Feed aggregator

Sniff out the warning signs your bathroom habits may be sending you.

Inside the Trump administration's plan to save TikTok. And, tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians are returning home to devastated northern Gaza for the first time in over a year.

(Image credit: Omar Al-Qattaa
)

We made tons of coffee, tea, and ramen to test these electric kettles—and boiled it down to these top picks.

• Task execution now relies on more endpoints than ever before
• Businesses are struggling to control, manage and sustain AI
• All of this is threatening companies with “digital chaos”

Process automation and orchestration platform provider Camunda has warned that companies could face “digital chaos” if they don’t focus on getting their AI deployment right amid increasingly complex ecosystems.

The number of endpoints businesses rely upon to execute tasks has now risen to 50, up 19% in five years.

Camunda explores the rising complexity across business processes that threatens control, ultimately warning of an “Automation Armageddon.”

Complexity could cause “chaos”

Four in five (82%) now report increased compliance risks as a result of the lack of control brought on by a more complex landscape, with three-quarters (77%) highlighting higher risks of core business process failures.

Camunda SVP for Customer Success Kurt Petersen summarized: “Today’s digital infrastructures and processes are both complex and interdependent, making it a significant challenge.

“In a constantly evolving landscape, organizations often struggle with siloed tools and technologies, which hinder their ability to streamline operations or achieve full visibility.”

The report criticized businesses for using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation to tackle a single task rather than taking a broader, business-wide approach.

It found that 85% face challenges in scaling and operationalizing AI across their businesses, despite 93% acknowledging that AI must be “fully integrated” into their processes in order to maximize their ROI.

Even those who deploy AI across their processes aren’t happy with the results, with four-fifths (79%) lacking a way to control, manage and sustain it effectively.

Petersen concluded: “If organizations are to successfully operationalize AI across their entire business, AI applications, and services must be orchestrated like any other endpoint within automated business processes. This will ensure they remain compliant and maximise the return on investment from their AI investments.”

You might also like

• AI is helping firms feel optimistic in 2025, but lack of skills is not helping
• Check out our roundup of the best AI writers
• We’ve listed the best productivity software

Depending on your location, you will have the choice between cable, fiber or fixed wireless broadband for internet in Norfolk, Virginia.

• Apple’s smart home hub is reportedly due to launch later this year
• It’s not too late for Apple to set a new standard for smart home devices
• There are three key things Apple must do in order to succeed

There’s been a lot of speculation over the past few months about Apple’s plans to launch a home hub that combines a display with a speaker and lets you control various smart home devices in the vicinity. According to a new report, it’s on track to launch this year, but there are still some key questions surrounding the product.

The report comes from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who claims that Apple’s device will feature a seven-inch display that resembles a “smaller and cheaper iPad.” It will be used to “control appliances, conduct FaceTime chats, and handle other tasks,” Gurman says.

That might not sound like a groundbreaking new product, and Gurman himself describes it as “essentially a HomePod with a roughly 7-inch screen.” Yet the reporter believes it will also be “Apple’s most significant release of the year” because it will be a step towards the company establishing itself more strongly in the smart home market.

As well as that, Gurman says the device “provides another platform for AI features” and that Apple will follow it up with a more advanced product in a few years’ time. This high-end version will come with a robotic arm that will let the screen follow a user around the room.

What needs to happen

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

It’s encouraging to see Apple making moves in the smart home space, but the company has a lot of work to do in order to make its device competitive against rivals like Google and Amazon. For one thing, Apple needs to tune up its software, including HomeKit, Siri and Apple Intelligence, if it’s going to give users the kinds of experiences they can get from Apple’s competitors.

There’s also a lot of talk that Apple is going to debut a tailor-made operating system called homeOS with the home hub. If that’s true, this new system needs to have an intuitive, user-friendly interface to help people hit the ground running with this unfamiliar software environment. Fortunately, Apple is one of the best in the world at developing intuitive interfaces – now the company just needs to make sure it doesn’t drop the ball.

Thirdly, it’s vital that the home hub launches with a competitive price. Apple’s philosophy is to be the best, and that often leads to it adding premium features that command a high price – just look at how expensive the Vision Pro and the original HomePod were.

But Apple is late to the smart home party, so it needs to ensure it releases something that is genuinely strong without putting people off with an eye-watering price tag. It’s a fine line to tread, but the recently redesigned M4 Mac mini proves that it can be done. Based on the rumors, it seems likely that its price will sit somewhere between a HomePod Mini ($99 / £99 / AU$149, which it itself due to be getting a HomePod mini 2 successor this year) and a base iPad ($449 / £499 / AU$749), but that's quite a big gap.

Will Apple be able to achieve all that with its home hub? That’s a question that we won’t have an answer for until the dust settles. But if any company has the resources to meet that challenge, it’s probably Apple.

You might also like

• Apple’s HomePod with a screen now rumored for 2025 release, but has the Echo Show already won that smart home race?
• New leak may have revealed more details about Apple's first smart display
• Even Apple Intelligence can’t save the smart home if Apple won’t fix its infuriating Home app

• Apple's Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 have been confirmed for 2025
• The headphones are rumored to get heart rate monitoring technology
• A hidden line of code in iOS 18 allegedly reveals that the Powerbeats Pro 2 can be used in conjunction with gym equipment to measure heart rate

Apple’s Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are reportedly coming soon. The originals were a roaring success and lived on our best workout headphones list for an incredibly long time. Now, not only will the Powerbeats Pro 2 arrive in 2025, but the rumor mill is claiming they’ll be beating Apple’s own AirPods to the punch and cracking in-ear heart rate monitoring.

Spotted by MacRumors, one writer dug into iOS 18’s code and reportedly found that Powerbeats Pro 2 will be able to connect to exercise equipment, like the best treadmills and exercise bikes, harvest heart rate data, and display it in the Health app on your iPhone.

At this stage, it’s unknown how this feature will work when the user is also using an Apple Watch, whether one supersedes the other. The report also doesn’t mention whether the feature can be used without gym equipment and whether the information can be beamed straight from the earbuds to an iPhone without a go-between piece of kit like a treadmill.

In-ear heart rate monitoring isn’t entirely new technology: Polar, makers of the best heart rate monitors, previously collaborated with Sennheiser to create a set of Sennheiser Momentum Sport buds ‘powered by Polar’ with heart rate monitoring tech included.

Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 have been rumored to feature heart rate monitoring, but it looks like Apple will first include the technology in its new Powerbeats headphones before delivering it to the AirPods.

Analysis: Can earbuds really measure your heart rate?

(Image credit: Future / Becca Caddy)

Earbuds might seem like an odd place to pick up your heart rate when compared to the best fitness trackers or even an Apple Watch, which collects information from your wrist.

However, in an exclusive interview with TechRadar, Polar CEO Sander Werring said: “a hearable is actually quite a good place through your ears to measure your heart rate, measure fitness and body temperature.” Just like a watch, this information is collected using tiny pulses of light, used to read the levels of light absorption caused by differences in blood flow.

We’re excited to see what this new technology means for the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 – and the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

You might also like:

• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: everything we know about the much-teased athletic earbuds
• 50 best Apple Watch apps: From health apps to games and everything inbetween
• Soundpeats' new earbuds are a super-cheap and stylish alternative to the Bose Ultra Open

• The first episode of Paradise is streaming on Hulu and Disney Plus earlier than expected
• Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson and James Marsden lead the cast of the exciting new series
• Originally intended to be a three-episode premiere, episodes 2 and 3 will be released on January 28 instead

If you've been eagerly awaiting Hulu and Disney Plus' new series Paradise, then you're in luck because you can now stream the pilot episode after two of the best streaming services decided to do a surprise drop. We initially expected the series to premiere on January 28 but Disney is brightening our Monday with an exciting new episode to sink our teeth into. The episode is now available on Hulu in the US, and Disney Plus in other territories.

Paradise has been on my watchlist since it was first teased, and early critics' reactions place it at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, which means it could well earn a place on our best Hulu shows and best Disney Plus shows roundups. The streamers have been going hard to promote the show too, as a recent social media clip playfully teased the first episode's drop, mirroring Severance season 2 which has been dominating social media recently promoting the new Apple TV Plus series.

The secret is out! Stream the first episode of Paradise NOW on Hulu and Disney+ before the three-episode premiere on 1/28. pic.twitter.com/9GpVpiLdoPJanuary 27, 2025

What do we know about Hulu's Paradise?

According to the official synopsis: "Paradise is set in a serene, wealthy community inhabited by some of the world’s most prominent individuals. But this tranquility explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high-stakes investigation unfolds.”

Without giving too much away, episode 1 has a cliffhanger so hopefully the decision to release the pilot early will have fans keen to watch more. A first episode is meant to make a big impression and by the sounds of things, it's definitely done that!

The series was created by This is Us' Dan Fogelman and stars huge names like Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, James Marsden, and Sarah Shahi. It looks like an essential watch if you love a good political thriller like the recent Netflix sensation The Night Agent.

You might also like

• Netflix's Zero Day trailer shows Robert DeNiro as a troubled former US president and I'm already on the edge of my seat
• The Night Agent season 2 stars tease where season 3 of the hit Netflix spy show will go next and it leaves Peter in a 'tight spot'
• Netflix's Apple Cider Vinegar trailer teases a funny psychopathic-influencer thriller that I can't wait to watch

• United Healthcare data breach affected around 190 million people
• The number initially hovered at around 100 million
• The majority of the victims have been notified already

The number of people affected by the 2024 Change Healthcare cyberattack is almost double the previous estimates, and now sits at approximately 190 million, the company has admitted.

“Change Healthcare has determined the estimated total number of individuals impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack is approximately 190 million,” said Tyler Mason, a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group.

“The vast majority of those people have already been provided individual or substitute notice. The final number will be confirmed and filed with the Office for Civil Rights at a later date.”

ALPHV and RansomHub

Hackers would usually abuse this data in phishing attacks, business email compromise, wire fraud, and other forms of cyberattack, but so far it hasn’t happened, Mason added.

He said the company was, “not aware of any misuse of individuals’ information as a result of this incident and has not seen electronic medical record databases appear in the data during the analysis.”

In this context, it is worth saying that the company paid the ransom demand to the attackers.

When Change Healthcare suffered a ransomware attack in early 2024, it was believed an affiliate of the ALPHV operation was behind the attack. ALHPV, AKA BlackCat, was a notorious operator that worked on a as-a-service model, sharing the spoils with whomever managed to breach a victim and deploy their code.

However, when an affiliate struck Change Healthcare, and managed to extort it for $22 million, things changed. Instead of sharing the spoils, ALPHV’s operators took it all and disappeared from the face of the earth. The affiliate, which was left holding gigabytes of sensitive data, later rebranded to RansomHub, and became one of the greater threats.

They demanded a second payment, but it is unclear if that ever happened. RansomHub did remove Change Healthcare’s entry from its data leak site, suggesting that the victim firm may have paid it.

Via TechCrunch

More from TechRadar Pro

• Over a billion credentials stolen were stolen in malware attacks in 2024
• Here's a list of the best firewalls around today
• These are the best endpoint security tools right now

• Changes have been spotted in the Google Sounds app
• Pixel owners will soon be able to take more control over haptics
• The update could arrive alongside the Android 16 update

iPhones currently beat Android devices in the way they let you set specific ringtones and vibrations for specific contacts on your phone – though it seems Google has plans to catch up to some of this functionality on the best Pixel phones.

As spotted by tipster Nail Sadykov (via Android Authority), an upcoming version of the Google Sounds app lets you choose vibrations in the same way you can choose ringtones through the Sound and vibration menu in Settings.

It's not the full contact-specific customization available on iOS, but it's another step closer. There are 12 vibration patterns to choose from for your apps and alerts, including Swoop, Snare, Heartbeat, Swirl, Buzz and Bumps.

Being able to take more control over vibration alerts is certainly a welcome upgrade: it means you can increase or decrease the strength of the buzzes your phone is making, based on your personal preference.

Built-in updates

How the updated options could look (Image credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority)

Note that the Google Sounds app is actually built into the Pixel software: it's not something you can download and install separately. You should be able to find it from Settings by tapping Apps > See all apps.

When you select Sounds you should see the version number at the bottom of the screen. The current version at the time of writing is 3.1, while the updates to vibration customizations have been spotted in version 3.2.

Exactly when Google plans to push the upgrade out to phones remains to be seen: with Android 16 now in the beta phase, it's possible that we won't get these options until Android 16 is officially launched in the next few months.

Your options will vary if you're using a non-Pixel device, depending on the features your phone's manufacturer has decided to add in. In the case of Samsung Galaxy phones, for instance, you can make use of Samsung's own Sound Assistant app.

You might also like

• The Pixel 9 Pro is the best-looking phone of last year
• Does every phone maker need a flagship?
• Google has announced the ability to chain actions in Gemini

• AMD's new Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU reportedly outperforms Nvidia's RTX 4070 laptop GPU
• This is thanks to the Radeon 8060S iGPU, with 40 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores
• It stems from AMD's marketing, while we await tests from users

While Nvidia is set to dominate the desktop GPU space against AMD and Intel with its new RTX 5000 series GPUs, new claims from Team Red hint at the perpetual underdog potentially putting up a bigger fight in the laptop GPU arena.

As highlighted by Notebookcheck, AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor will reportedly surpass Nvidia's RTX 4070 laptop GPU, thanks to the Radeon 8060S iGPU offering up to 68.1% better performance in games - at least, according to AMD. This chip will utilize 40 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, and Team Red's marketing materials (pictured below) showcase its performance boosts over the ROG Flow Z13 in several games using the RTX 4070 laptop GPU at native 1080p.

Considering the consistent domination from Team Green over the last few years in both the desktop and laptop GPU regions, this could be significant for AMD if it proves to be legitimate - one of the most notable performance leaps is present in Cyberpunk 2077 (which just received an update for DLSS 4 support), but without using any upscaling. If we want a real idea of how well this new laptop chip will perform against Nvidia’s discrete GPUs, we’ll need to wait for performance results when both DLSS and FSR are active for the respective GPUs.

Since Team Red's new Max+ 395 processor uses RDNA 3.5 architecture rather than RDNA 4, FSR 4 likely won’t be available on laptops that use the APU. As of now, that new upscaling method is exclusive to RDNA 4 GPUs, but that could change as time goes on.

(Image credit: AMD) What does this mean for the future of gaming laptops, or even handhelds?

Since the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 APU is built primarily for laptops, any discussion of it finding its way to handheld gaming PCs is void for now - what this does mean, however, is that AMD may now finally compete with Nvidia within the gaming laptop space.

With games like Borderlands 3 potentially having a 44 fps difference and Hitman 3 maintaining a 62 fps difference over Team Green's midrange laptop GPU at native 1080p, we could be in for a major performance surprise. As previously mentioned, upscaling tools such as DLSS will play a huge factor in real-world performance differences, especially if the Max+ 395 doesn't have access to FSR 4, while all RTX GPUs will have access to DLSS 4 and the RTX 4070 notably also has access to Nvidia’s Frame Generation tech, which AMD presumably didn’t deign to use for this comparison... no surprises there.

Regardless, it's great for consumers. Even if the RTX 5000 series desktop GPU lineup blows AMD's new RDNA 4 GPUs out of the water - which they probably will - Team Red could have a secret weapon in the form of the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, especially given the sky-high pricing of Nvidia’s new cards. But laptops using AMD's new high-end APU certainly won't be cheap either…

You may also like...

• Trust me, 2025's lineup of gaming handhelds may be the best yet with Aokzoe's A1 X taking the fight to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Asus ROG Ally X
• Ignore the Nintendo Switch 2 hype – the MSI Claw 8 AI+ is here to take the handheld gaming crown, if you can find one
• Nvidia RTX 5090 Founders Edition is possibly the best-looking GPU I've seen in a while - here's everything included in the box

Lawrenceville residents have many service providers to choose from if they want a reliable connection. These are the best internet plans available.

• An official Samsung blog post seemingly confirms that a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen for the S25 Ultra is on the way
• The new S Pen is not yet listed on any Samsung storefronts
• The stylus will be sold separately to the S25 Ultra itself

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked has been and gone, but we’re still basking in the excitement of having the long-rumored Samsung Galaxy S25, Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra officially revealed.

However, amid news of new upgrades and refreshed designs, we noticed a downgrade for the S25 Ultra that will leave some fans of Samsung’s highest-end flagship feeling puzzled – the loss of Bluetooth support for the S Pen stylus.

But fear not, S Pen fans: a new announcement suggests that Samsung could release a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen for the S25 Ultra after all – but it’ll cost you extra.

A footnote affixed to a recent post on Samsung’s Business Insights blog states “Bluetooth-enabled S Pens sold separately”, which suggests Samsung will soon offer the peripheral at an additional cost.

It’s not yet known whether the new Bluetooth-enabled S Pen will offer any new features, or simply give users access to the remote control and gesture features offered by the S24 Ultra's S Pen.

The S24 Ultra came with a Bluetooth-enabled S Pen that allowed users to make use of various gestures to control the phone remotely; for instance, you could trigger the camera, open apps, and navigate the phone’s UI.

The S Pen in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

The specs sheets released following Samsung Galaxy Unpacked confirmed that Samsung has axed Bluetooth compatibility from the S Pen included with the S25 Ultra, relegating the stylus to its original purpose as a drawing and writing tool.

Android Authority notes that the remote gestures enabled by the S Pen weren’t very popular, which would have impacted the decision to remove them. It's also possible that Samsung sought to allocate resources towards more marketable features, like an upgraded ultra-wide camera or enlarged display.

Still, some users will surely feel a tinge of disappointment at having to cough up more money to counter this downgrade, especially considering the S25 Ultra’s starting price of $1,299 / £1,249 / $2,149.

We’ve been otherwise impressed with Samsung's newest flagship so far – be sure to check out our hands-on Galaxy S25 Ultra review, as well as our hands-on Galaxy S25 review and hands-on Galaxy S25 Plus review for our first impressions of all three new devices.

You might also like

• A new OnePlus Open 2 tease shows just how thin the upcoming foldable will be
• The Samsung Galaxy S25 series comes good on an AI promise eight years in the making
• Here's the one thing that Samsung and Google couldn't agree on for the Samsung Galaxy S25 ultra

The tech exists, and vehicles on the road already have it, yet a consortium of carmakers doesn’t want to make this lifesaving equipment standard. The reason is as old as the hills—money.

• The alleged customer information of 19 million TalkTalk customers has been discovered online
• However the authenticity of the breach has come into question
• TalkTalk says it is investigating the claims

British broadband and TV giant TalkTalk is investigating a possible data breach after alleged customer information was found for sale on a cybercrime forum.

Reports from The Register have confirmed this breach is suspected to have originated through a third-party vendor, and could affect up to 19 million former and current customers of TalkTalk.

The hacker who posted the data using the handle ‘b0nd’, claims the data contains personally identifiable information (PII), here’s what we know so far.

Another Telco target

The data is said to include PII such as email addresses, full names, IP addresses, phone numbers, and subscriber PINs.

"As part of our regular security monitoring, given our ongoing focus on protecting customers' personal data, we were made aware of unexpected access to, and misuse of, one of our third-party supplier's systems, however, no billing or financial information was stored on this system,” TalkTalk told The Register.

"Our security incident response team is continuing to work with the supplier regarding this matter and protective containment steps were taken immediately.”

However the authenticity of the breach has already been called into question, largely due to the size of the dataset, which contains 18.9 million individual’s data, significantly larger than the firm’s current customer base.

Calculations from The Register estimated that since its inception in 2003, TalkTalk has never amassed as many customers as the dataset claims to contain.

"Our investigations are ongoing, however, we can confirm that the number of potential customers referred to in certain online posts is wholly inaccurate and very significantly overstated," TalkTalk added.

TalkTalk is unfortunately no stranger to data breaches, as it suffered a ‘significant’ cyberattack back in 2015, which led to up to 150,000 of its UK based customers’ data exposed - landing the firm a £400,000 GDPR fine for failing to implement “the most basic cyber security measures,” which allowed hackers to “penetrate its systems with ease.”

It's not the only major telecommunications firm to run into difficulty lately, with up to 9 firms breached by Chinese state actors in a 'major incident' late in 2024.

What to do after a breach

If you think your data may have been compromised in this or any other data breach, there are a few ways you can protect yourself and mitigate any damage.

If your information has been exposed, this leaves you at risk of attackers using your data to commit identity theft, so closely monitoring your bank accounts and credit reports is crucial. Alternatively, checking out our list of best identity theft protections can simplify the process for you.

Without identity theft protection services, if you do notice any suspicious activity on your accounts, you’ll need to call your bank immediately, freeze your credit, change your passwords, and likely file police reports - which can be a rather gruelling process.

Also a concern, are social engineering attacks, most often in the form of sophisticated phishing scams. Once attackers have access to your PII, they can construct scams specifically for you, posing as family members or services that you use regularly.

To protect yourself from these, the key is being vigilant. Ensure to double check the credentials of any emails, texts, or calls you receive - especially ones which are unexpected and require action.

If you’re being offered a deal which is too good to be true or being hit with an emotional plea - be extra cautious in verifying the identity of the sender, and don’t hand your information over to someone you don’t know.

Be extremely careful when clicking links on emails, as this can lead to viruses or malware installed on your device, and can result in further information being taken.

Data breaches are an unfortunate inevitability for anyone with an online presence, so to proactively take steps to protect yourself, making sure you have a strong password is a great way to stay secure. Especially important is making sure you don’t repeat passwords for multiple sites, since this means if one password is exposed in a breach, it's contained to just that one site, protecting the rest of your data.

For security, a great tool is a multi-factor authentication app, which provides an extra layer of safety for any sensitive information. Yes, they can be a bit of a hassle when you’re scrambling for your phone to access the right code, but they're a whole lot more convenient than having your bank details stolen.

You might also like

• Check out our list of the best firewall software around today
• The Snowflake breach tells us that passwords aren't enough
• We've also rounded up the best antivirus on offer right now

• Marvel Snap is back in the US
• Affected players will be able to receive compensation package
• Everyone else will also receive bonus rewards

Mobile superhero card game Marvel Snap was one of the unexpected casualties of the brief US TikTok ban, becoming inaccessible to users in the US between January 19 and 25. This was due to the fact that its publisher, Nuverse, is a subsidiary of TikTok owner ByteDance.

Thankfully, the game is now back online in the region and the developer Second Dinner has outlined a generous compensation package not only for those affected by the outage but also for all Marvel Snap players.

As explained in a recent X / Twitter post, the studio wants to thank fans for their “dedication, patience, and support” and make good with those who missed out on time-based content.

This is on top of a separate package to “welcome back players, new and old, with some extra goodies”. These will be delivered to in-game inboxes sometime this week.

If you are a US player over collection level 500, you can expect to receive the following:

• 2 Spotlight Keys
• 5000 Season Pass XP
• 4150 Credits
• 6200 Collector’s Tokens
• 1000 Gold
• 5 Gold Conquest Ticket
• 3 Infinite Conquest Ticket
• 4000 Conquest Medals
• 1 Mystery Variant
• 6 Premium Mystery Variants
• 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare)
• 3 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare)
• 155 x5 Random Boosters

If you are a US player under collection level 500, you will get:

• 6 Mystery Series 3 Cards
• 5000 Season Pass XP
• 7150 Credits
• 1000 Gold
• 1 Mystery Variant
• 6 Premium Mystery Variant
• 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare)
• 3 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare)
• 155 x5 Random Boosters

The offering for non-US players is similar, though slightly less generous. Those over collection level 500 will receive:

• 2 Spotlight Key
• 3000 Collector’s Tokens
• 1500 Credits
• 1 Mystery Variant
• 1 Premium Mystery Variant
• 1 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare)
• 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare)
• 155 x3 Random Boosters

If you’re outside the US and under collection level 500, then expect:

• 6 Mystery Series 3 Cards
• 3000 Credits
• 1 Mystery Variant
• 1 Premium Mystery Variant
• 1 Cosmic Gold Border (Super Rare)
• 1 Cosmic Red Border (Super Rare)
• 155 x3 Random Boosters

These are, frankly, incredibly lavish offerings that will provide a massive boost to players who get them. That said, there are some eligibility requirements to bear in mind here.

To qualify for the US rewards, you will need to have an account that was created in the US or recorded account activity in the US 30 days prior to the outage. If you are a US player who used a VPN to play during the downtime, you will still be able to receive the US rewards.

To be eligible for the rest, you simply need to have an account that was created before Jan 20, 2025, and not qualify for the US offering. It is not possible to receive more than one compensation package.

Interestingly, the message also says that the developer intends to partner with a new publisher and “bring more services in-house” to try and avoid similar issues in the future.

You might also like...

• The five things I loved in my first six hours of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and the two parts I need to know more about
• Xbox games are coming to Nintendo Switch 2, per Phil Spencer
• Metal Gear Solid 3 remake - everything we know

“Yahoo Boy” scammers are impersonating CNN and other news organizations to create videos that pressure victims into making blackmail payments.

KEF LSX II LT: one-minute review

The KEF LSX II LT is an attempt to democratise (a little) the sound and tech expertise that has put KEF has among the front-runners where the ‘entire hi-fi system in a pair of speakers’ category is concerned for almost a decade now.

The KEF LSX II LT is a streaming sound system contained in two compact, good-looking and beautifully finished loudspeakers. A system that’s capable of handling high-resolution digital audio information from any source you care to mention – including your TV. A system that sounds detailed and organized, dynamic and rhythmically adept. A system that digs deep into the frequency range and summons quite startling low-frequency presence while it offers clarity at the opposite end to rival any of the best wireless speakers.

It’s not perfect, of course – how could it be? Its dimensions dictate that it struggles to fill larger listening spaces with sound, which is understandable. It goes without any analog inputs, which means it may not be suitable for some people – its bigger brother, the LEF LSX II, has them (and see the Kanto Ren for a vinyl-friendly alternative, just without Wi-Fi). But as long as these shortcomings don’t impact on your specific use case, it’s hard to raise meaningful criticism here – this absolutely ranks among the best stereo speakers for wireless hi-res fans.

KEF LSX II LT review: Price and release date

(Image credit: Future)

The KEF LSX II LT wireless active speaker system is on sale now, and in the United Kingdom it sells for £899. It goes for $999 in the United States, while in Australia it’s yours for AU$1,699.

Thanks in no small part to KEF's efforts in the wireless stereo area, the LSX II LT is not without competition. DALI, Klipsch and Q Acoustics (to name just a few) have similarly specified alternatives with which to tempt you.

Probably most notably, for slightly less than the KEF, you can get the Kanto Ren or the larger floorstanding Q Acoustics M40 HD cost around the same as the tiny KEFs. So even though these are KEF's cheapest option, they're not super-cheap still.

KEF LSX II LT review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Uni-Q coaxial drivers
• 200 watts of Class D power
• Plenty of input options

Higher up its model ranges, KEF is now onto the 12th generation of its distinctive Uni-Q speaker driver arrangement. The LSX II LT, though, uses the same 11th generation unit as is fitted to the larger KEF LSX II. This means a 19mm aluminium dome tweeter is positioned in the center of a 115mm magnesium/aluminum mid/bass driver – this arrangement precisely positions the acoustic center of each unit in an effort to deliver optimum time-alignment. Each tweeter receives 30 watts of Class D power and each mid/bass driver 70 watts, delivering a claimed frequency response of 54Hz - 28kHz.

There’s a hierarchy of units in each pair of LSX II LT speakers, of course. The primary unit is home to dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 with SBC and AAC codec compatibility, as well as an Ethernet input, an HDMI ARC socket, digital optical and USB-C inputs as well as a pre-out for a subwoofer and a power connection. Apple AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and UPnP devices are all available, and the KEF Connect control app can host Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz and internet radio too. A second USB-C slot, grouped with all the other socketry below the neat bass reflex port on the rear of the speaker, is for connecting this primary speaker to its partner – which gives you flexibility in terms of cable length.

Digital audio file compatibility is extensive, and the LSX II LT can deal with file resolutions of up to 24bit/384kHz via a network connection. The USB-C and digital optical inputs can handle 24bit/96kHz stuff, and the HDMI ARC tops out at 16bit/48kHz. Incoming audio information is pored over by KEF’s ‘music integrity engine’ signal processing algorithms before resampling to 24bit/96kHz resolution.

This is a pretty thorough line-up of features for a product of this type, it’s true - but I can’t help hankering after an analogue input or two. Apparently the best record players are all the rage again, and it might be nice to be able to incorporate one with a wired connection… they'll work with a Bluetooth turntable, though.

• Features score: 4.5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Sound quality

(Image credit: Future)

• Deft, entertaining sound
• Plenty of detail and frankly unlikely dynamism available
• Lacking a little where sheer scale of sound is concerned

The KEF LSX II LT is hardly the only digital audio system that does its best work when given some nice big hi-res audio files to deal with; so as long as you have some appropriate content on network-attached storage or via one of the best music streaming services that offers meaty quality, the KEF will give you everything it’s got.

Which, in the final analysis, turns out to be plenty. A 24bit/96kHz FLAC file of Arooj Aftab’s Last Night streamed via TIDAL Connect is agile, entertaining and utterly convincing – tonality, from the top of the frequency range to the bottom, is nicely neutral and consistent, and the LSX II LT never understates or overcooks any aspect of it; the sweep from top to bottom is smooth and believable. Detail levels are high at every turn, and the KEF has plenty of relevant observations to make about the timbre and texture of instruments or voices at every turn.

Despite the speakers’ unpromising dimensions and the bog-standard amount of power available, the system manages quite impressive low-frequency punch and substance. Bass sounds hit respectably hard, dig impressively deep, and are never less than properly controlled where the leading edge of sounds is concerned – and so it never has any problems expressing rhythms or handling tempos.

The LSX II LT communicates unequivocally through the midrange, which means vocalists of all types have their character and disposition made obvious. And at the top of the frequency range, the speakers attack with crisp determination (although without ever threatening to get splashy or hard, even if you like to listen at the upper limits of the volume the KEF is capable of).

There’s a fair amount of dynamic headroom available too, so even when a recording (or a movie, if you’re using the HDMI ARC socket) shifts it up from ‘basically silent’ to ‘all-out attack’ the system is able to make the differences obvious. Lower-level dynamic harmonic variations get the same sort of attention, too, so there’s convincing expression of the fluctuations evident from note to note when listening to a solo instrument.

That the LSX II LT is short of outright scale can’t be denied, but it creates a fairly extensive soundstage and organizes it really well. There’s adequate room for even more complex recordings to be laid out coherently, and the system demonstrates positivity and confidence in this regard. There's more than enough space for each element of a recording to stretch out without being impacted on by any other element – but, at the same time, the LSX II LT presents recordings as a unified whole.

• Sound quality score: 5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Choice of unusual finishes
• 240 x 155 x 180mm (HxWxD)
• Mildly interesting cabinet shape

As with its more expensive wireless speaker systems, KEF has commissioned Michael Young to see if a bit of mild ‘designing’ might be in order – and he’s created a speaker cabinet with very few parallel lines. All by itself, this is enough for the LSX II LT to stand out among all its boxy rivals – the fact that the shape is acoustically optimized doesn’t do any harm either.

At a tidy 240 x 155 x 180mm (HxWxD) per speaker, the LSX II LT will sit happily on a shelf or desktop, as long as power is reasonably close by – or there are stands available if you prefer. The available finishes (sage green, stone white and graphite grey) only add to the decorative quotient.

• Design score: 5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Usability & setup

(Image credit: Future)

• App or remote handset control
• Primary speaker needs power connection
• Speakers must be connected by a cable

Between the KEF Connect control app (free for iOS and Android) and the little remote control handset that comes as part of the system, getting what you want from the LSX II LT is easy. The app covers off all the obvious stuff, and more besides – you can finesse EQ settings, integrate your LSX II LT into a smart-home system, designate the primary speaker as the ‘left’ or ‘right’ channel (great flexibility in the placement), access your local media servers, set volume limits and plenty more.

The remote control, meanwhile, just takes care of the obvious ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards/backwards’ ‘volume up/down/mute’, ‘power on/off’ and input selection stuff.

As far as ‘setup’ goes, there’s really nothing to it. The primary speaker requires mains power, and needs connecting to the secondary speaker using a length of USB-C /USB-C cable. After that, it’s simply a question of making physical connections to your source devices and integrating your favourite streaming service(s) into the app if the ‘Connect’ version isn’t already supported.

• Usability score: 5/5

KEF LSX II LT review: Value

• Superb sound for the price
• Easy and flexible to set up
• Small size and lack of analog may be limiting

There’s unarguable value on offer here, no two ways about it. As a combination of facilities and functionality, industrial design, usability and out-and-out sound quality, it’s hard to lay a glove on the KEF LSX II LT.

Unless you have analog sources you’d like to listen to, or you live in an aircraft hangar, it’s difficult to raise a meaningful objection to what your money buys you… these are premium speakers that can satisfy audiophiles, at a very fair price for that quality.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the KEF LSX II LT?

(Image credit: Future) Buy it if…

You want great sound with next-to-no effort
If you can’t get the LSX II LT up and running is next-to-no time, you’re not trying hard enough.

You admire good industrial design
It’s hard to make a product like this look distinctive, but between the coaxial drivers and the unusually shaped cabinet, the KEF gets closer than most.

You’re a ‘digital only’ sort of listener
Pretty much every source of digital audio content is catered for here, whether it’s connected wirelessly or physically.

Don't buy it if…

You have an analog source or two
The lack of analog inputs is the KEF system’s biggest shortcoming.

You want to fill a big space with sound
Look elsewhere. And be prepared to spend more money.

You have big bass concerns
The low frequencies available here are deep, detailed and very nicely controlled – but they’re not about to make your curtains flap. Again, you'd need something larger.

KEF LSX II LT review: Also consider

KEF LSX II
We've mentioned them already, but the bigger (and more expensive) sibling of the LT have the analogue connections that this one lacks, and a little more power for filling larger spaces.

Q Acoustics M40 HD
Now this is how you full a room. Active floorstanding speakers, for slightly less money than the KEF. However, there's no Wi-Fi (just Bluetooth), so they're not quite as smart as the KEF. Read our five-star Q Acoustics M40 HD review for more what makes them so good.

Kanto Ren
If you want something compact like the LSX II LT, but with analog connections, we love these. Again, there's no Wi-Fi – just Bluetooth for wireless – but they do an excellent job, and come in fetching finishes. Here's our five-star Kanto Ren review for the all the details.

From what it is to how to turn it on, here's how using Log video on the iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro could help.

A glitch in Slack makes it possible to accidentally send your entire DM history with one person to other coworkers. Ask me how I know.