Technology

Since the inception of the internet, passwords have been the primary authentication factor to gain access to online accounts. Yubico’s recent Global State of Authentication survey of 20,000 employees found that 58 percent still use a username and password to login to personal accounts, with 54 percent using this login method to access work accounts.

This is despite the fact that 80 percent of breaches today are a result of stolen login credentials from attacks like phishing. Because of this, passwords are widely understood by security experts as the most insecure authentication method that leaves individuals, organizations and their employees around the world vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated modern cyber attacks like phishing.

In fact, even passwords which are considered ‘strong’ by websites – i.e., they contain more than a dozen characters comprising uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols – can still be easily guessed or stolen by bad actors. Once they obtain the password, they can then bypass all legacy multi-factor authentication (MFA) systems and access individuals’ personal details with ease. Combined with the fact that people tend to reuse passwords across multiple accounts – which gives hackers the ability to breach multiple accounts with a single login – it becomes abundantly clear that passwords as an authentication method are flawed and extremely insecure in countless ways.

Surprisingly, there remains a lack of awareness regarding best practices for authentication: according to the same Yubico survey, 39 percent of individuals believe a username and password is the most secure form of authentication, while 37 percent consider mobile SMS one-time passcodes (OTPs) the most secure authentication method. While any form of MFA is superior to relying solely on a password, it’s important to recognize that not all MFA methods offer the same level of security. Traditional MFA techniques, including SMS-based OTPs and mobile authenticator applications, have significant vulnerabilities, with cyber criminals displaying an ability to easily circumvent these through phishing attacks.

As individuals and organizations become increasingly aware of the cyber risks associated with passwords and legacy MFA, enterprises have started to transition away from outdated authentication methods and move towards stronger, more cyber resilient technologies, in the form of phishing-resistant, passwordless solutions like passkeys.

A passwordless future with passkeys

Understanding the risks that passwords bring, organizations and individuals around the world are looking for a solution that provides improved security and a better user experience. Passkeys have taken the world by storm as the de facto authentication solution across apps and websites to replace passwords – helping both individuals and enterprises achieve this easily. Passkeys seamlessly authenticate users by using cryptographic security “keys” stored on their computer or device. They are considered a superior alternative to passwords since users are not required to recall or manually enter long sequences of characters that can be forgotten, stolen or intercepted.

As passwordless-enabled FIDO credentials, passkeys deliver phishing resistance and accelerate a move away from problematic passwords that are easily breached. Passkeys are utilized for logging into applications and services efficiently and safely, thereby improving both productivity and online security. For example, passkeys require verification of possession as well as the user's physical presence during the login process, which effectively safeguards them from interception or theft by remote cyber criminals.

Beyond enhanced security, accessibility is also improved significantly by using a passkey – highlighted by two different forms of passkey options: authentication protocols can either be stored in the cloud (synced passkey) or on a device like a hardware security key (device-bound passkey).Then, it is then exchanged effortlessly at login via a swipe, press, tap, or biometric gesture.

From a security perspective, passkey login makes it far more challenging for malicious actors to exploit credentials and gain unauthorized access since it utilizes public key cryptography based on mathematical principles. They can also be conveniently, and securely stored on hardware security keys, which offers a higher level of security as it prevents the passkey from being copied or shared across the cloud and other devices. However, each passkey option brings different benefits – and it’s important to understand which type is right for your situation and threat model.

The right passkey strategy for you

Firstly, it is important to establish the difference between synced and device-bound passkeys. Synced passkeys are primarily designed for broad consumer use rather than enterprises, and are stored in the cloud. This means the credentials can be copied across all the devices connected to a user’s account. For individuals and families sharing devices and accounts, this can be a big advantage. However, for organizations, this can create some concerning failure points and expose major flaws in key enterprise scenarios such as remote working and supply chain security.

Device-bound passkeys offer greater manageability and control of their FIDO credentials than synced passkeys - making them better suited for security savvy and high-risk individuals, as well as businesses. Device-bound means that authentication must originate from one particular piece of hardware separate from everyday devices, where the passkey cannot be copied or shared. Despite the lack of flexibility that comes with having to register each device separately, these solutions deliver higher security assurance as the only method of authentication is to possess a specific, previously registered device.

However, even within device-bound passkey options there are important differences: some options are located in general purpose everyday devices like smartphones and laptops, and others that reside in hardware security keys, that are recognized as offering the highest security assurance. Hardware security keys equip organizations with reliable credential lifecycle management and the necessary proof to validate the security of their credentials, ensuring enterprises can achieve optimal security and remain compliant with the most rigid requirements across different industries.

In cybersecurity, finding a balance between accessibility and security is imperative – and it is no different when considering passkeys. Enterprises should opt for a passkey solution that provides security and convenience in equal measure. The solution ought to enhance the security of online accounts and sensitive data, as well as protect users and the wider organization against phishing and unauthorized access, while at the same time allowing employees to take advantage of a seamless login experience.

As we navigate the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape, the integration of passwordless authentication, particularly through the widespread implementation of passkeys, will prove to be instrumental in protecting our digital identities and securing the systems and services that are integral to our daily lives.

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• Analyst firm Context has shared sales data for Q4 2024
• Copilot+ PCs didn’t see much growth, despite price cuts
• More affordable Arm-based Copilot+ PCs are likely to help Microsoft’s cause in 2025

Microsoft and its manufacturing partners reportedly dropped prices for Copilot+ PCs substantially at the tail-end of last year, but the cuts didn’t stimulate sales, according to an analyst firm – which could be a worry indeed for the future.

The Register highlighted the move seemingly made in the final quarter of 2024, in which these AI laptops were reduced by 10% - going by the average distributor sale price in Europe.

Marie-Christine Pygott, a senior analyst at Context, told The Register: “While price reductions helped stimulate some interest in Q4, the value proposition of these devices [Copilot+ PCs] still needs to be communicated more effectively to users.”

On a more positive note, Pygott added: “As the concept matures, awareness grows, and a greater range of price points is being addressed, we expect adoption rates to increase in 2025.”

The analyst tells us that more broadly, PC sales in Europe (for desktop computers and tablets, as well as laptops) witnessed some solid growth in the final quarter of last year, and sales for December were up 7% year-on-year, in fact.

During the quarter, AI-capable laptops saw their adoption rate grow to 32%, up from 22% in Q3 – but despite the upward movement, that didn’t match some forecasts (of 40% growth).

However, the definition of an AI-capable laptop is any device with an NPU to pep up AI workloads, no matter how strong that NPU is. Copilot+ PCs are a separate category within that, calling for a powerful NPU of at least 40 TOPS, and in that subdivision, growth was much weaker – it went from 3% to only 5%, according to Context.

Pygott told The Register that the leading notebooks in the world of AI PCs were Apple MacBooks (in Europe and the UK), but Lenovo and HP were making strong headway for market share (based on distributor sell-through data, we should note, not retailer sales).

Whereas Microsoft’s Surface devices are in pole position among the subcategory of Copilot+ PCs, unsurprisingly given how good these laptops are (the latest Surface Laptop is not just a great Copilot+ device, but also our best laptop overall, in fact).

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: Pricing and perception

We must be cautious around a single set of analyst figures, but the sales picture presented here does look rather weak. What to do, then, for Microsoft and its big Copilot+ PC project?

As Pygott points out, there are two obvious problems. Firstly, these devices were too costly at launch, and secondly, people don’t really understand what the AI in an ‘AI PC’ adds to the whole experience (with good reason, and we’ll come back to that).

As Pygott observes: “These [Copilot+ PCs] are currently in the premium price range, but their value add is not always clear to users. We believe this will change as it becomes clearer to users what these PCs can do, and how the way they use a PC will change with AI, but it will take some time.”

As to the issues around cost, as Pygott tells us, a “greater range of price points is being addressed,” which refers to the progress made in bringing in cheaper Snapdragon X chips. This will facilitate the release of more affordable Arm-based Copilot+ PCs (and Arm CPUs are still the majority for these devices).

First off, we had the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core processor arrive in September 2024 ushering in more affordable Copilot+ PCs around the $800 level. Then, the new vanilla Snapdragon X was revealed at CES 2025, and this promises to reduce the cost of these AI laptops to around the $600 mark.

The evolutions of these Arm-based notebooks may cut down the Snapdragon CPU, but crucially they do not mess with the powerful integrated NPU – it’s the same as in higher-tier Snapdragon chips – so they still fully qualify as Copilot+ PCs, just models in truly affordable territory (come Black Friday or the like, we might see $500 price tags). And that should go a long way to helping stoke sales, which, after all, have been predicted to really take off this year (and going forward into the rest of the decade).

The other sticking point of getting folks to realize the benefits of an AI-focused laptop is a trickier proposition, involving Microsoft bolstering the AI tricks infused in Windows 11, and particularly the Copilot+ PC exclusive features, naturally – such as Recall.

That’ll be the first order of the day – getting Recall out of testing, and working well so the feature sheds its controversial reputation (if indeed that is possible, at this stage of the game). But it feels like a tall order for Microsoft to have its suite of AI capabilities make a real impact on public perception, at least in 2025, anyway.

The danger is that if it takes a lot longer for that to happen, the Copilot+ PC project is going to be saddled with a sense of confusion and pointlessness around these devices, which won’t do the brand any favors.

On a more positive note, it’s not like good things aren’t being done with this category of devices – they certainly are. As noted, Microsoft’s latest Surface devices seriously impressed us here at TechRadar, and a Copilot+ PC from Asus was one of the most promising laptops we saw at CES 2025 recently. But while these might be great machines in many respects, the idea of where AI fits, and why it’s such a key aspect – when it isn’t really, not yet – remains the thorny issue.

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• Marc Benioff calls “this Copilot thing” “a huge disaster” for Microsoft
• He was responding to Satya Nadella who, on a completely different podcast, forecasted that software-as-a-service will collapse with the rise of easy-to-create AI chatbots
• Benioff also pointed out Microsoft is leveraging external technology with its deal with OpenAI - “they’re not even making the AI themselves”

Marc Benioff, the CEO of top CRM software firm Salesforce, has clapped back at his Microsoft counterpart Satya Nadella after the latter suggested software-as-a-service companies like Salesforce could go bust in the wake of the AI chatbot agent boom.

Speaking on The Logan Bartlett Show, Benioff claimed, “customers don’t look at them and don’t take them seriously”.

“I’ve spoken to these customers,” he went on, “they barely use it, and that’s only if they don’t already have a ChatGPT license or something like that in front of them.”

Salesforce’s Agentforce 2.0 platform

Benioff pointed out that Salesforce has its own “agentic platform” in production, while adding Microsoft “[isn’t] even making the AI themselves” - referring to its $10 billion USD investment into OpenAI - the company behind ChatGPT.

Nadella made his remarks on the Bg2 podcast in December 2024, albeit without referring to Salesforce by name.

Salesforce even launched Agentforce 2.0, an AI chatbot agent creation platform, in December 2024 - a clear effort to keep up with the AI trend, so it’s not entirely clear why he has Microsoft in his sights, because Microsoft doesn’t seem to have Salesforce on its own radar.

Benioff does have form for taking aim at Microsoft’s Copilot AI, mind you. At Dreamforce 2024, he compared Copilot to Microsoft’s erstwhile mascot Clippy, and has maintained that comparison in tweets.

Back in a missive from October 2024, he wrote “Copilot’s a flop because Microsoft lacks the data, metadata, and enterprise security models to create real corporate intelligence.”

Via IT Pro

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Netflix has revealed the full trailer for Apple Cider Vinegar, a new series launching on February 6, 2025 – and it looks like a relentless ride of outrageous influencer grifting.

Set during the early days of influencers really breaking out and becoming a dominant voice in the media, it follows self-styled two wellness gurus who both encourage a healthy diet and lifestyle to overcome cancer. Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever) builds an empire based on her diet that 'cured' her cancer… except she never had cancer in the first place.

The series looks like it'll dig deep into the delusions that take hold among competitive personalities in a world in which success defined by how many people will listen to you, and the fear of what will happen if someone else has a more compelling story is ever present.

It's described as "true-ish" by Netflix, which says it's based on a real person and real events, but with heavily fictionalized elements and characters added to tell the story in the way the creators want to… which is basically the norm for this kind of series, so it's nice that Netflix is acknowledging that more than usual. However, it's possible that this has less to do with conscientiousness, and more to do with the lawsuit over Baby Reindeer being a 'true' story.

Apple Cider Vinegar seems like it'll be a deep and unflinching look at the insecurity and desperation that leads someone down the path of inventing a third cancer to fake-survive, and how the structures of social media can support and encourage such behavior.

I think Kaitlyn Dever is an excellent actress who's been slightly underused since breaking out in Booksmart, though I did really enjoy No One Will Save You, and Dopesick was a big hit. Apple Cider Vinegar looks like it'll give her something really unhinged to chew on, and I'm absolutely here for that.

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• Biden wants to roll out more powerful AI data centers across the US
• “Frontier AI data centers” will be able to develop powerful AI models
• Operators must also factor in clean energy and security measures

US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to expedite the construction of data centers in the country.

The order outlines a focus on the development of domestic AI infrastructure, as well as plans for how the White House intends to improve national security while also addressing environmental concerns like clean energy generation.

Key to the order is that the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy must each identify three suitable sites for so-called “frontier AI data centers” by early 2025.

Biden wants the US to lead the way with AI data centers

The President described “frontier AI data centers” as facilities “capable of being used to develop, within a reasonable time frame, an AI model with characteristics related either to performance or to the computational resources used in its development that approximately match or surpass the state of the art at the time of the AI model’s development.”

As part of the intended data center expansion, President Biden said the operators must match their electricity consumption on an hourly basis with clean energy like geothermal, nuclear, wind, and solar.

Just days before he hands over office to Donald Trump, and in light of ongoing geopolitical tensions, Biden also said campuses should impose stringent physical and cyber security standards, including further along the supply chain.

“The executive order announced today will ensure the United States has the infrastructure — including large-scale data centers and clean power facilities — necessary to maintain America’s competitive advantage and safeguard our national security interests," noted Vice President Kamala Harris.

The news comes shortly after President-elect Trump confirmed Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani would invest $20 billion, or more, in America’s AI infrastructure.

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A few weeks ago, the 2025 Golden Globes kicked off the start of this year's awards season, with the first glitter-ball event of the year celebrating some of the best movies of 2024.

Now, it's the turn of the 2025 BAFTAs, whose nominations were announced today (January 15). And, just like the 2025 Golden Globes nominees list, this year's contingent has got us all talking about the surprises (and snubs) that are part (and not part) of its selection.

Edward Berger's religious thriller Conclave leads the pack with 12 nominations, while Emilia Perez (11) and The Brutalist (nine) follow closely behind. Of all of 2024's new movies that released in theaters and/or on the world's best streaming services, though, there's only one – the Zendaya-starring Challengers – that's stunned me over its lack of recognition.

Challengers received zero nominations at the 2025 BAFTAs (Image credit: Prime Video )

Being one of, if not the most memorable movie scores of 2024, the fact that Challengers wasn't considered worthy of a nod in that category is unforgivable in my eyes. Compared to this category's actual nominees – The Brutalist, Conclave, Emilia Pérez, Nosferatu, and The Wild Robot – it's a travesty that, at the very least, Challengers wasn't given the nod in this field. To say it's been overlooked in this category (or any category, for that fact) is an understatement. Here's hoping the Oscars committee sees more sense when this year's Academy Awards are revealed on January 19.

Despite my clear disappointment, this was – in my eyes, anyway – the 2025 BAFTA nominations list's only major disappointment. Indeed, seeing Rich Peppiatt's Kneecap receive six nominations was a welcome surprise, as was The Substance's Coralie Fargeat being the only female nominee for best director and Anora getting the same recognition as it did on the other side of the pond. Sure, Daniel Craig arguably deserved better for his performance in Queer but, given how competitive the Best Actor award always is at the BAFTAs, somehow had to miss out. And, unfortunately for Craig, he was this year's big omission.

BAFTA 2025 full nominees list: Conclave, The Brutalist, Kneecap, and more

Rich Peppiatt's Kneecap is nominated for six BAFTAs, including Outstanding British Film (Image credit: Prime Video )

Best Film

Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Outstanding British Film

Bird

Blitz

Conclave

Gladiator II

Hard Truths

Kneecap

Lee

Love Lies Bleeding

The Outrun

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Best Leading Actress

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths

Mikey Madison, Anora

Demi Moore, The Substance

Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun

Best Leading Actor

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Hugh Grant, Heretic

Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Best Supporting Actress

Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

Jamie Lee Curtis, The Last Showgirl

Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Best Supporting Actor

Yura Borisov, Anora

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing

Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Best Director

Anora, Sean Baker

The Brutalist, Brady Corbet

Conclave, Edward Berger

Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve

Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard

The Substance, Coralie Fargeat

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

Hoard

Kneecap

Monkey Man

Santosh

Sister Midnight

Best Film Not in the English Language

All We Imagine As Light

Emilia Pérez

I'm Still Here

Kneecap

The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Best Documentary

Black Box Diaries

Daughters

No Other Land

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Will & Harper

Best Animated Film

Flow

Inside Out 2

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Best Children's and Family Film

Flow

Kensuke's Kingdom

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Best Original Screenplay

Anora

The Brutalist

Kneecap

A Real Pain

The Substance

Best Adapted Screenplay

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Emilia Pérez

Nickel Boys

Sing Sing

EE Bafta Rising Star Award

Marisa Abela

Jharrel Jerome

David Jonsson

Mikey Madison

Nabhaan Rizwan

Best Original Score

The Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg

Conclave, Volker Bertelmann

Emilia Pérez, Camille, Clément Ducol

Nosferatu, Robin Carolan

The Wild Robot, Kris Bowers

Best Casting

Anora

The Apprentice

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Kneecap

Best Cinematography

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Nosferatu

Best Costume Design

Blitz

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Nosferatu

Wicked

Best Editing

Anora

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Kneecap

Best Production Design

The Brutalist

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Nosferatu

Wicked

Best Make-Up and Hair

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

Nosferatu

The Substance

Wicked

Best Sound

Blitz

Dune: Part Two

Gladiator II

The Substance

Wicked

Best Special Visual Effects

Better Man

Dune: Part Two

Gladiator II

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Wicked

Best British Short Film

The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing

Marion

Milk

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Stomach Bug

Best British Short Animation

Adiós

Mog's Christmas

Wander to Wonder

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• Nvidia will bring Frame Generation enhancements to the RTX 4000 series
• DLSS 4 will be accessible to all RTX GPUs
• This may prove to be beneficial for the longevity of older GPUs

During Nvidia's RTX 4000 GPU series launch in 2022, we saw plenty of criticism from PC gamers (including myself) regarding both the sky-high pricing and DLSS 3 with Frame Generation being exclusive to the new generation. This time around, with the new RTX 5000 series reveal, it seems Nvidia is making amends.

As highlighted by Wccftech, starting 30 January (the RTX 5090 and 5080 launch date), RTX 4000 series GPU owners will receive enhancements to Frame Generation, promising to use less VRAM while boosting performance with higher frame rates. That’s not all, either: all RTX GPUs will have access to the improved upscaling of DLSS 4, which is a massive change as all RTX 2000 and 3000 owners have only had access to DLSS 2 since way back in 2020.

While the new Multi Frame Generation feature will be exclusive to the RTX 5000 series (likely due to hardware requirements), these enhancements for the RTX 4000 series owners (using DLSS 4), may prove highly beneficial in improving performance across multiple games. Despite the online controversy surrounding Team Green's Frame Generation and the potential disregard for optimization from game developers, it's a nice gesture to maintain support for older GPUs, especially considering previous circumstances.

This should naturally be taken with a pinch of salt, but Nvidia's own showcase sees better framerates and less VRAM use with the improved Frame Generation for RTX 4000. (Image credit: Nvidia) Is there any need for an RTX 5000 series GPU now?

With DLSS 4 soon available for all RTX users and Frame Generation enhancements on the way for compatible GPUs, it begs the question - is there an urgent need to upgrade to the new RTX 5000 series? Honestly, I'm not sure, at least regarding the wallet-busting RTX 5080 or 5090 for now. While we’re still awaiting actual performance results, there's a strong chance that DLSS 4 will prove to be a massive benefit to the older GPUs.

I imagine that the leap from DLSS 2 to DLSS 4 for, say, an RTX 3060 GPU will work wonders at providing a performance boost - while it may not completely revolutionize performance, it could potentially net users a few more years of use from their current GPUs before they really need to start contemplating an upgrade.

Granted, when looking at the newly announced RTX 5070, its $549 / £539 / AU$1,109 price tag and Nvidia's claims of RTX 4090-level performance (while using DLSS 4 with frame-gen enabled, to be clear), I can say that upgrading to this GPU will likely end up being worth it for any PC gamers without sky-high budgets - but we'll have to wait and see once reviews are available.

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• Half of businesses are finding it hard to recruit the right talent
• LinkedIn's UK Jobs on the Rise list comprises brand-new and emerging roles
• Businesses are preparing to upskill workers with AI and sustainability

LinkedIn has identified a concerning trend among HR professionals, who now claim finding the right talent is harder than ever.

A new "UK Jobs on the Rise" report from the online recruitment platform revealed the time-consuming nature of candidate sourcing, with around one in four (23%) HR workers spending an average of three to five hours daily sifting through applications.

Moreover, two in five (42%) said not even half of the applicants meet all listed criteria, making it an unrewarding task.

Finding job candidates is getting harder

LinkedIn's data revealed two-fifths (41%) of candidates apply to more roles than ever, but they’re receiving fewer replies than previously. Now, more than half (54%) of job seekers and four in five (79%) HR workers say that the hiring process has become more difficult.

The challenges have been amplified by evolving skills demands across all industries, with the rise of AI-induced automation tweaking job roles in the name of operational efficiency.

Over half (55%) of the roles appearing on the UK Jobs on the Rise list didn’t even exist 25 years ago, with many new AI and sustainability roles emerging.

As a result, half (49%) of the HR professionals studied find it hard to find the right people with the necessary technical skills.

It’s not a story of lost hope, though, because two in three (65%) organizations intend to prioritize AI upskilling efforts, and a similar number (64%) will focus on sustainability.

Apart from AI’s effects on job opportunities, AI is also playing a crucial role in the hiring process. Two in three (67%) HR professionals believe AI makes it easier for them to find qualified candidates to the point that 45% are calling for more tech to streamline the process.

“With work and hiring changing so rapidly - the skills needed for jobs are expected to change 70% by 2030 - businesses must find a way to bridge any gaps within their organisations," LinkedIn UK Country Manager Janine Chamberlin commented.

Chamberlin added how, ultimately, a shifting landscape presents “a very exciting opportunity for both ojb seekers and leaders to think differently about skills and stay competitive.”

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• Microsoft unveils new Copilot Chat AI tool
• Available as part of existing Microsoft 365 subscription
• Copilot Chat brings AI creativity, collaboration and productivity gains

Microsoft is continuing its mission to get its Copilot AI platform in the hands of as many users as possible with a new expansion.

The company has announced Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat, an upgrade to the current free chat tool in its office software platform which will provide access to AI tools at no extra cost.

The move will mean everyone in your business can now get the most out of Copilot and AI agents, bringing workers at all levels up to speed on the latest technology.

Microsoft Copilot Chat

The new edition will provide a secure AI chat service powered by GPT-4o, with agents accessible directly within the chat.

It will be offered alongside the current $30 Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription, meaning customers can customize their AI investment for the needs of their workforce, and that access to agents can be priced on a metered basis.

All the existing familiar capabilities of Copilot will be included in the new chat services, with users able to upload any documents and then ask questions or have Copilot carry out tasks such as summarization or data analysis.

There's also access to Copilot Pages, allowing for greater collaboration across your business with co-workers and AI services, and the ability to create and add in AI-generated images to spice up your presentations.

AI agents can be created directly within Copilot Chat using natural language, hopefully boosting productivity and freeing up time previously spent on manual processes or tasks. Company-wide agents can also be created thanks to Copilot Studio, with agents deployed to all workers needing them.

"Copilot Chat enables your entire workforce — from customer service representatives to marketing leads to frontline technicians — to start using Copilot and agents today," Microsoft's Jared Spataro, CMO AI at Work, noted in a blog post.

"Moving forward, every organization will have a mix of Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot – our best-in-class offering – to drive AI transformation at scale."

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• EcoAir AVS inactivates virus particles using heat
• Traditional purifiers capture, rather than inactivating, harmful microbes
• EcoAir's claims have been independently verified by a scientific research company

We're all familiar with air purifiers, but air care appliance brand EcoAir has apparently gone one better, launching what it claims is the world's first air sterilizer. The EcoAir Anti-Covid AVS can apparently eliminate viruses and bacteria – including colds, flu, and (you guessed it) Covid – from the air.

Today's best air purifiers can only capture virus particles, not inactivate them – is this new approach your new best defense agains seasonal bugs? I got in touch with EcoAir co-founder and CEO Noel Fok to learn exactly how it works.

“A virus is not a living organism, so it can’t be killed. However, it can be inactivated or destroyed by exposure to heat," Fok explains. "The EcoAir AVS air sterilizer eliminates 99.9% of viruses by removing them from the air, passing them through Thermo-Clean tech, which reaches a core temperature of over 200C [392F], inactivating the harmful microbes."

He adds: "AVS will kill Bacteria because it is a living organism, through the same exposure to Thermo-Clean technology. In both cases the harmful microbes are disintegrated by the heat and not released back into the air.”

Those claims have been independently tested and verified by MRIGlobal – a research organization focused on health and safety innovations.

(Image credit: EcoAir)

Also notable is how quickly this 'air sterilizer' works. It can eliminate airborne viruses and bacteria in a single pass, and does so pretty much instantly, in just 0.01 seconds. Lab tests from MRIGlobal found the EcoAir AVS could inactivate 99.9% of viruses in a 30m³ room in 90 minutes.

The future of air purifiers?

I also asked Fok to explain more about the benefits of the EcoAir AVS in comparison to a regular air purifier. "Traditional air purifiers capture microbes and store them through the use of HEPA filters, which need to be changed, incurring additional expenses," he told me. "Inactivating the virus destroys it, meaning it cannot infect a living organism and become active, causing illness."

The EcoAir AVS does have a filter, but it's reusable and doesn't need to be changed that regularly. The nano silver filter should be washed every two weeks, and EcoAir suggests it's replaced every year.

There are also other, existing methods of destroying viruses and bacteria, although they're significantly slower than EcoAir AVS's 0.01-second process. ION systems take around 30 seconds and UV-C takes nine seconds, for instance.

While the practical results of this appliance are similar to that of a good air purifier, Fok's claims that the AVS represents "a huge breakthrough, not only for EcoAir but for the industry as a whole" could prove accurate. The new process certainly seems more thorough and efficient, and it's not significantly more expensive than a good air purifier either – the EcoAir Anti-Covid AVS is currently available to buy from the EcoAir website, priced at £349.98 (it's not currently available in the US or Australia, but that's equivalent to around $430 / AU$700). Could this be the new technology that changes the way we purify air?

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Chinese manufacturer Oppo, which also makes the OnePlus range of Android phones and wearables, looks set to debut a new watch next month, likely to be the OnePlus Watch 3. A promotional image, shared on Weibo by OPPO product manager Zhou Yibao, showcases a cool new feature: blood pressure monitoring, indicating hypertension risk.

Accurate blood pressure monitoring via LEDs remains a “holy grail” health feature for even the best smartwatches, proving frustratingly out of reach. The Huawei Watch D2 is the most accurate so far, including in its technology a strap packed with inflatable bladders, acting as a portable blood pressure cuff.

However, it doesn’t look like this feature will elude smartwatch manufacturers for much longer. We reported yesterday that Apple is likely to debut this technology in September, on the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3 and perhaps the Apple Watch SE 3, but Oppo might beat it to the punch, if this promotional image is any indication. We can't embed the image from Weibo, but you can view it here.

A report by Neowin.net indicates the OnePlus Watch 3, also referred to here as the Oppo Watch X2, is likely to launch next month in China, with an international release to follow.

(Image credit: Luke Baker)

Rather than wait until the blood pressure monitoring technology gets approval from the US Food & Drug Administation, or a similar governing body (FDA approval is a clear signifier of quality, and clears these features for medical use), it seems as though Oppo will follow the route Apple is expected to take, and use BP readings as an indication that you should get checked out by a medical professional.

This approach has served Apple, and other smartwatch manufacturers, well in the past: the Cupertino giant’s sleep apnoea detection feature it debuted on its Apple Watch Series 10 and watchOS 11 last year also provides an indication to see a medical professional only, rather than a clear diagnosis.

Apple doesn’t usually debut a feature unless it has a pretty good idea that it works: it’ll be interesting to compare this next generation of smartwatch features against a medical-grade blood pressure cuff to determine accuracy.

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Check out Kevin Costner's Western epic Horizon: An American Saga -- Chapter One, along with other great picks.

The Nokia Design Archive features some of the company’s wackier mobile ideas, including wearables, a touchscreen credit card, and a phone that lets you feel the texture of images.

• Hi-Res Audio via Sony's LDAC
• Hybrid ANC and fast recharging from flat
• $79.99 / £79.99 launch price (about AU$129)

There are three things I want from the best wireless headphones: high-quality audio, effective ANC, and decent battery life. The new Moondrop Edge wireless over-ears promise to deliver all three, and to do it for under eighty dollars (via Notebookcheck).

The Moondrop Edge are built around relatively large 40mm dynamic drivers, and have four microphones for ANC and dual microphones for clear voice calls. They support LDAC higher-quality audio streaming, and have an impressive specification for the price.

(Image credit: Moondrop) Moondrop Edge: key features and pricing

Moondrop's Edge over-ears have Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint and support for SBC, AAC and LDAC audio. Battery life is a promised 48 hours (with ANC off) and you can recharge from flat in about 1.5 hours. Five minutes of fast charging will give you four hours of playback.

I haven't heard these headphones, but the general consensus on the brand's other headphones and earbuds is that they deliver solid performance and good value for money. We were also fans of Moondrop's portable CD player here on TechRadar – the company clearly has an eye for style.

The design of the Edge looks similar to the Cambridge Audio Melomania P100, with a nice flash of contrast from the angled arms connecting to the headband. Simple but effective, and not boring – it's nice.

The Moondrop Edge headphones are available now from Amazon with a price tag of $79.99 / £79.99. You can see them at Amazon US here, or at Amazon UK here.

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• The FBI and international partners sent a self-destruct command to PlugX malware
• More than 4,000 computers in the US alone were cleaned as a result
• The malware was developed by a Chinese state-sponsored group

French cybersecurity firms and law enforcement agents, together with partners from the United States, have successfully removed Chinese-built malware from thousands of infected PCs.

In a press release shared on the US Justice Department (DoJ) website, it was said a Chinese state-sponsored threat actor called Twill Typhoon (AKA Mustang Panda) built a custom version of the PlugX malware which can “infect, control, and steal information from victim computers.”

“Since at least 2014, Mustang Panda hackers then infiltrated thousands of computer systems in campaigns targeting U.S. victims, as well as European and Asian governments and businesses, and Chinese dissident groups,” the DoJ said.

Kill switch

Mustang Panda is a known Chinese cyber-espionage group previously observed targeting government, academic, and religious organizations, particularly in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States.

The group is recognized for its use of spear-phishing campaigns and custom malware, such as the PlugX backdoor, to steal sensitive information. Their activities often align with China's strategic interests, since they are focused on cyber-espionage and surveillance, rather than profit or disruption.

However, cybersecurity researchers from the French outfit Sekoia.io found a way to communicate through PlugX’s command & control (C2) infrastructure, allowing them to order the malware to self-destruct.

After obtaining the necessary court orders, the researchers, together with the Cyber Division of the Paris Prosecution Office, French Gendarmerie Cyber Unit C3N, the FBI, and the DoJ, ran the campaign and successfully removed the malware from infected computers.

The DoJ said that just in the United States alone, 4,258 were cleansed.

Commenting on the operation, US Attorney Jacqueline Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, slammed Chinese “reckless” and “aggressive” hackers.

“This wide-ranging hack and long-term infection of thousands of Windows-based computers, including many home computers in the United States, demonstrates the recklessness and aggressiveness of PRC state-sponsored hackers,” she said.

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• Sansui will make three sizes of OLED TV in 2025: 55, 65 and 77 inches
• 4K OLED panels with Google TV, Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision
• Current version was launched with a price of $799

We've got good and bad news about the cheaper competitors for our list of the best OLED TVs in 2025. The good news is that Sansui will bring a new range of more-affordable OLEDs out in 2025, following its 2024 range. And the bad is that the choice overall still won't be very big, because LG is actually cutting back on its own options.

LG's told TechRadar that it's cheaper LG B5 will only come in two sizes: 65 inches and either 55 or 77 inches (but it wasn't able to confirm at the time), and LG already stopped its super-cheap A-series of TVs in the UK and US. And while the UK may get an affordable OLED option from Philips TVs, it hasn't announced any new models yet, and it's very unlikely to be available in the US.

That means for US buyers, the choice of cheap OLED TVs is going to come down to the two LG sizes and the three Sansui sizes, so at least we're getting the extra size flexibility from Sansui. So how do the Sansui models compare?

Sansui's affordable OLEDs for 2025 are cheap and cheerful

The Sansui line-up for 2025 comes in 55 inches, 65 inches and 77 inches. Each model has a 120Hz 4K W-OLED panel manufactured by LG Display, and each one has support for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. They'll be running Google TV and will have two HDMI 2.1 connections with ALLM and VRR for gamers… and an enhanced Karaoke Mode, which is something you don't hear enough about in TVs, if you ask me.

We don't yet know the price – the TVs won't be coming out until the second quarter of 2025 – but in a press release Sansui says it intends to continue as "the most affordable OLED on the market." Given that last year's model launched at just $799 for the 55-inch model, we'd expect the 2025 to be priced very aggressively too. For comparison, the launch price of the LG B4 was $1,399, so Sansui is being very aggressive here.

We'll have to test the TVs to see how that price difference affects performance, and sadly we don't expect the Sansui models to come to the UK – but for US buyers who want a budget OLED, at least someone's keeping the flag flying.

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• More TVs are set to get up to four HDMI 2.1 ports in 2025
• Mediatek's new 800-series chip will allow more than two HDMI 2.1 ports
• Hisense is the first brand to confirm it will benefit from this upgrade

More TVs are set to get up to four HDMI 2.1 ports in 2025 thanks to Mediatek's latest chip, paving the way for new models to join the ranks of the best gaming TVs.

HDMI 2.1 allows for up to 4K, 120Hz for gaming consoles, such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X, (4K, 165Hz for PC gaming) and enhanced audio (eARC) formats, such as Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, in TVs.

LG and Samsung, makers of some of the best TVs, already have four HDMI 2.1 ports on a large portion of their TVs, such as the LG C4 OLED and Samsung Q80D. Combining this with their extensive gaming features, LG and Samsung are often the best gaming TVs on the market.

LG and Samsung use a different chip from Mediatek, whose chips until now have been limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports, meaning those with multiple consoles and one of the best soundbars have had to look elsewhere or swap cables around.

As reported by FlatpanelsHD, however, Mediatek's latest chip, the Pentonic 800, allows for up to four HDMI 2.1 ports. Hisense is the first brand other than LG or Samsung to confirm that some of its 2025 TVs will have four HDMI 2.1 ports, including the 116-inch UX RGB mini-LED and the U9Q and U8Q, which were all announced at CES 2025. The news was highlighted by Vincent Teoh on X (formerly Twitter):

BREAKING: Hisense's higher-end 2025 TVs (MicroLED TVs, 116UX, U9Q, U8Q, U7Q Pro) announced at #ces2025 will use the Mediatek Pentonic 800 chipset, paving the way for 4x full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports with FRL signalling, as well as 4K 165Hz VRR support. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/M4YD0BNCIXJanuary 13, 2025

It's suggested that some of Hisense's models will support 4K, 165Hz, much like the LG G5 OLED and Samsung S95F OLED, both brands' respective flagship OLED TVs.

It's also worth noting that in some markets, some of Hisense's sets will have three HDMI 2.1 ports and the fourth will be replaced by a USB-C DisplayPort for PC gaming.

More competition in gaming TVs

When we look for the best gaming TVs here at TechRadar, having four HDMI 2.1 ports is a big plus point. This allows gamers to have multiple consoles and a soundbar connected without the need to swap any connections, which can be difficult if you have your TV wall-mounted for example.

This is why LG and Samsung have often dominated the gaming TV market, despite brands like Hisense, TCL, Panasonic, Sony and Philips all offering an excellent array of gaming features such as 4K, 120Hz (sometimes 4K, 144Hz), VRR, ALLM and Dolby Vision gaming (something Samsung doesn't offer).

With Mediatek's new Pentonic 800 chip however, this gives these other brands a chance to catch up to LG and Samsung, making the battleground for gaming TVs in 2025 that much more competitive. And when there's more competitiveness between brands, it's only good news for us.

LG and Samsung TVs do still generally offer better performance, thanks to lower input lag times compared to the likes of Hisense, TCL, and others, so we'll have to wait and see whether these other brands can offer this as well as more HDMI 2.1 ports. We can't get wait to get testing, that's for sure!

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