Feed aggregator

The fate of the Samsung XR headset might still be up in the air following recent leaks reporting that its headset has been delayed again, but it appears the South Korean tech giant hasn’t given up on launching some kind of XR gadget. That’s based on a recently published patent that outlines how multiple users could sync their specs with a single smartphone or tablet to enjoy a virtually augmented space together, and how the glasses might be more affordable (but less standalone) then the Meta Orion specs.

Spotted by MySmartPrice, the patent (number 20240355069 titled “Method and System for Grouping Plurality of Devices”) was published last week, and shows how multiple users could connect to a smartphone to play a game of virtual tennis.

It certainly seems to be playing into AR’s strengths of in-person collaboration compared to VR’s more isolating design, and would make sharing a virtual space more seamless. Rather than adding extra layers of signal delays as multiple phones and glasses interact wirelessly – and potential inaccuracies if the phones interpret the same visual data differently – this shared system should be more responsive and accurate.

As with all patents there’s no guarantee that Samsung’s design will ever see the light of day, but it does seemingly clue us into its thinking on how AR glasses should be implemented – in more ways than one.

Tennis games are popular in AR demos (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff) AR Glasses specs teased

The patent reveals a few other tidbits. For a start, the AR glasses setup outlined in the document (page four, figure three) seems to run some version of Android, suggesting that is how Google is involved in this XR collaboration.

Another detail is that while the specs are outfitted with a display, camera, microphone and other sensors, as well as processing power to render and encode data it receives, the processing is handled by the smartphone – with this then being streamed to the glasses.

This suggests that they’re more like the smartphone-reliant Xreal Air 2 glasses than the more standalone Meta Orion AR glasses. This could be a great thing for accessibility, because less technically capable specs will be cheaper. The downside is it looks like you’ll be locked into Android - or maybe even locked into Samsung smartphones specifically - if you want to use them.

Again we’ll have to wait and see what Samsung announces, but considering some of Samsung’s most notable gadgets are its phones, it wouldn’t be surprising if its AR glasses were more of a smartphone add-on rather than a smartphone alternative.

You might also like

• Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses review: the best AI wearable, but still not perfect
• Meta Orion hands-on: Living up to the the AR hype
• The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE could launch with an Exynos chip

No matter who you're buying for, you can find a great gift without spending much. From a mini waffle maker to card games, we rounded up our experts’ favorite gifts under $10 that anyone will love.

These models fall at the opposite end of the price spectrum for mesh systems.

These are some of the best headphones from Beats, and now you can score them at a $180 discount.

The blogging platform Medium is facing an influx of AI-generated content. CEO Tony Stubblebine says it “doesn’t matter” as long as nobody reads it.

• The Scout Terra electric pick-up brings back the bench seat
• Hybrid range-extender version can cover up to 500 miles
• Terra and Traveler won't hit roads until 2027

Former American off-road brand Scout, which was recently purchased and revived by the Volkswagen Group, has returned to inject some throwback chic into the pick-up and SUV segment, as well as give the likes of Rivian a run for its money.

Although both the recently unveiled Terra Truck and Traveler SUV still fall under the banner of “production-intent concepts”, they give us our best look yet at what Volkswagen is trying to achieve by reviving the brand.

And that clearly means retro looks, nostalgic nods to the past and modern technology that features tactile buttons and mechanical switches where possible.

As someone with a mild obsession for old Chevrolet pick-ups from the 1960s and 70s, I think it's wonderful – all of the best bits of classic American trucks, without the worry about things falling off or rusting away in the rain.

(Image credit: Scout Motors)

Despite previously suggesting that Scout was going to be a pure battery EV manufacturer, it has decided to also offer a range-extending hybrid into the mix, which the company states is good for around 500 miles of total range and should go some way to bash range anxiety over the head.

Pure electric versions of the Terra Truck will offer 350 miles, but there’s still no official word on the battery and motors used. However, all-wheel-drive comes as standard (obviously) and the most powerful versions of both Terra and Traveler should be able to hit 60mph from rest in around 3.5 seconds.

But it is inside Scout's concepts where the nostalgia really kicks in, because the brand is arguably among the first to revive the front bench seat – a mainstay in the trucks and SUVs of America’s glorious yesteryear.

The company is is also a vocal advocate of real controls, dials and toggles to take care of key information, while the infotainment system appears to be on rails so the copilot can “take control of the screen while you focus on the road ahead”.

Analysis: Volkswagen needs a truck-shaped sales boost

(Image credit: Scout Motors)

Manufacturers clearly deem retro to be en vogue, as it is a mechanism that has recently been employed by French marque Renault, with the launch of its all-electric Renault 5 and upcoming Renault 4 models, while both Mini and Fiat are still playing on their heritage with great success.

Scout’s main rival, Rivian, is already notching up solid sales of its second-generation R1T and R1S models, as well as teasing the mid-sized R2 and R3, which are due sometime in 2026. All of these feature a hefty dose of nostalgia in their designs, too.

We won’t see either of Scout’s models hit the road until at least 2027, when the company predicts they will be on sale for $50,000 (around £38,000 / AU$75,600) to $60,000 (around £46,000 / AU$91,000) with incentives.

This is all subject to market conditions at the time of launch, of course, but pricing appears competitive, considering a Rivian R1T costs almost $10,000 more, while a base Cybertruck now hovers at $74,490.

Interestingly, Scout has also said it is going to eschew Volkswagen's traditional dealer sales channels – much to the dismay of disgruntled dealers.

(Image credit: Scout Motors)

Instead, it will sell direct to consumer via its own unique spaces, as well as offer the ability to purchase online and through its app. It is a bid to modernize the buying experience and cut out the middleman.

It all feels very modern and appealing to the younger buyer, but will nostalgia and direct-to-consumer sales be enough to persuade them to make the switch?

Volkswagen could do with a truck-shapes sales boost in the US, as dwindling sales in China are currently stifling its progress in the EV market. The fact Scout will be made in the US will also get around the government's recent tax hikes and proposed bans on vehicles imported from China.

Either way, Scout had me at bench seat.

you might also like

• Rivian just gave its EVs a KITT from Knight Rider makeover with this spooky software update
• ChatGPT gives Volkswagen cars the smarts to talk to you all day long
• I’ve ridden Can-Am’s new electric motorcycles – and they’re the best case so far for ditching polluting commuter bikes

This satellite provider offers an all-in-one plan featuring faster speeds, no contracts and higher data allowances. Here’s what to know about Viasat.

iOS 18.1 brings the first Apple Intelligence features, but you need to take a few steps before you can use them.

The New Yorker and teaches at Princeton University. Her book Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America was awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in general nonfiction.'/>

Journalist Eliza Griswold says complaints about homophobia, white privilege and diversity are splintering progressive organizations — including one particular church. Her book is Circle of Hope.

(Image credit: Seamus Murphy)

One of the best VPN services on the market just revealed new advanced security features, beefing up its defense against some of the most pressing online threats.

On October 25, 2024, Mullvad VPN unveiled expanded protections against AI surveillance and censorship in two separate announcements. The newly launched DAITA feature, short for Defense against AI-guided Traffic Analysis, is now also available for its Android VPN app – previously, only Windows, macOS, and Linux users could use it. At the same time, the provider added Shadowsocks obfuscation technology to the WireGuard VPN protocol for its Android and desktop apps.

Keep reading as I explain what these added features are all about and why you should use them.

Fighting back against AI tracking

Mullvad launched DAITA back in May, describing it as "the first step" in the battle against sophisticated traffic analysis. Fully built on an open-source framework – meaning that anyone can check that works as promised – it aims to modify the appearance of data packets sent over the VPN network to prevent snoopers from tracing these activities back to you.

DAITA is a necessary tool as a virtual private network (VPN) can only protect you against some forms of online surveillance – not all.

A VPN encrypts your internet connections so that third parties cannot access the content of the data packet you sent – though they can still see them moving – whilst spoofing your real IP address location. Put simply, when you're using a VPN or even the more secure Tor Browser, you can still be vulnerable to traffic analysis.

As Jan Jonsson, CEO of Mullvad VPN, explains, artificial intelligence has made traffic analysis particularly dangerous for user privacy. This is because AI can be used to analyze the data packets sent back and forth from your device to link online activities back to individual users. At the same time, AI tools can sort through all the data that authorities and big tech companies have collected more quickly and on a more sophisticated level.

"AI will be used both to collect data about people and to analyze that data. That’s why we developed DAITA, to counteract this right at the point of the data collection," Jonsson told me.

Mullvad introducing Defense against AI-guided Traffic Analysis (DAITA) https://t.co/bfOVYCT0ziMay 7, 2024

DAITA launched in May 2024 on Mullvad's Windows VPN apps for Windows 10 and 11 operating systems, with support for macOS and Linux arriving at the beginning of September. Now, Android users can finally benefit from the advanced protection.

Enabling DAITA on Android is easy. All you need to do is open your app and head to Settings. Here you'll need to tap VPN settings and then DAITA to switch ON the toggle button.

When you connect to a VPN server, you'll see that a notification ("using DAITA") will appear next to the server location on the app homepage. This means that your online activities have an added layer of protection, and are less susceptible to being traced by a third party, as Mullvad promises to make all data packets the same size while adding random background traffic.

Faster VPN obfuscation

AI tracking might be a relatively new threat on the internet – but online censorship is a much older risk, and one of the primary reasons why VPN usage continues to soar around the world. At the same time, however, authorities are getting better at blocking VPN usage.

As a result, VPN providers need to keep evolving in the cybersecurity space to help users bypass restrictions.

VPN obfuscation is a hugely important part of this. As the name suggests, it references the technology responsible for hiding the fact you're using a VPN in the first place. While different techniques achieve the same thing, they all have something in common – ensuring the VPN traffic looks like normal traffic to evade any VPN blocks and bans.

WireGuard Shadowsocks's support for the Mullvad iPhone VPN app is expected to come at a later date

Mullvad has been using Shadowsocks obfuscation since 2019 as a default setting for its OpenVPN protocol to help users successfully bypass firewalls and censorship. What's changed now, though, is that the provider has extended Shadowsocks support to the faster and more efficient WireGuard protocol.

So, when you use Mullvad VPN on a desktop or Android, you won't need to sacrifice performance and blocking capabilities in exchange for improved digital privacy. Our most recent testing shows, in fact, a clear discrepancy between peak speeds with WireGuard (950 Mbps) and OpenVPN (410 Mbps). WireGuard Shadowsocks's support for the Mullvad iPhone VPN app is expected to come at a later date

It's worth noting that you might still encounter some connection stability issues at the time of writing when using Shadowsocks and switching between networks. "We are currently working on addressing those as part of an upcoming release," said the provider in a blog post. The team at Mullvad ensures that none of these issues are security-related nor expose you to any risk of data leaks.

Thought the best Garmin watches were too expensive already? You haven’t seen anything yet.

Garmin’s ultra-premium line of smartwatches, the Marq range, is Garmin’s foray into style as well as substance. Instead of going for chunky G-Shock style adventure watches like the Instinct range, or going for a more conventional smartwatch aesthetic like the Venu or Garmin Vivoactive 5, the Garmin Marq line shares a design ethos with premium analog watches, with each model representing a certain theme.

The Garmin Marq Aviator, for example, boasts weather reports for specific airports (ideal for pilots), while the Marq Captain model looks like a classic dive watch and features a regatta timer on the bezel.

The Marq Adventurer is a premium smartwatch with a 360-degree rotating compass bezel, as well as all the rest of Garmin’s premium adventuring features including topographical maps support, all-day blood oxygen sensing for altitude acclimation, and advanced GPS capabilities. Ordinarily, the Marq Adventurer Gen 2’s case and bezel is comprised of Grade 5 Titanium, but a recent drop by Garmin has the Marq Adventurer’s case and rotating bezel comprised of Damascus steel.

Damascus steel is well-known for its incredible durability and distinctive wavy design. Described as “forged from the finest materials on Earth”, the Garmin Marq Adventurer (Gen 2) Damascus Steel Edition, to give it its full title, looks absolutely sublime.

(Image credit: Garmin)

It comes with a leather / FKM rubber hybrid watch strap to pair with the ultra-premium body, which features Garmin’s classic five-button design. This will all set you back an eye-watering $3,100 / £2,799 / AU$5,500.

This has to be one of the best-looking smartwatches, with that Damascus steel undulating pattern made using its forging, that I’ve ever seen. Forget the price: I still want one. Long-time readers might know that I love it when analog and digital design languages meet to create something unique: it’s why I’m one of the only people I know who really loved the smart Casio G-Shock aesthetic of the Garmin Instinct Crossover. But the Marq Adventurer (Gen 2) Damascus Steel Edition is another level, and for three grand I should hope so.

There doesn’t appear to be a huge difference in functionality between Garmin’s other premium offerings, such as the Garmin Fenix 8, but Garmin already knows its internals are quality: you’re paying for a smartwatch that looks like it could belong on the wrist of Indiana Jones, only with current-generation smarts. It might look timeless, but this watch certainly doesn’t belong in a museum.

You might also like...

• The Coros Vertix 2 can tell you everything you need to know about your climbing session – without you even wearing it
• Garmin Fenix 8 review: rugged, expensive perfection
• Garmin MARQ Athlete (Gen 2) review: It's stylish, rugged and expensive, like James Bond

Several months after a CrowdStrike update left millions of servers unusable, bringing some industries to a temporary but costly halt, Delta Air Lines has filed a law suit against the cybersecurity company to recoup some of its losses

The lawsuit, filed in a Georgia court, asks CrowdStrike to pay out over $500 million in losses, along with litigation costs and punitive damages.

After cancelling around 7,000 flights, Delta asserts it lost $380 million in revenue and incurred a further $170 million in other costs, which it is now looking to cover through means of legal action.

Delta takes CrowdStrike to court

“CrowdStrike caused a global catastrophe because it cut corners, took shortcuts, and circumvented the very testing and certification processes it advertised, for its own benefit and profit," a Delta annoncement said.

News of the lawsuit comes after the company appointed David Boies, a major attorney with experience in some high-profile cases to seek damages from CrowdStrike and Microsoft.

Speaking with CNBC, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said: “The havoc that was created deserves, in my opinion, to be fully compensated for.”

Following the incident, Delta was quick to offer customers financial support by means of refunds and reimbursements. The company acknowledged that CrowdStrike was responsible for the outage, but offered customers little more in terms of an explanation.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz issued a public apology after the outage, promising to enhance the company’s update protocols.

A CrowdStrike spokesperson responded to the case (via CNBC): “Delta’s claims are based on disproven misinformation, demonstrate a lack of understanding of how modern cybersecurity works, and reflect a desperate attempt to shift blame for its slow recovery away from its failure to modernize its antiquated IT infrastructure.”

It’s unclear how the case will play out, but with CrowdStrike’s dodgy update being the cause of the issue, it’s likely that this will guide the judge’s decision.

More from TechRadar Pro

• Check out the best server for your small business
• Boost security by installing the best endpoint protection software
• CrowdStrike hits back at Delta lawsuit — claims it did everything it could, and airline ignored offer of help

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Nintendo Switch
Release date: October 29, 2024 (Nintendo Switch TBC)

In retrospect, Life is Strange: Double Exposure seems like an almost impossible sequel for developer Deck Nine to create. Even if that’s not the case, it’s hard to argue that the one we received is a success.

Who is Max Caufield? That depends on the decisions you made playing the first episodic supernatural adventure game. Don’t Nod’s 2013 success with the original Life is Strange was a lightning bolt, an episodic coming-of-age story driven by the emotional impulses of both the player and Max acting as one. Returning to Arcadia Bay and meeting your lost friend culminating in a decision to save her life and destroy your hometown or allow her to die to save it, commits the first game to a contained but forceful and emotional arc about the morality of controlling the fates of others.

In Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Max is no longer the teenager we once knew. She’s an adult, a photographer-in-residence, and a teacher at Caledon University in Vermont. She has a new life. She can’t use her rewind powers anymore to turn back time, but she’s seemingly settled in a new home and has two close friends in the geeky astronomer Moses and Safi, a poet and undergraduate.

One night, after watching a meteor shower on the snowy observatory rooftop, Safi leaves to take a phone call only to be shot dead in the night by a mystery assailant. Shocked by trauma, Max discovers a new ability to switch between a timeline where she lives and one where she dies, and uses this ability to try and understand her death, who killed her, and perhaps even save her.

Scars of the Past

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Make no mistake, my disappointment with Life is Strange: Double Exposure doesn’t come from a disdain for the decision not to bring back fan-favorite Chloe, Max’s romantic interest from the first game. While there has been some controversy over this decision, as she fails to make an appearance regardless of whether you let her live or die in the first game, this is not what holds things back narratively.

The overhanging cloud of Arcadia Bay, and the gulf between the state of reality where Chloe lives and dies, are so massive that attempting to tell a story that fails to commit to making one ending canon (or possibly both) results in a game that seems unable to move beyond history to explore who Max is today. Max claims that she has moved on, but the game inherently can’t. The result hamstrings the story from developing in certain directions at risk of contradicting either ending while stopping it from really having anything interesting to say by the time credits roll.

The result is a big disconnect between Max and the player. You may remember the events of the first game, and they may influence the way you act here, but the story can't acknowledge them. The loss of your friend and love interest, or the loss of an entire town, are major events that should define Max but are entirely absent aside from a few easter eggs.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Narrative aside, there are also some problems with the mechanics this time around. Rather than a rewind ability like in the original game, Max discovers an evolution of her powers that allows her to jump between two timelines; her own, and another where Safi is still alive. What could be a tool to play with the morals of jumping between both to manipulate dual versions of these characters instead feels like annoying busywork.

In the moment-to-moment action, the power is surprisingly limited. You can’t switch timelines at will, nor integrate your experiences and knowledge from each timeline into gameplay without the game prompting you first. This means you’re left running backwards and forwards to find the spot to jump, and are left with little reason to even think about using the power without being prompted first unless you want to seek out collectible photos. It’s exhausting rather than interesting.

Best bit

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Moments of reflection backed by a strong selection of licensed indie pop offer genuine tranquility in the calm and beautiful snow-covered Vermont landscapes.

Compared to how much time travel was an active part of the narrative, the timeline-shifting powers merely dilute the characters we interact with. We barely get to know any of them before the major inciting incident and the resulting timeline split creates two versions of every character which prevents us from getting to know them deeply. Amanda is positioned as a love interest, but the interactions with this simultaneously disinterested and intrigued rural lesbian in differing timelines left me unable to understand who she was, or even care about learning more.

No matter how disinterested I acted in both timelines, Vinh also would not stop acting flirtatiously and I soon wanted to file a restraining order. Conversations and relationships between characters are a major step down from the last Deck Nine installment, Life is Strange True Colors.

What is it all for?

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Safi’s death and the mystery behind that should draw you in but we barely know Safi before her death. I spent multiple episodes effectively trying to save a girl that I knew nothing about. Even when you do learn more about her past through our investigation and other events, much of her past remains obscured in a way that leaves her feeling like more of a plot device than a real friend. Major story decisions I made involving her character felt cold and meaningless.

It’s hard not to see this as a missed opportunity. The franchise has continued Max’s story before, albeit in comic form. It even integrates multiple timelines and shifting powers. While this comic begins continuing the story from the perspective of one ending (the destruction of Arcadia Bay), it also uses multiple timelines to its advantage, and in doing so creates a canon where both endings can exist.

By embracing the difficult decision, rather than trying to avoid it, it’s possible to more deeply introspect on Max as a character in a way that not only keeps you invested, but even makes you reconsider what was truly the right thing to do.

Does this mean that the game should have merely remade the comics? No! But it shows that committing to the impossible choice of the past rather than trying to skirt around it allows you to explore these characters in the depth they deserve.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure is trapped by continuity. The past makes us who we are, but we are not defined by it. It’s a shame that developer Deck Nine didn't get the memo.

Should I play Life is Strange: Double Exposure? Play it if...

The series’ gameplay is the main draw
While the story suffers, the gameplay formula that blends puzzles with talking to characters and making decisions that impact relationships with them remains the same as ever.

Don't play it if...

You care for the story
Narratively the game is disjointed and disconnected. If you’re here to enjoy Max’s story, it unfortunately falls short.

Building character relationships is key
Often the split timelines leave you unable to connect with a character due to their constantly-shifting personalities between two timelines, making this core part of the narrative hook of the games suffer as a result.

Accessibility 

Life is Strange: Double Exposure offers extensive accessibility settings and content warnings for transphobia, mentions of suicide, blood, loud noises, and more. Accessibility includes obvious things like subtitles, but also a camera assist, the ability to skip some gameplay, longer choice times, reduced motion, simple power effects to avoid flashing lights, and alternate controls for anything that needs multiple button presses.

How I reviewed Life is Strange: Double Exposure

I played Life is Strange: Double Exposure on a launch model PS5 using a DualSense Wireless Controller and an ASUS VG27AQL1A gaming monitor. For audio, I utilized a wireless headphone adapter and played the game using Apple AirPods Max. It took just shy of 10 hours to complete the five episodes and reach the ending.

First reviewed October 2024.

Let's break down how much of the previous story is relevant in order to best enjoy this new entry.

California has more rooftop solar panels than any other state. Here's what to know if you're planning to join in.

Before you write in, our Headphones of the Year Award is open to in-ear, on-ear and over-ear designs (rather than just cans) because we want to make you aware of the very best headphone product released in 2024. And based on another full year of testing, I want you to know right from the off that choosing the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 as that product was one of the easiest decisions we've made all year.

This year, the hands-down TechRadar Choice Awards 2024 audio winner revealed itself rather late in the game, at the end of August to be precise. This was cutting it pretty fine for consideration in the 2024 awards proceedings, but I doubt B&W was particularly worried about that; it's abundantly clear to me that this time around, the UK audio specialist wanted to get its earbuds done right, rather than to get them done quickly – and that is probably why they're so, so good.

The keen-eyed will already have spotted that the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones won our 'Best wireless headphones' award, so why did we choose the Pi8 as the overall winner, rather than the household name of Bose?

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this decision isn't always conscious, rather it makes itself, over the course of our review process. I might have five or six sets of the best headphones at similar price-points as reference products (I trust my ears and my testing, but it's still nice to have proven class-leaders in the mix to double-check), and it's the ones I reach for when I'm not testing that tend to steal the crown.

I typically prefer the best over-ear headphones given the choice – not just so I don't have to talk to people, although that helps – but I found myself picking the B&W Pi8 earbuds every day before heading out the door, for no reason other than they provide the sound quality I really wanted.

Actually there are other reasons, but to understand them fully you need to understand that sound quality has never been the issue with B&W's earbuds historically. So when the company finally went back to the drawing board and got the basics – design, comfort, connectivity, on-ear controls – absolutely bang on with the Pi8, it simply allowed that sound quality to take center stage. And there you have it: winners.

How's that for an updated design that just works? (Image credit: Future)

Let's drill down into the design overhaul then, because the Pi8 are are unrecognizable from the slightly unreliable (and honestly uncomfortable) Pi7 S2 that came before them. Refreshingly, the company approached the challenge of rectifying the older siblings' issues with both humility and due diligence, chiefly by completely redesigning the driver housings (to look quite a lot like the also-excellent 2023-issue Technics EAH-AZ80, honestly) but also by adding an upgraded DAC, DSP and amplifier components, meaning they effectively bypass Qualcomm's digital-to-analog converter for even better audio quality compared to how most of the best wireless earbuds handle this.

Do the Pi8 nullify noise as well the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds or the AirPods Pro 2? For me, it's a yes. The Pi8 have received quite the redesign here too – using tech from their PX8 over-ear siblings – and however B&W has done it, it works. That feeling of leaving traffic for dust kicks straight in, but without any sense of wind-tunnel-type nausea or being unceremoniously sucked into a vacuum by the eardrums. Also, you now get on-ear volume control, something I've been knocking B&W's decision to swerve since 2021, since it had me rifling through my bag to alter the volume of elite earbuds' – meanwhile, propositions at a fraction of the price could do it on the earpieces.

There's a notable extra too: aside from the case's no-nonsense, pocketable appeal, you can plug its USB-C port (USB-C to 3.5mm and USB-C cables are in the box) into a non-Bluetooth source, such as an in-flight entertainment system, and it'll work as a wireless audio transmitter in aptX Adaptive quality at up to 24-bit/96kHz quality, turning these into wired earbuds… sort of.

There are no spatial audio with head-tracking and no ear-tip fit tests or hearing profile curation, but the B&W Music app is a joy to use when cueing up your various playlists if, like me, your music comes from a few different sources and streaming services. For better or worse, B&W wants unadulterated music to be the star of the show, and I cannot fault the sound quality the Pi8 earbuds are able to deliver in a wireless design, which is not a statement I make lightly.

All that’s really left for me to say is that the Pi8 won because they're now as physically comfortable and secure as they are sonically detailed and dynamically agile, which only makes the solid noise-cancellation even more effective. No, they’re not the cheapest. They’re simply the best wireless headphone option I've heard in 2024, by quite a wide margin – and I'd strongly suggest you keep your eye on our Black Friday earbuds deals, since any discount would be worth a close look.

Apple has just announced a new iMac with M4 chip, and alongside its refreshed all-in-one PC, it's also let slip that it's redesigned the Magic Mouse that comes with it - and we have some good and bad news.

First the good: both the Magic Mouse and the Magic Keyboard now come with USB-C ports. That's right, the Lightning cable, which used to also charge iPhones and iPads until the EU (and other institutions) forced Apple to switch to the non-proprietary USB-C, is now dead.

This is great news, especially as now that iPhones and iPads don't use Lightning cables, people just don't have that many lying around any more, which can be annoying when the peripherals run out of battery. Now, you can charge the Magic Mouse, Keyboard or Trackpad using the same USB-C cable you use to charge your iPhone, MacBook and other peripherals.

Apple answered our prayers, but dashed our dreams

As glad as I am to see USB-C finally included in the Magic Mouse (and the other iMac peripherals, which remain color-matched to the iMac you buy them with), it seems like Apple hasn't used this tweaked design as an excuse to fix one of the most glaring design faults found in its products.

That's right, the charging port remains located on the bottom of the Magic Mouse. This design choice has baffled myself and pretty much every Mac owner for years. It means when the Magic Mouse runs out of battery and you need to plug it in, you can't use the mouse - as it needs to be flipped upside down to be plugged in.

Pretty much every other wireless mouse in existence has a charging port on the upper half of the body, which allows you to charge the mouse and use it at the same time.

The fact that Apple has gone so far to change the port, but not the location, almost seems out of spite. Surely it can't think this was really a user-friendly place to put the port - yet it has stuck with it over the years. Come on Apple, admit you were wrong with this one, and I might even start using your Mice again...

You might also like

• I used to laugh at the Mac Mini but today I bought one
• Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 could be a real treat for Halloween, if latest CPU and RAM spec rumors aren’t a trick
• Apple just declared a bunch of Macs obsolete – these are the affected MacBook and iMac models

The streamer now lets you share your favorite clips on social media, or bookmark them to revisit.

Meet the first Mac desktop with Apple's latest M4 processor.

Black Ops 6 Season One is right around the corner, given that the game is now out for all players. In the coming weeks, players will be treated to a new Battle Pass to work through, changes to Warzone, as well as some new content for Multiplayer. Unfortunately, Activision has yet to announce the specifics regarding Season One, but thanks to a recent leak, we may know the launch date after all.

If you weren't aware, new Call of Duty games tend to launch in a sort of pre-season state these days. This gives players the chance to jump into the game, leveling up guns and getting to grips with the map selection before new content is added. As such, there's currently no Battle Pass, but that's set to change. Even without Season One content, we're having a blast with Black Ops 6, and it's certainly looking to be a contender for our list of the best FPS games to play in 2024.

As we near the rumored Black Ops 6 Season One release date, we'll likely start to hear more on what'll be added, and on the precise timings. For now, here's everything we know so far, including a look at the leaked Season One release date.

Black Ops 6 Season One release date: rumored timings so far

(Image credit: Activision)

According to a recent link from a promotional game tie-in, the Black Ops 6 Season One release date is November 14, 2024. As spotted by CharlieIntel (shown in the Tweet below), Black Ops 6's collaboration with the US pizza chain Little Caesars appears to have let the Season One launch date slip.

Breaking: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 x Warzone Season 1 is reportedly set to start November 14 The date was included in emails sent by Little Caesars promotion (via @BobNetworkUK_) pic.twitter.com/uDo3J288VdOctober 21, 2024

In the replies to the Tweet above, emails from Little Caesars to participating players mentions: "The Battle Pass will be delivered to your Activision account at the start of Season One of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 on November 14, 2024."

Of course, it's worth stressing that this is unconfirmed at present, though it does fit into similar timings relative to previous Call of Duty releases. Once we hear more from Activision, we'll be sure to update this page.

What we'd like to see from Black Ops 6 Season One

(Image credit: Activision)

While we wait to hear what Black Ops 6 has in store, we'll be thinking about what we'd like to see added to the game. Of course, a Battle Pass is coming but beyond that, new content is harder to predict. Given that Black Ops 6 just launched, and given the fact that it contains all new maps, some familiar maps could be a welcome addition alongside Season One. We'd like to see the team pull from older Black Ops games specifically, such as Summit, as well as some of the best offerings from last year's remastered Modern Warfare 2 maps like Rust.

There are still plenty of weapons to work through in Black Ops 6, so new weapons in Season One aren't exactly top of our list of wishes. Instead, it'd be good to see further balancing patches, especially concerning the currently essential Gunfighter Wildcard. Over the next couple of weeks, it should become clear which guns in Black Ops 6 need nerfs, and which need buff. For now, though, the current slate of weapons feels surprisingly balanced, with everything from SMGs to Marksman rifles feeling genuinely viable.

You Might Also Like...

• Modern Warfare 3 review
• Here's when to expect the next season of Fortnite
• Upcoming games 2024