Technology

The search giant is tapping Gemini to supercharge its Shopping platform. It's also adding a new personalized deals page.

If you have a Roku TV and compatible home security devices, you'll want to learn about these free features launching in Winter 2024.

Amid a big year for change for Dungeons & Dragons, this new rule book does an incredible job of inviting a whole new audience to start playing.

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I couldn't stop watching this unique crime series.

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We’ve all made the mistake of downloading some useless apps at one point or another, but there used to be a degree of certainty that the fake beer drinking app or the wild west sound effect buttons wouldn’t turn out to be spyware - as long as you got it directly from the App store. Well, new research from Zscaler says that might not be the case anymore.

Zscaler’s new ThreatLabz OT Threat Report has identified over 200 malicious apps available on the App store, which have already been downloaded by 8 million users so far. This comes with a 101% rise in spyware year-over-year, as well as a 29% increase in banking malware attacks.

This suggests that the motives for the attacks remain primarily financial, as banking malware allows threat actors to steal your credentials not just to use themselves, but also to sell on to other criminals.

More than a few bad apples

The targets of these attacks mirror research on other types of cyberattack, with the education, technology, and manufacturing sectors experiencing the most incidents. Education proves once again to be attractive to cybercriminals, and saw a 136% increase in attacks in the last year.

As more and more of us work from home, we introduce more software to enable us to connect or for productivity in hybrid environments, but these open the landscape up for threat actors to exploit.

"Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting legacy exposed assets which often act as a beachhead to IoT & OT environments, resulting in data breaches and ransomware attacks," said Deepen Desai, Chief Security Officer at Zscaler.

"Mobile malware and AI driven vishing attacks adds to that list making it critical for CISOs and CIOs to prioritize an AI powered zero trust solution to shut down attack vectors of all kinds safeguarding against these attacks."

These are not the first reports of infected apps even from the official Play store, so we recommend checking reviews, number of downloads, and ratings when looking for something new.

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New and improved Kindles are reportedly set to be announced *checks watch* tomorrow, October 16, with one seemingly set to launch with a brighter display and a more sustainable design than its predecessor. Such an upgrade would mark the first improvement to the product line since the Amazon Kindle (2022) dropped.

This comes from Good e-Reader (via T3) who claims “many people who work in retail” are preparing to sell new Kindle models in-store and online from October 16. They don’t have model names, just numbers, however those models are expected to be a new entry-level Kindle, and an update to the Kindle Paperwhite (2021).

This leak is supported by a previous accidental listing for a 2024 edition of the entry-level Kindle on its site at the end of September by a Spanish retailer, and that some Amazon Kindle ereaders have been sold out for a little while – suggesting Amazon could be phasing them out in order to launch a new Kindle soon.

There was also a pair of FCC filings – 2A4DH-5698 and 2A4DH-5688 – for what appears to be new Kindles (via Good e-Reader) with photos and diagrams for the products still under an embargo, again teasing that Amazon has a surprise launch coming soon.

The leaked Spanish retailing listing is where we get the details of the new design, including that the ereader is seemingly made with 75% recycled plastic and 90% recycled magnesium, and that the display will boast 25% higher brightness than the 11th-gen model.

It also reportedly boasts 16GB of onboard storage, an eight-week max battery life, and offer faster page turns to feel like a more responsive device.

As with all leaks it’s worth taking all of these details with a pinch of salt – until Amazon makes an official announcement nothing is certain.

(Image credit: TechRadar) What we want to see

Considering how long it's been since we last got new Kindles it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see new models this year. And if the recent Fire HD 8 tablets launch is anything to go by, Amazon isn’t afraid to just drop new tech without a massive fanfare. Just don’t expect Amazon to launch its new Kindles with an immediate discount like it did with the Fire HD 8 tablets.

That’s not to say the launch won’t still be exciting, with that faster page-turn leak suggesting that the 2024 Kindle will use the E Ink Carta 1300 display which debuted in the 2024 Kobo Clara BW – and helped cement it as one best ereaders this year.

Beyond that, the addition of color e-ink would be appreciated – with this tech yet again being boasted by Kindle rival Kobo’s Clara Colour. At the same time, Kindles are pricier.

A more achievable upgrade could instead be the cheapest Kindle getting the same IPX8 waterproof rating as the Kindle Paperwhite, but we’ll have to wait and see what (if anything) is revealed in the rumored launch tomorrow.

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Reality Defender, a startup focused on AI detection, has developed a tool to verify human participants in video calls and catch fraudsters using AI deepfakes for scams.

The death of an American woman inside Philip Nitschke’s latest invention reveals the next frontier in the right-to-die debate.

For years now we've been living in a vinyl revival, with sales of vinyl LPs and the best turntables in rude health. But new data from Billboard suggests that this particular listening party could be coming to an end. Between 2023 and 2024, US vinyl sales dropped 33.3%. That's much more of a drop than CD sales (down 19.5%) or digital albums (down 8.3%). And it's not been replaced by streaming, which is only up 7.2%.

The problem's pretty simple. Vinyl almost always costs too much now.

New releases are routinely priced at $30 / £30 or higher before shipping, and considerably more if there's more than one disc. And old records are being rereleased and priced the same too – assuming they're not being re-released as an even more expensive package such as Green Day's 8LP American Idiot reissue ($199 / £239.99) or U2's "Super Deluxe Collector" 8LP re-release of How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ($299.98 / £229.99)

New vinyl is expensive in part because there aren't enough places making vinyl records, and partly because the costs of making records have increased. But it's also because of greed in both the new and the resale markets.

Opinion: the price of vinyl simply isn't sustainable

New vinyl has been expensive for some time now, and limited supply is a key factor: there are only so many pressing plants that can make the records. When Adele's record company got her 2021 album 30 manufactured, it took up so much capacity that other artists were facing wait times of up to nine months to get their own records made.

That problem has become worse since pop acts in particular started creating deliberate scarcity with multiple vinyl variants of the same record. Taylor Swift is probably the most high profile of these vinyl villains, making multiple versions of the same vinyl in slightly different colors (six colors for Midnights and approximately a million billion different variants of The Tortured Poets Department), but it's widespread across mainstream music now.

The high prices and limited supply in retail are having a knock-on effect on resale too. If you spend any time on the r/vinyl subreddit or similar forums you'll see redditors – redditors who love vinyl, redditors who've spent more on music than some of us spend on cars or feeding our families – talking in astonishment about the soaring prices of old records, the greed of second-hand sellers and why they're scaling back their buying as a result of what many consider to be blatant price gouging. And as some point out, high prices doesn't necessarily mean high quality either.

I love vinyl, and in a world where streaming CEOs have a higher net worth than almost any musician in history, I want to support artists directly by buying their stuff. But like many music fans, I'm buying a lot less now because I simply can't afford the prices being charged.

Music is made to be listened to, not hung on a wall or kept in the hope of selling it on for a profit. But as with the cost of concert tickets, the cost of vinyl is excluding all but the most affluent.

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Samsung has begun the rollout of its One UI software update to select Samsung TVs earlier than anticipated, as reported by SamMobile.

Following a recent announcement that Samsung would incorporate its One UI software design to its TVs – bringing them more in-line with how its phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24, look – the rollout of this software has begun, well ahead of the expected 2025 release date before.

In the report, SamMobile reports that the One UI update appeared on its Samsung S90C, one of the best TVs available, and it appears that other 2023 models are also receiving the update.

The One UI software update is said to run on Tizen 8.0 – Samsung's 2023 TVs currently run on Tizen 7.0 – and while the One UI update will make cosmetic and design changes to Samsung's TVs, the actual smart TV platform itself will remain as Tizen under the surface.

The other headline news about this update is that Samsung's TVs will now get seven years worth of updates, meaning Samsung TVs from 2024 such as the Samsung S95D for example will receive software updates until 2031.

For some of the major changes and updates based on the One UI rollout, see below. It's worth noting that these updates may vary by model, region and more.

One UI updates

SamMobile shows that the One UI update is being implemented on Samsung's TVs - including its own 2023 S90C. (Image credit: Sammobile )

As for the changes the One UI software update has made on the 2023 TVs, some key features include For You, Live and Apps tabs on the home screen – something 2024 Samsung TVs already have – that tailor recommendations based on recent viewing, as well as the inclusion of the Daily+ Hub for lifestyle management and health apps, similar to Samsung's super useful Game Hub.

There's also a new 'Watch Later' tab where users can save TV shows and movies to a list to watch at a later time. There's a design change to the Game Bar to the latest version, too.

There's also fitness improvements, as real-time data such as heart rate and calorie consumption can be tracked when you connect a Samsung Galaxy Smart Watch, such as the Samsung Galaxy Smart Watch Ultra, which we rate as one of the best smartwatches.

There are also app widgets and animation changes made to look and act like the One UI software in terms of design.

Samsung's aim with bringing the One UI software to its TVs is said to be an attempt to unite all its products into one family, further expanding on its current SmartThings technology. But is this good news for Samsung TV owners?

One UI reservations

In our recent reviews of One UI on Samsung's phones, we have been critical of its less than user-friendly approach. (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

We've previously mentioned our reservations about the introduction of One UI to TVs as a regular criticism we've had of the One UI software in the past in our reviews of its phones is that its too overcomplicated, often hiding features that should be easily accessible.

While we have no qualms with Tizen as a smart TV platform, and have in fact praised its improvements over the years with the most notable being the 'hub menu' system, we've never found it to quite beat the likes of webOS, Roku TV and even Google TV in this year's sets, finding Tizen isn't as user-friendly.

So if One UI is something we've been critical of for not being user-friendly, is adding it to a smart TV platform that we've not found as user-friendly as rival smart TV platforms a step forwards or backwards?

We're still in the very early stages of this rollout so we'll have to see how One UI fares on the best Samsung TVs – here's hoping it's a long-term improvement.

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Google has signed a new deal with Kairos Power to use small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to power its energy-hungry artificial intelligence (AI) data centers as the world begins to confront the consequences of widespread AI adoption and a grid that’s struggling to keep up.

The partnership will be the first corporate agreement involving the purchase of nuclear energy from multiple SMRs, and is set to begin operation by the end of the decade.

With the first reactor online by 2030, Google plans to enlist additional reactors over the following five years.

Google to use nuclear for its data centers

In the nearly two years that have followed the public preview launch of ChatGPT, which is credited with kickstarting widespread interest in artificial intelligence, tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Amazon have been forced to rethink their strategies as data centers’ power consumption and use of other natural resources have come under fire.

Google’s Senior Director for Energy and Climate, Michael Terrell, emphasized the importance of the agreement, noting that the grid needs new energy sources to support AI’s continued expansion. He described the partnership with Kairos as an opportunity to accelerate clean, reliable nuclear power and to unlock AI’s full potential.

Kairos Power CEO Mike Laufer commented: “By coming alongside in the development phase, Google is more than just a customer. They are a partner who deeply understands our innovative approach and the potential it can deliver.”

Alphabet isn’t the only big corp looking at nuclear energy to power its data centers – Microsoft and Amazon have also been publicly exploring the potential of nuclear, with the US Department of Energy also deeming it a viable solution.

Besides nuclear, Google has also been diversifying its energy investments to offshore wind, solar and geothermic activity.

It's not just Google who are looking to address the significant power usage of data centers, as energy companies have also been advised that they need to plan ahead for the AI data center power drain, or lose out on revenue.

In a recent interview, Jay Jiang Yu, Founder and Executive Chairman of Nano Nuclear Energy Inc, told TechRadar Pro that "The systems which would need to be in place to meet the expected energy demand would need to commence their installation now, to ensure that the AI and data centers in 2-3 years had the power supply necessary to continue their upscaling and expansion."

"Currently the deficit in energy is expected to hit the tech centers sometime around 2026-2027, and currently no new system looks able to come online before those dates," he concluded.

Via BBC

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Microsoft is reportedly expanding Xbox Cloud Gaming in November to allow users to stream owned games that are not part of Xbox Game Pass.

According to a recent report from The Verge, sources familiar with Microsoft's plans told the publication that the company is preparing to test the new update as part of a project called "Project Lapland" where it will expand its Game Pass Ultimate offering.

Starting next month, members who are signed up for the Xbox Insider program will be able to test the new feature, which will allow the Xbox Cloud Gaming servers to support the streaming of thousands of games.

Streaming is expected to be released to more Xbox users at a later date after testing.

Xbox Cloud Gaming was supposed to launch with game library streaming in 2020, and Microsoft later announced it would support the game library on the service in 2022.

The feature didn't launch that year, however, with The Verge claiming that the work has been "complicated by having to prepare key infrastructure for thousands of games, instead of the hundreds that currently exist on Xbox Game Pass."

It's also said that publishers will withhold some games due to licensing requirements or ongoing deals.

Elsewhere, Microsoft is reportedly releasing a brand new Xbox wireless headset this month that is more expensive than the current model.

Seemingly called the "Xbox Wireless Headset Refresh", the hardware is claimed to launch in Europe on October 22 and the US on November 5 and will cost $109.99 / £99.99 / AU$163.56.

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Several key refinance rates were higher this week, making it harder to find a lower rate on a home loan.

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Apple is planning to expand its support for digital car keys to vehicles made by Volvo, Polestar and Audi, giving more car owners the ability to unlock their vehicle simply by using their iPhone.

Although the expanded support hasn’t yet been officially announced, code hinting at it has apparently been discovered by news outlet MacRumors. The site claims to have noticed the code in Apple’s Wallet app, which is used to store digital car keys.

MacRumors didn’t go into too much detail with this revelation, other than to say that “certain” cars from Volvo, Polestar and Audi would be supported.

That implies that the feature won’t be coming to every vehicle made by these companies – for one thing, cars need to include an NFC key reader, which not every model has – although we don’t yet know which specific cars will be supported.

We also don’t know when this support will be added, and it could be some time before we see these brands join Apple’s car key roster. Still, the new code does at least suggest that Apple is working on integrating these cars into the system.

How it works

(Image credit: Why Kei, Unsplash)

Using the Wallet app to unlock your car is pretty simple and straightforward, although the exact method varies by manufacturer and model.

With your phone in your pocket, some cars unlock and start up as you approach and enter the vehicle. Others do so when you hold your iPhone close to the door handle or key reader. And some can also be unlocked or locked remotely from your device.

Some manufacturers even let you share your digital car keys with other users, and you can stop sharing them at any time from the Wallet app. And the feature doesn’t just run on your iPhone – if you have a compatible Apple Watch, that can also be used to lock, unlock, or start your car.

Right now, Apple’s digital car key system works with vehicles from BMW, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Kia, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, and more. You can check which specific models are compatible on Apple’s website.

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