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• Spotify is 'doubling down' on its music offering in 2025, says CEO Daniel Ek
• That could include a long-awaited Hi-Fi tier for super-fans and audiophiles
• Critics of Spotify's payment model say things could get worse for artists

Spotify is planning to "double down" on its music offering after reporting its first-ever full-year profit – but what exactly does that mean for subscribers?

As reported by Variety, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek praised his company's performance in an earnings call this week, saying that “Spotify is not only a great product — it’s now also a great business," adding that "We’re gonna double down on music in 2025, and I’m personally very excited about that.”

These days, the music streaming service boasts a total of 675 million active subscribers, 260 million of which are premium subs on the ad-free tier – helped, as ever, by an end-of-year publicity blitz through Spotify Wrapped that added 35 million new active users.

Analyst Jeff Wlodarczak expects Spotify's operating margins to only increase further this year, too, with increasing subscriber growth alongside the company's tighter monetization strategies.

Doubling down on music could be a great thing for subscribers, if they finally get a Spotify Hi-Fi tier to access better-quality, lossless audio – matching Tidal or Apple Music – which the company has promised for years.

I'd expect it to be a little pricier than the current Premium plan, which comes in at $11.99 / £11.99 / AU$13.99 for an individual subscription, likely twinned with additional perks and bonuses for big music fans – possibly getting access to certain tracks and albums before other users, or enjoying more personally curated playlists. It's likely an easy way for Spotify to monetize heavy users while removing one big reason to switch to another lossless audio platform.

Spotify has focused a lot on its podcast business in recent years, possibly to the detriment of its music offering, but this latest pronouncement from Ek suggests the Hi-Fi tier might finally happen in 2025. It could also mean we get a cheaper, music-only tier which was teased back in 2024.

But is that the whole story here?

(Image credit: Axios) Where does the money go?

It's been a big year for Spotify, but not all of its profit success comes down to increased subscribers.

The company also laid off 20% of its workforce in 2024 in an effort to gain tighter control of its finances, and introduced a few other cost-cutting measures that some consider to have been essentially passed on to artists and musicians to bear.

In early 2024, Spotify decided that artists attracting fewer than 1,000 streams per month through its platform would no longer be monetized. Given artists only receive $0.004 per stream, or $4 per thousand streams, it may seem like a small amount per person, but it also represents a huge cash grab away from those already struggling to gain any income from the service.

There was also reporting from last year claiming that Spotify was filling your recommendations with 'fake artists' from production companies that didn't need the same level of royalties – effectively filling out playlists with sawdust so you didn't notice the lack of bread.

Another feature, called Discovery Mode, also invites artists to reduce their earnings in exchange for being algorithmically pushed to more users.

Measures like these have helped Spotify move confidently into the green, but its plans to further increase its profit margin in 2025 – already built on reduced payouts for artists – are a real cause for concern.

This was the first year that Spotify Wrapped included an AI summary of user's listening habits, and as AI music becomes more widespread, there's a very real fear that this could be the next stage of helping to make Spotify more profitable, offering generated music that doesn't require payment at all as part of various ambient music playlists, replacing streams from artists who need to be paid.

I fully believe that Spotify will "double down" on music – but I hope it means helping me double-down on the real artists I like, not Spotify doubling down on bringing its own low-cost music in to help keep the profits high.

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• ChatGPT Search no longer requires an OpenAI account
• You can access the AI search engine for free without logging in
• ChatGPT Search lets you browse the web directly from within the world's most popular chatbot

ChatGPT Search is now available to everyone, regardless of whether you're signed into an OpenAI account or not.

OpenAI announced the major update on X, bringing ChatGPT Search to the masses, without creating an account or giving any personal information to the world leaders in AI.

ChatGPT Search is a search engine powered by, you guessed it, ChatGPT. It allows you to quickly search the web in the same way you would with Google Search, but get more in-depth results and summaries alongside sources. OpenAI says, "ChatGPT can search the web and get you fast, timely answers with links to relevant web sources directly in ChatGPT. ChatGPT will choose to search the web based on what you ask, or you can manually choose to search by clicking the web search icon."

Until now, ChatGPT Search was completely free to use but you needed to sign into an OpenAI account before being able to look anything up. Now, users can use it just by accessing ChatGPT.com.

This is an excellent addition to ChatGPT, which has been free to use without an OpenAI account for a while and could be the turning point for AI search engines as more and more people look for Google alternatives.

ChatGPT Search will roll out to logged-out users over the next few days, so if you don't see the Search icon under your prompt today, try again tomorrow!

ChatGPT search is now available to everyone on https://t.co/nYW5KO1aIg — no sign up required. pic.twitter.com/VElT7cxxjZFebruary 5, 2025

Is it time to ditch Google Search?

ChatGPT Search is built into ChatGPT and wants to make the AI chatbot your go-to for all your information. In the past, ChatGPT would have a knowledge cut-off date that meant you couldn't ask for information about things that were happening in the world at the time of your prompt. With ChatGPT Search that has completely changed, and ChatGPT can now give you up-to-date information on everything from world politics to the latest sports scores.

Google Search is engrained in society, most of the world's population with access to the internet use Google on a daily, if not hourly basis. OpenAI's alternative is an excellent option for those who want more from a search engine but I find myself opting to use my trusty ol' buddy Google more often than ChatGPT Search, even if it's not quite as knowledgeable.

The joy of the internet is curating your own sources and choosing where you want to get information from. As it stands, ChatGPT Search's approach doesn't really work for me as I want to be in control of what I consume, and having a summary from multiple sources doesn't always give me that. ChatGPT Search is still in its infancy, and it's bound to improve over time. If you haven't ever tried an AI-powered search engine before, there's never been a better time. But is it time to ditch Google Search? I'm not convinced.

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• Security researchers warning of new phishing campaign
• This one abuses Microsoft's authentication system
• The goal is to steal sensitive data and login credentials

Cybercriminals are impersonating Microsoft’s Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) to steal people’s passwords, log into their accounts, and grab any sensitive information found there, experts have warned.

A new report from cybersecurity researchers Abnormal Security noted how the attack starts with a phishing email, impersonating the target company’s IT team, and claiming that the system has been upgraded and that all users need to re-authenticate.

Obviously, the email also comes with a clickable button, which takes the victim to a phishing site that looks identical to their organization's real ADFS login page.

Redirecting the victims

Microsoft's Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) is a single sign-on (SSO) solution that allows users to access multiple applications using a single set of credentials. It extends Active Directory (AD) to provide federated identity management, enabling seamless and secure authentication across different organizations, cloud services, and applications.

This page asks for login credentials and MFA codes.

“The phishing templates also include forms designed to capture the specific second factor required to authenticate the target's account, based on the organization's configured MFA settings,” Abnormal said in the paper.

“Abnormal observed templates targeting multiple commonly used MFA mechanisms, including Microsoft Authenticator, Duo Security, and SMS verification.”

When the victim types in their login details, the landing page redirects them to the legitimate sign-in page, to keep the ruse going. In the background, however, the attackers are already logging in, stealing sensitive data, creating new email filter rules, and trying to move laterally throughout the target network.

Abnormal added that the campaign mostly targets organizations in education, healthcare, and public sector industries. So far, some 150 organizations have been targeted, it added. The goal of the campaign doesn’t seem to be espionage. Instead, it seems to be financially motivated.

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Sony LinkBuds Speaker: Two-minute review

Sony has released a fair few speakers in its day but the new LinkBuds Speaker is the first to be released under its LinkBuds branding; the original Sony LinkBuds were novel for having open-ring designs so you could hear your surroundings while also streaming music, but the name now just seems to be used for a range of lifestyle audio options instead of applying to that particular open design, so here we are.

I often having to get name whingeing out of the way early when I review products like the Sony LinkBuds Speaker, because I want to save the rest of the review to focus on compliments on the device (and because I love a good name-whinge).

Don’t make the mistake I did when I first started using the speaker – unlike many other entries into our annals of the best Bluetooth speakers, this creation isn’t designed for house parties or loud gatherings. Instead, it’s a svelte house-trained pet that does its best work when you keep it domestic.

That’s most evident from the charging cradle, which was my favorite aspect of the entire speaker. It charges the speaker when you’re not using it (or when you are), acting as a hub that you can easily whisk the speaker away from when you’re marching into another room.

But there’s more evidence as to the LinkBuds Speaker’s introverted state. Its understated design means it fits snugly into your home decor, but it's not as rugged as the best waterproof speakers. Its microphone means you can use it as an ersatz home assistant (via your phone, at least) and a range of other features such as a programmable musical alarm clock and hourly time alerts all indicate that this is a housebound gadget.

That doesn’t mean you’ll be left in the lurch if you take it outside, especially with a surprisingly big 25-hour battery, but you might not find the audio fits parties or summer cookouts. That’s doubly the case with audio which proves quite directional, and doesn’t quite equal some rivals on the market in terms of energy and vibrancy – if you’re looking for a party speaker, the Sony will disappoint.

I was pleasantly surprised with the feature set offered by Sony, with its Sound Connect app boasting quite a few handy features – some are ones I haven’t seen on rival devices, which is a neat touch. Admittedly some of these features are hidden deep in the app – I still have no idea how I enabled the aforementioned hourly notification – and not all of them work wonders.

But it’s another illustration of how the Sony offers brains over the raw brawn of some of its rivals. It’s no slouch in the audio department, but it’s found a different way to best the likes of the JBL Flip 6: the features.

I should cap this intro by saying one more thing if you like the ideas of these extra features: only buy this if you use Spotify, Amazon Music or Endel. Loads of the extra features require a subscription to one of these three streaming services so you're not going to be able to use all the features if you use Tidal, Apple Music or YouTube Music.

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Price and release date

• Released in October 2024
• Officially priced at $179.99 / £139 / AU$249

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker was announced in October 2024, alongside two new earbud additions to the brand: the LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open.

You can buy the speaker for $179.99 / £139 / AU$249 so it costs a little more than rivals in the area such as the JBL Flip 6, Ultimate Ears Boom 4 or Bose SoundLink Flex, but it roughly matches the Sonos Roam 2 which we rate as the best Bluetooth speaker.

I should point out that at the time of testing, three months after the LinkBuds Speaker’s release, it’s already on offer from some retailers, so it’s worth hunting around to find a discount as they're easy to find.

(Image credit: Future) Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Specs

(Image credit: Future) Sony LinkBuds Speaker: Features

• A 25-hour battery life
• Lots of features thanks to Sound Connect app
• Many tools require Spotify, Amazon Music or Endel

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker offers a surprisingly admirable 25 hours of battery life, which laps most of its close rivals – you can expect between 10 and 15 hours of listening time on its competitors.

Thanks to how the aforementioned charging cradle fits into my real-world experience, I never actually had to test this figure the hard way, but that’s not the end of the world – it just goes to prove that you’ll never have battery anxiety with the LinkBuds Speaker.

You can get many more features from the LinkBuds Speaker by using Sony’s Sound Connect app – until recently called Headphones Connect.

One useful feature is auto-play, so you can set your speaker to start auto-playing from Spotify, Amazon Music or Endel at certain times on certain days, basically like an alarm clock. In my testing, I was unable to choose which playlist Spotify auto-played from, and it default to carrying on whatever I last listened to, but the writing in the app suggests that I should be able to pick them. Hopefully a software update will change this.

As I'll discuss in the Design section of this review, the speaker has a quick access button. Using the app, you can map this to use two of: Spotify Tap, Amazon Music Play Now or Endel Quick Access (all three bring up a curated playlist from the app of choice). As you can tell, these are the only three apps supported by Sony’s app – sorry, Tidal fans – but you can use other streaming platforms for standard speaker playback. You just can’t use the extra features.

Audiophiles will also be pleased to hear that there’s an in-app equalizer. It’s a five-band one with an extra Clear Bass dial to increase or decrease bass prominence between -10 and 10. You can save two different custom EQs, and there are no presets. In my experience I didn’t find that the equalizer made much of a difference on the sound quality.

Sony’s auto-EQ mode is back, but I’ve not previously been impressed by this, and the LinkBuds Speaker didn’t change that. The way it works is that the app presents you with five different EQ mixes and you have to choose your favorite; you do this twice and the app creates a custom mix for you. The problem is that the mixes it suggests to you are often so indistinct that I can never tell the difference between them, so it’s not a good way of gauging my actual tastes.

I was impressed by a few of the quality-of-life features Sound Connect offers. You can choose the auto-power-off length, toggle on a battery-saving mode that stops you overcharging the speaker, connect two multiple devices (including LinkBuds earbuds, which can automatically switch your music from the buds to the speaker when you get near) and can enable a Sony-made audio decompression feature to improve the sound of music on lossy streaming services. They all just improve the way you use the speaker in small but meaningful ways.

A feature I got really close to liking is the ability to set hourly reminders. This was surprisingly convenient to help mark the passage of time through the day, reminding me that it was lunchtime or that my working hours were finished… except there's no way in the app to silence it for certain hours. I was woken several times by the speaker announcing that it was 2am or 3am and so turned this otherwise-handy feature off.

I’ll briefly touch on pairing: when I first started using the LinkBuds Speaker, I simply couldn’t connect to it via Bluetooth pairing. However as soon as I opened the Sound Connect app, it immediately recognized and paired. So if you’ve just bought this gadget and can’t get it to connect, download the app now!

• Features score: 4/5

(Image credit: Future) Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Design

• Black or gray squoval
• Has a hook for hanging; charging pad in box
• A fair range of buttons

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker basically looks like a small furry squoval. (It's a real word! A portmanteau of square and oval!) Compared to lots of other portable speakers it’s a little plain looking, but I liked how it blended into the background of my home more than other speakers I test. Sometimes nondescript is good. The fabric cover also gives it a premium look that many other rivals lack.

It’s not a huge speaker, measuring 11cm tall and with body dimensions of 8.4 x 9cm, but it’s a little heavier than you’d think at first glance at 520g.

The ‘back’ of the speaker – a word I use because the sound is pretty directional, as I’ll get into in the sound quality section – has its power button as well as the USB-C charging port (which you can use instead of the included base plate, another feature I’ll explain later on). It also has a hook that you can use to hang the speaker on a hook in the bathroom, on the back of a chair or wherever works – but it’s not that big so it was hard to clip onto certain objects, plus the way the speaker hangs has problems with the directional sound (yet another tease about a future point to discuss).

On top of the speaker are buttons: volume up, volume down, play/pause/accept phone call, and the quick access button. There’s also a small light: white when the speaker is on and red when it’s off, and purple sometimes… for some reason? If there’s a way of turning the LED off, I couldn’t find it, which was a little annoying at night.

I’d be remiss not to include mention of the LinkBuds Speaker’s base plate, because it became an integral part of the experience during my testing. Included in the box is a charging cradle, which you plug into a USB-C charger, and it holds the speaker firm and slowly charges it up. Once I set this up in my office, it became a ‘home’ of sorts for the speaker – when I was listening during work, it would power up so that there was charge for when I was taking it out and about. Super convenient, two thumbs up from me.

You can buy the speaker in black or light gray, and your choice will affect the base plate as well as the speaker itself. It has an IPX4 rating so it’s protected against splashes of water but not solid jets or submersion, so it may not be at home at a pool party.

(Image credit: Future)

• Design score: 4/5

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Sound quality

• Good, not great audio quality
• Volume fine indoors but not loud enough for outdoors
• Directional audio poses a problem

The Sony LinkBuds Speaker combines a tweeter and woofer in a classic two-way system; I couldn’t find much information on either component from Sony's materials.

There’s no use beating about the bush; the LinkBuds Speaker doesn’t quite sound as great as rivals I’ve tested at this price point from Ultimate Ears and JBL. It offers a balanced audio mix, but lacks the 'oomph' that portable Bluetooth speakers generally need.

For example: there’s ample bass, but not as much as you’d get on an outdoor speaker; clear treble, but a distinct lack of shine to some instruments; the same lack of soundstage that you get on smaller speakers like this thanks to mono audio. The maximum volume is sufficient if you plan to use the speaker exclusively at home or in your garden, but in wider open spaces, it might prove hard to hear. Unlike its rivals, Sony hasn't turned any one element up to 11.

The mono audio problem can be fixed, according to the Sony website, by simply buying a second speaker and pairing them together to get stereo sound. That will, of course, double the amount you’re paying to listen.

My main concern when I started listening to the LinkBuds Speaker was simply that audio didn’t sound as energetic or exciting as on many other portable speakers I’ve tested; lots of rivals are designed as party devices and going in with the same expectations here will leave you disappointed.

This was underlined when I used the LinkBuds Speaker to play music at a gathering; after a few drinks, balanced audio isn't as important as vibrant bass. However once I figured out that the Sony is designed for a different use case – namely home listening – I could appreciate it a little more.

The LinkBuds Speaker’s sound depends a lot on the direction you are to it – that’s not uncommon in speakers, as 360-degree audio is a rare treat. But it makes a marked difference in the LinkBuds Speaker, and it’s doubly annoying for two reasons.

Firstly, due to its design, it’s pretty hard to glean which way the front is from a glance – close up, you can see the way the buttons are facing and where the hook is. If the speaker is in the corner of a room, you’ll have to guess if you’re getting the full experience. Secondly, when you use the hook to hang the speaker up, its positioning means that the tweeter and woofer point downwards – the only person getting optimal audio is the downstairs neighbor.

Sony boasts about its Sound Diffusion Processor in the LinkBuds’ web post, which is supposed to spread sound from the speaker out into a wide area, but I can only assume this listing was written on opposite day because my experience was that music sounded so much better when the speaker was facing you.

(Image credit: Future)

• Sound quality: 3.5/5

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Value

I can't go so far as to say that the Sony LinkBuds Speaker is outstanding value for money, but it ticks all the boxes that you want when you're paying this much.

The range of features, the audio quality, the design; I'm pretty sure I'd be able to accurately predict the LinkBuds' price because it's in line with expectations.

That changes a little if you can find the speaker discounted, though, and if you find it nearing the $100 / £100 / AU$180 mark, it may tip more into 'must-buy' territory.

• Value score: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Sony LinkBuds Speaker? Buy it if…

You're a homebody
Looking for a Bluetooth speaker that you plan to use at home, rather than in outdoor events? Look no further.

Battery life is important
No-one likes that most gadgets take constant charging. You can put it off for 25 hours at a time with the LinkBuds Speaker, and top it up super-easily.

You want to be woken up by music
The LinkBuds Speaker's musical alarm clock feature has woken me up for the last week, and I'm all for it.

Don’t buy it if…

You're a party planner
The LinkBuds Speaker lacks the max volume, overwhelming bass or rugged design needed to make it a real party speaker.

You're not an app fan
Some people don't like having to use an app to control their speaker or headphones, and that's a fair stance, but you won't like the LinkBuds Speaker in that case.

Sony LinkBuds Speaker review: Also consider

JBL Flip 6
It's been around for years, but it remains a stalwart rival in the Bluetooth speaker space. It has a balanced sound and a hardy design, though it lacks some features (and the long battery life) that the Sony has – you can dig into it in our full JBL Flip 6 review.

Bose Soundlink Flex Gen 2
Another well-received rival from Bose, this gadget takes some party speaker DNA but not as much as some other rivals. It provide balanced audio, but perhaps doesn't quite have the charm of the Sony, but you can read more in our full Bose SoundLink Flex Gen 2 review.

• Verity drones can scan 1,000 RFID tags per second with an accuracy rate of 99.9%
• RFID-enabled drones enhance visibility and real-time item tracking beyond traditional gate systems
• Technology handles low-priority tasks, ensuring human roles remain safe for now, but the future is uncertain

Verity, On, and Maersk recently collaborated to revamp warehouse operations through a combination of AI-powered drones and RFID technology.

Developed by Verity in Zurich, Switzerland, the autonomous drones navigate warehouse aisles independently while scanning RFID tags with precision.

The pilot project aims to enhance inventory tracking by integrating these two advanced systems, enabling greater visibility, control, and real-time item tracking beyond traditional RFID gate systems, thereby removing the need for human intervention.

The power of RFID-enhanced drones

Traditional RFID systems rely on fixed readers, limiting their ability to track inventory efficiently. By incorporating RFID into Verity’s AI-driven drones, warehouses can now benefit from a fully autonomous, mobile inventory tracking solution.

The drones can scan up to 1,000 RFID-tagged items per second, achieving an accuracy rate of 99.9%.

To validate the effectiveness of this technology, Verity, On, and Maersk conducted trials at a high-volume warehouse in California. Over 1,500 drone flights were completed and the system successfully performed 80 million RFID reads and tracked 1.25 million individual tags over a three-month period.

“At Maersk, we are committed to leveraging advancements in logistics through cutting-edge technology,” said Jason Walker, Head of Maersk's North American Contract Logistics.

“The exploration of RFID-enabled drones in our warehouses is a testament to our dedication to innovation and operational excellence," he continued. "Importantly, this technology enhances the capabilities of our team, empowering them to focus on more strategic tasks and drive continuous improvement.”

The rapid advancement of warehouse automation raises concerns about human labor's future in the sector. Verity’s system reduces labor requirements by up to 92% for inventory control tasks.

However, the impact on overall warehouse employment is more complex. Automation has historically supplemented labor shortages rather than entirely replaced jobs. In many cases, human workers prioritize essential tasks, leaving inventory tracking as a lower priority. The new AI-powered drones fill this role, ensuring precise stock monitoring without affecting other warehouse functions.

"By fusing AI, autonomous data collection at scale, and RFID, we are bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds to deliver complete visibility across supply chains,” said Verity CEO Raffaello D’Andrea.

It may be warehouses will evolve into larger, fully autonomous spaces, where machines handle every aspect of operations and tens of thousands of jobs will be lost. Technically, human jobs are safe because this technology is handling lower-priority tasks, but this may just be a sign of things to come.

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• Amazon invites literally spell out 'Alexa' teasing a major update
• The new Alexa could be an autonomous AI agent...
• ... but it might also cost you $5-$10 a month

Amazon sent out invites to a big product launch event in New York City yesterday that contained plenty of Alexa hints (including a familiar shade of blue). And now some details hidden in the invite, plus some fresh rumors, have given us a clearer idea of what to expect on February 26.

We missed the first Alexa AI hint because it's impossible to spot when looking at a single invite. But take one of each of the five different invite styles Amazon distributed and you’ll see they spell “alexa” – with our odd-looking ‘a’ actually being an ‘e’. The puzzle was cracked by The Verge.

This means that Amazon is all-but-guaranteed to to show off the long-awaited, next-gen Alexa that we've been waiting for on February 26 – and we might even see some new hardware for this AI to call home.

(Image credit: Amazon)

We've also now got some potential details on exactly what Alexa AI will do. According to Reuters – which cites three people familiar with the project – the new and improved Alexa assistant will have a few key upgrades.

Firstly, it'll seemingly be better at understanding natural speech and the context of your requests as the new AI will be able to respond to multiple prompts in a sequence.

We're not sure precisely how this will look, but we're imagining a cooking environment where you quickly ask Alexa to start a timer for 30 minutes, plus a recipe to prepare the next part of your meal, and for it to play a relaxing playlist to help you handle the pressure a little more easily. Rather than saying 'Hey Alexa' between each prompt, you could just ask them back-to-back like you can with a service like Gemini Live.

Next, it's said that Alexa will be able to serve as an AI agent – meaning it can perform tasks on behalf of users without needing their direct involvement. Again, it's not clear what form this will take, but perhaps Alexa will learn your routines and automatically turn off smart lights if it knows you aren't home. That said, we're a little timid about Alexa being able to act autonomously – without the right protections, an Agent with access to our credit card and the world’s biggest online marketplace sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Lastly, while Alexa's AI upgrade will seemingly be free with limited usage at first, Amazon has reportedly floated the idea of charging $5-$10 a month for it (probably around £5-£10 / AU$8-AU$16). Thankfully, classic Alexa could remain as an always available free option.

Will Alexa AI be worth paying for?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Based on the leaks so far, we aren't convinced that Alexa AI will be useful enough to justify paying for. It doesn't sound quite significant enough to tempt people who only use it as a voice-activated timer and light switch, but Amazon could give us more compelling reasons when February 26 rolls around.

You might have missed it in the buzz caused by the likes of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Apple Intelligence and DeepSeek, but Alexa has been surprisingly absent from the AI revolution. The smart speaker assistant once synonymous with at-home AI now feels decidedly dumb as it struggles to engage in natural conversation with the same fluidity as Gemini Live, and with answers to queries that contain far less depth than the likes of GPT-4o.

This is apparently not through lack of trying. Reports have suggested that "technical challenges" have held Alexa’s next-gen upgrade back as it struggled with frequent hallucinations (when an AI makes up information, or makes a mistake) as well as continuing to perform the basic smart home tasks Alexa can do right now (such as turning on smart lights).

These snags apparently set the AI’s release date back to 2025, but it appears Amazon is finally ready to make its efforts public.

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• The Coolpix P1100 boasts a 125x optical zoom with 24-3000mm range
• Dynamic Fine Zoom further pushes the reach up to 6000mm
• It shoots 16MP stills, 4K video, and weighs 1.4kg

Nikon has signaled that it's keeping a toe-hold in the superzoom camera space by announcing the new Nikon Coolpix P1100. It's a modest update of the Coolpix P1000, which was launched in 2018, and once again delivers a class-leading 125x optical zoom with 24-3000mm range, plus a smart Dynamic Fine Zoom mode that doubles that range.

Also known as a bridge camera, the Coolpix P1100 is designed to capture everything from sweeping vistas to distant objects such as landmarks and wildlife, plus everything in between, all with one camera. These cameras are a dying breed – Sony killed off its Cyber-Shot RX10 IV, which we rate as the best bridge camera money can buy, and while Panasonic threw a lifeline to one model with a minor refresh, the Lumix FZ80D / FZ82D, that's all the action we've seen in the last few years.

Nikon keeping its Coolpix superzoom series alive is good news for those looking for one do-it-all camera for their travels, and for beginner wildlife photographers, and it has kept the price competitive – the Coolpix P1100 costs $1,099.95 / £1,049 / AU$1,699.95, which is only a small mark-up over the Coolpix P1000.

But should you buy Coolpix P1100? And, what's new in this latest version? Let's take a look at five things you need to know about the new Coolpix P1100.

1. It has a class-leading 125x optical zoom, just like the Coolpix P1000 Image 1 of 2

Closeup photo of the moon, taken with the Nikon Coolpix P1100 superzoom camera – you'll need a tripod for a shot like this. (Image credit: Nikon)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Nikon)

Zoom range is clearly the big selling point of bridge cameras, and the Coolpix P1100 has the biggest zoom of the bunch – a stabilized 125x optical zoom with 24-3000mm range is ridiculous. It even beats Samsung's stabilized 100x 'space zoom', and that mode is digital, meaning plenty of processing and interpolation (and so loss of quality) is taking place.

The Coolpix P1100 can optically get you closeups of the moon, and lock in tight on distant wildlife such as birds; and if that maximum 3000mm reach isn't enough for you, then a Dynamic Fine Zoom further doubles zoom to 250x – that's 6000mm!

Versatility is the name of the game here – the lens also offers a wide perspective for landscape photography. If you're looking for one lens to do it all, the Coolpix P1100 could be the ticket. But just to be clear though, the lens is exactly the same as the one in the Coolpix P1000.

2. Don't have too high hopes for image quality

Owl nestled in a tree, taken with the Nikon Coolpix P1100 superzoom camera (Image credit: Nikon)

Such zoom versatility comes at a cost, that cost being outright image quality. Compared to a similarly-sized mirrorless camera with a moderate zoom lens attached, the difference in quality is night and day – the modest 3-star rating we gave the Coolpix P1000, which features the same sensor and lens, in our review back in 2018, says it all.

The Coolpix P1100 features a 1/2.3-inch sensor that's capable of 16MP stills and 4K video. For perspective, that sensor size is tiny, equivalent to that in a current entry-level smartphone. If the light is good, image quality is okay; but when the light is low, temper your expectations. The lens' maximum aperture is reduced from f/2.8 at 24mm to just f/8 at 3000mm, which only reduces the amount of light the camera can take in.

It's best to consider the Coolpix P1100 as a beginner camera – highly versatile, with modest image quality. If you want a camera to grow with, it could be worth grabbing the pricier Sony Cyber-Shot RX10 IV before it sells out – it has a much larger 1-inch sensor and smaller 24-600mm zoom range, and as a result its quality is a big step up. Or look into a mirrorless camera with a moderate telephoto zoom lens if distant subjects are your thing.

3. It's a big ol' camera

With the zoom lens fully extended, and even retracted, the Coolpix P1100 is a beastly camera. (Image credit: Nikon)

The Coolpix P1100 measures 5.8 x 4.7 x 7.2 inches / 146.3 x 118.8 x 181.3mm, excluding projections, and weighs 3lbs 1.8oz / 1,410g. In short, it's an absolute beast – an all-in-one camera it might be, but you won't forget it's slung over your shoulder.

In fairness, the Coolpix P1100's DSLR-style design, together with 2.4m-dot electronic viewfinder and 3.2-inch vari-angle LCD screen, is comfortable in the hand. Its snap-back zoom button is incredibly helpful too, enabling you to quickly zoom out should you lose track of your subject.

If you're going to regularly use that maximum telephoto reach, it's worth factoring in that you'll need to carry a tripod with you, further adding to your load. Yes, the lens is stabilized, but a sturdy support will improve your viewing and photo-taking experience no end.

4. What's new?

(Image credit: Nikon)

All of the above are true of both the new Coolpix P1100 and its predecessor, the Coolpix P1000. So what exactly is new? The answer is, not a lot.

The latest model has some minor design changes and is equipped with USB-C charging, as per today's European standards, plus it features what could effectively be firmware-update-level improvements. These include a new Fireworks Show scene mode (to avoid blown-out highlights), a long-exposure noise reduction feature, selectable AF-area in Bird-Watching mode, plus enhanced Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Any Fn button operation can be assigned to the compatible Nikon ML-L7 Bluetooth remote, too.

Like I say, there are no upgrades really worth writing about. The biggest news here is that Nikon has kept faith with and extended the life of its Coolpix superzoom camera.

5. There are two notable downgrades from the Coolpix P1000

(Image credit: Nikon)

Not only is the Coolpix P1100 only a minor update of the P1000, there are actually two downgrades from its six-year-old predecessor, one being that the optical stabilization has been downgraded from five stops to four stops – that's a real kicker.

When I see a lens with such a long telephoto reach, my first thoughts turn to the effectiveness of the stabilization, because it can increase your hit ratio of sharp images. Optical stabilization can only do so much – it's ineffective for fast-moving subjects like wildlife, but for static subjects it can correct camera shake effectively for clear viewing and crisp images. Losing 1EV of stabilization is hardly a huge deal, and apparently this is a result of adjusted CIPA standards rather than actual loss of performance, but I'll reserve judgment for now.

The second downgrade is the built-in flash's guide number – that's its maximum output – which has been reduced from 16m to 12m. That's a shame for those that regularly use flash for short-range subjects.

Because of these downgrades, I would potentially opt for the older Coolpix P1000 over the new Coolpix P1100 if I had the choice. However, we presumably won't have that choice soon – the former camera has been discontinued, and will likely disappear from the shelves over the coming months. I don't think the downgrades are deal-breakers, but they are head-scratchers.

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• Cisco releases fix for two flaws in Identity Services Engine
• The flaws allowed for remote code execution, sensitive data exfiltration, and more
• The first clean version of Identity Services Engine is 3.4

Cisco has released patches for two critical-severity vulnerabilities plaguing its Identity Services Engine (ISE) solution. Since the flaws can be abused to run arbitrary commands and steal sensitive information, Cisco urged its users to apply the fixes as soon as possible.

In a security advisory, the networking giant first said it patched a “deserialization of user-supplied Java byte streams” vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-20124, and given a severity score of 9.9/10 (critical). By sending a custom serialized Java object to an affected Cisco ISE API, an attacker could execute arbitrary commands and elevate privileges.

The second flaw is an authentication bypass bug, occurring since an API did not perform authorization checks, or properly validated user-supplied data. A threat actor could send a malicious HTTP request to the API on the device to trigger it. This bug is tracked as CVE-2025-20125, and was given a severity score of 9.1/10 (critical).

Authentication required

While these flaws sound dangerous, they’re not that easy to exploit. Cisco said that threat actors would still need to be authenticated, and with a read-only admin account, at that.

Indeed, that means pulling the attack off is a lot more difficult, but still not impossible. As The Register properly noted, cybercriminals can phish for login credentials, or simply buy them off the black market.

“It's worth noting that NCC Group blamed last year's surge in ransomware attacks partly on compromised credentials, so it's not like these are too difficult to obtain. Rogue insiders can also abuse these holes, of course,” the publication said.

In any case, Cisco has already come out with fixes, so patching them should be done as soon as possible. Versions 3.0 - 3.3 were said to be vulnerable, so users should ensure they bring their software to version 3.4, at least. The good news is that there is still no evidence of abuse in the wild.

Via The Register

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• KitchenAid's color of the year for 2025 is a yellow shade called Butter
• The KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer is available in the color starting today
• Butter follows a general trend for kitchen appliances in warm, soft colors

KitchenAid has revealed its color of the year for 2025, and if you're anything like me, it will make you want to redecorate your whole kitchen. Butter is a soft shade of daffodil yellow with a creamy satin finish – and it looks good enough to eat.

Want to spread Butter in your kitchen? This colour of KitchenAid's Artisan stand mixer (as featured in shows such as The Great British Bake Off) is available now, priced at $499.99 (about £400 / AU$800) direct from KitchenAid.

KitchenAid's official color of 2024 was the pearlescent shade Blue Salt, while the color of 2023 was the bright pink Hibiscus (very similar to Pantone's color of that same year, Viva Magenta).

The KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is available now in the new color (Image credit: KitchenAid) Butter and brass

Butter follows the recent trend for warm, natural colors in kitchenware, which mark a break from stark black, white, and chrome. For example, late last year KitchenAid unveiled the stunning (but surprisingly controversial) Design Series Evergreen stand mixer, which went against the grain with a broody green body and real walnut wood bowl.

Some bakers were worried that the wood, which needs to be hand-washed and oiled to keep it in good condition, would prove impractical for tasks such as whisking eggs. However, real-world tests proved this wasn't the case, and it worked as well as a metal bowl for everyday mixing.

In January, KitchenAid also announced that its full range of espresso makers is now available in warm porcelain white, and Breville launched a new collection of kitchen appliances with brass details rather than stainless steel. The Brass Accents range includes a new version of the company's best espresso machine, the Barista Touch Impress, which is available in navy, olive green, and off-white.

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• A new trailer posted to the PlayStation Store has seemingly revealed the Metal Gear Solid: Delta Snake Eater release date
• The game will apparently release on August 28, 2025
• The trailer also suggests that the Snake vs Monkey minigame will return

This is not a drill, the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater release date may have leaked early.

As spotted by users on the popular gaming forum Resetera, a new trailer was uploaded to the PlayStation Store website presumably by accident.

It showed off new footage from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, which honestly looks pretty incredible. We see snippets of a few key boss fights plus plenty of the world, and the visuals are absolutely stunning across the board.

The trailer also seems to confirm that the fan-favorite Snake vs. Monkey minigame, which saw Solid Snake face off against the monkeys from the Ape Escape series, will be returning.

Interestingly, when I sat down with producer Noriaki Okamura at a preview event last and asked whether this mode would be coming back, he replied via a translator that Konami was "still in the process of thinking about what to do with this, and not able to say too much about this at the moment" and requested that I "look forward to any upcoming information."

The trailer ends with a release date of August 8, 2025. Of course, this is not actual official confirmation so should be taken with a pinch of salt. There's a strong chance that this trailer was intended to go live alongside the State of Play presentation rumored for later this month. We'll just have to wait and see...

Konami has previously stated that Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be released in 2025 for PlayStation 5 and PC.

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• Two new thrillers are coming to Netflix.
• Robert De Niro will star in The Whisper Man, while Ben Affleck and Gillian Anderson are set to appear in crime thriller Animals.
• The Whisper Man follows a widowed crime writer whose son is abducted and Animals centers on a kidnapping.

Netflix's expanding thriller library is stopping me from canceling my subscription, as Robert De Niro is set to star in another nail-bitting title for the streamer, while Gillian Anderson and Ben Affleck have been confirmed for another.

De Niro has already stepped into the role of a troubled former US president in his first Netflix series Zero Day, which is a new political thriller that'll premiere on February 20, and it has since been announced that the Oscar-winning actor will make his second Netflix outing in The Whisper Man, a new psychological thriller that's an adaptation of Alex North’s bestselling novel of the same name.

Meanwhile, DC star Ben Affleck is set to act and direct upcoming kidnapping thriller Animals, with Gillian Anderson reportedly joining the cast, according to Deadline. It's been said that Matt Damon was originally meant to play the lead role, but Affleck stepped in to replace him due to Damon's scheduling conflicts with Christopher Nolan’s upcoming movie The Odyssey.

Netflix doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to producing good quality thrillers, with the likes of Missing You, Trigger Warning, and The Perfect Couple all proving to be a rather disappointing watch on the best streaming service. However, with this award-winning star power, it looks like Netflix could be about to rectify its library of badly-rated flops in the genre.

What is The Whispering Man and Animals about?

The official plot of The Whisper Man is: "When his eight-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as The Whisper Man.”

The Whisper Man is Netflix’s sixth partnership with the Russo brothers’ company AGBO, with chief creative officer Angela Russo-Otstot telling Tudum: "The Whisper Man is a gripping thriller but at its core is a poignant and complex story of father and sons. We are grateful to have one of the finest actors of his generation, Robert De Niro, anchoring that story and with the remarkable James Ashcroft directing.”

But what about potential best Netflix movie, Animals? Well, hardly anything has been revealed regarding the plot except Variety writing that "the crime thriller reportedly follows a mayoral candidate whose child is kidnapped."

It's expected that additional casting for Animals will be announced over the coming weeks and casting updates for The Whisper Man will be revealed as production ramps up.

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