Technology

Intel’s Lunar Lake processors have caused quite a stir since the mobile chips were launched, and a fresh dive into the capabilities of these CPUs in the world of gaming handhelds won’t do the range any harm in terms of all the positive chatter.

Of course, there aren’t any handhelds on sale with a Lunar Lake chip – not quite yet – so we can’t have a definitive test in that respect, but as Wccftech spotted, Geekerwan (on Bilibili) has run a Lunar Lake CPU through its paces in the low power envelope such a gaming portable will require.

Specifically, Geekerwan (a well-known presence on the hardware scene) tested the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (Lunar Lake) processor in a Yoga Air 15 laptop, running at 15W, pitted against the Steam Deck (with its custom AMD Zen 2 chip) and Asus ROG Ally (with AMD’s Z1 Extreme). The Lunar Lake benchmarks were conducted with the laptop set at 720p resolution to reflect handheld usage.

The Lunar Lake CPU proved to be over twice as fast (2.3x) as the Z1 Extreme, and around 35% faster than the Steam Deck’s custom AMD silicon. The Core Ultra 7 258V was also compared to the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and was 67% quicker than that laptop CPU, to boot, at this low power envelope.

In fairness, the handhelds were drawing a bit less power – the Z1 Extreme used 9W, as opposed to 12W with the Lunar Lake chip (with the motherboard using the extra juice, keeping under 15W in total). So, the Intel CPU does have a bit more power supplied, but even with that taken into account, the results clearly reflect some major performance gains.

Geekerwan’s testing of Cyberpunk 2077 showed the Core Ultra 7 258V hitting 28 fps (with FSR on) compared to 13 fps and 11 fps respectively for the Steam Deck and ROG Ally (and 13 fps for the Ryzen AI HX 370).

On top of that, the laptop chips were also tested at their full power capacity, and the Lunar Lake CPU running at 30W (in 1080p gaming) was not that far behind the Ryzen AI HX 370 which is an 80W part – indeed in some games it was right up there with the AMD chip.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: Intel’s clawing back into the game

This is exciting stuff, make no mistake. We were hoping that Lunar Lake might make excellent processors for gaming handhelds, and this is exactly what this early testing appears to demonstrate – with the obvious caveat that this is just one round of benchmarking, and as noted, we don’t have the Core Ultra 7 258V actually inside gaming handhelds just yet.

That time is likely not too far off, though, and it seems that these new mobile processors are going to make far more of an impact on the handheld gaming arena than Intel’s previous Meteor Lake chips managed. The CPU inside the MSI Claw is Meteor Lake, as you may recall, and the sequel coming hopefully early next year – the MSI Claw 8 AI+ – will upgrade to Lunar Lake.

So, that gaming portable could be pretty awesome, as we noted in our hands-on with the Claw 8 AI+, albeit with a wrinkle on the graphics side. Lunar Lake packs Arc (Battlemage) integrated graphics, and while this is part of that excellent gaming performance within a lower power operating environment, it’s also something of a problem with older games.

As you may be aware, Intel’s Arc drivers were launched from scratch a couple of years back, and old titles are often left out in the cold with wonky support and possible compatibility issues. Really, it depends on what you want to play, but if classic PC games or indie titles are your bag, that could prove more troublesome when using an Intel processor as opposed to AMD. (Also, it should be noted that not every PC game runs on the Steam Deck, either – for different reasons).

Another crucial element for gaming handhelds is battery life, and the sequel to MSI’s Claw also makes some big promises in this department. Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, Geekerwan found the Core Ultra 7 258V in the Yoga Air 15 almost matched the battery life of a MacBook Air M3 in battery longevity testing (this Core Ultra 7 actually outgunned the Apple M3 in Lenovo's claims for a Yoga Slim notebook, it should be noted).

All the early signs point to Lunar Lake being something of a revelation for gaming handhelds, so let’s hope this pans out the way it looks given these first extremely promising glances at portable performance.

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A new update has reportedly bricked older Samsung Galaxy models, according to reports from owners.

Samsung users on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) have suggested that a recent update has caused the Galaxy S10, Galaxy Note 10, Galaxy S10e to begin bootlooping. Android Authority reports the Galaxy M51 may also be affected.

According to X user negativeonehero, a tech news aggregator who rejects the title “tipster”, the issue seems to be caused by an update to Samsung’s SmartThings smart-home connection service and is affecting phones running Android 12 or lower.

Thankfully, owners of Samsung’s newer phones – such as the Galaxy S24, S24 Plus, S24 Ultra, and any other units running newer versions of Android – seem to be in the clear.

A thread by user rthompsonv on the r/samsunggalaxy subreddit detailing the issues has garnered more than 300 responses in less than 24 hours – many of them corroborating complaints of a forced update and subsequent bricking.

“I work at a cell phone store and I’ve had 5+ people come in with S10s in boot loop today – we haven’t even been open for an hour yet,” replied user MightyJoeTYoung.

For those not familiar, bootlooping refers to an uncontrollable cycle of restarts. It’s a known symptom of data corruption, operating system failure, or hardware breakdown, so the worry from Samsung owners about this latest bug is more than understandable.

Other users have shared concerns to X, where at the time of writing a search for “Samsung S10” returns a long list of user complaints.

User themboderg complained about their Galaxy S10 and received a response from Samsung Australia suggesting they book in at a Samsung service center. themboderg’s subsequent response implies that they were advised to factory reset their device.

Luckily, it looks like a fix is on the way – Samsung hasn’t made any announcements, but negativeonehero has noticed an incoming patch to Samsung SmartThings Framework, which may be intended to fix the bootlooping.

Of course, it’s not clear whether those with phones stuck in a bootloop will be able to access the update, given that their handset may have been rendered unusable.

Some social media users report that a factory reset of the affected device fixes the issue, but we’d advise Galaxy users to wait for an official announcement from Samsung before doing this and permanently erasing their data.

Until then, be sure to keep up with our Samsung phones coverage for the latest updates.

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Major spoilers follow for The Rings of Power season 2 episode 8.

The Rings of Power actor Daniel Weyman has explained when he found out his character's (The Stranger) real name – and no, he hasn't known since the hit Amazon series began.

Ahead of the season 2 finale, titled 'Shadow and Flame', I spoke to Weyman about the grand reveal, among other things, concerning the mysterious wizard he's played for the past two seasons. And, despite The Rings of Power's cast telling me that they knew who The Stranger was way back in October 2022, Weyman – who confirmed that I was one of the first people he was discussing this with – admitted he had no idea who he was really playing in the Prime Video show until he'd almost finished filming on season 2.

So, what is the enigmatic Istar's true identity? Drum roll, please: it's... Gandalf. I know, I'm as shocked as you are (that's sarcasm, for anyone who may think I'm actually stunned by this revelation). There have been plenty of clues throughout the high fantasy series, including in The Rings of Power season 1 finale and The Rings of Power season 2's fourth episode, that hinted this was the case. Nonetheless, responding to my first question about how long he's known he was playing Gandalf, Weyman claimed he wasn't privy to this reveal for as long as viewers may think. Indeed, it wasn't until showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, plus director/executive producer Charlotte Brändström, took him aside in the final throes of filming season 2 that he was made aware of The Stranger's actual name.

The Stranger is dead, long live Gandalf! (Image credit: Prime Video)

"Towards the end of episode six, they [Payne and McKay] said 'we've still got some scenes in episode eight we need to film,'" Weyman revealed. "I said 'okay' and then they added 'this will be chronologically out of order for you but, next week, we're going to ask you to say your name', which I thought was really exciting.

"When the time came, they sat me down with Charlotte and said 'so, you know, The Stranger's been on a long journey and, now, Middle-earth's people are going to start calling you Gandalf'. To be honest with you, I was pretty shocked. No matter how many theories I've heard, I never wanted to believe it because he's such an iconic character. I always wanted to stay with The Stranger and play the truth of where he was at, so I hadn't let myself imagine that [I'd be Gandalf] too much.

I was shocked, but also excited and very humbled

Daniel Weyman, The Rings of Power actor

"So, when it was crystallized in front of me, I was shocked, but also excited and very humbled. I feel really honored that, from season one, they've put The Stranger on this trajectory to become Gandalf. I also love the fact that, when I saw the script, it's others who bestow it upon him. It was the slightly mistaken thing where the Stoors and Harfoots call him a 'grand elf', and it also has some resonance through his staff because 'gand' is an old Norse word for 'staff', which [J.R.R.] Tolkien used as inspiration for his name. To get the level of depth in your name, I think it's really beautiful."

Speaking of Gandalf's staff, which he also finds in 'Shadow and Flame', viewers – myself included – have noted that it bears a striking resemblance to the staff that Ian McKellen wields as Gandalf in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. Was the intention there, then, on the crew's part to perfectly replicate the film adaptations' staff for one of the best Prime Video shows' second season?

Gandalf's made a new friend, apparently (Image credit: Prime Video)

"That's a really good question," Weyman replied. "Strangely, it wasn't one that I asked or looked into, but it feels like a staff that Gandalf would use. When it was presented to me to look at, it was a really wonderful moment. It didn't just feel like it had been carved by the skilled [craftspeople who work on our show]; it really seemed like it had experienced hundreds of years growing on a tree in the Stoors' canyon home in Rhûn and collected these weird, gnarly bits at its end before falling off. 

"But it felt like a friend straight away and, after Gandalf and Nori parts ways, the first scene I filmed with it was the one walking through the desert back to Tom Bombadil's hut, and I felt like I was with this new friend with its own energy that would protect and support Gandalf. I'd love it if, when we finish [this series], they'll let me keep it. Maybe they'll let me have the light one, which they made in case I need to wield it, because the other one is pretty big and heavy!"

I'll be bringing you from my chat with Daniel, as well as other cast members, over the next day or two, so keep your eyes fixed on TechRadar. For now, read up article explaining The Rings of Power season 2's ending to learn more about what happened and how it sets up plot threads to come in season 3. 

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Top-rated workout tracking and community platform Strava has today announced the rollout of its brand-new AI-powered workout summaries, now available in beta to its paying subscribers.

Unveiled earlier this year, Strava's new Athlete Intelligence promises "personalized insights based on activity data" that will make it easier to understand performance metrics and the data from all of the best smartwatches or mobile phones.

Strava claims Athlete Intelligence will help "reduce friction in the user’s active journey" by analyzing and interpreting workout data, presenting them as "simple, personalized insights and guidance."

Despite the name, Strava says the new AI features can help at all levels of exercise, from beginner to advanced. After several months as a beta behind the scenes, Strava says Athlete Intelligence is now available to subscribers as a public beta.

Strava is making athletes more intelligent

(Image credit: Lauren Scott)

Strava's Athlete Intelligence promises to help its users in a number of key ways. It can spot trends to give users a bigger-picture view of their progress, specifically over the last 30 days.

It can also help you understand performance insights like pace and heart rate zones to help improve.

There's also personalized feedback, and Athlete Intelligence will even help you celebrate performance milestones to keep you motivated.

Strava says it has fine-tuned Athlete Intelligence over the past several months and has upgraded it to offer "stronger analytical capability to aggregate data trends from workouts logged over the past 30 days," as well as to provide "smarter insights across pace, heart rate, elevation, power and Relative Effort."

We used Strava's new Athlete Intelligence AI feature for a week earlier this year. We found it helpful yet unintrusive and were impressed with the tangible advice it offered. It's another great string to the bow of one of the best fitness apps on the market.

There have been plenty of changes since then, so expect a much-improved experience. Remember, however, that the feature remains in public beta, so it's not finished quite yet.

Subscribers can access Athlete Intelligence immediately after uploading a run, ride, walk, or hike by tapping on the activity and reading their insights. You can opt out of Athlete Intelligence at any time by tapping 'Leave the Beta' within the feedback section of the app. The beta is available in 14 languages, and Strava says more updates and iterations are on the way.

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Wix, one of the best website builders, teamed up with Agency Hackers to create a report sharing new insight on the future of marketing and digital agencies based on input from more than 80 agency leaders. The new Agency Forecast Report points to some of the biggest issues and opportunities in the industry, which the report found agencies are meeting with great confidence. 

In fact, the overall confidence among agencies according to the leaders surveyed is 6.6 out of 10. That may be because of how they feel that there are solutions to current challenges, even as those obstacles loom in the months ahead. One very popular plan is to expand their businesses into new areas, with nearly two-thirds, 62%, of respondents reporting doing so. 

“Agencies today are navigating a landscape that demands adaptability, creativity, and strategic foresight, and this report explores how leaders are finding their footing in this fast-paced, ever-changing landscape,” said Kobi Gamliel, Head of Agency Growth at Wix Studio. “Identifying future trends is vital for an agency's success, and at Wix Studio we're helping them to stay ahead of the curve by innovating new products that not only help agencies keep pace with industry changes, but also elevate the quality and efficiency of their output. 

AI in website building 

Going after new businesses, however confidently, requires having the right people on the team. That's where agency leaders are struggling, with talent acquisition and retention cited as a critical issue by 72% of respondents. Finding people with the right talents and figuring out how to get them to join and stay with a company is a crucial task, one that has become both more vital and difficult. 

Things only get more complicated with the changes in client behavior explained in the Agency Forecast Report. Leaders from 55% of the agencies said there is more demand for shorter contracts and project-based work rather than long-term retainers. Clients want flexibility and are wary of commitment for whatever reason, leading to more difficulty planning at agencies, especially when they have to keep in-demand talent onboard for the next project. 

The same percentage of agencies is making relationship-building with current clients central to plans to try and encourage deeper, longer commitments on the business front. Attracting clients interested in those long-term arrangements is also why three-quarters of the agencies surveyed plan to increase investment in marketing to attract new business and strengthen brand presence. 

These strategies are working for some agencies. The report found that 42% of agencies claimed revenue growth over the last six months, likely tied to demand for digital services. As digital transformation accelerates across industries, agencies are under pressure to not only keep up with these changes but also to leverage new tools and technologies to improve their service offerings.

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Most of us have worked under a less than tech-savvy leader at some point or another, but new research suggests C-suite executives are specifically targeted as they often represent an organizations ‘weakest security link.’

Executives have access to critical information and sensitive data, but a tendency to store it on personal devices, making them a target for hackers, and a survey by GetApp has revealed that 72% of US senior executives have been targeted by cyberattacks in the last 18 months.

Attacks are becoming more frequent and more sophisticated, with a 29% increase in scams, piracy, and fraud targeting executives in the last year. Worryingly, impersonation scams in particular have seen a 26% rise.

Deepfake impersonations

Given the development of deepfake technology and its deployment against businesses, this could have dire consequences. Millions of dollars have already been lost to cybercriminals this year, and 27% of attacks on senior officials have used AI-assisted deepfakes - highlighting just how critical the threat is.

"The targeting of the C-suite is a strategy for cybercriminals seeking maximum impact. What many organizations fail to realize is that the security of their top leadership needs to be a priority at all times. C-level executives need to be aware of threats beyond the corporate environment," says Andrius Buinovskis, cybersecurity expert at NordLayer.

To mitigate the risks, 87% of IT and cybersecurity professionals think senior executives should receive more training than other employees, and security experts recommend proactive approaches to digital security.

Cybersecurity remains a top concern for many organizations, with budgets expanding due to the demand for the protection of C-suite communications and for firms as a whole. As the threat landscape becomes more complex, companies will have to develop more robust security measures to protect their data.

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If you’re a subscriber to Gemini Advanced then you might not have noticed but Google just quietly upgraded you to version 1.5 Pro-002 of its LLM, which is good news, because it’s much faster and more powerful than the previous version.

This new version 1.5 of Gemini Pro is optimized for chat and now provides better and more accurate responses for prompts related to math and exploring complex topics that invite thoughtful conversation. Effectively this means that you can now provide multi-step instructions without Gemini becoming confused about what you mean. Google also claims the new AI is more helpful, and better at providing relevant information and informative responses. It’s also faster, so you don’t have to wait as long for a response.

ChatGPT recently released an o1-preview LLM model to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, which had much better ability at math, and it will be interesting to compare how it performs to the new Gemini Pro 1.5.

Welcome to the Gemini family

Gemini is the universal name for Google’s LLM family, and it comes in four versions: a Pro version for Gemini Advanced subscribers, which costs $20 a month (£18.99/AU$32.99), and is the best-performing model. Flash, which is the smallest, most cost-effective multimodal mode (and what free tier users get by default). Nano, which is the version you can find embedded on smartphones, for on-device processing. Finally, there’s Ultra, which is its largest model and designed for highly complex tasks.

You used to need a subscription to Gemini Advanced to use Gemini Live - the AI Assistant found on Google Pixel phones that you could talk to using your voice, but Google recently dropped the requirement and made it free for all Android users. Gemini Live doesn’t use the more powerful Gemini Pro 1.5 LLM though, since that remains reserved for Gemini Advanced subscribers.

The AI wars are just beginning

Google isn’t the only AI company that’s upping its game and improving its AI smarts. ChatGPT recently started to roll out Advanced Voice Mode to its paid-for ChatGPT Plus subscribers and Microsoft has just launched a new, rebranded version of Copilot, its own AI that has a voice mode you can use entirely for free. The web-based version of Copilot is still rolling out, but to try Copilot now just download the Copilot app on your smartphone.

While Google’s Gemini Live is free to all Android owners who can run it on their smartphones, Microsoft has responded by making Copilot’s voice mode free to anybody who can run the Copilot app, even on iOS devices. That means iOS users can get their first taste of a voice-activated AI before Siri gets its own proper AI smarts, which should be coming soon.

Of course, the real value of an AI assistant is its ability to integrate with all your other apps, like your calendar and inbox, so it can do more useful things for you. These features are still coming to Gemini and aren't here yet, but a general voice chat with AI, both Google Gemini Live and Microsoft Copilot are currently leading the way.

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According to a new study by Ricoh Europe, British and Irish employees and businesses are more prepared than ever to automate repetitive workplace processes.

However, enthusiasm from both sides has been met with the usual array of concerns, including the disruption of mission-critical services.

Referring to the current state of UK&I workplaces, Ricoh found that around one in three (30%) still lack access to process automation tools despite a similar number (29%) believing that their job satisfaction would improve if they had access to such technologies.

Employees and employers are both looking for more automation

Both parties recognise the benefits of process automation, however slow adoption on the part of employers is the top frustration for employees who seek productivity and efficiency assistance.

Ricoh found that businesses are concerned about the potential disruption caused by process automation to essential business operations, fuelling their cautious approach.

Rob Alonso, Sales Director for Business Process Services at Ricoh UK, commented: “This caution is understandable, but businesses may be hindering growth by failing to make the most of the opportunity process automation presents.”

Nicola Downing, CEO of Ricoh Europe, added: “I know first-hand that the C-suite is justified in being cautious about disrupting mission-critical systems, considering the ramifications if things go wrong."

Looking ahead, the need for better guidance was highlighted by one in three (31%) business leaders, together with IT decisions being made holistically rather than in isolation.

And with nearly one-fifth of employees stating that better technology could influence their decision to stay in their role or seek alternative careers, the need for businesses to react quickly is crucial.

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As a Spotify Premium subscriber, I’m forever grateful for the convenience of offline listening and now that Spotify has launched its latest ‘Offline Backup’ playlist feature, there’s a new way for you to still enjoy audio streaming on one of the best music streaming services even when you lose signal. 

As of today (October 3), Spotify has officially rolled out its 'Offline Backup' feature for Premium users, introducing a new way to enjoy offline audio streaming without having to rely on downloads – including your Spotify playlists – and using extra storage and data. 

The new feature can be found in your 'Home Feed' whenever you’re offline. It amalgamates a rather lengthy playlist (mine is 19 hours and 28 minutes for reference), which could stand as a new contender for your next audio travel companion. 

(Image credit: Future)

Prior to its rollout, a Spotify spokesperson told TechRadar: “We're always exploring new ways to improve our user experience. Last year we began testing offline listening and have continued to innovate on the experience taking user feedback into consideration.” With that said, 'Offline Backup' has been designed to assist you in different situations where you’re not able to stream audio while online. 

The main objective of 'Offline Backup' is to offer you a solution for those moments when your network cuts, which happens often when you frequent public transport systems like the London Underground where there’s not an ounce of phone signal. 

No matter the length of your journey, Spotify’s new offline feature will have you covered from anything from a short car journey to a long haul flight – and the best bit is you don’t have to worry about downloading the playlist before you take off. Travel aside, 'Offline Backup' can come in handy for when you want a break from constant notifications on your phone – switch airplane mode on, and get lost in the music. 

How does Offline Backup work?  

(Image credit: Future)

In addition to gathering songs already saved in your Spotify account, 'Offline Backup' examines your recently listened-to and queued songs and puts them together to create a playlist that’s unique to your audio streaming habits. 'Offline Backup' will generate once you’ve streamed more than five songs recently with the ‘Offline listening’ toggle enabled in your settings. 

If you’re like me and enjoy a cross-genre listening session, you can use 'Offline Backup' to filter through the different genres and moods it presents. Using its integrated filter, you can view and listen to specific genres by selecting the genre tabs that appear in the playlist.  

 How to find your Offline Backup playlist

(Image credit: Future)

When you open the Spotify app on your mobile device anytime while offline, your 'Offline Backup' playlist will appear in your 'Home Feed' automatically. It’s important to note that you need to enable the ‘Offline listening’ toggle in your settings to listen to 'Offline Backup'. This is very simple to find, just go to ‘Settings’ and from there you can find the toggle under either ‘Data Saving and offline’ or ‘Storage’.  

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Rumors are growing that Fujifilm is working on an entirely new camera for 2025. There are suggestions that it won't be based on an existing Fujifilm camera, but that the mystery model will pack an entirely new sensor in a format Fujifilm hasn't used before.

Naturally, this news, which was shared by Fujifilm Rumors, has sparked a wild guessing game among Fujifilm fans, many of whom are speculating about what the retro camera specialist could conjure up. After all, Fujifilm consistently makes some of the best cameras, including the X100 VI, which has been one of this year's highlights, yet it has remained entirely absent from the popular full-frame and Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor formats.

Riffing on the rumors – which, to reiterate, are speculation – and based on Fujifilm's current camera lineup, what's most likely?

What sensor format makes most sense for Fujifilm?

Fujifilm's primary camera systems are its X-Series, which includes interchangeable lens cameras such as the X-T5 and its X100VI premium compact, plus its GFX-series headlined by the flagship model, the GFX 100 II. The X-series utilizes an APS-C sensor, while the larger-sensor GFX-series is known as medium format. Those sensor sizes sandwich full-frame.

Many fans think it's unlikely that Fujifilm will enter the full-frame camera space, despite its popularity. Not only could a full-frame Fujifilm camera cannibalize its current systems given the rough similarity in size, but it's a highly competitive market with Sony, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic and Leica focusing their efforts there.

Of course, Fujifilm could create a one-off and unique full-frame camera without committing to the format with a new series, but it isn't perhaps the most likely scenario.

The same could be said for Micro Four Thirds, a sensor format that's slightly smaller than APS-C, and which is used by excellent mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and OM System. So where does that leave us?

Sony's versatile RX100-series of premium compact cameras utilize a 1-inch sensor – a format never used by Fujifilm – delivering a fast aperture zoom lens and premium build quality. (Image credit: Future)

A possibility could be a versatile premium compact camera with a 1-inch sensor and handy zoom lens, much like a Sony RX100-series camera, with the latest model being the RX100 VII. Fujifilm has never utilized this sensor format before, and the premium compact camera market has growing interest, not least of which because of Fujifilm's own success in this space with the X100VI.

Sony looks like it has abandoned its RX100-series, and shoppers are short of new options in this part of the market. Fujifilm could also add its retro twist, thus creating an excellent travel camera that could also be a decent option for vlogging.

Leica recently breathed new life into its D-Lux premium compact camera series with the D-Lux 8. It features a Micro Four Thirds sensor and fast aperture zoom lens. However, being a refresh of the D-Lux 7, its technology is a little dated and Fujifilm could easily create a more compelling option than Leica by using its latest tech.

There are plenty of potential candidates from the plausible to the unlikely, including an interchangeable lens Instax camera. Judging from the rumor forums, whatever Fujifilm may or may not be working on, it could stir up quite the interest.

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Networking gear manufacturer DrayTek has issued patches to address several vulnerabilities found in its residential and enterprise router line-up, including one with the maximum severity rating - 10/10.

The company urged its users to apply the patch immediately, since the flaw can be abused to take over vulnerable devices and move further into the compromised network.

According to the security advisory published with the patch, the critical-severity flaw is described as a buffer overflow bug in the “GetCGI()” function in the web user interface. It is tracked as CVE-2024-41592, and can be abused to either run denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, or remote code execution (RCE), when processing the query string parameters. Since the vulnerability affects different devices - including some that are past their end-of-life date - users are advised to look for the corresponding version on the DrayTek resource page.

700,000 flawed devices

Research from Forescout claims there are just above 700,000 routers with their UI exposed to the internet, and thus at risk of an attack. The majority is located in the United States, with notable mentions including Vietnam, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Australia.

While certainly dangerous, the buffer overflow bug is not the only important vulnerability that the company addressed. In total, there were 14 vulnerabilities, collectively dubbed DRAY:BREAK. Two are rated critical, nine high, and three medium severity. The second critical vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2024-41585, and has a severity score of 9.1. It is an operating system (OS) command injection flaw in the “recvCmd” binary, used for communication between the host and guest OS.

The entire list of the vulnerabilities can be found on this link.

"Complete protection against the new vulnerabilities requires patching devices running the affected software," Forescout said. "If remote access is enabled on your router, disable it if not needed. Use an access control list (ACL) and two-factor authentication (2FA) if possible."

Via The Hacker News

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A new The Sims mobile game has been spotted on the Google Play Store and before you get too excited, no it’s not anything to do with The Sims 5. The game, which is currently titled The Sims Labs: Town Stories is part of the recently announced The Sims Labs platform, which serves as a testing ground for upcoming products and features.

The Google Play Store listing describes The Sims Labs: Town Stories as “an all-new exciting building simulation game”. It’s set in the town of Plumbrook, which your player character has recently moved to. Judging by the screenshots, the gameplay seems to involve traditional The Sims-style building and interacting with town residents. 

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Although the game appears to not currently be available to download, an anonymous account on X / Twitter has shared what appears to be some early gameplay footage. They claim that the game is semi-open-world and uses a mix of assets taken from The Sims Mobile and The Sims FreePlay.

Their footage shows the player interacting with fan-favorite The Sims character Bella Goth, suggesting that there will be some call-back references for long–time The Sims players. The overall interface looks quite reminiscent of previous mobile installments, with a couple of elements, such as a bright blue player level bar, that I can immediately identify as borrowed from The Sims Mobile.

Given the use of all these presumed placeholder assets, it’s also quite obvious that this title is still in very early development. A number of visual bugs are present too, especially with its character animations and extremely flat lighting. Still, a new The Sims game is always pretty exciting and I’m looking forward to finding out more about what this could be.

If you would rather stick to a game that is currently released, The Sims 4 is available now as a free-to-play title on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 in addition to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility. 

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