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The jury cited Liu's "reverence for culture, history and nature, chronicling time and comforting users with familiarity through modern interpretations of classic Chinese architecture."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed an $840 billion plan to build up the bloc's defense, as President Trump pauses military aid to Ukraine.

(Image credit: Virginia Mayo)

Early in co-op game A Way Out, my partner and I found ourselves starving in a forest after a taxing escape from the police. While a burger was definitely out of the question, we came across a riverside camp with fish rushing in its shallow waters. To catch our lunch, one of us needed to splash the water and funnel the fish into a tight spot, while the other used a wooden spear to finish the job. It was an archaic process that made for a thoughtful moment in a game occupied by chaos, and put into focus the clarifying themes of teamwork and survival that define Hazelight’s prison-breaking adventure game.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5 (PS4 via backward compatibility)
Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: March 23, 2018

In A Way Out, you and a partner play as the criminals Leo Carusa and Vincent Moretti as they seek to escape their incarceration after being led astray by the same rotten apple. Landing somewhere between a playable film and an action-packed adventure game, A Way Out’s opening act sets the tone for its silver-screen story. Introduced in tandem, Leo’s character is confident despite being locked in a corrupt system and surrounded by danger. He wanders the halls, chatting and nearly getting into fights as if it’s nothing new.

In contrast, Vincent is just learning about the starkness of his new home, as he is hosed down and marched through the concrete trappings, talking to other new prisoners who have abandoned all hope. The difference in their personalities becomes a central theme throughout the prison-breaking plot, despite their shared goal of escape and ultimate freedom.

(Image credit: Hazelight Studios) Wrong place, wrong time

Across A Way Out’s mayhem-tinged levels, you’ll choose dialogue threads to follow and perform an array of actions like stealthily taking down cops or commandeering getaway cars. Most tasks require the other player to create a distraction or assemble to lift doors and clear obstacles, though there are many pursuits that can be enjoyed on your own. The shared workload works well for the most part, but on a few occasions, one character's exploits can be cut off by the other if they accidentally trigger a key cutscene or interaction, which can be frustrating if you want to immerse yourself in A Way Out’s detailed environment.

Additional quick-time events also crop up in moments of heightened tension and require precision to succeed, like tapping the right button to avoid taking a punch or holding down a trigger to catch yourself before falling from a great height. To account for the shifting attention between the pair, A Way Out trades between a classic 50/50 screen split and a flexible one that offers more display real estate to the player performing a key action. This dynamic blend of perspectives meant that my partner and I both had a chance to feel like the central anti-hero. Occasionally, other characters can also claim a space on the screen for themselves, which adds palpable tension to your actions. Seeing this pressure manifest as a gun-wielding menace pervades the screen is an electric feeling and enough to get you sweating as you force solutions and desperately try to proceed.

Levels are broken up by story events that require you and your co-op buddy to vote and follow a particular narrative path – Leo’s or Vincent’s. Your choices shape the story and give each playthrough a more bespoke feel, even if the overarching narrative remains largely the same. Many of the differences in their personality can feel intangible. However, these impactful decisions help to give them depth by weaving those differences into the gameplay. In my playthrough, I was confident in my choice to play as Vincent, as I thought his analytical mind was more reasonable than Leo’s brash one. However, as the story played out and I became acquainted with them, I began questioning Vincent's motives. A Way Out is keen to keep you in the dark just enough to make you unsure what to choose without making you feel disconnected from the characters or the decision – an aspect I thoroughly enjoyed.

(Image credit: Hazelight Studios) Brains or brawn

A Way Out’s world is a harsh and unforgiving one. The prison is cement and grey, with sparse spotlighting offering little escape from the oppressive mood. Metal bars and staircases shine between tarnish, with matte posters hanging from walls, faded with age. Outside, the surrounding farmland and rural areas feel hazy and vulnerable. Throughout A Way Out, you dance between these cold and warm spaces, with each location thoughtfully dressed with accessories like leaking aircon vents and playable mahogany pianos. Moreover, while many objects are just there to gawk at, some kick-off competitive games like wheelchair balancing or horseshoe pitching. While unnecessary to the story, these optional side objectives do well to offset A Way Out’s heavier themes with some lighthearted fun.

Best bit

(Image credit: Hazelight Studios)

On the surface, Vincent and Leo are two protagonists who could not be more different. Leo’s short-tempered sharpness rubs against Vincent’s careful eye, resulting in tense moments as well as warm ones. As you learn more about them and watch their relationship unfold, it’s hard not to be drawn into their strange chemistry.

Whether you’re mainlining the plot or goofing off in a minigame, A Way Out is made all the better courtesy of Vincent and Leo’s voice actors, Fares Fares and Eric Krogh, who deliver their lines with attitude and grit. And despite solid writing throughout, some of my favorite deliveries came from the casual one-liners rather than the more significant and plot-relevant cutscenes. During the initial prison break, you can find an antique globe in one of the rooms. While interacting with it doesn’t offer anything substantial to the plot, if you spin it enough, Leo dreamily mutters, “Ah, the Pacific Ocean… that sounds nice.” Later, in the hospital, Vincent encounters an old couple bickering about a car accident. After asking their age, the old man makes a poor guess and quickly admits fault. Instead of showing empathy, Vincent sarcastically agrees that he is actually too old to drive. These small, punchy moments offer comic relief to A Way Out’s otherwise heady story and champion the protagonist’s humanity, despite the game’s often unforgiving setting.

A Way Out feels like playing through all the twists and turns of a high-end HBO show – emotionally taxing but very hard to put down. The game’s simple prison break premise quickly gives way to a complicated story about family and friendship, and I thoroughly enjoyed struggling through its immersive set pieces with the help of a friend.

Should you play A Way Out? Play it if...

You like classic dramas
A Way Out strikes a careful balance between dramatic storytelling and game mechanics, putting players in pole position to not only impact the story but also sit back and enjoy their choices in intense and rewarding ways.

You want to stress test your friendship
It turns out escaping prison takes a lot more than just blind belief, and you’ll need to think your way through many complex situations, often deliberating with your co-op partner about which path to take. Due to the high-stakes nature of the story, disagreements are likely to come up, giving you a measure of how close you and your co-conspirator are under pressure.

Don't play it if...

You want a lighthearted co-op game
A Way Out is packed with emotive themes, violence, and plenty of swearing. While it features Hazelight’s well-curated cooperative gameplay, the story leans much darker than the likes of It Takes Two.

Accessibility

When it comes to controls in A Way Out, many settings can be toggled per character, so one player can play with different preferences. Inversion horizontal and vertical) and aim/focus sensitivity can be toggled individually. Vibration can be toggled on and off from the settings menu as well. Where audio is concerned, players can toggle on and off subtitles, as well as choose their audio preset (TV, Headphones, and Home Theatre).

(Image credit: Hazelight Studios) How I reviewed A Way Out

I reviewed A Way Out in a local co-op on a PlayStation 5 playing the PlayStation 4 release via backward compatibility and did so alongside It Takes Two, in the run-up to Hazelight's latest game, Split Fiction.

I teamed my PS5 with an AOC CQ27G2 27-inch QHD VA 144Hz gaming monitor and external Creative Pebble V2 computer speakers.

First reviewed February-March 2025

• $100 billion TSMC investment destined for US semiconductor manufacturing
• $65 billion has already been invested in Phoenix, Arizona
• Tens of thousands of jobs could be created

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced plans to invest at least $100 billion in the US semiconductor manufacturing industry over the next four years.

The move is set to fund three new fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities and one R&D center, though details of planned locations have not yet been confirmed.

The company boasted that the project has now become the “largest single foreign direct investment in US history," and adds to its existing $65 billion investment in Phoenix, Arizona.

TSMC US jobs

Besides advancing the semiconductor market, much like any other similar announcement, TSMC highlighted the positive impacts of its investment on the workforce. The company estimates creating 40,000 construction jobs over the next four years as well as “tens of thousands of high-paying, high-tech jobs” across both manufacturing and R&D.

Its Arizona plant already employs more than 3,000 workers and supports US efforts to domesticate its supply chain.

TSMC also suggested a further $200 billion in indirect economic output could be achieved across the US as a result of the announcement.

“Back in 2020, thanks to President Trump’s vision and support, we embarked on our journey of establishing advanced chip manufacturing in the United States. This vision is now a reality,” commented company CEO Dr C C Wei.

Trump had recently declared, “If they did [the chips] in Taiwan to send them here they’ll have 25% or $30% or 50% or whatever the number may be… It’ll go only up. By doing it here, there’s no tariffs.”

The two-time President also criticized Taiwan of monopolizing the market, welcoming the Taiwanese company to its shores to conduct business locally.

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A couples counselling puzzle platformer might sound like a strange elevator pitch. Yet, this quizzical pairing is the backbone of Hazelight Studios' co-op game. Following the studio's success with its prison-breaking simulator A Way Out, It Takes Two inspects a new kind of high-stakes relationship… marriage.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PlayStation 5
Available on: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch
Release date: March 25, 2021

Here, you play as a separated couple, Cody and May, whose consciousness is magically transported into doll versions of themselves after their daughter makes an unorthodox wish to a secret magic romance book. From this sudden transformation, the duo are forced to navigate a jumbo-sized version of their home, where inanimate objects and carelessly tossed junk have gained sassy omnipotence. As they determine bric-a-brac friend from foe, their issues frequently rear their head, giving you an impression of how their marriage slid towards breakdown not by one incident but rather a series of slow nudges.

In co-op, players split control, working through the couple's issues in a literal and metaphorical sense by communicating their way across increasingly complex platforming levels. To navigate this danger-filled toy box, you can sprint, jump, dash and equip yourself with level-contextual tools that complement each other. Platforming across the game has a fluid and floaty feel, hammering home the plaything nature of the pair’s new doll bodies.

What’s your love language?

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

Despite levels being so full of detail, Hazelight manages a sense of progression and flow well. Points of interest like breakable glass bottles draw your attention, naturally calling you towards the next checkpoint. While it's not always the case, the obstacles often require you to use your special attack to interact with them, which also helps set the tone for future boss battles and teases puzzle solutions within the level.

Bouts of platforming are bookended with multi-stage boss battles based on the surrounding clutter of the area. The connection between each particular boss and the level made the world feel cohesive and thoughtful and helped to immerse me in Cody and May’s tragic love story. The grumbling, rusted toolbox that marks the end of the first zone requires players to work together using their respective hammer and nail tools to deal damage as it cuts away at your fragile metal stage one attack at a time.

This casually instructive style is especially noticeable as puzzles grew in complexity. Despite stopping and starting play sessions, my partner and I maintained solid momentum throughout It Takes Two. That’s not to say we were without arguments or mistakes when navigating the levels, though.

Best bit

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

There’s nothing more hilariously frustrating than trying to time and execute a specific move with your co-op partner, especially when it keeps going wrong. It Takes Two frequently requires you to synchronise carefully, whether it be one player throwing a nail for another to swing on or grinding across electrical wires to turn off switches. No matter how often my co-op partner and I prepared for a sequence, we always fell into the same disorganised traps, laughing or accosting each other as we hit the reset button.

What did cause irreparable damage to my co-op relationship, however, were the PVP minigames that allow you and your partner to take on challenges head-to-head. Found across the map, the parlour games allow you to vent frustrations and brutally thwart your bestie.

Early in the campaign, my partner and I happened upon a game called ‘Flip the Switch’, which involved one player hammering buttons while the other shoots them with nails from an aerial perspective. The player who shoots the most within the timer wins – simple, right? Wrong. What ensued was a series of upsets that ended in a solemn vow not to engage with these distractions ever again — until the next one arrived, and it was just as challenging and interesting. Toys-out-of-the-pram moment aside, It Takes Two does well to surprise you with these unique offshoots throughout its story.

Trust fall

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

The thoughtful set dressing and character designs are a standout feature across It Takes Two, with precious tidbits of lore hidden throughout the levels. For example, if you turn up a pathway in their daughter's room, you can find action figures that pay homage to the protagonists of Hazelight’s previous co-op prison-breaking game, A Way Out. Other hidden areas reveal more tender references to games from the past, such as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda. As I explored each micro world, I was often reminded of The Borrowers or Stuart Little, gawking at how everyday objects could be repurposed as obstacles or idiosyncratic decor.

The care for world-building applies to Cody and May’s doll designs, too, which were clearly handmade by their creative daughter, Rose. May’s fuzzy wooden tendrils and Cody’s rope belt feel haphazardly crafty in a way that represents Rose’s endearing affection for them. The softened, comforting nature of the dolls also feels like a sharp contrast to the couple’s real-world attitude, which is often barbed and biting. The longer they spend outside their bitter, bickering bodies and in their patchwork personas, the more they resemble Rose’s view of them, which feels like a warm visual metaphor for the overarching themes.

Hazelight has built its newest puzzler with plenty of care, allowing you to immerse yourselves in gorgeous fantasy worlds with considerable depth. In exploring Cody and May’s family home and interpersonal trouble, It Takes Two is a surprisingly grounded game, and I adored flipping and dashing through the family's tricky lives.

Should I play It Takes Two?

(Image credit: Electronic Arts) Play it if…

You want a challenging co-op adventure
From a surprisingly violent vacuum cleaner with a vengeance to a sequence of agility testing time-sensitive platforming puzzles, It Takes Two doesn’t pull punches when testing your dexterity

You want a co-op game that mixes up its gameplay
As you progress through It Takes Two’s shifting levels, Cody and May are awarded new weapons that diversify how you can solve puzzles, keeping the gameplay fresh across the familiar base platforming elements.

Don’t play it if…

You aren’t a forgiving person
No matter how much you care for your co-op partner, It Takes Two will inevitably lead to moments of anger as either of you make a mistake. No matter how often you become mulch, you’ll need to swallow pride and forgive each other to survive the ordeal.

Accessibility

In the accessibility menu, you can adjust both the contrast and brightness. From here, there are also three color blindness options to choose between (Tritanopia-Blue Weak, Protanopia-Red Weak, and Deuteranopia-Green Weak). You can toggle on Text-To-Speech and toggle the option to convert voice chat to text. Subtitles and vibrations can additionally be toggled on for either May or Cody.

Where camera settings are concerned, you can toggle settings per character. You can invert the vertical and horizontal cameras and choose how strong the automatic camera rotation is (None, Weak, or Strong). You can also adjust the camera and aim sensitivity for both the horizontal and vertical camera from 1 to 100.

How I reviewed It Takes Two

In anticipation of the launch of Spit Fiction, I played through the entirety of It Takes Two in local co-op on a PlayStation 5 and also replayed A Way Out for comparison.

I used an AOC CQ27G2 27-inch QHD VA 144Hz gaming monitor with my PS5, and for audio, I used my external Creative Pebble V2 computer speakers.

First reviewed February-March 2025

• The new hand luggage-compliant roller-case is available in three colorways
• It's part of Peak Design's ecosystem, with a new purpose-made XL Camera Cube
• Priced from $599.95, with crowdfunding campaign running from March 4 to April 17

Peak Design has unveiled its first roller-case, the premium Roller Pro, with innovative features and familiar design touches taken from its camera accessories ecosystem.

The hand-luggage compliant roller is available in three colorways – black, eclipse (a burgundy-ish shade) and sage – and is currently being crowdfunded from March 4 to April 17 with a backer price of $599.95, and is due to land on the Peak Design website from late June.

There's also a new dedicated Camera Cube (XL) that's designed to maximize the internal storage of the Roller Pro for camera gear that needs extra protection, which costs $139.95 (UK and Australia pricing for both items is TBC).

Of course there are no guarantees with crowdfunding campaigns, but I've already had my hands on a sage Roller Pro prototype for weeks (and I've tested numerous Peak Design products down the years, primarily camera gear, such as the Outdoor Backpack, Camera Cubes, Travel Tripod and Camera Sling), and I can imagine Peak Design's latest product becoming my go-to roller case for many years to come. Let's take a look at what it offers.

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(Image credit: Peak Design)Image 2 of 5

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(Image credit: Peak Design) A pricey roller that's a dream to handle, and built to last

Peak Design sent me a prototype of the Roller Pro several weeks ahead of its announcement, and I can tell you that it's an entirely different proposition to budget roller cases made from off-the-shelf parts.

This a premium Peak Design product through and through, with an ultra-smooth and agile four-set of wheels, plus a low-profile handle made from solid single pieces of carbon fiber, rather than rickety telescoping tubes. The handle slots into an aluminum chassis and takes up less space inside the roller case, meaning more space for your stuff.

The roller's exterior is a durable-feeling and expandable soft-shell type, with a familiar Peak Design look and an additional top soft handle (easing that temptation to hoist the loaded case up by the extending handle), while a polycarbonate hard shell structure inside provides rigidity and protection for what's inside.

I love how the main compartment opens for packing and unpacking. Unlike other rollers that double in footprint when you open them up, the Roller Pro's drawbridge top sits vertically up – ideal for when you're in tight spaces trying to access camera gear, or in an airport frantically searching for that thing you need.

With so many camera accessories in its portfolio, naturally Peak Design has put plenty of thought into gear storage. There are dedicated and secure compartments for items such as a laptop, small interior zipped pockets for important items like a passport and memory cards, plus a wide variety of protective Camera Cubes – including the new XL version, meaning you can customize how you split camera gear / personal items storage for your needs, for a each trip.

It's still early days for my Roller Pro testing, but I can already see it becoming my go-to roller case for many years of traveling and photography trips. The elephant in the room is the product's list price – around $600 for the case only is pretty steep, and that's before you add the cost of accessories for camera gear, such as Camera Cubes.

Still, if it's as durable and versatile as my time with it so far indicates, the Roller Pro could ultimately turn out to be excellent value. I'll share more thoughts further down the line by way of a long-term review.

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From strenuous hikes and serious summits to weekend rambles in the park, these boots help you make the most of your time outdoors.

• Activision has announced Guitar Hero Mobile with an AI-generated ad
• The game's store page confirms the game "isn't real, but could be some day" and is asking users for their interest through a survey
• Fans are calling Activision out for it's continued use of AI in promotional ads

Activision has just announced Guitar Hero Mobile with what appears to be an AI-generated artwork, but the game isn't even real.

The Call of Duty publisher revealed the first look at its new game for smartphones on its Instagram with a promotional advertisement. Guitar Hero Mobile's logo is front and centre, however, looking closer it's quite obvious that the rest of the image is AI-generated.

The artwork features four figures standing on a stage holding guitars but they're unrecognizable, the crowds on either side look sloppy, and the equipment in the background is misshapen. Not to mention the odd-looking colored guitar fret buttons that play a huge part in the rhythm game series.

A lot of fans were able to spot the post's inconsistencies, and are now calling Activision out for its use of generative AI.

"A.I. Hero looks awesome," one user said. "Gotta love a multi-million dollar company using AI to come back after their past banger games," said another.

Over on Reddit, the responses aren't much better.

"This genuinely looks horrendous. This is like 2-3 generations old as far as AI generated images are concerned," one Redditor commented.

A post shared by Activision (@activision)

A photo posted by on

If the AI didn't put you off, then perhaps the fact that Guitar Hero Mobile doesn't even exist will.

The official download page on a website called Geeklab shows even more ai-generated images with a description that boasts a "fast-paced, competitve mobile rhythm game" where players "face off in real-time musical battles, hitting notes in sync with the music to climb the global leaderboards and become the ultimate rockstar".

However, after clicking the "GET" link, it will take you to a survey that will thank users for their interest.

"This isn't a real game, but could be some day!" it reads. "We'd love if you could answer this short survey, which could help inform the potential future of this game. Your feedback really matters to us!"

The Guitar Hero Mobile announcement is likely an attempt to gauge players' interest.

Similarly, Activision did the same thing last month for a new Call of Duty mobile game called Call of Duty: Zombie Defender.

The advertisement on its Instagram account used AI-generative images, and the install button also led users to a survey with the aforementioned statement that stated it wasn't "a real game".

In other related news, Activision has finally admitted to using generative AI for some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 assets (via IGN). After fans discovered evidence of the fact three months ago, Activision has now confirmed the use of AI to align with Steam's new AI disclosure rules.

"Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets," the game's Steam page now reads.

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• PlayStation Plus users are now receiving compensation following last month's PSN outage
• After the almost 24-hour outage, Sony promised five additional days of PS Plus to members
• Members should now see the compensation added to their PlayStation accounts

PlayStation Plus subscribers are officially receiving compensation following the PlayStation Network outage last month.

In early February, PSN experienced an almost 24-hour outage, which meant PlayStation users were unable to play games online during this time.

After the issue was resolved, Sony confirmed that this was an "operational issue" with network services. It also announced that all PlayStation Plus members affected would automatically receive an additional five days of service free of charge as compensation, although it didn't say when this was to be issued at the time.

However, according to Push Square, the compensation is now officially rolling out as of March 4.

The publication found that the five days of service have now been added to the expiry date of its last PS Plus Premium payment, meaning other users should now be able to see the same thing on their own accounts.

To check if you've received the free compensation, you'll need to log in to the PS Store and navigate to the 'Subscriptions Management' tab. There you'll be able to see your next payment date and if the date reads five days after your most recent transaction, then the compensation has been added.

The PS Plus lineup for March 2025 has already been announced and includes Sonic Colors: Ultimate, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, as well as one of the biggest role-playing games (RPG) of 2024, Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Members will be able to claim these games starting today until March 31, 2025.

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Home prices and interest rates are high, but purchasing a home was the right move.

The de-extinction company Colossal Biosciences wants to bring back the woolly mammoth—starting with a very furry mouse.

In an excerpt from his new book, Reinventing the Heartland, urbanist Nicholas Lalla makes the case for setting up technology's next big nerve center in Oklahoma.

Hoping to bring the giant, ancient animal back from extinction, scientists have created a far smaller woolly creature. Woolly mice have some of the key traits of mammoths, including their thick, hairy coat.

(Image credit: Colossal Biosciences)

• Disney+ has canned its offshoot animation series of The Princess and the Frog due to production costs.
• A shortform project inspired by The Princess and the Frog movie is in early development instead.
• The decision comes as Disney+ shifts away from creating original longform content for streaming and prioritizes theatrical releases.

Disney+ has reportedly axed its animated musical series Tiana, an offshoot of The Princess and the Frog movie, but there's more projects being shelved by the streaming service.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney+ is moving away from creating original longform content for streaming and focusing on theatrical releases. A spokesperson confirmed that this business strategy shift will lead to some layoffs in its Vancouver studio.

The offshoot series of the critically acclaimed 2009 movie was first announced in December 2020 and was intended to be a musical with Anika Noni Rose returning as Tiana, Disney's first Black princess. However, sources reportedly said that despite multiple creative team changes, Tiana could not meet production expectations due to costs.

Fans of the Disney Princess movie will understandably be disappointed by this news, but don't stop wishing on a star just yet as Disney is still going to continue Princess Tiana's story in another way. A shortform project inspired by The Princess and the Frog is said to be in early development at the animation studio, which is expected to feature new storytelling based on the film.

What other longform projects have been scrapped by Disney?

The Tiana series isn't the only project to end up on Disney's scrap heap as an unannounced feature-length movie that was set to go straight to Disney+ has also reportedly fell victim to the new business strategy.

The decision to cancel Tiana and the untitled Disney+ movie follows the news that Pixar would no longer prioritize developing longform TV shows after the release of its Inside Out 2 spin-off series Dream Productions and Win or Lose, the animation studio's first ever streaming series.

The reason why both studios are now shifting their focus from small screen animation is because of the huge success they've had with animated movies on the big screen. Moana 2, which was originally planned as a series and reworked into a theatrical release, went on to gross over $1 billion at the global box office. While Moana 2 sets sail for streaming on Disney+ on March 12, Pixar's Inside Out 2 became the biggest movie of 2024, earning $1.7 billion and the title of one of the best Disney+ movies.

From now on, Walt Disney Animation Studios remains committed to releasing one theatrical film per year along with shorts and special projects. There's already a lot in the pipeline with Zootopia 2 set to release on November 26, as well as an unannounced film in November 2026 and Frozen 3 set for November 2027.

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• Reports suggest the Trump administration may have paused cyber offensives against Russia
• However CISA has denied this, and has pledged to continue defending against all cyber threats
• The move would represent a significant change in foreign policy

Following the recent tense and hostile discussion between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump, and US Vice President JD Vance, another serious turning point in the Russian war in Ukraine, or at the very least in American involvement, may have just occured.

Reports suggest the Trump administration has publicly indicated it no longer considers Russia an adversary in the cyber arena, and will pause cyber offensives against the state. Speaking to The Guardian, one anonymous worker went as far as to say “Putin is on the inside now”.

But it seems not all agencies are on board. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reaffirmed its commitment to defending against all cyber threats, “including from Russia” and claimed that any reports indicating a change of posture are “fake and undermine [our] national security” in a post on X.

Conflicting statements

It should be noted, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told TechRadar Pro that these reports are untrue,

“The memo referenced in the Guardian’s ‘reporting’ is not from the Trump Administration, which is quite inconvenient to the Guardian’s preferred narrative. CISA remains committed to addressing all cyber threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, including from Russia. There has been no change in our posture or priority on this front.”

Despite CISA’s protests, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has reportedly issued a pause in offensive cyber operations against Russia, and has ordered US Cyber Command to “stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions,” The Record revealed.

The scope and purpose of these orders remain unclear, but the directives indicate an effort from the Trump administration to normalize ties with Russia and a move towards a cooperation with the state as opposed to the previous alliance with Ukraine.

This could prove significant, as earlier in 2025, Russian hacking group Seashell Blizzard turned its focus towards targets in the US and UK, looking to disrupt and damage critical infrastructure and cause chaos.

If true, the US recategorizing Russia would be a serious U-turn in policy, and could signify a complete shift in foreign policy, and could have lasting repercussions not just in the context of the Russian war in Ukraine, but in global politics going forward.

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• Tecno has revealed the world's thinnest slab phone, the 5.75mm Spark Slim
• A new iPhone 17 Air leak suggests Apple will beat this with a 5.44mm chassis
• We're still waiting for any official information about the iPhone 17 Air

Chinese phone maker Tecno has revealed the world’s thinnest slab phone at MWC 2025, but a new leak suggests the much-rumored iPhone 17 Air could be even thinner.

The Tecno Spark Slim measures just 5.75mm thick at its thinnest point, not including the protruding camera bump, and packs an impressive spec sheet into its svelte frame – the Spark Slim sports a 6.78-inch OLED screen with 144Hz refresh rate, dual 50MP main and ultra-wide cameras, and a 5,200mAh battery capacity.

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(Image credit: Tecno / GSMArena)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Tecno / GSMArena)

However, Tecno may lose the title of world’s thinnest candy-bar phone sooner rather than later if a new iPhone 17 Air leak is to be believed.

Images shared by notable tipster Majin Bu on X (formerly Twitter) appear to show a polymer or resin dummy model of the iPhone 17 Air being measured by a digital caliper, with the readout displaying a thickness of 5.44mm.

iPhone 17 Air it’s thin pic.twitter.com/2UoNP0IaygMarch 3, 2025

As with the Spark Slim, this measurement is taken at the phone’s thinnest point and does not account for the camera bump. The leaked image corroborates previous rumors in suggesting the iPhone 17 Air will sport a long, thin camera bar with a single camera.

In fact, the dummy model looks conspicuously similar to CAD renders previously shared by Majin Bu – there was some debate over the plausibility of these renders at the time due to the massively expanded camera housing on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but images shared since have largely followed the rumored designs.

As PhoneArena notes, the new camera bump could push the maximum thickness of the iPhone 17 Air closer to the rumored 5.84mm thickness of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

A narrow victory

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy S25 Edge has only had its design revealed so far – we only have rumors and estimates to base specs on – and the iPhone 17 Air has yet to even be confirmed by Apple, so the apparent race to release a thin flagship is still currently a tense wait at the starting blocks.

Unfortunately for Tecno, the smart-looking Spark Slim is unlikely to make much of an impact due to the brand’s global-focused release strategy and lack of US availability.

As for the iPhone 17 Air and Galaxy S25 Edge, I’m hopeful that Apple and Samsung can get the balance right with these new slim phones, and produce handsets worthy of a place on our list of the best phones.

What do you want to see from the iPhone 17 Air? Are you hopeful that thin phones will take off? Let us know in the comments.

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• Google Password Manager reportedly set to get a ‘delete all’ option
• At the moment users have to delete credentials individually
• The update was spotted months ago in a teardown

Google looks to be experimenting with a new option to delete all data from its password manager tool on Android devices.

Screenshots shared by Android Authority apparently show a new option in the settings menu of Google’s Password Manager interface reading, “Delete all data: From Google Password Manager, including passwords and passkeys.”

The publication seems pretty certain the feature is indeed incoming, after spotting references in a teardown earlier in 2025, noting, “Thankfully, Google will soon add a new “Delete all data” button to its password manager, letting users remove all saved credentials with a tap.”

Google Password Manager ‘delete all’ option

Although this nuclear approach is already possible, it currently requires users to delete their entire browser’s data, including history, cookies and more, so it’s not an ideal approach for users simply looking to remove their credentials.

This is a surprisingly common problem typical of password managers, which tend to make it difficult to delete all passwords in one fell swoop. Instead, they usually rely on users deleting each password individually.

It might only be something that users need to do once or twice in their entire digital life, but we’ve been there and deleting 700 passwords is not for the faint-hearted – Google’s upcoming feature, therefore, is very welcome news.

TechRadar Pro has asked Google to confirm if this feature is on the cards, but we did not receive an immediate response.

The most common reason a user would wish to delete all passwords would be in the case of migration to another password manager – although encryption and other security measures make password storage pretty secure, having credentials stored across multiple locations increases your risk of an attack.

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• Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.6 drops next week
• It introduces three new playable characters, including a furry gunslinger
• This is on top of new gameplay and story content

Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.6, or ‘Among the Forgotten Ruins’, launches next week and will finally let you play as a fan-favorite, previously non-playable, character.

I'm talking about Pulchra Fellini, who was introduced as a non-playable character (NPC) in the Version 1.2 update. Her unique design, which blends an overall cat-like appearance with motorcycle gang elements, quickly caught the attention of players who flooded the internet with fan art and requests to let her join their teams.

It seems as though developer Hoyoverse took notice of this as Fellini will be added as a playable A-rank physical stun agent in Version 1.6. She will be joined by two other new playable characters: Soldier 0 - Anby and Trigger.

Image 1 of 3

The key art for Version 1.6 shows off Soldier 0 - Anby and Trigger side by side (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 2 of 3

Soldier 0 - Anby is a new twist on the beloved character (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 3 of 3

Trigger is armed with a powerful sniper rifle (Image credit: Hoyoverse)

Soldier 0 - Anby is a new version of Anby in a soldier outfit. As an S-rank electric agent, she wields dual swords that deal rapid electric blows. Her attacks trigger Aftershock and increase the crit damage of allies against the same enemy.

Trigger is a sniper armed with a long-range rifle. She can enter a dedicated sniper mode to easily evade enemy strikes and call in teammates for supporting hits. Her attacks generate Purge which increases Aftershock damage, so it seems like the pair would be a great fit together.

On top of this, Version 1.5 will introduce a new story chapter that focuses on several clashing factions in addition to Anby's past and the military forces of New Eridu.

There will also be loads of new gameplay elements, such as a new Hollow Zero boss and Battlefront Purge difficulty mode. The most exciting addition here is easily Trigger's upcoming TV Schedule, which will introduce third-person shooting in dedicated sniper missions.

Version 1.6 launches on March 12. If you want to try Zenless Zone Zero ahead of the update, the game is available now as a free-to-play title on PC, mobile, and PlayStation 5.

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• Layer 7 Web DDoS attacks are spiking, Radware report claims
• EMEA bore the brunt of Web DDoS attacks
• Financial institutions and transportation services suffered an almost 400% increase in DDoS attack volume

There was a noticeable increase in Web Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in 2024, largely thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI) lowering the barrier to entry, experts have claimed.

A report from cybersecurity experts Radware found Layer 7 Web DDoS attacks skyrocketed by 550% in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Layer 7 DDoS attacks are also known as application-layer DDoS attacks, and they target the application layer of the OSI model. Instead of overwhelming network bandwidth like traditional volumetric attacks, these attacks focus on exhausting server resources by mimicking legitimate user requests. They exploit vulnerabilities in web applications, APIs, and services by flooding them with HTTP requests, login attempts, or database queries, making it difficult to distinguish real users from malicious traffic.

More powerful, more disruptive

Radware says that the increase can be attributed to hacktivist groups leveraging AI-enhanced tools to mount more destructive attacks, easier.

“Multiple catalysts drove the threat revolution witnessed in 2024, including geopolitical conflicts, bigger and more complex threat surfaces, and more sophisticated and persistent threats,” said Pascal Geenens, director of threat intelligence at Radware.

“Add to that the impact of AI, which is lowering barriers to entry, multiplying the number of adversaries and enabling even novice actors to successfully launch malicious campaigns, and what you have is a threat landscape that looks very daunting.”

The EMEA region bore the brunt of Web DDoS attacks, the report states, claiming that it accounted for 78% of global incidents. For web application and API attacks, North America was the primary target with 66% of such incidents.

At the same time, financial institutions and transportation services suffered an almost 400% increase in DDoS attack volume, making them among the hardest-hit industries. Hacktivist-driven attacks also grew by 20% globally, with government institutions emerging as the top targets.

Beyond Web DDoS incidents, network-layer DDoS attacks have become more powerful and persistent, Radware explained. The average mitigated attack volume rose by 120% in 2024, while the average duration of attacks increased by 37%. The telecommunications sector absorbed the heaviest impact, facing 43% of global network DDoS attack volume, followed closely by finance at 30%. The financial sector was also the most targeted industry for Layer 7 DNS attacks, accounting for 44% of global activity.

“The escalations in the threat landscape have significant implications for every sector from finance and telecommunications to government and e-commerce and beyond,” Geenens added.

“Organizations are operating in a dynamic environment that demands equally dynamic defense strategies. While bad actors don’t have to do their jobs perfectly to have a major impact, defenders do.”

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• Meta announces new limited-edition Ray-Ban Meta glasses
• They’re launching sometime in March
• A promo image suggests numbers will be limited to just 3,600 units

Meta has announced that new “limited-edition Ray-Ban Meta glasses” are set to land this month, with promo images suggesting they’ll be transparent just like the previous limited-edition design it launched – but expect them to be even harder to get your hands on.

Beyond a look at the Ray-Ban logo on a clear-ish frame that shows off the hardware inside the smart specs, we know relatively little about the design. The previous clear frames used the Wayfarer frame type, but this new run could get the Skyler or Headliner design, which have more rounded lenses, although our money is on a bold new design like the frames A$AP Rocky – Ray-Ban’s new Creative Director – just unveiled at Milan Fashion Week – which would tally with the “straight from the runway” comment in Meta’s promotional material for the new limited-edition specs.

We also don’t know if these specs will come with the same limited-edition black case as the previous edition, instead of the standard brown, though we hope they do.

Expect a challenge at checkout

Can't get clear pair? The colored translucent options also look great (Image credit: Meta)

Adding to the list of unknown is that Meta has yet to reveal a price. Given that the previous limited model cost $429 – which is about $100 more than the standard translucent frames – we expect this new design will also be pricier than standard Ray-Ban smart glasses, and perhaps even pricier than the previous limited design.

We say that because while Meta’s last limited run consisted of 7,500 pairs, this time it’s only making 3,600 – at least, that’s what '0001/3600' printed on the frames in the promo image on its website is suggesting. Given the even more limited supply, Meta may choose to bump the price up, so if you’re keen to pick up a pair for yourself you’ll want to act fast when they drop.

There's no precise release date to mark on your calendars, though there is a 'Notify me' button on the website if you want to get an update when the glasses go live –just be prepared to go home empty handed.

Scalpers are showing that they’re still in full force in 2025 by ruining limited drops for tech, and there’s a good chance they’ll strike again here. There may also be scammers around looking to take advantage of the hype if stock does run dry – so be careful buying glasses claiming to be the limited edition Ray-Bans from unofficial stores and resellers.

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