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• Apple is now reportedly taking the British Government to court
• Move comes after the UK Government reportedly asked Apple to build an encryption key
• Apple refused, and disabled its encryption service for UK users

The UK Government's privacy row with Apple over an alleged backdoor request continues, with reports claiming the company appealed to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, an independent court that can investigate claims made against the Security Service.

The UK Government had reportedly asked Apple to build a master key for law enforcement agencies in its end-to-end encryption (E2EE) service, Advanced Data Protection (ADP) - however Apple refused, and pulled ADP altogether.

This is believed to be the first legal challenge to any provisions in the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act allowing the break of encryptions. The tribunal will look into the legality of the UK government’s request, and whether or not it can be overruled.

Privacy concerns

The request was condemned by both privacy groups and also came as a surprise to the American government, who called the request a “clear and egregious violation of American’s privacy and civil liberties”, after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard shared “grave concern” over the implications of the request.

The case could be heard this month, but as of yet, it's not clear if there will be any public disclosure of the hearing - and it’s likely the UK Government will argue that the case be restricted due to national security concerns.

The E2EE, built by Apple, means the photos, messages, and other data of the users who chose to enable the service is protected, and cannot be accessed by anyone - even Apple.

Some campaigners have previously argued in favor of the backdoor for the UK Government, so that law enforcement agencies have access to potentially harmful materials or evidence of abuse material - but many are concerned that the creation of a ‘master key’ brings a risk of that key falling into the wrong hands.

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• Microsoft launches new Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus option
• Recovery can be 8x quicker than Cross-region Disaster Recovery
• Admins can select their preferred region for sovereignty

Microsoft has looked to up its data recovery options for users with the launch of a new Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus (DRP) offering.

The upgraded tool is designed for users requiring high-performance disaster recovery, so centers around faster recovery times, lower data loss risks and preallocated capacity.

Working much like the Cross-region Disaster Recovery solution, Disaster Recovery Plus replicates Cloud PC disk snapshots in an alternate region.

Microsoft adds an even more powerful disaster recovery option

“When it’s activated, users will be pointed to a temporary Cloud PC. During an outage, the user will have access to their temporary Cloud PC with all installed applications and settings based on the latest restore point," noted Windows 365 Cross-region Disaster Recovery (CRDR), Principal Product Manager Doug Coombs.

However, the temporary Cloud PC only serves to provide affected users with access to previously restored files, and does not act as a replacement for their primary system, meaning that no “applications, data, or other information will be preserved” – instead, users are urged to save work to OneDrive or SharePoint.

In a handy guide, Coombs confirmed users can choose from any geography or region that Windows 365 is available for their alternate region, allowing admins to consider other factors like data sovereignty.

“Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus provides enhanced disaster recovery capabilities such as a shorter Recovery Time Objective (RTO), preallocated capacity, and a shorter Recovery Point Objective (RPO) compared to Windows 365 Cross-region Disaster Recovery," he added.

Cloud PC tenants with up to 50,000 Cloud PCs in a region can expect recovery within four hours with CRDR, compared with under 30 minutes for DRP.

Windows 365 Disaster Recovery Plus is available in preview as a licensed add-on for Windows 365 Enterprise edition only, but it will be generally available by the spring.

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• Google accused of search and ads market monopolization
• The company could have to sell off Chrome and more, but is fighting back
• Execs meet with US government to discuss implications

Google representatives have met with the US government to try and talk the White House out of breaking up the company.

Reports from Bloomberg claim the company has argued splitting up its businesses could harm the American economy - but also affect national security.

The US Department of Justice is simultaneously exploring two antitrust cases against Google, concerning both its search market dominance and its online ads business.

Google says breakup would be bad for national security

A federal judge ruled Google illegally monopolized the search and advertising markets last year – Statcounter has it that Google accounts for nine in 10 online searches, with Bing coming in a very distant second place with just a 4% share of the market.

The most concerning remedy proposed by the DOJ in Google’s eyes is for it to sell off the Chrome browser, which accounts for two-thirds of all browser sessions globally (via separate Statcounter figures). Google could also be forced to end its exclusivity deals with the likes of Apple.

A trial to determine the outcome is scheduled for April 2025, and Google could know where it stands as soon as August, but there is hope for the company thanks to the special timing of these events. The Biden administration had tried to break up Google at the start of the investigations, however new Trump leadership could work in Google’s favor.

It’s not the first time that Google has pulled the national security card – in 2022, it and key rivals such as Amazon, Apple and Meta had been told to open up their networks to competitors. At the time, Google said such a move could weaken US tech competitiveness against China – a hot topic in today’s administration.

A Google spokesperson told TechRadar Pro: "We routinely meet with regulators, including with the DOJ to discuss this case. As we’ve publicly said, we’re concerned the current proposals would harm the American economy and national security."

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• Activo Volcano in-ear monitors are available now
• Triple-driver IEMs with 3.5mm, 4.5mm and USB-C connections
• $80 / £99 / about AU$127

If you're looking for high-spec in-ear monitors with a low price tag, Astell & Kern would like to help – or rather, its lifestyle sub-brand Activo would. After launching its fantastic Activo P1 hi-res audio player and equally-impressive Activo Q1 IEMs previously, the brand has announced a third family member: the Activo Volcano. And they're a fraction of the price you'd pay for the Q1.

The official price of the Q1 earbuds is $349 / £299 / about AU$600. But the new Volcano IEMs are just $80 / £99 / about AU$127 – and we suspect they'll be an amazing-value addition to the world of the best wired earbuds.

(Image credit: Activo) Volcano value

I'm intrigued by these new IEMs because I reviewed and still use the Q1, which I gave four and a half stars to in my Activo Q1 review. The most obvious difference is in how the Volcano IEMs look: they don't have the large brass housings and steel nozzles of the Q1, and there's a different driver inside too. Here you're getting a triple-driver setup comprising one 8mm dynamic driver and two 6mm ones.

The frequency response is the same as the Q1 at 20-20,000Hz, and sensitivity is 100dB/mW. Impedance is 16 ohms. The cable is a seven-strand silver-plated and five-strand oxygen-free copper wire hybrid with two-pin connectors at one end and a choice of 3.5mm, 4.4mm and USB-C connectors at the other.

The package includes the obligatory ear tips: three memory foam and three silicone. And while the weight hasn't been detailed yet the IEMs look a lot less chunky than the Q1; not a big deal for me but some reviews have suggested that the Q1 were a little too husky in a few cases.

At this price, the Volcano undercut several impressive rivals, including the mighty Sennheiser IE 200 earbuds. Their single dynamic driver covers a wider frequency range – 6Hz - 26kHz to the Volcano's 20Hz - 20kHz – but the Volcano are considerably cheaper: the Sennheisers are currently retailing for around $119 / £125.

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• Asus has given us the details of its RTX 5070 launch models
• Three versions of the RTX 5070 are being launched, and one is at MSRP
• However, the other two RTX 5070 variants look steeply priced, and there are hints that stock might be scarce (on top of rumors saying the same)

Asus has revealed details of its RTX 5070 graphics cards for the launch day of this new Nvidia GPU – which is today, in case it escaped your attention – and it’s not good news. Unfortunately, it more or less confirms our fears around the potential scarcity of stock, and likelihood of inflated pricing.

VideoCardz was keen-eyed enough to notice the post from Asus on Reddit outlining the RTX 5070 launch details, and there will be three models available to buy later today (in under a couple of hours, in theory).

The positive news is that there is a model from Asus which debuts at the official MSRP set by Nvidia, which is $550 in the US. This is the entry-level Prime flavor of the RTX 5070 (and presumably it’ll be in line with Nvidia’s recommended pricing in other regions, too).

If you want the Prime OC model, though – the overclocked version of this baseline graphics card – Asus has jacked up the asking price to $700.

You’ll need a fatter wallet still to avail yourself of the Asus TUF Gaming edition of the RTX 5070, which tips the scales at $740 – which I should note is only just shy of the MSRP of $750 for the RTX 5070 Ti, a far superior graphics card.

These are the prices you’ll find on the Asus online store in the US, and at other retailers which should follow these MSRPs. Furthermore, those are the only three models launching today, which as I’ll discuss next, is another ominous sign.

(Image credit: Friends Stock / Shutterstock) Analysis: Prime mover, but Prime OC – not so much

The fact that Asus is only kicking off with three RTX 5070 models is a pretty hefty hint that stock is going to be very light, as are the suggestions dropped elsewhere in that Reddit post. There is an Asus ROG Strix version of the RTX 5070, we’re told, but it isn’t going to be on sale from the get-go.

Asus states that: “Unfortunately, the ROG Strix cards will not be available Day 1. There is currently no ETA for when these cards will be available.”

That sounds pretty gloomy, then, and Asus doesn’t seem hopeful that the top-end model will be out anytime soon. When you consider this in the cold light of all the rumors about the RTX 5070 having poor levels of supply, once again it looks like this might be an Nvidia Blackwell launch of the paper-thin kind. A field day for scalpers and bots, if you will (again).

The pricing from Asus is worrying here, too, pushing what should be a mid-range GPU into upper-mid-range territory. Okay, so this is to be expected with some top-tier custom graphics cards, but what about the difference between the Asus Prime and Prime OC here – which is $700 vs $550 for a bit of an overclock on the latter. A 27% price increase, in other words.

Granted, we don’t know how much of an overclock it is – Asus still hasn’t listed the boost speeds for these cards, they are still ‘TBD’ on the official specs pages – but still, we can look at the same Prime and Prime OC variants of the RTX 5080 to get a good idea of what to expect.

So, what should you expect? In the case of the RTX 5080, the overclocked Prime heaps on a whole 45MHz to the max clock speed (reaching 2685MHz versus 2640MHz). Okay, so you will be getting a better build quality with the board, no doubt, and maybe more overclocking headroom for enthusiasts – but a price hike of 27% with the RTX 5070’s overclocked version of the Prime feels… opportunistic at best, cynical at worst.

Because Asus knows that these graphics cards are going to fly off the shelves, and so people will probably pay a sizeable premium to secure one (and avoid paying far more of a premium from a scalper, potentially).

At least the entry-level Prime is at its MSRP, but there’s some doubt around that too, with VideoCardz being skeptical about whether a price hike might be applied in short order following today’s launch. Will this card hold at the MSRP level beyond this week? Well, maybe, to be fair, as the base Prime model of the RTX 5070 Ti is still holding at $750 (on the Asus online store, and at Newegg, for example).

But that raises the question I already touched on: why buy the Asus TUF incarnation of the RTX 5070, which remember is pitched at $740, when you could get the Prime 5070 Ti variant instead, for just ten bucks more? (If it wasn’t out of stock, that is).

The Ti spin is so much better, after all, and it absolutely wouldn’t make sense to get the TUF 5070. Unless, of course, it’s the only model actually available, and you’re desperate to get a slice of Nvidia’s Blackwell action. That said, stock of the RTX 5070 is pretty much assured to be shaky at this point, given all the rumors, and so this question will probably be entirely theoretical later today, when sales of the RTX 5070 are live for a few milliseconds – and then inventory runs dry.

We shall see, but the way Asus has lined up pricing for these RTX 5070 models doesn’t make a lot of sense (aside from the perspective of pushing profits).

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• Microsoft UK CEO says AI can bring "sweeping changes"
• Possible half a trillion pound opportunity for AI and cloud UK economy over the next decade
• Microsoft set to celebrate 43 years in the UK in 2025

The new CEO of Microsoft UK has hailed the possible impact that AI can have on the nation’s organizations in a potentially challenging future business landscape.

Speaking at the company’s Microsoft AI Tour London event, Darren Hardman outlined how, “from lifesaving healthcare innovations to sustainable technologies that focus on enhancing social, economic and environmental impacts, AI is leading the way.”

“For the UK as a whole, AI has the power to recast the nation's growth ambitions and ensure our position as a global player in launching new AI businesses, but also cementing our position in the industries, in which we're strong,” he declared.

AI revolution

“Like the industrial revolution of the 19th century, our 21st century AI revolution represents the opportunity to bring sweeping changes to the global economy,” Hardman went on to say.

"For businesses, it's about innovating faster, optimizing processes, and having greater control about how we work, cutting the digital drudgery, removing the mundane, and doing more of the work that we love,” he added, "supercharging efficiency, enhancing services, and unlocking better outcomes for citizens.”

Hardman’s speech was accompanied by new Microsoft research which found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that business leaders are enthusiastic about the potential AI offers, with many keen to roll out technology such as AI agents.

Microsoft’s study found almost three quarters (72%) of leaders expected AI agents to be fully integrated across their operations soon, with 21% anticipating this to be within the next 12 months, and 39% within two years.

However the report also warned of a growing “AI Divide” between those business planning to embrace AI and those lacking investment or buy-in, with more than half (54%) of business leaders admitting their organization lacks any formal AI strategy, and worryingly, fewer than half (45%) say their firms properly understand the AI skills their workforce needs to be successful today.

Hardman struck an optimistic tone, declaring there is a half a trillion pound opportunity for AI and cloud UK economy over the next decade.

“There is a clear and urgent demand for AI in its many forms from developers to decision-makers across government, education and business,” he stated. “But more than that, economic growth depends on it.”

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Folding phones may promise a pocket-sized tablet experience, but there’s one unignorable difference between a foldable’s large inner display and a proper slate: the crease. It's a distraction, but Samsung Display might have finally fixed it with a design we could see adopted by the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Down the middle of a folding phone’s inner screen – along the hinge where it folds – is a crease that you can see and feel on all existing consumer models. Now, at MWC 2025 Samsung Display (the arm that works on TV and phone screen panels, and is a different entity to Samsung Electronics, which actually makes TVs, phones, and other gadgets) has showcased a creaseless foldable.

Some designs have taken steps in the right direction before. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a significantly less noticeable crease than the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and in some lights you can’t see it at all, and others that have followed – such as the Oppo Find N5 – made the crease even less distracting. But no phone eliminated the crease until now.

Images of Samsung Display’s new folding screen (via Android Central) show no visible crease from multiple viewing angles, with the improvements being highlighted by the clearly creased Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 on show next to the new tech on Samsung’s stand.

(Image credit: Future / Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)

This design is generating a lot of excitement along foldables fans – especially in the light of a few extra details I want to discuss below – but it’s worth noting that although Samsung Display and Electronics may be close collaborators, they are distinct, and while the creaseless display is ready to see the light of day, it may not have been ready when the Z Fold 7 (which is due to land sometime in July) was being designed.

So there’s a chance this new display will be held back until next-year’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 – and potentially even longer based on manufacturing challenges we don’t know about, or the screen’s cost. We won’t know until the Z Fold 7 launch later this year, but beyond the lack of crease there’s a few other design details which mean I’ve got all my fingers crossed for this screen to debut in Samsung’s 2025 foldables.

More than a creaseless screen

The first is a selfie camera change for the inner screen. Currently the Galaxy Z Fold line uses an under display snapper, but the new tech shows us a classic hole punch design. The under-display camera can blend in better when an image is full screen, but it’s never completely invisible and suffers a serious quality drop compared to typical selfie cams.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a hole punch and frankly I much prefer this design so I’m excited to see a Galaxy Z Fold 7 (or 8) with a hole punch.

Samsung could learn a lot from Google's Fold (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)

The other change is that the creaseless phone looks to be a bigger screen than the Z Fold 6 – with two halves that look more like a standard phone shape. A larger inner screen is never a bad thing, but it means we’ll also get a larger outer screen. The outer screen on the Z Fold 6 feels cramped, and its odd aspect ratio can cause issues with some apps, unlike the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and others that offer a more standard shaped outer screen.

This new creaseless design looks set to bring the next Samsung devices in line with its rivals size-wise.

It’s worth noting his could just be the style Samsung Display is demoing, and Samsung Electronics could make its creaseless foldable screen more closely match the existing shape and design of its existing foldables, but I for one hope this signals a major shakeup for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, 8 or whichever Samsung foldable gets this screen tech – it’s a much needed upgrade on all fronts.

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