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• Security researchers from CloudSEK observed hackers running pig butchering scams
• They're impersonating legitimate businesses through Zendesk's services
• The researchers said Zendesk's vetting system isn't thorough enough

A new report from cybersecurity researchers CloudSEK has found that cybercriminals are abusing Zendesk to run brand impersonation scams, with hackers abusing simple Zendesk features to engage in “pig butchering” scams and trick people out of their money.

Zendesk is a customer service and engagement platform that helps businesses manage customer interactions across various communication channels.

The platform allows users to register free trial accounts which, in turn, grant the ability to create subdomains, unfortunately allowing criminals to abuse it at scale.

Pig butchering

First, they would create a fake subdomain, mimicking a legitimate company, which would be used to send phishing emails pretending to be actual customer support communication.

Since Zendesk is a legitimate company, the emails often make it past spam filters and, disguised using accurate branding, land right into people’s inboxes. The emails apparently carry an image hyperlinked to a phishing page, where the scam continues.

The goal of the scam is to get people investing in a fake investment platform or support page - a staple of pig butchering scams. The ruse is designed to last as long as possible, draining money from the victim until they realize they’ve been defrauded.

The problem, according to CloudSEK, is that Zendesk doesn’t perform thorough email validation when adding users to subdomains. “This oversight allows attackers to target employees or customers with phishing attempts masked as legitimate ticket assignments,” the researchers said.

Zendesk has been informed of the flaw and its potential for misuse, following CloudSEK's responsible disclosure policy, CloudSEK concluded. We have reached out to the company and will update the article if we hear back.

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• Resident Evil 6 could be getting a re-release on modern consoles
• An ESRB rating for the game has been assigned for 'Xbox Series' platforms
• If real, it's more likely to be another remaster and not a full-blown remake

It's looking like an older Resident Evil game is going to be getting the current-generation re-release treatment. And this time it's what many fans would consider to be far and away the worst mainline game in the series - Resident Evil 6.

An ESRB rating spotted by VGC has assigned an M (Mature 17+) rating to Resident Evil 6, specifically for 'Xbox Series' consoles. If it's the real deal, then it's likely the 2012 action horror game could also make the jump to PS5 and potentially the Nintendo Switch 2.

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time Resident Evil 6 has been ported to more modern systems. Originally a PS3 and Xbox 360 title, it later received re-releases on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch alongside the original Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5. Oddly, there don't appear to be accompanying ESRB ratings for these games for current-generation systems.

And no, this latest version of Resident Evil 6 probably isn't going to be a remake along the lines of Resident Evil 2 or Resident Evil 4. Not only because we'd be skipping Resident Evil 5 here, but also because there probably isn't much appetite for a remake of a game that's largely regarded as one of the franchise's weakest entries.

Instead, it's more likely to be another remaster, perhaps adding 4K support at up to 120Hz. I'd also expect online co-op to be included for each campaign, as well as a likelihood of all previous DLC being included at no extra cost.

Of course, it is nice to see Capcom future-proofing its older games like this. The developer has been excellent for this recently, preserving classics in collections like Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics and the upcoming Capcom Fighting Collection 2. However, with the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Resident Evil 6 being playable on modern hardware via backwards compatibility, this one would be a bit more of a damp squib.

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• Analyst says there are those in the gaming industry who ‘hope’ GTA 6 will cost up to $100
• Will the Nintendo Switch 2 feature Hall effect thumbsticks? It seems likely thanks to reliable leaker
• The Nintendo Switch 2 could arrive as early as April, per major publisher

• A new Xbox Wireless Controller will reportedly be announced this month
• The new controller will be part of the 'Cipher' series
• The Red Cipher will reportedly cost $69.99 / £64.99 / €69.99

Microsoft is reportedly going to announce a new Xbox Wireless Controller later this month.

That's according to dataminer 'Billbil-kun' for the French outlet Dealabs ( via VGC), who claims that another 'Cipher' variant controller for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S is on its way.

Billbil-kun, who has a record for accurately reporting on unreleased hardware in the past, said that the new controller will be named the 'Red Cipher Special Edition'. It will be the third device in Microsoft's ongoing Cipher series after Sky Cipher and Ghost Cipher, which were released in August and October 2024 respectively.

It will presumably be similar in style to the previously released Sky Cipher and Ghost Cipher controllers but will instead feature a bright red design and transparent case, showcasing the inside of the device, with garnet red buttons on the back.

There's no estimated release date for the controller at this time, but Dealabs believes it will be announced later this month and be available exclusively on Microsoft's official store.

As for the price, the Red Cipher will cost the same as those in the Cipher series at $69.99 / £64.99 / €69.99.

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• Analyst says there are those in the gaming industry who ‘hope’ GTA 6 will cost up to $100
• Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility is ‘the best direction to take’ for players, Nintendo says
• You can be among the first to try out the Nintendo Switch 2 by signing up for the console's hands-on experiences starting in April, here's how to apply

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• Gartner study says moving from VMware could take 18-48 months
• 7-10 staff could have to scope out solutions for a whole month
• If you want to migrate, consider doing it now

Experts have revealed the costly and risky journey involved with migrating away from VMware as unhappy customers continue to seek alternative solutions.

Changes brought on by Broadcom since its acquisition of the virtualization firm a little over a year ago have left many customers with bigger bills following the bundling of certain products and the discontinuation of others.

However, moving away from the company comes with its own risks, and it might not be cheaper than VMware after all.

Moving away from VMware won’t solve your woes

A new report entitled ‘Estimating a Large-Scale VMware Migration’ published by Gartner found that migration projects could take 18-48 months for large organizations (2,000+ employees) with more than 100 servers. It also found that each virtual machine could cost between $300 and $3,000 to change.

Moreover, just the initial scoping process could cost companies around seven to 10 workers for up to a month.

The problem stems from the need to disentangle VMware services – it offers networking, storage and management tools as well as security and disaster recovery solutions that aren’t always offered as full ecosystems by other providers.

Given the scale of the work involved, many VMware users have not started planning their migrations despite intentions to do so. In September, we reported that more than half (52%) of VMware customers were looking to switch providers, however apprehension around security and support was already noted then.

Earlier in the year, VMware was called a solution “for those who can afford it.” Seven in 10 customers looking to jump ship were seeking KVM-based and Xen-based hypervisor alternatives.

Despite the challenges, Gartner advises those who wish to do so to start planning for migrations sooner rather than later in order to avoid further price hikes.

Via The Register

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• More British CEOs have adopted AI than in other countries
• UK companies more likely to invest in AI this year
• Results are still less evident among British firms

New PwC research has revealed that Britain’s leaders are more prepared to use artificial intelligence than their global counterparts, with 93% of UK CEOs stating that their business has adopted AI compared with 83% globally.

Sentiments towards the technology have progressed significantly in recent years, with only 42% of UK CEOs having adopted AI in January 2024 – an increase of more than double in the space of 12 months.

Leaders are increasingly seeing the positive effects of AI on their companies, too, with more than half (56%) of CEOs globally noticing improved employee efficiency.

British CEOs are on board with AI

The recent surge in AI tool adoption among British companies could be the cause for a delay in results, though. Fewer British CEOs have seen employee efficiency improvements (53%), and only 40% report better time management compared with 53% globally.

Furthermore, only 14% are seeing profitability gains from generative AI compared with 34% globally.

Still, the optimism continues and more than half (55%) plan to invest in artificial intelligence, generative AI, cloud and data analytics in the next year. In fact, Britain ranks higher than the US (48%), France (54%) and Germany (35%).

PwC UK Senior PArtner Marco Amitrano commented: “UK business has begun to move beyond the initial hype of GenAI to the reality of making it work - but that shouldn’t detract from its huge unrealised potential. That more than a third of business leaders expect to see some financial gain from GenAI within the next year is very significant, and indeed encouraging.”

Still, some obstacles remain, such as the skills gap noted by nearly half (47%) of UK CEOs to be a primary challenge.

PwC UK CTO Umang Paw said that UK CEOs should continue to develop AI literacy and proficiency in order to realize the untapped potential of AI in their companies.

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• Grand Theft Auto 6 could cost between $80 and $100, according to an industry analyst
• They claim there are those in the games industry who "hope" GTA 6 is priced higher so others can raise their prices
• GTA 6 could be the first game to break the "$70 barrier"

An analyst has claimed that there are those in the games industry who are hoping Grand Theft Auto 6 will cost up to $100,

That's according to Epyllion's Matthew Ball (via IGN), who recently released his State of Video Gaming in 2025 report. In it, he said that there are some developers and publishers in the industry that "hope" Take-Two will raise GTA 6's price from the current standard of $70 to between $80 and $100.

Ball reported that if Take-Two were to break the "$70 barrier", $50 games could "move up to $60, $60 to do $70, $70 to $80 etc."

AAA video games are already quite pricey nowadays, but the analyst says that a $70 GTA 6 would be the "cheapest" Grand Theft Auto game ever released.

"Packaged game prices have never been lower in real terms than they are today - even though budgets are at all-time highs and player growth is stalled," Ball explained. "GTA 6 could re-establish packed video game prices after decades of deflation despite rampant cost growth."

Following the publishing of the report, Michael Douse, publishing director at Larian Studios, responded by saying, "You’re not supposed to say this out loud!"

"A good company raises salaries in line with inflation so that their staff don’t die or something, but games prices haven’t risen with inflation," Douse added.

"This isn’t the reason the industry is in the sh*t for now, but it is an uncomfortable truth. On the other hand, the responsibility for a game developer is to make sure that the game they show lives up to that promise, and that investment from the player."

Regardless of the price point, GTA 6, which is expected to launch in Fall 2025, is predicted to hit a total revenue of $3.2 billion in its first 12 months, which is around double what Grand Theft Auto 5 achieved in the same amount of time.

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• Nintendo officially reveals the Nintendo Switch 2, its next hybrid console
• Nintendo Switch 2 backwards compatibility is ‘the best direction to take’ for players, Nintendo says
• Metal Gear Solid Delta, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake are reportedly coming to Nintendo Switch 2

• It seems likely that the Nintendo Switch 2 controllers will feature Hall effect components
• This is based on the claims of a leaker we now know is reliable
• The technology could help eliminate Joy-Con drift

Hall effect thumbsticks could be a real game-changer for the Nintendo Switch 2, with the magnetic technology potentially eliminating the dreaded Joy-Con drift that plagued the original console.

Many are wondering whether the upcoming system will feature Hall effect components or not and, while we don’t know for sure, it seems highly likely. As noted by VGC, someone we now know to be a reliable leaker has stated that this will be the case.

A user going by the handle ‘NextHandheld’ posted a photo purportedly showing the Nintendo Switch 2 all the way back in December. Many doubted its veracity but, looking at it now with the benefit of hindsight, it’s hard not to conclude that it was the real deal.

We see the side of the console held horizontally, showing off the new mechanism where the Joy-Con controllers attach. Everything lines up perfectly with the 3D render shown in the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal trailer, suggesting that this leaker was really in possession of a genuine console.

In addition to leaking the system’s color scheme - black, orange, and blue - ‘NextHandheld’ has also hinted that it will feature Hall effect thumbsticks based on an alleged “behind the scenes” teardown. This definitely seems plausible, as it would immediately help address one of the biggest complaints with the Nintendo Switch.

If you’re fortunate enough to have never experienced Joy-Con drift, it is a defect that can develop on either thumbstick. It causes the system to register a directional input that isn’t there, making it difficult to play most games. Just imagine trying to win a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe match when your kart is constantly steering to the left.

Despite having never formally acknowledged the problem, Nintendo does offer free repairs for those with affected Joy-Con in both the US and the UK.

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• A Major gaming hardware manufacturer and publisher has predicted the Nintendo Switch 2 launch window
• Nacon suggests it will be between April and September 2025
• Nintendo has confirmed the console is coming this year, but not provided any further information on its release

Major gaming hardware manufacturer and publisher Nacon has predicted that the Nintendo Switch 2 could launch as early as April.

In its most recent quarterly report, Nacon stated that it was expecting a successful first half of the 2025/26 fiscal year, which runs from April to September 2025, thanks to "several positive factors."

This not only includes the launch of several delayed hardware products in addition to a release schedule pack with ten new games, but also the anticipated arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2.

The company states that it "already has compatible games and a full range of accessories", presumably referring to the confirmed software backwards compatibility of the Nintendo Switch 2.

The upcoming system was revealed by Nintendo on January 16 in a short first-look trailer. This will be followed by a Nintendo Switch 2 focused Nintendo Direct on April 2, where we will presumably learn more about the console's hardware features and slate of software.

We know that Nintendo is targeting a 2025 release, but the company has not provided a concrete timeline yet. We'll have to wait and see whether Nacon's prediction holds water.

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• In mid-January, IntelBroker offered an HPE archive for sale
• The hacker claims it contains sensitive data such as source code and access
• HPE said it was investigating the claims

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) said it was investigating claims of a data breach, recently made by a known leakster IntelBroker.

On January 16, IntelBroker (known for their attacks on DC Health Link, Nokia, Cisco, and many others) posted a new thread on the infamous BreachForums, saying “today, I am selling the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) data breach.”

In the thread, the leakster said that together with partners zjj, and EnergyWeaponUser, they had been “connecting to some of their services for about 2 days now.”

Who is IntelBroker

The compromised data being sold in this new archive includes source code from private GitHub repositories, Docker builds, SAP Hybris, and Certificates (including private and public keys). Product source code for Zerto and iLO, user data, access to APIs, WePay, GitHub, and more was also allegedly stolen.

In response, HPE said it rotated credentials and started its investigation to see if the claims hold any water. So far, the company hasn’t seen any evidence of break-ins:

"HPE became aware on January 16 of claims being made by a group called IntelBroker that it was in possession of information belonging to HPE," spokesperson Clare Loxley told BleepingComputer. "HPE immediately activated our cyber response protocols, disabled related credentials, and launched an investigation to evaluate the validity of the claims. There is no operational impact to our business at this time, nor evidence that customer information is involved."

IntelBroker is allegedly a Serbian cybercriminal with a strong track record for data compromise. Active since October 2022, they’re known for several high-profile cyberattacks against Acuity (April 2024), Pandabuy (March 2024), and Europol (May 2024).

Via BleepingComputer

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• Canon has launched a new app aimed at livestreamers
• It lets you control multiple iPhones and iPads from a single app
• Extra effects like graphics and overlays need a monthly subscription

An increasing number of people enjoy creating livestreamed video content, whether that’s hosting cookery lessons, teaching classes to students, unboxing the latest tech goodies, or something else. Doing that can be fiddly, though, especially if it’s just you and you’re trying to work with multiple camera angles at once.

To help, Canon has just launched a new app that it thinks will alleviate some of that hassle and offer a simpler alternative to the likes of OBS (Open Broadcaster Software). Called Live Switcher Mobile, the app for iPhone and iPad lets you manage several aspects of livestreamed content on the go, without needing other apps or equipment.

For example, Live Switcher Mobile lets you set a timer before the stream’s feed automatically switches to a different camera. Canon’s announcement says this helps content creators to create interesting shots “even when they are working alone and cannot manually operate multiple devices.”

If you want to add text or graphics to your stream, you can do that too with Canon’s app, and it will also display comments from viewers and let you directly interact with them. And if you want to stream your device’s screen – say, the game you’re playing on your iPad – and layer the feed from a second camera on top of your gameplay footage, you can do that too.

The full version isn't cheap

(Image credit: Canon)

Livestreamed content has steadily grown in popularity over the last few years, but the barrier to entry has sometimes been high due to the need to have several cameras on the go if you want to shoot content at different angles. As well as that, it can be a fiddly affair as you try to manage all the different wires and connections that are part of your setup. And that’s without even working out which of the best streaming apps you should be using.

The idea with Live Switcher Mobile is that it simplifies the whole process. It’s definitely not a high-end solution – professional video creators will probably want to look elsewhere – but it could be a decent option if you’re just getting started, are working with a tight budget, or want to stick to using iPhones and iPads.

Right now, Live Switcher Mobile only supports video feeds from iPhones and iPads running at least iOS 16 or iPadOS 16, making it a decent option if you already own these devices and don’t want to buy expensive camera equipment to supplement your livestreams. Canon says that the app will also support digital cameras (including its own, of course) in the future.

Live Switcher Mobile is free to download and use from Apple’s App Store, although some features (such as most graphics) require a fee. Paying the subscription also hides ads and Canon’s watermark, allows zooming and image overlays, and more. According to the app’s App Store page, a one-month subscription costs a fairly hefty $17.99 (around £15 / AU$29), but you can trial the features for free for one month.

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• AMD has confirmed RX 9070 models will be on shelves in March 2025
• This runs against rumors that suggested a late January launch
• PC gamers aren’t happy, particularly as stock of RDNA 4 graphics cards is rumored to have shipped to retailers already

AMD has confirmed that its RX 9070 graphics cards, the first initial models from the RDNA 4 family, won’t be available until March.

David McAfee, who is VP and GM of Ryzen CPU and Radeon graphics at AMD, posted on X to share the news.

Radeon 9000 series hardware and software are looking great and we are planning to have a wide assortment of cards available globally. Can’t wait for gamers to get their hands on the cards when they go on sale in March!January 20, 2025

So, the on-sale date for the initial RX 9070 XT and vanilla 9070 GPUs is March, which has put the cat among the GPU pigeons, to say the least, if you take a brief saunter through the replies on X (and other assorted feedback on Reddit).

What’s got folks annoyed? Well, firstly this is disappointing news based on the rumors that AMD was ready to launch these RX 9070 GPUs later in January to take the mid-range fight to Nvidia, getting in ahead of the release of RTX 5070 variants in February.

Or at least that AMD was going to have a big reveal of RX 9070 graphics cards, possibly later this week, which surely won’t happen now. There’s no point having a big announcement late in January if these next-gen GPUs aren’t turning up for what could be the best part of two months from now.

Part of the problem is that a couple of AMD execs have been dropping hints that the RX 9070 announcement ‘won’t be long’ and will be in the ‘near future’ which to me, and clearly others, suggested it’s pretty imminent.

Granted, all AMD has officially said is that RDNA 4 graphics cards will be launched in Q1 2025, and March still fits that, of course. But based on that timeframe, nothing about March marries with the hints of the full reveal being ‘near’ – indeed it couldn’t really be any further away in this initial quarter of 2025.

(Image credit: AMD / TechPowerup) Analysis: An unfortunate sense of confusion and chaos

While AMD has not reneged on any of its promises, then, it very much feels like that to some PC gamers. Never mind the theoretically delayed release date, or full reveal, beyond this, why even mention the GPUs at all at CES 2025? Or at least AMD could have made it clear with that teaser that these cards weren’t imminent, which was very much the expectation. (Actually, most folks were, not unreasonably, expecting the full details and unveiling at CES, not a brief glimpse).

Whatever the case, the underlying problem here is that it feels like AMD is bouncing around its RDNA 4 plans, changing directions and generally causing confusion among would-be buyers of the best GPUs as 2025 kicks off. Regardless of what the actual truth is concerning what might be going on behind closed doors at Team Red, based on what we can see, and the rumors flying around, it all feels very chaotic.

We must remember that these are just rumors, but there have been a lot of sightings of RX 9070 models in boxes, ready to go on shelves, at retailers. VideoCardz, which spotted AMD’s post on X, further claims that reviewers have had sample RDNA 4 GPUs even before retailers had them shipped, and so we have all this info bubbling about, causing some bad feeling from gamers.

If stock really is in place now – as it appears to be, with a suitable handful of salt at the ready – why wait? This is where other chatter from behind the scenes comes into play about AMD having unfortunate problems with adjusting launch pricing, after being surprised by where Nvidia pitched its RTX 5070 models (which surprised us all, let’s be honest). And issues therein in dealing with adjusting MSRPs and compensating retailers, although all of that is very much deep into rumor territory.

The trouble is, not a lot else except this scenario makes much sense, and the pieces of the puzzle (curtailed launch, then mostly radio silence following that, save for those mentioned vague hints of a full reveal ‘soon’) seem to fit well enough.

This also leaves AMD in a very weird position. Instead of being able to get in, ahead of the RTX 5070 which turns up in February, Team Red is going to wait until those rival mid-range graphics cards have been out, maybe for a month, so there could be a lot of defectors turning to Team Green. Well, assuming RTX 5070 stock isn’t something of a washout, and that appears to be the main threat to douse Nvidia’s next-gen GPU fire – that there’ll only be a relative trickle of Blackwell graphics cards early in 2025.

I didn’t see the next-gen GPU wars panning out like this, that’s for sure, and maybe AMD really does need to put out a full spec reveal and pricing announcement, sooner rather than later, even if the RDNA 4 on-sale date is March, and this leaves a big gap. Assuming that those MSRPs have even been decided yet, as this would at least allow gamers to know what to expect, perhaps persuading them to not give up and just go RTX 5070 in February, instead of waiting for the RX 9070 GPUs.

However, already there are gamers saying that is forcing them away from a planned next-gen Radeon purchase to Nvidia Blackwell, though how much of that is an initial angry reaction, we shall have to see.

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• Eclipsa Audio is coming to Android open-source software this year
• It's also coming in TV and soundbar models from "multiple" manufacturers
• But there's no work on headphones support connected to Android

Recently, Samsung and Google announced a new spatial audio technology called Eclipsa Audio, which is a direct (and free) rival to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Support for it is coming in 2025 Samsung soundbars and TVs, as well as to Google Chrome and YouTube during this year.

And now Google has confirmed that Eclipsa Audio is also coming to Android, in an upcoming AOSP (Android Open Source Project) release (via Sammobile). This is really the biggest news for Eclipsa so far, because it is the update that will bring it to the largest number of devices. There's no certainty on when AOSP updates will make it to individual devices, given the nature of Android and the many different versions that various companies use, but we can probably assume that Samsung will jump on this ASAP, so that's a lot of phones at the very least.

However, it's really only half of what we need to hear, because great 3D spatial audio on phones relies on having support from the best earbuds and best headphones. Spatial audio has been such a hit on Apple devices because of head-tracked Dolby Atmos, which makes it feel like you're sitting in a movie theater. This has been supported on AirPods Pro for years, and is available on all current models of the best AirPods.

Dolby Atmos spatial audio is also supported on several other headphones options too, including the Sonos Ace and fantastic Technics EAH-AZ100. Perhaps most notably in this case, it's supported on the best Samsung phones, and the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds.

But there's been no announcement of support for head-tracked Eclipsa Audio in earbuds or headphones yet, and without that, its support on Android feels kind of hollow – it's only one half of the process.

Head-tracked spatial audio creates virtual speakers around you, that appear to stay in place even when you move your head. (Image credit: Microsoft)

Now, there's a good chance that will change at the Samsung Unpacked event on January 22nd, when Samsung will almost certainly reveal the Samsung Galaxy S25 – and I suspect that it will announce Eclipsa Audio support as part of its features, and probably an update the Buds 3 Pro to accommodate this. (You can follow all the announcements in our Samsung Unpacked 2025 live blog as they happen.)

But still, Samsung's support alone won't be enough to build momentum for Eclipsa – it really needs to get the hottest headphones makers for all budgets on board to make it feel like a must-have feature. Everything from 1More to Bose, from Nothing to Sony… some of those are probably more realistic than others.

And even then, Samsung and Google really need to get some other services on board too…

What are you going to watch?

YouTube is not really enough for a spatial audio format to take off, especially since very little of it was recorded with any kind of spatial or surround audio in mind.

Google and Samsung need to get the best streaming services and movie and TV studios on board, especially the likes of Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus. But that's easier said than done – these all already support Dolby Atmos (and my understanding is that they don't pay to use it, so have little incentive to switch), and redoing shows and films to support Eclipsa would be a whole extra expense and load of time – even though Google says it will make it as easy as possible with new tools.

Will they feel any need to do it? It's all a bit chicken and egg. Why would streaming services support the format if very few devices support it? Why would device makers go to the effort of adding it if no streaming services offer it?

Samsung and Google can't force the streaming services to do anything, but they can add it to the Galaxy Buds and the Pixel Buds Pro 2. Google also says that Eclipsa support is coming to "TVs and Soundbars from multiple manufacturers later in 2025".

However, there's no information about this yet, and until there's a real push focused on how we'll hear Eclipsa on Android and who'll support it, it's going to have a slow launch.

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