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• Mojang has revealed the details for Minecraft's first update of 2025
• The update will include six new features, including new pig variants
• Players can now try out the update in public testing

Mojang Studios has shared the details for Minecraft's first major update of 2025.

Last year, the developer promised that in the new year, it would be dishing out more frequent content drops alongside improvements to the survival sandbox game.

Although the first update of 2025 doesn't have a release date just yet, Mojang has already released the contents of the patch for public testing, which includes six new gameplay features for players to try out ahead of time.

Among these new features are two new pig variants, the cold and warm pig, the first of which is coated in fluffy fur and thrives in sub-zero temperatures of chillier biomes, while the warm pig can be found roaming the dunes of the sandy biomes.

Three new ambient features will also be added that will make forest biomes feel "more alive", including falling leaves, leaf litter, and wildflowers.

"On your next expeditions into forests, dark forests, and wooded badlands, listen out for the crunch of leaves underfoot," Mojang said. "Leaf litter makes a rustling sound when you walk through it and can be used to decorate other blocks.

"In meadows, birch forests, and old growth birch forests, you will instead find wildflowers. These yellow and white flowers can be crafted into dye and have four growth stages that speed up with bonemeal. Place them at different angles to have your builds bloom in different patterns."

Mojang also confirmed that all trees in the Overworld will have matching leaf particles falling from them.

Finally, the game will also get a brand new, "simpler" recipe that will now only require players to "combine an iron ingot with your chiseled bricks to craft a lodestone".

For players interested in testing out the update ahead of time, all they need to do is enable snapshots for Minecraft: Java Edition, or by enabling previews/beta for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. The Bedrock Edition doesn't yet feature the game's new leaf litter and wildflowers features, but both are expected to be added soon.

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• Frank Grillo has opened up on Rick Flag Sr's DCU future after Creature Commandos' season 1 finale
• Flag Sr will appear in this year's Superman movie and Peacemaker season 2
• Grillo says his character will be "on a mission" that ties back to 2021's The Suicide squad film

Creature Commandos star Frank Grillo has teased the next stage of Rick Flag Sr's story after the DC Universe (DCU) show's season 1 finale.

Speaking to TechRadar ahead of Creature Commandos episode 7, titled 'A Very Funny Monster', Grillo reconfirmed that his character will show up in James Gunn's Superman movie and Peacemaker season 2. We already knew that Flag Sr would have a bit-part role in this year's Superman film and play a major part in Peacemaker's sophomore season, but it's nonetheless pleasing to hear it from the man himself.

What wasn't abundantly clear, though, is the role that Flag Sr will play in these DCU Chapter One projects. And, while Grillo was reluctant to give anything away about what we can expect from his character in Superman, he was more open (surprisingly so) about Flag Sr's antagonistic role in Peacemaker's second chapter. Potential spoilers follow for Peacemaker season 2!

Yep, Rick Flag Sr survived his near-death experience with Clayface (Image credit: DC Studios/Max)

So, how does Flag Sr fit into Peacemaker season 2's story? And why is he being set up as a tragic villain of sorts in one of the best Max shows' next installments? Essentially, it boils down to the fact that the titular antihero, played by John Cena, killed his son in 2021's The Suicide Squad movie.

Presently, Flag Sr doesn't know that Christopher Smith/Peacemaker is responsible for murdering his only child. It seems he'll find out one way or another, though, either in one of 2025's most anticipated new movies (i.e., Superman) or during Peacemaker's season 2 premiere. That, according to Grillo, will result in Flag Sr embarking on a revenge-filled quest – one that, based on Grillo's slightly spoiler-filled answer, may give Flag Sr some closure over his son's murder, too.

"Rick's on a mission [in Peacemaker season 2]," Grillo told me. "It's really one-sided because it has a lot to do with the death of his son, so he can't see the so-called bigger picture. By the end of that journey [in season 2], I think he'll be in a different place where he believes he's gotten what he needed to over the course of its eight episodes."

We got our first look at Flag Sr's live-action iteration in a brief Peacemaker season 2 clip shown as part of a 'new on Max in 2025' trailer (Image credit: DC Studios/Max)

Some viewers, who may not have been aware that Grillo's character would appear in other DCU projects, were fearing the worst when Flag Sr was left for dead by Batman villain Clayface in Creature Commandos episode 5. However, 'A Very Funny Monster' confirmed that he'd survived his brush with death. Considering he goes in and out of a coma in the finale of the R-rated animated series' first season, though, it'll be interesting to see how quickly he recovers between the Max show's latest episode and his appearance in Superman.

While we wait for the latter to fly into theaters on July 11, read my Creature Commandos season 1 ending explained piece to learn more about what happens in it, how it sets up future DCU movies and shows, and more.

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• Microsoft reported to be laying off nearly 1% of its headcount
• Share prices haven’t risen as much as key rivals
• Financial performance is still strong at Microsoft

The technology industry is still grappling with ongoing financial challenges leading to widespread job losses, with Microsoft the latest to be affected.

Having already got rid of 10,000 workers (or around 5% of its headcount) at the height of the layoffs in January 2023, Microsoft went on to lay off at least another 2,500 of its employees in June 2024.

Now, just a week into 2025, the company has confirmed further reductions, affecting less than 1% of its workforce, which stood at 228,000 employees six months ago.

Microsoft lays off 1% of its headcount

“At Microsoft we focus on high-performance talent… We are always working on helping people learn and grow. When people are not performing, we take the appropriate action,” the company confirmed in an email to CNBC, indicating the redundancies could be part of a regular restructuring effort rather than a reaction to financial performance.

However, despite posting a revenue increase of 12% in its most recent quarter, around one percentage point ahead of key hyperscaler rivals Amazon and Google, Microsoft share prices didn’t quite please investors.

Over the past 12 months, Microsoft shares have risen 12.98%, compared with 37.06% for Google and a staggering 46.75% for Amazon.

Share prices don’t paint a full picture of the company’s performance though – it has the largest market cap of the three hyperscalers by far, at $3.156 trillion, compared with $2.382 for Google and $2.335 for Amazon.

Further details of the layoffs have not been confirmed, and it’s not known which workers are likely to be affected. TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft to add further context, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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One-minute review

It looks like a GoPro with its mounting case and front-facing screen, but the Akaso Brave 8 comes at a more modest price, with image quality that will meet the demands of most users. With 2x batteries, a dual charger, a remote control, and a range of mounts, it has everything you need out of the box.

During my review, the small front-facing screen made it easy to vlog adventures, whilst the rear touchscreen was responsive enough to touch to make changing settings easy. However, there are also negatives; the image stabilization in-camera is good, without being great, but the so-called SuperSmooth option, which requires processing in the accompanying camera app, isn't a patch on what GoPro offers; and the improvement over the Brave 8's in-camera stabilization is modest. The app is useable but clunky in places, and the sound recording could also be improved.

Overall, the Akaso Brave 8 is a solid little action camera with all you need to get started; the video quality is good, and the stabilization ok if you aren't hammering the camera on a bike, be it pedal or motorized. The problem is that older generation GoPro Hero cameras can still be purchased new in some places for around the same price, and more recent ones will solve many of the faults of the Akaso Hero 8. So, whilst it is cheaper than the GoPro Hero 13 Black, those thinking about the Akaso Hero 8 may want to step back a GoPro generation or two instead. For ideas of other options check out our best action cameras guide.

That said, Akaso is an emerging brand, and its products regularly seem to be discounted or have extras, such as memory cards, also offered as part of the package. So if the stabilization and audio issues won't affect you significantly, it may be worth keeping your eyes open for an offer.

Akaso Brave 8: price and release date

The Akaso Brave 8 is available via Amazon and, at the time of writing, is priced at $289.99, but there is the option of a promotional $50 money-off voucher. In the UK, the kit also includes at 64GB Micro SD card and is £244.99, not including a £40 off voucher promotion.

Keep an eye out for deals and limited-time offers on Amazon, particularly during sales periods when additional memory cards or money-off vouchers may be applied.

Akaso Brave 8 specs

(Image credit: Future) Akaso Brave 8: design

The Akaso Brave 8 action camera adopts a familiar design: let's be honest, it is a GoPro clone in a market that is already flooded with GoPro competitors. However, even at a glance, you can tell that it is far from a cheap knock-off, with a rear touchscreen, front facing screen, all packaged in a body that is waterproof up to a depth of 33ft / 10m.

Size-wise the Akaso Brave 8 measures 63x45x36.5mm which overall makes it slightly smaller than the GoPro Hero 13 Black, which measures 71.8 x 50.8 x 33.6mm

Behind the 16mm f/2.5 lens sits a 1/2 inch size sensor. As a comparison, the GoPro Hero 13 uses a 1/1.9inch sensor, which means the two sensor sizes are comparable. The sensor can capture images at up to a 48MP resolution, and video can be captured at up to 4K 60fps. If you want to shoot timelapse videos, then these can be captured at 8K resolution, whilst moving timelapses (hyperlapses) can be captured at 4K 30fps.

If slow motion is more your thing, then 2.7k footage can be captured at up to 120fps and Full HD can go to an impressive 200fps.

All of that footage is saved on to Micro SD cards, and the Brave 8 can accept cards with a capacity of up to 512GB. In terms of speed, my review sample of the Akaso Brave 8 was supplied with an Akaso-branded 64GB Micro SD XC UHS I card with U3 rating, meaning the card had a minimum write speed of 30MB/s - which is the same as a V30 card.

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The layout of the camera is straightforward; there is a rear touch-sensitive screen, as well as a smaller square front screen that sits alongside the lens. There are just three buttons on the camera with the power/display button on top and a Recording start/stop button. On the side is the Mode button.

The Micro SD card socket and a USB-C socket are located on the side of the camera, behind a well-sealed waterproof door. The USB-C socket can be used to power the camera or charge the battery.

On the bottom of the camera is an equally well-sealed battery compartment. Akaso supply two batteries, each with a capacity of 1,550mAh, which is a little less than the 1,900mAh batteries of the GoPro Hero 13 Black. However, credit to Akaso for supplying two batteries so that you can always been filming and charging, which, as I found out, is needed with this camera.

The extra battery is just one of a whole host of supplied accessories, including a tiny USB-C dual battery charger, so you can charge both batteries at the same time. A remote control is also included, as well as a camera mounting frame/case, a GoPro style mount, a helmet mount, a handlebar mount, an adhesive pad, a zip tie, a strap, and a lens cloth. It is a very solid set of accessories.

Akaso Brave 8: performance

Overall, the Akaso Brave 8 performed very well, especially considering its price. However, it wasn't without its quirks, and we will discuss those shortly.

Of course, the main thing is the video quality. I did most of my shooting in the 4K / 30fps setting, which produced quite nice footage that is on par with what you would expect for an action with a sensor of this size.

Key to a lot of action cameras is, of course, stabilization performance, and there are three different modes to choose from. The first is no stabilization. Then, there is a Normal, an in-camera stabilization mode with a six-axis gyroscope that applies the EIS 4.0 algorithm to stabilize the footage electronically. Finally, there is a Super Smooth option. This mode records all of the gyroscopic information but doesn't apply any of it in the camera; instead, you upload your clip to the app, where the gyroscopic data is read, and then stabilization is applied.

I found that the difference between the Normal stabilization and the Super Smooth stabilization wasn't as dramatic as I thought it would be. In most circumstances, I believe that users are probably better off just sticking to the Normal option, which softens rather than completely smoothing out any bumps or shakes. The extra step of uploading and applying Super Smooth in the app seems like a significant additional effort for a very little extra reward. Here, the camera falls way behind the stabilization that the latest GoPro cameras offer.

A decent amount of settings allow control of the video image. You can change the exposure metering to any one of several modes, and there is exposure compensation should you wish to make adjustments, which I did.

Generally, the camera produced images with a good exposure. I did tweak it a few times in extreme conditions. For example, filming in a forest could be pretty dark, with the bright light coming through the trees, causing the image to be dark, and then at other times, with no sky in the shot, it lightened the image quite a lot. I found myself making +/-0.3EV changes to the image to balance this out. What it was good at was getting the exposure correct when a face was in the scene, which is great for vlogging and filming your adventures. I advise experimenting with the different metering settings and seeing what suits your needs best.

In addition to exposure compensation, you can also change the ISO sensitivity, sharpness, plus there are two color settings - Normal or Vivid. It may not be the most comprehensive in terms of all the color settings or image styles. Still, it is good enough for the basics, particularly if your goal is capturing memories rather than producing cinematic experiences.

Some lasting memories I captured included filming my children running in and out of the sea on holiday. I put the Brave 8 on a selfie stick and shot low-angle shots of them running and jumping over the waves. The waves sometimes smashed over the camera, completely submerging it in salty Atlantic water. After a few months, the camera still works perfectly fine, with no adverse effects from the sand or saltwater.

The in-camera microphone recorded voices clearly enough, but it should be noted that wind noise was picked up quite significantly, even when it wasn't obviously windy. I wouldn't think of using the audio if I was on a motor or pedal bike. Additional microphones can be attached via USB-C, but sadly, the camera has no mounting points.

The touchscreen worked well and was responsive, with onscreen buttons and navigation presenting no problem. I found it was easy to change settings and navigate the menu.

As well as the included remote control, there is also the option to control the camera via voice commands. Again, I tried this - it is especially useful when you have the camera mounted to a helmet. The real trick is remembering the exact commands that you have to say to start and stop recording and to make sure that you say them clearly.

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I didn't take many images with the camera as the video aspect is more appealing to people, but the photos look okay. There are problems with exposure, which is largely due to the sensor's small size. There didn't seem to be much HDR processing going on in terms of lightening shadow areas or pulling back highlights like you would get with a smartphone these days.

Given it is a wide-angle lens, you probably want to stick to the 48MP resolution just in case you do want to crop in a little bit more as images are very very wide on the camera.

As you would expect, there are further record modes, such as being able to shoot a time-lapse video or a time-lapse photo, that I'll be honest I didn't delve too much into, however, I did have a quick play around with them, and there seems to be quite a long interval between the images taken to create a time-lapse video, so I wouldn't use it for any activities such as mountain biking or running or skiing or anything like that. If you want to create a little clip of a ride, you're better off using the Hyperlapse setting for that, while the timelapse mode is better for things you would traditionally use a timelapse for, such as clouds passing over city scenes.

Overall, I am pretty impressed with the image quality and features that the Akaso Brave 8 offers. However, it lacks the finesse and quality you expect from a GoPro, DJI, or Insta360 action camera. Sadly, the image stabilization will be a letdown for those wanting super steady footage. Similarly, the microphone and audio processing need some tweaking to bring it up to scratch.

However, Akaso will be a budget action camera brand to keep an eye on as they have a solid foundation on which to build, particularly as some of the issues can be updated via firmware or more power processing in a future camera.

Should I buy the Akaso Brave 8?

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

You can't afford GoPro
Although GoPro has faced competition from DJI in recent years, they are still the leading action camera brand. However, if you can't stretch to a GoPro the the Akaso Brave 8 provides most of the features at a cheaper price.

You want an all-in-one solution
With so many accessories included in the box, the akaso Brave 8 is great for those who want to get started filming straight away rather than trawling Amazon for the mounts and extra batteries that they need.

You want to stand out from the crowd
If you don't want to go with the usual brands and try something new, Akaso seems to be a brand to keep an eye on in the action camera world.

Don't buy it if...

You want to take photos
Although the Akaso Brave 8 can capture photos, its quality falls way behind that of most contemporary smartphones. If you think you will be taking more pictures than videos, then it is probably best to avoid the Akaso Brave 8.

You don't mind having an older kit

If you don't mind an older action camera, then the GoPro Hero 10 Black has many of the same features, but with with better stabilization, for around the same price new, or significantly cheaper if you go with a used camera.

You won't be getting wet.
If you like to keep your feet dry, then something like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 offers superior image quality and stabilization but obviously lacks the ability to be used underwater.

(Image credit: Future) How I tested the Akaso Brave 8

• I used the camera for a couple of months in a variety of situations
• I filmed a hike I did in British Columbia
• I tested the waterproof properties by filming on the beach and in the sea

I used the Akaso Brave 8 for several months as a compact camera to film family events and vacations. I even used it a few times to film my kids playing in the sea, which allowed me to test the camera's waterproof qualities.

On a trip to British Columbia, Canada, I turned the camera on myself, using a selfie stick to film myself while hiking and mounting it on a small tripod while swimming in a glacial lake.

Finally, I used one of the included mounts to attach the camera to my bike helmet. With my iPhone mounted to the bike, I could monitor what was being filmed using the Akaso app.

At various points during the camera's use, I connected it to my smartphone to check footage and add stabilization to specific videos. I also used the voice control options and the physical remote control.

First reviewed January 2025

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