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A baby seal was rescued from the streets of downtown New Haven, lethargic and underweight. He is now recovering at a nearby aquarium, which hopes to eventually release him back into the ocean.

The Mate XT Ultimate Design bends twice, creating three distinct sections. But here's the bad news: It's not coming to the US anytime soon.

Even while Pope Francis is hospitalized, he still keeps in touch with a Roman Catholic parish in Gaza City, making near-nightly phone calls to the priest and congregation there.

(Image credit: Alessandra Tarantino)

Leading VPN firm ExpressVPN has just released a major update to its router with built-in VPN, Aircove.

The update means ExpressVPN's Aircove and Aircove Go devices promise to be faster, more secure, and private. The upgrades include a new guest Wi-Fi feature to give you more control over your privacy, and up to doubled connection speeds than previously. Aircove and Aircove Go are also the first platforms supporting the newly launched Lightway protocol in Rust.

Upon release, the new AircoveOS v5 has had a successful third-party audit from cybersecurity experts at Cure53 under its belt that validates ExpressVPN's security infrastructure.

What's new with AircoveOS v5?

The AircoveOS v5 update was mainly shaped by customers' direct feedback, ExpressVPN explained.

"We listened carefully to what mattered most – from faster connections to isolated network access for your friends and family – and intentionally built these improvements into every aspect of Aircove’s architecture," said David Gilbert, staff product manager for Aircove.

Better performance was certainly one of the users' priorities. With the update, Aircove should reach 330 Mbps speed when using ExpressVPN's Lightway TCP protocol. While this doesn't yet match the fastest VPNs around, it's a considerable improvement and more than plenty to do most online activities without lag.

More notably, the update adds a new guest Wi-Fi feature that allows you to isolate untrusted devices in an independent network. The feature, the provider explains, ensures guest Wi-Fi devices experience the same powerful VPN encryption – without the risks of these interacting with other devices on users’ home networks.

Like the existing device group feature, you can customize the Guest Wi-Fi group by setting a different VPN location and toggling on advanced protections like ad-blocker and parental control.

(Image credit: ExpressVPN) The first of a new era

Aircove and Aircove Go are the first platforms to support the new Lightway protocol re-coded in Rust.

This upgrade – which is set to be rolled out across all other ExpressVPN platforms in the next months – promises to make your VPN experience faster and more secure.

Rust is a modern programming language designed for maximum performance and security. An easier code compared to the previously used C, the Rust-based Lightway is expected to make it easier for the team to adopt fixes and add new features.

The new Lightway protocol includes the NIST standard ML-KEM, too, ensuring Aircove can protect you against upcoming threats.

Cure53 has already given its security validation to AircovOS v5. The experts took apart the code in November and couldn't find any major vulnerabilities. You can read the full Cure53 report here.

All in all, Gilbert said, "The result is our most secure and performant OS yet, and we are thrilled to be delivering an enhanced VPN router experience on Aircove."

President Trump and his appointees are now solely in charge of the Kennedy Center. Performers protested by dancing.

(Image credit: David Dowling)

• The first teaser trailer for Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2: Lawless has been released
• The next season will take place in Crime City and will feature a train heist
• Characters like Bill Dill, Midas, Sub-Zero, and more will be featured in the Battle Pass

Epic Games has released the first trailer for Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2: Lawless ahead of its launch this week.

The next season will take players to Crime City, "where the hustle never stops," and with the new cinematic trailer, we finally got a chance to see the location in all its chaotic glory, alongside a bunch of new characters who will be featured in the upcoming Battle Pass.

It also seems rumors about this chapter featuring another heist are true, as the video kicks off with Big Dill, a playable pickle, robbing a bank while his song 'Runamok' plays throughout the trailer.

"Ransack Fletcher Kane’s banks, pull off a train heist and make an explosive getaway in Battle Royale Chapter 6 Season 2: Lawless," the description confirms.

The trailer soon devolves into mayhem as the bag of gold bars Dill robbed gets handed from one character to the other until it eventually lands in the hands of a mob boss wolfman, who appears to be the antagonist of the season.

We also got our first look at Midas' new look, a returning character who first appeared in Chapter 2 Season 1, and some gameplay within Crime City as players cause trouble with what appears to be a new laser weapon.

Epic Games just confirmed that Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero will be featured in the new Battle Pass, making him the franchise's first character to be added to the game. Sub-Zero's abilities haven't been detailed just yet, but the trailer did offer a glimpse at his ice powers.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2: Lawless is scheduled to begin on February 21, 2025.

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• Security researchers found two flaws affecting Xerox Versalink MFP printers
• The flaws could be used in "pass-back" attacks to steal login credentials
• Patches and workarounds are already available, so update now

Some Xerox printers are vulnerable to a “pass-back” attack which can be used to steal login credentials, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers Rapid7 discovered the vulnerability and reported it in an in-depth analysis, saying that during security testing, it found a vulnerability affecting Xerox Versalink MFP printers. This flaw can be abused either via LDAP, or SMB/FTP, to mount a pass-back attack, and with that in mind, it was given two CVEs: CVE-2024-12510 for LDAP, and CVE-2024-12511 for SMB/FTP. The vulnerabilities were given severity scores of 6.7/10 (medium) and 7.6/10 (high) respectively, and affect firmware versions 57.69.91 and earlier.

“This pass-back style attack leverages a vulnerability that allows a malicious actor to alter the MFP’s configuration and cause the MFP device to send authentication credentials back to the malicious actor,” the researchers explained. “This style of attack can be used to capture authentication data.”

Capturing login credentials

The technical details can be found in the blog post here, but the gist is that if a threat actor gains access to a printer’s admin settings, and LDAP is used for authentication, they can change the LDAP server to the one they control, capturing login credentials.

They can also hijack the printer’s scan-to-file feature to steal SMB or FTP credentials, potentially compromising Windows Active Directory and other critical systems.

"For this attack to be successful, the attacker requires an SMB or FTP scan function to be configured within the user's address book, as well as physical access to the printer console or access to remote-control console via the web interface," the researchers stressed.

"This may require admin access unless user level access to the remote-control console has been enabled."

After being tipped off, Xerox issued Service Pack Service Pack 57.75.53, which fixed the problem for VersaLink C7020, 7025, and 7030 series printers.

Those who are unable to apply the patches immediately are advised to set stronger passwords for their admin accounts, refrain from using Windows authentication accounts with high privileges, and disable the remote-control console for unauthenticated users.

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The Belgian champions have a slender advantage heading into this knockout second leg in Bergamo.

The Portuguese team have a one-goal advantage heading into this home leg at the Estádio da Luz.

A year after Reddit went public, the company's efforts to monetize its popular message boards continue.

• A Redditor has received a third-party RTX 5070 Ti before its launch on February 20
• This comes before its February 19 review embargo
• Recent reports suggest that the new GPU will suffer from similar stock issues seen with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080

Nvidia's RTX 5000 GPU series launch has been a tangled affair, due to numerous issues like limited retailer supply and scalping. Now, if it wasn't bad enough for Team Green already, the RTX 5070 Ti is only two days away from its launch - but one of its third-party models is unfortunately already out in the wild.

Spotted by VideoCardz, a Redditor claims they have already received the Asus RTX 5070 Ti Prime OC GPU, before both the review embargo and the actual launch of the Founders Edition card, which are set for February 19 and February 20 respectively. Leaks and speculation circulating around the new Blackwell GPUs aren't exactly anything extraordinary, but a card actually landing with a buyer days before launch is a pretty wild turn of events.

While it may not prove to be heavily detrimental to the RTX 5070 Ti's launch, it does further underline exactly how messy Team Green's latest GPU launch has been - more reports highlighted by VideoCardz suggest the upcoming GPU could also face the same supply issues seen with the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, potentially leaving scalpers salivating once again.

The Redditor also mentioned paying more than the retail price, which doesn't come as a surprise - multiple online retailers currently feature inflated prices for third-party RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 cards, so even though the recipient likely paid extra (with the unexpected benefit of getting the RTX 5070 Ti early), there's a high chance the same price inflation will occur for the 5070 family.

(Image credit: Nvidia) It's probably best to stick with your RTX 4000 series GPU for now

Acknowledging the ongoing issues with RTX 5000 availability, the easiest solution is to stick with your RTX 4000 series GPU if you have one. If you're lucky enough, you may even find third-party models of AMD's Radeon RX 7900 XTX (which is only slightly weaker than the RTX 5080) at discounted prices, or you could just wait for Team Red's new Radeon RX 9000 series lineup (assuming those don't get the scalper treatment too).

The only disadvantage you may have with Team Red's RX 7000 series flagship GPU, is potentially no access to FSR 4 - I say this with heavy emphasis on 'potentially', as the upscaling method might not end up being exclusive to the RX 9000 series forever.

While I'm not downplaying the effectiveness of DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation on the new Blackwell GPUs, it's just not worth the hassle to overpay to pre-order any of the cards at this point. There will more than likely be restocking in order for RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 GPUs at some point (and likely the same once the 5070 family sells out), but who knows how long that will take.

Right now, if you own an RX 7900 XTX or the likes of an RTX 4080 Super, rest assured, you're not missing out...

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Can the Scottish champions battle back at the Allianz Arena?

Money no object

We love to give practical buying advice on the latest gadgets here at TechRadar. But sometimes what we love even more is to indulge in the most ridiculous, high-end, cutting-edge, luxurious tech on the planet. That's what we bring you in these Money No Object columns – you can read the whole series here.

If you're reading this (thank you for that, by the way) you're no newbie to the hi-fi game. You know McIntosh – you remember the US specialist's MA6300 integrated amplifier, from the mid noughties, noted the firm's much more recent striking Bluetooth speaker, considered the compact, good-for-anything audiophile amp with streaming smarts and perhaps even visited the company's elite House of Sound venue. But this proposition is new again.

This is the McIntosh DS200, and this big chunk of metal, buttons and classy casework is specifically a streaming DAC. It's the separate for you if you've already got a compatible power amp and preamp (if not, might I suggest Moon's North 791 and 761 solution?) and of course speakers – here, let's go for the Focal Diva Utopia, because this is our hedonistic hi-fi haven and we can imagine whatever we like. Just missing the high-end streaming component to complete it all? McIntosh's got it covered with the DS200.

(Image credit: McIntosh) What makes a McIntosh separate? For me, the sound

As you'd expect, it's compatible with wireless protocols Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast plus Bluetooth. It's equipped with two Wi-Fi antennas and one Bluetooth antenna, as well as an Ethernet port for wired connections.

What about the DAC? It's good: the DS200 features a Quad Balanced eight-channel, 32-bit digital-to-analog converter, so in addition to its streaming capabilities, the DS200 boasts high-resolution digital audio playback via its eight digital audio inputs, including DSD512 and DXD up to 384kHz via USB and 24-bit/192kHz via coax and optical ins. There's also an HDMI (ARC) input to level up your TV and movie audio experiences, which can convert Dolby and DTS multi-channel formats into two-channel audio for optimized playback on your particular system, should you wish.

The DS200 also sports both balanced and unbalanced analog outputs, meaning it'll fit in with pretty much any existing audio system. For instance, it's factory-set in fixed output mode, with an option to switch to variable for direct connection to a power amp, allowing the DS200 to control volume in a fully digital audio setup.

And I can't end this piece without mentioning McIntosh's design language. The DS200 Streaming DAC is every bit the black glass faceplate, rotary control knobs, illuminated logo and custom-machined aluminum end caps I love about the company.

Ready for the big question? The DS200 be available in March through authorised McIntosh dealers with an official price of $4,000 / £5,890 / €5,990, which is around AU$6,302, if we take the US dollars figure as a guide. Look, I can't afford it. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to buy it…

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The way I listen to music is functional. I have playlists for the gym, background music for work, and upbeat tracks to push me through an afternoon slump. My choices are tied to specific activities and times of day, so when Spotify introduced Daylist in September 2023, I was hooked.

Daylist is a dynamic, personalized playlist that updates throughout the day based on your listening habits. It curates tracks that match past choices, adjusting to different times and, in theory, moods. It’s ideal – open it, laugh at the AI-generated playlist names, hit shuffle, and go, no thinking required.

But is that a good thing? At first, I loved it. But over time, it shifted from something I enjoyed to something I heavily relied on without realizing. And now, I’ve started to notice a pattern – the same themes, the same kinds of tracks appearing again and again.

Which makes me wonder: Am I stuck in an AI-curated loop, feeding the same preferences back into the system until my tastes become a closed circuit? Is Spotify’s recommendation algorithm making me predictable – and, dare I say it, boring?

(Image credit: Shutterstock) How do recommendations work?

Personalized content is a huge part of Spotify’s success, and Daylist is just one of many recommendation-driven features. There’s Discover Weekly, Release Radar, Daily Mix, On Repeat, Repeat Rewind, Your Daily Podcasts, and more.

Seasonal playlists, like Spotify Wrapped, also keep things fresh. Spotify’s approach has been so successful that other streaming services have followed suit, refining their own playlist and recommendation engines to compete.

Some playlists are curated by actual humans at Spotify, but most rely on recommendation algorithms. The system pulls from several inputs: what you listen to, what you skip, what you save, your location, age, broader listener behavior, and general trends. One key method is collaborative filtering, which analyzes users with similar habits to recommend music you might like.

Another technique, content-based filtering, examines song characteristics – like tempo, genre, and instrumentation – to find patterns and suggest similar tracks. Then there’s context-aware filtering, which considers time of day, location, and past listening behaviors – this is what powers Daylist.

These techniques work together to keep recommendations fresh but still personal. Even when it feels like the algorithm is just recycling my old favorites, it’s actually introducing new songs that fit my tastes – just with enough variety to keep things interesting.

(Image credit: Spotify) The filter bubble

There’s a downside to all this personalization. The more I listen to algorithmic recommendations, the more my choices get reinforced, creating what’s known as an echo chamber or filter bubble.

And it’s not just Spotify. Netflix, YouTube, news apps – they all work the same way, feeding us more of what we already like, sometimes at the expense of real discovery.

This isn’t new. For years, our digital experiences – and even our tastes – have been shaped more by recommendations than by our own curiosity. Convenience is baked in, making it harder to break free. And let’s be honest – these platforms are designed to keep us scrolling, watching, and listening, not questioning what’s next.

Breaking free from The Algorithm

If AI-driven recommendations are keeping me in a musical rut, what’s the solution? The fixes are simple – almost embarrassingly so – but I needed the reminder.

Lately, I’ve been making an effort to seek out new music. I’m listening to more music podcasts, radio stations, and asking friends for recommendations. Even just recognizing that I might be stuck is a step forward.

I’ve also been using Spotify more intentionally – shuffling through my library to rediscover old favorites, searching for artists instead of mindlessly clicking on the dreamy color gradient of Daylist. This morning, instead of opening Daylist, I played a new music playlist. Not a huge step, but a small one.

(Image credit: Future)

Because as much as I love the convenience of an algorithm telling me what to listen to, what to like, what to care about, I don’t love how it commodifies music. These platforms aren’t designed to help us discover hidden gems or support emerging artists – they champion what’s already trending. Their real goal? Keeping us engaged and making money.

And yet, there’s something magical about human curation, randomness, and chance discoveries. But that kind of exploration takes effort, patience, and a willingness to get it wrong sometimes. Can we ever code that into an algorithm? It feels too messy, too human – but maybe one day.

Then again, maybe I’ve got it all wrong. Maybe these recommendation engines do understand something deeply human – just not the part we like to admit. We say we love discovery, that we crave newness. But when it comes to entertainment – movies, TV, music – maybe we’re not that adventurous. Maybe we just like things to feel familiar.

Maybe it’s not Spotify making me boring. Maybe I’m just boring.

• PLL Electric Utilities confirms data leaked online
• It was stolen from a third-party vendor during MOVEit hack
• No banking or payment information was leaked

It has been almost two years since the MOVEit MFT data breach fiasco, but businesses and their customers are still feeling the consequences.

PLL Electric Utilities is the latest to confirm information stolen back in 2023 has now been leaked online, as one of its vendors was exposed through MOVEit.

“The information did not extend beyond basic information such as name, address, phone number, email address and account number,” a company spokesperson said. Banking or credit card information, social security numbers or account passwords were not disclosed, since PPL did not share this data with the compromised vendor in the first place - but the information can still be used in phishing attack, identity theft, social engineering, and more.

Millions of victims

“This issue is completely unrelated to PPL’s systems and critical infrastructure across all our service areas,” the company said.

The 2023 MOVEit data breach was a large-scale cyberattack exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in MOVEit Managed File Transfer, a file transfer software built by Progress Software. It was discovered in late May 2023, when the flaw allowed attackers to execute SQL injection attacks and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Ransomware actors known as Cl0p were the ones exploiting the bug to steal data from organizations worldwide. The attack impacted more than 600 organizations and roughly 40 million individuals, including governments, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and major corporations. Among more notable victims are U.S. federal agencies, British Airways, Shell, and BBC.

The Cl0p ransomware gang is estimated to have extorted between $75 million and $100 million. Despite a low percentage of victims opting to pay, the group secured substantial sums from a select few who met their high ransom demands.

Via The Record

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Hamas says it has agreed to Israel's request to speed up release of Israeli hostages, including two men held around a decade. The bodies of members of a young family are among those it will hand over.

(Image credit: AHMAD GHARABLI)

• Epic Games has confirmed that Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero will be coming to Fortnite in the next season
• This makes it the first game to feature characters from both Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat at the same time
• Sub-Zero will be featured in the battle pass for Chapter 6: Season 2

Fortnite will officially get characters from the Mortal Kombat universe in Chapter 6 Season 2.

Epic Games shared the announcement in a recent X / Twitter post, where artwork confirmed that the next season will add Mortal Kombat icon Sub-Zero as an earnable skin in the game's new Battle Pass.

The addition of Sub-Zero makes Fortnite the first game to allow for a Mortal Kombat vs Street Fighter showdown by featuring characters from both fighting game franchises at the same time.

The popular battle royale welcomed Street Fighter's Ryu and Chun-Li back in 2021, followed by Cammy, Blanka, and Sakura later. With both fighting games now finally represented in Fortnite, we can probably expect some creative one-on-one battles between players, minus the bloody violence, of course.

Step forward and state your name. Except you, Sub-Zero. We know who you are...C6S2 | 2.21.25 pic.twitter.com/A6B9YjVHyYFebruary 14, 2025

So far, Sub-Zero is the only Mortal Kombat to be confirmed for the game, but there's a chance more characters will be added in the future, like Scorpion, Mileena, Johnny Cage, and Raiden.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 2: Lawless is scheduled to kick off on February 21, 2025. The new season will take place in Crime City and will also let you play as a pickle called Big Dill, as well as returning character Midas.

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I'm really gonna miss the iPhone SE. Oh, I know it's not going anywhere, but that iconic design with its last vestige of a home button is sure to disappear, and be replaced by something elegant and also very similar to all other current iPhone 16 models. That technical and aesthetic shift could sap the iPhone SE of what made it special (or Special Edition), and that would be a crying shame.

When, if the rumors are true, Apple unveils the iPhone SE 4 tomorrow (February 19), the Cupertino tech giant will have its work cut out for it. No one expects the 4.7-inch screen, single rear camera, and arguably very iPhone 8 design to survive. But unveiling a $500 iPhone SE that looks almost exactly like an iPhone 16 mini but with no defining characteristics would be a mistake, and it's one I truly hope Apple doesn't make.

There are signs that things could go a different way. Chief among them is Apple CEO Tim Cook's teaser post, which included a GIF that appeared to show the reflection of… something. Some believe they can clearly see the reflection of the next SE in that Apple logo. I, however, see something different.

Get ready to meet the newest member of the family.Wednesday, February 19. #AppleLaunch pic.twitter.com/0ML0NfMeduFebruary 13, 2025

I wonder if Apple was teasing an all-white iPhone with a design that splits the difference between the flat edges of the iPhone 16 lineup and that classic iPhone SE of 2022. At the very least, it would mean the iPhone SE 4 looks unlike anything else in the iPhone lineup.

Realistically, if Apple doesn't do something unexpected with the design, I struggle to see how the SE can be a 'Special Edition'. We're already fairly certain that it will get the Dynamic Island (or at least the dreaded notch) and Face ID. It will, by European Union decree, be a USB-C port design, and will have at least an A17 Pro so it can support Apple Intelligence, because Apple wants that AI stuff everywhere.

It won't have class-leading cameras. If the iPhone SE 4 follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, it will have a single rear camera (but it might be 48MP) and a 12MP front-facing FaceTime camera.

This is all expected.

Mini SE

I suppose there is a chance that the iPhone SE will instead take up the mini mantle and be a reskinned iPhone 13 mini. Back in 2022, the iPhone 13 mini was a little powerhouse with a dual-camera system and the A15 Bionic driving almost all the same photographic experiences you could get on the full-size iPhone 13. At 5.4 inches, the iPhone 13 mini screen is still larger than the iPhone SE's 4.7-inch display.

If Apple goes that route, it would just have to update the screen to accommodate the Dynamic Island (or notch). I don't know if Apple would go fully Super Retina on what is supposed to be a $500 phone. The iPhone 13 mini, by the way, cost $699 / £679 / AU$1,199.

Apple's iPhone mini line never sold well, but this was likely due to that price. The cheaper iPhone SE 4 could fare better. Still, none of the changes I've described put this phone in the 'special' realm.

To be fair, I really don't know what could make the iPhone SE 4 'special'. It's unlikely that Apple would introduce some out-of-band innovation that none of the iPhone 16 models have. That's not Apple's way. The SE line is a trickle-down model; it gets what the other phones have in due course, and tech innovation does not flow upstream.

Still, I'm excited about this mid-year iPhone unveil. Apple doesn't do it very often, and it could be a great opportunity for it to surprise us, and make the iPhone SE 4 as truly special as I want it to be.

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A real estate developer-turned-Middle East envoy, Witkoff has been credited with helping broker the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and free an American from Russian prison. Here's what to know about him.

(Image credit: Chris Kleponis)