Dead Space remake’s trophy list has been published, revealing that it will feature an alternative ending not seen in the original game.
Published by TrueTrophies (opens in new tab) (via TheGamer (opens in new tab)), the Dead Space remake‘s trophy list includes an achievement called ‘Reunion’, which is rewarded to those who “see the alternative ending on any difficulty mode”.
It’s unclear what this alternative ending will involve (fortunately) and developer EA Motive hasn’t confirmed there is indeed more than one ending, but I’m certainly intrigued to see what the studio has up its sleeve for the finale of Isaac Clarke’s journey through the Ishimura.
It’ll also be interesting to see if this alternative ending changes the franchise’s canon in any way, as any major changes could potentially have a longer-tail impact should EA Motive decide to remake Dead Space 2 and 3 – though the developer hasn’t indicated any plans for this.
Leaks galore
(Image credit: EA)
Dead Space remake leaks are rife ahead of the game’s release on January 27. Lengthy gameplay videos have been shared online that reveal some of the remake’s biggest surprises. EA has removed these videos but not before their contents were spread throughout the web.
I personally haven’t looked at them as I’m currently playing through the original Dead Space for the first time and don’t want to spoil it. But if you want to avoid specific spoilers then I advise being wary on social media. Just go into a hibernation pod until release day.
The battle of PS5 DualSense vs Xbox Series X controller has never been more fierce. Maybe you’re platform-dependent or interested in having one on PC. Here’s all you need to know.
After two years after launching, the battle between the PS5 and Xbox Series X is underway. Exclusive games, high-value services, and console specs get a lot of attention when deciding which console to pick. But it’s important not to underestimate the significance of each console’s controller.
A controller can have a significant effect on your gaming experience, so it’s worth paying attention to whether or not your chosen console has one that suits you. Interestingly, both Microsoft and Sony have tackled the controller problem differently with their new-gen consoles.
While Microsoft has opted for a refinement of its existing design, Sony went a little further by dropping the DualShock name for DualSense, which introducing new and exciting immersive features, like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Either way, it all helps towards creating the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games.
Want to know how the two controllers stack up against one another? We’re putting the PS5 DualSense controller and Xbox Wireless Controller head-to-head, providing an in-depth comparison of the two latest-generation gamepads. If you’re curious to know how the consoles specifically stack up against each other, check out our PS5 vs Xbox Series X guide.
PS5 DualSense controller vs Xbox Series X controller: price
(Image credit: Microsoft)
While pricing for the Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles is pretty much a match, the controllers do differ slightly. The DualSense controller for PS5 costs $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$95.85, while the Xbox Wireless Controller’s standalone price is $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$74.99.
It’s worth nothing, though, that you can use all your existing Xbox One accessories on Xbox Series X|S, including older controllers. The same can’t be said about the PS5, which only lets you use a DualShock 4 if you’re playing a PS4 game via backwards compatibility, while the DualSense cannot be used with a PS4 console at all.
PS5 DualSense controller vs Xbox Series X controller: design
(Image credit: Sony)
Both companies took different approaches to controller designs with this generation. Sony did away with the traditional DualShock design but Microsoft doubled down, improving its current design in subtle but important ways.
The immediate change you’ll notice with the PS5 DualSense controller is in its white color scheme – which was restricted to limited edition PlayStation controllers in the past – while the central aspect of the controller remains black. While the analog sticks are in the same place, face buttons are now transparent, giving the controller a more premium look.
Otherwise, the touchpad returns, and the light strip embedded within it since the Dualshock 4’s mid-cycle revision is now positioned around the touchpad itself. The ‘Share’ button has been replaced with the ‘Create’ button, which Sony claims they’re using to “pioneer new ways for players to create epic gameplay content to share with the world”.
The controller is also now charged via USB-C connection, as opposed to the previous micro-USB. USB-C is becoming the new standard, meaning you’ll be able to charge your controller via the same cable you use for many Android phones, recent iPad Pros, MacBooks, or your Nintendo Switch.
That USB-C port can also be found on the Xbox Series X controller, although Microsoft’s changes are much more conservative. For one, a new ‘Share’ button has been added to the center of the controller, hopefully meaning we’ll no longer be digging through menus in the heat of battle to grab a clip.
The D-pad has also been switched out for a hybrid dish-style input that draws inspiration from the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller. That allows more control over complex inputs that you might find in a fighting game. There’s also new textured grips on the triggers, helping prevent players from slipping in those tense battle royale encounters. The general outline of the controller has been minimized too, helping smaller hands feel more comfortable when holding it.
PS5 DualSense controller vs Xbox Series X controller: features
(Image credit: Microsoft)
The Xbox Series X controller has a nifty feature under the hood. It involves sending information from the controller to the console (and the TV through HDMI) more frequently, allowing your actions to match up with frames on the screen. That shaves milliseconds off of response times and is part of what the company calls Dynamic Latency Input.
The controller works on the same Xbox Wireless Radio infrastructure of the Xbox One, continuing to offer Bluetooth compatibility using Bluetooth Low Energy pairing to make switching devices instantaneous. That’s likely to be very helpful if you’re planning on streaming via Xbox Cloud Gaming to other devices you own.
Sony’s DualSense offers much more player-facing technology. The DualSense has its own built-in microphone, so you can use this to talk with your friends online without the use of a headset. In addition, it also offers Bluetooth connectivity, the headline addition is haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers.
This technology, built into the game’s triggers and body, allows players to feel in-game actions, like pulling back the string of a bow or driving through thick mud. It’s extremely impressive, and can create some truly amazing sensations that help make games feel more immersive. It’s down to developers to implement the tech of course, but expect Sony first-party studios to adopt it regularly.
One drawback to the DualSense that we’ve noticed is that while it has a bunch of great features, there’s also a fairly mediocre battery life. It isn’t quite able to rival that of the Xbox Series X controller, which can use AA batteries or a ‘play and charge’ pack.
Users of Google Workspace can now set their pronouns and who can see them as part of the collaboration tool suite’s personal information cards.
Announcing the change in a “Weekly Recap” post on the Google Workspace Updates (opens in new tab) blog, the company also explained that pronouns will also be displayed in Google Contacts, accessible via the “open detailed view” option in the information cards seen when hovering over Workspace profile photos.
If an admin has enabled the feature for their organization, users can set their pronouns and visibility in their Google Account (opens in new tab), while admins can learn more about the feature from Google’s Help Center (opens in new tab).
Google Workspace pronouns
As is sometimes the case, Google’s latest useful tweak to its business productivity tool collection isn’t available to those with personal Google accounts.
The tech giant is keen to point out that only users on various Google Workspace plans, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers, can access the feature through their organization.
Though a welcome feature, it’s somewhat baffling that a feature geared towards personal expression is only available in a work setting, one that people may feel less comfortable expressing themselves in, or feel pressured to do so.
Google already gives Workspace users the choice to specify their gender, affecting how Google refers to and presents them to other Workspace users.
For example, users may see text like “send her a message”. Similarly, if a user identifies as another gender altogether, or prefers not to specify, Google products will refer to that user as “them”.
The latest move enabling users to display their pronouns is simply a more overt way of presenting those choices, and for organizations to show clear support of trans and alternate gender identities. We’re all for it.
Microsoft has unveiled its intention to collect data from Office users about which out-of-date products they’re still running.
The company says it is looking to gather data about the number of users running 2007, 2010, and 2013 versions of Microsoft Office.
Microsoft also said that the scheme, part of the KB5021751 update, “will run one time silently without installing anything on the user’s device”, though there are still some unanswered questions about why the tech giant wants to roll out this census-type update.
Microsoft Office 2007, Office 2010, and Office 2013
“This update is intended to help Microsoft identify the number of users running out-of-support (or soon to be out-of-support) versions of Office,” the company stated.
However The Register (opens in new tab) notes the contradicting information on the company’s support page (opens in new tab) with regards to the installation and running of the update, leading the publication to believe that the company may have done a poor ‘copy and paste’ job of the article.
It also pointed out that the maker of Office has failed to provide any information about how it will collect the data, and whether it will leave anything behind on the user’s computer.
Besides this, there’s the concern that some users may not even want to tell Microsoft which version of the office software they’re running. While the 2007 and 2010 versions have been decommissioned, and support for the 2013 version is set to end in April, users are well within their rights to continue using the unsupported software even after security patches have been dropped.
Beyond these, and Office 2016 which is set to stop receiving extended support in 2025, Microsoft is keen to push its subscription-based Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) suite, which enables regular updates as part of an ongoing plan.
TechRadar Pro has asked Microsoft about its reason for pushing an update to collect the data; an update for which shall be posted here if received.
A leaked render for Mobvoi’s next TicWatch Pro series smartwatch teases a simpler design than its predecessor – and one that looks heavily inspired by the Google Pixel Watch.
We were really impressed with the TicWatch Pro 3; it’s currently one of the best Wear OS smartwatches on the market boasting a long (three-day) battery life and a slew of useful features at a fairly budget-friendly price. And Mobvoi’s next TicWatch Pro 5 device is expected to take things up a level with a more capable Snapdragon W5 Plus processor and Wear OS 3 software, which should give this device a power and functionality boost.
Now we might have gotten our first look at what the wearable will look like, with Kuba Wojciechowski (opens in new tab) – a developer who shares leaks on Twitter – revealing a render that he says is of the TicWatch Pro 5.
Mobvoi’s upcoming smartwatch shares a lot of similarities with the TicWatch Pro 3, but most notably it will seemingly drop the dual-crown design in favor of a simpler single-crown control – just like the Google Pixel Watch. What’s more, the numbers surrounding the watch face have been stripped away in favor of a textured rim which again helps to make the gadget look less busy than iterations that have come before.
⌚️ Leak: Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 – one of the first watches to ship with Snapdragon W5(+) and Wear OS 3 pic.twitter.com/FIg8BEcMQRJanuary 20, 2023
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As for why the new smartwatch is expected to be called the TicWatch Pro 5 instead of the TicWatch Pro 4, Wojciechowski explained that it’s most likely due to tetraphobia.
Mobvoi is a Beijing-based tech company and in some Asian languages – including several varieties of Chinese – the word for four and the word for death sound pretty similar. Because of this, some companies choose to avoid using the number four in product names and when labeling floors in buildings – much like how some businesses avoid using 13 in similar ways.
We should always take leaks with a pinch of salt, but Wojciechowski has been a fairly solid source for tech leaks in the past, so it’s worth paying attention to what he has to say. That’s especially true here as the leaked design does match an official silhouette shared by Mobvoi.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (above) currently tops our guide to the best Wear OS smartwatches. (Image credit: Samsung)
For now, this is only a design leak. Beyond the promise of a new chipset and OS, there’s little else on what this device is capable of nor a price tag or when it’ll release. Hopefully, it’ll boast the same battery life and affordability as its predecessor but we’ll have to wait and see if this simplified smartwatch has what it takes to knock the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro off the top spot in our Wear OS smartwatch ranking.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was always likely to rank among the best camera phones, and now we’re even more sure of that, as leaked camera samples, reportedly shot on the phone, show impressive photography skills.
Twitter user Edwards Urbina (opens in new tab) posted a series of shots showing off night and zoom photography (via NotebookCheck (opens in new tab)), so let’s take a look.
First up, night photography. For this, Urbina posted two photos (opens in new tab) taken in presumably the normal mode, alongside ones in night mode (or perhaps astrophotography mode).
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Edwards Urbina)
(Image credit: Edwards Urbina)
(Image credit: Edwards Urbina)
(Image credit: Edwards Urbina)
The normal shots are incredibly dark, giving an indication of how little light there was in the scene, while the night mode shots are impressively bright, and packed with detail.
They’re far from perfect – there’s a bit of noise, some mushy details, unnatural color on the foliage, and they aren’t perfectly focused. But given how little light there seemed to be to work with the results are still strong.
Now we come to the zoom shots, with photos apparently taken at 1x, 3x, 10x, and 30x zoom.
The Ultra line always excels at zoom shots, so it’s no surprise that these look good – particularly the first three, as the phone can probably optically zoom to those distances. However, the 30x zoom also looks fairly detailed – if not quite as sharp as the others, and given that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra’s optical zoom probably tops out at 10x, that’s impressive.
Indeed, leaker @UniverseIce (opens in new tab) claims that this shot looks as good as a 20x zoom shot on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, so even though the optical range might not be any better this year, the overall quality of zoom shots – and particularly digital zoom – could be improved.
Of course, these are just a few photos, we can’t be certain that they’re genuine, and we don’t have side by side comparisons with the Galaxy S22 Ultra or other phones. So don’t read too much into them, but they look promising regardless.
With the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra expected on February 1, we’ll know exactly how good its cameras are soon.
Opinion: zoom looks great, but next year it needs to be much better
From everything we’ve seen and heard so far, it seems likely that the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra will take the crown as the best camera phone, replacing the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, which currently sits in the top spot.
With a new 200MP primary sensor and improvements to both night and zoom photography, there should be a reasonable number of photographic upgrades here – but next year the company should focus even more on zoom improvements.
Samsung is arguably in the lead for zoom photography right now, as rival handsets don’t offer 10x optical zoom, but they might soon catch up. Google is gradually closing in, with 5x optical zoom offered on the Pixel 7 Pro, and Apple will reportedly put a periscope camera on the iPhone 15 Ultra.
Meanwhile, Samsung has done little to push zoom photography forward in the last few years. The software has improved but hardware improvements have been minimal, and there’s been no change to the maximum optical zoom distance on the Ultra phones.
So, if the company wants to maintain its lead then we might need more than 10x optical zoom on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – or some other tricks, like the continuous optical zoom offered by the Sony Xperia 1 IV.
Tecno Spark Go 2023 is here. Tecno has expanded its entry-level smartphone lineup with the launch of Tecno Spark Go 2023 smartphone. The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek chipset and it runs Android 12 operating system. The device sports an HD+ display and sports a 13MP dual rear camera. Price and availability The Tecno Spark Go 2023 comes with a price tag of Rs 6,999 and it can be purchased in Endless Black, Uyuni Blue and Nebula Purple colour options. The smartphone will be available offline at authorised retail stores starting January 23, 2023.
Tecno Spark Go 2023 specifications Tecno Spark Go 2023 features a 6.56-inch HD+ display with 720×1612 pixel resolution. The display offers 20:9 aspect ratio and up to 480 nits of brightness. The entry-level Tecno smartphone is powered by MediaTek Helio A22 chipset paired with 3GB of RAM. The smartphone packs 32GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 256GB by adding a microSD card. Tecno Spark Go 2023 runs Android 12 operating system topped with the company’s own layer of HiOS 12. The dual SIM smartphone comes with an IPX2 rating which makes it splash-resistant. Tecno Spark Go 2023 comes equipped with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and a dual rear camera. The dual rear camera comprises 13MP main sensor with f/1.85 aperture and a secondary AI lens. There’s also a 5MP front-facing camera with dual micro slit flashlight. The smartphone is backed by a 5000mAh battery with 10W charging support. Recently, Tecno launched its flagship smartphone — Tecno Phantom X2 Pro 5G in India. Priced at Rs 49,999, it is the first smartphone of the company to come with a retractable lens. Tecno Phantom X2 Pro comes with Mediatek’s Dimensity 9000 chipset. Under the hood, the chipset comes paired with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 internal storage. The Phantom X2 Pro runs Android 12-based HiOS 12. The smartphone boasts a 5160mAH battery with 45W fast charging.
Hackers have discovered a new way to bypass the macro block in Microsoft Office files and still deliver malware (opens in new tab) to unsuspecting victims through the company’s suit of online collaboration apps.
Security experts at BleepingComputer found freshly distributed phishing emails equipped with OneNote attachments.
OneNote is a digital notetaking app, which people can use to create a sharable content library. It comes as part of the wider Microsoft Office suite, meaning if people have this installed, they can open OneNote files, too. While OneNote’s files, called NoteBooks, don’t support macros, they do support attachments, and that’s what the crooks are now leveraging.
Malicious VBS files
The phishing emails themselves are nothing out of the ordinary – they include fake DHL parcel notifications, fake invoices, fake shipping notifications, ACH remittance forms, and such. Instead of carrying a Word or Excel file attached, they carry a OneNote file which, if opened, seems to be blurred out, with a huge button in the middle saying “Double Click to View File”.
Double-clicking, however, runs the attachment which, in this case, is a malicious VBS file.
This file then initiates communication with the command & control (C2) server and downloads the malware.
BleepingComputer obtained a couple of these emails and determined that multiple remote access trojans and infostealers are being circulated, including the AsyncRAT and XWorm remote access trojans, as well as the Quasar Remote Access trojan.
The best way to protect against these attacks is the same as it always was – educate your employees not to download attachments and click on email links from people they don’t know, don’t trust, or whose identity cannot be confirmed. Also, they should be educated not to ignore warning messages prompted in programs such as Word, Excel, or OneNote. Other than that, having a strong antivirus solution, and a firewall, is welcome.
Finally, activating multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible greatly reduces the chances of more serious compromise.
We’re already thinking about the PS6, despite it being almost three years since the PS5 launched. But, just like most consoles, Sony’s guaranteed to be looking ahead into its successor already.
We’re unlikely to see another new, mainline PlayStation console for a few years yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fantasize about what we would like to see from the next PlayStation – or predict when we’re likely to get our hands on it. After all, we know that Sony is already thinking about the future, having trademarked the PS6, PS7, PS8, PS9 and PS10 names.
In the meantime, it feels much more likely that we’ll see Sony releasing a PS5 Slim or PS5 Pro, though when that’ll be is currently anyone’s guess. That is, assuming the last generation’s anything to go by, where the PS4 saw a PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro variants releasing several years after the base console. Mid-generation hardware revisions are pretty common these days, after all.
PS6
So, while we’re still enjoying the PS5 and the best PS5 games, we’ve gathered up everything we want to see from the PS6 and when we expect to get our hands on the next PlayStation.
PS6 release date: when do we expect it to launch?
(Image credit: Sony)
The PS6 is likely to be a long way off. The PS5 only released in November 2020, so it’s unlikely Sony will consider releasing a brand new PlayStation for several years. Typically PlayStation consoles launch around six or seven years apart, with the PS4 arriving in 2013 and the PS5 following up in 2020.
In an interview with Game Informer (opens in new tab), Sony’s Executive VP of Hardware Engineering Masayasu Ito confirmed that the PS5 life cycle is expected to last about six or seven years, meaning we won’t see the PS6 until at least 2026.
“Indeed, in the past, the cycle for a new platform was seven to 10 years, but in view of the very rapid development and evolution of technology, it’s really a six to seven-year platform cycle,” Masayasu said.
“Then we cannot fully catch up with the rapid development of the technology, therefore our thinking is that as far as a platform is concerned for the PS5, it’s a cycle of maybe six to seven years. But doing that, a platform lifecycle, we should be able to change the hardware itself and try to incorporate advancements in technology. That was the thinking behind it, and the test case of that thinking was the PS4 Pro that launched in the midway of the PS4 launch cycle.”
It looks like Sony is following a similar roadmap to the PS4, meaning we’re likely to see a PS5 Pro or PS5 Slim release sometime in the middle of this lifecycle: around 2023 or 2024.
PS6: what we want to see
(Image credit: Sony)
A smaller console The PS5 is a mammoth console. In fact, it’s the biggest console in modern history. But bigger doesn’t always mean better, and the PS5’s size makes it impractical for those who don’t have the shelving unit to house it – and, let’s be honest, not many of us do.
With the PS6 (and perhaps even with a PS5 Slim Edition), we’re hoping that Sony can learn from its mistakes, making the next-gen console smaller and more streamlined, while allowing for adequate airflow.
More affordable expandable internal storage It will be possible to expand the PS5’s internal storage by popping off the side panel and installing an SSD, once Sony drops a software update to enable it – but it’s not that simple. The PS5 only accepts compatible NVMe SSDs, which match or excel past the existing drive specifications, and they don’t come cheap.
These types of SSDs are typically pretty pricey, meaning that players may opt for external storage instead – but unfortunately, these externals storage options don’t harness the raw power of the PS5. With the PS6, we hope that Sony will make expanding internal storage easier – perhaps taking an approach similar to the Xbox Series X’s expandable storage card.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Built-in Bluetooth Audio Support – so we don’t need a dongle for the official headset It is baffling that, in the year 2020, a brand-new games console launched and it requires you to plug-in a USB dongle receiver to use its own-brand wireless headphones. Like, what the actual hell Sony. Talk about an aesthetic assault on our eyes and under-TV storage area. Just build the freaking support into the PS6 will you. Good grief.
Wireless charging for controllers/headset – can just be placed on top when off Sure, the Sony charging dock for the PS5 DualSense controllers works pretty well and the controllers slide nicely against the charging pins – but we don’t want yet another piece of hardware by our TV. Sony should take a leaf out of the smartphone industry’s book and build in a wireless charging pad to the top of the PS6. That will allow you to place a controller on the top of the console, when you’re not gaming, to charge – and you could even expand the wireless charging tech to headphones, a media remote and any other peripherals.
Wire-free (and zero-latency) connection to the TV There are far too many wires behind our media stations – and the PlayStation 5 is a guilty party. We’ve got the power and HDMI, plus a completely separate plug block for the controller charging base. Add in the HD camera, and the additional cable for PSVR 2 when that launches and things are a mess. With the PS6, we want a single power lead and everything else to be wireless – obviously with zero lag and latency.
Improve the UI The updated PS5 UI definitely screams “next-gen”, but it also has some flaws that we would like to see ironed out with the PS6. The PlayStation Store is a pain to navigate, especially when it comes to finding sales, trying to find your friends and organize a party isn’t as straightforward as it was with the PS4 and – to top it all off – even trying to find the ‘off’ button takes longer than it should. While the PS4 UI absolutely needed an update, we found it more accessible to use. With the PS6, we hope to see Sony settle on a middle ground that is both futuristic and accessible.
HP has expanded its Envy laptop series with the addition of Envy x360 15. The all-new Envy x360 15 is priced at Rs 82,999 onwards, going up to Rs 1,14,999. The Envy x360 15 comes in four variants. All the models in the lineup are said to be ‘designed for mainstream creators’. The key highlights of the new Envy series laptops include 360-degree hinge, 15.6-inch display, Emoji Keyboard, 5MP IR camera with Auto frame technology, HP Quick Drop, and ‘intelligent’ power management.
HP Envy x360 15 Features: Up to 12th-gen Intel CPU, Multimedia-focused feature set, and more HP’s Envy x360 15 laptops run on up to 12th-gen Intel Core EVO i7 and come with integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU under the hood. For connectivity, HP offers Wi-Fi 6E (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.2 with these laptops. System maintenance measures, including performance optimisation, skin temperature, and system noise, are handled by the Smart Sense technology. Coming to multimedia aspects, the lineup comes with a 15.6-inch OLED touchscreen with an 88% screen-to-body ratio and a ‘Bang and Olufsen’ audio system. Entry-level variants in this lineup offer an HD screen with 250 nits brightness. In the battery department, the laptops offer up to 10 hours of battery life and support the proprietary Fast Charge technology.
Other notable features of the Envy x360 15 series include HP Rechargeable MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen, VESA Trueback HDR 500 support and a physical camera shutter. On the software side, the lineup comes preloaded with HP Palette and HP Photo Match for sketching concepts and media organisation, respectively. HP Envy x360 15 variants and key specs
