Some Google smart speakers recently stopped responding to questions
Users reported the problem with a variety of different devices
Google investigated, and says the issue should now be fixed for most users
If you've noticed that your Google Nest smart speaker or hub appears to be ignoring voice commands, you're not alone – but Google says it has identified the problem, and is rolling out a fix to stop your devices giving you the silent treatment.
The problem was highlighted by, among others, Rita El Khoury of Android Authority, who returned from her Christmas vacation to find that her Google Nest Hub and Google Nest Audio would no longer respond to requests to tell her the weather. She was able to use the speakers to control her smart home devices, but functions like setting timers were hit and miss.
She wasn't alone, and it seems those two devices weren't the only products affected. Several other device owners have reported similar problems on the company's support forums.
"All of my Nest speakers suddenly got dumb; all were working, but as of yesterday, they all freeze up when I [try] to get past 'Hey Google'." explained Thom Drewke, who found himself faced with a similar issue. "That is, 'Hey Google are you there' gets a response, but 'What's the weather' gets no response. All of my speakers did this at the same time. Bizarre!"
Another person explained that they had nine Google Home speakers – a Google Nest Hub Max display, and a mix of various first-generation devices – and all of them had stopped responding to questions.
"I have a lot of devices connected to Google Home and I can control all of them still, I just can't ask certain questions," they wrote. "I have tried rebooting the google home devices, I have tried rebooting the router a dozen times and still nothing."
Hey Google...
Google was quick to act, and told Android Authority via email that although its team was still investigating the root cause of the problem, it had resolved the problem "so all users should be up and running now".
That should come as a relief to anyone who's looking forward to the arrival of Gemini for Google Assistant, which should allow your existing smart speakers to give you more comprehensive answers – but only if they're willing to talk to you.
Meta is dreaming of its social platforms brimming with helpful AI-generated profiles and content fueled by the models underlying Meta AI, according to recent comments by Connor Hayes, vice-president of product for generative AI at Meta in an interview with the FT.
Of course, logging onto Facebook and seeing a "user" named Clara_ChefBot_9000 posting AI-generated pie recipes might sound like a great way to drive engagement to Facebook's bosses, but it isn't quite the same as scrolling through your Aunt Susan’s baking photos. Regardless, Meta's vision of a platform brimming with relatable AI personalities is already beginning to roll out and if that doesn’t make you want to power down your devices and take a walk outside, let's look closer at what this might actually entail.
The charm of social media has always been people. The whole point is seeing people sharing their lives. The oversharing, humble bragging, and dumb arguments about pineapple on pizza can irritate you, but at least you're rolling your eyes about real people. AI-generated profiles, no matter how sophisticated, will always lack that authenticity. Sure, Clara_ChefBot_9000 might be able to generate recipes, but she’ll never know the joy of burning her first batch of cookies or the embarrassment of a recipe flop posted to a very judgmental audience.
Then there’s the issue of trust. We’re already grappling with deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation, not to mention people sharing a curated view of their lives as artificial as any algorithm. Do we really need bots with profile pictures trying to convince us of their “personal” opinions? Imagine arguing with a bot about politics, sports, or the aforementioned pizza topping, only to realize it’s been programmed to needle you into buying a product.
Meta AI is expanding everywhere.(Image credit: Meta)
AI optimism
When AI assists humans in creative efforts, it can pull off some amazing feats, but when AI tries to mimic human creativity, it rapidly becomes dull slop or simply nonsense. Do we really need our newsfeeds clogged with bots sharing AI-generated memes or supposedly relatable status updates? And that's if they don't just go off the rails with errors. Imagine a feed full of AI profiles posting “Happy Mother’s Day” in the middle of November.
Meta AI can be fun (especially once you know how to turn it off), and there's real value in an AI capable of entertaining you with conversation. Maybe Clara_ChefBot_9000 can offer you some cooking tips at midnight. That's not a real, human connection, though. A chatbot might tell you how to bake a souffle, but it won’t commiserate with you when it collapses.
Meta might argue that these bots could help users with practical tasks, but that doesn't mean there should be a million AI characters on the platforms. Social media platform SocialAI is attempting to sell people on that idea. Its mobile app connects each user only to AI chatbots they are supposed to interact with; they won't encounter other humans there. That might be okay in limited contexts, but it makes no sense for Facebook or Instagram.
Social media exploded because it was a fantastic way to connect with people and make friends. AI can’t completely replace that. Instead of filling the platform with fake users, Meta should focus on enhancing the experience for the real ones. Otherwise, they risk creating a digital ghost town.
Nationwide CEO says leaders need to have a “physical presence” in the office
The company’s RTO mandate has been in force for 12 months
Extra childcare support should be offered to support this
The debate surrounding hybrid working continues to rumble on, with UK banking giant Nationwide taking a stance against working from home in favor of job opportunities.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's ‘Today’ programme (via the BBC), its CEO, Debbie Crosbie, stated a “physical presence” helps employees access more career growth opportunities at work.
Last month marked the 12-month anniversary of the company’s return to office mandate, but the two-day-per-week policy has been less demanding than the tech industry standard three-day policy.
Nationwide is against WFH
Crosbie didn’t write off working from home altogether, acknowledging that it can offer the flexibility needed for workers with caring responsibilities, however on the flip side, she indicated that leaders should be present to set an example and be on hand for their teams, suggesting that office-based working is a crucial part of becoming a leader.
She added: “Being seen and then seeing other leaders is a really important part of development… I benefited enormously from watching some really excellent leaders and how they navigated challenging problems.”
The boss’s stance on remote working marks a significant shift from her predecessor, Joe Garner, who supported the flexible working setup.
At Nationwide specifically, men have proven more likely to work from the office than women, leading Crosbie to urge businesses to support female workers and families with flexible childcare options.
Despite championing office-based working, Crosbie is desperate not to discriminate against those who are less able to leave home: “We just need to be careful that we don't inadvertently prevent women from taking some of the opportunities by not being in the office when they feel it's beneficial both to their skills and to contribute to the business.”
Looking to level up your content creation game in 2025? You're in the right place! The digital landscape has evolved dramatically, and AI tools have become essential for creators who want to stay ahead of the curve. In this guide, I'll show you the top 10 AI tools that are revolutionizing content creation and making creators' lives easier.
Why You Need These AI Tools in 2025
Content creation has become more demanding than ever. Whether you're a social media influencer, marketer, or business owner, keeping up with the constant need for fresh, engaging content can be overwhelming. That's where AI tools come in – they're not just fancy tech, they're your secret weapon for creating better content faster.
What Makes It Special: ChatGPT has evolved into a comprehensive content creation assistant by combining advanced language understanding with specialized content optimization features. Its ability to generate, edit, and optimize content while maintaining brand voice and industry expertise makes it an essential tool for creators who need to produce high-quality written content at scale.
Key Features:
Advanced content generation
SEO optimization
Brand voice maintenance
Research capabilities
Multi-format adaptation
Pricing:
Free tier available
Plus: $20/month
Pro: $200/month
Perfect For: Content writers, marketers, and businesses needing consistent, high-quality written content.
What Makes It Special: Canva Magic Studio has transformed the graphic design landscape by combining its user-friendly interface with powerful AI capabilities. The platform's ability to understand design principles and automatically generate on-brand content while maintaining professional aesthetics makes it accessible for beginners while providing enough sophistication for professional designers.
Key Features:
AI design generation
Brand kit integration
Magic resize
Animation tools
Template library
Pricing:
Free tier available
Pro: $6.50/user/month
Teams: $5/user/month
Perfect For: Small businesses, social media managers, and anyone needing quick, professional-looking designs.
What Makes It Special: RunwayML stands out as the ultimate video creation powerhouse by combining professional-grade effects with user-friendly AI technology. Its game-changing ability to manipulate video content – from changing weather effects with a text prompt to removing objects seamlessly in real-time – makes it indispensable for creators who want to produce high-quality video content without getting bogged down by technical complexities.
Key Features:
Advanced video generation & editing
Real-time visual effects
Smart motion tracking
Green screen effects without actual green screen
AI-powered editing suite
Pricing:
Free tier available
Standard: $12/month
Pro: $28/month
Unlimited: $76/month
Enterprise: Custom Price
Perfect For: Video creators, YouTubers, and social media managers who want to create professional-quality videos quickly.
What Makes It Special: Midjourney V6 has redefined AI image generation by mastering the nuances of professional photography and artistic style. Its ability to understand and execute complex creative directions – from specific lighting conditions to branded visual styles – while maintaining consistent quality across multiple generations makes it the go-to tool for creators who need stunning visuals that align perfectly with their brand identity.
Key Features:
Photorealistic image generation
Advanced style control
Quick generation time
Commercial usage rights
Strong community support
Pricing:
Basic: $10/month
Standard: $30/month
Pro: $60/month
Mega: $120/month
Perfect For: Social media managers, digital marketers, and anyone needing professional-quality visuals consistently.
What Makes It Special: Synthesia has transformed video creation by making it possible to create professional-looking AI avatar videos in minutes. Its ability to generate natural-looking presentations in multiple languages with synchronized lip movements and gestures makes it invaluable for creators who need to produce video content at scale without the traditional filming process.
Key Features:
AI avatar Video creation
Multi-language support
Custom avatar options
Professional templates
Script to video conversion
Pricing:
Free tier available
Starter: $18/month
Creator: $64/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Perfect For: Businesses and educators creating training videos, presentations, and multilingual content.
6. Descript: Podcast and Video Editing with Transcription Features
What Makes It Special: Descript has transformed audio and video editing by making it as simple as editing a text document. Its innovative approach to media editing, combined with powerful AI features like automatic transcription and filler word removal, makes professional-quality editing accessible to creators of all skill levels.
Key Features:
Text-based video editing
Automatic transcription
Filler word removal
Screen recording
Collaborative editing
Pricing:
Hobbyist: $12/month
Creator: $24/month
Business: $40/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Perfect For: Podcasters, video creators, and teams needing efficient audio/video editing solutions.
What Makes It Special: ElevenLabs has revolutionized voice synthesis by achieving unprecedented levels of natural speech quality and emotional expression. Its ability to clone voices accurately and generate multiple languages with proper accents and inflections makes it the ultimate tool for creators who need professional-quality voiceovers without the traditional recording process or voice actor limitations.
Key Features:
Ultra-realistic voice synthesis
Voice cloning capability
Multi-language support
Emotion control
Real-time generation
Pricing:
Free tier available
Starter: $5/month
Creator: $11/month
Pro: $99/month
Scale: $330/month
Business: $1321/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Perfect For: Podcasters, video creators, and content creators needing professional voiceovers in multiple languages.
8. Tribescaler: Viral Content and Headline Optimization
What Makes It Special: Tribescaler brings a scientific approach to viral content creation by combining trend analysis with content optimization. Its powerful AI engine analyzes successful content patterns across platforms and provides actionable insights to help creators craft content that's more likely to go viral, while maintaining authenticity and audience engagement.
Key Features:
Viral content prediction
Trend analysis
Content optimization
Performance tracking
Multi-platform scheduling
Pricing:
Free tier available
Pro: $49/month
Perfect For: Content creators and social media managers focused on maximizing reach and engagement.
9. Clickable: Automated Ad Creation and Optimization
What Makes It Special: Clickable revolutionizes ad creation by seamlessly blending data-driven insights with creative automation. Its ability to analyze brand assets and automatically generate platform-optimized ad variations while maintaining brand voice transforms the tedious process of ad creation into a streamlined, results-driven workflow that consistently delivers high-performing content.
Key Features:
Automated ad creation
Multi-platform optimization
Built-in A/B testing
Performance analytics
Template library
Perfect For: Digital marketers and businesses looking to scale their ad production efficiently.
What Makes It Special: CopyAI has established itself as a powerhouse in AI-powered copywriting by offering specialized content generation for various marketing formats. Its sophisticated understanding of marketing psychology and brand voice, combined with its ability to generate compelling copy across multiple formats and industries, makes it invaluable for marketers and content creators who need to produce engaging, conversion-focused content at scale.
Key Features:
Advanced marketing copy generation
Multiple content type templates
Brand voice customization
Multilingual support
A/B testing variations
Pricing:
Free tier available
Pro: $49/month
Advanced: $249/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Perfect For: Marketing teams, copywriters, and businesses needing high-converting marketing copy across multiple channels.
Conclusion
The AI tools listed here are revolutionizing the content creation landscape in 2025, making it easier than ever to produce high-quality, engaging, and impactful content. By integrating these tools into your workflow, you can save time, unleash your creativity, and achieve better results.
AI doesn't replace creativity; it amplifies it. As a content creator, your unique voice and vision are irreplaceable. These tools serve as enablers, helping you focus on what you do best—creating. Explore, experiment, and innovate. The future of content creation is here, and it's brimming with possibilities.
Embrace these technologies, stay ahead of the curve, and watch your creative potential soar. The only limit is your imagination!
Note:
All features and pricing information are subject to change. Please verify current details with the respective platforms, Also this article contain affiliate links which means we make a small comission if yo buy any premium plan from our links
Pricing updated on 01/02/ 2025
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Max's January 2025 schedule features an impressive lineup to start the new year right. From timeless classics and kid-friendly favorite...
Max's January 2025 schedule features an impressive lineup to start the new year right. From timeless classics and kid-friendly favorites to edge-of-your-seat thrillers, there’s no shortage of excellent movies to watch on Max this month. Plus, several new seasons of top Max TV shows are ready to binge.
As one of the best streaming services out there, Max consistently delivers fresh content for those who love movies, TV shows and even documentaries. In this guide, we’ve rounded up all of the titles arriving in January 2025 to keep you entertained through the winter chill. If you’re after the cream of the crop, don’t miss our separate guides to the best Max movies and best Max shows. For now, here’s everything coming to Max this month.
Everything new on Max in January 2025
Arriving on January 1
A Star is Born (movie) Act of Valor (movie) Annabelle Comes Home (movie) Annabelle: Creation (movie) Balls Out (movie) Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World (documentary) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (movie) Batman: The Killing Joke (movie) Best Of Enemies (movie) Bitter Creek (movie) Black Gold (movie) Blue Velvet (movie) Buffaloed (movie) Calamity Jane (movie) Call Me by Your Name (movie) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (movie) Cow Country (movie) Crazy Rich Asians (movie) Desperately Seeking Susan (movie) Destination Tokyo (movie) Diggers (movie) Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (movie) Each Dawn I Die (movie) Eat Pray Love (movie) Fast & Furious (movie) Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (movie) Free Birds (movie) Green Lantern (movie) Heaven Help Us (movie) Home Again (movie) Hot Tub Time Machine (movie) Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (movie) House at the End of the Street (movie) I Am Love (movie) Injustice (movie) Iris (movie) It Follows (movie) It: Chapter Two (movie) Jason Bourne (movie) Johnny Angel (movie) Justice League vs. Teen Titans (movie) Justice League: Doom (movie) Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (movie) Justice League: War (movie) Keeping Up with the Joneses (movie) Kept Husbands (movie) Kicks (movie) Lemon (movie) Mad Max (movie) Matilda (movie) Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (movie) Morgan (movie) Mortdecai (movie) Mrs. Doubtfire (movie) My Favorite Wife (movie) Mystic Pizza (movie) Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (movie) Night and Day (movie) Nocturne (movie) Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band (documentary) Paddington (movie) Rebel Without a Cause (movie) Red Light (movie) Reframed: Next Gen Narratives, Season 1 (TV show) Room for One More (movie) School Life (movie) Sex and the City 2 (movie) Shining Vale, Season 1 (TV show) Shining Vale, Season 2 (TV. show) Showing Up (movie) Silver Linings Playbook (movie) St. Vincent (movie) Steel Magnolias (movie) Stephen King's It (movie) Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine (documentary) Sully (movie) Supergirl (movie) Superman & Lois, Season 4 (TV show) Tangerine (movie) Task Force (movie) Teen Wolf (movie) Tennessee Johnson (movie) The Accountant (movie) The Addams Family 2 (movie) The Adventures of Robin Hood (movie) The Big Year (movie) The Birth of a Nation (movie) The Boondock Saints (movie) The Cable Guy (movie) The Conjuring 2 (movie) The Craft (movie) The Curse of La Llorona (movie) The Imitation Game (movie) The Leopard Man (movie) The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (movie) The Mouthpiece (movie) The Narrow Margin (movie) The Prince and the Pauper (movie) The Prisoner of Zenda (movie) The Purge: Election Year (movie) The Red Badge of Courage (movie) The Student Prince (movie) The Usual Suspects (movie) The Whistlers (movie) The Wrong Man (movie) Volunteers (movie) Warcraft (movie) Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic (TV show) Whitey: United States of America V. James J. Bulger (documentary) Wild Boys of the Road (movie) Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (movie) Woman in Gold (movie) World Without End (movie)
Arriving on January 2
Expedition Files, Season 1 (documentary) Isadora Moon, Season 1A (TV show) My 600-lb Life, Season 13 (TV show)
Arriving on January 3
Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation, Season 10 (TV show) Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Season 49 (TV show) The Front Room (movie)
Arriving onJanuary 4
Belle Collective, Season 5 (TV show)
Arriving on January 5
Craig of the Creek, Season 6B (TV show) Mecum Top 10, Season 10 (TV show) Totally Spies, Season 7A (TV show)
Arriving on January 6
Worst Cooks in America Celebrity Edition: Heroes vs. Villains (TV show)
Arriving on January 7
Cleats & Convos with Deebo Samuel, Episode 111 (TV show) How It Really Happened, Season 8 (TV show) Kids Baking Championship, Season 14 (TV show) The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Final Chapter, Season 3 (TV show) The Edge with Micah Parsons, Episode 219 (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 8
7 Little Johnstons, Season 15 (TV show) CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute (TV show) Fixer to Fabulous, Season 6 (TV show) Wildcard Kitchen, Season 2 (TV show)
Arriving on January 9
Aaron Hernandez and the Untold Murders of Bristol (documentary) Sons of Ecstasy (documentary) The Pitt, Season 1 (documentary)
Arriving on January 10
Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This? (TV show) Black Butterfly (movie) Holla (movie) Look Into My Eyes (movie) Vinnie Jones: In the Country, Season 1-2 (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 12
Naked and Afraid Spain (Aventura En Pelotas Espana), Season 1 (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 13
Barney's World, Season 1B (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 14
Baylen Out Loud, Season 1 (TV show) Death by Fame, Season 3 (TV show) The Curious Case of..., Season 1 (TV show) The Last Party: Death on Tresco, Season 1 (TV show)
Arriving on January 15
An Update On Our Family (documentary) Cult of Fear: The Asaram Bapu Story (documentary) Marshall (movie) Uncharted (movie)
Arriving onJanuary 16
Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail (documentary) Divided By Design, Season 1B (TV show) Harley Quinn, Season 5 (TV show) Murder Under the Friday Night Lights, Season 4 (TV show) My Sesame Street Friends, Season 15 (TV show) Sesame Street, Season 55 (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 17
A Different Man (movie) Better Off Dead (movie) Real Time with Bill Maher, Season 23 (TV show) Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (movie)
Arriving onJanuary 21
Contraband: Seized at the Airport, Season 1 (TV show)
Arriving on January 22
Expedition X, Season 8 (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 23
C.B. Strike: The Ink Black Heart (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 24
Harpoon Hunters, Season 1 (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 25
Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 2B (TV show)
Arriving on January 27
Scars of Beauty (Beleza Fatal), Season 1 (TV show)
Arriving on January 28
Chopped, Season 60 (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 29
The Flip Off, Season 1 (TV show)
Arriving onJanuary 30
Mermicorno: Starfall, Season 1A (TV show) The Other Side (Del Otro Lado Del Jardín) (movie)
Arriving onJanuary 31
Guy's Ultimate Family Cruise (TV show) The Eastern Gate (Przesmyk), Season 1 (TV show)
The next iPhone announced by Apple is expected to be the iPhone SE 4, probably around March time – but the latest rumors suggest the handset will go by another name when it's officially introduced into the world.
Tipsters Majin Bu and FIxed Focus Digital both say that the phone will be called the iPhone 16E, which of course ties in with the naming of the four iPhone 16 handsets already available, having been launched by Apple in September.
Neither of these sources have perfect track records, and rumors are by their very nature not guaranteed to be true, so bear that in mind. However, it's a naming scheme move that doesn't seem to be beyond the bounds of plausibility for Apple.
Majin Bu has also posted a rendering of a case that's supposedly for the iPhone SE 4 (or iPhone 16E), though it doesn't really tell us anything more than previous leaks have: that the phone's design will be largely based on the iPhone 14 from 2022.
What's in a name?
Based on what my source has reported, it seems that the new iPhone that Apple will unveil in 2025 will not be called iPhone SE4, but iPhone 16E. It should feature a design similar to the iPhone 14, with an OLED display and an action button. The available colors will be white and… pic.twitter.com/Vm8DCh1Xo0December 31, 2024
We've had three iPhone SE handsets so far – the SE stands for Special Edition – and the most recent was the iPhone SE 3 launched in 2022. Apple has simply called all these handsets the iPhone SE, without attaching numbers to them.
What makes this rumor more likely is that Apple hasn't been afraid to change up the monikers it gives to its iPhones down the years. In previous years we've had the iPhone X, the iPhone XS, and the iPhone XR, for example.
Have a read through our iPhone SE (2022) to get up to speed with what the latest version of this handset offers. The idea is that you get some key iPhone components, plus the latest iOS software updates, for a more mid-range price.
The next version of the device should bring with it some noticeable upgrades, including an OLED screen, the introduction of Face ID for the first time on an SE handset, and a bump up to 8GB of RAM – meaning the phone will be able to support Apple Intelligence features.
Last year, as the winter months rolled in here in the UK, and in the US, I gave you my list of seven board games that were guaranteed to help you survive the long, dark evenings without needing to reach for your phone, boot up your PC, or turn to a screen of any kind.
It proved super-popular with TechRadar readers, so I’m back this year with six new board game recommendations – and one returning entry that’s so good I had to give it another shout-out – for you to sink your teeth into.
As before, my suggestions take into account a range of group sizes, play styles, and experience levels, so you can be sure that you’ll find something that will entertain you and your friends, family, or flatmates this January. If you’re looking for more recommendations than you can also read through the seven games I recommended last year.
You'll find links under each entry to online stores where you can buy these games, though if you have an independent board game shop local to you, I’d recommend that you shop there. These stores are an excellent resource for finding games in a way a faceless monolith like Amazon never can be, and if they have an in-store play space you might be able to try a game before you buy it – and the staff can also usually help you parse any rules you might be unsure about.
Arcs
(Image credit: Future / Leder Games)
For Black Friday the TechRadar team in the UK congregate in Bath in south-west England so we can all work together to coordinate our coverage of the event, and while I’m there I always try to make the short train journey to Bristol so I can visit Excelsior, a comic and board game store.
While browsing its shelves, searching for a new game to take home, I asked a couple of the assistants for a recommendation, and no sooner had the words left my lips than they replied “Arcs” – and I think their enthusiasm convinced a few other patrons to buy the game too.
From the team behind Root – the hit cutesy woodland fantasy game – Arcs takes us to the stars with a sci-fi strategy game for two to four players that’s probably the most complex title on this list, but which is well worth your time.
Using Arcs’ variation of typical playing cards you simultaneously take actions, vie for ‘Initiative’ (going first, which is very important tactically) and declare ambitions (how you score points). The result is that this chunky game is filled with variety and a little controlled luck courtesy of the battle dice, and it feels like every action really counts – either because you're claiming domination, or positioning yourself to blow your foes away in a round or two provided your opponents don't scupper your plans.
There are also additional Lore and Leaders cards which add new mechanics to the base game if you’re looking to spice things up once you're used to Arcs’ challenges.
It's not a game for 5pm on Christmas Day when everyone is a little tipsy or falling asleep in front of the TV, but Arcs is sure to excite board game aficionados looking to devour a new game that will easily make an evening fly by.
Yes, I recommended this game last year, but as I said then, “if I could only play one board game for the rest of my life I’d pick Railroad Ink.”
Starting with identical blank boards ready to be filled in with dry-erase markers, players are tasked with creating the best network of roads and railway tracks they can to score the most points at the end of seven rounds (six if you use bonus dice).
The design and shape of the railroads you can draw is determined by dice; one player rolls the four (or six) of them at the beginning of each round, but everyone shares their results to draw the same pieces of road or railway. Theoretically this means every player could score an identical amount of points if they draw the same pattern, but in all my games I’ve never seen this happen. And it becomes even harder to just copy everyone when you use optional bonus dice or the limited-use four-way junctions players can rely on at any time.
Railroad Ink is easy to learn, games are fairly quick, and with its many expansions you can mix things up with rivers, forests, and meteor strikes (to name a few) in a package that I simply adore.
When it comes to which base game box to buy, the Deep Blue or Blazing Red editions are best because they can support six players, while Yellow and Green only support four (though they do include extra rules and bits to make up for it). Each box includes custom dice, which makes purchasing all four worthwhile, but the best standalone option is the Underground expansion pack, which adds a whole extra network of tunnels to work around – if you have enough boards you can play using the underground and overground layers simultaneously, bringing a level of complexity that’s perfect for players who’ve spent a lot of hours with this game.
This year’s oldie-but-goodie is Carcassonne (named after the medieval fortified town from which the game also draws some stylistic inspiration in its setting), which I affectionately describe as a competitive jigsaw puzzle. It’s an excellent option for newcomers to the world of ‘proper’ board games, yet still a delight for veterans, making it an excellent alternative to the (let’s face it) drab games of Monopoly some families will force themselves to endure over the holidays.
Players take it in turns to draw tiles from a randomized stack, with each one featuring some combination of city walls, roads, fields or other structures (if you’re playing with expansions), and place them into the map of Carcassonne that you’re collectively creating. When you place a tile you can choose to also place one of your Meeple (a wooden cutout in a humanoid shape) onto a feature shown on the tile, and once the feature is complete – say your road has a start and an end, or your city wall completes an unbroken loop (and the space inside is filled in) – you collect your Meeple and score points.
When you run out of tiles the player with the most points wins.
By carefully placing tiles in tactical ways you can attempt to steal features, and their associated points, from another player, or you can form alliances by working with your opponents to inflate the size of a feature, so that you can claim an equal share of the massive point total it amasses.
This relaxed friction between players leads to some light-hearted competition that doesn’t feel quite as cut-throat as other games out there – though if you prefer that more cut throat edge, or simply want to expand your Carcassonne experience, I’d highly recommend The Princess & The Dragon, The Tower, and the Traders & Builders expansions from the game’s long list of options.
The Princess can distract your opponent’s Meeples and remove them from a feature, while the Dragon can eat them, making it easy to yoink unfinished features from your foes; similarly, the Tower lets you arrest Meeples with the goal of ruining your opponents’ plans. Traders & Builders invites a little more cooperation, with Goods that you can earn for completing a city (even if another player owns it), or a Builder who lets you take a second turn if you add a tile to the feature they are scoring on.
The first of two suggestions on this list which push the concept of ‘board game’, Magic: The Gathering is far and away my favorite TCG (trading card game), and its recently launched Foundations set has made it much more accessible for newcomers.
Magic pits you against other players in a battle of spell-casting where you hurl bolts of lightning, summon powerful creatures, and wield incredible artifacts – all represented by cards you draw from your deck, or library as the game calls it. If you can make your opponent run out of life, run out of cards in their library, or achieve one of a few other more niche win conditions, you emerge victorious.
While Magic has a consistent set of underlying rules, it has different ‘formats’ which mix up the card pool and impose different deck-building restrictions. The main one I play is Commander, Magic’s most popular and casual format. Instead of a one-on-one match it’s a three-or-more-player free-for-all (four is the ideal amount, five is doable, six or more is too chaotic). Commander players each rely on a 99-card deck of unique cards, ignoring Basic Lands (Magic’s resource system, kinda like Energy in Pokemon). Your 100th card is your Commander, a Legendary creature who you can always call upon to aid you, and who defines the theme and colors of your deck.
Wizards of the Coast has made preconstructed Commander decks for several years that you can play with right out of the box, and some of its 2023 and 2024 releases are actually quite powerful – I’ve even seen someone open one of these premade decks, shuffle it up, and then run away with a game against decks which cost several times more. Now, Foundations is bringing some newfound accessibility to Magic’s more competitive formats with a Beginner Box designed to teach players the game, and a 350-card Starter Collection which will give you an excellent starting point for a Standard deck (60 cards, four copies of a spell maximum), a Pauper deck (like Standard but with only ‘Common’ cards), or your own custom Commander deck.
That’s not to mention Magic’s Universes Beyond sets – decks and packs containing cards from non-Magic IP like Assassin's Creed, Fallout, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, and in 2025 Spider-Man and Final Fantasy – which you might find make the game more enjoyable, as you’re getting to play as Edward Kenway or Frodo Baggins or The Tenth Doctor rather than someone from Magic’s unfamiliar cast.
Grabbing the Beginner Box as an entry point to play with your partner, or a handful of Commander decks and learning to play with a group of friends, will be an excellent way to spend the winter months. And if you do want to venture outside I’m sure your local game shop will be able to help you get to grips with the game, and they’ll likely host regular events at which you can meet other players – if you ever attend an event at Brighton’s Dice Saloon you might even play a game against me.
My second pick for a ‘board game’ which slightly bends the definition, Dungeons & Dragons is excellent every year, but in 2024 its latest book releases make it a better time than ever to finally try the legendary tabletop RPG.
If you’ve somehow never heard of this game, Dungeons & Dragons is the fantasy tabletop game, and sees players take on the role of elvish warriors, dwarven spell casters, and human rogues (or whatever class and species combination you want) to face off against monsters in an adventure controlled by a Dungeon Master (DM).
What is so special about 2024 though? Well, the new Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide have been released. I have both, and while they don’t change a massive amount rules-wise (but what they do tweak does seem to be for the better based on my experience from my campaign so far) they boast clearer and more beginner-friendly explanations of Fifth-Editon’s core rules and concepts. Whether you’re a new player or a new DM, these books are a more solid foundation to build your knowledge on compared to the 2014 releases.
Additionally, one of my favorite adventure books ever has been released this year: Quests from the Infinite Staircase. Not only is it a love letter to D&D’s history, with a collection of adventures inspired by classic books released in the 80s; I feel it’s perfect for so many different kinds of campaigns, which makes it an easy pick up for any kind of DM.
I’m using the Infinite Staircase as inspiration for my current game – relying on this sprawling mass of doorways to other worlds as the glue for a collection of loosely connected one-shots, as I’ve found my group’s session cadence doesn’t suit a more typical campaign adventure.
That said, it could also slot into a more grand narrative which develops over time – perhaps one arc of your campaign has your heroes accidentally end up on the staircase and face one of the book’s adventures – or maybe you could build upon an adventure to craft a campaign – as while the main quests are aimed at levels 1 to 13, their conclusions and some additional details pave the way for quests and combats that would better suit more seasoned heroes.
Or if you’re new and just want a simple place to start, the book’s stories work as phenomenal one-shots – short one or two session-long games that are ideal for new DMs and players who want to get a taste of D&D without over committing right away.
I could write so much more, but know that over this holiday period, whether you’re gathering together in-person or online over Discord to play a game, you couldn’t do much better than Dungeons & Dragons.
I always like to recommend a more dedicated family-friendly game on this annual list, one that’s easy to grasp for younger players, or inebriated adults who’ve enjoyed a bit too much mulled wine (remember folks, drink responsibly).
This year I’m recommending 13 Beavers.
You are in a race to reach Beaver Paradise, and to move forward you must correctly guess if the next card in the deck is higher or lower than the last card revealed (with numbers ranging from 1 to 13). Guess correctly and you take a step forward; guess incorrectly and you must float all the way back to your dam. You can reposition your dam by choosing to end your turn early before drawing the next card, or if the card is the same as the previous one (i.e., you draw a five and the card before that was also a five) your turn ends and you build a dam where you are.
There are a few luck-based twists and challenges you’ll face along the way, but by far my favorite is the Tempting Tunnel (which is highlighted in the No Rolls Barred clip above). Found near the beginning of the board’s map, this shortcut takes you to practically the end of the river, mere spaces from Beaver Paradise. All you need to do to pass through is correctly guess the exact number on the next card (a roughly 1-in-13 chance), but if you’re incorrect not only is your turn over, but your dam breaks and you return to square one.
Is 13 Beavers the world’s perfect board game? Nope. But it is ridiculously fun and silly, and sometimes that’s all you need from a game to have a great time.
Last but by no means least is Sheriff of Nottingham. You and your fellow players are all merchants of Nottingham, attempting to bring your wares into the city in order to sell them and make the most money. However the Sheriff (who players take it in turns to take the role of) is keeping a close eye on everyone to make sure they aren’t smuggling any contraband amongst their apples or wheels of cheese.
Each round has the merchants stashing cards in their pouches, which the Sheriff can choose to inspect or let through unchallenged. If they search the bags and find anything they shouldn't, the Sheriff discards any contraband and collects a fine, but they must pay a fine if the merchant was telling the truth. Merchants can try to convince the Sheriff to leave them alone in exchange for money, or offers to be more lenient when they're the Sheriff in a few turns.
This game is at its best when players lean into the role-play aspect, and offer more interesting bribes than merely “I’ll give you two coins to leave my produce alone.” Instead, try offering the Sheriff a bribe to open someone else’s pack to spoil their game plan (or trick the Sheriff into paying a hefty fine), or blatantly admit that you have contraband, but offer the Sheriff their pick of something you’ve smuggled in exchange for them turning a blind eye. Heck, even double-cross the sheriff to up the stakes.
If you always think hyper-tactically and take the risk-averse or non-emotional approach it can sap the enjoyment out of the Sheriff of Nottingham experience. Instead, lean into your Sheriff and Merchant persona, and see how your gameplan fares – you might not end up winning, but you’ll have a much more enjoyable time.
We’re filling out our CES 2025 prediction bingo cards at TechRadar right now, and I’m going to lose - because mine just has 25 boxes that all say ‘new Lenovo ThinkBook Twist’.
Yeah, I’m probably not getting what I want from Santa for CESmas this year, which is the return of Lenovo’s boldest (and weirdest) laptop design, the ‘twistable’ ThinkBook. What that basically means is that the display hinge is mounted in the exact center of the panel base, and can rotate on an axis - letting you spin the screen around and ‘close’ the lid to turn it into a tablet.
We reviewed the old ThinkBook Twist way back in 2013 and thought it was pretty decent, even though today the form factor has been made effectively redundant by 360-degree hinges for an easier and more intuitive switch into ‘tablet mode’. But that’s not the one I really want, no: I want a new-and-improved version of the award-winning ThinkBook Plus Twist I saw at MWC 2023, which had displays on both sides of the lid: a conventional OLED touchscreen, and a full-color E-Ink panel on the reverse.
Weird and wonderful
I know, this is an extremely silly design for a laptop at first glance. I’m not here to dispute that; watching Windows 11 run at about four frames per second on an E-Ink display was a bizarre experience, even if it did technically function fine.
But E-Ink has fantastic potential as an alternative to more power-hungry (and therefore less environmentally damaging) display types. It’s also gentler on the eyes, and works great for any activity that doesn’t demand a high refresh rate; Lenovo calls spinning the display around to use the E-Ink panel as the primary screen ‘typewriter mode’, which as a writer I find strangely endearing.
The ThinkBook Plus Twist looks like this with the lid closed - don't worry, that E-Ink display is surprisingly durable.(Image credit: Future)
Of course, a more practical use for this sort of external E-Ink display is to display information while the laptop is in sleep mode with the lid down; since E-Paper panels only require electricity when they’re changing what appears on the screen, it can show you the time, battery life, local weather, notifications and more without you even needing to open the laptop up - and all while using virtually no power.
The future of E-Ink
In ‘standard mode’ with the lid open and the OLED display facing you, the ThinkBook Plus Twist just feels like an ordinary - though fairly premium - Lenovo laptop, capable of doing everything you’d expect. But when flipped into typewriter mode, that power-guzzling OLED panel shuts off, significantly boosting your battery life for lengthy writing stints away from a wall outlet.
I want to see more laptop makes - and the tech industry as a whole - commit more to the electronic paper format. E-Ink was revolutionary, but since its debut, it’s stagnated somewhat, largely relegated to overpriced Kindles.
Yet it has such potential: I can envisage many use cases beyond simple handheld devices. Every time I drive into a certain nearby city after dark, I get positively flashbanged by an enormous LED billboard that I loathe with a deep, fiery passion. But if that billboard was made using E-Paper, it would not only be less blinding (thus making the road safer and reducing local light pollution) but it would also use less electricity. If more tech companies take the time and effort to invest in this technology’s improvement, that could become a reality.
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