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Best Internet Providers in Douglasville, Georgia

CNET News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 14:00
These are our top picks for those looking for reliable internet service in Douglasville.
Categories: Technology

The impressive Beats Pill portable speaker is landing in two gorgeous new colors, ready for summer

TechRadar News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 13:32
  • Beats is launching its Pill speaker in Blush Pink and Navy Blue
  • It's also announced that the Pill is Beats best-selling speaker ever
  • You'll still get bold sound and all-day battery life from the Pill

Last summer, Beats brought back its Pill speaker, and after testing it, we found it to be an impressive offering with robust sound and excellent bass. Further, in typical Beats fashion, it launched in a few different shades: Champagne Gold, Matte Black, and Statement Red.

Now, ahead of summer travel in 2025, Beats is expanding the selection of colors for the Pill, and both are stunners. Introducing the Beats Pill in ‘Blush Pink’ and ‘Navy Blue.’ Better yet, these don’t come with a price increase either.

You will need to track down each shade at a specific retailer, though. In the United States, fans of pink will need to visit Target, while those looking for blue will need to head to Walmart. Easier than heading out the door, though, is locking in an order online – both are priced at $149.95 and are shipping now.

(Image credit: Beats)

If you’re in the United Kingdom, you can get ‘Blush Pink’ from John Lewis for £149.99. Those in Canada can head to Walmart, with pricing to be confirmed at a later date.

Now, both of these shades look great, though the Blush Pink is a bit more fun in our opinion, offering a more summer-y shade in a very light shade of the color. Depending on how the light hits it, the speaker might pop even a bit more.

It’s also a full-color job on the rear and front, as well as the attached lanyard and buttons. The Navy Blue is a proper representation of the name, offering a deeper shade of the color.

Either route, ‘Navy Blue’ and ‘Blush Pink’ expand the color options, offering two fun shades alongside the original trio of Champagne Gold, Matte Black, and Statement Red.

Regardless of the color you get the Beats Pill in, you’re scoring what Beats is now confirming is “its bestselling speaker" ever, in that it's sold more of the new Beats Pill in the nine months it’s been out for compared to all past Pill launches.

(Image credit: Beats)

That's quite an accomplishment and speaks to why TechRadar gave it a full four out of five stars.

The excellent audio from the Pill is produced by a new racecourse drive that sits front and center, angled upward. You can also pair two of these speakers together for a stereo and more room-filling experience. You’ll also get up to 24 hours of battery life, and the Pill is quite durable, thanks to its IP67 rating.

Lastly, while you’ll recharge it using the USB-C port on the back, the Pill supports passthrough, allowing you to recharge another device by simply plugging it in.

Now, if you’re sold on Blush Pink or Navy Blue, you can get Pill for $149.99 from Target or Walmart right now. More importantly, though, if you’re okay with black, gold, or red, you can score it for just $129.95 (was $ 149.95) at Walmart right now.

You can get the Beats Pill in black, gold, or red at Walmart for just $129.95.View Deal

If you’re curious as to what else Beats has been up too, check out our first look at Beats Cables – yes USB-C to USB-C cables – here.

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Categories: Technology

Best Exercise Bikes in 2025: At-Home Workouts for Less Than You Might Think

CNET News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 13:29
We tested a bunch of exercise bikes to help you crush your workouts without leaving home.
Categories: Technology

The White House threatens sanctuary cities in another EO, but courts are skeptical

NPR News Headlines - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 13:20

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order aimed at identifying sanctuary cities, part of a broader effort to target jurisdictions that limit cooperation with ICE.

(Image credit: Andrew Thomas)

Categories: News

DOGE employees gain accounts on classified networks holding nuclear secrets

NPR News Headlines - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 13:11

Two DOGE employees have access to a network used to transmit classified nuclear weapons data and a separate network used by the Department of Defense, sources tell NPR.

Categories: News

Putin declares a 3-day ceasefire for May's WWII anniversary. Ukraine says why wait?

NPR News Headlines - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 13:10

Russia declared a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine starting May 8 for the anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany. Ukraine called for an immediate, 30-day truce instead.

(Image credit: Danylo Antoniuk)

Categories: News

Shein, Temu Prices Surge as High as 377% Ahead of Tariff Increases

CNET News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 12:40
The two rival e-commerce platforms are known for ultra cheap and discounted products.
Categories: Technology

Pure coincidence, surely not? Huawei launches its fastest AI chip ever as US bans export of popular China-only Nvidia H20

TechRadar News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 12:31
  • US bans Nvidia's H20 just as Huawei reveals its next-gen Ascend 920 AI chip
  • Ascend 920 may fill China’s AI chip gap post restrictions
  • Nvidia faces $5.5 billion hit as Huawei seizes opportunity

On April 9, 2025, the United States announced plans to further tighten restrictions on AI chip exports to China, including Nvidia's H20 processor, a reduced-performance chip which the company created to comply with earlier US export regulations while continuing sales in China.

Huawei, which has been positioning itself as China’s answer to Nvidia for some time, was likely waiting for the announcement because just one day later, at a partner conference, it revealed the Ascend 920, its next-generation AI chip.

Set to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, according to DigiTimes Asia, the chip is expected to be built on SMIC’s 6nm process and offer up to 900 TFLOPs of BF16 compute and 4000GB/s of memory bandwidth, supported by HBM3 memory modules. It will also support PCIe 5.0 and next-generation interconnect protocols to aid large-model training.

An effective alternative

With the Nvidia H20 now restricted in China, industry analysts believe Huawei’s new chip could bridge the gap.

Although real-world benchmarks are not yet available, the Ascend 920’s specifications suggest it could be an effective alternative to Nvidia's H20 and may be welcomed by Chinese companies like Tencent and ByteDance, which will now require substitutes for the restricted chip.

While the current Ascend 910C is estimated to deliver about 60% of the Nvidia H100’s inference performance, the Ascend 920 reportedly improves training efficiency by 30% to 40% and is tailored for Transformer and Mixture of Experts models.

Nvidia had been making strong sales in China through the H20, with sales reportedly growing 50% quarter over quarter before the ban. The new license requirement from the U.S. Department of Commerce effectively halts those sales, and Nvidia is expected to write off $5.5 billion in lost business as a result.

Huawei also announced its AI CloudMatrix 384 Supernode solution at the same event.

This rack-scale platform, described as a 'Nuclear-level product', reportedly exceeds the performance of Nvidia’s GB200 but consumes more power, something that is not seen as a major concern in China compared to the West.

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Categories: Technology

Google Nest Is Cutting Off Access for Early-Gen Nest Thermostats: Here's When

CNET News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 12:28
The first models of the Nest Learning Thermostat are losing all app support this year, removing most of their smart features as a result.
Categories: Technology

DragonForce ransomware group evolves new cartel business model

TechRadar News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 12:16
  • DragonForce is selling its ransomware as a service that can be rebranded
  • The group will handle malware development, leak sites, and more
  • RaaS democratizes malware – as if AI hadn't done enough damage

Inspired by drug gangs, ransomware group DragonForce is bringing a new business model to the ransomware scene, and it involves cooperating with other ransomware gangs.

DragonForce has now been observed offering a white-label affiliate model, allowing others to use their infrastructure and malware while branding attacks under their own name.

With this model, affiliates won't need to manage the infrastructure and DragonForce will take care of negotitation sites, malware develpoment and data leak sites.

DragonForce evolves the ransomware scene with a new business model

"Advertised features include administration and client panels, encryption and ransom negotiation tools, a file storage system, a Tor-based leak site and .onion domain, and support services," cybersecurity researchers from Secureworks explained.

Secureworks explained that, in a March 2025 underground post, DragonForce rebranded itself as a "cartel," announcing a shift to a distributed model. DragonForce first appeared in August 2023.

Anubis, a much newer ransomware group that's been operating since December 2024, has also launched its own affiliate scheme, including a traditional ransomware-as-a-service product that nets affiliates 80% of their ransoms.

Much like artificial intelligence has already democratized access to coding, these models are further extending access to ransomware, meaning that less technical threat actors can target victims. The flexibility and reduced operational burdens are also key selling points.

The exact number of affiliates using these schemes is virtually untraceable, however Bleeping Computer has reported that RansomBay has already joined DragonForce's scheme.

"Cybercriminals are motivated by financial gain, so they are adopting innovative models and aggressive pressure tactics to shift the trend in their favor," Secureworks added.

The usual principles apply when it comes to protecting yourself from any type of ransomware – regularly patching internet-facing devices, implementing phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA), maintaining robust backups and monitoring networks for malicious activity are all important steps to take.

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Categories: Technology

Asus' ROG Astral GPU sag 'detector' needs to be adopted by other GPU and motherboard manufacturers - even though it's reportedly been removed

TechRadar News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 12:09
  • Asus GPU Tweak III software notifies ROG Astral GPU users of any potential GPU sag
  • It's possible thanks to a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer
  • The feature appears to be unavailable in the latest version of the application

Considering the multitude of Nvidia and AMD third-party GPUs that come with different designs and sizes, GPU sag is an undeniable issue (even if the recent RTX 5000 series has largely been a move in the right direction from the comically large RTX 4090). Fortunately, a popular GPU and motherboard manufacturer has introduced a solution - well, sort of.

As reported by VideoCardz, Asus' ROG Astral RTX 5000 series GPUs have an 'Equipment Installation Check' feature within the GPU Tweak III software, which alerts users if their GPU has tilted or moved out of place. This is made possible thanks to a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer, effectively helping detect GPU sag.

The strange thing is that this feature hasn't been included in any of the ROG Astral GPU marketing. GPU Tweak III, a GPU monitoring and tuning software, has several features to prevent issues, such as Power Detector+, which indicates any potential issues with the 12VHPWR cable - but this GPU sag preventative measure was only just discovered by users.

This is perhaps even more baffling: according to Asus forums, the Equipment Installation Check feature is no longer available in the latest version of the software. Whether the omission was entirely intentional is unclear at this moment, but it's a feature that GPU and motherboard manufacturers should consider including going forward.

(Image credit: Wirestock Creators / Shutterstock) I see this as nothing but a win, and I'm hoping other manufacturers can follow suit...

There's nothing worse than finding your PC components damaged due to cases of oversight or necessary precautions being forgotten: that's why GPU sag should be taken far more seriously.

Fortunately, I've never had it happen to me since I made it my priority to obtain a good anti-sag stand (I'm using a fairly chunky GPU), but it's easy to see the potential damage to the PCIe slot or the GPU itself in the long run if there isn't any support inside your case for a heavy graphics card.

It's a different conversation if you're using a GPU riser cable (in a mini-ITX build, for example) as the card can be placed vertically to alleviate concerns of sag - but good luck placing some of today's modern beefy third-party GPUs in those cases.

Of course, this won't apply to all GPU owners, as it seems the heavier GPUs are mostly third-party high-end offerings to compensate for cooling: prime examples are my current GPU, the Asus TUF RTX 4080 Super, a triple-slot card, and the ROG Astral RTX 5090.

It's good to see that Asus even thought about a feature to at least notify users of any sag or movement: in my experience, it's not always easy to tell if your GPU is sagging, so while some might see it as a nonsensical addition, I'd argue it's one worth applauding.

However, it's gone at the moment and no one knows if it will return: if it doesn't come back (which I'll be shocked by), then I'll be hoping other GPU manufacturers have at the very least taken note.

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Categories: Technology

New Meta XR glasses again tipped to land later this year– well ahead of Apple's rumored AR glasses with Apple Intelligence

TechRadar News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 12:00
  • Meta's smart glasses with a screen again tipped for 2025 launch
  • They're expected to land in October and cost over $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500
  • Apple is also working on smart glasses according to rumors, but they're still some time off from launch

Meta's incoming AR smart glasses could eventually face an Apple-made rival with Apple Intelligence, according to new rumors. The details add credibility to other rumors we’ve heard previously and hint at a big AR glasses battle in the coming decade – though it’s a fight Meta has a big headstart on right now.

The information comes via Mark Gurman’s latest PowerOn newsletter (behind a paywall) where he details some insider reports of what the two companies are apparently working on.

Gurman’s comments support a few details we’ve heard previously about Meta’s upcoming glasses. They’ll be smart glasses like its existing Ray-Bans but will also have a display, they’ll be pricey (we’re talking over $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500), and Meta is targeting an October 2025 release (which is when it usually releases new Quest and smart glasses hardware).

However, Meta is at risk of slipping from this target date. Gurman adds that “top managers on the team” have reportedly told their staff to pick up the pace – and in some cases employees may need to work through their upcoming weekends to achieve Meta’s goals.

Apple glasses incoming (Image credit: Shutterstock / Girts Ragelis)

There’s no word on when the glasses might be released if they miss their October deadline – we’re hoping they’ll fall this side of 2025 rather than 2026, though ideally their release date will arrive without any excessive crunch Meta's employees.

We've also heard the first signs of some potential pressure from Apple’s first smart glasses – codenamed N50.

Based on how Gurman describes them (“an Apple Intelligence device” that can “analyze the surrounding environment and feed information to the wearer” but stops short of proper AR) sounds just like what Meta has and is working on in the smart glasses space.

The issue? Apparently a launch is still some time away.

Gurman isn’t specific on when a launch might follow, but with Meta, Snap and now Google and Samsung (via Android XR) getting involved in the smart glasses space it seriously feels like Apple is giving everyone a major headstart.

(Image credit: Meta) Analysis: Will Apple be late or right on time?

Given its success with the Apple Watch and AirPods from both a portability and fashionability standpoint (the two key areas smart glasses need to succeed in), Apple has the potential to catch up.

But if its non-AR glasses do launch in 2027 that could coincide with when Meta launches full-on AR specs, according to leaked development timetables – which means Apple's rival runs the risk of being dated out of the gate. Then again, Apple’s delayed release will only matter if Meta, Android XR, Snap, and others can capitalize on it.

These other AR glasses might be out in the wild sooner, but if they’re expensive and lack innovative applications, they likely won’t be super popular. This could especially be an issue for Meta’s upcoming XR specs, as the existing Meta Ray-Ban smart specs are already great and only continue to get better thanks to software updates.

(Image credit: Jason Redmond / TED)

A display would be a significant enhancement, sure, but it doesn’t yet seem like an essential one – especially when you consider the display-less specs start at just $299 / £299 / AU$449 and are already the best AI wearable around.

On the other hand, if the upcoming Meta and Google XR glasses can match even half of the cool uses that I experienced on the Snap Spectacles during my demo, then they have the potential to take people’s perception of XR technology to new heights. That would be an exciting prospect, and a high price would seem significantly more justifiable.

We’ll just have to wait and see what Meta, Apple, and Google have up their sleeves, if and when their next-gen XR glasses finally release to the public.

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Categories: Technology

Medical software company database may have exposed tens of thousands of health records and PII

TechRadar News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 12:00
  • A breach has impacted thousands of Carolina Anesthesiology PA patients
  • Sensitive health information and patient data was exposed
  • This leaves anyone affected at risk of identity theft or social engineering

Security researcher Jeremiah Fowler has discovered a non password-protected database, believed to be owned by Carolina Anesthesiology PA - a healthcare firm based out of North Carolina. This dataset contained 21,344 records, was almost 7GB, and spanned multiple states.

The information contained sensitive data, including patient information like names, physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, as well as insurance coverage details, anesthesia summaries, diagnoses, family medical histories, and doctors notes. According to the researcher, there were files marked ‘Billing and Compliance Reports’, which gives an idea of the type of data included.

While there is so far no evidence to suggest the database fell into malicious hands, the potential compromise of the unprotected database could put many at risk of social engineering attacks like phishing, identity theft, or fraud.

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Database on show

The researcher outlines that the dataset contained a “detailed analysis and key metrics related to medical billing and healthcare services provided” - but that, when contacted, the healthcare firm indicated that it did not own or manage the database, but that the owner has been notified and public access restricted.

It’s not clear if the information was accessed by a threat actor or third party, as only an internal audit would show this - and as far as we know, the information has not appeared on any dark web sites for sale by cybercriminals. Investigation by the researcher indicate that this folder’s contents was likely affiliated with Atrium Health - a partner of Carolina Anesthesiology PA.

“Our cyber security team immediately launched an internal investigation upon receiving an email tip in mid-February 2025 about a possible data breach. Our investigation found that Carolina Anesthesiology, P.A., who regularly provides anesthesia services at select facilities, misconfigured the technology service used for billing data, exposing some of their patient data,” said Atrium Health in response to the breach.

“We immediately shut down all data feeds to Carolina Anesthesiology and, as a courtesy, notified the regular governing entities. We continue to learn more from the Carolina Anesthesiology team about their plan to notify their patients of this breach. All data feeds remain off until this issue has been satisfactorily addressed.”

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Categories: Technology

I tested the Sony UBP-X800M2 and it's an excellent 4K Blu-ray player, but there are better value players available

TechRadar Reviews - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:48
Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: One minute review

The Sony UBP-X800M2 is the company’s flagship 4K Blu-ray player, and it’s one that sits at an affordable price ($289 / £299 / roughly AU$481). It supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos and DTS:X soundtracks and plays a wide variety of disc formats, including SACD. It also features built-in Wi-Fi for streaming from apps such as Netflix and Prime Video.

The Sony UBP-X800M2 delivers picture quality that competes with the best 4K Blu-ray players, showcasing accurate textures, bold colors and excellent contrast. It also demonstrates superb upscaling with both regular Blu-rays and DVDs getting a picture quality uplift. It may not maintain film grain as accurately as the rival Panasonic DP-UB820 (something for film purists to bear in mind), but it’s still an excellent player. Paired with one of the best TVs, it will serve any home theater system well.

The X800M2’s interface is on the dated and plain side, but it’s very responsive and easy enough to navigate. There are plenty of settings on offer for both video and audio, but frustratingly, its Dolby Vision setting needs to be switched off or on depending on the disc. The player itself is reassuringly sturdy for the price, though the lack of an alphanumeric front panel display is a disappointment.

While the X800M2 may not offer as much as the Panasonic DP-UB820 and doesn’t provide the same value as the step-down Sony UBP-X700, it is still a fantastic 4K Blu-ray player. Pair it with one of the best OLED TVs, and you’ll be happy.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Prices & release date

The UBP-X800M2 provides multiple connections, though not as many as the rival Panasonic DP-UB820 (Image credit: Future)
  • Release date: May 2019
  • Price: $289 / £299 (roughly AU$481)

The Sony UBP-X800M2 is Sony’s flagship 4K Blu-ray player, sitting above the Sony UBP-X700. At launch in May 2019, it cost $299 / £350, putting it in direct competition with Panasonic’s mid-range 4K Blu-ray player, the Panasonic DP-UB820.

Several years on from launch, prices have remained largely unchanged for the X800M2 in the US, though discounts appear sporadically. In the UK, stock is becoming thin, with most units available second-hand. In some cases, prices have even gone up (quite dramatically in some places), but I'd only recommend buying it at or around its initial launch price.

Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Specs Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Features

The Sony UBP-X800M2 has a quick 30 second disc load time (Image credit: Future)
  • Dolby Vision HDR support
  • SACD playback
  • Built-in Wi-Fi for streaming

The Sony X800M2 has comprehensive disc support including 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD (in multiple formats), CD and SACD, the latter of which is not supported by many 4K Blu-ray players including more premium ones like the Panasonic UB9000.

For HDR formats, the X800M2 supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 but not HDR10+. (The Panasonic DP-UB820, the X800M2’s closest rival, supports both Dolby Vision and HDR10+.)

The X800M2 supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X (bitstream) and decodes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD soundtracks. Hi-res audio is also supported via USB, including 24-bit files and DSD (11.2 mHz).

The X800M2 features two HDMI outputs, a coaxial digital audio output, a USB port for audio and video file playback, and an Ethernet port. It has built-in Wi-Fi for streaming, with access to some of the best streaming services, including Netflix and YouTube, and BBC iPlayer pre-installed for UK-based customers. There are no analogue audio outputs as found on the Panasonic DP-UB82, but there is a Bluetooth wireless output for headphones. I tested this feature when watching La La Land, and the connection was solid with only minimal delay.

The X800M2 is responsive during use and its menus are easy to navigate. There are a good number of picture settings, including multiple 4K upscaling options, and there are audio presets to improve the quality of lower-resolution files. While easy to navigate and read, the interface itself is on the plain side, and it has the same outdated look as its more budget Sony UBP-X700 counterpart.

A frustration that carries over from the Sony UBP-X700 is that Dolby Vision must be manually turned on and off per disc; it does not work automatically like on Panasonic players. Instead, with the Dolby Vision setting turned on, the X800M2 forces Dolby Vision on regardless of the disc's content.

  • Features score: 4.5 / 5
Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Performance

With the UBP-X800M2, pictures have fantastic contrast (Image credit: Future)
  • Superb picture reproduction
  • Effective upscaling
  • Fast load times

The X800M2 demonstrated a short load time in my testing. It took roughly 30 seconds from a disc being loaded into the disc tray to the first logos appearing on screen, which is 5-10 seconds faster than the Panasonic DP-UB820 and a full 30 seconds faster than the Panasonic DP-UB150.

For testing, the X800M2 was connected to a Panasonic MZ1500 OLED TV.

The X800M2 demonstrated superb picture quality. When viewing a 4K Blu-ray of The Batman, black levels were rich and deep, and contrast was powerful. Textures and details were true-to-life, and the Dolby Vision HDR added extra visual punch. It was a similar story with Oppenheimer: black and white scenes were presented with a full range of gray tones, creating a balanced and dynamic image.

Colors were also presented with plenty of vibrant punch. In the opening sequence of La La Land (in HDR10), the full array of brightly colored clothing on display looked natural, yet vivid. The same was true for a later scene where Mia’s yellow dress is shown against a dark backdrop, though I noticed that the X800M2 has a cooler color palette than my reference Panasonic DP-UB820 player.

The X800M2 also demonstrated brilliant upscaling. Watching the Blu-ray version of The Batman, the picture was very close to the 4K version, with only slightly softer-looking textures. A DVD of The Amazing Spider-Man didn’t quite hit 4K quality, but the clean upscaling of textures improved picture quality.

While the X800M2 demonstrated mostly accurate reproduction with films, it did smooth out some film grain, which is something purists will want to take note of. One scene I watched from a Blu-ray of Thief has a high level of film grain, and while this was mostly maintained, the picture looked overly cleaned up compared to the same disc played on the Panasonic DP-UB820. The same situation held for The Batman, an intentionally grainy movie.

The X800M2 played Dolby Atmos soundtracks flawlessly and CD playback was also issue-free.

  • Performance score: 4.5 / 5
Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Design

The UBP-X800M2 has a solid, sturdy design, but the lack of an alphanumeric LED front display is disappointing (Image credit: Future)
  • Solid, premium design
  • No front-panel display
  • Cheap remote

For a mid-range player, the X800M2 has a premium build quality, with a weighty, solid chassis comprised of metal and plastic. The design is typical plain black, but it looks sleek and minimal compared to rival 4K Blu-ray players.

Similar to its step-down X700 counterpart, the X800M2 does not have an alphanumeric LED display on its front panel, making it difficult to easily tell where you are in a movie or see what screen/functions you’re using. It’s disappointing that Sony’s flagship player lacks this feature, which is one that Panasonic’s players provide.

The X800M2’s supplied remote is functional, but sadly feels cheap. It’s an improvement on the smaller one supplied with the Sony X700, but it’s still not as easy to use as the remotes supplied with Panasonic’s 4K players.

  • Design score: 4 / 5
Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player review: Value

The UBP-X800M2 has great overall picture quality but it does favour a cooler color palette, shown here during La La Land (Image credit: Future)
  • Good features and performance for the price
  • Step-down X700 is a better value

At $289 / £299, the Sony UBP-X800M2 is a great mid-range 4K Blu-ray player, but one that sits in an awkward spot. It has great features, including Wi-Fi for streaming, and its picture quality and responsiveness are excellent for a mid-range 4K Blu-ray player. In the UK, however, the similarly priced Panasonic DP-UB820 with its more comprehensive HDR support is probably the better option. And in the US, the step-down Sony X700 is significantly cheaper than the X800M2 and offers better overall bang for your buck.

  • Value score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player?

The UBP-X800M2 does maintain film grain in older movies such as Thief, but there is some smoothing happening (Image credit: Future) Buy it if...

You want superb picture quality
The X800M2's delivers refined detail, brilliant contrast and bold colors, especially with 4K Blu-rays. View Deal

You watch a lot of Blu-rays and DVDS
Your regular Blu-rays and DVDs will benefit from the X800M2's upscaling prowess, which improves textures and colors. View Deal

You want a feature-packed 4K Blu-ray player
With Dolby Vision HDR, Wi-Fi for streaming and a good number of connections and settings, the X800M2 is a well equipped 4K disc player. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want the best value 4K Blu-ray player
The step-down Sony UBP-X700 has similar features and picture for less. And the Panasonic DP-UB820, though slightly pricier, offers significantly more features for the money.View Deal

You don't want to mess with settings
When switching between Dolby Vision and non-Dolby Vision discs, the X800M2 has a frustrating setting that needs to be changed each time.View Deal

You want a modern interface
As you may end up spending time in the settings menus, be prepared to deal with a dated interface. View Deal

Also consider

Sony UBP-X700
The step-down Sony 4K Blu-ray player from the X800M2, the UBP-X700 delivers similar features and performance for less, demonstrating better value. Yes, the X800M2 might beat its picture quality, but not enough to justify the price difference.

Read our full Sony UBP-X700 reviewView Deal

Panasonic DP-UB820
Our best-in-class 4K Blu-ray player choice, the DP-UB820 offers full HDR support and more connections than the X800M2. It may be pricier than X800M2, but the DP-UB820 delivers the ultimate bang for your buck.

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB820 reviewView Deal

Panasonic DP-UB150/154
A more budget 4K player than the X800M2, the UB150/154 doesn't offer the same performance or features. It's still worthwhile if you're on a strict budget, as it supports a wide variety of discs and HDR10+ high dynamic range.

Read our full Panasonic DP-UB150/154 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Sony UBP-X800M2 4K Blu-ray player
  • Tested using a variety of discs including 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and CD
  • Tested with Panasonic MZ1500 OLED TV

For my testing of the Sony UBP-X800M2, I connected it to a Panasonic MZ1500 OLED, a TV with Dolby Vision HDR support.

To test the X800M2's video and audio quality, I predominantly used reference scenes from 4K Blu-rays, including The Batman, La La Land, Top Gun Maverick, and more.

I used several regular Blu-rays, including Thief, and DVDs such as The Amazing Spider-man to analyse the X800M2's upscaling.

I also evaluated the X800M2's video and audio settings, its menu layout and its streaming capabilities.

Categories: Reviews

More than 40 hours in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and its staggeringly beautiful world have made me a turn-based combat convert

TechRadar Reviews - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:42

Turn-based role-playing game (RPG) Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is easily an early game of the year contender. It has some of the best visual execution and artistic design I’ve ever seen, some of the most beautiful environment and world building I’ve immersed myself in, and also some top-tier, multifaceted combat that has changed me from a skeptic to a turn-based convert.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5, PS5 Pro
Available on:
PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Release date:
April 25, 2025

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 deftly carves out its own style despite the clear influence of JRPGs (Japanese role-playing games) that it so readily wears on its sleeve, but not once does it feel like it’s purely imitating other games, or tamely reimagining established elements.

Instead, it delivers a sublimely sombre story with fantastic performances, in a world full of breathtakingly beautiful environments, that has some exhilarating, slick, and rewarding combat that is fantastic to get your teeth into.

There are a few wrinkles along the way that affect some elements of the game such as dialogue, progression and navigation, and the overall pacing a little, but this effort Sandfall Interactive’s small team of developers is as good as some of the best RPG games, and is definitely an early contender for game of the year discussions.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive / Microsoft) A world worth fighting for

As I have touched upon, there are three core elements of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that combine to create its brilliance.

The first is the immensely high-quality and breathtaking setting, environments, and art direction. The entire game is a visual treat, with every map, level, environment, and locale designed with intelligence, but also aesthetic brilliance.

Each and every place in the game is itself a staggeringly beautiful environment. From Giants Causeway-esque volcanic rock coastal areas, to strangely underwater (but not actually underwater) zones and huge mountainous areas where each cliff is a face, to icy stalactite riddled caves and all kinds of lush landscapes in between, there’s never a dull moment.

Navigating is a simple joy too: you can seamlessly switch between characters with the press of a button, and Lune’s smooth gliding movement (the character’s alternative to sprinting) is one of the many simple things that Clair Obscur does tremendously.

This environmental excellence even extends to the overworld used to navigate between the main areas of the game. Much like the map, it has a wonderfully painterly quality to it, and you can move your characters around from a different perspective, almost like miniatures on a tabletop game.

You can engage in battles in this overworld-come-map too and navigate it like almost any other part of the game, while also deploying your camp - your expedition’s hub area where conversations and upgrades happen.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative)

Each main area in the game is largely linear, with some tucked-away ends with rewards for those who explore. You’ll come across expedition flags regularly, too. These remnants of expeditions past act a little like bonfires from Souls games: you can heal your party, tinker with skills and attributes, and replenish your supplies at the cost of spawning defeated enemies.

Everything is further enhanced by the wonderful acting and voice work provided by the game’s cast. Dressed in the dark fantasy Belle Époque aesthetic, stars such as Charlie Cox, Ben Starr, Jennifer English, Kirsty Rider, and Andy Serkis give emotive and powerful performances.

The design of non-player characters (NPCs) and foes contributes to the overall level of artistic brilliance, too. The former are quirky beings named Gestrals, who appear as if they’ve been designed around Salvador Dali’s impressions of living paintbrushes, and the latter come in a variety of forms that beautifully complement the areas in which you find them. There’s some repetition here and there, but generally, each was a joy to face - though a lot of that joy comes from the combat, more on that below.

All in this wonderfully stylish execution and presentation has a cinematic quality at times, and it sometimes feels like you’re playing in a stylish film from French cinema. It’s an incredibly imaginative and unique setting, and with such strong placemaking, it will be a game world that stays with me.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive) Masterfully crafted combat

More than anything else, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s combat is quite possibly the biggest accomplishment in the entire game - despite my heaped praise above.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has what I’d call ‘active turn-based combat’. Built upon the staple turn-based action found in JRPGs, the game adds a small tweak - a tweak that was one of the main things that drew me in initially.

This affects the ‘passive’ part of turn-based combat - i.e. between turns or as enemies engage make their moves, and inserts active actions like dodging and parrying. There are also quick-time events (QTEs) in your moves to enhance the impact and power of your attacks.

This not only means that you can still influence both attack and defense throughout each turn, but the execution of these also elevates the combat masterfully. Foremost because the parries, dodges, and QTEs are all extremely well balanced and can be game changers once you’ve mastered them. They aren’t always essential, and they are hard to time perfectly, but when you nail them, it can turn a losing encounter into a winning one in a split second.

Within each battle, your characters can perform a basic attack to gain one action point (AP), fire their free aim weapon at the cost of one AP per fire, use a potion, or execute one of their many skills, should you have enough APs available.

The points requirement can be an obstacle, but you can swiftly gain APs by dodging and parrying perfectly. This places extra importance on the combat’s active elements, though thankfully, it never feels like you’re being forced to play a specific way.

And there’s also a whole lot more to the combat than APs, dodging, and parrying. An incredible amount more, and the game offers plenty of cogs to its combat wheel that can be a total blast to experiment with as you form impactful loadouts and combinations.

For example, as well as their own weapon types - that you can, of course, upgrade as you go - each character has their own unique skill tree with a variety of options that do different levels of damage for different amounts of action points. There are also Pictos (a sort of rune that can be equipped to offer boosts), three of which can be equipped by characters in their loadout at any one time.

Best bit

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative)

Successfully navigating your way through a battle against multiple enemies turn by turn - either fully planned or on the fly - is superbly satisfying, especially when clawing back victory from what looks like certain defeat by complementing your characters’ attacks and capitalizing on enemy weaknesses.

Lumina points can also be applied to characters, which enables them to make use of Pictos equipped by other party members. Then there are also base attributes which can be boosted with each level-up, and that change in importance depending on the characteristics of the weapon you have equipped.

While each character has a host of skills to use, none ever feel unobtainable as the game isn’t shy about giving you plenty of the items that let you reset attributes and skills. I ended up with nearly two dozen of these left over at the end of my playthrough, despite having used a fair few.

So if you really like skill swapping and experimentation, then you’ll be well served here and you’ll be rewarded for getting to know each style, especially as grander skills open up later in the game. With so many systems to get stuck into, there’s a chance that they may be overwhelming - especially given their unique names and terms - but I appreciate the freedom to create your own style.

Combine this with each party member being very different and can be played in a multitude of different ways due to all of the above, and the options you have are wonderful.

Some of my favorite moments of the combat are when it feels like a chess game - perhaps even after a failure or two first planning multi-character moves in advance to make the most of buffs and a good sequence of blows on an enemy. However, I have also really enjoyed being able to react, relying on parrying and dodging to overcome an unforeseen challenge, reacting on the fly.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative) A superbly sombre story

Forming the bedrock for the wonderful combat and beautiful lands is the extraordinarily gripping story. You play as a party of expeditioners embark on a mission to eliminate the ‘Paintress’ and her effect on the island of Lumière, which means that every year, people above an ever-decreasing age perish is what’s referred to as a Gommage.

Following each Gommage, the populace sends out an Expedition to try and slay the Paintress, with each previous to the 33rd attempt being unsuccessful. Finding out what happened to the past expeditions through lost journals adds further depth to the worldbuilding, pulling you in and ensuring you want to find out more and more.

I was locked into the narrative extremely quickly, with the actors' performances combining beautifully with the setting and the pacing of the setup. There’s no barrage of lore here, though: it hooks into you right from the off. And as the story progresses, you get to know the characters more, get invested in their relationships, and see and meet a variety of interesting parties that all play a part in the narrative.

I’m eager not to reveal any spoilers, as it is riveting throughout and wholly unique in games I’ve played. It’s immediately intriguing, always engaging, and perpetually sombre, dark, and melancholy - though never quite truly bleak. It’s not so relentlessly miserable that it would make folks turn off, but it’s never very far from relentlessly melancholy.

(Image credit: Kepler Interactive)

That’s not to say it’s totally without fault, as some minor frustrations are present.

Dialogue can be a bit disjointed at times, and there are multiple instances where you need to press X to say “Yeah”, for example. This is on top of some more baffling omissions, such as having no journal for quests or minimap, and not being able to quickly compare weapons in character menus or when trading. There are also times when areas drag on a bit, or multi-cutscene narrative moments go on for a while.

Those minor qualms aside, and they are very minor, never impacting on my experience enough to put me off, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a wonderful, beautiful, sombre, exceptional game that I can’t recommend highly enough.

Should you play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Play it if...

You’re after a visual and audio spectacle
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a treat for all the senses. It’s one of the most stunning games I’ve played in terms of its art and environment design, but also audio and voice acting.

You’re not usually into turn-based combat
I’m no turn-based combat lover, but the action in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is fantastic. Mixing both planning-essential turn-based combat with active elements and complementing attacks between party members, the action is always gripping and perpetually rewarding.

You want to be engrossed in a gripping narrative with top-notch acting
If games’ stories are what you value most, then you’ll not be let down by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s wonderful writing and immersive story.

Don't play it if...

You’re looking for simple and straightforward combat
While I feel that the combat in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is generally one of the game’s great strengths, with so many elements and unique phrases, and terminology, it may be overwhelming for those who prefer combat to be straightforward.

You’re after a cheerful experience
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
is not a truly bleak slog by any means, but it’s certainly not a cheery tale either. If you’re looking for something that’ll be spirit-lifting and feel-good, then this isn’t it.

Accessibility

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a smattering of accessibility options that can be tinkered with. The headline is the three difficulty levels present, which you can switch between at any time to find the right challenge for you.

There’s also an auto quicktime mode for executing attacks during combat, which can certainly take some of the stress out. However, there’s no such mode for defence, which feels like an, albeit very specific, oversight.

Elsewhere, there are customisations for subtitles and good colorblind options, along with camera adjustments, but there are no control customization options available by default.

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative) How I reviewed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

I played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for more than 40 hours, completing the main storyline (in about 30 hours) as well as visiting every corner of the map I could and carrying out a host of side quests.

I reviewed the PlayStation 5 version of the game on my two PS5 setups: a PS5 Slim combined with an Acer X32QFS gaming monitor and a Yamaha SR-C20A soundbar; and a PS5 Pro teamed with a Samsung Q6F 55-inch 4K QLED TV and Samsung soundbar.

When using a headset, I opted for a SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 on the PS5 Slim, and a set of Sennheiser HD 550 headphones, or a SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset with my PS5 Pro. I used a regular DualSense Wireless controller with both machines and played many hours of the game on my PlayStation Portal, too.

I tested the game thoroughly in both its graphics modes, Performance and Quality, and preferred the former, playing the vast majority of the game in it. The smoothness of the framerates - and extra quality on PS5 Pro - made for a slicker experience, especially in the exhilarating combat, but whichever mode you choose, you’ll be treated to an absolute spectacle, visually.

First reviewed April 2025

Categories: Reviews

Best Internet Providers in Warner Robins, Georgia

CNET News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:29
CNET’s experts have rounded up the top internet providers available in Warner Robins.
Categories: Technology

Everything new on Paramount+ in May 2025

TechRadar News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:00

I always have my ear to the ground when it comes to the best streaming services, so trust me when I say there's another wave of brand new Paramount+ movies and TV shows coming to the platform in May 2025 that you'll want to know about.

This month it's TV show premieres galore, and Paramount+ has a number of shows returning for new installments, from season 18 of Criminal Minds, to RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars season 10 where you can expect the show's biggest cast yet – 18 queens altogether.

In addition to new Paramount+ shows, the service is also giving its library of best Paramount+ movies a glow up with an assortment of movies spanning a range of genres, but the ones that stick out for me are '90s staple Clueless (1995) and modern cinematic epic Parasite (2019). I'm also excited to finally see Pride (2014) come back to streaming but that's down my obvious bias – I am Welsh after all.

Everything new on Paramount+ in May 2025

Arriving on May 1

A Very Brady Sequel (movie)
Addams Family Values
(movie)
Aeon Flux
(movie)
Atlantic City
(movie)
Awake
(movie)
Black Rain
(movie)
Book Club
(movie)
Bound
(movie)
Bride & Prejudice
(movie)
Bruce Lee, The Legend
(movie)
Charlotte's Web
(movie)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
(movie)
Clueless
(movie)
Crocodile Dundee
(movie)
Crocodile Dundee II
(movie)
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles
(movie)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
(movie)
Cursed
(movie)
Days of Thunder
(movie)
Dreamland
(movie)
Drillbit Taylor
(movie)
Duplex
(movie)
Erin Brockovich
(movie)
Extraordinary Measures
(movie)
Finding Neverland
(movie)
Flight Of The Intruder
(movie)
Frank Miller's Sin City
(movie)
Freedom Writers
(movie)
G.I. Jane
(movie)
Gandhi
(movie)
Green Book
(movie)
Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(movie)
Hostage
(movie)
Hotel for Dogs
(movie)
I.Q.
(movie)
In Her Skin
(movie)
In The Bedroom
(movie)
Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back
(movie)
Just Friends
(movie)
Just Like Heaven
(movie)
Kate & Leopold
(movie)
Kingpin
(movie)
Last Vegas
(movie)
Life of Pi
(movie)
Memoirs of a Geisha
(movie)
Mercy
(movie)
Minari
(movie)
Monster Trucks
(movie)
Nebraska
(movie)
Norbit
(movie)
Oldboy
(movie)
Once Upon a Time in America
(movie)
Once Upon A Time In The West
(movie)
Parasite
(movie)
Patriots Day
(movie)
Paycheck
(movie)
Pride
(movie)
Private Parts
(movie)
Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown
(movie)
Rango
(movie)
Rio Grande
(movie)
Romeo Must Die
(movie)
Sahara
(movie)
Scary Movie 2
(movie)
Scary Movie 3
(movie)
Some Kind of Wonderful
(movie)
Son of Rambow
(movie)
Southside With You
(movie)
Spell
(movie)
Stardust
(movie)
Terminator: Dark Fate
(movie)
Texas Rangers
(movie)
The Addams Family
(movie)
The Adventures Of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
(movie)
The Brady Bunch Movie
(movie)
The Comeback Trail
(movie)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(movie)
The Edge of Seventeen
(movie)
The Four Feathers
(movie)
The Ghost and the Darkness
(movie)
The Last Airbender
(movie)
The Last Castle
(movie)
The Mist
(movie)
The Prince and Me
(movie)
The Queen
(movie)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
(movie)
The Two Jakes
(movie)
The Weather Man
(movie)
Things We Lost In The Fire
(movie)
Top Five
(movie)
Trading Places
(movie)
We Were Soldiers
(movie)
Yours, Mine & Ours
(movie)

Arriving on May 6

Beckham & Friends Live

Arriving on May 7

PAW Patrol: Aqua Pups
Everybody Still Hates Chris
season 1

Arriving on May 8

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 18

Arriving on May 9

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season 10
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars: Untucked

Arriving on May 12

Hard Truths (movie)

Arriving on May 14

Assassin Club (movie)
Air Disasters
season 21 (TV show)
First Wives Club season 1 & 2 (TV show)
The Family Business seasons 1-3 (TV show)
Tyler Perry’s Sistas season 4 (TV show)
Tyler Perry’s The Oval season 4 (TV show)

Arriving on May 15

SkyMed season 3 (TV show)

Arriving on May 16

The Chi season 7 (TV show)

Arriving on May 17

The Greatest @Home Videos season 5 (TV show)

Arriving on May 21

Dora the Explorer: Mermaid Adventures! (TV show)
American Gangster: Trap Queens season 1 & 2 (TV show)
Tyler Perry’s Zatima season 1 & 2 (TV show)

Arriving on May 23

Couples Therapy season 4 (TV show)

Arriving on May 26

American Music Awards (TV show)

Arriving on May 28

Rock Paper Scissors season 1 (TV show)

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Categories: Technology

Google Is Hosting an Android Update Event on May 13

CNET News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:00
The Android Show: I/O Edition will happen a week before Google's I/O developer conference.
Categories: Technology

What is the release date and time for Star Wars: Andor season 2 episodes 4 to 6 on Disney+?

TechRadar News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:00

Andor season 2 is already a quarter of the way through its entire run. Indeed, with the first three episodes making their Disney+ debut last Tuesday (or Wednesday, depending on where you live), there are only nine more set to arrive in the weeks ahead.

Still, at least we've got three more chapters to look forward to very soon. That's right, episodes 4 to 6 of the Star Wars TV show's second season will air imminently, so you'll want to know when you can stream them.

Below, I'll tell you when Andor's next three-episode act will debut on Disney+ in the US, UK, and Australia. A full launch schedule for the rest of this season's entries follows, too. So, strap in, folks, because we're going to rattle through this article quicker than Han Solo completed the legendary Kessel Run.

When can I watch Andor season 2 episodes 4 to 6 in the US?

Andor season 2 episodes 4 to 6 will be an explosive affair (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

Andor season 2 act 2 will be released on Disney's primary streaming platform on Tuesday, April 29 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET in the US. That's the same time that their three predecessors debuted on one of the world's best streaming services.

What is the launch time for Andor season 2 act 2 in the UK?

Prepare to visit Ghorman with Syril Karn over the next three episodes (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

British-based viewers can stream Andor season 2's next three installments on Disney+ UK on Wednesday, April 23 at 2am BST.

Yep, that means those of us based over here have got another late night or very early morning ahead of us if we want to watch them as soon as they drop on the service.

When will episodes 4 to 6 of Andor's second season be released in Australia?

Forest Whitaker's Saw Gerrera will appear in Andor season 2 act 2 (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

One of the best Disney+ shows will get new episodes in Australia on Wednesday, April 23 at 11am AEST.

If you're unable to stream one of 2025's new Star Wars shows' latest chapters at that time, it might be best to mute certain words or hashtags on social media so you can avoid spoilers.

As I outlined in my Andor season 2 review, I've watched all 12 episodes and there's stuff that happens in episodes 4 to 6 that you won't someone to ruin before you can watch them.

When do new episodes of Andor season 2 come out? Full release schedule explained

Will Vel and Cinta patch things up in Andor season 2 episode 4, 5, or 6? (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

If it wasn't obvious by now, new episodes of Andor will be released every Tuesday in the US, and on Wednesdays in the UK and Australia.

For a complete rundown on when the final six chapters will arrive, read the list below:

  • Andor season 2 episode 1 – out now
  • Andor season 2 episode 2 – out now
  • Andor season 2 episode 3 – out now
  • Andor season 2 episode 4 – April 29 (US); April 30 (UK and Australia)
  • Andor season 2 episode 5 – April 29 (US); April 30 (UK and Australia)
  • Andor season 2 episode 6 – April 29 (US); April 30 (UK and Australia)
  • Andor season 2 episode 7 – May 6 (US); May 7 (UK and Australia)
  • Andor season 2 episode 8 – May 6 (US); May 7 (UK and Australia)
  • Andor season 2 episode 9 – May 6 (US); May 7 (UK and Australia)
  • Andor season 2 episode 10 – May 13 (US); May 14 (UK and Australia)
  • Andor season 2 episode 11 – May 13 (US); May 14 (UK and Australia)
  • Andor season 2 episode 12 – May 13 (US); May 14 (UK and Australia)
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Categories: Technology

WooCommerce phishing campaign uses fake patch to lure victims into installing backdoors

TechRadar News - Mon, 04/28/2025 - 11:00
  • Patchstack spotted a new phishing campaign targeting WooCommerce users
  • The email warns the users about a "critical vulnerability" that must be fixed
  • The "fix" is actually malware that creates a rogue admin account and drops stage-two malware

If you are a WooCommerce user, pay attention, since there is a new phishing campaign going around targeting people like yourself.

Recently, security researchers from Patchstack spotted a new phishing attack, which they described as “large-scale” and “sophisticated”. In the attack, the crooks would send an email, warning their targets about a critical vulnerability in their websites that needs to be addressed immediately.

The email also comes with a “Download Patch” link which, instead of the supposed fix, actually deploys a malicious WordPress plugin. The plugin is hosted on a website mimicking the WooCommerce Marketplace, and can be spotted in the typosquatted URL "woocommėrce[.]com" (notice the ė character).

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It uses zero-knowledge encryption and offers features like two-factor authentication, dark web monitoring, secure file storage, and breach alerts to protect against cyber threats.

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Old actors or new copycats?

The plugin first hides itself from the list of installed plugins, and then creates a new admin account. It also hides this account from the victim and relays the credentials to the attackers. Finally, it deploys stage-two malware, which includes web shells such as P.A.S.-Fork, p0wny, and WSO.

Patchstack, which usually tracks WordPress threats, says that a similar campaign was observed back in December 2023, with the key difference being that the phishing email warned about a non-existent CVE. Since both the emails and the malware are rather similar, the researchers speculate that both attacks are either the work of the same threat actor, or that the new campaign is the work of a copycat,

"They claim the targeted websites are impacted by a (non-existent) 'Unauthenticated Administrative Access' vulnerability, and they urge you to visit their phishing website, which uses an IDN homograph attack to disguise itself as the official WooCommerce website," the researchers explained.

If you are running a WordPress website with WooCommerce installed, you should scan your site for suspicious plugins and admin accounts, and make sure to update both WordPress and the plugins/themes you are running.

Via The Hacker News

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Categories: Technology

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