Technology

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Microsoft is making it easier for Windows 11 users to log in to their various services and websites without having to remember a plethora of passwords, instead using passkeys, for which the software giant has just broadened its support.

Specifically, Microsoft has just introduced support in Windows 11 for third-party passkeys (in other words, passkeys made by companies other than Microsoft).

Passkeys are a more secure method of signing into devices, apps, or websites which can leverage biometric authentication such as facial recognition, a fingerprint ID, or PIN via Windows Hello. For the uninitiated, Windows Hello is a security feature in Windows 11 that offers biometric authentication (facial or fingerprint), or indeed a PIN.

Passkeys utilize two unique keys - one stored with the service you're logging into, and the other is on your Windows 11 device, protected by those biometrics (or a PIN) - and they offer far stronger security than traditional username and password combos.

(Image credit: Future) Another step towards a password-free world

Microsoft is constantly working to bolster the security of Windows 11 devices, and part of that is a push towards a world that no longer relies on passwords - but more secure logins such as passkeys.

As part of this, Microsoft brought in the ability to use passkeys with Microsoft consumer accounts (rather than just commercial users) earlier this year (back in May 2024).

So now, this capability is being extended to allow the use of passkeys made by third-party developers in Windows 11. That includes the likes of apps such as 1Password and Bitwarden, as Microsoft informs us it’s collaborating with the developers of those applications - and others - in a post on its Windows Developer Blog, aiming for more seamless integration of such third-party offerings in Windows 11.

Microsoft has also updated Windows 11 to make it easier to use Windows Hello and passkeys. The idea is when you open a website or app that supports logging in with a passkey, you’ll be prompted to select how you’d like to save the passkey – whether you want to use it with your Microsoft account, or another service.

It’s good to see passkey support being widened, and Microsoft getting behind this security measure, and I’m happy enough to give them a go as while I’m alright at living with traditional passwords, I run into a lot of the same frustrations with them as many of you probably do.

I’m also glad that Microsoft is taking a collaborative approach to working with third-party developers here in implementing something that hopefully works well for Windows 11 users.

Via PC World

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Cloudflare has announced the deployment of its 12th generation servers, powered by AMD EPYC 9684X Genoa-X processors, delivering improved performance and efficiency across its infrastructure.

The new processor has 96 cores, 192 threads, and a massive 1152MB of L3 cache - three times that of AMD’s standard Genoa processors.

This substantial cache boost helps reduce latency and improve performance in data-intensive applications, with Cloudflare saying Genoa-X delivers a 22.5% improvement over other AMD EPYC models.

Updated AI developer products

According to the cloud provider, the new Gen 12 servers can handle up to 145% more requests per second (RPS) and offer a 63% increase in power efficiency compared to the previous Gen 11 models. The updated thermal-mechanical design and expanded GPU support offer enhanced capabilities for AI and machine learning workloads.

The new servers are equipped with 384GB of DDR5-4800 memory across 12 channels, 16TB of NVMe storage, and dual 25 GbE network connectivity. This configuration enables Cloudflare to support higher memory throughput and faster storage access, optimizing performance for a range of computationally intensive tasks. Additionally, each server is powered by dual 800W Titanium-grade power supply units, providing greater energy efficiency across its global data centers.

Cloudflare is keen to stress these improvements are not just about raw power but also about delivering more efficient performance. The company says the move from a 1U to a 2U form factor, along with improved airflow design, reduced fan power consumption by 150W, contributing to the server’s overall efficiency gains. The Gen 12 server’s power consumption is 600W at typical operating conditions, a notable increase from the Gen 11’s 400W but justified by the significant performance improvements.

The new generation also includes enhanced security features with hardware root of trust (HRoT) and Data Center Secure Control Module (DC-SCM 2.0) integration. This setup ensures boot firmware integrity and modular security, protecting against firmware attacks and reducing vulnerabilities.

The Gen 12 servers are designed with GPU scalability in mind, supporting up to two PCIe add-in cards for AI inference and other specialized workloads. This design allows Cloudflare to deploy GPUs strategically to minimize latency in regions with high demand for AI processing. Looking ahead, Cloudflare says it has begun testing 5th generation AMD EPYC "Turin" CPUs for its future Gen 13 servers.

Separately, Cloudflare has introduced big upgrades to its AI developer products. Workers AI is now powered by more powerful GPUs across its network of over 180 cities, allowing it to handle larger models like Meta’s Llama 3.1 70B and Llama 3.2, and tackle more complex AI tasks. AI Gateway, a tool for monitoring and optimizing AI deployments, has been upgraded with persistent logs (currently in beta) that enable detailed performance analysis using search, tagging, and annotation features. Finally, Vectorize, Cloudflare’s vector database, has reached general availability, supporting indexes up to five million vectors and significantly lowering latency. Additionally, Cloudflare has shifted to a simpler unit-based pricing structure for its three products, making cost management clearer.

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The FBI created a cryptocurrency company and crypto token as a bait for scammers who participate in ‘pump-and-dump’ schemes, new reports have revealed.

The tactic, which involve making fake trades to boost prices before cashing out, worked very well, with 18 people arrested for ‘widespread fraud and manipulation in the crypto currency markets’, marking the first ever set of criminal charges brought against financial service firms for ‘wash trading’ and market manipulation in the cryptocurrency industry.

Over $25 million in cryptocurrency was seized during the operation, along with trading bots responsible for millions of dollars worth of ‘wash trades’ for around 60 different cryptocurrencies, which have been deactivated.

‘Operation Token Mirrors’

The cryptocurrency the FBI created was an Ethereum-based instrument named NexFundAI, which they used to track unsuspecting traders.

‘Wash trades’ refers to the illegal process of buying and selling the same security as a form of market manipulation. Recent reports suggest that as much as 70% of all crypto currency transactions fall under this category, so it's no wonder police want to crack down.

“These are cases where an innovative technology – cryptocurrency – met a century old scheme – the pump and dump. The message today is, if you make false statements to trick investors, that’s fraud. Period.” stated Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy.

“These charges are also a stark reminder of how vigilant online investors must be and that doing your homework before diving into the digital frontier is critical. People considering making investments in the cryptocurrency industry should understand how these scams work so that they can protect themselves.” he adds.

Also charged by the Security and Exchange Commission were three ‘market makers’, which refers to individuals who engage in two-sided markets of a security.

There’s been a flurry of bad news stories for crypto investors recently, with crypto-linked cybercrime seeing a record year, with stolen funds inflows doubling to around $1.58billion in 2024.

Via The Register

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Rumors that Fujifilm is making an all-new camera with a new kind of sensor, tipped for 2025, have plenty of fans excited. Details are thin, to say the least, and initial speculation has been based on what makes most sense according to Fujifilm's current camera lineup, most plausibly landing on a digital compact with a 1-inch sensor.

That logic would pit the would-be Fujifilm camera against the likes of the Sony RX100 VII, which is one of our favorite premium compact cameras. However, there has recently been a surprising development that suggests this new sensor could, in fact, be a unique vertical one rather than being horizontally positioned like in pretty much every digital camera.

So, you would hold this camera horizontally – which is the easiest way to hold a camera – yet make vertical format pictures and videos, like the natural way on your phone. In analog terms, it's the approach of half-frame, which is the format of the recent Pentax 17: it uses 35mm film but takes two half-sized vertical pictures in the space of every single frame on the film roll.

The difference here is that Fujifilm's rumored camera isn't analog but supposedly digital. So, is a digital half-frame camera a smart idea or a gimmick?

The Pentax 17 is a popular half-frame analog camera that shoots pictures in vertical format when held horizontally, like above. (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman) Is a digital 'half-frame' compact camera a gimmick?

If anyone can make a digital compact with vertical sensor work, presumably being aimed at content creators, it's Fujifilm. Fujifilm is a trending camera brand – its X100VI is one of the most popular and sought-after cameras in recent memory. Analog photography is also trending, with the half-frame Pentax 17 proving to be one of the hits this year. So bringing the two design concepts together into one: a retro digital compact with social-friendly vertical photos and videos – it should make sense.

Am I convinced? Yes and no. Let's say the rumor is true. On the one hand I think a 'half-frame' digital compact is an easy sell in 2024, especially with Fujifilm's retro looks. But what would it be like to actually take pictures and videos with said camera?

Let's be clear: You can simply rotate a regular digital camera 90 degrees to shoot in vertical format and rotate those video clips using a video editor. Or you can sacrifice video resolution by cropping into your horizontal videos to make a vertical one. However, these steps are awkward, and a camera that's optimized for shooting vertically makes a lot of sense in 2024 and beyond.

Most people view short-form video content and photos on their phones vertically, so why not just make capturing in that format as easy as possible? Sure, shooting half-frame is counter intuitive at first. However, you'd get the full-resolution of the sensor for vertical video rather than having to crop down to a lower resolution, and avoid unnecessary time editing. Being a dedicated camera, you would also get a superior user experience over using your phone instead.

Half-frame makes even more sense for analog photography, where your photos are permanently exposed onto a film roll. For instance, I love creatively thinking in pairs, which is another layer of image curation, plus you double the number of your shots on a film roll. In a way you don't get the same practical benefits with digital and a memory card that can hold thousands of photos. As an aside, I wouldn't be the only one hoping that Fujifilm follows in Pentax's footsteps and develops an analog camera, especially as it's one of the leading producers of photographic film.

I can see a digital half-frame compact resonating with many people, and being ridiculed by others. Personally, I'm all for brands trying new things and I hope this rumor turns out to be true. If the camera materializes, it'll certainly spark debate and offer creators a unique shooting experience to wrap their heads around.

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With October in full swing, you might be looking for some of the best horror movies to stream. But outside of the classics and the spooky new movies, one of the best streaming services has just dropped a contender for my favorite horror series of the year, a perfect adaptation of Junji Ito's manga Uzumaki. After being let down by the 2000 movie (which is available on Prime Video in the US and Shudder in the UK), it is refreshing to finally see it done properly.

Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror is a four-part adaptation of Ito's frankly massive manga that throws you in the deep end from the first episode alone. The show is streaming on Max and Adult Swim in the US and Channel 4 in the UK. It wastes no time in establishing this terrifying world, where citizens in the town of Kurouzu-cho are plagued by spirals. Surreal as the concept is, it grips you immediately, with this obsession and paranoia around spirals resembling that of a disease. People are terrified of it, to the point where some seriously crazy stuff happens. It's gritty, it's dark, and Max is really delivering that tone especially when you look at DC hit The Penguin, which we compared to The Sopranos, and rightfully so.

I was also pleased to discover that even people who have never read the manga could get sucked in. My partner watched the first episode with me and since then has been keen to tune in when it airs each week, and ironically, we found ourselves becoming just as invested in the spirals as the people on-screen. With less horrifying stuff happening, of course.

Junji Ito's lines come to life on screen

(Image credit: Adult Swim)

For me, the most striking thing of all is just how stunning this is to look at. It's the reason the manga gripped me too, I found myself desperate to turn to the next page to see what horrific, albeit beautifully drawn thing would greet me this time, and watching the TV adaptation is no different. Sticking to the original black and white design, it's like watching a moving version of the manga. This is exactly where the movie failed, in my opinion, because it was a color live-action take on the tale and it simply did not work. Ito's terrifying world is best when it's devoid of any color at all, I say let's keep it that way.

The art is beautiful. It's also the worst thing you'll ever see. I have omitted some of the really awful imagery to not spoil it. If you have read the manga already, you'll no doubt find yourself anticipating certain famous moments, and even when I knew what was about to happen I still found myself cringing. From transformations to mutations to people having psychotic breaks due to the spirals, nothing can fully prepare you for it. If you we wondering, yes, it is even worse when it's animated.

Uzumaki has been in the works for a long time, and I am glad they spent so much time making it as accurate to the source material as possible. There's little point diverting from it too much when Ito has given us such a great story. It's up there with some of the best anime shows you'll watch.

When you're done here, there are plenty of other spooky offerings to sink your teeth into as well. I also recommend James Wan's Teacup and some of these indie horror games (Cult of the Lamb is my favorite!). But until then, please do step into the horrifying world of Uzumaki. You won't regret it.

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