In case you’ve missed it, we’re here with our catch-up of the week’s biggest tech news so you can get up to speed in a flash.
This week we saw a major PlayStation Network (PSN) outage, tried the world’s thinnest foldable, and were treated to a new Apple product teaser – with the launch set for Wednesday next week. All that and more are explained below.
Once you’ve caught up on the news of the week check out our picks for the 7 new movies and TV shows to stream and more this weekend (February 14) – and the latest episode of the TechRadar podcast which is all about gaming.
1. We got ready to meet the newest member of the Apple family
Tim Cook has teased a brand new Apple device with a post telling us to “Get ready to meet the newest member of the family” on February 19.
There’s no indication what this new device will be – our best bet is it’s the much-rumored iPhone SE fourth-generation, but it could also be a new Mac, a second-generation AirTag, a new iPad or something entirely different.
The only other clue is the image we shared above, which shows the Apple logo in front of some kind of circle – though it’s not given us much help in terms of guessing what’s being launched, so we’ll just have to tune in on Wednesday to see what Apple showcases.
2. PlayStation Network crashed
If you tried to access PSN last weekend then you likely had some trouble, as from around 6pm ET on Friday (February 7) until 6:58pm ET on Saturday (February 8) the service was completely down.
Gamers were locked out from accessing online features for their games – including many Monster Hunter Wilds beta players who were unable to even download the client if they hadn’t installed it already. If your game of choice was an online-only title it was completely inaccessible.
By way of an apology, Sony has said all PlayStation Plus members will automatically receive an additional 5 days of service and blamed the outage on “an operational issue.” Regardless, many PS5 gamers are still disappointed. For more detail here’s our full report on the 5-day PS Plus extension and the reaction to it.
3. State of Play gave us a reason to love PlayStation again
The latest State of Play was broadcast on February 12, blasting us with a veritable barrage of upcoming PlayStation 5 releases. One of the biggest highlights was the reveal of Tides of Annihilation, a frantic hack and slash game set in a beautiful post-apocalyptic London ravaged by fantasy creatures inspired by Arthurian legend. We also finally got release dates for the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Borderlands 4, which are arriving on August 28 and September 23 respectively.
On top of this we got confirmation of a new Stellar Blade DLC, which will add a selection of rather skimpy outfits for protagonist Eve inspired by the Goddess of Victory: Nikke mobile game. This was on top of loads of cool looking smaller titles, like the frantic shooter Metal Eden – which we had the chance to try ahead of the stream.
Easily the most controversial news, however, was the announcement of Days Gone Remastered. This PS5 port of the 2019 PS4 zombie game, which is already fully playable on Sony’s latest console thanks to backwards compatibility, upgrades its visuals and adds some new modes. Fans are divided on whether it is worthwhile, with some wishing that the resources of developer Bend Studio were directed towards new titles, rather than upgraded versions of things that we’ve already played.
4. The Powerbeats Pro 2 landed, and they’re great
This week Apple finally unveiled the new hotly-anticipated Powerbeats Pro 2 headphones from Beats, and we’ve been hands-on in the gym to find out how they stack up as workout headphones.
The new model brings an excellent new design that’s more secure and comfortable than ever before. The audio is solid, as is the noise-cancelling, and the battery life is better than ever with up to 10 hours of playtime.
In our hands-on, we really enjoyed using them for working out, but can’t quite wrap our heads around the new heart rate monitoring feature. It’s very cool and impressive technology, but Apple has confirmed to us that for both iPhone and Android users, a smartwatch with heart rate data will take priority. As such, there’s not really any appeal here for people who already own a smartwatch.
They’re still excellent workout headphones, and we’re excited to see the HRM feature on AirPods later this year, but the way the feature works right now is a bit of a head-scratcher.
5. We tried the world’s thinnest foldable
Oppo has officially revealed the Find N5, the world’s new thinnest book-style folding phone. Though most details are still under wraps, Oppo has shared that the phone is just 8.93mm when folded – barely thicker than an iPhone 16 Pro Max – and weighs in at 229g, which is actually five grams lighter than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. We’re expecting further details of this futuristic foldable when it launches in global markets on February 20.
At a recent hands-on event, TechRadar’s Mobile Computing Staff Writer Jamie Richards got to grips with the Oppo Find N5, finding it to be a clear winner over the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 in terms of ergonomics. The latest rumors point to a folded thickness of 4.2mm, which would make the phone slimmer than any folding device bar the tri-fold Huawei Mate XT. We’ll have the latest details as they arrive, so be sure to keep up with our phones coverage.
6. Garmin Tactix 8 just launched
We’ve been treated to a few new Garmins in recent weeks but none is more eye-catching than the all-new Garmin tactix 8.
Designed with military application in mind, the tactix 8 is a formidable, rugged watch with a 47mm or 51mm AMOLED display. There are also solar options, and onboard you get an Applied Ballistics solver to help you with long-range rifle shooting. Its essentially a golf watch for gun users.
You also get Garmin’s usual suite of industry-leading health tracking features, including support for rucking, a trendy new fitness craze that involves walking around with a weighted backpack on.
Prices start at $1,299/£1,189/AU$$2,299. With military-grade durability, advanced GPS, a kill switch, and night vision compatibility, this is not a Garmin to help you tackle your next Park Run.
7. Captain America 4 was too afraid to take off
The first Marvel movie of 2025 is here – but, truth be told, it’s not very good. Captain America: Brave New World has spread its wings and flown into theaters, but Sam Wilson’s first big-screen outing as the titular hero isn’t as great as we’d hoped. You can learn more about why that’s the case in senior entertainment reporter Tom Power’s Captain America: Brave New World review. Rather than spend your money on a ticket to see it at your local theater, then, you might want to wait for Captain America 4 to make its yet-to-be-announced streaming debut on Disney Plus instead.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eST8wdVDNB6uyLXPFjytrX-1200-80.png
Source link
hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
