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Here's What You Need to Know if TikTok Does Get Banned in the US

CNET News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 14:11
The law could go into effect on Jan. 19, so here's what could happen then and afterward.
Categories: Technology

This Hybrid Car Has a Personal EV Aircraft in the Trunk

CNET News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 13:46
The setup would let you charge your own vertical take-off and landing vehicle in the trunk while you drive -- though it would all cost you almost $300,000.
Categories: Technology

X's Grok AI Chatbot Comes to iOS as a Standalone App

CNET News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 13:30
The chatbot from Elon Musk's AI company was previously only available for users on X.
Categories: Technology

Mexican fintech company Miio exposed millions of files of sensitive customer data

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 13:28
  • 2.9 million files from fintech firm Miio have been found exposed online
  • Researchers say the information has been unguarded for months
  • The company is yet to respond to the disclosure notice

Cybersecurity researchers have claimed financial technology firm Miio, which offers mobile telecoms and financial services to customers in Mexico, has suffered a huge data leak, exposing up to three million Know Your Customer (KYC) files.

Findings from Cybernews say the files were reportedly unguarded for at least several months, and contained files dating back to 2017, when the company was started. This strongly suggests that all Miio customers were impacted, with 2.9 million scans of various KYC documents found, including passports and IDs, driver’s licenses, and customer pictures.

There’s no evidence yet that malicious actors accessed the data, but since researchers were able to access it, it's probable others have too. Government issued identifications are incredibly valuable to attackers, since they can facilitate identity theft and fraud.

Unaware or unwilling

The researchers discovered the leak on September 12, 2024, and initial disclosure notice was sent on October 2, and the storage bucket has now been open for at least three months. Researcher’s attempts to reach out have been ‘met with silence’.

If the KYC documents have fallen into the wrong hands, attackers could open bank accounts, apply for loans, or take out credit cards in the victim’s names.

With the type of ID documents found and the customer selfies for verification, researchers warn that this could enable hackers to take over existing customer accounts, so victims should be ultra-vigilant in the coming months.

“In the context of Miio’s role as a telcobank serving a wide base of customers, such a leak would undermine trust in their ability to safeguard sensitive data, exposing their users to severe financial and personal risks,” the researchers said.

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Categories: Technology

The TikTok Ban Would Be Social Media’s First Extinction-Level Event

WIRED Top Stories - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 13:16
TikTok transformed everyday users into influencers and made entrepreneurs rich via its Shop feature. With the US ban looming, they could lose everything—and many don’t know where to go next.
Categories: Technology

Climate Change in 2024 Hit a Warming Mark Scientists Hoped We Would Avoid

CNET News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 13:04
During the hottest year on Earth since records began in 1850, temperatures crossed a key threshold, rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
Categories: Technology

Swing For a Hole-in-One With the PGA Tour on Apple Arcade in February

CNET News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 12:56
Subscribers can play that, and other games, soon.
Categories: Technology

NATO wants to build an alternative satellite-based internet to be used in case of emergency

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 12:33
  • Project HEIST wants to mitigate physical sabotaging of underwater cables
  • HEIST is expected to use laser optics rather than radio
  • Exabytes of data flow in more than 1 million Km of fiber across the globe

NATO is reportedly developing a satellite-based backup for global internet communications to address vulnerabilities exposed by recent undersea cable disruptions.

The project, known as HEIST (hybrid space-submarine architecture ensuring infosec of telecommunications), comes in response to the February 2024 incident when the cargo ship Rubymar, struck by a Houthi missile attack, dragged its anchor across the Red Sea floor, severing three fiber-optic cables.

A report by IEEE Spectrum claims these cables carried about a quarter of all internet traffic between Europe and Asia, forcing data rerouting and highlighting the fragile nature of global internet infrastructure.

Ready for testing

Over 95% of intercontinental internet traffic relies on undersea fiber-optic cables, with more than 1.2 million kilometers of them stretching across the planet. These thin cables lie unburied across deep-sea floors, making them vulnerable to accidental damage and sabotage.

The Rubymar incident was unintentional, but Western officials have evidence of deliberate undersea cable sabotage by state actors, such as Russia and China. NATO has already announced plans to prevent this happening in the future using undersea drones.

HEIST aims to address such threats by ensuring critical internet pathways remain operational even when fiber lines are compromised.

The project has two key objectives: to rapidly detect cable damage and precisely locate breaks, and to expand the capacity to reroute data through alternative channels, including satellites. The focus will be on diverting high-priority data to satellites, reducing reliance on vulnerable seabed cables.

The project will begin testing in 2025 at the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden. Researchers from multiple countries, including the US, Sweden, Iceland, and Switzerland, will work to develop faster break detection systems capable of pinpointing damage with accuracy to within one meter.

The researchers will also explore satellite-based failsafes using higher-bandwidth laser optics, which can transmit far more data than current radio-based satellite systems.

While satellite throughput is limited compared to fiber, the HEIST team is focusing on expanding bandwidth through technologies like infrared lasers, already in use on Starlink satellites.

Although no single solution currently exists, NATO’s goal is to create a diverse and resilient network, ensuring secure global communications in emergencies.

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Categories: Technology

TikTok's US Supreme Court Trial: Here's What Was Said Today

CNET News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 12:24
The Supreme Court appeal is Tiktok's last chance to stop a ban from happening through litigation. Here's what happened.
Categories: Technology

Researcher nets major reward for finding Facebook bug able to unlock the gates to its internal systems

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 12:02
  • A security flaw found in Facebook's ad platform has been fixed by Meta
  • The researcher who discovered the flaw was awarded a $100,000 bug bounty
  • The flaw allowed the researcher to effectively take control of a Facebook server

Meta has awarded cybersecurity researcher Ben Sadeghipour a bug bounty of $100,000 after he discovered a security vulnerability on Facebook’s ad platform in October 2024.

The flaw allowed Sadeghipour to run commands on the internal Facebook server which housed the platform, giving him control of the server.

According to Sadeghipour, the unpatched bug allowed him to hijack the server using a headless Chrome browser, which is a version of the browser users run from the computer’s terminal, to interact with Facebook’s internal servers directly.

Part of wider researcher

The flaw in the platform was connected to a server that Facebook used to create and deliver ads, which was vulnerable to a previously fixed flaw found in the Chrome browser, which Facebook uses in its ad system.

Sadeghipour told TechCrunch online advertising platforms are attractive targets because “there’s so much that happens in the background of making these ‘ads’ — whether they are video, text, or images.”

“But at the core of it all it’s a bunch of data being processed on the server-side and it opens up the door for a ton of vulnerabilities,” Sadeghipour said.

The researcher confirms he didn’t test out everything he could have once he was inside the server, although “what makes this dangerous is this was probably a part of an internal infrastructure.”

After reporting the vulnerability to Meta, the bug took just an hour to fix, Sadeghipour said, noting his discovery was part of ‘ongoing research on a specific application with a specific purpose’. This flaw in particular took him a few hours to identify, but Meta worked with him to quickly patch the bug and offered a bounty that was ‘way beyond’ expectations, he confirmed in a LinkedIn post.

Bug bounties have been on the rise recently, with Google drastically increasing its rewards for researchers who participate in the program, so security research is getting more lucrative.

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Categories: Technology

Watch FA Cup Soccer: Livestream Aston Villa vs. West Ham From Anywhere

CNET News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 12:00
Graham Potter takes charge of the Hammers for the first time in this third-round cup clash.
Categories: Technology

Top 7 Disappointments of CES 2025

CNET News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 11:58
CES 2025 is in the books and certainly had its share of innovative and eye-catching new products and concepts. But here's a look at some of things that we found lacking.
Categories: Technology

Even Trump Can’t Stop America’s Green Transition, Says Biden’s Top Climate Adviser

WIRED Top Stories - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 11:30
As he prepares to leave the White House, Ali Zaidi is sober about what’s coming—but says too much has already been built and invested for Donald Trump to undo it.
Categories: Technology

DJI's Mic Mini might just have met its match: the tiny, logo-free Hollyland Lark M2S wireless mic

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 11:20
  • Hollyland announces new Lark M2S wireless mic to rival DJI and Rode
  • The M2S is available in twin mic / receiver kits for around $139 / £130
  • It features a discreet logo-free design and weighs just 7g

There's no shortage of wireless mics for content creators in 2025, with the likes of the DJI Mic Mini and the Rode Wireless Micro being two fine examples. So how is it possible to stand out in an increasingly saturated market? By being practically invisible, as it turns out.

The new Hollyland Lark M2S has a feature set to rival the DJI Mic Mini, but with the design that DJI wishes it had: the Lark M2S is not only the smallest wireless mic we've seen yet when clipped to clothing, but it's also logo-free.

A discreet and logo-free mic that weighs a mere 7g and won't tug on clothing is a win in our book – too many wireless mics are all too visible in content that floods social media. You only have to look at the wireless mics we use on TechRadar's TikTok channel to appreciate where we're coming from.

Just because the Lark M2S is tiny, however, that doesn't mean that Hollyland has scrimped on features. You get smartphone-beating 24-bit audio, a single push environmental noise cancellation feature (ENC), a 70dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), plus a 116dB maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL).

Battery life is rated at up to 9 hours of record time for each mic, which can be extended with the charging case to 30 hours, while the maximum transmission range is up to 300m.

(Image credit: Hollyland)

Those are solid specs for a wireless mic system that can be purchased as a kit comprising two transmitters (mics), two receivers (a basic one for USB-C smartphones, the other for cameras with a 3.5mm port), plus charging case, for just $139 / £130 – that's a fraction less than the Mic Mini. Oh, and a Lightning cable for older iPhones is chucked in for good measure – see all that's included in the Max combo in the image above.

The best of both DJI and Rode in a single package?

So how does the Hollyland Lark M2S stack up against DJI and Rode rivals? Specs-wise, favorably; it seemingly offers the best of both the DJI Mic Mini and Rode Wireless Micro models in a single package.

You get a small receiver for use with smartphones and a larger one with manual controls for use with cameras. Rode's package only offers the former and only works with smartphones, while DJI's only offers the latter which works with both cameras and phones, but is clunky when attached to a smartphone.

We can't comment on the actual audio quality of the Lark M2S yet, but our in-depth review is in the pipeline so do look out for that. What we can say off the bat is that the Lark M2S design and overall package looks stellar. You can pre-order now using the links above.

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Categories: Technology

I saw wireless earbuds that are also air purifiers, and they claim to be a maskless mask

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 11:05

Like many world-changing events, new applications of existing technology can lead to some interesting concepts. For example, the Covid-19 pandemic led to the creation of masks featuring audio components. The controversial Razer Zephyr had external speakers, will.i.am’s Xupermask Honeywell collaboration had earbuds, and there was Dyson's air purifier mask headphones combo, of course. Once the pandemic and the lockdown eventually concluded, the idea of wearable air filtration devices with audio listening devices sorta died down.

That idea is being revived by Ible, which is a Taiwanese company established in 2015. The company is currently known for its Airvida line of wearable air purifiers that look like necklaces. During CES 2025, Ible revealed its upcoming E1 & T1 wireless earbuds that double as air purifiers. Users can listen to music and take phone calls while the purifiers claim to provide something akin to an invisible face mask.

Though I couldn’t personally test the hardware, I visited the booth and spoke to the company, and both of these audio devices offer a different glimpse into the future where the best earbuds are health devices too, which is becoming more and more of a thing.

The Airvida E1 is a pair of neckband earbuds that merges a 25dB noise cancellation with an ionic air purifier. Weighing just 42 grams, the device is connected through Bluetooth and provides eight hours of battery life with audio or over 30 without audio. The device is charged through a magnetic charging cable. When it comes to sound quality, the E1 uses 13mm dynamic driver and multi-layer composite diaphragm for rich sound and robust bass.

Interestingly, it can be used as a desktop purifier when used with a stand, too. The Airvida Connect app offers real-time air quality updates, pollen alerts, and adjustable ion levels. This device claims to achieve 99.9% removal of PM2.5 particles and pollen allergens, along with 99.7% efficacy against Influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 viruses.

(Image credit: Future)

Meanwhile, the T1 looks to be the world’s first wearable ionic air purifier integrated with noise-cancelling earbuds. Like the T1, the audio device hopes to provide 99.9% protection against air pollutants, allergens, and viruses, while delivering superior sound quality with active noise cancellation and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.

Weighing 9.5g per earbud, they're certainly hefty – something like AirPods Pro 2's buds weigh around 5g – and the battery life is fairly low at five hours of usic (or around 24 hours for air purification). The USB-rechargeable charging case offers three charges for extended use.

Still, 9.5g is light (and small) for an air-purifying solution, so we can forgive that. Generating over 30 million negative ions per cm³, it promises to effectively clean the air around the facial area. It comes with replacement earbud tips in three sizes, and two color options: Space Black and Pearl White. Aiming to be serviceable for various environments, it operates efficiently in temperatures from 0°C to 40°C and relative humidity of 30–85%.

Both E1 and T1 earbuds blend innovative air purification with advanced audio technology, and I hope they can live up to their claims and prove useful for people with respiratory issues, allergies or those attempting to avoid germs – and that the music can hold up too. What's the point in breathing more clearly if the sound doesn't put you in the mood to belt out some tunes?

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TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

Categories: Technology

This devious macOS malware is evading capture by using Apple's own encryption

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 11:05
  • Security researchers from Check Point Research recently find new variant of Banshee malware
  • The new variant uses encryption that allows it to blend with regular macOS operations
  • The campaign went unabated for two months

Cybersecurity researchers from Check Point Research recently uncovered a new version of the Banshee infostealer, capable of bypassing Apple’s built-in malware protection to grab sensitive data.

Banshee is a macOS-focused malware which emerged in mid-2024, designed to extract sensitive information such as system details, browser data, and cryptocurrency wallet information. Initially sold as a stealer-as-a-service for $3,000 per month, its source code was leaked in November 2024, leading to its broader dissemination.

Despite the operation being shut down, Banshee continued to live, being both developed, and distributed, by various hacking collectives.

Distribution through GitHub

Now, the new version seems to be somewhat more dangerous, and is most likely built by a different threat actor. According to the researchers, Banshee now uses string encryption from Apple’s XProtect, allowing it to blend with normal device operations and avoid being detected. XProtect is macOS's built-in antivirus system that identifies and blocks known malware using regularly updated signature-based detection.

Furthermore, it no longer avoids Russian users, which could signal that it was built by a different team. This latest campaign seems to have started in September 2024, and continued unobserved for roughly two months.

While it is impossible to know exactly how many devices are infected with Banshee, we do know that it’s being distributed via GitHub repositories. Threat actors are impersonating legitimate software, and are betting on software developers being careless when downloading content from the open-source platform.

Check Point says that the same operators are also going after Windows users, but through Lumma Stealer, not Banshee. The researchers also stressed that macOS continues to gain popularity, thus becoming an increasingly attractive target.

“Despite its reputation as a secure operating system, the rise of sophisticated threats like the Banshee MacOS Stealer highlights the importance of vigilance and proactive cyber security measures,” they concluded.

Via BleepingComputer

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Categories: Technology

Severance is streaming for free on Roku right now ahead of its season 2 premiere

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 10:58
  • Severance season 1 is streaming for free on Roku
  • It's available until January 19, right before the season 2 premiere
  • Severance season 2 is streaming from January 17, only on Apple TV Plus

Severance season 2 is right around the corner, and if you don't have an Apple TV Plus subscription you can now watch the first season on Roku. It's only available for a limited time, though, as episodes are only available until January 19, slightly after the season 2 premiere on January 17. So Roku is giving you the weekend to catch up!

Since this is a show I can't stop talking about, I'd definitely urge people to give Severance a go. It's one of the best shows I've seen in years, and fellow TechRadar entertainment writer Tom Power agrees in his glowing 4.5 star Severance season 2 review. It's one of our best Apple TV Plus shows, and it's going from strength to strength.

Should I get an Apple TV Plus subscription?

(Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

While I'm keen for everyone to watch Severance, especially while it's freely available, that doesn't mean I'm discouraging people from signing up to Apple TV Plus. Quite the opposite in fact, as hopefully that excellent first season and gripping finale will have you rushing to join me in watching season 2.

While it's my favorite show in some time, and nothing has come close to beating it, Apple TV Plus is home to so much more, which is why we crowned it our Streaming Service of the Year in 2024.

Apple TV Plus is home to hits like Slow Horses, which has recently been renewed again, comedy gem Ted Lasso, the creepy Servant, and intriguing sci-fi mystery Silo. There's plenty to enjoy, and if you're new to the streaming service, you can sign up and get the first three months free until February 3.

We've also put together all the ways you can get an Apple TV Plus free trial, and there are some great deals you can take advantage of here.

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Categories: Technology

The biggest addiction treatment provider in the US says it was hit by data breach

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 10:02
  • BayMark Health Services confirmed suffering a cyberattack in September 2024
  • Crooks stole Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, and more
  • The company did not say how many people were affected

BayMark Health Services, a US healthcare provider which helps people treat and recover from drug abuse and mental health problems, has confirmed suffering a cyberattack and losing sensitive patient data.

In a filing with the Attorney General of California, which includes a letter sent to affected individuals, BayMark said that the attack happened in September 2024, but did not state how many people lost their data:

“On October 11, 2024, we learned of an incident that disrupted the operations of some of our IT systems. We immediately took steps to secure our systems, launched an investigation with the assistance of third-party forensic experts, and notified law enforcement,” the breach notification letter says. "Our investigation determined that an unauthorized party accessed some of the files on BayMark’s systems between September 24, 2024 and October 14, 2024. We then initiated a review and analysis of those files.”

RansomHub

The subsequent investigation, which concluded in early November, determined that the threat actors took people’s Social Security numbers (SSN), driver’s license numbers, dates of birth, the types of services received, the dates of the service, insurance information, treating providers, and treatment/diagnostic data. More than enough for phishing, identity theft, and other forms of cybercrime.

To mitigate the incident, BayMark is offering a year’s worth of Equifax identity monitoring services for free to affected patients.

While the company did not discuss who the attackers were, BleepingComputer uncovered that the RansomHub ransomware gang took responsibility and added BayMark to its data leak site. There, the miscreants said they stole 1.5TB of sensitive data, which they uploaded to the leak site, as well. This would mean that BayMark most likely did not pay the ransom demand.

RansomHub is a relatively young ransomware operation which emerged after the infamous ALPHV group stole $22 million from ChangeHealthcare and disappeared.

Via BleepingComputer

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Categories: Technology

I’m a big PC gamer – these were the 3 best gaming handhelds announced at CES 2025

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 09:51

If there was any period where gamers could be spoilt for choice with gaming hardware, it's looking like 2025 could be it. And that's because CES 2025 included reveals and previews of PC gaming hardware with Nvidia's new RTX 5000 series GPU lineup stealing the spotlight. However, I'd argue that handheld gaming PCs have been the biggest highlight of the event.

It's undeniable that Valve sparked new life into the handheld gaming scene when it launched the Steam Deck in 2022, with competition growing rapidly each year - we've seen mid-generation upgrades from Asus with the ROG Ally and Valve's Steam Deck with an OLED variant.

While we await news on successors to the Asus ROG Ally X and Steam Deck OLED, the announcements from the likes of Lenovo, MSI, and Acer have been enough to leave me very excited for handheld gaming PCs this year. So, here's my pick of the best handheld gaming PCs at CES 2025.

1. MSI Claw 8 AI+

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

While this was technically announced last December, the MSI Claw 8 AI+ had a significant presence at CES 2025 - and rightly so, because from what I've seen so far, this is shaping up to be one of (if not the) best handheld gaming PC of recent times.

MSI's first attempt with the Claw A1M used Intel's Core Ultra 7 155H processor, which wasn't received well. This time around, MSI is using the more efficient Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (which uses the Intel Arc 140V integrated GPU), providing both stronger battery life and performance in games based on MSI's claims at 17W and multiple previews.

ETAPrime showcased the Claw AI 8+ running CD Projekt Red's graphically demanding Cyberpunk 2077 with the ray tracing ultra preset enabled using Intel's XeSS upscaling method - and the frame rate remained around 40fps consistently.

It's available for pre-order on MSI's storefront in the US for $899.99, while there is unfortunately no news on UK and Australia availability or pricing.

2. Lenovo Legion Go S

(Image credit: Lenovo)

The original Lenovo Legion Go is another example of a new handheld gaming PC not quite getting it right the first time. It originally boasted a 1600p display and used AMD's Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor. While that hardware is certainly powerful (the Z1 Extreme is also used in the Asus ROG Ally), it wasn't enough to handle the 2560x1600 resolution, forcing gamers to knock the resolution down in-game.

In comes the Lenovo Legion Go S, which is a mid-generation upgrade, and it now uses a 1920x1200 120Hz VRR 8-inch display, plus 32GB of RAM. It will have multiple configurations, allowing you to choose between SteamOS or Windows 11 - and it comes with either the Ryzen Z2 Go or Z1 Extreme chip.

While the lower display resolution and screen size might seem like a negative, it will serve players well with both processors likely capable of handling the 1200p resolution with relative ease.

The Windows 11 Z2 Go models (16GB or 32GB) are now available for pre-order at Best Buy starting at $729.99 shipping this month, with the SteamOS models launching in May. Meanwhile, the Legion Go 2 is slated to release sometime this year using the new Z2 Extreme, but it's still just a prototype for now.

3. Acer Nitro Blaze 8

(Image credit: Acer)

I'd love to have put the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 here, as I think it will be the bigger hit for Acer, but it's just way too big for a handheld gaming PC. It's also priced at $1,099 which is absurd for a handheld gaming PC. Fortunately, the alternative to this is the Acer Nitro Blaze 8, which may still end up having the same performance issues as the original Lenovo Legion Go due to its ambitious (for a handheld) 1600p display, but it's far more portable and comfortable to hold.

Using the same specifications as its larger counterpart, it will utilize AMD's Ryzen 7 8840HS processor which has the same Radeon 780M iGPU seen in the Z1 Extreme, an 8.8-inch 144Hz display, and 16GB of RAM. This appears to be Acer's attempt to catch up with current handhelds, but it may lose out to the likes of the Legion Go S and MSI Claw 8 AI+ with their more recent components.

Either way, this is set to be an impressive handheld option for gamers, available in Q2 this year starting at $899, in the midst of what looks like a great year for all handheld PC enthusiasts.

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Categories: Technology

The future of customer experience: AI-powered technical documentation

TechRadar News - Fri, 01/10/2025 - 09:32

Anyone who works with technology and, therefore, technical documentation knows how difficult it is to understand, create, and keep up to date. Companies rely on documentation to understand how complex technology works and how it can be used and implemented within an application or finished product. More often than not, technical documentation takes an enormous amount of time to create and maintain; there are usually errors; and drafts sit in various places and forms.

In fact, engineers typically dedicate at least 50 percent of their day to tedious documentation tasks, which is critical time away from developing new products and innovations that could drive company growth and expansion. This problem only gets worse as time goes on, and the engineers who originally developed the code or wrote the documentation no longer work for the company.

We recently saw this scenario play out in a global semiconductor company when an important customer called about a long-tail legacy product built more than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, no one from the original development team still worked at the company, and there was no documentation explaining how the product had been built or evolved over the years. In the end, the company had to pull several of their best engineers to review the original codebase and answer the customer’s questions. The process proved to be both expensive and time-consuming—and it was a recurring challenge the company had grappled with for decades.

Documentation is also critical for companies providing components to automotive manufacturers. As software becomes increasingly essential in software-defined vehicles (SDVs), providing documentation that is both easily consumable internally and by customers is crucial for providing a smooth onboarding experience. SDVs are complex due to the amount of software and hardware required to integrate. In many instances, engineers are pulled from active development to support customers in integrating their software into the customer's environment.

Interactive platform built on AI simplifies documentation and speeds time to market

Semiconductor companies produce thousand-page manuals, guides, and source code for customers—all of which are created manually. The quality is often inconsistent across different products or versions, and rapid product updates make it difficult to keep up with constant changes. This archaic process deeply impacts efficiency, productivity, and product time-to-market.

For companies whose customers rely on technical documentation to develop and sell their own products successfully, these issues heavily impact customer experience and retention. Their revenue is dependent on how fast their end customers, like OEMs, can integrate their products into their solutions. The quality of the technical documentation their customers receive often defines the entire relationship and is the determining factor in new and recurring business decisions.

By leveraging multiple LLMs, interactive documentation enables customizable solutions that adapt to specific needs with continuous improvement with new and enhanced models. It can modernize the entire technical documentation process by dramatically reducing the time teams need to understand, document, and deliver technology. This, in turn, enables significantly faster engineer onboarding, which frees up valuable resources to help customers focus on developing the next new innovation or product upgrade and drive faster time-to-market. Clear, comprehensive documentation that updates in real-time can also transform customer experience by providing five key benefits:

  • Lowers support costs: By delivering intuitive, well-documented features and processes from the outset, support tickets—and costs—drop significantly. When documentation is updated in real-time, the gap between outdated documentation and the current product is all but eliminated. This reduces customer frustration and confusion, two important metrics in deepening trust and building long-time loyal customers. High-quality documentation also enables customers to more efficiently problem-solve without needing to pick up the phone and ask for help, reducing costs for the business.
  • Customizes the documentation: Using an interactive documentation platform enables engineers to quickly create walkthrough guides for how a particular part works. Loading information into the platform can generate descriptive content that documents not only the specific code and how it functions but also explains how the application works for the OEM integrating into products.
  • Accelerates product adoption: Customers who can quickly and easily onboard to new products are more likely to engage with the product's full suite of features. This leads to faster time-to-value and increased engagement, which can lead to significant ripple effects across the business, including a 23 percent increase in revenue over the average customer.
  • Increases brand reputation: When customers have an experience that meets or exceeds their expectations, trust grows. On the flip side, when the experience falls short—as is often the case with poor technical documentation—trust erodes. Modernizing technical documentation to exceed customers’ expectations is a fast and often overlooked way to win market share.
  • Drives innovation: When engineers can spend less time on tedious documentation tasks, they can focus more on high-value initiatives such as building better products, speeding time to market, and innovating more quickly.
Reduce onboarding time from 1-3 weeks to just days

As technology gets more complex, prioritizing high-quality documentation is central to driving product introductions, updates, innovations, and customer experience. Companies revolutionizing the way they approach technical documentation, like Driver, hear the same frustrations from customers: understanding legacy code is nearly impossible; onboarding to projects takes too long; and customer support is time-consuming, expensive, and low quality because documentation isn’t up to date. Organizations using our interactive platform have seen significant benefits, including:

Reducing the time it takes to onboard from one to three weeks to just days. Slashing the time it takes to create onboarding guides from one to three days to just 45 minutes, a time savings of up to 95 percent. Delivering 50 percent faster creation of customer-facing technical support documents, freeing up half of engineers' workday.

While documentation has traditionally been viewed as a time sink, companies increasingly see it as a competitive advantage. As we all look for innovative ways to improve customer experience, increase retention, and differentiate our offerings from the market, modernizing the approach to technical documentation should be at the top of the list.

We've featured the best laptops for programming.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

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