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• Ransomware group Space Bears claims ransomware attack on Atos
• No evidence has been found and no ransom demands received
• Space Bears, a new group, has already targeted many companies

French tech giant Atos has confirmed it has been hit by a cyberattack, but has noted the threat might just be a false alarm.

The company shared details of a threat by ransomware group Space Bears, which claimed to have compromised an internal Atos database.

However, Atos said that initial investigations revealed no evidence of any compromise or ransomware affecting any of its systems in any country, or those of its subsidiary Eviden.

Atos ransomware attack?

Apart from the lack of evidence, Atos says it has not received any ransom demand, however it still takes the threat “very seriously.”

The company, which has an annual revenue of €10 billion ($10.4 billion), says it has put together a dedicated cybersecurity team to investigate the allegat

ion. No further updates have been issued by the company.

For context, Space Bears is a ransomware group believed to have emerged in early 2024.

The attackers has already targeted several victims globally, targeting Canadian software development company Haylem and two related companies, Un Museau Vaut Mille Mots and Lexibar.

The group claimed to have obtained database information, including employee and client information.

Other December 2024 attacks by the group include Canada’s JRT Automatisation and India’s Aptus.

No further updates have been shared since Atos’ first announcement on December 29. TechRadar Pro has asked the company for further details, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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The gym is a scary place, at least at first. Everyone there is so focused that it can be awkward to walk through the doors, let alone pick up the weights.

When I started working out in 2012, I did so with a cursory induction session and was left to my own devices. I got more familiar as time went on, but without any real instruction (and no money for a personal trainer), I always felt like I had a ceiling for my progress.

I discovered Fitbod a couple of years ago, and in the time since I’ve racked up over 1000 workouts, meaning it was easy to include in our best fitness app roundup. Here’s why I like it, and why I think you should give it a spin in 2025.

A task-based workout

(Image credit: Fitbod)

I’m a very task-oriented person, and if I wasn’t writing about workout apps right now there’s a good chance I’d be extolling the virtues of a task manager instead.

There’s something about ticking items off of a list that fills me with satisfaction, and Fitbod works so well for me because it essentially offers a sort of 'to-do list' when I’m working out.

Once a workout is generated (more on that in a moment), I know that I can get to the gym, open the app, and hit “Start Workout” to get going.

Fitbod is constantly learning and adjusting its algorithms, so I can look at a series of five or six exercises and tackle them as I see fit. Naturally there’s a feeling of dread when I see squats coming up (anyone who says they enjoy them is factually incorrect), but ticking each item off the list almost gamifies working out.

And, just as in a video game, you 'level up' in a way with Fitbod’s workout reports. These get more detailed year after year, and show you a handy line graph over a week, month, six months, or a year to show how you’ve improved.

That’s a fantastic motivator, as are the little “trophies” for hitting new personal bests. There’s even a Spotify Wrapped-style roundup at the end of the year, too.

Less guesswork, more leg work

(Image credit: Fitbod)

One of the hardest parts about walking into a gym for the first time is not knowing where to start. Sure, you can narrow it down to cardio or strength training, but which exercises are best? Which equipment should you use?

Fitbod takes a lot of the guesswork out of working out. It has six categories ranging from general fitness to olympic weightlifting, and will recommend workouts based on time intervals of 15 - 90 minutes. It also targets your recovered muscles by default, so you can rest those you’ve most recently used.

Better yet, you can filter by equipment, including a setup with no equipment at all if you have 15 minutes and no weights, and if you do need guidance, it offers GIF walkthroughs on your phone or Apple Watch to show you how to do each exercise safely.

Any workout works

(Image credit: Fitbod)

One of my favorite Fitbod features is how it pulls in data from other workout apps (if you let it). While it can track your runs, indoors our outdoors, it doesn’t have the metric tracking of something like Strava.

Thankfully, I have it set up to import Strava workouts into my activity feed, showing when I’ve run and factoring it into my muscle tiredness. It also lets you tie in with Apple’s own Fitness app, meaning my walk to and from the gym can be tracked, too – of the more than 1,000 workouts I’ve done, it’s fair to say a lot of them are long strolls.

You can also ask Fitbod to export data to Strava or Fitbit, as well as Apple Health.

Thanks to Fitbod, I’ve hit heights with strength training I didn’t think were possible even a few years ago – and I’m working out muscles I’d otherwise have neglected (looking at you, legs).

My overall fitness has really leveled up, and that’s why Fitbod’s iOS widget has a permanent spot on one of my home screens at all times.

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Beyerdynamic Aventho 300: Two-minute review

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 are a fantastic pair of wireless headphones. Using the same drivers as the company’s studio-oriented DT 700 Pro X and DT 900 Pro X, the sound quality will make you feel like you’ve taken a blanket off your music, especially if you’re upgrading from a cheaper, lesser model. And they’re as feature-filled as any other model at this price point.

I believe that, since their release this year, they belong in the conversation for the best wireless headphones. They do fall slightly short of the active noise cancellation (ANC) you find with the likes of Bose and Sony flagships. But, they still fare very well. And again, they sound fantastic. On top of that, the battery life is very, very good.

There are a couple aspects that hold the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 from being perfect. For instance, the ear pads are tough to remove – an issue if you’re worried about potential wear and tear. And, the main way to control audio on the headphones is a touchpad on the right ear. It’s innovative, but slow to respond and comes with a bit of a learning curve. Since I generally use my phone or computer for adjusting things like volume and forwarding / rewinding, it’s not a dealbreaker. Still, it’s annoying.

At the end of the day, however, the pros vastly outweigh the cons.

(Image credit: Future) Beyerdynamic Aventho 300: Price and release date

• Announced September 9 2024, available from November 2024
• Costs $399.99 / £359.00 (about AU$640)

No doubt about it, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 are among the more premium options out there when it comes to wireless headphones. They go for $399.99 / £359.00 (about AU$640), which is more than the Sony WH-1000XM5 and their price of £380 / $399 / AU$649. Both are fantastic sounding headphones. Of course, the Aventho 300 fold up and have faster Bluetooth connectivity, but the WH-1000XM5 have class-leading ANC.

There are even more expensive options out there such as the $899 / £599-priced Dali IO-8 or the $549 / £549 / AU$899-priced Apple AirPods Max where you’re paying for the name or premium materials as much as anything else. The Beyerdynamic Aventho 300, therefore, are well-priced for what they are and offer good value, but are not a steal.

Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review: Specs Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review: Features

(Image credit: Future)

• Very useable EQ and presets
• Plenty of accessibility in the app
• Has multipoint connectivity and lossless codecs

As far as features go, the only thing missing from the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 is some kind of personalised, augmented sound profile. That said, there is more than enough flexibility available in the app to adjust the EQ. Not only are there six different presets to choose from, including “neutral” interestingly (more on why that’s necessary for some later), but there’s also a five-band graphic EQ with the ability to boost or cut up to six dB where you can save your preferred EQ curve.

Speaking of the app, there’s much more on tap, including playing around with different levels of ANC and ambient mode as well as turning Dolby Atmos and head tracking on. The ANC and ambient modes have five levels of sensitivity and work pretty well, either blocking out sound or letting you hear your surroundings. They’re not quite class-leading, but unless your neighbours or colleagues are especially raucous, you’ll probably be happy with them.

In the app, you can also turn on/off a voice assistant as well as adjust what the internal voice prompt announces. For example, I like hearing the battery level when I turn on the headphones, but I don’t want to hear which codec is being used during the first few seconds of the first song I listen to.

The app also allows toggling things like auto shutdown, sidetone, and LED brightness. There’s even a touch guide to show how to use the touchpad on the side of the headphones.

Though you won’t see it in the app, multipoint connectivity is available. It’s also worth noting that there’s AAC and aptX lossless (and adaptive) support.

(Image credit: Future)

• Features score: 4.5/5

Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review: Design

• Aesthetically pleasing if a bit bulky
• Touchpad has a learning curve and has inconsistent sensitivity
• Has a very long battery life

The chunky design of the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 is aesthetically pleasing while still looking very similar to the majority of over-ear headphones out there. Available in Black and Nordic Grey (reviewed here), the whole thing from the earcups to the head band and all the plush materials are the same color with the exception of the metal (presumably aluminum) yoke and the model name emblazoned on the left earcup – silver on the Nordic Grey model and Nordic Grey on the Black model.

The ergonomics are solid as the ear cups are angled to sit more naturally on the side of the face, though the amount the headband can extend seems like it might not be enough for big heads. The ear pads and headband are covered in a faux leather that’s not the most breathable, but is comfortable enough. I can definitely wear these for a while without feeling fatigued, but they’re not the cream of the crop when it comes to comfort. On top of that, the clamping force is a bit strong, so if you’re sensitive to that, you might need to stretch them out just a bit.

(Image credit: Future)

The controls consist of a power button that also pairs via Bluetooth, a button to cycle through ANC, ANC off, and transparency mode, and the touch pad I’ve mentioned which covers the entire flat portion of the right ear cup. This capacitive area allows an assortment of controls from volume control, skipping through songs, answering calls, and the like via tapping and gesturing in the appropriate directions. It’s a good idea, but takes a bit to learn. More importantly, the sensitivity seems inconsistent, so sometimes I have to gesture more than once to get the headphones to react to what I want to do. This is probably the area where these headphones could use the most fine tuning for successive models.

At least the battery life is long, as you can get 50 hours with ANC on – and ANC has a tendency to drain the battery. After about 10 hours of listening, I had 80% battery life left without charging back up. Considering they charge via USB-C, 10 minutes of charging gets about five hours of play.

• Design score: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future) Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review: Sound quality

• Seemingly neutral but has prominent bass and slightly hyped high-end
• Decently wide soundstage
• Dolby Atmos and head tracking work well

If you don’t feel like reading the next 200ish words, just know that the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 sound really good. Since these headphones share the same Stellar.45 drivers that the company introduced in its studio-focused DT 700 Pro X and DT 900 Pro X headphones, the frequency range leans towards a very clean, high-headroom experience that on first listen almost sounds neutral the way a pair of headphones meant for the studio sounds.

After spending a little time listening to all sorts of genres from Rock to Hip Hop and Folk, the nuances become a little more obvious. First of all, even though the sound comes across as clean and even, it’s actually quite bass heavy (note that the frequency range goes as low as 5Hz), especially nearing the sub-bass region. Any Rock or Alternative tracks I listen to become very bass prominent even though the genres are generally more mid-focused.

Of course, it’s a testament to the quality of the drivers that you get such prominent bass while still hearing everything else clearly.

(Image credit: Future)

The high-end is also a little hyped, which adds a bit to the clarity. But, it’s not so prominent to be in-your-face or painful. In the EQ modes I mentioned earlier, the neutral setting actually boosts the mid-range just a tad while bringing the low-end down quite a bit and the high-end a dB or two.

The soundstage is just as stellar. It feels wide enough to make me feel like I’m sitting on stage with the musicians. Far off elements are well-placed so that I get a really immersive sense of space. Now, they’re not the widest sounding headphones ever, but they sit at a sweet spot between intimate and concert hall.

Since there’s Dolby Atmos support, I should mention that it’s a nice touch. However, it is a virtual spatial audio so everything just sounds like there’s just a bit more reverb. While more dimensional, it doesn’t really add much to the experience unless watching a movie or show. I feel the same way about the headtracking that can be enabled. It works well if that matters to you.

• Sound quality: 5/5

(Image credit: Beyerdynamic) Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review: Value

• Pricing is about what one would expect for flagship wireless headphones
• Paying for consistency
• Comes with a hard shell and softshell case

As a value proposition, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 are good but not great. As previously mentioned, they're not that much more than the Sony WH-1000XM5 and are comparable in a lot of ways, with some aspects being slightly better and others slightly worse. You can spend much more for models that aren’t really any better. But you can spend much less and still get very good-sounding headphones.

However, Beyerdynamic headphones are consistently great, so you’re paying for that to a degree the way you do with Apple when it comes to phones or laptops. At least, you get a nice hard shell case and drawstring bag out of the deal.

• Value: 4/5

Should I buy the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300? Buy them if…

You want excellent, polished sound quality
Not only do the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 sound great, but they sound polished like they’re meant for the studio. Somehow, they still have a large bass response.

You want something a little different but just as good
If you want to get something a little different than everyone else without sacrificing quality, these headphones have it all from sound quality to feature set.

Don’t buy them if…

You’re looking for a best-value buy
While they’re priced appropriately, the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 are not cheap. So, if you’re looking to get the bang for your buck, there are other options to consider.

You want easy controls
Though the capacitive touchpad on the right earcup is a good idea, it could be executed just a little bit better (it’s not bad, just inconsistent).

Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 review: Also consider

Cambridge Audio Melomania P100
The Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 don’t have the best ANC and lose the proprietary spatial audio. However, they’re great value and not just because they’re a bit cheaper. Since they come at a lower price point, they focus on what matters most – and that’s excellent sound quality. Also, the battery life is excellent
Read our full Cambridge Audio Melomania P100 review

Sony WH-1000XM5
The Sony WH-1000XM5 are still considered one of the best, if not the best, over-ear wireless headphones. The sound quality is excellent, the app is easy to use, and, most importantly, the ANC and ambient features are still virtually unparalleled. Only thing is they’re minimally better than their lower-priced and still available predecessor.
Read our full Sony WH-1000XM5 review

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300

• Tested over two weeks
• Tested with different music as well as video streaming
• Tested every feature meticulously

I spent a few weeks using the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 as my daily headphones. While using them, I listened to all sorts of genres from electronic and hip-hop to rock and acoustic music to compare the frequency range and soundstage. I also tested them with streaming video and used the various settings such as ANC, ambient mode, and EQ.

After testing, it seems that the Beyerdynamic Aventho 300 are best suited for those wanting a mostly neutral audiophile-like experience in a set of wireless headphones without sacrificing on features.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing audio equipment and have spent even longer using my critical ear as a listener and musician to understand what does and doesn’t sound good.

• First reviewed in December 2024

• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

You can upgrade your home entertainment setup with a soundbar, subwoofer and two rear speakers for just $998 right now.

• From January 4th to 5th, 2025, Apple TV Plus will be free.
• Apple TV Plus will let anyone stream its content.
• Take advantage and watch shows like Severance and Ted Lasso for no cost.

After a few teasers across its social channels, Apple TV Plus has confirmed via Instagram (see post below) that a free weekend of streaming is coming in fast. So whether you want to watch some Ted Lasso, Shrinking, or get caught up on Severance but don’t want to sign up – either as a new customer or a returning one – to Apple TV Plus, this is your chance to watch anything from its entire library for free.

From January 4–5, 2025 – likely a whole 48-hour event – you’ll be able to stream any of the Apple TV Plus original TV shows, movies, and documentaries for free. It’s not just occurring shortly after the holiday season and just four days into 2025, but it’s also right before the much-anticipated season 2 of Severance begins streaming on January 17, 2025.

Further, considering the teasers and free-weekend formal announcement all feature characters from the show, the timing of this free weekend likely isn’t a coincidence. It could serve to build up hype around the show’s return and even encourage folks who haven’t ventured into the halls of ‘Lumen’s’ halls to do so without needing to subscribe.

A post shared by Apple TV (@appletv)

A photo posted by on

While free weekends for streaming services aren’t unheard of, this is the first for Apple TV Plus. The streaming service routinely offers an Apple TV Plus free trial of about seven days, but that requires a sign-up. And the timing comes before a major series return and at a time when there is a boatload of great content to watch on Apple TV Plus.

There is plenty to watch on the service, including Mythic Quest, Schmigadoon!, The Morning Show, Ted Lasso, Slow Horses, and For All Mankind, among many others. You can see TechRadar’s full list of the best Apple TV Plus shows here, which will give you an idea of where to start this upcoming weekend. And when you're done there, make sure to check on our ranking of the best Apple TV Plus movies for more.

(Image credit: SOPA Images)

While you can find Apple TV Plus’ vast library of content within the Apple TV app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV 4K streaming box, it’s available on other devices, too, and even on the web. Most major streaming OSs, including Roku, Google TV, and FireOS, offer the Apple TV app for easy streaming, and it’s also built into both Samsung and LG TVs.

Apple TV Plus’ free weekend of streaming will kick off on January 4, 2025, and wrap at the end of January 5, 2025. And while we don’t yet know if it’s available in the UK, Australia, and all countries where the service is available, we’ve reached out to Apple to ask and will update this story if we hear back.

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The 39th president spoke with Terry Gross in 1993, '95, '96 and '98 about growing up on a Georgia farm, entering politics and his advocacy for human rights and peace. Carter died Dec. 29 at age 100.

For the first decade of the smartphone industry’s lifetime, progress was absolutely rapid. We went from the iPhone in 2007 to the iPhone X in 2017, with phone makers implementing massive changes to design, performance, and software with each new generation.

However, in the last five or so years this progress has tapered, with phone makers pushing for marginal gains, squeezing the absolute most performance possible out of existing technologies. Again looking at Apple, the jump from the iPhone 13 to iPhone 14 in 2022 felt more like a hop as the latter phone launched with the same camera, design, and chipset as its predecessor.

Indeed, at the start of 2024 we saw a phone market dominated by broadly very similar pieces of hardware – whether you prefer the iPhone 16, Samsung Galaxy S24, or Google Pixel 9, the average flagship sports a powerful processor, roughly 6.2-inch display that looks fantastic, a double or triple rear-camera system that takes great photos, and a long battery life. A plateau had formed.

With phone makers effectively neck-and-neck in terms of hardware, it looked like AI would be the next great decider between brands, with Apple Intelligence and Google Gemini ushering in an era of software rivalry not seen since the early days of iOS versus Android.

However, as the year pushed on, I kept hearing of new hardware technologies popping up time and time again in rumors, or bundled into new flagships from lesser-known phone makers. Now, looking to the new year, I’m confident that we’ll see the phone hardware race reignited in 2025.

A battery boost

The first development that has me truly excited for phone hardware next year is the silicon carbon battery. Though not technically brand new – the first phone with a silicon-based battery was released in 2023 by Honor – this past year has seen the adoption rate of this excellent new technology begin to speed up.

Since penning our Oppo Find X8 Pro review, I’ve been daily driving the phone and its 5910mAh battery, which continues to amaze me. Lithium-ion phone batteries are more common at the moment, but as Tom’s Guide notes silicon has a higher energy density, meaning a silicon battery can store more charge in the same amount of space.

What this translates to for a large flagship such as the Find X8 Pro is charging once every two days and leaving the house with 30% charge knowing it’ll see you through an evening. For smaller phones like the iPhone 16, silicon-carbon technology could finally give users truly reliable all-day battery life. Having tried it myself, I reckon it could change the game in 2025.

A powerful performance push

Sticking with internals, 2024 was the first year in a few in which we saw significant gains in the world of chipsets. After a few lackluster generations from both Apple and Qualcomm, we were treated to a push forwards on both sides.

The A18 chipset found in the iPhone 16 boasts 30% faster processing and 40% faster graphics than the A16 found in the iPhone 15. While the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite nearly doubled the performance of the A18 Pro found in the iPhone 16 Pro when our US Mobiles editor Philip Berne ran benchmarks to compare the two.

The first Snapdragon 8 Elite phones are starting to emerge from Chinese phone makers like Xiaomi and Nubia, though I’m especially excited to see what Samsung does with the chipset in the rumored Galaxy S25 Ultra. The world’s most powerful phone with the world’s new most powerful chipset? That’s reason enough to be excited right there.

MediaTek has also emerged as a worthwhile challenger to Apple and Qualcomm, supplying plenty of mid-range and budget phones as well as Chinese flagships. Speaking from experience, the top-end Dimensity 9400 chipset found in the Find X8 Pro absolutely rips – I’ve yet to find a way to slow the thing down. It’s great to have a new competitor in the mix as we head into the new year.

Finally, some decent zooming

There’s plenty to be excited about in terms of photography, too. If rumors are to be believed, 2025 could be the year we see a leading flagship launch with a 1-inch sensor thanks to the rumored Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. There have been other phones produced with a 1-inch sensor, like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Oppo Find X7 Ultra. But these aren’t widely available – a 1-inch sensor camera from Samsung, Apple, or Google would set a very high bar for the entire industry, and no-doubt shake up our list of the best camera phones in the process.

I’m expecting telephoto cameras to get more and more impressive in 2025, too. The iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to ship with a 48MP 5x zoom camera optimized for video – that’s four times the resolution of the 12MP zoom snapper found on the iPhone 16 Pro. Further tips suggest that Samsung has developed a telephoto lens with a brighter aperture to aid with low-light portraits. Some might consider this a niche aspect of phone design, but I’ve long thought that zoom is a crucial part of the phone camera experience and am hyped to see some progress made.

With some of these technologies already available, and others still only existing in the aether of rumors and tip offs, it’ll be up to phone makers to either take up the potential with new models or develop rumored tech into reality. I’m also hoping for further surprises in display tech, sustainability and repairability, and adventurous design choices.

With that all said, one thing remains clear: the stage is set for some exciting phone hardware developments in 2025.

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• A 9th victim has been identified in the Salt Typhoon hack
• No attackers are thought to be lurking on the networks
• The White House wants to go on the 'offensive' against cyber threats

An ongoing assessment of the notorious Salt Typhoon hack has claimed there are no longer any lurking hackers present in the breached networks, and that all networks are now secure. This is the latest development in one of the most far reaching cyber-espionage campaigns in recent memory, which has just claimed its 9th victim, the White House confirmed.

Major telecoms firms like AT&T and Verizon were amongst the victims of the campaign, with over 100,000 routers compromised in just one network, which allowed broad and full access, allowing the attackers to "geolocate millions of individuals, to record phone calls at will."

It’s believed that fewer than 100 individuals were affected personally by the attack, with the group specifically identifying a small number of devices around the Washington DC area, with a goal of identifying and monitoring government targets to collect intelligence.

White House retribution

The attack has sparked response from the White House, as incoming President Trump has vowed to go on the offensive. Officials claim years of cyberdefense has been ineffective, and Mike Waltz, new national security advisor has warned the US will need to ‘start imposing’ on nation state actors who pose a threat.

Whilst the investigation is ongoing, it seems unlikely that the scale of the intrusion will ever be fully understood, with damage limitation and mitigating follow-on risk now a high priority.

“That’s why we’re looking forward and saying ‘let’s lock down this infrastructure,’ and frankly, let’s hold the Chinese accountable for this,” said Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor for cyber and emerging technology.

“From what we’re seeing regarding the level of cybersecurity implemented across the telecom sectors, those networks are not as defensible as they need to be to defend against a well-resourced, capable, offensive cyber actor like China.”

Via Reuters

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This smart temperature-control mattress cover helps you stay cooler, or cozier, to get a better night's sleep.

With 2024 coming to a close, I’m looking back on everything that happened with 4K Blu-ray over the past year. Needless to say, it’s been a year of ups and downs. We’ve seen some excellent releases, especially from independent distributors. We’ve also seen brands and retailers exit the 4K Blu-ray market, whether it’s selling discs or players.

As one of TechRadar’s TV reviewers, the best 4K Blu-ray players and discs are crucial for testing the best TVs as they provide not only the best picture quality thanks to a higher bitrate than streaming but also better-quality audio for testing a TV’s built-in speakers and the best soundbars.

But 2024 really has been a rollercoaster year for us 4K Blu-ray fans. There have been reports of increasing disc sales from major UK retailers, and then elsewhere you read that the state of physical media is in decline and it’s all very doom and gloom. So what did happen in the world of 4K Blu-ray in 2024?

Disney and Best Buy sabotage, plus a Sony savior

Without Sony, movies like Deadpool & Wolverine wouldn't have made it to 4K Blu-ray (Image credit: Future)

In two of the major news stories for 4K Blu-ray, Best Buy decided to stop stocking 4K Blu-ray discs and then Disney announced its decision to cease 4K Blu-ray releases. Still, 4K Blu-ray remained alive and well thanks to the efforts of smaller distributors like The Criterion Collection and Arrow Video, both of which released superb remasters and gorgeous special editions of classic movies. I bought The Warriors from Arrow Video US and it’s an incredible release.

But, these small companies can’t be expected to do all the work and whatever you think of Disney’s current filmography, its back catalog is vast and it owns production companies like Fox. Plenty of critic- and audience-lauded movies, such as All of Us Strangers, would miss out on being presented in the best quality, starving home theater fans of a 4K Blu-ray release.

However, an unexpected savior appeared when Sony agreed to take over distribution rights for Disney’s physical media. This meant that movies and TV shows from Disney, Marvel, Fox and others would now get physical releases. It was some much-needed good news for the world of 4K Blu-ray.

Retailers and brands come and go

Panasonic is one of the few remaining brands offering mid-range 4K Blu-ray players (Image credit: Future)

Disney and Best Buy weren’t the only major brands to pull out from 4K Blu-ray, with another blow dealt as recently as December when LG announced it was discontinuing production of 4K Blu-ray players. That leaves Panasonic and Sony as the only remaining mainstream brands providing ‘new’, budget and mid-range Blu-ray players (Oppo and Samsung pulled out of the 4K Blu-ray player market in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and remaining brands like Magentar and Reavon are aimed at the premium end of the market). While some players are still available on the second-hard marketplace, you can expect stock to become increasingly scarce.

Despite more woes, some retailers have decided to get on the 4K Blu-ray train. For example, US retailers Fred Meyers and GameStop announced they would stock 4K Blu-ray discs back in May, providing more outlets for 4K Blu-ray fans to get movies.

4K Blu-ray in 2025

My 4K Blu-ray obsession accelerated in 2024, with the best purchase being this stunning 4K Blu-ray Special Edition of The Warriors from Arrow Video. Who knows what I'll add in 2025? (Image credit: Future)

So, what’s the outlook for 4K Blu-ray in 2025? Honestly, I'm hopeful. Here at TechRadar, we’ve noticed an appetite for 4K Blu-ray info, with more readers getting in touch and more eyes on any 4K Blu-ray-related news. So much so that we’ve launched the Blu-ray Bounty, where we look at great 4K Blu-ray releases each month, with our first edition showcasing Double Indemnity, Power of the Dog and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Spending more time with 4K Blu-ray has also fuelled my obsession. Along with The Warriors, I’ve recently added The Crow, The Dark Knight Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings to my collection, among many others that would take too long to list!

But, that’s the state of Blu-ray for us here at TechRadar. What about the wider world? Again, signs point to a minor revolution. That may sound exaggerated, but with the best streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video and Disney Plus constantly raising prices people are going to get fed up. Prime Video not only added ads for all users unless you paid $2.99 / £2.99 to go ad-free in January 2024 but it’s set to add even more ads in 2025. This is just one example of streaming services squeezing the pennies out of people, with Netflix also kicking people off its cheapest ad-free tier, forcing an upgrade or a cancellation. I’d list more cases from 2024, but we’d be here all day.

Another frustration I’ve found is the constant hot potato that these streaming services play with movies and TV shows. Too many times have I gone to watch a favorite or a classic that’s caught my eye one month to find next month it’s gone. With discs, you own the content and it’s there to watch. I’ll be keeping an eye to see how many other people get fed up with this in 2025 and opt to trust in good ol’ physical media.

Final thoughts

I'll be testing the best 4K Blu-ray releases as much as I can in 2025, so expect more Blu-ray Bounty! (Image credit: Future)

4K Blu-ray and physical media in general has faced a year of highs and lows in 2024 and while I’m hopeful for its future in 2025, I know there is still uncertainty. Physical media sales overall remain on the decline and despite rising prices, streaming services are still the main way people watch movies and TV shows.

But, 4K Blu-ray is the best way to enjoy movies on your home theater system and the more people get to experience this wonderful format, the more popular it will become. I can recommend two players and five movies that will get you started on your journey if you’re new and, rest assured, I’ll be flying the 4K Blu-ray flag in 2025!

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• An attack on FreshClick has exposed customer payment details and more
• The extension is used by Zagg’s ecommerce provider, BigCommerce
• Affected customers are getting free credit monitoring for a year

Zagg has notified affected customers of a data breach that put highly sensitive information at risk, including payment card details.

In a letter dated December 26, 2024 (via the Office of the Maine Attorney General), the company confirmed a 12-day-long attack between October 26 and November 7, which it became aware of one day later on November 8.

The problem stems from an attack on FreshClick, a third-party application used by Zagg’s ecommerce software platform provider BigCommerce.

Zagg confirms cyberattack

“We learned that an unknown actor injected into the FreshClick app malicious code that was designed to scrape credit card data entered as part of the checkout process for certain ZAGG.com customer transactions between October 26, 2024 and November 7, 2024," the company confirmed.

Names, shipping and billing addresses, and payment card information could be at risk as a result.

In recognition of the severity of the attack, Zagg is giving affected customers 12 months’ access to credit monitoring through Experian. It’s also urging customers to monitor their financial accounts, place fraud alerts and consider credit freezes to prevent identity theft.

BigCommerce said (via Bleeping Computer): “Acting in the best interest of our customers and their shoppers, we immediately uninstalled the app in their stores, which removed any compromised APIs and malicious code.”

Basic internet hygiene principles like being cautious about sharing certain information and following potentially malicious links go a long way to protecting consumers against potential attacks, however when an attack affects a third-party service such as this, there’s very little that consumers can do, highlighting the widespread risks of online activity.

Apologizing for the inconvenience, Zagg has established a dedicated phone line for concerned customers to seek further answers and advice.

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