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This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.

SMBs that are worried about file-sharing security and privacy can rest easy with Tresorit. A great feature of this cloud service is its zero-knowledge policy, which delivers end-to-end AES-256 encryption, and the company never stores keys or passwords, so only account holders and users have access to their data.

Tresorit is good value, and it’s commendable that its prices haven’t increased for over four years, with the Business Plus plan on review holding steady at £12.83 per user per month when billed yearly. This is a good choice for SMBs: it takes all the features of the Standard plan and doubles cloud storage per user to 2TB, trebles the maximum single file size to 15GB and offers a 100 file-version history.

Along with file sharing, syncing, user and group management, and Outlook, Outlook 365 and Gmail integration, it enables custom portal branding and access audit logs. A choice of 12 global data center locations is also available for businesses concerned about data residency jurisdiction.

Deployment is swift. You use the Tresorit Admin Center to email invitations to your users and, when they click on the message link, they can create an account and choose a password. You don’t need to worry about users forgetting it as the Advanced Control feature includes password reset services.

Security policies provide extensive access controls (Image credit: Future)

Once users have downloaded the desktop app, it will create a personal “Tresor” – Tresorit’s name for a secure, encrypted folder. You can have an unlimited number of Tresors up to your storage limit, and the app also creates a quick-access Windows Explorer drive mapping or a macOS Finder favorites folder.

Users can share their Tresors with selected team members by choosing them from the desktop app contact list and setting manage, edit or view-only permissions. Two types of Tresors are supported: the entire contents of classic folders can be shared, while next-gen folders allow specific sub-folders within them to be shared.

Tresorit has brought next-gen features in line with classic folders as you can now create and email links to share their files and sub-folders. You can also use encrypted links to place files requested from external partners, including those without a Tresorit account, in next-gen folders.

Integration with third-party apps has also seen improvements. Tresorit now works directly with Microsoft Teams, and we used our Teams Admin console to decide which users could install the Tresorit add-in on their Teams desktop app. Once logged in, they were able to access and share selected Tresors with other Teams users, upload or download files and create file requests, all from their Teams app.

Tresorit offers great account management and monitoring (Image credit: Future)

Users can access the optional eSign digital signature service from both the Teams and Tresorit apps. Costing £45 per month for 100 signatures, you create an eSign request, select a PDF file and email it. Tresorit users can digitally sign the document with one click, while external users confirm their email address, enter the six-digit verification code provided and then sign the document.

Security features are extensive, with Admin Center policies controlling everything users are allowed to do. You can decide what types of devices they can access their account from, stop users from permanently deleting content, block their browsers from storing login details, use IP filtering to limit access from specific locations, enable single sign-on (SSO) and enforce two-factor authentication (2FA).

Tresorit doesn’t offer the same levels of integration with third-party apps as many rivals, but it rises to the top with its strict zero-knowledge encryption policy. Excellent value and ease of use make it a great choice for SMBs with cloud file-sharing security at the top of their agenda.

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This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.

HP’s latest Spectre convertible is a pricey proposition – you could buy a decent laptop plus a separate tablet for the same cost. But if you’re looking for something that can fulfil both roles, this powerful, premium computer is a delight.

The two-in-one laptop design doesn’t compromise the aesthetics at all. Its deep blue chassis stands out tastefully from the swamp of monochrome laptops, while sliced-off corners give a pleasing minimalist aesthetic, as do the thin bezels around the display. In tablet mode, magnets hold the screen secure against the chassis, and despite the 14in screen it’s not too heavy to carry around at 1.4kg. My one reservation about the design is a lack of ports: you get one USB-A port on the right-hand side, two USB-C ports on the left – and that’s it.

The keyboard has a comfortable layout and I quickly found myself typing at full speed, enjoying the action as my fingers bounced positively from each keystroke to the next. The haptic touchpad simulates clicking by producing a vibration; I can take or leave this, but I definitely like its smooth texture.

A vibrant OLED screen and a superb keyboard give the Spectre a luxury feel (Image credit: Future)

The star of the design is the 14in, 2,880 x 1,800 OLED touchscreen. On paper it doesn’t appear all that exceptional: it covers 86% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with an average peak brightness of 366cd/m2. However, it delivers wonderfully vibrant colors, making games and videos look much richer, brighter and more solid than the numbers would suggest.

Tucked above the display sits a surprisingly good webcam. Excellent, in fact. Unusually, it offers an Ultra HD, 4K resolution, and image quality is a cut above most rival laptops: my cheeks looked rosy, my surroundings looked bright and colorful, and somehow the windows behind me weren’t blown out.

Audio performance is pleasing, too, thanks to a pair of top-firing speakers. I listened to “This Feels Like the End” by Nothing But Thieves and immediately got into the groove.

The opening percussion was thumping, vocals were crisp and loud and the guitar chords and riffs were bright and urgent.

Whether it’s in tent, laptop or tablet mode, the Spectre is a joy to use (Image credit: Future)

The basic Spectre x360 14 comes with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for £1,499 inc VAT, but I reviewed the premium model with a Core Ultra 7 155H, 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. Unsurprisingly, this high-end hardware let me open dozens of Chrome tabs and a handful of YouTube videos all at once, without the slightest stutter. In Geekbench, the Spectre scored a soaring 12,358, even outpacing the M3 MacBook Pro’s score of 11,968.

The one area of compromise is graphics performance. The HP Spectre x360 14 relies on an integrated Intel Arc GPU, and in the Civilization VI:

Gathering Storm benchmark, it averaged a merely acceptable 36fps at 1080p. In other words, it’s fine for casual titles, but hardcore gamers will demand something more capable.

A final strength is battery life. With a power-efficient processor and no separate GPU to drive, the Spectre x360 14 lasted 11hrs 1min of web surfing, longer than almost any Intel laptop we’ve previously tested – although the M3 MacBook Pro lasted a ridiculous 17hrs 16mins. Heat is well managed, too: after 15 minutes of video streaming, we measured a maximum temperature of 39°C on the underside of the chassis, which is on the warm side but easy to live with if you want to use the Spectre on your lap.

(Image credit: Future)

The new HP Spectre x360 14 is hard to fault. It’s a fast, beautifully designed laptop, with a sumptuous screen, excellent performance and battery life, and the convenience of tent and tablet mode. Gamers will want a more powerful graphics chip, but as a general-purpose productivity and entertainment companion, this laptop is a star that manages to justify its high price.

We also ranked the best gaming PCs.

This review first appeared in issue 355 of PC Pro.

It’s tempting to ignore the diagrams on the Philips 49B2U6900CH box that say, categorically, “this is a two-person job”. So tempting, in fact, that I did ignore them, and was soon struggling to attach the gigantic 49in panel to the gratifyingly sturdy metal stand. At least I had the good sense to clear my desk beforehand, as I looked like a weightlifter huffing and puffing it into place.

But it’s office workers rather than weightlifters that Philips targets here, particularly those who currently have two or three 27in monitors littering their desk. The idea is to replace such anachronisms with a single screen, allowing you to split your windows across the 5,120 x 1,440 pixels (32:9). Windows Snap does a great job of this, but I found I worked best with my windows scattered around; I could then drag the required window front and center as required. If your job involves research, you’ll love having everything in view.

It’s even possible to multitask across two different computers, with a KVM that allows you to switch between sources simply by pressing Ctrl three times. At least one of those sources will need to be connected over USB-C, and with up to 100W of power delivery (on both upstream USB-C ports) this monitor makes an ideal docking station. It even includes a 1GbE port alongside the four USB-A ports and a USB-C downstream port. Sensibly, Philips places that USB-C port, a 3.5mm jack and two USB-A ports on the left-hand side of the monitor for easy access.

The huge 49in VA panel allows you to have multiple windows open at the same time (Image credit: Future)

You’ll also find a flip-out headphone stand here although, for once, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of a monitor’s integrated speakers; I was happy to listen to music while working on the Philips 49B2U6900CH. Although not bass-heavy tracks, as even this pair of 5W speakers sound hollow.

Philips includes a 5MP webcam, which pops up like a periscope when you need it.

It makes sense to keep it up all the time as it can also log you into Windows using facial recognition, plus it includes a “Busylight”. So, if it knows you’re on a video call, a red strip light runs across the top and side to alert colleagues. Or you can activate this yourself using a button on the bottom left. It’s a nice idea, but I hope the next iteration is more prominent.

I also hope that Philips improves the camera. Detail capture is spot on, and the auto-framing option (albeit a tad over-eager) works well, as does the fact that it can accommodate several people in view. However, its color balance needs work, as everything has a strange, hazy blue quality to it. Hopefully this will be fixed via a software update, but in the meantime I recommend using a webcam and a separate mic, as even at maximum pickup I found the built-in option too weak.

I have no such complaints about the panel’s image quality. This is a VA panel with a minor curvature, and it’s tuned for the sRGB color space rather than DCI-P3. There’s even an sRGB preset, which produces excellent whites. Color accuracy is fine for its intended office use, with an average Delta E of 1.13. Keeping to the default mode gives you more colors than sRGB mode, covering 79% of the DCI-3 space compared to 68%, and while whites lose some whiteness it’s still a great everyday choice.

Connections include a 1GbE port alongside four USB-A ports and USB-C (Image credit: Future)

Brightness goes all the way up to 500cd/m2, which is overkill in an office and also consumes more power. At a more sensible 200cd/m2(33% in Philips’ brightness setting) it consumed 44W, while pushing it to 100% eats 71W. Philips also offers a bunch of its SmartImage options, including Eco (125cd/m2, 37W) and EasyRead, which are worth exploring.

There’s a Movie mode, too, with Philips earning DisplayHDR 400 certification for this monitor. Films look good so long as you ignore the huge expanse of black to the left and right. It’s in driving and FPS games, though, where you truly enjoy the wide expanse, and even though it has a peak 75Hz refresh rate this monitor pays extra dividends after hours.

In fact, it delivers in all key areas. Image quality is strong, it’s extremely well suited to office life (note the 150mm of height adjustment), and there are useful features galore. My only real criticism of this monitor is its price.

We've also rated the best monitors for dual screen set-ups.

• Norton is adding AI-powered scam protection directly to its plans
• The tools cover SMS messages, emails, web browsing, and more
• It comes free for all with purchased Norton plans

Norton is adding new AI tools to its solutions, to help its customers better protect from internet scams.

The antivirus giant has announced Genie Scam Protection and Genie Scam Protection Pro, which it says provide “advanced AI protection in all the usual hotbeds of scams: texts, phone calls, emails, and web.”

Norton says that Genie AI analyzes “the meaning of words, not just links” to spot hidden scam patterns that even the most trained eye can miss. Norton’s most comprehensive plan, Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus, also offers Scam support and Reimbursement coverage.

Fighting AI with AI

The company introduced Norton Genie back in 2023, to help users analyze suspicious messages and images in real-time. Now, by building it directly into Norton plans, the company wants to build a “set it and forget it” solution that works proactively to keep people safer.

Whoever bought Norton’s Cyber Safety products on desktop, or mobile, (including Norton AntiVirus Plus, Norton Mobile Security, and Norton 360), will get the Genie Scam Protection for free.

Depending on the set of purchased features, users can expect the AI to help scan SMS messages, internet websites, calls, emails, and more. They will also get an AI-powered “scam assistant”, which integrates the Norton Genie AI app to provide “instant guidance on scams and suspicious offers”.

The tools are available in the US now, with other regions soon to follow.

For Leena Elias, Chief Product Officer at Gen, adding AI to cybersecurity solutions is a logical step, since crooks have been using AI in their attacks for a while now.

“Scammers are tapping into AI to speed up their schemes and make them more believable,” Elias said. “Couple that with the sheer volume of emails, texts, and calls we’re getting every day; it’s clear we need technology on our side to help us avoid becoming the next scam victim.”

In the near future, Norton says it will also integrate deepfake and scam detection into AI-supported PCs.

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• Apple has released its iOS 18.4 beta
• Code indicates Google Gemini could soon be integrated into Siri
• It would allow users to ask Google AI more complicated queries

Gemini could be integrated into Siri very soon, as new code in the iOS 18.4 beta hints at more AI model functionality for Apple Intelligence.

Google Gemini functionality in Apple Intelligence-powered Siri would allow users to ask Google AI more difficult questions than Siri can currently answer. This would be available as an alternate option to ChatGPT integration, although we’re not sure if you’ll need to choose or if you’ll be able to access different AI models depending on your queries.

At WWDC 2024 when Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence, Craig Federighi said, “We also intend to add support for other AI models in the future.” following the ChatGPT Siri integration announcement, it would now appear that Gemini is the next AI model to follow suit.

According to @aarop613 on X, there is a reference to “Google” as part of “choice_options” alongside the already available ChatGPT integration. This would imply that Gemini might be available in Siri as soon as the official iOS 18.4 launch which is expected sometime in the next few months.

Google Gemini coming to iPhone?

Apple's backend has revealed that the next 3rd party iOS-AI integration will be Google Gemini pic.twitter.com/0rIuJhT5LjFebruary 21, 2025

This wouldn’t be the first time Apple and Google work together, the companies have had a lucrative deal to include Google Search as the default search engine in Safari on iOS for years now, and despite being direct competitors see benefits in working together.

Google recently released Gemini 2.0 Flash which is an incredible multimodal AI model that can go toe-to-toe with the best OpenAI has to offer. Implementing Gemini into Siri would give Apple Intelligence an edge over other smartphone AI offerings by incorporating multiple models into one user experience.

If Apple’s goal is to continuously increase AI model offerings in Siri with Apple Intelligence, users will benefit from a wide scope of functionality, and that’s only a good thing. While we don’t know when to expect Gemini integration in Siri, this code points towards the arrival of Google AI in the not-too-distant future.

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• A timer has appeared on the official Tony Hawk game website
• This follows an easter egg that was spotted in Black Ops 6 last week
• Developer Iron Galaxy seems to be involved

Alert: the ongoing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater mystery has intensified as a timer has appeared on the series' official website.

By heading over to the website, you'll find a date, March 4, 2025, as well as a timer that (at the time of writing) has roughly eight and a half days left to go. This lines up with an easter egg from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 which was spotted last week in the Grind multiplayer map, in which a sign showing off that same date could be found in the skate park-themed environment.

It certainly seems like something is in the works, then, but whether that's a brand new game or the highly requested Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 remaster remains to be seen.

What we can glean from the website is the ESRB Teen rating that highlights 'Lyrics' as a content warning. Par for the course for the THPS series, really, given its usage of licensed music. What's more interesting is the listing of developer Iron Galaxy next to the Activision logo.

Iron Galaxy is a pretty renowned developer in the industry. It has worked with Activision in the past, having ported Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 to PC. The dev also has a pretty respectable background in fighting games, having worked on Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition, Killer Instinct (2013) as well as the unfortunately discontinued Rumbleverse.

So what will Activision have in store for us on March 4? We simply won't know until then, so in the meantime we'll just have to blast some Reel Big Fish, wear our favorite pair of checkerboard Vans slip-ons and hope for the best.

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• Why are we getting so many PlayStation PC ports? Former president says it's 'like printing money'
• 10 years later, Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition still has one of gaming’s best open worlds, but is it truly definitive?
• Elden Ring Nightreign has the makings of a seriously fun multiplayer game if FromSoftware can fix its performance issues

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Working away at a standing desk in the office was once thought to be an odd practice, but standing desks are now believed to offer some health benefits, helping us to be less sedentary at our desk and reduce strain on our backs when working.

With current work from home practices still going strong (despite employers asking staff to return back to the office), more and more people are looking to outfit their personal work space or home offices with the best standing desks.

This is where FlexiSpot has come through with a range of standing desks with different desktop finishes, capable of lifting 100kg for the budget friendly E1 to 180kg for the flagship E9 and accessories to boot.

Today we are reviewing their flagship FlexiSpot E9B-UK which comes with a 140cm x 80cm white laminate desktop.

The desk was delivered in two packages with the FlexiSpot branding displayed proudly and model numbers. The desktop box was a little battered by the courier which left me somewhat worried about it knowing that laminate tops can be chipped or cracked if mal-handled. Point two note that the Standing Desk Frame box was very heavy and ideally you need two people for this job though I managed by myself.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot) FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Assembly

Starting with the Standing Desk Frame box and opening that I was greeted by ample packaging with all items wrapped or in soft closed cell foam. Lifting foam out revealed the two standing desk legs which were the main culprit of the heft. All other bits and bobs were in the small boxes you see tucked in between. Removing the second layer of foam brought me to the Standing Desk Frame which is the part that holds the legs and desktop all together, it is inside that where we find the control box, the brains of the desk effectively. Along with some rubberised, height adjustable feet pads.

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(Image credit: FlexiSpot)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

Taking everything out of packaging and boxes shows all the components of the desk, which gives you an idea of how it’s put together. FlexiSpot provides two little hex keys to assemble the desk, whilst these are a welcome for those with no tools, I on the other hand was armed with a combi drill and an assortment of bits.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

Assembling the desk was quick and easy, starting with screwing the desktop supports to the frame then the legs followed by the feet all upside down before (and make sure you have the space) opening the desktop box. The legs are what make this desk, they are made of a solid steel construction with a column front to back thickness of 95.6mm.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

On opening the desktop box, I was pleased to find that the desktop and fully intact with no damage to it. It appears that FlexiSpot knows how couriers sometimes treat boxes, especially one as heavy as this. I noted that FlexiSpot had placed hard plastic corner protectors. We have opted for the 140cm x 80cm desktop.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

There are already pre drilled holes on the underside of the desktop which line up to the screw holes of the standing desk frame and control panel. It is simply a matter of placing the frame on the desktop, locating the holes, screwing it together before flipping the entire desk over so that the desk is the right way up.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot) FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Operation

Once completed, the desk will be at its lowest setting, too low for my liking. Checking the control panel, we have the usual “up” and “down” buttons. Next to them is the “M” button which has two uses, lightly pressing on it will allow you to set a memory setting, pressing and holding it will lock the desk height preventing accident height adjustment.

Between the cluster of buttons is the height display. The cluster of buttons to the right are memorised heights of “1” and “2” as well as a memorised “standing” and “sitting” heights. These are adjusted by setting the height first, say 114, pressing the “M” button then the “standing” button. Thereafter every time you press the “Standing” button, the desk will raise itself to 114.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

Lastly, at the end of the control panel is a USB-A port for charging various items, I don’t have any equipment to test the wattage of the port, but trying to charge the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga laptop didn’t work, which requires at least 65W. Plugging my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in showed it as fast charging, this leads me to believe that it is capable of 25W. It would have been nicer to see a USB-C port as that’s becoming the standard with at least 100W output, a missed opportunity.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

About the display, the numbers do actually mean height. At say 110, it means that the bottom of the desktop will be 110cm from the floor. The numbers tick up in centimetre with anything under 100 shown as 99.9cm, anything about 100 shown as whole centimetres. Minimum height is 68.5 and max height is 128cms.

Playing around with the desk on initial setup I was presented with an “E01” error, on reading the manual, it appears that this desk doesn’t like to be adjusted too often and it appears I “overworked” it. This despite the desk being empty. Switching off the desk at the mains and then switching it back on after a few minutes solved the issue, I haven’t seen the error since then for over two weeks of use.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot) FlexiSpot E9B-UK: In use

After assembly, I loaded the desk with a very light load of a laptop, monitor and a few other bits and bobs. The desk performed flawlessly, silently, swiftly and most importantly, smoothly too. And it should do too as this desk has brushless motors which have better longevity, speed and weight capacity when compared to their brushed brethren.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

Confidence gained, I loaded the desk with my main set up, whilst I knew that the desk would have no issue in lifting my 25Kg+ desktop PC, I decided not to place it on the desk for the sake of cable management. It did however have to lift and lower the Innocn 49Q1S monitor which we reviewed a few months back, this weighs in at a not heavy but bulky 12Kg as well as a few accessories.

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(Image credit: FlexiSpot)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: FlexiSpot)

I set my sitting height at 74cm and standing height at 114cm, I found desk had no issue lifting the entire setup as shown with little to no wobble from the monitor. I have noted that the desk also has a collision detection system where if any part of the desk encounters resistance whilst going in either direction, the desk will stop and back off a few centimetres.

On to cable management. The cables for the desk such those that connect the legs and control panel to the central box in the frame are a little too long so had to be tucked away. Thankfully, FlexiSpot provides a little magnetic cover that hides those cables. For my desktop PCs cables I used a cable sleeve for the cables and then from there used lots of sticky cable tacks to hold them against the underside of the desktop neatly.

(Image credit: FlexiSpot) FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Price and availability

Lastly, the cost at time of writing the frame of the E9B-UK alone costs £499.99, our combination to white laminate desktop at 140 x 80cm brings this to £629.98. the most expensive combination coming in at £749.98 for a 180 x 80cm desktop made from Bamboo. And, that’s before we add any accessories such as a cable management tray, power plugs or drawers. If that’s too costly, then FlexiSpot also sells the E1 desk, with the same desktop colour finish and size it retails for £239.98 but with a lower load capacity and missing some features.

FlexiSpot E9B-UK: Final verdict

So, what’s the verdict of the FlexiSpot E9B-UK standing desk? Overall, a well-made, sturdy, smooth and hefty desk with a heavy load capacity. There's not much to dislike about this desk if you’re in the market for a standing desk then this should definitely be on your shortlist.

For more workplace essentials, we reviewed the best office chairs.

• A new report about the Samsung tri-fold phone has revealed more details
• It may appear alongside Samsung's other 2025 foldables
• A Galaxy G Fold name has already been rumored

Last month, Samsung teased a tri-fold foldable phone that's set to launch sometime later this year – and we've now got more leaked information about what to expect when the new device eventually shows up.

As per South Korean outlet ET News (via @Jukanlosreve), mass production of the foldable is scheduled for April, as Samsung finalizes supply chain parts. Unlike the Huawei Mate XT, it will apparently fold inwards (as previously rumored), so two screens are needed.

Those screens will measure, according to this report, 9.96 inches and 6.49 inches. That main screen is just a touch smaller than the Huawei tri-fold, which has a 10.2-inch main display (a third of which does double duty as a cover display).

Another important revelation here: the tri-fold is being tipped to launch alongside the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold SE 2, which should be around July time – though it won't necessarily go on sale right away.

A rumored name

Report: Samsung Prepares for Mass Production of ‘Dual-Folding’ Foldable Phone – Expected to Launch Alongside Z7 SeriesAccording to reports from Korean media citing anonymous sources, Samsung plans to start procuring components for its dual-folding foldable phone around April.…February 24, 2025

This ET News report also suggests the main screen will lack a digitizer, in order to keep it as slim as possible – that means no support for an S Pen stylus, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

We don't get a name for the tri-fold device here, but an earlier rumor indicated it's going to be called the Samsung G Fold, which would sort of fit in with the current naming scheme for Samsung's foldable series.

(Image credit: Future)

The upcoming handset is apparently going to match the current Galaxy Z Fold 6 in terms of screen brightness (2,600 nits) and wired charging speed (25W), but we're still mostly in the dark when it comes to the other key specs.

It certainly sounds as though we're going to get a bumper crop of foldables from Samsung in the next few months, but the Galaxy G Fold (if that is what it's called) might be the best of the bunch – even if it's also very expensive.

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• The M4 MacBook Air release date could be imminent
• Apple Stores are getting ready and cutting stock of the M3 MacBook Air
• The new laptop is expected to bring modest improvements

We’ve been hearing for months that Apple is going to launch a new MacBook Air with an M4 chip soon, and now it looks like the date is almost upon us. If you’ve been thinking about buying a MacBook Air, you’ll want to hold off for just a little longer.

That’s because Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has claimed in his Power On newsletter that Apple Stores are preparing for the new MacBook Air to arrive. His evidence for this? Inventory of the M3 MacBook Air is apparently being wound down at Apple Stores, meaning there will soon be fewer units of the current model available to buy.

This is usually a surefire sign that Apple is getting ready to launch a new device. After all, what’s the point in the company maintaining high stock levels of a product that will soon be superseded?

It’s not the only clue. Gurman says that Apple’s marketing, sales and retail teams are now being prepared for the M4 MacBook Air release, which is expected to land at some point in March. Gurman's track record is very good, so a launch within the next month does look increasingly likely.

Hang on a little longer

(Image credit: Apple)

All of this means that you probably shouldn’t buy a MacBook Air right now. If you do, you’ll end up with an M3 model that will quickly be surpassed by the M4 version.

As we’ve seen from the MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro, the M4 chip should be a decent upgrade over the M3, if not a groundbreaking one. In terms of performance, we’ll likely see some increased core counts, a more efficient Neural Engine, and improved memory bandwidth.

Other than the new chip, the M4 MacBook Air isn’t expected to include many other new features. The design will almost certainly stay the same, as will the speakers. And while Apple is working on an OLED MacBook Air, it’s still a few years away from release.

Still, the M4 MacBook Air is enough of an upgrade to make it worth waiting for. If you’ve been itching to pull the trigger on a new MacBook Air, you’d do well to hang on just a few more weeks.

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• JBL Flip 7 and Charge 6 US launch details leak in removed press release
• Pre-orders set for March 10, 2025 – on-sale April 6, 2025
• Flip 6 set to be $149, Charge 6 set to be $199

The JBL Flip 7 and Charge 6 Bluetooth speakers are ready to launch soon, according to a press release from the company on Business Wire, which has now been removed – but is still visible via Wayback Machine.

It reveals that the new speakers will cost $149 and $199 respectively, and will be available to pre-order in the US from March 10, 2025 – but won't actually be available until April 6. The price is a rise from the previous versions of both models, which launched at $129 and $179 respectively. In the UK, we'd expect them to cost £149 and £199 based on current exchange rates. In Australia, it works out to around AU$295 and AU$395.

That's unless you're in China, where the Flip 7 it's already available to order with an early bird price of around $158, according to Gizmochina.

In addition to the usual JBL strengths, it looks like the successors to the rather good JBL Flip 6 and JBL Charge 5 will be borrowing one of the best features of the JBL Xtreme 4: the AI Sound Boost mode. The Business Wire release confirms that both speakers will support this tech, and we'll explain why that's a great fit in a moment.

But the Gizmochina article says that there's another welcome piece of optimization tech in the Flip 7: a battery mode that squeezes another two hours out of the high-capacity lithium-ion battery by turning off the bass display and equalizer settings. That should mean an improved battery life of 14 hours.

We haven't seen a good range of pictures of the devices yet, but we expect the design to be largely to same as the previous models – here's the JBL Charge 5, for reference. (Image credit: Daniel Hessel) Why we're looking forward to hearing the JBL Flip 7

I'm the first person to mock fancy-sounding audio optimization tech, because I've listened to a lot of it and found it deeply disappointing. But the AI Sound Boost here could be good, based on when we've already heard it in action.

Here's Harry Padoan, who reviewed the JBL Xtreme 4, describing how the system worked for him: "The AI Sound Boost in the JBL Xtreme 4 has pretty controlled, powerful audio and at high volumes it didn't sound distorted at all – that seems to be the purpose of the technology. How much of that is really down to 'AI', I couldn't say, of course."

Whether it's AI, engineering or a mix of both doesn't really matter: if it helps the JBL Flip 7 and Charge to push out more powerful sound without distortion than they could manage before, that could be a big win for such small speakers.

The Gizmochina articles describes the Flip 7 as using a tweeter, racetrack mid driver and dual bass radiators for sound, which is basically what the Flip 6 offers.

It'll be IP68 water and dust-resistant, but a nice upgrade will be the option of USB-C audio input for "lossless" sound, though I don't know that I'd rely on a pint-sized portable speaker for that kind of fidelity…

Bluetooth 5.4 will provide the wireless tech, including support for Auracast, to provide the ability to use loads of the speakers together at once.

We don't have this kind of info for the Charge 6 yet, but I'd expect them to be basically identical except for a more powerful speaker setup in the Charge, and a larger battery that can charge other devices, naturally.

The JBL Flip 6 and JBL Charge 5 both rank among our list of the best Bluetooth speakers based on how good a value they offer, and I suspect that these two speakers will be the biggest competitors to the new models – with the Flip 6 regularly available for under $100 / £100, the Flip 7 is going to have to be a clear upgrade.

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• Windows 11 has a new preview build with some smart additions
• One of those is a fresh piece of the interface to make file sharing easier
• The other is a couple of neat new layouts for one part of the Start menu

Windows 11 should be getting some useful changes to its interface, one of which makes sharing files easier, and the other introduces nifty new layout options for the Start menu.

These moves are in testing right now, to be precise in Windows 11’s build 22635.4950 which is in the Beta channel.

The new file sharing menu appears at the top of the screen whenever you’re dragging a file out of a folder on the desktop, and it features an array of icons, such as WhatsApp, My Phone, Microsoft Teams, and so on. Dropping a file on any icon will instantly share it via that medium.

As for the Start menu, that change is for the ‘All apps’ page which as the name suggests lists all your apps, with the new options here being the grid and category views.

The grid view sticks to an alphabetical ordering of your apps, as in the standard list view, except with the grid layout, you can fit more apps on with the layout extended out to the side, so there’s less scrolling to do (see the image below).

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Or a more different alternative is the category view where your apps are grouped into various categories and ordered by usage levels. So, for example, there are social apps, or productivity, or entertainment apps, a whole bunch of categories you can dive into, with your most-used apps highlighted in a box featuring their icons (again, see the pic below).

(Image credit: Microsoft)

This feature is still rolling out, so not every tester will see it yet (and it’s coming to the Dev builds, as well as the Beta channel).

That’s pretty much it for this preview build, although there’s one more addition on the accessibility front with File Explorer which is being graced with improved support for text size scaling with File Open or Save dialog boxes (and also with Wizard dialog boxes).

Oh, and Microsoft has applied a number of bug fixes too, while there are some acknowledged issues, which are all listed in the usual blog post outlining the content of build 22635.4950.

Analysis: Almost through testing now

Of course, all this is just in testing, and if trialling any given element doesn’t work out, that feature may be dropped. I’d imagine that’s unlikely, though, as both these fresh introductions are useful and welcome touches.

Easier file sharing has got to be good, and I can’t see anyone arguing with more choice in the Start menu layouts. After all, if you don’t want to have the ‘All apps’ panel look any different to the default list, you don’t need to go near the alternatives.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that having reached the Beta channel, these features are not far from release now. There’s only one more step – final testing in the Release Preview channel – before this functionality is ready to be deployed to the finished version of Windows 11.

Indeed, the move with the Start menu layouts was previously discovered by digging around in test builds in the past, so it’s good to see that coming to fruition (the above mentioned caveats taken into consideration).

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• Spider-Man 4's release date has been pushed back one week
• The joint Sony-Marvel movie will now launch in theaters on July 31, 2026
• The studios don't want Tom Holland's next superhero film to be released so close to Christopher Nolan's next movie

Marvel and Sony have announced a new release date for Spider-Man 4 – but don't worry, you won't have too much longer to wait for its arrival.

Last Friday (February 21), the studios, which are working together on their fourth Spider-Man movie, announced that it'll arrive one week later than its original launch date of July 24, 2026. It'll now swing into theaters on July 31, 2026.

So, what's behind the release date switch-up? It's all Christopher Nolan's fault. The multi-award-winning British filmmaker's next movie – The Odyssey, an epic retelling of the eponymous poem penned by Ancient Greek poet Homer – is set to arrive on July 17, 2026. Matt Damon will be the movie's lead and, ironically, Holland is part of its all-star cast that'll also feature his Spider-Man co-star (and long-time girlfriend) Zendaya.

Clearly, Marvel and Sony don't want Spider-Man 4 to go toe-to-toe with Nolan's latest big-budget team-up with Universal Pictures. Sure, the webslinger could more than hold his own against The Odyssey, but it makes sense to delay Spidey's next big-screen adventure to generate more ticket sales and, by proxy, more profit for the pair. Spider-Man: No Way Home earned over $1 billion during its run in cinemas worldwide in late 2021, and the wallcrawler's next film should be as successful, if not more so, than its forebear. Getting out of The Odyssey's way, even if it's just by an extra week, should help the Marvel Phase 6 film to do that.

What do we know about Spider-Man 4 so far?

Zendaya's (left) role in Spider-Man 4 will be a small one, according to a new report (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)

The best place to learn more about Holland's next Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) outing is by reading my dedicated Spider-Man 4 guide. It'll give you the lowdown on everything from its confirmed cast, story specifics, and why it's sandwiched between the next two Avengers flicks – those being Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which are currently slated to land in theaters in May 2026 and May 2027. Spider-Man 4's launch delay is equally beneficial as it'll provide some much-needed breathing room between Doomsday's release and its own, too.

New cast and plot rumors have emerged over the past few days that I haven't covered in my Spider-Man 4 hub yet, though, which may be of interest to you. According to industry insider Daniel RPK, Jacob Batalon won't be returning as Ned Leeds for Spidey's next MCU adventure. Zendaya's MJ will only have a small role in proceedings, too, with director Daniel Destin Cretton seemingly set to introduce a new supporting cast for Holland's Peter Parker.

Until Marvel and/or Sony confirm anything, I'd advise you should take the above with a huge pinch of salt. There's been plenty of speculation about Spider-Man 4's cast and story in recent months but, its release date, Cretton's hiring, and Holland's return aside, nothing has been officially announced. Once something is, you'll be sure to hear it from me. In the meantime, find out how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order or see if you agree with my ranking of the best Spider-Man movies.

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• Empirical Health is an app that uses smartwatch data to provide personalized healthcare
• It's supported by most major insurers and available in more than 30 US states
• It just launched on Android with support for Wear OS watches

Empirical Health is an app that promises to transform personalized health care using data from your smartwatch, and now it's available on Android with support for the best Android smartwatches, providing they run Wear OS.

The 2.0 version of Empirical Health launched on Apple Watch last year and is now available on the Google Play Store. It supports Samsung Galaxy watches, Google Pixel Watches, Fitbits, and other Wear OS devices.

The app's premise is simple. "WearOS watches track tons of health data, but most of it goes unused by the healthcare system. We think that’s a missed opportunity," the company explains. "So, we built an entire medical practice that uses modern technology to streamline diagnostics, improve treatment, and keep the doctor-patient relationship at the center of care."

Medical care through Empirical Health is accessible in more than 30 US states and supported by most major insurance providers. According to the company, that's more than 200 million covered customers, so what exactly can the app do?

Transforming smartwatch data into healthcare

(Image credit: Empirical)

Empirical Health takes data from your smartwatch and uses AI to turn it into a personalized health plan. The plans can only be used once they've been reviewed by a real-life human doctor, who can also provide lab tests, referrals, or prescriptions.

Specifically, the company highlights benefits including at-home tests for sleep apnea. If your smartwatch detects metrics such as low deep sleep or irregular breathing, one of its doctors can order you an at-home sleep apnea test covered by insurance.

It also tracks your heart rate data, and can even provide the equivalent of a tilt table test for Long COVID and Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The app has a Today tab, which gives you at-a-glance information like heart rate, sleep, symptom, and workout data. There's also a Metrics tab with a deep dive into over 40 biomarkers taken from your smartwatch data and any blood test results you might have. In eligible locations, you can also use the Chat tab to speak to a doctor, and you can use the Goals tab to set up your own personalized health plan for nutrition, exercise, and more.

With Apple recently unveiling its own ambitious health study into the impact of tech on physical and mental well-being, Empirical Health's expansion is another sign that smartwatches are fast becoming an integral part of everyday health and well-being. Features like sleep apnea detection, heart rate monitoring, fall detection, and ECGs are making smartwatches indispensable for people who want to take control of their health.

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• New phishing technique discovered abusing PayPal
• The attack uses a feature recently added to the payments platform
• The goal is to get victims to install remote desktop access software

A sophisticated phishing scam has been spotted abusing PayPal and other services, with the goal of tricking people into granting cybercriminals access to their devices.

Researchers from BleepingComputer who, themselves, received one such phishing email, and decided to investigate further.

The victims would get an email directly from “service@paypal.com” claiming a new address had been added to their account, and that a purchase of a new MacBook M4 laptop was completed. The victims were then invited to call a phone number enclosed with the email, if they wish to cancel the order.

Abusing legitimate services

Obviously, all of this is fake. There is no new address, no MacBook, and the phone number - while active - does not belong to PayPal, but rather to the scammers. The goal is to scare people into rash decisions, calling the phone number to quickly cancel the order. The person on the other side would claim the computer was compromised, and that they needed to install an antivirus to clean it up.

This antivirus is actually a ConnectWise ScreenConnect client, which would grant the attackers total control over the computer. After that, they can steal the data, make actual wire transfers, and more.

One thing that actually isn’t fake is PayPal’s email address. As BleepingComputer discovered, PayPal recently introduced a new feature that allows users to add “gift addresses” to their own profiles. So, in reality, the attackers actually added a new address to their own account.

After adding a new address, PayPal can send a customized notification email. This customization allowed the attackers to add the “You purchased a new MacBook phishing message.”

The notification message was then automatically forwarded to another account which, the publication speculates, is a mailing list that forwarded it to the victims.

PayPal users getting this email can safely ignore it. If you’re still suspicious, navigate directly to paypal.com and check to see if there is a new address added (there isn’t).

Via BleepingComputer

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