Technology

Jimmy Fallon is a nerd. That's the only explanation possible after I witnessed The Tonight Show star and SNL alum describe, unprompted, what the "6" and "8" in IP68 signify.

It was about mid-point through the hour-plus long Made By Google presentation in Steiner Studios in Brooklyn on Wednesday (Aug 20) when Fallon explained that 6 stands for dust and 8 stands for water in reference to the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold's first-of-its-kind IP68 rating.

Granted, Fallon then took it a step too far and started describing protective capabilities that made a Google marketing rep squirm and remind the host that there "were lawyers in the audience."

This was one of the high points in a rather unusual tech product launch event. It was strange for tech media like me because Google allowed us to publish our hands on impression of the new Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Google Pixel Buds 2a, and Pixel Watch 4, an hour before Fallon and an assortment of Google execs, influencers, podcasts, and popstars took the stage.

Rick Osterloh (left) and Jimmy Fallon (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The low point was when Google Hardware chief Rick Osterloh promised, essentially, one more thing, and all we got was an ill-defined role for Stephen Curry as a new Performance Advisor for Google Health. Curry wasn't even there in person. Instead, we watched a video of his mildly amusing, fake job interview.

I had, for a hot second, thought we might see Android XR-powered Project Moohan or some variation of Google's latest AR glasses efforts. I hoped that we might even have some hands-on with AR glasses featuring the latest version of Gemini Live.

Just imagine how cool it would have been to see Jimmy Fallon wearing and using those things. He was game for anything, and I'm sure he would have loved it.

Jimmy Fallon and a Gogole marketing exec. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

The lack of the really big one more thing, and that the world was reading about all Google's hardware and AI/Gemini-software updates before Fallon and Osterloh said a single word, sucked a bit of the life out of the whole affair.

Granted, I enjoyed the demos and am still blown away by the live call translations. I think Fallon was honestly tickled at hearing his own voice speak fluent Spanish on the other side of a phone call. This is a cool and powerful feature people will be talking about for a long time.

You can't go home again

Almost a decade after Google unveiled its first Pixel phone and a raft of Google Home products and features like Google WiFi, Nest devices, and Google Assistant, Google paid what I consider little attention to that side of the business.

Google may be pouring money and time into Gemini – and it should – but Google Home is increasingly feeling like a poor relation. When I switched some of my old Nest devices to Google Home (Google left me no choice), they actually lost some features.

Google Home isn't a particularly good smart home management hub, though I think it could get better with Gemini, and I am pleased that Google announced plans to put Gemini in charge of the home (with Gemini for Home). But Google didn't give us a single live demonstration of these capabilities, and so I remain unconvinced about how, as Google shifts Google Assistant out of the picture, Gemini will improve my smart home control ecosystem.

With zero Google Home, Nest hardware updates (though Google promises they're coming soon), I worry that Google is losing interest in the smart home space. I know that's not true, but Made by Google was a moment where Google could've shown us its vision for the future of AI-managed smart homes with their hardware dotted around the house and Gemini at the center.

One or two live demonstrations would've made all the difference, but we got none.

Jimmy Fallon (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Some, though, may applaud Google for its focus. By pulling the usual, by-the-numbers product reveals out of the event, Fallon and company could focus on buzzy features and not get stuck in the minutiae of components, materials, prices, and ship dates.

This made the event, as was Google's intention, more like a TV show (there was even a TV show-style crowd warmer), and who better to host such a show than Jimmy Fallon?

The crowd warmer (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

He even had celebrity guests like Call Her Daddy podcaster Alex Cooper, who is tech-savvy enough to show off various AI photo features, and at the end, Nick Jonas. The singer did not sing, but he did introduce a new Jonas Brothers music video shot entirely on Pixel phones. That was fun, but I can also see that on YouTube, which Google's parent Alphabet also owns.

With zero surprises and no home tech, it wasn't a perfect unveiling, but at least we have all these cool new Pixel gadgets to admire.

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) @techradar

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The Google Pixel Watch 4 has been revealed, and you can check out our first impressions along with the next crop of phones – Google Pixel 10, Google Pixel 10 Pro and Google Pixel 10 Fold – and the Google Pixel Buds 2a headphones.

While there are plenty of features to get excited about, including on-device Gemini, the gorgeous new 3,000-nit domed display, and the improved battery life, there's one feature I'm really happy about, especially due to its implications for the rest of the wearable technology industry. Of all the companies that were going to crack this feature first, I wouldn't have picked Google, yet here we are.

In a move towards longevity and sustainability, Google has introduced replaceable batteries and screens to its Pixel Watch series. The Google Pixel Watch 4's case can be unscrewed, allowing users to remove and replace parts. Google will sell the parts during the Pixel Watch 4's life cycle and up to two years after it's discontinued.

Fantastic (Pixel Watch) 4: First Steps

(Image credit: Google)

Google not only now offers smartwatch repair services for the Pixel Watch 4, but it's also enabled home repairs for the battery and display by partnering with iFixit just as it's done for phones. Despite the fact anyone with a Torx screwdriver and a bit of patience can replace the battery or display on the Watch 4, according to this WIRED report, it even manages to retain its waterproofing.

This is a first for Google, and really there's not much traction on ideas like this in the smartwatch industry as a whole. I've been reviewing smartwatches for years, and most mainstream watches – including those from the likes of Apple, Samsung and Garmin – are designed as sealed units. Once they croak (be it from a sudden crack or drop on concrete, or a gradual wearing down of the battery) they are designed to be thrown away and completely replaced.

In an age of consumption, Google's throwing a welcome bone to longevity here. Depending on the price of the replacement parts (which Google hasn't yet revealed) this initiative could save users money, as they're able to repair rather than replace their old tech.

In addition, it's also a very welcome prospect from an environmental perspective. E-waste is a growing problem, and one that other companies frequently pay lip service to. Apple does offer in-house watch services and repairs via its AppleCare+ scheme, but draws the line at home repairs. If you haven't shelled out for AppleCare, you'll have to pay a one-time fee and shop your watch in while Apple repairs it. Depending on the age of your watch, this fee and inconvenience could be enough to consider throwing it away and upgrading.

Apple made much about the carbon-neutral production of its latest couple of crops of smartwatches, even casting Octavia Spencer to play Mother Earth in a skit two years ago. But while Apple may be offsetting carbon from its production, it's still producing like crazy, churning out annual product releases and enormous volumes of units. It's hardly anti-consumption.

While all the lithium from Google's replacement batteries isn't exactly virtuous, a repairable device is a step in the right direction. You're not throwing away perfectly good electronics just because one part has failed: much like a PC or an older Android device, the Google Pixel Watch 4 can be taken apart and replaced. Perhaps one day, it could even be modded, installing a battery from the Pixel Watch 5 range if compatible. A great start to the scheme.

Future imperfect

(Image credit: Evan Blass)

It's not all sunshine and roses, however: the need to open up the back has resulted in a change for the Pixel Watch 4's charging port. Rather than opt for a magnetic or pin-based proprietary puck, like previous incarnations, this charging dock is positioned on the side of the device, allowing the Pebble design to stand up like a little alarm clock.

It's cute, and Google has definitely made the best of it with a rotating display and by positioning the digital crown straight upwards, like the snooze button on a real alarm clock. However, there's no doubt we'll see frustration in some corners about the third proprietary charger in as many years – and there's definitely a sense this is a waste of plastic.

For all its faults, Apple has at least stuck with the same charger for nigh-on a decade, so it can be used interchangeably with different watches. However, if Google is intending to keep its devices repairable, this might be the winning design and taken forward to use with next year's model – and there's no denying that the 'little alarm clock' idea feels like a winner.

A better tomorrow

Despite Google and its parent company Alphabet's energy-hungry lust for AI and its greediness for all our data, I'm pleased one of the major tech firms took a small step away from forcing us to buy more stuff we don't need, and instead taking us back to the days in which our watches, our phones, our computers and other essential technologies were repairable and lasted longer.

Here's hoping it's a massive success, encouraging more companies to adopt similar or even standardized, interchangeable replacements (hah, what a pipe dream!) creating a more ethical, sustainable wearables industry.

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• AI teams still favor Nvidia, but rivals like Google, AMD and Intel are growing their share
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AI hardware spending is beginning to evolve as teams weigh performance, financial considerations, and scalability, new research has claimed.

Liquid Web’s latest AI hardware study surveyed 252 trained AI professionals, and found while Nvidia remains comfortably the most used hardware supplier, its rivals are increasingly gaining traction.

Nearly one third of respondents reported using alternatives such as Google TPUs, AMD GPUs, or Intel chips for at least some part of their workloads.

The pitfalls of skipping due diligence

The sample size is admittedly small, so does not capture the full scale of global adoption, but the results do show a clear shift in how teams are beginning to think about infrastructure.

A single team can deploy hundreds of GPUs, so even limited adoption of non-Nvidia options can make a big difference to the hardware footprint.

Nvidia is still preferred by over two-thirds (68%) of surveyed teams, and many buyers don’t rigorously compare alternatives before deciding.

About 28% of those surveyed admitted to skipping structured evaluations and in some cases, that lack of testing led to mismatched infrastructure and underpowered setups.

“Our research shows that skipping due diligence leads to delayed or canceled initiatives - a costly mistake in a fast-moving industry,” said Ryan MacDonald, CTO at Liquid Web.

Familiarity and past experience are among the strongest drivers of GPU choice. Forty three percent of participants cited those factors, compared with 35% who valued cost and 37% who went for performance testing.

Budget limitations also weigh heavily, with 42% scaling back projects and 14% canceling them entirely thanks to hardware shortages or costs.

Hybrid and cloud-based solutions are becoming standard. More than half of respondents said they use both on-premises and cloud systems, and many expect to increase cloud spending as the year goes on.

Dedicated GPU hosting is seen by some as a way of avoiding the performance losses that come with shared or fractionalized hardware.

Energy use continues to be challenging. While 45% recognized efficiency as important, only 13% actively optimized for it. Many also regretted power, cooling, and supply chain setbacks.

While Nvidia continues to dominate the market, it’s clear that the competition is closing the gap. Teams are finding that balancing cost, efficiency, and reliability is almost as important as raw performance when building AI infrastructure.

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• Intel Shared GPU memory benefits LLMs
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Intel has added a new capability to its Core Ultra systems which echoes an earlier move from AMD.

The feature, known as "Shared GPU Memory Override," allows users to allocate additional system RAM for use by integrated graphics.

This development is targeted at machines that rely on integrated solutions rather than discrete GPUs, a category that includes many compact laptops and mobile workstation models.

Memory allocation and gaming performance

Bob Duffy, who leads Graphics and AI Evangelism at Intel, confirmed the update and advised that the latest Intel Arc drivers are required to enable the function.

The change is presented as a way of enhancing system flexibility, particularly for users interested in AI tools and workloads that depend on memory availability.

The introduction of extra shared memory is not automatically a benefit for every application, as testing has shown that some games may load larger textures if more memory is available, which can actually cause performance to dip rather than improve.

AMD’s earlier "Variable Graphics Memory" was framed largely as a gaming enhancement, especially when combined with AFMF.

That combination allowed more game assets to be stored directly in memory, which sometimes produced measurable gains.

Although the impact was not universal, results varied depending on the software in question.

Intel’s adoption of a comparable system suggests it is keen to remain competitive, although skepticism remains over how broadly it will benefit everyday users.

While gamers may see mixed outcomes, those working with local models could stand to gain more from Intel’s approach.

Running large language models locally is becoming increasingly common, and these workloads are often limited by available memory.

By extending the pool of RAM available to integrated graphics, Intel is positioning its systems to handle larger models that would otherwise be constrained.

This may allow users to offload more of the model onto VRAM, reducing bottlenecks and improving stability when running AI tools.

For researchers and developers without access to a discrete GPU, this could offer a modest but useful improvement.

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Cybercriminals have been found using Skype messenger to deliver Remote Access Trojans (RAT) malware, compromising victim's computers and opening the doors for devastating stage-two attacks.

Cybersecurity researchers at Kaspersky recently uncovered a previously unseen malware variant called GodRAT being distributed via malicious screensaver files, disguised as financial documents.

Unusually, the miscreants were delivering the malware to their victims via Skype messenger until March 2025, when they pivoted to other channels.

GodRAT malware being spread

First off, the hackers would share fake financial data in an image file. By using steganography, they would hide shellcode in the files which, when activated, downloads the GodRAT malware from a third-party server.

The RAT harvests operating system details, local hostname, malware process name and process ID, the user account associated with the malware process, installed antivirus software, and the presence of a capture driver.

After that, GodRAT can receive additional plugins, depending on the initial information shared with the attackers. These plugins can be file explorers, or password stealers.

In some cases, the crooks used GodRAT to deploy AsyncRAT, a secondary implant that granted them prolonged, if not permanent, access.

“GodRAT appears to be an evolution of AwesomePuppet, which was reported by Kaspersky in 2023 and is likely linked to the Winnti APT. Its distribution methods, rare command-line parameters, code similarities with Gh0st RAT, and shared artifacts - such as a distinctive fingerprint header - suggest a common origin,” said Saurabh Sharma, Security Researcher at Kaspersky GReAT.

“The discovery of GodRAT demonstrates how such long-known tools can remain relevant in today’s cybersecurity landscape,”

Kaspersky did not discuss the number of victims, or potential success rate of the campaign, but it did stress that the victims were mostly small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in UAE, Hong Kong, Jordan, and Lebanon.

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