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What time is Alien: Earth Episode 5 out?

by admin September 2, 2025

After last week’s shocking ending, Alien: Earth is returning to its roots via deep-space horror in Episode 5 – and the Xenomorph is back.

The new Alien series, developed by Noah Hawley (Legion, Fargo), opened with a brief sequence on the USS Maginot, a doomed Weyland-Yutani research vessel that crashes into Prodigy City on Earth when things go very wrong aboard the ship.

But what exactly happened on its fateful voyage home? We saw glimpses of it in the premiere’s prologue, with Bear (the show’s revered Xeno) wreaking havoc as Morrow declared the crew dead and climbed into a hideaway underneath Mother’s mainframe.

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This week, Alien: Earth Episode 5 will explore the full, horrifying nightmare that befell the Maginot’s crew – and this time, everybody will hear them scream.

Alien: Earth Episode 5 release date & time

Alien: Earth Episode 5 will air on FX and drop on Hulu and Disney Plus at 5pm PT/8pm ET on September 2.

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For UK viewers and those outside the US, that means you’ll either need to stay up late or get up early and watch it to avoid spoilers. Find out when it’ll be available to stream in other time zones below:

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9pm Brazil
1am UK
2am Central European Summer Time
3am Eastern European Summer Time
5:30am India
10am Australia
12pm New Zealand

How many episodes of Alien: Earth are there?

There are eight episodes of Alien: Earth. The first two were released August 12, and the rest will be released individually and weekly thereafter.

As for whether or not Season 2 is on the table, it looks likely. Speaking to Variety in 2024, FX chief John Landgraf teased: “We’re pretty bullish on Alien: Earth and we’ve told [Hawley] that assuming, as we hope, Alien: Earth is a returning television series, we want him to focus on at least writing two seasons of it before returning to a possible sixth season of Fargo.”

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What happened in Alien: Earth Episode 4?

FX/Hulu

Alien: Earth Episode 4 mostly took place on Prodigy Island, with Boy Kavalier wanting his team to figure out what’s going on with Wendy’s connection to the Xenomorphs, especially when she manages to vocalize their noises.

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The episode ends with Wendy communicating with a baby Xeno, even going as far as to pet it. “I mean, clearly it’s a matriarchy, clearly there’s a hive, clearly they’re drones, and clearly they can communicate on some level. Is it a pheromone? Is it telepathy? Is it a language we can hear, etc?” Hawley teased to Decider.

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Elsewhere on the base, Kirsh grows suspicious of Slightly, and it’s clear he knows that Morrow is manipulating him. How far this will go remains unclear, but with dangerous creatures ready to be freed, things could get messy.

Nibs also believes she’s pregnant… for some reason (she seems to be carrying a lot of baggage from her past life). Also, the eye midge got its tentacles into a sheep’s eye, and it was absolutely disgusting.

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Before Episode 5, find out how Alien: Earth fits into the Alien timeline, check out our breakdown of the Alien: Earth soundtrack so far, and find out how to watch Alien: Earth for free.

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September 2, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

I am a cybersecurity expert – here’s why it’s time for businesses to bolster defenses, beyond just tech

by admin September 2, 2025

The first half of 2025 has undeniably showcased the devastating power of data breaches and ransomware attacks. High-profile brands such as Marks & Spencer, Harrods, and Qantas Airlines have all been through cyber shockwaves, with countless amounts of employee and customer information lost to hackers. This has not only eroded brand trust but also raised serious questions about the solidity of overall business security infrastructure.

The breaches were primarily caused by social engineering attacks targeting IT help desks, which allowed attackers to gain access to systems and deploy ransomware. According to the latest insights, hackers impersonated employees to trick IT staff into granting access by requesting to reset passwords, ultimately leading to the compromise of sensitive data.

Andy Syrewicze

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Security Evangelist at Hornetsecurity.

All evidence shows hackers’ deep understanding of human psychology, enabling them to exploit social norms and complacency to bypass some of the most robust data security systems. Affected businesses have responded swiftly to attacks and offered timely support to those impacted; however, it’s clear all businesses need to improve their cybersecurity if they are to stay safe in this ever-evolving world of cyber threats.

Elevating password security: The human element of your first line of cyber defenses

As recent data breaches have shown, password-granted access is often the breakthrough hackers need to compromise systems. Introducing key changes to how businesses manage passwords can help in the fight against nefarious actors.

Firstly, small changes to password policies can add an extra layer of protection, making it more difficult for hackers to gain access. As you inspect your existing policies, DON’T forget the basics! For example, personal information in passwords should be avoided as it’s easy for hackers to get user logins if names, birthdays, or other personal information is directly included in passwords.

It seems simple, yes, but some of the largest organizations in the world have been breached because of the omission of basics like this. Once hackers gain access to the targeted systems, the risks of data breach is all but certain, raising the likelihood that confidential information will be exposed on malicious websites.

Businesses should therefore implement clear password policies, including setting rules for password length and complexity, and make sure you’re following NIST best practices for password generation. Take scheduled password resets, NIST no longer recommends forced password changes unless there is evidence of breach. This is due to the fact that users would make highly serialized passwords in an attempt to remember them, which ultimately lowers operational security..

The strict application of MFA

In addition to the password hygiene rules, the strict application of multi-factor authentication (MFA) across organizations, including their external partners, is necessary to maintain cybersecurity.

Here, PINcodes and biometric authentication that require verification via a physical device (like FIDO2) help prevent unauthorized users from accessing accounts, even when passwords have been stolen. Deploying MFA across business and personal accounts enhances protection against common security threats such as malware, phishing, and ransomware attacks.

Warning: while MFA helps, it isn’t a catch-all safeguard. Social engineering, or the use of reverse-proxy style toolkits, allows threat actors to account for MFA during the login process. This enables the attacker to capture the target’s authentication token regardless of MFA being enabled on the account.

Adoption of Passkeys

To counter this, technologies like Passkeys should also be adopted by businesses to create additional safeguards against cyber attacks. Operated by using public key cryptography, Passkeys generate a public/private key pair whenever a new passkey is established with an online service.

The authentication response is unique for each login, which means there are no passwords to be stolen on the service end of the login process. Passkeys are also typically URL-bound, rendering reverse-proxy phishing kits useless for threat actors.

Strict practices of password hygiene and the adaptation of evolving password technologies will strengthen businesses’ data protection and bolster cybersecurity against unverified attempts to access accounts.

While password security is important, to foster truly robust cyber resilience, more steps need to be taken across organizations in their day-to-day operations to maintain safety.

Cultivating a culture of cyber resilience: policies, training, and overlooked vulnerabilities

To embed cyber resilience into organizational culture, it is crucial to upgrade data security policies and ensure employees can implement them daily. These will foster a full-scale ecosystem of accountability and vigilance.

Businesses should implement ongoing tiered cybersecurity awareness training for their employees. Successful completion of a round of tests and simulations will automatically unlock progressively more challenging ones.

Those who don’t pass initial tests receive opportunities for further practice and re-testing at that difficulty level until they succeed. This approach fosters progressive cybersecurity training and rewards successful employees with less frequent testing.

Additionally, regular feedback loops, surveys or user-friendly polls can ensure the current security training stays up-to-date with cybersecurity trends, covering key topics such as phishing and ransomware.

A particular focus should also target the cyber vulnerabilities faced by organizations implementing remote and hybrid work. While implementing strategies for protecting devices and networks beyond the traditional office perimeter, such as applying MFA and role-based data access, businesses should make sure there are regular software updates and enhanced firewall configurations.

CISOs and IT teams should enforce a Zero Trust approach, ensuring that each user has no more than the access they need and that every connection and communication, no matter how trustworthy it may seem, is vetted for authenticity.

Building a proactive and adaptive cyber defense ecosystem

To stay safe from attacks, businesses must consistently refine and manage their cybersecurity strategy. Strengthening data security across all accounts is essential to minimizing data breaches and safeguarding sensitive information.

Additionally, businesses should prioritize other critical areas based on their specific risk profiles. This means a careful, case-by-case assessment of where vulnerabilities lie and where the greatest impact can be made. Focusing on the following key actions is vital:

– Enforce strong password hygiene across the organization, and mandate the use of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) or Passkeys to secure the first line of defense without exception

– Encourage progressive learning by implementing an ongoing, tiered cybersecurity testing program that adapts to roles, responsibilities, and knowledge

– Embrace regular feedback through employee surveys and polls to keep the current cybersecurity training relevant and effective

– Enhance remote and hybrid work settings by applying technical safeguards alongside a Zero Trust approach to limit data exposure and risk

The path forward requires a holistic view, a commitment to continuous adaptation, and the firm understanding that the strongest defense isn’t just about tech, but the informed and vigilant human element that underpins it.

We’ve listed the best business password managers.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro’s Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

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September 2, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Blizzard filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against one of World of Warcraft’s biggest private servers, but the team behind it is putting on a brave face: ‘Challenges come to us often, and each time we are prepared to face them’

by admin September 1, 2025

If you’ve played an MMO for very long, you’ve almost certainly heard the siren song of the private server. These fan-operated servers come in all varieties—some keep dead games alive, some provide a window to a past build of an aging game, and some have even gotten the green light to keep going from the game’s publisher.

Historically, Blizzard has not been so keen on this practice which, in all fairness, involves making big parts of its game playable for free. Its action against Nostalrius, a server that took World of Warcraft back to a 2006 build before that option existed officially, is one of the more notorious private server closures in history.

There’s nothing new under the sun, as Turtle WoW—a private server that launched in 2018 and has reached concurrent player peaks of over 70,000 since, according to its developers—was named in a complaint Blizzard filed Friday that claims the Turtle WoW team has “built an entire business on large scale, egregious, and ongoing infringement of Blizzard’s intellectual property.”

The Turtle WoW build is an altered version of 2006-era WoW offering new playable races, zones, instances, and so on. While it is free to play, it also has an in-game shop that allows donations to the dev team to be converted into store currency. But the more pressing issue is obviously the whole copyright infringement thing, which the lawsuit hammers home hard.

The complaint continues: “These unauthorized private servers drive away otherwise dedicated WoW players, introduce security risks to players, fragment the WoW player community, and create confusion as to what are official, supported

versions of WoW … private servers such as Turtle WoW also encourage and facilitate video game piracy by allowing players to avoid paying for the game experience that Blizzard has invested so much time and money to create.”

Turtle WoW wasn’t exactly in hiding. You may have seen its advertisements on YouTube or on X, where it regularly teases major updates and its impending move to Unreal Engine 5. The team recently launched a new realm, Ambershire, which itself hit an early peak of over 11,000 online players. These are the sort of numbers and ambitions that some officially active MMOs can’t match.

On the server’s fan Discord, team member Torta issued a statement the day after the suit was filed: “Turtle WoW is here to stay. Challenges come to us often, and each time we are prepared to face them. We remain fully committed to delivering the Turtle WoW experience that you’ve come to love over the years.”

As a lifelong fan of “vanilla” World of Warcraft who watched Turtle WoW’s development with great interest, it hurts to see so much passionate work and modding ingenuity get tangled in a legal mess. On the other hand, Blizzard has already proven itself litigious with this sort of thing, and it’s hard to say how the team will keep it going. Private servers have a way of persevering for exactly as long as they can evade the wrong attention.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance Deal – Save On Steam Keys For A Limited Time

by admin September 1, 2025

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, the first new entry in the classic Sega franchise in nearly 15 years, launched August 29 on PC and consoles. If you love 2D action games, Art of Vengeance shouldn’t be missed. PC players can still take advantage of Fanatical’s launch deal that drops the price to $26.39 (was $30). The Digital Deluxe Edition is also available for $35.19 (was $40). These are small discounts, but if you were planning on picking up Art of Vengeance after reading the rave reviews, you might as well save on your Steam key.

Art of Vengeance is officially verified for Steam Deck, and it runs and looks beautiful on Valve’s handheld.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Editions

Standard Edition — $26.39 ($30)
Digital Deluxe Edition — $35.19 ($40)
- Sega Villains Stage DLC (Coming Early 2026)
- Starter Pack: Ghost Outfit, Medic Lite Amulet, In-Game Currency
- Digital Art Book
- Digital Soundtrack

Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.

The Digital Deluxe Edition comes with a starter pack of in-game items, the official soundtrack, an art book, and the upcoming Sega Villains Stage DLC, which is expected to launch early next year.

Developed by LizardCube, one of the co-developers of Streets of Rage 4, and published by Sega, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a triumphant return for the series. Featuring bold hand-drawn graphics and taking deep inspiration from The Revenge of Shinobi and Shinobi 3, it’s a fresh blend of nostalgia and new mechanics.

The long-awaited revival earned a 9/10 in GameSpot’s Shinobi: Art of Vengeance review thanks to its superb level design, gorgeous art style, and top-notch combat system.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Review

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Fanatical also has a great deal on one of the other highly rated games that launched last week: Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Konami’s remake of the PS2 classic is 25% off at Fanatical. The standard and Digital Deluxe Editions are eligible for Fanatical’s deal. You can snag the standard edition for only $52.38 (was $70). The Digital Deluxe Edition is down to $59.87 (was $80).

If you’re looking for more PC game deals, be sure to check out all of Fanatical’s active game bundles. Steam Deck users have a few more days to grab the latest Play on the Go bundle. All of the eligible titles are verified to run on Steam Deck, and the list features heavy hitters like Fallout 4, Skyrim, and the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection.

Other notable bundles include Summer Superstars, which has an impressive collection of titles like Death Stranding: Director’s Cut and Dungeons of Hinterberg. And if you want to add to your Monster Hunter library, Fanatical’s latest Monster Hunter franchise bundle has World, Rise, and both Stories games.

Play on the Go – 2 for $15 / 3 for $21.75 / 5 for $35
Highlights: Fallout 4 GOTY, Skyrim, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, Star Wars: Bounty Hunter, Indika, The Case of the Golden Idol, The Invincible, Squirrel with a Gun, Indika, and more.

Summer Superstars – 2 for $15 / 3 for $21.45 / 5 for $33
Highlights: Death Stranding, Dungeons of Hinterberg, Cryptmaster, Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure, Meg’s Monster, Creatures of Ava, and more.

Monster Hunter – 2 for $16 / 3 for $22.95 / 5 for $35
Highlights: Monster Hunter Stories 1, Stories 2, World, Iceborne, Rise, Sunbreak

VIP Mystery Bundle – 3 for $5
All games in this mystery bundle have Very Positive or Overwhelmingly Positive Steam ratings based on over 1,000 reviews.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

Crypto Trends

Tether’s grip on stablecoins slips below 60% for first time since 2023

by admin September 1, 2025

USDT dominance is eroding as Circle and other stablecoin competitors fight for a share of the pie.

Summary

USDT dominance fell below 60% for the first time since 2023
Circle’s USDC is its primary competitor, nearing 30% dominance
The passage of the US GENIUS Act is making the market more competitive

Competition among stablecoin issuers is growing. On Friday, August 29, USDT dominance fell to 59.45%, according to data from DeFiLlama. This was the first time the key figure fell to these levels since March 2023, indicating that Tether may be losing its grip on the market.

Stablecoins by dominance since 2018 | Source: DeFiLlama

Notably, in the first half of 2024, USDT dominance hovered around 70%. At the same time, Tether’s main competitor, Circle’s USDC, controlled just 18% of the market, a figure which is now close to 30%. On the other hand, DAI’s dominance fell in that period, from around 3.5% to its current level of 1.86%.

One standout performer this year is Ethena’s USDe. Launched in December 2024, already reached 4.34% in dominance and a market cap of $12.275 billion. On the other hand, Trump World Liberty Financial’s USD1 controls 0.88% of the market.

Tether faces regulatory issues in Europe, the U.S.

Tether is not just facing increased competition. With more countries issuing stricter rules on stablecoins, its USDT is at a disadvantage. So far, Tether has declined to comply with Europe’s MiCA stablecoin framework, leading to its delisting on major exchanges.

Top stablecoins by market cap | Source: DeFiLlama

Tether may soon face the same issue in the United States, which recently passed the GENIUS Act, which requires more transparency from stablecoin issuers. Still, despite a shift in market positioning, major players, including Tether, are on the rise. Both USDT and USDC are at record levels, at $168.43 billion and $70.378 billion, respectively.

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.

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September 1, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Yen-Backed Stablecoin Can’t Come at a Better Time as BOJ Seen Raising Rates

by admin August 31, 2025

One of the biggest stories emerging from the Far East this month is the imminent launch of a blockchain-based version of the Japanese yen, one of the world’s major fiat currencies.

The timing for this development couldn’t be better, as the Bank of Japan (BOJ) is widely expected to raise interest rates soon, a move likely to increase the appeal of both the yen and yen-backed assets.

Earlier this month, CoinDesk reported that Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) is likely to approve the country’s first yen-denominated stablecoin as early as this fall. According to the report, Tokyo-based fintech firm JPYC plans to register as a money transfer business within the month and will spearhead the rollout of a JPY-pegged stablecoin, which will trade at a 1:1 ratio with the Japanese yen.

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to an external reference, such as the U.S. dollar, euro, or yen. These tokens play a crucial role by facilitating capital transfers used for trading, investing, remittances, or international payments, all while bypassing the volatility typically associated with other cryptocurrencies.

JPYC is not alone in pursuing a yen-pegged stablecoin. Last week, Tokyo-based financial services company Monex Group announced that it is considering launching its own JPY stablecoin aimed at international remittances and corporate settlements. Oki Matsumoto, Chairman of Monex Group, told local media, “Issuing stablecoins requires significant infrastructure and capital, but if we don’t handle them, we’ll be left behind.”

BOJ rate hike

Both leading bankers and traders expect the BOJ to hike rates in the coming months, while the U.S. Federal Reserve is seen doing the opposite.

Hiroshi Nakazawa, head of Hokuhoku Financial Group, one of Japan’s largest regional banks by assets, said over the weekend that the BOJ could raise interest rates in either October or December, assuming “things go smoothly.”

Shares in Hokuhoku Financial Group have been the best-performing banking stocks this year, with prices rallying 90% to top the Topix banks index, which includes 70 lenders.

Nakazawa’s outlook aligns with the broader market consensus on upcoming rate hikes. According to Bloomberg Economics, the recently released Tokyo inflation report likely reinforced the BOJ’s view that consumer price momentum remains strong, on track to reach its 2% target. The team forecasts a 25 basis point rate hike at the BOJ’s October meeting.

The anticipated rate hike could prompt investors to move funds into JPY-backed stablecoins. Recall that the 2022 Fed rate hike cycle was seen as boosting demand for USD-pegged stablecoins, although the appeal of stablecoins was later temporarily dented by the Terra crash in May 2022.

The BOJ raised rates twice in recent years, from 0.1% to 0.25% in July last year and then another 25 basis point hike in January. Since then, the central bank has kept rates steady.

Japanese yields rise, BTC/JPY drops

Yields on longer-duration Japanese government bonds (JGBs), the third largest government debt market after the U.S. and China, have climbed to multi-decade highs, reflecting fiscal concerns and the strong expectation of an imminent BOJ rate hike.

For example, the 30-year JGB yield recently surged to a record high of over 3.2%, while the 10-year yield reached 1.64%, levels not seen since 2008, according to TradingView data.

Adding to the yen’s appeal is the narrowing gap between U.S. and Japanese 10-year yields, which has tightened to 2.62%, the lowest since August 2022. Because the USD/JPY exchange rate closely tracks this yield differential, a regression analysis by MacroMicro suggests the pair should trade around 144.43, compared to Friday’s level of approximately 147.00.

In other words, the regression analysis points to appreciation in the yen.

The strengthening yen and expected rate hikes also imply downside potential for BTC/JPY. The cryptocurrency pair listed on bitFlyer has already dropped 8% this month, hitting its lowest level since July 9. This recent sell-off has triggered a classic double top bearish reversal pattern on the daily chart.

Technical analysis using the measured move method suggests the double top breakdown could lead prices to fall to about 14,922,907 JPY. This target is calculated by subtracting the height between the two peaks and the interim trough from the trough low, indicating further downside risk for bitcoin priced in yen.

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August 31, 2025 0 comments

GameFi Guides

Bitcoin Home Invasion Ringleader Gets More Prison Time for Beating Witness

by admin August 30, 2025

In brief

Remy St Felix was previously convicted of leading a home invasion crew that swiped crypto from victims.
Already serving 47 years in prison, he was sentenced to six additional years for beating a witness.
So-called wrench attacks, or physical assaults on crypto holders, have accelerated this year.

A Florida man sentenced to 47 years in prison last September for orchestrating a string of violent home invasions against crypto owners received additional punishment last week, awarded extra time for attacking a witness, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Remy St Felix, 25, was sentenced to another seven years in prison for attacking a witness who testified to his involvement in the sweeping home invasion scheme, in which some crypto owners were assaulted and bound with zip ties, authorities said in a press release.

St Felix approached the witness, who was shackled and handcuffed, in a North Carolina-based detention center, striking him in the face, head, and body in October, according to authorities. Taking place after St Felix’s conviction on nine counts—including kidnapping and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence—he called the witness a “rat,” they said.

St Felix told the witness that his 47-year prison sentence was their fault, the Department said, adding that he later “gloated” about the beating to his girlfriend and mother.

In May, St Felix pleaded guilty to one count of retaliation against a witness for testimony in a criminal trial. However, 36 months of the sentence are expected to run concurrent to his previous sentence, effectively lengthening his time total behind bars by nearly four years on paper.

St Felix’s second conviction comes amid an uptick in cases of physical violence against crypto owners. Often referred to as “wrench attacks,” these methods seek to surpass the most advanced security measures an individual could have by relying on violence and brute force.

The pattern has been especially notable in Paris, where multiple victims have had their fingers severed while in captivity. Authorities in the region have made dozens of arrests, including a 24-year-old mastermind in June. Another wrench attack in France was reported this week.

In one instance in the U.S., St Felix’s crew abducted an individual from their Florida home, then drove 120 miles away and beat them while they were held hostage. Another time, a Texas family was restrained for three hours before the group absconded with cash and luxury watches.

St Felix was charged alongside 13 co-conspirators, and in total, authorities say the group stole $3.5 million worth of cryptocurrency. St Felix was ordered to pay $524,000 in restitution, representing the value of stolen assets, alongside his initial sentencing in September.

At the time, another co-conspirator, Jarod Gabriel Seemungal, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was ordered to pay $4 million in restitution for providing members of the home invasion team with rental cars, hotel rooms, and firearms.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Mortal Kombat 2 No Longer Coming Out In Time For Easy Halloween Costumes

by admin August 30, 2025

Mortal Kombat 2 was set to hit theaters on October 24, just a week before Halloween. It seemed like good timing for a hyper-violent video game classic about warriors fighting horrors from other dimensions. Apparently Warner Bros. disagreed. The studio has now delayed the sequel by nearly seven months because it thinks the corny fist-fest can make more money in the spring.

That’s according to Deadline, which reported the news late on Friday before the Labor Day holiday weekend. It claims “research screenings have been strong” and that Warner Bros. didn’t want to bury its latest video game adaptation in a “crowded late October frame” between Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere and Regretting You.

So instead, Mortal Kombat 2 will now come out on May 15, 2026. Avengers: Doomsday was originally set to open that month but was pushed back to December of next year. The only real competition will be The Mandalorian and Grogu which arrives at the end of next May. So even if Mortal Kombat 2 ends up having a surprisingly long tail, it’ll probably get kicked out of most theaters by Star Wars.

The sequel brings in The Boys‘ Karl Urban as the shade-wearing, split-kicking Johnny Cage and its July trailer looked decent. If it has the budget to double-down on some of the big spectacle fight sequences the 2021 reboot was missing it could be fun. Though I still think its cheesy gore-fest sensibility was a great fit for Halloween. I don’t usually like slasher movies but I’ll make an exception if Scorpion’s the one doing the impaling.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Time to Save Up: iPhone 17 Pro Price Hike Appears Imminent, Says New Report

by admin August 30, 2025

The iPhone 16 series dropped last year with the same US prices as the iPhone 15 series. But the iPhone 17 might come with the first price increase in years.

James Martin/CNET

Apple will announce new iPhone 17 phones at its annual fall event on Sept. 9, showing off new features of iOS 26, possible camera updates and new case designs, all leading up to a dramatic price reveal. This year, that figure could be $50 higher for the iPhone 17 Pro models, based on a rumor that surfaced on the Chinese social media site Weibo, from a user named Instant Digital (Setsuna Digital).

The rumored price jump corroborates an earlier prediction from Jefferies analyst Edison Lee, who says that the iPhone 17 Air (17 Slim), 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max will get a $50 price increase to offset the higher costs of components and tariffs, as reported by Business Insider. He didn’t mention the regular iPhone 17 getting a price increase. If true, that would mean that the starting prices for the iPhone 17 series will be:

iPhone 17: $829
iPhone 17 Air: $979
iPhone 17 Pro: $1,049
iPhone 17 Pro Max: $1,249

Instant Digital also thinks that the baseline iPhone 17 Pro will come with 256GB of storage instead of 128GB like the iPhone 16 Pro.

Since what President Donald Trump touted as “Liberation Day,” the possible effect of tariffs on the iPhone’s price has been widely discussed. And yet iPhone prices have remained the same so far this year.

This news follows a May report by The Wall Street Journal that Apple is considering a price spike and could attribute it to new and updated features instead of tariffs. In any case, the launch of the rumored iPhone 17 will likely come with a higher price, no matter what Trump says or does.

Apple is the third-largest company in the US, and most of its products are manufactured in China. The iPhone’s ubiquity has made it a symbol for the ongoing uncertainty of the US economy and politics. But even without higher component costs or tariffs, the iPhone has been overdue for a price increase. The last one was five years ago.

From left: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. Regardless of everything that’s occurred in 2025, the price of the phones has remained the same.

James Martin/CNET

Historically, that makes it the longest stretch of time Apple has gone without a price increase since the five-year period between the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 7, which ended with a costlier iPhone 8. We can learn a lot by looking at how Apple has handled earlier price hikes (and a one-time drop) and what that means for the iPhone 17.

To figure out the likelihood of a price increase, I grouped iPhone models into a few categories: the standard, the flagships and the behemoths. The standard includes models like the original iPhone, the iPhone 8, the iPhone XR and the iPhone 16. The flagships include variants like the iPhone X, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro. The behemoth’s designation is for phones like the iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone XS Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max. (Other versions that Apple sold, like the iPhone 5C, the SE series, the iPhone Mini line and the current iPhone Plus line, don’t factor into this analysis.) Also, I use the US starting price for each iPhone before any carrier discounts are applied.

Let’s dive in.

Standard iPhone prices

The iPhone 16 launched in 2025 with a starting price of $829, the same as the iPhone 12 did in 2020.

James Martin/CNET

Since its debut in 2007, the standard iPhone has had four price increases and one correction. Many folks might remember paying $199 for the original iPhone, but in reality, the phone cost $499 off-contract. In 2008, Apple raised the price $100 with the launch of the iPhone 3G to $599, where it would stay for four years. Then, in 2012, the iPhone 5 was introduced with a taller, 4-inch screen and a higher $649 price tag.

Fast-forward to 2017, the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, and the iPhone 8 debuted at a cost of $699, a $50 increase. Every year between 2017 and 2019, the price for the standard iPhone changed. In 2018, the iPhone XR launched at $749. The following year, the iPhone 11 came out, and the price dropped back to $699. And what makes that drop interesting is that the iPhone 11 was the first standard Apple phone with two rear cameras: a wide-angle and ultrawide. Up till then, all other standard iPhone models had only a single rear camera. From 2007 to 2019, when Apple increased prices, it was in $50 increments, except between the first and second iPhone models.

Then 2020 happened. It was a wild year for the iPhone and everyone because of the pandemic. But Apple managed to launch the iPhone 12, which cost $829, marking the largest increase for the standard iPhone: $130. Subsequent models all had the same price: The iPhone 13, 14, 15 and 16 all cost $829.

If Apple follows its previous pattern, then the standard iPhone is due for a price increase. The last increase was in 2020, five years ago, and Apple has never gone six years without a price hike on the standard model. But will the company slowly increase the price over a few years, like it did between the iPhone 7, 8 and XR? Or will it go all in like it did with the iPhone 12?

Apple’s most popular product is the standard iPhone, and it’s safe to expect that the iPhone 17 will cost more (and would have even if Trump hadn’t been elected). Now, we just need to wonder how much tariffs and politics might drive the price up even more.

The flagship: iPhone Pro model prices

The iPhone 16 Pro came out in 2024 with a starting price of $999, the same as the 2017 iPhone X.

James Martin/CNET

Apple hasn’t always had an iPhone Pro variant, but it did starting in 2017 with the launch of the iPhone X, which had a starting price of $999. The phone debuted next to the $699 iPhone 8, making the 8’s $50 increase seem like nothing.

But here’s where things get interesting. Apple has never raised the price on the iPhone Pro model. The iPhone X, XS, 11 Pro, 12 Pro, 13 Pro, 14 Pro, 15 Pro and 16 Pro all cost $999. That’s eight years without a price increase!

What’s even more shocking is when you correct for inflation: the 2017 iPhone X’s $999 price would be $1,298 in 2025, according to the Consumer Price Index Inflation calculator. The iPhone Pro is overdue for a price hike, and I expect the iPhone 17 Pro to cost more.

The behemoths: iPhone Plus, Max and Pro Max prices

The iPhone 16 Pro (left) and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

James Martin/CNET

Since 2014, Apple has sold a big version of the iPhone. Some of these were nothing more than a larger version of the standard iPhone with a bigger screen and battery, as well as some minor differences, like the iPhone 6 Plus having optical image stabilization on its camera while the iPhone 6 didn’t. But beginning with the iPhone 7 Plus, the larger version started having “pro” features, like a second rear camera and portrait mode.

In terms of pricing, the iPhone 6 Plus debuted at $749, which was $100 more than the iPhone 6. And that $749 price stuck around for the iPhone 6S Plus and 7 Plus. In 2017, Apple had three iPhone models: the $699 iPhone 8, the $749 iPhone 8 Plus (a $50 increase from the 7 Plus) and the $999 iPhone X.

In 2018, Apple launched the $1,099 iPhone XS Max, which I consider the true successor to the initial iPhone Plus line. That means the big iPhone got a $350 increase in a single year, the largest Apple has ever made. I admit some people might not think the XS Max is a follow-up to the Plus and would deem it an entirely new iPhone variant. But this is my commentary.

Like the iPhone Pro, the Max and Pro Max would have the same price for years. In 2023, Apple raised the barrier of entry for the Pro Max model and didn’t offer a $1,099 version of the iPhone 15 Pro Max with 128GB of storage. Instead, you had to pay $1,199 for the 256GB variant, which technically cost the same as the iPhone 14 Pro Max with 256GB of storage.

The iPhone 17 and 17 Pro’s prices

No one knows how much the rumored iPhone 17 will cost, except Apple.

Apple/Viva Tung/CNET

Even without tariffs, it’s safe to assume that the iPhone 17 lineup’s prices will be higher for some models. But when you factor in everything that’s happened this year, it’s hard to gauge just how much the price will go up and whether that’ll affect just one or two models, or apply across the entire iPhone 17 line.

This year, Apple raised the price on its most affordable model. Although it lacks the SE branding of the previous low-cost iPhone, the iPhone 16E came with a $599 price tag, $170 more than the $429 iPhone SE (2022).

Apple doesn’t talk about unreleased products or their prices. But we do have an unusual-for-Apple clue as to how these tariffs could affect the company.

“Assuming the current global tariff rates, policies and applications do not change for the balance of the quarter and no new tariffs are added, we estimate the impact to add $900 million to our costs,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said during a quarterly earnings call on May 1.

Obviously, that $900 million number wasn’t just for the iPhone but for all Apple products. And that was three weeks before Trump threatened another tariff aimed purely at the iPhone. But $900 million is a lot for any company to swallow, and eventually, that added cost will need to be recouped. That usually means higher prices, even if Trump pressures Apple to attribute the increase to “new designs and features.”

If there’s one thing for certain, we’ll know exactly what those prices will be when Apple launches the next generation of iPhone models at its September event.

Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments

Esports

It’s time for Year 2 of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

by admin August 30, 2025

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is underrated, and that’s even with us praising it effusively in our review. It’s always good to see a great game supported after the fact, and Saber Interactive has detailed their roadmap for the future. Year 2 brings a lot with it, and you can read all about it below.

Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive are excited to reveal their Year 2 plans for their multi-million seller Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, starting with the release of the game’s Anniversary Update on September 4. Available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC, Space Marine 2 promises another year of free gameplay content, in addition to a new Season Pass bursting with new cosmetics.New game modes, Operations, PvP arenas and much, much more

Space Marine 2

’s Year 2 content follows in the footsteps of Year 1 with 6 new planned patches packed with free gameplay additions available to all players throughout 2025 and 2026. From new PvE and PvP game modes to new enemies and a new playable class, defenders of Humanity are in for a treat:

4 new Operations & a new Siege map
2 new Eternal War arenas
New Stratagems (PvE) and Helbrute Onslaught (PvP) game modes
New playable class: The Techmarine
New weapons and free unlockable weapon variants for existing weapons
New enemies and bosses
New Progression mechanics

This second year of content kicks off on September 4 with the release of Space Marine 2’s Anniversary Update, its biggest patch to date. Find out more with our Year 2 Roadmap below.More Space Marine Chapter cosmetics with the Season Pass II

September 4’s Anniversary Update also comes with the release of Space Marine 2’s second Season Pass and its first two DLCs: the Black Templars Champion Pack and Imperial Fists Cosmetic Pack, including a new Champion skin for the Bulwark class and Power Sword skin for the former, and over 40 new cosmetics celebrating 7 of the Imperial Fists’ Successor Chapters for the latter.

Throughout the year, the Season Pass II will grant players 9 new DLCs celebrating the galaxy-spanning variety of Space Marine Chapters with new Champion skins, armour pieces and heraldry markings. While existing Chapters like the Blood Angels and Salamanders are to receive new cosmetics, fan-favorite Chapters like the Raptors, Iron Hands and Carcharodons will get their due time in the spotlight.

Heed the call of battle once again on September 4th with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s “Anniversary” update, available for free on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and receive a ton of new customisation options with the Season Pass II. Join the Space Marine 2 community, share feedback, and get exclusive rewards on our new Focus Together platform.

Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 news and info!