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Razer Blue Screen: one-minute review

The Razer Blue Screen is a premium and convenient solution for those wanting a pro-grade green screen that's easy to set up and provides marvellous results. Think of it as a competitor to Elgato's similarly-specced solution, with the key (pun intended) difference being its colour.

The reason for this being a blue screen is because, according to Razer, it's easier to key out than the classic green - a statement that I found accurate in my testing. In addition, it's also more in line with what the professionals use in the name of giving your content more of a pro-grade appearance with the right care and attention.

The Blue Screen can extend up to 94-inches, or 2.38 metres, in height, making it suitable for head, or even full body, shots. In addition, it features quality fixtures and fittings with a sturdy metal frame and seam-free polyester material. While expensive, it remains one of the best green screens we've tested.

(Image credit: Future) Razer Blue Screen: Price and availability

• $149.99 / £159.99
• Sold only via Razer directly
• Available in the UK & US

The Razer Blue Screen clocks in at £159.99 / $149.99 and has been around since October 2022 as a more premium option for those looking for a simple pull-up blue screen for keying out backgrounds in a professional manner.

Other peripheral brands have leaned into the green screen space in the past, with the likes of Elgato's Green Screen offering a similarly priced package with a pull-up screen designed for streamers.

The key difference between the pair of these screens is color. A blue screen is arguably closer to what's used in some professional environments and is generally better in low light conditions than a green screen.

Otherwise, the premium price tag attached to Razer's option will also buy you some entire kits from the likes of Neewer that include a green sheet held up with its included stands, as well as a pair of soft-box lights, bulbs, umbrellas, and more. You do have to have a fair amount of space for a full kit like that, whereas the Blue Screen pulls up and down and thus can be stowed away easily.

(Image credit: Future) Razer Blue Screen: Specs Razer Blue Screen: Design and features

• Wonderfully easy to set up
• Tall enough for head and full-body shots
• High-quality polyester fabric

The Razer Blue Screen is a sleek and modern entry into what can often be quite a clunky enterprise. Setting up a green screen isn't the easiest if you're using one of those kits that's simply a piece of green fabric that needs to be clipped to a surface or attached to a stand.

With this in mind, Razer's choice makes it all easy, simply pulling up out of its enclosure to a height of 94 inches, or 2.38 meters. To erect it, you push against a tab on the top side, and pull up. The screen is on runners, so it almost pulls up itself with minimal effort required.

It's a stable setup, too, with the entire stand comprised of thick metal, and a pair of fold-out plastic legs that prevent the Blue Screen from falling over. In addition, the pull-up portion is reinforced with cross-braces on the reverse side that keep it straight and true.

In addition, as with the Elgato Green Screen and other similar pull-up options, Razer's Blue Screen is easily stowable in a cupboard or the corner of a room as it slides down to nothing into its base. It's a lot easier than dealing with a full-size kit, that's for sure.

The screen itself is made of polyester and is both seamless and wrinkle-free out of the box. Being totally smooth means it's easier to key out in the editing stage for a more professional look to your content.

(Image credit: Future) Razer Blue Screen: Performance

• Fantastic keying results
• Works well in low-light conditions
• Simple set-up is brilliant

The Razer Blue Screen is, in one word, convenient. Other green screens I've tested in the past have come in the form of sheetings with additional stands, which can take more than a few minutes to set up.

With Razer's choice, it's as easy as pulling it up in a matter of seconds, sitting down in a chair, recording some content, and then booting up the software to key the background out.

The mere fact it's blue made keying out easier in lower light conditions, especially when I only have space for a single key light off to the left of my desk. Once I had balanced the correct color to key out in my software, the Razer Blue Screen produced wonderfully clean and smooth results on Windows or MacOS.

With this in mind, as a literal piece of pull-up fabric, compatibility isn't an issue with the Blue Screen. It'll work with whatever software and operating system you're using for keying the background out, such as Final Cut Pro on macOS or DaVinci Resolve on Windows, as I used in my testing.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Razer Blue Screen? Buy it if...

You want a convenient setup
The Razer Blue Screen excels on the simple fact of convenience. Being a pull-up means there's no faffing around with stands or sheeting.

You want solid construction
The metal base and cross-reinforced plastic braces on the Blue Screen provide a reliable and sturdy finish, and you won't have to worry about it falling over.

Don't buy it if...

You want a more affordable choice
The quality and convenience of the Blue Screen come at quite a price, and if you want a more wallet-friendly choice, then there are plenty of other options available.

Also consider...

Still not sold on the Razer Blue Screen? Here's how it compares to two similar products.

Elgato Green Screen
This is a great alternative because it offers a similarly convenient solution from a trusted brand in the streaming / content creation space with the benefit of a pull-up stand. It is also slightly shorter if you don't need a 94-inch screen.

Stay tuned for our full review of the Elgato Green Screen in the future.

Neewer Green Screen Kit
This is a great alternative because it offers the complete package for a more professional, and permanent, backdrop with stands, different color screens, and soft-box lights. It also offers an even larger area for capturing even more.

Stay tuned for our full review of the Neewer Green Screen Kit in the future.

How I tested the Razer Blue Screen

• Used and tested for more than one week
• Tested it with Windows and macOS editing software
• Evaluated against other green screens

I used the Razer Blue Screen for a week as a screen for recording test film that was captured in OBS as if I was streaming for keying the blue screen out. I also recorded test footage that was edited in both DaVinci Resolve on Windows and Final Cut Pro on macOS to best utilize the blue screen.

Throughout my period testing the blue screen, I compared it against the Elgato Green Screen and Neewer Green Screen Kit, as well as a similar full-size kit I had purchased myself prior to the review.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed January 2025.

• Global data consumption is up 15% YoY, 113% in five years, DE-CIX report claims
• 2024 traffic stood at 68 exabytes, a staggering amount of data
• Sporting events and video gaming are responsible

Global data traffic hit a new record of 68 exabytes in 2024, marking a considerable 15% jump from 2023’s 59 exabytes, a report from a major data handler has claimed.

New figures from DE-CIX show overall traffic has more than doubled since 2020, when the pandemic caused millions of workers to be sent home and adopt new hybrid and remote working patterns.

In 2020, global data traffic stood at just 32 exabytes – now, DE-CIX says five years later, we’ve seen 113% growth, as consumption subsequently rose to 38 exabytes in 2021, 48 exabytes in 2022, and 59 exabytes in 2023.

Global data traffic rise

To put it into perspective, 2024’s 68 exabytes of data, exchanged across 3,400 global networks, would equate to a stack of paper 20 times higher than Mount Everest if printed. The same amount of data equates to streaming a high-definition video for two million years continuously.

The company also noted the impact of the UEFA Champions League and video gaming on internet traffic, with 2024 peaking at 24.92 terabits/second on November 20 to coincide with multiple game launches.

Although gaming accounted for the largest share of traffic in 2024, peaking in the third and fourth quarters, video conferencing also saw a post-summer uptick with hybrid working as the 'new normal' despite tech giants’ best efforts to bring people back into the office.

The data comes specifically from DE-CIX, the world’s leading Internet Exchange operator, which operates 60 locations across Europe, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

The news comes shortly after Cloudflare announced similar findings, claiming global internet traffic rose 17% year-over-year. Its study emphasized Google’s dominance of both the browser and the search markets, while also exploring the prevalence of artificial intelligence and social media.

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• DeepSeek is now the most popular free app in the US and UK Stores
• But the ChatGPT rival appears to be struggling to cope with demand
• The Chinese start-up is experiencing server outages and login issues

DeepSeek is the most popular app in the world right now and the AI chatbot might be struggling to meet demand.

The new ChatGPT competitor created by a Chinese start-up is experiencing service outages and the company's status page claims it is investigating possible causes.

The AI chatbot has gained worldwide acclaim over the last week or so for its incredible reasoning model that's completely free and on par with OpenAI's o1 model. According to the company's status page, there's an issue that is preventing users from signing up and accessing DeepSeek and its DeepThink R1 AI model.

While I've not experienced any issues with the app or website on my iPhone, I did encounter issues on my Pixel 8a when writing a DeepSeek vs ChatGPT comparison earlier today. It appears that creating new accounts is causing DeepSeek issues, often showing errors when a user attempts to send a prompt.

The latest incident appears to be resolved as of 9:32pm Chinese local time (8.32am ET / 1.32pm GMT). But considering the huge influx of users, there could be further issues throughout Monday and the rest of the week.

Teething issues

(Image credit: Future)

DeepSeek has taken the world by storm by offering an AI chatbot that's as good, if not better, than OpenAI's class-leading ChatGPT.

While that's excellent for people looking to get their hands on a free AI with immense capability, it could lead to issues and outages more frequently as the servers struggle to cope with demand.

We'll be monitoring this outage and potential future ones closely, so stay tuned to TechRadar for all your DeepSeek news.

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• One of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's producers has revealed why it has a "unique" release schedule
• Brad Winderbaum says it's because there's "a lot of Marvel content in 2025"
• He's denied that Daredevil: Born Again's forthcoming release is to blame for YFNSM's compressed release format

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's "unique" release schedule isn't a byproduct of Daredevil: Born Again's forthcoming launch, one of its executive producers has said.

Brad Winderbaum, who's also a producer on Daredevil's upcoming standalone series, told TechRadar that the latter isn't to blame for its sibling series' compressed release date format. Instead, Marvel's head of TV and streaming revealed that Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's (YFNSM) is simply down to the company's ongoing "experimentation of how episodic shows are released".

Ever since WandaVision, the first Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) show, debuted on Disney Plus, the comic book giant has trialled new ways of delivering its small-screen content to fans. So far, it's tested launching new shows with one-episode or two-episode premieres, and releasing new installments of series on a daily basis, which it did with What If...?'s second and third seasons.

A post shared by Spider-Man (@spiderman)

A photo posted by on

YFNSM's release schedule is another example of that experimentation. Confirmed on Instagram (see above), Spider-Man's latest animated series will arrive in four, multi-episode parts. The Marvel Phase 5 project's first two entries arrive on launch day (January 29), chapters three to five will debut one week later on February 5, episodes six and eight land on February 12, before the final two installments air on February 19.

With Daredevil: Born Again due out on one of the world's best streaming services just two weeks after YFNSM's first season ends, some fans have theorized that Marvel is pushing the latter out of the door early to make room for the highly-anticipated former's arrival. However, Winderbaum suggests that, while YFNSM's multi-episode schedule differs from the studio's traditional release format, this couldn't be further from the truth.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man's first season will be released in four parts (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

"I think that you can see with many streamers, including Disney Plus, there is a lot of experimentation going on with how episodic shows are released," he told me. "I'm a big fan of week over week. Part of that [reason] is that anticipation and the other is having to go through the week between [last episode's] cliff hanger to get the payoff. That's the TV show experience, so I like some sort of week over week cadence.

"But, there's a lot of Marvel content [being released] in 2025," he added. "We want to make sure that everything has room to stand on its own feet, so that was the reason to release it [YFNSM] over four weeks instead of ten. It's also a very unique show that has a high school soap opera element to it. You know, it's kind of our version of [Canadian high school series] Degrassi High in a lot of ways and there's a feeling of wanting to see that next step in the character journey, especially when you get into the into the latter two thirds of the of the season You really start to get used to those characters. You want to start seeing them interact and seeing those character setups pay off, so I'm excited for fans to get a different kind of viewing experience."

I'll be covering YFNSM in more detail throughout its first season. For now, find out why its showrunner has defended its divisive animation style in the wake of fierce fan criticism, or get the lowdown on everything we know about Daredevil's TV return by reading my Daredevil: Born Again guide.

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• AMD FSR 4 will supposedly be a ‘drop in’ replacement for FSR 3.1
• In theory, that means all FSR 3.1 games should support the newer tech
• This is just a rumor, though it chimes with hints AMD has already dropped

AMD could have a whole bunch of games lined up for FSR 4 support, its frame rate boosting tech exclusive to incoming RDNA 4 graphics cards, right from the get-go (one of which will be Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, pictured above).

So far, there’s been something of a guessing game as to how FSR 4 support could shake out – especially given that Nvidia has a lot of PC games lined up for its rival DLSS 4 from launch – but this is the best news Team Red fans could’ve hoped for.

The theory is – and it is just a rumor, floated on X by a regular hardware leaker, Kepler – that AMD is just going to replace the existing FSR 3.1 DLL file with the new FSR 4 one.

The RDNA4 driver replaces FSR 3.1 DLL with FSR4January 25, 2025

What that means, as a drop-in replacement, is that FSR 4 will be compatible with all existing FSR 3.1 games, without the game developers needing to do anything. In other words, it’ll ‘just work’ with the existing titles that are covered for FSR 3.1 support.

Or this ‘should’ be the case, as Kepler phrases it, so we must note that they aren’t fully sure on this. As ever with rumors, we should exercise caution around them, but in this case, AMD has already hinted that FSR 3.1 games would get FSR 4 in marketing materials (during the FSR 4 reveal at CES 2025).

As VideoCardz, which noticed the above post, points out, there are in excess of 50 games which currently support FSR 3.1, so should be good to go with FSR 4.

If you’re wondering why that support is based on FSR 3.1, rather than FSR 3, it’s because AMD made the move to include frame generation with the former, so the latter being brought up to FSR 4 would require a lot more work than just dropping in a new DLL file.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) Analysis: Good news, but with that RDNA 4 catch

This is seemingly good news, then, for those looking at buying an RX 9070 graphics card, which will be the first boards to use FSR 4 when these next-gen GPUs are released in March. Indeed, AMD has already said that the reason it’s taking a bit more time with these RDNA 4 graphics cards is to get them right for launch, and perfect the graphics drivers as well as enabling more FSR 4 games.

This sounds like a smart move to me, especially given the rumors around Nvidia’s RTX 5000 range, which currently make it seem like there’s no a big rush to get RX 9070 on sale. I’d like all these next-gen GPUs to be on sale sooner rather than later, ideally, but if I have to wait for a good product, then so be it.

AMD’s FSR 4 sounds like a sizeable stride forward for frame rate boosting from Team Red, but the catch, of course, is that it’s exclusive to RDNA 4. This goes against the grain for FSR in that the tech has previously been open in nature and available for Nvidia RTX GPUs, as well as previous-gen AMD graphics cards (back to the RX 5000 series, technically, albeit not with frame generation).

So, it’s a definite shame to lose that aspect, but that’s seemingly the price Team Red has had to pay for making FSR 4 offer better quality upscaling (and frame generation). Given the constant chatter from gamers about how AMD is behind DLSS in this respect, I’m hardly surprised Team Red made this call, but as we’ve discussed in the past, it’s a compromise which some PC gamers could find difficult to accept.

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• A new menu has been spotted when you drag-and-drop files in Windows 11
• Currently only available in a (very) early version of an upcoming Windows 11 update
• Could it be enough to convince Windows 10 users to upgrade?

Microsoft is struggling to convince some people to upgrade to Windows 11 – but a new feature that’s currently being tested out could make people change their minds.

The feature is known as ‘Drag Tray’, and as Tom’s Hardware points out, it will appear when the user selects and drags a file in File Explorer, offering quick options to send the file via email, or to your smartphone.

The Drag Tray was spotted by X user phantomofearth in an early version of an upcoming Windows 11 update, known as Insider Preview Build 22635.4805.

Microsoft is experimenting with a new file sharing UI in Windows 11: the "Drag Tray". When dragging a file, the tray shows up at the top of the screen with a drag here to share hint and lists a few apps. Has a more options button to open the share sheet. (hidden, Beta 22635.4805) pic.twitter.com/LXpkTwKZu2January 24, 2025

As you can see from the video, dragging a file from File Explorer and dropping it on an icon of an app within the Drag Tray will open up the app and automatically attach the file. It looks pretty slick, and being able to drag and drop a file from your Windows 11 PC to your smartphone could prove to be incredibly helpful.

However, judging by the video, it looks like this feature will work best with Microsoft’s own apps – it uses the Phone Link app to send files to your phone, and either Outlook or Mail to send the file via an email attachment.

This shouldn’t be too surprising, as it’s obviously easier for Microsoft to integrate new features like this with its own apps, but if you use a different email client, such as Thunderbird, then you might not get the best experience. All is not lost, however, as in the video, we can see a ‘More options’ button, which looks like it’ll allow you to choose other apps.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that this is just a short video clip without much context – so we don’t know if you’re able to choose and rearrange the apps that are displayed in the Drag Tray, or if third-party apps appear if you have them installed, and they are simply not in the video as the user only uses Microsoft apps.

When will we get it?

Another important consideration is that this looks like it’s a very early glimpse of the Drag Tray feature, and that means the finished product could look and behave a lot differently from what we see here – and that also means more apps could be supported.

It certainly looks like it could be a very useful addition to Windows 11, and if it works well, it could convince people still using Windows 10 to upgrade to the newer operating system. This is a key aim for Microsoft, as there are still a significant number of Windows 10 users who don’t want to switch, but after October 14, 2025, the company will stop supporting Windows 10 with free updates, and that could leave Windows 10 holdouts in a tricky situation.

Adding cool new features like this to Windows 11 is a much better way to convince people to move to the operating system than some of Microsoft’s more heavy-handed attempts in the past.

However, we don’t currently know when we can expect Drag Tray to arrive. As Tom’s Hardware points out, Microsoft didn’t even mention Drag Tray in its release notes for the update, and it’s currently only found by using a third-party app called ViVeTool.

This suggests that the feature is very early in development, so don’t expect it any time soon. Presumably, Microsoft will continue to work on the feature and release it to Windows Insiders for testing over the coming months, where people who have signed up to be Insiders can test it out and report back if there are any bugs or issues.

Assuming that all goes to plan, then Microsoft could roll out Drag Tray to all Windows 11 users in the future. How long that will take is anyone’s guess, and there’s also the risk that the company doesn’t continue to work on it, and quietly drops the feature altogether.

That would be a shame, as adding new features like this to make Windows 11 easier to use is the best way Microsoft can convince people to upgrade from Windows 10 – and it’ll also benefit those of us who are already using Windows 11.

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• Security researchers find new ad for the sale of a stolen database
• The database belongs to the American National Insurance Company, and was first stolen in 2023
• It contains information belonging to thousands of customers and employees

Sensitive information belonging to thousands of customers and employees of the American National Insurance Company is being sold online after initially being stolen years ago, experts have claimed.

American National Insurance Company (ANICO) is a financial services organization providing a wide range of insurance and financial products, including life insurance, health insurance, property and casualty insurance, annuities, and pension plan services.

In 2023, the company suffered a cyberattack and lost sensitive customer and employee data. Now, almost two years later, the stolen information seems to be surfacing.

Plenty of sensitive information

The team at SafetyDetectives discovered the ad for the sale on a hacking forum, noting the seller was offering a 90MB CSV file, which, judging by a shared screenshot, seems to have been posted on BreachForums, one of the most popular hacking communities out there.

The seller claims the file contains 279,332 lines of sensitive customer and employee data. They also shared a small sample to prove their claims.

The data contains customer account ID numbers, status, email addresses, full names, birth dates, age, gender, marital status, generation, occupation, phone numbers, language, postal address, Inforce Premium amount, Inforce Premium amount annuity, and type of policy.

Employees have also lost information on their years in force, agent names, agent emails, MLGA/RGA names, and MLGA/RGA emails.

“This report issued by data breach lawyers at Console & Associates, P.C probing the 2023 data breach asserts that Social Security Numbers, financial account information and medical information was also exposed,” the researchers said.

“However, our cybersecurity team cannot verify if the data shared in this forum post includes such sensitive information or is linked to the reported breach as the author does not specify the exact source of the data beyond mentioning its presence on the dark web.”

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When Sniper Elite 5 was released back in 2022, it really felt like Rebellion had finally nailed down its World War 2 stealth sim. Clearly, the team felt the same way as Sniper Elite: Resistance is more of Sniper Elite 5.

This time around the mantle is handed over to Karl’s long-time co-op partner Harry Hawker, who just so happens to also be on a mission in France in 1944. Despite feeling like a bit of an expansion pack, Sniper Elite: Resistance is a full-blown entry, with even more to do than in the previous game.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC (Via Steam)
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Release date: January 28, 2025

In typical Sniper Elite fashion, Resistance follows the well-trodden plotline of ‘the Nazis have developed a new superweapon that could turn the tide of World War 2; you’ve got to stop it’ that we’ve seen before in Sniper Elite 3 and 5.

This time around Harry is working with the local resistance fighters to take down the Kliene Blume nerve agent, which could have devastating effects should the Germans follow through with it. It’s a somewhat predictable storyline, but that’s not really why you’re here anyway.

In the Sniper Elite series you play through missions, each one containing its own miniature open world or sandbox packed with specific objectives and hidden secrets for you to take at your own leisure. I absolutely loved this approach in previous entries, and it’s just as good in Sniper Elite: Resistance.

One fear I had going in was whether the levels would feel too similar to Sniper Elite 5 due to both games being set in 1944 France, but for the most part, things feel distinct enough to warrant a return trip. Although some stages are a touch familiar – this game’s Lock, Stock, and Barrel mission feels extremely similar to the previous entry’s Occupied Residence.

Plus, there are familiar areas like Chateau houses and train stations not only returning from 5 but, multiple appearing across the game. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, and the levels themselves are still jam-packed and varied (outside of level four just being an expanded version of the first stage).

We bring the boom

(Image credit: Rebellion)

And of course, there’s the gunplay. As you would expect from a series named after it, the sniping is the star of the show once again. There are a tonne of helpful features – like the slowdown reticule that shows you where the bullet will land – that allow even a first-time player to nail satisfying long-range shots.

This is complimented by the X-Ray system, which shows a slow-motion animation of the bullet impacting with your chosen Nazi, and you’re treated to an in-depth look at how your shot obliterates their skull, guts, or testicles in graphic detail. It can be a bit off-putting at times (the teeth animation is horrid), but it’s just over the top enough to not feel disturbing.

However, the most impressive – and satisfying – bit of Sniper Elite is when you disregard these and work with wind markers and bullet drop estimates built into your scope to nail that perfect shot yourself. You also have access to the likes of machine guns, pistols, and explosive weaponry to cause a bit of fuss with or to get you out of scrapes when things awry. You could absolutely play the game running around with a machine gun, but the non-sniping weapons aren’t quite as satisfying as the main event.

I’m also a big fan of close-quarters combat; being able to sneak up on enemies for a takedown is a great risk/reward that allows you to stay silent while taking the risk to approach an enemy. Sniper Elite: Resistance is a great sniping game, but it's possibly even better as a stealth game.

Spy vs. Spy

(Image credit: Rebellion)

There are a few multiplayer modes available in Sniper Elite: Resistance, including a wave survival mode and standard multiplayer modes like Free For All and Team Deathmatch. However, I was unable to find a match of these during the review period, with no option for bot matches available.

But I did get some matches of the returning Axis invasion mode, which allows you to invade or be invaded during a single-player game. Once you get the pop-up alerting you that a Sniper Jaeger has arrived, it immediately changes the tone of a mission. While you can try and complete your objectives as normal, that extra layer of tension can either allow the Sniper Jaeger to get the drop on you or inadvertently alert the existing enemies as you search for them.

Both sides of this mode are the absolute highlight of the game; the one-versus-one cat-and-mouse game that is introduced is such a satisfying addition that completely changes the game. And there’s nothing better than being able to outdo your opponent and take them out via a well-placed snipe or sneaking up on them for a close-range takedown.

Have a propa-ganda

(Image credit: Rebellion)

Sprinkled throughout the maps of Sniper Elite: Resistance are propaganda posters for the French resistance fighters. Collecting these in each map will unlock a new mission set in that map in the brand new Propaganda Challenge mode.

These are bite-sized arcade-style encounters that challenge your skills in the game's various departments to take down a number of enemies within a time limit.

There’s stealth – which arms you with just a pistol and a dream – where unseen takedowns will add time to your clock. The sniping challenges give you a great look across the map as you pick off enemies one by one, with each headshot adding time.

Best bit

(Image credit: Rebellion)

Axis Invasions continue to be the greatest addition to the series. Invading or being invaded by another player mid-mission is always a treat, and the multiplayer stealth and sniping battles are incredibly satisfying, especially when you sneak in that perfect headshot.

While these only last a few minutes, and are only available in seven of the game’s missions, the Propaganda Challenge mode is a great new addition. It gives me the same feeling that Resident Evil’s mercenaries mode does.

Running through a stage and planning the optimal route adds a nice bit of extra replayability as you aim to boost your score each time. I would love to see this mode be expanded on, either via DLC (downloadable content) or whatever the next game is, because it left me wanting more.

I played Sniper Elite: Resistance at 1440p/120fps with HDR on PC. The settings on Ultra for texture detail and Medium for the other options. The game itself ran pretty much perfectly, with only a few noticeable drops here and there.

However, there were a few glitches in my experience. I had a few moments where Harry would get himself stuck on stairs or ledges. A particularly annoying one was in a mission where I had the option to poison a target; however, the prompt to use the poison in his drink never appeared, leading me to be locked out of the bonus kill option for that mission.

Should you play Sniper Elite: Resistance? Play it if...

You want more Sniper Elite 5
Sniper Elite: Resistance is an expansion of the mechanics and modes introduced in the last entry. The return to France makes some maps feel familiar, but the new levels stand up to the high standards of Sniper Elite 5.

You’re looking for a fun stealth game
While the name may imply a focus on sniping, Sniper Elite: Resistance is a level-based open-zone stealth game with a lot in common with the likes of Metal Gear Solid 5 and Hitman: World of Assassination.

Don't play it if...

You got your fill of Sniper Elite 5
On the other side of the coin, if you have played Sniper Elite 5 or simply got your fill of it three years ago, Sniper Elite: Resistance is more of that. The French setting doesn’t reuse levels from 5, but some feel extremely familiar. Plus, there are no new mechanics to speak of.

You don’t have patience
Sniper Elite Resistance can be extremely punishing if you don't plan things out carefully. While I revel in the challenge of stealth, I can imagine the game getting quite frustrating if you aren’t attuned to it. Plus, with the propaganda missions and weapon upgrades being spread across the maps, the slow pace may make things drag. View Deal

Accessibility

Sniper Elite: Resistance has a number of accessibility features, including subtitle options, auto-run and climb, HUD opacity settings, and aim assist. The game also features adjustable difficulty and settings like Automatic skill upgrades.

You can adjust the subtitle colors, and there are three color-blind settings; however, these are just labeled 1, 2, and 3 rather than listing the name of the specific color blindness. There is a diagram shown to help you decide, however.

How I reviewed Sniper Elite: Resistance

(Image credit: Rebellion)

I played roughly 15 hours of Sniper Elite: Resistance. During this time I completed the main campaign, completed every Propaganda Challenge mode mission with a gold rating, and played a number of rounds of Axis Invasion as an attacker.

I reviewed the game on a gaming PC, which runs with a Nvidia RTX 3060Ti graphics card and an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X processor. I used a Samsung Odyssey G5 27" Curved Gaming Monitor with a Sony 3D Pulse Headset and played the game using a DualSense wireless controller.

First reviewed January 2025

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• Task execution now relies on more endpoints than ever before
• Businesses are struggling to control, manage and sustain AI
• All of this is threatening companies with “digital chaos”

Process automation and orchestration platform provider Camunda has warned that companies could face “digital chaos” if they don’t focus on getting their AI deployment right amid increasingly complex ecosystems.

The number of endpoints businesses rely upon to execute tasks has now risen to 50, up 19% in five years.

Camunda explores the rising complexity across business processes that threatens control, ultimately warning of an “Automation Armageddon.”

Complexity could cause “chaos”

Four in five (82%) now report increased compliance risks as a result of the lack of control brought on by a more complex landscape, with three-quarters (77%) highlighting higher risks of core business process failures.

Camunda SVP for Customer Success Kurt Petersen summarized: “Today’s digital infrastructures and processes are both complex and interdependent, making it a significant challenge.

“In a constantly evolving landscape, organizations often struggle with siloed tools and technologies, which hinder their ability to streamline operations or achieve full visibility.”

The report criticized businesses for using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation to tackle a single task rather than taking a broader, business-wide approach.

It found that 85% face challenges in scaling and operationalizing AI across their businesses, despite 93% acknowledging that AI must be “fully integrated” into their processes in order to maximize their ROI.

Even those who deploy AI across their processes aren’t happy with the results, with four-fifths (79%) lacking a way to control, manage and sustain it effectively.

Petersen concluded: “If organizations are to successfully operationalize AI across their entire business, AI applications, and services must be orchestrated like any other endpoint within automated business processes. This will ensure they remain compliant and maximise the return on investment from their AI investments.”

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• Apple’s smart home hub is reportedly due to launch later this year
• It’s not too late for Apple to set a new standard for smart home devices
• There are three key things Apple must do in order to succeed

There’s been a lot of speculation over the past few months about Apple’s plans to launch a home hub that combines a display with a speaker and lets you control various smart home devices in the vicinity. According to a new report, it’s on track to launch this year, but there are still some key questions surrounding the product.

The report comes from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who claims that Apple’s device will feature a seven-inch display that resembles a “smaller and cheaper iPad.” It will be used to “control appliances, conduct FaceTime chats, and handle other tasks,” Gurman says.

That might not sound like a groundbreaking new product, and Gurman himself describes it as “essentially a HomePod with a roughly 7-inch screen.” Yet the reporter believes it will also be “Apple’s most significant release of the year” because it will be a step towards the company establishing itself more strongly in the smart home market.

As well as that, Gurman says the device “provides another platform for AI features” and that Apple will follow it up with a more advanced product in a few years’ time. This high-end version will come with a robotic arm that will let the screen follow a user around the room.

What needs to happen

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

It’s encouraging to see Apple making moves in the smart home space, but the company has a lot of work to do in order to make its device competitive against rivals like Google and Amazon. For one thing, Apple needs to tune up its software, including HomeKit, Siri and Apple Intelligence, if it’s going to give users the kinds of experiences they can get from Apple’s competitors.

There’s also a lot of talk that Apple is going to debut a tailor-made operating system called homeOS with the home hub. If that’s true, this new system needs to have an intuitive, user-friendly interface to help people hit the ground running with this unfamiliar software environment. Fortunately, Apple is one of the best in the world at developing intuitive interfaces – now the company just needs to make sure it doesn’t drop the ball.

Thirdly, it’s vital that the home hub launches with a competitive price. Apple’s philosophy is to be the best, and that often leads to it adding premium features that command a high price – just look at how expensive the Vision Pro and the original HomePod were.

But Apple is late to the smart home party, so it needs to ensure it releases something that is genuinely strong without putting people off with an eye-watering price tag. It’s a fine line to tread, but the recently redesigned M4 Mac mini proves that it can be done. Based on the rumors, it seems likely that its price will sit somewhere between a HomePod Mini ($99 / £99 / AU$149, which it itself due to be getting a HomePod mini 2 successor this year) and a base iPad ($449 / £499 / AU$749), but that's quite a big gap.

Will Apple be able to achieve all that with its home hub? That’s a question that we won’t have an answer for until the dust settles. But if any company has the resources to meet that challenge, it’s probably Apple.

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• Apple's Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 have been confirmed for 2025
• The headphones are rumored to get heart rate monitoring technology
• A hidden line of code in iOS 18 allegedly reveals that the Powerbeats Pro 2 can be used in conjunction with gym equipment to measure heart rate

Apple’s Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are reportedly coming soon. The originals were a roaring success and lived on our best workout headphones list for an incredibly long time. Now, not only will the Powerbeats Pro 2 arrive in 2025, but the rumor mill is claiming they’ll be beating Apple’s own AirPods to the punch and cracking in-ear heart rate monitoring.

Spotted by MacRumors, one writer dug into iOS 18’s code and reportedly found that Powerbeats Pro 2 will be able to connect to exercise equipment, like the best treadmills and exercise bikes, harvest heart rate data, and display it in the Health app on your iPhone.

At this stage, it’s unknown how this feature will work when the user is also using an Apple Watch, whether one supersedes the other. The report also doesn’t mention whether the feature can be used without gym equipment and whether the information can be beamed straight from the earbuds to an iPhone without a go-between piece of kit like a treadmill.

In-ear heart rate monitoring isn’t entirely new technology: Polar, makers of the best heart rate monitors, previously collaborated with Sennheiser to create a set of Sennheiser Momentum Sport buds ‘powered by Polar’ with heart rate monitoring tech included.

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 have been rumored to feature heart rate monitoring, but it looks like Apple will first include the technology in its new Powerbeats headphones before delivering it to the AirPods.

Analysis: Can earbuds really measure your heart rate?

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

Earbuds might seem like an odd place to pick up your heart rate when compared to the best fitness trackers or even an Apple Watch, which collects information from your wrist.

However, in an exclusive interview with TechRadar, Polar CEO Sander Werring said: “a hearable is actually quite a good place through your ears to measure your heart rate, measure fitness and body temperature.” Just like a watch, this information is collected using tiny pulses of light, used to read the levels of light absorption caused by differences in blood flow.

We’re excited to see what this new technology means for the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 – and the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

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• The first episode of Paradise is streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus earlier than expected
• Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson and James Marsden lead the cast of the exciting new series
• Originally intended to be a three-episode premiere, episodes 2 and 3 will be released on January 28 instead

If you've been eagerly awaiting Hulu and Disney Plus' new series Paradise, then you're in luck because you can now stream the pilot episode after two of the best streaming services decided to do a surprise drop. We initially expected the series to premiere on January 28 but Disney is brightening our Monday with an exciting new episode to sink our teeth into. The episode is now available on Hulu in the US, and Disney Plus in other territories.

Paradise has been on my watchlist since it was first teased, and early critics' reactions place it at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, which means it could well earn a place on our best Hulu shows and best Disney Plus shows roundups. The streamers have been going hard to promote the show too, as a recent social media clip playfully teased the first episode's drop, mirroring Severance season 2 which has been dominating social media recently promoting the new Apple TV Plus series.

The secret is out! Stream the first episode of Paradise NOW on Hulu and Disney+ before the three-episode premiere on 1/28. pic.twitter.com/9GpVpiLdoPJanuary 27, 2025

What do we know about Hulu's Paradise?

According to the official synopsis: "Paradise is set in a serene, wealthy community inhabited by some of the world’s most prominent individuals. But this tranquility explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high-stakes investigation unfolds.”

Without giving too much away, episode 1 has a cliffhanger so hopefully the decision to release the pilot early will have fans keen to watch more. A first episode is meant to make a big impression and by the sounds of things, it's definitely done that!

The series was created by This is Us' Dan Fogelman and stars huge names like Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, James Marsden, and Sarah Shahi. It looks like an essential watch if you love a good political thriller like the recent Netflix sensation The Night Agent.

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• United Healthcare data breach affected around 190 million people
• The number initially hovered at around 100 million
• The majority of the victims have been notified already

The number of people affected by the 2024 Change Healthcare cyberattack is almost double the previous estimates, and now sits at approximately 190 million, the company has admitted.

“Change Healthcare has determined the estimated total number of individuals impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack is approximately 190 million,” said Tyler Mason, a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group.

“The vast majority of those people have already been provided individual or substitute notice. The final number will be confirmed and filed with the Office for Civil Rights at a later date.”

ALPHV and RansomHub

Hackers would usually abuse this data in phishing attacks, business email compromise, wire fraud, and other forms of cyberattack, but so far it hasn’t happened, Mason added.

He said the company was, “not aware of any misuse of individuals’ information as a result of this incident and has not seen electronic medical record databases appear in the data during the analysis.”

In this context, it is worth saying that the company paid the ransom demand to the attackers.

When Change Healthcare suffered a ransomware attack in early 2024, it was believed an affiliate of the ALPHV operation was behind the attack. ALHPV, AKA BlackCat, was a notorious operator that worked on a as-a-service model, sharing the spoils with whomever managed to breach a victim and deploy their code.

However, when an affiliate struck Change Healthcare, and managed to extort it for $22 million, things changed. Instead of sharing the spoils, ALPHV’s operators took it all and disappeared from the face of the earth. The affiliate, which was left holding gigabytes of sensitive data, later rebranded to RansomHub, and became one of the greater threats.

They demanded a second payment, but it is unclear if that ever happened. RansomHub did remove Change Healthcare’s entry from its data leak site, suggesting that the victim firm may have paid it.

Via TechCrunch

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• Changes have been spotted in the Google Sounds app
• Pixel owners will soon be able to take more control over haptics
• The update could arrive alongside the Android 16 update

iPhones currently beat Android devices in the way they let you set specific ringtones and vibrations for specific contacts on your phone – though it seems Google has plans to catch up to some of this functionality on the best Pixel phones.

As spotted by tipster Nail Sadykov (via Android Authority), an upcoming version of the Google Sounds app lets you choose vibrations in the same way you can choose ringtones through the Sound and vibration menu in Settings.

It's not the full contact-specific customization available on iOS, but it's another step closer. There are 12 vibration patterns to choose from for your apps and alerts, including Swoop, Snare, Heartbeat, Swirl, Buzz and Bumps.

Being able to take more control over vibration alerts is certainly a welcome upgrade: it means you can increase or decrease the strength of the buzzes your phone is making, based on your personal preference.

Built-in updates

How the updated options could look (Image credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority)

Note that the Google Sounds app is actually built into the Pixel software: it's not something you can download and install separately. You should be able to find it from Settings by tapping Apps > See all apps.

When you select Sounds you should see the version number at the bottom of the screen. The current version at the time of writing is 3.1, while the updates to vibration customizations have been spotted in version 3.2.

Exactly when Google plans to push the upgrade out to phones remains to be seen: with Android 16 now in the beta phase, it's possible that we won't get these options until Android 16 is officially launched in the next few months.

Your options will vary if you're using a non-Pixel device, depending on the features your phone's manufacturer has decided to add in. In the case of Samsung Galaxy phones, for instance, you can make use of Samsung's own Sound Assistant app.

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• AMD's new Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU reportedly outperforms Nvidia's RTX 4070 laptop GPU
• This is thanks to the Radeon 8060S iGPU, with 40 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores
• It stems from AMD's marketing, while we await tests from users

While Nvidia is set to dominate the desktop GPU space against AMD and Intel with its new RTX 5000 series GPUs, new claims from Team Red hint at the perpetual underdog potentially putting up a bigger fight in the laptop GPU arena.

As highlighted by Notebookcheck, AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor will reportedly surpass Nvidia's RTX 4070 laptop GPU, thanks to the Radeon 8060S iGPU offering up to 68.1% better performance in games - at least, according to AMD. This chip will utilize 40 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, and Team Red's marketing materials (pictured below) showcase its performance boosts over the ROG Flow Z13 in several games using the RTX 4070 laptop GPU at native 1080p.

Considering the consistent domination from Team Green over the last few years in both the desktop and laptop GPU regions, this could be significant for AMD if it proves to be legitimate - one of the most notable performance leaps is present in Cyberpunk 2077 (which just received an update for DLSS 4 support), but without using any upscaling. If we want a real idea of how well this new laptop chip will perform against Nvidia’s discrete GPUs, we’ll need to wait for performance results when both DLSS and FSR are active for the respective GPUs.

Since Team Red's new Max+ 395 processor uses RDNA 3.5 architecture rather than RDNA 4, FSR 4 likely won’t be available on laptops that use the APU. As of now, that new upscaling method is exclusive to RDNA 4 GPUs, but that could change as time goes on.

(Image credit: AMD) What does this mean for the future of gaming laptops, or even handhelds?

Since the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU is built primarily for laptops, any discussion of it finding its way to handheld gaming PCs is void for now - what this does mean, however, is that AMD may now finally compete with Nvidia within the gaming laptop space.

With games like Borderlands 3 potentially having a 44 fps difference and Hitman 3 maintaining a 62 fps difference over Team Green's midrange laptop GPU at native 1080p, we could be in for a major performance surprise. As previously mentioned, upscaling tools such as DLSS will play a huge factor in real-world performance differences, especially if the Max+ 395 doesn't have access to FSR 4, while all RTX GPUs will have access to DLSS 4 and the RTX 4070 notably also has access to Nvidia’s Frame Generation tech, which AMD presumably didn’t deign to use for this comparison... no surprises there.

Regardless, it's great for consumers. Even if the RTX 5000 series desktop GPU lineup blows AMD's new RDNA 4 GPUs out of the water - which they probably will - Team Red could have a secret weapon in the form of the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, especially given the sky-high pricing of Nvidia’s new cards. But laptops using AMD's new high-end APU certainly won't be cheap either…

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