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• $2.2 billion worth of cryptocurrency was stolen in 2024, up 21% year-on-year, report claims
• More than 300 separate incidents were tracked, 10x that of 2018 and 2019, Chainalysis found
• North Korea blamed for $1.34 billion in stolen crypto

More than $2.2 billion worth of cryptocurrency was stolen from crypto platforms throughout 2024 as theft of the decentralized money continues to rise, new research has claimed.

The latest review from Chainalysis found theft rates are up 21%, with the number of hacks increasing from 282 incidents in 2023 to 303 in 2024.

More broadly, the trend of cryptocurrency theft continues to rise, though less sharply than the sudden surge seen during the early years of the pandemic. In both 2018 and 2019, only 35 instances occurred (totalling 70).

Cryptocurrency theft is hot right now

Interestingly, month-by-month cumulative funds stolen during 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 all continued up and to the right, however 2024 marked a sudden change to that trend. By July 2024, $1.58 billion had already been stolen, leaving just $0.62 billion (or $620 million) left to bring us to today’s total.

Major breaches like the $305 million hack of Japan’s DMM Bitcoin platform in May and the $235 million attack on India’s WazirX in July are both said to have influenced crypto thefts throughout the year.

Chainalysis cites geopolitical changes for the slowdown in cryptocurrency thefts, as while precise attack times and scales have varied, it identified one consistent trend: North Korean hackers continue to be invested in attacking crypto wallets.

Groups linked to the country’s government were responsible for a staggering $1.34 billion across 47 incidents – that’s double the sum linked to North Korea in 2023.

“US and international officials have assessed that Pyongyang uses the crypto it steals to finance its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles programs, endangering international security," the company added.

Chainalysis also highlighted North Korea’s affiliation with Russia, which has been at war with Ukraine since 2022.

Looking ahead, the researchers are urging public and private sectors to come together to establish data-sharing initiatives, real-time security solutions, advanced tracing tools, and targeted training.

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• Netflix has confirmed Stranger Things season 5 has wrapped production
• Filming on the hugely popular show's final chapter has taken a whole year
• Netflix has also announced it'll arrive sometime in 2025

It's official: Stranger Things season 5's mammoth year-long shooting schedule has ended. In even bigger celebratory news, Netflix has confirmed one of its flagship TV Originals will return sometime in 2025.

Okay, we already knew that Stranger Things' last installment would air next year. Indeed, on November 6, aka Stranger Things Day, Netflix revealed that the main show's fifth and final chapter would make its debut in 2025. Nevertheless, it's pleasing to see Netflix double down on its commitment to release Stranger Things season 5 at some point in the next 12 months. Hey, making TV shows is hard, so there's never any guarantee that a series' next season will be released when people say it will.

THAT'S A WRAP ON STRANGER THINGS. See you in 2025. pic.twitter.com/DWkIwMMOJ3December 20, 2024

To commemorate the end of principal photography, Netflix released a bunch of new behind-the-scenes images of Stranger Things 5's cast and crew on social media. There's absolutely nothing new we can glean about the final season's plot from this photo dump, but at least everyone appears to be having fun on the set. It's a good thing they are, too, because one of the best Netflix shows' fifth entry is going to be its darkest and most emotional yet. That's what I'm hoping for, anyway, because it would be frustrating if Stranger Things bowed out with a whimper, rather than a bang.

It's been a long road to Stranger Things season 5. The hugely popular sci-fi supernatural horror show's fourth season launched in May 2022 – well, part 1, comprising six episodes, did. You can read my thoughts on those entries in my Stranger Things season 4 review. Its final two episodes arrived two months later and you can read about how it sets up season 5 via my Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 ending explained article.

It's been a loooooong time since we last visited Hawkins (Image credit: Netflix)

Surprising no one, Netflix renewed its massively successful TV Original for a fifth albeit final season weeks later. Unfortunately, Stranger Things 5's development was significantly impacted by the 2023 Hollywood strikes, which is why Stranger Things' fifth season couldn't make its debut in 2024. With filming on Stranger Things season 5 not starting until January of this year, I was really worried that we wouldn't see it until 2026 at the earliest. Thankfully, that won't be the case.

As long as the wait has been, we've been given small morsels of information about season 5 to tide us over until its arrival on the world's best streaming service. For one, on July 2, Maya Hawke, who plays Robin, said season 5's episodic runtimes will be huge, with the actor describing them as "basically, eight movies". Two weeks later, Netflix dropped a behind-the-scenes video of season 5 that teased new characters, fan-favorite team-ups, and a possible time jump, too.

Let's not forget that the first Stranger Things spin-off – a stage play prequel titled 'The First Shadow' – has also been available to watch on London's West End. It'll make its Broadway debut in early 2025, so be sure to read our review of The First Shadow before you check it out. Even if you do, I think Netflix will need to address some of The First Shadow's big lore reveals in season 5, otherwise Stranger Things 5 will run into the big Marvel and Star Wars problem.

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• Juniper Networks warns Mirai botnet is scanning for vulnerable routers
• The campaign started in mid-December 2024, and includes DDoS attacks
• Users should tighten up on security, researchers say

Operators of the Mirai botnet are back, and looking for easy-to-compromise Session Smart routers to assimilate, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers from Juniper Networks, who recently published a new security advisory, warning its customers of the ongoing threat, noted the malware is scanning for internet-connected Session Smart routers that are using default login credentials.

Those that fall into this category are accessed, and used for a wide variety of malicious activities, but mostly Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. The campaign apparently started on December 11, and could still be ongoing.

Mirai's turbulent past

"On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, several customers reported suspicious behavior on their Session Smart Network (SSN) platforms," Juniper said in the security advisory. "Any customer not following recommended best practices and still using default passwords can be considered compromised as the default SSR passwords have been added to the virus database."

The best way to protect against the threat is to make sure your internet-connected devices do not use factory login credentials. Instead, they should be protected with strong passwords and, if possible, placed behind a firewall.

The Mirai botnet is infamous for targeting Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and then using them to launch massive DDoS attacks. It is also known for exploiting weak or default credentials on devices like routers, cameras, and other IoT hardware. It was first spotted in 2016, but gained notoriety after targeting Krebs on Security in September 2016 and mounting the Dyn DNS attack in October 2016.

Mirai is arguably the most popular botnet out there, but it’s not the only threat. StormBot, Mozi, Satori, or Mantis are all malware variants known for launching disruptive attacks across the web. It also survived multiple takedown attempts, including the source code leak from 2016, the arrest of its developers in 2017, and multiple law enforcement campaigns.

Via BleepingComputer

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Happy holidays, everyone! At long last, it's time to take a much-needed break from your job and enjoy as much food, drink, good company, and time sat in front of your TV as you can handle.

Where the last of those is concerned, our penultimate weekly 'what to watch this weekend' list of the year is, as always, filled with offerings from the world's best streaming services. From the final new movies of 2024 to the return of popular shows, you'll find something worth watching after sticking your out of office email on for the final time this year. You've earned it, after all. So, put your feet up and enjoy one of the below recommendations! - Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)

2024 has been a good year for war dramas, such as Apple TV Plus projects Blitz and Masters of the Air. Now, we can add The Six Triple Eight to the list; the last of December's new Netflix movies telling the inspirational true story of World War II's only Women’s Army Corps unit of color, aka the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

855 women join the war effort to sort though a three-year backlog of mail that hadn’t been delivered to American soldiers far from home. Despite discrimination and war-torn conditions, they sort through 17 million pieces of mail and bring hope to the front lines. The Six Triple Eight certainly has a unique premise that could make it one of the best Netflix movies (although, it's Rotten Tomatoes critical rating suggests it won't). Nevertheless, I look forward to learning more about a heroic battalion that many of us didn't know existed on Netflix.

Grace Morris, entertainment writer

The Secret Lives of Animals (Apple TV Plus)

I love a good nature docuseries – and Apple TV Plus has delivered the goods this week with its latest natural history show in the form of The Secret Lives of Animals, which may become the latest addition to our best Apple TV Plus shows guide.

A 10-part series narrated by Downton Abbey and Paddington star Hugh Bonneville, the Apple program aims to enthral and educate us all with never-before-filmed behavior from over 70 different species across all seven continents. Before you watch it, check out our exclusive clip from episode nine that teases a nail-biting fight between two kangaroos. You don't want to miss it, I promise.

Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Virgin River season 6 (Netflix)

Virgin River season 6 couldn't have come at a better time and I desperately want an invite to Mel Monroe and Jack Sheridan's romantic wedding. As preparations for Mel and Jack's spring wedding get underway, the sixth season will feature new twists and turns, love triangles, wedding drama, and secrets from Mel’s father’s past, which takes us back to Virgin River in the 1970s.

Virgin River is, in my view, one of the best Netflix shows to watch out of everything new on Netflix this December, so make sure you don't miss the wedding of the year, either!

Grace Morris, entertainment writer

Juror #2 (Max)

Clint Eastwood's latest movie is one of the Max trailers I was most excited to see and, now it's streaming on Max, I can't wait to wrap my eyeballs around it. I love Gran Torino and Juror #2 seems to be another huge success for legendary the actor-turned-director. Unlike Gran Torino, Eastwood stays behind the camera and directs an all-star cast including Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, and Kiefer Sutherland.

So, what's it about? The legal thriller follows Hoult's journalist character who is called up for jury duty and soon realizes that he may be responsible for the victim's death. Tense legal thrillers are one of my favorite things to watch and I know this one is going to deliver, the 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating is promising too! Keep an eye out for its addition to our best Max movies list, then.

Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking (Prime Video)

If you're anything like me, then you probably have the obligatory go-to movies that end up on the screen every Christmas – and for me, that list includes the best Harry Potter movies. Well this year, you can mix it up with this Prime Video gameshow that can only be best described as Harry Potter meets The Great British Bake-off in Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking.

The six-episode series caused such a stir when it premiered on the Food Network in the US in November that Amazon acquired the streaming rights to show it in the UK and Ireland. Hosted by James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley), alongside culinary judges, Carla Hall and Jozef Youssef, make sure to savor this magical treat while we wait for HBO's Harry Potter reboot.

Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

Fast Friends (Max)

How well do you know the 90s sitcom Friends? Do you know the season were Ross and Rachel were "on a break"? What was the name of Joey's soap opera character? Or how about Phoebe's most famous song? If you can answer all those questions, then you're going to love Max's new original game show Fast Friends.

Hosted by comedian Whitney Cummings, it invites contestants to relive the best Friends episodes by challenging teams with trivia, puzzles, and games to determine who will win the title of 'The Ultimate Fast Friends Champion' by how fast they are at completing each task. Once you've finished it, why not see how you can stream every episode of Friends next?

Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

Aaron Rodgers: Enigma (Netflix)

This three-part docuseries follows NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers as he undergoes an intense rehabilitation program after a terrible Achilles injury. You can expect to see plenty of the defining moments from his life and career, with episode one exploring how his injury derailed his 2023 debut with the New York Jets. Elsewhere, we'll see how he experimented with with alternative medicine and religion, sparking some controversies and drew further criticisms with his stance on vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Netflix documentary will give Rodgers the chance to show his side of the story, including his reaction to winning Super Bowl XLV. There's a lot to unpack with this series and it certainly sounds like it could make for a great addition to our best Netflix documentaries guide.

Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

For more streaming recommendations, read our guides on the best Disney Plus shows, best Paramount Plus movies, best Hulu shows, and best Apple TV Plus movies.

A combination of puzzle-solving, bare-knuckle boxing, and brilliant performances recall the best of Indy's adventures.

The latest Batman outing for Meta Quest shows that, when done well, VR gaming can hold its own with any platform.

Upgrade your home office or dorm for just $14 thanks to this massive Amazon discount right now.

• Windows 11 24H2 has a new bug that breaks audio output
• It's caused by Dirac Audio software, and a fix is being worked on
• Microsoft has blocked the update for PCs running Dirac

The latest big update for Windows 11, version 24H2, has run into yet another problem, namely an issue with audio output - or lack of it.

This is a bug that breaks the sound output from affected PCs, so you’ll hear nothing through built-in speakers, or Bluetooth speakers, or headsets - which is a pretty nasty development.

Microsoft has confirmed the glitch under its ‘known issues’ list in the release health dashboard for Windows 11 24H2, along with another recently identified problem with the Auto HDR feature which is causing colors to be displayed incorrectly in games.

The software giant explains that the sound bug is related to the Dirac Audio software (and its cridspapo.dll file), which is designed to make your audio clearer. Microsoft informs us that the problem has hit a “limited set of devices from one manufacturer,” but doesn’t tell us which vendor that is, sadly.

Whatever the case, to deal with the bug, Microsoft has put a temporary update block in place, preventing the installation of the 24H2 update. This policy is what Microsoft calls a “compatibility safeguard hold,” which is a way to ensure that the update isn’t delivered to devices that are going to run into trouble.

(Image credit: Shutterstock) The current state of play with this audio glitch

Right now, there’s no fix for this issue, so if you’ve already upgraded to 24H2 and are suffering from a silent PC all of a sudden, there’s not much you can do.

The good news is that Microsoft is working directly with Dirac to release a new version of its audio software to resolve the problem. When Dirac makes the new driver available, Microsoft will pipe it to PCs via Windows Update, and with the issue resolved, the upgrade block will be lifted - and those with Dirac Audio installed will be able to grab the 24H2 update.

The bug only affects version 24H2, so if you’re using an earlier release like Windows 11 23H2, you should be okay. You can read more about this audio glitch in Microsoft’s official documentation.

Interestingly, this isn’t the only audio-related issue we’ve seen with Windows 11 24H2. Another bug that cropped up causes some PCs to play sound at maximum volume without warning - so it’s the polar opposite of this new glitch - and Microsoft is still trying to implement a solution for that, as well.

I think that Windows 11 is definitely having a moment with the 24H2 update, running into a whole host of bugs, but it’s not like we haven’t seen this before - Windows 10 has suffered a multitude of issues at various points in its existence.

However, it won’t be long before Windows 10 reaches its End of Life - that happens next October, in fact - and Microsoft will have to continue to improve and hone Windows 11 to convince more people to switch over. With any luck, this bad run of bugs for Windows 11 will end sooner rather than later.

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• A Fortinet flaw, fixed in September 2023, was just flagged in a security bulletin
• The bug was first discovered in May 2023r, and allows crooks to take over vulnerable endpoints
• Users are advised to apply the patch immediately

Fifteen months after first patching, Fortinet has released a security bulletin to flag a critical severity flaw plaguing its Fortinet Wireless Manager (FortiWLM) product.

The flaw can be used to take over the devices remotely, so if you’re using an older version, make sure to update it immediately.

FortiWLM is a centralized platform for managing, monitoring, and optimizing Fortinet wireless access points and controllers, enabling secure and scalable wireless network deployments. It is usually used by large enterprises and government agencies.

Fixed in September

In May 2023, security researcher from Horizon3, Zach Hanley, discovered a relative path traversal flaw affecting the product. It is tracked as CVE-2023-34990, and was given a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical). The bug stems from improper input validation, which allows attackers to read sensitive log files from the system. Since these log files often contain administrator session IDs they can be abused to grant the attackers remote access to the vulnerable endpoint.

"Abusing the lack of input validation, an attacker can construct a request where the imagename parameter contains a path traversal, allowing the attacker to read any log file on the system," Hanley said at the time.

"Luckily for an attacker, the FortiWLM has very verbose logs – and logs the session ID of all authenticated users. Abusing the above arbitrary log file read, an attacker can now obtain the session ID of a user and login and also abuse authenticated endpoints."

The flaw affects FortiWLM versions 8.6.0 through 8.6.5 and 8.5.0 through 8.5.4.

However, despite discovering the bug and reporting it to Fortinet, the company did not publicly address it, prompting Hanley to disclose his findings, and release a proof-of-concept (PoC), in March 2023. Earlier this week, Fortinet published a new security bulletin, in which it stated that the bug was fixed in September last year.

That means that the flaw remained a zero-day for roughly four months, and remained completely out of user sight for 15 months.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Suyrvey finds Generative AI is being used more than ever in cybersecurity
• Security leaders overwhelmingly prefer GenAI through platforms
• The benefits don't yet outweigh the risks for most

New research has claimed cybersecurity leaders aren’t ready to adopt AI as a point solution just yet, with 80% of respondents preferring GenAI delivered through cybersecurity platforms.

The CrowdStrike 2024 State of AI in Cybersecurity survey found there are mixed feelings on AI in regards to safety and privacy controls, especially as Generative AI is in its infancy, and comes with significant security risks in its current form.

Top concerns for security leaders include the exposure of sensitive data to underlying Large Language Models, adversarial attacks on GenAI tools, and the tendency for hallucinations in GenAI, along with concerns about the lack of guardrails in GenAI tools and insufficient public policy regulations.

For security experts, by security experts

Crucially, security leaders are taking steps to ensure that policy frameworks are being used responsibly, and 87% of respondents have implemented new security policies, or are in the process of developing policies to govern AI adoption.

Do the risks outweigh the rewards? Not really. Whilst 39% of cybersecurity experts think that the benefits are greater than the risks, 40% think they're comparable, and 21% think the dangers outweigh the rewards.

Unsurprisingly, security workers believe GenAI should be specifically built for cybersecurity, with 76% of respondents preferring purpose-built tools over generic, one size fits all solutions.

This is reflected in the top purchase factors for IT workers, with the ability to improve an organization’s response and detection of attacks the top priority, alongside operational efficiency, and mitigating the impact of the IT skills shortage.

As generative AI is evolving, so is the cyber landscape. GenAI is increasingly being used in threat detection and automated security solutions, with most organizations optimistic about AI’s future in cybersecurity.

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Norton, the popular antivirus solution, has just revamped its VPN offering, making it a much more secure choice for Mac users by adding a kill switch.

In August, we reported how the upgraded Norton VPN may still risk Apple users' privacy. The issue was the VPN service still lacked a kill switch feature for both its Mac and iOS apps, making it vulnerable to data leaks.

Now, four months later, this crucial security feature finally landed on its Mac VPN app. Support for its iOS application is also expected to come soon. In addition to a new macOS kill switch, the provider has simplified its naming, becoming simply ‘Norton VPN’ across three-tier plans.

In August, the provider also added some new security tools to its VPN offering, including a malware and scam blocker, dark web monitoring, and password manager software.  (Image credit: Shutterstock) New security features, new name

All the best VPN apps include a kill switch. It's a guarantee that, if the VPN connection fails due to some technical or connectivity issues, the internet gets blocked. This is crucial from a privacy and security point of view as it prevents you from accidentally sending identifiable data outside of the encrypted VPN tunnel.

Every platform has its own tools for making this happen, with Apple devices notoriously requiring a more technical workaround. Norton VPN has offered this feature across its Windows and Android VPNs for a while, and MacOS is finally catching up, with iOS support also on the horizon.

When asked about this lack of support in August, Norton's spokesperson told TechRadar that macOS and iOS apps utilize the operating systems' built-in IPsec client. These use a feature of the operating system called Connect-on-Demand, which forces the VPN to be automatically turned on whenever the device initiates any network activity.

At that time, the provider ensured the team was working on a fix to make the kill switch behavior "consistent across our supported platforms." Now, they finally found it.

While its iPhone and iPad VPN apps still lack kill switch support at the time of writing, this is expected to be added soon. "Kill Switch on iOS is on the roadmap as part of planned product updates that are coming soon to further enhance Norton’s comprehensive VPN offering," Norton's spokesperson could confirm.

It's not just a new security feature that's arrived though. Norton VPN has changed its name again. After passing from Norton Secure VPN to Norton Ultra VPN in August, the provider has decided to simplify its branding even further by becoming simply Norton VPN.

Commenting on this decision, Norton said: "The new naming structure is clearer and distinguishes the new Norton VPN lineup of products from the old standalone Norton Secure VPN offering. Secondly, it makes it easier for people to understand the level of protection they’re getting from the three tiers available."

The provider now offers three plans, all including the new kill switch feature.

Norton VPN Standard (formerly Norton Secure VPN) is the most basic product, covering up to one device only.

Norton VPN Plus (ex Norton Ultra VPN) raises device allowance to up to five. It also adds a built-in AI-powered scam detection, malware blocker, virus removal, password manager, dark web alert, and even 10GB of secure cloud backup.

Former Norton Ultra VPN Plus becomes Norton VPN Ultimate and extends coverage to 10 devices and 50GB of backup while adding some advanced parental control features.

The August update saw Norton VPN add worldwide content access, service compatibility upgrades, more protocols across all three product tiers, and a new no-log independent audit to its arsenal. This latest addition sets Norton VPN on a path hopefully to better heights for its secure service offering.

• Retailers have leaked incoming laptops from Asus with RTX 5000 GPUs
• Nvidia RTX 5090, 5080 and 5070 Ti models have been spotted
• This is a hint that rumors of a desktop RTX 5070 Ti are on the money

Asus has some new gaming laptops incoming with Nvidia’s next-gen Blackwell mobile GPUs on board – and Intel Arrow Lake chips, too – with the details having been spilled by some leaks from online retailers.

VideoCardz was on the case here, noticing the leaks that reveal five different Asus laptops with Nvidia RTX 5000 graphics cards, including a really beefy-sounding ROG Strix notebook.

Add seasoning appropriately here as with any leak, and we should note upfront that the Nvidia Blackwell GPU models aren’t listed by their full name, such as RTX 5090. Instead, codenames are used – for example, GN22-X11 in the case of the flagship. We know what graphics cards those codenames correspond to based on a bunch of previous leaks, but still, we must be cautious about making too many assumptions.

In theory, then, the Asus ROG Strix G835 will have that RTX 5090 on board (with 16GB of VRAM) and an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (Arrow Lake) processor, backed with 64GB of DDR5 system memory. A power-packed set of components indeed, and the G835 will run with an 18-inch display sporting a 2048 x 1536 resolution, based on its leaked listing.

We can also see the Asus ROG Zephyrus GU605 which will apparently offer options on three Nvidia GPUs: the RTX 5090, 5080 and 5070 Ti. That notebook is set to use an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU, again with 64GB of DDR5 system RAM, and a 16-inch screen.

Two Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 laptops, and a ROG Strix G16 model, have also had their specs spilled online, so three in total, running with RTX 5090, 5080 and 5070 Ti GPUs respectively.

(Image credit: Nvidia) Analysis: A raft of Blackwell launches at CES 2025?

This appears to back up some previous rumors which have suggested we will see RTX 5000 laptop GPUs at CES 2025, alongside Blackwell desktop graphics cards.

Based on this spillage, we’re going to see three mobile models on offer, in the form of the RTX 5090, 5080 and 5070 Ti, although there could be lower-tier models as well.

When Nvidia launched its current-gen of mobile GPUs back at CES 2023, we got a full house of the entire range presented to us: the RTX 4050, 4060, 4070, 4080 and 4090 GPUs. Note that they were all vanilla versions, so it’s interesting to see a purported mobile RTX 5070 Ti creeping in this time around.

On the desktop front, the grapevine reckons that of Nvidia’s next-gen offerings, we’ll see RTX 5090 and 5080 models at CES in January, and possibly one or other of the RTX 5070 or RTX 5070 Ti – maybe even both of those.

So, is the mobile RTX 5070 Ti popping up a sign that we’ll get this on the desktop, too? It could be, but whatever the case, we’re seemingly going to see a fair few Blackwell GeForce GPUs being revealed for both desktop PCs and gaming laptops at CES 2025. We might also see Nvidia DLSS 4, too.

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The unique five-piece system features Dolby Atmos and room calibration.

It's the last installment of the imaginative anthology series.

• Hisense announces a Dolby Atmos wireless speaker system
• 4.1.2 channels with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support
• Similar concept to the Sony Bravia Quad

Hisense has officially revealed the HT Saturn, a new speaker system to join its range of soundbars. Set for release in 2025, there is currently no specific release date or pricing info for the HT Saturn. It's been confirmed for US release and while there's no official confirmation for other regions, Hisense says it expects to have more news soon.

Initially shown at IFA 2024, the Hisense HT Saturn consists of four satellite speakers and a wireless subwoofer, comprising 4.1.2 channels in total, with two upfiring speakers providing Atmos height channels. During its initial announcement back in September, Hisense claimed the Saturn would have 720W of power, but didn't reference this in its specs during my more recent briefing. It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. It has HDMI eARC for connection to the TV via a transmission box, which then sends the sound out to the speakers. For audio streaming, it supports Bluetooth 5.3, but there is no built-in Wi-Fi.

Hisense, which makes one of the best soundbars available in the form of the excellent-value Hisense AX5215H, seem to have taken inspiration from Sony's Bravia Theater Quad system, which similarly comprises four satellite speakers. However, the Quad is a 4.0.4-channel system, coming with two extra upfiring speakers, but lacking the dedicated subwoofer. When we tested the Sony Theater Quad here at TechRadar, we were impressed.

The Hisense HT Saturn also supports a room calibration feature, which Hisense says will allow users to place the HT Saturn speakers wherever they want and sound will adjust to fit the space and positioning, so it will still sound like an accurate surround sound system.

Hisense also announced its Hi-Concerto feature, which enables a compatible Hisense TV's speakers to be used in conjunction with not only the HT Saturn but also compatible Hisense soundbars, (though no specific models of TV or soundbar have been confirmed as of yet). This very reminiscent of Samsung's Q-Symphony feature, LG's WOW Orchestra feature, and Sony's Center Sync, all of which are featured on some of the best TVs available.

A potential Dolby Atmos hit

(Image credit: Hisense )

Hisense may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of home audio, but when I tested Hisense's 5.1.2ch Dolby Atmos soundbar, the Hisense AX5125H, I was amazed at just how good it was, establishing itself as one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars for such a budget price.

The Hisense HT Saturn is going up against the Sony Bravia Quad and already there are some key differences. The Saturn offers a subwoofer in-box whereas the Bravia Quad does not, with the Sony SA-SW5 and SA-SW3 wireless subwoofers supported as an optional extra. However, on the audio front, the Saturn is limited to Bluetooth whereas the Bravia Quad supports Wi-Fi for better-quality music streaming.

Where the Saturn will surely win the battle is price. At $2,499 / £1,999 / AU$3,699, the Bravia Quad is a pricey system that's more costly than the likes of the Samsung HW-Q990D, our choice for the best premium Dolby Atmos soundbar.

If Hisense can offer the Saturn for significantly cheaper than the Bravia Quad (which I strongly suspect it will) then Hisense could be onto a winner. Because I have little doubt about the sound side of things, thanks to what I've experienced with the Hisense AX5125H.

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• 72 directional fins move audio around
• Amps and processing are no longer external
• It'll cost "around" $20K if you don't want a fancy finish

Earlier this year, Danish high-end hi-fi expert Dynaudio unveiled its astonishing Symphony Opus One soundbar and everybody went "ooh", including us. And since then, its engineers have found ways to make it even better, and to make people go "oooooooooh".

It remains eye-wateringly expensive – final pricing hasn't been confirmed but Dynaudio says it'll cost "around $20,000 depending on the options chosen" as custom finishes will also be available. That'll be confirmed when the product actually launches, but for now there's going to be a new demo at the CES show in January.

(Image credit: Dynaudio) On the first day of CES my true love gave to me...

We got to experience the first Dynaudio Opus One demo demo when it was still a concept and far from production. To say we were impressed would be an understatement: it delivers genuinely room-filling Atmos sound from a soundbar that's fairly room-filling itself due to its large size. You're going to want one of the best 85-inch TVs if you want this to look like a normally sized soundbar.

It needs to be big because listing what's inside feels rather like singing the 12 days of Christmas: there are 72 wooden fins, six tweeters, 14 mid/bass drivers, FIVE GO-OLD RINGS, four dual-diaphragm force-cancelling subwoofers, 1500W of digital amplification, and a partridge in a pear tree. I'm lying about the rings and the tree; I suspect that wood isn't 'pear'.

The big difference in this new version of the design is that that amplification and processing is now inside; previously it was external. That makes for a more elegant appearance, and considerably less connecting when you're installing it. Or for whoever you're paying to install it, probably.

Sadly I won't be at CES to experience this or to try to stuff it into a comically large backpack, but TechRadar will have people there, so we'll aim to visit the behind-closed-doors CES demo. But if you're a big-spending fan of iconic design as well as intense audio, this could well be the soundbar you'll want to buy in 2025.

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• Spotify is reportedly pushing "ghost artists" into many playlists
• Ghost artists are similar to muzak: it's music to be in the background
• Some employees have refused to take part

Who makes the music you're streaming? On some Spotify playlists it might not be who you think. A bombshell new report in Harper's magazine says that a program called Perfect Fit Content, PFC for short, is stuffing some playlists with cheaply produced content.

The report goes into great detail, but here's the short version: rather than give individual artists some much-needed exposure in some playlists, Spotify is buying in music from production companies who effectively make musical wallpaper. It's music that's designed specifically to sound quite like other people's music and to cost Spotify as little as possible. And then Spotify's own employees are giving that music undue prominence in playlists at the expense of other artists.

That's good for Spotify's bottom line, because it means even less money is going to musicians; many music production companies pay a small flat fee without major future royalty payments going to the musicians. But as the Harper's report argues, "it raises worrying questions for all of us who listen to music."

Where are the ghost musicians on Spotify?

The playlists are ones primarily designed to be listened to in the background; think "chill instrumental beats" and "lo-fi house". And the music is being pushed into those playlists to make each playlist more profitable, ie. to make it pay less to musicians. As Harpers' Liz Pelly puts it, the idea is simple: why pay full royalties if people are only half listening?

The problem with that is that Spotify's idea of what constitutes background music is what many of us would just call, well, music. Think ambient music, classical music, electronica, jazz, lo-fi beats… you get the idea.

The reason this is a problem is that there is already tons of ambient, classical, electronica, jazz, lo-fi beats and other music on Spotify. And if that's being pushed down the playlists in favor of music Spotify has bought in specifically because it's generic but cheaper, that's going to damage not just the careers of musicians in those genres but also the genres themselves.

Pelly explains it very well in her piece:

"Spotify had long marketed itself as the ultimate platform for discovery—and who was going to get excited about 'discovering' a bunch of stock music? Artists had been sold the idea that streaming was the ultimate meritocracy – that the best would rise to the top because users voted by listening. But the PFC program undermined all this."

Pelly adds, however, that "Spotify denies that staffers were encouraged to add PFC to playlists, and that playlist editors were discontented with the program." I recommend reading the full piece and the quotes from editors, as well as Spotify's responses to individual elements, to form your own opinion.

And now there's AI…

When you look at Spotify through this lens, its embrace of AI – Spotify boss Daniek Ek, whose net worth is higher than any musician who ever lived, is very excited about it – starts to look a lot less fun: is the goal of AI really to improve your listening experience, or is it to stream the musical equivalent of crappy AI images?

We know that many AI systems have been trained using what artists and artists' organisations would characterise as widespread and blatant copyright infringement in order to churn out copies of the same artists' work; it might not be as good, but it's a damn sight cheaper.

As I wrote last month, "Many years back, a music business expert told me that music companies didn't care about music; they'd sell Brillo pads full of custard if that's where the money was." Swap custard pads for ghost artists and it's the same deal.

As one former Spotify playlist editor told Pelly about AI pumping out audio much like the PFC program does, “I’m sure it’s something that AI could do now, which is kind of scary."

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