Technology

ModRetro went in a dramatically different direction with this Game Boy recreation, and it succeeds in capturing the original's charm.

The Samsung S95F OLED's ability to ban reflections helps it produce the best TV image quality yet.

My Capital One VentureOne Rewards card is my ticket to safer and more convenient online shopping, thanks to its virtual cards feature.

Commentary: You don't need an 81-slide deck to convince your parents to buy you a Mac for college. Apple should change its tone to get its advertising groove back.

• Someone put an AirTag in a pair of sneakers and donated them to a charity
• The shoes ended up traveling 800km across Europe
• This experiment shows just what can happen to your donated clothes

When you donate clothes to a charity, do you actually know where they end up? In most cases you don’t, but one TikTok user decided to find out by fitting a pair of sneakers with an Apple AirTag tracker and seeing where they went – and the result was pretty surprising.

The experiment was carried out by Moe.Ha on TikTok. They slipped an AirTag into a pair of donated sneakers, then placed them into a Red Cross collection bin in Munich, Germany.

Across the span of five days, the footwear left Germany and crossed through Austria, Slovenia and Croatia, before eventually arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 800km from their starting location. Once there, they wound up on a shelf in a second-hand store.

Moe.Ha decided to follow the donated sneakers to Bosnia and Herzegovina and managed to locate the store, where the shoes were found sitting on a shelf, waiting to be bought for about 10 euros. According to an employee in the store, the items were brought in by their boss, who lives in Germany.

How did this happen?

(Image credit: Apple)

You might wonder how a pair of donated shoes ended up so far from their original location – after all, wouldn’t it make more sense to send them to a goodwill store in the local area to be sold there?

The reality, however, is more complicated. According to the German Red Cross’s website (via translation), there are two different routes donated clothes can take. One option is the “recycler model,” which results in the entire contents of a donation collection being sold to a recycling company.

The other model is the “clothing depot model,” where clothes are sorted by the Red Cross and suitable items are distributed to depots and thrift stores, with excess pieces being sold to a recycler. This route appears to be the process that Moe.Ha’s sneakers underwent. Whichever route is taken, though, the proceeds go towards the Red Cross’s work.

An experiment like this shows the value in attaching a tracker like an AirTag to an important item, just in case you lose it. Even though the shoes traveled 800km across Europe, Moe.Ha was still able to follow them using Apple’s Find My app.

Hopefully any items you lose won’t go quite so far, but if you’ve got an item tracker attached to them, you might be able to hunt them down regardless.

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• Microsoft is replacing its Blue Screen of Death with a Black Screen of Death
• This comes after decades of service from the original BSoD
• It's slated to roll out later this summer

Microsoft is gradually remodeling Windows 11, with an upgraded Xbox app aligned for the new ROG Xbox Ally handhelds that introduces an Aggregated Game Library – but it looks like gaming upgrades aren't the only things on Microsoft's radar.

As reported by The Verge, Microsoft is replacing the Windows 11 Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) with a Black Screen of Death, after decades of the latter's presence on multiple Windows iterations. It apparently wants to provide more clarity and concise information to help troubleshoot user errors easily.

This new design should begin to roll out later this summer, and if I'm honest (even though Microsoft hasn't stated it), it seems like this change is part of the big upgrade package built for a more handheld-friendly gaming experience. However, (as The Verge suggests) it may also be a response to 2024's CrowdStrike outage.

It seems like an odd design change, at least in the sense of going from blue to black, especially after the original being around for many decades. At the very least, we'll still be able to continue calling the error message 'BSoD' for short. The stop code will still be present, though, which helps provide greater insight into potential issues.

Analysis: Don't fix what isn't broken Microsoft...

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

While I'm not entirely mad at this change, I'm more concerned about whether this introduces issues. In my experience, there's hardly much wrong with the current BSoD error message; I'm sure this update will be beneficial for troubleshooting, but I get the sense of 'don't fix what isn't broken'.

Going by Microsoft's track record with updates recently, it doesn't instill any confidence that the transition to Black Screen of Death won't end up breaking functionality in one way or another. Sure, there's always going to be a bug or two with different Windows 11 builds, but some of its updates earlier this year have been alarmingly troublesome.

I've also remained coy on updating the OS, as well as Nvidia's GPU drivers, both of which previously caused errors. Windows left games like Assassin's Creed Origins and other Ubisoft titles crashing or unable to run, while (speaking of the new Black Screen of Death) Nvidia's GeForce drivers kept causing black screen errors during driver installations or at user login.

If this is implemented without any complications or major bugs, then I'll be happy; it will mostly come in handy for Windows handheld gaming PCs, as the decreased amount of text is easier to analyze on a smaller screen. I'm just hoping that doesn't become a bigger issue than it needs to be. Goodbye BSoD, and welcome the new BSoD...

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• Zoom, Microsoft Office and ChatGPT are among the most impersonated
• Attacks can vary, from phishing campaigns to malware
• Setting clear software adoption procedures is crucial

Cyberattacks mimicking ChatGPT rose 115% in early 2025, according to new research from Russian cybersecurity Kaspersky, which is warning workers of fake productivity apps.

According to the analysis, 8,500 small and medium-sized businesses were targeted using malicious files disguised as productivity apps and AI tools.

Among the most commonly fakes apps were Zoom, Microsoft Office, ChatGPT and DeepSeek, with Kaspersky tracking more than 4,000 unique malicious files using this type of attack.

Zoom, Office and ChatGPT spoofed in latest cyberattacks

The cybersecurity company explained that cybercriminals exploit popular and hyped tools to lute victims during a sense of excitement and urgency. Phishing and spam campaigns are used to present fake offers, impersonating brands to steal data or distribute malware.

"The more publicity and conversation there is around a tool, the more likely a user will come across a fake package on the internet," security expert Vasily Kolesnikov said.

Being that Kaspersky's warning discusses productivity apps as a whole, and not one specific campaign, there isn't one type of warning being issued. Instead, workers are being advised to be aware of downloaders, trojans and adware, with phishing campaigns targeting banking, delivery and account credentials.

Kaspersky's tracking revealed a 13% increase in Zoom-related fake files in 2025, with Google Drive rising 12% and Teams rising a staggering 100%. Other Microsoft apps, including Outlook and PowerPoint (16% each), Excel (12%), Word (9%) and Teams (5%) accounting for a large proportion of the attacks observed by Kaspersky.

The company is advising businesses to set clear procedures for software adoption and to define access rules for emails, cloud files and other documents. Regular backups can also provide a reliable failsafe in the event of an attack.

"Always check the correct spelling of the website and links in suspicious emails. In many cases these links may turn out to be phishing or a link that downloads malicious or potentially unwanted software," Kolesnikov added.

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• The design of the Nothing Phone 3 has leaked in full
• It's an unconventional aesthetic that looks modular
• The phone could launch as early as next week

The Nothing Phone 3 is booked in for its grand unveiling sometime next month, and if you're interested in spoilers for what it's going to look like, a bunch of new, unofficial renders have now made their way online.

These pictures come from Android Headlines and tipster @MysteryLupin, and the design is certainly... unconventional. The back casing is covered with squares, and looks like a classic sliding block puzzle game, or like a phone made in partnership with Lego.

It's also reminding me of the Project Ara prototype that Google developed during the 2010s, a modular phone that sadly never made it to production. The look here is all aesthetic though – you can't actually move parts in or out.

There's a little Glyph Matrix window up in the top-right corner on the back, as teased by Nothing itself. It looks like this could be used for some custom stylings, or perhaps to display unread notification counts or something along those lines.

Splitting opinion

Phone 3 pic.twitter.com/PQqxkCzPMVJune 26, 2025

The reactions I've seen on social media range from very positive to very negative, so however you feel about this design, you're not alone. Personally, I like it – though admittedly it takes some getting used to.

It's rare these days for a smartphone design to be in any way surprising or interesting, so whatever your opinion, you have to give Nothing some credit for that. It also looks as though some of those stylings on the back might be functional buttons.

Aside from the outside appearance, we're also expecting some changes in terms of Nothing's software too, which will once again be based on Android. Earlier leaks suggest the phone is going to go big on AI this year.

Nothing has said the phone is launching in July, and unconfirmed leaks suggest Tuesday, July 1 as the big day – so there's not long to wait at all. No doubt we can expect a few more official teases and unofficial rumors between now and Tuesday.

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Whether you're a college grad entering the job market, seeking a promotion or looking for a career change, you'll want a strong resume. These resume writing services could help you to kickstart or find the next step in your career.

• Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.4 launches on July 2
• The update introduces the new five-star character Phainon and the much-anticipated Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] collaboration
• Plus, reworks to old characters Silver Wolf, Blade, Kafka, and Jingliu

Everything suggested that Version 3.4 was going to be a huge update for Honkai: Star Rail. And now that 'For the Sun is Set to Die' has been fully unveiled, it's clear we have lots to look forward to when it launches on July 2.

If you want a quick overview: there's the introduction of a fan-favourite character, the continuation of the Amphoreus storyline, a new area to explore, the launch of a much-anticipated Fate collab, reworks of some of the game's oldest and most-loved characters, re-runs of some of the most popular new units, and a whole host of new gear and events.

In case the key art doesn't make it clear, the addition of Phainon as a playable character is the highlight. He joins the game as a Physical character following the Path of Destruction. Based on the footage shared in the livestream, Phainon offers one of the game's most unique kits yet that sees him take on enemies as a one-man army.

First, he builds up 'Coreflame' stacks as he uses his skill, receives buffs from the rest of the team and debuffs from enemies. Then, when reaching 12 stacks, you can activate his ultimate form, which removes the rest of your party from the battle, dramatically buffs Phainon's stats, and allows him to unleash three new attacks. One of these effectively looks like a planet-ending explosion for some ridiculously high damage.

As cool as all of that sounds, I'm suffering from very limited funds after the last few patches, so this may have to be a skip for me. My eyes are also on the reruns of Sunday and Tribbie, as well as future characters - but more on that in a bit.

Image 1 of 4

Phainon starts the battle in a standard form and builds up to a more powerful form over time. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 2 of 4

You can explore the new area of Aedes Elysiae in the 3.4 update. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 3 of 4

Saber joins the game in the limited-time Fate collab. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)Image 4 of 4

Archer is also in the Fate collaboration and players can get him for free simply by logging in. (Image credit: Hoyoverse)

Also, finally launching as part of 3.4, is a Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] collaboration, featuring new characters, quests and events.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not hugely familiar with the world of Fate, but the excitement for this collaboration among the game's player base is extremely high. That was only made clear by the reaction to Saber's surprise reveal at the end of the recent second anniversary concert.

Both Saber (Wind, Destruction) and Archer (Quantum, The Hunt) will join the game as playable characters on July 11. Unlike other limited characters, though, the banners for both of them will run for a longer period. Exactly how long is yet to be confirmed.

Even if you don't plan to pull for these characters, if you log in before the end of Version 3.6, you can claim Archer for free. Plus, if you spend 200 Star Rail Special Passes across limited banners throughout 3.4, you also get a copy of Archer's signature Light Cone.

And then, if that wasn't enough, the older characters Silver Wolf, Blade, Kafka, and Jingliu are all getting much-needed enhancements to their abilities and Eidolons in 3.4. I might finally be able to get Kafka off the bench and back into one of my main teams with this, as I really miss playing the DoT archetype.

I won't go through every buff and change here as it would be an entirely new piece in itself, but you can check out all of the details in the Novaflare Character Enhancement System Guide published on HoyoLab.

Rounding off everything coming in Version 3.4, there's a new outfit for Firefly, an updated version of the fun match-3 mini-game, Origami Bird Clash, new planar ornaments to farm, and a long-awaited skip dialogue function.

I'll stick my neck out here and say I'm glad they've finally added the latter to the game as someone who doesn't always click with the game's often verbose, stilted and meandering approach to storytelling.

Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.4 launches on July 12. The free-to-play RPG is available now on PC, mobile, and PlayStation 5.

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The latest Nielsen streaming ratings are in, and Netflix's Sirens sits right at the top: it's served up a whopping 1.51 billion viewing minutes during the week ending June 1, making it the number one overall title in the United States.

It's since slipped back a little bit – Netflix's own charts show that it's moved to number six in the US this week, behind The Waterfront, Ginny & Georgia, America's Sweethearts, Raw and Ms Rachel, but that's the fast-moving world of the best streaming services for you: most shows rack up most of their views during their initial release and start to taper fairly quickly.

If you haven't contributed to those billion and a half viewing minutes of one of the best Netflix shows, though, you're in for a treat: Sirens is a darkly comic drama that even its critics say is "a beautiful mess", and features Julianne Moore among a star-studded cast.

What are people saying about Sirens?

Sirens takes place over a single weekend at a luxury beach estate where controlling billionaire Michaela Kell likes to play. The sharp-witted Devon believes her sister Simone's relationship with Michaela isn't right, and when Simone invites her to spend the weekend in Kell's Hamptons estate it all kicks off.

The show is like "a candy-colored take on The White Lotus," Slate says. "The cast of this farce, which is stacked with familiar movie and TV actors, is having the time of their lives."

Decider liked it too. "Sirens works because it leans into the absurdity of the story and the awfulness of most of the characters, making the show a dark comedy that’s truly comedic."

Rolling Stone wasn't so sure, but conceded that "I’ll give Sirens this: It may be a failure, but it’s an interesting one." And The Boston Globe felt that it was a little shaky in parts but well worth the watch: "Does it ever tip into melodrama? Oh, sure. But just as she did with Maid, creator Molly Smith Metzler has sharp enough insights on class and power to cut through to the beating heart beneath... Though the tonal shifts between Simone’s sincere commitment to serenity and Devon’s messy hijinks can be disorienting, the show is most effective when it’s not taking itself 100 percent seriously."

Sirens is streaming now on Netflix.

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• A British man has been charged by US law enforcement
• Kai West is allegedly part of notorious hacking group 'IntelBroker'
• The group has claimed around 40 victims worldwide

A British man has been charged by US law enforcement after allegedly hacking dozens of organizations around the world, in a campaign that caused over $25 million in damages.

The serial hacker, allegedly part of the hacking group ‘IntelBroker,’ was named as Kai West, and faces sentences of up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit computer intrusions.

IntelBroker is a notorious name in cybercrime circles, with high-profile attacks on firms like AMD, Apple, and CISCO, who investigated breaches after data was put for sale on the dark web by the criminal. IntelBroker’s scheme allegedly ran from December 2022 and February 2025, when West was arrested.

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Serial hacking

West and his co-conspirators have ‘sought to collect’ around $2 million by selling stolen data, the Justice Department confirms. West was arrested in France earlier in 2025, and the US is currently seeking extradition so that he can face charges.

“The IntelBroker alias has caused millions in damages to victims around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.

“This action reflects the FBI’s commitment to pursuing cybercriminals around the world. New Yorkers are all too often the victims of intentional cyber schemes and our office is committed to bringing these remote actors to justice.”

The InteBroker hacking group has a proven record of hacking some serious organizations, such as Europol, T-Mobile, Home Depot, and many, many more. Authorities confirmed that they traced West to IntelBroker through a purchase of stolen data.

The payment, which was made via a cryptocurrency Coinbase, was linked to an account registered under West’s real name. His Gmail account then revealed financial information and personal records that linked him to his online persona, and his IP address was used to log into both personal and IntelBroker accounts.

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The Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 2 release date is now just days away. The game's post-launch roadmap has been revealed for the next few months or so, and moving forward, players can expect regular updates. Looking at previous games, we can expect new monsters and Event Quests, spaced out throughout the year. We already knew that the next major update would arrive before the end of June, and thanks to a new presentation, it's been confirmed for June 30, 2025.

Monster Hunter Wilds is another step forward for the long-running co-op action franchise. For one, its huge open world is more seamless, and more alive than ever before, with distinct seasons that promise to mix up hunts in interesting ways. Now that we've published our Monster Hunter Wilds review, the game has landed on our list of best multiplayer PC games.

Here's everything you need to know about Monster Hunter Wilds' roadmap and upcoming DLC updates. We'll detail what's been announced in terms of post-launch support, and as we move through the year, we'll also take a look at the schedule moving forward. It's clear that Capcom intends to support the game for a while, so stay tuned for regular updates to this page.

Update (June 26): Added confirmed details for Title Update 2, which will launch June 30, 2025.

Monster Hunter Wilds roadmap

(Image credit: Capcom)

Monster Hunter Wilds currently has two major post-launch title updates planned, alongside some smaller drops. You can find these listed below, with some details on each. In addition, we've broken out some of the core content that's planned for the next two months or so.

Update

Dates

Monster

Rewards/Items

Kut-Ku the Forest Conqueror

June 17 - July 1

Tempered Yian Kut-Ku

Wud Wud Palico Outfit

King of a Faraway Sky

June 24 - July 1

Tempered Guardian Rathalos

Artian Materials

A Silent Flash

July 1 - July 15

Arch-Tempered Ray Dau

Rey Dau γ armor set

Tongue-Tied

July 1 - July 8

Tempered Chatacabra

Hard Armor Spheres and Advanced Armor Spheres

Anguish and Atrocity

July 1 - July 8

Guardian Doshaguma

HR Points

Title Update 2

June 30, 2025

New monsters Lagiacrus, Seregios

Layered Weapons

N/A

Festival: Flamefete

July 23 - August 6

N/A

New outfits, items

Limited Time: Arch Tempered Uth Duna

July 30 - August 20

Arch Tempered Uth Duna

New gear, outfits

Fender collaboration

August 27 - September 24

N/A

Fender gesture

Title Update 3

Late September

Additional Monster

Festival

N/A

Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 2 release date

(Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom has also revealed Title Update 2, which, has now been fully detailed. We know that it'll add two new monsters: Lagiacrus, Seregios, Layered Weapons, as well as new Event Quests. We also know that it'll arrive June 30, 2025.

During a Monster Hunter Showcase that aired on March 25, 2025, a small tease for Title Update 2 was shown right at the end. A splash of water, then a roar, followed by a scaly talon which led many to believe that Lagiacrus could be returning. This'd mark the first time the monster has made an appearance in a mainline Monster Hunter game since Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate. Lagiacrus is now confirmed, alongside Seregios.

Patch notes for Free Title Update 2 are available to read ahead of the update's release on June 30.https://t.co/fU94GGEV4aJune 26, 2025

In addition to the two new monsters, there's a new Support Hunter, improvements to photo mode, and the ability to change your Handler.

Layered Weapons will be arriving finally at least, allowing me to finally re-skin my vast collection of Artian weapons, which I find to be quite ugly at the moment. The main problem with Artian weapons is that they largely all look the same, with shiny metallic skins that rarely match what my character is wearing. Hopefully, Title Update 2 and Layered Weapons will fix this.

Monster Hunter Wilds Event Quests

(Image credit: Capcom)

Capcom has announced that Monster Hunter Wilds will be updated regularly with Event Quests moving forward. Here's what's been revealed so far:

• Kut-Ku the Forest Conqueror: June 17 - July 1 (Wud Wud Palico Outfit)
• King of a Faraway Sky: June 24 - July 1 (Artian materials)
• A Silent Flash: July 1 - July 15 (Arch Ray Dau Gear)
• Tongue Tied: July 1 - July 8 (Armor Spheres)
• Anguish and Atrocity: July 1 - July 8 (HR Points)
• An Inferno Laid Bare: July 8 - July 22 (Pinion Necklace)

Monster Hunter Wilds Challenge Quests

(Image credit: Monster Hunter Wilds)

Capcom has revealed that Challenge Quests will continue to arrive in Monster Hunter Wilds. Only two have been released so far: Doshaguma of the Hollow, which ended on April 17 and The Shining Storm Rages, which ended May 21. There's a new one that'll arrive on July 8.

A Challenge Quest where you use specific equipment to race the clock! Participate to earn an exclusive pendant. In past games, this has meant having to try out different weapons, with only a few usable during the quest. As such, it's a good idea to get some experience with a wider variety of weapons, maybe give the Hunting Horn a go?

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• Iconic monsters Lagiacrus and Seregios will be making their grand return
• The game will also have a collaboration event with guitar brand Fender

The June 26 Capcom Spotlight included a new Monster Hunter Showcase presentation, and we now know much more about the upcoming second free title update for Monster Hunter Wilds as a result.

Arriving Monday, June 30, we already knew that the flagship monster for Free Title Update 2 is to be Lagiacrus, an aquatic 'Leviathan' type monster that fights both on land and underwater. Now, Capcom has confirmed that some underwater combat sections will be built into the Lagiacrus fight. Let's just hope it's not nearly as miserable as it was in Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate favorite Seregios will also be making a surprise return in Monster Hunter Wilds. An incredibly nimble flying wyvern, Seregios hadn't been revealed until last night's showcase.

As well as these two returning monsters, Free Title Update 2 will also bring a new Arch Tempered fight, this time with Wilds' gargantuan Uth Duna. Like with Rey Dau in the first update, players can expect to earn materials for an enhanced armor set should they manage to take down this ultra challenging monster.

Later on in the update's roadmap, on August 27, Monster Hunter Wilds is set to launch a collaboration with legendary guitar maker Fender. During the event, players can take on a quest that lets them receive a gesture that has their hunter shredding with a limited-edition Rathalos Telecaster.

As for miscellaneous and quality-of-life updates, Free Title Update 2 is bringing plenty of those. Chief among these is the new Layered Weapon system, which lets hunters change the appearance of their weapons to others they've unlocked - so long as they've completed that weapon's upgrade tree.

We can also expect a new summer-themed festival, photo mode improvements, another wave of cosmetic downloadable content (DLC) and more. For more details, be sure to give the accompanying PlayStation Blog post a look.

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AI is everywhere right now. It’s the centerpiece of board slides, investor pitches, and product updates. Fair enough, some of these tools do help people work smarter. Things move quicker. Teams get more done.

But for all the talk about AI, the potential of this technology is often wasted because the output isn't useful and businesses fail to harness its power the right way. After the big plans and bold promises, it's all rather underwhelming.

The problem of bad data

One reason for this is because it's working with bad data. Disjointed data that's full of gaps. AI will only ever be as good as the data it ingests – it amplifies what it’s fed.

And there's another common problem. Even if AI output is good, useful insights aren't reaching the right people in time. That's because you either need a PhD in data science to understand what it's telling you – or wait for a business intelligence specialist to build graphs and widgets, and present the data in a readable way. And by that time, it's too late.

So, if you’re chasing genuine, sustainable transformation, don’t skip the groundwork. There are two things that you must do. First, get your data foundation in order. Then, create an AI layer that gives teams real-time, actionable insights in a language they understand – and allows them to talk back.

Talking back

What does this look like? Imagine a workplace where every member of the team—regardless of technical knowledge—can explore data-backed insights, make smarter decisions, and drive real impact. That’s what democratizing your data can achieve and here’s how you do it.

Connected systems

Your data can’t live in isolation. Sales, marketing, finance, and operations feed into one another. You can't expect alignment if your teams don’t have access to the same information because you’re just managing silos and creating bottlenecks. Get everything to talk to everything else. That’s step one.

Clean, reliable data

This is the unglamorous part, but it’s critical. Data has to be accurate, up-to-date, and consistent. That doesn’t happen by accident. It takes ownership, good processes, and yes — the occasional painful cleanup project. But once your people start trusting the numbers, everything else moves faster.

Accessible, understandable output

Data should be a tool for teams – not a challenge. Static dashboards and delayed reports stand in the way of actionable insights. But interactive, natural language interfaces make data accessible to all. Teams must be able to ask questions and get instant answers with clear data visualizations. AI has the potential to reshape traditional data analytics by moving beyond static dashboards and delayed reports to real-time, intuitive dialogue.

Scalable infrastructure

You’re not just solving for today. You’re building for next year, five years from now, ten. Your data stack needs to flex with your business. You should be able to plug in new tools, markets, and teams without tearing everything down.

Less empty talk, more productive chats

Once these fundamentals are in place, AI can do what it's meant to: lift, accelerate, unlock. That’s when the magic starts to feel real — when reporting evolves from a slow, siloed task into a dynamic, business-wide conversation.

Experiment. Test tools. Move fast. That’s how innovation happens. But remember that it's what's under the surface that matters. AI is definitely a driver of transformation but, without a solid data foundation, it can only ever get you so far.

But also bear in mind that good output will be wasted if it's opaque. It's vital that teams can understand and interrogate the insights that AI surfaces. Getting the most from data and AI requires a two-way conversation.

Get this right and you will see the true potential of AI and the impact it can have on your business in building a data-driven culture.

I tried 70+ best AI tools

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

The final two new movies for June 2025 have arrived in theaters – and, just like the past two weeks, it's a battle to see which of these polar opposite genre films will secure top spot at the global box office.

Indeed, sports fans have got Apple's Brad Pitt-starring F1 movie to look forward to, while horror/sci-fi devotees will hope M3GAN 2.0 slays as much as its delightfully bizarre predecessor did. We'll see if either of them have enough to dislodge How to Train Your Dragon and 28 Years Later from the #1 spot in various countries.

There's plenty more silver screen entertainment to look out for in the weeks and months ahead, too. So, read on to see what other new movies will hit a cinema near you between now and the end of September (NB: we'll add films coming in October, November, and December shortly).

New movies: JuneM3GAN 2.0

Release date: out now (worldwide)

Everyone's favorite dancing and murderous android is back. M3GAN 2.0 reunites us with the titular killing machine as she's revived and reprogrammed to hunt down another homicidal autobot, named Amelia, after the underlying tech that created M3GAN is stolen and repurposed for military means.

None of us expected one of Universal's newest horror originals to take the world by storm. However, given its 59% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it doesn't seem like one of June's final new movies can hold a candle to its breakout hit of a forebear. Maybe general audiences will feel differently about it.

F1

Release date: out now (worldwide)

If campy horror flicks aren't your thing, maybe this eagerly-awaited sports-based drama from Top Gun: Maverick director Joe Kosinski will appeal instead.

Brad Pitt stars as washed up Formula 1 driver Sonny Hayes, who returns to the world's most famous racetracks in a bid to win the crown that eluded him. Driving alongside, not to mention having a rivalry with, star-in-the-making Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), Hayes will face numerous challenges on the road to sporting redemption. Javier Bardem and Rebecca Ferguson are among the film's starry ensemble.

F1's first trailer will get viewers as close to the grand prix-based action as possible, with Kosinski and company employing Maverick's new-fangled tech to transport us from one cockpit (that of a jet fighter) to another (that of an F1 racecar). It seems people like getting up close to high-speed vehicles, too, with critics and cinephiles handing it 84% and 97% scores on Rotten Tomatoes. F1 has the makings, then, of winning the box office race this weekend (June 27 to 29).

New movies: JulyJurassic World: Rebirth

Release date: July 2 (US and UK); July 3 (Australia)

Jurassic World: Dominion might have been one of the worst-rated entries in Universal's dinosaur-based film franchise, but the series as a whole is still immensely popular. It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that it's getting another soft reboot with Jurassic World: Rebirth.

Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali lead an all-star cast in the series' seventh installment, which will see the pair infiltrate a forbidden island to secure three dinosaur DNA samples that will apparently prove key to creating a new vaccine for humanity.

Rebirth's first trailer teased some big ties to the original 1993 movie, so expect another dose of nostalgia when the highly-anticipated sci-fi action flick roars into theaters in early July.

Superman

Release date: July 11 (worldwide)

James Gunn and Peter Safran's rebooted DC Universe (DCU) may have began last December with the release of Creature Commandos' first season on Max, but Gunn's Superman movie marks the true start of the comic giant's latest attempts to create a shared live-action universe.

Little is known about Superman's latest big-screen adventure from a story standpoint, but it's got an absolutely stacked cast and will act as the jumping off point for many other DCU Chapter One films and TV shows.

Expect this one to easily be one of the biggest new movies of 2025 because, well, it's Superman! It helps that he'll be joined by his loyal tearaway canine companion Krypto, though, with merchandise sale for this fella alone likely to be in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Release date: July 17 (Australia); July 18 (US and UK)

The fourth installment in the I Know What You Did... film franchise – one that has the same name as the original movie, for some reason... – and a direct sequel to 1998's I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

This flick, which sees Madelyn Cline lead its cast, introduces us to five new friends who inadvertently cause a fatal car accident and try to cover their crime. Unsurprisingly, one year later, someone who knows what they did last summer begins hunting them down. Cue Cline's character seeking out two of the original film's survivors – Jennifer Love Hewitt's Julie and Freddy Prince Jr's Ray – to help them.

Smurfs

Release date: July 18 (worldwide)

Looking for something more family friendly this summer (or winter, for those in the southern hemisphere)? Another Smurfs movie will not only grace our screens soon, but aim to be better received than the last bunch of the small, blue humanoids' other recent silver screen adventures.

With an all-star cast including Rihanna, who voices Smurfette, Smurfs will likely appeal to those with young kids and/or Smurf devotees. Its plot, which sees Papa Smurf kidnapped by Gargamel and Smurfette lead her fellow humanoids on a mission to save him, though, sounds incredibly derivative. Its first trailer does little to suggest it won't be unbelievably corny, too.

Eddington

Release date: July 18 (US); July 24 (Australia); August 22 (UK)

The latest feature film team-up between filmmaker Ari Aster and Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix, this contemporary western comedy-drama looks and sounds like a hoot.

Phoenix stars as Joe Cross, the sheriff of Eddington, New Mexico who becomes embroiled in an increasingly tense stand-off with the town's mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal amid the height of 2020's global pandemic. Emma Stone, Austin Butler, and Micheal Ward are also part of the cast.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Release date: July 25 (worldwide)

The first Marvel Phase 6 movie that'll land in theaters, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is aiming to be an MCU film unlike anything you've seen before.

Indeed, not only is it a period piece that's set in the 1960s, but it's also a Marvel flick that exists in a universe separate to the MCU. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will play Marvel's First Family, while Ralph Ineson and Julia Garner are on villain-based duties as Galactus and his herald The Silver Surfer.

The first trailer for First Steps achieved lift-off in February and it looks as epic as I hoped it would, while a new CinemaCon 2025 teaser also confirmed a big fan theory about Kirby's Sue Storm. Between this and Superman, comic book movie fans will be eating well this July.

The Bad Guys 2

Release date: July 25 (UK); August 1 (US and Australia)

Everyone's favorite band of reformed anthropomorphic villains are back. The Bad Guys 2 will reunite us with Wolf and company after they turned over a new leaf in their first big-screen outing. Unfortunately, they'll be roped back into a life of crime when they're forced to tackle a spacefaring mission for a group known as The Bad Girls.

The Bad Guys is a criminally underseen animated flick, so I'm looking forward to its sequel. Just don't expect anyone in the UK to favor it over First Steps when the pair both arrive over the final weekend of July...

New movies: AugustBring Her Back

Release date: out now (US and Australia); August 1 (UK)

After their first feature film – A24's Talk to Me – earned plenty of acclaim in 2022, Danny and Michael Phillipou, aka the duo known as RackaNacka, are back with another horror flick that'll aim to spook us silly.

Bring Her Back stars Sally Hawkins and Billy Barratt among others, but that's about as much as we know about this mystery-laced supernatural horror. Indeed, its trailers don't give us much information on its story. Nevertheless, it seems like it's better to go into this one blind. Indeed, given its 89% critical rating and 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, you're best watching it with as little information rattling around in your head as possible.

The Naked Gun

Release date: August 1 (worldwide)

It was going to happen eventually. In an era where Hollywood's biggest studios just love to remake classic films for no reasons whatsoever, Paramount Pictures is rebooting its Naked Gun franchise for... reasons.

In this big-screen revival, Liam Neeson plays Frank Drebin Jr, aka the son of Leslie Nielsen's Frank Drebin from the original films. Little else is known about its plot, but you can expect it to try and recapture the laugh-out-loud, spoof-comedy nature of the franchise's first few installments. Based on the two trailers I've seen, I've little hope that one of August's new movies will be able to do so, though.

Freakier Friday

Release date: August 7 (Australia); August 8 (US and IK)

Another legacy sequel that, in some people's eyes, is long overdue.

Freakier Friday will reunite us with mother-daughter duo Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Anna (Lindsay Lohan), who find themselves trading places with the other – that being, their consciousness being transferred into the other person's body – during another freak accident. This time around, though, Anna's daughter and soon-to-be-stepdaughter are also thrown into the mix, making for a four-way body swap that'll create even more mayhem for those involved.

Weapons

Release date: August 8 (worldwide)

Zach Cregger, writer-director of criminally underseen horror film Barbarian and producer on one of this year's early hits in sci-fi horror-thriller Companion, will look to continue making a name for himself with this forthcoming mystery horror film.

Weapons will tell the disquieting story of a bunch of kids, all of whom are in the same class at school, mysteriously vanish on the same night and at the same time. Cue its community and devastated parents asking what and why all but one of their children have suddenly gone missing.

With a starry cast including Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, and Benedict Wong, and a deeply unsettling teaser that's got film buffs talking, Weapons could be another big 2025 hit for Warner Bros.

Nobody 2

Release date: August 14 (Australia); August 15 (US and UK)

This Bob Odenkirk-starring action film franchise will aim to shake off its 'John Wick clone' image when its sequel arrives in mid-August.

Nobody 2 reunites us with Odenkirk's family-man-hitman Hutch Mansell, whose much-needed family vacation gets interrupted when he inadvertently involves himself in the affairs of another notorious mob boss. Cue a frenetic and action-packed albeit light-hearted sequel spectacle that is going all-out to distance itself from Keanu Reeves' beloved assassin-based movie series.

Materialists

Release date: out now (US and Australia); August 15 (UK)

Celine Song's directorial feature debut, Past Lives, was one of the best movies of 2023. Thankfully, she's avoided the so-called 'sophomore slump' with her latest flick, aka a romantic drama called Materialists that's earned positive 81% critical and 67% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

Dakota Johnson inhabits the title role as Lucy, a New York-based matchmaker who learns the harsh lesson that love doesn't come easy, even to those whose job it is to set up singletons. Indeed, Lucy will find herself torn between her imperfect ex John (Chris Evans) and seemingly perfect match Henry (Pedro Pascal) in this A24 movie that tugs at the heartstrings.

Honey, Don't!

Release date: August 22 (US and UK); TBC (Australia)

Fan-favorite director Ethan Coen returns with his silver-screen feature in late August.

Honey, Don't! stars Margaret Qualley as a small-town private investigator whose latest case sees her try to get to the bottom of a series of grisly murders that all tie back to a mysterious cult-like church leader. Former Captain America star Chris Evans takes on the role as the aforementioned antagonist-in-chief as he continues to branch out from his days as one of Marvel's most popular superheroes. Pencil this one in if you're a fan of an Coen brothers-created project.

The Life of Chuck

Release date: out now (US); August 21 (Australia); August 22 (UK)

From the minds of horror auteurs Mike Flanagan and Stephen King, this Tom Hiddleston-fronted Neon flick couldn't be a less scary film. In fact, it's being billed as a modern day version of classic Christmas flick It's a Wonderful Life, which certainly isn't the kind of movie anyone expected to see from Messrs King and Flanagan.

In The Life of Chuck, we follow Charles 'Chuck' Krantz, a seemingly ordinary fellow whose life we watch play out in three distinct chapters: his childhood, young adult life (Hiddleston plays Chuck during this period), and as an elderly man.

Little else has been publicly revealed about the movie's plot, but it looks and sounds like it could be the sleeper hit of the summer. Based on its 82% and 88% Rotten Tomatoes critical and audience scores, it's one you won't want to miss.

Caught Stealing

Release date: August 28 (Australia); August 29 (US and UK)

Based on Charlie Huston's book namesake (he also penned its screenplay), crime-comedy Caught Stealing stars Austin Butler as Hank Thompson, a former baseball wonderkid-turned-bartender who gets more than he bargained for when his punk British friend Russ (Matt Smith) asks Hank to look after his cat for a few days.

With a fun-looking trailer, an all-star cast that looks at the top of its game, and a bona fide filmmaking legend in Darren Aronofsky at the helm, Caught Stealing could make a play to *ahem* steal the show at the global box office in late August.

New movies: SeptemberThe Roses

Release date: September 1 (worldwide)

Austin Powers, Borat, and Meet the Parents filmmaker Jay Roach will aim to bring his signature brand of cringey and slapstick humor to the fore in his latest feature film The Roses.

Based on Warren Adler's 'The War of the Roses' novel, which was previously turned into a movie in 1989, this reimagining stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as Theo and Ivy Rose. A pitch-perfect couple with a fulfilling marriage, things take a turn for the worse when Theo's career starts to nosedive as Ivy's takes off. Cue reams of hidden resentment boiling to the surface. Andy Samberg, Ncuti Gatwa, Allison Janney, and Kate McKinnon are among the starry supporting cast.

The Conjuring: Last Rites

Release date: September 4 (Australia); September 5 (US and UK)

Billed as the final The Conjuring movie that'll star Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as Lorraine and Ed Warren, Last Rites will kick off spooky season when it arrives in early September.

Taking on last terrifying case, the married couple and real-life paranormal investigators attempt to banish a demonic entity from a family home. Predictably, things won't progress as smoothly as the Warrens hope. Expect scares aplenty and – hopefully – a fitting end to Wilson and Farmiga's time playing two of the most famous supernatural researchers that the world has ever seen.

The Long Walk

Release date: September 11 (Australia); September 12 (US and UK)

The next Stephen King novel to get the silver screen treatment, The Long Walk is a dystopian horror story that's set in an alternate universe. In it, the annual, titular event sees 100 young men walk – without stopping and while maintaining a speed of four miles per hour (6.4 kilometers an hour) – down US Route 1. The catch? Anyone who stops three times is executed right there on the spot.

Directed by The Hunger Games' Francis Lawrence and starring Mark Hamill, Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, and Ben Wang among others, this tension-fueled survival drama will scratch the itch of those who'll still be mourning the end of Squid Game by mid-September.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Release date: September 11 (Australia); September 12 (US and UK)

It's almost time to bid farewell to one of the UK's biggest franchises in many a year. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is not only the third and final film in the series, but it'll also bring down the curtain on the must-see period drama for the last time.

Given it'll be the enterprise's final hurrah, you can expect all of your favorite characters (and the actors who play them) to return, too, including Hugh Bonneville and Simon Russell Beale. As for what its story entails, it'll reunite us with the Crawley family and their staff as they head into the 1930s and all of the changes that accompany this decade.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

Release date: September 18 (Australia); September 19 (US and UK)

From Sony Pictures and US-South Korean director Kogonada, Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell star in this fantasy drama as Sarah and David.

Singletons who meet during a mutual friend's wedding, they soon find themselves in the hands of fate itself as they embark on the titular trek that sees them collectively relive moments from their individual pasts and how their current lives might alter their separate and shared futures. One of September's new movies that I'm most excited for.

Him

Release date: September 19 (US and UK); September 24 (Australia)

The latest unsettling feature to be executively produced by horror extraordinaire Jordan Peele, Him follows Tyriq Withers' Cameron Cade, a rising American football star who's trained by eight-time Championship quarterback Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) after Withers emerges from a coma following an attack by a hysterical fan.

However, Cade soon realizes that his hero isn't all that he seems and, in the pursuit of greatness, he's forced down a disorienting rabbit hole that might cost Cade more than he realizes.

The Strangers: Chapter 2

Release date: September 26 (US and UK); TBC (Australia)

A direct sequel to The Strangers: Chapter 1 – but bizarrely, the fourth entry in the horror-thriller film series – this flick reunites us with Maya (Madeleine Petsch), Gregory (Gabriel Basso), and Shelly (Ema Horvath) following the events of the aforementioned movie.

Little is know about what Chapter 2's plot entails, but it won't be the franchise's final installment. Indeed, a third film is due out sometime in 2026, so it'll be interesting to see if its next entry is actually good enough to have warranted a follow-up.

One Battle After Another

Release date: September 25 (Australia); September 26 (US and UK)

Leo's back. That's right, the multi-award-winning Leonardo DiCaprio is set to appear in his first movie since 2023's Killers of the Flower Moon in this Paul Thomas Anderson-directed action-comedy that's due out in late September.

Leading an all-star cast that included Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another sees DiCaprio portray Bob Ferguson. A member of a group of ex-revolutionaries, Ferguson rallies his former allies to rescue one of their daughters when a foe of yesteryear re-emerges from the shadows and kidnaps her.

Expect a typically great performance from DiCaprio, regardless of how good or bad this ends up being.

Want more new movies recommendations? Our new Netflix movies, new Max movies, new Prime Video movies, and new Disney Plus movies lists are full of streaming-based suggestions for a night at home instead.

Phishing has long been a staple of cybercrime, historically betrayed by clumsy spelling, suspicious URLs and poor formatting. Today, however, the rules have changed. What once required technical knowledge, time, and effort can now be executed with frightening ease by virtually anyone.

Thanks to generative AI, automation, and easy access to malicious toolkits, the barrier to entry for cybercrime is fast collapsing. Phishing emails are now convincingly written, well branded, and often hyperpersonalized. Deepfake audio and video tools make it possible to impersonate trusted individuals in real time.

Even entry level attackers can now deploy high quality campaigns that look and sound legitimate. Ironically, a spelling error might be the only clue that a message was created by a real human, rather than an AI.

Meanwhile, across the business world the stakes for defenders are rising fast. As multichannel attacks grow in scale and sophistication, even experienced employees are falling victim. In this new landscape, the cost of inaction isn’t just a data breach- it’s operational disruption, financial loss, and lasting reputational damage. Let’s unpack how advancements in technologies such as AI expands the talent pool for threat actors.

Social engineering made scalable

Phishing may be evolving but it still hinges on the same psychological tricks: urgency, trust, and fear. But where scams were once generic and mass distributed, AI now allows attackers to tailor them at scale. The result? A surge in spearphishing - targeted messages crafted with context to deceive specific individuals.

According to the OpenText 2025 Cybersecurity Threat Report, November 2024 saw the highest rate of spearphishing to date, making up 56.56% of all phishing activity. Attackers no longer have to choose between volume and precision- they can get the best of both worlds. And with users increasingly conditioned to trust branded platforms, phishing emails delivered via Google Docs or Amazon AWS (“living off the land” techniques) are slipping past defenses unchecked.

This democratization of tools means that cybercrime no longer requires deep expertise- just access to the right AI tools and a few stolen credentials. That’s a worrying trend for businesses who rely on traditional training to build user awareness. Keeping pace means continuously updating training to reflect emerging tactics, particularly those that blend email, SMS, voice and video across channels.

AI and automation, cybercrime’s force multiplier

The rise of generative AI has redefined the phishing threat. Not only are messages more convincing, but campaigns are faster to build, harder to detect, and significantly more dangerous. Deepfakes, once the domain of state actors, are now available to anyone with an internet connection.

This sharp rise in attack sophistication is mirrored in infection trends. In 2024, malware infections on business PCs jumped yet again from 1.86% to 2.39%- the steepest increase since 2020. And it’s not just the first hit that hurts: 43% of affected business endpoints were reinfected within the year. For consumers, the number is even higher, at 56%.

Attackers are increasingly using .zip files as a delivery mechanism, now the most popular format for malware laden attachments, making up 53% of the total. Their perceived legitimacy, combined with password protection (often provided in the email), creates a perfect storm of trust and risk.

AI isn’t just raising the quality of phishing, it’s removing the learning curve. That’s what makes today’s threat environment fundamentally different from even two years ago.

To counter this, organizations must fight fire with fire: deploy AI-enabled security tools that learn and adapt as quickly as attackers’ methods evolve.

From inbox to checkout

Phishing is no longer confined to email inboxes. Attackers have expanded into ecommerce, financial platforms, and cryptocurrency ecosystems - anywhere users engage digitally and make decisions quickly.

During busy shopping periods, scammers launch fake order confirmations and spoofed storefronts to steal payment details. Fraudulent investment schemes targeting decentralized finance and crypto wallets are also on the rise, often engineered with the same social engineering techniques seen in traditional phishing.

The OpenText report notes that phishing attacks are becoming more opportunistic, with over 235 million malware emails quarantined in 2024. Zip attachments dominate due to their effectiveness in bypassing user skepticism, and their ability to mask malicious content under the guise of security. This shift underscores a critical point: phishing is no longer just about access - it’s about fraud, financial theft, and long-term compromise. The digital trust model that underpins modern commerce is being weaponized.

Cybersecurity strategies must now span customer journeys, supply chains, and transaction flows, not just internal email systems.

Going forward

Phishing has evolved into a democratized, AI powered weapon, used by threat actors of all skill levels to exploit human trust and unlock IT infrastructure. The tools are widely available, the learning curve is shrinking, and the consequences of even one successful attack are growing.

This new era demands a new mindset. Defensive efforts must shift from reactive to proactive, combining real time threat detection with intelligent automation and continuous user education. Our data shows that companies using layered defenses, such as endpoint and DNS protection, experience 19.4% fewer infections than those relying on endpoint security alone.

In short, cyber resilience is no longer a mere competitive advantage - it’s imperative for survival.

Business leaders must act now. Audit your digital defenses, modernize your detection tools, and raise cyber awareness and response readiness at every level. Because when attackers can operate with minimal effort, organizations must respond with maximum intent.

We list the best online cybersecurity course.

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

TechRadar Smart Home Week

This article is part of TechRadar's Smart Home Week 2025. From lighting and switches to robot vacuums and smart thermostats, we're here to help you pick the right devices to make your life easier, and get the most out of them.

If you're redecorating a room, you might be wondering whether it's worth investing in a set of smart blinds rather than a regular window covering, so you can control them with an app, voice commands, or as part of a larger smart home ecosystem. Imagine having blinds that open automatically when it's time to get up, for example, or ones that go down when you turn on your home entertainment system.

I recently reviewed the SmartWings Motorized Smart Shades and loved them. I have traditional blinds around the rest of my home, and have used many different kinds of traditional blinds over the years. If you’re considering upgrading to smart blinds in your home, read on for a detailed comparison.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)Benefits of smart blinds

The primary benefit of smart blinds is that you have so much more control over their opening and closing than you do with traditional blinds. You can set up a schedule on your smartphone so they open and close at certain times. For example, I have mine set up to open at sunrise and close at sunset. You could also set them to open and close at specific times. Perhaps set them to open a few minutes before your morning alarm for a gentle wakeup and have them close at the time you usually wind down for bed. You could also have them open and close in association with other events, such as having them close when you leave the house and open when you come home.

Outside of scheduling your blinds to open and close, you can just control them with a tap on your smartphone. You can also control them with a voice command to your digital assistant of choice. I set mine up with my iPhone, and my HomePod mini is my home hub. In addition to the sunrise/sunset schedule I’ve set up, I can also control them with a tap in Control Center or by telling Siri to open or close them.

You don’t even need to be home to open and close your smart blinds. As long as you have your smart blinds connected to your home hub, you can control them from the other side of the planet if you like.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

Smart blinds generally come with a remote control too, so anyone can easily control them with a touch of a button. You’re not limited to smartphone usage. This is handy if some members of your household aren’t connected to the home hub, or if you have visitors that wish to control the blinds themselves.

Because you’re not handling smart blinds manually, they might even be less likely to break over the years. This is just speculation, because I haven’t had smart blinds for years yet. But the manual ones in my home that I open and close most frequently by hand have developed issues. The cheaper blinds I have had with hanging strings invariably got tangled and bent. I replaced the cheap blinds with some pricier blinds where all the strings are on the inside, giving a more streamlined look. I do open and close these blinds daily, and somehow the interior strings have gotten messed up, rendering the blinds permanently askew. These manual blinds still function fine, but they don’t look so nice anymore.

Drawbacks of smart blinds

Although there is a wide variety of smart blinds available, there is still a far larger selection of traditional blinds on the market in terms of style and color. If you have a specific look you’re going for, you may have a hard time finding smart blinds that fit in perfectly with your decor. This is particularly true if you have extra large or unusually-shaped windows.

Installing smart blinds isn’t really different from installing traditional ones, except of course that you do need to do the extra step of setting them up with your home hub and/or smartphone once they’re in place. That can be a little tricky, but once it’s done, it’s done.

Keep in mind that unlike many traditional blinds, smart blinds do require a power source. This may mean dealing with unsightly power cords or periodically having to charge your smart blinds’ battery. My smart blinds have a rechargeable battery that can be charged via a wall charger or a solar charger that sticks to the window near the USB-C charging port.

(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)

When comparing blinds that are similar in size, function, and materials, it’s likely that smart blinds will be generally more expensive than traditional blinds. However, the difference in price may not be as much as you think, particularly when you’re talking about custom or designer blinds.

Conclusion

I love my smart blinds and plan to install more of them in my home as old ones need replacing. There are drawbacks, of course. Smart blinds do require a power source. They need to be set up initially with a smartphone, as well as a home hub if you want to be able to control them from outside the home. Generally, you will find less selection of smart blinds in terms of color, size, and style. And smart blinds do tend to be pricier. But all of this is outweighed by their ability to be controlled in such a sophisticated way. They can be scheduled for specific times or situations, you can just “set it and forget it.” You can control them with a tap on your smartphone or a couple of words to your digital assistant of choice. You don’t have to be at home, or even on the continent to control them. And yet you can still control them the “old-fashioned way,” via remote control. For anyone who wants that ability to control their blinds in so many ways, smart blinds are a completely worthwhile purchase.