Feed aggregator

Jason Sudeikis and the AFC Richmond gang are back with a new pitch and new faces now that filming is underway in the US and London.

Zoner Studio is a WIndows-only take on both Photoshop and Lightroom - not as powerful as either (although a slew of regular updates is changing that), but a good entry-level/intermediate photo editor and organizer that comes in at a fair price.

After a recent name change from Zoner Photo Studio X to Zoner Studio, to better reflect the broader usage, the company says, I took the latest version out for a spin to see how it measures up against some of the best Adobe Photoshop alternatives.

Zoner Studio: Pricing & plans

Zoner Studio is available for a monthly subscription of $5.99, or $59 for the year. A family plan, letting two or more users in the same household use the app, is available for $9.98 a month or $98 a year.

For me, the pricing here is a big plus. There may not be a free version available (although there is a welcome free trial), but the cost is low, especially when compared to Adobe’s Creative Cloud suite of apps. The Photoshop and Lightroom Photography plan is currently priced at $22.99 a month. Your other option would be a tool like Affinity Photo, which has a one-off cost of $70.

The main differences between Zoner Studio and its rivals is that Zoner is only available on Windows machines, and it leans slightly more towards entry-level and intermediate users compared to Affinity Photo and Photoshop’s professional-grade photo editor.

You can check out Zoner Studio by clicking here.

Zoner Studio: First impressions

(Image credit: Zoner // Future)Minimum requirements

Operating system: Windows 10 or Windows 11 64-bit

Processor: Intel or AMD CPU 64-bit with SSE 4.2 support

RAM: 8GB

Storage space: 2GB

Screen resolution: 1280 × 800

If you’re familiar with photo editing software, you’ll have no problems navigating Zoner Studio. And, if you’re not, it’s not especially tricky to figure out - for me, that’s part of the appeal of the app, making it pretty welcoming to new users who want to do more with their photographs.

The main part of the screen is devoted to your selected image, with files and folders beneath, which can be scrolled through with your mouse. It’s a nice touch, making navigation that much easier.

Where new users may come unstuck are the five options to the right of the screen. Manager, Develop, Editor, Print, and Video (ok, those last two are self-explanatory). So, a little exploration wouldn’t go amiss - Zoner does at least feature non-destructive editing, letting you experiment with new tools without irretrievably modifying the original file.

Basically, Manager is for organizing and tagging photos. Develop is Zoner’s take on Lightroom, where you can edit RAW images, and Editor is for all other tweaks you want to make to your media, like adjusting the color temperature, or sharpening images. It’s all nicely laid out and generally easy to find what you’re looking for - and most options are also replicated in menus along the ribbon, which contextually change depending on which mode you’re in.

Zoner Studio: In use

(Image credit: Zoner // Future)

Using Zoner Studio isn’t especially tricky, but it may still feel a little overwhelming if you’re new to image editing given the sheer amount of options available here. I’d also advise beginners to hover over the side-panel icons - there are a lot here, and not all of them are especially intuitive, so hovering your mouse will serve up a name and brief description of each.

Your photos automatically appear in Zoner, since there’s a file explorer tab to the left of the screen (there is an import function along the ribbon, too, but I never found the need to use this). These will appear on a timeline at the foot of the main panel. When you’ve selected your image, it can then be edited and adjusted via the Editor tab.

All the familiar tools are here, from cropping and rotating to adding watermarks or directional blurring. As expected, then, there are heaps of tools for toying with the exposure (shadows, contrast, and so on), white balance (temperature and tint), and color (like saturation). I also like the addition of the tone curve, as you’d find in Lightroom, for lightening or darkening an image, or bringing specific color channels to the fore.

(Image credit: Zoner // Future)

There’s also a Quick Edit option, which populates the panel with the core tools most photographers and designers use without needing to fumble through the menus. The editing process can further be streamlined with the likes of Quick Fix and, ideal for social media, Quick Filters. All of these work instantly, just a press of the button.

The software includes some AI-powered tools, all of which deliver good results impressively quickly. This includes AI Masking, found in the Develop tab. Choosing this gives you the option to let Zoner automatically select the photo’s subject, background, objects, or sky for fine-tuning. For anyone looking to streamline the workflow, these are must-use tools, and I was pretty pleased with the speed and accuracy here.

One of the stand-outs for me is the AI Background Remover, which I found generally works very well. Once completed, I could then add a color background or create a transparent one for compositing into other images. Occasionally, the process removed elements of the image subject - typically when on darker or a similarly colored backgrounds - but on the whole, I had no serious complaints with this one-click background removal tool.

Perhaps the biggest issue, at least for those looking to make the switch away from Photoshop, is the lack of support for .PSD files. Instead, the software uses its own .ZPS files, which functionally work the same with layers and effects. But there’s no way to import or export Photoshop files into the app.

Overall, Zoner Studio packs in a wealth of tools for photo editing. It will take some getting used to if you’re new (and absolutely no time at all if you’re familiar with any of the best photo editors). But if you don’t need .PSD file support, there’s plenty to like here, especially for the price.

Should I buy Zoner Studio?

(Image credit: Zoner // Future)Buy it if...

You’re new to photo editing: This is a great place to start if you’re new to editing images but want a good amount of powerful tools for bringing out the best in your photos.

You don’t want to spend too much: Zoner Studio is a lot cheaper than Adobe Photoshop or similar pro-grade packages.

Don't buy it if...

You want a basic app: If you’re just looking to crop or brighten images, you’ll find plenty of other options that won’t overwhelm.

You want a professional-level app: Similarly, if you want a pro-level software that delivers the very best results, you’ll get better results from the likes of Photoshop and Lightroom.

Alek Hermon didn't think much of his father's overnight nurse until his father died.

(Image credit: Hermon family photo)

Nothing More of This Land traces indigenous communities on Martha's Vineyard. Above, beachgoers on Moshup Beach in July 2010.'/>

In Nothing More of This Land, Aquinnah Wampanoag writer Joseph Lee takes readers past the celebrity summer scene and into the heart of Noepe, the name his people have called the island for centuries.

(Image credit: Don Emmert)

A clash between the US and UK governments could mean Apple's privacy protections remain intact.

• HPE patched CVE-2025-37103 and CVE-2025-37102
• The former is a case of hardcoded credentials for an admin account
• The latter allows the execution of arbitrary commands as an admin

HPE has patched a critical-severity vulnerability in its Aruba Instant On Access Points which could have allowed threat actors to access the devices as an admin, change settings, deploy malware, and wreak havoc as they see fit.

Aruba Instant On Access Points are Wi-Fi devices designed for small businesses. They are advertised as easy-to-deploy devices offering fast, secure, and reliable wireless connectivity.

In a security advisory, HPE said it found hardcoded credentials in the device’s firmware, “allowing anyone with knowledge of it to bypass normal device authentication.”

No workarounds

“Successful exploitation could allow a remote attacker to gain administrative access to the system,” the company added.

Now, the bug is tracked as CVE-2025-37103. It has a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical) and is apparently simple to find and exploit, especially for a skilled threat actor.

Unfortunately, hardcoded credentials are a common occurrence in modern software. Usually, during the production phase, software developers would add an admin account this way, for easy and convenient access.

However, these credentials should be removed before the product is shipped to the market, and when the DevSecOps team or the Application Security team fails, vulnerabilities like this one happen.

There are no workarounds to mitigate the problem, patching it is the only way to secure the access points, and thus the wider network, from attacks.

In the same advisory, HPE said it patched a second bug, an authenticated command injection vulnerability in instant on command line interface. This bug, tracked as CVE-2025-37102, allows remote threat actors with elevated privileges to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system as a highly privileged user. It was assigned a severity score of 7.2/10 (high).

For this vulnerability, too, there are no workarounds, and HPE advises users to apply the patch as soon as possible.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• HPE flags critical StoreOnce auth bypass, users should update now
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app
• We've rounded up the best password managers

Once the bargain alternative to pricey cable and satellite packages, the streaming landscape continues to grow in size – and cost. While some of the best streaming services continue to hike their prices, we’ve got your back, giving you the latest scoop on which service you can expect to pay more for in future.

Read below to find out which streamers are charging more in 2025 so far. And while it may seem like keeping up with your favorite shows is getting increasingly costly, you could always check out the best free streaming services out there, which will offer you a wealth of content for nada. Make sure to also check the best streaming deals in 2025 to save on your next subscription bill.

Is anyone else getting déjà vu? In July 2024, Peacock's second ever price increase took effect and just over a year later we're getting another. NBCUniversal's streaming service has announced that its biggest price hike ever will begin on July 23 for new and returning customers (meanwhile, existing subscribers can expect to see an increase in their bill from August 23 or their next billing date).

The price hike sees Peacock's 'Premium' (with ads) and 'Premium Plus' (limited ads) plans rise by $3 each to $10.99 and $16.99 per month, respectively. As some subscribers look to cancel their subscriptions ahead of the change, Peacock is looking to offer more affordable options by testing a new 'Select' tier that will cost the same as its ad-supported plan was priced before the most recent price hike.

We had almost gotten through March without seeing a streaming price hike announcement for video on-demand services until Plex decided to break that streak by raising its prices. This is the first price hike its made in a decade and will apply to each of its plans. That means that the monthly price for Plex Pass will go from $4.99 to $6.99, the annual price will rise from $39.99 to $69.99 and the Plex Lifetime Pass will more than double from $119.99 to an eye-watering $249.99.

The changes will take effect on April 29, 2025, which means that if you're already signed up to the Lifetime Pass you'll be able to stick to the old rate, which is prompting many users to consider signing up for it before the rise. In an even bigger blow, Plex is making the ability to stream your favorite streaming subscriptions between two separate networks no longer free. Instead, users will have to sign up to a Remote Watch Pass for $1.99 a month or $19.99 to have the remote streaming feature.

The live TV streamer has announced that all packages are set to creep up in price. Coming into effect for new subscribers on January 23, existing customers should look for the increase in their bill on, or after, February 10. Citing “rising costs from our production partners,” the service is adding $5 per month to all of its streaming plans. This will be particularly galling news for subscribers to the platform’s Essentials tier, which was only launched in September and replaced the bargain Starter option.

The new prices mean that both the Essential and Pro now cost $85.99 per month, while the Elite option is $94.99 ($104.99 w/ Sports Plus). Customers already using the Deluxe, Premier and Ultimate tiers are also looking at five bucks more, although these options are no longer available to new subscribers. There is good news for new customers though, as after a seven-day free trial, you get your first month $20 off. And if the price increase has you doubting your loyalty, you might want to look in to other live TV streaming services, such as Hulu or Sling.

The biggest streamer to announce things were getting pricier in 2025 was Netflix. The streaming giant announced on January 22 that it was raising prices, with the company stating: “As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix.” It should be noted, at time of writing, the price increases only apply to subscribers in Argentina, Portugal and North America.

This means that in the US, the standard ad-supported plan will now cost subscribers $7.99, $1 more than it did previously. Standard without ads is up a buck and a half, now costing $17.99 while the premium tier is now $24.99, a $2 increase. If the price increase has you debating whether to keep the service, our list of the best Netflix movies and best Netflix shows might help your decision.

The other streamer already increasing its prices this year is Discovery Plus, with things set to get a little bit more expensive for US subscribers. The hike went into effect on January 7 for news subscribers, with Discovery saying it would renew at the new rates for existing customers “on your first billing date on or after February 7, 2025.”

Discovery Plus currently offers two tiers, both of which have increased by $1, with the ad-supported plan now $5.99, while it’s $9.99 to go ad-free. Of course, most of Discovery Plus’ content can also be accessed through Warner Bros. Discovery’s flagship streamer Max – which is due to receive a global rollout in 2025 – and with plenty of new content arriving on Max in February, consumers may begin wondering whether to keep the stand alone streamer at all.

You might also like

• I’m slashing my TV streaming bills by 71% in 2025 with subscription hopping
• Netflix prices are becoming a joke – here's a tactic I'm using to survive 2025
• I’m a huge anime fan – here’s why you should ditch Netflix for Crunchyroll

A quirky design with a unique rear display doesn't make up for this phone's shortcomings.

• Matt Shakman has said whether Doctor Doom was ever going to be The Fantastic Four: First Steps' main villain
• Robert Downey Jr will play the group's iconic adversary in 2026's Avengers: Doomsday film
• Galactus was ultimately chosen to be First Steps' primary antagonist

The Fantastic Four: First Steps director has explained why Galactus and not Doctor Doom is the film's Big Bad – and it's got nothing to do with Avengers: Doomsday.

Chatting to TechRadar, Matt Shakman outlined two major reasons for picking the immortal, planet-devouring space-god over The Fantastic Four's most notorious villain for their latest big-screen reboot. Interestingly, Marvel's revised plan for The Multiverse Saga, which belatedly saw Robert Downey Jr return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to portray Victor von Doom in the next two Avengers movies, wasn't one of them.

"We didn't consider making Doom the villain," the Marvel movie's filmmaker told me. "Mostly, because he's been the villain of every other Fantastic Four film. He takes up a lot of space and he's a wonderful character, but I wanted to be able to focus on this family [and] these four characters [over him].

"Obviously, I picked a very big villain, literally," Shakman continued. "But, Galactus is also The Fantastic Four's second most famous villain, so it made sense to to bring him in. We considered a lot of other potential villains along the way, but eventually settled on Galactus and and I'm glad that we did."

Marvel has teased Galactus throughout the film's marketing campaign, but hasn't shown him in his full glory yet (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

It's fascinating to learn that Doom was never discussed as the Marvel Phase 6 film's primary foe.

Initially announced in July 2019, First Steps predates Marvel's pivot away from Kang the Conqueror – The Multiverse Saga's first overarching bad guy – to Doctor Doom by five years. Indeed, Downey Jr wasn't announced as Latveria's most famous son until 2024's San Diego Comic-Con, with Doom confirmed to be replacing Kang following Jonathan Majors' firing by Marvel in the wake of numerous assault allegations made against him.

Of equal intrigue is Shakman wasn't Marvel's first choice to be the director of one of the most anticipated new movies of 2025.

Originally, Jon Watts, who helmed Tom Holland's first Spider-Man film trilogy in the MCU, was tapped to direct in December 2020. However, Watts dropped out in April 2022 and, despite a bizarre rumor that legendary filmmaker Stephen Spielberg had been asked to replace Watts, it was Shakman who boarded the project in August of that year. It's possible, then, that Doom could've been discussed as the primary antagonist of The Fantastic Four's latest cinematic adventure prior to Shakman's hiring.

Downey Jr is currently filming Avengers: Doomsday at Pinewood studios in the UK (Image credit: Robert Downey Jr's Instagram)

Regardless, as he has throughout First Steps' press tour, Shakman declined to comment on the prospect of Downey Jr's Doom appearing in 2025's final MCU. With Marvel's First Family taking their, well, first steps into the MCU this Friday (July 25), we don't have long to wait until we have a definitive answer.

In the meantime, get the lowdown on the movie via my ultimate guide on The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Additionally, check out my Avengers: Doomsday hub for the latest and biggest news about that film. Then, read on for more exclusive coverage of First Steps.

You might also like

• 'I think': The Fantastic Four: First Steps director gives blunt response to fan criticism of the Marvel movie's visual effects
• 'We hardly crossed paths': The actors behind The Fantastic Four: First Steps' villains never filmed a scene together – and only met once on the Marvel movie's set
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast and character guide: Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, and who else you'll see in the Marvel movie

• Monitor Audio launches new Bronze Series 7G speaker range
• New drivers and tweeters plus a new crossover design
• Hi-fi, home theater and a new wall-mounted speaker option

Monitor Audio has unveiled the seventh generation of its highly acclaimed Bronze Series speakers, and in addition to improving each model it's added a brand new wall-mounted speaker too.

There are five different speakers in the range: the Bronze 300 7G floorstanders, the Bronze 50 7G bookshelf speakers, the Bronze AMS 7G Dolby Atmos speakers, the Bronze Center 7G and the new Bronze On-Wall speaker.

Previous generations of the Bronze Series attracted rave reviews, so for example when we reviewed the Bronze BX5 way back in 2011 we praised its "fast, engaging sound": it was an "engaging and entertaining performer". And now the latest generation promises a significant audio upgrade.

There's a brand new wall-mounted speaker, a first for the Bronze Series (Image credit: Monitor Audio)Monitor Audio Bronze Series 7G: what's new and what they cost

Monitor Audio says that everything from the drivers and crossovers to the cabinets has been improved in this new generation. There are new ceramic-coated aluminum magnesium C-CAM bass and bass/mid drivers and a new C-CAM gold dome tweeter, a new crossover design, and a mix of real wood and plywood front baffles for strength and rigidity.

There are no subwoofers in the range, but the Bronze Series were developed alongside and tuned together with Monitor's 10, 12 and 15-inch subwoofers, the W10, W12 and W15.

There are three finishes available across the range: satin black, white and walnut – although there's not a matching Vestra for the walnut option, as those subs only currently come in a choice of black or white.

The new Monitor Audio Series 7G is available now and the prices are below.

• Bronze 300 7G: £1,000 / €1,250 / $1,400 (about AU$2,065 ) per pair
• Bronze 50 7G: £500 / €600 / $700 (about AU$1,032) per pair
• Bronze Centre 7G: £400 / €500 / $550 (about AU$825) per piece
• Bronze On-Wall 7G: £300 / €350 / $400 (about AU$619) per piece
• Bronze AMS 7G: £450 / €575 / $625 (about AU$929) per pair

You might also like

• Best stereo speakers 2025: stereo systems for all budgets
• The best turntables for all budgets, tested and selected by us
• Sonus Faber Concertino G4 review: the bookshelf-speaker dragon I’ll be chasing for decades to come

• Ubisoft's annual financial report claims microtransactions makes game experiences "more fun"
• It comes after years of criticism regarding microtransactions, particularly in single-player games
• It calls for a change, especially considering the increased price standard for games

After the release of Ubisoft's recent Assassin's Creed Shadows, the French video game publisher is in the spotlight yet again – but this time, it's not particularly for the best reasons for gamers.

As reported by Notebookcheck, Ubisoft's annual financial report claims its microtransactions and monetization in premium games "makes the player experience more fun". It's a bold statement in the wake of titles like Star Wars Outlaws, Skull and Bones, and Assassin's Creed Shadows, all of which have microtransactions for boosters, skins and other cosmetics in-game.

It's not a good look for Ubisoft in the eyes of gamers; most AAA games cost $70 / £60 or more, whether single-player or multiplayer, and the addition of monetization doesn't make matters any better – especially when microtransactions have a significant presence in single-player titles.

It's a very similar rhetoric to complaints from gamers (and myself) regarding microtransactions dominating the Call of Duty franchise, with a plethora of cosmetics costing $16 or more, despite the $70 standard edition cost. As for single-player, similar complaints were widespread for Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 2, with character editing and fast travel items having microtransaction options, albeit to an admittedly less egregious degree.

Ubisoft also stresses in the report that monetized cosmetics are optional, but gamers will be aware that some titles are created to encourage players to make in-game purchases – and that's either for faster progression, or for better character customization.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / pathdoc)Analysis: Microtransactions have no place in non-free-to-play games, so make it stop

Statements such as these from Ubisoft are nothing but an attempt to defend microtransactions against their deserved criticisms in the past few years. I've held the same thoughts about EA when it introduced microtransactions to older FIFA titles, and it's simple. Monetization should only be present in free-to-play games and out of full-priced single-player games, entirely.

From a business standpoint, Ubisoft and many other publishers have zero qualms about implementing microtransactions, which shouldn't come as a surprise. However, for consumers, it serves very little benefit to pay extra for cosmetics, which will likely lose their value in quick succession.

It's evident in Activision's Call of Duty games; while recent titles have allowed players to carry over cosmetics from previous iterations to new titles, this only lasts for about a year or so. I'd argue that these in-game purchases hold even less value in single-player games, where the same cosmetics can often be unlocked from normal game progression.

The sudden rise in game prices is already bad enough, but I fear that if these video game monetization models continue, it will only make publishers more comfortable to pull egregious pricing practices.

You might also like...

• Ubisoft names the company CEO's son Charlie Guillemot as co-CEO of new Tencent-funded subsidiary – 'What matters now isn’t my name, it’s the work ahead'
• Ubisoft shareholder accuses publisher of 'misleading investors', plans protest outside Paris HQ
• Assassin's Creed Shadows - everything you need to know

Larry (Harry Richardson) and Marian (Louisa Jacobson) only became a couple at the beginning of The Gilded Age season 3, but it’s as if we’ve been shipping them forever. Five episodes into the new season on HBO Max this month and Larry has now proposed, meaning Larian (their fandom name, obviously) is officially on.

Their friendship has always had a healthy dose of chemistry, but now they are a couple, Marian doesn’t actually know everything about Larry’s fairly scandalous dating history. Back in season 2, he had an affair with Susan Blane (Laura Benanti), which they had to keep a secret even though neither of them were married. Susan was an older widow, giving Larry something of a reputation, and we still don’t know how – or if – this could affect Marian.

Even with all this Larian excitement, I’m not convinced this was the most exciting news to come out of The Gilded Age season 3 episode 5. If nothing else, I’m a huge fan of being a hater, and the HBO Max show delivered that to me on a plate perfectly in the form of Maud Beaton (Nicole Brydon Bloom).

Maud Beaton’s Haymarket double bluff was so much juicer than Larry and Marian’s proposal in The Gilded Age season 3 episode 5

While Larry and Marian are blissfully in love in episode 5 of The Gilded Age season 3, the groom-to-be seemingly lies about his plans, choosing to celebrate the good news in a less-than-reputable establishment called The Haymarket. It’s essentially the New York version of the Moulin Rouge, so you can imagine the kinds of behaviour we’re likely to see there. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots Maud, the woman who conned Oscar (Blake Ritson) out of his entire family fortune.

When Larry confronts Maud about who she is, Maud denies it, introducing herself as Dolly Trent. The next day, Larry tells Oscar about what happened, who comes to the conclusion Maud no longer has the money she previously stole. While Oscar still wants answers and some kind of revenge, John (Ben Ahlers) thinks Maud’s new circumstances are punishment enough. Basically, it’s now up in the air whether Maud will come back into the bigger picture for her just deserts.

For me, that’s a much more exciting prospect than watching two lovely and sweet people get married. Sure, everybody loves a Pride and Prejudice moment for a happy ending, but what The Gilded Age has always done best is dripfeed its drama in the classiest of ways. If someone stole your family’s money and coincidentally reappeared back on the scene, you’d probably still be holding a grudge no matter how much time has passed. Instead of calming down, new episodes now have the potential to become a lot more chaotic, and I’m all here for it.

Seeing Maud will potentially get Larry in some trouble, meaning there could be some trouble in paradise when it comes to Larian’s wedding. As I’ve touched on, Larry is withholding details of his personal life from Marian as it is, so the extra gut punch of lying about his whereabouts and running into Maud isn’t likely to go down too well either. It only takes one small straw to break the camel’s back, and this could be a delicious one.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not wishing ill will on the newly engaged couple. But isn’t the show so much more fun when disaster is imminent? There’s nothing more tantalising than things going wrong in the Victorian upper classes, and God, The Gilded Age does it so well.

You might also like

• HBO’s Harry Potter TV show is supposed to be a fresh start, but Nick Frost’s Hagrid says otherwise
• Superman's most surprising cameo has got me asking 3 big questions about James Gunn's next DCU project
• IT: Welcome to Derry – everything you need to know about the new Max horror series

• Slack Pro gets more AI, including summarization, for no extra charge
• Pro+ plan price up by 23%, but Slack says "significant value" has been added
• New Enterprise+ plan also added, offering tougher security

Slack has rolled out a new pricing structure to add more value to its plans, bringing it more aligned with the Salesforce ecosystem by expanding Salesforce Channels to free plans.

Extra value has also been added to the Pro plan, which remains unchanged in terms of pricing, with Business+ seeing a 23% price hike alongside the introduction of a new Enterprise+ plan.

As part of the upgrade, Salesforce is injecting more artificial intelligence into its paid plans, however each will have a varying degree of assistance.

Slack plans get a big upgrade – only some prices rise

Pro plans will see no changes to pricing, but they will get some of the company's core AI features including AI summarization and huddle notes, as well as enhanced security and deeper Salesforce integration.

The company explained the Business+ price increase, from £9.75 per user per month to £12, reflects the "significant value" added, including advanced AI tools like translation, workflow generation and recaps, as well as further Salesforce features and security improvements.

Enterprise-grade AI, premium Salesforce integrations, and enhanced security, admin controls, governance and compliance are the key additions to Enterprise+, which is a new plan coming to the Slack family.

Understandably, artificial intelligence is the central topic of discussion here, with 38,000 custom APIs built plus dozens of partner AI apps from the likes of Box, Writer, AWS, Adobe, Cohere and Perplexity available in the Slack Marketplace.

Being that Slack is owned by Salesforce – a company that's invested heavily in AI and one that's working on finding the right balance between human and machine – it should come as no surprise that autonomous AI agents via Agentforce are also available to paid tiers.

The company describes the Slack platform as the "work operating system for the agentic era."

You might also like

• These are the best online collaboration apps around today
• The best productivity tools include tech like AI to help you get more done
• Microsoft Teams is working on a massive time-saver tool which might super-charge my productivity

The jet crashed into a school campus in the capital, Dhaka, shortly after takeoff on Monday.

(Image credit: Mahmud Hossain Opu)

A new study in JAMA shows how proximity to Coldwater Creek, where nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project was improperly stored, affected cancer rates over the decades.

(Image credit: Tom Williams)

The outage affected Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air flights for several hours on Sunday.

Review information

Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2
Available on: Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: June 5, 2025

Even though I didn’t love anti-grav racer Fast Fusion as much as I wanted to, I still think you should absolutely buy it. Its $14.99 / £13.49 price tag on the Nintendo eShop is quite frankly a steal, and a very fair price considering what you’re getting from this Switch 2 launch game. There’s not a metric ton of content here, and it is an experience you can get the most out of in around 10-12 hours, but that low cost of entry is worth it for the presentation alone.

Fast Fusion is arguably the best-looking Nintendo Switch 2 launch game. It might not have the artful whimsy of Mario Kart World, but in terms of sheer graphical fidelity, developer Shin’en Multimedia has delivered in spades. To me, that comes as no surprise; I maintain that 2019’s The Touryst (also by Shin’en) is one of the most visually impressive games on modern hardware, and that’s definitely the case with Fast Fusion, too.

Another reason to buy the game is that its performance is basically bulletproof. Its Quality graphical setting, which I used for the majority of my play time in docked mode, holds 4K resolution at 60 frames per second (fps) at all times, even with some light ray-traced reflections enabled.

But even though Fast Fusion is certainly a looker, it unfortunately falls short as a racing game. While tracks look beautiful, they don’t offer much in terms of variety, usually boiling down to a handful of obstacles and one or two alternate shortcuts. AI drivers also employ an absurd amount of rubber-banding, sticking to your tail like glue even after an extended period of boosting.

I’m also not a fan of how the game handles progression, as unlocking new cups can require huge sums of currency. This has improved since launch, with patches increasing the amount of money you can earn in a championship, but you’ll still find yourself having to grind out an extra run or two just to have enough to unlock the next set of races.

Overall, Fast Fusion is a beautiful, ‘fun while it lasts’ racing game. A lack of online play definitely hurts its longevity, but given how cheap the game is at retail price, I can’t fault it too much for a lack of content, and I did have a decent time with it regardless. It's certainly not one of the best Switch 2 games, but it's hard to argue with the value on offer.

Double or nothing

(Image credit: Shin'en)

Fast Fusion is a futuristic, anti-gravity racer, inspired by subgenre legends like F-Zero and Wipeout. The goal is simple: enter a championship, drive faster than your opponents, get money for more vehicles and events, rinse and repeat.

Your vehicle is capable of boosting and jumping - the latter to avoid obstacles and grab boost tokens floating in the air. Said tokens fill up your boost meter, so collecting them throughout a race is imperative - especially as they also increase the amount of in-game currency you have.

The swap mechanic from Fast RMX also returns, which lets you change between blue and orange forms in order to make use of the same-colored boost pads littered throughout each track. Finally, boosting into an opponent who isn’t boosting will cause them to spin out, hampering their race and netting you some more tokens.

While content in Fast Fusion is light overall, there’s still a decent amount of it to check out. The main championship mode features five cups of three races, split across three speed classes. Local multiplayer (including GameShare) and time attack modes are featured, too.

There’s also Super Hero Mode, which is an additional challenge mode that mimics the F-Zero series’ style of play. Here, your boost gauge is also your health bar, and crashing or running out of health retires you from the race. It’s a pretty thrilling side mode and quite challenging, adding some much-needed replayability to Fast Fusion.

Two become one

(Image credit: Shin'en)

Easily my favorite part of Fast Fusion is its titular fusion mechanic. By accessing the Fusion Shop from the main menu, you can not only unlock new vehicles with currency, but also choose two to fuse together into one super-powered machine.

Every combination is accounted for, leading to an extremely impressive array of vehicles. They all have unique looks, liveries, and name amalgamation depending on your chosen two. Not all are made equal, though; the game will let you know how powerful the fusion is on a grading system. For example, a lower rank ‘C’ fusion will have worse stats, but cost less to fuse. Meanwhile, an ‘A+’ beast can get close to maxing out in performance, but will naturally cost more.

Best bit

(Image credit: Shin'en)

I love the titular ‘fusion’ mechanic in Fast Fusion. Combining two vehicles into one for a more powerful craft, it’s always interesting to see the results. Especially when it’s an amalgamation of both crafts, complete with a livery change and a hybridized name. There’s loads to see here, and experimentation is practically necessary in order to beat the more challenging championship events.

You’ll need to rely on the fusion system when tackling the game’s hardest speed classes, too. Not only do AI drivers rarely make mistakes, but they have some of the most egregious rubber-banding I’ve seen in a racing game in quite some time. You can fully maximize a track, hit every shortcut, and spend most of your time boosting, and you’ll still get at least two AI drivers zooming past you on the final lap.

And as I mentioned earlier, racing in general, despite being a futuristic anti-grav racer, feels disappointingly grounded. Vehicles are extremely grippy, and hitting a wall has practically no negative impact. Track design also plays it rather safe - there’s very little in the way of demanding corners like hairpins, meaning braking and tilting rarely get used outside of the final speed class. It’s a far cry from Wipeout or F-Zero GX, where you often really have to wrestle your machine around corners and you are heavily punished for colliding with walls.

Should you play Fast Fusion?Play it if...

You want a real showcase of the Switch 2’s graphical chops
Fast Fusion is stunning to behold, sporting a high level of graphical fidelity, rock-solid performance, and convincing motion blur and incredible weather effects. The low price of admission is worth it for all those ‘wow’ moments, especially if you own a 4K display.

You want a cheap game that’s actually worth it
The Nintendo eShop’s relationship with cheap games is a sloppy one, but Fast Fusion proves you can still offer a very compelling experience at a budget price.

Don't play it if...

You were hoping for bags of content
Overall, Fast Fusion will probably last you around 10-12 hours if you’re planning on doing absolutely everything. While that’s expected for the price, it certainly doesn’t have the longevity of F-Zero GX or Mario Kart World.

You want a true anti-grav racer
The vehicles in Fast Fusion may as well have wheels, given how overtly grippy they are. The ships all look very cool, but their handling doesn’t exactly scream ‘anti-gravity’.

Accessibility

There isn't much in the way of accessibility settings in Fast Fusion. You can fully rebind controls in the options menu to suit your preferences, as well as enable tilt controls via gyro aiming should you prefer. However, don't expect anything in the way of colorblind settings or other visual options.

How I reviewed Fast Fusion

I played 10 hours of Fast Fusion on Nintendo Switch 2, clearing all Grand Prix and Super Hero Mode content across the three speed classes, while also unlocking most vehicles and playing around a good bit with the fusion system.

I primarily played the game in ‘Quality’ mode, which offers 4K 60fps performance while docked, as well as some basic ray-traced reflections. I also tried out the ‘Ultra Quality’ mode, which increases fidelity further at the cost of a 30fps frame rate. While this mode does look utterly stunning, I much preferred the smoother performances offered by other graphics modes.

For gameplay, my gamepad of choice was the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller, while also using the Joy-Con 2 controllers while playing in handheld mode.

After over a decade in exile, many Syrians living abroad are contemplating what was once unthinkable: going home. But what does home look like today?

(Image credit: Rebecca Rosman for NPR)

As far as Netflix documentaries are concerned, Trainwreck is doing some heavy lifting across June and July: we’ve had weekly rollouts including Poop Cruise, The Cult of American Apparel and Balloon Boy, and this week it’s the turn of P.I. Moms. The new installment tells the story of a group of soccer moms turned private investigators, who were supposed to have their story told in a 2010 series for A&E Network’s Lifetime channel.

If you think the name or premise is vaguely familiar, that’s because the series was canceled before it ever made it to air. As it turns out, there was an even bigger scandal brewing behind the camera than there ever was in front, leading straight back to the P.I. agency’s boss, Chris Butler.

Thankfully, Trainwreck: P.I. Moms deep dives into the various allegations that were unearthed by the original reality TV show’s production team, and you can bet your bottom dollar that it gets juicy. Personally, I can’t thank Netflix enough for their efforts to brew the perfect bingeable storm 20 years on.

Netflix’s Trainwreck: P.I. Moms lifts the lid on canceled documentary brought down by agency drug scandal

Allegations about Chris Butler are explored in-depth in Trainwreck: P.I. Moms. (Image credit: Netflix)

As I’ve started to explain, Trainwreck: P.I. Moms explores allegations made by Lifetime’s production team against Chris Butler, the boss of the P.I. agency in question. If Selling Sunset or the Real Housewives had made a private investigator team for reality TV, it would have looked like P.I. Moms, with the Bay Area private investigator firm staffed almost exclusively by soccer moms. Butler & Associates was owned by Butler, with only one other male member, Carl Marino, on staff.

The Lifetime show was supposed to be in the care of showrunner Lucas Platt, with the women themselves easily interesting and smart enough to make any type of end product an incredibly successful one. Obviously, that didn’t happen, and it’s probably less surprising to realise that was not down to the soccer moms. With wannabe actor Marino claiming he wanted a bigger role in the show, journalist Pete Crooks received alarming intel after being invited to do a ride-along with the moms for Diablo magazine. The most alarming part? The cases were being set up by Butler rather than being authentic.

After this initial discovery came more bad news for Lifetime, with reports of criminal activity within the agency, including drug dealing, illegal wiretapping, and even more staged phony sting operations. According to the US Sun, Butler had an ever longer list of allegations against him personally, such as undercover surveillance, decoy work in infidelity and domestic cases, general private investigations and assisting with "Dirty DUIs scheme”. These schemes involved getting female “helpers” to encourage men to drink and then get into a car, with corrupt police officers working with Butler to then pull the men over and arrest them for drunk driving.

The final nail in the reality TV coffin was Butler being convicted of drug dealing and running a brothel, unsurprisingly leading Lifetime to shut down production on the show. While four moms were affected by what happened, we hear from two in the new Netflix series: Denise Antoon and Ami Wiltz. The group previously appeared on Dr. Phil to discuss the potential scam, but this is the first time viewers have been given detailed access to the entire story from the inside.

Arguably, the worlds of reality TV and corruption have never been simultaneously explored in this way before, although Balloon Boy did begin to touch on some of these themes. In the words of RuPaul, I can’t wait to see how this turns out.

You might also like

• Netflix’s cheapest tier might become unbearable as the streamer confirms the rollout of personalized ads
• Netflix's Untamed just made my childhood dream come true, and I didn't even have to leave my sofa
• New Netflix movies: every original film you can watch on the best streaming service in July 2025

What if editing photos on your phone felt as natural and capable as editing on a desktop computer? That’s exactly what Luminar’s mobile photo editor (available for Android, ChromeOS and iOS) is built for. Whether you’re a photo enthusiast capturing everyday scenes or a working photographer creating content on location, having reliable AI tools on your phone can streamline your workflow and bring more flexibility to your creative process.

Luminar’s mobile photo editor isn’t just another camera app with filters. It’s built specifically for photographers, with tools that focus on enhancing photos so they look real to life, not over-processed or artificial. From subtle corrections to advanced AI-driven enhancements, every tool is designed to support a photographer’s vision while keeping the image natural and true to its original character.

Why mobile photo editing has become essential

Smartphone cameras have evolved into powerful creative tools. Many phones now offer impressive image quality, even in challenging lighting conditions. That means more photographers are using mobile devices not only to capture photos, but also to edit and share them. Even top-level pros use smartphones to take behind-the-scenes photos when teaching, documenting lighting setups, sharing live moments, or posting previews while on location.

However, mobile editing often comes with limitations. Slower apps, clunky interfaces, or basic editing features can make it hard to maintain a consistent creative flow. Luminar’s mobile app addresses that by offering intelligent tools that are easy to use and capable of producing high-quality results.

Built with the same design principles as Luminar Neo and available for both iOS and Android/ChromeOS, the mobile editor provides a familiar experience for existing users. While it doesn’t yet offer full integration with the desktop version, both platforms share a similar editing approach, making it easier to transition between mobile and desktop workflows when needed.

(Image credit: Luminar)Practical AI features that make a difference

The strength of Luminar’s mobile editor lies in its AI-powered tools. These features go beyond simple filters. Each one is designed to solve common editing challenges in a quick and intuitive way, with adjustments that understand the content of the image.

Enhance AI in action: the before image is on the left. (Image credit: Luminar)

Enhance AI

Enhance AI simplifies the editing process by combining up to twelve core adjustments into a single smart slider. This includes tone, contrast, color, clarity, and more. Instead of spending time making each adjustment manually, the tool analyzes the photo and applies intelligent improvements with just one control.

It’s a fast way to polish an image without compromising detail or making it look over-processed. Enhance AI also works non-destructively, allowing photographers to make changes with confidence, knowing they can always return to the original version if needed.

(Image credit: Luminar)

Relight AI

Lighting is one of the most common challenges in mobile photography. Relight AI provides a simple solution by allowing users to adjust the brightness of the foreground and background independently. This helps improve underexposed subjects without overexposing the background, creating a more balanced and natural-looking photo.

It is especially useful for portraits taken indoors or in backlit conditions where traditional edits might fall short.

Sky AI and Atmosphere AI

Sky AI makes it easy to replace a dull or overexposed sky with something more fitting. Photographers can choose from a variety of skies including sunny, dramatic, and even stormy settings. The tool aligns the new sky seamlessly, accounting for reflections and lighting to make the final image believable and cohesive.

Atmosphere AI adds another layer of mood and texture. With options like mist, haze, and fog, it helps create more depth and emotion in a scene. These effects can be applied subtly or dramatically, depending on the photographer’s vision.

(Image credit: Luminar)

Portrait Tools: Skin AI and Body AI

For portrait photography, the mobile app includes several AI tools designed to enhance without overdoing it. Skin AI gently smooths skin while preserving natural texture and avoiding that artificial look seen in some other apps. Body AI offers subtle adjustments to proportions, helpful in cases where lenses or angles may have distorted a subject’s appearance.

These tools help bring out the best in a portrait while keeping the result natural and respectful to the subject.

Edit anywhere without extra gear

One of the biggest advantages of Luminar’s mobile editor is its portability. There’s no need to carry a laptop or other equipment when editing can happen directly on your Android phone or iPhone. This is ideal for photographers who are constantly on the move, whether traveling, shooting events, or capturing spontaneous moments.

Quick edits can be done in the field, and more detailed work can be finished later on a larger screen using Luminar Neo. This flexibility allows for a smoother, more responsive workflow that adjusts to the needs of each shoot.

(Image credit: Luminar)A practical tool that fits any workflow

Luminar’s mobile photo editor is designed with simplicity, efficiency, and quality in mind. The AI tools are intuitive enough for photo enthusiasts and powerful enough for professionals, making them accessible without lowering creative standards.

Most importantly, it’s an app built with photographers in mind. The focus is always on helping images look their best while staying true to how the scene looked and felt when captured. From landscapes and street photography to portraits and travel shots, Luminar helps photographers create natural, clean results they’ll be proud to share.

Ready to see what Luminar’s AI tools can do for your mobile photography? Try the app today and follow @luminar_global on Instagram for editing tips, photo inspiration, and updates from the Luminar community.

• Luminar: Photo Editor on the Google Play Store
• Luminar: Photo Editor on the iOS App Store