Its not long since Apple released the latest iPhone update, iOS 18.3with a special extra version following a week later, and it looks like theres an unanticipated smaller update, iOS 18.3.1 coming soonbut its iOS 18.4 that people are really waiting for. It looks like the first developer beta could land this coming week or the week after.Apple iPhone 16 will be compatible with the new Apple Intelligence features expected in iOS 18.4.Getty ImagesThe rumored arrival date comes from Bloombergs Mark Gurman who on Friday, Feb. 7 posted on X. I expect iOS 18.4 beta 1 to be released between the middle of next week and early the following week. So its coming fairly soon, he said.Gurman doesnt always mention when developer beta releases are coming, which is a sign of how significant this update is expected to be. Thats because of the major Siri enhancements which are thought to land in iOS 18.4, as the next tranche of Apple Intelligence.As a reminder, Apple Intelligence is available on the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and all models in the iPhone 16 series. For a start, Apple Intelligence will be available in more countries and languages.MORE FOR YOUApple Intelligence will bring a new era for Siri, Apple says. The new design has already arrived, but still to come are features to make Siri more natural. Equipped with awareness of your personal context, the ability to take action in and across apps, and product knowledge about your devices features and settings, Siri will be able to assist you like never before, Apple claims.It'll also have onscreen awareness, too:If a friend texts you their new address, you can say Add this address to their contact card, and Siri will take care of it, its reported.There are also other features expected which will work on more phones such as new emoji, including a face with bags under the eyes and tweaks to default app choices in the European Union.Heres how I think the timetable will play out.First developer beta: Week beginning Monday, Feb. 10 or the following week (though not on Monday, Feb. 17 as thats Presidents Day).First public beta: later in February.Further betas to follow in March with general release at end of March or early April.

You have been warnedthis changes everything.gettyLets keep this short and sweet or rather bitter. The widely reported mandate on Apple to trash its encryption at the behest of the UK government is a disaster for iPhone users and everyone else as well. Its the most serious setback for personal cyber security we have seen in years. If this goes ahead as reported, there will be no turning back.In a script that seems to have come out of the Monty Python writers room, The Washington Post aired the news that Britains government had issued a secret, so-called technical capability notice on Apple, demanding it provide a backdoor for intelligence and law enforcement into fully encrypted cloud storage accounts.Heres the satirical part Apple cant admit it has been served a notice, or even acknowledge discussions; it cant update users on what has happened, or even tell them the security of their accounts has been weakened; it can appeal, but cant even wait for the appeal to be heard before making changes.Signals Meredith Whittaker summed it up perfectly: "Using Technical Capability Notices to weaken encryption around the globe is a shocking move that will position the UK as a tech pariah, rather than a tech leader. If implemented, the directive will create a dangerous cybersecurity vulnerability in the nervous system of our global economy.MORE FOR YOUAfter years of back-and-forth between security agencies, regulators, legislators and big tech, with encryption being defended to the hilt, this kills it dead in an instant. Make no mistake, theres no such thing as a secure backdoor. If you weaken the encrypted enclave, then you can assume it will be exploited by good actors as well as bad. And if the UK were to carry this out, whats to stop China or Russia doing the same.The most ridiculous part of this story is that the UK mandate reportedly applies to all iCloud data, regardless of jurisdiction. That would cover the U.S. as well as the UK. That has caused the most consternation here but this should not apply anywhere.As EFF warns, any backdoor built for the government puts everyone at greater risk of hacking, identity theft, and fraud. There is no world where, once built, these backdoors would only be used by open and democratic governments. These systems can be, and quickly will be, used by more repressive governments around the world to read protesters and dissenters communications. Weve seen and opposed these sorts of measures for years. Now is no different.So, why is this worse than you think. In my view and no one can officially comment, so views will be all we can share any such government action would not stop with Apple. Not to over-simplify matters, but a bad actor would simply run Googles helpful switch to Android software. If the U.K is going after Apple, its also going after Google and Meta and others. Why would they not? But Soviet-style, none of these other parties can comment or answer questions or confirm or deny.And so this becomes a weakening of the critical dam keeping us all safe from spyware, hackers and data breaches. It starts in one place but it goes everywhere. Apple has the most to lose it fundamentally changes the iPhone proposition. And so its little surprise that this story centers on Apple. But a stand must be taken now.I agree with EFF: Encryption is one of the best ways we have to reclaim our privacy and security in a digital world filled with cyberattacks and security breaches, and theres no way to weaken it in order to only provide access to the good guys."The irony in this timing is the U.S. government changing its position on encryption. In the wake of Chinas Salt Typhoon hacking Americas networks, citizens were urged to turn to encryption whenever possible. If that furor taught us anything, its that backdoors will be exploited. Put them in for the right reason and theyll be used for the wrong reason. Make no mistake if Apple doesnt successfully prevent this update, it will just be the beginning of a very dangerous path.

As we may think Developer creates endless Wikipedia feed to fight algorithm addiction WikiTok cures boredom in spare moments with wholesome swipe-up Wikipedia article discovery. Benj Edwards Feb 7, 2025 4:10 pm | 57 Credit: Amr Bo Shanab / rudall30 / Benj Edwards Credit: Amr Bo Shanab / rudall30 / Benj Edwards Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreOn Wednesday, a New York-based app developer named Isaac Gemal debuted a new site called WikiTok, where users can vertically swipe through an endless stream of Wikipedia article stubs in a manner similar to the interface for video-sharing app TikTok.It's a neat way to stumble upon interesting information randomly, learn new things, and spend spare moments of boredom without reaching for an algorithmically addictive social media app. Although to be fair, WikiTok is addictive in its own way, but without an invasive algorithm tracking you and pushing you toward the lowest-common-denominator content. It's also thrilling because you never know what's going to pop up next.WikiTok, which works through mobile and desktop browsers, feeds visitors a random list of Wikipedia articlesculled from the Wikipedia APIinto a vertically scrolling interface. Despite the name that hearkens to TikTok, there are currently no videos involved. Each entry is accompanied by an image pulled from the corresponding article. If you see something you like, you can tap "Read More," and the full Wikipedia page on the topic will open in your browser. A screenshot of WikiTok, a web app running in Safari on an iPhone. Credit: Benj Edwards For now, the feed is truly random, and Gemal is currently resisting calls to automatically tailor the stream of articles to the user's interests based on what they express interest in."I have had plenty of people message me and even make issues on my GitHub asking for some insane crazy WikiTok algorithm," Gemal told Ars. "And I had to put my foot down and say something along the lines that we're already ruled by ruthless, opaque algorithms in our everyday life; why can't we just have one little corner in the world without them?"The breadth of topics you'll encounter on WikiTok is staggering, owing to the wide range of knowledge that Wikipedia covers.On a recent WikiTok browsing run, I ran across entries on topics like SX-Window (a GUI for the Sharp X68000 series of computers), Xantocillin ("the first reported natural product found to contain the isocyanide functional group), Lorenzo Ghiberti (an Italian Renaissance sculptor from Florence), the William Wheeler House in Texas, and the city of Krautheim, Germanynone of which I knew existed before the session started.How WikiTok took offThe original idea for WikiTok originated from developer Tyler Angert on Monday evening when he tweeted, "insane project idea: all of wikipedia on a single, scrollable page." Bloomberg Beta VC James Cham replied, "Even better, an infinitely scrolling Wikipedia page based on whatever you are interested in next?" and Angert coined "WikiTok" in a follow-up post.Early the next morning, at 12:28 am, writer Grant Slatton quote-tweeted the WikiTok discussion, and that's where Gemal came in. "I saw it from [Slatton's] quote retweet," he told Ars. "I immediately thought, 'Wow I can build an MVP [minimum viable product] and this could take off.'"Gemal started his project at 12:30 am, and with help from AI coding tools like Anthropic's Claude and Cursor, he finished a prototype by 2 am and posted the results on X. Someone later announced WikiTok on ycombinator's Hacker News, where it topped the site's list of daily news items. A screenshot of the WikiTok web app running in a desktop web browser. Credit: Benj Edwards "The entire thing is only several hundred lines of code, and Claude wrote the vast majority of it," Gemal told Ars. "AI helped me ship really really fast and just capitalize on the initial viral tweet asking for Wikipedia with scrolling."Gemal posted the code for WikiTok on GitHub, so anyone can modify or contribute to the project. Right now, the web app supports 14 languages, article previews, and article sharing on both desktop and mobile browsers. New features may arrive as contributors add them. It's based on a tech stack that includes React 18, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and Vite.And so far, he is sticking to his vision of a free way to enjoy Wikipedia without being tracked and targeted. "I have no grand plans for some sort of insane monetized hyper-calculating TikTok algorithm," Gemal told us. "It is anti-algorithmic, if anything."Benj EdwardsSenior AI ReporterBenj EdwardsSenior AI Reporter Benj Edwards is Ars Technica's Senior AI Reporter and founder of the site's dedicated AI beat in 2022. He's also a tech historian with almost two decades of experience. In his free time, he writes and records music, collects vintage computers, and enjoys nature. He lives in Raleigh, NC. 57 Comments

SpaceIn Shroud, Adrian Tchaikovsky's intriguing new novel, two women marooned on a strange moon encounter alien life and struggle to recognise intelligence in other beings, finds Emily H. Wilson 5 February 2025 What might be lurking on the surface of the unusual moon Shroud?Shutterstock/IuriiShroudAdrian Tchaikovsky (Tor)The latest novel by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Shroud, examines the question of whether, faced with an alien intelligence, we would actually perceive it as intelligent. That and whether the aliens would recognise us as anything above pond life.The setting is the far future and a foray by a commercial vessel into a new star system. The ships culture is cruel, petty and highly corporate that is, entirely recognisable to humans alive today. The crew are unfrozen, used as needed, then summarily refrozen.

One of the Baltic nations on the border with Russia supports Trump's call for members to spend 5% of GDP on defense.Estonia's foreign minister told BI his country would meet that target, but not because of Trump.Estonia has been pioneering in supporting Ukraine and urging other members to boost defense spending.A NATO ally sharing a border with Russia is glad to see US President Donald Trump pushing alliance members to spend more on defense. The country's foreign minister says this is a significant need, considering the threats from Moscow.Estonia, an EU member nation and one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters, is going to be boosting its own spending, but not simply to satisfy Trump. Margus Tsahkna, the Estonian foreign minister, told Business Insider that his country would start spending 5% of its GDP on defense because of "real needs."Trump announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month that he wants NATO allies to dramatically increase defense spending from the previous goal of 2% to 5% of their GDP. There have been reports he would accept 3.5%, which is close to what the US spends now. Some nations, however, are still below original expectations.Estonia and Lithuania, both Baltic states, told the Financial Times after the event that they would increase spending.Tsahkna told BI that Estonia has "been increasing our defense spending over the years." He added that Trump is "asking the right thing" and that he has long agreed with the US president that more NATO members should spend more on defense. Trump speaking at the White House. Roberto Schmidt / AFP via Getty Images Kstutis Budrys, Lithuania's foreign minister, told the Financial Times last month that Trump was applying "good and constructive pressure from our strategic and biggest ally in NATO" but said Trump's pressure on the alliance wasn't the only reason his country was making changes."It's not the sole reason," the minister said, explaining that "it is existential for us to have real war-fighting capabilities here."NATO nations near Russia tend to spend more on their defense. For instance, Poland, the highest spender on defense in NATO as a proportion of GDP, said last year, before Trump's comments, that it would spend 5% of GDP on defense in 2025.Estonia hadn't previously committed to this goal, but the head of the Estonian Defense Forces and its defense minister both floated the possibility last year. The country's defense spending has soared over the years. In 2024, it spent around 3.4% of its GDP on defense, a bit higher than the US. It has been a pioneer in asking other allies to pay more, pushing for the 2% guideline to be raised higher.Some NATO allies, including Italy, Canada, and Spain, spend less than 2%. That has long been a frequent source of criticism for Trump, who suggested on the campaign trail he would abandon nations that didn't pay their fair share to Russia.Realities of the Russian threatMany NATO allies have notably increased their defense spending in recent years, but Russian aggression rather than Trump's pressuring of allies appears to be the driving factor, as experts and officials previously told BI.Estonia's spending boost "all comes from the real needs," Tsahkna said."We face them," he said of the Russians, adding that his country won't allow itself to be defenseless. He said that Estonia does not plan to cede "any meter of NATO territory" to Russia and must build the strongest deterrence while also being "ready to act from the first second."Estonia, along with neighbors Latvia and Lithuania, have long warned Russia threatens the West, even before Ukraine launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. By that point, Russia had invaded neighboring Georgia and Ukraine already. Graves of Ukrainian soldiers who died since Russia launched its full-scale invasion are seen at Lychakiv cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine. AP Photo/Mykola Tys Where Tsahkna and Trump diverge is on Ukraine. Estonia is one of Ukraine's biggest supporters, giving Ukraine more aid as a proportion of its GDP than any other country and advocating that partner nations give it all the weaponry and support they can.Former President Joe Biden supported Ukraine but held back on providing certain types of equipment. Trump, however, has signaled he simply wants an end to the war and has previously been critical of US support for Ukraine. Trump has also questioned US support for NATO.But Tsahkna sees Trump's NATO spending push as a positive."The border states cannot only carry the burden," he said, referring to his country and its neighbors. He said many NATO members' spending is not presently rooted in "reality."More work to doTsahkna said it is fair to ask countries to spend as a percentage of their GDP, calling it an "honest figure." The figure "measures how much your economy, society, your people are paying," he said. "It doesn't matter that you're a smaller or bigger country."Estonia has a population of just 1.4 million people roughly 257 times smaller than the US and 60 times smaller than Germany. While it spends proportionately on defense, the impact on NATO's abilities is smaller. But it makes a big impact in its warnings on what NATO is facing from Russia.Spending money on defense, Tsahkna said, "is something we have to face." Countries should not make excuses, he said, adding that everyone's budget is tight.To meet its objectives,"We still remember how it was to live without freedom," he said.Russia has repeatedly threatened to attack the West, and many countries have warned that an attack could come. As is, some already see war underway. Russia has been accused of carrying out hybrid attacks, like arson and assassination attempts, in Europe.Tsahkna said that he has observed a "change of mentality" in Europe over the last few years. "They're taking the Russian threat very seriously and also understand as well that Russia will remain a threat in the future as well," he said, but the continent needs to bolster its industries and strengthen its defenses.

Caruso's is named after billionaire real-estate developer Rick Caruso, who opened Rosewood Miramar Beach in 2019.Rosewood Miramar Beach is located in Santa Barbara's ritzy Montecito neighborhood. Courtesy of Rosewood Miramar Beach In a few short years, the resort and restaurant have made a big splash in the world of luxury hospitality. Rosewood Miramar Beach is currently one of only 15 properties worldwide to hold a triple Five-Star title from the Forbes Travel Guide, meaning its hotel, spa, and restaurant have all received five stars.In 2022, Caruso's received both a Michelin star and a Green Star which honors sustainable restaurants from the Michelin Guide. It's held on to both ever since."Opening a restaurant and getting a Michelin star in a couple of years is a big deal," Falsini told me before our dinner. "Our journey has been like flying high, very fast."Falsini is in the kitchen every night, infusing the restaurant's fresh California ingredients with his Italian heritage.Falsini opened Caruso's at Rosewood Miramar Beach in 2019. Courtesy of Rosewood Miramar Beach Falsini first fell in love with cooking when he was 16 and washing dishes at a restaurant in Rome for extra pocket money.His culinary career would take the chef across multiple continents as he cooked at luxury hotels like the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hilton Abu Dhabi, and Solage in Napa Valley."I think the beauty of food is that every day is a new day, and every day is different," Falsini told me. "That's why I feel like I never work a day in my life."There's no doubt that Falsini is working hard as the director of culinary operations at Rosewood Miramar. But his quest for perfection is to impress the guests, not the Michelin inspectors."People, when they come here, I want them to have fun," Falsini said. "To feel the warmth, to feel the love of a beautiful Italian restaurant."I was instantly struck by the elegant and romantic ambiance as I walked into Caruso's.The Michelin-starred restaurant feels like you're walking into a luxurious yacht. Courtesy of Rosewood Miramar Beach Even the rare California rain couldn't damper the beautiful ocean setting, which Caruso's leans into with its open-air design. The beautiful navy leather booths match the blue lacquered accent wall, and the pristine white chairs are decorated with gold brass rings. It felt like I could've been on a yacht in the South of France.The impeccable service was in motion from the moment I took my seat. A purse stool appeared by my side, a napkin was placed on my lap, and the water was poured instantly. Falsini believes the well-rehearsed choreography is essential to fine dining."All those steps and the precision, like the little notes of a symphony, are very important," he said. "Those waiters, they walk around like ballerinas. And the hospitality, that European warm touch, is a big part of what we do here in Caruso's."I then perused the menu, which offers multiple price points. There's the $175 four-course experience and two chef's tasting menus priced at $285 per person."The Land" focuses on meat, while "The Ocean" highlights seafood. The restaurant also offers plant-based versions of its menu upon request, and a $145 three-course experience is available Monday through Thursday.Business Insider received a media rate for the four-course dinner. Dinner began with an elegant array of amuse-bouches.Among the amuse-bouches were gougres filled with truffle cream and a small soup. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider From the moment the first amuse-bouche arrived, it was clear I was in the midst of a five-star resort.Servers brought mini cones stuffed with king crab and caviar, which sparkled with gold leaf. Then came a delicious gougre filled with truffle cream.My favorite was the palate-cleanser soup, which tasted of blue cheese a variety, I later learned, that's exclusive to the restaurant and was topped with dark chocolate shavings.There's also a bread service, which I loved so much I forgot to take a picture first. A server decanted the house-made olive oil right at the table and offered two types of butter. One was infused with black truffle, the other with seaweed I finished them both. The warm sourdough, made from a 30-year-old starter, was sublime."Am I allowed to bring more bread to the table?" the waiter asked, seeing my clean plate."Absolutely," I replied.A Baja Kanpachi crudo, which looked like a work of art, was the first course of the night.The Baja Kanpachi crudo was beautifully presented. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider The Baja Kanpachi was served with pixie tangerines, apple cucumber salad, and lemon verbena chilled tea. Each ingredient was so gracefully layered together in its liquid pool of gold that I imagined the chefs in the kitchen carefully placing every piece on the plate with a tiny tweezer.The juicy tangerine shimmered against the butter-soft fish, which instantly melted on my tongue. The slivers of jalapeo provided a subtle but delightful kick of heat.The intricate and refreshing dish immediately delighted my senses.The next dish was one of the most beautiful soups I've ever seen.I was awed by this honeynut squash vellutata soup. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider I unabashedly gasped when the honeynut squash vellutata soup, topped with an intricate tuile of vines, arrived at my table.The delicately placed orange petals appeared to bloom straight from the branches, adding even more dimension. The black bowl only added to the dramatic effect, serving as the perfect backdrop for the bright-orange squash.The soup was obviously a huge hit with the group chat, but it was so much more than a pretty picture. Each velvety sip seemed to magically capture every flavor of autumn thanks to the sweet and earthy honeynut and the crunch of the hazelnut, which paired beautifully with the bright burst from the orange crme fraiche.Then came the Santa Barbara spiny lobster girasoli.The Santa Barbara spiny lobster was topped with a delicious bisque. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider When I sat down with Falsini before dinner, he told me that all of the seafood at Caruso's is "from the ocean in front of you.""We don't fly in anything; we only buy from local small fishermen in order to support the community," the chef said, adding that he hopes to make Caruso's a zero-carbon footprint restaurant by 2026.Falsini even tags the fishermen he buys from when he posts the restaurant's dishes on its official Instagram page, as he did with the beautiful Santa Barbara spiny lobster girasoli.The dish was presented on a plate illustrated with blue fish, which looked as if they were swimming amid the delicious bisque. And the spiny lobster, served with delicate shavings of Granny Smith apple, was butter-poached to perfection and tasted divinely tender.The Channel Island halibut was my favorite seafood course of the night.The Channel Island halibut was infused with so much flavor. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Falsini's first rule for cooking fish is to "love the fish," and his care and passion were on full display with this halibut.This Channel Island halibut was easily the most delicate version I've ever had. A server arrived tableside to pour the beautiful burro fuso sauce, which had a hint of sweetness from Vin Santo and a zing from makrut lime.The soft and tender meat of the fish, which cut like butter, instantly soaked everything up. Its flavors lingered on my tongue long after the fish was gone, which is exactly what Falsini aims to achieve with every one of his dishes."I believe the journey of the chef is a discovery journey," he told me. "We put things together that were already made. We just have to discover them and put them together in a different way.""It's fascinating because you become like a mad scientist," he continued. "So how do we surprise? We can add the different layers of flavor, of sensation, of feelings when people eat the food. So when the people take a bite, they go, 'Oh, what's that?' That's what we want."My delicious meal was complete with the budino dessert.The budino dessert, infused with Johnnie Walker whiskey, was made for Rick Caruso. Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider Falsini specifically made the budino dessert with Rick Caruso's favorite drink, Johnnie Walker Blue Label whiskey. It features chocolate-toffee pudding laced with a full shot of the whiskey and topped with whole-bean vanilla gelato. Falsini told me the dish was so popular that 80% of the restaurant's guests would choose it from the prix-fixe menu before he took it off to focus on desserts with seasonal and sustainable ingredients.However, the sweet treat is still available to those who ask, and I got to try it since my almond allergy ruled out the other choices.Decadent, sweet, and indulgent, the budino is truly a dessert fit for a billionaire no wonder it was such a hit!I wouldn't be surprised if Caruso's earned a second Michelin star soon.Falsini at Rosewood Miramar Beach resort in Montecito. Courtesy of Rosewood Miramar Beach I've eaten at several one-star Michelin restaurants over the past few months, but the skill and imagination on display at Caruso's are on a different level.Getting to the next star isn't just about great food. It's about the entire experience. And Falsini's dedication to his guests would be evident even if I hadn't gotten the chance to speak with him. Just take a look at the Yelp and Tripadvisor pages for Caruso's. Under every review, whether it be praise or critique, is Falsini himself, wondering what he can improve and fix."I look at everything through food. I go to sleep, and I dream about food. I get up and think about food," Falsini told me. "I am always thinking: What can we do with the menu? How can we make it more interesting, more different, more enticing? How can we raise the bar? How can we grow?"I, for one, can't wait to see what's next for Falsini and Caruso's.

PlayStation Network is down for maintenance, meaning players can't log in or play games on their PS4 or PS5 consoles here's all we know about the issue and when it could be resolvedTech09:21, 08 Feb 2025Updated 09:30, 08 Feb 2025PS5 and PS4 gamers are stranded offline at the moment(Image: AFP via Getty Images)If you're a PS Plus subscriber looking to play online on your PlayStation 4 or 5 console this weekend, you'll no doubt have seen a surprising message when logging on last night.A message explaining that PlayStation Network is undergoing maintenance isn't the sort of thing we're used to seeing, but the issue does appear more damaging than at first anticipated.That's because whatever is going on appears to be taking a whole host of Sony services, and it almost happened during a key moment for one of PlayStation's own studios as Bungie's latest Dungeon race for Destiny 2 concluded just before the issues began.Could we soon get PS3 titles played natively on PS5?(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)Throughout the night (this writer couldn't get logged on at around 11:30 pm) more of Sony's services have been affected.PlayStation Store (the digital one), and the PlayStation Direct website (the company's physical store) are both seeing issues, and PlayStation Video is down, too.That means fans can't log in and play their games on this Saturday morning, and Sony's own Status Tracker says everything it tracks is having issues.As for what else the company has said, it's simply admitted that "some users might be experiencing issues with PSN" and little else.Content cannot be displayed without consentContent cannot be displayed without consentSony's network was running as normal around around 10:30 pm last night (Friday, February 7) because this writer was able to complete a purchase before settling in to play Destiny.When I snapped a screenshot from the game, I was unable to share it at 11:30 pm, while EA's servers were uncontactable in EA FC 25, too. The above post on X (formerly Twitter) was shared seemingly as the first complaints about PSN were coming in.As frustrating as it is, the outage of 2011 will take some beating. A data breach saw users' payment details leak, with data for over 77 million PSN users exposed.The network was down for 23 days, with Sony attempting to make it up to players with free games. The whole incident reportedly cost Sony more than $170 million in costs during the PlayStation 3 generation.We'll update this page as we hear more about this latest 'maintenance' period, so be sure to check back throughout the day.For more on all things PlayStation, check out how the storefront accidentally leaked the release date for the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remake. Looking for things to play while PSN is down? Check out our list of games launching in February across Switch, Xbox, and PC.Once it is back, there are free PS Plus games to download, too.Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

The service is used to play online games (Picture: AFP)The PlayStation Network(PSN) has gone down, leaving millions of players unable to play Call of Duty and Fortnite.The online service allows users of Sony consoles to play online.There were more than 71,000 reports of problems from gamers on the website DownDetector just before midnight yesterday.While the issue eased slightly overnight, a new spike of people having trouble accessing the network erupted at about 9am.Affected consoles include PS Vita, PS3, PS4 and the PS5.Is the PlayStation Network still down?Sonys PSN status webpage says account management, gaming and social, PlayStation Video, PlayStation Store and the PlayStation Direct website are all facing issues.Users may have difficulty launching games and apps, signing in to their accounts and downloading new content.Although users can load up offline games, the outage means online games such as Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto and Marvel Rivals are not playable. PlayStation games can only be booted up offline when the PSN goes down (Picture: Anadolu)And Call of Duty, too. Users say they cant take part in the games promotional weekend offering double XP in Black Ops 6 and Warzone.Sony has not indicated when the issue will be resolved.Ask PlayStation, the companys customer service X account, posted In the early hours: We are aware some users might be currently experiencing issues with PSN.Players, however, werent too pleased by Sonys response to the outage.We pay for your services. Many people make plans to play together on the weekend, one frustrated user said, You have allowed a disruption in services we pay for and plan for, without communication with us about what is happening.More TrendingAnother added: Thanks for ruining my only day off, I suggest you give me one year of PS+ for free.A third user said: I appreciate that there is a major problem they are obviously trying to fix. What I cant tolerate is no updates on their progress.As of 9.16am, 3,717 issues with the network have been flagged in the UK. PSN has around 116 millionmonthly active users.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.For more stories like this, check our news page.ArrowMORE: Games Inbox: Is the Mass Effect trilogy overrated? GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Elden Ring and FromSoftware are horribly overrated Readers FeatureGameCentralPublished February 8, 2025 9:00am Dark Souls 3 it can be frustrating (Bandai Namco)A reader reacts to recent speculation about Bloodborne and FromSoftwares next game and wishes he could enjoy the games as others do.I like to think of myself as a live and let live kind of guy. Theres lots of games and movies I dont like, that everyone else seems to, and vice versa, but I am perfectly capable of accepting that as personal preference. But for some reason I cannot seem to get over my deep-seated hatred of everything FromSoftware does.Well hatred is a strong word. Frustration is probably more accurate. I havent had to think about them much recently but in the last few weeks theres been a lot of talk about Bloodborne getting a remaster and what else From might be making next.I can tell you what theyll be making next with a high degree of accuracy: needlessly frustrating games with no story, sky high difficulty, a terrible interface, bad animation, and janky combat. Whats most annoying though is that I want to love them and I just cant.I first tried Dark Souls when it become famous and Id heard a lot about it being a super challenging game that was a fight back against bland press X to win style games that were all the rage at the time, from companies like EA and Activision. It looked like exactly my sort of thing in terms of a dark fantasy, with cool medieval designs and monsters.Then I played it and it seemed kind of amateurish? I distinctly remember trying to get a feel for the controls and being very unimpressed by the animation and movement, and particularly the weedy little jump. It seemed more like an animation glitch than a proper move and yet its actually very important in some areas.What annoys me about this is that it hasnt really changed at all in later games. Not only these problems but the bad camera, the fiddly menu interface (which is even worse because it doesnt pause the game), and the combat which is mostly based on hitting someone once or twice, retreating and waiting to do it again and again.I thought it was just me, but I watched YouTube videos to see more skilled players and their defeat of most bosses still seemed to be based on cheesing their way past and basically breaking the game to beat them, rather than having a stand-up fight.Ive never seen any good argument for why it needs to be this difficult. Trial and error and rote learning is not you being more skilled. You dont git gud you just try and memorise everything and follow the pattern like clockwork.What really gets me though is the story, which you have literally no chance of understanding if you dont consult the wikis and YouTube documentaries.I actually had more fun watching them than playing the games, as listening to them piece together the clues was very impressive and then they admit its still mostly guesswork. Theres no real answer for who you are what youre doing in any of their games and thats just no something I can go along with.Like I said, I have tried to enjoy these games. Ive played Dark Souls 1 and 2, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring, and I cant see that theyve improved on the formula in any significant way.What also irritates me is that despite everyone trying to copy them nobody ever tries to better them. Theres no purposefully easier Dark Souls or one with really fluid combat or platforming, theres just literally clones that only try to copy and never improve anything.More TrendingI find it very frustrating and I know its going to be even worse when they announce their next game and Im tempted, and disappointed, by that as well.By reader MiniMax Bloodborne may be making a comeback (Sony Interactive Entertainment)The readers features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you wont need to send an email.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

Nature, Published online: 05 February 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00086-3When a cancer cell no longer makes a particular functioning protein, it can become dependent on another protein for survival. The identification of one such relationship has uncovered a therapeutic target.