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Free Deep Fake Detection Tool seeks to combat the rising misuse of deepfake technology.

New deepfake detection tool helps to crack down on fake contentA “deepfake score” helps users spot AI generated video and audioThe tool is free to use to help mitigate the impact of fake content

Deepfake technology uses artificial intelligence to create realistic, yet entirely fabricated images, videos, and audio, with the manipulated media often imitating famous individuals or ordinary people for the use of fraudulent purposes, including financial scams, political disinformation, and identity theft.

In order to combat the rise in such scams, security firm CloudSEK has launched a new Deep Fake Detection Technology, designed to counter the threat of deepfakes and provide users with a way to identify manipulated content.

CloudSEK’s detection tool aims to help organizations identify deepfake content and prevent potential damage to their operations and credibility, assessing the authenticity of video frames, focusing on facial features and movement inconsistencies that might indicate deepfake tampering, such as facial expressions with unnatural transitions, and unusual textures in the background and on faces.

The rise of deepfakes but there is a solution

Audio analysis is also used, where the tool detects synthetic speech patterns that signal the presence of artificially generated voices. The system also transcribes audio and summarizes key points, allowing users to quickly assess the credibility of the content they are reviewing. The final result is an overall “Fakeness Score,” which indicates the likelihood that the content has been artificially altered.

This score helps users understand the level of potential manipulation, offering insights into whether the content is AI-generated, mixed with deepfake elements, or likely human-generated.

A Fakeness score of 70% and above is AI-generated, 40% to 70% is dubious and possibly a mix of original and deep fake elements while 40% and below is likely human-generated.

In the finance sector, deepfakes are being used for fraudulent activities like manipulating stock prices or tricking customers with fake video-based KYC processes.

The healthcare sector has also been affected, with deepfakes being used to create false medical records or impersonate doctors, while government entities face threats from election-related deepfakes or falsified evidence.

Similarly, media and IT sectors are equally vulnerable, with deepfakes being used to create fake news or damage brand reputations.

“Our mission to predict and prevent cyber threats extends beyond corporations. That’s why we’ve decided to release the Deepfakes Analyzer to the community,” said Bofin Babu, Co-Founder, CloudSEK.

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It should soon be simpler to stop and restart your Disney Plus subscription, according to a new report.

Disney Plus could soon let users pause their subscriptionsIt’s a feature already offered by NetflixMore streamers are canceling then returning to apps

If you’re overloaded with digital subscriptions, then pausing payments temporarily can often work better than canceling a membership completely: and that’s an option that’s apparently on the way for Disney Plus viewers.

As per the Wall Street Journal, Disney executives are planning to offer a pause option “soon”, according to someone “familiar” with the plans. It’s something already available on some services, like Netflix and Hulu, but not on others.

There are certainly plenty of benefits to pausing rather than canceling streaming services, not least being able to hang on to your viewing history and recommendations. You don’t have to lose your place in that 240-episode show you were bingeing – so you can pick up where you left off on the best Disney Plus shows.

According to the WSJ, there’s a rise in the number of people who are rejoining video streaming services within a year of canceling – the average is 34.2% of customers in 2024 so far, up from 29.8% a couple of years ago.

Pause for thought

Netflix users can already pause their subscriptions – for 3 months (Image credit: Unsplash)

It makes sense to give users a halfway option between canceling completely and continuing to subscribe: it should mean they’re more likely to come back (though you could also argue it makes it easier to stop paying as well).

There are time limits attached to pausing, however: For Netflix, it’s three months, during which time you can still log into the app and browse what’s on offer. If you go all the way and cancel, your viewing history is still kept for 10 months, in case you want to rejoin (but you won’t be able to get into the app during that time).

When it comes to streaming services offered by the likes of Amazon and Apple, the picture is more complicated: in these cases, movies and shows are just part of a bigger picture, and you won’t lose your Amazon or Apple account if you cancel Prime Video or Apple TV Plus. Prime Video is tied to a Prime membership, which can be paused.

As for how this will work with Disney Plus, and how long pause periods will last for, the WSJ doesn’t go into detail – but we’ll bring you all the information as and when it’s announced. While you wait, see how many of the best Disney Plus movies you’ve still got left to watch.

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From budget phones to premium flagships, the ultra-wide camera is a modern staple, but is it actually useful?

Pick up any modern phone – be it one of the best iPhones or best Android phones – and you’re likely to find a rear panel adorned with two, three, or even four cameras. In most cases, at least one of these cameras will be an ultra-wide lens – commonly referred to as a 0.5x or 0.6x zoom, compared to the main snapper.

Apple, for example, markets the base-model iPhone 16 as having a 4x optical zoom range thanks to an inner crop on its main camera and the 0.5x “magnification” offered by the ultra-wide camera.

But beyond neat figures for marketing and pseudo-zoom trickery, can any of us actually remember if we even wanted an ultra-wide camera to begin with?

The first phone to really make an impact by having two cameras was the iPhone 7 Plus, which pushed the idea of the dual camera setup into the mainstream. It came equipped with a wide-angle main camera and a 2x telephoto camera, at a time when even decent digital zoom wasn’t a given on smartphones.

The iPhone 7 Plus launched in 2016 with a dual camera setup

The revolutionary iPhone X, and its follow-up the iPhone XS, kept this momentum going, and the rivals of the day followed suit, with the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus also sporting a telephoto camera.

Ever since the iPhone 11, though, it’s been seen as normal to fit premium, flagship handsets with ultra-wide secondary cameras, and the more useful telephoto lens has increasingly become a tertiary luxury. And in the budget world, telephoto lenses are a real rarity compared to the common – and presumably cheaper – ultra-wide option.

Ultra-wide cameras have their uses. The lesser focal distance of an ultra-wide camera means you can get up close to subjects, enabling macro photography. And sometimes you just need to fit more stuff in the frame.

However, for day-to-day photography – which is the majority of photography done with a smartphone – even a 2x telephoto zoom is so much more useful; it virtually extends the photographer’s reach to help them capture a wider variety of day-to-day happenings – not to mention better-looking portraits and detailed close-ups.

The ultra-wide cameras affixed to smartphones are also rarely meaningfully corrected by the phone’s image processing pipeline, meaning people and objects at the fringes of the image appear unnaturally stretched out.

The Xiaomi Mix Flip doesn’t have an ultra-wide camera (Image credit: Xiaomi)

Luckily, there does seem to be a course correction in motion. Xiaomi affixes telephoto cameras to several of its mid-range models, and even the new Xiaomi Mix Flip foldable has a 2x zoom as its sole backup. The Samsung Galaxy S24 family all carry an optical zoom camera of some description.

And I’m even glad of the rumors that suggest the next-generation iPhone SE will continue the single-camera tradition, as this means more investment and design resources can be allocated to things like performance and battery life instead of a camera with very limited use cases.

Hopefully, these choices begin to trickle down towards the best cheap phones over the coming years, but until then, it seems I’ll have to keep chasing the highest-performing phones for a secondary camera that I actually want to use.

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Here’s what we know about The Batman Part II, which will be released in October 2026.

The Batman Part II is among my most anticipated superhero movies of the next few years. It’s been over two and a half years since Robert Pattinson’s first outing as the Caped Crusader took flight, but The Penguin TV spin-off has reignited interest in Matt Reeves’ Batman universe, and I – and many others – can no longer contain my excitement for the Dark Knight’s next big-screen adventure.

So, what do we know about it? Not a lot, really, but its cast and crew, plus what happened in The Penguin, have given us some ideas about The Batman‘s film sequel. To that end, I’ve rounded up every piece of news and rumor I can find on the forthcoming DC flick in this handy guide, including its official release date, likely cast, and potential plot points. Full spoilers follow for The Batman and The Penguin, so proceed at your own risk.

The Batman Part II release date

“What do you mean my next movie has been pushed back, Selina?!” (Image credit: Jonathan Olley/Warner Bros.)

The Batman Part II will swoop into cinemas worldwide on October 2, 2026.

The film, labeled a DC Elseworlds project after new DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran revealed their new-look DC Cinematic Universe (DCU) in January 2023, was originally due to arrive in October 2025. That release date was unveiled many, many months after Warner Bros. announced The Batman was getting a sequel.

However, The Batman Part II‘s release was delayed in mid-March, with Deadline noting that the 2023 Hollywood strikes were a key reason for its revised launch date. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly (EW) in mid-September, Reeves confirmed he’d finally finished writing the script with co-scribe Mattson Tomlin. It’s unclear when filming will actually begin, but industry insider Jeff Sneider suggests it’ll start shooting in April 2025.

The Batman Part II trailer: is there one?

Staring at my computer screen waiting for the film’s first trailer to drop like… (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Surprising no one, there’s no trailer yet. I don’t expect to see one until early 2026, either, especially if principal photography doesn’t start on The Batman Part II until next April. Once a trailer is eventually released, I’ll update this section.

The Batman Part II cast: confirmed and rumored

Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb is confirmed to appear in The Batman Part II (Image credit: HBO)

Potential spoilers follow for The Batman Part II.

The Batman 2‘s official cast list hasn’t been released yet, but here’s a list of those who’ve said and/or hinted that they’ll appear:

Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne/BatmanJeffrey Wright as James ‘Jim’ GordonAndy Serkis as Alfred PennyworthColin Farrell as Oz Cobb

Pattinson is nailed on to step into the role of the titular vigilante and his billionaire alias Bruce Wayne once more.

Meanwhile, three of The Batman‘s supporting cast are also set to return. Farrell announced (via The Hollywood Reporter (THR)) that he’s signed on to appear in “five or six scenes” as Oz Cobb, aka The Penguin. Serkis also confirmed he’ll be back as the Wayne family’s butler Alfred Pennyworth when discussing the movie’s filming schedule at ACE Superhero Con (per Digital Spy) in June. Lastly, Jeffrey Wright spoke about playing Commissioner Gordon again with ET Online in February.

Could we see Sofia Gigante in The Batman‘s sequel? (Image credit: Max)

There are plenty of other actors who appeared in The Batman, The Penguin, or both that may show up, too. Concerning the former, Zoë Kravitz, Barry Keoghan, and Paul Dano could return as Selina Kyle, Joker, and The Riddler respectively, though much depends on the story that’ll play out in The Batman Part II.

On The Penguin front, the most likely candidate who might make the jump to the big screen is Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Gigante. She was reincarcerated at Arkham Asylum in one of the best Max shows‘ final episode and, given Batman visited this psychiatric hospital-prison in The Batman, he could do so again as part of the plot. If he does, I’d be shocked if he doesn’t share a scene or two with Sofia.

Finally, Con O’Neill’s Gotham police chief Mackenzie Bock and Jayme Lawson’s Gotham City mayor Bella Real are sure to pop up. The pair had minor roles in both productions, so I’ve reason to believe they’ll reappear in The Batman 2.

The Batman Part II story speculation

Major spoilers follow for The Batman and The Penguin.

Understandably, there’s very little we currently know about The Batman Part II‘s plot. You should read my articles on The Penguin ending explained and The Batman ending explained, though, to get a sense of where things could go next.

There are morsels of information that have given us some insight into the movie’s potential story, too – starting with who its villain could be. Speaking to Den of Geek in February 2022, Pattinson expressed his wish to see the Court of Owls, a relatively new addition to Batman’s rogues gallery, make their live-action debut. Reeves, for his part, refused to confirm or deny if this clandestine organization would feature during an appearance on the Showsha YouTube channel in October.

Pattinson has also stated he’d like to see the Dark Knight go toe-to-toe with Calendar Man, aka the villain of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s ‘The Long Halloween’ graphic novel. Considering The Batman was heavily influenced by the comic book, and The Batman Part II‘s pre-Halloween 2026 release date, Calendar Man would be an apt antagonist for the World’s Greatest Detective to take on.

As for Reeves, Mr. Freeze is a name the writer-director frequently dropped as a potential foil to Pattinson’s Batman while promoting The Batman in early 2022 (per Fandom and as picked up on by Batman News). Eagle-eyed fans, though, think The Batman 2‘s villain isn’t any of this trio, with fan detectives suggesting The Batman sequel’s main antagonist will be none other than Two-Face – and they have the internet-based evidence to back it up.

Moving away from which of Batman’s foes may appear, what are the chances of the Caped Crusader’s sidekick Robin showing up? I think that’s extremely unlikely, but Pattinson is open to the idea, albeit under one condition, the A-lister telling Fandom: “Yeah but he has to be 13. That’s the only way I’ll accept it. No, I love [comic series] ‘Death in the Family’ and stuff. I think it would be so cool. Also, people are so scared of it, that it’s kind of exciting. I think it would be a really fun addition.”

Before any of the aforementioned individuals potentially surface, however, the big question on everyone’s lips is: where has Bruce Wayne/Batman been? Indeed, he was conspicuous by his absence in The Penguin, so we’ll need to know where he’s been and/or what he’s been up to as Oz and Sofia’s turf war waged on Gotham City’s streets.

In conversation with Digital Spy, Reeves provided some context to Batman being AWOL. “This was a time of great turmoil in the city, it’s literally the week after what happened. Much of the city is in desperation, so police can’t get everywhere, there’s crime everywhere, it’s a very, very dangerous time. [Batman’s] out there trying to grapple with the aftermath of everything that happened, which to some degree he blames himself for”. These quotes notwithstanding, it would be good to get more details on where he was during The Penguin.

There are plenty more questions we need answers to in The Batman sequel. That includes a possible first meeting between half-sisters Sofia and Selina – “It felt important to acknowledge it in this way and set up a potential future”, LeFranc told EW – and how Gotham’s gang war has shifted the balance of power in the city. Teasing how The Penguin and The Batman‘s events set the stage for the latter’s follow-up, Reeves told EW: “The repercussions of what happened as a result of the last movie and what’s happened during this gang war are very much the table setter for the way we enter into [The Batman Part II]”. Whatever’s to come, you can color me excited.

Where can I watch The Batman and The Penguin?

The Batman is available to stream on a number of the world’s top streaming platforms (Image credit: Matt Reeves / Warner Bros.)

Want to know which of the world’s best streaming services are home to The Batman and/or The Penguin? First, read my review of The Batman and review of The Penguin to get a spoiler-light taste of what to expect. Then, read on to learn where you can watch them in the US, UK, and Australia before The Batman Part II is released in theaters.

The Batman – Max (US), Prime Video (UK), and Foxtel and Stan (Australia)The Penguin – Max and HBO (US), Sky and Now TV (UK), and Binge (Australia)

If you’re interested in streaming more Batman films, read our guide on how to watch the Batman movies in order. See if you agree with our ranking of the best Batman movies and if any Batman flick made it onto our best Max movies list, too, once you’ve seen some or all of them.

Has The Batman Part III been announced yet?

I hope we see The Batman Epic Crime Saga’s take on the Batmobile again in another project (Image credit: Warner Bros. )

There’s nothing to report about a sequel to The Batman Part II. However, The Batman Epic Crime Saga is only going to expand outwards, so there’ll be more movie and TV projects to enjoy in the future. Don’t discount The Batman Part III being among that contingent.

In the more immediate term, there are other TV spin-offs in early development, with Reeves telling The Wrap he’s in discussions with HBO about other shows centered around more of Batman’s most iconic villains. One rumor that emerged following The Wrap’s report was that Barry Keoghan was set to star in a Joker series, but DC Studios co-chief James Gunn has denied such a project is in the works. Other spin-off ideas that have since been discarded include a Gotham Police Department crime procedural and a horror-fuelled Arkham Asylum TV show.

However, there is the potential for a second season of The Penguin to be greenlit. The critical and commercial acclaim that the HBO series has been met with – The Penguin was streamed by five million people on HBO alone during its first few days on the service – means TV executives want Oz’s story, The Batman Part II‘s plot notwithstanding, to continue. Lead actor Colin Farrell is extremely open to the idea of a second season (per THR), while showrunner Lauren LeFranc told The Direct: “I think that in order to do a second season, we have to feel like we can top ourselves. We have to feel like there’s something more there to really dig into”. Don’t rule it out, then, folks.

For more DC-based coverage, read my guides on Creature Commandos, James Gunn’s Superman movie, and every DC project in development for DCU Chapter One.

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The latest Galaxy S25 rumor to arrive gives us more of an idea about the color options coming our way.

Another list of Galaxy S25 colors has leakedThe shades could vary from the Galaxy S24 handsetsPrevious rumors have been contradictory

We’re not far off the expected January 2025 launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 phones, and the leaks around these three handsets continue – with the most reason giving us more of an idea about the color options that are coming.

Well-known tipster Evan Blass has gone on record as saying the standard Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus handsets (codenamed PA1 and PA2 respectively) will be available in Blue, Mint, Navy, and Silver Shadow shades.

As for the Galaxy S25 Ultra (PA3), we can look forward to that particular phone being available in Titanium Blue, Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, and Titanium Silver when it makes its official debut next year.

As Android Headlines notes, all of those colors are likely to be the basic options, with additional colors available less widely. Sometimes the shades you can get the flagship Galaxy phones in depends on where you are in the world.

Changing color choices

We may see some new shades for the Ultra model (Image credit: Future)

For comparison, the basic colors for the Samsung Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus are Cobalt Violet, Amber Yellow, Onyx Black, and Marble Gray, and then you’ve got Sapphire Blue, Jade Green, and Sandstone Orange available through Samsung’s website.

When it comes to the Galaxy S24 Ultra – see our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review for details – the choices are Titanium Gray, Titanium Black, Titanium Violet, and Titanium Yellow, with Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, and Titanium Orange available online.

There’s some variation coming next year then, and some discrepancy between the color names we heard rumored last month – though the actual colors themselves seem to line up (Mint and Sparkling Green could well be the same shade, for example).

Another leak earlier in October, from a reputable source, pointed to Black, Blue, Green, and Titanium for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which doesn’t exactly match this new leak. It’s possible that Samsung is still deciding which options to go forward with.

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The Samsung Galaxy S25 line could land in early 2025, and we have predictions for the announcement, pre-order, and on-sale dates.

The biggest phones of 2024 have all now launched, but we probably won’t have to get far into 2025 before we see another major handset – in fact, three of them should land all at once, early in the year, in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S25, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

This trio of high-end phones are likely to be the best of Samsung’s non-foldable phones for the year, and based on past form will probably rank among the absolute best phones from any brand.

While we don’t know exactly when these handsets will launch, we can take an educated guess based on rumors and tips, and Samsung’s typical release date patterns. Below then, you’ll find the predicted announcement date, our prediction for the pre-order date, and when we think these phones will actually go on sale.

We’ll also update this article whenever we hear any credible release date news or rumors, so make sure to keep checking back.

Samsung Galaxy S25 announcement date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy S24 series (Image credit: Samsung)

We’ve heard two credible release date leaks so far, one of which suggests that the Samsung Galaxy S25 series will be announced on January 23 and the other points to a Galaxy S25 announcement on January 22. However, with the first leak coming from South Korea and the launch event likely happening in the US, it’s very possible due to time differences that both are correct, but for our purposes then the January 22 leak would be more likely.

Beyond that, another Samsung Galaxy S25 announcement date hint comes in the form of a Vietnamese survey, shared by @pnk505 on X. This states that on January 5, respondents will get a 10% discount off the next Galaxy S models.

So you might assume January 5 would be the announcement date of these phones, but that’s a Sunday, which is not a day Samsung is likely to use. Still, the discount code needn’t necessarily be sent on the announcement date, so if the survey is genuine then we could still see these phones get announced in early to mid-January, or indeed on January 22, as mentioned above.

But we’d be surprised if we see the phones before the middle of the month, as CES 2025 runs from January 7-11 (with some announcements potentially happening ahead of the official start of the show).

That will ensure the tech world’s attentions are elsewhere on those days, and Samsung itself typically uses CES to announce TVs and smart home products, so it probably wouldn’t want to distract from them with a major phone launch.

So where does that leave us? Beyond leaks, in its quarterly earnings report for Q3 2024, Samsung confirmed that the Galaxy S25 line would land in the first half of 2025, so we can round the release date down a little at least.

But based on when Samsung typically launches new models, we can round down the likely timing further. The Samsung Galaxy S24 series was unveiled on January 17 of 2024, while the Samsung Galaxy S23 line was announced on February 1 of 2023. For the Samsung Galaxy S22, Samsung used February 9, and the Galaxy S21 was unveiled on January 14 of its release year.

So in recent years Samsung has always unveiled new Galaxy S models in either January or February, and no earlier than mid-January or later than mid-February. We’d expect the company will follow the same pattern with the Galaxy S25, so these phones will likely be unveiled somewhere roughly between January 15 and February 15.

January 22 fits comfortably into that window, so for now we’d say that’s the most likely date, but any other date in that timeframe is possible too.

Samsung Galaxy S25 pre-order date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (Image credit: Future)

In recent years, Samsung has opened pre-orders for new Galaxy S models the same day as they’re announced, and we have no reason to think that trend will stop with the Samsung Galaxy S25 line.

So we predict you’ll be able to pre-order the Galaxy S25, Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, straight after they’re announced – which as detailed above will possibly be on January 22, and at the very least will probably be sometime between around January 15 and February 15.

Samsung Galaxy S25 on-sale date predictions

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy S24 went on sale on January 31, which is two weeks after it was announced. There was a similar but not identical gap with the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S22, each of which went on sale 16 days after their announcement, and the Galaxy S21 which went on sale 15 days after it was announced.

So we expect there will be a roughly two-week gap once again, meaning that if the Samsung Galaxy S25 is announced on January 22, it will probably go on sale sometime around February 5, give or take a couple of days, as that’s two weeks later.

Of course, we’re not certain of that January 22 announcement date, but assuming the Samsung Galaxy S25 line is unveiled between mid-January and mid-February anyway, you’ll be able to have one of these phones in your hand sometime between late January and early March.

What about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim and S25 FE?

The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Image credit: Future)

As well as the Samsung Galaxy S25, Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, we’re also expecting to see a Samsung Galaxy S25 FE and perhaps a Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim.

The FE is a slightly lower end alternative to the main Galaxy S line, and Samsung launches a new FE model most but not all years, while the Galaxy S25 Slim is a new rumored model that would be thinner than the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 line.

However, most leaks suggest neither of these will land alongside the main Samsung Galaxy S25 series. Typically, the FE launches well over six months later – with the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE for example only going on sale in October of 2024. One tip suggests we could see the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE in April, but that would still probably be at least two months after the main Galaxy S25 line.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim is similarly said by some sources to be landing two or three months after the main Samsung Galaxy S25 series, so probably April or May. That said, one leak suggests the Galaxy S25 Slim could actually arrive alongside the rest of the S25 line, if Samsung gets it finished in time. So don’t count it out just yet.

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Cloudbrink introduces software-only mobile hotspot tool, enhancing performance over traditional VPNs by over 30 times.

Cloudbrink hotspot service aims to offer alternative to VPN toolsThe service claims to improve application performance by 30 timesCan also reportedly reduce the tethering suffered in warehouse environments

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have long been the standard for secure internet access in the remote and hybrid work landscape.

However, while VPNs provide essential encryption, they often also have downsides, as workers relying on tethered connections in challenging environments such as warehouses, or remote manufacturing facilities, can face a frustrating trade-off between security and speed due to relying on mobile hotspots.

Now, Cloudbrink is looking to improve hotspot performance as an alternative to VPNs, offering a solution that not only ensures security but also enhances connectivity without the typical bandwidth sacrifices.

Beyond traditional VPNs

Hotspots can often suffer from performance degradation due to the nature of their connection (combining two wireless links – one from the device to the mobile phone and another from the phone to the carrier network). This dual-link setup increases the chances of performance issues, particularly when signal strength is poor, or packet loss occurs.

While the rollout of 5G networks promises to alleviate some of the performance issues associated with mobile hotspots, widespread adoption remains a distant goal. Currently, only 32% of cellular connections in the United States are 5G, and penetration is significantly lower in many other regions. Additionally, 5G coverage tends to be concentrated in metropolitan areas, leaving many remote and hybrid workers unable to capitalize on the technology.

Cloudbrink’s service is designed as a high-performance alternative to VPNs, with independent tests conducted by Broadband Testing showing that the new service boosts application performance over WiFi, 4G/5G, and broadband connections by more than 30 times.

The company says it uses techniques such as accelerated pre-emptive packet recovery and dynamic virtual access points known as FAST Edges, which minimize latency and maximize throughput even over unreliable and congested networks.

Intelligent packet optimization allows the service to adjust performance, based on signal strength and other variables, ensuring the best possible connection at any given time, as Cloudbrink pairs these technologies with AI-enabled network.

“Cloudbrink was already faster than a VPN or other ZTNA over any remote connection by an order of magnitude,” claims Manohar Reddy, head of products at Cloudbrink. “Now we’ve tuned the service to optimize mobile hotspots, we’re seeing better than twice the performance we were previously getting on tethered devices.”

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The world’s most lucrative photo contest, with a $200,000 top prize, has been won by Liping Cao using a surprising DSLR camera.

The most lucrative photo contest in the world has awarded its top prize – an eye-watering $200,000 – to Liping Cao of China for his monochrome image of a distant wind farm on the shores of a freshwater lake in Australia (see below).

The judges of the HIPA Sustainability, which is now in its thirteenth year, and which this year put up a record-high $1 million prize pot to be shared among the winners, chose Quiet Power, which depicts a wind farm in 2021 on a then-dried-out Lake George in New South Wales, Australia, as the overall winner.

What’s most surprising about Liping’s feat is the camera he used to take his winning photo – a Canon DSLR.

The camera in question is not even one of the best DSLRs, but a 12-year-old Canon EOS 5D Mark III – a full-frame DSLR that you can pick up secondhand from around $300 from the likes of KEH in the US or around £325 from MPB in the UK, though you’ll pay a little more if you want one that’s in excellent condition.

(Image credit: © Liping Cao)

Liping paired the EOS 5D Mark III with the EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM, a versatile zoom lens that back in the day could be purchased with the camera as part of a kit – a combination that’s easily affordable for enthusiasts.

The winning image was shot in color and then converted to black and white because it “shows more levels of detail and is more suitable for experiencing environmental impact,” said Liping.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 24-105mm F4L IS USM lens, Liping’s winning gear combination (Image credit: Future)

DSLR for the win

Canon confirmed some time ago that it’s no longer developing DSLR cameras, and is instead going all-in with its mirrorless cameras, but Liping’s winning photo, taken with a Canon camera that’s been consigned to the past, reminds us that you don’t always need the latest and greatest cameras to get top results.

The full-frame EOS 5D Mark III packs a 22.9MP sensor, which practically matches Canon’s modern-day mirrorless equivalents for detail, such as the EOS R6 Mark II, which shoots 24MP photos and which is much costlier.

And while I recently came to appreciate the advances in mirrorless camera tech when I used my old Nikon DSLR for the first time in years, this win for Liping shows there’s still life in the old DSLR yet.

If you’re interested in the best DSLR options you can check out our guide to the best DSLRs. And if you’re a newcomer who’s confused by the jargon, you’ll want to read our mirrorless vs DSLR explainer.

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TechRadar sits down with Arcane co-creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee to discuss act 2’s emotionally devastating finale.

Full spoilers follow for Arcane season 2 episodes 4 to 6.

The second part of Arcane season 2 is out now – and, if you thought season 2 act 1’s ending was as emotionally stunning as things were going to be, you were wrong.

I suspect that, as you come to terms with the soul-crushing events that occurred in the popular Netflix show’s latest episodes, you’ve got lots of questions rattling around in your head. Allow me, plus Arcane‘s creators Alex Yee and Christian Linke, to answer – or, at the very least, try to answer – them. Full spoilers immediately follow for Arcane season 2 act 2, so turn back now if you haven’t watched them yet.

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: is Viktor really dead?

LoL lore suggests we might not have seen the last of Viktor (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

It would appear so. After all, the teaser that wrapped up Arcane season 2 after show’s first episode had fans fearing for their favorite character’s life. Plus, there aren’t many people who can take a Hextech gemstone-powered blast to the chest and live to tell the tale.

After a paranoid Jayce – more on what’s wrong with him later – escapes the Anomaly, which apparently trapped him in an unknown dimension in episode 3, aka ‘Finally Got the Name Right’ he heads to Viktor’s utopian camp on the outskirts of Zaun. Infiltrating said base, he almost kills one of its child inhabitants due to the impact of the Anomaly on his physical state – again, more on this soon.

Viktor is betrayed by his former friend and scientific partner (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Jayce manages to pull himself together before he gives the kid the same treatment he gave Salo (RIP, by the way) in the final scene of episode 5, titled ‘Blisters and Bedrock’. I’ve no doubt that Jayce also remembers the kid he accidentally killed in season 1 episode 8, too, which stops him from murdering another innocent victim here.

Despite almost being gunned down, the kid takes pity on Jayce and takes him to meet the so-called Herald (the camp’s messianic title for Viktor). Once there, Jayce powers up the gemstone beam alt-ability of his warped Hextech hammer and, aiming it towards a meditating Viktor, blasts him in the chest and seemingly kills him.

Why do I say ‘seemingly’? Because, as fans of Riot Games’ hugely popular League of Legends (LoL) videogame franchise, which Arcane is based on and is apparently a prequel to, will tell you, Viktor’s ongoing presence as a playable LoL champion suggests he might not be dead after all.

When I quizzed Yee and Linke about whether Viktor’s demise, they didn’t confirm he was. “I think a fair answer is yes and no,” Yee teased. Fine, keep your secrets, but I’m fully convinced this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this cybernetically-augmented individual.

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: what happened to Warwick?

Arcane can’t let us have nice things, can it? (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Viktor’s death has a devastating impact on his disciples, including Huck, who Viktor healed of their ailments with his Hextech powers. As Viktor perises, his followers scream in agony and suddenly die, too. Given Viktor’s ability to take over any of his disciple’s minds and/or bodies – as evidenced by him doing so to Salo in episode 5 – it seems Viktor and his peaceful acolytes are linked in some way, be it telepathically or in a form of hive mind consciousness.

But I’m getting off track. Heartbreakingly, Warwick – the monster Singed created from Vander’s corpse – is also a casualty of Viktor’s demise. Viktor used his powers to try to reverse Singed’s alchemical effects and turn Warwick into Vander, so Warwick is also connected to Zaun’s new Herald. Long story short: Warwick is also going to die.

Wait, is this apex shimmer that’s bursting out of Warwick’s body? (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Unlike Viktor’s human followers, though, a panicked Warwick reverts to his feral state and becomes a murderous, blood lava-esque spewing machine. Fuelled by his unquenchable rage, Warwick mauls Rictus, Ambessa’s lieutenant, to death as a horrified Vi, Jinx, Isha, Caitlyn, and Ambessa watch on.

Overcome with grief, an angry Ambessa instructs her Noxian forces to attack Warwick. He manages to take some of them down, but the overwhelming odds, and the fact he’s already dying, mean Warwick’s time on Runeterra – the world Arcane and LoL are set on – is fast coming to an end.

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: did Isha die?

You had one job, Arcane: Protect. Isha. At. All. Costs. (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Another fair question, but one Linke and Yee were unwilling to fully commit to answering. With three more episodes to come, they wouldn’t be drawn on anything to do about season 2 act 3, so it’s completely understandable why they wouldn’t confirm or deny if Isha died.

However, I think she’s all but certain to have perished. Indeed, it looks like Isha sacrifices herself to save Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn (but mostly Jinx) by killing Warwick with Jinx’s Hextech gemstone-fuelled gun.

Episode 6, titled ‘The Message Hidden Within the Pattern’, foreshadowed this. Early in act 2’s final episode, Huck asks Vi and JInx to leave their weapons at the entrance to Viktor’s camp. The pair reluctantly agree but, before she surrenders her handgun, Jinx removes its gemstone and gives it to Isha for safekeeping. Noticing that Vi didn’t remove the gemstones from her Hextech gauntlets, Isha grabs that pair, albeit off-screen, too. You can see her shoving them into her belt bag as the trio enters the camp.

I’m not crying, you are! (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Given the heart-warming nature of Jinx and Isha’s evolving sibling-like bond, plus the fact Arcane constantly wants to rip out our hearts, Isha’s death has also been signaled since the duo crossed paths in episode 2. So, when Warwick lashes out at Jinx as she tries to subdue him, and then menacingly approaches Jinx to deliver a lethal blow, Isha springs into action.

Running into the fray, she slides and grabs Jinx’s pistol, which is lying on the ground, and jumps through the air to land at Warwick’s feet. After loading all three gemstones into the weapon, she salutes Jinx with a tear-jerking finger-gun motion – the same one Jinx used on Isha in episode 2 – before shooting Warwick, which unleashes a destructive Hextech blast and likely kills them both.

The big question now is: how will Isha’s death affect Jinx? Vi’s younger sister has surprisingly kept a lid on her psychosis so far in season 2, and it seems her friendship with Isha is a key reason for that. With Isha gone, though, we’ll probably see Jinx surrender to her mental disorder and/or become a depressed recluse in episode 7. Arcane season 2’s official trailer confirms she’ll eventually emerge from her emotional rut, and aid Piltover and Zaun’s joint fight against Ambessa and her Noxian forces. For now, though, a heart-broken Jinx will mourn Isha and Vander’s loss – that duo, Viktor, and Rictus joining Arcane‘s growing casualty list that began with three big character deaths in the season 2 premiere.

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: what’s wrong with Jayce?

Good guy Jayce has gone bad (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

As I mentioned, Jayce has evidently been affected by the Anomaly. The magic crystal, which was given to him by the mage who rescued Jayce and his mom when he was a child, isn’t helping matters, either. It’s usually bound to a wrist strap Jayce wears but, after escaping the Anomaly, it’s now embedded in his wrist, which won’t be good for anyone’s physical, emotional, or mental wellbeing.

So, where has he been? I don’t have an answer to that but, playing it coy once more, Linke told me: “You’ll find out in gratuitous detail. Let’s just say certain illusions have dwindled”, before Yee added: “You could say his dreams [about Hextech being a force for good] have died.”

This wasn’t a menacing shot at all… (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

There are a couple of hints in episode 6 as to why Jayce is on a mission to destroy Hextech (i.e. his life’s work) and anyone associated with it. The first of those is what, at the start of the sixth episode, Viktor calls a “sophisticated conjuration”. According to Viktor, this is a singularity that simultaneously self-replicates and self-annihilates itself. In layman’s terms, then: whatever the Anomaly and/or the titular Arcane (remember, at the end of ‘Blisters and Bedrock’ Viktor tells Jayce he can see that Jayce has “been touched by the arcane”) has done to Jayce, he’s continuously being ripped apart and put back together by it.

That’s not all. In episode 5’s final scene between Jayce and Salo, and the sixth episode’s sequence before Jayce almost bludgeons one of Viktor’s child followers to death, he sees corrupted versions of Salo and said kid. Check out the below image for a screenshot of what they look like.

I mean, if I kept seeing evil-looking versions of people I knew, I’d probably go mad, too (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Clearly, these semi-hollow, disfigured versions of Salo and the child disciple are evil in Jayce’s unstable state, hence his desire to eradicate Hextech and anything it’s touched from existence. Is he being forced to do so by the Anomaly, the Arcane, the crystal stuck in his forearm, or a combination of the three? We’ll find out soon.

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: how will Ambessa react to Rictus’ death and episode 6’s wider events?

Don’t anger a warlord, everyone… (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

Not well, I suspect. Her second-in-command is dead. Caitlyn, who Ambessa was priming to be Piltover’s new commander-in-chief (albeit one that Ambessa believed she could puppeteer), has also betrayed her and re-allied herself with Vi and Jinx. Singed’s plan to recapture Warwick failed. Oh, and a mentally distorted Jayce not only suddenly reappeared on the scene, but was also responsible for everything that happened in episode 6’s last 10 minutes after murdering Viktor.

Ambessa’s been looking to assume totalitarian control of Piltover since her first appearance in season 1 episode 7 through manipulating (unsuccessfully, I’ll add) numerous high-ranking Piltovans. Amid episode 6’s fallout, I suspect she’ll now pull a Thanos and decide to “do it myself” – i.e. make a play to become Piltover’s autocratic ruler. After all, we see Ambessa and her Noxian soldiers making light work of Piltover’s enforcers in season 2’s official trailers, so expect her to show her true colors in act 3.

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: who is Felicia? And how does she know Vander and Silco?

Wait, Felicia’s hair color is what happens when you mix Vi and Powder’s together! (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

The short answer is she’s Vi and Powder/Jinx’s mom. A ‘Blisters and Bedrock’ flashback sequence also confirmed Felicia was a close friend of Vander and Silco. Indeed, the trio – as we learn when Vi, Jinx, and Isha come across an abandoned miners’ break room while searching for Warwick in Zaun’s underground tunnel network – were part of said mining team.

We also find out Felicia is the one who urged Vander and Silco to finally realize their dream of securing Zaun’s independence from Piltover. The reason? Felicia finds out she’s pregnant with Vi, who she conceived with her husband Connol. It’s Vander who comes up with the name Violet, too. Oh, and Felicia and Connol’s deaths, which we glimpsed in the opening scene of Arcane‘s season 1 premiere, were the reason for the breakdown in Vander and Silco’s friendship. That’s confirmed in an apology-filled letter, which Vi and company find in the aforementioned break room, that Vander wrote but never gave to Silco.

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: how does Mel survive the Black Rose’s attack?

How will this Mel-centric *ahem* chain of events end? (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

By using the same ability she manifested when Jinx attacked Piltover’s council chamber in the season 1 finale.

After being kidnapped by the Black Rose in ‘Finally Got the Name Right’, Mel is put through the wringer in ‘Blisters and Bedrock’. Indeed, not only does she witness Elora’s death at the Black Rose’s hands, but she’s also imprisoned in an oculorum; a specialized chamber built by ancient forces to lock up false prophets. She also thinks she’s been reunited with her apparently deceased brother Kino but, due to his apparent ability to teleport to different areas of the oculorum, and the missable Black Rose-hued flourishes that occasionally flash over him, it’s clear he’s nothing but an illusion.

It doesn’t take the ever-perceptive Mel long to realize he’s not real. Determining that appears to be to her detriment, however, with the Black Rose choosing to kill her once she works this out. Unfortunately for them, Mel’s latent, seemingly light-based powers allow her to escape the Black Rose’s dark magic-crafted chains.

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: who is Mel’s so-called sister? Is it LeBlanc?

LeBlanc confirmed? (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Nobody knows what happens to Mel after she destroys the Black Rose’s supernatural shackles. We’ll have to wait until episode 7, at the earliest, to learn more.

What I’m confident about, though, is Mel and Kino having another sibling. The Black Rose’s Kino apparition mentions as much and, while their story initially comes across as just another one of the clandestine organization’s lies, there appears to be some truth to it.

Indeed, just before Mel escapes the Black Rose’s clutches, a mysterious voice calls Mel their “sister”. Episode 6’s end credits sequence identifies this character as ‘illusionary sorceress’ who’s voiced by Minnie Driver.

But who is this enigmatic individual? Before season 2’s debut, Arcane fans conjured up a magical theory about who the show’s main villain is: LeBlanc, a prominent member of the Black Rose and millennia-old sorceress who, without getting into the weeds of her extensive LoL backstory, is essentially Noxus’ shadow queen.

Armed with this hypothesis, I asked Linke and Yee if we’d see any Black Rose members, LeBlanc or otherwise, before season 2 ends. I suspect we will, based on Linke’s wry smile and telling laugh, and Yee’s ambiguous “are you asking ‘will they be there’ or ‘will we see them?'”. That’s as good a confirmation as I’ve heard that we’re right, everyone! Time to update my Arcane season 2 cast and character guide again…

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: who is Doctor Reveck? And why is he significant?

The doctor will see you now (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

As Caitlyn explains in episode 5, Doctor Corin Reveck is Singed’s true identity. A revered alchemist who was kicked out of Piltover’s scientific academy for committing an unknown crime, Reveck is also responsible for creating shimmer, the addictive substance that flooded Zaun’s streets in the wake of Vander’s death in season 1.

The revelation that Singed is Reveck has massive repercussions for LoL lore. Indeed, it doesn’t just validate a long-standing fan theory that Singed and Reveck are the same person, but also confirms the identity of Singed’s daughter, who we see lying in a stasis pod midway through season 2’s fifth chapter.

I really hope this isn’t just a throwaway Easter egg, Arcane (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Historically, Reveck had a child named Orianna who, for reasons unknown (I imagine The Gray, aka the toxin-riddled air that used to hang over Zaun, has something to do with it), develops a terminal lung condition. However, Reveck manages to keep her alive by suspending her in the previously mentioned pod while he devises a way to cure her.

Now that Reveck and Singed are canonically the same person, Singed’s daughter must also be Orianna. As Singed notes, his monstrous experiments, Warwick included, have been tests to determine if there’s a way to bring Orianna back to life. Considering he succeeded on the Warwick front, he’s one step closer to achieving his goal of overcoming death.

Fun fact: Orianna, who’s also known as The Lady of Clockwork in LoL, is one of the game franchise’s many champions/playable characters. Her appearance in ‘Blisters and Bedrock’, then, serves as an origin story of sorts for this mechanical humanoid and, whisper it quietly, may set up a future LoL movie or TV adaptation starring Orianna.

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: where are Ekko and Heimerdinger?

What’s become of Heimerdinger and Ekko? (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche)

We still don’t know. They were trapped inside the Anomaly alongside Jayce, but they didn’t return to the material realm (i.e. the physical world) with their mentally unstable scientific fellow.

As Linke and Yee confirmed, we’ll find out what happened to Jayce in act 3 – here’s hoping we get more details in episode 7 – so I fully expect us to learn more about Ekko and Heimerdinger’s whereabouts then. We know they’ll return at some point, as there are scenes involving the duo in season 2’s main trailers that weren’t part of episodes 1 through 6.

It’s incredibly likely that one or both of them will return with superhuman powers as well. LoL diehards already know Ekko has the ability to not only rewind time but also explore the branching possibilities of reality to create the perfect outcome. This time-reversal ability was teased by the stopwatch he used in season 1, so I’d be amazed if he doesn’t acquire said power due to his experiences with the Anomaly.

What’s unclear is if he’ll need his Zero Drive, the gadget he created in LoL lore, to stabilize his powers. Regardless, expect Ekko and Heimerdinger to play vital roles in season 2’s final act. Speaking of which…

Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained: when is episode 7 being released on Netflix?

My face when I realize I have to wait a week to see how Arcane ends (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

Season 2 episode 7 will be released on Netflix, aka one of the world’s best streaming services, on Saturday, November 23.

It won’t be the only episode that launches on that date. As with the previous two Saturdays, three new episodes, making up season 2’s third and final act, will arrive on the same day. With Arcane season 2 set to be the animated show’s final installment – there were rumors that a five-season plan was originally devised, but Linke and Yee told me that was “never the plan” for Arcane – there won’t be any more episodes to enjoy after they’ve aired. Sad faces all around.

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ICYMI here’s the biggest tech news stories from Amazon, Sony, O2 and more for November 16, 2024.

This week we were treated to plenty of excellent early Black Friday deals, Amazon launched a new TV, and it killed freevee.

To find out more about this and other stories you might have missed, we’ve gathered the 7 biggest tech news stories from TechRadar.com this past week so you can catch up in no time at all.

Once you’ve finished here, remember to check out our picks for the 7 new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend (November 15).

1. Black Friday deals arrived in full-force

While we’re still a couple of weeks from the big day itself, Black Friday 2024 deals are starting to appear across the internet.

The PS5 Pro got a surprise price drop, as did the Meta Quest 3S, even though they both released so recently. The Apple Watch 10 crashed to a stunning price, and we’ve seen deals across various tech sectors like savings on tablets.

As Black Friday approaches, make sure to follow our guides for help finding the best deals throughout this sales period.

Read more: Black Friday deals 2024, the 55+ best early offers chosen by experts

2. AI grannies wasted scammers time

One of the most original uses we’ve seen for AI so far has to be Daisy the AI grandma. Taking advantage of the fact that telephone scammers often target senior citizens and try to get them to enter their credit card details into bogus websites, Daisy is an AI designed to keep them on the phone for as long as possible with a neverending series of meandering stories that ultimately lead nowhere.

The object is simply to waste as much of the scammers’ time as possible because it means that’s time they are not spending trying to trap real people in their nefarious scams. Listening to Daisy get deliberately confused and send the scammers crazy by calling them “dear” all the time has to be one of the most satisfying things we’ve ever heard.

Read more: Daisy the AI grandma is here to answer calls from scammers and waste their time

3. Amazon shut down its Freevee TV service

(Image credit: Unsplash)

Amazon Freevee will soon cease to exist, and it’s all down to Prime Video’s increasingly popular ad-supported tier. News of Amazon pulling the plug on the free streaming service was first revealed in an exclusive article by Deadline on Tuesday, which detailed plans to phase out the app in “coming weeks” across the US, UK, Germany, and Austria.

To be honest, we weren’t completely surprised by this announcement. Ever since Prime Video introduced a new and cheaper ad-supported tier at the start of the year, there’s been no real point of difference between the two services, especially considering a lot of Freevee content is available on Prime Video. A full migration of its library is underway, but if you still have the app, then check out these three movies on Amazon Freevee with over 83% on Rotten Tomatoes before they go.

Read more: Amazon Freevee is being shut down

4. Amazon also made a mini-LED TV

(Image credit: Amazon)

This week, Amazon announced that it’s adding two new products to its Fire TV range: the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED series TV and the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus. It also refreshed the Amazon Fire TV 4-series.

Amazon says the Omni Mini-LED series can deliver 1,400 nits of peak brightness and has 1,344 local dimming zones for improved backlight control over standard LED and QLED models in the Fire TV range. It’ll also feature what Amazon calls ‘Intelligent Picture Technology,’ which combines AI with the new mini-LED backlight to optimize and analyze scenes on screen and adjust color and detail.

The Amazon Omni Mini-LED and Amazon Soundbar Plus are available in the US and UK, starting at $819 / £649.99 for the 55-inch TV and $249.99 / £249.99 for the new soundbar.

Read more: Amazon unveils all-new Fire TV products, including an Omni mini-LED TV

5. Sony teased its first big camera launch of 2024

(Image credit: Sony / Future)

Sony’s camera department’s quietest year in memory could go out with a bang before 2025 kicks in, after it officially announced the A1 II will be its next mirrorless camera, with a live event set for November 19 at 9am EST / 2pm GMT (that’s November 20 at 1am AEST) when all will be revealed. Succeeding Sony’s current flagship, the Alpha A1, will be no mean task.

When it was launched in January 2021, the A1 was a true game changer, becoming the first high-resolution and high-speed camera. With 50MP photos and burst shooting up to 30fps, pros no longer needed to choose between detail and speed; they had both in one hybrid camera.

We don’t know how the A1 II will upgrade the A1 yet, but expect it to be Sony’s most powerful and versatile mirrorless camera ever.

Read more: It’s official, Sony’s next camera will be the A1 II

6. Disney Plus dropped its 2025 teaser trailer

As we approach the end of 2024, Disney Plus dropped its 2025 teaser trailer, which gave first-look footage of some of its most anticipated shows of the next year. In its line-up of new and returning titles, Disney revealed a sneak peek of its brand new Marvel shows Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart, while its new sci-fi series Alien: Earth points to an action-packed extension of the beloved movie franchise.

Alongside these new titles, returning shows that have proved to be fan favorites among subscribers were also featured. Most notably, The Bear season four sees Jeremy Allan White and Ayo Edebiri return to their roles in the comedy-drama – with the added comeback of Jamie Lee Curtis. Star Wars fans will also have Andor season two to look forward to, which is heavily speculated to recall the four years leading up to the discovery of The Death Star.

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7. More people dumped Twitter and joined Bluesky

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Bluesky continues to add millions of new users as people and organizations flee Twitter (now known as X) in the wake of the US election on November 5. Twitter boss Elon Musk will soon take up a newly created role in Donald Trump’s incoming government, which seems to have turned a fair few users away from the social media platform he acquired in 2022.

As a decentralized platform, Bluesky isn’t entirely controlled by any person or organization; instead, it allows users and communities to set up their own ‘instances’ of the network. It’s otherwise very similar to Twitter and began life as a spin-off of the site under the leadership of former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. While Dorsey isn’t involved anymore, Bluesky has kept up its initial momentum, with a few unofficial tools now available to help Twitter users make the switch.

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