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• A Chinese cybersecurity firm has been sanctioned by the US Treasury
• The firm allegedly has ties to hacking group Salt Typhoon
• Salt Typhoon is accused of carrying out a cyberattack on 9 telco giants

A Chinese cybersecurity firm has been sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for alleged links to the notorious hacking group Salt Typhoon.

Salt Typhoon is perhaps best known as the group who infiltrated the networks of nine major US telecommunications companies and internet providers, including Verizon and AT&T in the largest telecoms hack in US history.

“Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co., LTD. (Sichuan Juxinhe) had direct involvement in the exploitation of these U.S. telecommunication and internet service provider companies. The MSS (China Ministry of State Security) has maintained strong ties with multiple computer network exploitation companies, including Sichuan Juxinhe,” the Treasury said in a statement.

A major incursion

The Salt Typhoon hack saw state-sponsored actors targeting high-level government communications through a breach of third-party tech support platform BeyondTrust. Hackers were reportedly lurking inside telecom networks for months before being eradicated.

“The Treasury Department will continue to use its authorities to hold accountable malicious cyber actors who target the American people, our companies, and the United States government, including those who have targeted the Treasury Department specifically,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Adewale O. Adeyemo.

Following the hack, the US Treasury was again hit by a further cyberattack which targeted the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS), which is the department in charge of reviewing foreign investments for national security risks.

In January 2025, the Treasury similarly sanctioned a Chinese cybersecurity firm Yongxin Zhicheng Technology Group for alleged ties to Flax Typhoon, the group responsible for hijacking legally required broadband and communications backdoors which allow US law enforcement to intercept communications.

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Many action movies start with a bang. But Back In Action, the new Netflix action comedy starring Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, has started with a splat – multiple splats in the form of rotten tomatoes. According to the review aggregator at the time of writing, the film is far from fresh: it's got a Tomatometer rating of just 24%.

The good news is that there are plenty of much better movies with much fresher ratings, all of them streaming right now on Netflix. Here are three action movies that are among the best Netflix movies you won't regret starting.

RRR

RT critic score: 96%

This action adventure is getting rave reviews. It's the epic, action-packed tale of a fearless warrior on a perilous mission who comes face to face with a steely cop serving British forces in what one reviewer says is "one of the most entertaining films I've seen this year" – and before you go "but it's only January!" he wrote that on the film's theatrical release in mid-2023.

According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, "RRR is one action crescendo after another, never dull but not exhausting either." And the San Jose Mercury News loved it too: "The bonanza with a cast of what looks to be thousands and a storyline about getting back at colonizers is a blast throughout its three-hour-plus running time." According to The Hollywood Reporter, "You won't be bored for a nanosecond."

Rebel Ridge

RT critic score: 96%

When ex-Marine Terry Richmond visits the town of Shelby Springs to post bail for his cousin, things go off the rails and he finds himself going head to head with the local cops and battling a deep-rooted conspiracy. If you've seen the same writer/director (Jeremy Saulnier)'s Blue Ruin and Green Room, you're going to want to see this modern echo of First Blood. And if you haven't, you should stream it anyway.

The movie is "as elementally satisfying as a great Western," AV Club says, while the New York Times waxed lyrical: "Our pulses are elevated by the score, a relentless tattoo of drones and drums, plus the truly sensational camera work of David Gallego which, like our leading man, moves with measured intelligence and makes tactical use of every mirror in sight." According to Empire, it's "an undeniably fun night in."

Hit Man

RT critic score: 95%

Based on an incredible true story, Richard Linklater's wild neo-noir movie stars Glen Powell as strait-laced professor Gary Johnson, who moonlights as a fake hit man for the New Orleans Police Department. As the Irish Times put it, "this old-fashioned sexy caper makes merry with unreliable narration, slapstick and the stress of remembering which lie you told."

Den of Geek says that "Linklater has long displayed a genius for riffing on and shifting between genre tones. And with Hit Man, he’s figured out how to turn a veritable film noir into a meet-cute comedy," and we think ABC News liked it too: "Oooowee," Peter Travers wrote. "What a scorchingly sexy thriller."

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Specs

Type: Mono laser printer

Functions: Print only

Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi

Data storage slots: none

Max print speed: 34ppm (simplex)

Max paper size: Letter/A4

Print quality: 1,200 x 1,200 dpi

Memory: 128MB

Apple AirPrint: yes

Consumables included: black cartridge, 1,200 pages

Dimensions/Weight: 723 x 435 x 285 mm (WxDxH)/71.4lb/7.1kg

This little laser printer bears Brother’s Workhorse branding, which means it's designed for business use, but its compact size and convenient features will appeal to home workers too.

The Brother Workhorse HL-L2865DW is a single-function black and white printer offering a fast print speed, cost-effective mono printing and a range of useful features. Like many of the best laser printers I've reviewed, this one can auto duplex and its inbuilt Wi-Fi is dual-band, but it’s also equipped with a useful front-loading multi-purpose tray for printing on envelopes. It also comes with the security needed for a shared office and eco-friendly features including settings that reduce energy and toner consumption.

Brother HL-L2865DW: Design and build

(Image credit: Brother)

The Brother HL-L2865DW is an unassuming grey box that’s small and light enough to share your desktop. It has ports for Ethernet and USB data cables as well as offering wireless connectivity with AirPrint compatibility. It’s a pity there’s no USB Host port at the front, but the front-facing manual feed slot is a very welcome feature as it saves so much time with those single print jobs such as printing on headed notepaper and envelopes.

It feels somewhat light and plasticky and the single-line display is quite hard to read, but at least these money-saving measures keep the overall cost competitive. As this is a mono printer, there’s plenty of room for the single high-yield black toner cartridge, which means your cost-per-page is also competitive.

Brother HL-L2865DW: Features & specifications

(Image credit: Brother)

For a print-only mono device, the Brother HL-L2865DW has quite a few features to shout about. The print speed is impressive, especially in duplex mode. The given figure is 16ppm (pages per minute) which I corroborated with my stopwatch. In simplex mode, its 34ppm, which is significantly faster than the 26ppm HP Color LaserJet Pro 3201dw.

The single-line LCD is small, but at least it does have a display. The inbuilt wi-fi is dual-band and there’s also an Ethernet port. The main paper tray takes an ample 250-sheets of Letter or A4-size paper and the single-sheet front input slot is essential for those one-off print jobs.

Brother has taken some steps to make this printer more sustainable with an Eco Mode to reduce power consumption, and a Toner Save Mode to reduce toner. It’s a shame that no recycled plastic or parts have been used in its construction, and the packaging includes polystyrene, so there’s room for improvement.

Brother HL-L2865DW: Setup and operation

(Image credit: Brother)

The setup manual is very brief because Brother is assuming you will download the excellent companion app, called Mobile Connect, and use that as your setup guide. It’s a case of plugging in, loading your paper and installing the toner cartridge, before letting the app on your smartphone get the printer connected to your local wi-fi network. It worked first time for me, and with AirPrint built in, I was able to print from my MacBook and iPhone straight away. It’s also fully compatible with Windows and Chrome OS. The Mobile Connect app is good for general operation too because you can use it to check the toner level, ordering a new cartridge, or update the printer’s firmware.

Brother HL-L2865DW: Performance

(Image credit: Brother)

I found the Brother HL-L2865DW printed quickly and surprisingly quietly throughout the tests. The quoted speed of 34ppm is accurate enough, while the quoted noise level of 49dB makes this one of the quieter laser printers on the market. It also printed reliably and well, so long as you don’t ask it to duplex thick paper. I found that it could print well on heavy 300gsm paper stock in simplex mode when using the single sheet input, which is designed for heavier paper, but automatically turning the page over always caused a jam. Removing a stuck page involves removing the cartridge to access it. The paper weight limit for auto duplex printing is a rather thin 105gsm.

The primary task of any black and white laser printer is to turn out pages of text and this it does with clarity and consistency. The characters don’t look quite as inky black as some rival laser printers I have tested, but that’s not to say they are pale. When I reduced the font size to just two points, I was still able to read the text (through a magnifying glass) quite easily.

The quoted resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 sounds better than the 600 x 600 you usually get with laser printers, but sadly that doesn’t equate to superior print quality. The black and white photos I printed looked less sharp than other laser printers at this price point can manage. More impressive was the way it applied the black toner very evenly, leaving no tramlines or blocking, which is good news if your documents include pie charts and areas of solid black. As mentioned, however, it’s not the darkest black toner available, so it has a tendency to appear grey.

Brother HL-L2865DW: Consumables

(Image credit: Brother)

Replacement toner cartridges for this printer are cost effective, especially the high-yield TN830XL (TN2510XL) cartridge, which gives you 3,000 pages for a cost of US$152 (£96). That’s a pretty low cost-per-page. The bundled cartridge yields 1,200 pages, which isn’t too bad for inbox toner either.

Brother HL-L2865DW: Maintenance

(Image credit: Brother)

Unlike inkjets, laser printers don’t suffer from blocked nozzles when left unused, so they require less maintenance on the whole. They do, however, rely on a drum that, in this case, needs replacing after 15,000 pages and a new DR830 (DR2510) unit from Brother costs US$136 (£106).

Brother HL-L2865DW: Final verdict

(Image credit: Brother)

The Brother HL-L2865DW highlights how efficient a black and white laser printer can be in a shared office or home office situation. If you can say with certainty that you don’t need to print in color, a mono laser like this is smaller, simpler, cheaper to buy and cheaper to run. With just one cartridge, there’s room for more toner, enough for 3,000 pages in this case, and more paper (250 sheets). And it performed its single job of turning out professional-looking pages of text very well throughout my testing. The print rate of 16ppm in duplex mode is pretty fast and at less than 50dB, it operates quietly too. The only test it failed was duplexing high quality, which caused a jam. The limit for duplexing is 106gsm stock. I would have appreciated a larger display, or a front USB Host port, but the front-loading multi-purpose input slot proved invaluable for one-off print jobs such as printing on envelopes and headed paper. Overall, this basic laser printer proved to be good value for money.

Want a printer for the home or home office? We reviewed the best home printers around.

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Meet your new year's workout goals and maximize space in your home gym with the best adjustable dumbbells.

Dothan residents have access to several internet providers but not all of them are worth your money. These are CNET’s top picks for the area.

• AMD is purportedly struggling to iron out RX 9070 pricing with retailers
• The theory is that AMD’s original prices were too high compared to where Nvidia pitched its RTX 5000 GPUs
• AMD needs to put all this gossip and speculation to bed as soon as possible

More rumors are circulating about AMD’s RDNA 4 graphics cards, due to launch at some point in Q1 2025, and there’s some fresh info about what could potentially be going on behind the scenes.

There’s no denying that the reveal of RX 9070 models at CES 2025 was confusingly brief, though an AMD exec has since clarified why – namely the lack of time for Team Red’s presentation at that event (a flimsy excuse, yes), and an apparent admission (possible translation issues must be noted, mind) that the company wanted to wait and see how Nvidia pitched its RTX 5000 GPUs.

Fresh speculation (via VideoCardz) from a forum moderator (Pokerclock, who recently brought us gossip on Nvidia’s Blackwell stock levels) at German site PC Games Hardware throws something else into the mix.

Namely a theory that pricing for RX 9070 models has proved problematic and that MSRPs have not been officially agreed, because the price tags AMD planned originally ended up too high compared to what Nvidia announced with its next-gen Blackwell graphics cards.

Pokerclock asserts that there are difficulties in rejigging that price and working out how to balance and correct this with what retail partners already paid for these RDNA 4 products. Working out this – and we must be extremely cautious around this rumor – is what’s apparently causing some trouble for AMD, and kind of leaving its RX 9070 graphics cards in a state of launch limbo, as it were.

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: Time to take action, AMD

Could there be something in this? Well, it does make sense in some ways, by which I mean that Nvidia’s RTX 5070 and 5080 pricing was certainly surprising – it caught me off guard, and likely AMD, too, I’d imagine. Also, it does fit with what’s happened in terms of AMD’s sort of ‘half-launch’ at CES 2025, and the fact that we still haven’t got a date for the proper launch (an event that could be coming this week, if rumors are right – on January 23 or 24, but that’s very close at hand now, obviously).

Moreover, there are multiple sightings of the RX 9070 graphics cards having arrived at retailers, so that also suggests that the pieces of the launch were all fitting into place, and then suddenly an Nvidia-shaped spanner was chucked into the RDNA 4 works when Blackwell pricing was revealed.

It’s notable that Moore’s Law is Dead also spilled some RDNA 4 details in his latest video on YouTube, and there was no rumored pricing, just a comment that he’s heard a lot of different rumors – from $450 (in the US) upwards.

Again, that paints a picture of everything still being rather up in the air at this late stage for RDNA 4, though the YouTuber gives us a rough guess of $499 (in the US) for the RX 9070 and $599 for the RX 9070 XT. That would, based on some purported internal benchmarks from AMD also shared by the leaker, make for a pair of RDNA 4 graphics cards that would be RTX 5070 and 5070 Ti killers.

Interesting and potentially exciting times indeed, but AMD can’t let these rumors on its next-gen GPU launch and pricing continue to simmer and bubble for too long – it needs to make a final decision on RDNA 4 pricing, if the company hasn’t already, of course. And then those prices need to be aired very soon (which might indeed happen, as noted, if the rumor mill is right).

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Multiple monitors or one very big screen. That's ultimately what your choice comes down to if you want the very best in multitasking display support. And it's very much the single-screen option of the two that the new Philips 49B2U6903CH delivers on a very large scale.

This is a 49-inch ultrawide model that offers essentially the same screen area and resolution as a pair of 27-inch 1440p panels. To that basic productivity proposition Philips has added high specification connectivity features including Thunderbolt 4 and a KVM switch and basic HDR capabilities. You also get an integrated pop-up 5MP webcam with Windows Hello and AI tracking support.

If that all sounds appealing, the catch is the price. At over four figures, both in the US and the UK, it's much more expensive than a pair of equivalent 27-inch 1440p panels. So, the question of whether the convenience and seamlessness of a single-screen solution trumps the obvious superior value of going with two screens. Let's find out how Phillips' latest model compares to the best ultrawide monitors on the market.

Philips 49B2U6903CH: Design & features

(Image credit: Philips)

• No nonsense aesthetics
• Great productivity feature set
• High-spec webcam

Specs

Panel size: 49-inch

Panel type: VA

Resolution: 5,120 x 1,440

Brightness: 450 nits SDR, 500 nits HDR

Contrast: 3,000:1

Pixel response: 4ms

Refresh rate: 100Hz

Colour coverage: 119% sRGB

HDR: DisplayHDR 400

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm

Inputs: DisplayPort 1.4 x1, HDMI 2.0 x2, USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 with 100 W power delivery x1

Other: USB hub, including Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C downstream, KVW switch, 5MP webcam with AI tracking and Windows Hello

The Philips 49B2U6903CH is unambiguously a productivity panel, that much is abundantly clear from the simple black aesthetic. RGB lighting and other gamer-centric flourishes definitely do not feature. Still, this is a mostly well-engineered display with a fantastic feature set.

The main negative from a design perspective is the stand. The stability of the panel itself on the stand isn't hugely reassuring, though that's not a huge issue in static use. What is more of a problem is the large size of the flat, solid stand base, which easts into desk space and isn't the most ergonomic solution to propping up a screen this big.

The other ergonomic issue you may or may not like is the location of the audio-out port and USB sockets on the side of the display. There's also USB connectivity on the rear, but if you run with an audio connection full time, it's a little unsightly sticking out of the side. Then again, it's easier to access when plugging in headphones.

Aside from the comprehensive connectivity including USB-C with a generous 100W of power delivery for single-cable laptop docking, Thunderbolt 4 support with daisy chaining, and full KVM functionality, one of the main attractions is the pop-up integrated 5MP webcam situated on the top bezel.

It definitely offers better image quality than most built-in monitor cams. It also supports AI tracking, the idea being that the camera tracks and follows you, removing the need to always sit perfectly centrally. In practice, it's very hit and miss to the point of routinely cutting your head off and being almost unusable. It's probably a software tweak away from being great. As it is, the AI tracking element is best ignored.

Philips 49B2U6903CH: Performance

(Image credit: Philips)

• Nicely calibrated VA panel
• Epic desktop space
• Mediocre pixel density

The basic format of the Philips 49B2U6903CH isn't exactly novel. But the physical reality of a 49-inch curved monitor with a 32:9 aspect ratio is still very impressive. This is an awful lot of monitor.

The benefit for multitasking is obvious enough. Once you've got used to easily being able to run as many as four full application windows, side-by-side, going back to a standard 27-inch 16:9 monitor feels like a real injustice, it's just so constraining.

As for image quality, the biggest downside of this Philips is the pixel density. If you're familiar with 27-inch or 32-inch 4K monitors, the quality of fonts and image detail is a clear step down. However, for now there are no 32:9 aspect, 49-inch ultrawide monitors available with higher pixel density. So, if you favour this form factor, well, this is as good as it gets in terms of DPI.

Still, Philips has calibrated this monitor well, as indicated by the included calibration report showing an average DeltaE of just 0.88. In practice, that means the SDR colours look accurate and well balanced.

This is also a very punchy display, with a rated brightness of 450 nits SDR and 500 nits HDR. That's plenty for burning off even very bright ambient light conditions. What's more, the panel's SDR-calibration in HDR mode is bang-on, too. That means you can run this monitor in HDR mode all the time and with no need to switch between modes depending on content type.

That said, you do have to be realistic about the HDR capabilities of a display like this. There's no local dimming, let alone the per-pixel lighting of an OLED screen. Long story short, this isn't really an HDR-capable display, despite the VESA HDR400 certification. Indeed, VESA HDR400 pretty much tells you there's no real HDR capability, more support for HDR content rendered with correct colours, which is better than nothing.

Elsewhere, Philips quotes this monitor as being capable of 100Hz. However, in our testing it offered 120Hz and ran smoothly, so the quoted 100Hz may be an error.

Whatever, 120Hz is plenty for desktop responsiveness and smoothness. To be frank, even for a spot of gaming it's more than enough given the high resolution and likely frame rates as a consequence. Not that this is a gaming monitor, but it will do that job on the side just fine.

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(Image credit: Philips) Philips 49B2U6903CH: Final verdict

(Image credit: Philips)

From a productivity perspective, this is a very fine display tool. The huge workspace and outstanding connectivity see to that, while the webcam adds a further productivity flourish even if the AI tracking doesn't really work.

The image quality is likewise all you could ask for from this type of display. It's punchy, it's accurate, it's well calibrated, it's plenty quick enough. Sure, the HDR support is limited. But the real downside for productivity is that mediocre pixel density. For whatever reason, none of the very small number of actual LCD panel makers are currently offering a high density panel in this form factor. You can't blame Philips for that.

What you could take Philips to task over is the price. For sure, a monitor this size with the features it offers is never going to be cheap. But it's more expensive than some OLED 49-inch gaming panels with the same form factor, which doesn't really make sense. All that said, even at this high price, this is still an appealing proposition and a decent long-term investment.

For more content creation displays, we tested the best business monitors and the best monitors for a dual-screen setup.

• Nvidia's Bryan Catanzaro suggests older RTX 3000 GPUs could potentially get Frame Generation
• The new Frame Generation model doesn't need an Optical Flow accelerator
• Tensor Cores could be the deciding factor for the RTX 3000 series receiving Frame Generation

With Nvidia's RTX 5000 series launch on the horizon, it's easy to be tempted into buying the latest and (hopefully) the greatest, but Frame Generation could change that - it's not just being improved on RTX 4000 series GPUs and Team Green's latest Blackwell GPUs like the RTX 5090 (Multi Frame Generation), but potentially RTX 3000 GPUs as well.

Hints that older Nvidia GPUs might finally get Frame Generation, a clever feature that uses AI to generate additional frames to boost overall frame rates, comes from Digital Foundry's interview (which you can view below) with Nvidia's Applied Deep Learning Research VP, Bryan Catanzaro - as reported by Wccftech, Catanzaro mentioned Nvidia will be looking at ways to get the best out of older hardware. We know that the current model of Frame Generation will receive improvements later this month once the RTX 5080 and 5090 launch, which will utilize less VRAM while providing better performance thanks to Tensor Cores.

Catanzaro made it clear that DLSS 3 Frame Generation was built upon Nvidia's Optical Flow hardware accelerator (motion detector for objects between frames), with the RTX 4000 series GPUs maintaining a much more improved version compared to RTX 3000 GPUs - the new model of Frame Generation (and Multi Frame Generation exclusive to RTX 5000 series GPUs) won't require the Optical Flow accelerator, but rather an AI-based solution.

Since the new model will rely on a higher standard of Tensor Cores (which increases AI performance) which both RTX 4000 and RTX 5000 GPUs come with, it isn't that simple for Team Green to bring Frame Generation to the older GPUs. With Frame Generation supposedly using much less VRAM usage and not needing an Optical Flow accelerator, however, RTX 3000 users could be in luck (despite the weaker Tensor Cores).

Again, I must ask, is there a need to buy an RTX 5000 series GPU?

While this is essentially just speculation about future possibilities, there's a chance that Nvidia RTX 3000 series users could get the full package of DLSS 4 that includes Frame Generation. DLSS 3 has been available to both RTX 3000 and 2000 series users with super-resolution, DLAA, and ray reconstruction at their disposal - but Frame Generation has so far been exclusive to the RTX 4000 series.

With the requirement of an Optical Flow accelerator now gone, the chances of Frame Generation making its way to RTX 3000 GPUs are now much higher. The main hurdle that could stop this is the weaker Tensor Cores as I mentioned, but the fact that we're at least getting discussions about it with Catanzaro shouldn't be taken lightly.

For now, it's best to look forward to what improvements DLSS 4 will bring to older GPUs and stay patient for any future updates. If Frame Generation for RTX 3000 GPUs does happen, it could breathe new life into the older graphics cards, and could mean gamers that can’t afford a new RTX 5000 series GPU will continue to be able to play new PC games for a few more years.

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• Oppo has shared details about the Find N5, which is likely to be rebranded as the OnePlus Open 2 outside China
• The Oppo Find N5 will be extremely slim, with just barely enough space for a USB-C port
• It will also have an IPX9 water resistance rating, which is very rare on phones

The OnePlus Open was one of the best foldable phones of 2024, so the company could have released a similar successor and still probably seen it stand up well against the competition. Instead, it seems we’ll be getting some big upgrades.

Across various Weibo posts spotted by Android Authority, Oppo’s Product Manager, Zhou Yibao, has shared images and information about the Oppo Find N5, and based on past form, it’s likely that the OnePlus Open 2 will simply be a rebranded version of this device.

Going by this information, that’s no bad thing, as the Oppo Find N5 will be incredibly slim, with Yibao stating that “thinness is not the limit of Find N5, but the limit of the charging port.” You can see that this is the case in the images below, with only the tiniest sliver of frame on either side of the USB-C port.

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The Oppo Find N5 alongside an iPhone 16 Pro Max (Image credit: Oppo)Image 2 of 3

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(Image credit: Oppo)

That means this is probably the slimmest foldable yet, and that it will be impossible to make a foldable phone that’s much slimmer than this without sacrificing the charging port, or having the half without the port be a lot thinner, which could make the phone feel unbalanced.

Some of the other images also highlight just how slim this phone is, with the thickness being similar to that of four credit cards when the phone is unfolded, and much slimmer than an iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Sadly, exact dimensions haven’t been provided, but the OnePlus Open 2 will almost certainly be a fair bit thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which is arguably its key rival – at least until the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 launches.

Impressively water resistant

And that’s not the only way that the Oppo Find N5 – and therefore probably also the OnePlus Open 2 – has the Galaxy Z Fold 6 beat, as Zhou Yibao also revealed that it has IPX6, IPX8, and IPX9 water resistance ratings.

It’s the number at the end that’s relevant here, and most phones at best have an ‘8’ rating, which means they can be submerged at least 1.5 meters deep in fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Having the ‘9’ rating there too means this phone is also protected from high-temperature and high-pressure water jets.

It’s not overly surprising that this level of protection could be offered, since this was also a feature of the OnePlus 13, but it’s not present on most phones – including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, which has an ‘8’ but not a ‘9’ rating.

However, the full rating on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is IP48, with the ‘4’ meaning it has protection from solid objects greater than 1mm in size. The Oppo Find N5 – and probably also the OnePlus Open 2 – has no such protection, so that’s one area where Samsung has this rumored model beat.

It will be interesting to see whether the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 can match this for thinness and water resistance, but we’re doubtful.

As for when any of these phones might launch, we’re expecting the Oppo Find N5 to be unveiled in February, but probably only for China. The OnePlus Open 2 will hopefully launch globally soon after though, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 probably won’t land before July.

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• Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that the iPhone SE 4 could come with support for Apple Intelligence
• Due to the hardware requirements of Apple's AI toolkit, we could end up with an iPhone SE that feels like a flagship
• The current-gen iPhone SE is reportedly running out of stock, suggesting an imminent refresh

Apple could soon make Apple Intelligence much more accessible by equipping the rumored iPhone SE 4 with the company’s full set of AI features.

A report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that the supposedly upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE will indeed support Apple’s AI toolkit, and as such come with at least 8GB of RAM and an A17 Pro or A18 chipset (all current Apple Intelligence-enabled devices come with some combination of these specs, or better).

Gurman is a leading commentator on all things Apple and we have referred to his reports and predictions several times in the past, so there’s certainly some weight in this latest rumor.

If the refreshed iPhone SE launches with 8GB of RAM and the A18 under the hood, it’ll match the flagship iPhone 16 for internal power. We’ll likely see differences in battery capacity, and potentially cooling and heat dissipation, but otherwise, the internal hardware of each device could be remarkably similar.

And with Apple Intelligence enabled, the software experience between the two phones could be close to identical, too. We don’t expect the new iPhone SE to feature the Dynamic Island, but otherwise, iOS is likely to feel near-identical on either handset.

The current-generation iPhone SE 3 retails for $429 / £429 / AU$719. We’ve heard rumors of a possible price hike for the iPhone SE 4, but we’re still expecting it to come in below the $500 mark, which would still be substantially cheaper than the iPhone 16, which costs $799 / £799 / AU$1,399.

For some, this value proposition would be hard to ignore. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to launch with a single-camera system, and we’d be surprised to see the Camera Control button make an appearance. But it stands to reason that, for some users, missing out on these features will be worth a couple of hundred dollars in savings.

Personally, if the iPhone SE 4 is as close to the iPhone 16 as these rumors suggest, I think I’ll have trouble recommending the latter – especially considering Apple’s latest flagship is still holding on to an outdated 60Hz display and barely-useful ultra-wide camera.

Android Authority notes that iPhone SE 3 stocks are running low with no sign of replenishment, so it may not be long before we see the rumored fourth-generation model take its place. If you can’t wait until then, feel free to check out our list of the best iPhones.

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Today is Trump's Inauguration Day. Last night, during a rally, he reiterated promises to sign executive orders. And, Atlanta Civil Rights icon Lonnie C. King recounts a historic moment with MLK Jr.

(Image credit: Jim Watson)

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim may skip US at launch
• Leaks say it won't come to the US, but don't reveal why
• Similar to how the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold SE also skipped many regions

Having already had to prepare ourselves that the hotly-anticipated Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim likely won’t launch at Wednesday’s Galaxy Unpacked event alongside the regular Galaxy S25, S25 Plus and S25 Ultra – instead leaks say it’ll be dropping around May – it now seems that the Slim might not even come to every market: notably skipping the US if leaks are to be believed.

The first comes via reputable tipster Evan Blass who took to his private X account to state that the S25 Slim “will almost certainly not be offered through US carriers,” with Phone Arena following up with a report from a “historically trusted source” who reached out to tell them that while the S25 Slim will come to 39 markets the US won’t be among them – however the UK and Australia are.

All leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt – especially the Phone Arena leak as we can’t name or verify the claim of the info’s source – but this wouldn’t be the first ‘Slim’ Samsung gadget to boast a limited release in recent years.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Case in point the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim, which wound up being called Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE (Special Edition), only released in South Korea and China when it arrived last year. The S25 Slim appears to be having a slightly wider release, but again not quite as wide as Samsung’s flagship devices.

The only question we’re left asking is why it would skip the US specifically? Given Samsung’s home market is South Korea it makes sense it might limit some releases to just that one market, or South Korea and a handful of nearby Asia territories like we saw with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE. However, if it is launching more widely, skipping the US – the third largest market for smartphones behind India and China – feels odd.

The only justification we can think of is Samsung is concerned about possible US tariffs that incoming President Trump has threatened to levy at various US imports – especially those coming in from China which is where plenty of smartphones are manufactured. If Samsung plans to produce the S25 Slim in a region Trump is imposing tariffs on imports from then it may decide that releasing the phone in the US won’t be worthwhile, and so while we wait and see precisely what Trump’s plans are Samsung might be taking the route of under-promising and over delivering if tariffs aren’t as impactful as expected.

A Slim by any other name would be just as thin

Beyond borrowing its more limited release the S25 Slim may also copy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim’s name – i.e. not being called Slim. That’s according to Blass who in a separate post asked why we expect the so-called Galaxy S25 Slim to be branded as such when the Z Fold 6 Slim wasn’t.

Will the Slim get a cmaera upgrade? (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

That’s not to say the S25 Slim won’t be a thin device – with leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo saying the Slim and rumored iPhone 17 Air will be around 5-6mm thick. Compared to the 7.8mm thick iPhone 16 (read our iPhone 16 review) and 7.6mm for the Samsung Galaxy S24 – but a name not focused on it simply being less thick may imply it’ll come with some additional hardware changes and upgrades over the base model.

Such an upgrade has already been teased by rumors suggesting it’ll boast a 200MP main camera instead of the 50MP expected of the base Galaxy S25 smartphone.

For now we’ll have to wait and see what Samsung has up its sleeve for the S25 Slim, but if you’re in the US you probably don’t want to hold your breath that’ll you’ll be able to get your hands on it in 2025.

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• ESET finds bug in a UEFI application allowing malicious actors to bypass UEFI Secure Boot
• The move grants criminals the ability to deploy bootkits to affected systems
• Microsoft addressed the bug in January 2025 Patch Tuesday update

An unnamed, but apparently popular, UEFI application, was signed with a vulnerable certificate, allowing threat actors to bypass UEFI Secure Boot and deploy bootkits to target endpoints.

Cybersecurity researchers at ESET discovered the bug and reported it to the CERT Coordination Center - Microsoft has issued a fix in this month’s Patch Tuesday cumulative update, which was released on January 14, 2025, but all Windows users are advised to apply the patch as soon as possible.

UEFI Secure Boot is a security feature that ensures a computer boots using only software trusted by the manufacturer, protecting against malware and unauthorized software at startup. The UEFI application in question is apparently part of “several real-time system recovery software suites,” including those built by Howyar Technologies Inc., Greenware Technologies, Radix Technologies Ltd., SANFONG Inc., Wasay Software Technology Inc., Computer Education System Inc., and Signal Computer GmbH.

Concerning findings

It was vulnerable to CVE-2024-7344, a bug caused by the use of a custom PE loader instead of using the standard and secure UEFI functions LoadImage and StartImage.

All UEFI systems with Microsoft third-party UEFI signing enabled were said to be affected. The bug can lead to the “execution of untrusted code during system boot, enabling potential attackers to easily deploy malicious UEFI bootkits” even on protected devices.

“The number of UEFI vulnerabilities discovered in recent years and the failures in patching them or revoking vulnerable binaries within a reasonable time window shows that even such an essential feature as UEFI Secure Boot should not be considered an impenetrable barrier,” says ESET researcher Martin Smolár, who discovered the vulnerability.

“However, what concerns us the most with respect to the vulnerability is not the time it took to fix and revoke the binary, which was quite good compared to similar cases, but the fact that this isn’t the first time that such an obviously unsafe signed UEFI binary has been discovered. This raises questions of how common the use of such unsafe techniques is among third-party UEFI software vendors, and how many other similar obscure, but signed, bootloaders there might be out there.”

ESET also stressed that the list of vulnerable devices extends beyond those with the affected recovery software installed, since crooks can bring their own copy of the vulnerable binary to any UEFI system with the Microsoft third-party UEFI certificate enrolled.

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Juovi J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank review

The Juovi J2621 is a 45W power bank with a large 20,000mAh capacity and four ports for versatile, long-lasting charging performance. It’s a hefty brick for sure, but thankfully it’s not as heavy as it looks. This means it would be easy enough to carry around in a back, but not slim enough for pocketing.

Overall, its design is fairly anonymous, although the two-tone colorway adds some interest. There’s no clutter to ruin its minimalist credentials, as there’s only one button for the power, but ultimately, the J2621 won’t win any awards for style.

The build quality isn’t on a par with some of the best power banks, as there’s some flex in the chassis when pressed, and the front and back panels have prominent joins that feel sharp in the hand.

However, one very smart-looking feature is the display. It’s imperceptible when inactive, since there’s no glass screen; instead, it shines through the chassis when on. This also means there’s no delicate glass to scratch or crack, which is reassuring.

The USB-C ports provide up to 45W of power. Charging a Google Pixel 7a from half to full took just over an hour, which amounts to an average performance. Thanks to its large 20,000mAh capacity, though, the J2621’s battery only depleted by 16%, which means you should be able to get about six charges out of it.

On the other hand, the USB-A ports only reach a maximum of 30W each. Charging a Pixel 7a via this method was inevitably slower, taking closer to two hours, with the J2621 depleting by 17%.

There’s also a trickle charging mode, designed for low-current devices such as earbuds and smartwatches. It can be activated easily by pressing the power button twice, with an indicator appearing on the display.

The J2621 itself took just over an hour to charge itself from 70% to full, which isn’t bad considering its large capacity.

Ultimately, if you need a large capacity and port selection, then the J2621 is a worthy choice. It undercuts some other power banks, including those from Anker, and although it’s not as well engineered as its rivals, or as portable, it still makes for a versatile power bank.

(Image credit: Future) Juovi J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank review: price & specs

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Juovi J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank? Buy it if…

You have multiple devices
With two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, the J2621 is great if you have lots of devices to charge at once.

You need the power and space
With a 45W maximum output, the J2621 is capable of charging larger devices, such as handheld consoles and tablets. It also has enough juice to offer multiple charges.

Don't buy it if…

You want something ultra-portable
Although it’s light, the J2621 is thick and long, so it’s not ideal if you want to slip it into your pocket.

You want the best build
Although the screenless display is a nice touch, the rest of the chassis doesn’t feel like the toughest.

Juovi J2621 20000mAh 45W Power Bank: also consider

Iniu B61 10000mAh power bank
If you want charging power and versatility in a portable package, the Iniu B61 is a great choice. It offers three charging ports and has a light, slender form that makes it easy to carry in your pocket. It also features a large display, although it’s a little overkill considering the dearth of information it presents. It’s also a shame there’s only one USB-C port. But while the J2621 is slightly cheaper, the B61 is still great value for money.

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• New custom instructions added to ChatGPT
• Responses become more personal to you
• More new features expected in 2025

OpenAI has confirmed via X.com that it has introduced new customization features to ChatGPT. The new features that allow you to customize how the AI chatbot responds to you are rolling out now in the browser-based version of ChatGPT and on desktop on Windows.

The release currently doesn’t cover users in the EU, Norway, Iceland Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, but will be “available soon” according to OpenAI. It’s also not available yet in the Mac app. OpenAI says the new features will be coming to desktop on MacOS ”in the next few weeks.”

We've updated custom instructions to make it easier to customize how ChatGPT responds to you.With the new UI, you can tell ChatGPT the traits you want it to have, how you want it to talk to you, and any rules you want it to follow. pic.twitter.com/BaXaqAw5cEJanuary 17, 2025

Accessing the new features

The update includes two new options in the Customize ChatGPT dialog box (available by clicking on your icon, and then choosing Customize ChatGPT from the menu that appears). The first is ‘What should ChatGPT call you?’ and the second is ‘What do you do?’ which is asking for your occupation.

In the ‘What traits should ChatGPT have?’ box you’ll find new options have been added including ‘Chatty’, ‘Witty’, and ‘Opinionated’.

Below this box is a new ‘What else would you like ChatGPT to know about you?’ box, where you can type in your interests and values.

Once you’ve entered some information in these boxes you’ll find your interactions with ChatGPT are taken to a much more personal level, which can help save you time, since you don’t have to keep asking it to respond in a certain way. It will also tailor information to your profession.

Click on your user account icon in the top right of the screen to access the new customization options. (Image credit: OpenAI/Apple) Much more personal

I've experimented with the options and the effects are immediate. I love the more chatty GPT, for instance. And if you want a bit of fun you can ask to reply in "casual bro talk", or "like you're in a Jane Austen novel". In fact, the possibilities are endless.

The only thing I found a bit limiting was not being able to set up multiple personality profiles. Currently, if you want to turn off your custom settings, or switch easily between two different modes of reply, you have to go back to this menu then edit and save it every time.

While welcome, this update to ChatGPT is fairly minor, and we’re still waiting for some of the more exciting updates we’ve been promised for 2025, most notably an AI Agent from ChatGPT. So far in 2025 OpenAI has added a new tasks feature, which goes some way towards the goal of an AI agent by enabling you to set reminders for certain times using ChatGPT, but is still a fair way off the full autonomous agent experience we’re looking forward to.

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• Analysts have commented on the branding of the Nintendo Switch 2
• They suggest that it is a good name for the console
• This is because it is unlikely confuse consumers

If you were worried that the average consumer wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the Nintendo Switch and the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, then you can breathe a sigh of relief.

“Thank god Nintendo did not try to be creative with the name - which I think makes a lot of sense,” said Dr Serkan Toto of market research firm Kantan Games while speaking to IGN. Other analysts shared a similar sentiment, including George Jijiashvili of Omdia Research. “While calling it ‘Switch 2’ isn’t creative,” they said, “it’s very clear and effective.”

Although it seems like the obvious choice, Nintendo has traditionally shied away from numeric naming conventions as demonstrated by the likes of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy Advance, or Nintendo 3DS. Still, following the underwhelming performance of the Wii U, which many have attributed to its confusing name, Nintendo appears to be taking a leaf from rival Sony’s book.

“It's a strategy that has served PlayStation very well for quarter of the century,” continued Jijiashvili. “Calling it something like 'Super Nintendo Switch' would have provided nice fan service, but doing so would have risked causing confusion among consumers, similar to what happened with Wii U.”

"Now that Nintendo has all its console eggs in the Switch basket, it simply cannot risk confusing fans," added Rhys Elliott of Midia Research. "After all, Nintendo’s cross-entertainment efforts across film, theme parks, toys, and even alarm clocks all lead back to its core console brand."

The Nintendo Switch 2 was officially unveiled in a brief first-look trailer posted on January 16. It showed off the console’s design, which looks awfully similar to the original Nintendo Switch, and hinted at some of its potential features. Footage of what appears to be a new Mario Kart game was also shown, giving us what could be our first look at a launch title.

You can see how we reacted to the reveal below.

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