There is a moment early in Halo: Campaign Evolved where I stopped thinking about the remake as a game for a second. I was watching one of its newly rebuilt cutscenes. Master Chief, Captain Keyes, Cortana, the Pillar of Autumn, and the enormous scale of everything around them suddenly appeared a lot more cinematic than ever before.

I played the original Halo: Combat Evolved in the early 2000s, and in my head, this was exactly how it looked and felt. The first Halo title introduced intergalactic war to me long before Star Wars, and the cinematic tastefully adds enough minor touches that enhance Bungie’s original work from decades ago.

The wider framing, lighting, and character models in the pre-rendered presentation were great, till one irritating thought entered my head. Why have we still never received a proper Halo show that looks like this?

Halo turns 25 this year. The franchise has decades of games, novels, comics, animation, short stories, and characters to draw from. Campaign Evolved has somehow made the absence of a great screen adaptation even more frustrating.

Halo has always had cinematic DNA

Bungie’s Halo games traditionally handled their storytelling through in-engine cinematics. This gave games a consistent visual identity because the characters you watched during a story sequence were the same ones you controlled seconds later. It also allowed for some hilarious interactions and experimentation, but that’s besides the point here.

The series has occasionally taken a more movie-like route since then. Halo 2 Anniversary famously replaced its original cinematics with gorgeous pre-rendered sequences, and Campaign Evolved now gives the original adventure a similar treatment with completely rebuilt scenes. Seeing that approach applied to Combat Evolved was a surprise to me.

The opening aboard the Pillar of Autumn already contains everything a sci-fi series needs. Humanity is losing a war against an overwhelming alien force. A mysterious ringworld appears in space. You feel the desperation from UNSC personnel. Amidst the chaos, Master Chief rises as this enormous, almost mythical figure. Campaign Evolved presents those moments with enough visual detail that I could easily imagine watching them as part of a big-budget series.

Halo tried to reinvent itself too soon

We already had the expensive live-action attempt, of course. Paramount+ launched Halo in 2022 after years of development. I desperately wanted to like it. There were pieces I appreciated, especially some of the production design, Covenant battles, and the occasional glimpse of the military sci-fi spectacle I had imagined. But the larger creative direction lost me.

The series created its own Silver Timeline, separate from the established continuity of the games, novels, and comics. This gave the writers freedom to reshape characters and events, which isn’t inherently wrong. But when the show started deviating heavily from the core identity of integral characters like Master Chief, it brought the whole thing down to a screeching halt for me.

I won’t go into all the details of my experience with the show, but I will admit that Season 2 tried to build on some of the strengths of the first. The action scenes improved, and we finally reached the Fall of Reach. Yet the show continued moving through its own version of Halo before Paramount eventually cancelled it after two seasons.

Getting creative with a very established property can be done exceptionally well. The first episode of Star Wars: Visions is a great example. It reimagined the whole concept in a completely different setting and style, and did it supremely well.

The difference between Halo and Star Wars is that the former never really got to spread its wings in this form of media. Halo was already a massive name in gaming, but outside of that, it had mostly experimented with animation, live-action miniseries, and other smaller projects. So when its highly anticipated first major TV adaptation finally arrived, taking the story in such a dramatically different direction killed its screen art moment.

We already know Halo works outside games

Some of my favorite Halo stories have nothing to do with holding a controller. Halo Legends explored the universe through animation, jumping between different characters, periods, and artistic styles. Forward Unto Dawn took a much smaller live-action approach, following UNSC cadets during the early Human-Covenant War before bringing Master Chief into the story.

Neither project required rewriting the foundation of Halo. Forward Unto Dawn especially showed how effective Chief can be when he enters someone else’s story. The character carries enormous presence precisely because we spend time watching ordinary people respond to him.

Then there are the novels. The Fall of Reach alone contains the Spartan-II program, Chief’s childhood, Dr Halsey, the Covenant war, Blue Team, and the destruction of one of humanity’s most important colonies, while Ghosts of Onyx could open an entirely different corner of the Spartan program. There are decades of established stories waiting to be adapted.

The universe has never lacked material.

A television series could even follow characters around Master Chief rather than keeping him at the center of every episode. Halo’s universe is large enough to support military drama, horror, political intrigue, espionage, and enormous space battles without leaving its established history behind.

Campaign Evolved reopened the wound

Playing the first level of Campaign Evolved brought all of this back. Watching those widescreen cinematics, I kept taking screenshots because individual frames already resembled shots from the Halo production I have wanted for years. The Covenant designs are there, and Chief still carries that imposing silhouette.

Halo Studios describes Campaign Evolved as a celebration of the story that started everything 25 years ago. For me, it also demonstrates how little the original premise needs to change. Give me the Human-Covenant War, Blue Team, or any of the terrifying encounters with the Flood. Let Master Chief remain as a soldier whose humanity appears through smaller moments instead of rewriting him into a conventional television protagonist.

• US factories prepare to manufacture Ukraine’s battle-tested MAGURA naval drones domestically
• MAGURA V7 reportedly destroyed an aerial target using Sidewinder missile technology
• Oregon and South Carolina will host future MAGURA drone production facilities

Ukrainian defense company UFORCE has signed an agreement with US boatbuilder RECONCRAFT to manufacture the combat-proven MAGURA naval drones domestically.

Reports from The Wall Street Journal has claimed the memorandum of understanding was recently signed at the Embassy of Ukraine in Washington, with production planned at facilities in Oregon and South Carolina.

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The lease programme, known as Apple Upgrade, will reportedly support most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models.

Apple is set to debut a new leasing programme for its devices next week, according to Bloomberg.

The programme, known as Apple Upgrade, will support most iPhone, Mac, iPad and Apple Watch models, according to the publication, which cited anonymous sources close to the matter.

Apple Upgrade will reportedly work like a subscription and users can pay off the device early during their leasing term, upgrade early to a new model or keep it at the end of the leasing period. These transactions may incur an additional fee in “certain cases”, said Bloomberg.

The leased device can also be returned at the end of the term.

Sources told Bloomberg that Apple plans to advertise Apple Upgrade as “as a way to have lower payments versus current financing programmes”, and that the tech giant is planning to halt new enrolments to its existing iPhone payment programmes.

The lease terms for iPhones and Apple Watches will last for 24 months, according to the report, while Mac and iPad leases will run for 36 months.

The tech giant – which previously considered a subscription service for iPhones a few years ago – is also partnering with Klarna for the service, with the payment provider acting as financial backer for the programme.

Apple Upgrade is set to initially launch in the US on 28 July and will be available in Apple’s physical retail stores and online.

Apple price hikes

The news of the upcoming leasing programme comes after Apple raised prices for several of its product ranges last month, citing the ongoing chip shortage and rising component costs.

“The rapid expansion of AI data centres has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage”, a company spokesperson told news publications at the time, adding that Apple has “never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly”.

Apple said that the worsening situation meant that it couldn’t shield customers from the rising component costs any longer.

While last month’s announcement did not include a price hike for iPhones, recent reports indicate that may be about to change.

Yesterday (21 July), publication Nikkei Asia reported that the world’s largest chipmaker TSMC, which makes processors for a number of tech giants including Apple, plans to raise prices for both its advanced and mature chip production services by up to 10pc in 2027.

The price hike for Apple’s smartphones appears to be already happening, at least in one country so far.

This week it was confirmed that iPhone 17 prices had risen on Apple’s official Japan store, jumping by roughly 10pc from $797 to $877. The iPhone 17 Pro also rose in price, jumping by more than 8pc, while Apple Watch and AirPods models also rose by up to 10pc.

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Motorola Edge 2026 for $600: I surprisingly enjoyed my month with the new Motorola Edge. It’s amazingly lightweight at just 160 grams, and the 6.3-inch screen size feels fairly compact. If you hate big, heavy phones and have longed for the days of smaller handsets, the Edge is worth a look; it’s not as small, but it feels great to use one-handed. Performance is more than capable, though you will feel some sluggishness here and there. The cameras are reliable—there’s even a 3X optical zoom telephoto alongside the 50-MP ultrawide and 50-MP primary—but it’s not going to knock your socks off. It will only get two Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates, which is not really acceptable for a $600 phone. Get it on sale!

Motorola Razr+ 2026 for $1,100: The Razr+ is the awkward middle child of the Razr lineup. I’ve never liked it. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles or top-notch specs of the Ultra, but still costs more than $1,000. You can get very nearly the same experience with the cheaper Razr and save hundreds. Even battery life is the least impressive of the lot, because it has the smallest capacity. The cover glass isn’t the ceramic glass mixture as on the Razr Ultra, and I found out the hard way. I dropped the phone once, roughly a four-foot drop onto asphalt, and the front screen shattered. Get a screen protector!

Moto G 5G

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Moto G 5G 2026 for $299: The Moto G 2026 is nearly identical to the Moto G Play 2026 below, except it has double the storage (expandable via microSD), supports slightly faster wired charging, and the front and rear cameras pack more megapixels. It’s a $50 difference, so if you’re eyeing either one, you really should go for the Moto G 5G 2026. Performance is similarly sluggish, though perfectly usable day to day (if you’re patient). Even with more megapixels, don’t expect much from the cameras; they can take passable photos in good lighting, but struggle to do so in low light. I was able to hit nearly two days of battery life with average use, and I like that this phone still has the headphone jack. However, keep in mind that it will receive only two Android OS updates and three years of security updates. I think you’re better off buying the Moto G Power 2026 on sale. It’s worth noting that Motorola suddenly jacked up the prices of this device and the Moto G Play.

Moto G Play 2026

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Moto G Play 5G 2026 for $250: Motorola’s cheapest phone always sits in an awkward spot. It was originally under $200, but Motorola increased the price to $250. I don’t think it’s worth it at that price, but for under $200, it’s a serviceable handset that now features 5G connectivity. You get two-day battery life, a headphone jack, expandable storage, and a pretty nice design. But the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chip with 4 GB of RAM is very sluggish—get ready to wait a second or two, sometimes more, for an app to launch or a webpage to load. Photo quality is passable; most of my images have lackluster colors. I took several calls, and the people on the other end generally complained about my audio quality, which isn’t great. It’s nice that this ultra-budget phone will get two Android OS updates, but I’d wait for the Moto G Power 2026 to eventually dip to $250 during major sale events.

What Motorola Phones to Avoid

Motorola Moto G 2025

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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Motorola phones diminish in value fairly quickly. You should avoid buying Moto G phones from 2025 or earlier. They likely won’t get any more Android version updates, and the prices aren’t drastically different from the latest models. Last year’s Motorola Edge 2025 or the Razr (2025) series are the oldest I’d go, assuming prices are a good deal lower than the latest models, so don’t consider anything else.

Threat actors are using email addresses exposed in data breaches leaked by the ShinyHunters extortion group to send sextortion emails demanding $2,000 in Bitcoin.

The emails claim to come from ShinyHunters and tell recipients that hackers compromised their devices after obtaining their email addresses from breached company databases.

However, the messages appear to be sent by someone who downloaded data previously leaked by ShinyHunters rather than by the extortion group itself, using the exposed email addresses to make the threats appear more legitimate.

BleepingComputer has seen leaked data from the Amtrak, Hallmark, Substack, Betterment, CarGurus, ADT, Panera Bread, and McGraw Hill breaches used in this sextortion email campaign.

For some recipients, BleepingComputer confirmed that the email addresses targeted by the sextortion emails were actually included in the associated data previously leaked by ShinyHunters.

Extortion gangs often warn victims that refusing to pay will expose their customers and employees to additional abuse once stolen data is published. While those claims are intended to pressure organizations into paying, this campaign illustrates how leaked data can later be repurposed by unrelated threat actors for malicious purposes.

While the use of a recipient’s leaked email address may make these emails appear more convincing, there is no indication that the sender compromised recipients’ devices, installed malware, accessed their cameras, or monitored their activity on adult websites.

BleepingComputer contacted the ShinyHunters extortion group, which denied any involvement in the sextortion email campaign.

Fake ShinyHunters sextortion emails

In the emails seen by BleepingComputer, they are sent from random email addresses using the names “ShinyHunters” or “You’ve Been HACKED” and have the subject “Information about your online security.”

The messages claim to be from the ShinyHunters hacking group and state that the attackers gained access to the recipient’s devices several months earlier.

The sender then names a company whose data was previously published by ShinyHunters, claiming that the breach allowed them to access the recipient’s email account.

The email falsely claims that the attackers later “installed an exploit” on the victim’s computers and phones, allowing them to access the microphone, camera, keyboard, photos, browsing history, conversations, and contact list.

The sender then claims to have recorded the recipient visiting adult websites and threatens to share intimate videos with their friends, colleagues, and family.

To prevent the alleged release of these compromising videos, the victim is told to send $2,000 in Bitcoin within 48 hours.

The email also warns recipients not to contact police, reply to the message, or reset their devices, claiming that the stolen information is stored on remote servers.

These types of emails are known as “sextortion” emails and are designed to frighten recipients into paying a demand out of worry that they will have their reputation hurt with friends, family, and work colleagues.

However, there is nothing to indicate that the sender ever had access to the recipients’ devices or personal activity.

Instead, the attackers use details from published leaked data breaches, such as an email address and the name of the breached company, to make a sextortion scam appear targeted.

While you may think that no one would fall for these scams, they were very profitable when they first appeared in 2018, generating over $50,000 in a week.

Since then, scammers have created a wide variety of extortion email scams, including ones that pretend to be hitman contracts, information about cheating spouses, bomb threats, CIA investigations, and threats of installing ransomware.

Campaign started in April

The sextortion campaign appears to have started in April, with numerous people and organizations reporting similar messages or warning recipients to ignore them.

One person who received an email referencing the Betterment breach posted about it on the Betterment Reddit.

Betterment responded that it was aware some clients had received threatening emails claiming to come from a hacking group.

“These messages are part of a common extortion scam designed to intimidate recipients,” Betterment said.

“Please note, knowing an email address does not provide the ability to install malware or access someone’s device.”

The company advised recipients not to reply, send payment, click links, or open attachments and to delete the email. Betterment also asked customers who had interacted with the message to contact its fraud team.

Although their email address may have appeared in one of the published data leaks referenced in the email, this does not mean the sender compromised their devices, recorded videos, or obtained any of the other information described in the message.

Recipients of these messages should not pay the ransom or respond to the sender.

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Buying your next Apple device could soon look like leasing a car. Apple is launching its new Apple Upgrade program on Tuesday, July 28, replacing new enrollments in the long-running iPhone Upgrade Program with a lease-based option that covers iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches.

Backed by Klarna, the program is designed to lower the upfront cost of Apple’s premium devices, but it is also raising questions about whether you’ll actually own what you’re paying for.

How will the new Apple Upgrade work?

The new program will reportedly launch first in the United States through Apple’s retail stores and online store. Eligible iPhones and Apple Watches will be offered on 24-month leases, while Macs and iPads will be offered on 36-month leases.

You’ll make monthly payments, with the option to pay off the device early, upgrade to a newer model during the lease, or keep or return it when the agreement ends. A soft credit check through Klarna will be required before you can enroll.

Apple Upgrade is expected to replace new signups for the current iPhone Upgrade Program, although existing financing plans will continue for current customers. Unlike the older program, reports suggest that AppleCare will not be included.

The program also excludes the base iPad, iPhone 16, Apple Watch SE, MacBook Neo, and business or education purchases. The timing is interesting because it follows Apple’s recent price increase across much of its hardware and services lineup.

Why does it matter?

The biggest concern is that Apple Upgrade may work more like a traditional car lease than a financing plan. If that is the case, your monthly payments would mainly cover the device’s depreciation instead of paying off its full value.

At the end of the lease, you could be asked to return the device or make an additional payment to own it outright. Whether this ends up saving you money or just keeps you locked into an endless upgrade cycle will likely depend entirely on how you use it.

Waiting for a massive Game Pass download to finish could soon become a little less painful. Microsoft has begun testing a new Smart Download Client as part of the latest Xbox Insider Alpha Skip-Ahead update. The feature is designed to speed up game installs and updates by automatically connecting users to the fastest available content server. While it’s currently limited to Xbox Insider testers, early reports suggest the improvements are also making their way to the Xbox PC app, potentially solving one of the platform’s longest-standing frustrations.

How the Smart Download Client works

According to Microsoft’s latest Xbox Insider release notes, the Smart Download Client first checks whether download servers are available before evaluating multiple server pools to identify the fastest connection. Instead of staying connected to a single server for the entire download, it can periodically reassess network performance and seamlessly switch to a better-performing server whenever one becomes available. The feature is designed to optimize both game installations and updates, ensuring users get the best possible download speeds throughout the process.

It may sound like a small backend tweak, but it addresses a complaint Xbox users have had for years. Even with high-speed internet connections, downloads through the Xbox app have often struggled to fully utilize the available bandwidth, resulting in slower-than-expected installation speeds. By dynamically selecting the best-performing server throughout a download, Microsoft aims to deliver more consistent performance — especially as modern games continue to grow well beyond the 100GB mark.

More than just faster downloads

The Smart Download Client is one of several additions in the latest Alpha Skip-Ahead build, which also brings improvements to the Xbox Store’s game hub for easier DLC discovery, along with fixes for game installations, system updates, Remote Play, audio, and overall console stability.

For now, the feature is limited to Xbox Insider testers, although early testing by Windows Central suggests the faster download system is already benefiting the Xbox PC app as well. Microsoft hasn’t shared a wider release timeline, but if the results hold up, this could become one of the most impactful quality-of-life upgrades for Game Pass users. With modern games regularly exceeding 100GB, shaving even a few minutes off every download is a win gamers will gladly take.

Facepalm: Grand Theft Auto fans were already upset that GTA 6 will be a digital-only release, with the so-called physical edition containing just a code to download the game. Gamers who purchased the retail box are now expressing even more frustration after it was officially confirmed that PS5 product codes in Japan will expire 170 days after the game’s scheduled launch date of November 19, 2026.

Rockstar clarified that the expiration period is only applicable to the PS5 version of the game in Japan and won’t affect buyers in the rest of the world. The company also confirmed that codes purchased for the Xbox are not region locked and will not expire, but it did not explain why it’s implementing the policy on one platform but not the other.

Explaining the rationale behind the unusual decision, Rockstar said that download codes work differently depending on the platform and country of purchase, and the Japan-specific policy was put in place due to “regulatory restrictions” in the country. The company also recommended that gamers buy from local retailers to avoid potential activation problems.

Following the announcement, many fans took to social media, slamming Rockstar for setting expiration dates on the download codes. While some likened digital gaming to renting rather than owning a product, others wondered whether Rockstar will also introduce a similar policy in other markets. Others joked that the much-hyped digital future looks brighter with every passing day.

It is worth noting that some gamers and social media commentators have speculated that the expiration date may not apply to the actual game, but only to the DLC content, which is available through a separate code in Japan. However, that still does not explain why the policy applies to PS5 but not Xbox. Rockstar has yet to clarify the matter.

GTA VI will launch on November 19, 2026, with the Standard Edition priced at $79.99 and the Ultimate Edition at $99.99. The game will be available only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S at launch, with no word on whether there will be a PC version in the future. It is currently available for pre-order on the official Rockstar Store, the PlayStation Store, and the Xbox Store.

We also now know when it will be released: January 22, 2027.