You have probably experienced the following scenario yourself. A website suddenly stops loading, a login page times out, or an online service becomes unreachable at the worst possible moment. Sometimes the cause is not an internal outage, but a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack designed to overwhelm the service from the outside.

DDoS attacks have long been one of the simplest ways to disrupt an online service:flooding it with enough traffic, exhausting its infrastructure, and making it unreachable without breaking into the target’s systems. Now more than ever DDoS is being packaged, branded, and sold with the language of a mature online service, and the impact is well recorded in the real world.

Cloudflare reported blocking a 7.3 Tbps attack in 2025 and later said it mitigated a 31.4 Tbps attack in its Q4 2025 DDoS report. Microsoft also said Azure mitigated a 15.72 Tbps attack in October 2025, attributing the activity to the Aisuru botnet.

Behind those incidents, underground sellers are competing over the same buyers with an increasingly polished pitch. Recent underground activity analyzed by Flare researchers describe attack panels, API access, monthly plans, reseller options, customer support, botnet-backed capacity, game-server methods, and Cloudflare bypass claims. 

A comparison of two datasets of DDoS-related underground activity from the first five months of 2023 and the first five months of 2026, shows how quickly that offer has changed. What once appeared more frequently as scripts, tutorials, leaked tools, and scattered forum posts is now more often presented as a repeatable product that is easier to buy and operate.

A DDoS attack attempts to overwhelm a website, application, network, or server with traffic from many sources at once. Some attacks target network capacity, while others focus on application layer resources such as login pages and APIs. The objective is usually simple: make the service unavailable, unstable, or expensive to operate.

DDoS-as-a-service lowers the barrier further. Instead of building infrastructure, an attacker can pay for access to a web panel, choose a target, select a duration, and rely on someone else’s botnet, proxy network, or third-party attack infrastructure.

Flare Researchers Analysis

Flare researchers searched for DDoS-related underground activity from two periods in time. The first was the fivefirst months of 2023 and the second was the first five months of 2026. The team cleaned the data, curated it and found some important insights.

An important disclaimer, in this research we focused on distributed DoS. There’s another category, which is denial of service.

Technically it is a bit different in the way a server is targeted, but the goal is the same. In this research we only focused on DDoS offerings and did our best to exclude the DoS offerings.

From scattered tools to packaged services

The topics in the posts from 2023 are more diverse. Many offerings revolved around scripts, leaked tools, tutorials, or generic “botnet service” advertisements.

One repeated type of post from 2023 (as seen in the screenshot below) promoted a “Botnet Service L7 – L4” and claimed Layer 3, Layer 4, and Layer 7 capability, optional API access, automatic payments, high attack slots, game-server targeting, and bypasses for Cloudflare-related protections. The same advertising text appeared across multiple sources and actors, suggesting copying, reselling, or recycling marketing.

While the post from 2023 was focused about the services, more recent posts from 2026 are focused around the price and the offering they give. 

An advertisement of “SatelliteStress” described the service as an IP stresser with a user-friendly panel, API access, game-server support, and monthly plans starting at €20. The same post claimed the service was “100% botnet-powered” and did not rely on downstream APIs, a positioning meant to distinguish it from resellers that depend on another provider’s infrastructure.

As illustrated in the screenshot below, Areshun, which is another post that offers a “Premium DDoS Service” with Layer 4 and Layer 7 attacks, monitoring, API integration, custom plans, 24/7 support, and promotional discount codes is also pinpointed on specific service and its price. 

Another similar example is of “RebirthStress”, which is similarly marketed as a botnet-powered IP and web stressing device, a free Layer 7 hub, more than 400 slots, reselling suitability, and plans starting at $15 per month.

If you go over these posts, one-by-one and make the comparison, you see a distinct trend. The post in 2026 is more focused on a product, the sellers are competing one against another on customers. They package everything nicely, offer shiny features: ease of use, fully automated, full support, privacy promised, reselling capacity, and reliability.

The technical details have not disappeared, they became part of the sale pitch. In 2026 ads more commonly bundle Layer 4 and Layer 7 claims (means the service support both network-level attacks and application-layer attacks) words such as “panel,” “API,” “slots,” “bypass,” “monitoring,” “uptime,” and “support.”

One THORCC-related advertisement claimed more than 7,000 active Layer 4 bots and promoted bandwidth analytics and attack-vector statistics. Another Russian and English post presented “professional stress testing” while claiming Cloudflare and DDoS-Guard bypasses, high concurrency, and long attack durations.

Sellers are possibly exaggerating about their capabilities. However, the consistency of their marketing language remains important intelligence.

It shows what buyers are being encouraged to value beyond raw traffic volume, including web panels, automation, bypass claims, and the ability to launch or resell attacks with minimal effort.

The pricing of a DDoS attack in 2026 is very cheap. We’ve seen the following offers:

There are some more expensive offerings. An actor named “SamuraiDD” advertised attacks starting at $100 per day (see in the screenshot below).

Another actor named “POWERDDOS” used a tiered model of $5 tests, $100 per day for “weak” target, $200 per day for “medium” target, and $500 per day for “strong” or protected targets. 

Lastly, we’ve also seen some “premium” offerings which included infrastructure-style targeting, including a DDoS botnet attack network advertised for $2,000.

The pattern shows a market segmented by buyer type. Cheap tests and short attacks for low-skill users, daily pricing for one-off disruption, private negotiation for longer campaigns, and higher-value infrastructure or reseller-style offers for more serious customers.

Public reporting on the booter economy (a paid DDoS-for-hire service that lets users launch attacks through someone else’s infrastructure) also aligns with this low-cost access model, with Akamai noting that some DDoS booter services can cost less than $25 per month and may offer limited trials.

Conclusions

DDoS-as-a-service is no longer only about traffic volume. The market is dropping down the entry bar, enabling easier purchase, easier operation, and easier to resell. What matters is not only how powerful an attack is, but how easy it is to launch an attack through a panel, various plans, full support, API access, and rented infrastructure.

This lowers the barrier for several types of actors. Low-skill users can buy short, cheap attacks. More serious customers can negotiate longer or higher-volume campaigns. Resellers can help expand the reach of the original service. As a result, defenders should not assume that disruptive DDoS activity requires a sophisticated attacker behind the keyboard.

In the near future, this market will likely continue moving toward more polished service models. As clearer pricing tiers, more automation, stronger reseller programs, and heavier branding around “bypass” capabilities and attack reliability.

Learn more by signing up for our free trial.

Sponsored and written by Flare.

Steeper discounts have resulted in the lowest prices ever on numerous M5 Pro and M5 Max 14-inch MacBook Pro configurations, with every model on sale.

Whether you’re looking for the standard M5 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro that’s marked down to $1,999 at Amazon and B&H, or if you’d like to maximize your savings with Expercom’s record-breaking $1,300 markdown on a loaded M5 Max spec, there are a variety of deals to choose from this weekend.

A comprehensive rundown of the offers can be found in our 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max Price Guide, with a few highlights below:

14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max deals

• M5 Pro, 15C CPU, 16C GPU, 24GB, 1TB, Standard Display: $1,999 ($200 off)
• M5 Pro, 18C CPU, 20C GPU, 24GB, 2TB, Standard Display: $2,629 ($170 off)
• M5 Pro, 18C CPU, 20C GPU, 64GB, 1TB, Standard Display, Silver: $2,799 ($200 off)
• M5 Max, 18C CPU, 32C GPU, 36GB, 2TB, Standard Display: $3,349 ($250 off)
• M5 Max, 18C CPU, 40C GPU, 48GB, 8TB, Nano-texture Display, Silver: $4,749 ($1,300 off)
• M5 Max, 18C CPU, 40C GPU, 64GB, 2TB, Nano-texture Display: $4,199 ($250 off)
• M5 Max, 18C CPU, 40C GPU, 64GB, 8TB, Standard Display: $5,799 ($300 off)

Astell&Kern is bringing the A&ultima SP4000T Vacuum Tube DAP and Clarus In-Ear Monitor to High End Vienna 2026, and the timing feels right. The Vienna show opens June 4 at the Austria Center, just as wired IEMs are enjoying one of their strongest runs in years. CanJam NYC 2026 made that hard to miss, with in-ear monitors and portable audio electronics pulling heavy traffic from listeners who have not surrendered the 4.4mm balanced cable to the Bluetooth empire just yet. 

A&K has earned some goodwill from us recently. The A&ultima SP3000T showed that a tube-equipped DAP could be more than a glowing party trick, while the SP3000 impressed with its resolution, timbre, and natural presentation. The SP4000T and Clarus now give Astell&Kern an opportunity to show whether its next portable flagship pairing can deliver the kind of wired listening experience that has personal audio buzzing again.

The A&ultima SP4000T

The A&ultima SP4000T gives Astell&Kern a new flagship tube DAP by combining modern digital audio processing with a more traditional analog output stage. The headline feature is its use of four RAYTHEON JAN6418 MIL-Spec vintage vacuum tubes in a quad configuration, making it the first portable digital audio player to use that tube arrangement. It is the kind of spec that will get the portable audio crowd leaning forward, assuming they have not already spent the rent money on cables and IEMs.

Raytheon Tubes Inside the SP4000T

The SP4000T uses an independent dual tube structure with four tubes in total, divided between the left and right channels. That type of channel separated tube design is more commonly associated with home audio tube amplifiers than portable digital audio players.

Each tube is measured for noise and gain characteristics before matching. Astell&Kern says the tube section is isolated through independent modular flexible PCBs and a multi layered internal architecture, which is important in a portable design where noise, heat, vibration, and consistency are all factors.

The SP4000T also introduces Triple Tube Mode, which Astell&Kern describes as a first for the DAP category. Combined with the company’s T Series Signature Triple AMP Mode and adjustable Tube Current settings, the player offers up to 54 possible sound combinations.

Astell&Kern offers three tube modes on the SP4000T. Triode Mode is intended to emphasize harmonic richness, warmth, and a more rounded presentation. Pentode Mode is designed for higher output and stronger dynamic impact while retaining tube character. Ultra Linear Mode sits between the two, balancing the tonal weight of Triode Mode with the control and drive of Pentode Mode.

The larger goal is to combine Astell&Kern’s TERATON ALPHA platform, quad vacuum tube architecture, and OP AMP design in a portable player that can deliver high resolution digital playback with adjustable analog tube character.

Amplifier Mode Support

The SP4000T gives listeners three amplifier options. OP AMP Mode uses the player’s solid state output stage and is intended to deliver lower noise, stronger control, and a more direct presentation. TUBE AMP Mode routes playback through the vacuum tube section for listeners who prefer a warmer tonal balance and a more spacious presentation.

HYBRID AMP Mode blends the OP AMP and tube stages across five selectable levels, allowing users to adjust how much tube character is added to the signal. The goal is to give listeners more control over the SP4000T’s output character without requiring external hardware or EQ.

Noise Suppression

The SP4000T introduces an upgraded 5-stage second-generation Anti-Microphonic Architecture (up from the previous 4-stage design) to suppress microphonic noise (noise generated in vacuum tubes from even the most minor external vibrations).

Streaming and Wi-Fi

The SP4000T runs Android 15 and includes Google Play Store support, giving users broader access to streaming apps than earlier closed-platform DAPs. To preserve playback quality, Astell&Kern uses its ADP, or Astell&Kern Direct Path, technology to bypass Android’s standard sample rate conversion. That allows compatible streaming services to deliver lossless, bit-perfect playback through the player rather than being forced through Android’s normal audio path.

The SP4000T also introduces Astell&Kern’s first dual Wi-Fi antenna design. The goal is faster and more stable wireless streaming and downloads, especially on 5GHz networks. According to Astell&Kern’s internal testing, the new design can deliver up to twice the 5GHz download speed of previous models, although real-world performance will still depend on network conditions, router quality, and distance from the access point.

DACs and Processing

The SP4000T uses a discrete circuit architecture that separates digital and analog signal processing. Its DAC section is built around dual AKM AK4499EX DACs and dedicated AK4191EQ processors for each channel, a layout intended to reduce noise and preserve signal integrity across the playback chain.

Based on Astell&Kern’s SP4000 platform, the SP4000T also includes High Driving Mode, which uses a parallel OP AMP configuration to increase output capability and improve control with more demanding IEMs and headphones.

Astell&Kern’s ESA, or Enhanced Signal Alignment, technology is included to improve timing accuracy across the frequency range. The goal is cleaner imaging, better clarity, and a more stable soundstage. The SP4000T also includes DAR, or Digital Audio Remaster, which applies upsampling to PCM and DSD files with the aim of improving perceived detail and harmonic texture.

Additional internal refinements include Any Layer HDI PCB technology and a 99.9% pure copper shield, both used to reduce signal loss, noise, and electromagnetic interference inside the player.

Connectivity and Display

The SP4000T includes 256GB of internal storage, with microSD expansion up to 1.5TB. It supports native playback up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512, giving it the file compatibility expected from Astell&Kern’s flagship DAP lineup.

The player uses a 6-inch Full HD touchscreen and supports dual-band Wi-Fi, DLNA networking, USB audio output, and USB DAC operation with Mac and Windows computers.

Bluetooth support includes aptX Adaptive and LDAC, giving users higher-quality wireless options when a cable is not practical. BT Sink mode also allows the SP4000T to receive Bluetooth audio from an external device, such as a smartphone, and function as a portable Bluetooth DAC.

Other usability features include ReplayGain, AK File Drop for wireless file transfers, USB PD 3.0 fast charging, and customizable battery protection settings.

Crossfeed

For extended listening comfort, the SP4000T includes advanced Crossfeed controls that recreate a more speaker-like listening experience through headphones, allowing users to fine-tune spatial presentation and reduce listening fatigue over long sessions.

Packaging

The SP4000T is packaged with a premium leather “Cognac’ colored case crafted using ‘MINERVA’ leather from ‘BADALASSI CARLO‘, a renowned leather workshop located in the San Miniato district of Florence, Italy.

Two additional premium leather cases will be available for the SP4000T. A black case, crafted from soft cowhide by GRUPPO MASTROTTO, delivers an exceptionally soft touch, with a uniform surface quality and a distinctively vibrant Italian colouration. An olive-coloured case, crafted from premium vegetable-tanned leather by BADALASSI CARLO, is crafted through a proprietary tanning and dyeing process. Both cases feature a standing mechanism on the back to provide greater convenience in use.

Astell&Kern Clarus IEM

In addition to the SP4000T, Astell&Kern will show its Clarus IEMs for the first time at High End Vienna 2026.

Clarus is the fourth model in Astell&Kern’s IEM series, developed around the company’s goal of delivering a transparent, low distortion presentation for high resolution portable listening.

The Clarus uses a new 9-driver Tribrid architecture. Each side combines dynamic, balanced armature, and MEMS drivers, with each driver assigned to its own frequency range rather than being asked to cover too much of the spectrum. The shells are crafted from premium grade 6061-T6 aluminum, a material chosen for its rigidity, durability, and ability to support a more stable acoustic structure.

The technical goal is a more controlled full range presentation, with bass handled by the dynamic driver, midrange and treble detail managed by the BA drivers, and the most delicate high frequency information reproduced by the MEMS drivers. In theory, that division of labor should help Clarus deliver stronger separation, cleaner imaging, and a more open sense of space without forcing one driver type to do all of the heavy lifting.

The Bottom Line

The SP4000T is not the first DAP to use vacuum tubes, and Cayin’s N8iii is an important reminder that Astell&Kern is not operating in an empty lane. What makes the SP4000T different is the combination of four Raytheon JAN6418 MIL-Spec tubes in a quad configuration, three selectable tube modes, hybrid amp control, Android 15 with Google Play Store support, and A&K’s flagship DAC and processing platform in one portable player.

It is too early to judge the sound, but Astell&Kern did not build its reputation in the DAP category by making timid moves. The SP4000T looks like a deliberate attempt to bridge high resolution digital playback with adjustable analog tube character. The real question is whether analog focused listeners will hear this as meaningful engineering or another very expensive pocket-sized argument for staying up too late with IEMs.

Price & Availability

The Astell&Kern SP4000T and Clarus will make their global debut at the High End Show, 4–7 June at booth HX4, M04, Austria Center Vienna.

Pricing and availability for the SP4000T in Stainless Steel and Copper editions will be announced shortly.

Clarus will be available for demo in the Astell&Kern booth at High End Vienna 2026. Pricing, availability, and further details will be confirmed in due course.

Related Reading:

Authorities in the Netherlands said they dismantled a botnet that comprised more than 17 million devices and were managed by 200 servers in a joint operation by the police and the National Cyber Security Center.

The action, announced Thursday, came about after a security researcher reported the sprawling network to authorities. The host infrastructure was located in the Netherlands.

Used for criminal purposes

“The police then seized several botnet servers from a hosting provider for investigation,” the NCSC said. “The botnet was taken offline by the provider because it was used for criminal purposes.”

According to a report Thursday by the NL Times, the botnet was linked to ASOCKS, a Russia-based company that provides residential proxy services. These services cater to people and organizations who want to obscure their locations or identities by proxying their Internet traffic through third-party devices. Proxy services are often used for illicit or unethical purposes such as performing DDoS attacks, running botnet command-and-control servers, operating phishing operations, and scraping website content.

Ars was unable to independently confirm the NL Times report, but the claim checks out. Thursday’s NCSC post linked to a separate post that the nonprofit organization published a day earlier. That post, in turn, was updated to add a link to Thursday’s post. Wednesday’s post, headlined “Residential proxies and their major impact on digital security in the Netherlands,” warned: “Residential proxies are used to maintain anonymity and circumvent geographical restrictions. In this way, a Dutch organization can be attacked with Dutch proxies that have similarities with ‘regular’ traffic, making cybercrime mitigation more difficult.”

The web browser has been the default interface for accessing online information for decades, but AI search is starting to change that assumption. Tools like Microsoft Copilot already let users ask plain-language questions and receive direct answers, bypassing the traditional results page entirely.

NLWeb is Microsoft’s attempt to extend that shift down to the website level itself. Announced at Build 2025, it’s an open protocol that lets any web property respond to natural language queries without a search engine acting as an intermediary.

A space-themed White House website that mocks immigrants and compares them to extraterrestrials claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested almost half a million people in nearly 12,000 cities and towns in the United States. In 715 of the locations listed, the site identifies at least one of the people arrested as being born in the United States. In 83 of the locations, every single arrestee is reported to be an American.

The White House unveiled the website, Aliens.gov, on Thursday after teasing the launch on X with a 10-second video captioned “They walk among us,” leading many users to suspect an announcement about UFOs—the subject of an ongoing Trump administration disclosure effort that produced two releases of declassified files earlier in May. The site turned out instead to be a piece of political theater aimed at dehumanizing immigrants and casting those the Trump administration has arrested as the secret extraterrestrial visitors of UFO conspiracy lore.

The site includes information about arrestees’ alleged criminal offenses for each location. People in 3,159 locations are accused of “Immigration.” In 1,082 locations—including Chicago and Minneapolis—at least one of the crimes supposedly committed by the arrestees is “Public Peace,” a category of convictions that includes unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct.

In more than one-fifth of the locations the site flags as the site of an arrest, no criminal charges are recorded. Puerto Rico, a US territory whose residents are American citizens, is mapped on the site as a separate jurisdiction; in one row, the site lists Puerto Rico itself among the foreign countries the arrestees came from.

In a statement provided post-publication, the White House said aliens.gov “pulls data directly from DHS, which initially included a handful of non-immigration HSI arrests,” adding that “this has been updated.” HSI, or Homeland Security Investigations, is a part of ICE. WIRED reviewed the updated data and found there were 270,214 fewer arrests listed.

The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that ICE is going after the “worst of the worst,” but that framing has collapsed under the weight of ICE’s own data, pried loose by a range of government watchdog organizations, such as TRAC and the Deportation Data Project. An April report from the Deportation Data Project found that ICE arrests of people without any criminal convictions has skyrocketed compared to the six months prior to the start of the Trump administration. In October, ProPublica reported that immigration agents have held or detained more than 170 US citizens.

Some of the locations listed on Aliens.gov don’t appear to be cities or towns at all. One “neighborhood” in the dataset is an address in Ohio that corresponds to that of a state-run prison.

The website was originally registered by the Executive Office of the President in March, according to 404 Media. At the time, there was speculation that the website would host records about extraterrestrial life and UFOs, since President Trump had promised to release new information in a February Truth Social post. In anticipation, WIRED set up a script to monitor when the site went live.

One of the first things visitors to the site see is a counter labeled “encounters,” ostensibly indicating how many undocumented immigrants federal agents have arrested since Trump took office. The counter is fake. The starting number—3,129,580—is hand-typed into the website, and its upward motion is generated by a timer initiated by the visitor’s own browser, according to a WIRED analysis of the site’s code. The figure does not correspond to any enforcement total published by immigration authorities and is roughly seven times larger than the actual ICE arrest count since January 2025.

The Abxylute M4 joins the growing trend of tiny iPhone controllers with an excellent concept, but its tiny layout and iPhone placement make it tough to use.

I have mixed feelings about the Abxylute M4. It should be the perfect pocketable companion controller for my iPhone.

However, multiple problems emerged the first time I picked it up.

This device wants to be small enough that it can snap to the back of your iPhone when it isn’t in use. It also has to be pocketable while holding a battery and having all of the buttons a modern game would need.

Abxylute achieves these goals, and I’m glad they pursued it in the first place. The problem isn’t with the device’s execution, but the issues created by such a tiny form factor.

I definitely don’t hate it, but I’m not sure it fits entirely into its intended use case very well. Let’s get into it.

Abxylute M4 review: Design and features

The Abxylute M4 is a 2 3/4-inch by 3-inch square-ish controller with a magnetic ring stand attachment. It is meant to attach to the rear of your iPhone while holding it aloft in landscape.

Abxylute M4 review: The smallest viable iPhone controller

Advertisement

This is in direct opposition to the GameSir Pocket Taco, a similarly sized controller that grips the bottom of the iPhone in landscape. They both connect via Bluetooth, but they’re distinct in nearly every other aspect.

The model I’m reviewing has Gamecube-like controllers with a purple case, green A button, red B button, and yellow right analog stick. It is downright cute and nostalgic.

On paper, this should be the perfect portable controller. I believe it is the smallest-sized minimum viable controller with all of the buttons needed for modern games.

Yes, you can play Minecraft with this controller. It might be an old game, but it is one that uses all of the buttons, so I find it a good test case.

Abxylute M4 review: The L/LZ and R/RZ buttons aren’t ideal

The L/LZ and R/RZ buttons on the rear are crammed next to each other on a horizontal axis. It’s a usable setup, but it feels backwards even if it is the correct order.

Of the four buttons, LZ and RZ are used the most, yet they’re the smaller buttons tucked away in the back. Any first-person shooter is going to become much harder because of this arrangement.

Thankfully, there’s a way to fix this in software. Games like Minecraft let users adjust what each button does, but there is a better option in Apple’s Settings app.

Go to Settings -> General -> Game Controller and select the Abxylute M4, which shows up as “Pro Controller.” You can either set a default button configuration for all games or on a per-game basis.

Even so, those trigger buttons aren’t ideal.

Abxylute M4 review: Attach the M4 to the rear of your iPhone when not in use

I’m glad Abxylute included joysticks on this controller, because they could have easily avoided the complexity. However, without them, the controller would be limited to very specific games and retro games.

This is a Bluetooth controller with a 300 mAh battery that provides about 12 hours of gameplay. It can be connected with anything that accepts Bluetooth controllers, even a Nintendo Switch 2.

It charges via USB-C and powers on with a simple button press. Overall, it’s a cute controller that does what Abxylute set out to do — connect to an iPhone via MagSafe and still be pocketable when not in use.

Gaming with the Abxylute M4

Where the GameSir Pocket Taco emulates what it was like to use a Game Boy Color, the Abxylute M4 is doing its own thing. The closest modern equivalent is the PSP Go, which had controls that slid up from the bottom.

Abxylute M4 review: Stiff joysticks only really work on non-twitchy games

Advertisement

The problem here, versus the PSP Go, and yes, even when compared to the Pocket Taco, is button size, placement, spacing, and controller grip depth.

Your hands don’t like being held in such close proximity continuously. You’ll find yourself pinching tightly while bearing the weight of an iPhone being pulled down by simple fulcrum mechanics.

Meanwhile, you’re supposed to navigate buttons and tiny joysticks while playing a game. That makes the whole experience feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Yeah, needless to say, it’s all a bit rough. I don’t even think this is a hand-size issue. My wife noticed instantly that the controller was hard to grip while using the joysticks.

A child would struggle with the weight of an iPhone after a while, too. So sure, let’s put the iPhone on a table with the included kickstand.

Abxylute M4 review: Playing detached is better, but only by a bit

The problems are less pronounced when using the controller on its own, but they’re still there. It’s easier to grip and navigate, but the joystick’s stiffness feels even more pronounced.

I found that the Abxylute M4 was best for games that relied on the D-pad for movement or didn’t have much going on gameplay-wise. I could easily play the emulated Digimon World 3 with joysticks because I wasn’t aiming at anything.

Games like Pokemon Emerald also excelled because I’m just moving with the D-Pad or selecting menus.

Even still, the cramped size and spacing of the controller won out eventually. You just get fatigued gaming in such close quarters, and I’m not sure there’s a solution without simply making the controller bigger.

Abxylute M4 review: At least it’s cute

When I tried playing Minecraft, I had trouble moving the character, steering the camera with the other analog stick, and hitting the blocks I wanted. This is trivial on any other controller, but on the Abxylute M4, I found my fingers slipping on the tiny joysticks.

I don’t think there’s anything Abxylute could have done with this form factor to change these complaints. It’s a great controller with good construction, but it’s simply too small.

Oh, and don’t try playing this while lying down. The magnets are strong, but the force of gravity could result in an iPhone to the nose.

Almost a great gaming controller

There are many ways to play games on your iPhone these days. Abxylute makes one of the best grip-style controllers that turn your iPhone into a little Nintendo Switch-like device, but it’s gigantic even when not in use.

Abxylute M4 review: a tough set of compromises for its size

Advertisement

Another option is propping up your iPhone and using a standard controller like the PlayStation DualSense 5. You can find a lot of third-party options with different grips, sizes, and styles, too.

GameSir’s Pocket Taco is too limited and niche to be a true controller alternative.

Out of everyone, I think the Ohsnap MCON might be the winner in terms of size, grip, feature set, and form factor, though I can’t say for sure. I haven’t used one, but Andrew O’Hara reviewed it and said it was great, even if it wasn’t the most comfortable way to game.

I would say the MCON’s iPhone-sized spacing and grips would make it a much more ideal experience versus the Abxylute M4. It’s more compact and portable than grip controllers like the Backbone One Pro or GameSir G8 Galileo.

At least the Abxylute M4 is low-priced enough to give it a shot if you’re curious. I can’t recommend it for serious use, but if you’d like a great way to play Game Boy, Nintendo 64, or PlayStation One games, it might fit that niche fairly well.

Abxylute M4 review – pros

• Strong magnetic connection, though don’t play it lying down
• Included magnetic ring stand for standalone play
• All the buttons are here even in the small form factor
• Plenty of battery life for all-day play

Abxylute M4 review – cons

• Finger cramps
• Stiff joysticks make some games tough to play
• Awkward rear button layout necessitated by the design

Rating: 3 out of 5

The Abxylute M4 is well designed and does what it sets out to do. The problem isn’t with how the product works specifically, but the form factor.

If you’d like what might be the most portable controller, even at the compromise of comfort, then this is worth checking out.

Where to buy the Abxylute M4

If you want to give the Abxylute M4 a try, it is very reasonably priced at $49.99 on the Abxylute website. It is currently discounted to $42.49 on Amazon.

The year-old Dutch startup is folding in a seven-year-old performance-marketing platform, betting that customers want AI, automation and human specialists in one place.

Most startups spend their first year trying to survive. Aizy has spent its first year buying a company older than itself.

The Breda-based AI-marketing firm announced that it has acquired Uptmz, a rival performance-advertising platform, merging the two into a single system that serves more than 600 customers.

The combined platform spans advertising across Google, Microsoft and Meta, pairing Uptmz’s automation software with Aizy’s AI optimisation and its bench of performance specialists.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Customers of both will move onto one integrated platform, able to run campaigns themselves, lean on specialists, or hand over the whole job.

The two halves come at the problem from different ends. Uptmz grew out of the Dutch agency group Springbok Group and spun out as an independent company in 2022, building over seven years into a technically strong, scalable platform for Google and Microsoft ads, weighted towards automation.

Aizy, barely a year old, has built in the other direction, starting from AI intelligence and human support rather than raw tooling.

That contrast is the stated logic of the deal. “This combination gives us the best of both worlds,” said Stefan Nuijten, Aizy’s founder, describing user-friendly software on one side and real intelligence on the strategy and execution side, and claiming a lead over the rush of similar initiatives that have appeared lately.

Vincent Stoit, co-founder of Uptmz, said companies increasingly want a multichannel approach and strategic support that goes beyond software alone, and that Aizy could carry his platform into its next phase.

The wager beneath the language is that the market for advertising software is consolidating away from single-purpose AI tools and towards integrated platforms.

Plenty of products optimise one channel or automate one task; Aizy’s bet is that mid-market advertisers would rather buy AI, automation and specialist help as one bundle than assemble them from parts.

Acquiring a built-out platform is a faster way to make that case than building it.

Aizy’s short history has been unusually well-funded for its age. The company raised early backing from investors including DeGiro co-founder Gijs Nagel and the tech investors Michiel Mol and Joost van der Klooster, and a €2m injection in February 2026 valued it at around €22m, less than a year after launch, on roughly €2m of annual recurring revenue and more than 150 customers at the time.

The Uptmz deal is what that capital is now buying: scale, bought rather than grown.

The company says the combination lays the groundwork for international expansion across the European AI-performance-marketing market. That is the ambition; the integration is the test.

Merging a year-old AI-first startup with a seven-year-old automation platform, and keeping 600 customers happy through it, is the kind of operational work that decides whether an acquisition this early is bold or premature.

James Cameron finally made a threequel, and now we know why he usually doesn’t. Despite stepping in to write and direct one of the greatest sequels ever made with Aliens, and later delivering true event sequels to his own films with Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Avatar: The Way of Water, last year’s Fire and Ash feels oddly familiar. The man is the undisputed champ of boundary-pushing cinematic spectacle, so it’s an impressive achievement for sure, but somewhere along the way he forgot to give audiences something new.

The title is a metaphor for hatred and grief, both weighing heavily on Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), who lost a son in the last chapter. Her husband Jake (Sam Worthington) is still being hunted by his former-human nemesis, Quaritch (Stephen Lang), as an alleged terrorist and traitor to his race, while their sort-of-foster-son Spider (Jack Champion) has problems of his own. The family decides that the best place for this “pink-skin” is with his own kind, so they’re off on a new journey, one cut short by the marauding Ash People, a clan of infidels who have turned their back on Pandora’s divine Eywa. Led by the ruthless, seductive Varang (Oona Chaplin), they target anyone who clings to their spiritual connection to Pandora, and an unholy alliance soon makes them a serious threat to all who would oppose them.

This of course leads to jungle skirmishes, aerial battles, whalefights and plenty of other action set pieces…all of which we’ve seen before. Honestly, Fire and Ash feels a lot like a redux of The Way of Water. So if you’re a fan of more-of-the-same sequels, and I do mean more, this one runs three hours and 17 minutes, the longest Avatar film yet, this one’s for you.

Fire and Ash was captured in native 4K and native 3D, so there is no upscaling or 3D conversion in the chain. The studio also states that no AI was used here, despite Cameron’s comments that those tools could factor into the fourth and fifth installments. The Oscar-winning special effects are mind-blowingly realistic: We believe that the skin, hair and other elements are genuine, right down to the tiny bumps and cracks in the warpaint. I haven’t seen this many shades of blue since… The Way of Water, and there’s even some unspoken sunburn on one character who stays out too long without his SPF. The lush, glowing forest is as beautiful as we remember, its supernatural energy all around us, and the bright daytime scenes are very bright, some might say too bright in places, but I wasn’t bothered by it.

Credit where it’s due, Cameron doesn’t just compose for 3D, he conceives for 3D, and his storytelling benefits tremendously from the technology. (I keep a first-gen curved LG OLED hooked up for such occasions.) The HD 3D movie is split across two discs to reduce compression and the detail is extraordinary, surprisingly good in the darker areas of the 1.85:1 image. The layers of action are convincingly separated with an appreciable depth that serves to enhance the sense of scale on any size TV. Some of the more dramatic shots had me clutching the armrest, but there was no recurrence of the fleeting vertigo I experienced when watching The Way of Water in IMAX 3D four years ago. In fact, beyond the expected step down in brightness, I encountered no real issues with the 3D.

Theatrical audio for the 4K is Dolby Atmos with a TrueHD 7.1 core. If you prefer the cleaned-up, family-friendly track, you’ll be stepping down to a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1. Over on the bundled 1080p Blu-ray, the audio maxes out at DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. On the Blu-ray 3D presentation, listen for DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1. The Atmos height channels are put to good use, as we spend a lot more time in the air this go-around, with plenty of wind and lots of swooshing when we’re under the water. There’s generous LFE when the story demands it, particularly in Act III when the battles get explosive, and the frenetic combat between the airborne banshees and heavy metal gunships sends objects all around your home theater.

In all cases, there are no extras on any of the movie discs, and the bundled 1080p Blu-ray and bonus disc are identical between these two separate releases. An almost-three-hour “making of” documentary resides on the final platter, broken into a series of neat, focused topics. Other highlights include a Miley Cyrus music video and an extremely respectful tribute to the late producer Jon Landau, to whom the movie is dedicated. The same extras are accessible via the supplied Movies Anywhere digital copy. As meaty as this bonus content is, past experience leads me to wonder if there’s some super-special edition in the offing.

Nearly $1.5B at the box office proves that James Cameron’s sci-fi epic still has plenty of juice left and these Fire and Ash discs triumph in terms of 4K video, immersive 3D and ferocious surround sound. Behind the scenes, however, the creative gears are clearly grinding and the Avatar formula is showing its age.

Movie Details

• STUDIO: Fox/Disney
• THEATRICAL RELEASE YEAR: 2025
• ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1
• LENGTH: 197 mins.
• MPAA RATING: PG-13
• DIRECTOR: James Cameron
• STARRING: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Jack Champion, Sigourney Weaver
• 4K:
  • FORMAT: Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray (May 19, 2026)
  • HDR FORMATS: Dolby Vision, HDR10
  • AUDIO FORMAT: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• 3D:
  • FORMAT: Blu-ray 3D (May 19, 2026)
  • HDR FORMATS: N/A
  • AUDIO FORMAT: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Movie

★★★★★★★★★★ Picture (for both 4K and 3D)

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ Extras

Where to buy:

Related Reading: