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15 Mar 2025

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'Loud forever': Shihad bid goodbye to Auckland with powerful, emotional set
Shihad's final Auckland concert felt like a final gig we'll all be retelling stories from in 20 years, writes Amberliegh Jack.

Canada's new PM sworn in as country grapples with Trump's trade war, annexation threats
Mark Carney says he’s ready to meet with the US president if he shows “respect for Canadian sovereignty?.

What are people wearing to WOMAD?
The opening evening featured a dress up theme: 'Skies of Wonder'.

Deal or no deal? Christopher Luxon's India trip puts trade promise to the test
Two trade experts based in Delhi expressed some mild optimism about Luxon's chances, but with a major caveat: NZ would have to abandon hope of including dairy in any deal..

Tokelau sets sights on a potential third referendum
Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand and will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its relationship with New Zealand next year.

Apple encrypted data row hearing begins in secret
The BBC - along with civil liberties groups and some US politicians - has argued the case should be heard in public.

The Spectrum review: Relive the ZX Spectrum’s 80s gaming glories
At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Wonderfully faithful to the original Can run custom games from USB HDMI and multiple USB ports Cons No power adapter included Difficult controls for some Games can be difficult Our Verdict The Spectrum faithfully recreates the 80s original with its rubber keys and classic games, delighting older gamers, while younger players may face a steep learning curve due to tricky controls and tough gameplay. However, modern features like save and rewind help mitigate that frustration. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today 1982 saw the arrival of the ZX Spectrum, a British home computer from Sinclair that was both small and cheap. It was made with as few components as possible and connected easily to the TV. Programs ran from compact cassettes, some of you may remember listening to music from these before the advent of CDs. It was possible to program in Basic and play some games. The ZX Spectrum’s competitor was the Commodore 64, a popular machine that Retro Games had already recreated. Nowadays we’ve got The Spectrum, which is ready to take you back to the 80s (but with a modern twist). The Spectrum: Feeling true to the original The Spectrum is incredibly similar to the original. Best of all, Retro Games has managed to recreate the feel of everything from the rubber keys to the gaming experience. However, I wouldn’t recommend playing on a large modern TV, as it just feels wrong. Go for a smaller screen with HDMI instead. The cables that come with it aren’t long enough to sit comfortably with the computer on your lap on the sofa anyway. The press release comes with a thick and comprehensive manual, which is gratifying. It describes all the games, including their controls, as well as explanations of the missions. I was able to navigate more difficult games thanks to this manual. I’m also grateful that The Spectrum has modern features like the ability to save (four slots per game). There’s even a feature that lets you rewind 40 seconds to correct mistakes. Note the faithfully recreated details. The rubber keys give just the right 80s feel and the Basic commands are printed at every key.Ida Blix You get 48 classic games built into the machine, but you can also run your own from USB sticks. The Spectrum supports USB hand controllers (though you may have to program the buttons yourself), but everything can be run directly from the keyboard. I was a little to young to have experienced this machine when it first came around, so the controls were an adventure to master. In the box you’ll find an HDMI cable (provides 720p at 50 or 60 Hz) and a USB cable (power adapter not included). It may look modern with USB-C, but you need to choose a simpler power adapter with 5V and 1A. My modern GAN charger did not work, but an older iPhone charger did. On the back are the home and power buttons along with HDMI and USB for charging and connecting controllers or USB sticks.Ida Blix The Spectrum: Not for everyone As with all retro consoles that are re-launched as a new edition, The Spectrum isn’t for everyone. For new users, there’s a steep learning curve. I don’t have any memories of Sinclair’s wonderful little home computer, but my first gaming memories have the same graphics and feel, so it was a pleasure to take on this experience. For those who had a ZX Spectrum and want to experience it again, The Spectrum is a fun purchase where you get a lot for your money. Specifications: The Spectrum Product: The SpectrumManufacturer: Retro GamesTested: February 2025In the package: Console, HDMI cable, USB cableConnections: 1 USB-C (for power), HDMI, and four ports for hand controllers or USB sticksNumber of games: 48Price: Rating: 4 out of 5 Included games Alien Girl: Skirmish Edition Ant Attack Army Moves Auf Wiedersehen Monty Avalon Bobby Bearing Cosmic Payback Devwill Too Exolon Fairlight Firelord Football Manager 2 Freddy Hardest The Great Escape Head over Heels Highway Encounter The Hobbit Horace Goes Skiing Jack the Nipper Knot in 3D The Lords of Midnight Manic Miner Match Day II Movie Nodes of Yesod Penetrator Phantis (Game Over II) Pheenix Pyracurse Quazatron Robin of the Wood Saboteur! Remastered Shovel Adventure Skool Daze Snake Escape Spellbound Starquake Starstrike II El Stompo Stonkers TCQ Target: Renegade Technician Ted – The Megamix Tenebra Trashman The Way of the Exploding Fist Wheelie Where Time Stood Still

Super Rugby Pacific: Drua 'no win' record extends after Brumbies loss
The Fiji Drua must shake off the curse of not winning away from home writes Iliesa Tora.

From New Zealand to Afghanistan with Project 51
Today marks six years since the Christchurch mosque attacks. One couple's new documentary honours the lives lost - and the lives changed as a result.

Windows 11 24H2’s March update is riddled with failures and crashes
Just a few days ago, Microsoft released update KB5053598 for Windows 11 24H2, which includes several important security fixes. It’s a mandatory update that’s part of this month’s Patch Tuesday, so it’s meant to install automatically for all eligible users. Unfortunately, the update appears to be a wreck for many users, reports Windows Latest. For starters, the update itself can fail to install, presenting error codes 0x800f0993, 0x800F081F, 0x80070032, and/or 0xC004F211. The actual update process can get stuck before installation completes, with Windows Latest having gotten stuck at 6%, 20%, and 38%. It can even reach 98% or 99%, only to restart, show an error, and proceed to uninstall the update because “something didn’t go as planned.” If you manage to get the update successfully installed, you can still run into Blue Screen of Death crashes, or suddenly being unable to boot your PC, or problems with Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) automatically disconnecting after several minutes. As of yet, Microsoft hasn’t acknowledged these issues or provided a fix, and there’s no known workaround for these issues. If you’re experiencing these problems, consider rolling back the update via Windows Update. It’s a real shame because this update addresses several important security flaws, including the zero-day vulnerability CVE-2025-24983 which allows malicious attackers to elevate privileges locally.