A blind psychic who allegedly foretold 9/11 and the Covid pandemic gave an exact date the world would end before her death nearly 30 years ago.

Baba Vanga, known as the ‘Nostradamus of the Balkans,’ predicted humanity’s ultimate demise in the year 5079, when a cosmic event of ‘unimaginable’ proportions would bring about the complete destruction of the universe.

Her vision follows a detailed timeline depicting humanity’s evolution, technological advancements, conflicts and eventual extinction. 

According to multiple reports, her prophecy showed humans expanding across the solar system, achieving immortality and even interacting with extraterrestrial civilizations before facing a final, catastrophic event.

Key milestones in the centuries leading up to 5079 include a war on Mars in 3005, a Moon-collision in 3010 and the extinction of life on Earth in 3797, by which point humans have already colonized a new planet. 

By the 4300s, humanity is advancing technologically and morally, curing all diseases and even increasing brain capacity to eliminate concepts like evil and hatred.

Civilization reaches its peak in 4674, with a population of 340 billion across planets and early integration with alien species.

In the final years, humans discover the boundary of the known universe and debate whether to venture beyond it. By 5079, this decision, or some associated catastrophe, triggers ‘absolute doomsday,’ ending human civilization and the universe.

Baba Vanga, known as the ‘Nostradamus of the Balkans,’ predicted humanity’s ultimate demise in the year 5079, when a cosmic event of ‘unimaginable’ proportions would bring about the complete destruction of the universe

Baba Vanga left no written records of her predictions. Most of the accounts come from her niece, Krasimira Stoyanova, or other followers who documented her alleged visions after her death, and who have been accused of misinterpreting what she said.

Born in 1911 as Vangeliya Pandeva Dimitrova, she was a famous blind Bulgarian mystic, clairvoyant and herbalist.

She lost her sight at age 12 after being caught in a tornado, an event that coincided with the emergence of her purported psychic abilities.

After turning 30, her powers of foresight, healing, and fortune-telling became prominent, attracting believers who sought her guidance.

She made numerous prophecies, often vague, about natural disasters, political shifts and future technologies, some of which supporters claim foretold events like the Kursk submarine disaster, Brexit and the rise of ISIS.

One of her most famous predictions was the attack on New York City’s Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

‘Two metal birds will crash into our American brothers, wolves will howl from the bushes and the blood of the innocent will flow in the rivers,’ she predicted.

While she has legions of followers, experts warn her prophecies are speculative and not grounded in fact.

Key milestones in the centuries leading up to 5079 include a war on Mars in 3005, a Moon-collision in 3010 and the extinction of life on Earth in 3797, by which point humans have already colonized a new planet

According to Baba Vanga’s alleged prophecies, humanity’s path toward its ultimate end begins far beyond Earth. 

By the year 3005, humans are said to have expanded into space to such an extent that war erupts on Mars, a conflict so severe it alters planetary trajectories. 

Just five years later, in 3010, a comet or asteroid is believed to collide with the moon, sending debris into orbit and forming a visible ring around Earth, dramatically changing the planet’s night sky.

By 3797, all life on Earth is said to be extinguished, forcing humanity to survive by establishing colonies on a new planet elsewhere in the cosmos. 

That survival, however, comes at a high cost. Between 3803 and 3805, scarce resources spark devastating wars among the remaining population, wiping out more than half of humanity and pushing civilization toward collapse, according to Baba Vanga’s predictions.

In the aftermath, progress grinds to a halt. From roughly 3815 through 3878, humanity regresses into tribal societies, living

 in scattered groups until the emergence of a new prophet who restores moral order. This figure is said to have founded a powerful church that not only spreads religious teachings but also revives forgotten scientific knowledge, laying the groundwork for a slow recovery.

By the early 4300s, civilization enters a renewed golden age. 

New cities rise, scientific breakthroughs accelerate, and humanity succeeds in curing all known diseases. 

Advances in genetics and neuroscience allow humans to dramatically expand their brain capacity, eliminating concepts such as hatred and evil altogether. 

By 4509, humanity reaches what the prophecy describes as an unprecedented moral state, enabling direct communication with God.

The timeline grows even more extraordinary by the late 45th century. 

In 4599, humans are said to achieve immortality, fundamentally reshaping society. 

Civilization reaches its absolute peak in 4674, with an estimated population of 340 billion spread across multiple planets, and early stages of assimilation with extraterrestrial beings already underway.

In the final years before the end, humans make a discovery that ultimately seals their fate. 

Between 5076 and 5078, explorers locate the boundary of the known universe, a mysterious edge whose true nature remains unknown. 

The revelation divides humanity, with a significant portion opposing attempts to move beyond it. 

Despite the warnings, humanity presses forward, and in 5079, Baba Vanga’s prophecy culminates in what she described as ‘absolute doomsday,’ bringing about the destruction of human civilization, and possibly the universe itself.

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Universities and research labs have long been Europe’s deep tech treasure trove. Now, academic spinouts have consolidated into a solid startup funnel worth $398 billion — and VC money is following.

According to Dealroom’s European Spinout Report 2025, 76 of these deep tech and life sciences companies have either reached $1 billion valuations, $100 million in revenue, or both. These include unicorns like Iceye, IQM, Isar Aerospace, Synthesia, and Tekever, which are now inspiring more funds to back university spinouts.

Just this month, two new funds emerged that will bring more funding to talent emerging out of European tech universities, while adding breadth to a pipeline currently topped by Cambridge, Oxford, and ETH Zurich.

PSV Hafnium, out of Denmark, recently closed its inaugural fund at an oversubscribed €60 million (approximately $71 million), with a focus on Nordic deep tech. With offices in Berlin and London, but also in Aachen, U2V (University2Ventures) is targeting the same amount for its first fund, of which it recently completed the first closing.

These two newcomers join the growing ranks of European venture firms that have university spinouts as a core part of their investment thesis. Pioneered by the likes of Cambridge Innovation Capital and Oxford Science Enterprises, which have now fully matured, this category has also diversified. 

While it still mostly consists of funds backed by one or several universities and institutes, it now includes independent firms that simply see spinouts as potential fund returners — and rightly so. Oxford Ionics, acquired by U.S.-based IonQ, was one of the six spinouts out of Switzerland, the U.K., and Germany that delivered exits of more than $1 billion to their investors in 2025.

These exits come alongside increased amounts of funding. According to Dealroom, European university spinouts in deep tech and life sciences are on track to raise a near all-time-high $9.1 billion in 2025. This contrasts with overall VC funding in Europe, which is down nearly 50% from its 2021 peak. 

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Large rounds closed in 2025 also reflect appetite for spinouts in sectors as varied as nuclear energy — Proxima Fusion — and dual-use drones — Quantum Systems, now valued above $3 billion. In many cases, these startups leverage research from specialized labs, which also explains why there is a long tail of European locations capable of producing spinouts. 

Building relationships with hubs outside of Oxbridge and leading countries can also be a way for newcomers to differentiate themselves and find deals. “The Nordic’s research institutions hold extraordinary, untapped potential,” PSV Hafnium’s partners stated in a press release. 

PSV Hafnium itself is a spinout from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), but is also making early-stage investments in other Nordic countries. One of its nine checks to date went to SisuSemi, a Finnish startup leveraging a decade of research at the University of Turku to bring new surface cleaning tech to the semiconductor industry. 

It is good news for teams like SisuSemi that there is more funding available to them. It also comes in addition to grants, commercialization support, and improved deal terms that contribute to an encouraging environment for Europe’s spinouts. However, one pain point remains: growth capital.

As the report’s authors note, this gap “is not a unique trend to spinouts, but something impacting the entire startup ecosystem in Europe.” Still, it is quite striking that nearly 50% of late-stage funding for European deep tech and life sciences spinouts comes from outside Europe, mainly from the U.S. 

While this share has decreased over the years, Europe won’t be fully reaping the benefits of its investments in talent and research unless this changes more substantially — but that’s a broader issue to be solved.

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2025 was a “mixed” year for cars in the U.S. The market didn’t crash. It also didn’t become cheap again overnight. Instead, things slowly moved toward normal — with a few big twists that changed how people shop.

Interest in premium brands such as Mercedes-Benz also grew, and many shoppers started checking detailed vehicle data through tools like https://epicvin.com/vin-decoder/mercedes-benz before committing to a used car purchase

This article explains what mattered in 2025, what it means for 2026, and what EpicVIN experts think buyers should watch most closely.

1) The big picture: 2025 was calmer than the headlines

A lot of people expected 2025 to fall apart. It didn’t.

What actually happened looked more like this:

• Demand stayed steady enough to keep the industry moving
• Prices crept up, not skyrocketing
• Inventory (cars on dealer lots) improved compared to the shortage years
• Incentives and policy changes pushed people to buy at specific times

Simple way to say it: The market became less “panic” and more “shopping.”

2) Prices: not a huge jump, but payments still felt rough

Even when prices rise slowly, buyers can still feel squeezed. Why?

Because most people don’t buy a car with cash. They buy a monthly payment.

In 2025, buyers kept fighting the same payment problems:

• Interest rates still mattered a lot
• Long loans (72–84 months) made cars look “affordable,” but cost more overall
• New cars are packed with pricey trims and options, so the “average” vehicle is not basic anymore

Buyer tip: Always compare deals using the same three numbers:

• out-the-door price
• interest rate
• total months

A low monthly payment can hide a bad deal if the loan is long or the fees are high.

3) Inventory: more choice returned, and that changed negotiation

For regular shoppers, inventory is the quiet power lever.

When lots are full, you can:

• shop multiple dealers
• ask for price cuts
• push back on add-ons
• negotiate more confidently

But inventory was not equal across brands.

In 2025, the pattern was simple:

• Some popular models stayed hard to find
• Some trucks and certain trims sat longer
• “Overstock” vehicles were where the best discounts lived

Buyer tip: If a dealer has 12 of the same model on the lot, you have leverage.

4) Used cars: stable prices, but higher “hidden history” risk

Used prices stayed strangely steady in 2025. Many buyers expected used prices to fall harder.

But the used market has a long memory. The shortage years created a “hole” in supply that still affects what’s available today.

That means used buyers in late 2025 faced a different problem:

• Not “no cars”
• But more cars with stories (and not always good ones)

Translation: If you buy used, the biggest danger is not the price. It’s the past.

5) EVs in 2025: incentives shifted, and timing became everything

One of the biggest 2025 shopping behaviors was deadline buying.

When tax-credit rules and incentives change, people rush. Then the market cools after the deadline.

In 2025, many shoppers saw this pattern:

• Buyers hurried before incentive cutoffs
• After rule changes, automakers used more their own discounts to keep EVs moving
• Leases became an even bigger “deal tool” than normal

Simple outlook for 2026: EV pricing will likely depend more on:

• manufacturer incentives
• lease specials
• local inventory than on one big federal perk.

6) Manufacturing: huge investment talk, but hiring is the real bottleneck

2025 wasn’t just about buying cars. It was also about building them.

Automakers and suppliers kept talking about:

• new battery projects
• supply chain moves
• U.S. manufacturing expansion

But the real bottleneck is people.

Many plants don’t struggle because of concrete and steel. They struggle because of:

• skilled trades shortages
• advanced manufacturing training gaps
• competition for technical workers

Simple outlook for 2026: More capacity is coming, but it won’t arrive instantly.

EpicVIN’s expert view: the 2026 market will reward “calm buyers” — and punish rushed ones

At EpicVIN, we focus on what buyers can control. You can’t control rates or factory output. But you can control your risk.

In late 2025, EpicVIN experts see the most common buyer mistakes looking like this:

• falling in love with a low price before checking the VIN
• trusting “clean” photos instead of verified history
• skipping inspection because the seller “seems honest”
• ignoring gaps in ownership or mileage timeline
• assuming all “no accident reported” cars are truly undamaged

EpicVIN’s “VIN-first” checklist 

Before you put down money, make sure the VIN history gives you clear answers:

• Title status: clean or branded (salvage/rebuilt/flood, etc.)
• Mileage timeline: does it look smooth and believable?
• Ownership pattern: normal owners, normal timing — or odd gaps and quick flips?
• Event trail: auctions, damage records, insurance signals, inspections
• Service clues: any real maintenance breadcrumbs that match the mileage?

Why this matters in 2026:If used prices soften even a little, vehicles with messy history usually lose value first — and they’re harder to resell later.

What this means for 2026 

2025 showed one clear thing: the U.S. car market is not “broken” anymore — it’s just uneven.

Some models will be easy to buy and easier to discount. Other models (especially popular hybrids and certain trims) may stay tight and expensive.

In 2026, the biggest changes will likely come from:

• Incentives shifting (especially EV rebates and lease deals)
• Inventory swings (some brands overstock, others stay lean)
• Used-car risk moving upward (more “too good to be true” listings)

If you shop calmly and check the facts, you can still win.

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Meta says it is acquiring the Chinese-founded AI firm Manus as it looks to boost the capabilities of its tech.

Bloomberg analysts and The Wall Street Journal suggested the purchase could be worth more than $2bn (£1.48bn).

Meta said the deal would help improve its own AI by giving people access to “agents” – tools which can do complex things with minimal user interaction such as planning trips or making presentations.

“Manus’s exceptional talent will join Meta’s team to deliver general-purpose agents across our consumer and business products, including Meta AI,” it said in a blog post.

Barton Crockett, analyst at Rosenblatt Securities, told Reuters it was a “natural fit” for Meta, which extended into boss Mark Zuckerberg’s “vision of personal AI” using agents.

Based in Singapore after relocating from China, Manus has sought to set itself apart from rival AI developers with what it claims can be a “truly autonomous” agent.

Unlike many chatbots which need to be repeatedly asked for things before a user can get their desired response, Manus says its service can plan, execute and complete tasks independently in accordance with instructions.

It forms part of the company’s mission to “extend human reach” with general-purpose agents that can aid, rather than replace, human work.

The company said its acquisition by Meta was “validation” of its efforts.

“Joining Meta allows us to build on a stronger, more sustainable foundation without changing how Manus works or how decisions are made,” said Xiao Hong, its chief executive and one of its Chinese founders, in a blog post.

“We’re excited about what the future holds with Meta and Manus working together and we will continue to iterate the product and serve users that have defined Manus from the beginning.”

Meta said as part of its deal it would continue to operate and sell Manus’ AI service.

It marks yet another high-profile move by the Silicon Valley tech giant to cement its presence in the sector through deals with rising start-ups.

In June the company spent $14bn to buy 49% of Scale AI and secured its boss to take a lead role in Meta’s development of the tech.

This came amid a wider increase in spending by Zuckerberg on the company’s AI strategy, as well as reportedly luring talent from rivals like OpenAI.

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In January this year, Harry Davies and Yuval Abraham first reported that Microsoft had deepened its ties to Israel alongside other major tech firms. Since then, the Guardian has published an award-winning series of investigations – in partnership with the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call – that has revealed a symbiotic relationship between Silicon Valley and the Israeli military.

One investigation exposed an Israeli mass surveillance program scooping up virtually all Palestinian phone calls and storing them on Microsoft’s cloud services – setting off an inquiry that ultimately prompted the company to cut off Israel’s access to some of its technology. Another story revealed that the Israeli military created a ChatGPT-like tool to analyze data collected through the surveillance of Palestinians. Yet another revealed that Google and Amazon had agreed to extraordinary terms to clinch a lucrative contract with Israel.

I asked Davies and Abraham to discuss what they learned this year – about the role of these technologies in Israel’s assault on Gaza, whether these business ties are sustainable, and what the revelations tell us about how the wars of the future will be fought.

How did Israel’s relationships with these companies change after October 7?

Yuval Abraham: The Israeli military had been fetishizing artificial intelligence and big data for many years – a trend that is very much connected to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinians, because the occupation generates a lot of data. What changed after October 7 was the scope. The military was looking to bomb hundreds of targets every day in Gaza. Tens of thousands of people were recruited into reserve duty. That meant a huge spike in usage of technological systems. That’s where the big tech companies stepped in.

Harry Davies: There was a huge surge in demand – not just for the storage capacities of the tech companies, but also for the products that they offer to analyze the information used to prosecute a war. What’s valuable for the military is the way in which these services are able to provide what’s known as “blob storage”, which allows them to store and process infinite amounts of raw intelligence information.

What has made Israel such an appealing market for these companies?

Yuval Abraham: As we reported, the Israeli army has been collecting Palestinian phone calls for a long time. But when you want to collect the phone calls of an entire population every day, and you want to retain those phone calls for long periods of time, you need a lot of storage room and processing power.

If you remember the [Edward] Snowden revelations, many of them had to do with metadata, which doesn’t weigh a lot. But the Israeli military also wanted to store mass audio files, images or videos – and for that it felt it needed the assistance of companies like Microsoft. In the West Bank, sources have told us this information has been used to find dirt on people to blackmail them. In the Gaza Strip, we know that this massive trove of intercepted phone calls was also used in airstrikes that killed civilians.

So data is power and data is control. And these American cloud providers allow the Israeli military to store a lot of data and to sift through it very effectively. That has direct consequences for people on the ground.

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Harry Davies: Yossi Sariel, the former head of [Israel’s elite spy agency] Unit 8200, wrote a book under a pseudonym that we revealed to have been published by him. In that book, he articulated what at the time was a bold and radical vision – as Yuval described, this fetishization of Silicon Valley technology. He recognized the possibilities that the likes of Google, Amazon and Microsoft could afford the Israeli military. Two years before October 7, he said that militaries and governments needed to forge relationships with these companies that are similar to the relationships they have with companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin. So he was already thinking about these companies as instrumental to war and surveillance in the way that a defense contractor provides components for fighter jets or manufactures bombs and missiles.

Some of our reporting has looked at how elements of his vision have come true and have been put into effect, both before October 7 and afterwards, in both the West Bank and Gaza.

We know AI is central to Israel’s military operations – its army has developed its own AI capabilities, as you revealed, Yuval, and has also purchased AI tools for use from Microsoft. Why is AI so central to Israel’s broader war aims?

Yuval Abraham: What AI did was allow Israel to achieve the effective results of carpet bombing without losing the legitimacy of a data-driven assault with targets and objectives. In Gaza, one way in which the Israeli military used AI was to give a score to almost every person in Gaza who has a phone number, determining how likely it was that person was a member of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. This score was based on a machine-learning algorithm [developed by Israel] called Lavender. It was trained on a dataset of known Hamas members. AI allowed the Israeli military to generate and bomb tens of thousands of military targets, on a scale that without AI would not have been humanly possible. Many of the targets were not Hamas members, according to sources. And Israel for the most part bombed these people not while they were engaged in military activity, but when they stepped inside their families’ homes.

These AI systems had an error rate that the Israeli military knew about. But to me, the key thing about AI is not the mistakes that it makes. It’s the scale of destruction that it allows militaries to unleash, and it’s a discourse of legitimacy that it enables – a discourse of targets and collateral damage.

AI also seems to me to incentivize mass surveillance, right? Because it allows for the analysis of ever-growing reams of information.

Harry Davies: Signals intelligence agencies have long collected more information than they could humanly process. That served as a kind of restraint on their ability to conduct mass surveillance. I think we’re now seeing a shift where AI allows an intelligence agency like Unit 8200 to make sense of things that previously it struggled to make sense of.

Microsoft explicitly credited your reporting for changing its policies. Are you seeing any other signs of shifts within the tech industry?

Harry Davies: I think we’re seeing a lot of discomfort and dissent within these companies at both a junior and to some extent senior level. Many employees have been disturbed to find what the products and services that they’re working around the clock to build and market are actually contributing to. There have been protest groups which have emerged from current and former employees within these companies. That’s true across Silicon Valley. I think that played some role in the decision that Microsoft made as a result of our reporting. They were facing a lot of pressure internally.

Yuval Abraham: And there’s also a legal question for these companies: if the ICJ [international court of justice] ends up ruling that Israel has committed a genocide, then a follow-up question will be: who contributed to that genocide? Which companies helped maintain it and sustain it? For some people in these companies who are thinking ahead, that could also be a cause for concern.

It sounds like you think shifts in public support for Israel could actually affect these business relationships.

Yuval Abraham: Israel has developed a reliance on these companies for its Nimbus project, which is a huge contract signed between Israel and Google and Amazon back in 2021. It is moving the data of many of its government ministries, along with troves of information from the Ministry of Defense, onto these companies’ cloud servers.

These are US companies. They’re taking a certain gamble here that the US will stay loyal to Israel and won’t block, limit or sanction them.

Microsoft only blocked access to technology that was specifically enabling the mass surveillance of Palestinian phone calls – there are still many relationships between Microsoft and the Israeli military. But Microsoft’s action made many people in the Israeli system nervous. It was the first time we know of that a big tech company withdrew services from the Israeli military. It made some people ask whether Israel is making a mistake by giving these foreign companies so much leverage. That question is folded within a larger question of what the US will do, what will happen in 2028 if there’s a more progressive administration in the White House, at a time when so many Americans believe that Israel has committed a genocide in Gaza.

What’s your focus going to be in 2026?

Yuval Abraham: I think we only uncovered the tip of the iceberg.

Harry Davies: We’re both very conscious that, although we have spent a lot of time working on this, we still just have glimpses inside the system. We’re continuing to build a fuller picture of how this technology was and continues to be used in Gaza and in the West Bank as well.

There’s good reason to continue paying attention. Militaries pay attention to what other militaries are doing. There is great interest among other western militaries in how Israel prosecuted this war, in how it integrated these kind of technologies.

And there are other militaries whose combat systems and processes are already deeply integrated with Silicon Valley tech. Take the American military, for example. Look at what’s happening right now in the Caribbean. Are those operations somehow free of the involvement or reliance on systems and services provided by these companies? I suspect not. We don’t know for sure, but the Pentagon and the US military have very big contracts with all of these companies to provide cloud services. Post-Gaza, we have to look at these relationships and ask: what is the involvement of these companies and their technology in military decisions, in military operations and in warfare more broadly?

Yuval Abraham: Much of our reporting is based on whistleblowers, on individuals who are in proximity to power or hold positions of power.

Harry Davies: Our confidential sources have remained confidential and we are always interested in hearing from new people. Our door is always open.

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If you don’t already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select ‘Secure Messaging’.

To send a message to Harry and Yuval please choose the ‘UK Investigations’ team.

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Russia appears to have deployed its so-called ‘unstoppable’ nuclear-capable missiles, potentially bringing the threat of devastating strikes closer than ever. 

On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry released a video claiming to show combat vehicles in an undisclosed location in Belarus carrying the Oreshnik missile system. 

State news agency TASS said it was the first time the ministry had publicly shown the Oreshnik, which President Vladimir Putin has declared impossible to intercept, with speeds reportedly exceeding Mach 10.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry said that the Oreshnik has a range of up to 3,100 miles. Reports have suggested it could hit London in ‘eight minutes.’

TASS boasted that it would take the missile only 11 minutes to reach an air base in Poland and 17 minutes to reach NATO headquarters in Brussels. 

While the Oreshnik is not an intercontinental missile capable of reaching the US mainland, its reported range puts American allies within striking distance, meaning any attack on them could draw the US directly into the conflict. 

The announcement comes at a critical time for Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Florida resort on Sunday and insisted that Kyiv and Moscow were ‘closer than ever before’ to a peace settlement. 

However, days before, Trump warned that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war could spiral into a world war.

‘Things like this end up in a third world war,’ he told reporters on December 11. ‘Everybody keeps playing games like this, you’ll end up in a third world war, and we don’t want to see that happen.’

On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry released a video showing combat vehicles in an undisclosed location in Belarus carrying the Oreshnik missile system

A satellite image taken on November 16 shows where US researchers believe that Russia is likely stationing its new nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic cruise missile at the disused airbase Krichev in eastern Belarus near Russia’s border

Russia’s Defense Ministry claims that the “Oreshnik” missile system has already entered combat duty in Belarus.

“Oreshnik” is an experimental Russian missile complex using ballistic missiles. It was first used in November 2024 during a strike on the city of Dnipro.

Its reported… pic.twitter.com/DKsjbLP8gS

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) December 30, 2025

Andrey Bogodel, the deputy chief of the General Staff department of the Military Academy of Belarus, told TASS that the deployment of Oreshnik was an anti-aggression warning to Western countries.

‘Today, any good deed must, of course, be done with fists. Unfortunately, the world can no longer be organized any other way,’ he said.

‘Here, the “Oreshnik” isn’t a weapon with which we want to attack, for example, Britain or Germany, but it’s a message that we, above all, will protect our peace in this way. A way that will allow us to say that it’s definitely better not to interfere with us.’

Bogodel added that Western nations had repeatedly crossed red lines during Russia’s so-called special military operation in Ukraine.

‘Literally, there are red lines associated specifically with the use of missile systems, even nuclear weapons. After all, remember the appearance of the missiles they launched on us – SCALP, Storm Shadow, then ATACMS,’ the expert continued.

‘They also used drones against our radiation early warning stations. As well as attacks against our bombers, and so on. This is all an attempt to see how high Russia’s nuclear threshold is.’

The missile system was first used on November 21, 2024, in a test that saw it strike a defense plant in Ukraine. 

Once launched, the Oreshnik uses its rocket engines to accelerate rapidly until it reaches the upper atmosphere, where its first-stage boosters are discarded after fuel depletion, Matthew Powell, Teaching Fellow in Strategic and Air Power Studies, University of Portsmouth, wrote in The Conversation.

A Russian military unit can be seen putting netting over what is said to be the Oreshnik mobile ground-based missile system

The Belarusian Defense Ministry said that the Oreshnik has a range of up to 3,100 miles. Reports have suggested it could hit London in ‘eight minutes

The missile’s multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) are then released, traveling through space toward their designated targets. 

At this stage, the system is most vulnerable to interception, as it is moving more slowly than during earlier phases. Finally, onboard thrusters guide each MIRV to its target zone.

Putin has claimed that conventional Oreshnik missiles could incinerate targets with temperatures reaching 7,200°F, nearly as hot as the surface of the sun, though the weapon is also capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The Oreshnik is estimated to be 49 to 61 feet long with a diameter of roughly six feet. 

While unconfirmed, experts have suggested the Oreshnik weighs between 66,000 and 88,000 pounds.

The system is also said to carry a warhead weighing up to 1.5 tons, approximately 3,300 pounds.

Putin said earlier this month that the Oreshnik would enter combat duty before the year’s end. 

He made the statement at a meeting with top Russian military officers, where he warned that Moscow will seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin’s demands in peace talks.

While Trump stated a peace settlement between Kyiv and Moscow could be on the horizon, he also admitted that monthslong US-led negotiations could still collapse.

Moscow and Kyiv remain deeply divided on key issues, including whose forces withdraw from where in Ukraine and the fate of Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, one of the 10 biggest in the world. 

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In some ways, 2025 was when AI dictation apps really took off. Dictation apps have been around for years, but in the past they’ve proved slow and inaccurate — unless you speak with particular accents and enunciate clearly.

But advances in large language models (LLMs) and speech-to-text models have helped improve the systems that can decipher speech better while retaining the context to format the text. And developers have built in features to automatically format text, remove filler words, and ignore fumbles to output text that would need fewer edits.

But with the soaring popularity of everything AI, there’s dozens of such apps on the market. So we’ve collated our pick of the best and most useful dictation apps his year.

Wispr Flow is a well-funded AI dictation app that lets you add custom words and instructions for dictation. It has native apps for MacOS, Windows and iOS, and an Android version is in the works.

The app lets you customize how its system transcribes your notes by letting you choose from “formal,” “casual,” and “very casual” styles for different kinds of writing, such as personal messaging, work, and email. And if you use it with vibe coding tools like Cursor, you can turn on a feature to automatically recognize variables or tag files in the chat.

The app lets you note down up to 2,000 words per month for free on any of the desktop versions, and 1,000 words per month on iOS. Its subscription plans offer unlimited transcription, and start at $15 per month.

Image Credits: Wispr FlowImage Credits:Wispr Flow

Willow advertises itself as a big time-saver for those who don’t like to type. Alongside common features like automatic editing and formatting, the app has a feature that taps large language models to generate a full chunk of text from just a few dictated words.

Willow also takes a more privacy-focused stab at AI-assisted note-taking by storing all transcripts locally on your device, and lets you opt out of model training as well. It also lets you add custom vocabulary to the app to help it adapt to your industry’s parlance, or your local dialect.

Image Credits: WIllowImage Credits:Willow

Willow lets you dictate 2,000 words per month on its desktop app for free. Individual subscription plans start at $15 per month, giving you unlimited dictation and enabling the app to remember your writing style.

If you are focused on privacy, Monologue lets you download its model so you can run it on your device for transcriptions and avoid sending data to the cloud. What’s more, the app lets you customize its tone of voice according to the apps you use it with.

Monologue lets you jot down 1,000 words per month for free, and its subscription costs $10 per month, or $100 per year. And if you end up becoming one of the app’s top users, the company will also send you this funky Monokey to use with the app.

Keyboards are so 1983.

You only need one key—Monokey, the limited edition device that turns your voice into text in Monologue.

We’re giving away 10, along with a free annual subscription to Monologue. pic.twitter.com/nXuz1ll2LU

— Monologue (@usemonologue) November 18, 2025

Superwhisper is primarily a dictation app, but it can also transcribe from audio or video files. The app gives you the freedom to choose and download AI models, including its own models that have different speeds and accuracy, along with NVIDIA’s Parakeet speech recognition models.

The app also lets you write custom prompts to steer the output. You can easily see both processed and unprocessed transcripts that are integrated with the system keyboard.

The basic voice-to-text feature is free to use, and you get 15 minutes to test out Pro features such as translation and transcription. The paid tier lets you use your own AI API keys and plug in cloud and local models without any caps.

The monthly plan costs $8.49 per month, the annual plan costs $84.99 per month, or you can pay $249.99 for a lifetime subscription.

This app takes an offline-first, no-subscription approach, letting you use local models for transcription. There’s also a GitHub repository for those who want to host and run the open-source version themselves. VoiceTypr supports over 99 languages and works on both Mac and Windows.

VoiceTypr is available to try for three days for free, and after that it will allow you to buy a lifetime license. The app costs $35 for one device, $56 for two, and $98 for four devices.

Aqua is another Y-Combinator-backed voice typing client for Windows and MacOS that claims to be one of the fastest tools in the category in terms of latency.

Besides handling grammar and punctuation, Aqua also lets you autofill text by saying phrases — you can say “my address” and have Aqua type in your address, for example.

The app also offers its own speech-to-text API for other apps.

The free tier gets you 1,000 words per month. The paid plans start from $8 per month (annual billing), and unlock unlimited words and 800 custom dictionary values.

Handy is an open-source and free transcription tool that can run on Mac, Windows, and Linux. The application is pretty basic and doesn’t offer a lot of customization, but if you are trying to get started with using your voice more and don’t want to pay, it is a good option.

The app has a basic settings menu that lets you toggle push-to-talk, and change the hotkey to activate the transcription.

Typeless is another app in this category with a high free word count. The company claims that it doesn’t retain any data or use it to train models. Typeless also suggests a better version of the sentence if you might have fumbled a line.

The app lets you dictate up to 4,000 words per week (roughly 16,000 words per month) on its free tier. You can pay $12 per month (billed annually) to unlock unlimited words and get access to new features. Typeless is available for Windows and MacOS only.

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Imagine that after a night of heavy drinking at a bar, you order a robotaxi because you’re inebriated—only to end up making a mess on the passenger seat and getting charged an extra fee for it.

That scenario may soon become reality for Tesla robotaxi passengers in Austin. According to a post by Tesla influencer Sawyer Merritt on X, the EV maker is reportedly introducing a cleaning fee for its robotaxi service.

How The Cleaning Fee Will Work

In a statement provided to Merritt, Tesla explained the rationale for the new charge, saying: “We prioritise maintaining a clean and comfortable environment for all riders and promoting responsible rider behaviour.”

The fee would be divided into two tiers: a $50 fee for “moderate messes,” such as food spills, significant dirt or minor stains, and a $150 fee for “severe messes,” including bio-waste or smoking in the vehicle.

Tesla initially marketed its robotaxis as fully autonomous vehicles. However, they still require human intervention for tasks such as cleaning and charging, which may be another reason for this additional fee.

Tesla further stated: “To address incidents where vehicles require additional cleaning after a trip, we will assess the type and severity of the mess and apply the appropriate fee. Once a fee is assessed, you’ll receive an email notifying you that additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. An updated ride receipt will also be available under the Ride History section of the Robotaxi app. If you believe a charge was made in error, call the Customer Support team and follow the prompts for option 7.”

NEWS: Tesla has introduced cleaning fees for their Robotaxis.

• $50: Charged for moderate messes, such as food spills, significant dirt and minor stains.
• $150: Charged for severe messes, such as biowaste or smoking in the vehicle.

Tesla: “We prioritize maintaining a clean… pic.twitter.com/t8BFCcNrrr

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) December 23, 2025

Tesla Isn’t Alone In Charging Cleanup Fees

Tesla is not the first robotaxi operator to introduce this type of charge. Waymo already applies a similar cleaning fee. The difference is that Waymo charges a $50 fee if a passenger self-reports the mess, but a $100 first-time fee if they do not, with higher charges if the incident reoccurs. These violations can also affect a user’s Waymo account.

Beyond California, Waymo is planning to expand its services to other U.S. cities such as San Diego, Dallas, Denver, Detroit and Houston.

Waymo expands fully autonomous rides across California, mapping the future of robotaxis

Beyond California, the company is planning to extend its services to other U.S. cities like San Diego, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, e.t.c.

Fees like this could make passengers think twice before littering or leaving a mess behind. In the long run, that deterrence may be exactly what Tesla wants, helping it manage its robotaxi fleet more efficiently.

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Cairn

Live your mountaineering fantasies and brave the elements in a wonderfully illustrated climbing game. You must carefully place climber Aava’s hands and feet to make your way up a forbidding mountain, camping on ledges and bandaging her fingers as you go. Like real climbing, it is challenging and somewhat brutal.
PC, PlayStation 5; 29 January

Onwards and upwards … Cairn. Photograph: The Game Bakers

Reanimal

A two-player animated horror game in the Tim Burton mode, minus all the whimsy. In a setup reminiscent of the famously discomfiting games Limbo and Inside, a brother and sister must escape a twisted mockery of their home town, finding their friends as they go. They are stalked by horrible spike-limbed monsters and grotesquely reanimated creatures. Genuinely frightening and artistically impressive.
Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation5, Xbox; 13 February

Resident Evil Requiem

Capcom’s horror series is very old, but it still comes up with new ways to make your skin crawl. In Requiem we play as bookish Grace, whom the game’s director calls “the biggest scaredy-cat in Resident Evil history”, and the confidently combat-proficient cop Leon S Kennedy, pursued by monsters through the iconic Raccoon City.
Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox; 27 February

Pokémon Pokopia

How does your garden grow? Pokémon Pokopia. Photograph: Nintendo

Imagine dropping Pokémon into the world of Animal Crossing, with a hint of Minecraft’s blocky aesthetic. This family-friendly Nintendo game has you building and tending habitats for Nintendo’s beloved creatures. You play as a Ditto, the shape-shifting pink blob, which can helpfully transform into other Pokémon, using those other critters’ abilities to bring a barren landscape back to life and build a vibrant town.
Nintendo Switch 2, 5 March

007 First Light

The most anticipated James Bond game since the Nintendo 64’s GoldenEye 007. Made by IO Interactive, famous for Hitman, it stars a younger, twentysomething Bond who has not yet earned his 007 status, and hopes to blend the expected car chases, shootouts and gadgets with some genuine spycraft, as Bond infiltrates parties and digs for information.
Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox; 27 May

Saros

Hostile aliens … Saros. Photograph: Sony Interactive Entertainment

From the Finnish developer behind Returnal, the exceptional, intelligent time-loop sci-fi shooter, this mysterious action game stars another stranded astronaut on a different hostile planet, one where a dying sun is sending its creatures and colonists mad. Long-time gamers will recognise the lineage of arcade bullet-hell shooters in this very modern action game.
PlayStation 5; 30 April

Grand Theft Auto VI

It has been in development for more than a decade and, despite several delays (GTA VI was on this very list last year), expectations have never been higher for the biggest game in the world. It’s a crime story and a love story, featuring the series’ first female protagonist, Lucia, and her boyfriend, Jason, and set in Rockstar’s fictional Floridian state of Leonida. There has been so much to satirise about contemporary America since 2013’s GTA V that Rockstar’s writers will surely have been spoilt for choice.
PlayStation 5, Xbox; 19 November

Marvel’s Wolverine

Marvel’s Wolverine gets his claws into new foes. Photograph: Insomniac Games/ Marvel

The modern Spider-Man games have gone down a storm, so it’s no surprise that developer Insomniac is now turning its attention to a different Marvel hero. This new game features an ensemble X-Men cast and a whole lot of gratuitous comic-book violence, as Wolverine sticks those adamantium claws through a succession of foes trying to chase him down.
PlayStation 5; date TBC

Witchbrook

Looking for an alternative to established wizarding-school fiction? Witchbrook is a charming pixel-art slice-of-life game about a witches’ college. In school you learn spells and broom flight; outside school you involve yourself in the life of the whimsical town outside. It supports four players at once, too.
PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox; TBC

Halo: Campaign Evolved

Controversial take: first-person shooter campaigns have never got better than the original Halo, with its eerie extraterrestrial setting and intelligent, chattering alien enemies. (Let’s conveniently forget about The Library, where we battle through endless waves of the significantly less interesting zombie-like Flood.) This prettied-up remake of 2001’s space-opera classic will, for the first time, be available on PlayStation.
PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox; TBC

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The iPhone 17 Series is Apple’s latest flagship device in 2025, succeeding the iPhone 16 launched last year. With the series, Apple discontinued the Plus model and introduced the iPhone 17 Air, marketed as the thinnest iPhone. 

Users get a 6.3-inch display on the base iPhone 17 and Pro, a 6.5-inch display on the Air, a 6.9-inch display on the Pro Max, and a 120Hz refresh rate across all devices. Each device in the series features a 48 MP rear camera that captures clear, well-detailed images. 

The iPhone lineup was announced on September 9, 2025, and made available for purchase on September 19, 2025, ten days later. 

iPhone 17 price in Nigeria 

Buying iPhones in Nigeria is tricky because Apple doesn’t ship directly to Nigeria, so there’s no uniformprice in the country. There’s also a massive markup on the iPhone 17 in Nigeria, often due to outrageous customs duties and import levies. 

The base iPhone 17, 256 GB, sells between ₦1,650,000.00 ($ 1,137.23) and ₦1,869,660.00 ($ 1,288.51). The 512 GB version price falls between ₦2,100,000.00 ($1447.26) and ₦2,337,660.00 ($1611.05). A price difference of over ₦500,000 ($344.59) reflects the additional cost of storage space. 

The iPhone 17 Air model introduces a 1TB option. Current market rates are:

• 256 GB:  ₦2,200,000.00 ($1516.17) – ₦2,337,600 ($1611)
•  512 GB:  ₦2,500,000.00 ($1722.93) – ₦2,805,000.00 ($1933.12)
• 1TB: ₦2,900,000.00 ($1998.59) – ₦3,273,660.00 ($2256.11). 

The iPhone 17 Pro shares the same storage tiers as the Air model. Users looking to buy the  model would spend between:

• 256GB: ₦2,350,000.00 ($1619.55) – ₦2,700,000.00 ($1860.76)
• 512 GB:  ₦2,800,000.00 ($1929.68) – ₦3,350,000.00 ($2308.72)
•  1TB: ₦3,300,000.00 ($2274.26) – ₦3,750,000.00 ($2584.39). 

To get the 1TB option, users would be paying an additional fee of over ₦700,000.00 ($482.42). 

Unlike other devices in the series, the iPhone 17 Pro Max added a 2 TB option. The iPhone 17 Pro Max in Nigeria costs between ₦2,600,000.00 ($1791.84) – ₦4,500,000.00 ($3101.27) and ₦3,150,000.00 ($2170.89) – ₦4,950,000.00 ($3411.39).

ModelStorage capacity Price range ₦Price range $iPhone 17256 GB 
512 GB 1,650,000 – 1,869,660
2,100,00 – 2,337,6601,137.26 – 1,288.51
1,447.26 – 1,611.05iPhone 17 Air 256GB 
512GB
1TB2,200,000 – 2,337,660
2,500,000 – 2,805,000
2,900,000 – 3,273,6601,516.17 – 1,611
1,722.93 – 1,933.12
1,998.59 – 2,256.11iPhone 17 Pro 256 GB
512GB
1TB2,350,000 – 2,700,000
2,800,000 – 3,350,000
3,300,000 – 3,750,0001,619.55 – 1,860.76
1,929.68 – 2,308.72
2,274.26 – 2,584.39iPhone 17 Pro Max 256 GB-2TB2,600,000 – 4,950,0002,170.89 – 3,411.39

The prices stated above are not standard or static; changes in the Nigerian Naira/US Dollar exchange rate also affect prices. Be sure to confirm prices with your local vendor before making a purchase. 

iPhone 17 full specifications 

The iPhone 17 series is a high-end smartphone designed to rival other smartphones in camera performance, battery life, and everyday performance. This is how the iPhone 17 models compare.

Features iPhone 17iPhone 17 Air iPhone 17 ProSize6.3-inch6.5-inch 6.3-inch6.9-inchDisplay LPTO OLEDLPTO Super Retina XDR OLEDLPTO Super Retina XDR OLEDLPTO Super Retina XDR OLEDChip A19A19A19A19CPU6-core6-core6-core6-coreGPU5-core5-core6-core6-coreRAM8 GB12 GB 12 GB 12 GBSafety rating IP68IP68IP68IP68Storage 256 GB, 512 GB256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TBCamera Rear: Dual 48 MP
Front: 18 MPRear: Single 48 MP
Front: 18 MPRear: Triple 48 MP
Front: 18 MP Rear: Triple 48 MP
Front: 18 MP Battery 3692 mAh 3149 mAh 4000-4252 mAh4823-5088 mAh Colour Black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender Space black, cloud white, light gold, sky blue Silver, cosmic orange, deep blue Silver, cosmic orange, deep blue 

1. Design and build

The base iPhone 17 measures 149.6 mm in height and 8 mm in thickness. It weighs 177 grams, making it comfortable to hold. The screen uses Ceramic Shield 2 for protection, and the body mixes an aluminium frame with a glass back. It has an IP68 rating, meaning it is dustproof and waterproof, with a 6-meter water immersion rating. You can pick it up in Black, White, Mist Blue, Sage, or Lavender.  

For the iPhone 17 Air, the focus is on achieving exceptional thinness and lightness. It is just 5.6 mm thick and weighs only 165 grams. It features a premium Grade 5 titanium frame and a glass back. Like the base model, it is IP68 water-resistant. This model is available in colours such as Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue.  

The iPhone 17 Pro is heavier and sturdier, weighing 206 grams and measuring 8.8 mm in thickness. It features an aluminium-alloy frame and offers an aluminium or glass back. It keeps the same Ceramic Shield 2 front and IP68 rating. Colour options for this model include Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue.  

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is the largest of the series, measuring 163.4 mm in height and weighing 233 grams. It shares the solid aluminium alloy build, Ceramic Shield 2 protection, and IP68 rating found on the Pro. It is available in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue.  

2. Display

On the iPhone 17, you get a 6.3-inch LTPO OLED screen with a resolution of 1206 x 2622. The 120 Hz refresh rate makes animations look very smooth. Brightness reaches 1000 nits for everyday use, peaking at 3000 nits. 

The iPhone 17 Air features a 6.5-inch display with a 1260 x 2736 resolution. The screen-to-body ratio is about 89.9%, with the same high brightness capabilities as the standard model.  

The iPhone 17 Pro matches the base model’s 6.3-inch display and 1206 x 2622 resolution. However, it maintains the Pro standard with LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED  technology. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, ensuring movies and photos look vibrant and sharp.  

The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch screen, the biggest in the lineup. It has a resolution of 1320 x 2868, a pixel density of 460 ppi, and features a LTPO Super Retina OLED similar to the Pro. 

3. Performance and software

The iPhone 17 is powered by the Apple A19 chipset, built on a 3 nm process. It features a 6-core CPU and a 5-core GPU that handle games and daily tasks smoothly. It ships with iOS 26 and supports new features and updates.  

The iPhone 17 Air features the Apple A19 Pro chipset. While it also uses a 5-core GPU, the Pro chip is designed for speed. It runs iOS 26. 

The same Apple A19 Pro chipset powers the iPhone 17 Pro, but it gets a boost in graphics with a 6-core GPU. This extra power makes it better for heavy gaming or editing videos. It is designed to handle demanding tasks quickly while running the latest iOS 26 software.  

The iPhone 17 Pro Max also uses the A19 Pro chip with the powerful 6-core GPU. This setup gives you the maximum performance available in the series. 

4. Memory and storage

For the iPhone 17, you get 8 GB of RAM. Storage options are 256 GB or 512 GB. It uses fast NVMe storage, so apps load quickly. 

The iPhone 17 Air increases its RAM to 12 GB. You can choose from 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB of storage. This extra RAM helps keep more apps open in the background, making the phone feel snappier.  

The iPhone 17 Pro also comes with 12 GB of RAM standard. Storage options mimic the Air, offering 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB. 

The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers the most flexibility. It has 12 GB of RAM and offers a massive 2 TB of storage, in addition to the standard 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB options. If you need maximum space for photos and videos, this is the one to get.  

5. Camera

The rear system on the iPhone 17 features two 48-megapixel cameras: a wide-angle lens and an ultrawide lens. The front camera is 18 megapixels with an f/1.9 aperture, great for sharp selfies. Both front and rear cameras can record in 4K at 60 fps, and they include features like Cinematic mode and Dolby Vision.  

The iPhone 17 Air takes a simpler approach with a single 48-megapixel rear camera. Despite having just one lens, it supports advanced processing. The front camera uses the same 18-megapixel sensor as the other models.

The iPhone 17 Pro features a triple camera system. You get a 48-megapixel primary camera, a 48-megapixel ultrawide, and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom. It also includes a LiDAR scanner for better depth sensing. This setup allows for 3D spatial video recording.  

The iPhone 17 Pro Max shares the same m triple 48-megapixel system as the Pro, including the periscope telephoto lens. It supports advanced video formats like ProRes and Apple Log 2. 

6. Battery and charging

The iPhone 17 is powered by a 3692 mAh battery. It supports fast wired charging, getting you to 50% in 20 minutes. You also get 25W MagSafe wireless charging, which is convenient for cable-free power-ups.  

The iPhone 17 Air has a smaller 3149 mAh battery. Wired charging takes about 30 minutes to reach 50%. MagSafe wireless charging is slightly slower at 20W. 

The iPhone 17 Pro has a larger battery, ranging from  4000 mAh to 4252 mAh, depending on the SIM model. It supports the same fast 25W MagSafe charging and quick wired charging. 

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the largest battery, ranging from 4823 mAh to 5088 mAh, depending on the SIM model. Wired charging to 50% takes 20 mins, while 25W MagSafe charging reaches 50% in 30 mins. 

7. Connectivity

The iPhone 17 gives you the latest ways to connect. It supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 for fast wireless speeds and stable audio connections. You get a USB Type-C 2.0 port for charging and data transfer. It also includes the second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, which helps you find lost items with “Find My” more precisely. For emergencies, it can connect to satellites to send messages or request help when you have no signal.

The iPhone 17 Air meets these modern standards while being thinner. It supports the same Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. Like the base model, it uses a USB Type-C 2.0 port. It handles 5G connections efficiently to keep you online, and it includes the same satellite safety features when you are off the grid.

The iPhone 17 Pro steps things up with faster wired connections. While it shares the Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 capabilities, it upgrades the port to USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2. This means you can transfer large files, such as 4K videos, much faster than on cheaper models. It also has the advanced UWB chip and reliable satellite support for messaging and emergencies.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers the same level of connectivity. It features Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and the high-speed USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 port. Its larger body houses powerful antennas to deliver the best possible 5G signal. 

8. Apple Intelligence

The iPhone 17 uses the A19 chip to power new Apple Intelligence features. You can use “Writing Tools” to automatically rewrite emails or summarise long notes. It also supports “Visual Intelligence,” which lets you point your camera at a restaurant or event flyer to instantly get details. 

The iPhone 17 Air runs these features on the more powerful A19 Pro chip. This allows for even faster responses when you ask Siri to find specific photos or files. You can generate custom “Genmoji” images or remove distractions from your photos using the “Clean Up” tool. The chip ensures these AI tasks do not drain your battery too quickly.

The iPhone 17 Pro takes full advantage of its 12 GB of RAM to handle the most demanding AI tasks. It supports advanced real-time translation during calls and complex AI-powered video editing tools. The “Visual Intelligence” feature works incredibly fast here, making it a powerful tool.  

The iPhone 17 Pro Max gives you the best canvas for Apple Intelligence. Its huge screen is perfect for using split-screen views while the AI summarises documents or edits images for you. With the A19 Pro chip and plenty of memory, it handles heavy multitasking and AI-generated graphics without any lag.

Comparison within the 17 series and predecessors 

No doubt, the iPhone 17 series is one of the best smartphones released in 2025. However, how does it compare with previous generations? Especially with the inclusion of the new “Air” model to replace the more familiar “Plus” model. 

iPhone 17 Air vs iPhone 16 Plus

No one anticipated Apple discontinuing the Plus model. So when the company introduced the iPhone Air, highlighting its skinny design, it immediately sparked speculation and debate over whether the new iPhone 17 Air could actually surpass the iPhone 16 Plus. Let’s see how both devices compare: 

SpecificationiPhone 17 Air iPhone 16 Plus Design (height, thickness, weight)156.2 mm, 5.6 mm, 165 grams 160.9 mm, 7.8 mm, 199 grams Display 6.5-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED  6.7-Inch Super Retina XDR OLEDChipsetA19 Pro A18 Storage 12 GB RAM and 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1TB storage 8 GB RAM and 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GBCamera 48-megapixel single rear camera, 18-megapixel selfie camera 48-megapixel double rear camera, 12-megapixel selfie camera Battery 3149 mAh 4674 mAh Connectivity 5G 5G 

Aside from having a larger battery, the iPhone 16 Plus doesn’t really hold an advantage over the iPhone 17 Air. The 17 Air matches -or outperforms- the 16 Plus in most areas, while maintaining a lighter and more comfortable design. 

 iPhone 16

The iPhone 16 is the direct predecessor to the 17. It introduced the Action Button, Camera Control, and Apple Intelligence, setting the foundation for the new series. However, the iPhone 17 widens the gap by finally fixing the iPhone 16’s biggest weakness: the display. While the 16 is stuck with a 60 Hz screen, the 17 upgrades to 120 Hz ProMotion. 

 iPhone 15

The iPhone 15 was a design turning point, introducing the Dynamic Island and USB-C port to the standard lineup. But compared to 17, it shows its age internally. The base 15 lacks the 8 GB (or higher) RAM needed to run the full Apple Intelligence suite. It also misses out on the dedicated Camera Control button and the Action Button, making the 17 a much more capable tool for photography and productivity.

 iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 represents the old standard. It uses the discontinued Lightning port and the classic “notch” design, both of which Apple has abandoned in the 17. With a 12 MP main camera and an older A15 chip, it delivers far less detail and slower performance. The gap between the two highlights just how the iPhone has evolved in display quality and camera power. 

Frequently asked questions 

These questions come from what buyers usually search for about the iPhone 17 series. Many of them focus on price, iOS, and release of other models. 

1. Is Apple going to release an iPhone 17e?

Yes, reports strongly suggest Apple will release the iPhone 17e in early 2026 (likely between February and May) as a budget-friendly follow-up to the main series. It is expected to serve as the entry-level option, potentially replacing the iPhone 16e. Leaks indicate it will feature the A19 chip to support Apple Intelligence features, a 6.1-inch OLED display, and possibly a switch to the Dynamic Island design, moving away from the older notch found on previous budget models. 

2. Is iPhone 17 XR an original iPhone?

No, the iPhone 17 XR is not an original Apple product. It is a converted device common in the Nigerian market, where vendors package the internal components of an old iPhone XR (released in 2018) into a custom housing that mimics the design of the new 17 series. 

3. What iOS does iPhone 17 run on? 

The iPhone 17 series ships with iOS 26, Apple’s most advanced operating system designed specifically for the new A19 and A19 Pro chips. 

4. Should I upgrade to iPhone 17?

You should upgrade if you own an iPhone 15 or older, as the iPhone 17 finally introduces the smooth 120 Hz display and the A19 chip required for Apple Intelligence. However, if you already have an iPhone 15 Pro or 16 Pro, the performance difference is minimal, meaning an upgrade isn’t necessary.

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TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has been at the center of controversy in the U.S. for four years now due to concerns about user data potentially being accessed by the Chinese government.

As a result, U.S. users have often found themselves caught in the middle of this tension. Earlier this year, the app experienced a temporary outage in the U.S. that left millions of users in suspense before it was quickly restored. TikTok returned to the App Store and Google Play Store in February. 

A number of investors competed to purchase the app, and after Trump extended the TikTok ban deadline for the fourth time, the battle is finally over. As of last week, TikTok officially signed a deal to divest a portion of its U.S. entity to a group of American investors.

This comes nearly three months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that approves the sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to an American investor group.

A week prior, President Trump announced that President Xi Jinping of China had given his approval of a TikTok deal, which would allow a consortium of U.S. investors to control the platform. ByteDance stated publicly that it would ensure the platform remains available to American users.

Who owns TikTok in the U.S.?

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

According to a memo viewed by TechCrunch, the investor group consists of Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and investment firm MGX. Collectively, they will hold 45% of the U.S. operation, with ByteDance keeping nearly a 20% stake. Axios first reported the news, citing sources who estimate TikTok U.S. is valued at approximately $14 billion—a figure also mentioned by Vice President JD Vance.

In September, a report indicated that a “framework” deal was established between the U.S. and China, with a consortium of investors— including Oracle, Silver Lake, and Andreessen Horowitz—overseeing TikTok’s U.S. operations. These investors were expected to hold an 80% stake, and the remaining shares would belong to Chinese stakeholders.

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October 13-15, 2026

The newly formed “TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC” will oversee the app’s operations, including data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance.

Oracle will serve as the trusted security partner, responsible for auditing and ensuring compliance with National Security Terms, according to the memo. The company already provides cloud services for TikTok and manages user data in the U.S. Notably, Oracle previously made a bid for TikTok back in 2020.

A White House official previously said Oracle would replicate and secure a new U.S. version of the algorithm, and the U.S.-based TikTok owners could lease the algorithm from ByteDance, which Oracle will then retrain. 

ByteDance will not have access to information about TikTok’s U.S. users or any influence over the U.S. algorithm.

​The deal is scheduled to close on January 22, 2026.

What users in the U.S. should know

Reports from Bloomberg indicate that when the deal is finalized, the TikTok app will be discontinued in the U.S. and users will need to transition to a new platform. However, the specifics of this platform remain largely unclear, including its features and how it will differ from the original app. 

How did we get here?

Image Credits:Mandel Ngan (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

To fully understand this high-stakes drama, we’ll first revisit the timeline of TikTok’s tumultuous relationship with the U.S. government, which resulted in various legal battles and negotiations. 

The drama first began in August 2020, when Trump signed an executive order to ban transactions with parent company ByteDance. 

A month later, Trump’s administration sought to force a sale of TikTok’s U.S. operations to a U.S.-based company. The leading contenders included Microsoft, Oracle, and Walmart. However, a U.S. judge temporarily blocked Trump’s executive order, allowing TikTok to continue operating while the legal battle unfolded. 

Things began to progress even more last year following the transition to the Biden administration.  After the Senate passed the bill against TikTok, President Joe Biden signed it.

In response, TikTok sued the U.S. government, challenging the constitutionality of the ban and arguing the app and its American users were having their First Amendment rights violated. The company has consistently denied that it poses a security threat, asserting that its data stored in the U.S. complies with all local laws.

Fast-forward to today: Trump has had a change of heart since his first term and is trying to achieve a 50-50 ownership arrangement between ByteDance and a U.S. company. 

There have been several contenders, including The People’s Bid for TikTok , a consortium organized by Project Liberty founder Frank McCourt. This group has the support of investment firm Guggenheim Securities and the law firm Kirkland & Ellis. Supporters include Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, TV personality and investor Kevin O’Leary, inventor of the World Wide Web Tim Berners-Lee, and senior research scientist David Clark.

Image Credits:Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Another group, called the American Investor Consortium, is led by Employer.com founder Jesse Tinsley and includes Roblox co-founder David Baszucki, Anchorage Digital co-founder Nathan McCauley, and famous YouTuber MrBeast.

Others in the running included Amazon, AppLovin, Microsoft, Perplexity AI, Rumble, Walmart, Zoop, former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The story has been updated after publication.

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2025 has been one of those rare years when the tech industry didn’t just iterate—it swung for the fences. Every category saw something bold, strange, or downright impressive, from smartphones doubling down on design experimentation to XR headsets, finally breaking out of their niche. Even AI models and digital creators got their moment, reshaping conversations far beyond tech circles. 

So, instead of another “top specs of the year” list, this roundup highlights the products that genuinely stood out, devices that sparked debates, pushed boundaries, or simply made us say, “Wait… they did what?”

Techloy Recap: The Biggest Tech Hardware Releases of 2025

Whether it was a radical Samsung foldable, or a next-gen gaming console, this year wasn’t just about incremental upgrades.

1 iPhone 17 Line-up

Many great phones were launched this year, but few stood out as much as the iPhone 17 line-up. This year felt like a massive upgrade across the board, with each model gaining at least one meaningful advantage over its predecessor. 

Take the base iPhone 17, for example, Apple finally bumped the base storage to 256GB without raising the price. The Pro models got thicker, longer-lasting batteries and bold new colours. You genuinely can’t miss the bright orange Pro and Pro Max when they’re nearby. 

On top of that, we got new features like the centre stage selfie camera with a square sensor. It automatically switches between portrait and landscape, widens the field of view for group shots with AI, and shoots ultra-stabilised 4K HDR video, all without rotating the phone. Selfies and video calls feel much more natural now. 

If I didn’t know better, I’d say Apple was overcompensating for the hot mess that’s been Apple Intelligence this year. But what do I know? 

2 iPhone Air

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve probably noticed that every company has been chasing the “ultraslim phone” trend this year. But in the race to be the slimmest of them all, the iPhone Airits takes the crown.

It features an ultra-light titanium frame and a unique 6.5-inch display that sits between the standard and Pro Max sizes. Unlike the base model, it uses the more powerful A19 Pro chip and 12GB of RAM to handle intensive AI tasks better, while simplifying some hardware to keep the design thin. 

The horizontal camera “plateau” on the back makes it stand out. It also debuted Apple’s custom C1X 5G modem, its latest in-house cellular chip. Apple also made it eSIM-only, with a single speaker, but the premium build with Ceramic Shield front and back makes up for it. And despite all this, it fits into a stunning 5.6mm body, the slimmest phone released this year. 

3 Galaxy Z Trifold

The idea behind the Trifold is pretty simple: it’s a 6.5-inch phone that opens twice to become a 10-inch display. It’s a neat trick, and definitely a step up from the standard foldables we’re used to. Both screens use Samsung’s Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X panels with 120Hz and HDR support, easily among the best phone–tablet displays you’ll find. And it’s powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It genuinely doesn’t get much more powerful than that.

It’s one of the most fascinating releases this year, especially after all the anticipation. And given Samsung’s dominance in foldables, its first trifold has been long overdue, finally giving the Huawei Mate XT some real competition.

The downside? Like the only other trifold on the market, it’s not exactly available everywhere. And whenever it eventually goes global, its extremely high price may make it a tough sell.

4 Galaxy XR Headset

Stepping away from phones, this was the year we finally saw what Android XR was capable of. Samsung unveiled the Galaxy XR headset, the first XR headset built on the Android XR platform.

It works like most XR headsets, letting you use it as a standalone computer for immersive content like movies and games. But the Galaxy XR goes further. Because it’s built on Android XR, it comes preloaded with Android apps like YouTube and lets you install apps directly from the Play Store. Out of the box, it already has more use cases than most other headsets.

What makes it feel truly next-gen, though, is the integration of Gemini AI throughout the interface. You’re almost compelled to use multimodal AI to control the device, making it feel less like a clunky piece of hardware strapped to your face and more like an extension of your digital life.

5 Nintendo Switch 2

After about eight years, we finally got the Nintendo Switch 2, and the upgrades were genuinely worth the wait.

It moves from a 720p handheld to a 1080p powerhouse with the ability to output 4K to your TV using NVIDIA’s DLSS upscaling. It packs 12GB of RAM and a modern Ampere-based chip that’s roughly six times more powerful than the original, finally allowing it to run demanding third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

You see all that power on a larger 7.9-inch 120Hz display, redesigned magnetic snap-on Joy-Cons, and a built-in microphone for Nintendo’s new GameChat platform. It offers partial backwards compatibility, includes 256GB of storage, and supports the faster MicroSD Express standard for huge next-gen titles.

Now, gamers were definitely annoyed by how aggressively Nintendo priced both the console and even the demo games this year, and I don’t disagree. But purely comparing specs, the Switch 2 is a massive step up from the original.

6 LG G5 OLED TV

Image credit: LG

If you’re a “beautiful screen” enthusiast, the LG G5 OLED definitely didn’t pass you by. First shown at CES 2025, it immediately set a new bar for OLED panels.

It’s a 4K OLED display using LG’s “Perfect Colour” technology, delivering the inky blacks and vibrant colours OLED is known for. But what pushes it ahead is its performance: a 165Hz refresh rate and the Alpha 11 AI processor for real-time image tuning and clarity.

Whether you get the 55-inch or the massive 97-inch model, you’re getting premium gaming features like Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. It’s basically a high-end monitor disguised as a luxury TV.

7 HoverAir X1 ProMax

Once upon a time, drones were either huge, noisy machines or tiny toys that were basically injury hazards. Things have changed. This year, the HoverAir X1 ProMax combined the best of both worlds: ultra-portable and silent, yet surprisingly capable.

It shoots mind-blowing 8K video at 30fps, which is absurd for something that folds and fits into your jacket pocket. With its 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor, it delivers detail and low-light quality normally reserved for much bigger rigs. For action shots, it switches to 4K at 120fps for buttery-smooth slow-motion.

Its smart flight modes are what make it perfect for vloggers. It has Rear Active Collision Detection, a 26 mph follow speed, and advanced modes like “Dolly Track” and “Bird’s Eye” that give you cinematic shots with zero effort. It’s basically a personal camera operator that fits in your hand.

8 Sony WH-1000XM6

For audiophiles, this was the most reliable upgrade of the year. Not groundbreaking, but refined in all the right ways.

Sony swapped in the new QN3 processor, said to be seven times faster, enabling a huge jump in noise cancellation. With 12 built-in microphones (up from 8), it does a much better job blocking out chatter and wind noise. It also adds Auracast support and a new Cinema Mode that upmixes standard stereo into a 360-degree spatial experience.

A fan-favourite change: Sony brought back the classic foldable design missing from the XM5, letting the earcups tuck inward into a smaller magnetic-latch case. And yes, you can finally listen while charging via USB-C.

9 DeepSeek R1

Photo by Solen Feyissa / Unsplash

No product list is complete without at least one major AI model. DeepSeek has been around for a while, but its reasoning model, DeepSeek R1, truly shook the industry when it launched in January 2025.

Its appeal came from offering “thinking” capabilities, deliberate reasoning, and self-correction, on par with OpenAI’s o1, but at a tiny fraction of the cost. And because it launched open-source under the MIT licence, developers could inspect the model’s internal chain-of-thought and run advanced reasoning on consumer hardware. It democratised high-level AI in a way no one expected.

Of course, controversy followed. Researchers quickly found its safety guardrails easier to jailbreak, and geopolitical concerns about censorship and data privacy led U.S. agencies like NASA and the Pentagon to ban it from government devices. Still, R1 forced the AI industry to rethink efficiency vs scale, permanently shifting the competitive landscape.

10 Xania Monet, the AI-Generated Singer

This might not sound like a “product,” but it still fits. In case you missed it, who is Xania Monet?

She’s an “award-winning” digital persona who made history in 2025 as the first AI-generated artist to chart on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay. Created by American poet Telisha “Nikki” Jones, Xania uses the AI platform Suno to turn Jones’s poetry into soulful tracks like the viral “How Was I Supposed to Know?”

Her success sparked a label bidding war that ended with a $3 million deal from Hallwood Media. But it also triggered backlash from artists like Kehlani and SZA, who argue that AI-generated fame undermines human labour. Xania has become the centre of a heated debate about copyright, authenticity, cultural appropriation, and whether a machine can ever truly have “soul.”

But what do you think?

Honourable Mentions

These might not have been major standalone releases this year, but they definitely deserve a shoutout

• The iPhone Pocket: This wasn’t a tech product in the traditional sense, but rather a high-fashion collaboration between Apple and Issey Miyake. Released in November 2025, it’s a 3D-knitted textile sleeve that reimagines the “iPod Sock” for the modern era. While it doesn’t have a processor or a screen, it became a viral sensation for its “wearable textile” design that lets you glimpse your notifications through the fabric.
• Instagram on the iPad: After 15 years of waiting, Meta finally released a native Instagram app for iPad in September 2025. It finally ditched the “blown-up phone app” look for a multi-column layout that puts Reels and DMs side-by-side, taking full advantage of the tablet’s screen real estate.
• Sony’s Future Immersive Entertainment Concept: While technically not a properly released thing in 2025, the concept of it was unveiled at CES 2025, and this is Sony’s vision for “VR without the headset.” It’s a room-sized experience using Crystal LED walls, haptic floors, and even scent dispensers to drop you into games like The Last of Us. It’s not a product you can buy for your living room yet, but it’s a stunning look at where location-based entertainment is headed.

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After one too many drinks on Wednesday night, many will wake up and swear off alcohol for the month.

But Dry January is a bad idea as it promotes a ‘binge or bust’ approach to drinking, an expert has warned.

Julian Braithwaite, CEO of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking, said the challenge is often taken up by people who have been drinking more heavily in the run–up to the New Year.

Many do report feeling better for it – from improved sleep to a lift in mental wellbeing.

‘But that may not translate into wider change’, he told the Daily Mail. ‘One major UK study found that although 25–27 per cent of drinkers tried to cut down during Dry January, there was no population–level reduction in alcohol consumption.’

Nearly one in three Brits – the equivalent of 17.5 million people – plan to take part in Dry January this year, polling figures suggest.

Yet alcohol is still causing thousands of deaths every year, with 7,673 alcohol–related deaths in England in 2024.

‘If you want to change your relationship with alcohol longer–term, a single month of abstinence is not necessarily the answer,’ Mr Braithwaite said.

Dry January is a bad idea as it promotes a ‘binge or bust’ approach to drinking, an expert has warned (file image)

He explained that, for many people, sharing a drink is part of how we celebrate and connect.

‘Rather than a binge–or–bust approach, we encourage moderate, sustainable habits that let adults enjoy the social benefits of drinking while managing health risks sensibly,’ he added.

His comments echo those made last year by Dr Niall Campbell, a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory and one of the UK’s leading alcohol withdrawal specialists.

‘If you use Dry January as an excuse to drink to excess in December and February, and the rest of the year, then you’re missing the point,’ he said. ‘Increasingly, that’s what we’re seeing.

‘Dry January is a fantastic initiative. It is very popular and the health benefits of completing it are significant.

‘But I worry that it has become a fashionable exercise for a lot of people. As a society, we need a wake–up call.’

Figures recently released by research company IWSR revealed monthlong abstinences – such as ‘Sober October’ and ‘Dry January’ – are becoming less popular among Gen Z, who were born between 1997 and 2012.

The number of Gen Z drinkers in the UK who reported abstaining from alcohol for a month or longer during the last six months dropped from 33 per cent in autumn last year to 24 per cent this year.

Alcohol is still causing thousands of deaths every year, with 7,673 alcohol–related deaths in England in 2024 (file image)

‘Temporary abstinence appears to be less central to moderation strategies than it once was,’ IWSR President Marten Lodewijks said.

‘This is especially the case among Gen Z drinkers, who have always been its most enthusiastic adopters.

‘Moderation is still an important trend across the entire beverage alcohol industry, but performative abstinence periods are less of the driving force they once were.

‘Instead, consumers moderate by drinking less often and, when they do drink, they tend to drink less.’

Experts now believe people are drinking more ‘mindfully’ by deciding which days they will drink or taking part in ‘Zebra striping’ – when alcoholic and non–alcoholic drinks are rotated.

The IWSR also said that consumers are seeking out more expensive drinks – such as fancy cocktails – while cutting back on how much alcohol they consume overall.

Dry January officially started as a public health campaign in 2013, when it was launched by Alcohol Change UK.

Short–term benefits can include marked reductions in liver fat, blood glucose and cholesterol along with improvements in sleep.

Findings from one study suggest that taking part in Dry January can lead to less drinking year–round.

The research, led by psychologist Dr Richard de Visser form the University of Sussex, included giving a questionnaire to 3,791 people who took part in Dry January in 2014.

A total of 71 per cent made it through the month without drinking.

Follow–up questionnaires, issued six months later, revealed statistically significant reductions in the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption and hazardous drinking, and increased confidence about refusing alcohol.

These long–term benefits were seen in all the people who had signed up for Dry January, even if they did not manage to abstain for the full month, the research showed.

Dr Richard Piper, CEO at Alcohol Change UK, said the Dry January challenge was designed to help people cut down and get back to controlled, moderate, low-risk drinking over the long-term.

‘It’s the circuit breaker that many people need to reset their relationship with alcohol,’ he said. ‘Just trying to cut back, without first having a proper break of a month or more, is much harder.’

He said when it comes to unlocking maximum benefit and achieving lasting changes to drinking habits, there is a huge difference between those who attempt Dry January on their own or those who use the Try Dry app designed by experts at Alcohol Change.

‘If you find yourself drinking lots to compensate before the 1st Jan or counting down the days to the February, or find it hard to socialise, relax, sleep or have fun during the challenge, these are signs that you would benefit from changing your relationship with alcohol,’ he added.

WHAT IS ALCOHOLISM?

Alcoholism is the most severe form of alcohol abuse and involves the inability to manage drinking habits.

It is organized into three categories: mild, moderate and severe. Each category has various symptoms and can cause harmful side effects.

If left untreated, any type of alcohol abuse can spiral out of control. 

Individuals struggling with alcoholism often feel as though they cannot function normally without alcohol.

This can lead to a wide range of issues and impact professional goals, personal matters, relationships and overall health.

Sometimes the warning signs of alcohol abuse are very noticeable. Other times, they can take longer to surface. 

When alcohol addiction is discovered in its early stages, the chance for a successful recovery increases significantly.

Common signs of alcoholism include:

• Being unable to control alcohol consumption
• Craving alcohol when you’re not drinking
• Putting alcohol above personal responsibilities
• Feeling the need to keep drinking more
• Spending a substantial amount of money on alcohol
• Behaving differently after drinking

Short-term effects of alcohol abuse can be just as dangerous as long-term effects. 

For instance, drinking can impact your reaction time, causing you to have slow reflexes and coordination.

That’s why drinking and driving is extremely dangerous. Getting behind the wheel of a car can alter your perception of speed and distance, putting yourself and others at risk.

Several short-term effects of alcohol abuse may produce:

• Slow reaction time
• Poor reflexes
• Reduce brain activity
• Lowered inhibitions
• Blurry vision
• Difficulty breathing
• Restlessness

Additionally, consuming too much alcohol can affect your long-term health. Some side effects may lay dormant for years before they surface.

Because of this, professional medical care is required for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Long-term health conditions caused by alcohol:

• Brain defects 
• Liver disease
• Diabetes complications
• Heart problems
• Increased risk of cancer
• Vision damage
• Bone loss 

Treatment for Alcoholism 

There are different forms of treatment available based on frequency and severity of alcohol abuse. 

Recovering from alcohol addiction is a process that continues long after rehab. 

It takes commitment to practice and apply the techniques you learn in rehab, counseling, support groups and other types of therapy.

Although every individual will have their own recovery plan that’s tailored to their specific needs, treatment generally follows a structure.

Alcohol treatment is broken into three sections, consisting of:

Detoxification

The first stage in alcohol addiction recovery is detoxification. This phase should be completed with the help of medical professionals due to the potential for serious, uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms. Many times, individuals are given a medication to help alleviate the painful side effects of a withdrawal.

Rehabilitation

There are two types of rehabilitation that help treat alcoholism: inpatient rehab and outpatient rehab. Inpatient rehabs are intensive treatment programs that require you to check into a facility for a certain period of time, usually 30, 60 or 90 days. Outpatient rehab allows individuals to participate in a recovery program while continuing with their daily life. Talk with your doctor about treatment options to determine which form of recovery will best fit your needs.

Maintenance

The recovery process doesn’t end with the completion of rehab. Long-term sobriety requires ongoing therapy and may entail support groups, counseling and other recovery resources. These will make sure you maintain sobriety and continue on a happy, healthy path for months and years to come.

Source: Alcohol Rehab Guide

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In September, NVIDIA agreed to purchase $5 billion worth of Intel shares. On Monday, the deal finally became official, with NVIDIA buying 214 million shares at $23.28 per share, giving it a 4.4% ownership stake in one of the most consequential companies in semiconductor history.

Since the initial agreement, the value of NVIDIA’s stake has already risen to $7.5 billion, as Intel shares closed at $36.68 on Monday. But focusing only on the immediate gains misses the bigger picture of why this deal matters right now.

On 18 December, the transaction cleared a major regulatory hurdle when the U.S. Federal Trade Commission approved the purchase after months of scrutiny over whether NVIDIA’s dominance in AI chips, combined with a stake in Intel, could raise antitrust concerns. The FTC ultimately ruled that the 4.4% stake was small enough to move forward.

What NVIDIA And Intel Are Actually Building Together

Beyond the financials, NVIDIA and Intel are planning to co-develop multiple generations of chips for data centres and computing platforms.

At the heart of this partnership is NVIDIA’s NVLink technology, which will connect Intel and NVIDIA chips at extremely high speeds. With bandwidth reaching 1.8 TB/s, NVLink enables far tighter CPU-GPU integration than traditional PCIe connections, removing the bottlenecks that increasingly slow down AI workloads.

NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang described the partnership as: “This historic collaboration tightly couples NVIDIA’s AI and accelerated computing stack with Intel’s CPUs and the vast x86 ecosystem — a fusion of two world-class platforms.”

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan echoed the sentiment, saying: “Intel’s x86 architecture has been foundational to modern computing for decades — and we are innovating across our portfolio to enable the workloads of the future.”

In practical terms, Intel will manufacture NVIDIA-custom x86 CPUs for data centres that integrate directly into NVIDIA’s AI architecture. For consumer and enterprise PCs, Intel plans to build system-on-chips that combine x86 CPUs with NVIDIA RTX GPU chiplets, blurring the traditional lines between processor roles.

A Lifeline For Intel

This deal comes at a critical moment for Intel. The company reported an $18.8 billion loss in 2024, its first annual loss since 1986, after years of strategic missteps, fierce competition, and heavy spending on manufacturing expansion.

NVIDIA’s investment will not fix those problems overnight, but it offers Intel something it urgently needs: time and credibility — a lifeline that could help stabilise the company while it attempts to reinvent itself.

NVIDIA’s Spending Spree Continues

For NVIDIA, the Intel stake is part of a much broader investment campaign that has already topped $120 billion, including its planned $100 billion investment in OpenAI and its recently announced $20 billion Groq deal.

Although NVIDIA officially labelled the Groq deal a non-exclusive licensing agreement rather than a full acquisition, it still underscores how aggressively the company is positioning itself across the AI value chain.

Nvidia’s $20 billion Groq Deal Opens a New Front in the Fight Over Faster AI

Officially, Nvidia had labelled this deal as a non-exclusive licensing agreement and not as an acquisition.

The Geopolitical Layer

The deal also fits neatly into a growing global AI race. In August, the U.S. government took a $10 billion stake in Intel, citing national security and supply-chain resilience.

NVIDIA’s move aligns with that strategy, reinforcing the US ambition to become a dominant AI chip production powerhouse, especially as competition with China intensifies.

Why This Matters

For NVIDIA, the upside is control and optionality. For Intel, it is a rare chance at reinvention. As demand for AI computing continues to surge, this partnership could help define who shapes the next era of semiconductors — and who struggles to survive it.

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Behind The Scenes (BTS), a film by popular Nollywood Actress Funke Akindele, has set another milestone by grossing over N100 million each in four consecutive days. The development has seen the project become the first Nollywood film to reach that mark.

According to a breakdown released by the Nigeria Box Office (NBO) on Monday, Behind The Scenes capitalised on the festive period and its continued acceptance to set new records. While the movie grossed N103.6 million on Christmas Day, it recorded N130.1 million on Boxing Day, becoming the highest single-day gross of all time. 

Behind The Scenes continued the fine run by grossing N105.4 million on 27 December and N121.6 million on 28 December, becoming the first Nollywood film to rake in over N100 million each in four consecutive days, and still counting. 

Aside from these, Funke Akindele’s latest feature also set several records.

Behind the Scenes, with the accumulation of its daily returns since launch, has now surged past N1.1 billion to become the fastest film in West Africa to cross N1 billion within 19 days after its release. The figure also made Funke Akindele Nollywood’s highest-grossing producer of all time. 

While confirming the new record, FilmOne Entertainment, the film’s distributor, said that Funke Akindele is now the only filmmaker to surpass N1 billion three separate times. In addition, she is also the first to rake in N1 billion+ in three consecutive projects within a single calendar year.

The distributor tagged the ongoing turnout at cinemas as  “another history made,” and also acknowledged the audience for continuing to show up, filling cinemas and “carrying this story with love.” It had previously described Funke Akindele as the “Queen of Box Office for a reason” after the film set its first record two weeks ago. 

Recall that earlier this month, Behind The Scenes became the first Nollywood film to hit the N200 million mark on its opening weekend in 2025. The film was described as a five-time box office opening weekend record holder and the biggest weekend admissions of 2025. It also recorded the biggest weekend admission (34,548) of 2025.

While the film continues to rake in revenue, the cost of production also attracts attention. Funke Akindele had earlier disclosed in a video that the production budget exceeded N1 billion, highlighting the scale of investment involved in the film production. 

Funke Akindele

Also Read: Behind The Scenes becomes first Nollywood movie to hit N200m on opening weekend in 2025.

About Behind The Scenes 

Behind The Scenes features Scarlet Gomez in the lead role, alongside Iyabo Ojo, Funke Akindele, Destiny Etiko, and Tobi Bakre. Others are Uche Montana, Uzor Arukwe, Ini Dima-Okojie, Adebowale ‘Mr Macaroni’, Ibrahim Chatta, Kamo State, and reality TV stars Handi and Wanni Danbaki, among others.

The film is a comedy-drama that spotlights the chaos, ego clashes, and hidden struggles in Nollywood film production and focuses on themes of pressure, healing, and hidden truths. It lights up an ambitious young filmmaker navigating betrayal, ambition, and on-set drama.

In addition, Behind The Scenes touches on broader societal issues like ‘black tax’ and self-sacrifice through characters such as successful entrepreneur Aderonke “Ronky-Fella” Faniran.

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