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Formula One aficionados are famously fanatical, but they still need a few good reasons to splash out on the annual instalment of the sport’s officially licensed game. Luckily F1 25 – crafted, as ever, in Birmingham by Codemasters – has many. There’s the return of Braking Point, the game’s story mode; a revamp of My Team, the most popular career mode; a tie-up with the forthcoming F1: The Movie; and perhaps most intriguing of all, the chance to race round three tracks in the reverse direction to normal.

F1 25 feels like something of a culmination – last year’s F1 24, for example, introduced a new physics model which required tweaks after launch, but has now been thoroughly fettled, so F1 25’s essential building blocks of car handling (and tyre wear) plus state-of-the-art graphics (this year, Codemasters has moved on from previous-gen consoles) are simply impeccable.

This has freed the company to delve into the sort of fantasy elements that you can find in games but not real life. Chief among those is the aforementioned third instalment of Braking Point, which follows the fortunes of the fictional Konnersport team. Over 15 chapters it knits together a deliciously tortuous soap opera-style storyline with some cleverly varied on-track action.

More fundamentally, the most popular of the career modes – My Team, which ramps up the management element by casting you as the owner of a new team – has received the bulk of Codemasters’ attentions. This time around, you stay in your corporate lane and drive instead as either of the two drivers you’ve hired, which makes much more sense than previously. As does separating research and development, meaning you must allocate new parts to specific drivers. Further effective tweaks render My Team 2.0, as Codemasters calls it, much more convincing and realistic.

As ever, you can jump online, against various standards of opposition, or on to individual tracks, or play split-screen against a friend. But there’s a new mode called Challenge Career, which lets you play timed scenarios offline, then post them to a global leaderboard. It’s a nice idea, designed to take you out of your driver-aids comfort zone, but the scenarios will only get going properly after launch, so the jury remains out on its merits. A number of scenarios from F1: The Movie will also be delivered as post-launch episodes, but it’s pretty cool to be able to step into a Formula One car as Brad Pitt playing a fictional racer.

For diehard Formula One fans, though, the chance to race around Silverstone, Zandvoort and Austria’s Red Bull Ring in the wrong direction (with the tracks remodelled to accommodate new pit lanes and the like) might just be the clincher. Reversing the tracks’ direction completely changes their nature in a deliciously intriguing manner.

With a real-life rule-change next year due to change the cars radically, Formula One currently feels like it’s at a generational peak, and F1 25 is so brilliantly crafted and full of elements that generate an irresistible mix of nailed-on realism and fantasy that it, too, feels like the culmination of a generation of officially licensed Formula One games. F1 25? Peak F1.

WHATSAPP may be set to shed its iconic green app theme for iPhone owners, as it plans to offer four other choices of colour.

While looking under the hood of a ‘test flight’ version of WhatsApp for iOS – which has not yet been publicly released – experts at Hob found a new chat themes feature.

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It allows iPhone owners to customise the colour of the chat bubbles and wallpaper inside the app to blue, white, pink or purple.

WhatsApp has also reportedly been developing a new option to control the app’s accent colour – which is also green.

The accent colour appears on notification badges and link previews.

It means that all highlights that have traditionally appeared as green can be swapped out for new shades, according to screenshots shared by WABetaInfo.

It follows backlash from iPhone users over an iOS app redesign that changed the accent colours green.

iPhone users branded the makeover “ugly” – and were frustrated that they couldn’t change it back or customise it themselves.

“WhatsApp needs to chill with these unnecessary changes. Why the hell are my icons green,” one user wrote on X.

Another added: “The new WhatsApp interface is not a vibe at all, from blue to green. How? Why?”

Currently, WhatsApp-owner Meta is only developing the feature for the iOS app.

Although it’s likely the company will roll out the same customisation options to Android users.

It’s worth noting these features are still in development.

So, it’s unclear when exactly they will – if at all – be available to users worldwide.

Naturally, features that are in development don’t always see the light of day.

Meta may decide to shelve the feature for a few months, or scrap it entirely.

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SKY and Virgin customers should expect a number of changes coming to the TV guide this week – right before a major channel closure happening next month.

The line-up is routinely overhauled to make way for closures, new arrivals, as well as rebrands.

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Sky Q boxes in particular have already received some big switches this week.

On Tuesday, more than 30 radio stations were shifted around on the TV guide for the first time in years.

Later this week, there are yet more changes on the way for some Sky and Virgin viewers, depending on your subscription.

And early next month there’s a channel closure that will impact all platforms.

This week’s changes take place on Friday and affect Sky Cinema.

Sky Cinema regularly changes up the channel names to reflect special themes and events.

From Friday, there are four to watch out for.

Sky Cinema Hits, Sky Cinema Action, Sky Cinema Drama and Sky Cinema 80s will all disappear temporarily.

They’ll be replaced by Sky Cinema Blockbusters, Sky Cinema Karate Kid, Sky Cinema Pride and Sky Cinema Romance respectively.

For those who need a reminder of the channel numbers, they are as follows:

• Sky Cinema Blockbusters – Sky 303 / Virgin 403
• Sky Cinema Karate Kid – Sky 307 / Virgin 407
• Sky Cinema Pride – Sky 310 / Virgin 410
• Sky Cinema Romance – Sky 302 / Virgin 402

Channel closure

Early in June a channel will sadly close after more than 10 years on air.

Fortunately, a replacement has been lined up already.

Reality TV destination ITVBe is disappearing from every platform, including Sky and Virgin, as well as Freeview, Freesat and Freely too.

The biggest ITVBe shows, like TOWIE, will move to ITV2.

Meanwhile, ITV is filling the vacant slot with a new channel called ITV Quiz.

ITV shows a number of popular game shows such as  The Chase, Tipping Point, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, The 1% Club and Deal or No Deal – though it’s not clear which will appear on ITV Quiz.

ITV has confirmed to The Sun that ITVBe will close and be replaced by ITV Quiz on June 9.

SKY and Virgin customers should expect a number of changes coming to the TV guide this week – right before a major channel closure happening next month.

The line-up is routinely overhauled to make way for closures, new arrivals, as well as rebrands.

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Sky Q boxes in particular have already received some big switches this week.

On Tuesday, more than 30 radio stations were shifted around on the TV guide for the first time in years.

Later this week, there are yet more changes on the way for some Sky and Virgin viewers, depending on your subscription.

And early next month there’s a channel closure that will impact all platforms.

This week’s changes take place on Friday and affect Sky Cinema.

Sky Cinema regularly changes up the channel names to reflect special themes and events.

From Friday, there are four to watch out for.

Sky Cinema Hits, Sky Cinema Action, Sky Cinema Drama and Sky Cinema 80s will all disappear temporarily.

They’ll be replaced by Sky Cinema Blockbusters, Sky Cinema Karate Kid, Sky Cinema Pride and Sky Cinema Romance respectively.

For those who need a reminder of the channel numbers, they are as follows:

• Sky Cinema Blockbusters – Sky 303 / Virgin 403
• Sky Cinema Karate Kid – Sky 307 / Virgin 407
• Sky Cinema Pride – Sky 310 / Virgin 410
• Sky Cinema Romance – Sky 302 / Virgin 402

Channel closure

Early in June a channel will sadly close after more than 10 years on air.

Fortunately, a replacement has been lined up already.

Reality TV destination ITVBe is disappearing from every platform, including Sky and Virgin, as well as Freeview, Freesat and Freely too.

The biggest ITVBe shows, like TOWIE, will move to ITV2.

Meanwhile, ITV is filling the vacant slot with a new channel called ITV Quiz.

ITV shows a number of popular game shows such as  The Chase, Tipping Point, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, The 1% Club and Deal or No Deal – though it’s not clear which will appear on ITV Quiz.

ITV has confirmed to The Sun that ITVBe will close and be replaced by ITV Quiz on June 9.

APPLE is making it cheaper for users to repair more of the company’s most-loved gadgets.

iPhone fans could already get hold of self service repair kits to carry out upgrades themselves instead of paying someone else to do it.

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The option provides customers with access to repair manuals, genuine Apple parts, Apple Diagnostics troubleshooting sessions, tools, and rental toolkits.

And now Apple has announced that iPad owners can finally go down the self service repair route too.

But it’s not for tech novices: most people will be much safer going to an Apple Store, or another authorised repair outlet.

If you’re tech savvy and dead-set on repairing your own device, Apple has lots of support for you.

From tomorrow (Thursday) it will be available for the following models:

• iPad Air (M2 and later)
• iPad Pro (M4)
• iPad mini (A17 Pro)
• iPad (A16)

Apple is launching it with access to key components including displays, batteries, cameras, and external charging ports.

With iPads now covered, the Self Service Repair Store works for a total of 65 Apple devices, not only including iPhones but also the MacBook Air and Mac Studio.

“At Apple, our goal is to create the world’s greatest products that last as long as possible,” explained Brian Naumann, Apple’s vice president of AppleCare.

“With today’s announcement, we’re excited to expand our repair services to more customers, enabling them to further extend the life of their products — all without compromising safety, security, or privacy.”

A standalone spin-off from FromSoftware’s incredibly successful yet mostly single-player dark role-playing game Elden Ring, the multiplayer-oriented Elden Ring Nightreign is a curious beast, often feeling like an amalgamation of several different experiences all at once.

Each session begins with players, either solo or in teams of three, dropping into a small but dense world, working to urgently gain as much strength as possible as a rapidly closing ring tightens around them – a very Fortnite experience. Rather than other players, they fight a variety of monsters and explore locations lifted directly from the Elden Ring universe. After each match, they also gain upgrade materials to modify future runs and advance the game’s story, similar to a rogue-like game … so it’s a Fortnite/Elden Ring/Hades experience? This is getting complicated.

Every session is an engagingly frantic race against time to craft an on-the-fly strategy that takes you across the whole map. Each match is split into three days: on the first two, you pick areas to rush through, besting local bosses to gain minor buffs to your strength or loot weapons with powerful passive abilities, before escaping the rapidly closing ring that saps your health and is sure to end your run. Each night culminates in a larger and far more challenging fight than you’ve faced thus far, amping up the pressure even further.

It’s quite the stressful slog, but day three is what you’re battling towards. As the day dawns, you step into a barren arena, ready to face one of several tough-as-nails mega bosses specifically designed to be tackled by multiple players.

Nightreign is overwhelmingly designed for three-person teams. You can choose to head out on your own, but doing so is a severe challenge. There’s no one to get you back up if you accidentally die rolling into a boss’s attack, and many of the enemies designed to be tackled by a team of allies frequently overwhelm you.

Ultimately, this is a game all about momentum. The feeling of pressure as you navigate the world is palpable. Every second, you’re constantly questioning yourself: am I wasting too much time by checking what’s around this corner? Can we take down this boss quickly enough to warrant the reward? It’s an incredibly stimulating experience, as you rush to analyse your equipment and make build-defining decisions on the fly, but so much has been modified for the sake of speed that the nuance typical to FromSoftware games is somewhat lost.

There’s no choice of stats when levelling up, for example, with levelling now reduced to the mash of a button when you reach a rest point. And while the world has been painstakingly populated with smaller enemies, beyond taking down a couple in the first few seconds of a run to hit level 2, there’s little point engaging with them, since tackling bosses is the main way to get more powerful.

This momentum gives Nightreign its “just one more run” feel, but the pace feels more rapid than necessary, reducing much of the world to a distraction that wastes your precious time. It’s also why the bugs present in the review version we played feel particularly frustrating. Spending five minutes tackling a dragon that then flies through a wall and ends up being untargetable feels particularly unfair.

One of the more loathed mechanics from the Dark Souls series is the requirement for you to run back to the boss arena every time you die. When this was updated for Elden Ring, allowing you to respawn right outside the arena, fans rejoiced. Yet the Nightreign experience is such an extreme move back in the other direction that it feels almost Sisyphean. Every run requires you to spend around 35 minutes to reach the final boss, but those bosses often have unique mechanics that can wipe out unsuspecting teams in just a couple of hits. Dying to a new move you’ve not seen before, requiring you to spend another 35 minutes rolling that boulder back up the hill, feels grossly disrespectful.

Considering the success of Elden Ring in applying FromSoftware’s dense level design ethos to an open world, it’s disappointing that the developer appears to have missed the mark with Nightreign. Where that game iterated, Nightreign takes shortcuts. It is billed as a standalone release, yet so much environmental content is carbon-copied from Elden Ring – often thrown in haphazardly – that the world feels more like a particularly polished fan-created mod than a whole new title.

FromSoftware’s experiment in upending its established gameplay formula is admirable, and taking down gargantuan foes alongside friends really adds to the joy you feel at finally besting what at first felt like an insurmountable task. It’s just a shame that the game’s skewed pacing and overreliance on Elden Ring’s pool of assets so greatly mars the experience.

A CLEVER team of archaeologists have unearthed a trio of ancient tombs which all belonged to a peculiar set of Egyptians.

The three ornate burial sites date back more than 3,500 years and were discovered in the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis in the southern Egyptian city of Luxor.

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The team who analysed the tombs were quickly able to uncover who each belonged to due to the names and titles of the owners being found through inscriptions inside.

One of the tombs, which was found mostly destroyed, belonged to Amum-em-Ipet, from the Ramesside period.

Another was used to bury a man called Baki as the third was used for the body of a person named only as S.

Both of these individuals worked as regular supervisors in the time around 1550BC.

Baki worked as a supervisor of the grain silo, while S was a supervisor at the Temple of Amun.

They were also said to be a a writer and the mayor of the northern oases.

All three tombs featured a small courtyard leading up to their entrance.

Sherif Fathir, Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, described the discovery as a significant scientific and archaeological achievement.

The city of Luxor has long been seen as one of Egypt‘s oldest and most ancient sites which is full of unexplored history.

In 2021, an Egyptian city was uncovered after 3,000 years with experts hailing it the most “important discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamun”.

The “Golden City of Luxor” became the “the largest” ancient city ever found in Egypt.

As well as the the city streets and evidence of buildings, lots of artefacts and even skeletal remains have been discovered.

The team found precious jewellery, scarab beetle amulets and coloured pottery.

Elsewhere, a mysterious giant pink door has been discovered inside a 4,400-year-old tomb.

The entrance was found at the Saqqara Necropolis – an ancient cemetery full of pyramids and tombs – in Cairo, Egypt.

The stunning discovery was made by a team of Egyptian archaeologists as part of ongoing research work at the site.

Pictures from the dig show the looming pink door which measures an impressive 15ft tall and 4ft wide.

But instead of a functioning door archaeologists have actually uncovered a wall carving which has been cleverly designed to look like an entrance.

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A CLEVER team of archaeologists have unearthed a trio of ancient tombs which all belonged to a peculiar set of Egyptians.

The three ornate burial sites date back more than 3,500 years and were discovered in the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis in the southern Egyptian city of Luxor.

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The team who analysed the tombs were quickly able to uncover who each belonged to due to the names and titles of the owners being found through inscriptions inside.

One of the tombs, which was found mostly destroyed, belonged to Amum-em-Ipet, from the Ramesside period.

Another was used to bury a man called Baki as the third was used for the body of a person named only as S.

Both of these individuals worked as regular supervisors in the time around 1550BC.

Baki worked as a supervisor of the grain silo, while S was a supervisor at the Temple of Amun.

They were also said to be a a writer and the mayor of the northern oases.

All three tombs featured a small courtyard leading up to their entrance.

Sherif Fathir, Egypt’s tourism and antiquities minister, described the discovery as a significant scientific and archaeological achievement.

The city of Luxor has long been seen as one of Egypt‘s oldest and most ancient sites which is full of unexplored history.

In 2021, an Egyptian city was uncovered after 3,000 years with experts hailing it the most “important discovery since the tomb of Tutankhamun”.

The “Golden City of Luxor” became the “the largest” ancient city ever found in Egypt.

As well as the the city streets and evidence of buildings, lots of artefacts and even skeletal remains have been discovered.

The team found precious jewellery, scarab beetle amulets and coloured pottery.

Elsewhere, a mysterious giant pink door has been discovered inside a 4,400-year-old tomb.

The entrance was found at the Saqqara Necropolis – an ancient cemetery full of pyramids and tombs – in Cairo, Egypt.

The stunning discovery was made by a team of Egyptian archaeologists as part of ongoing research work at the site.

Pictures from the dig show the looming pink door which measures an impressive 15ft tall and 4ft wide.

But instead of a functioning door archaeologists have actually uncovered a wall carving which has been cleverly designed to look like an entrance.

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A “CRITICAL” warning has been given to millions of Brits over a list of doomed Fire Stick alternatives that can leave you with a broken TV.

Streaming sticks provide access to the biggest apps around, as well as some hidden gems packed with free TV and channels to watch instantly.

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Many legacy Roku devices have reached the end of their lifecycle and users need to face a critical decision about upgrading.

Because Roku and its channel partners, including Netflix, have ceased providing software updates and support for these models.

This means that a growing number of apps are either malfunctioning or completely incompatible.

This leaves users with outdated devices unable to access the full streaming experience they once enjoyed.

With streaming technology evolving rapidly, these older players lack the processing power and software capabilities to keep up with modern app requirements.

Roku has therefore recommended upgrading to newer models for a seamless experience reports Cord Cutters News.

The decision to end support for older devices stems from the increasing complexity of streaming apps.

Which requires more robust hardware to deliver high-definition video, enhanced user interfaces, and new features like 4K resolution and HDR.

Without updates, the devices are stuck on old versions of the Roku OS, causing apps like Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube to buffer endlessly, display errors, or fail to load entirely.

For instance, Netflix, ESPN+ and more will fail to load, citing compatibility issues with its updated app.

Other services have followed suit, and the list of unsupported apps continues to grow, leaving these devices increasingly obsolete.

The following Roku models are no longer supported, meaning they will not receive new Roku OS updates, firmware patches, etc:

The Year HD (Pre-2011), HD-XR (Pre-2011), SD (Pre-2011), year XD (Pre-2011) and the Year XDS (Pre-2011).

The Roku LT (Model: 2700X), Roku 1, Roku 2, and the Roku 2 HD/XD/XS (2011) and the Roku Streaming Stick (Model: 3500X).

Roku has encouraged affected users to upgrade and now is a great time with many Roku players are on sale.

Upgrading to a newer Roku device, such as the new Roku Stick 4K or Roku Ultra, ensures access to the latest Roku OS, support for 4K and HDR, and compatibility with modern apps.

For those who want the best picture quality, the Roku Streaming Stick Plus brings you 4K and vivid HDR colour and costs £39.99.

The streaming gadget giant also claims that its sticks are among the most compact around, coming in at 35 per cent smaller than rivals “without compromising performance or speed”.

These devices also offer features like universal search and enhanced remotes, which are absent on legacy models.

While older devices may still function for some apps, the risk of further service disruptions makes upgrading a necessity for those that want to enjoy their streaming.

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NETFLIX users in the UK could be faced with fines of up to £1,000 for watching a new show this weekend.

An update to the streaming platform means viewers will be required to pay an additional fee to watch certain programmes.

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Netflix has recently branched into showing live content, which will have a major effect on UK viewers.

UK households are legally required to have a TV licence when watching or recording live TV, regardless of what channel it is on.

However, if you do not watch or record live television, or use BBC iPlayer, then you do not need a TV licence.

Previously, this has meant that those who solely watch television through Netflix or other streaming platforms do not need a TV licence.

However, with the new Netflix live streaming feature, which includes the upcoming Tudum Live event this weekend, that could now change.

UK viewers wishing to watch the live event will require a TV licence to do so legally.

Legal experts previously warned about this issue when Netflix first began live streaming content in 2023.

Now, the BBC has confirmed to Cord Busters that viewers will be required to purchase a TV Licence if they plan to watch live events on Netflix.

However, the majority of Netflix’s content remains exempt from the TV licence fee, so long as it is not broadcast live.

Daniel McAfee, Head of Legal Operations at Lawhive, confirmed: “Under UK lawany live television broadcast requires a valid TV Licence, regardless of the streaming platform.”

Netflix users who violate the licensing law could face fines of up to £1,000.

While you cannot be imprisoned for evading the TV licence, court-imposed fines resulting from non-payment could see you facing jail time.

Daniel advised viewers to “stay informed on licensing changes as streaming platforms expand live broadcast offerings.”

While enforcement officers for the licence can carry out checks to ensure compliance, occupiers have “no legal obligation” to let them into their home.

The licence fee raises around £3.7 billion a year which is around 65 per cent of the corporation’s funding.

Around 80 per cent of homes pay the fee but evasion is up to more than 10 per cent.

If you are over 75 and receive Pension Credit, or live with a partner who does, you are entitled to a free TV Licence.

Those living in care homes or sheltered accommodation who are retired and over 60, or disabled, can grab their licence for just £7.50.

A 50 per cent discount is offered to anyone who is registered blind or lives with someone who is.