Technology

• The new hand luggage-compliant roller-case is available in three colorways
• It's part of Peak Design's ecosystem, with a new purpose-made XL Camera Cube
• Priced from $599.95, with crowdfunding campaign running from March 4 to April 17

Peak Design has unveiled its first roller-case, the premium Roller Pro, with innovative features and familiar design touches taken from its camera accessories ecosystem.

The hand-luggage compliant roller is available in three colorways – black, eclipse (a burgundy-ish shade) and sage – and is currently being crowdfunded from March 4 to April 17 with a backer price of $599.95, and is due to land on the Peak Design website from late June.

There's also a new dedicated Camera Cube (XL) that's designed to maximize the internal storage of the Roller Pro for camera gear that needs extra protection, which costs $139.95 (UK and Australia pricing for both items is TBC).

Of course there are no guarantees with crowdfunding campaigns, but I've already had my hands on a sage Roller Pro prototype for weeks (and I've tested numerous Peak Design products down the years, primarily camera gear, such as the Outdoor Backpack, Camera Cubes, Travel Tripod and Camera Sling), and I can imagine Peak Design's latest product becoming my go-to roller case for many years to come. Let's take a look at what it offers.

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(Image credit: Peak Design) A pricey roller that's a dream to handle, and built to last

Peak Design sent me a prototype of the Roller Pro several weeks ahead of its announcement, and I can tell you that it's an entirely different proposition to budget roller cases made from off-the-shelf parts.

This a premium Peak Design product through and through, with an ultra-smooth and agile four-set of wheels, plus a low-profile handle made from solid single pieces of carbon fiber, rather than rickety telescoping tubes. The handle slots into an aluminum chassis and takes up less space inside the roller case, meaning more space for your stuff.

The roller's exterior is a durable-feeling and expandable soft-shell type, with a familiar Peak Design look and an additional top soft handle (easing that temptation to hoist the loaded case up by the extending handle), while a polycarbonate hard shell structure inside provides rigidity and protection for what's inside.

I love how the main compartment opens for packing and unpacking. Unlike other rollers that double in footprint when you open them up, the Roller Pro's drawbridge top sits vertically up – ideal for when you're in tight spaces trying to access camera gear, or in an airport frantically searching for that thing you need.

With so many camera accessories in its portfolio, naturally Peak Design has put plenty of thought into gear storage. There are dedicated and secure compartments for items such as a laptop, small interior zipped pockets for important items like a passport and memory cards, plus a wide variety of protective Camera Cubes – including the new XL version, meaning you can customize how you split camera gear / personal items storage for your needs, for a each trip.

It's still early days for my Roller Pro testing, but I can already see it becoming my go-to roller case for many years of traveling and photography trips. The elephant in the room is the product's list price – around $600 for the case only is pretty steep, and that's before you add the cost of accessories for camera gear, such as Camera Cubes.

Still, if it's as durable and versatile as my time with it so far indicates, the Roller Pro could ultimately turn out to be excellent value. I'll share more thoughts further down the line by way of a long-term review.

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• Activision has announced Guitar Hero Mobile with an AI-generated ad
• The game's store page confirms the game "isn't real, but could be some day" and is asking users for their interest through a survey
• Fans are calling Activision out for it's continued use of AI in promotional ads

Activision has just announced Guitar Hero Mobile with what appears to be an AI-generated artwork, but the game isn't even real.

The Call of Duty publisher revealed the first look at its new game for smartphones on its Instagram with a promotional advertisement. Guitar Hero Mobile's logo is front and centre, however, looking closer it's quite obvious that the rest of the image is AI-generated.

The artwork features four figures standing on a stage holding guitars but they're unrecognizable, the crowds on either side look sloppy, and the equipment in the background is misshapen. Not to mention the odd-looking colored guitar fret buttons that play a huge part in the rhythm game series.

A lot of fans were able to spot the post's inconsistencies, and are now calling Activision out for its use of generative AI.

"A.I. Hero looks awesome," one user said. "Gotta love a multi-million dollar company using AI to come back after their past banger games," said another.

Over on Reddit, the responses aren't much better.

"This genuinely looks horrendous. This is like 2-3 generations old as far as AI generated images are concerned," one Redditor commented.

A post shared by Activision (@activision)

A photo posted by on

If the AI didn't put you off, then perhaps the fact that Guitar Hero Mobile doesn't even exist will.

The official download page on a website called Geeklab shows even more ai-generated images with a description that boasts a "fast-paced, competitve mobile rhythm game" where players "face off in real-time musical battles, hitting notes in sync with the music to climb the global leaderboards and become the ultimate rockstar".

However, after clicking the "GET" link, it will take you to a survey that will thank users for their interest.

"This isn't a real game, but could be some day!" it reads. "We'd love if you could answer this short survey, which could help inform the potential future of this game. Your feedback really matters to us!"

The Guitar Hero Mobile announcement is likely an attempt to gauge players' interest.

Similarly, Activision did the same thing last month for a new Call of Duty mobile game called Call of Duty: Zombie Defender.

The advertisement on its Instagram account used AI-generative images, and the install button also led users to a survey with the aforementioned statement that stated it wasn't "a real game".

In other related news, Activision has finally admitted to using generative AI for some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 assets (via IGN). After fans discovered evidence of the fact three months ago, Activision has now confirmed the use of AI to align with Steam's new AI disclosure rules.

"Our team uses generative AI tools to help develop some in game assets," the game's Steam page now reads.

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• PlayStation Plus users are now receiving compensation following last month's PSN outage
• After the almost 24-hour outage, Sony promised five additional days of PS Plus to members
• Members should now see the compensation added to their PlayStation accounts

PlayStation Plus subscribers are officially receiving compensation following the PlayStation Network outage last month.

In early February, PSN experienced an almost 24-hour outage, which meant PlayStation users were unable to play games online during this time.

After the issue was resolved, Sony confirmed that this was an "operational issue" with network services. It also announced that all PlayStation Plus members affected would automatically receive an additional five days of service free of charge as compensation, although it didn't say when this was to be issued at the time.

However, according to Push Square, the compensation is now officially rolling out as of March 4.

The publication found that the five days of service have now been added to the expiry date of its last PS Plus Premium payment, meaning other users should now be able to see the same thing on their own accounts.

To check if you've received the free compensation, you'll need to log in to the PS Store and navigate to the 'Subscriptions Management' tab. There you'll be able to see your next payment date and if the date reads five days after your most recent transaction, then the compensation has been added.

The PS Plus lineup for March 2025 has already been announced and includes Sonic Colors: Ultimate, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection, as well as one of the biggest role-playing games (RPG) of 2024, Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Members will be able to claim these games starting today until March 31, 2025.

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• Disney+ has canned its offshoot animation series of The Princess and the Frog due to production costs.
• A shortform project inspired by The Princess and the Frog movie is in early development instead.
• The decision comes as Disney+ shifts away from creating original longform content for streaming and prioritizes theatrical releases.

Disney+ has reportedly axed its animated musical series Tiana, an offshoot of The Princess and the Frog movie, but there's more projects being shelved by the streaming service.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney+ is moving away from creating original longform content for streaming and focusing on theatrical releases. A spokesperson confirmed that this business strategy shift will lead to some layoffs in its Vancouver studio.

The offshoot series of the critically acclaimed 2009 movie was first announced in December 2020 and was intended to be a musical with Anika Noni Rose returning as Tiana, Disney's first Black princess. However, sources reportedly said that despite multiple creative team changes, Tiana could not meet production expectations due to costs.

Fans of the Disney Princess movie will understandably be disappointed by this news, but don't stop wishing on a star just yet as Disney is still going to continue Princess Tiana's story in another way. A shortform project inspired by The Princess and the Frog is said to be in early development at the animation studio, which is expected to feature new storytelling based on the film.

What other longform projects have been scrapped by Disney?

The Tiana series isn't the only project to end up on Disney's scrap heap as an unannounced feature-length movie that was set to go straight to Disney+ has also reportedly fell victim to the new business strategy.

The decision to cancel Tiana and the untitled Disney+ movie follows the news that Pixar would no longer prioritize developing longform TV shows after the release of its Inside Out 2 spin-off series Dream Productions and Win or Lose, the animation studio's first ever streaming series.

The reason why both studios are now shifting their focus from small screen animation is because of the huge success they've had with animated movies on the big screen. Moana 2, which was originally planned as a series and reworked into a theatrical release, went on to gross over $1 billion at the global box office. While Moana 2 sets sail for streaming on Disney+ on March 12, Pixar's Inside Out 2 became the biggest movie of 2024, earning $1.7 billion and the title of one of the best Disney+ movies.

From now on, Walt Disney Animation Studios remains committed to releasing one theatrical film per year along with shorts and special projects. There's already a lot in the pipeline with Zootopia 2 set to release on November 26, as well as an unannounced film in November 2026 and Frozen 3 set for November 2027.

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• Reports suggest the Trump administration may have paused cyber offensives against Russia
• However CISA has denied this, and has pledged to continue defending against all cyber threats
• The move would represent a significant change in foreign policy

Following the recent tense and hostile discussion between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump, and US Vice President JD Vance, another serious turning point in the Russian war in Ukraine, or at the very least in American involvement, may have just occured.

Reports suggest the Trump administration has publicly indicated it no longer considers Russia an adversary in the cyber arena, and will pause cyber offensives against the state. Speaking to The Guardian, one anonymous worker went as far as to say “Putin is on the inside now”.

But it seems not all agencies are on board. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reaffirmed its commitment to defending against all cyber threats, “including from Russia” and claimed that any reports indicating a change of posture are “fake and undermine [our] national security” in a post on X.

Conflicting statements

It should be noted, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told TechRadar Pro that these reports are untrue,

“The memo referenced in the Guardian’s ‘reporting’ is not from the Trump Administration, which is quite inconvenient to the Guardian’s preferred narrative. CISA remains committed to addressing all cyber threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, including from Russia. There has been no change in our posture or priority on this front.”

Despite CISA’s protests, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has reportedly issued a pause in offensive cyber operations against Russia, and has ordered US Cyber Command to “stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions,” The Record revealed.

The scope and purpose of these orders remain unclear, but the directives indicate an effort from the Trump administration to normalize ties with Russia and a move towards a cooperation with the state as opposed to the previous alliance with Ukraine.

This could prove significant, as earlier in 2025, Russian hacking group Seashell Blizzard turned its focus towards targets in the US and UK, looking to disrupt and damage critical infrastructure and cause chaos.

If true, the US recategorizing Russia would be a serious U-turn in policy, and could signify a complete shift in foreign policy, and could have lasting repercussions not just in the context of the Russian war in Ukraine, but in global politics going forward.

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• Tecno has revealed the world's thinnest slab phone, the 5.75mm Spark Slim
• A new iPhone 17 Air leak suggests Apple will beat this with a 5.44mm chassis
• We're still waiting for any official information about the iPhone 17 Air

Chinese phone maker Tecno has revealed the world’s thinnest slab phone at MWC 2025, but a new leak suggests the much-rumored iPhone 17 Air could be even thinner.

The Tecno Spark Slim measures just 5.75mm thick at its thinnest point, not including the protruding camera bump, and packs an impressive spec sheet into its svelte frame – the Spark Slim sports a 6.78-inch OLED screen with 144Hz refresh rate, dual 50MP main and ultra-wide cameras, and a 5,200mAh battery capacity.

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(Image credit: Tecno / GSMArena)

However, Tecno may lose the title of world’s thinnest candy-bar phone sooner rather than later if a new iPhone 17 Air leak is to be believed.

Images shared by notable tipster Majin Bu on X (formerly Twitter) appear to show a polymer or resin dummy model of the iPhone 17 Air being measured by a digital caliper, with the readout displaying a thickness of 5.44mm.

iPhone 17 Air it’s thin pic.twitter.com/2UoNP0IaygMarch 3, 2025

As with the Spark Slim, this measurement is taken at the phone’s thinnest point and does not account for the camera bump. The leaked image corroborates previous rumors in suggesting the iPhone 17 Air will sport a long, thin camera bar with a single camera.

In fact, the dummy model looks conspicuously similar to CAD renders previously shared by Majin Bu – there was some debate over the plausibility of these renders at the time due to the massively expanded camera housing on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but images shared since have largely followed the rumored designs.

As PhoneArena notes, the new camera bump could push the maximum thickness of the iPhone 17 Air closer to the rumored 5.84mm thickness of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

A narrow victory

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy S25 Edge has only had its design revealed so far – we only have rumors and estimates to base specs on – and the iPhone 17 Air has yet to even be confirmed by Apple, so the apparent race to release a thin flagship is still currently a tense wait at the starting blocks.

Unfortunately for Tecno, the smart-looking Spark Slim is unlikely to make much of an impact due to the brand’s global-focused release strategy and lack of US availability.

As for the iPhone 17 Air and Galaxy S25 Edge, I’m hopeful that Apple and Samsung can get the balance right with these new slim phones, and produce handsets worthy of a place on our list of the best phones.

What do you want to see from the iPhone 17 Air? Are you hopeful that thin phones will take off? Let us know in the comments.

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• Google Password Manager reportedly set to get a ‘delete all’ option
• At the moment users have to delete credentials individually
• The update was spotted months ago in a teardown

Google looks to be experimenting with a new option to delete all data from its password manager tool on Android devices.

Screenshots shared by Android Authority apparently show a new option in the settings menu of Google’s Password Manager interface reading, “Delete all data: From Google Password Manager, including passwords and passkeys.”

The publication seems pretty certain the feature is indeed incoming, after spotting references in a teardown earlier in 2025, noting, “Thankfully, Google will soon add a new “Delete all data” button to its password manager, letting users remove all saved credentials with a tap.”

Google Password Manager ‘delete all’ option

Although this nuclear approach is already possible, it currently requires users to delete their entire browser’s data, including history, cookies and more, so it’s not an ideal approach for users simply looking to remove their credentials.

This is a surprisingly common problem typical of password managers, which tend to make it difficult to delete all passwords in one fell swoop. Instead, they usually rely on users deleting each password individually.

It might only be something that users need to do once or twice in their entire digital life, but we’ve been there and deleting 700 passwords is not for the faint-hearted – Google’s upcoming feature, therefore, is very welcome news.

TechRadar Pro has asked Google to confirm if this feature is on the cards, but we did not receive an immediate response.

The most common reason a user would wish to delete all passwords would be in the case of migration to another password manager – although encryption and other security measures make password storage pretty secure, having credentials stored across multiple locations increases your risk of an attack.

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• Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.6 drops next week
• It introduces three new playable characters, including a furry gunslinger
• This is on top of new gameplay and story content

Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.6, or ‘Among the Forgotten Ruins’, launches next week and will finally let you play as a fan-favorite, previously non-playable, character.

I'm talking about Pulchra Fellini, who was introduced as a non-playable character (NPC) in the Version 1.2 update. Her unique design, which blends an overall cat-like appearance with motorcycle gang elements, quickly caught the attention of players who flooded the internet with fan art and requests to let her join their teams.

It seems as though developer Hoyoverse took notice of this as Fellini will be added as a playable A-rank physical stun agent in Version 1.6. She will be joined by two other new playable characters: Soldier 0 - Anby and Trigger.

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The key art for Version 1.6 shows off Soldier 0 - Anby and Trigger side by side (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 2 of 3

Soldier 0 - Anby is a new twist on the beloved character (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 3 of 3

Trigger is armed with a powerful sniper rifle (Image credit: Hoyoverse)

Soldier 0 - Anby is a new version of Anby in a soldier outfit. As an S-rank electric agent, she wields dual swords that deal rapid electric blows. Her attacks trigger Aftershock and increase the crit damage of allies against the same enemy.

Trigger is a sniper armed with a long-range rifle. She can enter a dedicated sniper mode to easily evade enemy strikes and call in teammates for supporting hits. Her attacks generate Purge which increases Aftershock damage, so it seems like the pair would be a great fit together.

On top of this, Version 1.5 will introduce a new story chapter that focuses on several clashing factions in addition to Anby's past and the military forces of New Eridu.

There will also be loads of new gameplay elements, such as a new Hollow Zero boss and Battlefront Purge difficulty mode. The most exciting addition here is easily Trigger's upcoming TV Schedule, which will introduce third-person shooting in dedicated sniper missions.

Version 1.6 launches on March 12. If you want to try Zenless Zone Zero ahead of the update, the game is available now as a free-to-play title on PC, mobile, and PlayStation 5.

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• Layer 7 Web DDoS attacks are spiking, Radware report claims
• EMEA bore the brunt of Web DDoS attacks
• Financial institutions and transportation services suffered an almost 400% increase in DDoS attack volume

There was a noticeable increase in Web Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in 2024, largely thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI) lowering the barrier to entry, experts have claimed.

A report from cybersecurity experts Radware found Layer 7 Web DDoS attacks skyrocketed by 550% in 2024 compared to the previous year.

Layer 7 DDoS attacks are also known as application-layer DDoS attacks, and they target the application layer of the OSI model. Instead of overwhelming network bandwidth like traditional volumetric attacks, these attacks focus on exhausting server resources by mimicking legitimate user requests. They exploit vulnerabilities in web applications, APIs, and services by flooding them with HTTP requests, login attempts, or database queries, making it difficult to distinguish real users from malicious traffic.

More powerful, more disruptive

Radware says that the increase can be attributed to hacktivist groups leveraging AI-enhanced tools to mount more destructive attacks, easier.

“Multiple catalysts drove the threat revolution witnessed in 2024, including geopolitical conflicts, bigger and more complex threat surfaces, and more sophisticated and persistent threats,” said Pascal Geenens, director of threat intelligence at Radware.

“Add to that the impact of AI, which is lowering barriers to entry, multiplying the number of adversaries and enabling even novice actors to successfully launch malicious campaigns, and what you have is a threat landscape that looks very daunting.”

The EMEA region bore the brunt of Web DDoS attacks, the report states, claiming that it accounted for 78% of global incidents. For web application and API attacks, North America was the primary target with 66% of such incidents.

At the same time, financial institutions and transportation services suffered an almost 400% increase in DDoS attack volume, making them among the hardest-hit industries. Hacktivist-driven attacks also grew by 20% globally, with government institutions emerging as the top targets.

Beyond Web DDoS incidents, network-layer DDoS attacks have become more powerful and persistent, Radware explained. The average mitigated attack volume rose by 120% in 2024, while the average duration of attacks increased by 37%. The telecommunications sector absorbed the heaviest impact, facing 43% of global network DDoS attack volume, followed closely by finance at 30%. The financial sector was also the most targeted industry for Layer 7 DNS attacks, accounting for 44% of global activity.

“The escalations in the threat landscape have significant implications for every sector from finance and telecommunications to government and e-commerce and beyond,” Geenens added.

“Organizations are operating in a dynamic environment that demands equally dynamic defense strategies. While bad actors don’t have to do their jobs perfectly to have a major impact, defenders do.”

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• Meta announces new limited-edition Ray-Ban Meta glasses
• They’re launching sometime in March
• A promo image suggests numbers will be limited to just 3,600 units

Meta has announced that new “limited-edition Ray-Ban Meta glasses” are set to land this month, with promo images suggesting they’ll be transparent just like the previous limited-edition design it launched – but expect them to be even harder to get your hands on.

Beyond a look at the Ray-Ban logo on a clear-ish frame that shows off the hardware inside the smart specs, we know relatively little about the design. The previous clear frames used the Wayfarer frame type, but this new run could get the Skyler or Headliner design, which have more rounded lenses, although our money is on a bold new design like the frames A$AP Rocky – Ray-Ban’s new Creative Director – just unveiled at Milan Fashion Week – which would tally with the “straight from the runway” comment in Meta’s promotional material for the new limited-edition specs.

We also don’t know if these specs will come with the same limited-edition black case as the previous edition, instead of the standard brown, though we hope they do.

Expect a challenge at checkout

Can't get clear pair? The colored translucent options also look great (Image credit: Meta)

Adding to the list of unknown is that Meta has yet to reveal a price. Given that the previous limited model cost $429 – which is about $100 more than the standard translucent frames – we expect this new design will also be pricier than standard Ray-Ban smart glasses, and perhaps even pricier than the previous limited design.

We say that because while Meta’s last limited run consisted of 7,500 pairs, this time it’s only making 3,600 – at least, that’s what '0001/3600' printed on the frames in the promo image on its website is suggesting. Given the even more limited supply, Meta may choose to bump the price up, so if you’re keen to pick up a pair for yourself you’ll want to act fast when they drop.

There's no precise release date to mark on your calendars, though there is a 'Notify me' button on the website if you want to get an update when the glasses go live –just be prepared to go home empty handed.

Scalpers are showing that they’re still in full force in 2025 by ruining limited drops for tech, and there’s a good chance they’ll strike again here. There may also be scammers around looking to take advantage of the hype if stock does run dry – so be careful buying glasses claiming to be the limited edition Ray-Bans from unofficial stores and resellers.

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Apple Intelligence is gaining more features with every beta release across iOS, macOS, and iPadOS, but the company surprised pretty much everyone at the start of February when it released the Apple Invites app.

Less an extension of its various operating systems and more a siloed application, it leans on some Apple Intelligence features but mostly feels like a sort of central point for Apple’s own services.

I tested it out since I needed to plan my son’s sixth birthday party, and while I can’t deny it has that Apple ‘sheen’ to it, I find myself struggling to get all that excited about it.

‘Diminishing Returns’

(Image credit: Apple/Lloyd Coombes)

Apple Invites wasn’t perhaps what we were expecting from the company, but just like the Sports app, it’s another app that can dovetail with multiple Apple services.

It’s essentially a fulcrum that can link to your calendar, photos, and even Apple Music to set the tone for your event.

That’s great, but if you’re not tied into any of those, you’ll see diminishing returns. Apple Invites is perfectly usable by anyone outside of the ecosystem to respond, but naturally you can’t build the perfect playlist or drop in that ideal photo if you’re not tied in with Apple.

It makes sense, of course — Apple isn’t going to go out of its way to integrate Spotify, after all, but it’s worth noting before you start loading up your events.

AI for the rest of us?

(Image credit: Apple/Lloyd Coombes)

My favourite thing about Apple’s new Invites app is just how easy it is to use. If you’ve ever used something like Google Meet or Outlook, you’ll know that trying to populate all the required fields the first time can feel a little awkward, leading to follow-up edits.

Naturally, these aren’t necessarily made for a quick video call and are more for ‘IRL’ events, but I appreciate that Apple has made it so easy to use nonetheless.

As long as you have an iCloud+ subscription, you can add a title, event details, and some snazzy generative AI images (or your own), along with a playlist to capture the vibe, and pretty much get it sent out within a few minutes.

It’s a far cry from the e-vites of yesteryear, and while Apple Intelligence’s slogan of “AI for the rest of us” hasn’t rung true for many, it feels like a smart move to integrate it into an app that’ll be used to send glitzy invites to Apple users and non-Apple users alike.

Outside of the Apple ecosystem? No problem

(Image credit: Apple/Lloyd Coombes)

While you need an iCloud+ account to send your invites, anyone can RSVP regardless of their device of choice.

In my use case, that’s particularly handy — sending an invite to my mother-in-law’s iPhone was easy enough, but my parents have Android phones. I appreciate not needing to adjust either way, too, just sending out a barrage of invites all in one go.

If you are in the Apple ecosystem, Invites is merely a nifty bonus on top of Family Sharing, cloud-based storage, and features like Custom email domains.

But who is it for?

The question I kept coming back to while tooling around with the app was “who is this for?” and I don’t think I’ll be alone in that.

It feels like a proof-of-concept rather than a must-have tool, and while I don’t doubt some families will gravitate toward it in the way Genmoji has become more popular with some users, it just feels like a strange time to introduce an event invite service.

I’m also not sure what the future looks like for the app. I’m not entirely sure what I’d want Apple to add outside of additional integrations, but what’s here feels so focused on a single purpose that it feels an oddity next to Apple’s increasingly malleable (and powerful) in-house apps.

Look how Reminders and Notes have grown over the last few years and it’s hard to plot a similar trajectory for Apple Invites. Does it need one? Perhaps not, but the whole thing just feels like it’s in a weird spot when most people just text each other invitations to events anyway.

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• POLSA announces it suffered a data breach
• Agency says it shut down its IT systems following alert
• Insiders claim incident was due to email compromise

The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) has confirmed it recently suffered a cyberattack which forced it to pull IT infrastructure offline.

The agency confirmed the attack via an X post, in which it said that relevant authorities have already been notified.

“There has been a cybersecurity incident at POLSA,” the machine-translated X post reads. “The relevant services and institutions have been informed. The situation is being analyzed. In order to secure data after the hack, the POLSA network was immediately disconnected from the Internet. We will keep you updated.”

Russia stands accused

Such a short announcement left plenty of room for speculation, and surely enough, some media started discussing if this was a ransomware attack. After all, it is standard practice in ransomware attacks to disconnect affected infrastructure from the internet, to prevent data leaks and quickly sever connections to any persistence mechanisms.

However, an anonymous source told The Register that POLSA’s emails were compromised, and that the staff was told to use phones for communication, instead of emails.

The news was later confirmed by Poland's digitalization minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who said the Polish government was engaged in "intensive operational activities" to understand who the attackers are. Gawkowski added that POLSA was getting a helping hand from the country’s two computer security incident response teams, CSIRT NASK and CSIRT MON.

The identity of the threat actors, or the goal of the attack, is not known at this time. Reuters reports Warsaw has “repeatedly” accused Moscow of attempting to destabilize Poland because of the military support it is providing to Ukraine, with whom Russia is at war right now.

Russia has denied all allegations, Reuters added.

POLSA supported Poland’s involvement in European Space Agency (ESA) projects, including participation in the ExoMars mission and the development of satellite technologies. POLSA also played a role in launching Poland’s first scientific satellites, such as PW-Sat and BRITE-PL, which focused on space debris mitigation and stellar research.

Via The Register

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• The OnePlus Watch 3 was recently unveiled and then delayed by two months
• OnePlus has since confirmed that the new wearable will only receive two years of software support
• The company also confirmed that Wear OS 5 support for the OnePlus Watch 2 is coming in Q3

The OnePlus Watch 3 will only get two years of software support from launch, the company has confirmed – and the news for OnePlus Watch 2 owners isn't much better.

The OnePlus Watch 3 was billed as one of the most exciting smartwatch launches of this year, and a contender for best Android smartwatch thanks to its excellent battery life.

However, the launch was stymied somewhat by an unfortunate 'Meda in China' typo that has seen the release delayed by a full two months. Amongst the hubbub of the bungled launch, the company has now announced two very disappointing pieces of software news concerning the future of its smartwatch line.

As reported by our friends at Android Central, OnePlus says the Watch 3 will only get two OS updates, and two years of bi-monthly security updates. As for OnePlus Watch 2 owners patiently waiting for Wear OS 5, that's coming in Q3, fully one year after leading Android models like the Pixel Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch 7 get the update.

OnePlus Watch 3's disappointing software revelation

(Image credit: Future)

As an Apple Watch veteran, I'm constantly bewildered by the rather fragmented and lacking approach to software on Android smartwatches, and even the best Garmins.

To begin with the latter announcement, OnePlus has essentially confirmed that OnePlus Watch 2 owners will get Wear OS 5 fully one year after it launched on leading models from Samsung and Galaxy. Just to rub it in, Wear OS 6 will likely debut in the meantime.

Perhaps more concerning, the new OnePlus Watch 3 has a confirmed software support cycle of just two years. As Android Central notes, that's a year shy of OnePlus' previous three-year commitment to the OnePlus Watch 2, a lifespan I'd already posit is pretty disappointing for a smartwatch.

The only upside is that, given the OnePlus Watch 3's delay, most people likely haven't bought one yet and so can reconsider their purchase. Both Samsung and Google offer better support in terms of software lifespan, ensuring that their smartwatches last longer and work more effectively thanks to updates, including important security fixes to protect your personal data. Given the price parity in the mainstream smartwatch market, software support of three or even four years drastically improves the value for money of your purchase.

Prospective OnePlus Watch 3 owners who are serial upgraders might be less concerned, but this revelation also indicates that it might be a full year before Wear OS 6 arrives on that model, which is surely another reason to reconsider buying one.

In more positive news, OnePlus has confirmed that a smaller model of the Watch 3, and a version with cellular support, are on the way later this year, although whether that's enough to assuage concerns around software support and longevity is another matter.

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