This summer, I found myself battling through traffic in the sweltering streets of Marseille. At a crossing, my friend in the passenger seat told me to turn right toward a spot known for its fish soup. But the navigation app Waze instructed us to go straight. Tired, and with the Renault feeling like a sauna on wheels, I followed Waze’s advice. Moments later, we were stuck at a construction site.

A trivial moment, maybe. But one that captures perhaps the defining question of our era, in which technology touches nearly every aspect of our lives: who do we trust more – other human beings and our own instincts, or the machine?

The German philosopher Immanuel Kant famously defined the Enlightenment as “man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity.” Immaturity, he wrote, “is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance from another”. For centuries, that “other” directing human thought and life was often the priest, the monarch, or the feudal lord – the ones claiming to act as God’s voice on Earth. In trying to understand natural phenomena – why volcanoes erupt, why the seasons change – humans looked to God for answers. In shaping the social world, from economics to love, religion served as our guide.

Humans, Kant argued, always had the capacity for reason. They just hadn’t always had the confidence to use it. But with the American and later the French Revolution, a new era was dawning: reason would replace faith, and the human mind, unshackled from authority, would become the engine of progress and a more moral world. “Sapere aude!” or “Have courage to use your own understanding!, Kant urged his contemporaries.

Two and a half centuries later, one may wonder whether we are quietly slipping back into immaturity. An app telling us which road to take is one thing. But artificial intelligence threatens to become our new “other” – a silent authority that guides our thoughts and actions. We are in danger of ceding the hard-won courage to think for ourselves – and this time, not to gods or kings, but to code.

ChatGPT was launched only three years ago, and already one global survey, published in April, found that 82% of respondents had used AI in the previous six months. Whether deciding to end a relationship or who to vote for, people are turning to machines for advice. According to OpenAI, 73% of user prompts concern non work-related topics. Even more intriguing than our dependence on AI’s judgment in daily life is what happens when we let it speak for us. Writing is now among the most common uses of ChatGPT, second only to practical requests such as DIY or cooking advice. The American author Joan Didion once said: “I write entirely to find out what I am thinking.” What happens when we stop writing? Do we stop finding out?

Worryingly, some evidence suggests that the answer might be yes. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor the brain activity of essay writers given access to AI, search engines like Google, or nothing at all. Those who could rely on AI showed the lowest cognitive activity and struggled to accurately quote their work. Perhaps most concerning was that over a couple of months, participants in the AI group became increasingly lazy, copying entire blocks of text in their essays.

The study is small and imperfect, but Kant would have recognised the pattern. “Laziness and cowardice,” he wrote, “are the reasons why so great a proportion of men … remain in lifelong immaturity, and why it is so easy for others to establish themselves as their guardians. It is so easy to be immature.”

Sure, AI’s appeal lies in its convenience. It saves time, spares effort and – crucially – offers a new way to offload responsibility. In his 1941 book, Escape from Freedom, the German psychoanalyst Erich Fromm argued that the rise of fascism could be explained in part by people preferring to surrender their freedom in exchange for the reassuring certainty of subordination. AI offers a new way of surrendering that burden of having to think and decide for yourself.

AI’s greatest allure is that it can do things our minds can’t – sift through oceans of data and process it at unprecedented speed. Sitting in the car in Marseille, this was, after all, why I chose to trust the machine instead of my friend in the passenger seat (a decision she took as an insult). With access to all the data, surely the app must know best – or so I thought.

The problem is that AI is a black box. It produces knowledge, but without necessarily deepening human understanding. We don’t really know how AI reaches its conclusions – even the programmers admit as much. Nor can we verify its reasoning against clear, objective criteria. So when we follow AI’s advice, we are not guided by reason. We are back in the realm of faith. In dubio pro machina: when in doubt, trust the machine – that may become our future guiding principle.

AI can be a formidable ally to humans in rational inquiry. It can help us invent drugs, or free us from “bullshit jobs”, or doing our taxes – tasks that demand little thought and offer little satisfaction. All the better. But Kant and his contemporaries did not plead the case of reason over faith just so humans could build better shelves or have more spare time. Critical thinking was not just about efficiency – it was a practice of freedom and human emancipation.

Human thinking is messy and full of errors, but it forces us to debate, to doubt, to test ideas against one another – and to recognise the limits of our own understanding. It builds confidence, both individually and collectively. For Kant, the exercise of reason was never just about knowledge; it was about enabling people to become agents of their own lives, and resist domination. It was about building a moral community grounded in the shared principle of reason and debate, rather than blind belief.

With all the benefits AI brings, the challenge is this: how can we harness its promise of superhuman intelligence without eroding human reasoning, the cornerstone of the Enlightenment and of liberal democracy itself? That may be one of the defining questions of the 21st century. It is one we would do well not to delegate to the machine.

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Across Africa, 2025 added new scale and texture to an already active tech ecosystem. Long-running conferences returned with bigger ambitions, while newer festivals carved out space for focused conversations around artificial intelligence (AI), data, policy, and startup growth.

From government-backed summits outlining national digital strategies to developer-led gatherings exploring frontier tools, tech conversations moved fluidly between policy rooms, pitch stages, and community workshops. Cities like Marrakech, Lagos, Algiers, Kigali, and Cape Town played host to events that reflected the state of Africa’s tech ecosystem and its future.

Here are some of the major tech events across the continent in 2025.

1. Africa Tech Summit Nairobi (Nairobi, Kenya, February 12–13)

The 7th Africa Tech Summit, held in Nairobi, brought together over 2,000 tech leaders at the Sarit Expo Centre and was organised around four distinct pillars: the Africa Money & DeFi Summit, the Africa Climate Tech & Investment Summit, the Africa Startup Summit, and the Africa Mobile & App Summit. 

Around 80 exhibitors showcased their solutions while 65 speakers took to the stage, creating a dynamic environment where mobile operators rubbed shoulders with crypto founders, investors scouted for the next big opportunity, and regulators engaged directly with innovators. The summit’s Investment Showcase became a hub for deal-making, with fireside chats and masterclasses running throughout the event. 

2. Lagos Tech Fest (Lagos, Nigeria, February 19–20)

For its fifth year, Lagos Tech Fest convened more than 2,000 participants at multiple venues across Lagos, including Four Points by Sheraton, Club House, and the Landmark Event Centre. The two‑day festival, headlined by Mastercard, combined a welcome party, Nigeria’s Tech Leadership Roundtable, and the main conference program to spotlight opportunities across fintech, venture capital, crypto and DeFi, payments and banking, e‑commerce, and digital infrastructure.

3. GITEX Africa (Marrakech, Morocco, April 14–16)

The third edition of GITEX Africa returned to Marrakech under the theme “Accelerating Africa’s Digital Transformation,” drawing over 45,000 visitors from more than 130 countries and featuring around 1,400 exhibitors showcasing innovations in AI, cloud computing, fintech, cybersecurity, smart cities, healthtech, agritech, and connectivity.

4. Africa AI Festival (Lagos, Nigeria, May 31)

The Africa AI Festival convened one of the continent’s largest gatherings focused on AI and its role in African markets and society. Held under the theme “AI for Africa: Scaling Innovation and Inclusion,” the event drew over 5,000 attendees from more than 20 countries, including founders, investors and industry leaders. 

The festival featured over 50 speakers and startup exhibitors, covering practical AI applications in healthcare, finance, education, and enterprise services, while sessions on ethical AI, data infrastructure, and investment models highlighted the continent’s unique challenges and opportunities.

Side discussions, workshops, and networking sessions facilitated direct engagement between startups and investors, with the Founder Showcase and Investor Lounge providing platforms to translate AI concepts into scalable African solutions.

5. Kids Tech Fest 2025 (Lagos, Nigeria, June 14)

Africa’s first large-scale AI summit for children and parents took place at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, drawing over 5,000 attendees. Organised by Digital Equity Africa, the summit aimed to introduce young learners to AI through interactive sessions, hands-on workshops, and family-focused learning experiences.

The event covered practical and socially relevant AI topics, including how AI works, ethical considerations, digital safety, and responsible technology use. Separate tracks for parents and educators explored how to support children in developing AI literacy and navigating the digital world safely.

The summit also served as a launch platform for two educational initiatives. Bud AI, a child-safe AI learning companion with parental oversight, and the Future Minds Online AI Learning Community, designed for children aged 6 to 16, were introduced to provide ongoing learning opportunities beyond the event.

6. AI Summit for Africa (Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, August 17–20)

The AI Summit for Africa convened technology leaders, policymakers, academics, and industry experts in Victoria Falls under the theme “AI‑Powered Transformation: Unlocking New Frontiers for Sustainable Socio‑Economic Growth.” 

The multi‑day event focused on how AI can drive inclusive development across Africa’s key sectors, including healthcare, education, agriculture, and financial services.

The summit also served as a platform for Zimbabwe’s government to outline progress on its National AI Strategy, highlighting initiatives to strengthen digital skills, expand connectivity, and promote responsible AI adoption. 

7. GITEX Nigeria (Abuja & Lagos, September 1–4)

GITEX debuted in Nigeria with the theme “Forging the Rise of Digital Nigeria,” bringing together policymakers, enterprise executives, founders and investors across two of the country’s most strategic cities. 

The opening day in Abuja focused on the Government Leadership & AI Summit, where discussions centred on building and future-proofing digital infrastructure, scaling AI responsibly in public services, and upskilling talent for research and innovation.

In Lagos, the Tech Expo & Future Economy Conference served as West Africa’s largest tech “super‑connector” event, convening more than 3,000 professionals and over 100 exhibitors to explore how technologies such as artificial intelligence, fintech, cybersecurity, and Internet of Things solutions are shaping national and regional markets. The conference’s executive track examined enterprise digital transformation, frontier cybersecurity strategies, and future networks, while investment‑oriented sessions discussed new funding paradigms for entrepreneurial innovation and growth, diaspora engagement in local scaling, and strategies for building homegrown unicorns.

Running alongside the Tech Expo, the GITEX Nigeria Startup Festival showcased over 1,000 curated startups and more than 300 investors, featuring pitch opportunities, matchmaking programmes, and the Supernova Challenge, which offered founders visibility and potential funding connections. 

8. Seamless Africa (Johannesburg, South Africa, September 8–9)

The conference aimed to explore the world of digital commerce. The premier event, which was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, focused on financial services, banking, retail and e-commerce across all sectors on the African continent, with almost 6000 participants in attendance.

9. Africa FinTech Summit (Accra, Ghana, October 8–10)

The fintech event gathered Africa’s finest investors, innovators, entrepreneurs, and regulators to shape the future of financial services across the continent. It was held in Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra, Ghana and featured conversations spanning topics such as the future of cross-border payments in Africa, Web3 and Blockchain, the rise of mobile money and investment trends in African fintech.

10. AgentCon Accra (Accra, Ghana, October 9)

AgentCon Accra 2025, themed “Agents of Change: Building Ghana’s Intelligent Future,” offered a developer‑focused forum on autonomous AI agents, positioning Ghana as a hub for practical AI innovation. Part of the AgentCon 2025 World Tour, the one-day event brought together engineers, researchers, and creators to explore the design, deployment, and scaling of autonomous software systems capable of performing tasks with minimal human intervention.

Sessions and workshops focused on agentic workflows, integration of AI agents into real-world systems, open-source frameworks, and tools for building intelligent assistants and autonomous services.

11.  Moonshot by TechCabal (Lagos, Nigeria, October 15–16)

Lagos came alive in October when Moonshot by TechCabal hosted its third edition at the Eko Convention Centre, under the theme “Building Momentum.” The two-day event brought together over 4,000 founders, investors, creatives, and policymakers from more than 15 countries, creating a vibrant hub for dialogue, collaboration, and deal-making.

With more than 140 speakers and nine content tracks spanning AI, climate tech, the creative economy, and emerging sectors, Moonshot blended the structure of a summit with the energy of a festival. Participants engaged in workshops, hands-on sessions, and fireside chats that focused on practical strategies for scaling startups, attracting investment, and leveraging technology for measurable impact.

Deal rooms were abuzz as investors connected with promising founders, while curated sessions highlighted emerging trends and showcased innovative solutions across African markets.

12. DataFest Africa (Lagos, Nigeria, October 18)

DataFest Africa 2025, themed “AI in Africa: Solving Today’s Problems, Building Tomorrow’s Systems,” brought together over 4,000 attendees, 50 speakers, and more than 30 sponsors and exhibitors in Lagos for a one-day festival focused on practical applications of AI and data science. The event highlighted how data-driven technologies can address challenges in finance, healthcare, agriculture, and public governance across Africa.

Sessions and workshops explored agent-based systems, AI for social good, data governance, and ethical AI, providing participants with hands-on opportunities to experiment with real-world solutions.

The event also showcased ecosystem initiatives, including efforts by the Nigeria AI Collective to develop national AI repositories, curated datasets, and platforms for research and innovation. Attendees engaged in hackathons, product demonstrations, and practical workshops, turning AI potential into actionable, scalable solutions.

13. Mobile World Congress Kigali (Kigali, Rwanda, October 21–23)

The third edition of Mobile World Congress Kigali, held at the Kigali Convention Centre, brought together over 3,000 delegates from 109 countries, including government officials, telecom executives, regulators, and technology leaders. The event ran under the theme “Converge, Connect, Create,, positioning connectivity, policy, and emerging technologies as central to Africa’s digital growth agenda.

The event’s programming was focused on four core areas. Connected Continent sessions examined broadband rollout, spectrum policy, and infrastructure financing. The AI Future explored responsible AI adoption, data readiness, and the development of African language models. Fintech discussions centred on mobile money, digital payments, and regulatory alignment, while Africa’s Digital Frontier highlighted technology applications across public services, health, education, and entertainment. 

14.  Blockchain Africa Conference (Johannesburg, South Africa, October 22)

The 11th annual Blockchain Africa Conference convened practitioners, innovators, and industry leaders in Johannesburg under the theme “Ready for Business.” The one-day event drew around 270 attendees from 10 countries and featured 27 speakers, focusing on practical applications of blockchain and digital assets across African markets.

Sessions explored finance, digital banking, enterprise adoption, tokenisation, and regulatory frameworks. Panel discussions addressed topics such as stablecoin adoption, institutional digital asset infrastructure, and operational challenges in blockchain implementation, offering actionable insights for businesses, regulators, and developers.

15. Africa Tech Festival (Cape Town, South Africa, November 11–13)

The 28th edition of Africa Tech Festival transformed Cape Town into a continental tech hub, drawing 15,000 attendees, 450 speakers, and over 300 exhibitors to the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The festival combined four major events into one integrated programme: AfricaCom, focused on telecoms and connectivity; AfricaTech, highlighting enterprise innovation; AfricaIgnite, championing startups; and The AI Summit Cape Town, exploring commercial AI applications.

16.  Cairo ICT (Cairo, Egypt, November 16–19)

The 29th edition of Cairo ICT brought together governments, multinational tech companies, startups, and investors under the theme “AI Everywhere.” The four-day event was held at the Egypt International Exhibition Centre in New Cairo, featuring over 500 exhibitors and attracting over 160,000 participants from across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.

The summit included multiple specialised tracks, including PAFIX for digital payments and financial inclusion, AIDC for AI, data centres, and cloud computing, Connecta for youth and entertainment technologies, Innovation Arena for creative solutions, and Cyber Zone for cybersecurity engagement. 

Over the four days, the event featured 96 panel discussions with 491 speakers, covering AI applications, cybersecurity, 5G and connectivity, digital identity, cloud computing, and smart infrastructure. Connecta hosted 84 sessions focused on youth innovation and entertainment tech, while other areas showcased digital education initiatives and startup exhibitions.

17. African Startup Conference (Algiers, Algeria, December 6–8)

The fourth African Startup Conference brought together more than 25,000 participants from across Africa and beyond. The three‑day event ran under the theme “Raising African Champions,” convening entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem builders to explore how African startups can scale, compete globally, and contribute to economic growth.

Organised by the Algerian Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Startups, and Micro‑Enterprises, with support from Algeria Venture, the conference featured over 200 exhibitors, 150 investors, and more than 300 international experts showcasing solutions in fintech, AI, climate tech, creative industries, and enterprise applications.

The conference concluded with the Algiers Declaration, a commitment by ministers and ecosystem stakeholders to promote fair, secure, and responsible digital platforms across Africa.

18. Google Devfest (Lagos, Nigeria, November 18-22, 2025)

Google’s DevFest is an annual developer conference organised by Google Developers Groups (GDGs) across the world. The 2025 edition in Lagos featured over 100 speakers and tech professionals from across all stages of their careers. The first day featured a ‘student day’ for students and aspiring tech professionals; other tech categories, such as AI & cloud, Web 3 and design, were allocated to other days. 

On all five days, the event concluded with networking, an opportunity for tech enthusiasts to build community.

19. Tech in Ghana (Kumasi, Ghana, December 4-5)

Tech in Ghana, a UK-Ghana platform, held one edition of its annual conference on the African continent. Organised twice annually, in London and Accra, the conference seeks to empower the country’s tech talent to create impact on a global stage. The 2025 conference, held at the Jubilee Hall, Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, spanned over two days. 

The ‘Royal’ edition, which was one of its kind, took place at His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s Jubilee Hall to explore how traditional industries, including manufacturing, education, and agriculture, are evolving with cutting-edge technologies.

20. AfricArena Grand Summit (Cape Town, South Africa, December 2–3)

Acting as the grand finale of a year-long world tour, the AfricArena Grand Summit took place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Beginning with five hybrid events across four regions, acting as semi-finals to scout the continent’s top talent, it culminated in the Grand Summit in Cape Town on December 2–3, 2025. 

At the Grand summit, over 50 startups pitched over two days, from seed to growth-stage founders, paired with insights from the top minds shaping Africa’s tech and investment landscape. 

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As the great grandson of one of the last legendary Inuit storytellers, James Dommek Jr knew he had a good story. But he wasn’t sure it should be told.

It was a wild tale, blending a ‘modern-day Alaskan survival story’ with local legend and true crime. It had an attempted murder, mythical sprites and a man lured from his remote Alaskan home. 

But it also revealed some of his community’s sacred beliefs about sprites, or ‘Inukun’ that many thought should be kept secret. So, Dommek sought, and received, approval from the elders to proceed.

‘It’s just a different world in the north,’ said Dommek, speaking to the Daily Mail from his Anchorage home. ‘I don’t expect people from very metropolitan places to understand what I’m talking about, because I don’t think they’ve ever sat in true wilderness.’

James Dommek Jr, a Native Alaskan filmmaker, said he does not expect most people to believe his story of ‘Inukuns’, or Little People

Dommek’s story is set in the Brooks Range – a vast wilderness 500 miles north of Anchorage

Pictured: Eskimos at Cape Prince in Wales, Alaska in 1925

Dommek’s documentary, Blood and Myth, was released on Hulu this fall.

It describes how a celebrated local actor Teddy Kyle Smith was found near the cabin where his 74-year-old mother lay dead, in 2012, then ran off into the vast forest surrounding his hometown of Kiana, an Arctic Circle village of 400 people, 500 miles north of Anchorage.

Smith, 45 at the time, was known to have issues with alcohol, but insists to this day his mother died of natural causes.

Alone in the Alaskan wilds, he spent 10 days in the unforgiving terrain before encountering two hunters, who he shot and critically wounded. Arrested, Smith told police the Inukun made him to do it – and claimed he had seen them with his own eyes.

‘I finally got to see them,’ he said during his interrogation. ‘There was a lot of them out there.’

Smith told the police: ‘I didn’t want to shoot them. I had to go along with what they wanted me to do.’

The officer asked: ‘Who’s that?’

‘The wild people out there,’ Smith replied.

Teddy Kyle Smith was arrested and charged with attempting to kill two hunters in 2012

An ‘Inukshuk’, or cairn, created by Inupiat in Alaska. The land is dotted with the arrangements

Dommek believes him. And he believes in the Inukun, or ‘Little People’, as they are otherwise known. Since making the film, he has been inundated with calls and messages from others who claim, like Smith, to have actually encountered the Inukun, but have been too scared or embarrassed to admit it.

‘I’ve had so many people reach out to me – respectable, sane, intelligent, college-educated people – who have said, I’ve had this encounter, I’ve never been able to talk about it, I don’t want to lose my job, don’t use my name,’ said Dommek. ‘They’ve sent me photos.’

One particular photo, shown to the Daily Mail on the agreement not to publish it, shows a small spec of a creature in otherwise empty tundra. Dommek said it was sent to him by a family of Inupiaq, as his tribe is called, who spotted the strange sight while on their annual month-long caribou hunt in the far reaches of the Brooks Range, and took a photo with their iPhone through their rifle scope.

Dommek also spent years researching historical accounts of Inukun sightings, catalogued by outsiders who could not believe their own eyes. Europeans, lured by whaling and gold prospecting, did not arrive in Inupiaq land until the late 1880s, and to this day the region remains one of the least understood and documented of all the US.

‘I found these journals from missionaries, who are talking about the Inukun in the late 1800s,’ said Dommek. ‘I’m finding these accounts of white bush pilots who are flying these little planes. They land in the village, and they say, I saw something I can’t explain. There’s even military accounts of having encounters with, in their words, little wild men in the hills, shooting arrows at us.

‘And so my thing is: They all can’t be lying.’

Dommek, after years of trying, finally gets Smith to speak to him inside Wasilla prison

The Franklin Mountains, part of the Brooks Range, are pictured: where the Inukun may live

For over 10,000 years before the first Europeans arrived, Native Alaskan people – and their Inuit cousins in Canada, Greenland and Siberia – have told stories of the Inukun.

Known by different names among different tribes, the Inukun, as the Inupiaq call them, are said to live in cave dwellings in extremely remote reaches of the territory, but occasionally interact with modern humans. 

Some claim they possess superhuman strength, and the ability to move at lightning speed. Dommek was told they are ‘shorter than a bow’ – around four feet tall.

Pygmy tribes are well documented in central Africa: a letter written by an Egyptian Pharoah, Pepi II, in 2276 BC referenced a ‘dancing dwarf of the god from the land of spirits’, and a 2016 study by researchers from University College London, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Malaga concluded that around 920,000 live across nine countries.

Most pygmy men are around 4ft 9 tall while the women are around three inches shorter according to an Italian geneticist, Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza, who spent time in the Congo Basin in the 1960s.

Dommek, for his documentary, spoke to a tribal liaison officer, Mary Black, who was helping federal Bureau of Land Management officials survey the Brooks Range for a possible new road through the area. She says she and two colleagues saw from their helicopter evidence of Inukun residences, and told the team to turn back and leave them alone – fearing the fate of uncontacted tribes in the Amazon. She refuses to say where exactly the spot was.

Dommek doesn’t worry about hoardes of tourists turning up in Kiana, hoping to catch sight of the Inukun. For one thing, he said, it’s extremely remote and expensive to get to. For another, most people would die while wandering the wilderness.

His film, he insisted, is not to convince anyone of the Inukun’s existence – even though he himself is certain. It is more to open people’s eyes to Native stories, and storytellers.

And it is bordering on arrogance, Dommek says, for us to assume everyone looks the same.

‘It almost is a genetic memory of our culture,’ he said. ‘Because at one point on this earth, there were things that were like us, but not us. I’m talking about Denisovian, I’m talking about Neanderthals.

‘A lot of the belief depends on materialism. You need material evidence. That is the Western model: I’ll believe it when I see it. The Indigenous mindset is different. We realize that there are parts of this world we do not understand all the way.

‘And we allow for that mystery.’

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By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR

Published: 20:54 GMT, 25 December 2025 | Updated: 20:54 GMT, 25 December 2025

 Is there anything more annoying than a ‘know-it-all’ who thinks they’re a wine expert?

While you’re happily sipping your merlot, they might insist they can taste hints of pepper, plum or even pencil shavings in their glass.

But they likely have no clue what they’re talking about, scientists have revealed.

A study has found that novice wine reviewers tend to have high levels of confidence, which then dip when they actually start to properly learn about vino.

Researchers looked at wine reviews from an online website and followed around 30,000 users through each tasting note that they posted online between 2003 and 2012.

They tracked descriptive terms and measured confidence via the language used.

Analysis revealed that as people gained more experience drinking wine, they tended to waver in their assertions.

While they started off being sure of their tasting notes, over time their language began to dip in confidence, integrating phrases like ‘I’m not sure’ or ‘It could be’.

A study has found that novice wine reviewers tend to have high levels of confidence, which then dip when they actually start to properly learn about vino

 ‘They start to realise, ‘This is more complex, more nuanced than I thought’,’ author Matt Rocklage, from Northeastern University in Boston, said.

‘There are more things I need to know than I thought I needed to know. That’s when you see language start to dip in confidence.’

Eventually, that confidence ‘rebounds’ and people started to use more definitive language like ‘I definitely taste this’, he explained.

So, unless they’re a certified connoisseur, it’s likely your ‘expert’ friend is calling your bluff.

The study was published in the Journal of Marketing Research.

‘There is a U-shaped relationship between experience and confidence,’ the researchers wrote. 

‘While gaining initial experiences decreases confidence, eventually, with more experience, confidence rebounds.’

The team said they also observed the same U-shaped confidence trajectory among consumers of beer and cosmetics.

You might have a friend who claims to know a lot about wine – but unless they’re a connoisseur it’s likely their confidence is misplaced, experts revealed (stock image)

Earlier this year, an expert warned it’s only safe to drink one glass of wine every 12 months. 

The human body can only safely consume one ‘large’ glass of wine every year because it is too ‘toxic’, according to Professor David Nutt, a leading drug researcher at Imperial College London.

He says that if alcohol was invented today it would fail modern food safety standards because of how harmful it is to our bodies.

Studies on the toxicology of alcohol – the adverse effects chemicals have on living organisms – reveal that the ‘maximal recommended amount’ per year is just one large glass of wine, according to the expert. 

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO TASTE WINE PROPERLY?

When it comes to drinking wine, there a few things that can make all the difference.

Australian wine-connoisseur Caitlyn Rees offers how to taste wines like an expert

Step 1: See

Before you even down that first sip, you first need to take a look at the wine in your glass.

‘See refers to the appearance of the wine. This is where you can check the clarity, intensity and colour.

‘If the wine is hazy it could be faulty but more likely unfiltered.’

Step 2: Swirl

You’ve probably seen wine drinkers swirl the wine in their glass before taking a sip.

The reason is to allowed the wine to ‘open up’ and reveal the maximum amount of aroma, flavour and intensity.

‘Swirling releases the aroma particles that make the next step, smell, more helpful.’

Step 3: Smell

Smelling wine serves two purposes. It helps you detect scents and flavours as well as providing a way to check for faults.

Step 4: Sip and savour

Once you’ve taken in the full aroma of the wine, now it’s time to sip.

Step 5: Spit or swallow

Unless the wine you are tasting has gone bad, the final step in the process of wine tasting is to swallow.

The trick though isn’t to gulp it down.

It’s more to let it drift down over the back of your tongue to allow your taste buds to pick up the intensity of the flavour. 

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Got a ‘know-it-all’ friend? Wine show-offs are likely complete novices when it comes to tasting, study reveals

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The identities of the Three Wise Men may have finally been revealed by a biblical researcher who claims they may not have been three kings from the East after all.

Research by the Associates for Biblical Research has come to the conclusion that the Three Wise Men, who were written to have followed a star to the birth of Jesus, were most likely priests or astrologers who served in an ancient Middle East kingdom.

The Bible never named them or confirmed there were actually three travelers, but the details suggesting that the Three Kings, or magi, brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were added centuries later through Christian stories and traditions.

In a recent YouTube video, researcher Bryan Windle explained that the word magi actually may have meant magician, and only appeared in the Gospel of Matthew, one of the four biographical accounts of Jesus’ life in the Christian Bible.

‘That word Wise Man is often used in modern translations. Magi is maybe the older word we use,’ Windle said.

Windle added that the supposed kings were left unnamed in Matthew’s gospel, with their alleged names coming from a fifth century Armenian text, which suggested they were Melkon, King of Persia; Kaspar, King of India; and Balthasar, King of Arabia.

After reexamining the Bible and comparing it to historical records of the time, Windle believed the Three Wise Men were likely advisors who served in one of the ancient kingdoms that sat in the modern-day Middle East.

Biblical scholars have suggested that they could have either been from the court of the Nabatean kingdom, an ancient Arab kingdom covering modern-day Jordan, Syria, and nearby areas southeast of Jesus’ birthplace, or to the east in the Parthian Empire in modern-day Iran.

The Adoration of the magi by Georg Pencz, painted in the 16th century: Many of the details we associate with the Three Wise Men come from post-Gospel texts

A carving from Persepolis shows King Darius on the throne with Xerxes standing behind him and a magi behind Xerxes

Windle said that there are clues in the Gospel of Matthew, which may include parts of the story that came directly from Mary, the mother of Jesus.

In the Gospel of Matthew, it states: ‘After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’

‘When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they knelt and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.’

Wilder noted that the biblical text did not specify that there were three magi, just that they came from the east and left three gifts to honor Jesus’ birth. Some have suggested they were Babylonians, Persian priests, or even Chinese mystics.

However, Wilder explained that the Babylonian astrologer or Persian priest theory would be ‘out of sync’ with what we know of history at the time, as both empires had already ended by the time of Jesus’s birth.

Historical texts have also suggested that the word ‘Magi’ may have been also used as an ethnic term, not just a word for ancient priests and magicians.

Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian from the fifth century BCE, wrote: ‘Deioces, then, united the Median nation by itself and ruled it. The Median tribes are these: the Busae, the Paretaceni, the Struchates, the Arizanti, the Budii, and the Magi. Their tribes are this many.’

In the episode entitled Who Were The Magi? Digging for Truth, Wilder said the meaning may have shifted so that it referred to an order of Persian priests, who started from the tribe of the magi and then became priests.

The Adoration of the Kings is a large oil-on-oak painting by Jan Gossaert in 1510 AD which featured the magi

Xenophon, another ancient Greek historian and soldier from the fourth century BCE, wrote that the founder of the vast Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great, would call upon the magi to perform sacrifices before battle.

By the time of the New Testament, the word had become generally used for magicians of any kind, and various New Testament texts refer to magi, with early Christian missionaries Paul and Barnabas encountering magi in the New Testament book of Acts.

‘Scholars believe the magi came from the area of ancient Babylon or Persia that was now under Parthian control when Christ was born. This would satisfy the criteria of the magi coming from the east,’ Windle said.

Adding to the possibility that the Three Wise Men came from the kingdom of Nabatea, Windle noted that King Herod’s mother was Nabatean, and Nabateans traveled considerable distances, so they would have had a grasp of astrology.

They were also renowned traders who traded frankincense and myrrh, making the case that they were priests or astrologers who served as ‘wise men’ in territories once held by the Babylonians and Persians.

However, this assumes magi still held honored roles in the Parthian courts that their caste had earlier filled for the Persian kings.

‘I also believe the idea of Nabataean magi has merit and needs to be studied in further detail,’ Windle concluded.

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After 33 years, Bernardo Quintero decided it was time to find the person who changed his life — the anonymous programmer who created a computer virus that had infected his university decades earlier.

The virus, called Virus Málaga, was mostly harmless. But the challenge of defeating it sparked Quintero’s passion for cybersecurity, eventually leading him to found VirusTotal, a startup that Google acquired in 2012. That acquisition brought Google’s flagship European cybersecurity center to Málaga, transforming the Spanish city into a tech hub.

All because of a small malware program created by someone whose identity Quintero had never known.
Moved by nostalgia and gratitude, Quintero launched a search earlier this year. He asked Spanish media outlets to amplify his quest for tips. He dove back into the virus’s code, looking for clues his 18-year-old self might have missed. And he eventually solved the mystery, sharing the bittersweet resolution in a LinkedIn post that went viral.

The story begins in 1992, when a young Quintero was prompted by a teacher to create an antivirus for the 2610-byte program that had spread across the computers of Málaga’s Polytechnic School. “That challenge in my first year at university sparked a deep interest in computer viruses and security, and without it my path might have been very different,” Quintero told TechCrunch.

Quintero’s search was aided by his programmer instincts. Earlier this year, he stepped down from his team manager role to “go back to the cave, to the basement of Google.” He didn’t leave the company; instead, he went back to tinkering and experimenting without managerial duties.

That tinkering mindset also led him to reexamine Virus Málaga and look for details that his 18-year-old self would have missed. First, he found fragments of a signature, but thanks to another security expert, he discovered a later variant of the virus with a much clearer cue: “KIKESOYYO.” “Kike soy yo” would translate to “I am Kike,” a common nickname for “Enrique.” 

Around the same time, Quintero received a direct message from a man who is now the general digital transformation coordinator for the Spanish city of Cordoba and who claimed he witnessed one of his Polytechnic School classmates created the virus. Many details added up, but one stood out in particular: he knew that the virus’s hidden message — called a payload, in cybersecurity terms — was a statement condemning the Basque terrorist group ETA, a fact that Quintero had never disclosed.

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The tipster then gave Quintero a name — Antonio Astorga — but also shared the news that he had passed away. 

This hit Quintero like a ton of bricks; now, he would never be able to ask Antonio about “Kike.” But he kept following the thread, and the plot twist came from Antonio’s sister, who revealed that his first name was actually Antonio Enrique. To his family, he was Kike.

Cancer took away Antonio Enrique Astorga before Quintero could thank him in person, but the story doesn’t stop here. Quintero’s LinkedIn post sheds new light to the legacy of “a brilliant colleague who deserves to be recognized as a pioneer of cybersecurity in Málaga” — and not just for helping Quintero discover his vocation.

According to his friend, Astorga’s virus had no other goal than spreading his anti-terrorist message and proving himself as a programmer. Mirroring Quintero’s path, Astorga’s interest in IT endured, and he became a computing teacher at a secondary school that named its IT classroom after him in his memory. 

Astorga’s legacy also lives on beyond these walls, and not just through his students. One of his sons, Sergio, is a recent software engineering graduate with an interest in cybersecurity and quantum computing — a meaningful connection for Quintero. “Being able to close that circle now, and to see new generations building on it, is deeply meaningful to me,” Quintero said.

For Quintero, who suspects their paths will cross again, Sergio is “very representative of the talent being formed in Málaga today.” This, in turn, is a result of VirusTotal forming the root of what eventually became the Google Safety Engineering Center (GSEC) and spearheading collaborations with the University of Málaga that made the city a true cybersecurity talent hub.

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Italy has stepped in to challenge Meta over how it controls AI access on WhatsApp. The country’s competition watchdog has ordered Meta to temporarily suspend a policy that blocks rival AI chatbots from operating through WhatsApp’s business tools, arguing that the move could harm competition in the fast-growing AI market.

The order comes from Italy’s Competition Authority (AGCM), which says Meta may be abusing its dominant position by giving its own Meta AI chatbot preferential treatment inside WhatsApp, while shutting the door on competitors.

According to the AGCM, Meta’s policy could restrict innovation and limit market access for other AI chatbot providers. In its words, the restriction may reduce “production, market access, or technical developments” in AI chatbot services, ultimately hurting consumers.

More importantly, the authority believes the damage could be immediate and difficult to reverse. While the broader investigation continues, Italy says allowing Meta’s policy to stand could weaken competition in a market that’s still taking shape one where early advantages can define long-term winners.

WhatsApp now lets you reply to missed calls with voice or video notes

The change reflects WhatsApp’s broader push to smooth everyday communication when real-time calls don’t connect.

The issue traces back to October, when Meta updated WhatsApp’s Business API rules. The new policy bans general-purpose AI chatbots from being offered on WhatsApp via the API. That means services like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity would no longer be accessible through WhatsApp’s official business tools starting in January.

Meta has drawn a clear line between customer service bots and general AI assistants. Businesses can still use AI to respond to customers or automate support. What’s not allowed, under the new rules, is using WhatsApp as a distribution channel for standalone AI chatbots that compete directly with Meta AI.

From Meta’s perspective, WhatsApp isn’t meant to function as an AI marketplace. The company argues that its systems weren’t built to support large-scale chatbot distribution and that AI companies already have plenty of other ways to reach users through apps, websites, and partnerships.

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Italy isn’t alone in raising concerns. Earlier this month, the European Commission opened its own investigation into Meta’s WhatsApp policy, questioning whether it unfairly blocks third-party AI providers across the European Economic Area.

That puts Meta in a familiar position: defending its platform decisions against regulators who believe its scale gives it too much power over emerging markets—this time, AI.

Meta has already said it plans to appeal Italy’s decision, calling the ruling “fundamentally flawed” and rejecting the idea that WhatsApp should be treated like an app store for AI services.

The Takeaway

This clash highlights a growing tension in tech: who gets to control access as AI becomes embedded in everyday platforms. WhatsApp is one of the most widely used messaging apps in the world, and being locked out of it could significantly limit how rival AI chatbots reach users especially outside the U.S.

For regulators, the concern is about fairness and future competition. For Meta, it’s about system limits and protecting its ecosystem. How this plays out could shape not just WhatsApp’s role in AI, but also how much freedom big platforms have to favor their own tools in an increasingly AI-driven internet.

WhatsApp is finally coming to the Apple Watch after nearly a decade

You can now read, reply, and send voice notes on WhatsApp without ever touching your phone.

Updated

December 25, 2025

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It’s a dilemma faced by singletons around the world. 

Does someone actually fancy you, or are they just being polite? 

Now, scientists have revealed an easy way to find out – simply look closely at their eyes. 

According to Amanda Meyer and Monika Zimanyi, experts in anatomy at James Cook University, if someone is sexually aroused, their pupils will grow larger. 

‘In every other romance novel, enlarged pupils are commonly enlisted as imagery to indicate sexual arousal,’ the pair explained in an article for The Conversation.

‘And it’s not unusual to read advice online suggesting dilated pupils are a sure sign someone you like also likes you back.

‘But what does the science say?

‘In fact, it’s true: our pupils really do tend to grow large when we’re aroused.’

It’s a dilemma faced by singletons around the world. Does someone actually fancy you, or are they just being polite? Now, scientists have revealed an easy way to find out – simply look closely at their eyes (stock image)

The pupil is the black hole at the centre of the eye, which expands and contracts to let light reach the retina. 

‘The muscle around the edge of the pupil acts like a sphincter,’ the experts explained. 

‘When stimulated by the parasympathetic nervous system (sometimes known as the “rest and digest” system), it contracts to close down the pupil.

‘On the outside of the sphincter, another muscle acts like the springs holding the trampoline mat.

‘When stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight or flight” system), it shortens to enlarge the pupil.’

Your pupils usually dilate in response to six triggers, dubbed the ‘six fs’.

These are: fight, flee, feed, fornicate, get a ‘fix’ (of illicit drugs), or focus. 

However, how your pupils respond to someone you fancy will depend on your gender. 

According to Amanda Meyer and Monika Zimanyi, experts in anatomy at James Cook University, if someone is sexually aroused, their pupils will grow larger (stock image)

The researchers cite a 2021 study, which found that men’s pupils dilate strictly according to their sexual preferences, while women’s pupils dilate more variably. 

For example, in response to erotic images of women, heterosexual men’s pupils get bigger, while homosexual men’s eyes respond to erotic images of men. 

However, women are more complicated. 

‘Lesbian women’s pupils also dilated more in response to erotic imagery of men, and heterosexual women’s pupils dilated for erotic imagery of men and women,’ the experts added. 

According to the pair, what might be more important than your date’s pupils dilating is how your eyes act in response. 

‘Pupil dilation synchrony between people has been linked to better teamwork and mutual attraction, reflecting shared arousal states,’ they explained.

‘This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as “pupil mimicry” or “pupil contagion”, aligns with other autonomic synchronisations such as heart rate.

‘It all goes to show that so much of connection and attraction is subconscious.’

However, the researchers emphasise that the context of the encounter is crucial to consider before you jump to any conclusions. 

They added: ‘It is crucial to emphasise pupil dilation doesn’t automatically mean someone is aroused. 

‘Anticipation of rewards, emotional conflict, and processing of emotionally charged stimuli – such as scary movies or certain trigger sounds – also lead to increased pupil size.’

HOW DOES THE PUPIL WORK?

The pupil is the opening in the centre of the iris (the structure that gives our eyes their colour). 

The function of the pupil is to allow light to enter the eye where it is then focused on the retina.   

The black colour of the pupil is because light that passes through it and is then absorbed by the retina – meaning no light is reflected.   

The size of the pupil and how much light enters it is controlled by muscles in the iris.

One muscle constricts the pupil opening and another iris muscle dilates the pupil.  

In low-light conditions, the pupil dilates so more light can reach the retina to improve night vision. 

In bright conditions, the pupil constricts to limit how much light enters the eye.

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For most of the AI boom, Nvidia has been a clear winner. Its GPUs have become the default hardware powering large language models. But over the last few years, a problem has been surfacing throughout the industry: inference, the step where an AI generates responses in real time, was proving slower, more expensive, and more power-hungry than expected.

For consumers, this bottleneck shows up as laggy AI assistants, higher subscription prices, and tools that work well in demos but struggle at scale.

How Groq Entered the Picture

This is where Groq, a startup chip maker, entered the picture. Early this month, reports had surfaced that Nvidia had agreed to pay about $20 billion in cash to buy key assets from Groq. Officially, Nvidia had labelled this deal as a non-exclusive licensing agreement and not as an acquisition.

This means Groq will continue as an independent company, but the arrangement comes with caveats: Groq founder Jonathan Ross, its president, senior engineers, and the company’s core inference technology are set to be folded into Nvidia’s platform.

Rather than allow Groq to become a potential rival in the future, Nvidia chose to pull Groq’s strongest ideas and talent inside the tent.

Why Nvidia Is Fixated on Inference

GPUs remain central to Nvidia’s strategy, but inference is now the bottleneck holding AI companies back. Jensen Huang framed the deal internally as a way to extend Nvidia’s “AI factory” to support more real-time workloads. In practice, it ensures that customers looking for faster inference won’t need to leave Nvidia’s ecosystem to get it.

For everyday users, this is about whether AI features feel instant or frustrating. Faster inference means chatbots that respond immediately, image tools that don’t stall, and productivity apps that don’t burn through battery life or data.

A Quiet Strategy Taking Shape

This follows a pattern of what Nvidia has been doing across the AI landscape. Instead of buying entire companies and triggering regulatory scrutiny, it’s licensing technology, hiring founders, and tightening its grip quietly. The Enfabrica deal earlier this year followed the same script. So have similar talent-driven moves by Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

On the surface, nothing changes for users. Under the hood, however, more of the AI products people use are being routed through the same few platforms.

What Developers Gain — And What Users Risk Losing

For developers, the upside is simplicity. One dominant platform, fewer hard bets. The downside is concentration. Groq’s ideas live on, but no longer as an independent pressure on the market.

For consumers, that concentration could decide how expensive AI tools become, how fast features roll out, and how much choice remains in the ecosystem.

The Bigger Signal

Long-term, this deal signals where the AI race is headed. Training grabs headlines. Inference decides who actually ships usable products. NVIDIA knows that, and it’s moving early to make sure even its most promising challengers end up reinforcing its lead.

And for the people using AI every day, that could shape not just how smart their tools are — but how affordable, responsive, and accessible they become.

Nvidia in talks to acquire Israeli AI platform Run:ai for close to $1 billion

Nvidia plans to use Run:ai’s orchestration and virtualization software layer technology to ensure its AI chips function more optimally and effectively.

Updated

December 25, 2025

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PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC
Have you ever wanted to romance your record player? Date Everything! offers players the chance to develop relationships with everyday objects around your house, in a fully voiced sandbox romp featuring over 100 anthropomorphised characters. Wonderfully meta; you can put the moves on the textbox, or even “Michael Transaction” (microtransaction – get it?) himself. Meghan Ellis

Sorry We’re Closed

PS4/5, Xbox, Switch, PC
A raucous debut by indie studio à la mode games, Sorry We’re Closed is a survival horror where the monster is love and the dungeon is a dingy London neighbourhood. Fight demons, fend off unwanted admirers and survive work shifts in this queer, neon homage to 1990s PlayStation-era horror. ME

Clues by Sam

Web browser
The trick of this daily logic puzzle is that you can’t guess, or make wrong answers. Presented with a grid of characters, you must identify the “innocent” and the “criminal” based on clues revealed with each correct answer. But the game will only accept an answer if it’s sure you know it for a fact. An idealistic vision of a criminal justice system. Duncan Fyfe

Blippo+

Switch, Playdate, PC
Blippo+ is a channel surfing simulator that rides the line between video game and absurd cable subscription service. Experienced entirely by trawling through the interface of a virtual TV guide, you can tune into intergalactic music videos, curious cooking shows, and psychic weather reports, learning an alien culture through charming live-action skits that evoke the sketch comedy of Tim and Eric. Sarah Thwaites

Out of this world … Blippo+. Photograph: Panic

Stray Children

Switch, PC
A sequel in all but name to Love-de-Lic’s 1997 role-playing game satire Moon, Stray Children is a monster-taming adventure where you whisper away the worries of troubled “Olders” that have come to dominate the inhabitants of an unfinished video game. Finessed by a crunchy pixel art style and a combat system inspired by Undertale, this nostalgic odyssey will pull on your heartstrings while testing your reflexes at the same time. ST

BALL x PIT

PS5, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2, PC
A fiendish, almost cruelly addictive mashup of Vampire Survivors-esque monster horde control and Breakout-style ball-bouncing. Descend into a pit full of demons and shoot a continuous stream of richocheting, burning, poisonous and otherwise deadly balls at them until the screen is just a brain-melting confusion of visual effects. Keza MacDonald

To a T

PS5, Xbox, PC
You are a cheerful pubescent boy with a unique problem: your arms are stuck out in a T-pose. How do you navigate school, family, friendships and brushing your teeth when you can’t bend your arms? A sweet, family friendly slice-of-life physical comedy game with an unexpectedly affecting message, and excellent songs sung by a gourmand giraffe. KM

PS5, Xbox, PC
Just a chill bike-racing game where your ride is possessed by an ancient speed spirit. Wheel around a soothingly minimalist island of cycling obsessives, picking up new swappable bike parts and blasting past local gangs of racers on downhill courses. Uncomplicated, good looking and thoughtfully put together. KM

A wheely good time … Wheel World. Photograph: Annapurna Interactive

The Drifter

PC
Powerhoof’s excellent pixelated point-and-click game teases its dystopian plot throughout, mixing influences such as The Thing, Michael Crichton’s Coma and Total Recall. It’s an intriguing mix: combined with a heartfelt story full of painful human emotions and some fantastic audio, it’s a tense yet warming tale, guaranteed to coil its way around your heart. Graeme Mason

Xbox, PC
While the combat mechanics are familiar, it’s South of Midnight’s evocative backdrop that marks it apart. Set in an overgrown and misty American deep south, it stars Hazel, a young woman thrust into the aftermath of a hurricane and forced to battle the evil manifestations of deep-rooted sorrows. Beautiful and engaging, its soundtrack is also wonderful, perfectly complementing the uncanny scenery. GM

PC
Your task is simple in the brilliantly silly Skin Deep: save a bunch of talking cats from marauding space pirates. The execution is anything but as you crouch in vents, pull glass from your feet, and deploy sneezing powder and slippery soap bars to incapacitate your foes. Like Metal Gear Solid meets a Looney Tunes cartoon, the pleasure here lies in pushing the game’s miniature sandboxes to their slapstick limit. Lewis Gordon

Out of the bag … Skin Deep. Photograph: Annapurna Interactive

PS5, PC
Casting you as a knight with a hoverboard, Sword of the Sea is a mystical journey through a desert which roils like an ocean. You pull grab tricks and get big air on cresting dunes, but the greater enjoyment stems from simply soaking up the game’s breathtaking, nature-infused landscapes at high speed. A gorgeously dreamy, new age take on extreme sport. LG

The Roottrees Are Dead

PC
If ancestry.com has yet to reveal your hidden royal lineage, try digging into the Roottree clan instead. Armed with a 1998 web browser, you have to deduce the loves, losses and lies of a sprawling candy dynasty (no relation to Rowntree). A compelling blend of Her Story and Who Do You Think You Are? Matthew Castle

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

PS4/5, Xbox, Switch, Switch 2, PC
Shakespearean dialogue, bruising boss battles and a tale steeped in class struggle make this a refreshingly different Final Fantasy. As you command a troupe of society’s most downtrodden, excellent voice acting lends this once silent PlayStation 1 game new life. As rewarding to play as it is affecting, in 2025, Yasumi Matsuno’s tale of inequality and division has never felt more relevant. Tom Regan

Absolum

PS4/5, Switch, PC
Combining the best parts of Hades with the immediacy of Streets of Rage, this colourful co-operative caper is an endless delight. As you roam Talamh’s lived-in fantasy world, this roguelike rewards you with satisfying new powers and beguiling side quests. With precise combat and varied movesets, Absolum adds some much-needed depth to the oft shallow beat ’em up genre. A co-op classic. TR

Promise Mascot Agency

PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC
If the prospect of a disgraced mobster tooling around small-town Japan accompanied by a giant depraved thumb doesn’t intrigue you, keep moving. But give Promise Mascot Agency some time and you’ll discover this compact open-world adventure is filled with chaotic charm. At its heart it’s a story of redemption, as you manage a gang of weirdo mascots and restore a dilapidated community, all while driving the best pickup truck in any video game. Christian Donlan

Eternal Strands

PS5, Xbox, PC
Here’s a fantasy role-playing game that’s happy to embrace elemental powers, even if it leads to pinwheeling chaos. In a world where fire attacks can spread uncontrollably and ice can lead to giant dragons dropping out of the sky as their wings freeze up, this colourful piece of whimsy offers fun that genuinely scales to your own imagination. CD

Elemental … Eternal Strands. Photograph: PR

Lushfoil Photography Sim

PS5, Xbox, PC
Matt Newell’s hymn to photography is also a gorgeous investigation into the creative power of solitude and of paying attention to your surroundings. Learn your way around a beautifully simulated digital camera, but also explore the visual potential of a range of exquisitely crafted 3D landscapes. There are no puzzles and not much in the way of scoring, just you and your ever-developing eye. CD

PS5, Xbox, PC
A football game that’s closer to the likes of Rocket League than it is Fifa, Rematch has you feeling as if you’re playing an actual match of five-a-side: developer Sloclap have utterly mastered the sensation and pace of charging up a field and passing between your mates before knocking the ball into the back of the net. Daniella Lucas

PS5, PC
Proof that love and hate can be two sides of the same coin, this ridiculous adventure has you taking control of a grown man in a onesie trying to remember how to walk. You have to separately control each of your legs over a series of obstacles that lead to some absurdly funny moments, but equally has you kneeling in despair as you fall, yet again, off a wooden plank while trying to get a stupid hat. Worth it though. DL

Baby Steps. Photograph: Devolver Digital

While Waiting

Switch, PC
A game all about slowing life down, While Waiting takes mundane situations – from breaking down in your car to waiting for a delayed train – and gives you multiple choices on how to handle them. Due to the way it rewards experimentation, and squeezing the fun out of everyday moments, While Waiting has taught me how to be more patient – and that wasting time by fiddling around with things is the key to a healthy life-balance. Thomas Hobbs

Strange Antiquities

Switch, PC
One for the Halloween-loving girlies and ghoulies, this companion to Strange Horticulture has you dealing in occult objects rather than plants. Explore gothic Cumbrian locales to find artefacts, identify them via vague tomes, solve puzzles and occasionally divert the plot by giving a customer something other than what they wanted. Jordan Erica Webber

Shop of horrors … Strange Antiquities. Photograph: Iceberg interactive

Old Skies

Switch, PC
Developer Wadjet Eye keeps the point-and-click adventure genre alive in an apt tale of time-travelling tourism. As punters pay to revisit lost loves and settle scores, it’s your job to protect the timeline. From a timeloop farce to an urgent visit to pre-9/11 New York, Old Skies unfolds like a short story anthology. A surprise on every page. MC

Is This Seat Taken?

Switch, PC, iOS, Android
Sudoku meets speed dating. This charming puzzle game sees you play matchmaker via seating plans, seating cute little characters together based on their hilarious pet peeves and preferences in a host of fun settings. Its puzzles are cosy, relaxing and never frustrating. Bex April May

Look Outside

PC
What if your friendly neighbourhood turned into a waking nightmare? That’s the premise of this RPG-style survival horror set in an apartment complex where unspeakable horrors are going on right outside your window – but whatever you do, you mustn’t look at them, or you risk mutating like your poor, revolting neighbours. Best enjoyed with the curtains drawn. BAM

Deltarune

PS4/5, Switch, Switch 2, PC
From its tongue-in-cheek writing to its ridiculous creatures, Toby Fox’s episodic role-playing game is charming and witty. Like Undertale before it, Deltarune flips the genre on its head with humour and heart, leaving you itching for more. (The game’s next chapter isn’t until the second half of 2026 at the earliest.) We dare you not to crack a smile at this one. Vic Hood

Luto

PS5, Xbox, PC
This psychological horror immediately tells you what to expect: “This is a story about death.” As Sam, you attempt to escape your home, an increasingly twisted labyrinth of puzzles and memories. Channelling the unsettling atmosphere of Hideo Kojima’s PT, Luto delivers a powerful message about grief and life after loss. VH

PS5, Switch, PC
You play as a fly in Time Flies, buzzing around different environments – a home or a museum, for instance – doing fly things, such as tickling people’s feet or avoiding lightbulbs. The time you have to complete the fly’s bucket list depends on your actual location, leaving just minutes or seconds to get everything done. Who knew speedrunning a fly’s life could be so delightful? Nicole Carpenter

When you’re having fun … Time Flies. Photograph: Playables / Panic

And Roger

Switch, PC
And Roger is disorienting, devastating and one of the most emotional games to be released this year. From developer TearyHand Studio, And Roger’s evocative story and simple-yet-distinct art is reminiscent of Mountains’ 2018 release Florence. Within three chapters, a mystery unfolds: Who is this man in the house? Where’s my father? The answers reveal a tragic, beautiful story of love and family. NC

Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To

Xbox, PC
Soft Not Weak’s Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To is a visual novel, dating simulator, and match-three game all in one. While it’s driven by its classic puzzle gameplay,this is a masterclass in characters and character design: Each individual you meetis just as interesting and well-developed as the last. It’s a must-play for both puzzle fanatics and visual novel lovers. NC

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British children are unknowingly incorporating ‘Americanisms’ into their vocabulary, experts from language learning app Preply have revealed. 

From ‘period’ to ‘for real’, these words and phrases are hugely popular across the pond. 

Now, they’re becoming mainstream in classrooms across the UK, thanks to American TV shows, YouTube channels, and video games. 

‘The expansion of the English language is a natural part of how vocabulary evolves. Right now, American media dominates much of what children consume,’ explained the experts at Preply. 

‘From popular Netflix shows like Cocomelon to YouTube channels such as MrBeast and games like Fortnite and Minecraft, which bring together players from around the world, children are constantly exposed to American slang and humour. 

‘This exposure is likely why so many are adopting certain words into their everyday speech.’

If you hear your child spouting these Americanisms, there’s no need to panic – the experts reassure these changes are ‘usually temporary and harmless’. 

So, how many of these US words and phrases do you know the British equivalent of?

British children are unknowingly incorporating ‘Americanisms’ into their vocabulary, experts from language learning app Preply have revealed

Preply highlights several of the most common Americanisms creeping into British children’s vocabulary. 

‘Period’ is typically used to show finality or to end a discussion. 

For example, you might hear your child saying something like: ‘No, I’m not tidying my room, period.’

The closest British equivalent would be ‘end of’, according to Preply. 

‘I’m good’ is often used as a polite refusal, in place of ‘no thanks’. 

Meanwhile, ‘my bad’ is typically used to admit responsibility or to apologise for a mistake. 

Finally, ‘for real’ is a term usually used in American English to express sincerity or surprise. 

‘”You had teeth out? For real?” in British English [would be] something like “are you serious?”.’ Preply’s experts said.  

When kids spend time watching American TV shows and YouTube channels, or playing American video games, they subconsciously begin to mirror what they hear (stock image)

Americanisms – and what they really mean

1. Period: Used to show finality or to end a discussion, meaning that’s it.
2. I’m good: Often used as a polite refusal, often instead of saying ‘no thanks’.
3. That’s on me/my bad: Used to admit responsibility or to apologise for a mistake.
4. For real: Used to express sincerity or surprise, similar to ‘really?’ or ‘seriously?’.
5. Quit it: Used to tell someone to stop doing something.

When kids spend time watching American TV shows and YouTube channels, or playing American video games, they subconsciously begin to mirror what they hear. 

This is through a process known as ‘linguistic convergence’, according to Preply. 

‘It happens when our brains adjust our speech and vocabulary to match the people we hear regularly,’ the experts explained. 

‘It is something humans have done for generations. It helps us feel accepted and part of a group.

‘For children, whose sense of belonging is still developing, this kind of language mirroring can be especially strong.’

While it might seem like your child is rejecting British English, the experts say this is not the case.    

‘It simply reflects the media they are surrounded by, much like how we all adapt to new environments,’ they added. 

Thankfully, the adoption Americanisms is usually only fleeting, and will likely fade away as their interests change. 

‘What is important to remember is that parents do not need to correct or tell children off for using Americanisms,’ the experts said. 

‘Instead, it helps to understand why these words are being used in place of what came before. 

‘We often see words fade from use because of shifts in culture or values, particularly in a modern, interconnected society where language changes all the time.

‘This is especially true with children’s exposure to social media and the slang they pick up. 

‘Young people are leading the way in how language evolves, and it is not something we can change or stop by simply telling them off for it.’

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If you tried logging into Fortnite on Christmas Eve and got hit with a wall of error messages instead of a Victory Royale, you’re not alone.

Fortnite is currently experiencing a major outage, with players across PlayStation 5, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch reporting widespread login failures. The issue is affecting gamers globally and has come at one of the worst possible times, peak holiday gaming hours.

Players are being blocked at the sign-in screen, receiving error messages like “An error occurred while connecting to Epic Servers” and “Unable to login to Fortnite Servers. Please try again later.” For many, that means no access to Battle Royale, Zero Build, Creative modes, or any in-game events at all.

According to outage-tracking platforms and community forums, reports began surging on Christmas Eve, with over 700 confirmed complaints within a short period. Epic Games has since acknowledged the problem on its Public Status page, confirming that its team is actively investigating an authentication failure impacting Epic Online Services (EOS) the system that handles logins across Epic’s ecosystem.

Fortnite returns to Google Play in the US after Epic wins key app store fight

Fortnite’s return means Android players finally get a simple, secure way to install the game after years of messy detours.

What’s actually happening

Players across all platforms console, PC, and mobile are experiencing the exact same issue, making it clear that this is a server-side failure, not a local device issue. While Fortnite’s core game servers seem to be operational, the login and authentication layer is where things are breaking down.

As a result, typical troubleshooting steps like restarting your console, power-cycling your router, clearing cache, or verifying game files on PC haven’t made any difference for most users.

Why this outage stings more than usual

This outage hits especially hard because it lands right in the middle of a holiday, when millions of players worldwide finally have time off school or work and are jumping online together.

Fortnite isn’t just a game at this point it’s a social space, an event platform, and for many people, a big part of their holiday plans. When the login doors close, entire communities are left hanging.

This isn’t the first time recently. Just days ago, on December 21, 2025, Fortnite and other Epic titles experienced similar authentication issues. Although that disruption was resolved, today’s problems suggest that the underlying infrastructure is still under heavy strain.

Fortnite is coming to Xbox PC Store

Players can now play fortnite games on Xbox using the Xbox Game Pass

What players can do right now

Unfortunately, there’s no instant fix until Epic resolves the issue on their end. However, players can stay informed and avoid making things worse by:

• Monitoring the Epic Games Status page and enabling notifications for real-time updates.
• Avoiding repeated login attempts, which can overload the authentication servers.
• Ensuring their internet connection and platform network services are stable. Console users should also perform a full power cycle.
• For PC and Mac users, verifying game files through the Epic Games Launcher.

Even with all that, the reality is that this outage will only be fixed once Epic stabilizes its authentication services.

Epic Games has confirmed its teams are actively working on the problem, though no official restoration time has been shared yet.

The Takeaway

This outage is a reminder of just how dependent modern gaming has become on centralised online infrastructure. When authentication systems fail, even the world’s biggest games grind to a halt no matter how powerful your console or how fast your internet is.

Until Epic fixes the authentication layer, Fortnite remains effectively offline for a huge part of its global community and on Christmas Eve of all days, that sting is especially real gamers.

How an AWS Outage Froze Gamers Out of Fortnite and Roblox

What happens when a few hours of downtime erases millions in revenue, and exposes just how dependent gaming is on a single cloud provider?

Updated

December 25, 2025

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In 2025, Nigerians used AI for far more than drafting emails or summarising PDFs. Chatbots became makeshift therapists, romantic intermediaries, and personal consultants.

As we wrap up the year, one thing is clear: while much of the world was worried about AI taking over jobs, Nigerians were teaching chatbots to navigate the treacherous waters of the “talking stage” and the fallout of heartbreak.

I spoke with seven Nigerians about the most ridiculous things they used AI for this year. Here’s what they told me.

The automated heartbreak recovery and emotional auditing

AI chatbots became a mirror for Lagos-based UI designer Obaloluwa Olaniyi’s fractured relationship, serving as a forensic tool to dissect past traumas.

“I used it to go through a heartbreak,” Olaniyi says, adding that AI helped run scenarios to identify “behaviours I was blind to see and [provided] advice on how to heal [without] repeating the same mistakes.”

This trend of emotional auditing wasn’t just for the post-mortem phase of a breakup. Mark*, a content editor, used AI as a moral compass during conflicts with his partner, relying on the technology for “soundboarding my relationship messages for empathy check.” 

To avoid being labelled a manipulator, Mark used AI as a check, ensuring his messages didn’t come off as offensive to his partner.

Victor Ilo, a public relations consultant, admitted to using AI for “therapy to heal from a relationship,” proving that, for many Nigerians, a prompt was more accessible, less intimidating (and maybe less expensive) than a traditional therapist’s couch.

The pivot toward digital intimacy is not localised but reflects a massive global shift in mental health care. The “AI-as-therapist” phenomenon ballooned into a multi-billion-dollar industry in 2025, with millions of users globally opting for the non-judgmental ear of a machine over human practitioners. In high-income countries, including the UK, the trend was driven by the prohibitive cost of private sessions, while in emerging markets, it was the sheer anonymity that appealed most. Digital companion apps and specialised therapy bots became the first line of defence for a generation grappling with loneliness, offering 24/7 availability that no human clinic could match. 

The most vulnerable conversations of a significant portion of the global population are now happening in a chat bubble. A 2025 study by Kantar, an AI-native marketing data and analytics business, which surveyed over 10,000 consumers across ten global markets, including South Africa, India, and the UK, revealed that 54% of global consumers have now used AI for at least one emotional or mental well-being purpose. 

Navigating the delicate art of the breakup

For many people, AI has become a strategic consultant for the most awkward social transition known to man: the death of the talking stage.

Ending a “talking stage” has always been a social minefield, particularly when the other person is genuinely kind. Product marketer Iyanu Hunye found herself in this exact predicament with a partner she described as a “nice guy and a softie.” Rather than ghosting or sending a blunt text, she outsourced the emotional labour to AI. 

“I wanted to break things up in a way that doesn’t invalidate his feelings,” she says. 

Using AI as a buffer for social awkwardness highlights a shift in how people communicate. People now use machines to ensure they remain humanely empathetic, even when we are checking out of a situation. 

For Chioma Nwandiko, a product designer, AI serves as a lie detector, asking it to “analyse a text” specifically to check for “any underlying manipulation,” effectively turning her smartphone into a digital shield against “red flags” in her interaction with people.

The suburban shaman for retail and aesthetics

Away from the drama of the heart, AI found a home in the mundane but essential tasks of personal grooming and consumerism. 

Nwandiko’s usage patterns suggest that AI has become the ultimate “bestie” for shopping and styling. She used the technology to “colour-code my hair if I want to mix extensions,” turning a complex visual task into a data-driven decision. 

AI was a highly specialised personal assistant for Nwandiko in 2025. She says she also took photos of two competing products to ask AI which was superior, and asked a bot to track down “random episodes of series I like when I want to binge watch.”

Academic shortcuts and the simulation of corporate excellence

Of course, the professional and academic spaces were not left out. David Idam, an IT support specialist, took a group work to its logical automated conclusion by “writing a full term paper for my whole group using Claude,” a move that likely saved dozens of hours of collaborative friction.

Idam’s AI use mirrors a nationwide explosion in AI adoption. In Nigeria, Google Search data from late 2025 revealed that searches for “AI + studying” surged by over 200% compared to the previous year, with interest in “AI + Chemistry” and “AI + Maths” leading the charge.

Nigerian students are using AI for academic tasks, ranging from simplifying complex jargon to generating complete project drafts. This has raised concerns in the academic community, evidenced by a 290% increase in searches for “AI detection” by worried lecturers. As a result, Nigerian universities like UNILAG made moves earlier in the year to draft formal “Ethical AI” policies as faculty reported a sharp rise in plagiarism. 

In the professional world, the desire to project high-level competence led Tope*, a corporate communications officer, to transform a chatbot into an elite advisor. He used AI to “act as a MBB management consultant, used to describe the three top-tier strategy consulting firms: McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, and Boston Consulting Group. Tope used AI to deliver a “detailed project management plan for a website revamp project.” 

AI use in the workforce and corporate space has had quite the impact: A World Economic Forum report shows that while AI has automated 30% of routine corporate tasks, it has also created 1.6 million unfilled AI positions globally. 

Cultural pivot

Nigerians were busy operationalising AI in 2025 to solve the immediate and somewhat messy problems of life. This is a cultural pivot where chatbots have become a primary intermediary for our most intimate and professional vulnerabilities.

However, as we move into 2026, the stakes are rising. The same tools helping a student write a term paper are contributing to a gap that the labour market is only just beginning to quantify. We are witnessing the birth of a new social trend, one where we are no longer just users of technology, but orchestrators of a digital consciousness that mirrors us.

If anything, Nigerians have mastered the art of the prompt to survive the chaotic, beautiful, and often confusing realities of modern love and life.

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Everyone’s in recap mode right now, reflecting on the past 12 months, celebrating what worked, and laughing at what flopped. From the top tech gadget lists to music playlists, the year-end ritual is everywhere. 
 
At Techloy, we decided to ask the editorial team about the apps that made their lives easier in 2025. Some of their answers were exciting discoveries, others delivered memorable experiences, a few truly stuck because they made them more productive.  
Here’s what the Techloy team had to say about their favourite apps of 2025, and why they stood out. 

Favourite app: Duolingo

Photo by appshunter.io / Unsplash

Why: This year, I used quite a few apps, but this language learning app stood out for me. During one of my vacations to Spain and France earlier this year, Duolingo helped me a lot with communicating while I was there.  

Although I’m not at a native level yet, it boosted my confidence enough to hold basic conversations. Without it, the language barrier would have been a real dilemma, but thanks to Duolingo, I never had to worry. 

Among all the apps I used, this one tops my list because it’s practical and fun. It makes learning a new language feel achievable and not overwhelming.

Favourite apps: Spotify, SoundCloud, and Untitled Stream

Why: This year, I spent most of my time on social media and instant messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, X, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. I also relied heavily on productivity tools such as Google Docs, Canva, and ChatGPT, along with streaming apps like Spotify and Audiomack. 

Honestly, it’s hard to pick just one app that stood out because each played a role in my day-to-day life, whether for work, relaxation, or staying connected. All of them contribute to my day. 

But if I had to choose the ones that truly shaped both my work life and personal life, it would be streaming platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, and Untitled Stream. Most of what I do revolves around them, and they’ve become an essential part of my routine.

Favourite app: TikTok

Photo by Solen Feyissa / Unsplash

Why: Among all the apps I used this year, TikTok stands out as my most used and has slowly become my favourite. It’s easily my biggest source of entertainment on the internet right now. I enjoy the feeds, the rewards system during live sessions, and even the little things like digital high-fives.  

It’s the kind of app you open for a few minutes and end up staying much longer, not because you planned to, but because it keeps giving you something worth watching.

Favourite app: YouTube

Photo by Szabo Viktor / Unsplash

Why: Not sure I can put a number on how many apps I used this year, but one thing I can say is I made it a mission to try out a ton of new apps and games this year, so it was all very experimental. 

But among all the things I tried, YouTube remained my one true app since the first time I had access to a phone with internet connection, so I can’t say it’s surprising that till now, my screentime for YouTube alone is like 6-7 hours a day.  

I consider myself a visual learner and someone who just likes premium entertainment and storytelling at my fingertips. And YouTube provides that.

Kelechi Edeh (Senior Creative Associate)

Favourite app: ChatGPT

Photo by Solen Feyissa / Unsplash

Why: I know I used TikTok, IG, and X a lot this year, but ChatGPT easily took the top spot. It’s obvious there’s a lot of scepticism around AI right now, especially in creative spaces, but I’ve found ChatGPT genuinely helpful, and it has changed the way I approach ideas and shape stories.  

As someone who writes fiction and works with video, I use it less as a shortcut and more as a thinking partner. It helps me break through creative blocks, test story ideas, sharpen drafts, and think through concepts before they become visuals. It doesn’t replace the work, but it makes the process less lonely and a lot more fluid. 

Aside from ChatGPT, I’d say Instagram and maybe Letterboxd deserve a mention, mostly because they kept me sane (and a little delusional) while the world fell apart in 2025.

Favourite apps: X, ManagPlus, Tachiyomi

Photo by Daddy Mohlala / Unsplash

Why: I’ve curated X to the point where it feels personal. It’s where I get gists, stories, and sharp takes from people I actually like and learn from. Once you clean up your timeline, it becomes a really good place to keep up with conversations that matter to you. Then there’s MangaPlus and Tachiyomi, which are my go-to apps for manga. They’re how I keep up with new chapters, discover new series, and unwind.  

Between quick reads on X and long manga sessions, those apps were a big part of my daily routine this year and, of course, the way I approach writing as a whole. The constant exposure to different voices, ideas, and storytelling styles shapes how I think, what I pay attention to, and how I put my own words together.

Dennis Da-ala Mirilla (Managing Editor)

Favourite app: Substack

Image from Substack

Why: There were only a few meaningful apps I used this year, like Substack. I have had the app for a long time, but this year it became my go-to. On any given subject, you would find some of the smartest takes on Substack. I like the app particularly because it feels like social media for people looking for the real deal and not just noise. It has broadened my interests. I have become so into China only because of this app.

I love scrolling and then going back to my history and just reading on the weekend. So much debate is happening in the world. I learnt about an anti-modernity group living in rural parts of Ireland this year. That is very fascinating, even just knowing that people are protecting themselves like that. I am so grateful for it.

Favourite app: Chrome

Photo by Zulfugar Karimov / Unsplash

Why: Chrome was my favourite app this year because I use it for almost everything I do. I like how it just syncs across all my devices, so I can start something on my laptop and pick it up on my phone or tablet without missing a thing.  

The desktop version is really useful too; it makes managing my tabs, passwords, and little tasks so much easier. For me, it’s one of those apps that doesn’t get in the way and makes my whole day run smoother.

Favourite app: Instagram

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson / Unsplash

Why: Now that I think about it, I didn’t really try that many apps this year, but I can say for a fact that I use productivity tools like Google Docs and Canva almost every day for work, alongside apps like Instagram, X, and comic apps like Manga Zone. However, Instagram stands out because it’s my go-to when I need to take a break, and second, as a reliable source for consumer tech content. 

It takes the No. 1 spot as my favourite because it helps me find topics to focus on for tech guides, discover trending conversations, and learn about upcoming consumer tech products to compare. Beyond that, Instagram has given me fresh perspectives on video scripting and content creation. For me, Instagram is a creative toolkit that fuels my work and keeps me ahead of the curve.

Favourite app: TikTok

Photo by Olivier Bergeron / Unsplash

Why: Well, if I had to put a number on it, I used roughly around 50 apps this year alone, but TikTok was just it for me. All in one, if you’d like to call it that. It’s how I get most of my news and insightful content because it really has the best algorithm for picking up exactly what I like. I type in what I want, and somehow it just nails it every single time. 

TikTok has completely changed the way I search for content, which is why it’s my favourite pick for 2025. And when it comes to entertainment, it’s on another level compared to Instagram and Facebook. Nothing else even comes close. 

The Winners of the 2025 Techloy Readers’ Choice Smartphone Awards

The people have spoken and the results are in.

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