Feed aggregator

A vacant hotel with a dark history lures in the crew of a haunted house attraction.

Commentary: From Mario and Zelda, to more crucial info on the console, here's everything Nintendo missed out of its Direct presentation.

Mario Kart World has now been revealed, having been showcased during the recent Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event. From what we've seen so far, the new Mario Kart looks primed to push the franchise forward, with a new art style, and seamless racing between tracks across a large map.

Of course, we've known about a new Mario Kart game for a while, as it was teased during the initial Nintendo Switch 2 event back in January. This full reveal is no doubt music to your ears, given just how long it's been since we got a brand new Mario Kart game on consoles. We've even played it, and you can read what we thought in our Mario Kart World preview.

Now we know that it's coming to Nintendo Switch 2, as well as some new details on what to expect. The promise of a new Mario Kart has certainly convinced us here at TechRadar Gaming to stay up to date with Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders.

Following its reveal, Mario Kart World is easily one of the most highly anticipated upcoming games for 2025. Hopefully, it'll end up on our list of the best Nintendo Switch games by the end of the year. Who knows, maybe it'll even dethrone its predecessor after many, many years at the top of sales charts? Rather big shoes to fill indeed.

Here's everything we know so far about Mario Kart World so far, including a look at gameplay, as well as all of the latest news and trailers. As new info drops this page will be updated.

Mario Kart World: cut to the chase

• What is it? The next entry in the legendary Mario Kart series
• When does it come out? June 5, 2025
• What can I play it on? Nintendo Switch 2 (exclusively)
• Who's making it? Nintendo

Mario Kart World release date and platforms

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Mario Kart World will launch on June 5, 2025, for Nintendo Switch 2, alongside the main console.

This new Mario Kart is going to be an exclusive for the Nintendo Switch 2.

Mario Kart World trailer

So far, we've only received one trailer for Mario Kart World. It was revealed during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct on April 2, 2025. This reveals the game's name and gives us our first look at the new 24-player races.

We'll likely hear more about Mario Kart World in the coming months. To keep up to date with every trailer release for the game, be sure to check out the official Nintendo YouTube channel. Alternatively, you can stay up to date with all things Nintendo using the Nintendo Today app.

Mario Kart World gameplay

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Mario Kart World gameplay was shown off during the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event that aired on April 2, 2025. In it, we see that all tracks in the game lead into one another, in a large interconnected world map. This allows players to drive between tracks during Grand Prix. In addition, you can drive anywhere on a track, even outside of the guidelines.

From what we've seen so far, Mario Kart World features a bunch of new mechanics. The first is the ability to grind, which is shown in the reveal trailer. Players can seemingly drive into larger vehicles and take them over as well. There are new items to play with too, like a burger seen in the aforementioned trailer. There's wall-riding, and an expanded flying mechanic as well.

Races can now contain 24 players, the largest in the series so far. We'll have to see how this works in action, but given the larger scope of the game's world, we think it'll be just the right mix of chaos and fun.

Mario Kart World characters

(Image credit: Nintendo)

So far, the following characters have been confirmed for Mario Kart X:

• Baby Daisy
• Baby Luigi
• Baby Mario
• Baby Peach
• Baby Rosalina
• Birdo
• Bowser
• Bowser Jr.
• Cataquack (new)
• Chargin' Chuck
• Cheep Cheep (new)
• Coin Coffer (new)
• Conkdor (new)
• Cow (new)
• Daisy
• Dolphin (new)
• Donkey Kong
• Dry Bones
• Fish Bone (new)
• Goomba
• Hammer Bro.
• King Boo
• Koopa
• Lakitu
• Luigi
• Mario
• Monty Mole (new)
• Nabbit
• Para-Biddybud
• Pauline
• Peach
• Peepa (new)
• Penguin (new)
• Pianta (new)
• Piranha Plant (new)
• Pokey (new)
• Rocky Wrench (new)
• Rosalina
• Shy Guy
• Sidestepper (new)
• Snowman (new)
• Spike (new)
• Stingby (new)
• Swoop (new)
• Toad
• Toadette
• Waluigi
• Wario
• Wiggler
• Yoshi

Mario Kart World tracks

(Image credit: Nintendo)

We've only seen a few Mario Kart World tracks in action - also called courses - with some returning from previous titles, while others are brand new to the series. Here's what's been revealed so far:

• Mario Bros. Circuit
• Crown City
• DK Spaceport
• Whistlestop Summit
• Desert Hills (DS)
• Shy Guy Bazaar (DS)
• Wario Stadium (N64)
• Airship Fortress (DS)
• DK Pass (DS)
• Starview Peak
• Sky-High Sundae (Tour)
• Wario Shipyard (3DS)
• Koopa Troopa Beach (SNES)
• Faraway Oasis
• Peach Stadium
• Moo Moo Meadows (Wii)
• Bowser's Castle

Mario Kart World: FAQs Is Mario Kart World Nintendo Switch 2 only?

Yes, Mario Kart World is being developed exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. It will not be available on the previous console.

Can you pre-order Mario Kart World?

You can now pre-order Mario Kart World in select region. Currently, it's the UK that's seeing the most Mario kart pre-order pages going live. We'll update once we see it come to the US and other regions. For now, check out our how to pre-order the Switch 2 article for more details.

Does Mario Kart World have splitscreen?

Mario Kart World does indeed have splitscreen. You can also play online, though a Nintendo Online subscription will likely be required.

Mario Kart World news

Nintendo confirms the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers have been 'designed from the ground up' and I couldn't be happier
Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 controllers have been redesigned, hopefully, to avoid potential stick drift.

During an exclusive hands-on preview of the Nintendo Switch 2, TechRadar Gaming asked Technology Development Division general manager Tetsuya Sasaki if any improvements have been made to prevent Joy-Con stick drift.

Sasaki responded, confirming that the new magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers have been completely redesigned for smoother gameplay.

Mario Kart World has been revealed
Mario Kart World has now been officially revealed, and it's a launch title!

Mario Kart World teased
What we now know to be Mario Kart World was first teased during the first look at Nintendo Switch 2 event. We only saw a brief glimpse of gameplay, but it certainly got the internet talking.

You might also like...

• Best Nintendo Switch controllers
• The best racing games to play in 2025
• If Nintendo Switch 2 is getting GameCube support, here are the seven games I most want to see

Exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 owners, you can play three titles at launch with more GameCube titles to come.

The $450 console will get Mario Kart World as a launch title, games in 4K resolution and new GameChat communication features.

According to reports, the FAA's move to hide ownership details might not stop those who post private jet details on social media.

Commentary: I tried the Minecraft-themed McNuggets sauce. It might just be the hottest sauce Mickey D's has ever offered.

Talk about a surprise for the new Switch.

Some Nintendo Switch games, like Breath of the Wild, are getting upgraded versions for the new console dubbed Nintendo Switch 2 Editions.

• Samsung has debuted the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and S10 FE Plus
• The latter model features a series-first 13.1-inch screen
• They start at $499.99 / £499 / AU$TBC, and are available now

In our Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus review, we described Samsung’s 2024 entry-level tablet as the “anti-iPad Air”, and its newly announced successor – the Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus – further improves on the company’s winning formula.

Debuting alongside the smaller Galaxy Tab S10 FE (which has almost identical specs), the Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus features a supersized 13.1-inch display – scaled up from last year’s 12.4-inch model – an Exynos 1580 chipset, a 10,090mAh battery, IP68 dust- and water-resistance, up to 12GB of RAM, and up to 256GB​ of storage.

The standard Tab S10 FE, meanwhile, sports a 10.9-inch display and an 8,000mAh battery. Both models get a 13MP wide rear camera, a 12MP ultra-wide front camera, and support for the included S Pen stylus.

Aside from their superior chipsets and that display size increase for the Plus, both models best their respective predecessors with a suite of Galaxy AI features, including an upgraded Object Eraser, Best Face, and Auto Trim. Samsung’s glare-reducing Vision Booster technology has also made the jump over from the best Samsung TVs (and indeed the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra) to the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and S10 FE Plus.

Image 1 of 2

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE (Image credit: Samsung)Image 2 of 2

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Plus (Image credit: Samsung)

Annoyingly, you’ll pay for these upgrades via a price increase, albeit a relatively minor one – the Galaxy Tab S10 FE starts at $499.99 / £499 / AU$TBC while the S10 FE Plus starts at $649.99 / £649 / AU$TBC. But both models are still significantly cheaper than their closest Apple counterparts in the iPad Air (2025) series.

Of course, the Exynos 1580 chipset is no match for Apple’s M3 behemoth, but Samsung’s new tablets do benefit from a similar-looking LCD display – in fact, you’ll get a variable 90Hz refresh rate here, where the iPad Air remains stuck at 60Hz.

The appeal of Samsung’s FE tablets, then, remains as strong as ever: if you want a more powerful Android slate, look to something like the “exceptional” Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, but for those in need of a no-frills tablet with a beautiful display and great software, the Galaxy Tab S10 FE and S10 FE Plus could be great options.

Both models ship in three colors – Gray, Silver, and Blue – and are available now from Samsung.com in 5G and Wi-Fi variants. Stay tuned for our full reviews.

You might also like

• Our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
• These are the best tablets you can buy right now
• We went hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy A56

The company's Kompanio Ultra chip can support tomorrow's generative AI-powered helpers, MediaTek says.

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, April 2 (game #1164).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1165) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1165) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1165) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. Two of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1165) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1165) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• A

• J

• D

• J

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1165) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1165, are…

• ASCOT
• JETTY
• DRUNK
• JOLLY

I’m allowing myself a deep sigh of satisfaction and some shoulder dusting today, after completing Quordle without a hitch. I’ll save my rooster dance for if I ever finish after six turns (unlikely).

In truth, the only tricky word was ASCOT and I only got that as it’s been in Quordle before, but hey they all count.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1165) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1165, are…

• ERECT
• LURCH
• RALPH
• MADAM

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1164, Wednesday 2 April: INDEX, QUEEN, INCUR, STOLE
• Quordle #1163, Tuesday 1 April: HUMUS, BALMY, WORRY, ERECT
• Quordle #1162, Monday 31 March: RECUT, MOODY, WHERE, BRACE
• Quordle #1161, Sunday 30 March: CRIME, DRINK, CLOVE, TRUER
• Quordle #1160, Saturday 29 March: LATER, ODDLY, CUMIN, AGREE
• Quordle #1159, Friday 28 March: TERSE, MUSHY, PROVE, FROND
• Quordle #1158, Thursday 27 March: CRONE, APNEA, LIGHT, AWOKE
• Quordle #1157, Wednesday 26 March: LEFTY, NOOSE, NOISE, TRIAD
• Quordle #1156, Tuesday 25 March: SNEER, WATCH, FLORA, STAIN
• Quordle #1155, Monday 24 March: FLOUT, SMASH, RAZOR, SMALL
• Quordle #1154, Sunday 23 March: ALLEY, GAMUT, GEESE, RADII
• Quordle #1153, Saturday 22 March: PICKY, BRACE, BOOZE, SURLY
• Quordle #1152, Friday 21 March: DITTY, VALOR, TOWER, AMISS
• Quordle #1151, Thursday 20 March: RIPER, STILL, WAFER, NOTCH
• Quordle #1150, Wednesday 19 March: FLAME, CARAT, SPAWN, TUNIC
• Quordle #1149, Tuesday 18 March: NAVEL, TREAT, COPSE, SLINK
• Quordle #1148, Monday 17 March: INFER, FLINT, CHUMP, SHEER
• Quordle #1147, Sunday 16 March: INPUT, RUMBA, ELUDE, BLANK
• Quordle #1146, Saturday 15 March: SPEED, CLASH, RISKY, GRATE
• Quordle #1145, Friday 14 March: BELIE, SPEAR, GROWL, ADOBE

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 2 (game #395).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #396) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Get the bug

NYT Strands today (game #396) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• THAN
• DOLE
• SOAP
• TOOL
• SNAP
• LADS

NYT Strands today (game #396) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #396) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 3rd row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #396) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #396, are…

• LADY
• STINK
• DOODLE
• LIGHTNING
• POTATO
• ASSASSIN
• SPANGRAM: ENTOMOLOGY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 hints

ENOTOMOLOGY, and I will tell you as I’ve just googled it, is the study of insects, encompassing their biology, ecology, behavior, and interactions with humans.

I must admit that a couple of the bugs that made today’s search are ones that I thought were just names for things, rather than names for actual insects.

Until today I thought DOODLEbug was the name given, during the Second World War, to flying bombs – rather than a small unattractive creature that lives in sand.

Strictly speaking, LADYbugs are beetles rather than bugs and they’re really fascinating.

The two facts that I remember most about them is that although they have a short lifespan (two years at most) they hibernate for about nine months of that time and secondly that the charming name for a large group of them is a “loveliness”.

STINKbugs don’t have an official collective term but the experts like to call large groups “a stench”.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 2 April, game #395)

• DAZZLE
• TWINKLE
• SHIMMER
• SPARKLE
• GLEAM
• RADIATE
• SPANGRAM: STAR POWER

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, April 2 (game #661).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #662) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SCANNER
• BROWSER
• POSTER
• READER
• NOTICE
• BEACH
• REGISTER
• FOLDER
• SUNDAY
• BULLETIN
• SCALE
• TREE
• SODA CAN
• CONVEYOR BELT
• KEYBOARD
• ANNOUNCEMENT

NYT Connections today (game #662) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Written proclaimations
• GREEN: As seen at Walmart
• BLUE: The common word rhymes with “cabs”
• PURPLE: The answer is a part of your hand

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #662) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: PRINTED NOTIFICATION 
• GREEN: SEEN AT A GROCERY CHECKOUT COUNTER 
• BLUE: THINGS WITH TABS
• PURPLE: PALM ___ 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #662) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #662, are…

• YELLOW: PRINTED NOTIFICATION ANNOUNCEMENT, BULLETIN, NOTICE, POSTER
• GREEN: SEEN AT A GROCERY CHECKOUT COUNTER CONVEYOR BELT, REGISTER, SCALE, SCANNER
• BLUE: THINGS WITH TABS BROWSER, FOLDER, KEYBOARD, SODA CAN
• PURPLE: PALM ___ BEACH, READER, SUNDAY, TREE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Although PALM__ made up the purple group, and I was very pleased with myself to get it, the blue collection of THINGS WITH TABS was far harder — as if often the case when Connections has fun with the multiple meanings of words.

In this case it was even harder for me, as the thing Americans call a tab on a soda can is called a ring pull in the UK.

I made my two mistakes trying and failing to get SEEN AT A GROCERY CHECKOUT COUNTER.

In my head I was associating CONVEYOR BELT and SCANNER with airport security, so I tried multiple variations with KEYBOARD and READER before getting the right foursome. Shameful, seeing as I worked at a grocery checkout for several years in my late teens.

I’m glad to say I was never one of those cashiers who would comment on what the customer was buying, those people are the worst.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 2 April, game #661)

• YELLOW: CAPRICE FANCY, IMPULSE, LARK, WHIM
• GREEN: ILK KIND, LIKE, SORT, TYPE
• BLUE: WILLIAMSES HANK, ROBIN, TENNESSEE, VENUS
• PURPLE: WORDS PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY AS PROPER NOUNS HERB, JOB, NICE, READING

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

• GreyNoise observed a spike in scanning throughout March 2025
• Thousands of IP addresses were scanning PAN-OS GlobalProtect portals
• These activities usually lead up to a cyberattack, researchers claim

Someone may be getting ready to attack Palo Alto Network devices, security researchers are warning after spotting a rise in activity.

Analysts from GreyNoise said they observed a “significant surge” in login scanning activity against the company’s PAN-OS GlobalProtect portals, with almost 24,000 unique IP addresses attempting to access these portals in March 2025.

“The pattern suggests a coordinated effort to probe network defenses and identify exposed or vulnerable systems, potentially as a precursor to targeted exploitation,” the article reads. This could also mean that someone’s found a zero-day vulnerability in these endpoints and is now looking to see how many endpoints it can compromise through it.

Monitor your credit score with TransUnion starting at $29.95/month

TransUnion is a credit monitoring service that helps you stay on top of your financial health. With real-time alerts, credit score tracking, and identity theft protection, it ensures you never miss important changes. You'll benefit from a customizable online interface with clear insights into your credit profile. Businesses also benefit from TransUnion’s advanced risk assessment tools.

Preferred partner (What does this mean?)View Deal

Remote code execution risks

“Over the past 18 to 24 months, we’ve observed a consistent pattern of deliberate targeting of older vulnerabilities or well-worn attack and reconnaissance attempts against specific technologies,” said Bob Rudis, VP of Data Science at GreyNoise. “These patterns often coincide with new vulnerabilities emerging 2 to 4 weeks later.”

For GreyNoise, there is no doubt that this is a malicious campaign. Of the 24,000 unique IP addresses that scanned Palo Alto devices, 154 were labeled as “malicious” beyond reasonable doubt, while the rest were classified as “suspicious” in the past. Their locations are mostly in North America, throughout the US and Canada.

The majority of the targets are also based in the US.

GreyNoise says this activity could be linked to separate PAN-OS reconnaissance-related tags, such as PAN-OS Crawler, where they observed a single spike on March 26, 2025 involving 2,580 unique source IPs.

Obviously, the end goal is not known at this time, but vigilance is advised. IT teams should review their logs since mid-March to see if they were targeted, and should be on the lookout for signs of compromise. They should also harden their login portals and block known malicious IPs.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS sees authentication bypass under attack from hackers
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app

A Minecraft Movie director Jared Hess has given short shrift to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry.

Speaking to TechRadar ahead of the film's release on April 4, Hess revealed that AI wasn't used at any point during A Minecraft Movie's development. However, he admitted that its wide-ranging application throughout the movie- and TV-making business was inevitable, even though it can't – and likely won't – come close to replicating the creativity that human artists, animators, voice actors, and other talented industry folk possess in abundance.

"We didn't use it as part of development," Hess emphatically replied when I asked if he leaned on AI during production on one of 2025's new movies. "We were old school, so we used human artists with awesome brains and imaginations.

I just hope AI is used as a tool and not as a shortcut

Jared Hess, A Minecraft Movie director

"Look, AI is going to affect every aspect of life, including entertainment," he continued. "I just hope it's used as a tool and not as a shortcut. Again, the human experience is so critical to all forms of art, and that kind of nuance and voice and perspective is something that AI can't replicate. It's currently able to imitate things, sure, but I'm always just going to gravitate toward the human [experience] wherever I can."

AI's application in the entertainment business has exploded over the past year. From its controversial use in Oscar-nominated flick like The Brutalist and its fellow Academy Award nominee Emilia Perez, to its multifaceted application on some of the world's best streaming services, artificial intelligence's influence on Hollywood will only grow from here.

As Hess said, here's hoping it's implemented in the correct manner and at the right time, rather than being mishandled in order to replace the human workforce and human invention as we know it.

'I wanted to barf my brains out!'

Jared Hess had a hard time using one piece of technology during the movie's development (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

Warner Bros' take on Mojang Studios' universally popular Minecraft sandbox video game benefitted from the use of other forms of technology, though. There was one particular piece of virtual reality (VR) tech that Hess says he "couldn't handle", too, because of how nauseating it felt.

"We actually used Minecraft VR," he told me. "We also had this thing called the virtual art department. It was based in Unreal Engine, and allowed us to physically drop ourselves into Minecraft's Overworld and the Nether to set up shots, position cameras, and work out how to film in this environment.

"I remember that the crew brought me some VR goggles and, dude, I wanted to barf my brains out!" he added with a laugh. "I'm not meant for VR – I couldn't handle it. So, I just said to my team 'pass me a controller [and] let's do this old school on an Xbox console!'"

Be sure to keep an eye out for my review of A Minecraft Movie later today (April 2) to see whether it's worth watching when the film arrives in theaters. In the meantime, read more coverage of A Minecraft Movie, plus some other intriguing articles of mine, below.

You might also like

• 'They were taken out of context': A Minecraft Movie director responds to fan backlash over the film adaptation's visuals
• McDonald's reveals A Minecraft Movie meal with a bizarre set of collectibles and the most sinister sounding sauce ever
• 'We're optimists': AI enthusiasts Joe and Anthony Russo defend its use in movies and TV shows, but admit there are 'very real dangers' around its application

This Bose SoundLink Flex is now a massive $36 off thanks to this Amazon deal.

• Elden Ring is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025

• Elden Ring is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 this year
• FromSoftware made the announcement at the Switch 2 Direct today
• More games like Split Fiction and Hogwarts Legacy are also arriving as launch titles on June 5

FromSoftware's award-winning Elden Ring is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025.

The announcement comes from the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Showcase today, where the company finally unveiled a full breakdown of the Switch 2 and confirmed a June 5, 2025 release date.

Alongside Elden Ring, we also received confirmation that a bunch of other games, including Hazelight Studios' Split Fiction, Hogwarts Legacy, and Street Fighter 6, will be coming to the console as a launch title, as well as Tony Hawk: Pro Skater 3 + 4 this summer.

We can expect even more from Nintendo this week as it's announced that it will be airing two Treehouse presentations this week, offering a new look at Switch 2 gameplay.

You'll be able to tune in for the first broadcast on April 3 at 7AM PT / 9AM ET / 2PM BST, and the second will take place at the same time on April 4.

You might also like...

• These are my five dream Nintendo Switch 2 games that I want to see at launch
• Nintendo's latest FCC filing hints at a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller featuring a headphone jack
• The Switch 2 launching with a Mario Kart game 'is very unlike Nintendo' compared to the original Switch releasing with Breath of the Wild, says former marketing leads: 'That's what's gonna make you want to buy the new hardware'

Adams was scheduled to go on trial in April until new leadership at the Justice Department under the Trump administration ordered prosecutors in New York in February to drop the case, sparking a public outcry and resignations of prosecutors.

(Image credit: Kyle Mazza)

• Millions of free VPN users have sent their data to China without realizing it
• At least five VPNs are linked to Qihoo 360, a Shanghai-based firm believed to have links with the Chinese military
• Experts found a total of 20 China-owned apps, counting over 70 million downloads on the US Apple store

Millions of free VPN users in America have sent their data to China without knowing it. At least five of these services are linked to Qihoo 360, a Shanghai-based firm hit by US sanctions in 2020 for alleged links with the Chinese military.

These are the worrying findings from an investigation carried on by the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) into the top 100 free VPN apps on Apple's official app store in the US. Overall, experts found 20 apps had undisclosed Chinese ownership and have been downloaded more than 70 million times.

The China-linked VPN apps are also currently available in both Apple and Google's official app stores in and out of the US, the UK included. This indicates that the real number of impacted users is likely to be even higher.

The danger of China-linked VPNs

While the best VPN services boost your online anonymity and security by encrypting your internet traffic and spoofing your IP address, malicious apps pose great risks to your privacy.

That's because providers can potentially read the internet traffic rerouted via their servers. "That risk is compounded in the case of Chinese apps, given China’s strict laws that can force companies in that country to secretly share access to their users’ data with the government," TTP experts noted.

Worse still, understanding the real ownership behind these free VPN applications isn't easy. TTP found that none of the 20 China-linked services disclosed this crucial information. The team was able to determine this by piecing together several corporate documents.

Turbo VPN, VPN Proxy Master, Thunder VPN, Snap VPN, and Signal Secure VPN are the five services linked to Qihoo 360. The Shanghai-based firm has been previously accused of having ties with the Chinese military. For this, the US sanctioned the company on national security grounds in June 2020.

All in all, "Apple is not taking adequate steps to determine who owns the apps it offers its users and what they do with the data they collect," TTP experts note.

We contacted Apple, but we are still waiting for a response at the time of writing.

I first raised the alarm about the Turbo VPN family of #VPN apps and their Chinese ownership links in 2018. Looks like I was right & they're connected to blacklisted Chinese security firm Qihoo 360. It highlights the problem with free VPNs...April 2, 2025

Apple isn't alone to allegedly failing user privacy, though.

As reported by the Financial Times, Qihoo-linked apps were all available on Apple and Google’s US stores as of last week. "After the Financial Times contacted Apple for comment, Thunder VPN and Snap VPN were pulled from its store," pointed out the publication.

It's estimated that three of these apps alone were downloaded more than 1 million times from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store combined in the past three months.

Turbo VPN even obtained Google's verified badge, a label that helps users easily identify secure and trustworthy services.

TechRadar was also able to confirm that, at the time of writing, these apps are still available across Apple and Google's official app stores in the UK. The apps are likely to remain available in other markets, too, considerably raising the number of impacted users.

Which are the China-linked free VPNs?

TTP experts flagged a total of 20 free VPN apps with shady Chinese ownership. This count excludes those services clearly labelling themselves as Chinese in the App Store, making their China connection clear to users.

As mentioned earlier, five of these have links with Shanghai-based Qihoo 360, a company believed to have ties with the country's military bodies. Below is the full list:

Read More

• Qihoo 360-linked VPNs (Turbo VPN, VPN Proxy Master, Thunder VPN, Snap VPN, and Signal Secure VPN)
• X-VPN
• VPNIFY
• VPN Bucks
• VPN Proxy Master
• LinkWorldVPN
• WireVPN - Fast VPN & Proxy
• Wirevpn - Secure & Fast VPN
• VPN Proxy OvpnSpider
• Best VPN Proxy AppVPN
• Ostrich VPN
• HulaVPN
• VPN Ⓟ (removed from App Store in 2024)
•  Best V2ray (removed from App Store)
• Alphaoo Net (removed from App Store)
• SwiftLink VPN (removed from App Store)
• Speedy Quark VPN
• Now VPN
• Incognito Net (removed from App Store)
• Pearl VPN

Next steps

With the deadline for the TikTok ban in the US looming in the background, more people in the country may soon be tempted to download a free service to find a quick and easy way to circumvent potential blocks.

If you aren't willing to invest in a premium VPN service, I recommend checking Proton VPN and Privado VPN, as they currently are the most secure freebies you can find on the market.

I also invite everyone who has previously downloaded one of the aforementioned applications to delete their account and apps from their device as soon as possible.

You might also like

• Over 2.5 billion free Android VPN users at risk of data leaks
• 2024 saw a surge in malicious free VPN apps
• It's not just free VPNs, these premium services may be bad for your privacy