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Enzo Maresca's Blues look to end a run of three consecutive defeats.

Twenty-one members of the United States DOGE Service have resigned, they said in an anonymous letter, citing DOGE's ongoing work dramatically reshaping the federal government.

(Image credit: Jose Luis Magana)

• Several big firms are interested in acquiring Intel, reports claim
• Suiters potentially include TSMC and Broadcom, but AMD could block them
• A deal dating back 16 years will require any buyer of Intel to negotiate with AMD

Recent reports have claimed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Broadcom are separately considering deals to split Intel apart, with Broadcom interested in the chip design and marketing side of the business and TSMC potentially interested in the chip factories. That story came on the heels of a report from eeNews Europe, which suggested an alternative scenario in which Intel could merge with GlobalFoundries, a firm born out of AMD’s manufacturing division that was spun off some years back when the then-struggling chipmaker decided to go fabless.

There’s no confirmation that Intel is going to be sold off to any of the potential suitors rumored to be sniffing around, but there are obstacles that any buyer will need to be aware of. One, of course, is that the US government isn’t likely to be keen on allowing a foreign entity like TSMC to run Intel’s chip business. Another issue, which Digit to Dollars brought to light back in November 2024, could further complicate any deal.

Broad cross-licensing agreements

“We are frequently asked some version of ‘Will someone acquire Intel?’", the site noted. "At this point, we think it is highly unlikely, but these are highly unpredictable times. Setting aside all the principal considerations – like money, strategy, and regulatory approval – there are a few other hurdles. Chief among those is Intel’s license for x86.”

“Apparently, when Intel and AMD resolved their multi-decade dispute over x86, the cross-license agreement held provisions about transferability. If either company is acquired, the other has the right to cancel the license, effectively blocking the deal. When this was signed, we have to think everyone involved assumed it would be AMD getting acquired, but the provision seems to be mutual, and times change.”

Change they do indeed. While AMD is performing well, Intel… isn’t. Hence all the speculation surrounding its potential acquisition.

The broad cross-licensing agreements, which aren’t limited purely to the x86 instruction set architecture (ISA), mean Intel and AMD can use each other’s patents and will avoid accidental infringement lawsuits. There are strict rules over what they can do, so for example, Intel can’t make chips for AMD’s sockets and vice versa.

The cross-license agreement states that if either AMD or Intel merges with another firm or gets acquired, the deal ends and will require the remaining chipmaker to negotiate a new agreement with the new owner. If Broadcom were to buy Intel, that could create an interesting scenario.

AMD could negotiate with Broadcom in a bid to better challenge Nvidia, but as Tom’s Hardware points out, “At present, Broadcom, armed with both CPUs and AI processors, poses a greater competitive threat to AMD than Intel, the latter of which lacks a clear AI strategy.” In terms of market capitalization, AMD currently ranks as the 83rd largest company in the world, while Intel sits at 165th. Broadcom, however, is far ahead in 11th place, which shows its industry clout.

A licensing agreement between AMD and Broadcom would be in both companies’ interests, but what form that might take is anyone’s guess right now.

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• TSMC, Broadcom could tear apart Intel's legendary business after 57 years
• Rumor has it that Intel could merge with AMD's former foundry
• Intel slams Nvidia and AMD, claims chip giants have security flaws

The Old Gold look to increase their buffer from the drop zone as they host the midtable Cottagers.

The company added an AI disclosure on Call of Duty's Steam game page.

Rupert Murdoch and his oldest kids are battling over who controls his media empire when the 93-year-old dies. The Atlantic writer McKay Coppins explains the stakes and how it could change Fox News.

Fast-moving stars in the Milky Way indicate there could be a supermassive black hole in the neighboring Large Magellanic Cloud—something that has never been detected in a smaller galaxy.

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light review

The Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light is a Bluetooth-controlled length of customizable LED lights that can be applied around interior surfaces to create a subtle or eye-catching light feature. Govee has a large range of LED strip lights available, but this particular model appears to be available only at Amazon at the time of writing. There’s a list price of $28.99 / £27.99 for the 32.8 ft / 10-meter H617C model of the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light I’ve tested, and there’s also the shorter 16.4 ft / 5-meter H617A model available, retailing at $14.99 / £19.99. Longer lengths can be purchased in packs of two reels, with the 65.6 ft / 20 meter H617E costing $52.99 / £45.99, and the 100 ft H617F at $69.99.

The back of the length of the LED strip has double-sided tape ready-applied; not 3M tape, which is a shame, but the strength of the tape seemed satisfactory over the time I tested it. It’s important to note that the longevity of the hold from any adhesive relies on factors like the surface it’s applied to, and any tension due to cable positioning, etc.

(Image credit: Future)

When it came to applying the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light around corners, I was pleased to find that the strip was very flexible, as long as there wasn’t a bit of hardware on the part of the strip that needed to bend. This is why it’s always advisable to check the positioning of any stick-on light strips before committing. Other than the generic double-sided tape, the quality of the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light looked satisfactory for the money, though of course, how the unlit strip looked isn’t what’s important here.

Before delving into the fancier features, I used the control box to turn on the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light to observe the quality and brightness of the light. The LEDs were all in working order, performed well, and had no problem playing out sequences and switching between different colors.

The Govee Home app was required to make the most of all the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light’s features. I’m already a big fan of the Govee companion app, as I made clear in my review of the Govee Table Lamp 2, thanks to its attractive and easy-to-navigate interface. Syncing the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light to the Govee Home app took mere seconds as the app detected it almost instantly, and connected to the LED strip quickly upon selection.

(Image credit: Future)

There are a lot of features available, a simple but useful one being the brightness adjustment bar on the main page. Under different tabs I found more adjustable settings, including customizable color selections that could be applied to the entire strip or specific segments, and a great selection of ready-made scenes, which changed the lighting effect to reflect my choice of sunrise, forest, or glacier, to name a few.

There’s also an AI feature which, in my experience, wasn’t the most inspiring. I took a photo of a sunset-colored travel mug I own, and a bit of my grey and white marble-effect desk could be seen in the background. I can’t say I could see the resemblance in the resulting light combination, but I think this feature is best suited to highly saturated colorful images. For any custom color palettes or effects I created, there’s a DIY section where I could save them, making it easy to store and access my favorites.

(Image credit: Future)

As the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light doesn’t have smart capabilities, I wasn't able to connect to my Amazon Alexa, so I naturally couldn’t use voice control or set routines, no matter which of the best smart home devices I owned. Fortunately, however, there’s a timer function on the Govee Home app, with several slots to choose which time and days you want the light strip to power on, and when to power off again. There’s also a wake-up feature that once set will gradually build up to maximum brightness in the ten minutes leading up to the assigned time.

Overall, I’m quite fond of this Govee light strip. While there are many cheaper RGBIC LED light strips out there, I haven’t encountered any to date that rival the ready-made scenes or the level of customization available via the Govee Home app. If you’re interested in brightening up your home with smart lighting I recommend checking out our best smart lights guide for a variety of products that cater to different requirements.

(Image credit: Future) Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light review: Price and specs Should I buy the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light? Buy it if...

You want something simple
This LED strip is easy to install, set up, and use (even for the not-so-tech-savvy) thanks to the large-buttoned control box.

You want the best of both worlds
With a variety of pre-set colors and scenes to choose from and a load of customizable settings too, you can make things as simple or specific as required.

Don't buy it if...

You want to add to your smart home setup
One thing this Govee light strip lacks is smart connectivity, so if you’ve got the rest of your lighting set to a routine and want your light strip to fall in line, this isn’t the one for you.

You want something cheap and simple
If you just want to add a little ambiance with single colors and prefer a physical remote to app control, then you may find cheaper LED strips that tick all your boxes.

Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light review: Also consider

WiZ LED strip smart light
If you happen to prefer the reassurance of 3M adhesive, this Wiz LED strip smart light connects via 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and is Matter compatible, although curiously it doesn’t connect via Bluetooth. The available smart features mean that this strip can easily be incorporated into your current ecosystem, or be used as your first building block. To learn more, check out our full WiZ LED strip smart light review.

How I tested the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light

• I tested the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light for one week
• I looked at the quality and flexibility of the LED strip
• I tested the app's different features and customizable settings

I set up the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light and synced it with the Govee Home app. I took a close look at the quality of the materials used, including the adhesive and the hardware. I tested how flexible it was and how well it handled corners. I checked that all LEDs were working, ensuring there were no gaps in the run of lights.

I assessed how easy it was to control the Govee RGBIC LED Strip Light, and looked at the different customizable settings. I created my own color palettes before saving them in the DIY folder, tested out the AI feature, and ready-made scenes.

• First reviewed: February 2025
• Read more about how we test

• Netflix has released a new teaser for You season 5.
• In the teaser, Joe has started a new life in New York with his rich wife, Kate.
• But the ghosts of his past – and his own sinister desires – have other plans.

After releasing an ominous first teaser clip and image of You season 5 earlier this year, Netflix has now unveiled a new trailer of Joe Goldberg's (Penn Badgley) final murderous chapter.

Following a truly mind-bending finale to You season 4, Joe leaves another fake identity behind and goes back to where his killer story began: New York City. Having finally come to terms with who and what he is, there's no knowing what deadly extremes he'll go to in his obsessive pursuit of love.

In the teaser (see below), Joe has the chutzpah to declare that he's "the luckiest guy in New York" now that he's settled down with his new wife Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), who has opened doors for him due to her wealthy background. But is his luck about to run out? I certainly hope so.

What can we expect in You season 5?

After masquerading as an English professor in London, the murderous bookstore manager heads to the Big Apple with Kate to, he hopes, enjoy his happily ever after. However, his perfect life is soon threatened by the ghosts of his past and his own dark desires.

In the fifth and final season of one of the best Netflix shows, Joe's new obsession arrives in the form of Bronte (Madeline Brewer), an enigmatic young playwright who comes to work at his bookstore and makes him reconsider his wealthy lifestyle (he's also not having the best of times having to contend with Kate's siblings.)

Joe's search for love has seen him embark on a globe-trotting journey over the show's four seasons – and from Los Angeles to London, the book-loving killer has has made himself a whole lot of enemies who are now out to get him.

Now, one of them is set to come back and haunt him in the Big Apple – but who could it be? There's Joe's love rival Dr. Nicky (John Stamos) from season 1, orphaned Ellie (Jenna Ortega) from season 2, and Joe's former love interest Marienne (Tati Gabrielle) in season 3 just to name a few. Not only has Joe being pursued by the living, but his victims including ex-girlfriend Beck (Elizabeth Lail) and wife Love (Victoria Pedretti) have also returned from the grave to torment him.

We'll have to see if Joe's past catches up with him when You season 5 premieres on the best streaming service on April 24.

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The album, Is This What We Want?, is released in protest as the British government weighs changes to copyright and AI policies.

Amazon's next big Alexa event is imminent, and it's set to be a major one for all things Echo and smart home. The device-focused event, which will take place on February 26 at 10AM ET in New York City, marks the company's first Alexa announcement since September 2023. That was when the Echo Pop Kids smart speaker and its second-gen Echo Show 8 were unveiled. This time, Amazon is likely focused on the Alexa voice and could announce a big change for its smart assistant.

While Amazon hasn't officially revealed what's in store for its Alexa event, it hasn't been afraid to drop little hints here and there in the build-up to the next device launch. So far, we can venture a safe guess that the Alexa voice assistant will be the prime focus of the event, which is said to receive a significant AI upgrade, followed by the announcement of a new Echo smart speaker and possible Fire TV updates.

Therefore, we have a solid idea of what we expect next from the tech giant, but as we've said, nothing has been set in stone. We won't know for sure until Amazon makes it official during its event, so you can bet our eyes will be peeled for all the latest announcements during our live blog, which we'll update regularly throughout the event. Still, before that, these are the announcements we're expecting to see at tomorrow.

A next-gen Alexa

(Image credit: Getty Images)

At Amazon's last device event in September 2023, the company teased us with a brief look at Alexa AI, an AI-powered version of the voice assistant with ChatGPT-style functions. This could include an advanced ability to interpret context and distinguish natural speech, conducting multiple requests in a single voice command, and a possible monthly subscription fee.

There's no doubt that Alexa AI will be the star of the show at Amazon's event. However, as recent leaks have pointed out, the AI revamp may be slightly delayed before access is granted.

We've recently reported that an anonymous source informed The Washington Post ($/£) that the AI-revamped Alexa voice had been experiencing inaccuracies when asked questions. As a result, its release date could now be pushed back to March 31, but it will still be announced at Amazon's Alexa event tomorrow.

New Echo smart speakers

(Image credit: Future)

There's a chance we could see a brand new Echo speaker join Amazon's seemingly never-ending lineup of smart home devices that make up some of the best smart speakers. The last time the company unveiled a new Alexa speaker was the Amazon Echo 4th Gen in 2020.

Despite skipping its Alexa event last year, Amazon didn't starve us of some fresh Echo devices in its other smart home device ranges. Most notably, the Echo Show 21, which reigns as its largest Echo device, and its Echo Spot smart alarm speaker both made their debuts.

Given the near five-year time gap since Amazon's last Echo speaker hardware update, an announcement isn't completely unrealistic. A new smart speaker would also be handy for pairing with the AI-integrated Alexa voice.

Alexa subscription tiers

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

As we know, Alexa AI is likely to appear during Amazon's big Alexa event. However, we believe that the revamped voice assistant will offer limited free use before introducing a monthly subscription fee. Thankfully, though, this will likely not impact the classic Alexa we all know and love.

We've been aware that Amazon has been toying with the idea of implementing a fee for its new Alexa voice which could cost you between $5 to $10 a month. Considering that Amazon has fallen behind its AI competitors ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Apple Intelligence and has yet to ride the AI train, from a business perspective, charging a monthly fee makes sense. However, from a consumer perspective, we're still not entirely convinced that this will be worth splurging on, given its numerous delays and reported inaccurate responses.

Updates for Fire TV, and maybe a new device

(Image credit: Amazon)

While its Alexa voice assistant will be the main focus, it's likely that Amazon speak about its Fire TV device range. Amazon's 2023 device event revealed features for its Fire TV devices, including an improved Alexa voice search function and AI screensavers. Following Amazon's Android TV update, we believe the company could introduce new Fire TV devices alongside updates to the abovementioned features during its event.

Mentions of new Fire TV hardware were spotted on one of Amazon's developer pages, stating the following; “Android 14-based Fire TV is based on API level 34. The following sections explain some of [the] important changes that you should consider when you build apps for Android 14-based Fire TV". This gives a strong indication that new Fire TV devices will be one of the star announcements at tomorrow's event.

This leak has come at an awfully convenient time with the Alexa event due to happen tomorrow, adding to our suspicions that Amazon could expand its Fire TV line. With the lack of mentions of specific hardware models, we're unable to pinpoint what exactly this will entail, but we'd expect it to be the announcement of a new smart TV or streaming stick.

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Monitoring the noises within ecosystems reveals their health—allowing researchers to monitor changes in biodiversity, detect threats, and measure the effectiveness of conservation strategies.

• Researchers found a predatory loans app hiding as a financial management application
• Android app apeared to exclusively target Indian users
• It was removed from the Play Store

Cybersecurity researchers have found a SpyLoan app in Google Play targeting Indian consumers with some 100,000 downloads, before being pulled from the app store.

Predatory loan apps have a simple modus operandi: they advertise as quick and easy loan apps, offering fast loans with little to no paperwork. When the victim installs the app, though, it demands excessive permissions, accessing people’s messages and call logs, contacts, photos, and more.

After taking a loan, the app then asks for high interest rates, starts harassing the victim, and threatens to release sensitive photos (sometimes even fake, edited photos, too).

Bypassing security mechanisms with WebView

In this case, cybersecurity researchers from CYFIRMA found an app called Finance Simplified, which allegedly had 100,000 downloads on Google Play before being pulled down. This app pretended to be a financial management application, and while it worked more-or-less as intended around the world, it behaved differently for users located in India.

Before the app was pulled, BleepingComputer managed to read some of the reviews. "Very very very bad app they given low loan amount nd black mail to pay High otherwise photoes edited as a nude nd black mailing," one review read. CYFIRMA also said the app was advertised as a registered non-banking financial company, which was an outright lie.

Google is usually quite good at spotting malware in its repository, which begs the question - how did Finance Simplified make it through? Apparently, it loaded a WebView to redirect users to an external website, from where they downloaded a loan app APK hosted on an Amazon EC2 server.

"The Finance Simplified app appears to target Indian users specifically by displaying and recommending loan applications, loading a WebView that shows a loan service that redirects to an external website where a separate loan APK file is downloaded," CYFIRMA said.

After the news broke, a Google spokesperson said the app was removed from Google Play, and added that Android users are “automatically protected” against known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect. “Google Play Protect can warn users or block apps known to exhibit malicious behavior, even when those apps come from sources outside of Play,” the spokesperson told BleepingComputer.

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The Seagulls look to make it three EPL wins in a row as they welcome the Cherries to the Amex.

ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner review Product info

The UK model I’ve tested has since become unavailable to purchase, with no details to suggest when it might be back in stock. There are identical-looking car vacuums available under a different brand, but we cannot guarantee that these would perform the same.

The US model is still available and looks identical. However, the specifications may vary from those of the UK model I’ve tested.

The ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner is a cable-powered and easy-to-wield handheld vacuum cleaner that comes with some helpful accessories and a storage bag. It has a list price of $36.99 at Amazon, and was available in the UK until recently, with no hint of when it may be back in stock. There’s a variety of budget handheld vacs available on Amazon, and results can be somewhat hit-and-miss, but in the case of the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner, it’s a low-cost vacuum that’s worth the money.

I must admit, the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner appealed to me straight out of the box simply because it has rose gold buttons on – clearly I’m easily pleased. Aside from this detail, I was happy with the overall aesthetic and the materials used. It mostly comprises not-too-cheap-looking matt black plastic, with a smoky black translucent dust cup that makes up the front end of the vacuum. ThisWorx hasn’t provided a capacity for the dust cup, but it doesn’t look much smaller than the dust cup of the Temola TS20BS Cordless Handheld Vacuum.

(Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)

I liked how the air outlet vents have been somewhat made into a feature, as they’re fin-like and curved. The integrated handle is easy to hold and while at 2.4lbs / 1.1kg it’s not as light as other car vacuums I’ve tested, it’s still light enough and easy to wield. The rose-colored buttons are clearly differentiable and easy to use. There’s a simple slide switch engraved with a power button symbol and a rounded button that releases the catch holding the dust cup when pushed.

While many users prefer a wireless vacuum, I found the 16ft / 4.8m power cord offered plenty of length to vacuum my whole car. It plugged into my car's 12V outlet easily, and this constant power meant that I wasn’t limited to a 10-15 minute run time as many cordless of the best handheld vacuums are. The dimensions of the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner are fairly average, measuring ‎13.4 x 3.9 x 4.3 inches / 340 x 102 x 109mm, so it was small enough to use in my footwells. For harder-to-reach areas, the extension tube and flathead nozzle came in handy, as this allowed me to get down the sides of the seats. This car vac also comes with a brush head, spare HEPA filter, filter cleaning brush, a storage bag, and a hanging car freshener, too.

(Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)

I consider it a bonus when a handheld vacuum comes with a storage bag. The one that comes with the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner could not only hold the vacuum and the accessories but it was easy to carry as well. The quality isn’t fantastic, I must say. The material is thin and looks like it could get easily torn, so I can’t speak of its longevity, but it was convenient over the week I tested this car vac.

Getting the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner ready to rumble was pretty easy. There was no charging time to factor in thanks to its corded design, and I just needed to follow the instructions that stated I’d need to remove and reinsert the HEPA filter. The user manual stated this may be difficult to do at first, and they weren’t wrong, but after that point, it was easy to put back in place and remove. I liked that there was a plastic bar across the center of the filter, as this made life easier when it came to removing it, which is especially useful as the filter needed to be removed each time I needed to empty the dust cup.

(Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)

Despite only having one power setting, the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner had no issue vacuuming up the oats I’d spread over my car’s floor mat. It picked up basically everything in its path on the first pass, spare a couple of smaller particles, but it picked these up quickly when I went back over those spots. It performed well when vacuuming up the mixture of fine biscuit crumbs and flour, too, but there were some very fine particles within the pile that it wasn’t quite powerful enough to suck up.

This was the perfect opportunity to try out the extension tube and brush. Both ends of the hose look similar, but there’s a helpful arrow on the end that should be inserted into the vac. Both accessories were easy to fit in place, and the brush enabled me to clean up the finer particles, although it took a few passes, making it more effort to use than the Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro Plus, the overall champion of our best car vacuum, but this is understandable considering the substantial price difference.

(Image credit: Cesci Angell / Future)

The position of the air outlets was good, as the fin-like vents were positioned on the sides of the vacuum and blew backward, so I didn’t have any issues with the stream of air shooting oats and biscuit crumbs around my car, as happened when I tested the Homekane Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Cordless.

I tested ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner in a full car clean, and my driver's footwell was no easy task. I was pleased to find the suction was strong enough to get small bits of leaf debris and gravel out of my car's carpeting, something weaker vacuums I’ve tested struggled with. This car vacuum tackled the leaves and bits of gravel well, although I needed to empty the dust cup halfway through as the one-inch leaves unavoidably covered the filter. It took a few minutes, and I needed to finish off with the brush to get the finer debris out of the carpet pile, but overall I was pleased with the results from the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner.

In a nutshell, I’d happily spend $36.99 on this handheld vacuum cleaner. It looks nice, is easy to hold and, in my opinion, the corded power is a bonus as I don’t need to wait for it to recharge if I want to do a thorough clean. While the storage bag is a little on the cheap side, it still proved useful, and the accessories were a suitable quality for the price. If you’d prefer a named-brand vacuum, take a look at our selection of the best car vacuums, handheld vacuums, and cordless vacuums to learn about our favorites.

ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner specs Should I buy the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner? Buy it if...

You don’t want to risk running out of juice
Many people love a cordless vac, but if, like me, you like to spend time doing a thorough job, this corded design means you won’t be cleaning against the clock.

You want something easy to store
Whether you’d keep this handheld vac in your car or in a cupboard, the small size and storage bag make it easy to pack away when you’re not using it.

Don't buy it if...

You want a cordless vac
Corded vacs can have their limitations, especially if you own a motor home or a large vehicle. If this is the case for you, then a cordless handheld vacuum would be your best bet.

Don’t buy if you want control over suction power
While this vacuum had a good level of suction, there may be situations where you require more or less power. If so, a handheld vac with different suction modes might prove more efficient.

ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner review: also consider

Temola TS20BS
The TS20BS is satisfyingly lightweight and easy to use. It's cordless, has two speeds to choose from, and even has a helpful LED light for better visibility when vacuuming awkward spaces. The only downside to this efficient car vacuum is that there doesn't appear to be separate filters to purchase, so that's something to bear in mind. If you'd like to learn more about this Temola vac, check out my full Temola TS20BS review.

How I tested the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner

• I used the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner to clean my car
• I assessed its ability to vacuum both large and fine debris
• I tested the included accessories

I took a close look at the design and materials used for the ThisWorx Corded Car Vacuum Cleaner. I put it through its paces against the TechRadar vacuum testing process in my car. This involves testing a vacuum's ability to pick up fine and coarse particles, namely oats, and a mixture of flour and fine biscuit crumbs.

I assessed the fit of the accessories and used each of them to see how effective they were. I also looked at how easy and efficient the dust cup emptying process was.

• First reviewed January 2025
• Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners

• Apple is reportedly targeting vloggers with the iPhone 17 series
• It may replace a dedicated digital camera for video creators
• For now, it's not clear what any potential video upgrades could be

We're gradually learning more and more about what Apple has in store for us with the iPhone 17 later this year, and a new report suggests the four phones are going to have a special focus on video recording features.

"In past years, Apple has focused more heavily on the camera's photo-taking abilities," writes Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter for Bloomberg. "This year it will stress improvements to video recording."

Gurman is one of the more reliable Apple tipsters in the business, and he says Apple is targeting the "vlogging community" and "video creators" to move away from standalone cameras and use their iPhones instead.

It's not clear if there will be any new video recording features, or exactly what they might be, but it sounds like Apple is going to hype up these particular capabilities when it comes to iPhone 17 launch day (most probably sometime in September).

The current top-end iPhones, the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, can record video at a maximum resolution of 4K, and at up to 120 frames per second. Multi-stream ProRes and 3D spatial video recording are supported as well.

Potential upgrades

The rear cameras on the iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

If Apple is going to introduce new video features on the iPhone 17, what could they be? And will they offer enough to get vloggers to leave their dedicated digital cameras behind and go all-in on the iPhone?

A boost in megapixels is expected, as is a new telephoto sensor. On the hardware side, improved audio and video capture would certainly appeal, as would a boost to optical video stabilization for those smooth, extended shots.

There are likely to be improvements on the software and AI side too – perhaps something to match the Pixel's Audio Magic Eraser that cuts out background noise and can identify different types of sound (like singing or the hum of traffic).

(Image credit: Apple)

Yet even if the iPhone 17 does get these features, it won't completely replace the best vlogging cameras. TechRadar Cameras editor Tim Coleman says: "If a future iPhone 17 Pro is to be taken seriously by aspiring and pro filmmakers, Apple has its work cut out because we'd need to see several hardware improvements equating to the biggest single camera upgrade we've seen yet" he said.

"These include the quality of lenses, and for vloggers especially a dramatic improvement in the quality of the selfie camera. A built-in ND filter together with some sort of pro mode in the native camera app offering manual exposure control, including aperture and shutter speed, will make footage feel more natural and premium. I'd also hope for better heat dissipation, battery life, and larger SSD storage, although there are accessories to boost battery life and storage, so those points aren't dealbreakers" he added.

(Image credit: Sony )

Whatever happens, dedicated pro video cameras are likely to be around for a long time yet. "Today's vlogging cameras have evolved to keep them ahead of the best smartphones, like the iPhone 16 Pro. The DJI Osmo Pocket 3, for example, has a built-in gimbal for stabilization and smoothly following the subject" our cameras editor notes.

"The likes of the Panasonic GH7 and Sony ZV-E1, meanwhile, have much bigger sensors than iPhones and a wealth of pro-friendly recording modes. iPhones have made great strides with video, but there will be a place for standalone video cameras for a while yet" he added.

Still, while the iPhone 17 series won't be a primary camera for many filmmakers, it could well bring pro-friendly features to a new audience – and we're looking forward to finding out what those rumored features are later this year.

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The crafts retailer formerly known as Jo-Ann Fabrics had been struggling financially for several years following a DIY-driven uptick in sales during the early days of the pandemic.

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• Fable has been delayed to 2026
• Xbox Game Studios lead Craig Duncan confirmed he's giving Playground Games "more time"
• New pre-alpha footage was also revealed, giving us a first look at the gameplay

Xbox has officially confirmed that Fable has been delayed to 2026, but also offered a first look at gameplay.

This comes from the latest episode of the Xbox Podcast, where Xbox Game Studios lead Craig Duncan revealed that Playground Games' next fantasy role-playing game (RPG) will no longer be released in the planned 2025 launch window and instead arrive in 2026.

When asked by Xbox's Tina Amini where the development is at with the game, Duncan said, "We're really excited about [Fable's] progress and where Playground are. We previously announced Fable as 2025.

"We are actually going to give Fable more time. It's going to ship in 2026 now. While I know that's not maybe the news people want to hear, what I want is to assure people that it's definitely worth the wait."

Duncan added that he has "unequivocal confidence" in Playground Games and referenced the studio's legacy with its popular Forza Horizon series.

"Just what they’re bringing to Fable as a franchise, just think of the visuals of what you expect of Playground games plus amazing gameplay, British humor, Playground’s version of Albion," he said. "So inspired by what’s gone before with the franchise but their take, in quite frankly the most beautifully realized version of Albion you’ve ever seen.

"So, really excited about the plans and really excited about the future. I want the community to understand that we do these things for the best of the games and the teams, and ultimately that results in the best game for the community."

Duncan then went on to showcase a few clips of pre-alpha gameplay footage captured in-game. There are moments of the playable character walking through stunning forests, riding a horse, shots of cityscapes, a few cutscenes, and even some combat featuring some monsters, like a werewolf.

He also confirmed that he's played some of the game, including some of the "city elements", and some quests, he's also engaged in combat and a boss battle, as well as "used magic".

"It felt amazing," Duncan said, "and I had a great time."

Fable is the fourth installment in the franchise and was announced in 2020. Development updates remained quiet until the game was re-revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 with a new, comedic trailer. We then received another cinematic trailer last year, which offered a deeper look at the game's characters and fantasy world.

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We’ve been hearing about Alexa 2.0 for quite some time now, and with a mysterious Amazon devices showcase looming on the immediate horizon, we could finally be about to see the AI revolution hit smart home technology in a big way.

While we expected Alexa 2.0 sometime in 2024, Amazon didn’t deliver, skipping its 2024 Devices and Services event in favor of an Alexa-themed event this week on Feb 26 in New York City.

It’s an exciting moment for smart home fans, likely signaling the first major wave of new large language model (LLM) AI technology hitting our homes. However, the simple fact is there’s a lot that needs fixing in Amazon’s smart home - and that goes for Google, Samsung, and Apple, too, mind you - and AI might not be the solution for all of those problems.

It's left me at a challenging juncture I'm sure many budding smart home fans have faced; can Alexa keep up with my demands? Here are five problems I'd need to see fixed to keep me on-side.

1. Improved routines

(Image credit: Future / Amazon)

My biggest woe with Alexa is the dire state of automation. I use Alexa's Routine feature daily, and while the functionality works pretty well for the basics, as soon as you begin to work in any more complex instructions, custom commands, or conditional logic, you’re liable to either spend hours head-scratching while working through complex workarounds and third-party solutions and potentially just end up with something that scrapes by as semi-functional.

For example, there’s a lack of conditional logic. In an ideal world, I should be able to set up complex, conditional automations within the Alexa app; if my air quality monitor detects that it’s a bit cold in my home and its geofencing detects that I’m home and a sensor device detects the windows are closed, then my heater should turn on. In the past year, Alexa’s ability to incorporate multiple triggers has improved. Even so, it’s still limited and error-prone, meaning the best option stands as the more complex, added-cost IFTTT automation ecosystem.

It’d also be especially helpful if you could nest routines, allowing you to trigger complex chains of actions simultaneously instead of in one poorly optimized clump. Again, there are workarounds here using custom commands, but these work inconsistently, especially if Alexa has a surprise update that inexplicably wipes out its standard response to the exact same prompt you’ve been using for years.

Lastly, the ability to snooze routines or only run them when you’re home (currently impossible in the UK, where Amazon’s geolocation software isn’t available) would be helpful for those of us who live between homes or with a more flexible schedule.

We’ve got a full guide for how to use Alexa automations, why not check it out?

2. Contextual responses

(Image credit: Amazon)

One of the more likely Alexa upgrades we’ll see is improved contextual responses, allowing for many improved experiences when interacting with your smart home assistant.

For instance, one of the most frequent debates I have with my non-sentient smart home sasspot is the definition of ‘resume’. Often, I’ll pause a TV show, a news briefing, or some other kind of Alexa Skill while I take a call or answer the door, and I’ll ask Alexa to resume within minutes. What happens? Instead of resuming the media, I was just listening to, Alexa will nine times out of ten play whatever was last playing on Spotify.

Contextual responses would mean that instead of jumping straight to whatever takes priority in Alexa’s programming, the assistant will recall the context of my most recent requests and make a logic-based decision. Alexa offers contextual actions for certain smart home devices; smart lights can be controlled more easily when grouped into rooms with an Echo device. However, far wider-reaching device support is necessary to really make the smart assistant… well, assistive.

It would also allow for more natural interactions between the user and the Echo device. I regularly move between my kitchen and living room and have Alexa-enabled displays in both rooms. In an ideal world, I could ask Alexa to move Netflix from my kitchen to my living room, but as of writing, I have to pause my show, close Netflix, and then ask for Alexa to resume playing in the other room. It’s a first-world problem, yes, but a problem that bugs me every day when it should just work.

Improved Follow-up Mode

(Image credit: Future/James Holland)

Similarly, using Alexa would be a lot less painful if Follow-up Mode was a two-way street. When the feature was announced, many thought it might mean Alexa could ask follow-up questions to understand better what the user might want and need.

Unfortunately, Follow-up Mode basically just means that you don’t have to repeat your wake word to string commands to Alexa, which is certainly handy. It’s not exactly ‘smart’ though; all that’s happening is that your Echo speaker or display continues listening for a few seconds after completing your first request to see if you have anything else to add.

An improved Follow-up Mode could see Alexa asking clarifying questions, making real-time suggestions, and allow for better Routine configuration, wherein the user can ask Alexa to ask a clarifying question mid-way through a Routine that creates different pathways for executing the rest of the steps. Similarly, using Alexa would be a lot less painful if Follow-up mode was a two-way street. When the feature was announced, many thought it might mean Alexa could ask follow-up questions to understand better what the user might want and need.

Unfortunately, Follow-up Mode basically just means that you don’t have to repeat your wake word to string commands to Alexa, which is certainly handy. It’s not exactly ‘smart’ though; all that’s happening is that your Echo speaker or display continues listening for a few seconds after completing your first request to see if you have anything else to add.

An improved Follow-up Mode could see Alexa asking clarifying questions, making real-time suggestions, and allow for better Routine configuration, wherein the user can ask Alexa to ask a clarifying question mid-way through a Routine that creates different pathways for executing the rest of the steps.

4. Improved media searching

(Image credit: Amazon)

I won’t be joining the reams of conspiracy theorists claiming Alexa has “become dumber,” but I will say its ability to search for media seems to have deteriorated slightly, which could just as likely be a result of the ever-growing, terrifyingly vast swathes of content now available online.

For example, I’m a fan of Cobblestone Jazz, and I’ll often ask Alexa to play their music on Spotify. What do I get? A custom mix by Cybotron on Amazon Music. Any niche artist, track, or album is invariably skipped over for a slightly more recognizable alternative, with hilariously mismatched results at times.

The aforementioned improved handling of context would help Alexa to at least remember my preferences and make more logical decisions on what it thinks I might play, and follow-up questions where the user can provide more information and direction would also benefit Alexa’s hit rate. Regardless, something’s gotta give, so I stop accidentally blaring heavy metal instead of smooth jazz in the evening.

5. Improved language processing

(Image credit: Amazon)

I saved the obvious one for last because, of all the things that most need fixing, this is both the most important and most likely, thanks to the inevitable incorporation of LLM smarts to Alexa 2.0.

Currently, Alexa can be almost hilariously inefficient when it comes to commands, requiring very specific verbiage to work as intended. Better yet, that verbiage seems to change as updates come and go; the same Echo Spot I’ve been using to control my Philips Hue Signe for the best part of a year used to respond to “Signe” and now only responds to “floor lamp”, and I haven’t changed the name of the device in the App.

Improving language processing would mean users won’t have to adhere to a strict, seemingly undocumented list of specific commands and product names, which would allow users to play and experiment more with the voice assistant. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they had no idea that their smart speaker could help you find your phone or talk you through a seven-minute workout, I’d have at least enough to afford the rumored new monthly Alexa subscription.

While smart home enthusiasts have found some workarounds for a number of the improvements I think Alexa needs so desperately, many involve fiddly hacks or third-party services that your average user just might not want to tackle.

Echo devices have always been positioned more towards the ‘everyman’ than those of us who like to get down in the weeds with smart home setup, and to that end, it’s a surprise that Alexa is still as complex and riddled with awkward loopholes and quirks as it is.

With Alexa 2.0, however, that seems fit to change - hopefully, all will be revealed tomorrow at Amazon’s ‘Devices and Services’ event, so make sure to stay tuned!

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