Technology

• Researchers from Proofpoint observE two groups engaging in "fake update" attacks
• The groups have their separate assignments against macOS devices
• The goal is to distribute FrigidStealer, a new infostealer malware

Cybercriminals are using fake macOS updates to distribute a new piece of malware called FrigidStealer, new research has claimed.

Cybersecurity researchers Proofpoint recently observed two new threat actors distributing the malware, tracked as TA2726 and TA2727, working together on different parts of the same campaign to get macOS users to install FrigidStealer.

They opted for the “fake update” distribution method, where victims would visit a compromised website which would serve a popup. That popup would warn users that they needed to update either their Macs, or their browsers, in order to view the contents of the website.

Targeting Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android

Instead of an actual update, the victims would download and run the installer for the FrigidStealer malware, which did what infostealers usually do - it steals information, including browser cookies, files containing passwords or cryptocurrency-related data, files from Apple Notes, and similar.

Stolen data is stored in the user's home directory before being sent to the attacker’s command and control (C2) server: askforupdate[.]org.

Proofpoint says that the malware is distributed by TA2727, a financially motivated cybercriminal group. TA2726, on the other hand, acts as a Traffic Distribution System (TDS) operator, redirecting web traffic to TA2727’s payloads.

The majority of the targets seem to be located in North America and Europe, and besides FrigidStealer, the crooks are also using Lumma Stealer and DeerStealer for Windows targets, and Marcher Banking Trojan for Android users.

Fake update attacks are nothing new, they’ve been around for years. The SocGholish malware campaign, attributed to the threat actor TA569, is recognized as one of the most prolific users of these attacks. Active since at least April 2018, SocGholish employs malicious JavaScript injected into compromised websites to present visitors with deceptive prompts for software updates, such as fake browser or Flash Player updates.

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Italy is set to require VPN and DNS providers to block access to pirated content within 30 minutes – whether that's a football match or any other live event, on-demand movies and TV series included.

The country's communication regulator AGCOM approved the new anti-piracy measures on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, in a major boost to the existing anti-piracy system. Italy enforced the so-called Piracy Shield early last year specifically to fight against live sports piracy mostly via IP blocking.

The news comes as French streaming giant Canal+ is considering blocking VPN usage to prevent citizens from circumventing the country's anti-piracy tactics. Some of the best VPN providers on the market, however, are arguing that targeting their services risks undermining people's internet freedom rather than solving online piracy.

What is Italy's Piracy Shield?

Italy enforced its Piracy Shield system in February 2024 to prevent citizens from accessing live sports events through pirate sites, especially football matches. To do so, rightsholders can demand piracy-related domain names and IP addresses suspected of copyright infringement are blocked within 30 minutes.

While the Italian anti-piracy system has proven effective so far, tech companies have been raising concerns with EU authorities about multiple overblocking incidents.

Yet, industry criticism wasn't enough to stop AGCOM's mission. The country's communication regulator now wants to expand the reach of its Piracy Shield system even further to tackle the piracy plague affecting the movie and audiovisual industries.

As the AGCOM commissioner, Massimiliano Capitanio wrote in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday: "With the resolution voted today, the fight against piracy takes another step forward."

(Image credit: Future) Online piracy and VPNs

Among the new AGCOM measures, "extending the blocking order to VPNs" is surely the one set to create the most discussions.

A virtual private network (VPN) is security software that encrypts all internet connections and spoofs the users' real IP address. While most people use VPNs in Italy and beyond to boost their online privacy, their IP-spoofing abilities also enable users to bypass anti-piracy restrictions.

This is exactly why French rightsholders have presented the likes of ProtonVPN, NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfhsark, and CyberGhost with legal action, seeking to block VPN access to people looking to infringe the country's copyright laws.

The targeted VPN firms plan to fight back against France's streaming giant's request, deeming the lawsuit "illogical" and warning this would have "sweeping consequences" for the internet security and privacy of people in France.

On its side, Italy has not shared how the VPN providers are expected to meet the new requirements. Nor it is clear if this would be technically feasible for companies operating no-log VPNs, which cannot supposedly see what users are doing when connected to their service.

We have contacted some of the most popular VPN providers asking for comments and will update the page accordingly.

• Apple unveils its all-new iPhone 16e
• The iPhone SE is no more
• Apple finally designed its own modem chip, the C1

Leave it to Apple to surprise or at least turn the tables on the rumor factory. Yes, we got a new, more affordable iPhone, but it's not an iPhone SE 4. Instead, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e, expanding the iPhone 16 lineup with a $599  / £599 / AU$999 5G, Apple Intelligence-ready budget phone.

Featuring the A18 CPU, the same 3-nanometer processor that's in the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup, much of the 6.1-inch iPhone 16e is a step down from the baseline iPhone 16 model.

It has just a single 48MP camera that shoots at 24MP by default (and up to 4K 60fps video).

(Image credit: Apple)

The screen is a Super Retina XDR display, but instead of the Dynamic Island, we're treated to the return of the notch featuring a 12MP TrueDepth camera. The good news is that it does enable Face ID, which can be used for unlocking and securely authenticating.

The iPhone 16e does include the Action Button but with the added wrinkle of being able to program it to run Visual Intelligence. This feature lets you point the camera at animals, plants, restaurants, and even event flyers to get information or take AI-powered actions. It's a notable update because it also means that the Camera Control button on the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup does not carry over to the iPhone 16e.

As for the rest of the build, it's a pace-grade aluminum with a ceramic shield covering the display. The iPhone 16e also boasts an IP68 rating just like the 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 16e also marks – unless Apple keeps around the iPhone SE 3rd gen – the end of the home button. Touch ID may live on in other buttons (Macs, iPads), but that iconic button is, it seems, finally no more. Pour one out for the Home Button.

(Image credit: Apple)

There is, however, one significant and notable technological update buried inside the new handset: Apple's C1 chip, its first homegrown cellular modem.

Not much is known about this chip yet, but Apple is claiming some battery efficiency as a result of it. Apple claims 26 hours of video playback on a single charge. If that bears out in our reporting, that would be a huge deal for this class of smartphone.

While the iPhone 16e is not a true update to the iPhone SE lineup, it does bring some welcome features to Apple's most affordable smartphone.

The iPhone 16e features a USB-C port for charging but also supports wireless charging. It's running an A18 chip that supports Apple Intelligence and all the features currently supported in iOS 18, including Genmojis, writing assistance, and call transcription. It even includes Satellite communications support and starts with 128GB of storage but can be configured up to 512GB.

Preorders for the iPhone 16e start on Friday, February 21 and the phone starts shipping on February 28. It's available in matte black or matte white.

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• Eero's launching two new models, both of which support Wi-Fi 7 and up to multi-gigabit speeds
• The Eero 7 and Eero Pro 7 sit below and next to the Max 7
• It's a 'comprehensive lineup' for Wi-Fi 7, according to CEO Nick Weaver

Amazon’s Eero brand is turning 10, and as it has been since day one, it’s all about making Wi-Fi easy and hassle-free. Now, as Eero CEO Nick Weaver told TechRadar, it’s launching “a comprehensive lineup for customers, all with the latest Wi-Fi technology.” That lineup comprises the new Eero 7 and Eero Pro 7, both of which join Amazon’s existing Wi-Fi powerhouse, the Eero Max 7.

Perhaps most importantly, both the standard Eero 7 and the Pro 7 deliver Wi-Fi 7 support at way more affordable prices. The Eero 7 starts at $169.99 / £169.99 for one, and the Eero Pro 7 is $299.99 / £299.99 – both models will also arrive in Australia at a date and price yet to be confirmed. The launch comes just over a week before Amazon's next devices launch event, at which we expect the brand to show off its new supercharged Alexa experience.

The Eero 7 and Eero Pro 7 fully integrate with Eero’s existing ecosystem and live within the companion Eero app for iOS and Android. There, you can get your network online, monitor which devices are connected, troubleshoot any issues, opt for Eero Plus features if you subscribe, and easily add another access point.

(Image credit: Amazon/Eero)

All of this comes together as the secret sauce that’s made Eero so successful, and cemented it as one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems around – the brand is now 10 years burning down the road after launching on February 3, 2015. Just like the Eero Max 7, the 7 and Pro 7 both support the Wi-Fi 7 standard, but there’s a key difference between the two.

The standard Eero 7 is a dual-band router with 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz channels for your devices to connect to. It’s multi-gigabit capable, with promised speeds of up to 1.8Gbps wirelessly and 2.3Gbps wired. Each Eero 7 gets two 2.5Gb Ethernet ports and a USB-C port for power, and a cable and wall plug are included in the box. A single Eero 7 offers coverage up to 2,000 square feet, making it likely plentiful for an apartment or smaller home with just a few devices.

However, if you want more channels for devices to connect to and to avoid interference, a tri-band router potentially – and therefore network – is likely the route. And that’s where the Eero Pro 7 comes in – it looks like a Max 7, meaning it’s a sort of an oval-like tower design with a fanless design to help keep things cool. Basically, it sucks the heat in at the bottom and back, then pushes it out the top.

Each Pro 7 is tri-band with 2.4Ghz, 5Ghz, and 6GHz channels, giving however many devices you have connected plenty of room on your network. It’s multi-gigabit, and designed to handle even more traffic and offer even better connectivity, as it’s rated for up to 3.9Gbps wireless speeds and up to an impressive 4.7Gbps when wired. The Eero Pro 7 trades the 2.5Gb ports of the standard Eero 7 for two 5Gb Ethernet ports, which makes it better if you have a multi-gigabit connection from your service provider. A single Pro 7 can cover 2,000 square feet like the standard 7, but can handle up to 200 devices connected to a single point.

(Image credit: Amazon/Eero)

Beyond the differences between dual-band and tri-band, and the Ethernet ports, the Eero 7 and Pro 7 also pack smart home connectivity in that Matter, Thread, and Zigbee devices can get connected as these also act as border routers or home hubs.

You’ll also get three major benefits from Eero courtesy of dedicated features – TrueChannel, which picks the best channel for your device to connect; TrueRoam, which can pass your connected device from access point to access point without interruption; and TrueMesh, which routes your device via the best possible route. It’s some excellent naming, but really speaks to the technology in these routers, and the Eero OS working to give you the strongest network connection possible and prioritizing the various devices connected to the network.

If you have a Wi-Fi 7-capable device, you can also take advantage of standard features, such as multi-device connections, allowing your device to be on two channels simultaneously. As more devices adopt Wi-Fi 7, you’ll be set for quite some time with the Eero 7 and Pro 7, as they offer plenty of future proofing. And if you need to grow your network, you can also mix and match or expand your Eero system. This means you can start with an Eero Pro 7 as your main router, get one extra Pro 7 to act as an access point somewhere else in your home, and maybe opt for a standard 7 for your garage. It’s all pretty plug-and-play.

I’m particularly excited to see how the Eero Pro 7 pairs with a Max 7 as the main point – Eero’s flagship model has brought new speeds and endurance to my home network, but at $599.99 for one, it never really did tick the ‘affordable’ box. The Pro 7 trickles down the improved design with still really strong network chops for a good chunk of change less. The Max 7, for comparison, covers 2,500 square feet with just one unit, delivers wireless speeds up to 4.3Gbps, and has four Ethernet ports (two of which are 10Gb).

We’ll be testing the new Eero 7 and Eero Pro 7 as soon as we can set them up and connect them. If you’re already sold, Eero is taking orders for the new models right now. Shipments will start on February 26, 2025. The US and UK are the launch countries, and as mentioned they’ll launch in Australia later this year.

Here’s the pricing breakdown, and you can order these at Amazon now.

• Eero 7 single: $169.99 / £169.99
• Eero 7 two-pack: $279.99 / £279.99
• Eero 7 three-pack: $3499.99 / £3499.99

• Eero Pro 7 single: $299.99 / £299.99
• Eero Pro 7 two-pack: $549.99 / £549.99
• Eero Pro 7 three-pack: $699.99 / £699.99

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Apple has officially launched the iPhone 16e. The company announced the new budget-friendly iPhone at 11am ET / 8am PT / 4pm GMT on February 19, confirming that the iPhone 16e is a new member of the iPhone 16 family and not, as many suspected, a standalone iPhone SE 4.

The new phone features the A18 chipset, a 6.1-inch OLED display, Apple Intelligence compatibility, a single 48MP rear camera, and a 12MP front-facing camera. The iPhone 16e also features a notch instead of the Dynamic Island, but it does inherit the Action button from the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 lines.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 16e begin on February 21, and the device will ship from February 28. It starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 and comes in either 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage configurations.

Follow along as we react to the announcement of Apple's latest mid-range model, which has discontinued both the iPhone SE (2022) and the iPhone 14.

The latest news

• Apple has officially announced the iPhone 16e
• It features the A18 chipset, a 6.1-inch OLED display, a single 48MP rear camera, and a 12MP front-facing camera
• The iPhone 16e is also compatible with Apple Intelligence
• The phone features Apple's first homegrown cellular modem, the C1
• Pricing starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999
• Pre-orders begin on February 21; shipping starts on February 28

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

Welcome to our iPhone SE 4 liveblog

Hello, I'm Axel Metz (TechRadar's Phones Editor) and I'll be running our Apple event live blog for the next few hours. We're expecting Apple to announce something later today, and though nothing has been confirmed as yet, all the signs point towards a refresh for the company's ageing iPhone SE line.

In the following posts, I'll be rounding up the latest news and rumors about the iPhone SE 4 (or might that be the iPhone 16E?), and keeping you updated with all the official information as it's revealed by Apple.

What does Apple's teaser tell us?

Get ready to meet the newest member of the family.Wednesday, February 19. #AppleLaunch pic.twitter.com/0ML0NfMeduFebruary 13, 2025

Let's kick off with a proper look at Apple's official teaser, which was shared to X on February 13. Tim Cook's shiny Apple logo doesn't give a lot away, but the internet has some compelling theories.

Firstly, the tagline "get ready to meet the newest member of the family" does tally with rumors of a new iPhone SE. It'd be part of the iPhone family, but does that also hint at a rebrand? The iPhone SE 3 was simply the iPhone SE (2022) and there have also been rumors that the new model might be called the iPhone 16E.

The circle around the logo could also be hinting at the new SE's single camera, or the move away from a physical home button. It does also look a lot like an AirTag (potentially the AirTag 2?), but we weren't expecting to see a new one of those for quite a while yet...

The biggest iPhone SE upgrade rumors

(Image credit: Apple)

As for the iPhone SE 4 specifically, we're expecting the new device to bring major hardware and software improvements over its now-outdated predecessor. The biggest rumored upgrades for the iPhone SE 4 are as follows:

• A bigger, better display: Where the iPhone SE (2022) uses a 4.7-inch LCD panel, its successor is tipped to use a 6.1-inch OLED display running at a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels.
• Apple Intelligence compatibility: The iPhone SE 4 will likely be the cheapest entry point into Apple Intelligence, and therefore one of the best AI phones at its price point.
• A more powerful camera: The iPhone SE 4 will very likely get a better camera than the almost three-year-old iPhone SE (2022), and the latest rumors point towards a single 48MP rear snapper and a 12MP selfie camera.
• A longer-lasting battery: The iPhone SE 4 will almost certainly get a larger, longer-lasting battery than that of its predecessor. The latest leaks suggest it’ll be an iPhone 14-style 3,279mAh cell, which will surely bring tangible improvements to endurance.

The Apple Store is down!

(Image credit: Apple)

OK, here's our first big indicator that a product launch is imminent. Apple has closed its online store for maintenance, which is almost always a sign that new devices are on the way.

In this case, Apple has only closed the product page for the iPhone SE (2022), which (surprise!) strongly hints that a replacement device is about to be revealed. But will it be the iPhone SE 4, the iPhone SE (2022), or the iPhone 16E? Given Tim Cook's "family" comment, my money's on the latter.

What might the iPhone SE 4 look like?

Are you ready for iPhone SE 4? pic.twitter.com/ohacicAvgBFebruary 10, 2025

We don't yet know the name of Apple's new device, but is this its official design?

The above images (or perhaps best-guess renders) shared by leaker Majin Bu are the closest thing we have to a peek at the new iPhone SE's possible design. They certainly line up with previous leaks; the device in question has a notch, a flat metal frame, and a single-lens camera.

There's also a customizable action button (a nice bonus for a more affordable iPhone). The notch means this should also be the first SE model with Face ID, which is a nice time-saver on my iPhone 16 Pro. If this is all true, it could prove popular – if the price is right...

The iPhone 16e is official!

(Image credit: Apple)

The iPhone 16e is official!

Apple officially announced the new device on its website at 11am ET / 8am PT / 4pm GMT, confirming that the iPhone 16e is a new member of the iPhone 16 family and not, as many suspected, a standalone iPhone SE 4.

Specs incoming...

(Image credit: Apple)

Here's the official product page for the iPhone 16e in the UK.

The phone will start at $599 / £599 / AU$999 and comes in either 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB storage configurations. That's a huge increase on the $429 / £419 / AU$719 starting price of the iPhone SE (2022). Can we really consider this a budget phone?

Farewell, iPhone 14 and iPhone SE (2022)

(Image credit: Apple)

And just like that, the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE (2022) are no more. Apple has removed both models from its website.

The official iPhone 16e announcement video

Here's the official iPhone 16e announcement video, hosted by Tim Cook himself.

Initial reaction from TechRadar's US Managing Editor of News, Jake Krol: "The iPhone 16e seemingly took some inspiration from the iPhone 4, and I'm kind of here for it"

Do the specs justify the price?

Now for those specs...

The iPhone 16e features the A18 chipset, a 6.1-inch OLED display, Apple Intelligence compatibility, a single 48MP rear camera, and a 12MP front-facing camera. There's a notch instead of the Dynamic Island, but the new phone does inherit the Action button from the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 lines.

All told, then, this is a major step up from the iPhone SE (2022), but the iPhone 16e's $599 / £599 / AU$999 price tag also marks a major increase over that of its predecessor.

(Image credit: Apple)

Here's that 48MP camera lens up close. It's the same 'Fusion' camera as you'll find on the iPhone 16, which Apple claims "has the capabilities of two cameras in one." That's because it features an integrated 2x telephoto that lets you zoom in with optical quality. The 48MP Fusion camera lets you shoot 4K video in Dolby Vision, too, which is neat.

'I think this could be a hit for Apple'

Some more reactions to the iPhone 16e announcement from the TechRadar team for you here:

"I like the simple, unfussy design paired with some powerful chips and access to Apple Intelligence. I think this could be a hit for Apple, though the price is a bit high, but I think people will gobble it up." – Roland Moore-Colyer, Managing Editor, Mobile Computing

"At $599, the iPhone 16e is more expensive than any of us were hoping – but it looks like there's some serious Apple power under the hood, too. Looking forward to trying this one out, but not sure I'd recommend pre-ordering." – Jamie Richards, Staff Writer, Mobile Computing

"It's somehow killed off two phones [the iPhone 14 and previous iPhone SE] without filling the void left by either of them." – Rob Dunne (aka The Dunnster), VPN Editor

No MagSafe?!

(Image credit: Apple)

A quick look at Apple's new model comparison page reveals a few frustrating omissions for the iPhone 16e.

The biggest is the lack of MagSafe support. Yes, you read that right: the iPhone 16e will not support MagSafe cases, wallets, and wireless chargers. The phone does have wireless charging capabilities, but only up to 7.5W, which is punishingly slow. There's also no ultra-wideband (UWB) technology, and the GPU is made up of only four cores (compared to five and six on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max, respectively).

'Apple is finally simplifying its iPhone lineup'

"Apple is finally simplifying its iPhone lineup, squeezing almost all of it into the 16 family. This is a good thing for people trying to choose and it also means that the distance from a budget iPhone to a Pro one isn't as great as it used to be. For my money, though, the inclusion of the C1 chip is the most intriguing bit. It isn't often your most affordable handset gets your newest and maybe most controversial piece of tech." – Lance Ulanoff, Editor-at-Large

"What would have sold it for me is Apple opting down in terms of computing power to offer a non-AI iPhone alternative, which would cater to a big chunk of consumers who just aren't bothered about AI et. But then, that's basically admitting that consumers might not care about Silicon Valley's latest golden goose." – Josie Watson, Managing Editor, Lifestyle

"I've never noticed Tim Cook's accent before – isn't it lovely?" – Becky Scarrott, Audio Editor

Thanks, Becky.

(Image credit: Apple)

Here's the front and back of the new iPhone 16e, which comes in either Black or White (where are the funky colors, Apple?).

• Netflix has revealed its first-ever English-language medical procedural series and a Spanish period drama.
• Pulse is a medical drama that focuses on Miami's busiest hospital during a hurricane.
• The Lady's Companion centers on a respected lady-in-waiting in 1880 Madrid.

After Netflix announced its new western series Ransom Canyon, the streamer has since unveiled two more exciting new TV shows coming to its library over the next two months.

These include its first English-language medical procedural series, called Pulse, and a Spanish period drama titled The Lady’s Companion (which is also known as Manual Para Señoritas in Spanish) that looks straight out of Bridgerton.

What do we know so far about The Lady's Companion?

When it comes to period dramas, Netflix is somewhat of an expert in producing popular programs within that genre. The cultural phenomenon Bridgerton is one of Netflix's most popular shows of all time and has also found success with its prequel Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, as well as the German historical drama The Empress.

Now, Netflix is lining up a royal rival with The Lady’s Companion, a period romantic comedy-drama set in 1880 Madrid. There is currently no English-language trailer available, but you can watch the Spanish version below:

Released on March 28, 2025, the official plot of The Lady's Companion reads: "Madrid, 1880. Elena Bianda is the most sought-after lady-in-waiting in the entire city. Despite her youth, more than 20 ladies have already had decent courtships and courtships under her tutelage. Her success lies in being rigid in morality with their families and sensitive to the concerns of the ladies. A complicated balance that Elena handles perfectly. She was born for it: seeing them successfully walk down the aisle is, quite simply, her whole life. All this changes when she arrives at the Mencía house and has to take care of three sisters.”

According to What's On Netflix: The Lady's Companion "is a mix of Bridgerton for its aesthetics, Cable Girls for its style, and The Law According to Lidia Poët for its feminist tilt" and a second season is already being developed.

What do we know so far about Pulse?

Pulse is a new medical drama coming to Netflix. (Image credit: ANNA KOORIS/Netflix 2024)

While the best streaming service for genre hoppers has licensed plenty of medical dramas like the smash hit Grey's Anatomy and Fox's The Resident, Pulse will be Netflix’s first-ever English-language medical procedural.

As a hurricane descends on Miami's busiest trauma center, Pulse follows third-year medical resident Dr. Danny Simms (Willa Fitzgerald) who is unexpectedly promoted when respected Chief Resident Dr. Xander Phillips (Colin Woodell) is suspended. Amid the intensifying storm and a flood of trauma cases, Danny and Xander must navigate the fallout of their secret romance as the hospital goes into lockdown. At the same time, their colleagues must balance their own personal and professional challenges as they work to save their patients' lives. Pulse will consist of 10 episodes and premieres on April 3, 2025.

We'll just have to wait and see if Pulse and The Lady's Companion become one of the best Netflix shows when these shows are released in March and April, respectively.

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• Lee Enterprises filed a new report with the SEC
• It confirmed suffering a ransomware attack and having files encrypted
• As outage drags on, the investigation continues

The recent cyberattack on newspaper firm Lee Enterprises has turned out to be a ransomware attack, after all.

The company confirmed the news in a recent 8-K report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), sharing more details about the attack, confirming that it was a ransomware strike.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that threat actors unlawfully accessed the company’s network, encrypted critical applications, and exfiltrated certain files,” it was said in the filing. “The company is actively conducting forensic analysis to determine whether sensitive data or personally identifiable information (PII) was compromised. At this time, no conclusive evidence has been identified, but the investigation remains ongoing.”

Advanced evasion techniques

The news comes roughly a week after it filed a 10-Q form with the SEC saying it suffered a cyberattack which forced it to pull parts of its IT infrastructure offline.

“On February 3, 2025, the company experienced a technology outage due to a cyber incident affecting certain business applications, resulting in an operational disruption,” it was said in the filing. “The company is actively investigating the incident, implementing recovery measures, and assessing the potential impact on its operations, financial condition, and internal controls.”

The incident impacted Lee’s operations, including distribution of products, billing, collections, and vendor payments, the company further stressed.

Distribution of print publications across its portfolio of products experienced delays, and online operations are partially limited. It still said that it now distributes all core products in “normal cadence”, although weekly and ancillary products have not yet been restored.

Some of the affected publications include the Winston-Salem Journal, Albany Democrat-Herald, Corvallis Gazette-Times, and others. A full list of affected outlets can be found on this link.

Via TechCrunch

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The cost of data breaches is at an all-time high. According to IBM, the global average cost of a security breach currently sits at a staggering $4.9 million, spiking by 10% in 2024. These numbers are only expected to worsen, with USAID forecasting that cybercrime will cost the global economy $24 trillion by 2027.

This upward trajectory is driven in part by the emergence of a new threat: AI-powered malware. While AI has become an integral tool for business workflows and innovation, this technology has also proven particularly beneficial for malicious actors, allowing them to develop more stealthy and sophisticated tactics than ever before. In a world where everything is increasingly connected, it’s critical for businesses to anticipate the incoming wave of new threats and develop surefire strategies to not only mitigate incidents but stop them in their tracks.

AI’s double-edged sword: today’s threat landscape

In recent years, the world witnessed incredible advancements in the power of AI. While AI has helped strengthen cyber resilience, with technologies like automated phishing detection and predictive analysis, it has also become a severe threat to business networks. Stepping up from traditional malware that relies on static attack patterns, AI-powered malware is capable of adapting, evading, and learning, constantly evaluating ways to overcome obstacles and successfully inject itself into protected systems. Building on the knowledge from failed attempts to develop new attack strategies, the ever-changing nature of these threats makes detection increasingly difficult, and in turn, weakens defense mechanisms.

BlackMatter ransomware is an infamous yet prime example of how AI has dramatically changed the cyber threat landscape. As an evolution of DarkSide, BlackMatter has quickly become one of the most formidable ransomware threats, bringing a new level of sophistication to the space. Its AI algorithms are built to refine encryption strategies and analyze victims’ defenses in real time, allowing it to circumvent endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools that would typically neutralize ransomware threats. This evasion tactic ultimately renders conventional defences ineffective.

This dangerous shift in gear poses significant challenges to cybersecurity defenses. To effectively protect against these threats, businesses must first assess the biggest threats that lie ahead.

Autonomous attacks

With self-directed learning for real-time evasion, AI-powered malware can essentially ‘think for itself’, independently altering its behavior to bypass existing cybersecurity measures. In other words, no human input necessary. This leads to more frequent attempts in a shortened time frame, making it harder for defenders to counter new attack vectors, and increasing the likelihood of a successful breach.

Furthermore, AI-enhanced malware can spread across networks or systems without instruction. Once it’s infiltrated one machine, the malware self-propagates and infects other connected systems and devices within minutes.

Intelligent attack methods

AI-powered malware can also carry out more destructive ransomware attacks by identifying the most valuable files and systems to target. Instead of simply encrypting, AI algorithms can identify critical databases, financial records, or intellectual property to maximize disruption and increase the likelihood of a ransom payment.

Moreover, AI-powered malware can apply machine learning to mimic the behaviors of manual systems, making it more difficult for traditional intrusion detection systems to identify. It can even avoid detection by only executing malicious actions during off-peak periods.

Sophisticated targeting

AI can also be used to conduct highly targeted attacks by analyzing large amounts of data, such as social media profiles or network behaviors. This facilitates the weaponization of social engineering tactics, generating personalized phishing emails, which are harder to detect. For instance, an AI-powered phishing email might reference a known contact, a recent purchase, or even mimic the writing style of a trusted colleague. This level of personalization makes it much easier coerce individuals into clicking on malicious links, downloading infected attachments, or revealing sensitive information.

Combatting suspicious activity

Attackers aren’t the only ones that can apply AI to their cyber strategy. In fact, it’s important that defenders follow suit and employ AI-based threat intelligence solutions for effective mitigation. According to IBM, organizations that used AI and automation extensively in attack prevention averaged $2.2 million in cost savings than those that didn’t.

How can AI be implemented? This could manifest in AI-powered anomaly detection software, with continuous monitoring and behavior analysis to flag real-time threats, such as unusually high levels of entropy in software code.

Physical network segmentation

While software-based security measures are a key element of any cybersecurity strategy, data and systems remain vulnerable to AI-powered attacks that exploit vulnerabilities. The constantly self-developing nature of these threats calls for a different approach, which has led to a renewed focus on physical segmentation and isolation as a means of protecting networks.

Moving away from the ‘always on’, interconnected model of today’s systems, physical network segmentation is the practice of isolating different parts of a network using physical hardware, such as routers and switches, enabling organizations to establish secure zones with restricted access to critical systems and data.

In prevention, physically disconnecting digital assets from the internet when they’re not in use will significantly reduce the attack surface and provide a much higher level of protection for sensitive data and systems. This is particularly crucial for critical infrastructure, operational technology, and sensitive research data, which may not require constant internet connectivity.

In crisis, if one segment is compromised, the damage is contained within its isolated network, preventing the rapid spread of malware and cutting off connection before the problem worsens. This segmentation technique acts as a powerful defense-in-depth strategy that makes it notably harder for cyber threats to traverse the entire network and target sensitive areas.

Cyber resilience is in your hands

AI-powered malware presents a myriad of dynamic and unpredictable cyber threats. With its enhanced ability to learn, adapt, and autonomously exploit weaknesses, attackers can use AI to execute more sophisticated, evasive, and damaging attacks. Traditional cybersecurity measures are often ill-equipped to handle these advanced threats.

To truly combat cyber threats, there’s a need for a more tangible solution. By isolating different data sets and physically disconnecting from networks, businesses can rest assured they are optimizing their cyber resilience and mitigating the impact of successful attacks.

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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

The Toy Story maker's first-ever original series hits streaming this week.

• Canva and HubSpot unveiled a new integration
• The new offering is designed for small businesses and solopreneurs
• It's available globally right now

Canva and HubSpot have just announced a partnership that will see Canva’s design tools integrated into HubSpot’s customer relationship platform.

In a press release shared with TechRadar Pro earlier this week, the two companies said the new integration will give growing businesses, small and medium-sized organizations, and solopreneurs, a creative edge that will level the playing field against large enterprises and other big budget organizations.

The embedded experience, which includes Canva’s complete design offering, as well as Magic Studio AI tools, will be accessible through a native “Design with Canva” button, now available in the HubSpot portal.

The two organizations said the integration is available globally for free across all HubSpot hubs and tiers with a Canva subscription.

How the integration works

As the announcement explains, teams will now be able to add Canva Pro Elements to their designs, comment and share Canva designs with their teams, and find designs created in HubSpot on their Canva homepage. The two organizations claim businesses will be able to create on-brand content “in minutes”, including email templates, social posts, and landing pages.

For example, to add an image to a social post, ad, page, or email, users can simply click the Upload icon and select “Design with Canva”. From there, they can select a format, design the image in the Canva editor, and press Save.

“Visual storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to show, not tell, your story to customers - one image can do the work of a thousand words,” said Karen Ng, Senior Vice President of Product & Partnerships at HubSpot. “By bringing together Canva's creative platform with HubSpot's customer platform, we're making it fast and easy for teams to create professional designs at scale. Whether you're a team of one or hundreds, this integration empowers you to meet the growing content demands of today's market.”

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It may sound like hyperbole to say that machine learning operations (MLOps) have become the backbone of our digital future, but it’s actually true. Similar to how we view energy grids or transportation systems as part of the critical infrastructure that powers society, AI/ML software and capabilities is quickly becoming essential technology for a wide range of companies, industries, and citizen services.

With artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) rapidly transform industries, we’ve also seen the rise of a new age of “Shadow IT” now referred to as “Shadow ML.” Employees are increasingly deploying AI agents and ML models without the knowledge or approval of IT departments, often circumventing security protocols, data governance policies, and compliance frameworks.

This unchecked proliferation of unauthorized AI tools introduces significant risks, from data leakage to model bias and vulnerabilities that threat actors could exploit. CISOs and IT leaders are now tasked with shining a light into the shadows– ensuring that AI-driven decisions are explainable, secure, and aligned with enterprise policies. Understanding the evolving role of MLOps in managing and securing the rapidly expanding AI/ML IT landscape is essential to safeguarding the interconnected systems that define our era.

Software is critical infrastructure

Software is an omnipresent component of our day-to-day lives, operating quietly but indispensably behind the scenes. For that reason, failures in these systems are often hard to detect, can happen at any moment, and spread quickly across the globe, disrupting businesses, upsetting economies, undermining governments or even endangering lives.

The stakes are even more significant as AI and ML technologies increasingly take center stage when it comes to software development and management. Traditional software operations are giving way to AI-driven systems capable of decision-making, prediction, and automation at unprecedented scale. However, like any technology that ushers in new but immense potential, AI and ML also introduce new complexities and risks, elevating the importance and need for strong MLOps security. As reliance on AI/ML grows, the robustness of MLOps security becomes foundational to fending off evolving cyber threats.

Understanding the risks of the MLOps lifecycle

The lifecycle of building and deploying ML models is filled with both complexity and opportunity. At its core, these processes include:

• Selecting an appropriate ML algorithm, such as a support vector machine (SVM) or decision tree.
• Feeding a dataset into the algorithm to train the model.
• Producing a pre-trained model that can be queried for predictions.
• Registering the pre-trained model in a model registry.
• Deploying the pre-trained model into production by either embedding it in an app or hosting it on an inference server.

It’s a structured approach but one with significant vulnerabilities that threaten stability and security. These vulnerabilities, broadly categorized as inherent and implementation-related, include:

• Inherent Vulnerabilities: The complexity of ML environments, including cloud services and open-source tools, can create security gaps that may be exploited.
• Malicious ML models: Pre-trained models can be weaponized or intentionally crafted to produce biased or harmful outputs, causing trickle-down damage across dependent systems.
• Malicious datasets: Training data can be poisoned to inject subtle yet dangerous behaviors that undermine a model’s integrity and reliability.
• Jupyter “sandbox escapes”: In another example of “Shadow ML,” many data scientists today rely on Jupyter Notebook, which can serve as a path for malicious code execution and unauthorized access when not adequately secured.

Implementation vulnerabilities

• Authentication shortcomings: Poor access controls expose MLOps platforms to unauthorized users, enabling data theft or model tampering.
• Container escape: Containerized environments with improper configuration allow attackers to break isolation and access the host system and other containers.
• MLOps platform immaturity: The rapid pace of innovation in AI/ML often outpaces the development of secure tooling, creating gaps in resilience and reliability.

While AI and ML can offer enormous benefits for organizations, it’s crucial not to prioritize rapid development over security. Doing so could compromise ML models and put organizations at risk. Furthermore, developers must exercise caution when loading models from public repositories, ensuring they validate the source and potential risks associated with the model files. Robust input validation, restricted access, and continuous vulnerability assessments are critical to mitigating risks and ensuring the secure deployment of machine learning solutions.

MLOps hygiene best practices

There are many other vulnerabilities across the MLOps pipeline, underscoring the importance of vigilance among teams. Many separate elements within a model serve as potential attack vectors, which organizations typically manage and secure. Therefore, implementing standard APIs for artifact access and ensuring seamless integration of security tools across various ML platforms for data scientists, machine learning engineers, and core development teams is essential. Key security considerations for MLOps development should include:

• Dependencies and packages: Teams often use open-source frameworks and libraries like TensorFlow and PyTorch. Providing access to these dependencies from trusted sources—rather than directly from the internet—and conducting vulnerability scans to block malicious packages ensures the security of each component within the model.
• Source code: Models are typically developed in languages such as Python, C++, or R. Employing static application security testing (SAST) to scan source code can identify and alleviate errors that may compromise model security.
• Container images: Containers are used to deploy models for training and facilitate their use by other developers or applications. Performing comprehensive scans of container images before deployment helps prevent introducing risks into the operational environment.
• Artifact signing: Signing all new service components early in the MLOps lifecycle and treating them as immutable units throughout different stages ensures that the application remains unchanged as it advances toward release.
• Promotion/release blocking: Automatically rescanning the application or service at each stage of the MLOps pipeline allows for early detection of issues, which in turn helps with swift resolution and maintaining the integrity of the deployment process.

By adhering to these best practices, organizations can effectively safeguard MLOps pipelines and ensure that security measures enhance rather than impede the development and deployment of ML models. As we move further into an AI-driven future, the resilience of the MLOps infrastructure will become an increasingly key component to maintaining the trust, reliability, and security of the digital systems that power the world.

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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

South Korea's data protection regulator has accused DeepSeek of sending citizens' data using its AI chatbot to TikTok's parent company ByteDance. This accusation comes a day after ordering a temporary block on new DeepSeek downloads over privacy concerns.

"We confirmed DeepSeek communicating with ByteDance," an official at the country's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) told Yonhap News Agency, adding that it is "yet to confirm what data was transferred and to what extent."

While not directly commenting on such allegations, DeepSeek reportedly acknowledged "shortcomings in considering local protection laws" and expressed the commitment to cooperate with the regulator on the matter.

Chinese tech under increased scrutiny

South Korea may be the first to formally accuse DeepSeek of illegally sharing users' data with the controversial TikTok owner, but it's not the only country going after the new Chinese AI chatbot on privacy grounds.

DeepSeek has sent some serious shockwaves across the globe since January's release, in fact. With 12 million curious people worldwide downloading the new app within 48 hours of its launch, governments have been increasingly looking at DeepSeek's phenomenon with suspicion.

Italy, France, Germany, the US, Taiwan, Australia, and South Korea are only some of the countries targeting DeepSeek AI. Most are accusing the new Chinese AI chatbot of violating the country's data protection laws.

DeepSeek's issues are mainly linked to the fact the chatbot stored all users' data on its Chinese servers and, as per the platform's privacy policy, will be used to "comply with our legal obligations, or as necessary to perform tasks in the public interest, or to protect the vital interests of our users and other people."

Now, South Korea's PIPC allegations are reinforcing growing concerns among Western governments about how their citizens' data is processed by such companies.

While the popular video-sharing app is back in the US app stores, the TikTok ban is set to be enforced again on April 5 unless President Trump can find a solution before that. (Image credit: Shutterstock / Daniel Constante)

Concerns about Americans' data ending up in the Chinese government's hands are one of the reasons behind the push for a TikTok ban in the US.

Outside the US, many countries including the UK and some European nations have also banned TikTok from officials' devices over security concerns.

ByteDance, however, has long dismissed these risks – and it did so also for the new accusation brought toward by South Korea.

As The Independent reported, TikTok's parent company believes its link with DeepSeek is simply because the AI chatbot uses the cloud services provided by Volcano Engine, which is owned by ByteDance. Yet, this "does not mean it has access to DeepSeek data," the paper notes.

South Korea's data regulator isn't the only one suggesting the two Chinese companies are communicating. A recent report published by cybersecurity firm SecuirtyScorecard has also found "integration with ByteDance‘s services" within DeepSeek's code.

What's certain now is that the provider operating Deepseek will have to respond to South Korean officials' clarifications over the matter now that an official investigation into its data handling practices has been launched.

• Samsung server has teased the existence of an SM-F761 smartphone
• No device has this model number, and it’s a model number for a foldable
• The likely candidates are the Galaxy Z Flip FE or Flip 8

A new leak seemingly confirms the existence of the long-awaited Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE, as Samsung itself is seemingly teasing the device on its over-the-air software distribution servers.

The details were shared on social media by tipster Erencan Yılmaz who spotted that Samsung is sending software updates to a device labeled “SM-F761” – a model number that hasn’t been assigned to any official Samsung devices. What’s more, because Samsung’s model numbers follow a pattern, we’re confident this is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE.

They start SM then the string of letters and numbers after the dash is determined by what kind of device it is. Here that string is F761 with F usually indicating it’s a foldable, the 7 specifying it’s a Galaxy Z Flip (rather than a Z Fold), and the 61 indicating which edition it is.

The Z Flip 5 is SM-F731, the Z Flip 6 is the SM-F741, and so the Z Flip 7 should be the SM-F751. The SM-F761 could then be the Z Flip 8. However, it would be odd for Samsung to send out software builds for a device that's likely well over a year from launch given its usual timeline.

That would leave us with this needing to be some kind of new foldable, and the most likely candidate is the much rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE – though as we usually warn with leaks, while we’re feeling confident about our prediction until Samsung makes anything official we don’t know this for certain.

2025's most interetsing phone launch is coming

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Beyond teasing the existence of Samsung’s next foldable, the leak doesn’t tell us much else – thankfully other Galaxy Z Flip FE leaks could help us fill in the blanks.

For one it’s expected to sport the same display as the Z Flip 7, and another leak suggested it’ll boast the best Samsung-made chipset – the Exynos 2500 chipset – which should help with any Galaxy AI features it offers. Though leaks have yet to confirm the camera specs which could be where it takes the biggest hit.

Regardless of if it packs weaker cameras, I think the Z Flip FE could be Samsung’s most exciting foldable launch of 2025, and potentially the most exciting phone launch of the year – even compared to Samsung’s tri-fold launch which is expected in 2025 as well.

Even though I am a firm believer that the Fold design is superior to the Flip’s clamshell, the Flip FE should bring something to mainstream foldables we haven’t really seen yet: accessibility. More people getting to experience new and exciting technology will never be a bad thing and it could bring some much-needed enthusiasm for foldables which have struggled to find meaningful mainstream success.

This enthusiasm could in turn lead to more foldable phone designs – with brands like Apple entering the space with its own take on a folding phone, or more brands releasing affordable foldables (of which there aren’t many currently).

So while I expect the device itself will probably be a fine phone, I think it has the potential to ignite a foldable revolution if it gets the features to price trade-off right. We’ll have to wait and see what Samsung is cooking up, but of all of 2025’s phone launches, this is the one I’ll be watching.

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Rock your inner jock with a pair of sturdy, sweatproof, and tangle-proof headphones. Here are our favorites.

• Shanling has announced a new portable Hi-Res music player
• It runs on Android 13 with support for major music streaming services
• It has vacuum tube amplification, if you like that sort of thing

If you want to enjoy Hi-Res Audio on the go, but would love to mix up the all-digital music world, then this new music player from Shanling may be one to check out, thanks to its inclusion of vacuum tubes.

The M8T is the new flagship of Shanling’s portable Hi-Res music player product line, featuring two AKM DACs (digital-to-analogue converters) and multiple amplification methods for varied, high-quality listening up to 32bit/768kHz. It retails for a notable $1,499 (around £1,190 / AU$2,360).

It’s technically an update to 2020’s M8 model, designed to play nicely with the latest headphone DACs from AKM, and make the most of Shanling’s technological improvements over the past few years.

It’s slightly larger, and heavier than the M8, measuring 147 x 82 x 22 mm with a 6-inch HD (1080 x 2160) touchscreen, and weighing 383g, with rounded edges and a sleek design available in either black or red.

The Panasonic Z95B is coming this year, and it looks stunning. (Image credit: Shanling)

One big change is the addition of two JAN6418 vacuum tubes, with the M8T featuring both a tube amp and a transistor-based headphone amplifier.

Tube amps are often sought-after for their ‘natural’ sound recreation, louder output per watt, and limited distortion compared to transistor amps – though listeners will be able to opt in or out on the fly, depending on their preferences and what they’re currently playing. It definitely makes the Shanling stand out compared to the wider competition among the best Hi-Res Audio players.

A word of warning – taking tube amps mobile can introduce interference into the sound through a microphonic effect, but if they're well-isolated from the outside world touching them, this can be avoided. It looks like the Shanling has them well-secured, but we'd have to test to be sure.

In a blog post announcing the launch of the M8T, Shanling adds that “And because we understand that tubes might not be ideal for all types of headphones or music, we made sure that the M8T can switch quickly between its tube-enhanced output and the pure transistor mode.”

On-board storage has also been upgraded, doubling to 128GB with a MicroSD card slot that can accommodate a maximum of 2TB, meaning there’s plenty of room for all those massive Hi-Res Audio files.

And an improved 8,350mAh battery allows for 13-15.5 hours of Hi-Res audio output, and up to 96 hours over Bluetooth 5.0.

Tidal, Qobuz, and more

Whereas some Shanling products use its own in-house operating system, MTouch, the M8T runs on Android 13 in order to provide “many years of software updates and problem-free app compatibility” – meaning you can access any of the major music streaming services that support Hi-Res Audio, such as Apple Music, Qobuz, and Tidal.

With Hi-Res Audio expected to come to Spotify this year too, it’s a great time to start investing in Hi-Res audio hardware that really lets you benefit from the increased quality, detail, warmth and chutzpah available for audiophiles today.

If you like the look or the M8T, consider the excellent Shanling HW600, which made our list of the best over-ear headphones as an upmarket pair of wired, open-backed over-ear headphones with some genuine areas of sonic expertise”. Or you can check out this personally tested pairing of a Hi-Res player and headphones, recommended by TechRadar’s Audio Editor Becky Scarrott.

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• The first two episodes of Dope Thief air on March 14, 2025
• The series focuses on criminal pals from Philly who pose as DEA agents
• Academy Award-winning director Ridley Scott is an executive producer

As a 39-year-old dude with bad knees, I probably shouldn’t be using the following word, but screw it: Dope Thief looks… well, positively dope. The new Apple TV+ crime drama has just been revealed, and despite appearing to rock first class production values and superb cinematography in its debut trailer, that’s not the headline news.

No, the real limelight-grabber is the fact legendary filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott is not only producing the Dope Thief – due to air on March 14 – but the 87-year-old is also directing its first episode. There’s just no slowing down the old boy, is there? After all, this is the mythic Hollywood great behind Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator, who not so long ago managed to film Gladiator 2 in a frankly absurd 51 days.

Based on Dennis Tafoya’s book, the eight-episode series tells the tale of two criminal chums, played by Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura. What seemingly separates Dope Thief from your standard drama about crooks? These Philly pals aren’t just content to get into firefights and blow shizzle up, they also occasionally pose as DEA agents in order to rip off drug dealers.

Of course, as with many movies and shows involving that one seemingly perfect heist / burglary, which simply can’t go wrong, Henry and Moura’s felons eventually mess up royally. Lured into fleecing an unknown home in the countryside, their robbery quickly goes belly up when they discover they’ve accidentally stumbled upon “the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern Seaboard”, according to Apple. As a certain cowardly cartoon doggo would say, “ruh-roh”.

Dope-a-dope

As you can see above, Apple has clearly thrown a whole heap of cash into making Dope Thief one of the best Apple TV+ shows (what a shocker). That trailer is so darkly lit in places, I briefly thought I was watching a David Fincher flick, yet the cinematography should still shine thanks to the involvement of Sir Ridley’s production company, Scott Free.

Dope Thief also has other serious heavyweight talent behind the camera. Apple’s latest big budget drama is created and written by Academy Award Nominee, Peter Craig. The man who’s probably best known for writing Ben Affleck’s masterful 2010 heist caper The Town. Oh, and you’ve not watched The Town, please, please do. It’s a brutal Boston beaut about increasingly risky robberies set in the Charlestown area of Beantown.

The Big A is no doubt hoping Dope Thief is going to go down as one of the best Apple TV Plus shows. With the trailer seemingly blurring the lines between cops and crims, it’s easy to see comparisons to The Wire.

Not that I’m banking on David Simon’s masterful Baltimore drama being outgunned by Dope Thief. After all, The Wire is arguably the best TV show of all time. It’s not just content to focus on cops busting drug corners, over the course of its five seasons, it tackles everything from the death of dockyards, broken school systems, corrupt mayoral races and a certain modern day Robin Hood with a big ol’ shotgun who just loves stealing from dealers. Omar Little, you’re the best.

Once Dope Thief makes its global debut on March 14, you’ll be able to catch new episodes of this potentially breakout drama on Apple TV+ every Friday until it finishes on April 25. If it’s even a third as good as The Wire, we’re all in for quite the treat.

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I've always loved comics. There's something magical about writers and artists bringing a story to life with writing and drawing. It's one reason I've always been skeptical of the idea that AI-generated images could replace human artists, no matter how high quality. So I had my doubts when I opened Pocket Toons, an app full of comics made with the assistance of AI. But, the app exceeded all my expectations for lifeless, slightly eerie characters, dull, repetitive backgrounds, spiced with awkward and sometimes offensive stories.

Pocket Toons was created by Pocket Entertainment, best known for its audiobook platform Pocket FM. The app promises it can revolutionize the comic industry by using AI to pump out episodes 20 times faster and at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. Pocket Toons uses an AI system called Blaze! to automate backgrounds, set up scenes, color the pages, and perform "quality control" to keep every character on-model.

It supposedly allows human artists to focus on storytelling and character development. That sounds impressive on paper. In reality, the results look like what happens when you ask an AI to "draw a cat," and it spits out a creature with five legs and no soul. Some of it positively burns the eye when you gaze upon it.

(Image credit: Screenshot from Pocket Toons) AI art fail

The art is dull, robotic, and aggressively uninspired. Every character has a few expressions they repeat over and over, much like the copy-pasted backgrounds. Entire chapters of the comics felt like an infinite loop of déjà vu. And let’s not even get into the occasional bizarre hands. Forget low effort; this was no effort. This could only appeal to people who have never seen comics or any drawing.

Artists have been sounding the alarm about AI-generated art for a while now, and honestly, they’re right to be mad. The reason great comic book art succeeds is because actual people put their creative stamp on it. AI, on the other hand, is all about mimicking patterns, which is why Pocket Toons' art feels like a parody of itself. Imagine someone feeding a million pages of manga into an algorithm and sucking out everything that made them enjoyable. It raises questions as basic as "What's going on?"

(Image credit: Screenshot from Pocket Toons) Writing from the asylum

If this were just bad art, that would be one thing. But the "writing," is just as bad if you can even call it that. If the spam links about weird tricks and aging celebrities at the bottom of many websites came to life, they would still have more solid plotting than some of these comics.

I’d love to be able to blame AI for the scripts, too, but as far as I can tell, AI is only responsible for the images. I hesitate to blame the named authors for them, either. They feel like someone blended Wikipedia summaries of popular books and comics with an SEO tool. Every so often, a comic tosses in a moment that almost makes sense, like a boy pining for a girl he likes who ignores him, and you think, “Oh, maybe this one is different.” Then, two panels later, she is assaulted by a gang of goons in front of him, and he just sadly goes home without doing anything about it.

That's bad enough, but I became genuinely angry when another comic opened with a woman discovering that she's pregnant and claiming she's never been intimate with a man despite being married to one for several months. That was strange, but I almost threw my phone across the room when the doctor proceeded to claim that because her health wasn't great, she couldn't have an abortion and would have to give birth. I'm not a doctor, but I checked with a couple just to confirm that this is quite literally the opposite of what a qualified doctor would tell someone with health issues early in a pregnancy. The awful art didn't help make the story better.

I really wonder, why make an app like this? If it was to prove that AI can replace human creativity, it has done the opposite. If it was to flood the internet with thousands of cheap, empty, nonsensical comics for the sake of pure content volume, mission accomplished. If someone told me it was designed to use AI to make people hate comics, art, and stories, I would believe it.

The worst part is that Pocket Toons keeps bragging about how much content it’s churning out. New episodes every day! A faster production pipeline than ever before! It’s like a version of that old joke: The food is terrible! But at least the portions are large!

(Image credit: Screenshot from Pocket Toons) Art attack

Art is not meant to be squeezed out of a machine at high speed like some kind of nightmare assembly line. Comics are supposed to feel alive and vibrant. Even bad comics usually have something valuable within them, even if it's only a single interesting idea or well-drawn panel. Pocket Toons is mostly empty when it's not full of garbage.

I'm not against using AI as a tool in art in any form. AI can assist in tedious tasks, allowing creators to focus more on imagination and craftsmanship. But Pocket Toons doesn't use AI to aid an artist; it just turns out mush in the vague shape of artwork. If aliens came to Earth and were told this is what we chose to do with some of our most sophisticated technology, I'd be hard-pressed to argue against them wiping us out.

The good news is, for now, AI comics aren’t taking over. Pocket Toons is proof that when you strip all the humanity out of the creative process, what you’re left with is nothing of value artistically or commercially. Marvel, DC, independent artists, and anyone who’s ever scribbled a stick figure on a napkin have to stay vigilant against those with more money than artistic sensibility deciding they're equally worthwhile, but I'd be as shocked at these becoming at all popular as the pregnant woman who never learned basic biology.

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