Latest Tech News

Oppo has announced the Find X7 Ultra, a new flagship phone that sports two periscope cameras; that's a world first. 

While periscope cameras are now fairly common in some of the best phones, having a pair of them in a single rear-camera array is new, due to the components and lens stacking needed to get them to work while keeping telephoto camera modules from protruding too far out of a phone's rear. 

Oppo's HyperTone Camera System (more on that in a moment) promises fast shooting, flexible optical zooming, AI enhancements and "pro-grade" Master Mode option as part of the brand's partnership with camera specialists Hasselblad. 

Add a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3  and a 5,000mAh battery with support for Oppo's SuperVOOC fast charging, and the Oppo Find X7 Ultra is shaping up to be a phone to challenge the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max .

HyperTone Camera System

With 50-megapixel sensors across all four cameras, Oppo’s HyperTone Camera System has specs that promise sharp and details photos from all manner of shots.

The primary camera is a large, 1-inch type Sony LYT-900 sensor that offers a 23mm focal length, f/1.8 aperture, with optical image stabilization. The Find X7 Ultra is the first phone of 2024 to use this sensor, and promises to cut light reflection by 50% while still capturing a detailed shots. 

A untal-wide-angle camera using a LYT-600 sensor that provides a 14mm equivalent focal length and f/2.0 aperture, is touted to offer dynamic macro photography at 4cm and shots of expansive scenery at a 14mm equivalent focal length.  

Next is a Sony IMX980 sensor which provides 3x zoom on the first periscope telephoto camera, and is the same camera found in the previous Oppo Find X6 Pro that impressed up. And a Sony IMX858 sensor offering 6x zoom and equivalent to 135mm, is the second periscope camera, and should be good at capturing long-range shots without losing too much in the way of clarity and sharpness. 

These larger-than-standard sensors used in the camera system should also allow for overall improved low-light performance and image quality over previous Oppo Find flagships.

Ideally, this setup would create a smooth and seamless zoom photography that would remain consistent throughout the camera array's entire focal range.

The front of the camera uses a 32-megapixel f/2.4 camera for self-portraits and video calls.

Of course, camera specs and hardware are one thing in smartphones, the second part of the mix is in on the software side. Here Oppo touts is HyperTone Image Engine aimed at preventing HDR photography from over-processing images and overexposing mid-tones and over-sharpening details leading to an unnatural photos. In the past, we've found Oppo has been rather good at this, if not quite class-leading. So hopefully, Oppo can deliver some impressive results with the Find X7 Ultra. 

There are also two Hasselblad modes. The Hasselblad Portrait Mode aims to bring a portrait shot style that echoes those of classic Hasselblad cameras by capturing shots at four focal lengths to produce cinematic bokeh with foreground and background depth. 

The Hasselblad Master Mode offers a shooting mode designed to match the characteristics of the Hasselblad X2D 100C camera, with a host of manual controls. This mode enables RAW MAX, which not only captures full 50MP images but will also benefit from the computational photography chops of the Find X7 Ultra, with photo that have a 16-bit color depth and 13 stops of dynamic range. This feature sounds a lot like Apple's ProRAW mode on its recent iPhones, where RAW photos have some smart processing applied to then let people edit them further, rather than just start with a pure RAW image to manipulate. 

Oppo Find X7 Ultra specs

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: Oppo)

Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: Oppo)

While the camera appears to be a point focus for the Oppo Find X7 Ultra, the rest of its specifications aren’t lacking either. It will be powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, supported by LPDDR5X RAM in either 12GB or 16GB configurations.

There are three configurations of the Oppo’s Find X7 Ultra, a 12GB RAM model paired with 256GB internal memory, a 16GB option with 256GB storage, and lastly, a 16GB paired with 512GB storage. Onboard storage uses the latest UFS 4.0 standard; there's no option for microSD expansion.

Oppo Find X7 Ultra's battery comes in at 5000mAh cell with support for the company's SuperVOOC 100W fast charging and 50W wireless charging. 

The Oppo’s Find X7 Ultra has a 6.82-inch display with a 3,168 x 1,440 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate with up to 4,500 nits brightness that should make it sharp and bright for watching films, gaming, and viewing your best photos.

There are three color options for the Oppo Find X7 Ultra: Ocean Blue, Tailored Black, and Sepia Brown.

Not available outside of China

Sadly, just like its predecessor, the Oppo Find X7 Ultra is only available in mainland China at the moment with no plans for a global release on the cards.

Pricing for the Oppo Find X7 Ultra also reflects its flagship status starting at ¥5,999 in China or around $845 / £663 / AU$1,281 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version and ¥6,999 (around $986 / £773 / AU$1,495) for the 16GB RAM paired with 512Gb storage.  

But for smartphones you can buy right now, check out our round up of the best Android phones. 

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Latest Tech News

We know for certain that a new Samsung XR/VR headset is in the works, with the device being made in partnership with Google. But much of the XR product’s details (XR, or extended reality, is a catchall for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality) are still shrouded in mystery. 

This so-called Apple Vision Pro rival (an XR headset from Apple) will likely have impressive specs – Qualcomm has confirmed its new Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chip will be in the headset, and Samsung Display-made screens will probably be featured. It'll also likely have an equally premium price tag. Unfortunately, until Samsung says anything officially, we won’t know exactly how much it will cost, or when it will be released.

But using the few tidbits of official info, as well as our industry knowledge and the rumors out there, we can make some educated guesses that can clue you into the Samsung XR/VR headset’s potential price, release date, and specs – and we’ve got them down below. We’ve also highlighted a few of the features we’d like to see when it’s eventually unveiled to the public.

Samsung XR/VR headset: Price

The Samsung Gear VR, you needed a phone to operate it (Image credit: samsung)

We won’t know how much Samsung and Google’s new VR headset will cost until the device is officially announced, but most rumors point to it boasting premium specs – so expect a premium price.

Some early reports suggested Samsung was looking at something in the $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500 range (just like the Meta Quest Pro) though it may have changed its plans. After the Apple Vision Pro reveal, it’s believed Samsung delayed the device most likely to make it a better Vision Pro rival in Samsung’s eyes – the Vision Pro is impressive, as you can find out from our hands-on Apple Vision Pro review.

If that’s the case, the VR gadget might not only more closely match the Vision Pro’s specs it might adopt the Vision Pro’s $3,499 (about £2,725 / AUS$5,230) starting price too, or something close to it.

Samsung XR/VR headset: Release date

Much like its price, we don’t know anything concrete about the incoming Samsung VR headset's release date yet. But a few signs point to a 2024 announcement – if not a 2024 release.

Firstly, there was the teaser Samsung revealed in February 2023 when it said it was partnering with Google to develop an XR headset. It didn’t set a date for when we’d hear more, but Samsung likely wouldn’t make this teasing announcement if the project was still a long way from finishing. Usually, a more full reveal happens a year or so from the teaser – so around February 2024.

There was a rumor that Samsung’s VR headset project was delayed after the Vision Pro announcement, though the source maintained that the headset would still arrive in 2024 – just mid-to-late 2024, rather than February.

The Samsung Unpacked 2023 XR headset teaser (Image credit: Samsung)

Then there’s the Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chipset announcement. Qualcomm was keen to highlight Samsung and Google as partners that would be putting the chipset to use. 

It would be odd to highlight these partners if its headset was still a year or so from launching. Those partners may have preferred to work with a later next-gen chip, if the XR/VR headset was due in 2025 or later. So this would again point to a 2024 reveal, if not a precise date this year.

Lastly, there have also been suggestions that the Samsung VR headset might arrive alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 6 – Samsung's folding phone that's also due to arrive in 2024.

Samsung XR/VR headset: Specs

A lot of the new Samsung VR headset’s specs are still a mystery. We can assume it’ll use Samsung-made displays (it would be wild if Samsung used screens from one of its competitors) but the type of display tech (for example, QLED, OLED or LCD), resolution, and size are still unknown.

We also don’t know what size battery it’ll have, or its storage space, or its RAM. Nor what design it will adopt – will it look like the Vision Pro with an external display, like the Meta Quest 3 or Quest Pro, or something all-new?

(Image credit: Qualcomm)

But we do know one thing. It’ll run (as we predicted) on a brand-new Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chip from Qualcomm – an updated version of the chipset used by the Meta Quest Pro, and slightly more powerful than the XR2 Gen 2 found in the Meta Quest 3.

The upshot is that this platform can now support two displays at 4.3K resolution running at up to 90fps. It can also manage over 12 separate camera inputs that VR headsets will rely on for tracking – including controllers, objects in the space, and face movements – and it has more advanced AI capabilities, 2.5x better GPU performance, and Wi-Fi 7 (as well as 6 and 6E).

What we want to see from the new Samsung XR/VR headset

1. Samsung’s XR/VR headset to run on the Quest OS 

We'd love to see the best Quest apps on Samsung's VR headset (Image credit: Meta)

This is very much a pipe dream. With Google and Samsung already collaborating on the project it’s unlikely they’d want to bring in a third party – especially if this headset is intended to compete with Apple and Meta hardware.

But the Quest platform is just so good; by far the best we’ve seen on standalone VR headsets. It’s clean, feature-packed, and home to the best library of VR games and apps out there. The only platform that maybe beats it is Steam, but that’s only for people who want to be tethered to a PC rig.

By partnering with Meta, Samsung’s headset would get all of these benefits, and Meta would have the opportunity to establish its OS as the Windows or Android of the spatial computing space – which might help its Reality Labs division to generate some much-needed revenue by licensing the platform to other headset manufacturers.

2. A (relatively) affordable price tag

The Quest 2 is the king of VR headsets, because it's affordable  (Image credit: Shutterstock / Boumen Japet)

There’s only been one successful mainstream VR headset so far: the Oculus Quest 2. The Meta-made device has accounted for the vast, vast majority of VR headset sales over the past few years (eclipsing the total lifetime sales of all previous Oculus VR headsets combined in just five months) and that’s down to one thing; it’s so darn cheap.

Other factors (like a pandemic that forced everyone inside) probably helped a bit. But fundamentally, getting a solid VR headset for $299 / £299 / AU$479 is a very attractive offer. It could be better specs-wise but it’s more than good enough and offers significantly more bang for your buck than the PC-VR rigs and alternative standalone headsets that set you back over $1,000 when you factor in everything you need.

Meta’s Quest Pro, the first headset it launched after the Quest 2 that has a much more premium $999 / £999 / AU$1,729 price (it launched at $1,500 / £1,500 / AU$2,450) has seemingly sold significantly worse. We don’t have exact figures but using the Steam Hardware Survey figures for December 2023 we can see that while 37.87% of Steam VR players use a Quest 2 (making it the most popular option, and more than double the next headset) only 0.44% use a Quest Pro – that’s about 86 times less.

The Apple Vision Pro is too pricey (Image credit: Apple)

So by making its headset affordable, Samsung would likely be in a win-win situation. We win because its headset isn’t ridiculously pricey like the $3,499 (around £2,800 / AU$5,300) Apple Vision Pro. Samsung wins because its headset has the best chance of selling super well.

We’ll have to wait and see what’s announced by Samsung, but we suspect we’ll be disappointed on the price front. A factor that could keep this device from becoming one of the best VR headsets out there.

3. Controllers and space for glasses 

We’ve combined two smaller points into one for this last ‘what we want to see’.

Hand tracking is neat, but ideally it’ll just be an optional feature on the upcoming Samsung VR headset rather than the only way to operate it – which is the case with the Vision Pro. 

Most VR apps are designed with controllers in mind, and because most headsets now come with handsets that have similar button layouts it’s a lot easier to port software to different systems. 

The Meta Quest 3's controllers are excellent, copy these Samsung (Image credit: Meta )

There are still challenges, but if your control scheme doesn’t need to be reinvented, developers have told us that’s a massive time-saver. So having controllers with this standard layout could help Samsung get a solid library of games and apps on its system by making it easier for developers to bring their software to it.

We’d also like it to be easy for glasses wearers to use the new Samsung VR headset. The Vision Pro’s prescription lenses solution is needlessly pricey when headsets like the Quest 2 and Quest 3 have a free in-built solution for the problem – an optional spacer or way to slightly extend the headset so it’s further from your face leaving room for specs.

Ideally, Samsung’s VR headset would also have a free and easy solution for glasses wearers, too.

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Soon You Can Give Your iPhone a Physical Keyboard With Real Buttons - CNET

A new Clicks case with a hardware keyboard for recent iPhone Pro models is launching at CES 2024.

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Latest Tech News

The Super Bowl LVIII is nearly a month away, and if you're looking to upgrade your home cinema setup with a new TV, I've found a deal for you. Best Buy just launched a 3-day sale, and the retailer has our best-rated TV, Samsung's 65-inch S90C OLED, for $1,599.99 (was $2,599.99). That's a massive $1,000 discount and the lowest price you'll find for the stunning display.

• Shop Best Buy's full 3-day sale

In our Samsung S90C review, we awarded this TV five stars, praising its gorgeous picture, excellent gaming features, and fantastic value. While it's not as bright as the flagship S95C, the OLED display still delivers an exceptional picture with vibrant colors and spectacular contrast. You also get an impressive sound system, Samsung's Tizen operating system, and a paper-thin design.

Today's deal is not only a record-low for the Samsung S90C but also an incredible price for a high-end OLED TV. If you want to watch the Super Bowl on a gorgeous new display, I highly recommend the S90C OLED at Best Buy.

Super Bowl TV deal - Samsung's S90C OLED

Samsung 65-inch S90C OLED TV: was $2,599.99 now $1,599.99 at Best Buy
The Samsung S90C OLED is TechRadar's best TV of the year, and Best Buy has the 65-inch model on sale for $1,599.99. That's a whopping $1,000 discount and a record-low price. Our Samsung S90C review awarded this one five stars, praising its gorgeous picture, extensive gaming features, and super slim design, making it an excellent display to watch the big game.View Deal

More of the best TV deals ahead of the Super bowl

LG C3 65-inch OLED TV (2023): was $2,499.99 now $1,596.99 at Amazon
You can get the top-rated 65-inch LG C3 OLED TV on sale for $1,596.99 at Amazon. The stunning OLED TV features a brilliant picture with bright colors and powerful contrast, thanks to LG's latest Alpha9 Gen6 chip. Plus, you're getting four HDMI 2.1 ports for the best gaming experience on next-gen consoles, a sleek, thin design, and an updated webOS experience - all for under $2,000, which is fantastic value for a 2023 OLED display.View Deal

Samsung 75-inch The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV (2022): was $2,999 now $1,949 at Walmart
Impress everyone at your Super Bowl party with Samsung's stunning The Frame TV, which is on sale for a record-low price of $1,949 for the 75-inch model. The best-selling Samsung The Frame TV transforms into a beautiful piece of art to seamlessly blend into your home's decor and includes customizable bezels, a QLED screen, and smart capabilities.View Deal

Samsung 75-inch Q80C Smart UHD 4K QLED TV: was $1,899.99 now $1,699.99 at Best Buy
If you're wanting a QLED display, the Samsung Q80C is a great option, and this massive 75-inch model is on sale for $1,699.99. You're getting a Quantum Processor with 4K upscaling, Object Tracking Sound Lite, and Quantum Dot technology - all for under $2,000, which is a fantastic value for a QLED display of this size.View Deal

LG C2 65-Inch 4K Smart TV (2022): was $1,899.99 now $1,449 at Amazon
The LG C2 OLED was rated as last year's best TV, and Amazon has the 65-inch model on sale for $1,449 - the best deal you can find right now. The gorgeous display is praised for its intense brightness and vivid colors in our LG C2 OLED review. The 65-inch TV also packs an a9 Gen5 AI Processor, Dolby Atmos, and voice control - all for under $1,500, which is incredible value for this highly-rated OLED TV.

Price check: Walmart: $1,697View Deal

LG A2 48-inch OLED TV: was $1,299.99 now $549.99 at Best Buy
If you're working with a smaller space but still want a premium display to watch the big game, Best Buy has the 48-inch LG A2 OLED TV on sale for a fantastic price of $549.99. Named as one of our best OLED TVs and rated four out of five stars in our LG A2 review, it packs an Alpha α7 Gen5 processor that delivers sharp images and great upscaling from HDR, and Dolby Vision HDR support makes the most of movies and TV. LG's smart software is also excellent, and the included Magic remote allows you to navigate your TV seamlessly.View Deal

You can see more of the best cheap TV deals and OLED TV deals happening right now.

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Steelers vs. Ravens Livestream: How to Watch NFL Week 18 Online Today - CNET

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Baldur’s Gate 3’s hardest difficulty, Honor Mode, is incredibly challenging, with harder bosses, a limit of one save file, and the rule that players have to start all over again if their full party is wiped. However, players have recently found that there’s another way to get stuck in a run right near the final hurdle.

Given that players have been encountering this issue in Baldur’s Gate 3’s third act, it’s impossible to explain without touching on some spoilers. With that in mind, if you’re yet to dive into Act 3 and want to remain completely unspoiled, consider this your final spoiler warning. 

---

Over on Reddit this week, two separate posts have been picking up traction from players who have softlocked themselves after trying to save Orpheus, but forgetting to bring the Orphic Hammer that’s required to do so. With no way to leave the area, and no backup saves to load, people have been finding themselves stuck. 

User JohnFrum explained that they’d accidentally left the hammer with Karlach, who they swapped out of their party in favor of Lae’zel before heading out. “We're in a red zone, can't camp and The Emperor closed the gate when he left,” they wrote. “So now we're all just stuck in here with only [our] farts for company for the rest of time, I guess.”

Earlier this week, another user had a similar experience after they gave the hammer to Shadowheart, who they left behind in camp. “The scene with Raphael when you 'misplace' the Orphic Hammer didn't trigger, and if I approach Orpheus there is only one dialogue option: 1. (end). So now all that's left to do is to pray that Larian somehow fixes this interaction,” -YeetDabMaster69- said. 

The “scene with Raphael” they’re referring to is the usual failsafe that’s supposed to kick in if you accept his deal to be given the hammer in the first place, and then proceed to forget it. He mocks the player’s “feeble-minded negligence” which “almost doomed the world in the last moment,” and at that point, he’s meant to give the hammer directly back to you, making it impossible to leave behind. It’s not clear why the scene didn’t trigger for these two players. 

Helpful users have also pointed out that if you’re playing the PC version of Baldur’s Gate 3 and don’t mind using mods, there is thankfully a way to put the Orphic Hammer back into your inventory if you forget it, which should resolve the situation. As with any unofficial mod, however, be cautious before installing anything. 

For more games like Baldur’s Gate 3, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best RPGs, as well as the best story games. 

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Do you miss BlackBerry phones? Do you wish your iPhone 15 had a real keyboard, with actual buttons you can press with your thumbs? Nobody misses having a phone keyboard like old (very old) school BlackBerry fans, and one of the biggest BlackBerry fans of all has started an iPhone accessory company to pass the torch of the phone keyboard to a new generation of fans. 

In a bold move, two tech journalists, Kevin Michaluk of Crackberry.com and Michael Fisher of Mr. Mobile YouTube fame, have partnered to found a hardware company called Clicks. The two have also enlisted team members from companies including BlackBerry (of course), Apple, and Google, though to be fair I tell people I worked at Apple when I really worked at an Apple Store in the Chestnut Hill Mall near Boston.

(Image credit: Clicks)

I’ll admit I know both Kevin and Michael, and I’ve seen Michael recently, but I had no idea that he was working on an iPhone keyboard on the sly. Some of my TechRadar colleagues noted the similarity between this accessory and that one time Ryan Seacrest tried to take the iPhone world by storm with his own Typo keyboard for the iPhone. Also that other time Ryan Seacrest tried again with Typo2. Seacrest was sued out of existence by BlackBerry, which somehow had enough life left in 2015 to win a lawsuit.

Of course, the Seacrest Typo design was a direct knock-off of the slanted BlackBerry keyboard, while the Click keyboard looks more like an array of black pearls in straight lines, without a slant. You’d think that Michaluk would know enough to avoid the pitfalls of Seacrest’s failure, since he covered the Typo story for Crackberry.com back in the day.

Will they bring back the thumbwheel next?

(Image credit: Clicks)

Clicks is clearly hoping today’s users will skip the onscreen keyboard, which takes up space, and instead attach its new USB-C or Lightning keyboard. The Click keyboard works with an iPhone 14 (Lightning) or iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max (USB-C). No word on why Clicks has chosen to skip the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro, but support for those devices is not mentioned. 

Clicks isn’t just a simple keyboard, there are some fancy features on board. There is a pass-through USB-C port so you can charge your phone even when the keyboard is connected. The keys are also backlit, which is pretty snazzy, and should help with typing at night. There is an app to download to make sure the keyboard works, and then you get some keyboard shortcuts like CMD-H to return to the Home screen. 

The Clicks keyboard is up for pre-order now at Clicks.tech, and the company expects to start shipping as early as February 1. The first batch will be available in two colors, a yellow called Bumblebee (paging Hasbro?) and a cloudy blue called London Sky. It will retail for $139, which is $50 less than the Ryan Seacrest Typo device cost. 

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Latest Tech News

New security research has uncovered that cybercriminals are abusing verification marks on X (formerly known as Twitter) by compromising passwords of verified accounts and either selling them on the dark web or using them for their own scams.

Malicious actors who purchase these verified accounts then have access to a wide number of people who are under the impression they are receiving content from the original owner.

However, the new account owner can post malicious phishing or financial scams that steal cryptocurrencies, personal information, and other valuable data.

Fools Gold

The research, conducted by CloudSEK, examined how verified accounts on X have been bought and sold on forums in the Dark Web and the significant financial disruption that has been caused by scams run on stolen accounts.

The research found that a fresh X account would sell for around $0.30, but accounts older than 5 years with a gold affiliation could sell for anywhere between $1200 - $2000. The prices also vary depending on the number of followers associated with the account, with one account with 28,000 followers being advertised for between $2000 - $2500.

Many of these accounts are compromised through brute forcing passwords, and as many of these accounts have often laid dormant for several years, it is unlikely that any password security or authentication methods have been implemented onto the accounts.

We all remember the chaos caused by the release of the original Twitter Blue subscription, which allowed users to subscribe for a small blue check mark next to their name, commonly associated with verified or trustworthy accounts. This led to the impersonations of celebrities including Elon Musk, and the impersonation of corporate entities.

To illustrate the dangers associated with these stolen accounts, CloudSEK drew attention to how the co-founder of Ethereum had their X account stolen in a cyberattack. Before they could re-secure their account, the hackers had posted a link to a fake website offering free non-fungible tokens (NFTs) which managed to steal $691,000 in cryptocurrency before it was taken down just 20 minutes later.

CloudSEK recommends that if you have an old X account that you do not use, close it down and ensure it is deleted, especially if it is a corporate account with a large following, as these are more likely to be targeted. Ensure that your accounts are employing the best password security practices.

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If your plan to get fit for 2024 is already floundering in the notoriously tricky first week of January, fear not – some new Garmin data has arrived to give us all some fresh inspiration, based on the biggest fitness trends of last year. 

The 2023 Garmin Fitness Report is based on the data it collected from tens of millions of Garmin Connect users worldwide. So while it doesn't tell us what new kinds of workouts Apple Watch fans are doing, it does reveal some interesting trends that could help guide your plans for 2024.

The biggest takeaway is a boom in gym workouts, in particular HIIT (high-intensity interval training) sessions. Among Garmin users, these increased in popularity by 112% year-on-year, which is the biggest spike in the whole report.

The fitness equipment section of Garmin's 2023 fitness report shows HIIT way out in front for year-on-year growth. (Image credit: Garmin)

In fact, the usage of fitness equipment was up all round, with stair climber sessions (up 31% compared to 2022), strength training (a 30% increase), ellipticals (a 17% rise) and indoor rowing (up 14%) all showing the popularity of these machines, whether they're being used in the gym or at home.

Not that strength training and indoor cardio have overtaken the traditional exercise classics. Garmin's report reveals that running, walking and cycling were still the top three activities among Garmin Connect users, ahead of those indoor alternatives. But there are also some interesting subsets within those top three categories. 

For example, track running saw a 76% year-on-year rise in Garmin's data, making it the fastest-growing form of running by some distance. It was way ahead of indoor, treadmill and trail running in terms of an annual increase – and with Garmin watches like the Forerunner 235 capable of logging track-based running for some time, the data won't have been influenced by the arrival of new Garmin features either.

(Image credit: Garmin)

Some of the 2023 increases in Garmin's report may have been influenced by hardware and software changes, though. For example, Garmin devices only started to support e-bike data from the middle of 2022, so some year-on-year increases here were always likely. 

Sure enough, e-bike and e-bike mountain tracking were both up (62% and 49% respectively) last year compared to 2022. Similarly, yoga (up 23%) and pilates (which grew by 48%) were both more popular than in 2022. Though these again may have been influenced by the arrival last year of muscle map graphics (which help you plan workouts based on training loads) for those activities on some Garmin watches.

Wait, eSports tracking is a thing?

(Image credit: Garmin)

Another interesting example of the influence of Garmin's activity profiles on its fitness report data is eSports. Yes, on some of Garmin's more premium watches (like the Epix Gen 2, Fenix 7, Forerunner, and Venu series) you can track eSports activity to help improve your gaming performance. According to the report, eSports tracking did also grow in 2023, albeit more slowly than the likes of HIIT sessions.

Garmin says that heart rate, stress, sleep, and energy can all have a big impact on pro gaming skills, so its activity profile tracks all of those metrics and even syncs with a Garmin GameOn desktop app so you can see how your body's reacting during and after matches.

Still, it's fair to say that most of us still use Garmin's more old-school tracking profiles. And while tennis and bouldering both saw big increases in Garmin's data (up 76% and 68% year-on-year respectively), good-old walking was still the second most popular activity overall in 2023.

But does walking 10,000 steps a day really keep you fit? We tried doing just that every day for a week instead of going to the gym – and you can read our findings. Spoiler: it went well and the 10,000 steps-a-day goal certainly isn't just for older people.

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Cryptocurrency bridges continue to be a major target for hackers, as yet another one is drained of significant funds.

In the late evening of December 31, 2023, a threat actor reportedly exploited a vulnerability in the Orbit Chain platform to steal a total of $86 million. 

The funds were siphoned off "almost instantly", with the hackers stealing various cryptocurrencies, such as Ether, Dai, Tether, and USD Coin.

A bug in the system?

The investigation is currently ongoing and there are many unknowns, but media outlets are saying that the most likely culprit is Lazarus.

Lazarus is an infamous North Korean state-sponsored threat actor that has been targeting cryptocurrency businesses and bridges for years now. In fact, BleepingComputer reminds that it was Lazarus who previously breached Belt Finance and KlaySwap - both of which are part of the Ozys project together with - you guessed it - Orbit chain.

It remains unclear exactly how the hackers managed to breach the bridge, but it’s likely that the project was flawed. Many of the bridges that have been hacked throughout the years were later found to have been imperfect.

In the meantime, Orbit Chain said it is cooperating with the local law enforcement (Korean National Police Agency), as well as the Korean Internet and Security Agency (KISA), which apparently specializes in North Korean threats. The idea is to try and identify where the tokens ended up, and freeze them.

“Orbit Chain team has developed a system for investigation support and cause analysis with the Korean National Police Agency and KISA (Korea Internet & Security Agency), enabling a more proactive and comprehensive investigation approach,” the project announced in an X post. “Furthermore, we are also discussing close cooperation with domestic and foreign law enforcement agencies.”

To make matters even worse, other hackers started preying on the victims, using verified X accounts to promote phishing sites. These sites impersonate refund portals, tricking people into connecting their wallets only to have them drained, too. 

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