Technology

• Nvidia's RTX 5050 GPU has been spotted in gaming laptops alongside the RTX 5060
• Incoming HP Victus 15 notebooks will feature these Blackwell GPUs
• The RTX 5050 is likely to be a laptop-only graphics card, as with the previous Lovelace generation

Away from the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, and the continued stock woes around these GPUs, we've had another sighting of the RTX 5050 (and 5060) at the other end of the Blackwell line-up.

In this case, though, these are mobile graphics cards for notebooks, not desktop models.

VideoCardz managed to get hold of a specifications sheet for HP's Victus 15 (model FA2) gaming laptops which reveals that these devices will feature Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060 and RTX 5050.

This appears to confirm the existence of these graphics cards, but as ever, we must be cautious around leaked material which may turn out to be using outdated information (or even be faked).

The new Victus 15 spec also features Intel's 13th-generation CPUs, complementing the Blackwell laptop GPUs with enough processing power for good performance. However, this is in contrast to the higher-end RTX 5090 and RTX 5080-powered laptops, which will use some of Intel's newer Core Ultra processors.

Note that both the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050 GPUs have not been officially confirmed by Nvidia (for desktop PCs, or laptops), and they were missing from the Blackwell announcements made at CES 2025.

It seems likely that they're coming at some point, of course, but the RTX 5050 will probably be a laptop-only GPU, based on the rumors we've heard thus far. (They are all about the mobile part, and there's nothing really to suggest a desktop graphics card - though that doesn't rule out the possibility).

(Image credit: Future) The RTX 5050 GPU has a trump card in DLSS 4

Considering the RTX 5050's (which I reiterate isn't officially confirmed by Nvidia) position as the lowest tier option for a Blackwell laptop GPU, it's going to face some stiff competition. Particularly from AMD's Strix Halo APUs, which pack some serious grunt with their integrated graphics for gaming laptops (or handhelds).

However, Nvidia does have a secret weapon here - namely DLSS 4, which will certainly come in handy to give the RTX 5050 some more oomph. I've already highlighted how much of a game changer the upscaling tech is, improved by leaps and bounds thanks to its new transformer model and Multi Frame Generation (MFG), which enhance image stability and quality, and boost frame rates respectively. (With PC games that support the tech, of course).

That's not to say that the RTX 5050 won't perform well enough at a resolution like 1080p, but reports suggest it will only use 8GB of VRAM, which is now looking shaky for AAA games today (and certainly in the future). The old Frame Generation tech introduced with RTX 4000 GPUs had ghosting issues coupled with input latency headaches - these drawbacks have both been improved with MFG.

For those on a budget, the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050-powered HP Victus 15 gaming laptops may end up being a reasonable option.

You may also like...

• Where to buy Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti: I'm expecting stock here first - but you'll need to be fast
• Watch out, Nvidia – AMD’s rumored to have a plan to unleash RX 9070 reviews to run interference with RTX 5070 GPU’s big launch day
• Intel's rumored 'Celestial' GPUs could finally give Nvidia and AMD cause for concern

• A US Army soldier is facing charges linked to the Snowflake hack
• The accused faces $500,000 in fines and 20 years behind bars
• The soldier intends to plead guilty to all charges

A US army soldier accused of two counts of unlawfully transferring confidential phone records has said he intends to plead guilty.

The soldier attempted to “knowingly and intentionally sell and transfer, and attempt to sell and transfer, confidential phone records,” US prosecutors said [PDF].

Cameron John Wagenius, the accused, informed a federal court in Seattle of his plea on Wednesday following his arrest in January 2025. Prosecutors have also found links between Wagenius’ attacks against AT&T and Verizon, with the 2024 Snowflake hack that saw upwards of 150 accounts compromised.

Up to 10 years in prison

Wagenius faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a maximum prison sentence of 10 years for each of the two counts, according to documents filed by his lawyer. Wagenius’ involvement in the Snowflake hacks, alongside Connor Moucka and John Binns, was confirmed by prosecutors in January, who linked methods used the AT&T and Verizon attacks to the Snowflake account breaches.

U.S. attorney Tessa Gorman said the breaches “arise from the same computer intrusion and extortion and include some of the same stolen victim information.” The attack against Snowflake was among the worst cyberattacks of 2024, with corporate accounts linked to AT&T, Santander, and Ticketmaster compromised, with Moucka and Binns reportedly making upwards of $2 million through extortion.

In the underground world, Wagenius used the pseudonym ‘Kiberphant0m’, the same alias that threatened to leak sensitive US government call logs when one of his co-conspirators in the Snowflake attack was arrested.

Kiberphant0m demanded comms with AT&T, writing on a dark web forum that, “In the event you do not reach out to us, [AT&T], all presidential government call logs will be leaked. You don’t think we don’t have plans in the event of an arrest? Think again.”

Moucka, who was arrested in Canada, and Binns, who was arrested in Turkey, are both awaiting extradition to the US, where they face 20 counts of various crimes, including conspiracy, computer fraud and abuse, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

Via TheRegister

You might also like

• This is the best endpoint protection software
• Take a look at our guide to the best password manager
• Lee Enterprises blames cyberattack for encrypting critical systems as US newspaper outages drag on

Okay, I know I’ve probably upset a bunch of people with that headline. If you’ve made it this far and didn’t just click this article to copy the URL and immediately post it to Reddit with a scathing remark about the low IQ of tech journalists, thanks for giving me a chance. I’m serious, though: it’s long past time for my DisplayPort cables to receive an honorable discharge.

Let me give you some context: I’ve been a gamer for decades, and I’ve seen plenty of display connection standards come and go. I’ve played games over DVI, VGA, SCART, the works. I’ve still got a box in my cupboard with a dusty collection of cables that may or may not be supported by my current hardware selection. These days, I primarily play on PC, and that generally means that it’s DisplayPort or bust.

I want to be clear: I don’t hate DisplayPort. In fact, it’s a solid connection standard for gaming with a good physical connector - the simple button-controlled clasp is far less annoying than the twin thumbscrews found on VGA and DVI cables, and for a long time, DisplayPort was the de facto best option for PC gaming, offering superior resolution and refresh rate support compared to the more readily accessible HDMI. But with the dawn of HDMI 2.2 this year, that gap has finally closed, and I’m left wondering if we really need DisplayPort anymore.

Cables vs interfaces

I have to make one key point of order here. I’m not proposing that we do away with DisplayPort as a digital display interface, only that we kill off the physical pinout connector. For the uninitiated, this is an unclear but vital distinction; DisplayPort’s digital interface protocol is integrated with Thunderbolt cables to deliver audio and video data over a USB-C connection, and that’s totally fine. I’m very pro-USB-C (despite my misgivings about the new Mac Mini), and I’m very happy to see it appearing on more monitors as a connection option alongside more conventional ports like DP and HDMI.

HDMI and USB-C are already more widespread, and at this point, it feels like it's only GPU manufacturers who are doggedly clinging to DisplayPort - even though HDMI 2.2 can now handle high-end stuff like 16K resolutions and 96Gbps bandwidth (actually faster than DP 2.1’s 80Gbps). Every new GPU from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel invariably comes with three DP ports and a single HDMI these days - but why?

Bad. Ugly. Four USB-C ports would look so much nicer. (Image credit: Future)

If you’ve read any of my previous work on TechRadar, you might have clocked that I’m a fierce decrier of e-waste and poor sustainability practices in tech. That hasn’t changed; I was over the moon to see Apple finally ditch Lightning connectors and unify under the glorious banner of USB-C. Industry bodies like the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) and the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) have been hard at work standardizing connection formats for years, and that’s an extremely good thing. It reduces e-waste, prevents closed tech ecosystems, and generally makes our lives easier.

A beautiful utopian future?

In fact, why don’t we go one step further, and get rid of HDMI too? I’ve been complaining for years about laptops ditching HDMI video output and USB-A in favor of a handful of USB-C ports and nothing else, but what if USB-C could actually do everything, without the need for a connection hub? What if a single cable could handle full connectivity, covering everything from audio and video to file transfers and power delivery?

Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself, but the path to unification is taken in gradual steps. If HDMI 2.2 means that there’s no longer a meaningful difference between the performance capabilities of HDMI and DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt-enabled USB-C cables can handle the audio-video requirements of either interface, why shouldn’t we just get rid of the chaff and consolidate everything under a single physical connection standard? I could certainly stop whining about every new ultrabook only coming with USB-C ports then.

I hate to see a laptop with a port selection that begins and ends with USB-C, but maybe I don't need to. (Image credit: Future)

I’ve been building PCs for more than a decade now, and while I don’t think the internal processes of that are ever going to be simplified to this level, the external cable situation has so much room for improvement. I’m not going to share a photo of it because I’m embarrassed by how ugly it looks, but the custom desktop in my home office has a veritable mess of cables coming out the back of it, and I don’t even want to bring up my Box Of Cable Shame again (although I realize that I just did). Can we not make things simpler?

So here’s my proposal, GPU makers. You’re the ones really holding us back now. It’s time to let go of DisplayPort, make nice with the monitor brands taking steps to implement Thunderbolt connectivity in their products, and lead us forward into a glorious USB-C future. Nothing lasts forever; VGA and DVI had to go, and now it's DisplayPort's time. Make it so.

You might also like...

• How to connect your laptop to a TV
• I used a 600Hz esports monitor, but it didn't make me any less terrible at Counter-Strike
• Hey Logitech, my mouse just died - but I loved it so much that I'm not complaining, I'm buying another one

The Aurora R16 offers good performance, but you should probably wait for Nvidia's next-gen GPUs.

Commentary: The suite of AI features is no longer limited to the most expensive iPhones. Now's the time for it to show its worth.

Commentary: Why, yes, I WILL watch Norbit now that you're threatening to take it from me.

As March dawns on us, that can only mean one thing; another wave of movies and shows are lined up to leave Hulu in March 2025. Though we love Hulu and uphold it as one of the best streaming services, this is its slight downside however, it makes up for it by adding more movies and shows than what it subtracts.

Luckily the best Hulu movies and best Hulu shows are more often than not untouched, and the same goes for the titles leaving Hulu in March 2025. Movies bear the brunt of those getting the chop and, thankfully, they're not the big blockbuster titles we love to stream. Instead, Hulu is getting rid of lesser-known titles with a large majority of them having rather poor Rotten Tomatoes scores. By the sounds of it, Hulu is pulling a Marie Condo and having a major clear-out of titles that simply no longer spark joy.

Everything leaving Hulu in March 2025

Leaving on March 1

Rubikon (movie)

Leaving on March 2

Simulant (movie)

Leaving on March 3

Benedetta (movie)

Leaving on March 4

Lantern’s Lane (movie)

Leaving on March 5

Mark, Mary & Some Other People (movie)

Leaving on March 6

97 Minutes (movie)
Rabbit Academy: Mission Eggpossible (movie)

Leaving on March 7

India Sweets and Spices (movie)

Leaving on March 11

Multiverse (movie)

Leaving on March 14

Bad Therapy (movie)
Bayou Caviar (movie)
Changeland (movie)
Flux Gourmet (movie)
Wetlands (movie)
You Can’t Kill Meme (movie)
You Laugh But It’s True (movie)

Leaving on March 15

Official Competition (movie)

Leaving on March 16

Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (movie)

Leaving on March 18

Captains of Za’atari (movie)
Manifest West (movie)

Leaving on March 22

Section 8 (movie)

Leaving on March 24

Arts, Beats & Lyrics (documentary)

Leaving on March 25

American Siege (movie)
Mass (movie)

Leaving on March 31

Insomnium (movie)
Night Raiders (movie)
Snakehead (movie)

You might also like

• Nosferatu is getting a streaming release on Peacock and I'm so excited to watch the extended cut
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has finally raced its way onto Paramount Plus, and I'm gutted that I won't be able to stream it
• Oscar-nominated animation Flow is streaming on Max – here are 5 similar movies on Netflix, Hulu and more with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes

These WIRED-tested wearables reduce your reliance on a phone while keeping you connected.

Google enables marketers to target people with serious illnesses and crushing debt—against its policies—as well as the makers of classified defense technology, a WIRED investigation has found.

This super thin, lightweight phone doesn't skimp on durability, battery capacity or camera, proving you don't have to sacrifice practicality for novelty.

A series of mistakes by DOGE shows just how arbitrary and destructive this slash-and-burn strategy can get.

• Canon PowerShot V1 quietly announced on the Canon Japan website
• It features an all-new 22.3MP sensor that's effectively Micro Four Thirds size, and a 16-50mm F2.8-4.5 lens
• Its price converted from Japanese Yen is roughly $990 / £785 / AU$1,550

We've been following rumors of an exciting new Canon compact camera for some time, and that camera – the PowerShot V1 – has just been unveiled on the Canon Japan website.

Canon's latest PowerShot is primarily a vlogging compact camera, and on paper it looks like a Sony ZV-1 II-beating rival. It features a 16-50mm F2.8-4.5 lens and new stabilized 22.3MP sensor that's essentially the same size as Micro Four Thirds, save for its narrower 3:2 aspect ratio.

Users are equipped with 4K / 30p video and Canon's C-Log color profile, or 4K /60p with a heavy 1.4x crop – but that latter shouldn't be much of an issue considering the ultra-wide perspective of the 3.1x optical zoom lens.

There's also a built-in 3-stop ND filter, 5EV in-body image stabilization, mic and headphones ports, plus record times with a heat limit that starts at 25 minutes, but which can be extended to unlimited with the built-in cooling fan in action.

Photographers won't find features such as a viewfinder or built-in flash, but that doesn't mean they should ignore the PowerShot V1, because it has some incredibly powerful photo features. These includes burst shooting at rates of up to 15fps with the mechanical shutter (that's incredibly fast – only a handful of cameras can go that fast using a mechanical shutter), or up to 30fps with the electronic shutter.

Overall, the PowerShot V1 has a solid feature-set squeezed into a compact body with comfortable-looking hand grip, and here's where I think it'll be a hit: it's likely list price. At the time of writing, we only have the 148,500 Japanese Yen price, which converts to around $990 / £785 / AU$1,550 – that's pretty competitive considering the features on board.

Image 1 of 4

(Image credit: Canon)Image 2 of 4

(Image credit: Canon)Image 3 of 4

(Image credit: Canon)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Canon) Could the Canon Powershot V1 be the one compact camera to rule them all?

From the Sony ZV-1 II compact to the gimbal stabilized DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and the Fujifilm XM-5 / Nikon Z30 mirrorless cameras, there's no shortage of sub $1,000 vlogging cameras. And it's into this market that the Canon PowerShot V1 steps in.

We haven't tested the feature-stacked PowerShot V1 yet – it is set for an April / May 2025 launch – but on paper it looks super impressive, and it's likely to enter the market at an enticing price point that I expect to make it very popular.

It's stabilized sensor is larger than the 1-inch type used by Sony and DJI rivals, while users still enjoy the convenience of a built-in lens that you don't get with mirrorless cameras such as the Nikon Z30.

And its image-making capabilities are supported by what looks like a complete user experience for video; in-body image stabilization rated up to 5EV, a built-in ND filter, cooling fan, mic and headphone ports and a hotshoe for accessories such as external flashguns.

At 15oz / 426g with card and battery inserted, the PowerShot V1 is a little weightier than I expected, but it's the complete package idea for video-first users who also want a highly competent photography tool.

We'll be sure to run our expert in-depth review as soon as the camera is available to develop our verdict, but even at this early stage the PowerShot V1 looks set to trouble our best vlogging cameras guide.

You might also like

• The best cameras for vlogging 2025: top choices for every budget
• Sony ZV-1 II review – wider vlogging appeal
• I’ve tested all 4 of Sigma’s bargain f/1.4 primes for Canon cameras – here’s how to decide which one to buy

WIRED’s advice columnist considers whether some AI tools are more ethical than others, and if developers can make AI wiser.

• Zoom's new Workflow Automation looks to save you time on repetitive tasks
• It won’t cost you any more, and is available now
• Zoom AI now alsosupports even more languages

Zoom has lifted the wraps off a new AI-powered tool designed to assist workers with repetitive and administrative work, freeing them up more time to produce meaningful outcomes.

The new Workflow Automation service centers around no-code automation templates that users can select and tweak to get certain tasks done for them, promising support for third-party apps as well as the company’s own software.

Head of Team Chat, Wei Li, described the feature as easy to use for workers who aren’t technically minded, adding: “Empowering people with AI to help them get more done is core to what we do at Zoom.”

Zoom on AI-powered productivity software

In its announcement, Zoom described how Workflow Automation could be used to generate summaries after meetings, and have that summary added directly into a Zoom Doc, Google Doc or Word document, before automatically sharing that document in a Team Chat channel, all without the involvement or direction of a worker (beyond the initial setup).

Zoom slated its competitors for requiring workers to possess a certain amount of technical knowledge, adding that its no-code technology can be used by virtually anyone for pretty significant productivity boosts.

At the same time, the California-based company previously known for its video conferencing software – which now wants to be known for its AI-enhance Workplace software – added new features to its AI Companion tool.

With hybrid working still commonplace in many industries, companion audi in Zoom Rooms promises to enhance the experience by using workers’ individual laptops as additional microphones for clearer audio, rather than requiring companies to invest in multiple in-room mics.

Zoom is also adding a YouTube app within Zoom Meetings “soon,” promising native and lag-free video sharing for each individual participant rather than a cumbersome screen sharing experience.

Furthermore, support for Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Indonesian, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese and Dutch (Netherlands) have all been added to extend the company’s reach into many of the world’s most populous countries.

Paying Zoom subscribers can now access Workflow Automation at no additional cost with versions 6.3.10 and above of the desktop app.

You might also like

• We’ve listed all of the best productivity software
• Minimize your expenditure with the best free office software
• Google Meet will now use Gemini to suggest "next steps" after your team meetings

• The new iPhone 16e lacks Apple’s latest Photographic Styles feature
• It also only has one lens and is missing the Camera Control
• It has a lot to offer, but might not be best for serious photographers

There was a lot to digest from Apple’s iPhone 16e announcement, with the device potentially being the most significant budget iPhone in years. But if you’ve got a sharp eye, you might have noticed that it lacks a few key photography features, including Apple’s latest Photographic Styles.

Photographic Styles are essentially tweaks that are applied to things like image tone and contrast as you’re taking pictures on an iPhone, making them more intelligent than regular filters that are pressed onto flat pictures after they’re shot. They’ve been present in all the best iPhones since the iPhone 13, but Apple totally revamped them with the launch of the iPhone 16 range in 2024 – they now store more data in each photo, letting you apply Photographic Styles after the image has been taken.

Yet if you go to Apple’s iPhone comparison page and put the iPhone 16e up against any other device from the iPhone 16 lineup, you’ll notice that the iPhone 16e is just said to come with “Photographic Styles.” For any other iPhone 16 device, the feature is labeled as “Latest-generation Photographic Styles.”

That means that if you’re hoping to try Apple’s latest looks when shooting photos on the iPhone 16e, you’re out of luck. Past-generation Photographic Styles still give you plenty of ways to enhance your images, but they lack some of the features that the latest styles give you.

Missing features

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

That’s not the only way the iPhone 16e falls behind the other devices in the iPhone 16 range. Most clearly, it only has one camera lens, meaning it lacks the ultra-wide lens you’ll find in the other iPhone 16 products and the telephoto lens present in the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Elsewhere, the iPhone 16e is also lacking the Camera Control. This touch-sensitive strip can be found along the side of every other iPhone 16 and lets you quickly jump into your chosen camera app, switch photographic settings like zoom level, depth of field and exposure, and take photos.

Ultimately, some of these decisions probably come down to cost. With the iPhone 16e being Apple’s most affordable iPhone, Apple had to exclude some features to keep the price down. The lack of new Photographic Styles might also be a marketing decision on Apple’s part to maintain some distance between the iPhone 16e and the iPhone 16 and to ensure that the budget phone doesn’t cannibalize sales of the regular iPhone 16.

Regardless of the reasoning, the missing camera features mean the iPhone 16e might not be the iPhone for you if you’re into photography, and it certainly won’t be a contender for the best camera phone any time soon. It still has a lot to offer in other areas, but more serious photographers might want to look elsewhere.

You might also like

• Apple unveils iPhone 16e and C1, its first cellular modem chip
• How to master Photographic Styles on your iPhone camera
• iPhone 16e – 5 things you need to know, including its price, camera, and that C1 chip

• Samsung has only teased the Galaxy S25 Edge so far
• A new rumor suggests it'll have a ceramic back
• The material would add extra durability to the phone

The Samsung Galaxy S25 phones are all now out and available to buy, except for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, which has only been briefly teased. Now a new leak suggests the Edge model could differ in one key way from the rest of the S25 series.

According to information obtained by SamMobile, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is going to come with a ceramic back, switching from the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 glass on the back of the other handsets in the series.

That may go some way to explaining why the Galaxy S25 Edge was available to look at, but not to touch, during the Galaxy S25 launch event – it would've revealed the surprise. The side frame will apparently stick with aluminum, like the other handsets.

The main reason to pick ceramic as a backing material is durability, and this should give the Galaxy S25 Edge better protection against drops and knocks. Given its thinness and lightness, that extra protection might be needed.

Living on the Edge

We may hear more about the Galaxy S25 Edge next month (Image credit: Future)

As per the SamMobile report, the back material on the Galaxy S25 Edge could be fully ceramic or ceramic-fused glass – perhaps something similar to what Apple has been using on the front of its iPhones in recent years.

It would be another way that the Galaxy S25 Edge could differentiate itself against the other handsets in the series, besides its thinness. The phone is apparently just 5.84mm front to back (compared to the 7.2mm of the standard Galaxy S25).

We're still waiting to get the full list of specs for the Galaxy S25 Edge, and we don't know when it's launching yet either. Given Mobile World Congress (MWC) is happening next month – the biggest mobile tech show of the year – we may get more info then.

The phone could restart a trend for super-thin smartphones: we're expecting Apple to launch the iPhone 17 Air later in the year alongside the other iPhone 17 models, though that might not be the final name of the device.

You might also like

• Testing the new Galaxy AI features in the S25 Ultra
• Our full review of the Samsung Galaxy S25
• The Now Bar is one of the best features in One UI 7

The ad-supported service is home to the biggest content library of any streamer. So why is Tubi still considered a social punching bag?

• Apple's new iPhone 16e has full Apple Intelligence functionality
• Unlike the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup, the iPhone 16e has no Camera Control functionality, but it can still access Visual Intelligence
• Visual Intelligence can be assigned to the Action Button or via Control Center

The iPhone 16e might not have Camera Control, the quick-open camera toggle found on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, but it can still access one of Apple Intelligence's best features.

Visual Intelligence lets you point your iPhone's camera at an object and get information on what you're looking at, whether that's through ChatGPT or via Google Search. The feature is one of the best use cases for Apple Intelligence and, until now, has been tied to Camera Control on the best iPhones (it's launched with a long press of the Camera Control toggle).

On the newly announced iPhone 16e, however, Visual Intelligence is activated differently due to the lack of Camera Control functionality. Instead, you can assign the feature to the Action Button or access it via Control Center.

While it's excellent that the 16e has full Apple Intelligence functionality thanks to the A18 chip and 8GB of RAM, missing a dedicated way to launch Visual Intelligence without assigning the feature to the customizable Action Button does slightly limit the user. The Action Button can be used to launch or perform many different shortcuts, and having Visual Intelligence assigned to a different input like Camera Control allows iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro users to get the most from their devices.

Camera Control on the iPhone 16 (Image credit: Future)

On the 16e, users will have to choose between Visual Intelligence via the Action Button or one of the other endless shortcuts you can assign to the quick toggle.

If you don't want to assign Visual Intelligence to the Action Button on iPhone 16e, you can access the AI tool from Control Center, although that requires extra input such as dragging down from the top of your display.

The iPhone 16e is available for preorder starting February 21 and will be available from February 28. Prices start from $599 / £599 / AU$999.

What about the iPhone 15 Pro?

The iPhone 15 Pro doesn't have Visual Intelligence functionality (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

While the iPhone 16e has Visual Intelligence functionality without the Camera Control, the iPhone 15 Pro does not, despite having everything else Apple Intelligence offers. Up until the iPhone 16e reveal, it was presumed that Visual Intelligence was not possible on the 15 Pro due to the lack of Camera Control, which was introduced with the iPhone 16 lineup.

Instead, it appears that the iPhone 15 Pro, just like iPhone 16e, could access Visual Intelligence in other ways, though Apple, for some reason, has decided against expanding the feature to this particular model – at least for now.

As someone who upgraded from the iPhone 15 Pro to the iPhone 16 Pro to try out Visual Intelligence, I'm disappointed that Apple could've in fact added the Google Lens competitor to the older device immediately (or so it seems).

Of course, now that the latest member of the iPhone family, the 16e, has Visual Intelligence without a Camera Control toggle, iPhone 15 Pro owners might see the feature come to their devices in the future. I'm not holding my breath, though.

You might also like

• I’ve got two fresh iPhone 17 rumors for you, but one of them stinks
• Apple better not forget that the iPhone SE 4 is a 'Special Edition' or I’ll be very disappointed
• How to use Apple Intelligence: Get started with Apple AI

• A new ransomware strain was seen targeting healthcare firms
• NailaoLocker targets are mostly located in Europe
• The encryptor was very basic, but still poses a threat

Healthcare organizations in Europe are being targeted by a never-before seen ransomware strain called NailaoLocker, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers Orange Cyberdefense revealed the threat actors distributing NailaoLocker are most likely of Chinese origin. They are apparently abusing a high-severity vulnerability in Check Point Security Gateways to enumerate and extract password hashes for all local accounts.

The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2024-24919, and was patched in May 2024.

Diversion

“Due to the fact all observed Check Point instances were still vulnerable at the time of their compromise, CVE-2024-24919 likely enabled the threat actors to retrieve user credentials and to connect to the VPN using a legitimate account,” Orange said.

The attackers would abuse this vulnerability to side-load a vulnerable DLL file, and use it to deploy ShadowPad and PlugX malware. These, in turn, would drop NailaoLocker and encrypt files on the victim computers.

The locker itself is apparently very basic, almost amateurish. Orange says it doesn’t kill security processes or running services, has no anti-debugging or sandbox evasion techniques, and doesn’t scan network shares. "Written in C++, NailaoLocker is relatively unsophisticated and poorly designed, seemingly not intended to guarantee full encryption," Orange said.

That has fueled speculation that encryption is not the end goal of these campaigns. Instead, they could either be a way to divert attention from the actual goal, which is to steal sensitive data from the targets, or a way to earn a little money on the side, while at the same time achieving the true goal of cyber-espionage. However, Orange also said the targets were mostly healthcare organizations which are not exactly the usual targets for cyber-espionage.

The researchers don’t know for sure, therefore they’re not attributing this attack to any particular threat actor, at least not yet.

Via BleepingComputer

You might also like

• United Healthcare data breach may have affected 190 million Americans
• We've rounded up the best password managers
• Take a look at our guide to the best authenticator app

• Original Xbox designer Seamus Blackley has discussed the console landscape on a podcast
• He argued that the best specs are no longer important, with gamers seeking compelling software instead
• He highlighted the Nintendo Switch as an example

Original Xbox console designer Seamus Blackley has said that good games are more important than powerful hardware today.

Speaking in an interview with VideoGamer, Blackley said that marketing the original Xbox as the most powerful console "really worked and was relevant then because we were still [in] the nascent stages of graphics."

This is not the case today, however, where the differences between the likes of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are significantly less pronounced. "I remember seeing Gran Turismo when it came out for PlayStation, and I had to buy it just because I couldn't believe what was happening on the screen [...] that was compelling and that doesn't exist anymore," he continued.

He argued that the games themselves are now more important than ever. "The battle [...] has switched away from that sort of technical achievement into other things [...] you have to create an experience where, when people see it, they have to have it."

He highlighted the record breaking sales of the Nintendo Switch as an example of a console that has succeeded despite lacking any real cutting edge specs. "That's all you need," he said. "I have played through Breath of the Wild maybe three or four times. I'll just keep playing through it and I can carry it with me."

He also commented on the current state of Xbox. With the Xbox Series X touted as the most powerful console out there (at least, before the arrival of the PS5 Pro), but falling significantly behind the PS5 in sales, it's clear that raw power isn't the way to win. "How they managed that brand and the story going forward is not my f***ing fault," he remarked. "I would not have done things the same way [...] I certainly think that this narrative around being more powerful is not helpful today."

You might also like...

• Exoborne is on track to be the most approachable extraction shooter on the market, but will that be enough for it to succeed?
• Black Ops 6 Season 2 Reloaded release time and what's being added
• Secretlab reveals a new Monster Hunter Wilds gaming chair, and I already want to sit in it