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In July, Proton, the company behind Proton Mail, released Lumo, a privacy-focused AI chatbot. Now, just under a month later, Proton has begun rolling out Lumo 1.1 to both free and paying users, and according to the company, the updated assistant “performs significantly better across the board” relative to its predecessor. Just how much better is the new version of Lumo? Proton claims it offers a 170 percent improvement in context understanding, meaning the chatbot is able to more accurately answer questions based on documents and data users share with it. It’s also 40 percent better at generating working code, and 200 percent better at working through multi-step problems, as well as using the right tools to tackle tricky prompts. Proton One area where the original release felt like it wasn’t up to the level of the competition was when it came to providing answers about current events. Thanks to a better web search tool, Proton says Lumo 1.1 should provide more accurate answers while suffering from fewer hallucinations. Proton doesn’t say how it measured those improvements, but the company did share a handful of screenshots that compare the responses generated by Lumo 1.1 and 1.0. If nothing else, the new chatbot does a better job of formatting its answers in a way that’s easy to follow. As before, any conversations you have with Lumo are encrypted, with no logs shared with Proton or any other company. Proton is also releasing the code for Lumo’s iOS and Android apps so the open source community can verify the company’s security credentials. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Read More

Hollow Knight: Silksong has a release date of September 4. You heard right, people. This is not a drill. One more time for those in the back, Hollow Knight: Silksong is now scheduled to be available in just a few weeks. The news dropped as part of a “special announcement” YouTube stream, and it’ll be playable at Gamescom. For those of you at the event in Cologne, the game will be availabe at both Nintendo and Xbox’s booths. Expect very, very long lines. The original Hollow Knight game was a huge debut hit for indie studio Team Cherry in 2017, and the popularity of the moody metroidvania has created quite the fervor around the DLC-turned-full-sequel. The project was delayed in 2023 and fans have been hoping for a Silksong launch announcement at just about every major gaming event since. The development process has taken a long enough time for Silksong‘s existence to become a bit of a gaming meme. There were trustworthy-sounding claims from a Nintendo Direct in April that the title would launch this year, which gave fresh hope (and fresh patience) to the punishing platformer’s players. Even with a launch date now provided, though, there’s always the chance for it to be postponed again. So let’s keep the mood at “cautiously optimistic.” Just in case. Read More

Key takeaways:  A multi-stage USB cryptomining attack uses DLL hijacking and PowerShell to install hidden miners on your computer.  The most targeted industries include financial, healthcare, education, and telecom sectors. EDR tools, strict USB usage policies, and regular employee awareness training are effective in mitigating such USB-based attacks.  A multi-stage USB cryptomining attack is currently underway. If successful, it can allow cybercriminals to use your system to mine cryptocurrency without your knowledge.  According to CyberProof’s findings, an infected USB device could lead to a backdoor infection and allow cryptomining through a multi-stage attack.  The attack leveraged dynamic-link library (DLL) search order hijacking and PowerShell to bypass security controls.  The cybersecurity firm confirmed that organizations managed to block the attack in its final stages using endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools. We will break down the full story below for a clear understanding.  🚨 Threat Advisory: CyberProof Managed Detection & Response (MDR) analysts detected an infected USB device that triggered a multi-stage attack chain, leveraging DLL search hijacking and PowerShell to bypass defenses. If left unchecked, it could lead to a backdoor infection and… pic.twitter.com/hK882nSD5z — CyberProof (@cyberproofinc) August 18, 2025 Ongoing, but Not a New Threat The CyberProof research team found that the USB malware attack is not new. It’s linked to an early-reported crypto miner – theorized to be either Zephyr or XMRig. In fact, they found that the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used in the attack are similar to those of other cryptominer campaigns dating back to October 2024.  Tangerine Turkey – The Preceding Cryptominer One of these cryptominers, Tangerine Turkey, was a notorious worm running on Visual Basic Script that made #8 on Red Canary’s top 10 worldwide threats in 2024. Just like the one discovered now, Tangerine Turkey used a DLL hijack to deliver the cryptomining payload to infected devices. The attack is triggered by an infected USB carrying a malicious VBScript. When the script is executed, it triggers a chain of processes, eventually downloading a malicious cryptominer on the user’s system.  A malicious cryptominer—also known as a cryptojacker—is malware that secretly hijacks a victim’s computer resources, such as CPU, GPU, and electricity, to mine cryptocurrency on behalf of an attacker. The complete process involves multiple steps, from the initial USB infection to the script execution, batch file activation, and eventually the cryptominer download. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of how this USB cryptomining attack works, from its initial stage until successful infiltration and cryptominer installation. Step 1: USB Infection BeginsStep 2: Command Chain ActivationStep 3: File Copying and Directory CreationStep 4: DLL Hijacking Setup A user plugs in an infected USB drive and unknowingly runs a VBScript file (named like x123456.vbs) stored in the USB’s rootdir folder. This script executes through Windows Script Host (wscript.exe). Windows Script Host (wscript.exe) is a Windows tool that runs script files such as VBScript (.vbs) or JScript (.js) directly on the system. The VBScript then launches a batch file with a similar name (e.g., x123456.bat) using Command Prompt (cmd.exe) as a child process. This begins the automated file manipulation stage. A batch file (.bat) is a simple text file containing a list of commands that Windows runs one after another through Command Prompt. The batch file uses xcopy.exe (a Windows command-line tool for copying files and folders) to perform two key actions: It copies the legitimate printui.exe from C:WindowsSystem32 into a newly created fake directory C:Windows System32 (note the extra space). It places a malicious .dat file inside this fake directory. The .dat file is renamed to printui.dll in the fake directory. When the copied printui.exe runs from this location, Windows loads the malicious printui.dll instead of the legitimate one from the real System32 folder. This happens because of DLL search order rules. When a program runs and needs a DLL (Dynamic-Link Library), Windows follows a specific order to locate it. By default, the first place it checks is the folder where the program’s EXE is located. The malicious printui.dll contains code designed to download a cryptominer.  If you find the above explanation too technical, here’s a simple analogy to help you understand the attack chain.  Imagine you keep your medicine in a cabinet. One day, someone sneaks in and places a fake bottle that looks just like your real medicine. When you reach for it, you grab the fake one first, because it’s right there in your cabinet.  And just like the fake medicine bottle, Windows runs the hacker’s fake file first because it’s sitting right where Windows expects the real one to be. CyberProof tracked and analyzed indicators of compromise (IOCs), which are red flags that help detect cyberattacks, to assess the prevalence of the USB cryptomining attack.  The team drew the geographical distribution of the attack, and some of the affected countries include the US, Australia, and Italy. Source: CyberProof According to CyberProof research, this USB cryptomining attack was most prevalent in the following sectors:  Financial institutions  Educational institutes  Healthcare industry  Manufacturing sector  Telecom industry  Oil and gas  Although attackers and cybercriminals rarely discriminate, employees working in the above industries should be particularly alert to potential threats.     How to Stay Safe from USB Cryptomining Attacks While USB-based cryptomining attacks are particularly insidious, they’re not impossible to protect against. For one, you should avoid plugging in foreign USBs into your computer—you never know if they’re infected. Here are some more tips to protect from USB malware attacks.  1. Disable Autorun/Autoplay  Disabling autorun/autoplay prevents the automatic execution of programs on a USB device when you plug it in. While it’s easy to disable autorun/autoplay on a Windows PC, the latest macOS doesn’t have an autorun mechanism by default. For Windows, go to Settings – Bluetooth – AutoPlay, and set everything to ‘Ask me every time.’ You can also use Group Policy settings to disable autorun/autoplay organization-wide. 2. Improve Endpoint Security Endpoints are devices like computers, laptops, and smartphones connected to your network.  Implementing endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to harden endpoint security can help prevent

Key Takeaways DJI enters 360 with a strong first effort: The Osmo 360 brings a lighter, rounded design, 105GB of built-in storage, and a bigger battery that makes it comfortable for helmet mounting and everyday use. Insta360 X5 still leads in image quality: In real-world tests, the X5 delivers sharper detail, richer colors, and cleaner low-light performance, keeping it ahead despite DJI’s 1-inch sensor claims. Software makes the difference: Insta360’s polished app and editing tools outshine DJI’s laggy Mimo app, making the shooting-to-sharing process smoother and faster. Long-term value tips toward Insta: Replaceable $30–45 lenses make the X5 cheaper to maintain, while DJI’s sealed optics and limited US availability create extra hurdles. DJI has finally entered the 360-degree camera market with the Osmo 360. They claim it captures stunning 1-inch-sensor images, performs well in low light, and could potentially take on Insta360 at the top.  I’ve spent the past week comparing it directly to the Insta360 X5. That’s the current gold standard for action-ready 360-degree shooting.  And, just to make it interesting, I tested them the way people actually use these cameras – strapped to helmets, swung around on selfie sticks, and pulled out of backpacks with sweaty hands on hot alpine trails. Spoiler: A spec sheet can promise the world, but reality often includes its own fine print. So I tested both to answer the only question–which is the best 360-degree camera right now? The Fight We Were Waiting For Insta360 didn’t get here overnight. It took five generations or 10 years of trial and error and scratched lenses to shape the X5 into what it is today.  The biggest leap wasn’t just sharper video or a faster app – it was finally solving the Achilles’ heel of every 360 camera: those fragile, bulging lenses.  With the X5, you can swap them yourself in your home. For skiers, bikers, or anyone who’s ever clipped a branch mid-ride, that’s nothing short of a revolution. On the other hand, DJI had the luxury of arriving late to the party. They watched Insta360 stumble, learn, and polish the formula first. All DJI really had to do was copy the homework.  However, DJI also chose to do things its own way. The Osmo 360 arrives in a different form factor, with built-in storage and a larger battery.  So the question isn’t just whether DJI can match Insta360’s image quality. Whether these design choices make the Osmo 360 a smarter everyday tool than a camera that’s already been refined over half a decade.  First Impressions – Pocket vs. Pebble On paper, the Osmo 360 is a little lighter at 183 grams, compared to the Insta360 X5’s 200 grams. That sounds like a win for DJI, and to be fair, shaving grams off a camera that’s meant to ride on your helmet or stick is always welcome. But that advantage quickly disappears once you start pairing them with real-world gear.  I ran the X5 with the new carbon Sirui selfie stick, while the Osmo 360 was stuck with DJI’s standard pole. In hand, they felt almost identical in weight. Where DJI does score a real point is in shape.  When mounted, the Osmo 360 has a more compact, rounded body that sits closer to the helmet. The X5, with its taller, brick-like design, sticks out further and feels more like balancing a mini action tower on your head.  If helmet mounting is your thing, the Osmo definitely feels more comfortable and less top-heavy.  Shooting in the Real World Rather than comparing spec sheets, I focused on how each camera actually performs outside. I tested them where people really use these tools: alpine lakes at sunset, village streets at blue hour, and bright mountain trails. I shot in daylight, twilight, and whole night to see how they held up across conditions. Then I pulled stills from video, because that’s where a 360 camera shows its true strengths (or flaws). Shooting in Bright Daylight In daylight, the Insta360 X5 stands out for sharper detail.  Fine textures like rock, grass, and ripples stay intact, while the Osmo 360 smooths them slightly as if noise reduction worked overtime.  Colors also lean Insta’s way: skies are a true blue, greens stay balanced, and overall contrast pops without looking artificial.  The Osmo’s gentler palette can be pleasing but sometimes drifts toward yellow in foliage and flattens blues. Dynamic range seals it – Insta360 keeps both cloud texture and shadow detail without heavy edits, while DJI clips highlights earlier. Winner: Insta360 X5 for sharper detail, richer colors, and stronger dynamic range. Low Light & Night Shooting DJI promotes its sensor as a low-light strength, and while the Osmo 360 holds up better than expected, noise creeps in fast. Shadows speckle, colors turn muted, and details soften.  The Insta360 X5 keeps edges clearer, even in twilight, and gracefully rolls off highlights.  Both cameras hit limits at night, but Insta’s finer, more uniform noise makes editing far easier.  DJI promised those big 1-inch images, but I didn’t see the magic in my testing – the Osmo still showed chunky noise in the sky and shadows. The Osmo’s grain is chunkier, and recovery in post quickly falls apart. Expectations matter here, but Insta’s files are easier to work with in direct comparison. Winner: Insta360 X5 for cleaner detail and noise control when the sun goes down. Overall Video Quality When it comes to the big picture, the Insta360 X5 consistently produces sharper, more detailed video. Fine textures like grass, water, and skin hold together better, while the Osmo 360 tends to smooth things out, leaving footage softer. Colors also lean Insta’s way, with richer contrast and a more natural palette.  The Osmo’s gentler look can work for casual use, but in side-by-side clips, Insta’s video has more punch and feels ready to share straight out of the camera. Winner: Insta360 X5 for sharper, more dynamic video overall. Usability – The Hidden Decider Specs only tell half the story. How a camera behaves when you’re

As banks around the world prepare to replace many thousands of workers with AI, Australia’s biggest bank is scrambling to rehire 45 workers after allegedly lying about chatbots besting staff by handling higher call volumes. In a statement Thursday flagged by Bloomberg, Australia’s main financial services union, the Finance Sector Union (FSU), claimed a “massive win” for 45 union members whom the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) had replaced with an AI-powered “voice bot.” The FSU noted that some of these workers had been with CBA for decades. Those workers in particular were shocked when CBA announced last month that their jobs had become redundant. At that time, CBA claimed that launching the chatbot supposedly “led to a reduction in call volumes” by 2,000 a week, FSU said. But “this was an outright lie,” fired workers told FSU. Instead, call volumes had been increasing at the time they were dismissed, with CBA supposedly “scrambling”—offering staff overtime and redirecting management to join workers answering phones to keep up. To uncover the truth, FSU escalated the dispute to a fair work tribunal, where the union accused CBA of failing to explain how workers’ roles were ruled redundant. The union also alleged that CBA was hiring for similar roles in India, Bloomberg noted, which made it appear that CBA had perhaps used the chatbot to cover up a shady pivot to outsource jobs. While the dispute was being weighed, CBA admitted that “they didn’t properly consider that an increase in calls” happening while staff was being fired “would continue over a number of months,” FSU said. “This error meant the roles were not redundant,” CBA confirmed at the tribunal. Read More

A summary of recent artificial intelligence research NB: Westworld is a TV show. This article contains spoilers. Artificial intelligence made enormous strides in 2016, so it is fitting that one of the year’s hit TV shows was an exploration of what it means for machines to gain consciousness. But how close are we to building the brains of Westworld’s hosts for real? I’m going to look at some recent AI research papers and show that the hosts aren’t quite as futuristic as you might think. “Ah yes, your mysterious backstory. It’s the reason for my visit. Do you know why it is a mystery, Teddy? Because we never actually bothered to give you one, just a formless guilt you will never atone for. But perhaps it is time you had a worthy story of origin.” Story comprehension The robots of Westworld are not programmed solely by software developers. The bulk of the work is done by professional writers, who give each character a unique backstory. These stories give them the memories and depth they need to seem real to the park guests. When asked who they are, what they’ve done or why they feel a certain way, they can consult their backstory to find out the answer. Being able to answer questions about stories is a fundamental requirement for being able to pass the Turing test, which the show tells us started to happen “after the first year of building the park”. But Turing proposed his test as a kind of thought experiment, not as a useful yardstick for measuring progress in AI. A machine either passes or fails and that’s not very useful for figuring out how close we are. To fix this, in 2015 Facebook’s AI lab introduced the bAbI tests in a paper called “Towards AI-Complete Question Answering: A Set of Prerequisite Toy Tasks”. Quoting from the paper’s abstract: To measure progress towards [building an intelligent dialogue agent], we argue for the usefulness of a set of proxy tasks that evaluate reading comprehension via question answering. Our tasks measure understanding in several ways: whether a system is able to answer questions via chaining facts, simple induction, deduction and many more. The tasks are designed to be prerequisites for any system that aims to be capable of conversing with a human. In other words, before you can hope to pass the Turing test you must learn to pass bAbI. The test is a large, auto-generated series of simple stories and questions, that test 20 different kinds of mental skill. Here’s one that checks the machine isn’t distracted by irrelevant facts: Mary went to the bathroom. John moved to the hallway. Mary travelled to the office. Where is Mary? Answer: office Here’s a harder one that tests basic logical induction: Lily is a swan. Lily is white. Bernhard is green. Greg is a swan. What color is Greg? Answer: white The bAbI tests check come in English, Hindi and a scrambled form where the English words are randomly shuffled so the tasks can no longer be understood by humans. To pass the test a machine should get equivalent results on all three: the idea is to learn everything, including the language itself, simply by reading. Programs specifically designed to handle bAbI can obtain near-perfect scores, but what about general AIs that are given only the words and nothing else? The best result yet is from Facebook AI Research. The results are reported in their December 2016 paper, “Tracking the world state with recurrent entity networks” and their AI can solve all 20 tasks. You can of course train a neural network both on these tasks and on large question/answer databases too, which yields an AI that can talk about the story using learned real-world knowledge: Fred went to the kitchen. Fred picked up the milk. Fred travelled to the office.Where is the milk? A: office Where does milk come from? A: milk come from cow What is a cow a type of? A: cow be female of cattle Where are cattle found? A: cattle farm become widespread in brazil What does milk taste like? A: milk taste like milk What does milk go well with? A: milk go with coffee Where was Fred before the office ? A: kitchen Similar algorithms have proven able to read — I kid you not — the Daily Mail, which turns out to be ideal for AI research because the stories come with bullet point summaries of the text (see the DeepMind paper, “Teaching Machines to Read and Comprehend”). Press enter or click to view image in full size In this task an anonymised news story is presented and the goal is to correctly fill in the X. The answer is “ent23”. The heat map shows which parts of the text the neural network gave the most attention to figure out the answer. The names are randomised to stop AIs from answering questions like “can fish oils cure X?” as “X = cancer” without even reading the document, simply by knowing that cancer is a very commonly cured thing in the Daily Mail. Remember, this kind of learning works even when the questions are written in a randomised language. It’s real understanding derived from nothing at all except studying raw text. That’s important because a machine that can learn to answer questions given nothing but words can eventually — if it scales up — learn about the world, and about humanity, by reading books. That’s the next goal for DeepMind, a British AI lab owned by Google that has also done research into story comprehension. And once it’s read the entire contents of Google Books it can go ahead and read a book you wrote just for it: the book that creates its character. What’s important to understand is that there’s no reason a neural network trained by reading books and backstories would know it is a robot. When it queries its memory with a question like “what am I?” it would

Executive Summary Lumia’s Research Team revealed that messages dictated via Siri, including WhatsApp and iMessage are not sent to the Private Cloud Compute. In fact, there is no assurance as to what Apple does with these messages. Siri transmits metadata about installed and active apps without the user’s ability to control these privacy settings. Audio playback metadata such as ‘recording names’, is sent without consent. No user control or visibility exists over these background data flows. Apple uses two distinct privacy policies (Siri vs. Apple Intelligence), meaning similar queries may fall under different data-handling rules. TL;DR We reveal AppleStorm, our investigation into how Apple AI’s eco-system quietly transmits messages (WhatsApp, iMessage) sent via Siri to Apple servers, even when it isn’t needed to complete the task. This happens without the user having any control whatsoever over when and what can be sent.Also more data than messages is sent to Siri’s servers. Let’s deep dive. Introduction Lately, Apple’s AI has been making headlines. From promising robust security measures to developing localized models that process data directly on devices, Apple has positioned itself as a champion of privacy and productivity. How safe are these innovations? Despite the numerous advancements, recent news has highlighted critical concerns about Apple’s AI suite. A lawsuit regarding Siri eavesdropping, settled last January, raises questions about user privacy. More recently, allegations surfaced that Apple Intelligence generated false notifications, including a summary of BBC news with inaccurate information on behalf of the BBC. When Apple launched Apple Intelligence which relied on on-device and cloud models (Private Cloud Compute) they introduced a variety of AI tools such as Writing Tools, Image Background and Siri is even more powerful with the capabilities of Apple Intelligence. Before technologies like these get out of control, it’s crucial to identify any potential security loopholes we might be overlooking. This blog explores privacy risks and unusual behaviors discovered regarding Siri and intersection of Siri and Apple Intelligence. Siri as taken from Apple Intelligence website Apple Intelligence 101 Apple Intelligence relies on a hybrid infrastructure that combines on-device processing with Apple-managed cloud servers to provide AI-driven features while maintaining strong privacy protections. The cloud component primarily operates through Private Cloud Compute (PCC). ‍But Siri also interacts with other Apple’s server infrastructures that are outside of the Apple Intelligence’s PCC. The services that make up Apple’s AI apps can mainly be broken down into four groups, which are listed below. This is based on Apple’s guide for using Apple’s products on enterprise networks. Private Cloud Compute (PCC)Private Cloud Compute is Apple’s secure AI processing framework that extends Apple Intelligence beyond the capabilities of on-device computing.
PCC Server domains: apple-relay.cloudflare.com, apple-relay.fastly-edge.com, cp4.cloudflare.com
Apple’s Private Cloud Compute architecture. Siri’s Dictation ServersSiri works closely with dictation servers which appear to handle voice processing tasks.Siri’s Dication domain: guzzoni.apple.com Siri’s Search ServicesSiri integrates with Apple’s search infrastructure to deliver relevant results across devices, like Spotlight Search, Safari Smart Search, News, and Music.Siri’s Search domain: *.smoot.apple.com Use Case-Driven CollectionThe services to communicate with Apple Intelligence’s Extensions. Today, only ChatGPT is supported
Apple Intelligence’s Extensions domain: apple-relay.apple.com Apple’s Private Cloud Compute architecture Creating a Research Environment Prerequisite Disabling Apple’s SIP mechanism Operating System & Platform macOS Sequoia Apple Intelligence enabled Tools Used mitmproxy – An interactive HTTPS proxy. Frida – A dynamic instrumentation toolkit. What is the Weather Today? To investigate, the open-source proxy tool mitmproxy was used to intercept Siri’s network traffic. Initially, simple prompts such as “Hello”, “What can you do?” and “What is the time right now?” were tested, but no network activity was observed, suggesting that these queries could be handled locally without requiring external communication. Since some queries might be handled locally, it was necessary to issue a prompt that would require external evaluation. Testing the query “What is the weather today?” resulted in the transmission of two packets. The first packet was directed to guzzoni.apple.com, identified as Apple’s dictation server, but we can’t see any content. The second packet, sent to api-glb-aeun1a.smoot.apple.com, the search service for Siri. Let’s start with this one. After extracting and decompressing the frame, the ProtoBuf-Inspector Python library was used to parse the ProtoBuf data. Without access to the original.proto files used to compile the data, the analysis required a best-effort approach to interpret the content. Let’s see what we can find. App Lists Unpinned traffic — Decoded packet The first app listed was the official Apple Weather app, which was expected. However, the second one raised questions—it appeared to be related to Parallels, a virtual desktop Mac application that enables running the Windows operating system. A review of the Parallels settings on the device, including the applications running within the virtual machine, showed the following information: App id from a virtual machine that appears in Siri communication This turned out to be the ID of the official Windows Weather app installed on the virtual machine. Based on this observation, it appears that Siri scans the device for apps related to the prompt’s topic. To test this theory, a question about emails was entered, and the packet revealed a list of all email clients installed on the device. So, it’s confirmed — Siri actively searches for apps on the device that match the topic of the prompt, and reports them back to Apple. Precise Location A question arises: how does Siri determine the weather without the location being mentioned in the prompt? A review of the ProtoBuf content revealed two numbers next to the apps list that appear to be coordinates. Location coordinates sent in the packet A quick Google search confirmed this theory, showing the cafe I was working from. Coordinates point to my accurate location According to Siri’s Privacy Policy (Notice it’s Siri’s privacy policy and not Apple Intelligence. More on that soon), they specifically mention this behavior. In fact, it is possible to disable location sharing information with Siri, but if you do consent to location sharing, your location will be appended to every request (regardless of the necessity). Once again, personal information

Why You Can Trust CNET Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement You can expect to pay more for a new PlayStation, thanks to “a challenging economic environment.” Oscar Gonzalez Contributing writer Oscar Gonzalez is a Texas native who covered video games, conspiracy theories, misinformation and cryptocurrency. Expertise Video Games | Misinformation | Conspiracy Theories | Cryptocurrency | NFTs | Movies | TV | Economy | Stocks Sony will increase the prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles in the US, starting today. This follows the trend of console manufacturers such as Microsoft and Nintendo raising prices for their hardware in response to tariffs.  The PlayStation-maker posted about the price change Wednesday. The jump in price is $50 more than the current price for each model. The new prices are: PlayStation 5: $500 to $550  PlayStation 5 Digital Edition: $450 to $500 PlayStation 5 Pro: $700 to $750 “Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment,” Sony said in a post about the price increase.  As of Thursday morning, retailers and Sony’s online store have yet to update the console prices. This jump in price also will likely affect recently released PS5 bundles such as the Astro Bot bundle and Fortnite Cobal bundle.  Sony says accessories have not been affected by the change and this cost hike only affects the US.  In May, Microsoft increased the price of the Xbox Series consoles and Nintendo hiked the original Switch console price and Switch 2 accessories this month. While the companies didn’t point to the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump as the reason for the hardware price jump, it would explain the trend in recent months.  Watch this: Unboxing the PlayStation 5 Pro 30th Anniversary Collection 01:29 Read More

Announced in 2019, Team Cherry’s follow-up is coming sooner than expected, and it’s on Game Pass on Day 1. Oscar Gonzalez Contributing writer Oscar Gonzalez is a Texas native who covered video games, conspiracy theories, misinformation and cryptocurrency. Expertise Video Games | Misinformation | Conspiracy Theories | Cryptocurrency | NFTs | Movies | TV | Economy | Stocks Hollow Knight: Silksong is the follow-up, announced back in 2019, to one of the most beloved indie games of the last decade. In a special announcement video on Thursday, Australian developer Team Cherry revealed that the wait is almost over.  Silksong will be released on Sept. 4, according to the new trailer. The almost two-minute video reveals some of the new enemies and bosses in the upcoming spinoff and ends with the surprise release date.  Originally, Silksong was going to be a DLC for Hollow Knight. However, numerous delays resulted in it being pushed back again and again. Glimpses of the game would show up here and there over the years, but it was this year that it received the most attention from Nintendo as part of its Switch 2 lineup, and from Microsoft, which confirmed it would be available on Xbox Game Pass.  Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available on PC, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, PS4 and PS5. It will be available on Day 1 for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.  Read More

It’s the latest streaming service to implement a price hike in 2025. Kourtnee Jackson Senior Editor Kourtnee covers TV streaming services and home entertainment. She previously worked as an entertainment reporter at Showbiz Cheat Sheet, where she wrote about film, television, music, celebrities and streaming platforms. Credentials Though Kourtnee hasn’t won any journalism awards yet, she’s been a Netflix streaming subscriber since 2012 and knows the magic of its hidden codes. Watching Ted Lasso is about to be more expensive as Apple TV Plus is increasing its monthly price again for US and international customers. The company announced Thursday that the streaming service will now cost $13 a month in the US, effective today. The last time Apple raised its streaming subscription price was in 2023, bumping it up to $10 per month.  If you’re an existing subscriber, you can expect to see the price change 30 days after your next renewal date. Apple said the cost of its annual Apple TV Plus plan will stay the same, as will the price for Apple One.  Early this year, the streaming app rolled out on Android mobile devices, extending it beyond Apple’s interconnected ecosystem. Apple TV Plus offers its own library of originals like Severance, Slow Horses and Wolfs, and access to live sports such as Major League Soccer and Friday Night Baseball.  Competitors like Netflix and Peacock also increased their subscription prices this year, a trend we’ve seen in streaming TV in the past three years. With this $3 price hike, the ad-free Apple TV Plus costs the same as Paramount Plus’ premium plan, but slightly less than rival, ad-free versions of Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu and Peacock.  Other Services & Software Read More