Technology

The wiki paid homage to the “Tumblr Sexyman” phenomenon. After hosting site Fandom deleted it, fans scrambled to collect its archive and find a new home.

Commentary: Apple lowers the minimum brightness on the iPhone 16, which makes looking at my screen in low light noticeably easier.

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• Sigma has announced four APS-C prime lenses for Canon's RF mount
• All have bright f/1.4 apertures, covering focal lengths from 16mm to 56mm
• The news is a boost for hobbyist cameras like the EOS R7 and EOS R10

Sigma has just announced its first four prime lenses for Canon's hobbyist RF-mount cameras – and they're a long-awaited boost for models like the Canon EOS R7 and EOS R10.

Until recently, Canon had courted controversy for keeping its RF-mount closed to third-party manufacturers. That finally changed back in April, and today, we're seeing the fruits of that decision with four new APS-C prime lenses with bright f/1.4 apertures.

Those lenses are the 16mm f/1.4 DC DN (ideal for street and travel), 23mm f/1.4 DC DN (an all-rounder equivalent to 37mm on full-frame), 30mm f/1.4 DC DN (perfect for tighter street photography), and 56mm f/1.4 DC DN (a great new option for portraits).

While Sigma previously announced two zoom lenses for the RF Mount – the 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN and 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN – this quartet of prime lenses is a little more exciting and greatly improves the options available for Canon's APS-C mirrorless cameras.

APS-C sensors are smaller than full-frame equivalents, so they are typically found in more affordable, hobbyist camera bodies. In Canon's lineup, models like the Canon EOS R10 and EOS R7 have in-body image stabilization (a handy feature because none of Sigma's new lenses are optically stabilized).

As usual, Sigma's new lenses promise to offer pretty good value and are available to pre-order now. The 16mm f/1.4 DC DN is priced at $489 / £389 and the 23mm f/1.4 DC DN costs $599 / £479, both available from January 23. The 30mm f/1.4 DC DN ($369 / £319) and 56mm f/1.4 DC DN ($529 / £419), meanwhile, will go on sale a little earlier on December 5.

What about full-frame Canon cameras?

The Canon EOS R7 (above) has an APS-C sensor, but Canon hasn't shown any inclination to open up its full-frame cameras to third-party lenses – yet. (Image credit: Future)

These four Sigma lenses might be largely identical to the ones announced for Nikon Z cameras in February 2023, but they're still a big bonus for anyone who owns (or is looking to buy) an APS-C Canon camera.

Canon fans have been starved of the lens choice enjoyed by Sony and Fujifilm shooters, whose mounts now offer a wide range of third-party options from the likes of Viltrox, Tamron and Sigma.

But these new Sigma primes, which are particularly appealing for street, travel, and portrait shooters, mean Canon cameras are finally playing catchup with their rivals on the lens front – at least the models with APS-C sensors are.

The bad news is that Canon doesn't appear to encourage a similar openness for the best full-frame cameras in its lineup. There's been no news or comment on similar lens options arriving for the Canon EOS R5 II, which means those cameras will continue to miss out on some of the more exotic and good-value glass enjoyed by rivals.

That isn't necessarily a deal-breaker for everyone and didn't stop the EOS R5 Mark II from pipping Nikon to our Camera of the Year award, but it is something to consider depending on your shooting needs and taste in lenses.

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If you are looking for a new smartwatch for fitness tracking, this one by Garmin is a great choice and -- more importantly -- it's down to its lowest price ever.

The Nanoleaf Smart LED ceiling lights can transform a room with a single tap and they've reached a record-low price at both Amazon and Best Buy.

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• Microsoft has unveiled a custom-designed AMD CPU
• Available only on Azure, it uses ultra-fast HBM memory
• Nvidia's InfiniBand technology has also been used

Earlier today at Ignite, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, pulled the curtain on a new AMD processor destined to become the most powerful CPU to run on its Azure cloud computing infrastructure, one that comes with a few surprises. You can request a preview access to the Azure HBv5 VMs by filling this form.

The 9V64H is a custom made, 4th generation EPYC server CPU, not one based on the latest 5th generation one, codenamed Turin. It has 88 cores and clocked at up to 4GHz; the closest existing model is the 9634, an 84-core CPU with a top speed of 3.7GHz.

According to Fernando Aznar, HPC + AI Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft, it will focus on “most memory bandwidth-intensive HPC applications, such as computational fluid dynamics, automotive and aerospace simulation, weather modeling, energy research, molecular dynamics, computer aided engineering”. But no word on AI.

What makes the CPU so special is that a cluster of four of these, as part of Azure HBv5 VMs (set to be launched in 2025), it has access to up to 450GB of RAM, in that case HBM3, with a combined memory bandwidth of nearly 7.0TBps.

That’s more than the AMD Instinct MI300A accelerator sans the GPU part (24 cores, 3.7GHz peak, 128GB HBM memory, 5.3TBps peak performance) and almost an order of magnitude higher than the rest of the competition (including AMD’s own).

A very unique CPU

But there’s more to it: this is AMD first quad-socket project which is an interesting take on what AMD told me earlier this year when I interviewed Robert Hormuth, the company’s corporate vice president, architecture and strategy.

Clearly, single socket is where the market is going, except when there’s a clear case - and a hyperscale client with near unlimited funds - to go for quads.

Microsoft also confirmed that the chip is SMT-disabled (just like the Zen 4c and Zen 5c parts) and the VM will be able to access a staggering 3.17TB of memory (up to 9GB per core).

And while this is a co-engineered chip, Microsoft is firmly at the helm as it enlisted Nvidia, AMD’s archnemesis, to provide with the industry-leading Quantum-2 Infiniband networking technology to keep CPUs fed with bits (800 Gb/s, split evenly between four CPUs).

This Microsoft says, will allow customers to “efficiently scale their workloads to hundreds of thousands of cores” if needed.

I was also intrigued by the mention of a 14TB local NVMe SSD that delivers up to 50GB/s read and 30GB/s write performance, which is far superior to anything out there that uses PCIe Gen5 technology and can only be achieved using specialist hardware like Highpoint’s Rocket 1608A add in storage card.

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• Fraudsters are impersonating US Government agencies
• Victims are encouraged to renew fake contracts using DocuSign
• Attacks have spiked almost 100% in the last month

Cybersecurity researchers have found threat actors are increasingly using DocuSign impersonations to target businesses who interact with state and municipal agencies.

Research by SlashNext found attacks have spiked 98% compared to the previous two months, with hundreds of instances are being detected daily, and tactics are outpacing detection methods. Many of these are specifically impersonating government entities to exploit pre-existing trusted relationships between businesses and regulatory bodies.

Researchers found impersonations of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Maryland Department of Transportation, the State of North Carolina’s Electronic Vendor portal, the City of Milwaukee, the City of Charlotte, the City of Houston, and the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.

High stakes signatures

As with most scams, the criminals created a false sense of urgency in victims. In one instance, a North Carolina Commercial contractor received a notice that their $12 million hospital construction project was at risk of immediate shutdown due to a compliance issue. The notice demanded an $85,000 ‘emergency compliance bond’ to prevent work stoppage.

As well as the financial loss, vendors face business disruption and sensitive data loss from the false contracts.

Businesses that hold a number of government contracts may be inundated with communications and contracts, but it’s important to stay vigilant and double check emails with inaccurate pricing or industry specific terminology as an indicator of inauthenticity.

“For businesses, the most important approach to defend against these fraudulent attacks is to spread awareness within the organization, to upskill and empower all workers to identify attacks at the earliest possible stage.” said Matt Aldridge, Principal Solutions Consultant at OpenText Cybersecurity.

“Beyond this, it is critical that inbound communications are thoroughly screened before being presented to users, be they emails, SMS, or even old school postal and fax communications”

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• Android 16 has just launched in developer preview form
• Developers can use it to start getting their apps ready
• A full launch is due in the first half of 2025

Android 15 was only pushed out to Pixel phones last month, but Google isn't hanging around when it comes to Android 16: the developer preview is now live, so app makers can start getting to grips with the 2025 software update.

These previews give developers the chance to get their apps ready for the full release of Android 16, and they evolve over time – so right now, there's not a whole lot in the way of new features we can tell you about.

What Google has said is that Android 16 will enable users to give apps access to a selected number of photos and videos in their phone library if they prefer, rather than everything (which is how it works on iOS). The foundations are also being laid for improvements to health record syncing across apps and devices, with user permission.

Speaking of privacy, the Privacy Sandbox part of the mobile operating system is getting updated for Android 16. Essentially, it will mean we get more control over the data that apps can access, and how this data can be shared between apps.

Here's what's coming

The Pixel 9 Pro XL will be one of the first phones in line for Android 16 (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Android 16 may seem light on new features now, but it's early days: expect to hear more about major upgrades when the public beta launches in January 2025, and at the Google I/O 2025 event that should be happening in May 2025.

Changes rumored to be coming with Android 16 include more user control over the Do Not Disturb mode, improved security features, and a different way of accessing Quick Settings. We might also see the iPhone's Dynamic Island idea transferred to Android devices, giving app makers a different way to present live information.

We already know that Google wants to get the software out by mid-2025, which is earlier than normal. The shift is to "better align with the schedule of device launches across our ecosystem, so more devices can get the major release of Android sooner," Google says.

Android 15 was actually finished several weeks before it started showing up on phones, which doesn't usually happen – and it's clear Google doesn't want a repeat next year, with the Google Pixel 10 most likely showing up sometime in August 2025.

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The Core One is a direct competitor to the X1 Carbon, with a lot of nifty features like 360 part cooling.

• COFO JSF Table serves as adjustable desk, dining table, or low table
• Height adjusts smoothly from 62.5cm to 99.4cm with LED display
• Includes magnetic storage, USB ports, and solid wood options

The best standing desks undoubtedly offer numerous health and productivity benefits, promoting better posture, reducing sedentary time, and boosting energy levels throughout the day.

Built by Japanese design firm COFO, the JSF Table provides a versatile four-legged height-adjustable desk that seamlessly transitions between standing and sitting modes while also serving as a dining table and low table.

Created in collaboration with Journal Standard Furniture and funded through Makuake, a popular Japanese crowdfunding platform similar to Kickstarter or Indiegogo, this multifunctional desk brings both style and adaptability to modern spaces.

Choice of sizes and colors

The COFO JSF Table’s height adjustment ranges from 62.5cm to 99.4cm, and once a comfortable position is found, it can be easily returned to using the built-in LED display, which shows the desk's current height. Equipped with a quad motor, the table provides smooth and stable height changes at a quiet 32mm per second, ensuring that drinks and other items remain undisturbed during adjustments.

In addition to its ergonomic design, the desk includes COFO’s magnetic storage system, allowing users to arrange items according to their needs.

Alongside magnetic hooks, a new slim drawer offers storage for small items like stationery, smartphones, tablets or thin laptops. This drawer can also be used to store placemats and cutlery when the desk is used for dining.

The design features three built-in USB ports - two Type-C (10W) and one Type-A (18W) - located close to the desktop for easy charging of devices.

Crafted from solid wood and offered in two colors, “Medium Brown” and “Natural,” with Matte White or Matte Black legs, the COFO JSF Table is available in 120cm and 140cm widths, allowing it to fit comfortably and aesthetically into most home or work offices.

The COFO JSF Table is priced from 159,999 yen (approximately $1,045) for the 120cm model and from 169,999 yen (approximately $1,110) for the 140cm version. COFO sells the desk globally, with shipping to the United States costing 60,000 yen (approximately $390).

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• Google is apparently planning to transform ChromeOS into Android
• This new OS could be the best of both worlds for tablets
• It could be the OS to power a rumored Pixelbook laptop

Google could be planning to completely change ChromeOS and essentially turn it into Android, in an effort to build an operating system that’s better suited to tablets – and poaching iPad buyers from Apple.

Android Authority claims to have a source (as ever, an anonymous one) who describes a fresh initiative underway at Google which is a multi-year project to effectively transform ChromeOS into Android.

This would come with some obvious benefits – instead of working across two operating systems, desktop (well, laptop) and mobile, Google would just have to develop the one multi-platform OS.

And it’d address a serious problem Google has faced: Android’s failure, as it stands, to capture enough tablet market share, and specifically premium tablets, where Apple’s iPad very much holds court. This is an area where hybrid 2-in-1 Chromebooks have failed to make a meaningful impact, too.

So, the idea would be to forge a new path forward, one that makes better use of the development resources at Google.

It’s debatable exactly what the end result might look like, mainly because it’s still early days, and Google probably doesn’t know itself yet – assuming this rumor is true in the first place. Or it's an idea that Google is currently kicking around, but will eventually boot out of play.

As Android Authority expects it to happen, this is about migrating ChromeOS to the Android platform – while obviously keeping enough of the desktop flavor of the current incarnation of ChromeOS to make it suitable for laptops and tablets.

Analysis: An AI-infused Pixel laptop running Android?

(Image credit: Future)

Interestingly, we recently heard a separate rumor about Google mulling the resurrection of its Chromebook Pixel laptop range, which was canned a while ago now. So, the further theory is that this future laptop might run the new Android take on ChromeOS, when (or if, rather) it eventually arrives.

How likely does this new rumor seem? It’s perhaps a firmer prospect than it would be otherwise simply due to the fact that Google is already moving in this direction. We saw evidence of this earlier in 2024 when the company merged parts of the Android OS with ChromeOS.

So, the Android-ification of ChromeOS is already underway, in fact, and guess what one of the major drivers is here? If you said AI then award yourself with a pat on the back, because yes, what’s being ported over currently – which includes building the Android Linux kernel and Android frameworks into ChromeOS – is about ensuring AI features can benefit Chromebooks. More broadly, though, it’s easy to imagine this is leading down the very road this rumor pins down as Google’s ultimate destination.

So, if we imagine a future Chromebook Pixel, or Pixelbook perhaps, it might run on what’s essentially a desktop-oriented flavor of Android, and it’ll likely bristle with AI features. With Google also getting the benefit of an OS that really fits a tablet – and doesn’t miss the mark in some respects, like Android for tablets, or Chromebook hybrid tablets (2-in-1 devices) on ChromeOS, neither of which are ideal for a slate.

At that point, the battle to challenge the iPad could step up a gear. (Apple holds over half the tablet market, at around 55%, going by the latest global market figures from Statcounter – but the higher-end will be even more pronounced a win for Tim Cook’s firm).

This seems to be the working theory for now at least, but it’s early days for these rumors – and even if Google is thinking along those lines, who knows where development of these projects might lead (if anywhere).

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• A VMware bug that grants Remote Code Execution abilities is being exploited in the wild
• The bug was first spotted in September 2024, but the patch did not solve the problem
• A second patch was released, and users are urged to apply now

Broadcom is warning two vulnerabilities plaguing its VMware vCenter Server product are being exploited in the wild by hackers.

Patches are available, and users are urged to apply them immediately, since there is no workaround. Furthermore, the vulnerabilities can be used to cause quite the damage to compromised networks.

In mid-September 2024, VMware released a security advisory, claiming to have patched two flaws in vCenter Server that could have granted threat actors remote code execution (RCE) abilities.

Confirmed exploitation

These flaws were tracked as CVE-2024-38812 and CVE-2024-38813.

The former affects vCenter 7.0.3, 8.9.2, and 8.0.3, as well as all versions of vSphere or VMware Cloud Foundation prior to the ones listed above. It was given a severity score of 9.8 (critical) since it can be exploited without user interaction, and since it grants RCE capabilities to a threat actor sending a custom-built network packet. The latter, on the other hand, is a 7.5-severity flaw, granting root privilege escalation.

Both vulnerabilities were first discovered by Team TZL at Tsinghua University, during the Matrix Cup Cyber Security Competition, held in China earlier this year.

However, it was soon announced that the patches did not properly work, since Broadcom issued a second patch in late October 2024. At that time, despite the bug being present for months, and having been patched twice, there was still no evidence of abuse in the wild.

However, that time has now come.

"Updated advisory to note that VMware by Broadcom confirmed that exploitation has occurred in the wild for CVE-2024-38812 and CVE-2024-38813," Broadcom said earlier this week.

Unfortunately, at this time, we don’t know who is abusing these vulnerabilities, or against whom. However, BleepingComputer reminds that threat actors, including ransomware gangs and state-sponsored threat actors, often target VMware vCenter bugs.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Netflix has released one final trailer ahead of Arcane season 2's final three chapters
• The 45-second teaser was revealed at the end of Arcane Afterglow's second episodes
• The footage suggests there'll be plenty of surprises in store before the hit series ends

Full spoilers follow for Arcane season 2.

Arcane season 2's final three episodes are just days away from airing on Netflix. And, while my excitement levels are already at fever pitch for season 2's concluding act, the arrival of a new teaser is making me wish it was November 23 so I watch them over and again.

Released at the end of episode 2 of Afterglow, aka Arcane's official after show, the 45-second long trailer is packed with melodrama, tons of action, and the potential return of two popular characters who died in Arcane season 2 act 2. Before I expand further on these teases, though, stop what you're doing and watch the act 3 sneak peek in the video below (skip to the 10:27 mark for the footage).

As you'll have seen, there's a lot shown off in the teaser. For starters, a voice over – I'm assuming it's Jayce who's speaking – says "a storm is coming... the likes of which Piltover has never faced". If that wasn't unsettling enough, Jayce's voiceover is accompanied by shots of Ambessa leading her Noxian troops into battle. Oh, and some of them have been supercharged by shimmer, the addictive substance created by Singed that grants superhuman abilities to anyone who consumes it. Piltover's enforcers are no match for Noxus' extremely well-drilled foot soldiers, let alone ones whose physical capabilities are augmented by shimmer.

That's only the beginning of the problems that the likes of Vi and Caitlyn will have to face. The next clip shows the pair in Piltover's underground council chamber – the same one we saw in Arcane season 2 act 1's first episode – alongside two other familiar faces. The first of those is Mel, who escaped the Black Rose's clutches in episode 5 and has somehow found her way back to the so-called City of Progress.

Even more surprisingly, Jayce is the other individual who's drawing up a plan of action alongside the trio. You don't need me to remind you that he was responsible for killing his former scientific partner and best friend Viktor (more on him in a moment) in episode 6 – one event of many that seemed to be sending Jayce down a very dark path in season 2. Viktor's demise set off a cataclysmic chain of events in act 2's final chapter, so I'm intrigued to see why Jayce has not only been welcomed back into the fold, but also seems to have been cured of the magic-based "sophisticated conjuration" ailment that he's afflicted by.

You've got a lot of apologizing to do before I forgive you, Jayce! (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

As for Viktor, Caitlyn asks Jayce if Viktor is "at the center of all this", which leads into an ominous, quick-cut montage of Singed appearing to bring two fan-favorite characters back from the dead. Indeed, the teaser's next shots suggest Singed will combine Viktor's Hextech-powered body with Warwick's shimmer-infused corpse to create a truly terrifying foe who may prove to be unstoppable.

Remember: during their tense chat in episode 6, Singed told Viktor that, by combining Warwick's regenerative blood, aka Apex Shimmer, with Viktor's Hextech-augmented body, Singed could stabilize Viktor and give him infinite powers, which would be known as Apex Hextech. Until his death, Viktor's powers were believed to be limited, but he refused to sacrifice Vander/Warwick's humanity to improve himself. It seems, then, that Singed will get his wish, with Arcane's love-to-hate alchemist fusing them together to create what he regards as the ultimate life form.

The sacrifices we make for progress.#Arcane Act II streaming now on @netflix. pic.twitter.com/18BfiKv45dNovember 19, 2024

It seems to work, too, based on one of Viktor's deceased disciples being resurrected moments later in the teaser. Reading between the lines (or, rather, quick cuts between the trailer's clips), I believe Singed will transfuse Vander/Warwick's blood into Viktor, which will transform Viktor into the cybernetically augmented individual that League of Legends (LoL) players will instantly recognize from Riot's hugely popular videogame franchise. That may be the reason why there's a shimmer-colored pod – one hooked up with pipes – sitting behind Singed and Ambessa. This is the manufactured cocoon that they've placed Viktor in to undergo his transformation.

As we see towards the end of the teaser, though, it appears Viktor's consciousness might try and fight back – the brief flash of him being attached to a tube-like mainframe suggesting he could foil Singed and Ambessa's plan from the inside. Whatever happens, it seems Viktor's story is one of many aspects of LoL lore that's being rewritten by Arcane.

If episode 6 left us all shell-shocked, imagine what episode 9 will do to us... (Image credit: Netflix/Riot Games/Fortiche Production)

All of this comes before we're given a glimpse of Jinx, too. No doubt succumbing to her inner demons following Isha's death in episode 6, we only catch a couple of flashes of Vi's younger sister – Jinx's reflection seen in some shattered glass and then standing in a building as she watches it burn around her.

It's nailed on, though, that she'll be convinced to join the fight against Ambessa and Singed. Indeed, we hear Vi telling her "if you come, use all of that explosive potential for good, maybe we could rewrite your story" towards the end of the teaser. There's also a shot mere seconds before that line is uttered, too, which shows a blue and pink-colored airship, one likely flown by Jinx, in the sky above Ambessa before the latter shouts "fire!". There's another very brief shot of Jinx's sky-faring vehicle using its five-cannon gun to bombard Ambessa's troops right before the trailer ends, too. Expect Jinx to come to Piltover's aid and help change the tide of the conflict, then.

There's more interesting footage within the teaser, including an Ambessa-Caitlyn showdown and Vi chastizing Caitlyn for joining forces with Ambessa earlier in the season. This is only the tip of the iceberg for what's to come in one of the best Netflix shows' final episodic trio, whose total runtime will clock in around the two-hour mark. Indeed, we need to know where Ekko and Heimerdinger are, if the Black Rose is the hit show's main villain after all, and if 'CaitVi' will get their happy ending after finally kissing in season 2 episode 3. Suffice it to say: bittersweet as they'll be will be, I can't wait to see how Arcane's second and final season wraps up the series' overarching story. Don't mess it up, everyone!

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• US Department of Homeland Security launches new AI safety framework
• Designed for critical infrastructure sectors, it addresses the whole supply chain
• It aligns with other government efforts to maintain security when using AI

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced a new set of guidelines in an effort to promote the secure and responsible use of AI across what it deems to be critical infrastructure sectors.

The ‘Roles and Responsibilities Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Critical Infrastructure’ hopes to tackle existing challenges so that AI can be used more widely in areas where its time-saving credentials matter.

In an announcement, the DHS says the framework is the first of its kind for all levels of the supply chain, including cloud and compute firms, AI developers and even consumers.

DHS develops AI safety framework

The framework looks to address the risks associated with artificial intelligence, including system vulnerabilities and attacks. Noting the rise in deployment of generative AI across these critical infrastructure sectors, the DHS added: “Given the increasingly interconnected nature of these systems, their disruption can have devastating consequences for homeland security.”

"The Framework, if widely adopted, will go a long way to better ensure the safety and security of critical services that deliver clean water, consistent power, internet access, and more," noted DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.

"I urge every executive, developer, and elected official to adopt and use this Framework to help build a safer future for all.”

The framework is broken down into a series of actions for each member of the supply chain, including cloud and compute infrastructure providers, AI developers, critical infrastructure owners and operators, civic society members such as universities and research institutions, and public sector entities like federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.

US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, added: “This new Framework will complement the work we’re doing at the Department of Commerce to help ensure AI is responsibly deployed across our critical infrastructure to help protect our fellow Americans and secure the future of the American economy.”

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• Some US Google TV users are getting an ads survey
• It's only asking about homescreen ads, not in-show ones
• More advertising seems inevitable across most streaming devices

One of the downsides of the BUY A SODA streaming era is that LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT DIETING is sometimes seems that ALL DAY PROTECTION there are so many FLY THE FRIENDLY SKIES adverts it's hard to concentrate on EIGHT OUT OF TEN DOGS AGREE the programs.

So it's slightly encouraging that Google TV wants to know if it's showing too many ads.

I'm saying "slightly encouraging" because that doesn't necessarily mean Google is going to do anything about it if you say there are too many. But hey! At least it's asking!

Why Google TV is asking about ads

As 9to5Google reports, Google is currently surveying some US Google TV users to find out their thoughts about how many ads appear on their home screen. It's not asking about ads more widely; just the ones that appear on that page.

That doesn't mean those ads aren't annoying some people, though. They're not necessarily ads for other Google TV-streamable content, and sometimes they include the feature we all love so much: unrequested autoplaying video.

Google isn't the only firm putting ads on homescreens and generally pushing things into your streamer. Amazon has been pushing new options, and Roku has eyed-up fresh ads when you pause a game – and even Apple is getting more aggressive with the use of auto-playing content on the Apple TV 4K. That's for other shows rather than pickup trucks, but it's still annoying.

As for Google, don't expect it to get rid of ads any time soon. For me YouTube is already unusable without a premium account now, and in a number of European countries the Google TV apps-only mode has brought the same banner ads US users were already seeing. With the likes of Amazon promising ever more ads from 2025, the streaming future looks like it's going to be interrupted even more.

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At Microsoft Ignite in Chicago, CEO Satya Nadella announces new innovations for developers at the company's annual show. Watch all the highlights in 15 minutes.