Technology

• Twitch has revealed that user streams are training Amazon’s AI
• You have to actively opt out to prevent this from happening
• The community has reacted with fury over the move

If there’s one thing a sizeable proportion of the population hates more than artificial intelligence (AI), it’s being opted in to having their data automatically fed into an AI for training. Yet that’s exactly what’s going to happen to your Twitch streams unless you specifically opt out.

The issue came to light when the official @TwitchSupport posted on X to explain that “We’ve added a setting that lets you opt out of having your channel content used to train generative AI content models across Amazon.”

According to an FAQ on Twitch’s account settings support page, data used for training AI includes “Your stream and the stream’s chat, your VODs, your Clips, Highlights, and any text or images on your Channel.”

Notably, neither the @TwitchSupport post nor Twitch’s FAQ provided steps on how you can opt out. If you want to do that, you’ll need to click on your Twitch profile picture and go to Settings > Security and Privacy, then untick the toggle next to Training for Generative AI near the bottom of the page.

It’s worth being aware that opting out of AI training does not mean you won’t see any AI features on Twitch. The website says that it “may also still use your data to run AI-supported features,” including captioning, while other AI tools like AutoMod will still function for safety and security reasons. However, the difference is that these AI features do not retain and use your streams to generate new content.

As well as that, Twitch warns that “If you chat on someone else’s stream, their opt-out preferences govern if that chat can be used for training.” So even opting your own stream out doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be spared from feeding Amazon’s AI when you visit another user’s page.

A highly divisive move

(Image credit: NurPhoto (Getty Images))

It’s safe to say that this move has not gone down well with Twitch users. One Redditor branded it “absolutely disgusting,” adding that there are “over 13,000 votes on their uservoice thread saying no to this, and they still made it on by default.”

Other people speculated that this might have been a move forced on Twitch by its owner Amazon. Popular Twitch streamer AnEternalEnigma commented on Reddit to say that the AI training move was made “because it was Daddy Amazon’s decision. Not Twitch’s. I know for a fact multiple people at Twitch internally fought against this and fought for the opt-out button.”

A recent recording of a discussion between Mike Minton, Twitch’s Chief Product Officer, and Twitch’s Head of Community Mary Kish lent some weight to this argument. In explaining why AI training is not opt in, Minton said bluntly that “if it was opt in, nobody would opt in.”

In a revealing comment, Minton then added: “I know this is not a fan favorite. I know it’s very upsetting to the community. But this is where we are.” That doesn’t exactly sound like a ringing endorsement of a feature that Minton is excited about, and the “but this is where we are” admission seems to imply that the decision was out of his hands.

Kish later commented to say: “The opt out numbers will help us continue to reiterate that our community is not receptive of AI in any form. I’m sorry but I am reading your comments and do hear you.”

If you watch the video and read Kish’s words, it seems clear that neither Minton nor Kish were keen on the decision to make AI training opt out instead of opt in. As Kish said during the livestream discussion, “We don’t expect you to be happy or excited about this. I don’t expect anyone to react to this favorably.”

If you don’t want your Twitch streams to be vacuumed up and fed into Amazon’s AI algorithm, make sure you opt out in your Twitch settings as soon as you can. And while you’re at it, it would be a good idea to check any accounts you have at other AI companies to ensure your data is not being treated in a similar way.

• US government to allow private firms to conduct legal cyberattacks on foreign organizations targeting Americans
• Firms will be allowed to disrupt and destroy physical and virtual information systems and networks
• US victims of cyber scams and fraud lose around $20,000

President Trump has signed a memo which allows private US firms to partner with the US government in operations designed to surveille and disrupt Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs).

According to the memo, the partnership “will enhance our ability to counter TCO threats and combat transnational cybercrime, fraud, and other predatory schemes against American citizens,” essentially turning private companies into privateers with the ability to launch cyber attacks against foreign entities.

The memo marks a significant shift in how the US tackles foreign cybercrime. “American businesses’ innovative capabilities have historically been underutilized in efforts to identify and disrupt criminal networks operating in cyberspace,” the memo states. But what does this actually mean in practice?

US to leverage private sector for cyber defense

The US is the most targeted country in the world for cyber attacks and cybercrime, with 6.7 million victims losing $138.9 billion in the last year, placing the average loss per-victim at around $20,731.

The program will effectively create a global cyber surveillance network that acts as an early warning system against attacks targeting critical national infrastructure, such as the recent Iranian attacks targeting over 30 US water systems. Private companies that “discover an imminent cyber-attack against United States critical infrastructure” will be required to notify the National Coordination Center (NCC).

The US government isn’t just looking to work alongside the big tech companies. Big companies will be part of the picture to “provide critical capacity,” but smaller companies will also have the opportunity to become involved with the program as they are “more agile,” and “may be better suited for specialized or discrete tasks.”

When a threat is detected, private companies will put together a “cyber operations package” to be reviewed and approved by the Program Executive Directors. These packages will likely include plans for surveillance and offensive cyber operations.

Private companies looking to become part of the program will be vetted according to government guidelines, and will have to operate within a set of operating procedures under the oversight of the federal government. “No operation may be approved unless it complies with these operating procedures,” the memo says.

There is however a caveat that those involved within the program must “maintain a bond or escrow in an amount not less than $1 million,” which would be forfeit should a private company “enter non‑compliance with its contractual agreement.”

The memo also sets our parameters to prevent private companies from accidentally or intentionally targeting US citizens, or US information systems at home and abroad, with the company required to “cease such operation, conduct minimization procedures, and immediately notify the NCC,” in the event that a company “discovers operational activity exceeding the parameters and restrictions of the cyber operation”.

Additionally, “any activity authorized by the Program must be conducted subject to the oversight, operational control, and legal authorities of the United States Government”.

The memo is the latest step in the Trump administration’s efforts to allow private companies to legally launch cyberattacks on behalf of the US government. “The American private sector is the most innovative and technologically advanced in the world, and its scale, speed, and capacity secure a critical offensive cyber advantage for the United States,” the memo states.

The program will also put together a report on its progress every year, as well as reviewing the performance of each private company within the program within the same time frame.

• Garmin has apparently filed documentation for a smart ring
• It seems to be carrying over the Cirqa branding from the fitness tracker
• The device could potentially launch in the coming months

It seems Garmin is on a tear when it comes to expanding its range of fitness wearables: having challenged Whoop with the launch of the screenless Cirqa band in July, it's now apparently mulling over taking on the likes of Oura with its very own smart ring.

As per an Indonesian certification filing spotted by the rumor site Garmin News, the proposed smart ring would carry on the 'Cirqa' branding. It's categorized as a 'fitness product', and is a strong sign that a Garmin smart ring is coming — though not quite a guarantee.

Garmin has previously played down the idea of launching a smart ring to go with all of its smartwatches, but it seems something may have now shifted. It's not clear exactly when we might see the Cirqa smart ring, but a launch within a few months seems likely if the rumor is true; according to Garmin News, upcoming devices 'usually show up in database approvals right before manufacturing'.

The smart ring market is certainly a competitive one, with the recent launches of the Oura Ring 5 and the Ultrahuman Ring Pro. There have also been persistent rumors that Apple might eventually launch a smart ring to go alongside the Apple Watch.

What I want to see

The Oura Ring 5 (Image credit: Oura)

I already have a Garmin Instinct 3 Solar which I love, for the breadth of its tracking features and the excellent battery life (the solar aspect helps here). If Garmin gets it right with the Cirqa ring, I could be tempted to invest in another fitness wearable.

First and foremost, it has to be thin and light enough that I forget I'm wearing it. As great as my Instinct 3 is, it is bulky, and it's not particularly comfortable to wear during strenuous exercise or while sleeping (I tend to use my phone as a sleep tracker instead).

Secondly — and apologies for being very predictable here — it has to offer excellent battery life. Smart rings work best when they're worn constantly. This is an area Garmin has done well in historically, so I'm quite confident here.

Thirdly, I'd like to see it offer as full a range of features as possible, without a Garmin Connect+ subscription. The subscription has already caused enough controversy, and if too many of the Cirqa smart ring features are paywalled, it'll be a no thanks from me.

• Proton VPN's new Rust-based Proton Protocols is in beta on all major apps
• It replaces WireGuard-go for better stability, speed, post-quantum readiness
• It includes an Advanced Kill Switch and Linux Stealth support

Following up on recent teasers, Proton VPN has officially rolled out a massive under-the-hood update across its consumer apps. Powered by a new custom-built architecture dubbed Proton Protocols (known internally as ProTUN), the update is now live in beta across Windows, iOS, iPadOS, Android, and Linux GUI.

This overhaul aims to improve connection stability and censorship resistance. It's a significant upgrade that further solidifies the provider's spot as one of the best VPN services on the market for privacy purists.

Alongside the stealthy new engine, the beta launch brings a host of highly requested functional tweaks. These include persistent ad-blocker statistics across app sessions, a new interactive globe map for visual server selection, and the highly anticipated Advanced Kill Switch.

The team at Proton VPN notes that the shift to this new protocol resolves multiple quality-of-life issues, paving the way for faster, more reliable connections and noticeably more responsive apps across all supported ecosystems.

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What is the Advanced Kill Switch?

A standard VPN kill switch is a failsafe that cuts your internet connection if your VPN server unexpectedly drops, preventing your real IP address from leaking. Made possible by the new architecture, the Advanced Kill Switch takes this a step further by operating as a strict, permanent firewall.

As Proton explains, the Advanced Kill Switch functions like a regular failsafe if your connection drops, but it additionally blocks all internet access entirely unless you are actively connected to the VPN. This strict block remains active even if you restart your device.

Platform compatibility for the new feature is currently slightly fragmented. As of the current beta, the Advanced Kill Switch is strictly supported on Windows, iOS, and Linux GUI. It is not available for macOS, Linux CLI, Android TV, or Apple TV.

Android users have a slightly different setup. Google's operating system features built-in "Always-on VPN" and "Block connections without a VPN" toggles. Because of these native OS settings, Android operates very similarly to the Advanced Kill Switch out of the box, even if it isn't utilizing the exact same backend code.

Crucially, Proton has also fixed a long-standing annoyance with regular kill switches. You can now reliably connect to local LAN devices, like network printers, and use Apple CarPlay even with the standard or Advanced Kill Switch enabled.

A Rust-based core to beat censorshipProton protocols, our new VPN client engine is now in beta on iOS from r/ProtonVPN

The shift to Proton Protocols is a fundamental rewrite of how the apps operate. Historically, Proton used the standard wireguard-go implementation. While secure, that code didn't integrate seamlessly with the native languages used to build the provider's mobile apps, like Kotlin for Android and Swift for iOS.

To fix this, Proton has built a new framework in Rust. At its core is libpvpnclient, a platform-independent WireGuard implementation that makes it easier to deploy updates and debug issues consistently across desktop and mobile.

This unified approach gives Proton much more flexibility to dodge roadblocks set up by authoritarian regimes. The update has immediately brought the provider's anti-censorship Stealth protocol to the Linux GUI app.

The shift to ProTun also lays the critical groundwork for a future networking layer called muon, which will eventually hide VPN API connections from internet service providers to defeat SNI snooping, and sets the stage for post-quantum cryptography.

Antonio Cesarano, Product Lead at Proton VPN, explains that libpvpnclient and muon together form a new platform that gives engineers far more flexibility.

"This allows us to experiment safely with improvements in connection stability, battery usage, and resilience, and prepares the groundwork for future technologies, like stronger anti-censorship techniques and post-quantum cryptography," said Cesarano.

Users who want to test the new architecture can opt into the beta program via the settings menu in their respective apps.

The Google Pixel Watch 5 has been officially unveiled at this year's Made by Google event, and much is already being made of its new Health Guardian features such as Breathing Emergency Detection and Insulin Resistance Trends, in addition to the accuracy of its dual-band GPS.

Priced starting from $399.99 / £369 / around AU$565 (TBC) for the 41mm model, and $429.99 / £399.99 / around AU$600 (TBC) for the 45mm model, the watch looks very much the same as its predecessor, the Google Pixel Watch 4: from the domed Actua 3D display teardrop-shape to the sizes and digital crown.

Because it's all quite similar, you could be forgiven for not getting too excited about the device — after all, it's hardly reinvented the wheel. You might even have been considering getting what will likely be one of the best Android watches, but waiting on today's announcement and hoping to be more excited about it. You might have been hoping for an announcement of a rugged Pixel Watch Ultra, or a cheaper model like the Apple Watch SE 3.

Well, worry not, dear reader — below, I've put together a trio of alternative smartwatches, all using Wear OS (or a form of, at least) as their operating system, and therefore compatible with Android phones just like the Pixel Watch 5.

The stylish option: OnePlus Watch 3

(Image credit: Future)

The OnePlus Watch 3, in its original 47mm and newer 43mm sizes, is a terrific Wear OS watch by any stretch. Its main USP compared to the Pixel Watch 5 is that rather than the Google Pixel Watch series' tech-heavy teardrop look, the OnePlus opts for a more classical analog-watch-style look consisting of a titanium and stainless steel case.

Paired with a classic-looking watch face, you'd struggle to tell the difference at first glance between it and a standard sports watch. Once it flares into life, though, that buttery-smooth refresh rate makes all the difference. It's got up to 120 hours of battery life thanks to a dual-operating-system architecture inside it: it runs Wear OS when in use as a smartwatch, and switches to a lower-power OS when quietly running in the background. Clever. The big battery life also means you can do a ton of workouts between charges.

The major downsides here are that you're stuck on the older Wear OS 5 operating system, without the advanced on-wrist Gemini functionalities, and no LTE option.

• Read our full OnePlus Watch 3 review

The rugged option: Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, new for 2026, is an adventuring powerhouse. New trail running features allow you to use full-color maps within the workout, following a route while you run in the great outdoors, while an upcoming app from diving experts Mares will turn the watch into a fully-fledged dive computer, just like the Oceanic+ app does to the Apple Watch Ultra series. It's got waypoints, an emergency alarm, and stacks of battery life.

The watch is a little thinner than previous iterations, but it's still built on that solid titanium shell with its distinctive 'cushion' design, so it'll take more of a beating than the Pixel Watch 5 — great news for hard-wearing adventurers. Its distinctive, now-familiar programmable Quick Button nestles between two other up and down buttons, so there's plenty of action compared to the Pixel Watch 5's singular digital crown.

The downsides? It's more expensive than the Google options at $699.99 / £649, and you'll need the Samsung Health app to get the best experience, as the watch runs a form of Wear OS wrapped in Samsung's One UI Watch interface.

• Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 review

The cheaper option: Google Pixel Watch 4

(Image credit: Future)

Looks very similar, doesn't it? In terms of performance, there's very little the Google Pixel Watch 5 can do that the Pixel Watch 4 can't: it's got the same suite of Health Guardian tools, the same repairability (allowing you to replace a damaged display or dead battery) and the same funky teardrop design with an Actua 3D domed display packing 3,000 nits brightness. However, you don't get the latest Gemini Intelligence, you only get half the storage, and the GPS isn't as accurate.

Still, this is a very iterative upgrade, and while Google will officially stop selling the Pixel Watch 4, you'll be able to nab excess stock from a third party retailer such as Amazon for a while yet, most likely with some discounts too.

We rated the Pixel Watch 4 highly in our review, calling it 'a slick piece of kit, and one we really like using for the most part. It looked great, and although it was thick on the wrist, it was comfortable, and the Material 3 Expressive software design is a joy to use.'

• Read our full Google Pixel Watch 4 review

Specifications compared:

Component

Google Pixel Watch 5

Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2

OnePlus Watch 3

Google Pixel Watch 4

Price

Starting at $399 / £369

$699.99 / £649

$499 / £269.99

Starting at $399 / £349

Dimensions

41 x 41 x 12.3mm / 45 x 45 x 12.3mm

47mm: 47.4 x 47.1 x 10.7mm

43.2 x 43.2 x 11 mm / 46.6mm x 47.6mm x 11mm

41 x 41 x 12.3mm / 45 x 45 x 12.3mm

Weight

31g / 36.7g without straps

61g

37.8g / 81g with strap

31g / 36.7g without straps

Case/bezel

Recycled aluminum

Titanium

Titanium and stainless steel

Recycled aluminum

Display

320ppi always-on display AMOLED with up to 3,000 nits brightness

498 x 498 Super AMOLED

AMOLED 1.5-inch LTPO flexible display

320ppi always-on display AMOLED with up to 3,000 nits brightness

Operating System

Wear OS 7

One UI Watch 9 (Wear OS 7)

Wear OS 5

Wear OS 6.0

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 processor with an ML coprocessor

Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear Elite

Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chipset

Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 processor with an ML coprocessor

Memory

2GB of RAM

2GB of RAM

2GB of RAM

2GB of RAM

Storage

64GB

64GB storage

32GB

32GB

GPS

GPS (Dual-Frequency), Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS

(L1+L5 Dual Frequency GPS)

GPS (Dual-Frequency), GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, and QZSS

GPS (Dual-Frequency), Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, QZSS

Battery life

Up to 72 hours with battery saver enabled or up to 40 hours with always-on display enabled

Up to 60 hours with always-on display

Up to 120 hours

Up to 72 hours with battery saver enabled or up to 40 hours with always-on display enabled

Connection

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE, Ultra-Wideband

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE

Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, LTE

Water resistance

WR50, IP68

WR100 (diveproof)

5ATM, IP68

WR50, IP68

If you want a great portable fan to keep you comfortable on the move, you've come to the right place — I test heaps of fans as TechRadar's homes editor, and I've used my experience to put together this handy guide to the best models for every budget.

If you're looking for an affordable option, the John Lewis High Power Handheld Fan gets my seal of approval. Despite costing just £20, it delivers serious cooling performance, and in my tests its small fan head delivered a smooth, powerful jet of air. It feels comfortable and well-balanced in the hand, and has a wrist strap that prevents it slipping out of your grip on the move. There are four speed options that you can cycle through using the thumb-operated rocker switch, and the current setting is displayed on a bright LED display in the centre of the fan's head. It's spectacular value, and easy to recommend.

If you want the most powerful fan around, and have £99.99 to spend, the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan is the one for you. This sleek little device had a bladeless design that delivers smooth, strong airflow — and I mean strong. You could use the highest of its five power settings as a hairdryer, it blasts out so much air. It's supplied with an ingeniously-designed neck strap that lets you wear it hands-free on the move, plus a charging base that lets it double as a desk fan. In my tests it ran for 8.5 hours on a single charge using its lowest power setting, so it can keep you comfortable all day at work and still have enough charge for your journey home.

For more details of my testing process and results, take a look at my complete portable fan group test. Now, on with the recommendations, including four other great handheld options.

Hand-held fans

John Lewis High Power Handheld Fan

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan

TUNISE Portable Handheld Fan

Warmco Portable Handheld Turbo Fan

SHARK ChillPill

JISULIFE Handheld Fan Life4

• Apple TV has added third-party movies to its library of original titles for free
• So far the offer is only available in the US, UK, and Canada
• It's not certain whether it's a limited promotion

Apple TV is one of the best streaming services to sign up for if you’re looking for original and high-production movies and shows — but now the streaming behemoth is switching things up.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple has added a handful of classic movies to its library of Apple TV originals, and they’re all included in your subscription plan with no additional fees. The outlet says it’s available in the US, UK, and Canada, although we have spotted a few films appearing for users in Australia, albeit a much shorter list. We can't yet confirm if other international markets have also received a selection of free movies.

We also don’t know if this is a limited-time offering, but you can find the collection of non-Apple TV movies under the ‘Great Movies Available Now on Apple TV’ carousel. Titles are subject to vary depending on region, but the following movies are available to stream on Apple TV in the US now:

• The Martian
• Arrival
• The Bourne Identity
• Looper
• E.T.
• The Proposal (also in AU)
• I, Robot
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall
• 21 Jump Street
• The Sixth Sense
• Gone Girl
• Zoolander
• Zodiac
• Charlie’s Angels
• Titanic
• Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
• A Beautiful Mind
• The Aviator
• The Rookie
• Rocketman (AU)
• Little Miss Sunshine (AU)
• Ford v Ferrari (AU)
• Catch Me If You Can (AU)
• Jurassic Park (AU)

It’s quite an out-of-pocket move for Apple TV, given that it prides itself on housing only original entertainment, and not titles that it doesn’t produce itself.

Subscribers have always had the option to buy or rent third-party titles through the streaming service — similar to Prime Video — but that’s pretty much it. That said, this isn’t the first time Apple TV+ has experimented with a promotion like this.

The streaming platform pulled a similar stunt back in 2024, when it added 50 licensed movies to its library, but it came with two unfortunate caveats. Firstly, the offer was available to US subscribers only, leaving the rest of the world out of the excitement, and secondly it didn’t last very long, as all 50 movies were removed after just one month.

Whether it’s the same situation this time around is unclear. So far, Apple hasn’t explicitly stated if this is another limited offer so that gives us a little bit of hope, but we’re keeping our eyes peeled for more information just in case.

It’s been a busy time for Apple TV+ right now. The fourth season of one its best shows, Ted Lasso, is finally out, which our Senior Entertainment Reporter Tom Power gave a generous four stars in his review — not to mention the new miniseries Cape Fear has really taken off. However, it’s not the only streamer that’s shaking things up with its movie library.

Just this week, Google added over 10,000 movies and TV shows to Google TV Freeplay, a FAST streaming platform baked into supported smart TVs. Additionally, the company expanded its live TV programming, which now includes over 300 free channels across a multitude of genres.

It’s great to see Apple TV has considered bulking out its library of original movies and shows with third-party titles, but I don’t think platforms like Netflix and Disney+ should worry just yet. As mentioned, this might be another limited offer, but if Apple TV decides to get the ball rolling with introducing non-Apple TV titles to its library, then its rivals should consider sleeping with one eye open.

Out of all the platforms, Apple TV is the most dedicated to its original productions by a landslide, while Netflix churns out shows and cancels them shortly after. If Apple TV continues to add third-party movies, viewers will have the best of both: quality original programming and classic, feel-good movies. That's when its rivals should start to rethink things.

• Photos of a Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe laptop have been leaked
• It's clearly similar to Apple's MacBook Neo in terms of its overall appearance and striking colors
• That said, the Lenovo device offers a better port selection and hints suggest it'll be more powerful, so likely pricier – but all of this is just theorizing

Lenovo appears to be readying a rival to the MacBook Neo, based on leaked photos of the laptop that have just surfaced.

Windows Latest got hold of the promo images of Lenovo's IdeaPad Vibe, publishing a bunch of them to give us a good look at the notebook (add your own seasoning around any such leak, but the material looks authentic enough).

(Image credit: Windows Latest)

Going by the trendy name, the 'Vibe' and the range of punchy colors (including a striking yellow, green and pink), it seems clear enough that this is aimed squarely at the Neo's territory – not to mention that it looks more than a little similar to Apple's laptop.

There are differences, of course: you won't find a Copilot key on a MacBook (mind you, a good many people don't want to find it on their Windows laptop, either).

Lenovo has also pushed for more connectivity than the MacBook Neo, and that's the biggest difference we can see just looking at the photos.

There's a pair of USB-A ports on one side, and two USB-C connectors on the other, along with an HDMI port, headphone jack and a microSD slot. As a reminder, you only get two USB-C ports with the Neo, plus a headphone jack, a barebones allocation for connectivity (and that's before we even mention the older USB speeds the MacBook Neo uses).

(Image credit: Windows Latest)

The photos also show cooling vents on the underside of the IdeaPad Vibe, so there'll be a fan for cooling (the Neo is passively cooled, meaning there's no fan).

There are thin bezels around the screen, and a tiny panel on top to house the webcam which also has a privacy shutter.

While the leak doesn't provide any specs, we do learn that based on the image file names, there will be one model with an AMD CPU, and one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip – although they both look identical.

Analysis: competitive vibes

(Image credit: Windows Latest)

The MacBook Neo has certainly stirred things up in the world of Windows laptops. It did this by coming in at a price point that surprised many (myself included), with Apple offering a lot of value with its new lowest-tier MacBook, which was very much recognized by buyers – it started flying off the shelves. Part of the cost-cutting effort here was dropping the RAM to 8GB, as you may recall, but despite this the Neo still manages to provide enough pep to cover everyday computing duties.

Since then, we've seen a host of planned 8GB laptops that run Windows 11, which was inevitable really, given the RAM crisis pushing up the price of memory (and storage, as well as other components) so much. The Neo also gave these machines a mainstream lead to follow, as it were.

An obvious sticking point, however, is Windows 11's performance running on 8GB compared to macOS. Now, Microsoft is working on fixing Windows 11 so it's speedier with just 8GB, and I'd argue that the Neo is a big reason for this happening. Well, that and the RAM crisis, of course.

In short, the MacBook Neo has forced Windows laptop makers (and Microsoft) to up their game, and Lenovo's effort here couldn't be a much clearer statement of echoing Apple's tactics with its budget laptop.

That said, the IdeaPad Vibe looks to be a more premium device than the Neo, with clues to that such as the privacy shutter, the much beefier port selection, as well as the overall sleek lines, and the active cooling. The latter means the Vibe will likely offer a good deal more performance grunt than the Neo, and it's surely going to be pricier as a result.

We don't get a hint of the price tag, but I'm betting that even after Apple's MacBook Neo price hike – it's no longer quite as affordable as it was at launch – the Lenovo machine's going to be a fair bit more expensive. We shall see, but the price is the main concern here, along with the people on Reddit who have reservations about Lenovo's build quality compared to Apple's (which really nailed quality in a lower-priced laptop).

One Redditor is skeptical and observes: "Pretty sure it won't share the same build quality [as Apple]."

Another adds: "IdeaPad 3 I had, had pretty bad hinges, lasts 1-2 year only."

The IdeaPad Vibe will obviously have to perform well enough on the build quality front if it does want to get in on the action and capitalize on the Neo's current popularity.

The $180 Creative XF1 desktop speakers are compact yet deliver rich audio with ample bass sans subwoofer.

• Claude Cowork is coming to Google Chrome side panels
• Claude can now connect across multiple systems and tools
• Users will start seeing the upgrade now

Anthropic has revealed it is upgrading the Claude in Chrome browser extension tool into a fully-fledged AI-powered work assistant.

The tool, designed as a side panel, will now be a Claude Cowork session, allowing users to access the company's AI tools in the browser to help crack those tricky work tasks.

"Conversations are saved to your history, your skills and connectors work in the browser, and a task you start in a tab can be finished on the Claude desktop, web, and mobile apps," Anthropic noted in a blog post announcing the news.

Cowork in Chrome

The company notes that while many of the tools that users interact with each day are already connected to Claude, others such as internal dashboards, legacy systems, and vendor portals are not.

This therefore needed a separate side panel session, which could interrupt workflows for some workers.

Connecting these via the new addition will mean that Claude can work in these apps through the Chrome browser, carrying context and conversations across your vital tools, whether that's on desktop, web or mobile.

Anthropic says the side panel will run the same Claude Cowork session being used for longer, multi-step work, such as creating a budget spreadsheet that needs to pull in invoices from multiple vendor portals.

Claude in Chrome would be able to gather up the amounts and dates needed before building the spreadsheet, allowing you to continue the session in the desktop app to add files from your computer, or import last month's budget and ask what's changed, allowing you to maintain context across surfaces as you work.

And because sessions live with your account rather than a single device, you can start work in a browser and pick it up later somewhere else.

Anthropic has also moved to address growing concerns around prompt injection cyberattacks against agents such as Claude in Chrome by adding a step where the tool will ask for a check from the user before carrying out any major action, such as submitting a form, sending a message, or downloading a file.

Users on a Max and Team plans will see the change immediately, or can install the extension from the Chrome Web Store now - it will be rolling out to Pro users over the coming weeks.

I’ve found my favorite 20-odd Siri voice commands as Siri AI gets ready for big Apple Home changes.

Twitch channels are quietly being used to train Amazon’s AI models. Here’s how creators can opt out.

With all the buzz around nation-state threats, it’s easy for organizations to focus on threats outside the business – and forget about risks that can spiral outwards from within.

Whilst GenAI tools have introduced undeniable efficiencies for employees, these platforms have also introduced a new class of risk: two in three UK organizations admit they can’t track whether employees are sharing data via approved tools.

Most of the time, employees aren’t sharing sensitive data because they have malicious intentions. They are uploading sensitive information – like contracts, client proposals or supplier agreements to models like ChatGPT and Claude to save time on routine tasks.

Almost all (93%) of CEOs across the globe have adopted generative AI to some extent in the past 12 months (PwC). What’s concerning is that much of this activity is happening without any oversight, in the browser – meaning organizations are failing to track the flow of company information, including when and where it’s uploaded.

This is spiraling into serious risk for businesses.

First, because employees may inadvertently share credentials or other access details with public LLMs, which could result in unauthorized access if the model is compromised.

Second, uploading personal data to LLMs can trigger compliance breaches with laws like GDPR and the Data Use and Access Act – resulting in costly fines as well as reputational damage.

To take control of this issue, leaders will need to implement tools and technologies that provide visibility and control over usage at both the browser and the application levels.

The incentive problem

Employees don’t need more mandatory cybersecurity training – the problem is incentive. Many company-owned gated LLMs are still in the pilot stage, falling short of the speed and precision offered by public alternatives.

While the majority of employees understand the risks, 35% of UK businesses admit data sharing through external tools takes place – indicating many would rather ‘throw caution to the wind’ than waste valuable time using slower tools.

But the risks of this behavior – particularly in highly regulated sectors like financial services, could mean unsanctioned LLMs become 'hidden icebergs’ in an organization. Concealed, but capable of causing catastrophic damage upon impact – like inadvertently exposing customer transaction histories or credit scores.

Part of curbing Shadow AI use in the enterprise therefore starts with designing approved AI tools that integrate easily with existing platforms (for example, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace). These tools should be continuously improved based on user feedback, ideally avoiding excessive restrictions that make the tool frustrating to use.

But the fact is, nearly two-thirds of organizations are currently stuck in the pilot stage when it comes to their AI initiatives and haven’t started to scale across the enterprise (McKinsey). So, what can organizations do today to gain control of the Shadow AI problem?

The solution – tools to bring unsanctioned AI usage under control

You can’t control what you can’t see, which is why organizations need a real-time view of who, or what, is accessing what data, from which devices, and where it’s being shared.

Next-gen identity security platforms can help organizations to gain an immediate understanding of how employees interact with consumer AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, tracking interaction frequency and monitoring document uploads.

Once high-risk behavior is identified, organizations can then automate corrective actions, redirect users to secure AI alternatives, or prompt users to justify their business use case before proceeding.

Visibility will become even more important with the emergence of ‘nested’ agents. In this scenario, employees might believe they’re only interacting with a single AI agent, but that chatbot may delegate tasks to multiple underlying agents. The organization has no visibility into how many downstream agents or services its information is being shared with.

An identity security tool makes these identities ‘discoverable’ via a real-time ‘agent ledger’. This ledger acts as a complete, unchangeable trace of all agent activities and interactions. It also applies controls to each agent in the database.

Only the absolute minimum privilege required for a task is granted, at the exact moment it is needed, and for the shortest possible duration. In this way, agent permissions don’t automatically ‘cascade’. If an agent wants to connect with another agent, it must be verified by the system first.

Closing the visibility gap

Shadow AI is more than a tooling problem: it’s an identity problem. Organizations can close the ‘visibility gap’ by using tools that track interaction frequency, block sensitive document uploads, and prompt employees as well as AI agents to justify their business case before they use unsanctioned tools.

Once organizations know which tools are being used, what data they're accessing, and where that information goes, they can apply effective guardrails to secure behaviors – both human and non-human. A simple inventory of AI agents is not enough; now, organizations need to move beyond flat inventories and develop an understanding of the context and relationships that surround every agent.

In essence, identity security platforms become adaptive – moving from static to dynamic, real-time approaches to access. This is helping organizations to operationalize zero trust by ensuring that no identity, human or non-human, is trusted by default.

In the era of AI agents, securing identity has become a prerequisite for innovation.

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• Helldivers 2 has been added to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog
• Its arrival comes alongside the new Devoid of Liberty story update
• A new Warhammer 40,000 warbond has also been added to the game

Helldivers 2, Arrowhead Game Studios' critically acclaimed multiplayer shooter, has officially landed on PlayStation Plus just in time for two huge updates.

As of today, Helldivers 2 is part of the PS Plus Game Catalog and is available to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members, reaching even more players since its successful 2024 launch. According to Sony, the game has now surpassed 22.9 million players across PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

"Players continue to recognize the value of PlayStation Plus and an ever-evolving Game Catalog with strong content specially curated for the PlayStation community," said Mary Yee, senior vice president of marketing at Sony Interactive Entertainment in a recent blog post.

"With the addition of Helldivers 2, a game that has already been enjoyed by millions of players worldwide, we’re further strengthening the value of PlayStation Plus and creating more opportunities for members to discover and engage with exceptional games."

The arrival of Helldivers 2 to PS Plus also comes alongside the launch of a new chapter, titled 'Devoid of Liberty,' a horror-themed narrative arc that "introduces the first signs of a nightmarish threat emerging from a mysterious void in the galaxy."

The opening will send Helldivers to the void as mutated Illuminate organisms begin appearing across the battlefield, and they'll enter a new biome filled with familiar foes in new forms.

In addition, the update arrives alongside a new warbond available for purchase in collaboration with Warhammer 40,000.

The 'Helldivers 2 x Warhammer 40,000: Castellan’s Creed Legendary Warbond' brings iconic elements of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe to the game, "drawing inspiration from the Cadian Kasrkin, the elite shock assault troops of Warhammer 40,000’s Astra Militarum," and offers new armors, weapons, and vehicle patterns.

• Surfshark unveils scam text protection against SMS-based phishing
• The AI-driven tool screens texts in real time on iOS and Android
• The feature is available for Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ subscribers

If your phone is constantly buzzing with suspicious package delivery updates or urgent bank alerts, you aren't alone. Americans received an average of 19.2 billion spam texts per month in late 2023, a near-threefold increase since 2021. To tackle this growing epidemic, one of the best VPN providers on the market, Surfshark, has launched a dedicated real-time tool to fight back against SMS fraud.

Following the company's recent decision to shift its focus to fighting scams, the new scam text protection feature is designed to safeguard mobile users from "smishing" (SMS phishing). Using AI-driven technology, the tool screens incoming messages to detect dangerous URLs, suspicious sender numbers, and fraudulent content before you can accidentally click on them.

With SMS scams now accounting for 35% of all phishing attempts globally, blocking these threats at the source is becoming essential for mobile security.

“Recently, we have introduced a scam protection hub, a unified space to make it easier for users to defend against modern, human-centric cyberthreats like scams, phishing, or identity fraud," explained Dominykas Simkus, Senior Product Manager at Surfshark. "Scam text protection is our newest feature to be introduced to face these online threats and help users fight increasingly sophisticated SMS-based scams.”

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How Surfshark’s scam text protection works

The new feature handles threats differently depending on your mobile operating system.

For iPhone users, it works entirely in the background. Once a scam signature or suspicious pattern is detected, the iOS native Messages app automatically moves the fraudulent text to the Spam folder. You won't even receive a notification, effectively removing the temptation to open the message.

On Android, the approach is more transparent. Users receive a warning notification from Surfshark alerting them to a detected scam. Clicking the notification opens the message in a controlled, risk-free environment within the Surfshark app, allowing you to examine the contents safely without accidentally triggering a malicious link.

Users also gain access to an in-app dashboard detailing their blocked suspicious messages. In a unique addition for US citizens, the dashboard even calculates an estimate of how much money they likely saved by avoiding each fraudulent text.

For those worried about privacy, Surfshark explicitly states that the feature does not retain your messages, monitor your phone generally, or use any private data to train its AI models.

"While traditional cybersecurity focuses on malware and hacking, modern scams increasingly target human behavior through social engineering techniques that exploit trust, urgency, and exposed personal data," said Simkus, explaining that SMS-based sophisticated scams are very difficult to spot.

"Our tool is built to spot mistakes or suspicious patterns in order to avoid any interaction with bad actors," Simkus added.

The Scam text protection feature is rolling out now for users subscribed to the premium Surfshark One and Surfshark One+ plans. To get immediate access, Surfshark recommends manually updating your app via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

• Surfshark recorded nearly 6 times as many malware detections on Windows
• While trojans mostly target Windows devices, phishing lands harder on Mac
• A "Macs are safe" mindset may leave users more at risk of social engineering

New data from Surfshark shows a stark split in how malware finds its targets: Windows users are hit at nearly six times the rate of macOS users.

The headline number is eye-catching, but the full story is more interesting. While Windows soaks up the vast majority of traditional malware, Mac users face a very different kind of threat, one that a locked-down operating system does little to stop: phishing.

Antivirus software paired with one of the best VPN services remains a sensible layer of defence, whatever you run, but Surfshark's findings are a useful reminder that while risks change depending on the platform, they never disappear.

Surfshark – the best cheap VPN
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The six-times gap, by the numbers

Surfshark analysed 391,305 malware detections logged by its antivirus between 1 January and 31 July 2026. Windows devices made up 66% of the active user base but accounted for a striking 92% of all detections, while macOS users represented 34% of the base yet just 8% of threats.

That works out to nearly six Windows detections for every one on a Mac.

"Windows' popularity has always made it the biggest target for cybercriminals," said Gabrielė Sinkevičiūtė, Head of Product at Surfshark, pointing to the scale of malware built around Windows' dominant market share, along with differences in how each platform handles third-party software and permissions.

Surfshark's equivalent research from last year yielded similar results, so the trend appears to be consistent.

Trojans dominate Windows, while phishing surges on Mac

Surfshark's new Antiscam hub combines a number of its existing features into one easily navigated location (Image credit: Surfshark)

The threat mix differs sharply by platform. Trojans (malicious software hiding inside safe programs) were the top danger on Windows at 46% of detections, versus 25% on macOS, while riskware (legitimate software that can pose security threats) sat at 19% and 17% respectively. Viruses were level at 9% on both, and adware (software that puts unwanted ads on your device) trailed at 4% on Windows and 3% on Mac.

Phishing is where Mac users lose ground. It ranked third on macOS at 15% of detections, but only sixth on Windows at 3%. Because phishing exploits trust rather than software flaws, a hardened operating system offers little protection, and Surfshark argues a false sense of security can make Mac owners slower to question a suspicious message.

Other research backs this up. Microsoft reported in early 2026 that infostealer campaigns are expanding beyond Windows onto macOS using social-engineering tricks such as ClickFix prompts and fake installers, and Malwarebytes has tracked Mac infostealers becoming a mainstream threat rather than a rarity. TechRadar has likewise reported that the "mythical" security status of macOS is fading.

How to stay safe

The core advice is the same on both platforms: treat unexpected links, attachments and login prompts with suspicion, keep your operating system and apps patched, and only install software from official sources.

Never paste a command into Terminal or PowerShell because a website told you to, as that single step drives many recent Mac infections.

Running reputable antivirus software helps on either system, but the biggest fix for Mac users may be a change in attitude. Dropping the assumption that Apple hardware is inherently immune is the first real step toward not becoming the softer target.

• Pearl Abyss confirms Crimson Desert DLC will arrive in 2026, in latest financial report
• Pearl Abyss continues to provide consistent updates and additions based on player feedback
• Details on the DLC's content aren't clear just yet, but more will be revealed in Q3 of 2026

Pearl Abyss seemingly won't rest until Crimson Desert is at its absolute best, with never-ending updates adding new features or fixes — and unsurprisingly, it won't stop there.

In its latest financial report, Pearl Abyss confirmed that Crimson Desert's DLC is currently under development and scheduled for release in 2026, while it continues to "refine its content direction and overall quality". There are no details on the DLC's content yet, but Pearl Abyss plans to announce it in the third quarter of 2026.

This comes amid Pearl Abyss' highlight of all the important updates and major additions it's made for Crimson Desert since the game's March 19 launch. There's no doubt that the action-adventure game has been a massive success, selling over six million copies and retaining a high player count on Steam months after its arrival.

Frankly, it's quite hard to predict what Crimson Desert's DLC will include, since it's a game that is already full of near-endless amounts of content. However, it's an opportunity for developers at Pearl Abyss to craft new elements based on player feedback (and perhaps even some mods).

What do we want to see in an expansion?

Customization is a crucial aspect of the entire experience, both in terms of character appearance and gear. There's a strong chance that Pearl Abyss is set to deliver a story expansion, so it's hard to pinpoint what new additions await players.

However, based on my 240 hours of playtime and some of the mods I've used, it would be great to see the developers utilize their character creation skills and allow players to make a custom character.

The previous game, Black Desert (which is solely an MMO), arguably has some of the best character creation in any video game to date. While Crimson Desert does have an extensive amount of customization, with Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka having multiple hairstyle and facial hair options, it doesn't come close to what players can do in Pearl Abyss' MMO.

It's an optimistic suggestion and task for developers, but with how ambitious Crimson Desert is, and the fact that users have made custom character creator mods online, it would be a strong addition to the experience.

Multiplayer is also on the cards for Pearl Abyss, but that's certainly not expected in this first DLC, as it states, "integrating multiplayer functionality is far more complex than simply adding a new game mode", but highlights that there's "significant potential" for it.

Whatever it is Pearl Abyss is developing behind the scenes will likely be a surprise, if recent additions to the game are anything to go by, and I'm looking forward to it.

As governments and organizations rethink their reliance on foreign-owned IT infrastructure, data sovereignty has become a boardroom priority.

However, the conversation has become overly focused on where data is stored, overlooking the legal, operational and resilience factors that determine whether organizations are truly in control.

Whether through misunderstanding or a deliberate attempt to mislead, the term data sovereignty is often misused.

Data residency and data sovereignty are being conflated, despite being very different. Data residency is about the physical location of data, while data sovereignty is much broader and also includes legal jurisdiction, operational control, resilience, governance and the ability to manage risk.

Concerns about dependence on foreign-owned digital infrastructure have brought added urgency to issues of digital independence and control over critical technology.

In response, various vendors - particularly the big US-based hyperscalers - are now repositioning themselves with “sovereign” alternatives based primarily on where they store customer data.

While this might address some of their customers’ needs, reducing sovereignty to a question of geography creates a misleadingly simple narrative: if an organization moves data to the “right” country, it will somehow become compliant. In reality, the core issue is not just where data should be hosted, but understanding who may seek access to it and who ultimately controls the infrastructure supporting it.

This misunderstanding is giving rise to what could be described as “data sovereignty washing”, with simplified claims that don't reflect legal or operational reality.

Data sans frontières

Governments the world over have well-established legal mechanisms for requesting information held in other jurisdictions. While data residency influences which laws apply and how requests are handled, it does not provide immunity from lawful access or eliminate international cooperation.

An example is the US CLOUD Act. Under certain conditions, it enables US authorities to request data from US service providers even when it is stored outside the United States. So, even if a UK or European-owned organization hosts data with a US-owned provider in a UK or European data center, it may still be reachable under US legal process. Being physically ‘local’ doesn’t change that.

The US is far from unique in this regard. Many other countries have legislation in place allowing authorities to access data for law enforcement or national security purposes, often supported by cross-border agreements and established legal processes.

The risk is that enterprises treat location as a complete sovereignty strategy, rather than one element of it. Threat actors care about the value of the data, not geography. As a result, organizations can spend significant time and money migrating data to new locations while leaving their biggest security risks fundamentally unchanged.

A more useful starting point is to ask what risks the organization is actually trying to reduce. That shifts the focus and any subsequent changes in approach away from maps, and towards threat modelling, which provides the right context for meaningful conversations about sovereignty.

Start with the threat model

Different organizations have fundamentally different threat models. A local retailer, a multinational bank, a defense contractor and a government department are unlikely to share the same priorities, even if they all process sensitive information.

For some organizations, regulatory compliance or data residency requirements may be the primary concern. For others, resilience against cyberattack, protection of intellectual property, or reducing dependence on a particular technology provider may be far more important. It’s generally a matter of sector-specific and business priorities.

So, rather than simply asking where data is stored, leaders should consider who ultimately controls the infrastructure, how dependent they are on individual cloud providers, what happens if services become unavailable, and whether they retain sufficient visibility and control over critical systems. If any of this raises operational or regulatory concerns, it may be sensible to adjust strategy.

The resilience paradox

An unintended consequence of pursuing absolute data localization is that it can reduce resilience. Organizations often improve availability and data recovery by maintaining geographically separate copies of critical data. Restricting everything to a single jurisdiction can reduce those options.

Decisions about sovereignty should therefore factor in availability, confidentiality, and integrity – all of which are important. The most effective approaches recognize that resilience sometimes requires carefully managed distribution rather than rigid localization.

Consider this scenario: an organization has ensured all their email is stored within a single jurisdiction to meet sovereignty objectives. Months later, their provider has a major outage in that one region, and they lose access to their email for days. Even worse, a serious data loss event affects their backups, which are also stored in the same region. If they had optimized for resilience instead, their data would have been safe and available throughout.

Even though the organization successfully addressed one aspect of sovereignty, they weakened another by reducing their ability to recover critical business information. That's ultimately the difference between treating sovereignty as a marketing claim and treating it as a genuine risk management exercise.

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The past two years have seen unprecedented adoption of generative AI. This was driven largely by LLM platforms such as Claude, which reported 28 million paying US customers in March.

In the corporate world and startups, this has put the pressure on companies to invest in AI, to keep up with the latest models and bolster productivity and efficiency. But now that the world has adopted AI, a stark readiness gap is emerging as governance and AI skills lag behind. AI fluency is now a baseline expectation for employees as leaders feel the pressure to prove the returns on their hefty investments.

Tokenmaxxing is the latest AI trend to come under fire as businesses want employees to use more AI in their work. In essence, this means boosting AI input to maximize AI output. On the surface, it sounds efficient and harmless. But underneath, it poses major security risks.

Tokenmaxxing explained

So what actually is tokenmaxxing?

A ‘token’ is a unit of data processed by an AI model. For example, a word or character inputted into an LLM search. So ‘tokenmaxxing’ quite simply means over-engineering generative AI prompts to get the most out of one search input. This can be anything from overly detailed prompts, to overloading an LLM chat with information, to asking an AI model for step-by-step breakdowns, as opposed to short summaries.

The trend is driven by businesses as leaders face pressure to prove the ROI of AI. It became a tongue-in-cheek benchmark of AI performance. Some companies, such as Meta, even gamified tokenmaxxing, measuring and ranking AI usage and citing the highest scorers ‘Token Legends’.

Their assumption is that AI usage means being AI-forward. But instead, companies need to consider the value they get from AI tools. They also need to keep security at the center of the conversation.

The hidden costs of tokenmaxxing

Although it might look like harmless corporate showboating, this trend poses a wide range of security risks given that LLM vendors are 52% more likely to be designated as “high risk” than traditional SaaS. This is due to access to sensitive data, IP, and internal workflows, so it’s imperative that businesses have oversight of how employees use these resources.

Rapid adoption of AI has led to an experimentation mindset. This is a positive shift from an innovation standpoint, but from a compliance perspective, a ‘trial and error’ approach is more error than trial.

The legacy tech systems most major enterprises are still reliant on are controlled by procurement and security teams and were not designed for the agility of AI technology. Meaning both innovation and compliance are lagging behind. It’s the latter that’s causing major concerns in the cybersecurity world.

When employees face mounting pressure to get the job done, they won’t wait for security teams to approve new tools, which results in shadow AI. This is where unmanaged, unapproved AI tools operate inside company environments without oversight.

Industry data shows that 70% of 16k cybersecurity customers currently have some form of shadow AI lurking within their organization, largely due to AI tools introduced through improper procurement channels that now have access to company data without oversight or guardrails.

There’s also been a 36% increase in shadow IT year-on-year, with organizations discovering, on average, around 140 Shadow IT tools accessing their environment within 90 days of connecting to the platform.

The bottom line is that AI adoption is drastically outpacing governance, and employees are prioritizing speed over control.

How businesses can defend against Shadow AI

The core issue isn’t tokenmaxxing itself; it’s businesses' inability to keep up with employee demand for speedy access to the latest AI tools. This ultimately results in friction between the desire to safely onboard new tools and the ongoing pressure to use AI.

When security teams intervene and revoke access to unmanaged tools, employees just reinstall them. Industry data finds that within a 30-day period, the average enterprise sees employees reinstall revoked tools 100+ times. Within one year, it happens 1,000 times.

To bolster defenses, organizations must design their procurement systems to match the speed of AI innovation, so they can keep up with the rate of AI usage, as demonstrated by so-called ‘token legends’.

Three actions businesses can take now

The more generative AI gets adopted in the corporate world, the more employees will face pressure to adopt and prove its ROI. Tokenmaxxing is just one hype within this wider picture. Businesses need to act fast to stop the gap between experimentation and control widening.

Three things leaders and compliance teams can kickstart today to bolster defenses against shadow AI are:

• Shrinking vendor review timelines so they match the speed of AI adoption
• Set up continuous monitoring systems to detect threats caused by tokenmaxxing before they jeopardize safety
• Implement employee training and policies for AI usage to ensure employees don’t expose sensitive data or IP

The new mandate is matching speed with governance, and it’s up to security teams to lead the charge.

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I’ve had the Sky Glass Gen 2 TV setup in my living room since April of last year. To begin with, I wasn’t quite sure whether I was going to get on with Sky’s flagship TV. It was quite different from a lot of TVs in its price range, boasting a relatively chunky build, a unique OS, and I'd be swapping my trusty soundbar for its built-in Dolby Atmos sound system.

For the uninitiated, Sky Glass models provide a captivating proposition for Sky customers. It acts as an all-in-one TV hub, with access to live channels over your network connection (rather than a satellite or aerial), various streaming and smart apps, and more.

So would I recommend buying the Sky Glass Gen 2 instead of one of the best OLED TVs or best mini LED TVs in its price range? I’ll take you through my experience as a user, break down its picture and audio performance, and tell you whether I think it's truly worth the asking price.

The user experience: how does the Sky Glass Gen 2 stack up after a year?

(Image credit: Future)

Let’s start by talking about the user experience you get with the Sky Glass Gen 2.

As I said, it aims to serve as an all-in-one hub for Sky customers, and in my view, it pulls this off with ease. The user interface is laid out in a simple and practical way, making it seamless to scroll through each channel, access a comprehensive TV guide, tap into apps like Netflix and HBO Max, and switch between various sources.

The crowning achievement of the Sky Glass Gen 2’s experience, though, is its voice control. I’m not usually a big fan of these — I’ve never really got on with Alexa for controlling devices, or Bixby on Samsung phones, for instance.

But Sky nails it on its Glass TVs. You can either say ‘hello Sky’ or press the mic button on the remote control, and ask for specific apps or channels, or even issue a more general command such as ‘show me movies with cats’. I always find that I get accurate, helpful results, and I rarely experience accidental triggers of voice controls or irrelevant answers.

The interface also looks really clean, and accessing settings is quick and seamless. Just press the ‘…’ button, and you can swiftly alter picture mode, sound settings, toggle speech enhancement, and more.

More generally, I just find Sky's OS to be a lot more user-friendly than a lot of its rivals, such as VIDAA OS on my Hisense TV or even Google TV on TCL models I've tested. Sky's OS just feels sleeker, more organised, and its pin-point voice controls make everyday viewing feel much more seamless.

Other than the occasional plug for a Sky exclusive, there's also little in the way of ads — something the aforementioned rivals push onto the home screen more than I'd like.

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One issue I’d previously had was that advanced settings were buried deep within the main menu, but Sky has updated this, making them accessible via the ‘…’ button as well. This means I can easily change network settings, alter viewing preferences, and make advanced picture adjustments (such as changing Dolby Vision or HDR picture modes).

I’ve also found that having TV channels available through my home network is a big plus. The quality of broadcasts is excellent (more on that later), and I’ve experienced very few network issues during my time with the TV — you need 25Mbps download speeds to get 4K streaming, which is no problem in a city. But if you ever do encounter issues, there’s an option to fall back on an aerial connection, which is always handy.

This isn’t to say I’ve experienced no hiccups whatsoever. On occasion, some channels have failed to load, and apps haven’t displayed on the main menu. But this has been a very rare thing, and has always been fixable by unplugging the TV to restart it.

Something else that I love about the Sky Glass Gen 2, is that you get bundled subscriptions to select streaming apps, such as Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and Hayu — so long as you have a Sky Ultimate TV subscription, which is £24 per month.

That’s an exceptional deal, and has opened up a lot of shows and movies that I’d previously missed out on. Sure, it's the standard (with ads) subscription for these services, but as someone who typically buys 4K Blu-ray if I want the best viewing experiences for things I really cherish, that’s fine by me for everything else.

Finally, I have to say that the Sky Glass Gen 2 is extremely easy to set up and get started with. It comes with plastic feet that slot into the TV without needing to mess around with screws or fiddly stands.

Picture & audio quality: a solid all-round performer

(Image credit: Future)

Right, so the user experience is great on the Sky Glass Gen 2, but how does it perform when it comes to picture and audio?

First things first, it's important to understand the tech inside this model. It's a QLED TV that harnesses the power of local dimming to create a vibrant picture with solid black levels to match. The Glass Gen 2 added more dimming zones, greatly boosts brightness, and provides wider viewing angles than its predecessor, and the results are pretty good overall.

Are you going to get the inky blacks and eye-popping colors that a TV like the LG B6 can deliver? No, but as a QLED model, the Sky Glass Gen 2 still really impressed me, and it's brighter than LG's model, making it good for well-lit living rooms.

I'd consider its picture to be competitive against similarly priced mini-LED options from the likes of Hisense and TCL most of the year around — though in the sales or on Black Friday, you might be able to get a more premium TV from those models for a similar price, which might edge the Glass 2 out.

The Glass Gen 2 supplies good contrast and color accuracy, decent black levels, and impressive motion-handling, making it a versatile option for all kinds of content. Whether I’m watching a blockbuster Premier League match, indulging in the quality of the best 4K Blu-ray players, or just watching a YouTube video, the Sky Glass Gen 2 is able to give me the vibrant colors and detailed picture that I need.

You get Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG support, meaning you can enjoy most video content at its best, although it's worth noting that there’s no HDR10+.

My main gripe with the Sky Glass Gen 2, performance wise, is its restrictive 60Hz refresh rate. As a keen gamer, this means I’m unable to play titles that offer 120fps gameplay at the peak of their powers.

Don’t get me wrong, 4K 60fps is good enough for the vast majority of my favorite PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 titles, but if you want advanced gaming settings and buttery 120Hz refresh rates, you may want to look elsewhere.

On the audio side, things get really interesting, though. The TV has a Dolby Atmos soundbar system built-in, which uses a 3.1.2 channel configuration. This means you get: three outward-firing speakers; a pair of woofers for bass output; and a pair of upward-firing speakers for more vertical, immersive sound.

If you’ve not got room for a standalone soundbar, or you don’t want to spend more on one, then it’s a practical solution without question. It offers much deeper bass and clearer dialogue than you’d expect from most TVs' built-in speakers. The system also whips up relatively expansive sound, ideal for movies with striking Dolby Atmos effects.

But in honesty, the built-in sound system can’t compete with a top-class soundbar. If you want rippling bass, crystal clear mids, and expressive highs — and if you want fantastic music playback to boot — I’d still recommend investing in one of the best soundbars, such as the Samsung HW-Q800F, or a larger surround sound option like the JBL Bar 1300MK2.

One unintentional benefit of the built-in system is that it provides some height below the screen to easily slot in your own soundbar, if you do want an upgrade. For example, I have the spectacular Marshall Heston 120 sitting in front of it, with plenty of space between the bottom of the screen and the soundbar.

Wrapping up: is the Glass worth the cash?

(Image credit: Future)

So, is the Sky Glass Gen 2 worth picking over rivals from the likes of LG, Samsung, and Sony? For me, the answer is yes — it offers reliable performance, intuitive functionality, and serves as a great hub for Sky TV and streaming services.

OK, if your number one concern is getting the best picture quality possible, and you’re happy with a Sky box (including the Sky Stream, which has the same core software as the Glass 2, though isn't quite as snappy), then there are some cheaper OLEDs and mini-LED TVs that outperform the Glass Gen 2.

But if you want an accomplished entertainment hub that still performs well across the board, and even comes with a built-in sound system, then the Sky Glass Gen 2 is well worth the outlay. Sky's trick here is that it says this is an all-in-one system, needing just one cable to get started, and I think it achieves that.

The Sky Glass Gen 2 costs £699 for the 43-inch version, £949 for the 55-inch, and £1,199 for the 65-inch model. For reference, I own the latter, and I think it certainly earns its price, all things considered.

It's also worth noting that the Sky TVs have flexible purchase structures — you can buy them outright or pay for them via monthly installments, which in itself can be a big plus.

However, one thing to consider is that purchasing the TV on its own will result in a fairly restrictive user experience. You’ll have to pay a subscription fee for a number of Sky TV products — such as Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, UHD & Dolby Atmos, and Ad Skipping — to get the best out of your Sky Glass, and these costs can really add up.

But if you’re all in on the Sky experience, or if you’re an existing customer, I think the Glass Gen 2 is a great TV all things considered, and after more than a year with it, I have no intention of substituting it out.