 13.27in / 192 x 168 x 337mm (HxWxD)

Weight

Wheel: 4.19lb / 1902g

Pedals: 1.26lb / 572g

Side Panel: 2.56lb / 1160g

Mappable Buttons

Wheel: 10

Side Panel: 24

Sticks

Wheel: 2

Side Panel: 1

Pedals

2

Throttle Controls

1

Platform Compatibility

PC (Windows 11/10, MacOS)

Box Contents

Heavy equipment wheel with 6.6ft/2m USB connector cable, Gas and brake pedal set with 6ft/1.8m USB connector cable, Side panel control deck with 6.6ft/2m USB connector cable

(Image credit: Future)Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle: Design and features

• 900° rotating steering wheel with spinner knob
• More than 30 mappable buttons plus throttle control wheel
• Dual-mode joystick

While it may have arrived in a large box featuring Logitech’s slick, modern G branding, the Heavy Equipment Bundle itself is distinctly old school. This combo is now a decade old and it shows every bit of that age. There’s an instant giveaway too, the product photo on the box is noticeably low resolution and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same one that Saitek was using all those years ago. First impressions certainly weren’t excellent.

This experience wasn’t quickly improved when opening the box either. Call me a packaging snob but I’m a sucker for a slick unboxing experience and I wasn’t granted that here. There’s not much going on in there and it was all flanked by basic, thin brown cardboard. I know Logitech isn’t pitching this as a premium device but if I’d invested more than $300 on it I’d feel a little short changed.

It’s a simple bundle but has everything you need to get going, no extra gear required. You’ll also often find it bundled with a copy of Farming Simulator too which is a nice touch. In the box is an 11” wheel with an integrated table clamp, built-in USB-A cable and a fixed spinner knob.

A two-pedal accelerator and brake pedal set connects to the wheelbase with an included cable, while the side panel also includes an attached clamp and its own USB-A cable. It means needing to offer up two ports on your PC, though also allows the side panel to be used independently from the wheel as your PC will see them as two entirely separate devices. That’s mainly a blessing but also a slight curse, more on why later.

Build quality is disappointingly average across most of the Heavy Equipment Bundle. For something with ‘heavy’ in its name the whole thing is unbelievably light and rather cheap feeling. It’s plastic everywhere you look and I constantly found myself wanting for the smallest smidgen of rubberisation, upholstery or even just a little embossed texture.

The Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle wheel features a mirrored layout with four buttons and two thumb sticks on each side. These are nicely positioned and reasonably sized and I had no problem reaching and accurately using them while working the farm. Around the back of the wheel are two further buttons that while well placed, are irritatingly loose and loud. I streamed my Farming Simulator 25 gameplay on Twitch and had multiple comments from viewers about just how intrusive those rear button clacks were.

The side panel is much better in this regard and almost feels at odds with the wheel and pedal set. While not mechanical, each button is much more solid with no rattle or wobble, and they’re nearly arranged with plenty of space between each. Presses are firm but responsive with a gentle tactile bump and audible click. It’s all very pleasant. The dual-mode joystick is a nice size and has enough resistance to offer fine control without feeling like a workout. I’d have liked a little more strength to the resistance of the throttle wheel, but for how often it’s used it’s perfectly passable too.

(Image credit: Future)Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle: Performance

• Plug and play for Farming Simulator titles
• Centre-sprung wheel has no force feedback
• Loads of customization potential

It may not actually mention farming anywhere in its official title, but the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle’s intentions are clear—all it really wants to do is help you plough, sow, and harvest. This is a dedicated farming wheel in all but name.

You’ll need to be establishing your homestead on a computer though because the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle offers no console support whatsoever. The good news is there’s compatibility with both Windows and MacOS, somewhat of a rarity in the gaming world. It’s also impressively plug and play, so much so it wasn’t even recognized by Logitech’s G Hub, so there isn’t even an app to install before you can hop in the game.

Logitech has worked in partnership with developer Giants Software on the Heavy Equipment Bundle so it’s in the natively supported Farming Simulator 25 where I spent most of my time behind the wheel. Firing the game up for the first time I was delighted to immediately be greeted by not only a fully–pre-configured wheel and side panel, but the game also showing me correctly labelled inputs alongside menu items.

I was able to navigate straight through menus and into a new save without ever touching my keyboard or mouse, relying mainly on the thumb stick and button set on the wheel itself.

Arriving on the farm I jumped straight into the nearest truck to test out the most basic driving controls. They worked just fine, but as someone used to using pretty high-spec sim racing gear I found the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle wheel to be incredibly toylike.

There’s no force feedback or even basic rumble effect, just an overly keen centre spring that offers a tiny amount of resistance when steering but sends the wheel rubber-banding back to a default position like a cartoon saloon door. It’s not exactly immersive but I’ll concede it’s far more fun than using a controller or keyboard and I’d still rather use this wheel than no wheel at all.

(Image credit: Future)

Jumping over to some more complicated agricultural machinery is where things got more confusing. Every button was bound and they were all labelled in game, that was good, but the problem was both the Heavy Equipment Bundle wheel and side panel use the same input numbers and the game rarely told me which it was referring to. It seemed as if it only wanted to show me wheel labels rather than side panel numbers, a slight problem given it has some three times more inputs to remember. It meant blindly pressing just about every button to work out what did what and then needing to memorize them.

There is an incredible amount of customisation potential here though and even just using the default button maps I had a blast. I can imagine experienced digital farmers getting a huge amount of value from the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle side panel, particularly if you took the time to refine the input layout to something a little more memorable.

In my testing it was the dual-mode joystick that proved the standout addition. Controlling the intricate movements of an excavator arm felt natural, and more importantly, incredibly fun. I did need to go in and rebind a couple of movements here to gain full control, but once I did you’d have a hard time dragging me out of the driver’s seat.

The fundamental gameplay improvements brought about by the joystick made me long for a little more input variety because beyond this (and the basic throttle wheel) the Heavy Equipment Bundle side panel is just an array of simple buttons. There are four of what appear initially to be two-state switches, but are actually just buttons in costume with a switch-style keycap.

Given how many farming systems are two-state, think raising and lowering a harvester head or extending and retracting an auger, this functionality would have been very welcome as it’s not always immediately obvious in game whether you’ve got your gear in the right position and having some real world visual feedback would have helped.

While a majority of my time with the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle was spent in Farming Simulator 25, I also tried jumping over to a couple of other similar titles to see how it fared. Results were mixed. In Euro Truck Simulator 2 I had to manually configure every input, even down to simple left and right turn controls, though this was simple enough and the game recognized each input.

Motorway driving is rather dull without any level of force feedback however, so I probably wouldn’t recommend it. Roadcraft offered no functionality at all, though this is true of a lot of wheels so I’m inclined to lay blame more on the software side than the wheel itself.

(Image credit: Future)Should you buy the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle?Buy it if...

You’re playing Farming Simulator with a controller or Keyboard
It may not be the best wheel and pedal set going, but I found the game considerably more enjoyable to play than with the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle than without it.

You’re willing to dial it in
While there is plug-and-play button mapping for Farming Simulator titles, you’ll have a better overall experience if you take the time to manually configure button layouts to your liking. And more importantly, keep track of what’s bound to what.

Don't buy it if...

You’re looking for true realism
With its rather mediocre build quality and no force feedback whatsoever, I didn’t find the Heavy Equipment Bundle particularly immersive. It’s a good arcade toy but it’s far from a detailed piece of simulation hardware.

You’re looking to play more than just Farming Simulator
Some other titles will recognize the different components of the Heavy Simulator Bundle but plug-and-play compatible with other games is lacking and I found some wouldn’t work with the wheel at all.

Also consider...

Not sure if the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle is the right choice?

Here are a couple of other flight stick options you might consider instead.

Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle

Thrustmaster SimTask FarmStick X

Thrustmaster Sol-R Flight Stick

Dimensions (HxWxD)

Wheel: 13.98 x 10.83 x 12.60in / 355 x 275 x 320mm

Pedals: 5.43 x 9.17 x 7.09in / 138 x 233 x 180mm

Side Panel: 7.56 x 6.61 x 13.27in / 192 x 168 x 337mm

9.1 x 7.5 x 7.3in / 230 x 190 x 185mm

9.72 x 7.71 x 7.71in / 247 x 196 x 196mm

Weight

Wheel: 4.19lb / 1902g

Pedals: 1.26lb / 572g

Side Panel: 2.56lb / 1160g

1.9 lb / 858g

2.79lb / 1270g

Mappable Buttons

25

33

21

Joystick Axis

3

3

6

Triggers

0

2

2

Throttle Controls

2

1

1

Platform Compatibility

PC

Xbox and PC (limited games on console)

PC

Box Contents

Heavy equipment wheel with 6.6ft/2m USB connector cable, Gas and brake pedal set with 6ft/1.8m USB connector cable, Side panel control deck with 6.6ft/2m USB connector cable

FarmStick X, Warranty flyer, USB-C to USB-A cable, Additional trigger cap

Sol-R base, Sol-R grip, Removable wrist rest, Thumb rest (+ 1 cover) for left-handed configuration, Stability supports, Detachable USB-C cable, Warranty information

Also consider Thrustmaster SimTask FarmStick X
If it’s the extra functionality of the side panel that interests you most, the Thrustmaster SimTask FarmStick X might be worth a look. Taking its cues from flight simulators, it compresses all those extra buttons into a tighter layout and wraps them around a large joystick. This grants efficiency at the expense of more traditional farm styling, and you’ll still need to grab a separate wheel, but we had a blast using it in Farming Simulator 25.

For more information, check out our full Thrumaster SimTask FarmStick X review

Also consider Thrustmaster Sol-R Flight Stick

Designed primarily for flying games, the Thrustmaster Sol-R flight stick can still do a handy job on the farm. It offers a range of programmable buttons around a large hall effect joystick and is available in a dual pack too. It could be a good choice if you’re looking to play more than just Farming Simulator 25, but you’ll still need to source a wheel and pedals.

For more information, check out our full Thrumaster Sol-R Flight Stick review.

(Image credit: Future)How I tested the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle

• I clamped the bundle to my desk and spent hours playing Farming Simulator 25 on PC
• I tried a range of farmyard machinery and general controls
• I also checked performance in other, non-officially supported games

I added the Logitech G Heavy Equipment Bundle to my PC gaming setup featuring an Intel Core i9 14900k CPU and AMD Radeon 9070XT graphics card.

Setup was simple with integrated screw clamp mounts on both the wheel and side panel attaching firmly to my desk, with the pedals just resting on the floor. Both the wheel and side panel need their own USB connection, though both performed just fine when connected to either a USB hub or directly into my motherboard.

Most of my testing was focused on Farming Simulator 25 through Xbox GamePass where I tested the out-of-the-box button mappings of a range of vehicles for the first couple of hours. I then jumped into the in-game menus and made a few manual tweaks to check how simple things were to re-configure to my personal preference.

After ploughing a few fields I swapped over to RoadCraft and Euro Truck Simulator 2 to check performance in titles it’s not officially designed for.

First reviewed April 2025

Read more about how we test

It's a blockbuster opening to the 2025-26 season at the Allianz Arena.

Summer Anthem, on August 22.'/>

The band's frontman John Rzeznik talks about their new EP Summer Anthem and how, as he approaches 60, he might consider taking guitar lessons.

(Image credit: Travis Shinn
)

• Max, a Russia-developed messaging app, must be pre-installed on every new device from September 1
• The domestic RuStore app store is also to be forced onto Apple devices, after already being mandatory on Android
• Authorities are reportedly considering blocking WhatsApp, today's most popular messaging app in Russia

A Russia-developed messaging app must be pre-installed on every new smartphone and tablet sold in Russia starting from September 1, 2025 – the government confirmed on Thursday, August 21.

So-called Max, the WhatsApp rival, is also integrated with government services and has already reached 18 million registered users, according to Interfax.

Privacy experts have been raising the alarm, arguing that Max could spy on its users. Something that the Kremlin strongly denies, arguing that "it has fewer permissions to access user data than rivals WhatsApp and Telegram," Reuters reported.

As per the government announcement, on September 1, the domestic RuStore app store will also become mandatory on all Apple devices, having been forced only on Android gadgets so far.

Can people in Russia still use WhatsApp?

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Tada Images )

WhatsApp is currently the most popular messaging service across Russia, and the only Meta-owned app not blocked in the country.

This could soon change, however, as authorities have recently confirmed their intention to ban WhatsApp in Russia.

Talking to Reuters on Friday, July 18, Deputy Head of the Russian parliament's Information Technology Committee, Anton Gorelkin, said that "it's time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market," while reminding that Meta has been designated as an extremist organization in Russia.

Two more government sources have then confirmed to Meduza, a Russian Independent media outlet, that "there’s a 99-percent chance" the WhatsApp block will happen.

Fast-forward to August 13, Interfax confirmed that authorities partially restrict calls on both Telegram and WhatsApp, allegedly as a measure to combat criminal and terrorist activities.

The looming WhatsApp ban comes as the Kremlin also recently passed a law to punish online searches for so-called 'extremist' content, while adding new penalties to those using VPN services.

This means that using one of the best VPN services to bypass a potential ban on WhatsApp, or any other app for that matter, has suddenly become ever more challenging.

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• Russia to invest over half a billion US dollars in its battle against VPN usage
• Russia disconnects several regions to test its sovereign net

• Max, a Russia-developed messaging app, must be pre-installed on every new device from September 1
• The domestic RuStore app store is also to be forced onto Apple devices, after already being mandatory on Android
• Authorities are reportedly considering blocking WhatsApp, today's most popular messaging app in Russia

A Russia-developed messaging app must be pre-installed on every new smartphone and tablet sold in Russia starting from September 1, 2025 – the government confirmed on Thursday, August 21.

So-called Max, the WhatsApp rival, is also integrated with government services and has already reached 18 million registered users, according to Interfax.

Privacy experts have been raising the alarm, arguing that Max could spy on its users. Something that the Kremlin strongly denies, arguing that "it has fewer permissions to access user data than rivals WhatsApp and Telegram," Reuters reported.

As per the government announcement, on September 1, the domestic RuStore app store will also become mandatory on all Apple devices, having been forced only on Android gadgets so far.

Can people in Russia still use WhatsApp?

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Tada Images )

WhatsApp is currently the most popular messaging service across Russia, and the only Meta-owned app not blocked in the country.

This could soon change, however, as authorities have recently confirmed their intention to ban WhatsApp in Russia.

Talking to Reuters on Friday, July 18, Deputy Head of the Russian parliament's Information Technology Committee, Anton Gorelkin, said that "it's time for WhatsApp to prepare to leave the Russian market," while reminding that Meta has been designated as an extremist organization in Russia.

Two more government sources have then confirmed to Meduza, a Russian Independent media outlet, that "there’s a 99-percent chance" the WhatsApp block will happen.

Fast-forward to August 13, Interfax confirmed that authorities partially restrict calls on both Telegram and WhatsApp, allegedly as a measure to combat criminal and terrorist activities.

The looming WhatsApp ban comes as the Kremlin also recently passed a law to punish online searches for so-called 'extremist' content, while adding new penalties to those using VPN services.

This means that using one of the best VPN services to bypass a potential ban on WhatsApp, or any other app for that matter, has suddenly become ever more challenging.

You might also like

• Russia demands over 200 VPNs are removed from the Play Store – but Google is resisting
• Russia to invest over half a billion US dollars in its battle against VPN usage
• Russia disconnects several regions to test its sovereign net

• One of Final Fantasy 14's most popular mods, Mare Synchronos, has shut down
• The plug-in's creator blamed a "legal enquiry"
• The game has since been review-bombed on Steam

Following a "legal enquiry", a popular third-party tool used for Final Fantasy 14 has shut down and now players are furious.

The tool, Mare Synchronos, was a plug-in that allowed users to sync and view other players' mods in-game, such as character customization, hair, clothing, and more, and had over 20,000 users.

Modding in Final Fantasy 14 has always been against the game's terms of service, though it is well-known in the community that it's best not to advertise the use of them if you want to avoid the ban hammer.

Unfortunately, it seems one of the most popular mods wasn't able to escape Square Enix's legal team.

The mod's creator announced the shutdown on their Discord (in a message that was posted to Reddit), saying, "See the sun set, the day is ending. With a heavy heart, I have to announce the end of Mare Synchronos as you know it. I've received a legal inquiry concerning the project. After reviewing my options with counsel, I'm winding down" (via GamesRadar).

The modder has explained that, effective immediately, registration to download the mod will be closed and bot services will be shut down, repositories for client, server, and api will be removed, and all Patreon/Ko-Fi memberships will be removed.

Since Mare was used by many players who mod the game, particularly those in the role-playing community, the announcement hasn't gone down well.

"Square Enix messing with their freaky fanbase is a bold strategy, let's see if it pays off," said one user in the Reddit thread.

"More reasons to never come back," another wrote. "People say mare was just for the ERPers, which sure lotsa people used it for that. But lemme say this... mare legit made it so I could get my character to actually present how I wanted him for my friends to see... warmer more diverse skin tones, hair editing, better hair colors, personally altering face bones and height etc and having that show up."

Mare's shut down has also resulted in Final Fantasy 14 being review-bombed on Steam. As of writing, the game is now sitting at "Mixed" reviews, with plenty of angry posts relating to the mod's takedown.

"I never messed with mods, but i had no issue with people using them because people really enjoyed their character creation mod options," one player said. "Square never had a problem with it before and now suddenly they rip this away from people. wont be coming back. if square wants to burn their game to the ground then let them."

"RIP Moon [Mare Synchronos], canceled my sub I've been paying for," said another. "Without Moon, it's not worth it for me personally."

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• One of Final Fantasy 14's most popular mods, Mare Synchronos, has shut down
• The plug-in's creator blamed a "legal enquiry"
• The game has since been review-bombed on Steam

Following a "legal enquiry", a popular third-party tool used for Final Fantasy 14 has shut down and now players are furious.

The tool, Mare Synchronos, was a plug-in that allowed users to sync and view other players' mods in-game, such as character customization, hair, clothing, and more, and had over 20,000 users.

Modding in Final Fantasy 14 has always been against the game's terms of service, though it is well-known in the community that it's best not to advertise the use of them if you want to avoid the ban hammer.

Unfortunately, it seems one of the most popular mods wasn't able to escape Square Enix's legal team.

The mod's creator announced the shutdown on their Discord (in a message that was posted to Reddit), saying, "See the sun set, the day is ending. With a heavy heart, I have to announce the end of Mare Synchronos as you know it. I've received a legal inquiry concerning the project. After reviewing my options with counsel, I'm winding down" (via GamesRadar).

The modder has explained that, effective immediately, registration to download the mod will be closed and bot services will be shut down, repositories for client, server, and api will be removed, and all Patreon/Ko-Fi memberships will be removed.

Since Mare was used by many players who mod the game, particularly those in the role-playing community, the announcement hasn't gone down well.

"Square Enix messing with their freaky fanbase is a bold strategy, let's see if it pays off," said one user in the Reddit thread.

"More reasons to never come back," another wrote. "People say mare was just for the ERPers, which sure lotsa people used it for that. But lemme say this... mare legit made it so I could get my character to actually present how I wanted him for my friends to see... warmer more diverse skin tones, hair editing, better hair colors, personally altering face bones and height etc and having that show up."

Mare's shut down has also resulted in Final Fantasy 14 being review-bombed on Steam. As of writing, the game is now sitting at "Mixed" reviews, with plenty of angry posts relating to the mod's takedown.

"I never messed with mods, but i had no issue with people using them because people really enjoyed their character creation mod options," one player said. "Square never had a problem with it before and now suddenly they rip this away from people. wont be coming back. if square wants to burn their game to the ground then let them."

"RIP Moon [Mare Synchronos], canceled my sub I've been paying for," said another. "Without Moon, it's not worth it for me personally."

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• Australian CommBank announced 45 workers would be replaced with AI
• However the decision has now been reversed after the AI failed to live up to humans
• Workers have received an apology from CommBank

Australia’s Commonwealth Bank has provided a useful example of how not to introduce AI tools after being forced into an embarassing clim-down.

The bank had recently announced 45 customer service workers would be cut and replaced with an AI-powered 'voice bot' in an effort to reduce call volumes and automate less complex replies - leaving a small number of employees to handle the remaining more complex enquiries.

As it turns out, these bots were not capable of handling the tasks that the workers could - and now, those cut employees will now be rehired.

The ‘backflip’

The bank claimed the ‘voice-bot’ led to a reduction in calls, but Australia's Finance Sector Union disputes this claim, noting, “Members told us this was an outright lie and did not reflect the reality of what was happening in Direct Banking. Call volumes were in fact increasing and CBA was scrambling to manage the situation by offering staff overtime and directing Team Leaders to answer calls."

The bank issued an apology to the staff who were affected by the proposed job cuts and reversed the decision. A spokesperson from the bank told TechRadar Pro that it's initial assessment 'did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations and this error meant the roles were not redundant.'

"We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required. We are currently supporting affected employees and have provided them with choice regarding continuing in their current roles, pursuing redeployment within CBA or to proceed with leaving the organisation."

That being said, CommBank is not denouncing the tech entirely, having recently announced a partnership with OpenAI to develop scam and fraud detection solutions, as well as ‘deliver more personalized services’ for its customers.

For months, concerns about job losses at the hands of AI were dismissed, with companies assuring that only the most basic and mundane admin tasks would be handled by bots, leaving workers to focus on the more creative aspects of their roles.

Those in administrative positions who handle almost exclusively mundane tasks have warned that these models, although sometimes useful, cannot replace human experience and understanding.

It’s undeniable that AI is replacing workers, with hundreds of jobs at firms like IBM and Crowdstrike disappearing as humans have been made more dispensable thanks to the tech.

But, not all of these cost-cutting decisions are working out. In the UK, over half of all businesses who replaced workers with AI already regret their decision, and are not less likely to believe that AI will replace human workers.

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• Australian CommBank announced 45 workers would be replaced with AI
• However the decision has now been reversed after the AI failed to live up to humans
• Workers have received an apology from CommBank

Australia’s Commonwealth Bank has provided a useful example of how not to introduce AI tools after being forced into an embarassing clim-down.

The bank had recently announced 45 customer service workers would be cut and replaced with an AI-powered 'voice bot' in an effort to reduce call volumes and automate less complex replies - leaving a small number of employees to handle the remaining more complex enquiries.

As it turns out, these bots were not capable of handling the tasks that the workers could - and now, those cut employees will now be rehired.

The ‘backflip’

The bank claimed the ‘voice-bot’ led to a reduction in calls, but Australia's Finance Sector Union disputes this claim, noting, “Members told us this was an outright lie and did not reflect the reality of what was happening in Direct Banking. Call volumes were in fact increasing and CBA was scrambling to manage the situation by offering staff overtime and directing Team Leaders to answer calls."

The bank issued an apology to the staff who were affected by the proposed job cuts and reversed the decision. A spokesperson from the bank told TechRadar Pro that it's initial assessment 'did not adequately consider all relevant business considerations and this error meant the roles were not redundant.'

"We have apologised to the employees concerned and acknowledge we should have been more thorough in our assessment of the roles required. We are currently supporting affected employees and have provided them with choice regarding continuing in their current roles, pursuing redeployment within CBA or to proceed with leaving the organisation."

That being said, CommBank is not denouncing the tech entirely, having recently announced a partnership with OpenAI to develop scam and fraud detection solutions, as well as ‘deliver more personalized services’ for its customers.

For months, concerns about job losses at the hands of AI were dismissed, with companies assuring that only the most basic and mundane admin tasks would be handled by bots, leaving workers to focus on the more creative aspects of their roles.

Those in administrative positions who handle almost exclusively mundane tasks have warned that these models, although sometimes useful, cannot replace human experience and understanding.

It’s undeniable that AI is replacing workers, with hundreds of jobs at firms like IBM and Crowdstrike disappearing as humans have been made more dispensable thanks to the tech.

But, not all of these cost-cutting decisions are working out. In the UK, over half of all businesses who replaced workers with AI already regret their decision, and are not less likely to believe that AI will replace human workers.

You might also like

• Almost all GenAI pilots companies deploy are failing - so are they really worth the hype?
• Check out our choice for best endpoint protection software to keep you safe
• 70% of people are sick of talking to AI – where did all the humans go?