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Back in December, Sony announced the limited availability of PS5 themes that captured the retro-goodness of old-school PlayStation consoles. That availability window closes at the end of January, which is a bummer, but the company just said that the classic PlayStation, PS2, PS3 and PS4 limited-time console themes will be coming back in the months ahead. Theres no specific time frame here, as Sony notes that it has to do some work behind the scenes to make this happen. However, its good to know that January 31 will not spell the end for these nostalgic themes. Thank you for the fantastic response to the classic PlayStation, PS2, PS3, and PS4 limited-time console themes, which will be leaving tomorrow. Due to the positive response on these 4 themes, were doing some work behind the scenes to bring these special designs back in the pic.twitter.com/KYk5DHQ3wO PlayStation (@PlayStation) January 30, 2025 The bad news? Those hoping that the positive response to the four retro themes would lead to Sony making more unique backgrounds could be out of luck. The company said there arent plans to create additional themes in the future. There goes my dream of a PSP theme, complete with those cute bubbles. Sony first introduced these themes to celebrate the PlayStations 30th birthday. The company also took this opportunity to sell limited-edition PS5 consoles that look like the original 1995 machine. As expected, they sold out in a flash. It did something similar ten years ago for the consoles 20th birthday.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sonys-retro-ps5-themes-are-disappearing-but-not-forever-175304974.html?src=rss
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Over a year since it dipped into generative artificial intelligence, Samsungs Galaxy S-series phones are now the vanguard for its gen-AI features. This year, were getting even deeper hooks into Googles Gemini AI assistant and more built-in software tricks than ever before. At the same time, however, the Galaxy S25 arrives with marginal hardware upgrades over last years S24. While theres a case of if it aint broke, dont fix it, youll need to stare hard at the spec sheets to spot the differences between this years phone and the 2024 model. With the Galaxy S25, theres a triple-camera system, a 6.2-inch Full HD+ screen and support for the ever-improving Galaxy AI, which the company seems to be prioritizing this year even if it isnt quite enough to carry an entirely new device. Hardware and design Photo by Mat Smith for Engadget Barring a powerful new chip, the S25 is a massive serving of deja vu from a hardware perspective. You could revisit last years S24 review to get the gist. Samsung decided thinner is the new direction this time around. Galaxy S25 Edge aside, this years range has been slimmed down. I think the S25 is tangibly thinner but thats because I was able to compare it with a Galaxy S24 side-by-side. Its less of a selling point when measuring a change of 0.4 millimeters. After several years of carrying around and testing phones with screens over 6.5 inches, having the S25 with me is refreshing. Even if the 6.2-inch screen is a little small for extensive Netflix or YouTube watching, like the 6.3-inch Pixel 9 Pro, it remains plenty big for pretty much everything else. The 2X AMOLED screen tops out at 2,600 nits, which is plenty bright enough, with variable refresh rates that top out at 120Hz. I received the Silver Shadow S25 with a frosted sheen, which I love. Its not the most eye-catching option, however. I think the rich Navy blue is my pick. But who are we kidding? Most of us throw our phones into cases and Ill do the same once my case gets here. Oddly enough, one of the upgrades with the S25 involves adding a case: support for faster Qi2 charging (and magnetic latching) is only possible through compatible cases. Those cases, however, werent available for this review. My colleague Sam Rutherford explains it all here; but at least theres some compatibility, which was lacking in last years Galaxy phones. Cameras Photo by Mat Smith for Engadget Samsung makes some of the best smartphones for photography, which is lucky because the S25s camera sensors appear identical to last year's. Which themselves are the same as the year before. Hmm. As a refresher, that includes a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide shooter and a 10MP 3x telephoto camera with a front-facing 12MP camera. if youre looking for 5x zoom and high-res sensors, you should check out the Galaxy S25 Ultra (or the Pixel 9 Pro) but the setup on the base S25 still works well, despite the aging sensors. I was pleasantly surprised with the S25s sheer consistency. Most of my photos were crisp and objects were in focus, although I preferred the iPhone 16s results in darker conditions. I found that the Galaxy S25 tends to process images differently between the telephoto and primary sensor, with some night-time shots coming out a bit amber-hued. Samsungs claims that the new Snapdragon 8 Elite would help low-light performance are also accurate. The company says that with the chip's power, the S25 series can better analyze noise, even detecting moving and static objects and processing them differently. Samsungs computational photography has also improved when it comes to difficult shooting conditions. Digital zoom, at 10x, seems crisper and offers more usable photos than its predecessors. If youre willing to dip into a separate camera app, Samsungs Expert RAW features another new option: virtual aperture. Ive struggled to discern a tangible difference while shooting with the S25. It appears to be a more advanced version of Portrait mode, without requiring the phone to identify a person or subject to apply a soft bokeh to the background. The effect is moderately successful, but demands a good level of light. I found it struggled to apply a virtual aperture effect in dark environments. Unfortunately, the feature is hidden away in the experimental section of Samsungs Expert RAW camera app, which needs to be downloaded separately. This camera app is for power users who demand manual controls, and its great that its available. However, lots of (maybe most) prospective S25 buyers wont need it, or even know it exists Another under-the-hood improvement is within S25s gallery, where the search feature has improved categorization and makes it generally easier to find what youre looking for. As I typed, itd suggest WhatsApp images, locations and more. Samsung says its added 2.7 times more keywords, which is delightfully specific. While photography is still similar, spec-wise, on the S25, Samsung has substantially improved video for more seasoned cinematographers. This years phones will also capture video in HDR by default, while a new Galaxy Log mode means you can capture log video for improved dynamic range. Itll also mean you can apply more accurate color grading if you like to edit videos and get in deep. Video is also recorded in 10-bit color, offering more latitude for editors. Still, like I said, this is for folks already neck-deep in using LUTs, with a compatible editing app at the ready. With Audio Eraser. Samsung has caught up with Apple and Google. This is its own post-processing feature for recording video in louder environments. It taps into AI to nix specific environmental noises, like wind, water and traffic. The effect isnt quite as impressive in real life as during Samsungs S25 launch keynote, however. When faced with the erratic street traffic noise, Audio Erasers automatic setting compressed the audio pretty severely, leaving my voice sounding a little gurgly and crunchy. Its similar to audio with noise cncellation on Google Meet and WhatsApp voice notes. I was definitely more audible but it wasnt easy listening. The upgrades are welcome, but given the iPhone 16s Camera Control button and the Pixel 9s latest software tricks like Add Me, Samsungs cameras have had a weaker showing than the competition. Software Photo by Mat Smith for Engadget Software additions dont stop at the camera app. Theres a scattering of new features across the board with the S25. The most immediately noticeable update is more of a duo: Now Bar and Now Brief. The Now Bar is a new lockscreen tile part contextual info panel and part notification banner. With rolling Google Maps navigation instructions and media playing functions, weve seen many of these ideas on the iPhones Dynamic Island. Samsungs version is more limited, at least for now. Embarrassingly, only eight apps (or features) can appear on the Now Bar, including the clock, sports notifications from Google and a voice recorder. Its underwhelming. If third-party app makers (or more Google apps) can make their way into the Bar, it could be more helpful, but as it is, its barely more than a lock-screen widget. The Now Brief, similarly, could use a little more meat. I hate to make another Apple comparison, but its a more accessible version of the iPhones summaries generated in Notifications. The Now Brief populates with relevant notifications, weather summaries and even traffic guidance, all of which is possibly most valuable in the mornings. It will also generate daily summaries accessible from a widget on the S25s home screen. Ill be strapping on a Galaxy Watch to see how these interact with fitness goals and wellness, so stay tuned for more insight here. (Sidenote: Google Discover, a swipe-left-from-home screen also offers a similar stream of news, notifications and other smartphone info. It has been around for years.) Changes elsewhere seem more like rebranded features. AI Select (once called Smart Select) resides in the pull-out Edge Panel (and the screenshot toolbar) and will offer up suggested actions once you select or circle something onscreen. It can offer clever suggestions when it contextually detects an event to add to your calendar or something that needs translating. Im not sure AI Select is noticeably better than Smart Select, but its at least on by default. You had to enable the former in Settings for it to appear in the Edge Panel. While its not completely straightforward, AI Select does work well as a shortcut, suggesting translation with foreign languages or offering to pull dates into your calendar with a tap. This ties into Gemini AI upgrades, which appear first on the S25 series but will be coming to other Android phones that can run Gemini AI. With a long press of a button, your voice commands to Gemini can pull in information and then apply them to make a reminder, plan a route or send details through text message to a friend, or even a WhatsApp message. Im looking forward to Android adding further third-party apps and services, but I've been waiting for more effortless uses for AI assistants. This is a step in that direction. Im also not entirely writing off the Now Brief. It could improve over time, especially with Samsungs Personal Data Engine, which will attempt to join the dots between your smartphone interactions. As I finished this review, the Now Brief began offering audio highlights from The Guardian, even though I hadnt yet installed the news organizations app. However, Galaxy AI figured it out, it was the right choice: I dont read the Daily Mail Online. I wish Google and Apple News would work that out without me having to actively block news sources. Performance and battery life Has Samsung solved our smartphone battery life woes? The Galaxy S25 clocked in at over 28 hours of video playback. Thats almost four hours more than last years S24, and given the hardware parity with the S25, its a testament to the processor efficiency upgrades this year. With more typical use, I was recharging the phone every two days. Thats not how often I usually have to charge smartphones during reviews Im very impressed. With the 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, those gains arent just in efficiency. The CPU multi-core performance hit 8,950 (up from 7,049 on the S24), while GPU scored 19,158, up from 15,082 last year. Not that there was that much need for such a leap. Once again, the Galaxy S25 is fast and handled everything I threw at it effortlessly. However, back-to-back generative AI requests and shooting and uploading 4K video made the S25 heat up it lacks the expanded vapor chamber that Samsung added to the S25 Ultra. Wrap up Photo by Mat Smith for Engadget With the Galaxy S25, never has a Galaxy S series seemed more iterative. Fortunately, Samsungs premium smartphones are in a commanding position, so even with a screen (an cameras) that are now two years old, the Galaxy S25 isnt a bad smartphone. In fact, its a very good one. I described the S25s cameras as consistent and I think that applies to the entire phone. The screen is bright, smooth and rich, the battery life is, frankly, incredible, while both performance scores and my experience with it prove this is a powerful flagship phone. I love the streamlined Gemini AI capabilities, which can take a voice command and easily turn it into a calendar entry, reminder and even plan my route. Even Galaxy AI diversions like the Portrait Studio offered more refined (and consistent) 3D cartoons and sketches of my portrait photos. Im not sure Samsungs features would warrant an AI subscription I doubt many would pay for them as they stand. And that brings me to a bigger point: Besides a powerful new chip and AI tricks, why isnt the S25 cheaper? The Galaxy S25 is priced at $799 at launch, the same as the S24 and even the S23. The comparison you have to make isnt only with the latest iPhone, but also cheaper Android phones, like the $499 Pixel 8a. Or, unfortunately, the year-old Galaxy S24. Unless youre desperate for a bump in processing power and battery life, it would be wise to see how heavily last years models get discounted in the coming months.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s25-review-170040665.html?src=rss
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The generative intelligence platform DeepSeek has set the world on fire this week, but with great popularity comes increased scrutiny. Analysts with Wiz Research have found a fairly substantial hole in the softwares security. The research shows that DeepSeek left one of its critical databases exposed. This means that whoever came across the database would be allowed access to more than one million records, including user data, system logs, API keys and even prompt submissions. The researchers also noted that they were able to find the database almost immediately, without too much scanning or probing. BREAKING: Internal #DeepSeek database publicly exposed Wiz Research has discovered "DeepLeak" - a publicly accessible ClickHouse database belonging to DeepSeek, exposing highly sensitive information, including secret keys, plain-text chat messages, backend details, and logs. pic.twitter.com/C7HZTKNO3p Wiz (@wiz_io) January 29, 2025 Usually when we find this kind of exposure, its in some neglected service that takes us hours to findhours of scanning, Nir Ohfeld, the head of vulnerability research at Wiz, told Wired. But this time, he said, here it was at the front door. Wiz Research says its possible that a nefarious actor could have used this security hole to access other DeepSeek systems, but the company admits it only performed the base minimum assessment. This was to confirm its findings without further compromising user privacy. There is also no evidence that anyone else found the database. Wiz staffers didnt exactly know how to disclose their findings, given that DeepSeek is both a new entity and based in China. Researchers eventually sent their findings to every email address and LinkedIn profile they could find. The database was locked down within 30 minutes of the mass email. DeepSeek isnt the only AI company that has experienced a serious security breach (or two.) A hacker was able to access OpenAIs internal messaging logs back in 2023 and a bug exposed personal information later that year. AI is the new frontier in everything related to technology and cybersecurity, Ohfeld said. Still we see the same old vulnerabilities like databases left open on the internet. As previously mentioned, DeepSeek took the world by storm in the past week or so. The disruptive AI model was allegedly created for just several million dollars. OpenAI runs through billions of dollars each year. This massive financial discrepancy sent the stock market into a tailspin, with many AI-adjacent stocks taking a plunge.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/security-researchers-found-a-big-hole-in-deepseeks-security-163536961.html?src=rss
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