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New Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge may have revealed some key details – including its price

TechRadar News - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 05:30
  • We may have thickness and weight details for the Galaxy S25 Edge
  • The price is said to match the Galaxy S25 Plus
  • Display bezel size is apparently similar to the Galaxy S25 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is going to be the last of the four flagship Galaxy S25 handsets to get a full launch – probably sometime next month – and now fresh leaks have given us a better idea of what to expect when the phone does land.

According to well-known tipster @UniverseIce, the phone will weigh in at 162 grams and have a thickness of 5.84 mm. That's the same weight as the standard Samsung Galaxy S25, though that phone is thicker, at 7.2 mm.

In the same post, the tipster says the price is "similar" to that of the Galaxy S25 Plus. As our Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review will tell you, that phone comes with a starting price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,699, so adjust your S25 Edge expectations accordingly.

Finally, @UniverseIce has also posted an official rendering apparently showing the bezels of the Galaxy S25 Edge. They're apparently going to be the same size as the bezels on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, around a screen size measuring 6.656 inches corner to corner.

The story so far

The accurate rendering of the S25 edge is here, the screen size is 6.656 inches, but the bezel is the same as the S25 Ultra, which is narrower than the S25+. pic.twitter.com/XHFwVGWe4PMarch 7, 2025

Samsung gave us a good look at the Galaxy S25 Edge when the Galaxy S25 series was launched, and it was on show again at MWC 2025. So far though, we haven't been able to touch the phone or test it out.

Rumors around the handset were swirling way before it was unveiled, and we originally thought it might be called the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim. It looks likely to get the same Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU as the other S25 phones, as well as 12GB of RAM.

It also seems likely that we'll get some decent cameras on this model, and Samsung has told us that durability is a priority for the device – even though it's going to be the thinnest of the four Samsung Galaxy S25 phones when it appears.

In fact it seems as though it's going to be quite the year for super-slim smartphones. The foldable Oppo Find N5 recently launched, measuring just 4.21 mm front to back, while Apple is rumored to be preparing its own ultra-thin phone with the iPhone 17 Air.

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Categories: Technology

Cybercriminals Allegedly Used a StubHub Backdoor to Steal Taylor Swift Tickets

WIRED Top Stories - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 05:30
Plus: The world’s “largest illicit online marketplace” gets hit by regulators, police seize the Garantex crypto exchange, and scammers trick targets by making up ransomware attacks.
Categories: Technology

Ireland vs. France: How to Watch 2025 Six Nations Rugby Live From Anywhere

CNET News - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 05:15
Grand Slam-chasing Boys In Green take on Les Bleus in crucial match at the Aviva.
Categories: Technology

Google's Latest Pixel Update Lets You Generate Images of People

WIRED Top Stories - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 05:00
Plus: Dell debuts affordable QD-OLED gaming monitors, Polaroid upgrades its instant cameras, and Circular has a new smart ring.
Categories: Technology

Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 9, #167

CNET News - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 04:00
Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 167, for Sunday, March 9.
Categories: Technology

Today's NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for March 9, #637

CNET News - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 04:00
Hints and answers for Connections for March 9, #637.
Categories: Technology

I'm a Photoshop pro – here are 5 things I love about the new iPhone app and 3 things I don’t

TechRadar News - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 04:00

Photoshop is in trouble. Attacked on all sides by the best photo editing apps with powerful image editing features – Canva and Instagram chief among them – the pressure has been on to deliver a Photoshop mobile app deserving of the name.

Lest we forget, Photoshop celebrated its 35th birthday earlier this year, making it one of a very small number of brands to have simultaneously become an enduring household name even as the tectonic plates of content production have shifted dramatically beneath it.

And so, finally, the new Photoshop for iPhone is here. A free app – albeit one improved by the presence of a paid-for Creative Cloud account), Adobe makes some big claims. It delivers Photoshop’s core imaging and design tools as well as some surprisingly powerful pro features, layer masking and blending among them, as well as the generative AI features that are making a splash on the desktop version.

So, as someone who opens Photoshop on a near-daily basis for commercial photography, here’s how the new Photoshop for iPhone tickles my fancy after hours of tinkering and prodding...

Photoshop for iPhone: The likes 1. It's easy to learn

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

I’ll never admit it, but I don’t know everything about Photoshop. And in an app that can’t offer the usual tooltips when you hover over an unfamiliar icon, Photoshop for iPhone has am slight learning curve, even if you understand the core terminology and principles.

Thank goodness, then, for the dozen or so video tutorials you can access when you first open the app. These take the form of talking-head videos describing various actions, such as working with layers, masks and selections, as well as videos provided by creators as they describe their process to building various collages and concepts.

Of these, the latter are particularly useful as they come with the source files, allowing you to see how a final image comes to be – useful if you don’t a file of your own to hand.

2. All the core features are there

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

Blimey. A quick feel around Photoshop for iPhone’s clean-looking interface reveals a really full set of tools. There are no fire-and-forget filters here – if you want to apply a split-tone look to an image, you’re going to have to get up to your elbows in hue and saturation sliders.

That’s a book of two chapters, of course – on the one hand it takes longer, and more practice, to get the effect you want. On the other, all those years I’ve spent laboriously learning how to do things in Photoshop translate like-to-like.

3. It can handle some surprisingly big files and tasks

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

Although Adobe is careful not to claim that Photoshop for iPhone has brought over every tool in the Photoshop chest, the app makes it clear – this is for ambitious types.

So, obviously, I fired a 1GB file over AirDrop to try and bring the whole thing to its knees. Just to make sure it didn’t work, and thus give me something to complain about, the file was a high-res, TIFF-format image in the ProPhoto colorspace. To my immense surprise, the file promptly loaded and looked… fine.

As we’ll come to in a bit, not everything makes the journey betwixt Photoshop desktop and Photoshop for iPhone, but if you’ve got big images, captured on modern cameras, you’ll be able to bring work-in-progress onto your iPhone to work on them.

And, not only is it compatible with layers – finally – it’s also compatible with layer groups, which means you can work up some surprisingly complex image constructions using the same device you use to watch TikToks on the toilet.

4. It's got Adobe Camera Raw

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

This is another big one – import a raw file into the iPhone for Photoshop app and you’ll be greeted with a different-looking-but-still-all-there version of Adobe Camera Raw, allowing you to prepare a file for further editing via a surprisingly full set of options.

Highlights, shadows, whites and blacks all get their own sliders, as does color balance, complete with its own white balance picker. Texture, clarity, dehaze and vignette control are all there, as is a one-tap lens corrections button.

Once you’re finished, you can finish importing your image either as a standard layer or, get this, as a smart object, letting you step back into ACR if you want to fine tune things further.

5. Generative fill has made it, which is… good?

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

Getting images share-ready just got faster, thanks to Adobe’s much-vaunted Generative AI features that also make an appearance in the new Photoshop app.

Lean on Photoshop for iPhone’s automated features and you’re in for an impressive experience – the app was uncannily good at automatically detecting and selecting foregrounds, backgrounds, people and skies. And with the annoying legwork of making selections turned into a one-tap process, removing and replacing objects from your work is equally quick.

I found generative AI – replacing skies and such, removing the odd person – to work as well on iPhone as it does on the desktop – which is to say, impressive, with occasionally hilarious outtakes.

Photoshop for iPhone: the dislikes 1. A few obvious tools are missing

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

It strikes me as strange that an app which prides itself on being the fullest-fledged version of Photoshop that Adobe could manage is missing a few tools which, least for this snapper, are part of my daily arsenal.

For example, I think it’s impressive that Photoshop for iPhone can open a multi-layered, 1GB TIFF file with a load of adjustment layers, but less impressive that when some of those adjustment layers are levels adjustments, there’s no way of editing them. It seems strange – curves has made it, so why not levels?

And although Photoshop for iPhone does a generally decent job of automatically selecting objects, things are a bit trickier if you want to make your selections freehand, as there’s no paths tool. Not only no paths tool, but if an image has paths already in it, there’s no way of accessing them within the app.

You could make the very sensible argument that creating a spot-on bezier curve is hard enough with a mouse or trackpad, of course, and that trying to perfect a bendy path with a fingertip would be a surefire track to PTSD, but it would be nice as an inclusion.

While I'm here, Photoshop’s handy collection of filters are also missing, so if you were looking for a chance to learn, for example, frequency separation, you’ll need to stick with your desktop.

2. It's free, but only just

(Image credit: Adobe / Future)

Real talk: getting an app with the power that Photoshop for iPhone has and then grousing that it costs money is like getting breakfast cooked for you by a Michelin starred chef and then complaining about the language – this is an incredibly powerful app that produces near-desktop results from a device that fits in your pocket.

If you’re a high-end content creator, or want to tip-tap away at an image before transferring it seamlessly to your desktop, Photoshop for iPhone just set a new standard.

Still, if you want the full version – which includes omissions from the free version including generative fill (the free version gives you 10 free generative credits, the paid-for one 100), object select, the magic wand tool and a few others, you’ll need to stump up $69.99 / £69.99 a year.

Don’t sniff – that’s cheaper than Canva, and while Canva is undoubtedly the better tool for whizzing up social media templates, for photographers there’s no contest. And bear in mind – if you already have a Creative Cloud subscription, this is included for free.

3. It's not on Android yet

I’ll be honest, I don’t actually care about this one as I'm on iPhone, but if you’re in the 70% of the smartphone market that uses Android, you might.

While it’s (probably) more efficient to develop an app for Apple’s closed system of app stores and hardware, there will be plenty of content creators out there screaming for a decent image editor, and Adobe hasn’t done them a favor here.

Still, Adobe has promised that an Android version is coming "later this year", so Android fans shouldn't have to wait too much longer for it.

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Categories: Technology

What’s Driving Tesla’s Woes?

WIRED Top Stories - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 04:00
As Tesla faces a global sales slump, and with shares down for the seventh consecutive week, could Elon Musk's antics really be to blame?
Categories: Technology

Premier League Soccer: Stream Nottingham Forest vs. Man City From Anywhere

CNET News - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 03:30
It's a key fixture at the City Ground in the battle for a top-four place.
Categories: Technology

Scientists firmly in AI crosshairs as Google launches co-scientist scheme to accelerate scientific breakthroughs just days after another similar project

TechRadar News - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 03:06
  • Google’s AI co-scientist, built on Gemini 2.0, collaborates with researchers for discoveries
  • It uses specialized agents to generate, evaluate, and refine scientific hypotheses
  • Scientists can interact naturally, providing ideas or feedback to guide AI research

Artificial intelligence has already had a major impact on scientific research by accelerating discoveries, improving accuracy, and handling vast datasets that would be near-impossible for humans to analyze efficiently. AI-powered algorithms can assist in the discovery of new drugs, optimize materials for energy storage, and aid in modeling climate change.

A number of projects have been set up to make AI more useful and more reliable in a scientific setting. We’ve previously written about the concept of the “exocortex,” which aims to provide a bridge between the human mind and a network of AI agents, and more recently, an Australian research team developed a generative AI tool called LLM4SD (Large Language Model for Scientific Discovery), designed to speed up scientific breakthroughs.

Now, Google is also launching a similar initiative, which aims to turn AI into a co-scientist that can accelerate scientific discoveries. The tech giant explains, “The AI co-scientist is a multi-agent AI system that is intended to function as a collaborative tool for scientists.”

Deploying specialized scientific agents

The AI co-scientist is built on Google’s Gemini 2.0 and is the result of collaboration between Google Research, Google DeepMind, and Google Cloud AI teams. It is designed to “mirror the reasoning process underpinning the scientific method.” Google says that its system is intended to “uncover new, original knowledge and to formulate demonstrably novel research hypotheses and proposals, building upon prior evidence and tailored to specific research objectives.”

The system will use a number of specialized agents - Generation, Reflection, Ranking, Evolution, Proximity, and Meta-review - that can iteratively generate, evaluate, and refine hypotheses. Google says that scientists will be able to interact with the system in whatever way best suits their needs. This will include providing their own seed ideas or feedback on generated outputs in natural language.

“The AI co-scientist also uses tools, like web search and specialized AI models, to enhance the grounding and quality of generated hypotheses,” Google says.

Not wishing to rush its deployment, the company plans to offer access to the system for research organizations through a trusted tester program.

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ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from the best tech at MWC to Apple's new iPads and MacBooks

TechRadar News - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 02:00

Not only did MWC excite us with a host of excellent tech launches and innovative concept designs, but Apple gave us new iPads and MacBooks, and AMD wowed us with an affordable GPU.

To catch up on all this and more scroll down for the week's seven biggest news stories for the week of March 8, 2025.

When you're finished, check out our picks for the 7 new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend (March 7).

7. We found the best tech of MWC 2025

(Image credit: Future)

This year’s Mobile World Conference (MWC 2025) was host to a lot of smartphone, computing, audio, and health tech – and we know because we attended the show to check it all out. But among the crowds were a few diamonds that we decided were the best gadgets of the event.

The Xiaomi 15 Ultra was the Best Phone launch with our Xiaomi 15 Ultra review calling it one of the best camera phones ever made thanks to its 50-megapixel wide-angle, 50-megapixel ultrawide, 70-megapixel 3x telephoto and 200-megapixel 4x telephoto lenses; meanwhile the Lenovo Yoga Solar PC won Best Laptop because of its built-in solar panel innovation.

We also awarded prizes to smart contact lenses from Xpanceo, Honor’s Earbuds Open, Honor’s Watch 5 Ultra, and the ZTE Nubia Flip 2 5G to name just a few more of our 10 total award winners.

6. Apple treated us to a cheaper MacBook Air

(Image credit: Apple)

The arrival of a new MacBook Air M4 this week wasn’t exactly a surprise, given the weeks of leaks – but its pricing certainly was. Yes, despite getting a processor upgrade, two new Thunderbolt 4 ports and some new Center Stage camera tricks, Apple cut $100 / £100 off its price tag in a distinctly un-Apple move.

That doesn’t happen often at launch, and it makes the new Air (which starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,699) a major contender for the top spot in our guide to the best laptops. Then again, Apple did also discontinue the M3 MacBook Air in the process (and made the M2 MacBook Air harder to find), leaving us short of even cheaper options. First it giveth, then it taketh away…

5. Apple launched new iPads too

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple’s iPad Air may no longer be the thinnest iPad (see the iPad Pro M4) but it is shifting into performance and productivity mode.

The latest iPad Air (11- and 13-inch) looks almost exactly like the last one (save the removal of the “iPad Air” label from the back) but it has an all-new brain in the powerful M3 chip that’ll support all sort of activities ranging from video editing and art creation to Apple Intelligence tasks.

But Apple has now paired it with a new, optional (and more affordable) Magic Keyboard that includes a function key row and a noticeably larger trackpad. This is a tablet ready for productivity work, and for some it might be, with that keyboard, a decent ultra-portable substitute.

As for the base, 11-inch iPad, it also got a chip update but only to the A16. Now, that’s a great piece of Apple Silicon but it does not support Apple Intelligence. We bet the target market won’t miss it.

4. Dyson's pro r hair dryer joined the main range

(Image credit: Dyson)

Previously a professional-only hair dryer, the Supersonic r has now been added to Dyson's main consumer range. Sure, it looks a bit weird, but it's 20% smaller and 30% lighter than the original Supersonic, and more powerful too. So if you're seeking speedy styling without the arm-ache (and have suitably deep pockets), it's well worth a look.

The r boasts a wide range of compatible, magnetic styling attachments. These include the intriguing-sounding PowerfulAir and SmoothNozzle, alongside the fan-favorite FlyAway attachment. As with the current range-topper, the Supersonic Nurall, the dryer knows which one is attached, and will automatically switch to your last-used settings for each.

The Dyson Supersonic r is already available in the US, is due in the UK from April 2. This version is identical to the original pro version, save for a shorter cable (home-length, rather than salon-length), and some cool new colorways.

3. Meta teased new clear Ray-Ban smart glasses

(Image credit: Meta / Ray-Ban)

If you missed your chance to get last year’s see-through Ray-Ban smart glasses, then you’re in luck – Meta is releasing another limited-edition batch but they’ll be in even shorter supply.

A teaser on Meta’s website says something new is coming straight from the runway, with a promise that limited-time smart specs are launching this month, though the image also highlights a “0001/3600” stamp – suggesting that this new batch will have less than half the availability of last year’s 7,500 limited run.

Beyond the see-through frame, we don’t know anything more about the drop, but based on the runway comment we suspect this might have a connection to the recent Milan Fashion week which is where A$AP Rocky debuted as Ray-Ban’s first-ever creative director. He's already showcased a couple of standard glasses designs, and this announcement could be teasing his first smart glasses.

2. Xiaomi revealed the first ever Wi-Fi earbuds

(Image credit: Future)

In easily one of the top 3 ground-breaking earbuds innovations we saw at MWC25 this week, Xiaomi unveiled the first earbuds with Wi-Fi, delivering hi-res audio up to 4.2Mbps. You want lossless audio over Wi-Fi without ruining battery life? Xiaomi’s gone and done it, with the new Buds 5 Pro. They launched in Europe, in two variants – a standard (non-Wi-Fi) Buds 5 Pro, and the Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi. Both models have an imposing spec-sheet, but the Wi-Fi ones are particularly impressive, because they can apparently deliver lossless audio at up to 4.2Mbps using their Wi-Fi connection, which is leaps and bounds ahead of anything you’ll get with Bluetooth.

The Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi have Qualcomm's S7 Pro chip and Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite, which can support up to 96kHz/24-bit hi-res audio. Of course, there's a ‘but’: it'll only work with certain smartphones. Xiaomi says a list of compatible devices will be posted on its website soon – but right now, the only known supported phones are the Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra. (Your iPhone? Don’t get your hopes up.)

1. We reviewed AMD’s bargain gaming graphics card

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is AMD’s first RDNA 4 card to hit the market and it’s a banger, nearly matching Nvidia’s pricier GPUs in 4K and 1440p performance for $599. It ranks close to the RTX 4080 and surpasses older AMD cards, with a 304W TGP that remains manageable at this performance level.

While it lacks top-tier ray tracing and AI compute, it excels at raster and gaming workloads, staying more affordable and less prone to price inflation. Ultimately, it’s the best value for gamers looking to upgrade without breaking the bank.

Categories: Technology

Today's NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, March 8

CNET News - Sat, 03/08/2025 - 01:09
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 8.
Categories: Technology

'Who wants to be a billionaire?': Millions will get app to 'build high compute AI applications' and get them deployed across India's largest phone network

TechRadar News - Fri, 03/07/2025 - 22:04
  • Jio Platforms is launching a cloud-based AI PC, accessible on any device
  • Users will be able to build and deploy AI apps across India's largest phone network
  • Enterprise offering JioBrain will provide machine learning-as-a-service

Reliance Industries’ digital division, Jio Platforms, is reportedly building a cloud-based personal computer designed to bring artificial intelligence computing to the masses.

The new system will not require hardware and can be accessed on any device, giving users the ability to develop and deploy high-compute AI applications.

During Mumbai Tech Week 2025, Jio Infocomm chairman Akash Ambani, the son of India's richest person Mukesh Ambani, described the upcoming cloud PC as a way to democratize AI capabilities.

Machine learning-as-a-service

“We have a consumer application which we will be shortly launching. It’s a cloud PC, which is a complete PC in the cloud, which is accessible in each of your houses but really be device agnostic. No hardware. And you can build high compute AI applications on top of that. And what you can leverage is the reach that Jio is going to have,” Ambani was quoted as saying by Inc42.

Unlike past efforts such as the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative, Jio’s cloud-based AI platform will require users to bring their own devices. Jio’s “platform approach” aims to scale AI services to millions of users across India at lower costs.

One of its upcoming enterprise offerings, JioBrain, will provide machine learning-as-a-service, eliminating the need for businesses to invest in costly infrastructure. “You can just tag on to JioBrain, and we’ll launch that in the coming quarters as we perfect the use cases for that,” Ambani added.

Jio is also targeting 100 million users for JioTele OS, its smart TV operating system. As Ambani said, “One of our biggest growth missions of Jio and where we want to make an impact is connecting each home. But with that, we’ll be opening ourselves up as a platform for developers.”

Calling AI one of the biggest technological revolutions of a lifetime, Ambani predicted it would help India sustain economic growth of 10% or more. He also highlighted the need for infrastructure, research, and talent to position India as a leader in AI. Jio’s parent company, Reliance Group has previously announced plans to build a new 3 gigawatt AI data center in Jamnagar - a small town in Gujarat – which it hopes to have operational by 2027.

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SpaceX’s Latest Starship Explosion Marks Two Consecutive Failures

WIRED Top Stories - Fri, 03/07/2025 - 22:00
The new version of Starship will be tested again in four to six weeks. A third consecutive failure could indicate fundamental problems with the updated design.
Categories: Technology

WhatsApp just made its AI impossible to avoid – but at least you can turn it off

TechRadar News - Fri, 03/07/2025 - 20:00

Meta rushed to embed its Meta AI assistant into all of its properties, including WhatsApp. Now, it seems like the tech giant is extending the strategy with a dedicated widget, as first discovered byWABetaInfo. This comes after WhatsApp expanded Meta AI from a floating action button to a search bar integration and then the in-chat tag that lets you add it to the group chat.

The widget will give you one-tap access to its text search, camera for image-based queries, and voice input for hands-free interactions. Whether this is useful or just another thing cluttering your home screen depends on how much you actually want an AI assistant embedded in your messaging app.

The idea is that instead of switching to ChatGPT or Perplexity, you can pull up Meta AI within WhatsApp and fire off a question without having to open the app first, as it's right from a widget. Whether that's convenient or annoying probably depends on your disposition. There have been complaints about Meta AI being too intrusive, so making it more deeply integrated is a questionable decision by Meta.

Meta AI bye

Whether this addition is useful or just another AI experiment in search of a problem will likely depend on how much you really need to talk to Meta AI.

Luckily, if you fall into the “no thanks” camp, you can disable it entirely by going into Settings > Chats and toggling off the Meta AI button. At least for now, opting out is still an option.

As Meta is betting big on AI integration, WhatsApp is a prime target simply because of its massive user base. If even a fraction of its billions of users start casually using Meta AI, that’s a win for Meta in the battle for AI dominance. But if users keep disabling the feature or ignoring it entirely, it might just be another forgotten experiment, like Facebook’s attempt at making the Metaverse a thing.

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How To Play the Co-Op Split Fiction Without a Partner

CNET News - Fri, 03/07/2025 - 18:47
Hazelight's newest game is two-player only. Here's how to find someone to play with.
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Best Internet Providers in Sacramento, California

CNET News - Fri, 03/07/2025 - 17:47
Reliable internet is available in Sacramento if you know where to go. Our experts have found the top choices in the area.
Categories: Technology

The DOJ Still Wants Google to Sell Off Chrome

WIRED Top Stories - Fri, 03/07/2025 - 17:26
In its final proposed remedy filing in the Google antitrust case, the Department of Justice reiterated that Google should stop paying partners for search placement—and divest its dominant Chrome browser.
Categories: Technology

DOGE Has Deployed Its GSAi Custom Chatbot for 1,500 Federal Workers

WIRED Top Stories - Fri, 03/07/2025 - 17:22
Elon Musk’s DOGE team is automating tasks as it continues its purge of the federal workforce.
Categories: Technology

Cybercriminals used vendor backdoor to steal almost $600,000 of Taylor Swift tickets

TechRadar News - Fri, 03/07/2025 - 17:07
  • Two cybercriminals have stolen over $600,000 worth of tickets
  • The tickets were primarily Taylor Swift concert tickets
  • The criminals used a backdoor into the StubHub systems to redirect the tickets

A pair of cybercriminals have been arrested and charged after allegedly stealing over 900 concert tickets, raking in over $635,000 in profit. This works out to an eyewatering $700 average profit per ticket, so it might not surprise you to hear that the criminals mostly stole from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, as well as other high profile events like NBA games and the US Open.

The two criminals were employees of ticket site StubHub, and are accused of using their access to company systems to find a backdoor into a “secure area of the network” where tickets that had already been sold were assigned a URL and queued to be sent to the customer. The criminal, Tyrone Rose, then redirected the URLs to his co-conspirator, Shamara Simmons.

The criminals have been charged with grand larceny in the second degree, computer tampering in the first degree, conspiracy in the fourth degree, and computer tampering in the fourth degree - and face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

High value targets

Scams targeting popular events like sports competitions, shows, and concerts, especially the hugely popular Taylor Swift Eras tour - are common as criminals look to take advantage of the urgency of quick-selling tickets. In this case, the tickets were purchased through a perfectly legitimate site, but customers were still defrauded, which makes this case particularly worrying.

“According to the charges, these defendants tried to use the popularity of Taylor Swift’s concert tour and other high-profile events to profit at the [expense] of others,” said District Attorney Melinda Katz.

“They allegedly exploited a loophole through an offshore ticket vendor to steal tickets to the biggest concert tour of the last decade and then resold those seats for an extraordinary profit of more than $600,000.”

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