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• Sony's movie adaptation of Until Dawn won't fully adapt the videogame's story
• It'll feature a new cast of characters who get caught up in a completely different story
• It'll apparently be released in April

We're no stranger to video game adaptations and Until Dawn is just the latest to get a live-action retelling. Adaptations like this can range from the great (aka The Last of Us) or the downright awful (Borderlands, anyone?), though, so I always get nervous whenever a new one is on the cards. However, new details about Until Dawn's big screen treatment has filled me with a bit more confidence.

Much like how Prime Video chose to approach Fallout, it 's been revealed that the Supermassive Games hit horror game won't follow the same story as the one depicted in its identically titled game. Confirmation of this came at CES 2025, with Sony revealing its Until Dawn movie will feature new characters facing new threats, so it won’t be a direct adaptation of the game. The thing that will make it recognizably Until Dawn is the fact the movie will feature Peter Stormare, who's reprising his role as Dr Alan Hill from the game.

For me, this is a very good thing. It gives the filmmakers the chance to play with the themes we know and love, especially within the slasher genre, and deliver something unique. for fans of the game and anyone who hasn't played it. Considering Until Dawn is a cinematic choose-your-own-adventure game, I don't really want a movie that rehashes the original plot but has to make concrete choices out of the ones presented in the game – no, I want to see something fresh, scary, and exciting. In my opinion, The Last of Us is the only adaptation that's really nailed the direct adaptation route and, even then, they chose to tackle certain topics differently or, in some cases, expand on the story depicted in Naughty Dog's award-winning post-apocalyptic drama game.

What else do we know about the Until Dawn movie?

David F. Sandberg is directing the Until Dawn movie. Considering he was behind the brilliant Lights Out. which is based on a short film, he's no stranger to adapting things into new mediums, particularly horror. It does sound like this adaptation is in good hands with him, then. It's also slated for an April 2025 release, but we haven't seen any trailers or images yet, so there's no telling if it'll be as atmospheric or cheesy as Supermassive's game is.

There's also a brand new cast attached, with the exception of Peter Stormare as mentioned above. We don't know anything about the roles yet, but actors like Ella Rubin, Michael Cimino, Ji-young Yoo, and Odessa A'zion are all set to star in one of 2025's new movies. Here's hoping they deliver as good, if not better, performances as the starry cast who populated Until Dawn's videogame.

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Small portable Bluetooth speakers are a great way to take the party on the road, and this 2nd-gen Bose SoundLink Flex speaker is the best you can get.

• Jellypod is like NotebookLM but has more customization options
• You can create your own AI hosts, give them a background and name
• Use it for free, but there’s a Pro subscription option too

I loved Google’s NotebookLM when I discovered it last year. It’s the AI podcast generator that creates an amazing podcast from whatever sources you feed it – articles, YouTube videos, PDFs. It takes the form of a conversation between two AI hosts, who discuss the information you’ve provided in a way that makes it sound just like two real people talking.

While NotebookLM was groundbreaking, and still sounds amazing, it is a little inflexible. For example, you can’t customize key parts of the podcast. The conversation is always between the same two AI hosts – a man and a woman – and you can’t edit the transcript before the audio is generated. That's where Jellypod comes in.

More customizable audio

Jellypod is like NotebookLM, but with more flexible options. For a start, you can create your own AI podcasts hosts from scratch. You can give each one a name, a backstory and choose from a selection of different voices. You also get it to clone your own voice, so an AI version of you can appear in your AI-generated podcast, if you like. You can also select how many hosts you want talking in your podcast, so if you want to have three female hosts doing all the talking, it’s no problem.

But that’s not all. Once you’ve selected your podcast hosts and created your podcast you’re able to generate multiple individual episodes, each focused on a different topic. To create each individual episode you simply feed in your sources by copying and pasting URLs, YouTube videos or uploading a file, as you would with NotebookLM.

Creating an AI podcast in Jellypod. (Image credit: Apple/Jellypod)

When you create an episode, Jellypod generates an outline of your podcast, breaking it down into chapters. At this stage you can add another chapter if you feel like it left something out, and enter a description of what you would like it to be about. You then generate a transcript for the episode.

Once the transcript appears, which can take a couple of minutes, you are free to edit it, so you can control exactly what the podcasts hosts say. Once you’re happy then hit ‘Generate audio’. It’s only at this point that you use up your credits.

On the free plan you have 1,000 credits to start, and each minute of audio uses 60 credits, so an eight minute podcast would use up 480 credits. If you want to upgrade to a pro membership, it starts at $29 (£23, AU$46) a month, and gives you more credits, unlimited show length, more voices and commercial usage. Pro subscribers can also upload their podcast to platforms like Spotify, too.

Here's to the future of AI podcasts

I feel like we're only just getting started with AI podcasts. It will be fascinating to see how far companies will be able to push the boundaries of what's possible in the future but Jellypod is a great example of what’s possible right now with the sort of customization options that NotebookLM has been lacking.

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It's been three years since Severance captivated us with its mystery-filled plot. Apple's dark comedy thriller series rightly earned plenty of acclaim and awards for its debut season, but, amid the seemingly infinite unanswered questions its twisty-turny story posed, one in particular has stood out since season 1 ended in April 2022: could a second installment, which was greenlit days after season 1's final entry, live up to or even exceed fan expectations?

Despite a lengthy development cycle that was hindered by the 2023 Hollywood strikes, the answer is a resounding yes on both fronts. Season 2 is as tightly-paced and enthrallingly enigmatic as its forebear but, galvanized by an stronger emotional core, and a deliberate but methodical splicing of its real-world and Lumon Industries-set storylines, Severance's long-overdue return has been worth the wait.

'Welcome back, Mark... been a minute'

Mark Scout's return to Lumon Industries poses some immediate questions for him and viewers alike (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

After a brief audio montage of the season 1 finale's bombshell moments plays over a black screen, Severance season 2 opens on Mark Scout's (Adam Scott) surprisingly swift return to Lumon. Episode 1's cleverly-executed 'one-shot' reintroduction sequence, which is essentially an extended version of Severance season 2's first teaser, shows Mark's 'innie' – i.e. Mark S – racing through the shady institution's maze-like corridors to seemingly reunite with his colleagues Helly R (Britt Lower), Dylan G (Zach Cherry), and Irving B (John Turturro).

I would've liked to have seen more of Mark butting heads with his new co-workers

Or so he thinks. Eventually finding his way back to the Macrodata Refinement office, Mark S is unexpectedly greeted by some unfamiliar faces, including the Severed Floor's new deputy manager Ms Wong (Sarah Bock).

Seth Milchick (Tramell Tillman), who's replaced Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette) as the the floor's head honcho, then appears to reveal that five months have passed since Mark and his fellow 'innies' carried out their Overtime Contingency stunt. That prison break-style quest, dubbed the 'Macrodata Uprising', saw the 'innies' successfully – albeit temporarily – merge with their 'outies' in the real world and almost expose Lumon's nefarious working practices to the unsuspecting public. That incident, Milchick claims, led to 'Severance Reform', a supposedly radical overhaul of Lumon's working conditions and employees' rights.

Way to burst Mark's balloons, Seth... (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

But it's not all good news. Per more succinct story exposition, Milchick claims that Helly, Irving, and Dylan decided not to rejoin Mark at Lumon, hence the aforementioned strangers being hired to replace them.

This specific revelation cleverly reimagines the show's very first episode, which saw Mark S welcome chaotic newcomer Helly to Lumon. This time, Mark is positioned as the group's rebel-in-chief, with his attempts to sabotage his new colleagues and reunite with his previous workmates bringing the series' pleasing blend of absurdist humor and disquieting drama to the fore mere minutes into season 2's premiere.

Peculiarly, this nascent team restructuring is a short-lived affair as, spoilers notwithstanding, it isn't long before Mark S is reunited with his Lumon peers. Given the slick and sharp chemistry between the show's main cast, I understand why creator Dan Erickson and director/producer Ben Stiller waste little time in reconnecting them. Nevertheless, I would've liked to have seen more of Mark butting heads with his new co-workers, and raging against the megacorporate machine over their hiring to humorous and dramatic effect before being reunited with the aforementioned trio.

Getting the band back together

Helly and Mark S investigate new areas of Lumon Industries throughout season 2 (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

That reunion, which occurs just before episode 1's midpoint, is necessitated by season 2's overarching plot, and the inter- and intrapersonal relationships that make the Apple TV Plus show tick.

Severance's strength lies in the friendships, and the budding romance between Mark S and Helly, that were established in season 1. So, while there's a need to fill in the narrative gaps between last season's cliffhanger and this season's premiere – a series of episode 2 flashbacks get us up to speed on what's happened in the interim – expanding on those key relationships and other character-driven aspects is vital to Severance's ongoing success. It's not a complete shock, then, that Mark S is reunited with his buddies as early as possible.

Season 2's expasion of those key relationships and other character-driven aspects is vital to Severance's ongoing success

But things aren't hunky dory upon the group's reformation. Whether it's Helly's reluctance to tell the others that her 'outie' is none other than Helena Egan, aka the daughter of Lumon's current CEO, or other spoiler-filled subplots which I can't expand on, season 2 does a upstanding job of putting its core characters through the psychological and emotional wringer. Much of that stems from their individual and collective decision-making in last season's finale, the ramifications of which are keenly felt in this season's early episodes and make for engrossing viewing as Mark S and company grapple with the severity and significance of their so-called uprising.

Dylan and Irving's entertaining bromance is examined further in season 2 (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Those problems also bring the conflicting ideals, motives, and desires of each individual's 'outie' and 'innie' into sharp focus. As the show's protagonist, Mark's intrapersonal dynamic was examined extensively throughout season 1, but, as he wrestles with new and long-standing issues this season, there's a gratifying evolution to his character arc that puts a distinct spin on the series' exploration of morality. Indeed, whether it's his desire to quit Lumon, ensure his 'innie' succeeds in rescuing Ms Casey (Dichen Lachman) – remember, she's the 'innie' version of Mark's deceased, real-world wife – or take an experimental, life-threatening leap into the unknown, the moral complexities of Mark and his 'innie' character feel more substantial this season.

Season 2 does a upstanding job of putting its core characters through the psychological and emotional wringer

Pleasingly, this exploration also extends to Helly, Irving B, and Dylan G, how the choices made by their 'innie' personas impact their 'outies', and the growing unease and/or anger over the lack of autonomy that these 'innies' have compared to their 'outie' counterparts.

Just as season 1 did with Mark, season 2 analyzes who these people are outside of Lumon, including the struggles they face – yes, even someone as emotionally manipulative and callous as Helena is confronted with everyday challenges – and the real-world relationships they maintain. Examining the lives of each character's 'outie' humanizes (or, in Helena's case, dehumanizes) them in enlightening ways and occasionally made me re-evaluate who I was rooting for as new light was shed on the moral ambiguity of, and internal battles taking place within, each character.

Out of office

In season 2, the 'innies' are intentionally dropped into the real world by Lumon Industries (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Following on from the embryonic blending of the real-world and Lumon narratives in last season's finale, Severance's second chapter slowly and deliberately continues to merge its dual storylines together, oftentimes to devastating effect. From episode 4's real-world company retreat for the 'innies', which adds a deliciously novel layer of trippy horror to proceedings, to Lumon's unsevered higher-ups wilfully seeking out the Macrodata Refiners' loved ones, such as Mark's sister Devon (Jen Tullock) for devilish reasons, the interweaving of the 'innie' and 'outie' worlds triggers some blindsiding character incidents that' I suspect will reverberate through season 2 and beyond.

The interweaving of the 'innie' and 'outie' worlds triggers some blindsiding character moments

Season 2's much-needed exploration of the wider threat posed by Lumon is most welcome, too. The Egan family-founded organization's questionable practices have been notable from the outset, but there was the inherent belief among audiences that their operation was restricted to the US. Season 2 heavily implies that this isn't the case, however, and I'm certainly intrigued to see how big Lumon's global reach is as this season and the overall series progresses, and whether Mark S and his cohorts stand any chance of tearing it down from the inside.

Sarah Bock's Ms Wong is one of nine new additions to Severance's cast in season 2 (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Severance's ability to dangle mysteries right in front of our noses without offering much, if anything, in the way of explanations is equally riveting. Season 2 maintains the show's puzzle-laced aura and penchant for 'new weird' storytelling with mesmeric effect, and I'm convinced an immeasurable amount of new fan theories will be born out of the latest secrets and enigmas it presents. Oh, and for anyone besotted by season 1's baby goats, you'll be pleased to learn that, even though they were teased in Severance season 2's official trailer, their reappearance isn't superficial. Just don't expect any of your most pressing questions about them to be answered (there is, though, an amusing season 1 call-back as part of this installment's goats-based subplot, which I appreciated).

Gwendoline Christie's enigmatic character has ties to Severance's adorable baby goats (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

As for this season's fledgling new dynamics, Milchick and Ms Wong's is the most worthy of being highlighted. The introduction of other enigmatic characters, such as Mr. Drummond (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), certainly add sinister weight to one of the best Apple TV Plus shows' sophomore outing. Nevertheless, the addition of a pre-teen in Bock's Ms Wong to Lumon's ranks underpins the clandestine organization's iniquitous nature and only intensifies the unease I felt every time she appeared and/or was chastized by one of her superiors. Her hiring as Milchick's junior and questioning of his true aspirations, though, ruffles her supervisor's feathers, and I'm fascinated to see how this dynamic evolves as season 2 progresses.

Harmony Cobel is largely relegated to the sidelines in season 2's early entries

The only minor issue I have with this dynamic is it deprives us of season 1's tetchy and enthralling Cobel-Milchick partnership. In fact, Cobel is largely relegated to the sidelines in season 2's early entries, which greatly disappointed me. I've no doubt that Arquette's cryptic individual has a bigger role to play in Severance's sequel season, but I would've loved to see more of her verbal bouts with Lumon's hierarchy and Mark, especially in the wake of last season's fiery finale.

My verdict

If Severance wasn't already one of Apple's best TV Originals, I'd say it deserves a promotion. Season 1 positioned it as a whip-smart program that poked fun at office culture and the power that multinational companies wield, and that helped to differentiate it from the crowd.

I'd argue, though, that its follow-up is a darker, more unsettlingly comedic, oft-times saccharine, and intelligently assembled season that's equal parts a coming-of-age story and corporate retelling of the classic David versus Goliath tale. Truth be told, there's very little about Severance season 2 that made me want to *ahem* sever ties with it. Simply put, it's the first unmissable show of 2025.

Severance season 2 premieres on Apple TV Plus on Friday, January 17. New episodes air weekly.

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In an apparent overture to the incoming Trump administration, Meta announced sweeping changes to its content moderation, including no more fact-checkers and a move to Texas.

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• US government adds Tencent to Chinese military entity list
• Tencent and CATL call their addition a "mistake"
• Addition comes a stone throw from Trump's inauguration

The US government has designated Tencent, owner of popular messaging app WeChat, as a Chinese military company.

The Section 1260H list consists of Chinese companies that operate in the US which could have links to the Chinese military, to warn US businesses against trading with these entities.

Both Tencent and CATL, a battery manufacturing company, were added to the list by the Department of Defense along with several other Chinese organizations.

Tencent says addition is a “mistake”

Speaking to the BBC in response to Tencent’s addition to the entity list, the company stated, “We are not a military company or supplier. Unlike sanctions or export controls, this listing has no impact on our business.”

The company also said its addition to the list was “clearly a mistake.” CATL also called its addition to the list a mistake.

The Section 1260H list is updated on an annual basis and includes the Huawei Technologies Company, along with numerous Chinese semiconductor manufacturers.

The list does not ban US companies from trading with the listed companies, but it does add pressure for the companies to be sanctioned by the US Treasury Department.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, issued a statement on the updated list, saying, “The US's practices violate the market competition principles and international economic and trade rules that it has always advocated, and undermine the confidence of foreign companies in investing and operating in the United States.”

The US and its allies have been attempting to purge Chinese technology from domestic consumer markets and infrastructure, with the US banning numerous Chinese tech manufacturers including Huawei from selling their products in the US amid national security fears.

The UK has taken similar steps, including the ban of new Huawei technologies from 5G infrastructure, with existing tech needing to be removed from the network by 2027.

The addition of these companies to the entity list comes at a time of heightened tensions between the US and China with an ongoing trade war, and president-elect Donald Trump returning to the White House this month after a campaign filled with anti-China rhetoric.

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• A portable projector for "when you're away from home"
• Battery power for go-anywhere viewing
• Unusual "magic cube" design twists to adjust angles

One of the downsides of CES is that the huge scale of it means there isn't time for presenters to talk in detail about every new product. And in the case of TCL's latest raft of announcements that's a shame, because I'm intrigued by one of the products the company only mentioned fleetingly.

It's called the Playcube, and as the name suggests it's a cube that plays things: video and presumably audio too. It's a portable projector with an unusual design that TCL calls the "magic cube": it's made of two rectangular sections, one of which twists to adjust the direction of your projection.

The TCL Projector A1 was launched in late 2024 as the firm's first portable projector. (Image credit: TCL) TCL's Playcube: what we know and what we don't

We know three things about the Playcube other than its name. We know that it has that unusual twistable design; we know that it has a built-in rechargeable battery; we know that it's very small.

TCL is relatively new to the projector business: it only announced its first portable projector, the TCL A1, in November 2024. That has an MSRP of $499 (around £395 / AU$770) and delivers 1080p resolution with 360 lumens of brightness on images from 45 to 120 inches.

That model has Google TV built in, which seems likely for the Playcube too.

Without knowing the price or seeing a spec-sheet (yet) it's hard to know where in the market this projector will fit – although given that it's TCL, it's likely to be priced very aggressively.

Our current pick of the best portable projectors is the second generation Samsung The Freestyle, which is often discounted to a street price of $599 instead of the list price of $799. And our favorite ultra-portable pocket-sized projector is the Anker Nebula Capsule II, which is the size of a Coke can and has a list price of $579.99 (about £465 / AU$830).

We're hoping to get full specs, pricing and a release date from TCL very soon (or perhaps even to experience it, at CES 2025). We'll keep you posted – watch this space!

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TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

• Flic's latest smart home button adds support for gesture controls.
• You'll be able to gesticulate, push a button, or do both on the Flic Duo to trigger an action.
• The button can be wall-mounted or used on the move.

It’s easy to gloss over the more simple launches at CES 2025, but as I was browsing the rows at a preview event on the eve of the official show floor opening, a smart home button caught my attention.

Flic is not an entirely new brand; it already has a few products, including buttons that you can use to control just about anything. At CES, though, it’s unveiling the Flic Duo, which, as the name suggests, offers two buttons that can be programmed to perform what feels like an endless list of possibilities.

It boasts a few firsts, and the Flic Duo feels like real competition for and a smart upgrade over classic switches. It comes with a wall mount, but even when it's on the wall you can easily pull it off to carry it around, or perform a gesture to trigger another task. This makes it something akin to a magic wand, and in a demo I saw someone adjust the brightness of a trio of lights by simply holding a button in and swiping to the left or right.

Well over 30 commands are available between button presses and gesture controls. For instance, you could set it to control a pair of smart blinds, and raise or lower them by mimicking that movement with the Flic Duo in hand. The options here are nearly endless, as the Flic Duo supports the Matter smart home standard out of the box and Apple Home or Amazon Alexa, so you can easily connect it and then begin to integrate it with automation and routines.

You can even have it change roles based on where it is – so when it’s wall mounted, the Flic Duo can act as a standard light switch, but when you’re moving around it can do any number of things. Maybe you’ll have it control a smart speaker, turn on the TV, or even start up a robot vacuum. The Flic Duo comes in either black or white and is only 8mm thick, meaning it won’t stick out much from the wall and is easy to carry. Plus, like an Apple AirTag, it runs on a standard, user-replaceable CR2032 battery.

(Image credit: Future)

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!

What I think takes the Flic Duo to the next level is that beyond just letting you press a button or two to control something, you can really get the most out of it and be pretty descriptive with what you want to do to create an outcome.

Thanks to the sensors and accelerometer on board, you could create some fun custom gestures. For instance, Disney Channel fans might be able to make the mouse ears gesture to have the Flic Duo start their favorite playlist on a connected speaker or even fire up a classic film – High School Musical, anyone? You’ll also be able to control the experience within the Flic app (for Android or iOS), and if the Flic Duo goes missing, you can ping it to have it emit a sound.

Flic will open preorders on January 28, with shipping set to begin some time in the second quarter of this year. The Flic Duo is priced at $69.99 in the US, but early bird pricing will be as low as $49.99; availability and pricing for other regions is TBC.

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