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Yeedi C12 Pro Plus: two-minute review

The Yeedi C12 Pro Plus is great for what it is – a mid-tier robot vacuum that will help keep your floors mostly clean between deep cleanings. If your budget is limited to around $600, it might even be among the best robot vacuums for you. Of course, robot vacuums have come a long way so, if you're able to splurge, it might pale in comparison to some of the competition, though you'll have to pay much more for those other options.

It can't get right up to the edges of rooms, it's limited in the smart home department, and it's a little louder than other options. However, its vacuuming and mopping is good otherwise, and Yeedi seems to finally have cracked the code on mapping open-floor spaces, something I've been harping on since I first reviewed the Yeedi Cube and have continued to have issues with just about every other manufacturer since.

While the eye-catching design of the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus' base station is certainly a plus, the more important factor here is the affordability of this robot vacuum. Even disregarding the fact that it's going to see plenty of deals – as is the nature of Yeedi and Ecovacs products – this is a relatively affordable model. While I consider it mid-tier, it's among the most affordable options out there that include mopping functionality.

So, if you're on a budget but still want that mopping ability and can live with some compromises, then this could be the robovac for you. Read on for my full Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review, where I'll dive deeper into its design and how it performs, so that you can decide for yourself.

My review model, ready to start testing (Image credit: Future) Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: price & availability

• List price: $599.99 (about £470 / AU$900)
• Available: US
• Launched: July 2024

Even though Yeedi is owned by Ecovacs, this brand (or sub-brand, rather) seems to only be available in the US. At least this model is slightly more accessible than the Yeedi Cube, not to mention much cheaper than many of the Ecovacs robot vacuums out there.

You will have to make a few concessions for that lower price point. There's no clean and dirty water reservoirs in the base station, and the mopping pad is a flat semicircle rather than spinning discs (which are generally more effective).

You'll also live without quality of life features like mop pad washing and drying – although you can easily remove the mop pad and clean it yourself. So, if you're on a little bit of a budget, you might forgo some conveniences, but this robot vacuum is still a strong contender.

The Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop, which has a similar form factor, will set you back just a little more at $699 (about £559 / AU$1,054). Having reviewed that Shark robot vacuum, I do have to say that it runs a little quieter than the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus. But, it doesn't look quite as cool.

If you want to put the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus' value in context, consider the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo, a robot vacuum I gave a nearly perfect score to for its great performance, feature set, and wonderful mapping, not to mention the fact that it comes with a handheld vacuum. While the Yeedi is missing a lot of the features, and isn't quite as good when it comes to performance, it's also about double in price at $1,199.99 (about £9500 / AU$1,800).

• Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus specs Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: design

• Attractive and unusual looking base station
• Anti-tangling brushroll
• Have to manually switch out backplate for mopping function

Since the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus is mid-tier, it's a bit more stripped down and a little less automated than many brands' newest, flagship models. Despite that, this robot vacuum has some aesthetic appeal.

Available in black or white colorways, the base station's dust bin is actually transparent, showcasing the red metal filter inside that just demands attention. Instead of trying to be discreet, the base station is bold, and that's something I appreciate.

Unusually, the dock dustbin is clear, so you can see the filter and debris (Image credit: Future)

Since it doesn't have water reservoirs, it also doesn't take up a ton of space. There's just a dustbin into which the (small) onboard dust cup self-empties after every use. At 1.5 liters, the dock bin is smaller than many competitors', but should still hold a decent amount of dust and debris. It pops right out with a push of a button, making it easy to empty out every few weeks.

As far as the robot vacuum itself, it has the usual round shape with the protruding center. There's a bumper on the front for when it runs into stuff – I'll talk about object avoidance below, but let's just say it needs the bumper. And there are three buttons on top for basic controls.

There are separate backplates for mopping and vacuuming (Image credit: Future)

There's just one side brush here, but at least the roller underneath is of the anti-tangling variety. There are actually two backplates that come with the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus – one if you just want to vacuum and one to add mopping functionality. The latter adds a 0.4 liter water reservoir and a flat mopping pad that will vibrate and apply downward pressure on the floor as it goes about its business. Since it can't retract this mopping pad, unlike more expensive models that have the spinning mop pads, it will just avoid carpeting when in mopping mode.

• Design score: 4 out of 5

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: performance

• Surprisingly good vacuuming, including pet hair
• Solid mopping but doesn't get to the edges of rooms
• Is a bit louder and has mediocre object avoidance

While I did test the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus with various debris to see how it would do, I was surprised to see it pick up a bunch of dust, dander, and pet hair on its first couple runs on what I thought were already clean floors. That's a testament to how well it vacuums up (it boasts 8,000Pa of suction, which is actually higher than you'd usually find on a robovac at this price point).

Beyond that, it did well vacuuming up larger pieces of debris. Just to test that, I threw a bunch of cereal in front of it (a Lucky Charms knock-off, if that's important to you) and it sucked it all right up.

The C12 Pro Plus had no issues sucking up breakfast cereal (Image credit: Future)

On top of that, the brushroll, even after a good number of cleaning runs, was mostly tangle-free. Keeping in mind that this is a full household with a few people with long hair and a couple of dogs, along with a cat, that's impressive.

This anti-tangle brushroll works well (Image credit: Future)

It only has one side brush – not unusual, although you will find some robovacs double up here. Also worth noting is that it's a bit louder than some other robot vacuums, with a volume of around 62db if you're a foot or two away.

The mop pad is a wide semicircle that vibrates, as opposed to the spinning disc variety (which tends to perform better). However, on test I was quite impressed. I found this robovac delivered a nice, even mop that dries quickly and it quickly cleans up small spills – I threw a bit of Diet Coke right in front of it to test, and it was wiped up in one pass.

The robovac did a good job of clearing this diet Coke spillage (Image credit: Future)

Mopping the edges of rooms is a common issue with robovacs. A handful of premium models feature extra side mops or pads that can shift outwards to get close to the edges of rooms; unsurprisingly there's nothing like that here. That means the mopping can't get right up to the edges of rooms.

Also unsurprising at this price point is the fact that there are no mop pad washing and drying capabilities built into the dock. That means you'll have to manually clean the mop pad if it gets dirty, or you risk tracking soy sauce or, worse, mold, across your floors. There is an extra mop pad supplied, so you can swap it in as you leave a dirty one to dry out.

It's worth noting that, as long as you’re not trying to vacuum carpets, you can leave the mopping backplate on and still do a great job vacuuming. As mentioned before, when in mopping mode, it will avoid carpets. I threw a bath mat in front of the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus, and it cleaned right up to the edge and then backed off.

The C12 Pro Plus successfully identified and avoided mopping the bathmat, but ran straight into the bottle (Image credit: Future)

One area where the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus fell down a little was its object avoidance. Now, it didn't get stuck on anything despite there being plenty of dog toys sitting around, though it did bump into them. But, when placing a squirt bottle in front of it, instead of going around, the robot vacuum just pushed it out of the way.

Cliff sensors ensure the robovac doesn't take a tumble down stairs (Image credit: Future)

In terms of battery life, this robot vacuum has 300 minutes of use on a single charge on anything but the most basic of vacuuming operations, you'll still get a lot of use out of this before it needs to charge. On test, I found it could manage 170 minutes when mopping as well as vacuuming, which is pretty impressive. However, like most robot vacuums, it seems to return the base station somewhat frequently (to self-empty usually, so I never saw its battery life dip particularly low.

• Performance score: 4 out of 5

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: app

• Easy to use and navigate
• The mapping is very good, even with open floor plans
• Not much in the way of smart home features

Getting the robot vacuum set up in the companion app for testing was clean and straightforward. As with most apps these days, I found the app easy to use and navigate, although it did take a minute of poking around to figure out where everything is – some of the functionality, particularly anything map-related, is tucked behind picture icons in the top right.

There are a number of noteworthy things in the app. Of course, there's the basic ability to set up a schedule and adjust some settings, such as a child lock and 'do not disturb' modes. But what really stands out is the fact that not only does it automatically section off the different rooms when mapping, but it allows you to partition each room into smaller areas as well. Many companion apps that use a line tool can get stuck on this, but even though Yeedi's app uses the same approach, here I had no issues cutting off half or a quarter of a space into a new 'room'.

As great as that is, anyone hoping for smart home features will be sorely disappointed to see that there's no voice assistant or voice assistant support. You'll either need to use the app or the physical buttons on the robot vacuum itself.

• App score: 4 out of 5

Should you buy the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus? Buy it if...

You want a combo robovac without breaking the bank

Even though it's about $600 / £500, you can't really go much cheaper and still get quality mopping performance to go along with good vacuuming in a robot vacuum.

You have pets

This robovac packs a surprising amount of power for the price, and I found it handled pet hair well. The anti-tangle brushroll worked as advertised, too. However, do note my comment below regarding object avoidance.

You have an open-plan space

The mapping ability here fixes many of the frustrations I’ve experienced with other models – namely, it has no issues separating open plan rooms into smaller spaces. It’s easy to use and manipulate so that you can more easily spot clean.

Don't buy it if...

You want voice control

Since this is a more budget model (when compared to other models with the mopping feature), it doesn't have voice assistant support. If you want to use Alexa, Siri, etc. to control your robot vacuum, you'll have to look elsewhere.

You want the very best cleaning performance

Though the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus gets 90 per cent of the way there compared to more expensive models, it struggles with things like getting up to the edges of rooms.

Good object avoidance is important

The Yeedi C12 Pro Plus didn't always identify or avoid objects in its way, which might be an issue if you have a pet that isn't reliably house trained, for instance.

Yeedi C12 Pro Plus review: also consider

Not sold on the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus? Here are some alternatives to consider.

Narwal Freo X Ultra

The Narwal Freo X Ultra is expensive (very expensive) but has, like the C12 Pro Plus, a more striking base station design, looking like it came out of a sci-fi movie. It also is filled to the brim with features, such as the ability to use the robot vacuum as a mobile security cam, not to mention it can reach the corners of a room, though it's strangely not quite as good with the edges.

Read our full Narwal Freo X Ultra review

Yeedi Cube

The Yeedi Cube may be a bit longer in the tooth, but it comes with some features that the C12 Pro Plus doesn't, such as mop pad drying, which helps avoid mold and bacteria. Just be aware that the Cube is going to cost you a little more for the extra features, which does include a voice assistant.

Read our full Yeedi Cube review

How I tested the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus

To test the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus, I used it for a week to vacuum and mop the hardwood floors and carpeting in my house. I focused on how well the vacuum cleaned the edges of a room as well as around obstacles. I also tested the features listed in the app, most notably the mapping.

Read more about how we test

• First reviewed July 2024

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• Crowdfunded product Muse Ring One claims to be able to monitor blood pressure
• The Muse team says it's analyzed over 4,000 test users to identify the correct way to measure BP
• If true, it'll have cracked LED-based BP measurement before many smartwatches

Whether it's fall detection, an ECG, blood oxygen monitoring or running third-party apps, the best smartwatches grow in scope as personal health each year (or, if it's an Apple Watch, they do the opposite and wind back features due to a patent dispute!).

Still, there's something that's eluded all of them so far: accurate blood pressure monitoring technology. It's the kind of technology that has clear benefits, and it's seemingly becoming closer to being a reality, but not in the way you may think. The Huawei Watch D2 and its predecessor only manage it through a connected band with expanding cuff-style bladders.

One wearable tech company claims to have cracked it. It's not Apple, Google, or Samsung that's leading the charge, but a company called Muse Wearables in India, which hopes to release the best smart ring for blood pressure monitoring.

The Muse Ring One could do what your smartwatch can't

(Image credit: Muse Ring One )

An Indiegogo campaign from November of last year, the Muse Ring One is seemingly targeting an initial release to backers in early 2025.

It's taken a fair while to come to fruition, then, but could be worth the wait. It's fitted with research-grade sensors and will monitor blood oxygen, skin temperature, respiratory rate, and, the big one, blood pressure.

The Muse team says it's analyzed five million data points from over 4,000 test users to identify the correct way to measure blood pressure, and if they're right, it could be a market leader in this category.

Combined with contactless payments and multiple color options, it has the potential to be a breakout – but time will tell. It's not priced cheaply at $349 (around £270 / AU$525), which is a good indicator that it could be a legitimate contender.

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Great handling, a comfortable ride and integrated tech make this hyper-modified Renault 5 a winner.

• Samsung has shown off a next-gen version of Bixby
• For the time being it's exclusive to China
• The upgrade makes Bixby more like Gemini or ChatGPT

Samsung is upgrading Bixby to better compete in the age of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Apple Intelligence: the company just unveiled a next-gen Bixby app, powered by LLM (large language model) AI.

This news comes from SamMobile, reporting on the launch of the Samsung W25 and Samsung W25 Flip foldables. The new phones are similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6, though they're exclusive to China.

This new and improved Bixby is also exclusive to these devices and to China, at least for now. It's not clear how long it's going to take for the upgrade to reach the best Samsung phones in the rest of the world, though Samsung will surely want to get its top AI tech out to as many people as it can, as quickly as possible.

Samsung has of course gone all in on AI in the last year or so – though its Galaxy AI features reference Google Gemini more than Bixby – and we did hear back in July that the Samsung AI assistant was in line for a ChatGPT-style boost.

What next-gen Bixby can do

Samsung hasn't forgotten Bixby (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

According to Samsung, the next-gen Bixby can understand "complex user instructions" that combine multiple commands in a single sentence, and will be able to extract information from what's on screen (like maps or photos).

We've also got a more modern interface to look forward to, when this new Bixby turns up outside of China, giving Bixby a better chance of seriously competing against all the other AI assistants its up against.

In one of the demos Samsung showed off, you can ask next-gen Bixby about what you should wear based on the current weather. It's also capable of taking you step by step through how to do something on your phone (like adding a watermark to an image), and will remember the context of what you've already talked about.

Text and voice input are both supported, and Bixby can be summoned from any screen and from any app on a phone. Expect to see it join the other Galaxy AI features across more regions soon – possibly when One UI 7 rolls out at the start of next year.

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• A new benchmark for the M4 Max suggests the M4 Ultra could surpass the RTX 4090
• This could strengthen Apple’s position within the gaming market
• Cyberpunk 2077 is a strong indication of the M4 family’s power and performance

Apple’s lineup of M4 chips is expected to significantly enhance performance across all Macs, and the M4 Ultra could take the lead by a landslide - as new rumors suggest it could even outperform the RTX 4090 GPU - the most powerful consumer graphics card in the world.

As noted by Wccftech, this comes from Yadim Yuryev (from Max Tech on YouTube), who shares his expectation of the M4 Ultra scoring ‘330,000’ on the Geekbench 6 test using the OpenCL API. This beats the RTX 4090’s current OpenCL score of 317,379, with the M4 Max sitting at 192,812.

Based on rumors of the M4 Ultra doubling the M4 Max’s GPU cores, Yuryev’s projection appears plausible, at least for both Vulkan and OpenCL APIs which are responsible for 3D graphics rendering allowing developers to optimize games for different GPU hardware. He claims ‘the GPU scaling from the leaked M4 Pro score to M4 Max is 78% higher performance’, with a safe bet of the M4 Ultra maintaining ‘worse scaling at 70% higher performance’ with the estimated 330,000 score.

This could place the M4 Ultra above Nvidia’s flagship GPU if accurate, but it’s important to note that this wouldn’t be across the board - this is an early benchmark test, after all, and the M4 Ultra hasn’t even been announced by Apple, so this performance claim is based on extrapolating M4 Max results, which obviously isn’t an exact science.

While Apple continues to work on expanding the Mac gaming library, there are still far too many popular games that aren’t available on the platform, but this is a step in the right direction for the Cupertino company.

(Image credit: Nvidia/Future) What could this mean for Apple’s place within the gaming market?

Considering the rumors regarding specifications, it’s clear that Apple is packing some serious power with the M4 chips. The projected M4 Ultra performance in the aforementioned APIs could finally allow Macs to compete with the best gaming laptops and gaming PCs.

Should we be surprised? I don’t think so - especially after CD Projekt Red’s announcement of Cyberpunk 2077 making its way over to the platform. It’s one of the most demanding games in this generation in terms of system requirements, so I think that alone should act as a strong indication of just how powerful the M4 chips could be (specifically the M4 Ultra) - and how confident Apple is about the gaming performance of its latest devices.

Defeating Nvidia’s RTX 4090 in graphical performance (even if by a little) is a feat that must not be understated, and this could be the time for Apple fans to ramp up excitement levels…

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• Reports claim Outlook Classic is crashing if users open 60+ emails at once
• Avoid opening that many or use a workaround that might affect your entire system
• Microsoft is investigating the issue, hopefully a patch will follow imminently

Microsoft has confirmed a bug in the Classic version of Outlook for Office 365 users is causing the mail app to crash when they open more than 60 emails at the same time.

The issue, which results in a memory error message, causes the app to crash and shut down, which means users will lose their place when multitasking.

Microsoft has acknowledged the issue with its email service, and confirmed it has a team of engineers investigating the issue, but for now, users are being warned not to open more than 60 emails in one go.

Outlook Classic is crashing for some users

Microsoft shared the error message: “Sorry, we’re having trouble opening this item. This could be temporary, but if you see it again you might want to restart Outlook. Out of memory or system resources. Close some windows or programs and try again.”

Users may also see a different popup: “Out of memory or system resources. Close some windows or programs and try again.

Although it looks like the company is currently working on a fix, any workaround could introduce its own set of challenges. “Increasing the process quota could lead to overall system instability,” said Microsoft, which suggested that broader system instability could be a result of any system tweaks.

The cause of the issue is unconfirmed, but Microsoft indicated that user interface objects might be to blame for the sudden crashing of Outlook Classic.

Apart from limiting the number of emails they open or increasing the process quota for user objects, users will have to wait for Microsoft to issue a patch.

TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft to confirm whether and when a patch will be available. Any update will be shared here.

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Republicans now see the value in collaborating with influencers and content creators. Their plan? Bring them under their red tent for many elections to come.

Ben Rubin, cocreator of hit pandemic chat app Houseparty, has launched a new group messaging platform that aims to solve the problems undermining trust in public conversation—using blockchain. If it fails, that’s OK by him.

• A Korean news article suggests Samsung is working on a tri-fold phone
• The rumor follows others pointing to new folding phone models from the tech giant
• No Samsung tri-fold has been confirmed yet

Samsung is seemingly still in the race to be the first phone maker to bring a tri-fold phone to global markets, if a new rumor is anything to go by.

According to a screenshot of an article from Korean news outlet Etnews shared by notable leaker Jukanlosreve on X (formerly Twitter), Samsung are continuing to explore new form factors.

And with the flagship Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 occupying the booklet and clamshell form factors respectively, that leaves the nascent tri-fold category as the most likely candidate.

As the excerpt notes, tri-fold in this instance actually refers to a “double-folding foldable phone” in the style of the Huawei Mate XT, with two hinges that split the phone into three segments.

As a China-exclusive phone with no access to Android or Google apps and services the Huawei Mate XT has little chance of making more than a conceptual impact in most of the world.

This leaves Samsung with the opportunity to establish and potentially lead the tri-fold market elsewhere.

The part of the article Jukanlosreve shared suggests that Samsung may focus on producing the highest quality product, as the company can no longer be the first to produce a phone of this kind.

We think this is a likely strategy, as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 are some of the best folding phones on the market, and Samsung’s attention to quality is evident in comparison with some competitors.

With that said, here are three things we want to see from a Samsung Galaxy tri-fold:

Less noticeable creases

Samsung’s excellent build quality is renowned, especially in the folding phone market, but the creases on its folding displays are more noticeable than competitors like the OnePlus Open.

This far from a dealbreaker, especially when the screen is divided up for multitasking. However, two noticeable creases on a large 10 or 11-inch screen would likely diminish the sense of scale, and make the display feel more segmented than seamless.

Top-quality cameras

Samsung’s Z Fold series has yet to feature a camera system that matches – or even truly approaches – that of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra slab phone.

We expect any tri-fold Samsung device to be ludicruously expensive at launch, and hope that a high price will allow Samsung to deck out the phone with the best specs – including a camera system that gets closer to flagship grade.

There are some physical space constraints that prevent folding devices from having quite the same camera power as slab phones, but the 200MP camera affixed to the Asia-exclusive Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition shows that Samsung is finding workarounds.

Flexible software

Samsung has always allowed more flexibility with its devices than Apple – its Galaxy phones can be used as desktop devices through the DeX system, and its line of S Tab tablets are commonly marketed more like laptops than mobile devices.

The prospect of a tablet-sized device in your pocket becomes even more exciting in Samsung’s hands because of this flexibility.

We hope that the potential Galaxy tri-fold will come with full keyboard-and-mouse, S Pen, and DeX support at launch, which would take the concept of a tri-fold from “very large phone” to “hyper-portable workstation”.

Previous Galaxy tri-fold rumors

These latest rumors track with recent reports that Samsung is exploring new options for its foldables lineup, including tri-fold designs.

We previously reported on a leaked corporate call that suggested Samsung is exploring new form factors, alongside cheaper versions of the Z Flip and Z Fold,

And prior to that, we covered rumors suggesting the codenames for the mainline Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 had leaked, alongside a third codename that we think is either the suggested tri-fold or a variant of the Z Fold similar to the Z Fold Special Edition.

We’d love to welcome some new folding phones to our list of the best Samsung phones, but for the moment the above is almost entirely based on rumors and leaks.

For the latest official updates as we hear them, be sure to check out our Samsung phones coverage.

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• Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.3 is out now
• It adds the Tsukishiro Yanagi and Lighter playable agents
• Other new content includes additional story episodes

The latest major update for Zenless Zone Zero, Version 1.3 or 'Virtual Revenge', is now live and it brings heaps of content for new and returning players.

The headline additions are two new playable agents, Tsukishiro Yanagi and Lighter. Yanagi is an S-rank Anomaly Electric agent and part of the Section 6 faction. Her combat style offers multiple stances with different types of buffs, plus the ability to trigger the Polarity Disorder special effect for a huge burst of damage against enemies with the Anomaly infliction.

Lighter is another S-rank agent, this time Stun Fire and part of the Sons of Calydon gang. He is equipped with elemental attribute boosts, with the ability to recover Morale as teammates consume energy. With enough Moral he can enter a Morale Burst state, which massively increases his power.

Two new S-Rank W-Engines have also been introduced, the Anomaly Timeweaver and Stun Blazing Laurel. This is on top of two new A-Rank Bangboos, the cute Babbieboo and the Knightboo. The Knightboo can be obtained now through the new The 'Mystery of Arpeggio Fault' in-game event.

As you would expect, new story content is also part of the update with the titular 'Virtual Revenge' special episode. This is alongside a new agent story for Lighter.

This is all on top of updates to existing areas, including the new San–Z Studio building in Lumina Square which is accompanied by a new Display Stand in Random Play which can be used to show off items obtained there.

A sandwich truck has arrived in Lumina Square too, but will only be around for the duration of the limited 'When Sandwiches Come A Knockin' event. A flurry of other events have also begun, with one allowing you to obtain ten Encrypted Master Tape items simply for logging in every day.

There is an awful lot of content and this summary is only just scratching the surface of what Version 1.3 brings. You can find a full breakdown on the official Update Details page of the Zenless Zone Zero website.

If you want to dive in, Zenless Zone Zero is available now as a free-to-play title on PlayStation 5 and mobile.

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• German law may soon be modernized to protect ethical hackers
• Stricter punishments for data spying also included
• Move follows recent high-profile attacks on European governments

Lawmakers in Germany are drafting legislation to provide legal protections for cybersecurity researchers who uncover and responsibly report security vulnerabilities to vendors.

The proposed legislation will look to modernize Germany’s digital law, ensuring ethical security researchers can be confident in their legal cover, whilst destructive cybercriminals can expect more severe punishments, with stricter penalties for serious cases of data espionage and interception.

“Anyone who wants to close IT security gaps deserves recognition – not a letter from the public prosecutor” said Dr Marco Buschmann, the Federal Minister of Justice.

Ethical hacker protections

Protections for researchers will be provided under a strict set of criteria. Research must be carried out with the aim of identifying a security risk or vulnerability in order to be protected. The researcher must also intend to report the identified vulnerability to a ‘responsible entity capable of addressing the issue’, such as the software manufacturer or system operator.

Finally, the actions taken to access the system must be necessary to identify the vulnerability, which prohibits excessive access outside of security research.

The new punishments will impose stricter penalties, especially on those who target critical infrastructure, such as transport networks or hospitals. This type of attack could soon lead to a prison sentence ranging from three months to five years.

European critical infrastructure has seen a significant rise in cyberattacks in recent years, especially since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The discovery of security vulnerabilities by cybersecurity researchers can be crucial in protecting these institutions from cyberattacks by discovering and reporting flaws before malicious actors.

Until now, ethical hackers and researchers have often fallen into a legal grey area, where even well-intentioned disclosure could result in criminal prosecution. The move to protect researchers will reduce uncertainty and therefore help improve cybersecurity across the board.

Via BleepingComputer

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• AMD’s Ryzen 9800X3D has been overclocked to 6.9GHz with liquid nitrogen
• This is the first X3D CPU that can be overclocked and it’s very impressive
• It reached 1,260 fps in Counter-Strike 2 and over 1,500 fps in Valorant

AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D is hitting the shelves later today, but the processor is already in the hands of expert overclockers being pushed to its limits – hitting nearly 7GHz for clock speeds and reaching outrageous frame rates in games and scenarios where the CPU is pushed hard.

In case it escaped your attention, one of the interesting points about this new 3D V-Cache CPU is that it’s unlocked, so can be overclocked – which wasn’t possible with previous generation X3D chips. (Its clock speeds are also faster, all of this thanks to the 3D V-Cache being situated underneath the CCD – the die containing the processor cores – allowing for better cooling, compared to the cache being on top where it was located previously).

Wccftech reports that the General Manager of Asus China, Tony Yu, has shared a huge overclock of the Ryzen 9800X3D on Bilibili where the chip was running from 6.7GHz all the way up to 6.9GHz with liquid nitrogen cooling across a battery of tests.

Naturally, an Asus motherboard was used, with the ROG Crosshair X670E Gene playing host to the CPU – and an Nvidia RTX 4090 on hand as the GPU in the gaming tests.

In those gaming benchmarks, Yu ran Counter-Strike 2 at 1080p (max graphics settings) and hit 1,262.9 frames per second (fps), which is pretty incredible. That’s almost as quick as the Core i9-14900K, which as Wccftech points out, managed to peak at over 1,300 fps – but there’s a huge difference in power usage for these processors.

The Ryzen 9800X3D hit that frame rate at around the 100W mark, with the Intel CPU guzzling way more power – it can reach 360W or so in normal (albeit heavy) usage, let alone with exotic overclocking. Also, the 14900K was running at way faster clocks of 7.5GHz to 8GHz.

Valorant was also used to run the Ryzen 9800X3D through its gaming paces and the CPU averaged close to 1,100 fps at 1080p resolution (again with maxed out settings), reaching over 1,500 fps at times.

The Ryzen 9800X3D also took a Cinebench R23 run where the CPU achieved a score of 30,513, over a third faster than Wccftech’s own result when using PBO (overclocking using Precision Boost Overdrive, of course with normal cooling, not the exotic methods employed here).

Analysis: Gaming excellence with efficiency in spades

It’s seriously impressive that the Ryzen 9800X3D can achieve these frame rates at clock speeds of around 15% lower than Intel’s Core i9-14900K, and at a power usage which is way, way, lower – at 100W, AMD’s chip is really pulling out some stops here.

This is a really efficient chip for overclockers, in other words, and capable of coming close to matching the 14900K when engaging in all-in exotic overclocking with the likes of liquid nitrogen (while keeping the system stable enough to play a game, albeit for a brief period of time only, no doubt).

These kind of overclocks don’t have any real-world application, of course, but they do show that more standard overclocking (with robust air, or liquid cooling) has a great deal of potential in getting a lot more out of the 9800X3D – something the rumor mill has already let us know. There’s also that ‘X3D turbo mode’ we keep hearing about to consider as well.

Interesting times, then – the Ryzen 9800X3D is looking pretty strong (our full review is imminent, by the way), and rumor has it that stock levels will be plentiful. Although the slight fly in the ointment is that price hike of just over 5% AMD has applied compared to the MSRP of its predecessor.

The Core i9-14900K remains the absolute fastest gaming CPU out there, and it’ll be a bit cheaper than the 9800X3D, at least going by prices at the time of writing, as there are some big discounts on the last-gen Intel flagship right now (as part of early Black Friday deals in some cases). But the trade-off is a much heavier power drain with the 14900K as already noted. (Plus, perhaps, worries about stability too – though Intel has put those problems to bed now, the specter of them likely remains in the back of the gaming public’s collective mind).

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• Businesses want simpler CRM with advanced ROI, report claims
• Fewer than one in three are satisfied with their existing CRM
• But more than half are worried about disruptions when changing

A new report has revealed many employees are unhappy with their existing CRM software, which they often find outdated and ineffective.

The survey of companies across the UK and North America by Workbooks found three in five (62%) workers want to change their CRM, however many are concerned about the associated cost, disruption and complexities of moving to a new system.

To quantify its findings, Workbooks said that 80% of sales and marketing leaders report using CRM, however only 31% are satisfied with their existing platform’s performance and suitability.

Workers aren’t happy with their CRMs

Half of the survey’s respondents are consequentially seeking alternatives or remain uncertain about continuing to use their current CRM platform.

With injections of technology into every area of a business, it has become increasingly complex to transition to a new system. Reliance on other tools and interoperability play a big role in potential disruptions to operations, which 55% were concerned about. A further 45% were worried about cost, and 36% about the time they’d have to invest in a changeover.

The benefits are clear for those prepared to make the move, though, because satisfied CRM users reported higher scores in lead generation (5.9 compared with 4.9) and pipeline management (7.6 versus 5.7).

“With this new research, the benefits of taking a different approach are now clear both quantitatively and qualitatively," noted Workbooks Chief Marketing Officer Dan Roche.

Looking ahead, the research reveals businesses are now prioritizing CRM that’s easier to use as well as systems that deliver ROI before any upfront payment. Better customer support and lower costs are also critical when making the right decision.

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• Microsoft Teams is improving its search function
• Simply type in a name, and it will display linked content
• The update is rolling out now for Teams users on Windows and Mac

Finding the right information or content you need on Microsoft Teams should soon get a lot easier thanks to a new update.

The video conferencing platform has revealed it is upgrading its search function to let users search for content related to specific people.

It is hoped that the change will lead not only to an improved overall search experience, but a much quicker way for users to track down the content they need, particularly in a work setting where different files and folders may prove tricky to navigate.

Microsoft Teams improves search

In a typically brief entry on the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the upgrade, simply named "improved people search" is described as helping users get "relevant content suggestions".

There will apparently be no need for a big overhaul or upgrade, with users simply needing to type the name of the person they are looking for into the existing Microsoft Teams search bar. Then, select the right filter to narrow down the results, and hey presto - hopefully the content you need.

The update will be available to all Microsoft Teams users on Windows desktop and Mac across the world, and is rolling out now.

The move is the latest in a series of upgrades to Microsoft Teams as it looks to remain useful and intuitive for users everywhere.

Recently, the platform announced it would finally be allowing users to change the sound of their Microsoft Teams notifications to whatever they like, hopefully lessening the chance they would be shocked out of a productive streak.

Another recent upgrade means users will be able to reserve desks when arriving at their workplace or office by plugging in to shared desks, hopefully letting them get online and working without any hassle.

And perhaps most importantly, users will now get the option to select their preferred skin tone for Microsoft Teams reactions and emojis - as previously, only a single skin tone option has been available, giving users more personalization options.

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• An AI upgrade for Call Screen has been spotted
• It's likely to be powered by Gemini Nano AI
• More advanced AI responses could be offered

If you've got one of the best Pixel phones in your pocket, then you can use the Call Screen feature to have a Google bot answer incoming calls and ask what the call is about – and it looks like more AI trickery is about to be added too.

The team at 9to5Google did some digging into the Phone app for Pixels, and found code hinting that advanced AI replies would be available in the future. These would most likely be powered by Google's Gemini AI chatbot.

You already get a comprehensive experience from Call Screen as it works today: the caller hears a spoken message asking them to state their business, and you get a text transcript of what they've said. You can then join the call, or send some basic responses – like "call me back" or "thank you" – if you're not available to talk.

This new upgrade would make those responses more varied and complex, powered by a large language model. It seems that you would still get the option to choose from a selection of responses on the screen, rather than starting from scratch.

Updates ahoy

Google markets Call Screen as a time saver (Image credit: Google)

Call Screen was only just updated last month, with more context-aware quick replies – ones that aren't just generic responses (so if the call is about an appointment, you might see "confirm" or "cancel" options, for example).

It's not clear exactly how the more detailed responses might work, as the 9to5Google team wasn't able to dig out any screenshots or get the feature turned on, but the new answers will most probably be along similar lines to a typical Gemini AI chatbot response.

Another bunch of Pixel updates – which Google calls Pixel Drops – should be announced very soon, though this particular new feature might not be included. Google may need more time to refine the way it works, and it's worth noting that the hidden code already includes the standard disclaimer about the unreliability of AI responses.

If the feature does need on-board AI processing from the Gemini Nano model, this will only work on the Pixel 8 Pro and the Pixel 9 phones (Gemini Nano is also on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8a, though it's not currently enabled).

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Scam calls waste valuable time and money, but there's a simple and effective solution.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PC
Available on: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Release date: October 14, 2024

You've seen New World before, sure, but have you seen New World: Aeternum? This soft relaunch of Amazon Game Studio's flagging 2021 MMORPG is what the company is calling a 'spiritual sequel' to the original. In layman's terms, that means next-gen console support, new story campaign cinematics, and a refined controller-friendly combat system that doubles down on the game's action RPG setup.

This is, spoiler alert, mostly the same game as before - but New World: Aeternum already had a solid foundation and the inclusion of console players could potentially breathe fresh life into this game.

Some of the best MMORPGs have been years in the making and Amazon's stubborn dedication to improving its first big MMORPG title is commendable. With a vast game world and diverse array of player versus player (PvP) and player versus environment (PvE) content, there's certainly a lot that New World: Aeternum offers - especially for a fresh player.

(Image credit: Amazon) Getting it right the second time

New World: Aeternum is in some ways an MMO that’s stronger than the sum of its parts. It is, in a nutshell, an extremely competent and refined effort that skates close to excellence in so many areas yet doesn’t always stand out.

It’s a rework that’s a culmination of three years of tweaks and painfully learned lessons from Amazon. It isn’t, however, a radical departure from what was offered before - you’ve got the same weapons, the same art style, and the same world - with a few exceptions like new cutscenes. In some ways, it’s a little awkward reviewing this title as a new player in 2024.

So, if New World doesn’t stand out - then why is it just so damn fun to pick up and play? There is an intangible sense of fun to New World that makes it both an approachable and incredibly cohesive MMORPG experience. There's nothing new here, but there's something about this game that just works.

For example, there’s an intuitiveness to the open world in New World: Aeternum that makes sense right away. The game’s core gameplay loops of questing, PvP, and gathering all integrate seamlessly into a game world that just begs you to get out and explore. The world of Aeternum is full of trees, plants, and ores ready to harvest and if you don’t find yourself wandering off in search of hemp, herbs, or lumber, then you’re simply missing out on one of this game’s strongest aspects.

Even without the superb gathering and crafting, there’s no doubt that New World is one of the most pick-up-and-play MMOs I’ve played in a long time when it comes to the overall experience. There’s a little bit of something for everyone here - dungeons, player-owned housing, and excellent crafting all wrapped up in a well-thought-out and refreshingly simple manner.

(Image credit: Amazon) Your favorite MMO, now with cutscenes

One of the biggest additions to New World: Aeternum is the inclusion of a more cohesive main quest storyline - one that’s now complete with cutscenes, improved world-building, and a streamlined questing experience.

I played through the entire main story quest line for this review and my thoughts are that it’s pretty good but not outstanding. The story isn’t anything mind-blowing but there are decent characters, compelling boss fights with actual mechanics, and a modern quest design that breaks away from the usual MMO tropes of killing ten skeletons and such.

(Image credit: Amazon) Best bit

(Image credit: Amazon)

Exploring the world of Aeternum is constantly entertaining. You'll be questing, fighting enemy players, and gathering any number of players along the way in a vast and interactive game world. Rarely will you be stuck hanging around in camp.

If you really beeline it through the quest, expect it to take you around 30 hours until you hit the final boss fight - which, I have to say, is rather excellent (no spoilers, sorry). It’s an experience you can completely take on solo in the vein of a single-player action RPG but I’d highly recommend taking the time out to engage with the game’s excellent side-quests, crafting, and PvP aspects along the way. You can play solo, sure, but New World’s strong suit remains the extracurricular activities.

The beauty of Aeternum is in the myriad distractions it offers. Plus, I’d note that while the main quest does introduce you to the vast majority of zones and themes within the game, it doesn’t really deep-dive into PvP, group content, or end-game gearing. You'll have to work those out for yourself or ask a member from New World's vibrant community of console and PC players.

(Image credit: Amazon) Jack of all trades

As previously mentioned, there’s a wide range of both PvE and PvP content within this game, ranging all the way from basic dungeons and solo world PvP to 10-man raids and 20 vs 20 player battlegrounds. There is, quite simply, a lot of content in New World: Aeternum and it’s all underpinned by a refreshed console-friendly combat system.

With the new combat - it’s a mixed bag but mostly good. As previously stated, New World has a relatively stripped-down action RPG system that encourages movement and dodging rather than providing a piano-like array of spells and abilities. You’re essentially going to be switching through two weapons, both of which have just three abilities on the bar at once. There’s nothing wrong with this (in fact, it’s perfect for controller support), but don’t expect an incredibly in-depth set of abilities to use as per the traditional MMORPG experience.

I gave all sixteen of New World’s weapons a whirl during my playtime and every single one brings something to the table in regard to class fantasy, mechanics, and abilities. Want to bonk your enemies on the head with a giant hammer? No problem. Conversely, you may want to plink at your enemies at a distance with the musket or bow. All weapons are fine choices and offer a diverse range of builds and play styles. I personally like the musket, although I found hitboxes to be frustratingly inconsistent unless I was using the game’s Dark Souls-style lock-on system to track my enemies.

(Image credit: Amazon)

Fans of action-orientated combat will find a lot to like with New World: Aeternum; especially if you’re the kind of person who likes to try different builds. Not only is changing your character’s attribute points incredibly cheap but you’re never locked into one particular weapon or armor type with New World. Don’t hesitate to try out the various weapons and find the right one.

In terms of content, this game is chock-full of stuff that’s readily available to both solo and group players. While a chunk of the high-end PvE stuff is locked behind the maximum level of 65, an easy-to-use matchmaking system means it’s easy to get a group without the need to join a guild or clan. New World is one of the most solo-friendly MMOs I’ve played for a while - and one that respects your time if you’re looking for something relatively casual.

(Image credit: Amazon) A bland new world

Earlier in my review I alluded to the fact that New World is a perfectly competent MMO but it doesn’t particularly stand out in one area. The PvE? Well executed. The PvP? Yep, that’s pretty good too. There's not one single aspect of New World that really knocked me off my seat during my initial 40 hours of gameplay, however.

If there’s one area where I think New World falls down on, it’s that it lacks a solid identity. All the boxes are ticked here to make an incredibly engaging MMO but nothing feels special in the way that, say, World of Warcraft circa 2004 did.

Take the overall art style and premise, for example. New World is loosely set in the age of sail but Amazon deemed it fit to stuff in as many generic fantasy and historical tropes as it could into the world of Aeternum. One minute you’re fighting pirates, the next minute you’re fighting Roman Legionaries, the next minute ghosts. There’s a lot of variety in the game world but it feels like Amazon just threw together generic historical Assassin’s Creed-like concepts rather than building something with a really cool and unique angle.

There’s no doubt that the development team can design engaging environments and game mechanics but I never really felt that strong sense of class fantasy that you get with some MMOs. The world is a little bland, unfortunately, and New World doesn’t particularly stand out as either a PvP game par excellence or a PvE powerhouse in the way that modern retail World of Warcraft does save its superb crafting and gathering system. Still, this is a good game with an intangible sense of fun and one that no doubt has a solid future should Amazon continue to commit to content updates.

(Image credit: Amazon) Should I play New World: Aeternum? Play it if...

You want an approachable MMO
New World: Aeternum features an extensive array of content that can be enjoyed both as a solo player and as a group. The barrier to entry for most content is relatively low and the world is also intuitively built around an excellent gathering and crafting system.

You particularly enjoy crafting and professions
There's something just really, really fun about New World: Aeternum's crafting system. Exploring the game world for valuable resources, building a camp, and crafting your own gear. There are plenty of professions to explore in New World and they all work together to create a superb in-game economy that's unaffected by the micro-transactions common in other MMOs.

Don't play it if...

You want to push high-end PvE content
New World: Aeternum has a 10-man raid at max level but it's not as packed as its competitors when it comes to high-level PvE content. It's a jack-of-all-trades game that's suited to players who value variety over one particular end-game content type. Watch this space though, as raids are a relatively new addition to the game and could be expanded upon going forward.

Accessibility

New World: Aeternum has an extensive list of accessibility features, including text-to-speech, font size scaling, and colorblind modes. It also has some superb aim assist options for both controller and mouse and keyboard setups. All these options are easy to find in the 'Accessibility' menu within the games settings menu.

How I reviewed New World: Aeternum

I played New World: Aeternum for 40 hours before writing this review. That was enough time to play through the entire main story quest line, see most of the zones in-game, and test out the game's PvE and PvP content. While the game is incredibly vast, I made sure to sample most of what New World has objectively before making an assessment.

When it comes to reviewing MMORPGs, I draw upon almost two decades of experience to determine how New World: Aeternum stacks up. Just a few of the titles I've played include World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, Black Desert Online, Lost Ark, Eve Online, ESO, and most recently Throne and Liberty.

The peripherals I used during this review include the Logitech G Pro wireless gaming mouse, the Logitech Pro Tenkeyless gaming keyboard, and the Logitech G735 wireless gaming headset. I also tested the game using the standard Xbox Wireless controller (2024). My monitor is the 27-inch LG 27GP850-B, which runs at 1440p/185Hz.

First reviewed October 2024.