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Technology

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Judge Ends One Man’s 11-Year Quest to Recover $765 Million in Bitcoin by Digging Up a Landfill

WIRED Top Stories - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 14:25
A UK judge ruled against James Howells, who has been trying to get a hard drive with private keys to a cryptocurrency fortune out of a landfill for over a decade.
Categories: Technology

With a TikTok Ban Looming, Users Flee to Chinese App ‘Red Note’

WIRED Top Stories - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 14:03
Some say they joined Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book,” to spite the US government after a ban on TikTok became more likely.
Categories: Technology

Best Chemical Drain Cleaners for 2025

CNET News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 13:40
Make sure your drain cleaner is safe and effective with these top choices.
Categories: Technology

White House Forgives Student Loans for Over 150,000 More Borrowers

CNET News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 13:26
This could be the Biden administration's last round of student debt relief before the White House transition.
Categories: Technology

Therabody and Garmin Team Up for a Smarter and Better Way to Recover

CNET News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 12:54
Therabody brings A.I. into the recovery chat with the help of the popular wearable brand.
Categories: Technology

Best Internet Providers in Fort Myers, Florida

CNET News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 12:24
Fort Myers has access to a number of fast broadband options. CNET's experts help you pick out the best internet service provider for your requirements.
Categories: Technology

Apple Watches Reportedly Poised for Major Health-Focused Upgrades

CNET News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 12:23
The Apple Series line is also expected to get a refreshed lower-cost option.
Categories: Technology

Best Vitamins for Energy in 2025

CNET News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 11:32
Improve your overall energy levels and mood with these vitamins.
Categories: Technology

Meghan Markle Delays Her Netflix Show Due to LA Fires

CNET News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 11:26
The Duchess of Sussex pushed back the release to "focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state," according to a statement released this week.
Categories: Technology

There's one handheld gaming PC that went under the radar at CES 2025 - and it's got a secret weapon to beat the competition

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 11:08
  • Tencent Sunday Dragon 3D One was unveiled at CES 2025, featuring an 11-inch screen
  • Features Intel's Lunar Lake processor, similar to MSI's Claw 8 AI+
  • It's still a prototype as of now, and may never even launch

Lenovo and MSI may have stolen the show when it came to gaming handhelds at CES 2025, but there's one that went under the radar that has a few tricks up its sleeve that could let it compete with the upcoming heavy hitters - if it even releases, that is.

Tencent's Sunday Dragon 3D One is an 11-inch handheld gaming PC, that boasts a glasses-free 3D display using Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V processor (also used in the new MSI Claw 8 AI+). The Chinese gaming company claims it will be the "world's first glasses-free 3D gaming handheld" - although I’d assert that this isn't the case, as the Nintendo 3DS rightfully holds that particular crown.

Aside from its processor, resolution, and 3D capabilities, the 3D One appears almost identical to the upcoming Acer Nitro Blaze 11 - both handhelds feature an 11-inch display which may very well turn out to be way too big for a handheld gaming device.

It's worth noting that there is no word on the 3D One's price or availability, and that's because it may never make it out of its prototype phase according to Tencent's press release (as relayed by Techspot).

While it would be disappointing to never see this device's release come to fruition, the Blaze 11 will still be around to showcase how ludicrous or useful an 11-inch display is for a handheld gaming PC.

(Image credit: Techspot) Is this handheld prototype worth keeping an eye on?

Considering the chances of the Sunday Dragon 3D One never seeing the light of day on the market, I would suggest maintaining focus on other handhelds going forward: notably MSI, Lenovo, and potentially Asus' offerings. Not only is the 3D One just a prototype right now, but Tencent is currently being added to the US government's list of companies that are working with the Chinese military - long story short, the chances of this new handheld making its way to the US market are vanishingly slim.

In the hopes that it does launch, this would likely be direct competition against Acer's own 11-inch Blaze handheld and MSI's new Claw 8 AI+, which has been shown to provide fantastic performance at low wattage (power usage) in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 or Black Myth: Wukong with Intel's Lunar Lake chip.

Regardless, I hope to see 11 inches become a hard limit for handheld gaming PCs - as any higher would be simply ridiculous.

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Categories: Technology

Apple users facing new security risks after critical USB component hacked

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 11:01
  • Researcher uncovers method to hack the ACE3 USB-C Controller
  • This is a critical component used for charging and data transfer for Apple devices
  • Apple deemed the attack too complex to present a threat

The ACE3 USB-C controller, a proprietary Apple technology used for charging and data transfer for iPhones, Macs, and other devices, can be hacked to allow malicious actors to run unauthorized activities. Exploiting this vulnerability to do actual damage is a bit of a stretch, though.

At the recent 38th Chaos Communication Congress took place in Hamburg, Germany, white hat hacker Thomas Roth demonstrated hacking this critical component. He reverse-engineered the ACE3 controller, exposing the internal firmware and communication protocols. He then reprogrammed the controller, which gave him the ability to bypass security checks, inject malicious commands, and run other unauthorized actions.

Roth said the vulnerability stems from insufficient safeguards in the firmware of the controller, which would allow a threat actor to gain low-level access, then be used to emulate trusted accessories, and more.

Attack complexity

Roth said he notified Apple of the issue, but the company said the bug was too complex to exploit.

He seems to agree with this assessment, as speaking to Forbes, Roth said Apple, “saw the attack complexity and said that they don't see it as a threat - I agree with that sentiment but wanted to at least have reported it!”

“This is essentially foundational research, the first steps that are needed to find other attacks on the chip,” Roth concluded.

It doesn’t mean the security industry should completely ignore, or forget about Roth’s findings, as it could have major implications for Apple device security, since ACE3’s integrations with internal systems means compromising it could potentially lead to further attacks.

In any case, the Android ecosystem is not affected by this flaw.

Via SiliconANGLE

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Categories: Technology

Microsoft's own baddie team 'attacked' more than 100 generative AI products: Here's what they learnt

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 11:00
  • Microsoft created an AI red team back in 2018 as it foresaw the rise of AI
  • A red team represents the enemy; and adopts the adversarial persona.
  • Latest whitepaper from the team hopes to address common vulnerabilities in AI systems and LLMs

Over the past seven years, Microsoft has been addressing the risks in artificial intelligence systems through its dedicated AI 'red team'.

Established to foresee and counter the growing challenges posed by advanced AI systems, this team adopts the role of threat actors, ultimately aiming to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited in the real world.

Now, after years of work, Microsoft has released a whitepaper from the team, showcasing some of its most important findings from its work.

Microsoft’s red team whitepaper findings

Over the years, the focus of Microsoft's red teaming has expanded beyond traditional vulnerabilities to tackle novel risks unique to AI, working across Microsoft’s own Copilot as well as open-source AI models.

The whitepaper emphasizes the importance of combining human expertise with automation to detect and mitigate risks effectively.

One major lesson learned is the integration of generative AI into modern applications has not only expanded the cyberattack surface, but also brought unique challenges.

Techniques such as prompt injections exploit models' inability to differentiate between system-level instructions and user inputs, enabling attackers to manipulate outcomes.

Meanwhile, traditional risks, such as outdated software dependencies or improper security engineering, remain significant, and Microsoft deem human expertise indispensable in countering them.

The team found an effective understanding of the risks surrounding automation often requires subject matter experts who can evaluate content in specialized fields such as medicine or cybersecurity.

Furthermore, it highlighted cultural competence and emotional intelligence as vital cybersecurity skills.

Microsoft also stressed the need for continuous testing, updated practices, and “break-fix” cycles, a process of identifying vulnerabilities and implementing fixes on top of additional testing.

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Categories: Technology

More alleged Chinese intrusions into the US Treasury revealed

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 10:45
  • The US Treasury has revealed its foreign investments office was hit in recent cyberattack
  • The office reviews national security risks for investments
  • Breach of a third-party vendor led to US Treasury systems being accessed

The US department which reviews foreign investments for national security risks has been revealed as a further victim of the cyberattack which targeted the US Treasury department earlier this month.

The attack was declared a ‘major incident’ after a third-party cybersecurity service provider was compromised, allowing a threat actor remote access to key Treasury systems.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) suffered a data breach as part of the campaign, CNN has revealed. The department reviews foreign investments for national security risks, and was recently granted the authority to scrutinize real estate sales near US military bases, with the scope to block Chinese investment into the US.

Carefully chosen targets

The news is the latest in a string of developments following the US Treasury department hack, in which hackers were able to gain access used by the breached vendor to override parts of the Treasury department’s systems.

The attack has sparked serious concerns for US officials, who have reportedly grown increasingly worried that the Chinese government or proxies plans to use land acquisitions to spy on US bases.

In the broader context of the Treasury attack, other targets look to have been chosen with China-US relations in mind. For example, the US sanctions office was targeted - which last week issued a sanction to a Chinese firm for its alleged role in cyberattacks.

The cyber espionage campaigns launched against US and western targets in recent months look not just to steal information and access sensitive data, but also to disrupt critical infrastructure.

In a separate recent attack, Chinese group Salt Typhoon allegedly breached 9 major telecommunications firms in a huge campaign against US critical infrastructure. Amongst the victims were Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies, who had threat actors lurking inside their networks for months.

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Categories: Technology

EA's Skate Game Is Now Open for Playtesting: Here's How You Can Give It a Try

CNET News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 10:20
The game, first announced in 2020, is available for gamers to try out on PC and on consoles.
Categories: Technology

Telefónica says it was hit by systems breach, internal data leaked online

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 09:55
  • Hackers recently claimed to having breached Telefonica and stealing sensitive information
  • The company confirmed the breach and said it was investigating
  • The crooks broke into an internal ticketing system

Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica has confirmed suffering a cyberattack, and said it was currently investigating its scope and potential damage.

The news comes after cybercriminals posted a new thread on a dark web forum containing a Jira database allegedly belonging to the company. One of the attackers spoke to BleepingComputer and said that the “internal ticketing system” is an internal Jira development and ticketing server which Telefónica uses to report and resolve internal issues.

The miscreants used compromised employee accounts to steal 2.3GB of documents, tickets, and other information.

The Hellcat connection

Apparently, the company was breached by four cybercriminals, three of which form the Hellcat Ransomware operation. This group emerged in late 2024, and quickly made a name for itself after targeting Schneider Electric and stealing more than 40GB of information.

In a peculiar move, Hellcat demanded a ransom of $125,000 to be paid in "baguettes," a term they later clarified as referring to Monero cryptocurrency, likely using the term "baguettes" to gain media attention.

Telefónica has now confirmed the breach, telling BleepingComputer it was currently looking into the matter.

"We have become aware of an unauthorized access to an internal ticketing system which we use at Telefónica," the company told the publication. "We are currently investigating the extent of the incident and have taken the necessary steps to block any unauthorized access to the system."

Telefónica is a leading Spanish telecommunications company with a global presence, serving approximately 392 million customers across Europe and Latin America. It operates in countries including Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and several others in Latin America. In the first half of 2024, Telefónica reported revenues of $22.03 billion, with a net income of $1.06 billion, reflecting a 28.9% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

The company maintains a strong market presence, with mobile market shares ranging from 18.2% in Mexico to nearly 54% in Venezuela as of 2023.

Via BleepingComputer

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Categories: Technology

Samsung Galaxy Ring gets two new sizes, availability in 15 new countries, and a big sleep upgrade to Samsung Health

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 09:46
  • Samsung has just announced two new Galaxy Ring sizes
  • It has also expanded the Ring to 15 new countries
  • The rollout is accompanied by a sleep upgrade to the Samsung Health app

Samsung has today announced that the Samsung Galaxy Ring is now available in two new sizes and is rolling out to 15 new markets in February.

The best smart ring on the market, the Samsung Galaxy Ring now comes in US ring sizes 14 and 15. Along with the additional sizes, Samsung is rolling out the Galaxy Ring to 15 new markets, bringing the total to 53. Starting in February, the new markets include: Cyprus, Czech, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Zambia.

Prospective buyers and existing owners alike will also benefit from an upgrade to the Samsung Health app focused on sleep and health goals for daily life, here's what's new.

Samsung upgrades its health app

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

Samsung says its new health app can analyze your sleep environment, taking data from SmartThings homeware to assess factors like temperature, humidity, air quality, and even the light intensity in your room. You'll get a Sleep environment report to help optimize those conditions and use SmartThings to automatically adjust your surroundings and help you get a better night's sleep.

There's also new Sleep time guidance that will suggest optimal bedtimes tailored to your unique sleeping patterns, habits, and conditions, as well as provide actionable insights for better sleep.

Finally, there's a new Mindfulness tracker to help you improve your mental health, partly in aid of getting a better night's sleep. You can monitor your moods and follow breathing exercises and meditation in the app.

Given the Samsung Galaxy Ring is one of the best sleep trackers out there, these updates make it an even more potent bedtime companion.

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Categories: Technology

Robots as colleagues: why the future of work is collaborative, not competitive

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 09:25

In my grandfather's jewelry workshop, I witnessed the toll of repetitive tasks on human creativity—a challenge that inspired me to reimagine workplace dynamics through humanoid robotics that complement rather than compete with human workers.

The debate around robots in the workplace often gravitates toward a false dichotomy: human versus machine. As the founder of Humanoid, the U.K.'s first AI humanoid robotics company, I've observed that this narrative misses the transformative potential of human-robot collaboration.

Human-machine collaboration

In reality, we’ve already seen a number of successful examples of human-machine collaboration across a number of industries: manufacturing, automotive sector in particular, healthcare, and hospitality.

We’re seeing collaborative robots increasingly enhancing efficiency and customer service experiences across these industries, from Kime robots serving drinks at self-contained kiosks in Spain to BMW’s Spartanburg plan using cobots for door assembly tasks.

Another example is ANYmal from Zurich-based Robotic Systems Lab (RSL). Their product ANYmal is a quadrupedal robot designed for autonomous operation in challenging environments like industrial inspection. It can navigate complex terrain and carry specialized sensory equipment while weighing less than 30kg.

RSL has also developed SpaceBok, a lightweight quadrupedal robot designed to research dynamic legged locomotion for space exploration, featuring modular components for various experiments and optimized for explosive jumping maneuvers. In the field of environmental monitoring, RSL's ANYmal Dodo robot recently completed a challenging hike, demonstrating the lab's advancements in creating robots capable of traversing difficult outdoor terrains.

Across industries, the promise and potential of human-robot collaboration includes not just increased efficiency and productivity, but also improved safety, more informed decision-making, greater flexibility, 24/7 operations, reduced costs as well as great ability to multitask and for humans to focus on higher-value priorities.

For example, a Dutch startup Monumental, has raised $25 million to develop AI-powered autonomous robots for heavy-duty construction tasks like bricklaying. The idea is that their robots will help address labor shortages and improve efficiencies by working alongside human workers to automate mundane, repetitive tasks.

The European approach

The European approach to robotics stands apart from international counterparts through its emphasis on barrier-free integration and skills preservation. While other global players may focus on automation for efficiency gains, European initiatives like the groundbreaking Sharework project and SHERLOCK showcase a distinct philosophy centered on human-robot cooperation, knowledge transfer from aging workers, and democratized access to automation technology.

According to a recent MIT study, aging populations are a major driver of robotics adoption in workplaces, with demographic aging accounting for 35% of the variation in robot use among countries as companies implement automation primarily to fill labor shortages caused by an aging workforce rather than purely for technological advancement. This trend, particularly in Europe, has evolved toward collaborative human-robot workplaces where robots are designed to preserve and amplify human expertise rather than replace workers, enabling aging workers to transfer their knowledge while robots handle physically demanding tasks.

This approach prioritizes preserving craftsmanship while making manufacturing more inclusive and accessible to small and medium enterprises.

Take, for instance, the Sharework project, where robots work alongside humans without protective barriers, as demonstrated by Goizper Group's implementation in the Basque Country, where collaborative robots were successfully integrated into their servo rotary table assembly area for power transmission components.

This isn't just a technological achievement: It's a fundamental shift in how we perceive workplace safety and collaboration.

Cobots

These so-called cobots or collaborative robots are equipped with advanced sensors and AI systems that allow them to understand and respond to human movements, making them safe enough to share the same workspace as their human colleagues.

The psychological impact of this barrier-free collaboration is profound. When workers see robots as tools that enhance their capabilities rather than threats to their employment, workplace anxiety decreases and job satisfaction increases.

At Humanoid, we believe that employees working alongside humanoid robots will be more empowered to focus on creative and strategic tasks, knowing that repetitive or physically demanding work is handled by their robotic colleagues.

The SHERLOCK initiative, another European initiative, takes this further by developing robots that can learn from human expertise. Instead of programming robots with rigid instructions, these systems observe human workers, learning their techniques and adapting to different scenarios. This approach preserves and amplifies human craftsmanship rather than replacing it—a crucial distinction in industries where skill and precision matter.

Democratizing manufacturing

What's particularly exciting is how this collaborative approach is democratizing manufacturing.

Traditional industrial robots required extensive programming expertise and significant infrastructure changes, effectively limiting automation to large corporations.

Modern humanoid robots, designed for human collaboration, are more adaptable and user-friendly. This means small and medium-sized enterprises can now access automation technologies.

Moreover, this collaborative approach is opening up manufacturing to a more diverse workforce. By having robots handle physically demanding tasks, we're removing traditional barriers that may have prevented certain individuals from entering manufacturing roles.

The European model of human-robot collaboration is also addressing a critical challenge: the preservation of manufacturing expertise. As experienced workers retire, their knowledge can be captured and transferred through robots, ensuring that craftsmanship and industry-specific skills aren't lost to time. These robots become not just tools but repositories of human expertise, working alongside newer employees as both assistants and training aids.

The future of work

Looking ahead, the future of work isn't about choosing between humans or robots—it's about creating synergies between both. As we continue to develop more sophisticated humanoid robots, our focus remains on enhancing human potential rather than replacing it. The workplace of tomorrow will be one where humans and robots collaborate seamlessly, each bringing their unique strengths to the table.

This isn't just automation—it's an augmentation of human capability. And in the future, the question won't be whether robots will take our jobs, but rather how they can help us do our jobs better, more safely, and with greater satisfaction.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Categories: Technology

Microsoft’s Project Phoenix could make Edge look better than ever in Windows 11 – but I’m not sure it’s enough to take the fight to Google Chrome

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 09:22

Microsoft has a grand plan to revamp Edge apparently, and one of the possible next steps in the evolution of the web browser has just been flagged up.

As Windows Latest explains, the software giant has a project with the codename of ‘Phoenix’ which has the aim of overhauling Edge, and making it look more modern, but not in one big update – rather a series of drip-fed moves.

And one of the incoming changes could be the ability for the browser to morph its color palette to match Windows 11’s settings, the tech site theorizes.

This is based on a couple of flags Windows Latest noticed in a test build of Edge from the Canary channel (the earliest preview builds).

The flags are ‘msEdgePhoenixColorPaletteGenerator’ and ‘msUseSnappingPointsForPhoenixPaletteGeneration’, so we have the clear reference to the Phoenix project here.

What these flags likely refer to is the ability for Edge to run a piece of ‘color palette generator’ code that could detect Windows 11’s accent colors or theme, and change the browser to match that. In other words, Edge would dynamically switch to complement the Windows 11 environment in this respect.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / monticello) Analysis: What happens in testing, sometimes stays in testing

This is educated guesswork on Windows Latest’s part, but it makes sense to me. Bear in mind that not only is this early testing, but the functionality isn’t even enabled in preview yet, and only present in these flags hidden away in the background. It’s possible that nothing may come of this ultimately, but we can keep a watchful eye out for further clues.

Mica is also apparently coming to the Edge title bar, which is an opaque effect that means the bar is slightly tinted by the desktop color behind it.

While all this is commendable – if it happens – will it be enough to propel Edge forward in terms of browser share? I’m looking for bigger moves than this, and expect you will be too, although it certainly won’t hurt the chances of Microsoft’s browser.

To be fair to the software giant, some nifty bits have been brought in as part of Project Phoenix in the past, such as Edge’s split-screen feature which lets you browse two websites simultaneously, side-by-side in the browser window. Now that is a smart touch.

A further point to note here – albeit more minor – is another flag Windows Latest spotted recently in testing, namely ‘msVisualRejuvTooltips’ which likely represents a revamp of Edge tooltips. While this has since been removed, it’s still something Microsoft could return to at some point down the line.

Furthermore, Leopeva64, a source of a lot of Edge rumors and leaks on X, recently flagged up that the ‘Auto Picture in Picture’ feature in Microsoft’s browser is being removed from testing (see the below post).

Edge's "Auto PiP" feature still works in Beta and Stable (it no longer works in Dev and Canary), if you want to try it out before it stops working,here's the CLF to enable it: --enable-features=msEdgeAutoPictureInPicture,msEdgeAutoPictureInPictureTriggerhttps://t.co/dqiIlcXTq3 pic.twitter.com/UDu8LUPY7dJanuary 12, 2025

All of which illustrates exactly why changes in testing need to be regarded carefully – not all of them make it through to release by any means.

Whatever happens, it’s clear Microsoft is hoping to improve Edge substantially with Project Phoenix, but I’m hoping to see some bigger pieces of that puzzle come into view this year.

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Severance creator Dan Erickson reveals the funniest fan theory he's heard about the popular Apple TV Plus show: 'I think that's ridiculous'

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 09:12
  • Severance's creator has debunked one wild fan theory ahead of season 2's debut
  • Dan Erickson humorously labeled the particular hypothesis as "ridiculous"
  • He also suggested that the hit Apple TV Original won't answer every question that fans have

Three years have passed since Severance's first season ended, so fans have had plenty of time to come up with some outlandish theories about the hit Apple TV Original.

Of the seemingly infinite amount of online fan theories that have emerged, though, there's only one that creator Dan Erickson has amusingly called "ridiculous". Indeed, speaking to me ahead of Severance season 2's debut this Friday (January 17), Erickson debunked one wild fan hypothesis that, surprisingly, actually has ties to the man himself.

Asked for some examples of the strangest comments or theories he's seen or heard, the Apple TV Plus show's head writer replied: "Well, I've heard people say that they think I based Rick [played by Michael Chernus] on myself, which I think is ridiculous! Hey, just because he's well-dressed writer, it doesn't mean I've written myself into my own show."

For those who need a reminder: Rick – full name Ricken Hale – is the husband of Devon, aka Mark Scout's sister, and a published self-help author. His in-universe book, 'The You You Are, A Spiritual Biography of You', becomes something of a manifesto to Lumon Industries' Macrodafa Refinement team, of which Mark's 'innie' is a part of, who – spoilers! – eventually and openly revolt against the clandestine biotechnological megacorporation in the season 1 finale. Despite what some fans believe, though, Erickson didn't serve as the inspiration for Rick, so that's one conspiracy theory that we can strike off the list!

'Part of the fun is letting people speculate and come up with their own interpretation'

(Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

One of the best Apple TV Plus shows' fanbases have come up with some absolutely fascinating theories since the mystery thriller initially premiered in February 2022. And, while viewers continued to analyze one of 2025's most anticipated shows in the three-year gap between season 1 and its forthcoming sequel, the theory mill has gone into overdrive ever since Severance season 2's first trailer dropped in October 2024. Things escalated further with the launch of Severance season 2's official trailer two months later, too, as fans picked through every second of footage to try and determine what'll happen in the show's sophomore outing.

If you're hoping that season 2 and future installments will confirm or disprove every theory that fans have concocted, though, you'll want to check your expectations. Responding to my query about how Erickson strikes a balance between expanding on or unraveling certain mysteries, and leaving others open to audience interpretation, he said: "It's funny because, as a kid doing my homework, I always made sure to show all of my work so my teacher knew I'd done everything correctly.

We haven't figured everything out, but we're getting there

Dan Erickson, Severance's creator

"Now, because we take great care to intricately figure all of these things out and answer every question [that fans have], my impulse is to put that work on the screen. I want to tell the audience everything. Oftentimes, Ben [Still, director/executive producer] has to be there to put a hand on my shoulder and say 'it's okay to leave some things left unsaid'.

"Part of the fun is letting people speculate and come up with their own interpretation, or they can find their own way to what we were saying and meet us in the middle," he added. "So, I've learned a lot about restraint from Ben, and we still have conversations about which questions we want to answer. We haven't figured everything out, but we're getting there."

Before the highly-rated series returns, read my Severance season 2 review to get an insight into its first four episodes. Once you have, read on for more Severance coverage from me and the wider TechRadar team.

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Categories: Technology

'We’ve let them down': Sonos gets a new CEO after its disastrous year, and it looks like better times are ahead

TechRadar News - Mon, 01/13/2025 - 08:08

Sonos had a very bad 2024, starting with the relaunch of its app in March, which instantly riled up customers with its missing features and sluggish performance. Sonos spent the rest of the year fixing it, costing vast sums of money and reportedly delaying other products as a result. During all this, the company launched its first pair of headphones, which were not a big hit.

A lot of Sonos users turned their ire towards CEO Patrick Spence, and it seems that Sonos board agreed – Spence is leaving Sonos immediately, with a former Pandora (the music-streaming service) exec stepping in to replace him on a temporary basis, while the search for a long-term CEO continues (via Bloomberg).

Tom Conrad is the name of the man taking over for now, and he says he has a prominent arm tattoo of the Sonos Ace headphones, among many other tech tattoos, so we might say that he wears his love of the company on his sleeve.

Conrad said in his letter to employees (via The Verge):

"I think we’ll all agree that this year we’ve let far too many people down. As we’ve seen, getting some important things right (Arc Ultra and Ace are remarkable products!) is just not enough when our customers’ alarms don’t go off, their kids can’t hear their playlist during breakfast, their surrounds don’t fire, or they can’t pause the music in time to answer the buzzing doorbell."

"I’m here to get us back on track. But is getting back on track enough?"

"I think the answer is clearly no. Getting back to basics is necessary, but clearly not enough to unlock the future we all envision for Sonos. So as delighted as I’ll be when every Sonos customer I meet tells me “You work at Sonos!? I love my Sonos!”, what really gets me up in the morning is the idea that we can expand the Sonos platform well beyond “out loud audio at home.”

"I’ve heard from many of you about your own frustrations about how far we’ve drifted from our shared ideals. There’s a tremendous amount of work in front of us, including what I’m sure will be some very challenging moments, decisions, and trade-offs, but I’m energized by the passion I see all around me for doing right by our customers and getting back to the innovation that is at the heart of Sonos’ incredible history."

The Sonos Arc Ultra was the best thing Sonos did in 2024, but it was a low bar to clear, to be fair. (Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)

The letter above appears to reference obliquely several of the issues that led Sonos to such a terrible place, such as restructures that changed how product development was focused, and ignoring growing technical debt, meaning that problems could compound until they became disastrous – you can read far more about Sonos' slow decline internally here.

Which suggests that the new CEO understands the fundamental issues, as well as acknowledging how problems internally lead to problems for the people who buy the products. In particular, the way Conrad raises the idea that people should respond positively to the idea that someone works for Sonos suggests that he's really paid attention to just how severely the company's reputation has been damaged.

It used to have some of the best word-of-mouth in the world of tech, but if you look now at any Sonos-related video on TechRadar's TikTok account, you'll see a sea of comments saying to never buy anything from the company due to the new app (which has, to be fair, improved massively since launch).

So it's good news that the problems appear to have been identified by the interim CEO. The big question is whether he'll have the ability to change them in his time there, and whether the permanent CEO shares his views – or even if all things go right long-term, whether Sonos will ever get its prestige back in the same way.

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