Feed aggregator

I awarded the Anker Soundcore Boom 2 a CNET Editors' Choice in 2024. You can get it for $100 or $30 off its list price of $130.

The European Commission says Facebook's parent company is undermining its rivals by embedding its classified ads platform within the social network.

The record-setting skier once notched speeds that would be illegal on most U.S. highways — until knee injuries slowed her down and she retired in 2019. Now Vonn says she's ready to return to racing.

(Image credit: Elsa)

The next supermoon — which appears larger and brighter than a regular full moon due to its proximity to Earth — will not be visible for nearly a year.

(Image credit: Yasser Al-Zayyat)

I spent hundreds of hours testing popular 3D printers for in-depth reviews. These ones impressed me the most.

Behind every great website is a reliable host keeping things running smoothly. In this review, we’re diving deep into UltaHost, a fresh face in the hosting world that’s been turning heads.

Launched in 2018 by ScriptSun Ltd in Istanbul, UltaHost has quickly made a name for itself. The company offers a diverse range of services, including shared hosting, WordPress, VPS, dedicated servers, and even game, ecommerce, and social network hosting.

Unlike many competitors, UltaHost owns and operates its own data centers. This level of ownership often translates to faster performance, stronger security, and fewer headaches for you. With data centers spanning 15 countries across 5 continents, including the US, Canada, Germany, Japan, and India, it ensures faster loading times and reliable service for worldwide audiences.

We’ve taken UltaHost for a full spin - checking its speed, uptime, and giving their support team a good workout. And trust us, we know hosting inside and out. We’re here to give you the truth so you can decide if UltaHost is the right fit for you.

(Image credit: UltaHost) Plans and pricing: What types of hosting does UltaHost offer?

Whether you're just starting out or managing a large-scale operation, UltaHost offers a variety of hosting plans to suit everyone. Their options - including shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and reseller hosting - are designed to meet any challenge you throw at them.

If you're ready to commit to a three-year plan, shared hosting starts as low as $2.99 per month. Alternatively, if you prefer the flexibility of a month-to-month subscription, you can get started for $5.99. It's a small price difference, but a solid entry-level deal if you're new to hosting.

The shared hosting plan comes with perks like unlimited bandwidth, free backups, a free domain transfer, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, the "Starter" plan only offers 30 GB of disk space, which can quickly become a bottleneck for sites with heavy media or rapid growth. As a result, you may need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan sooner than expected.

For those who need more control or power, UltaHost offers VPS hosting starting at $4.80 per month. This includes 1 CPU core, 1 GB of RAM, and 30 GB of NVMe SSD storage, providing dedicated resources for your site. Plus, managed server support and added security like firewalls and a dedicated IP to ensure everything runs smoothly and safely.

If you’re looking for even more control, dedicated servers start at $116.91 per month, providing a full server dedicated to your needs. With powerful specifications and the flexibility to handle high-demand applications, these servers are perfect for large-scale operations. UltaHost also offers virtual dedicated server (VDS) hosting, which offers similar benefits to dedicated servers but at a more affordable price point, starting at $37.50 per month.

While the initial pricing is budget-friendly, it’s worth noting that some plans renew at a higher rate. For instance, the shared hosting plan increases to $5.99 per month once the promotional period ends. Still, there are no major hidden costs, and the money-back guarantee allows you to test it out risk-free.

UltaHost offers a variety of payment options, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, and Bitcoin, giving you plenty of flexibility. You can also choose from a range of control panels, including Hestia, CyberPanel, Plesk, and cPanel, with Hestia and CyberPanel available for free.

(Image credit: Future) Ease of use: How user-friendly is UltaHost?

Starting out with UltaHost is a cinch - whether you’re launching your first site or managing a bustling online business, the entire process is designed to be as simple as possible.

(Image credit: Future)

Signing up with UltaHost is fast and hassle-free. Once you choose your hosting plan, you’ll either register a new domain or transfer an existing one. After that, just select your preferred payment plan, fill in a few personal details, and you’re all set. Once the payment is complete, one thing UltaHost excels at is simplicity - cPanel is included in all shared hosting plans, making management a breeze. If you're already familiar with cPanel, you’ll feel right at home. The intuitive dashboard lets you manage everything from emails to domains and databases. Want to set up a site or install apps? It's all just a couple of clicks away.

(Image credit: Future)

For VPS hosting users, UltaHost offers several control panels to choose from, including Hestia, CyberPanel, Plesk, and cPanel. Hestia and CyberPanel come at no extra cost, while Plesk and cPanel require a bit more investment. This flexibility lets you pick the control panel that best suits your skill level, whether you're a beginner or need advanced features.

If you're planning to use WordPress to create your site, you’re in for a treat. UltaHost offers automatic WordPress installations, complete with staging tools, plugins, and backup features. The platform also supports one-click installs for a variety of other apps and software. Need an ecommerce tool or a different content management system? Just click and go. This makes it easy to dive right into building your site without getting bogged down by setup tasks.

All shared hosting plans come with NVMe SSD storage, which means faster site load times, unlimited bandwidth, and free backups. Plus, you get antivirus protection to guard against DDoS attacks, and free backups keep your data safe, even if something goes wrong.

All in all, UltaHost nails user-friendliness. Quick sign-up, a simple control panel, and features like auto WordPress install and daily backups make hosting effortless. Even beginners will have an easy time getting their site online and running smoothly.

(Image credit: Future) Speed and robustness: How fast and reliable is UltaHost?

If there’s one factor that can make or break your site, it’s speed. Thankfully, UltaHost doesn’t disappoint. With a 99.99% uptime guarantee, backed by tier-3 and tier-4 data centers, reliability is clearly a top priority. Using UptimeRobot for our tests, we found zero downtime. The tool pings your site every 5 minutes, and the fact that it recorded no issues speaks volumes about UltaHost's reliability.

But what about speed? UltaHost leverages NVMe SSD storage, which provides faster data retrieval compared to standard SSDs. This means your site loads quicker, even during traffic spikes. Plus, their built-in caching and use of HTTP/2 help reduce server load, further boosting speed. The WordPress-optimized servers also bring performance enhancements specifically tailored for WP sites.

In practice, this translates to a smooth user experience with fast loading times and zero interruptions. Whether you’re running a small blog or a high-traffic ecommerce site, UltaHost delivers. Simply put, UltaHost excels at both speed and reliability.

Security: How does UltaHost protect your data?

UltaHost is backed by a strong security suite, including firewalls and automated malware scans, providing solid protection for your site and data.

It utilizes a web application firewall (WAF) to detect and block potential threats before they can harm your site. This proactive layer of defense shields your site from common attacks like SQL injections and cross-site scripting. Plus, DDoS protection is included, safeguarding your site from malicious traffic spikes that could cause outages or slow performance.

However, security doesn’t stop at the firewall. UltaHost offers automatic malware scanning to detect and remove harmful code before it can spread. Additionally, two-factor authentication (2FA) for account logins provides an extra layer of security, protecting your admin credentials. This helps prevent unauthorized access and keeps your hosting account safe from hacking attempts.

In the case of a security breach or technical issue, daily backups ensure you can quickly restore your site to its previous state. UltaHost provides these backups at no extra cost, giving you peace of mind that your data is always safe. A free SSL certificate is also included with all plans, encrypting data exchanged between your site and visitors, which helps secure sensitive information like payment details and personal data.

UltaHost also includes advanced tools like BitNinja to monitor your server and block threats before they cause harm. Plus, there’s IP whitelisting for controlled access, allowing you to specify which IP addresses can connect to your server via SSH or SFTP. This feature is especially useful for developers who want to maintain tight control over server access.

(Image credit: UltaHost) Support: What is UltaHost's support like?

With round-the-clock support, UltaHost ensures you’re never left stranded. You can choose from live chat, phone, email, or ticket options to get the help you need at any time.

The live chat was a highlight for us. We connected with an agent quickly, bypassing any automated hassle. The assistance was fairly prompt and helpful, but it was a bit annoying when the chat window disappeared after minimizing the browser.

For those who prefer phone support, UltaHost offers dedicated helplines in the US and Turkey. However, our attempt to reach them from outside these countries wasn’t successful.

Email support is another solid option, which is becoming less common among hosting providers. You can also submit a support ticket, which is ideal for more complex issues, as it keeps an ongoing conversation with an assigned agent until your problem is resolved.

For those who like to troubleshoot on their own, UltaHost’s well-stocked knowledge base is packed with FAQs, guides, and video tutorials. We found these video how-tos particularly useful - they’re well-made and simplify complicated topics.

The competition: What are the best alternatives to UltaHost?

When it comes to web hosting, there are several alternatives to UltaHost, each with its own strengths.

Bluehost is an excellent choice for WordPress users, with direct backing from WordPress.org and strong WordPress-focused tools. It excels in customer support and performance, but UltaHost holds an edge with its broader flexibility and free features. While Bluehost is a solid competitor, UltaHost offers better long-term value, especially with its transparent pricing and added flexibility beyond WordPress.

Hostinger is another budget-friendly option, but UltaHost takes the lead with more server location choices, giving users better control over performance. Hostinger’s pricing is attractive, but UltaHost delivers more consistent service and flexibility, making it the better choice for users who need a well-rounded hosting experience.

SiteGround is a superb option for business sites, offering robust performance and advanced tools. However, its pricing is higher than UltaHost’s, and while SiteGround excels in business hosting, UltaHost offers similar performance and better value.

Final verdict

For small to medium-sized sites, UltaHost delivers solid and cost-effective hosting solutions. With strong uptime, NVMe SSD storage, free malware scanning, and multiple server locations, it packs a punch for the price. The user-friendly dashboard is an added bonus, making it a superb choice for those new to hosting.

The limited disk space in shared hosting plans could be a challenge for bigger sites or those scaling quickly. Additionally, keep in mind that renewal prices rise after the initial term.

Still, UltaHost delivers great value, but if you want more space from the start, you might want to explore higher-tier plans or other providers.

FAQs UltaHost FAQs Can UltaHost be trusted?

Yes, UltaHost is a trustworthy hosting provider. The company has built a solid reputation for delivering reliable, affordable hosting services with excellent customer support. It also offers features like free malware scans and a web application firewall (WAF) to help keep your site secure.

(Image credit: UltaHost) Where are UltaHost's data centers?

UltaHost’s worldwide network of data centers should keep your site running smoothly, no matter where your audience is. With locations spread across the US (Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York), Canada (Toronto), Germany (Frankfurt), the UK (London), Turkey (Istanbul), Singapore, India (New Delhi), South Africa (Johannesburg), Japan (Tokyo), Brazil (Sao Paulo), Mexico (Mexico City), the UAE (Dubai), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh), and the Netherlands (Amsterdam), you have plenty of options to choose from.

Thanks to its wide network of data centers, UltaHost guarantees fast and reliable performance with low latency, delivering a superb experience for your users no matter where they are.

Does UltaHost provide an uptime guarantee?

Yes, with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, UltaHost meets the industry standard. This means they’re committed to keeping your site online and accessible with minimal downtime. While no host can guarantee 100% uptime, UltaHost’s track record of solid performance and reliability makes it a trustworthy choice for keeping your site running smoothly.

• Iranian state-sponsored actors are targeting aerospace pros with fake jobs
• The goal is to install backdoors and exfiltrate important data
• The style mimics that of Lazarus, a known North Korean actor

Iranian state-sponsored hackers have been observed targeting victims in the aerospace industry with fake job offers, which resulted in the deployment of the SnailResin malware, as part of their cyber-espionage campaign.

Cybersecurity researchers at ClearSky revealed how the threat actor, known as TA455, created fake recruitment sites, and fake profiles on social media sites such as LinkedIn. After that, they would approach their targets, and get them to download files as part of the onboarding process.

Among the files was SnailResin, a piece of malware that acts as a loader for the SlugResin backdoor, capable of data exfiltration, command-and-control (C2) communication, and persistence on victim systems.

Iranians? Or North Koreans? Or both?

The campaign, dubbed “Dream Job” started in September 2023, if not earlier, ClearSky noted.

TA455 is a well-known cyberespionage group, linked with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and shares similarities with other groups like APT35 and TA453. Besides the aerospace industry, TA455 was seen targeting defense, and government entities, in the Middle East, Europe, and the US. Its goal, for the most part, is cyber-espionage, gathering sensitive information for geopolitical intelligence purposes.

What makes this campaign particularly interesting is the fact that it mimics the style of Lazarus, a North Korean state-sponsored group. Fake job attacks are basically synonymous with Lazarus at this point, as they were used in some of the most destructive campaigns against firms in the crypto industry. At this point, ClearSky doesn’t know if TA455 is mimicking Lazarus, tries to hide behind the group, or is in cooperation with them.

“The similar “Dream Job” lure, attack techniques, and malware files suggest that either Charming Kitten was impersonating Lazarus to hide its activities, or that North Korea shared attack methods and tools with Iran,” they said.

In any case, be careful when getting new job offers, especially if they sound too good to be true.

You might also like

• North Korean Lazarus hackers are using a fake coding test to steal passwords
• Here's a list of the best firewalls today
• These are the best endpoint protection tools right now

Social media platforms are trying to make online spaces safer for kids. Parents are pleased, but there's still more to do.

Foreign laborers, many from Thailand, are tending fields and livestock in an area Israel has declared off-limits to its own civilians amid ongoing military operations against Hezbollah.

(Image credit: Amir Levy)

• Earlier this week, researchers discover a 9.2 flaw affecting multiple NAS models
• D-Link says it won't patch them since they reached end-of-life status
• Crooks are now targeting them with available exploit code

Cybercriminals have begun targeting D-Link NAS devices, recently found to have a critical vulnerability, but which will not be patched due to being at their end of life.

Threat monitoring service Shadowserver recently sounded the alarm in a brief thread posted on X.

It was recently reported multiple versions of D-Link NAS devices were vulnerable to a 9.2-severity flaw that could allow hackers to interfere with the endpoints. However, as the devices had reached their end-of-life, the company said it would not be addressing the flaw, and would not be issuing a patch - instead, advising users to replace the devices with newer models.

Thousand(s) of victims

While the researchers said the exploitation was somewhat difficult since the complexity of an attack was relatively high, they did stress that there is a publicly available exploit out there.

“We have observed D-Link NAS CVE-2024-10914 /cgi-bin/account_mgr.cgi command injection exploitation attempts starting Nov 12th,” the researchers said. “This vuln affects EOL/EOS devices, which should be removed from the Internet.”

They added that in total, there were more than 60,000 endpoints out there that could be compromised, including different models such as DNS-320 Version 1.00,

DNS-320LW Version 1.01.0914.2012, DNS-325 Version 1.01, Version 1.02, and DNS-340L Version 1.08.

Shadowserver also said that it observed roughly 1,100 potential victims, significantly fewer than the 60,000 that were originally claimed.

A NAS device is a dedicated data storage unit connected to a network, allowing multiple users and devices to access and store data centrally. It provides secure file sharing, data backup, and storage, making it ideal for both home and business use. NAS devices are typically easy to set up and scale, offering RAID support and other protections against data loss.

Cybercriminals frequently target NAS devices because they often hold sensitive data, including personal documents, financial information, and business files. By compromising NAS systems, attackers can steal, encrypt, or delete valuable data, with ransomware being a common threat.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Thousands of D-Link NAS devices have serious backdoor security issues
• Here's a list of the best firewalls today
• These are the best endpoint protection tools right now

“Developer productivity” can be an emotive, and occasionally misunderstood term. It is not the output of individuals that we are seeking to understand, but the effectiveness of the development system as a whole.

A few percentage point increases in development efficiency in a large organization can represent hundreds of thousands of dollars in cost reduction, better time to market and improved product quality. That, coupled with the promise of significant productivity increases from AI code companions, means that being able to understand and measure the productivity of the engineering workforce should be a key priority for business leaders.

But doing so can be complex and requires a shift in perspective away from merely counting lines of code, toward evaluating the broader impact on business goals. By adopting modern productivity measures, business leaders can better understand and enhance the effectiveness of their development teams, ultimately leading to more innovative and successful projects.

Dropping esoteric productivity measures

Historically, businesses have looked to metrics like lines of code or story points to gauge developer productivity. However, these measures often don’t reflect the true value that a developer brings to a project and they can also be easily influenced. For example, developers can artificially inflate their productivity by writing verbose code or overestimating story point values.

Separately, such measures can be weaponized by management and business stakeholders to apply to deliver keystrokes more quickly, without appropriate consideration for the real drivers of value. So, it usually doesn’t serve a business well to closely monitor the arbitrary output of individual developers, because it simply doesn’t directly equate to efficiency or effectiveness. Instead, the merits of measurement lie in understanding the development team’s ability to create outcomes.

Looking to modernized measures

Healthy developer metric measurement begins with understanding the outcomes you’re trying to drive within your team, not the pace at which code is created; after all, there’s no point delivering the wrong thing more quickly. This means questioning what value you’re hoping to achieve by improving developer productivity. For example, this could be reduced delivery time and cost; increased deployment frequencies; or reduced defects and rework. The aim is then to identify metrics that will provide insight into these areas and guide you towards achieving your desired business outcomes.

To adopt modernized developer productivity measures, it’s essential to first assess and understand the existing ways of working across all aspects of value delivery – from processes and practices to tools. This helps to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies and areas of potential improvement. To do so, it’s vital to look beyond individual developers and understand the entire system surrounding delivery, including business analysis, team structure, sign-offs and DevOps infrastructure.

Designing outcome-oriented targets

Once an understanding has been reached about where improvements should be made, it is possible to then define leading and lagging indicators and proxies. In turn, these can be meaningfully tracked to help businesses make the right decisions. From a practical perspective, there are numerous tools on the market that can give insight into DORA and other measures, simply by connecting to issue tracking, project management and version control systems.

Armed with an understanding of the current state, as well as a set of areas for improvement, it is then possible to define outcome-oriented targets that are achievable, but ambitious enough to create meaningful value for the organization. By linking the targets to the outcomes that the company most values, the impact of change can be maximized without changing processes that don’t positively influence broader goals.

Once targets have been set, a clear Target Operating Model can be established to help the organization deliver in the most efficient manner. This helps to ensure that all aspects of delivery (beyond lines of code and even DORA metrics) are aligned to support the desired outcomes. At this point, developer productivity tools can be put in place to help enable the development capability, and to track its progress towards the outcomes.

Track, assess & reassess

Developer productivity is a journey, and it is essential to regularly reassess the outcome-oriented targets. In doing so, new areas might be uncovered that are more urgent than those currently focused on. Alternatively, targets might already have been exceeded and it is time to push the delivery capability to the next level.

By continuously improving and using the right tools and expertise, organizations can boost developer productivity and build a strong foundation for future growth. As technology evolves, staying adaptable and proactively refining productivity strategies will keep businesses competitive and efficient in delivering high-quality outcomes.

We list the best school coding platform.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Competition for the best developer talent is hotting up in every industry, with shortages growing. An overwhelming majority (69%) of software developers leave positions after less than two years, often citing undue levels of stress, excessive unpaid overtime and toxic working cultures. Even when convinced to stay, three in four developers are burned-out and unable to work to their full potential, leaving critical projects at risk of serious impact due to lack of productivity.

Developer shortages are detrimental across the board, but particularly so for e-commerce businesses. Retailers rely on software developers to create and manage engaging online experiences for customers, improve SEO visibility and drive traffic to their sites, and keep user data encrypted and secure.

If steps aren’t taken to improve developer experience, retailers risk losing top developers to forward-thinking competitors, with ecommerce experiences for customers suffering as a result. So how can ecommerce businesses keep developers on side?

Letting devs self-manage

Developers are often interrupted by required updates or routine tasks – particularly during busy seasons like the holiday shopping period. There’s no reason to waste this time with unnecessary meetings or distractions; it only widens the gap between devs and their immediate priorities.

“Flow” is a well-known concept amongst developers. Also called “deep work”, this term refers to a state of complete concentration without distraction, something that many devs deem necessary on a daily basis to remain productive. It can take a programmer between 10-15 minutes to resume coding after an interruption, meaning that even the most trivial of delays can rapidly snowball into major project setbacks.

Learning how devs use their time at work can help to restructure workflows, identify helpful tools, and shorten lead times by up to 40%. Managers should collect regular feedback from developers on how they can best spend their time at work and plan accordingly, for instance by rescheduling meetings or allowing for flexi-time if required.

Identifying the right (and wrong) resources

Considering their staggering turnover rate, devs must see many positions as “dead-end jobs”. Developer roles must be just as valuable to the employees as they are to the company, with opportunities to learn, grow and progress.

For example, 44% of devs aren’t always sure which system or resource should be used to answer a question, which affects both productivity levels and stress management. Complex coding projects require exhaustive resources, but not all teams are suitably trained on how to use them.

Managers may assume that devs are familiar with certain platforms or tools, but this assumption may end up stunting the growth of young talent, or worse, discouraging them from asking questions. This is why project managers must ensure that all resources are accessible, user-friendly and comprehensively explained to all members of staff. Communications must also be air-tight, especially when working with remote teams, to keep devs in that ever-valuable flow state.

Another way to keep devs progressing and learning new things is to offer periodical training, whether on essential work practices or to develop skills that your business might someday need. By giving devs a chance to develop their knowledge of the latest technologies, businesses can close the skills gap while ensuring their team acquires valuable skills on the job.

However, it’s important to keep time frames and workload in mind for individual team members. Devs are likely to quit intensive courses or programs if it impedes them from their core responsibilities, especially if it’s a busy retail period. Instead of long training courses, businesses could instead consider more flexible resources without time restrictions to encourage devs to learn vital new skills on the job when they are able.

Freedom at work

70% of devs code in their spare time. For them, coding is not just work, but a hobby and a craft – it’s something they love to do. However many devs (especially those in-house) find all their time consumed by bug-hunting and other necessary, but boring and laborious, fixes, further impacting their job satisfaction. When barriers are created between devs and creative coding, it impedes innovation across the board – devs become less interested, and offer fewer ideas that would enrich the customer experience.

Without addressing the issue of devs’ freedom at work, businesses may soon be faced with a dispassionate workforce – not for lack of enthusiasm, but because their ideas have not been encouraged in the first place. This complacency will keep businesses behind while major competitors roll out innovative new ways to delight their customers.

Freedom comes from using modern flexible software that takes care of the mundane jobs developers are often tasked with, like bug fixing. This also frees up developers to add to the ecosystem. By removing tedious and laborious tasks from their workload, developers have more resources to focus on providing business value and actually contributing to the overall business strategy.

It’s natural for managers to want to maintain the hygiene of their ecommerce site, but making it a dev’s full-time job is not an efficient use of their time – it stifles innovation, distracts from more urgent tasks, and disengages the team. To reduce this kind of repetitive administrative work, businesses could consider investing in tools that can automate tests and identify bugs, freeing up devs for more complex, stimulating tasks that more directly impact conversion rates and customer satisfaction.

Where composable comes in

Top developers have become a hot commodity for ecommerce businesses. A good team of developers is crucial to creating engaging, frictionless customer journeys – so retailers have got to find ways to keep developers happy and motivated.

Self management, freedom, and airtight communication are all integral to improving developers’ experience. By giving developers the freedom and flexibility to create experiences that provide business value, retailers reap the benefits with unique, engaging experiences that help them differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Investing in new technologies, such as headless infrastructure, grants developers full control of the customer experience - without constraints from proprietary front-end tech - across the frameworks of their choice. With a composable approach, developers can make use of existing capabilities, allowing them to showcase their creativity - rather than getting bogged down in fixes and mundane tasks.

We've featured the best laptops for programming.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Your kids are only kids for so long, but love and Lego sets last forever. Here are our top 10 picks for the Lego lover in your life.

Although I'm not a gamer, the Prime Video trailer for the new videogame anthology series Secret Level has certainly piqued my interest.

Secret Level is based on some of the world's most famous gaming franchises and while the only videogames I've played are the likes of Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, there's no doubt that the trailer is completely mesmerizing. It's no surprise though as the adult animated anthology show is from the mind of Netflix's Love, Death and Robots creator Tim Miller, which I'm a big fan of.

The first teaser trailer for Prime Video's new videogame anthology show was unveiled at Gamescom on August 20 and now one of the best streaming services has released a new trailer (see below) which showcases the visually striking art and animation styles that'll be shown in Secret Level.

Each episode tells an original short story set in a number of beloved videogame universes such as God of War, PAC-MAN, and Dungeons & Dragons. Secret Level is a "celebration of games and gamers", and now I definitely want to be in on the party.

What is Secret Level about?

Secret Level is a groundbreaking gaming anthology series that tells individual stories set within the worlds of some of the most legendary videogames. The potential best Prime Video show will also include relatively new game franchises like the team-based shooter Concord, which you can play on PlayStation 5 and PC.

Alongside the ones mentioned above, the games included in the 15-episode series are: Armored Core, Crossfire, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, various PlayStation Studios games, Sifu, Spelunky, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament and Warhammer 40,000.

Secret Level, which debuts on Prime Video on December 10 along with additional episodes on December 17, also has a star-studded cast, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt, Merle Dandridge, Claudia Doumit and more.

You might also like

• Amazon Freevee is being shut down, and it's all thanks to Prime Video's increasingly popular ad-supported tier
• New Prime Video movie My Old Ass is a hilarious comedy with a time-travel twist that I can't wait to watch – and it has 90% on Rotten Tomatoes
• 7 movies new on Prime Video in November with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes

The sports event will air live on the streaming service, and you can watch the weigh-in tonight.

• The National Labor Relations Board has ruled against Amazon
• Amazon can no longer hold mandatory anti-union meetings
• The meetings were found to violate worker's rights

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled Amazon can no longer impose mandatory ‘captive audience’ meetings on staff, as it were found to be using these events to ‘coerce’ employees with anti-unionization objectives.

The decision passed 3-1, with the NLRB General Counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, arguing the meetings violated worker’s rights, as they were forced to attend and be subjected to the company’s anti-union messaging.

Abruzzo affirmed companies should be free to make their case against unions, but workers shouldn’t be forced to listen.

Wins for workers

This is the latest development in a string of conflicts between Amazon and its workers, with the retailer aggressively opposing organizing efforts and unionization in its warehouses.

Tech workers have some of the lowest union membership rates of any industry, and efforts by Amazon to dissuade workers from organizing have proved effective. However, the law states that workers must be able to freely choose whether to debate union representation, and when and how they do it.

“Ensuring that workers can make a truly free choice about whether they want union representation is one of the fundamental goals of the National Labor Relations Act. Captive audience meetings—which give employers near-unfettered freedom to force their message about unionization on workers under threat of discipline or discharge—undermine this important goal,” said Chairman Lauren McFerran.

“Today’s decision better protects workers’ freedom to make their own choices in exercising their rights under the Act, while ensuring that employers can convey their views about unionization in a noncoercive manner."

Despite the considerable opposition from the retail giant, workers in Staten Island won a historic victory by voting to create the Amazon Labor Union, a huge step in their struggle for better working conditions and protections.

Via Engadget

You might also like

• Take a look at our pick of the best AI tools
• UK retailers launch £1bn claim against Amazon for data misuse
• Check out our choices for best project management software

• AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D has just burnt out on an MSI X870 motherboard
• The user on Reddit reports an error code of ‘00’, indicative of a CPU issue
• There’s currently no confirmation from AMD on whether this is an issue on its end

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has been the recipient of much acclaim thanks to the upgraded 3D V-Cache for gamers, placing it at the top of our best gaming CPUs ranking. However, one troubling user report has revealed the processor burned out on an AM5 motherboard socket. Could this be an error on AMD’s part?

The unlucky Reddit user shared images showcasing the new 9800X3D processor with burn damage, along with the MSI Tomahawk X870 motherboard socket burnt out with bent pins. The user also mentioned a ‘00’ error code that appeared when attempting to post (power-on self-test) their new chip.

The 00 error code can indicate a random boot or CPU issue (it’s a fairly common error code), and Wccftech noted that other users had posted about the same code on the Tomahawk X870 over on MSI’s own forums, though it’s unlikely those users had the same issue. We’ve seen a familiar matter occur with the 9800X3D’s predecessor (the 7800X3D), which left users with burnt processors and motherboards (eventually fixed via BIOS updates for multiple mobo partners).

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Wccftech claims the motherboard could hold responsibility for the burnout issue in this instance, with the assumption that the X870 pushed voltages through the gold contact pads ‘excessively’, leading to the CPU burning out. However, some commenters in the Reddit thread have also speculated that the board itself was defective based on the images provided by the affected user, since it appears that part of the socket’s plastic casing is chipped - therefore preventing the chip from being properly seated in the socket.

There’s ultimately no confirmation as to whether the blame for this lies with AMD, MSI, or the PC user themself. Still, one thing we can say is that this certainly wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory for users of newly launched AMD processors.

Should you still buy the Ryzen 7 9800X3D now?

Aside from the supposed burning issue, getting your hands on the Ryzen 7 9800X3D is already a tough mission - it’s currently sold out completely and new stock isn’t expected to arrive until December. Not only are you up against high demand, but scalpers have already made the new processor their latest target.

If there is a serious underlying issue here, stock delays could actually work in your favor if you’re hoping to pick up this speedy new gaming CPU. If Wccftech is correct and the burnout was indeed caused by excessive voltage, we could see it fixed via a BIOS software patch by MSI by the time a new batch of stock arrives.

We’re hoping that this is just an isolated issue that doesn’t indicate more serious problems, as spending hundreds of dollars on new hardware just for it to die on you almost immediately isn’t ideal, to say the least…

You might also like...

• Nvidia’s rumored CPU could pack integrated GPU to rival RTX 4070 mobile – should AMD and Intel start to worry now?
• Apple M4 chip: everything you need to know about Apple's latest silicon
• Massive AMD leak promises a shining future for laptops, with a smorgasbord of new products landing in 2025

• The Night Agent arrives on Netflix on January 23, 2025
• An official teaser trailer has been released
• A third season will begin production at the end of 2024

The Night Agent is one of the best Netflix shows and fans have been waiting for news of when its next chapter might arrive on the best streaming service. Finally, the wait is over and we now know it will arrive on January 23, 2025.

Previously, there was some confusion around the exact release window after Netflix confirmed that The Night Agent season 2 would return in 2025, but said that it would "this winter", which prompted some confusion.

We have good news, though, as we now know it's going to be in January next year and not later in the year like some originally thought it might be. Now that that's all cleared up, I'm so excited to tune in to The Night Agent season two. If you're just as excited as me, we've been given a quick teaser to get us hyped up.

Take a look below.

What do we know about The Night Agent season 2?

According to Netflix's Tudum, the new episodes pick up after the high-octane events of the first season, where we'll once again follow Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso) after his successful mission.

Netflix's plot synopsis for season 2 says: "Now he’s earned the opportunity to become a Night Agent. Working in the secretive organization Night Action in Season 2 will push Peter into a world where danger is everywhere and trust is in short supply."

We also know this is far from the end of Peter's story, as The Night Agent has also been renewed for a third season. We're glad it didn't end up on the list of shows canceled by Netflix in 2024, and that there'll be plenty to watch over the coming months.

You might also like

• I didn't finish Wednesday on Netflix, but Lady Gaga’s reported cameo in season 2 is the only thing I need to give the show another shot
• Netflix festive thriller Carry-On has a gripping new trailer and it's like Phone Booth if it was set in a busy airport
• Arcane season 2 confirms the hit series isn't just one of the best Netflix shows ever made – it's an animated legend that'll stand the test of time

• EA has shared how BioWare and Frostbite created Dragon Age: The Veilguard's hair strand technology
• The hair technology features 50,000 individual strands per character
• Stand hair technology is present in other EA games, but BioWare had to push the limits further for The Veilguard

EA has revealed how Dragon Age: The Veilguard's hair strand technology was brought to life.

In a new blog post, the development team at BioWare and the Frostbite Engine provided a deep dive into the technology that was able to give the characters of The Veilguard the best hair the series has ever seen.

In total, 50,000 individual strands make up one hairstyle per character for over 100 hairstyles in the game, allowing for natural motion and adaptability to various character movements and environments.

"Harnessing the power of the Frostbite engine, Strand Hair technology transforms your character's locks into a living tapestry of thousands of individual strands," EA said. "Strand Hair technology combines physics with real-time rendering to simulate believable modeling of human hair."

Frostbite spent years advancing its hair-rendering tech and has been featured in previous EA titles like EA Sports FC and Madden NFL, however, for The Veilguard, BioWare was required to push the limits even further.

"With hair attachments that move seamlessly, and the decoupling of simulation and render tessellation, this is the first EA game to offer such detailed physics-driven long hairstyles," EA explained. "The Frostbite team increased maximum hair length from 63 points to 255, and implemented a new system for complex hair structures like braids."

A character's build and physical traits also played a role in how the hair tech was implemented, as well as all sorts of different lighting that was considered. Frostbite and BioWare also worked together to make sure hair was accurately responsive to shadows and environmental lighting.

"The collaboration between Frostbite and the BioWare engineering team was key to supporting complex hairstyles. Advancing the technology for intricate styles and optimizing performance ensured that specific moments, like when hair covers a large percentage of the screen in certain cinematics, run smoothly," said BioWare's studio technical director, Maciej Kurowski.

The post goes into greater detail on how Frostbite and BioWare were able to counter some of the difficulties that came with creating realistic hair when dealing with other semi-transparent objects.

BioWare developed a new technique for blending hair with transparent visual and environmental effects, like volumetric fog and other participating media.

"We first render the opaque part of strand hair, and then we render transparent objects," said BioWare's senior rendering engineer James Power noted. "The shaders for the transparent objects use the transparent hair depth texture to determine whether the shading pixel is 'under' or 'on top' of the strand hair. If it's below, it renders the hair and marks a stencil bit (think of it as a masking texture)."

It's a complicated process and the post even goes into how each Strand Hair asset, each with high strand counts and tessellation settings, has a "high memory footprint" which is why the game offers players the option to turn the feature off for better performance.

You might also like...

• The Best RPGs 2024 - the top role-playing games for PC and consoles
• Phil Spencer confirms Xbox handheld prototypes are now being worked on, but a console is years away
• Phil Spencer says Microsoft will release more Xbox games on other platforms - "I do not see sort of red lines in our portfolio that say ‘thou must not'"

If you have an aging iPhone battery or are planning a vacation, these iPhone power banks will be the perfect companion.