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A gang leader who controls a key port in Haiti's capital is accused of massacring older people and Vodou religious leaders to avenge his son's death.

(Image credit: Odelyn Joseph)

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The swift downfall of Bashar al-Assad is reverberating throughout the Middle East. Countries are urgently reassessing how to deal with a nation seeking to rebuild itself after years of civil war.

(Image credit: Hussein Malla)

It's a match neither manager can afford to lose at the London Stadium.

Your devices and data deserve the best protection. Here are CNET's picks for the best antivirus software to improve your digital security.

While not the cheapest on the market, the Bang & Olufsen earbuds have superb audio quality and they're at a record-low price just before the holidays.

• Activo Q1 are wired IEMs made for the July 2024 P1 player
• The IEMs are a collaboration between the Astell & Kern sub-brand Activo and Singaporean label, DITA Audio
• Activo Q1 are priced $349 / £299 (around AU$590)

Love hi-res audio but haven't heard of Activo? That's okay, you'll almost certainly know its parents, Astell & Kern. Last year, the sub-brand's inaugural product, the Activo's P1 music player, truly wowed us for sound-per-pound value, proving that you don't have to pay an A&K premium to get excellent portable sound. It was so good in fact that it quickly made its way onto our best MP3 player buying guide.

And now the South Korean company has announced the hotly anticipated in-ear monitors to go with it. They certainly look the part, which checks out when you know that these wired earbuds are a collaboration with Singaporean brand, DITA Audio.

A&K says the partnership brings together "over 45 years of expertise in the audio industry between Activo and DITA, culminating in the perfect earbud match for the newly released Activo P1 Digital Audio Player."

Activo Q1: specs, pricing and availability

The Activo Q1 is, the company tells us, a hybrid IEM featuring DITA’s new PM1+ 9.8mm dynamic driver with brass housing, plus a single Knowles balanced armature driver.

DITA Audio has a lovely habit of custom-designing cables to suit every earbud model it's had a hand in, which means the Q1 is a unique proposition – and the white coating certainly makes the earbuds look like they're going to be perfect sonic partners to the wallet-friendly Activo P1.

To drill down into that cable a little more, it's the MOCCA2 cable from Cardas, made in the USA. This is custom-built and constructed of 32 strands of Cardas conductors per cable, then twisted to DITA’s own specifications. Your purchase also includes both 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single-ended connecting plugs – the P1 has both of these ports, along its top edge.

And in case the earbuds look a little dainty, also included with the Q1 is an Activo x DITA branded systainer mini hard case made by Tanos, plus five different sizes of eartips to help you achieve the optimum fit.

Have the player, now want the earbuds? You're in luck! The Activo Q1 is available to purchase from Amazon today and is priced at £299 / $349 / €399 (around AU$590). Will they join our collection of the best wired earbuds we've ever tested? We're working on it – when we know, so shall you.

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• See our pick of the best earbuds
• And here's our roundup of the best Bluetooth speakers
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Americans could soon need one of the best VPN apps to keep using TikTok.

A US TikTok ban now looks more probable than ever following the decision made by the federal appeals court on Friday (December 6, 2024). The decision upholds a law requiring TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the video-sharing app to an American firm by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.

While TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew plans to file a legal appeal with the US Supreme Court, the new Trump administration – set to commence a day after the divesting deadline – is also expected to reverse TikTok's new policy.

Why does the US seek to ban TikTok?

Tensions between the US government and TikTok aren't new. The platform's invasive data collection practices and ties to China have raised concerns over Americans' privacy rights and national security risks since the video-sharing app began gaining popularity in the States.

At the time, US President Donald Trump was the first to push for the Chinese company to divest or risk a total ban in 2020. Such plans would later be interrupted after TikTok filed a lawsuit against the US government and the new President Joe Biden revoked the measure.

Now, about four years later, the tables have turned again. Trump has vowed to save TikTok during his political campaign to, as the Financial Times reported, "preserve competition in a market dominated by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta."

On the contrary, Biden has been busy finding a solution to the TikTok problem since the end of 2022 when he first signed an unprecedented order to bar TikTok from all federal government devices.

After that, there were various attempts to find a way to overcome the legal challenges of banning TikTok, such as the First Amendment which protects American freedom of speech. The proposed RESTRICT ACT gained momentum in 2023 but didn't manage to finally get the green light.

Do you know?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Montana was the first US state expected to ban TikTok from all devices starting from January 1, 2024. This didn't happen, however, as a federal judge blocked the law before being enforced, in November 2023. Now, following Friday's decision, the fate of Montana's TikTok ban may be turning again.

Fast-forward to April 2024, a new proposal (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act) became law after gaining bipartisan support in the US House of Representatives. It rules out a widespread ban on TikTok's operation unless ByteDance sells it to an American firm.

The law came into force despite TikTok taking steps to ensure data privacy for US users. In 2022, the company moved all Americans' data to servers owned by Oracle US and based within the country. The company also opened the first data center in Europe a year later on similar grounds.

Perhaps the most downloaded app worldwide, TikTok counts over 150 active users per month in the US alone.

Researchers suggest that Americans are increasingly using the app to keep up with the news. US activists use the Chinese social media giant to spread their messages, too, while it also helps US businesses – especially the smallest ones – to thrive.

This is why digital rights experts are concerned following the decision the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit filed on Friday.

Kate Ruane from the Centre for Democracy & Technology (CDT) told TechRadar: "The TikTok ban will immeasurably harm the free expression of hundreds of millions of TikTok users in the US and globally who use the app to create, to share information, to get their news, and promote their businesses. We hope the next phase of review of this misguided and overbroad law will be a chance to right this wrong and prevent it from going into effect."

How a TikTok VPN can help

A VPN (short for virtual private network) is security software that encrypts all your internet connections, to prevent third-party access, while spoofing your real IP address location. The latter is exactly what you need to bypass geo-restrictions on social media platforms, like those that could soon be enforced in the US against TikTok.

In case ByteDance refuses to sell by January 19, US authorities could block TikTok usage at an ISP (internet service provider) level. In this scenario, using a TikTok VPN will be an easy way to get around the block simply by connecting to a VPN server located outside the US, in a country where TikTok isn't banned.

Another option may be for the US government to order app stores to completely remove TikTok from their platforms. This means you won't be able to download and install the app from the official stores and will, instead, need to find an alternative source.

Experts warn that such a move, however, would de-facto put user data at major risk, as US users won't be able to keep updating their TikTok application to fix security bugs. Also, risks for malware infection are also greater when downloading apps from unofficial stores.

Should you workout in the morning, afternoon or evening? We've done the research to help you find the best time to exercise.

Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans seek out a missing man with the bag.

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Now that we’re approaching the final weeks of 2024, you can pretty much smell awards season from a mile away. After the unveiling of the 2025 Golden Globes nominations, I'm curious to see which new movies and shows from the best streaming services will sweep the biggest awards. With titles from Netflix, Hulu, and Mubi leading the pack, this year’s bunch of prospective winners reflects what an immense year it's been for entertainment.

Indeed, during the Golden Globes 2025 nominations livestream hosted by Mindy Kaling and Morris Chestnut, a slew of movies and shows including The Substance, Slow Horses, and Squid Game were among the incredibly diverse selection of titles to be honored at next year's ceremony, which takes place on January 6.

But, I have one thing to get off my chest, and it's not a good thing. Netflix’s musical drama Emilia Perez 10 nominations means it swept this year's selection by a handsome margin – and, since I gave it a not-so-pleasant review in my Letterboxd diary, to say I’m shocked that it earned so many nominations is an understatement

The Bear leads the television nominations with five nods (Image credit: FX/Hulu/Disney Plus)

From my 2.5 star scathing review, to me, it’s obvious that Emilia Perez isn’t the movie of the year. That's reflected in the hefty mixed bag of reviews that one of November's new Netflix movies received, too, but the Golden Globe Foundation appears to have loved it. On paper, a musical crime drama about a cartel boss’ gender transition sounds not only incredibly thrilling, but could make an engaging and inspiring narrative. However, the unhinged musical numbers diminished the sincerity of the story and left me laughing at its characters rather than relating to their individual and collective plights.

What pushed me over the edge, however, that its overstuffed narrative, comprising three different storylines, get more bizarre as the flick progresses. This is in addition to some unfortunate acting from Selena Gomez (in my view, anyway), which did little to ease my concerns that it's a very disjointed film and is what's primarily fueling my shock at its Golden Globes 2025 nods. You and I will see if it somehow has the pizzazz to win multiple award during next year's glitzy awards event.

Golden Globes 2025 full nominees list: The Bear, Shogun, Anora, and more

Shogun picked up a number of nominations in the Golden Globes 2025's various TV categories (Image credit: Disney )

Best Motion Picture – Drama

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Nickel Boys

September 5

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Angelina Jolie, Maria

Nicole Kidman, Babygirl

Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door

Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Pamela Anderson, The Last Showgirl

Kate Winslet, Lee

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Daniel Craig, Queer

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Anora

Challengers

Emilia Pérez

A Real Pain

The Substance

Wicked

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Amy Adams, Nightbitch

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison, Anora

Demi Moore, The Substance

Zendaya, Challengers

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy

Jesse Eisenberg, A Real Pain

Hugh Grant, Heretic

Gabrielle LaBelle, Saturday Night

Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness

Glen Powell, Hit Man

Sebastian Stan, A Different Man

Best Motion Picture – Animated

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Moana 2

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language

All We Imagine as Light – India

Emilia Pérez – France

The Girl With the Needle – Denmark

I’m Still Here – Brazil

The Seed of the Sacred Fig – Germany

Vermiglio – Italy

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez

Margaret Qualley, The Substance

Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture

Denzel Washington, Gladiator II

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Yura Borisov, Anora

Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

Best Director – Motion Picture

Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker, Anora

Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

Edward Berger, Conclave

Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

Payal Kapadia, All We Imagine as Light

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Anora

The Brutalist

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

A Real Pain

The Substance

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

The Brutalist

Challengers

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

The Wild Robot

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

The Last Showgirl – “Beautiful That Way”

Challengers – “Compress/Repress”

Emilia Pérez – “El Mal”

Better Man – “Forbidden Road”

The Wild Robot – “Kiss the Sky”

Emilia Pérez – “Mi Camino”

Best Television Series – Drama

The Day of the Jackal

The Diplomat

Mr and Mrs Smith

Shōgun

Slow Horses

Squid Game

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Kathy Bates, Matlock

Emma D’Arcy, House of the Dragon

Maya Erskine, Mr and Mrs Smith

Keira Knightley, Black Doves

Anna Sawai, Shōgun

Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Donald Glover, Mr and Mrs Smith

Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses

Eddie Redmayne, The Day of the Jackal

Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun

Billy Bob Thornton, Landman

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Hacks

Abbott Elementary

Only Murders in the Building

Nobody Wants This

The Gentlemen

The Bear

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Kathryn Hahn, Agatha All Along

Jean Smart, Hacks

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This

Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside

Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building

Jason Segel, Shrinking

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Best Supporting Actress, Television

Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer

Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Dakota Fanning, Ripley

Allison Janney, The Diplomat

Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country

Best Supporting Actor, Television

Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun

Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Harrison Ford, Shrinking

Jack Lowden, Slow Horses

Diego Luna, La Máquina

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Baby Reindeer

Disclaimer

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

The Penguin

Ripley

True Detective: Night Country

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country

Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer

Sofía Vergara, Griselda

Cristin Milioti, The Penguin

Kate Winslet, The Regime

Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote vs the Swans

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Colin Farrell, The Penguin

Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer

Kevin Kline, Disclaimer

Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Ewan McGregor, A Gentleman in Moscow

Andrew Scott, Ripley

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy or Television

Jamie Foxx, What Had Happened Was

Nikki Glaser, Someday You’ll Die

Seth Meyers, Dad Man Walking

Adam Sandler, Love You

Ali Wong, Single Lady

Ramy Youssef, More Feelings

Cinematic and Box Office Achievement

Alien: Romulus

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Deadpool & Wolverine

Gladiator 2

Inside Out 2

Twisters

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• Sundar Pichai predicts a slow year for AI in 2025
• Says we'll need "deeper breakthroughs" to get to the next stage
• Many agree, but OpenAI CEO has publically suggested there won't be an AI development slow down

Artificial intelligence has ruled the roost in 2024, with pretty much every major tech brand announcing AI tools and upgrades for our phones, laptops, TVs, smartwatches, and pretty much everything via partnerships with ChatGPT or one of the best ChatGPT alternatives. 2025 looked set to continue this trend, but Google CEO Sundar Pichai instead believes we’ll see AI developments tail off now that the “low-hanging fruit is gone.”

Speaking at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Pichai said “I think the progress is going to get harder,” adding “you’re definitely going to need deeper breakthroughs as we get to the next stage.”

As Pichai sees it, the explosion of new features and rapid advancements we’ve seen will slow down in 2025 as we reach the current limit of AI systems – a limit that will only be surpassed by heavy investment and development that will take time to bear fruit. Until we achieve the next major breakthrough, Pichai argues that we’ll see more incremental improvements that may improve the technology, but won’t necessarily redefine what AI systems can do like we’ve seen these past 12 months.

And he’s hardly alone in this sentiment. A couple of months ago, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella likened AI development to the Industrial Revolution in that growth takes time before it explodes (via CNBC), journalist Edward Zitron’s latest newsletter post goes into a fantastic long deep dive into the struggles facing AI development, and our in-house expert Senior Editor Graham Barlow said of Pichai’s comments: “I think he’s right.”

there is no wallNovember 14, 2024

Pichai’s sentiment isn’t held by every AI-focused company, though – at least publicly. Back in November OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted “There is no wall” suggesting he believes AI advancements will continue at a breakneck pace. His post was a response to criticism that the most recent ChatGPT update was only slightly better than the model that came before.

However, behind closed doors there are reports (via Bloomberg, behind a pay wall) that OpenAI, as well as Google and Anthropic, are having a hard time advancing their AI systems and are struggling to achieve internal milestones.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / NicoElNino) Don’t expect AI to disappear

Given the nature of breakthroughs, it can be hard to predict when the next one will happen. It could be that some massive advancement is discovered in five months, or it could take five years as different avenues are explored. However given the potential of AI systems, it’s unlikely that the hype and excitement around AI will disappear completely any time soon even if notable advancements are few and far between for a while.

That’s not to say the excitement won’t die down. As different AI from Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, Apple and the rest approach our existing wall and homogenize, we’ll likely see the industry shift focus to a different technology for a while, as we always have.

Just look at XR tech. Google Glass made a splash in the mid 2010s, followed by the first actually impressive consumer VR headsets from Oculus and HTC. Then things relaxed in terms of the public’s perception until we got the Oculus Quest 2 and Meta’s massive Metaverse announcement, which triggered a new flurry of interest in the industry buzzword before returning to normal. Now, as we approach 2025, that excitement could return with Google and Samsung believed to be gearing up to showcase some kind of glasses or headset at the Samsung Galaxy S25 launch event in January.

AI is merely following this long-standing tech industry trend cycle, and while AI might be about to enter its ebb-era it will eventually flow back. So enjoy the calmer AI updates in 2025 while you can, because even if it fades more into the background artificial intelligence excitement will return.

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• A new handheld gaming PC known as the Lenovo Legion Go S has leaked
• The device could feature a smaller screen compared to its predecessor
• It will reportedly use AMD's Ryzen Z2 Go chip, which was previously labeled Z2G

If it wasn't evident enough already, handheld gaming PCs have already become a focal point of the PC gaming market. Now, the rumored Lenovo Legion Go S has leaked, revealing several changes from its predecessor based on new render images.

According to WinFuture (in an article written in German), the Legion Go S could feature AMD's new Ryzen Z2 Go APU (previously labeled as the Ryzen Z2G), with 8 cores and 16 threads (RDNA 2), which would be the weaker variant compared to the purported Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip. Based on the leaked render images from WindowsCentral (pictured below), it's clear that the screen size has been shaved - it could now feature an 8-inch display as opposed to the Legion Go Z1 Extreme's 8.8-inch display.

As a result of this, the display resolution has also supposedly seen a significant change, from 2560x1600 to 1920x1200, and a 120Hz refresh rate. It appears that this device is the Legion Go 'Lite' that was rumored a few months ago - the eventual official reveal could come alongside a true Legion Go Z1 Extreme successor, using the Z2 Extreme chip.

This image, provided by Windows Central, shows a detailed breakdown of what the Legion Go S will look like. (Image credit: WindowsCentral) Will this Legion Go alternative be worth a purchase?

Considering the rumored specifications that include a 55Wh battery and AMD Radeon 680M GPU, it would be easy to see the Legion Go S as a downgrade. While it is indeed the weaker option compared to the Legion Go Z1 Extreme (which uses the Radeon 780M), it uses a 1920x1200 resolution.

It appears that Lenovo has learned its lesson: the Z1 Extreme chip simply could not handle that 2560x1600 resolution. This is the same APU found in the Asus ROG Ally, which uses 1920x1080 resolution, with some games required to run at 900p instead. We aren't sure yet how similar the Z2 Legion Go will perform in comparison to the Z1 Extreme, but there's a high chance that it will be able to handle games at the new target 1200p resolution.

Rumors suggest the price will be around €600 / AU$1,200 (more expensive than the Z1 Extreme ROG Ally), which may be a dealbreaker for many considering the specifications, but we'll have to wait for an official reveal to form any real judgment.

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• Microsoft is offering $10k prize for hackers who can exploit vulnerabilities in its LLM
• The challenge will focus on prompt injection defenses
• Software developers and hackers often work together to discover and fix flaws

Are you an experienced hacker looking to make a little extra money this Christmas? Well you might be in luck, as Microsoft is sponsoring a competition, alongside the Institute of Science, and Technology Australia, and ETH Zurich, in which contestants will try to break a simulated Large Language Model (LLM) integrated email client.

Winning teams for the LLMail-Inject challenge will be awarded a share of the $10,000 prize pool.

Participants will need to sign into the challenge using a GitHub account, and create a team. The teams will then be asked to evade prompt injection defenses in a simulated LLM-integrated email client. The LLmail service includes an assistant which can answer questions and perform actions on behalf of the user, and crucially includes defenses against indirect prompt injection tasks.

A mutually beneficial relationship

By bypassing the injection defenses, the hackers will be looking to prompt the LLM to do or reveal things it is not trained to. Through this, Microsoft is aiming to identify weaknesses in its current prompt injection defenses, and encourage the development of robust security measures.

The relationship between security researchers and software developers is often used this way, with Google often offering a ‘bug bounty’ for anyone who discovers and is able to exploit vulnerabilities in its Google Cloud Platform.

Similarly, Microsoft recently announced it was hosting its own Black Hat-esque hacking event, in which competitors would look for vulnerabilities in Microsoft AI, Azure, Identity, Dynamics 365, and M365.

Taking a proactive approach to addressing potential vulnerabilities allows software companies to mitigate the risks before they can be exploited by threat actors in real world scenarios. Slack’s AI assistant was on the receiving end of malicious prompt injections, which was luckily discovered by security researchers - but could have led to real security concerns.

Via The Register

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• US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently put Google under supervision
• The federal action comes amid consumer complaints
• Google says the regulation would be a burden

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently announced it has placed Google Payment Corp, a division of Google under federal supervision, citing consumer complaints.

In response, Google filed a lawsuit in the US District Court challenging the agency’s decision stating that the Bureau’s supervision would be a “burdensome form of regulation” based on a “small number of unsubstantiated user complaints” (via CNN).

The CFPB’s move would subject Google to the same regulatory oversight as major banks and financial institutions.

Google hits back at federal supervision order

“This is a clear case of government overreach involving Google Pay peer-to-peer payments, which never raised risks and is no longer provided in the US, and we are challenging it in court," noted Google spokesperson José Castañeda.

The CFPB emphasized that its decision does not imply any findings of misconduct, but rather that complaints have indicated that Google Payment Corp failed to implement sufficient fraud prevention measures.

The supervision follows the CFPB’s 202 expansion of authority, which allowed it to begin examining nonbank financial institutions. Back then, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said: “This authority gives us critical agility to move as quickly as the market, allowing us to conduct examinations of financial companies posing risks to consumers and stop harm before it spreads.”

Besides stating the CFPB’s decision for supervision imposes an unjustified regulatory burden upon Google, including invasive examinations and document requests, the company also disputes the validity of the complaints as a basis for federal oversight.

However, all is not lost for Google, which could benefit from the incoming presidential administration – President-elect Trump could reverse some of the regulatory actions initiated under current leadership.

TechRadar Pro has asked the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for a comment, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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He'll finally address his 2023 hospitalization.

Developer Aspyr, fresh from remastering the first three Tomb Raider games, has cleaned off its brushes and given vampiric poster-boy Raziel his own substantial makeover in Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered. Every character from the main players in Crystal Dynamics' time and space-bending epic right down to the lowly grunts and creatures has received new, highly-detailed models.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Release date: December 10, 2024

We’ve seen similar levels of uplift in Aspyr’s previous efforts but nothing on this scale. Raziel himself, as the character players will spend almost all of their time viewing, has obviously received the biggest overhaul. Raziel’s wraithlike figure now appears more tangible than before.

His previous skull-cap-like hair is now a thick black bonnet, complete with his trademark bangs that hang down before his glowing white eyes and his garb, the clan banner used to mask his horrific disfigurement sporting high-resolution textures while his exposed bones and muscles now protrude convincingly through his blue skin.

Raziel’s transformation, and that of everything in Legacy of Kain 1&2 Remastered, is easy to admire thanks to Aspyr’s use of the original source code, enabling players to instantly flick between new and classic visuals with a single press of the right analog stick.

Throughout my playthrough, I found myself frequently swapping graphics modes to see how extensive Aspyr’s remaster ventured and I was consistently impressed. The aforementioned assortment of grunts, the low-level enemies that Raziel dispatches along his blood-soaked vendetta, have received a remarkable level of reworking, with all new art assets that go above and beyond a simple texture swap.

This is also true of the collections’ pantheon of grotesque bosses with Raziel’s devilish foes now presented with reworked geometry, hair, skin, bone, and gore that revels in the dark and twisted nature of Nosgoth.

Speaking of the land of Nosgoth, Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered decorates every surface with high-resolution textures that preserve the overall look and feel of the originals and adds a copious amount of details to intricate stone carvings around the gothic chambers, stained glass windows within strongholds and the twisted, haunting sinewy strands of the spectral realm.

Elevated Raziel… not reduced

(Image credit: Aspyr)

While long-time fans will likely get a kick out of the new visuals, giving Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered a lick of paint is only half the battle when rereleasing these titles in 2024, with a revamp of the twenty-five-year-old control scheme requiring just as much attention.

Thankfully, the remaster brings a substantial improvement to the somewhat clunky controls of the original release and marries the new scheme with a welcome bump up to a solid 60fps.

While Soul Reaver 2 always had the cameras mapped to the right stick on controllers, its forebearer required players to rotate the camera around Raziel using the L2 and R2 buttons (on PS5). The original controls also meant that players couldn’t move the camera through the Y-axis, which often made looking for a way forward a cumbersome exercise in trial and error.

Aspyr has rightly corrected this issue with a camera now tied to the right stick and, to highlight just how much care and attention has gone into this remaster, they’ve even created new, moody sky boxes to accommodate Raziel’s newfound ability to look up.

Best bit

(Image credit: Aspyr)

Hearing the late Tony Jay’s booming voice as the Elder God at the start of Raziel’s quest transported me back to 1999. Jay’s vocal performance here is one of the all-time greatest and the exceptional script gives him plenty of juicy lines to chew on, and the upgraded visuals make the Elder God seem that much more of an unsettling presence than before.

The vastly improved camera controls aren’t the only new feature that makes navigating Nosgoth a smoother experience. A brand-new map and onscreen compass remove the frustration of finding your way around the sprawling realms. Purists may be pleased to hear that the map and compass are optional and easily deactivated, however, the maps of Nosgoth, created in collaboration between Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics, and key members of the Legacy of Kain community are truly beautiful works of art that shouldn’t be ignored.

The only area that could benefit from further modernization is the combat. While Raziel must still dispatch vampiric foes, either by impalement, submerging in water, engulfing in fire or bathing in sunlight, before given these opportunities the actual hack-and-slash gameplay of hand-to-hand combat hasn’t aged particularly well and is faithful to a fault.

While the ability to lock on, block (in Soul Reaver 2), and perform dodges have all returned, there’s no way to cycle through targets when facing off against multiple foes. The modern control scheme also means Raziel always feels considerably overpowered against his adversaries from the get-go, making combat throughout both games a bit of a bore. Some of the unlockable powers and skills alleviate the monotony somewhat but it’s a shame we didn’t see some improvements to the basic scrapping.

Thankfully, brawling has always played second fiddle to exploration and puzzle solving in Soul Reaver and the intricate mind-benders are back and, thanks to the various control tweaks, easier to navigate than ever before.

A loving legacy

(Image credit: Aspyr)

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered evolves beyond a simple visual touch-up in other ways too, adding new features and a heap of goodies for fans and newcomers to dig into.

For those who can’t resist getting a bit snap-happy during their gameplay sessions, a new photo mode is available, although it’s currently a little rudimentary. Pausing the action by pressing in on both analog sticks together gives players free control of the camera and some basic vignette options to toy around with.

It’s functional, but lacks the extensive options available in many other photo modes, with elements such as frames, filters, character poses, and changeable facial expressions all missing. Some of these options were also absent from the Tomb Raider Remastered photo mode at launch before being added in a post-launch patch so hopefully Soul Reaver will receive the same improvements down the line.

Performing much better though is the raft of extras available from the main menu. It’s frankly overwhelming how much high-quality content is on offer here. Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered packs in everything including galleries showcasing concept art, renders, and fan cosplays, a music player to listen to the soundtracks from both games, a movie viewer, and beautifully produced scripts for each title.

(Image credit: Aspyr)

The undeniable standout here though is the Lost Levels. Previously cut sections from the first game have been restored to a playable state and offer a glimpse into an alternative conclusion to Soul Reaver. Each of the small disconnected playable areas presents an interesting curio more than anything you’ll spend a lot of time in but it’s great to see what could have been and be able to poke around in levels that never saw the light of day.

Introduced by a written foreword from pillar of the Legacy of Kain community and creator of The Lost Worlds fansite, Ben Lincoln, the Lost Levels demonstrates the love and passion that has gone into remastering these classic titles. The Lost Levels acts as a reward of sorts for the fans who have supported the series and yearned for another entry since the last game in the franchise, Legacy of Kain – Defiance, released in 2003.

Whether you’re new to the franchise or a returning player, Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered is an exceptional package that improves on almost every aspect of these classic titles and delivers two unmissable epics that every gamer should experience.

Should I play Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered? Play it if...

You love the originals
The bonus content included with Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered is exceptional. Aspyr has gone the extra mile by harnessing the passion of key figures within the Legacy of Kain fanbase to provide an extensive, lovingly crafted treasure trove of bonus features for fans and newcomers to experience and enjoy.View Deal

You thirst for a powerful narrative
Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered brings together two of the most poetic narratives in gaming history. Every line in the script carries impressive heft, the characters are exceptionally well realized with best-in-class voice acting and the whole thing is wrapped up in a new, gorgeous skin.View Deal

Don't play it if...

You want thrilling combat
Boss encounters aside, scuffles in Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered remain painfully faithful to their gameplay origins from a quarter of a century ago.View Deal

Accessibility

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered provides only a few, basic accessibility options for players. Subtitles are enabled by default in both games and are clear to read with a subtle grey background to them. Controller settings can be tweaked with optional vibrations and adjustable stick sensitivity.

Aspyr has included new in-game maps, a compass, and gameplay hints in both titles to make navigation through Nosgoth easier for players and all of these features are optional and easily disabled in the pause menu.

(Image credit: Aspyr) How I reviewed Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered

I played through the campaigns of Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered over a week while seeking out as many secrets as I could find. I explored all of the newly curated bonus content including reading through the various scripts, viewing all of the gallery content, and playing around in the new Lost Levels.

I played Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1&2 Remastered on PS5 on a 4K Sony Bravia TV, with my DualSense controller and PS5 Pulse 3D Wireless Headset for the most part and occasionally through the built-in TV speakers.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve also played Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain after it was released on PS+ Premium and revisited the original PS1 and PS2 versions of both Soul Reaver games, enabling me to appreciate and analyze the differences in controls, visuals and playability to the new remaster.

Apple's headset already supports some third-party controllers but not ones with specific functionality for VR gaming.