TechRadar News

• Future Apple Watch models might use AI to detect health issues
• Apple believes this approach is more accurate than traditional sensors
• But it raises questions over the privacy of your sensitive health data

There’s a lot of doom and gloom surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) these days, and it’s justified in many cases. But one area where AI can potentially make a hugely positive impact is in healthcare, and it looks like Apple is considering whether machine learning power can bolster health metrics in future Apple Watch models. There’s no guarantee it’ll make it into a finished product, but if it does, it could upend how you manage your wellbeing through the wearable.

That idea comes from a recent research paper published by Apple's Machine Learning Research arm. There, the company states that a new AI model trained on Apple Watch behavioral data is able to predict a wide array of health ailments. Impressively, Apple claims that the model is able to detect these conditions more accurately than the sensors you’ll typically find in many of the best smartwatches today.

While traditional wrist-based health analytics work by scanning real-time data directly provided to them by your wearable’s sensors, the AI model is instead able to spot patterns in the way you exercise, move and sleep. It then uses that information to identify any potential issues with your wellbeing.

Apple says that its AI model – dubbed the Wearable Behavior Model, or WBM – is particularly good at recognizing the signs of pregnancy, where it achieved up to 92% accuracy when combined with biometric data.

The model was also a strong performer when it came to determining static health states – such as whether you’re taking beta blockers – and transient health conditions like sleep quality.

Potential controversy ahead

(Image credit: Apple)

AI models have generated a lot of controversy over the ways they are trained, with journalists, artists and more arguing that their works have been used without permission by AI companies. How does Apple’s reputation for watertight privacy controls square with this concern when it comes to the Apple Watch’s AI model?

Well, the model’s training data apparently came from Apple’s Heart and Movement Study, where 160,000 participants voluntarily shared their health data through iPhones and Apple Watches. Over 2.5 billion hours of data were used to shape the model, and it was tested across 57 different health-related tasks.

Still, there remain significant privacy concerns over the combination of AI and health analytics, such as when it comes to pregnancy data. With reproductive rights being rolled back in many places, the idea of this kind of information being fed into an opaque AI algorithm – even one produced by privacy champion Apple – will be an uncomfortable prospect for many.

It also comes at a time when United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to “make America healthy again” by encouraging every American to own a wearable within four years. How will AI figure in such a plan? We don’t know for sure, but if Apple’s AI makes it into the Apple Watch, we could soon find out.

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Cross-border payments have long carried the promise of something bigger than convenience. They imagine a more connected financial world—one where distance doesn’t delay progress, and borders don’t slow the movement of capital. As global commerce expands and digital economies accelerate, it becomes more urgent that we fully realize this vision and take advantage of the enormous benefits it affords.

But while we work towards this promise, we must manage complexities in getting there: fragmented systems, a patchwork of compliance requirements, and often, slow manual processes that can threaten to erode trust and efficiency.

It’s exactly here that agentic AI can have an impact. Not just by automating these manual processes, but by introducing intelligence and adaptability at the heart of payment infrastructure.

Smarter Systems for a Faster, Fairer Flow of Funds

Agentic AI refers to systems capable of independent decision-making, learning, and acting within defined objectives. Unlike traditional automation, which follows predetermined rules, agentic AI can work autonomously, responding to new data or situations in real time. In the context of cross-border payments, that adaptability opens up a range of opportunities.

Consider the coordination involved in sending money between countries: a single transaction might pass through multiple partners, banking systems, currencies, and regulatory frameworks.

When everything works perfectly, the process feels seamless. But when something goes wrong—delays, failed compliance checks, technical errors—resolution typically requires human intervention. Logs must be pulled. Partners contacted. Systems checked.

Agentic AI has the potential to radically speed up that process.

Intelligent systems trained on payment corridors, transaction histories, and partner system behaviors can flag issues early, pinpoint the likely causes, and suggest fixes fast. Instead of starting every investigation from scratch, agents can work alongside AI models that have already done the legwork, making operations more responsive and far less dependent on time-consuming manual deep dives.

Integration Without the Bottleneck

Another long-standing friction point for cross-border payments enterprises is the challenge of integrating new partners. Every integration means studying APIs, aligning data structures, and ensuring compatibility. It’s a time-consuming process that slows down innovation and expansion.

Agentic AI can simplify this. By learning the patterns and structures behind common integration workflows, it can assist in parsing APIs, mapping connections, and reducing the manual overhead typically required. This results in faster partner onboarding, more agile ecosystems, and a much smoother path to scalability.

This also rebalances the cost-benefit analysis for smaller institutions or partners looking to join global networks. Lowering the technical barriers means broader access—and broader access strengthens the entire system.

Compliance That Moves at the Speed of AI

No discussion of payments, especially international ones - is complete without compliance. From sanctions screening to AML checks, compliance teams face growing pressure to review increasing volumes of alerts with limited time and resources. And in many cases, today’s systems still rely on rigid rulesets that generate large numbers of false positives, overwhelming reviewers.

Agentic AI offers a way to improve both speed and accuracy. These models can learn from human decisions over time, categorizing alerts more effectively, recognizing patterns that traditional systems miss, and escalating only when needed. Crucially, AI doesn’t need to act alone. A layered approach, where multiple AI agents validate each other’s conclusions - can build greater confidence and traceability into the decision-making process.

To be clear: this isn’t about removing humans from the loop. It’s about giving them better tools - augmenting expert judgment with analysis that is both faster and broader in scope.

Laying the Data Groundwork

Of course, none of this works without good data. Agentic AI, like any system, is only as strong as the information it’s trained on. And for many financial institutions, the data challenge is real: important insights are locked in silos, scattered across SaaS platforms, legacy systems, and poorly indexed databases.

To take full advantage of intelligent systems, businesses need to invest in the foundational work: structured, unified data repositories that make relevant information accessible and usable. That means not only cleaning the data, but also breaking down internal barriers to visibility, rethinking fragmented architectures in favor of shared intelligence layers.

This will also reshape how financial firms choose and deploy their tech stacks. Stitching together dozens of narrow SaaS platforms may no longer be sustainable in a world where AI needs a full picture to function effectively. The focus will likely move toward more integrated environments, purpose-built for intelligent orchestration.

Even in these environments, agentic AI isn’t a silver bullet, but it is a powerful lever. Used wisely, it can help build payment systems that are faster, more reliable, and more inclusive. It can reduce the time it takes to connect with a new market, resolve an issue, or adapt to a regulatory change. And as the technology matures, cost barriers will fall, accessibility will rise, and open-source alternatives will drive further innovation.

Ultimately, this isn’t just about smarter or faster transactions, it’s about making the financial infrastructure of the future more human in its outcomes: more responsive, more accessible, and more aligned with the needs of real people moving money across borders every day.

The infrastructure we build today will define the shape of tomorrow’s financial landscape. And with agentic AI in the mix, that landscape has the potential to be more open, more intelligent, and more connected than ever before.

We list the best mobile credit card processor .

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

• Security researchers found nine flaws across two Ruckus products
• The flaws have not yet been patched, so users should beware
• Users advised to limit access to the wireless management environments

Almost a dozen vulnerabilities have been found in two Ruckus Networks products which could be abused to take full control over the network environments they operate in.

Ruckus Networks (formerly Ruckus Wireless) is a networking gear manufacturer, whose products include Virtual Smart Zone (vSZ) and Ruckus Network Director (RND).

VSZ is a virtualized network controller that manages Ruckus access points and switches. It is usually used by medium to large enterprises for centralized control, scalability, and advanced Wi-Fi management features. RND, on the other hand, is a centralized network management platform used for deployment, monitoring, and maintenance of large-scale Ruckus wired and wireless networks.

Meaningful disruption

At press time, the vulnerabilities remain unpatched, putting countless businesses at risk.

According to Noam Moshe from Claroty’s research arm Team82, these two carried nine vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2025-44957 – hardcoded secrets in vSZ that allow bypassing authentication and admin-level access using crafted HTTP headers and valid API keys
• CVE-2025-44962 – path traversal in vSZ that allows arbitrary file reads for authenticated users
• CVE-2025-44954 – vSZ has hardcoded default public/private SSH keys that allows anyone to connect to vulnerable devices with root access
• CVE-2025-44960 – vSZ has an API route with a user-controlled parameter that isn't sanitized, allowing execution of arbitrary operating system commands
• CVE-2025-44961 – command injection in vSZ allows an authenticated user to supply an unsanitized IP address to an OS command
• CVE-2025-44963 – RND uses a hardcoded backend JWT secret key, allowing anyone with it to forge valid admin session tokens
• CVE-2025-44955 – RND includes a "jailed" environment with a built-in jailbreak using a weak, hardcoded password to gain root access
• CVE-2025-6243 – RND includes a root-privileged user (sshuser) with hardcoded public/private SSH keys that allow root access
• CVE-2025-44958 – RND encrypts stored passwords with a hardcoded weak secret key and can return them in plaintext if compromised

Moshe reported his findings to Carnegie Mellon University’s CERT Coordination Center (CERT/CC), who confirmed that the flaws can be abused to cause meaningful disruption to businesses.

“Impact of these vulnerabilities vary from information leakage to total compromise of the wireless environment managed by the affected products. As an example, an attacker with network access to Ruckus Wireless vSZ can exploit CVE-2025-44954 to gain full administrator access that will lead to total compromise of the vSZ wireless management environment,” the organization explained.

“Furthermore, multiple vulnerabilities can be chained to create chained attacks that can allow the attacker to combine attacks to bypass any security controls that prevent only specific attacks.”

Severity scores have not yet been assigned, and Ruckus has not yet come forward with a patch.

Therefore, to mitigate the risk, CERT/CC advises network admins to limit access to the wireless management environments using the affected products, allowing a limited set of trusted users and their authenticated clients to manage Ruckus infrastructure through a secure protocol.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Apple’s M5 MacBook Pro might have been delayed until 2026
• No reason has been given for the apparent postponement
• It means Apple might launch two MacBook Pro models next year

For the last few years, Apple has launched a new MacBook Pro in the fall like clockwork – but this year, that could all change. That’s because a new report has claimed that the M5 MacBook Pro might be pushed back to early 2026, with Apple supposedly “internally targeting” that date instead of the regular late-year release window.

The surprising news comes from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, who has been a reliable source of Apple leaks and rumors in the past. Gurman’s latest report contradicts his earlier reporting, which suggested that the M5 MacBook Pro would be unveiled near the tail end of 2025. That implies that something has changed Apple’s mind on when to push the new laptop into the limelight.

Gurman hasn’t provided a reason for the delay, so the cause of Apple’s decision is anyone’s guess. That said, the reporter noted that the timing is “fluid,” which suggests there’s a chance that the next MacBook Pro could make an appearance before this 2025 is over.

Still, launching a MacBook Pro early in the year is not without precedent, as the M2 MacBook Pro, for example, was released in January 2023. Still, that model has been the exception in the Apple silicon era, with the M1, M3 and M4 MacBook Pro editions all coming out in the fall.

Disappointing delays

(Image credit: Future)

What could be causing this delay? Gurman didn’t offer any hints here, and it’s not immediately clear what Apple’s thought process might be.

The M5 MacBook Pro is likely to be a minor update, with new Apple’s M5 chip being the main differentiator between it and the M4 MacBook Pro. That means issues with the chip could be one of the main reasons for the delay. Alternatively, Apple might simply be holding the device over until 2026 for sales reasons.

Next year could be a big one for the MacBook Pro, with a redesigned model expected to arrive in late 2026. This version is slated to come with a new design and an OLED display, marking the biggest update to the MacBook Pro since the last overhaul in 2021.

But with the M5 MacBook Pro potentially creeping into 2026, we’ll have to see whether the OLED MacBook Pro also gets punted into the long grass as a result.

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• There have been rumors of a Galaxy AI subscription
• Samsung has just confirmed many features will stay free
• But it's not clear how Galaxy AI may evolve in the future

Samsung certainly hasn't been shy about stuffing AI features into its phones and other devices in recent years, and there has been some uncertainty over whether these features might eventually cost money – but we now have a bit more clarity.

Speaking to Android Police at this week's Galaxy Unpacked event, a Samsung representative said that Galaxy AI features that are "on your phone by default" are always going to be available for free.

That includes Live Translate, Note Assist, Zoom Nightography, Writing Assist, Drawing Assist, Now Brief, and the Audio Eraser. There's a full list here of everything you get, AI-wise, when you buy a new Samsung phone or tablet.

What's not immediately clear is which AI features might not be covered – at the moment, there aren't any Galaxy AI add-ons that don't come bundled with devices, though perhaps we might see some introduced in the future.

The Gemini model

Samsung has introduced numerous AI features (Image credit: Samsung)

There is of course a freemium model to the Gemini AI assistant that now appears on most Android devices, including Samsung phones and tablets. Paying for Google AI Pro or Google AI Ultra gets you more features and access to better AI models.

Google AI Pro starts at $19.99 / £18.99 / AU$32.99 and includes extras such as 2TB of Google cloud storage, but you often get a few months free. If you buy one of the Google Pixel 9 phones, you get a full year of use before you have to start paying.

The newly-announced Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 come with six months free, and clearly Google is hoping that by the time that free period is up, you won't be able to live without all the AI goodness you get with a subscription.

Samsung has dropped hints about introducing a Samsung Health subscription package, granting you extra features for a monthly fee, so it's possible that some additional AI tools might be included in that – though we'll have to wait and see.

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• Samsung says it didn't give the Z Fold 7 a bigger battery because users wanted it to prioritize other features
• Instead, the company prioritized improving the cameras, making the phone thinner, and giving it a wider cover screen
• However, with silicon-carbon battery tech now available, it seems like the company could still have upgraded the battery too

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is an upgrade on the previous model in numerous ways, but one notable area where Samsung hasn’t made any improvements is the battery capacity, with both phones having a 4,400mAh unit.

This is especially odd as the battery capacity was one of the main things the company did improve on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 – and now Samsung has explained its reasoning.

Speaking to SamMobile, the company has claimed that in the case of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, a bigger battery was the most-wanted feature by users, but with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, there were other priorities from foldable fans, including “better cameras, a thinner and lighter body, and a wider cover screen.”

But we’re not entirely convinced by this explanation for a few reasons. First off, 4,400mAh really is a very low capacity for a phone of this size, with the much smaller Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for example having a far larger 5,000mAh battery.

So the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could certainly have done with a larger battery, and with the phone now being longer and wider (thanks to its larger screens) Samsung surely could have found space for a bigger battery if it hadn’t chosen to further slim the phone down instead.

The best of both worlds

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

But Samsung didn’t even necessarily need to choose between a thinner phone and a bigger battery. That's because some handsets – including the OnePlus 13 and the foldable Honor Magic V5 – now use silicon-carbon batteries.

This type of battery tech allows you to increase the battery capacity without increasing its size, and it’s a tech that Samsung is reportedly considering using for the Galaxy S26 series – a line of phones that’s arguably less in need of this, since the Samsung Galaxy S25 series already have decent battery capacities for their screen sizes.

So why couldn’t Samsung offer this tech in the Galaxy Z Fold 7? Perhaps it’s a matter of cost, with a silicon-carbon battery possibly pushing the price up. Or perhaps Samsung is exhibiting an abundance of caution in increasing capacities, so as not to risk a repeat of the widespread battery issues faced by the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

The good news at least is that if Samsung really is considering silicon-carbon batteries for the Galaxy S25 line then the same tech may well be used for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 – it’s just a shame we'll have to wait another year to possibly get it.

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New Disney+ movies have been non-existent for a month. Finally, though, the streamer's latest film drought is over, albeit thanks to the debut of a new Disney Channel Original Movie in Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires.

But, fear not, Disney+ user, because more new movies will land on one of the world's best streaming services next week, too. In short: I'll be updating this article again very, very soon. In the meantime, if none of the forthcoming films are of interest to you, our best Disney+ movies article is full of great recommendations for you to check out instead. So, read that after you've perused what's on offer in this guide.

New Disney+ movies: JulyZombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires

Release date: July 11
Runtimes: 88 minutes
Age rating: TV-G (US); U (UK)
Directors: Paul Hoen
Main cast: Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly, Kylee Russell, Chandler Kinney, Malachi Barton, Freya Skye, Julian Lerner, Swayam Bhatia, Mekonnen Knife, Lisa Chappell, and Jonno Roberts
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: TBC (critics); TBC (audiences)

• Watch Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires on Disney+

New Disney+ movies: JuneSnow White

Release date: June 11
Runtimes: 114 minutes
Age rating: PG (US); 9+ (UK)
Directors: Marc Webb
Main cast: Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and Andrew Burnap
Rotten Tomatoes (RT) score: 40% (critics); 71% (audiences)

• Watch 2025's Snow White on Disney+

New Disney+ movies: coming soon

The Amateur will join Disney+'s movie library very soon (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

As I mentioned in this article's intro, there'll be a few more new Disney+ movies to enjoy in the weeks to come. Here's a brief guide on all of the films you'll be able to stream soon:

• Transformers – July 16 (UK only)
• Transformers: Age of Extinction – July 16 (UK only)
• Transformers: The Last Knight – July 16 (UK only)
• The Amateur – July 17

Not up for a movie? Try our pick of the best Disney+ shows, see if there's a free Disney+ trial available, read our Disney+ review, or get the lowdown on the new Disney+ price points.

Marvel Rivals Season 3 launches later today (July 11), adding Phoenix as a brand new Duelist. So far, we've gotten an in-depth look at the new Heroe's moveset, a deep dive into the changes to Team Ups and Daily Missions, and an extended peek at Klyntar: Celestial Husk, the game's new Domination map.

Now that we're in the build-up of Marvel Rivals' next season, I'll be providing you with up-to-date information on what's set to change, what you'll want to be focusing on before the end of Season 2.5, and some impressions from my time playing the new season as part of my early access preview opportunity, provided by NetEase.

Marvel Rivals Season 3 key info

Release date and time
Downtime
Phoenix info
Patch notes
New map
Ranked changes
Jump to our live coverage as it happens

NetEase has now unveiled the next season of Marvel Rivals, revealing Phoenix's kit and a deep dive into the latest patch notes and balance changes. There's a new Domination map to look at, too: the dark and mysterious lair of the villainous Knull. If my early impressions are correct, Season 3 seriously shakes up the meta, especially with its new Team Ups for Heroes like Spider-Man and Wolverine.

Having covered Season 2.5's launch and the subsequent balancing changes to the Hero roster, I'm excited to see what this new era of Marvel Rivals has in store. I'm especially interested to see how the new release schedule - NetEase is planning a new Season, and two new Heroes every two months - will change the pace of the meta.

I've now spent hundreds of hours playing Marvel Rivals Competitive Mode since launch, mostly focusing on Vanguard Heroes like Venom and Magneto, but I'm really liking how Phoenix is shaping up pre-release. Here's the launch of Marvel Rivals Season 3 as it happens. I'll be covering today's launch live, focusing on downtime, and the early hours of Season 3.

Marvel Rivals Season 3 - cut to the chase

Looking for a quick overview? Here are the most important parts of Season 3 to know about:

• Start time: July 11 at 7AM EDT / 4AM PDT / 12PM BST (after estimated downtime)
• New Hero: Phoenix
• New map: Klyntar - Celestial Husk (Domination)
• Season event: Milano Repair Logs
• Hero balancing
• New Rank Rewards: Phoenix - Emerald Flames

Marvel Rivals Season 3 release date and estimated release time

(Image credit: NetEase)

Marvel Rivals Season 3 will launch on July 11, 2025. Downtime is set for 5AM EDT / 2AM PDT / 10AM BST, and based on previous season launches, I expect it to last for two hours. Given this estimate, here's when I'd expect Season 3 to launch in your timezone:

• 4am PDT
• 7am EDT
• 12pm BST
• 1pm CEST
• 8pm JST
• 9pm AEST

Marvel Rivals Season 3 downtime is estimated to be 1-2 hours, though this is subject to change. I'll be keeping this part of our live coverage updated during downtime, and will bring you the news when servers go back online. You can also look out for intel over on the Marvel Rivals Twitter account.

Marvel Rivals Season 3 downtime

(Image credit: NetEase)

Marvel Rivals Season 3 will arrive after a period of downtime. This is scheduled to kick in at the following time (depending on your timezone):

• 2am PDT
• 5am EDT
• 10am BST
• 11am CEST
• 6pm JST
• 7pm AEST

Downtime has typically lasted two hours for major seasonal updates to Marvel Rivals. I expect it to be the same this time around, but stay tuned on the live section of this blog for updates on when the game is back online.

Marvel Rivals Phoenix

(Image credit: NetEase Games)

Phoenix is the new Hero being added to Marvel Rivals Season 3. I've spent some time trying her out, and she's primarily a ranged Duelist who works best at off-angles. She plays very similarly to Hela, though she has a passive that stacks damage on enemies with each hit. Every third hit triggers an explosion, dealing extra damage, hitting any nearby enemies, and tagging them with a Phoenix mark. As such, Phoenix is extremely powerful when teams are grouped together.

As a Duelist, Phoenix is mostly about dealing huge amounts of damage, though she's also great at removing enemy support passives, like Loki clones and Peni Parker mines. Her Ultimate is a dive bomb attack that deals massive area of effect damage, before returning Phoenix back to where she triggered the ability. She has a new Team Up called Primal Flame, which buffs Wolverine with flame damage with his Primal Leap. She also applies life steal to Wolverine's attacks once the Team Up is triggered.

Marvel Rivals Season 3 patch notes

(Image credit: NetEase)

NetEase has now released the full patch notes for Marvel Rivals Season 3. It outlines loads of bug fixes for Heroes like The Thing, as well as some adjustments to in-game audio. There's a new Accessory system too, allowing players to add small trinkets onto Heroes for an extra bit of visual flair. You can read the full patch notes here.

Marvel Rivals Season 3 new map

(Image credit: NetEase)

Klyntar: Celestial Husk is a brand new Domination map set to be added in Marvel Rivals Season 3. It's the setting for Knull's seasonal debut, and it's appropriately menacing. Having spent some time with the new map, I can say it's one of the best released so far. There are tight corridors, perfect for the new Hero Phoenix to unleash AoE attacks in. There are a lot of possibilities for flanking and off-angle play, too. You can check out a deep dive on the new map in the video below:

Marvel Rivals Ranked changes

(Image credit: NetEase)

In addition to the new map, there's going to be a rank reset for Competitive Mode players. If you've reached the higher tiers in Marvel Rivals, expect to be demoted by seven tiers upon the launch of Season 3. This means that if you hit Diamond I in Season 2.5, you'll go down to Gold II. There's a Phoenix skin to earn by reaching Gold by the end of this season, and several nameplates and banners corresponding to Grandmaster, Celestial, and Eternity ranks.

Marvel Rivals Season 3 live coverageWelcome to my live coverage of Marvel Rivals Season 3

(Image credit: NetEase)

Welcome to my live coverage of Marvel Rivals Season 3, which is set to launch after some downtime. There's just fifteen minutes until the game goes offline, so let's get started.

Downtime triggers in ten minutes

Marvel Rivals will go offline in just 10 minutes, as downtime kicks in. This should last for around two hours, but I’ll keep you updated on exactly when the game is back online.

Costume Coins can be exchanged for skins

(Image credit: NetEase)

You can earn a Costume Coin from the Venom’s Bubble Pop event, which ends once Season 3 downtime kicks in (you can make it a permanent event by purchasing the Premium version). This can be exchanged for a number of skins in the Store. I went with the Master of Magnetism skin for Magneto.

Spider-Man gets his flame on

(Image credit: NetEase)

Ever-Flaming Bond is a brand new Team Up between Human Torch and Spider-Man. It adds a Burn-Tracer to Spidey’s kit, tagging enemies and sending Spider-Man flipping backwards. This opens up new combo abilities, and in my testing, it’s really powerful.

Season 3.5 will launch August 8

(Image credit: NetEase)

Thanks to the Season 3 roadmap provided by NetEase yesterday (July 10), we know that Season 3.5 will launch on August 8. This should be when we get Blade as a new Hero, and he's rumored to be a Duelist.

Marvel Rivals will go offline any minute

(Image credit: NetEase)

Marvel Rivals downtime is scheduled to end in a few minutes. You should still be able to finish off your match, but expect to be kicked from servers too.

Downtime has started

(Image credit: NetEase)

Marvel Rivals is now offline. I’ll still be covering the launch of the new season live, so let’s continue with some of the key changes coming once things go back online.

Marvel Rivals Server connection failed error message

When trying to load up Marvel Rivals, you'll now be greeted with the 'Server connection failed' error message. Don't worry, this us ask normal for downtime.

Phoenix could be a real contender

(Image credit: NetEase)

Phoenix will be added as a new Hero in Season 3, and she’s already feeling very powerful indeed. Her primary damage output is especially high, and thanks to a dash ability, she can escape dive characters quite easily.

• Experienced developers actually spent 19% more time on tasks when using AI, report claims
• Only 44% of AI-generated code was accepted by experienced devs
• Developers still feel that work is easier when using AI

Artificial intelligence might not be as beneficial to experienced developers as it can be to new starters and those who are yet to develop the right skills, new research has claimed.

A new study conducted by Model Evaluation & Threat Research (METR) has suggested not only were the developers less optimistic following the study, but the real results suggest that artificial intelligence actually ended up costing them time.

The study found that, with AI, devs spent less time coding and searching, and more time prompting, waiting for and more important, reviewing, AI output. An estimated 9% of the time went on reviewing and cleaning up AI-generated code, with AI suggestions generally on the right tracks but lacking in detail.

AI doesn't actually same these developers any time

Observing 16 experienced developers across 246 real tasks on mature open-source projects that they were already familiar with, the researchers analyzed how the developers interacted with popular tools from Cursor Pro and Claude 3.5/3.7.

Before the study, the 16 experienced developers in question expected to reduce task time by 24% when combining their expertise with artificial intelligence. After the study, they reduced their expectations to just 20%, however post-study analysis reveals that AI actually increased task completion time by 19%.

Fewer than 44% of the suggestions were accepted, with a lack of contextual knowledge and large, complex repositories highlighted as contributing factors to developer slowdown. The study also noted that the experienced developers already had high familiarity with the codebases, leaving little room for AI to add any meaningful value.

However, despite the slowdown, many developers continued to use AI tools because the work felt less effortful, making work feel more pleasant even if it wasn't faster.

"AI capabilities in the wild may be lower than results on commonly used benchmarks may suggest," the research paper concludes.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being adopted across industries at remarkable speed. From finance to healthcare, AI is driving new services and unlocking new business models – fundamentally changing the way we all live, learn and work. But with progress comes challenges, and in the case of AI, fast adoption means that the infrastructure supporting it is under increasing pressure.

Data centers, once optimized for traditional enterprise workloads, are being pushed to accommodate entirely new operating patterns. The rise in high-performance computing means more power, more heat, and more volatility. Established systems are struggling to keep up.

AI workloads don’t just demand scale. They require IT infrastructure that can react to dynamic, unpredictable demand. And as organizations expand their use of AI, the supporting environment must evolve too.

Rack density is climbing quickly

One of the clearest shifts data center operators are experiencing is in rack density. Standard deployments have typically operated at around 10 kilowatts to 15 kilowatts per rack. But AI hardware - especially clusters of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) - consumes much more power and generates far more heat.

In many AI deployments, racks now draw 40 kilowatts or more. Some experimental training environments exceed 100 kilowatts. This isn’t just about energy consumption. It’s a challenge for every part of the power chain, from uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems to power distribution units (PDUs), to the facility’s own switchgear.

Older data centers may not be able to support these loads without major upgrades. For those expanding into AI, the layout, redundancy, and zoning of rack space needs careful planning to avoid creating thermal or electrical bottlenecks.

Cooling is reaching its limits

Conventional air cooling was never designed for today’s thermal loads. Even with hot aisle containment and optimized airflow, facilities are finding it hard to remove heat fast enough in high-density zones.

This is why liquid cooling is gaining ground. Direct-to-chip cooling systems, already common in high-performance cloud computing environments, are being adapted for data centers supporting AI and where densities exceed 50kW/rack. Immersion cooling is also being explored where space is tight or where energy efficiency is a priority where densities exceed 150kW/rack.

Installing liquid cooling involves significant changes - from plumbing and pumping systems to maintenance protocols and leak prevention. It’s a major shift, but one that is becoming necessary as traditional cooling approaches run out of headroom.

Load volatility is forcing a rethink

AI workloads behave differently from legacy compute. Training cycles can move from idle to peak and back in a matter of seconds. And inference jobs often run continuously, putting steady pressure on electrical and cooling infrastructure.

That variability puts systems under stress; power systems need to be fast and responsive and cooling systems must avoid overshooting or lagging behind, sensors and controls need to act in real time, not based on average load assumptions.

This is driving investment in smarter infrastructure. Software-based power management, predictive analytics, and environmental telemetry are no longer add-ons. They are becoming essential for resilience and efficiency.

Commissioning is getting more involved

Designing infrastructure for AI is one thing. Proving that it works under pressure is something else.

Commissioning teams are having to simulate conditions that didn’t exist just a few years ago. That includes sudden spikes in compute load, failure scenarios under high thermal pressure, and mixed environments where air and liquid cooling run side by side.

This means that simulation tools are being used earlier in the design process, with digital twins helping to test airflow and thermal modelling before equipment is installed. On-site commissioning now includes more functional testing, and more collaboration between electrical, mechanical and IT teams.

Power constraints are slowing progress

In some parts of the UK and Europe, getting access to the grid has become a significant barrier. Long connection times and limited capacity are delaying new builds and expansion projects.

This real and growing challenge is leading some operators to turn to on-site energy generation, energy storage systems, and modular buildouts that can grow in stages. Others are prioritizing regions with better access to power - even if they aren’t the original target location.

Cooling strategies are also directly affected. Liquid cooling systems require consistent energy supply to maintain stable operation. Any power disruption can quickly become a cooling issue, especially when workloads can’t be paused. And, in high-density environments, even brief interruptions to power can have thermal consequences within seconds - leaving no room for infrastructure to catch up after the fact.

Heat reuse is being taken seriously

AI workloads generate a lot of heat- and more than ever, operators are exploring ways to efficiently reuse waste heat.

In the past, heat recovery was often seen as too complex or not cost-effective. But with higher temperatures and more concentrated thermal output from liquid cooling systems, the picture is changing.

Some new facilities are being designed with heat export capabilities. Others are considering connections to local district heating systems. Where planning authorities are involved, expectations around environmental performance are rising, and heat reuse can be a strong point in a project’s favor.

Infrastructure is becoming more adaptive

AI is creating new expectations for data centre infrastructure. It needs to be fast, scalable and adaptable. Standardization helps, but flexibility is becoming more important - particularly as AI workloads evolve and spread from central hubs to the edge.

The next generation of data centers will need to manage high loads with minimal waste. They will need to recover energy where possible, stay efficient under pressure, and respond in real time to shifting demand.

This isn’t just about capacity. It’s about designing flexible systems that stay effective as conditions change.

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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

• NCA arrests four people suspected of participating in recent attacks
• M&S, Co-op and Harrods all hit by cyberattacks
• Arrested group are accused of organized crime, money laundering, and more

The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) has arrested four people suspected of taking part in recent cyberattacks against M&S, Co-op, and Harrods.

An NCA press release said the police apprehended two 19-year-old males, one 17-year-old, and a 20-year-old female in the West Midlands and London, all of whom had their electronic equipment seized.

They are suspected of Computer Misuse Act offenses, as well as blackmail, money laundering, and participating in the activities of an organized crime group.

DragonForce

"Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the Agency's highest priorities,” commented Deputy Director Paul Foster, head of the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit. "Today's arrests are a significant step in that investigation but our work continues, alongside partners in the UK and overseas, to ensure those responsible are identified and brought to justice.”

In late April and early May 2025, three major UK retailers, M&S, Co-op, and Harrods, all suffered major cyberattacks.

The hit on Marks and Spencer affected stores nationwide, and resulted in “small changes” to store operations in order to protect customers “and the business." The retailer confirmed Click and Collect services were impacted by technical issues as a result, and some stores were unable to process contactless payments.

Co-op suffered differently, as threat actors (who named themselves “DragonForce”) walked away with a hefty archive of sensitive company data, including customer information.

"This data includes Co-op Group members' personal data such as names and contact details, and did not include members' passwords, bank or credit card details, transactions or information relating to any members' or customers' products or services with the Co-op Group," the company said at the time.

"Cyber attacks can be hugely disruptive for businesses and I'd like to thank M&S, Co-op and Harrods for their support to our investigations. Hopefully this signals to future victims the importance of seeking support and engaging with law enforcement as part of the reporting process. The NCA and policing are here to help."

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• Perplexity’s new Comet browser promises an AI assistant that travels the web for you
• Comet joins other AI browsers aiming to beat Chrome and other popular platforms.
• Though AI companies are betting on their browser's enticing users, their mainstream appeal is uncertain.

Perplexity has officially made the move to web browsers, embedding its AI tools into Comet, its new Chromium browser.

It’s available now, initially only to some subscribers of Perplexity’s $200-a-month Max plan. At first glance, Comet is like most browsers, but Comet has a unique sidebar. You can highlight a word, sentence, or image, and Comet will discuss it with you. You can get a summary of an article, write an RSVP, or organize the itinerary of your next vacation. There's also a privacy benefit. Perplexity says all of the AI processing stays local and that it won’t train its AI using your site visits.

It makes sense. Browsers are central to modern work and life. If AI models can latch onto our browsing flow, then we will be using them all the time. But will it stick?

The browser space has seen a lot of failed Chrome clones, from Yahoo Browser to Internet Explorer 6. Chrome and Safari claim over 90% market share globally. The subscription price alone might be the biggest deterrent. Perplexity’s Comet is $200 a month. Compared to the price of 'free,' it would take a lot more than an occasional paper summary to make people pay up.

And while Comet shows how it might be useful as a way for Perplexity to meld its AI with a web browser, it's hardly alone in pursuing the idea of augmenting web browsers with AI. OpenAI is building a ChatGPT-native Operator browser. Currently, The Browser Company, Opera's Aria, Microsoft's Edge with Copilot, and others are all providing similar services. And Google is continuously adding AI to Chrome, offering quick overviews, summaries, and image explanations.

AI browsing future

Perplexity, OpenAI, and any other contender face the same challenge of getting people to switch. And while it's possible that Perplexity breaks through to a new group of users with the idea of an AI browser, they will then have to face off against each other as well as the AI-enhanced versions of Chrome, Safari, and the others on the rise from Brave to Firefox, each with their own pitch for a better AI, more privacy, or another appealing feature.

Or, maybe the concerns about technical issues and user privacy will keep the AI browser a niche product with limited appeal for hardcore users, a bit like Linux. AI might be the future of browsing, a brief fad, or something in between.

The question of what makes it worth the effort will need to be answered. If Comet and others can streamline the online experience and save us a lot of time, they'll be popping up everywhere, but for now, they’re novelties priced at a premium. We'll have to see if the AI-enhanced browser can find the users it needs to last.

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After the category defining moment of ChatGPT’s launch, the subsequent rush to AI tools has proved intense. On both sides of implementation and innovation, companies have dashed towards AI as a solution, many without knowing the problem. In certain cases, it’s felt half-baked – more than 50% of organizations have an AI leader, but nine in ten (88%) indicate their AI leader does not have the title of ‘Chief AI Officer’.

From this initial excitement phase, progressing to maturity in AI deployment becomes key, yet just 1% believe they are at maturity. This is the critical task – recalibration towards AI maturity could contribute a staggering $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. At the AI Action Summit this year, Sundar Pichai stated AI is “the most profound shift of our lifetimes”. This is even “bigger than the shift to personal computing, or to mobile”. But in thinking about these patterns of change, it begs the million dollar question – what’s next after AI?

New appetite

Spurred on by the success of AI-related innovation, there is an appetite in the tech sector for the next big thing. We’re hungry for more. And the next ‘tech feast’ we can expect is likely to be quantum computing. In terms of upgrading processing power, quantum computing could be the next game changer, making a - pun intended - quantum leap for science and technology.

Faster processing is the key to unlocking huge efficiency value in the tech sector; McKinsey predicts quantum technology could create value worth trillions of dollars within the next decade. And, recent advances in AI could bring forward the timeline to operationalizing the technology at scale.

The quantum rush

Quantum computing uses principles from quantum mechanics, specifically superposition and entanglement, to process information in fundamentally different ways from traditional computers. A regular computer stores information in bits, which can be either a 0 or a 1 at any time. A qubit, by contrast, can be in a state of 0, 1, or any combination of both at once, thanks to superposition. This allows quantum computers to evaluate many possible solutions at the same time.

Entanglement creates a connection between qubits, where the state of one directly affects the state of another, even when separated. This makes quantum systems highly efficient at solving problems involving many interdependent variables.

A business laptop might be able to simulate, say, a small molecule, by brute-force calculation, taking hours or days if the problem is complex. A quantum computer with enough stable qubits could perform the same task in seconds by exploring all configurations in parallel. It's not just faster; it’s a fundamentally more scalable approach to certain classes of very difficult problems.

To provide some real-world perspective, Google developed Willow, announced at the tail end of 2024, a quantum chip, which completed a benchmark task in under five minutes that would take a top supercomputer over 10 septillion years – far longer than the entire age of the universe.

Quantum leaps for business

In the long term, quantum computing could significantly impact businesses by unlocking new levels of computational power that enable faster and more efficient problem-solving. As quantum technology matures, businesses may benefit from breakthroughs in areas like optimization. It’s like switching from walking through a maze, to having a bird’s eye view of all the paths.

Spiros Michalakis, at the Caltech Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, stated that "even if 1% of what we expect comes to be, it will exponentially transform your business", anticipating we will see its impact within the next five years. Across a variety of sectors, quantum computing can vastly accelerate the automation of strategy, in supply chain management, resource allocation, data encryption, enhanced cybersecurity, and processing complex simulations, such as in product development or drug discovery.

While quantum computing may not directly replace current systems for most - small - businesses in the short term, those that adopt or integrate quantum solutions early on could gain a competitive edge in innovation, cost efficiency, and scalability that puts them lightyears ahead of competitors.

However, the pace of this transformation will depend on the accessibility and affordability of quantum technologies, which may initially be more available through cloud-based quantum computing services rather than requiring direct ownership of quantum hardware, which will likely remain expensive for considerable time.

How do we prepare?

The lessons we learn here and now from AI strategy can teach us how to expect and deploy new, esoteric technologies. It’s about finding those fault lines or cracks within your business – what isn’t working, and what is your tech stack limited in solving – and then resourcing around that. It’s important for leaders to stick their heads above the parapet and see what advanced solutions are out there in play, before they become mainstream and the early adopter advantage is lost.

The democratization of AI is teaching us that there is widespread accessibility for developers and deployers around emerging technologies. After DeepSeek hit the market it signaled a change. IBM underscored this – “it won’t just be the very elite that have access to incredible compute who will be able to build the next series of models”.

What has happened with AI goes a long way to show that these incredibly high-tier computing resources are not just top-shelf and exclusive. The more abundant and integrated they become, the more urgent it is for businesses of all sizes to look at how tech can help them. This is the thinking we need to apply to quantum computing.

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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

• Qantas suffered a cyberattack in early June 2025
• A thorough investigation has now placed the number of affected individuals at 5.7 million
• Passwords and payment data is safe, but crooks took names, addresses, and other PII

Qantas has confirmed sensitive information on 5.7 million customers was exfiltrated in the recent cyberattack it suffered.

Australia’s largest airline said it recently spotted an intrusion after a threat actor targeted a call center, and accessed a third-party customer servicing platform. Initially claiming that six million people were affected, Qantas has now came forward with more precise figures.

In a press release published on the company’s website, it said the attackers took four million customer names, email addresses, and Qantas Frequent Flyer details. For the remaining 1.7 million, they also stole postal addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, gender, and meal preferences.

Scattered Spider

Credit card details, personal financial information, passport details, as well as passwords, PINs, and other login details, were not compromised, since the data wasn’t even held by the company, Qantas confirmed.

It said that it had started notifying affected customers of the breach, and urged them to remain vigilant and independently verify the identity of unsolicited callers.

The company did not say who the threat actors were, or if they tried to deploy any ransomware.

However the incident shares many similarities with other attacks recently made by the group known as Scattered Spider, a financially motivated hacking group known for targeting large US companies using social engineering and SIM-swapping techniques.

This group has not yet claimed responsibility for this attack - but in recent weeks, multiple reports have emerged of airlines being hit by cyberattacks, with Hawaiian Airlines confirmed suffering an attack and both WestJet and GlobalX suffering the same fate recently too. The FBI even released an advisory, warning US companies about Scattered Spider activities.

At press time, there was no evidence that the stolen data was released to the wild. Still, Qantas said it continues “actively monitoring” the web, with the help of specialist cybersecurity experts.

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• Asus pairs Ryzen AI with RTX 5070 in a chassis that screams MacBook aesthetic
• 64GB RAM and 2TB SSD make the ProArt P16 a mobile editing powerhouse
• OLED touchscreen delivers sharp visuals, but color accuracy calibration remains a question mark

Asus has unveiled two new laptops under its ProArt series, the P16 H7606WP and H7606WM, targeted squarely at creators.

While these devices may appear heavily inspired by Apple’s MacBook Pro, especially in their dark metallic finish and minimalist chassis, the hardware inside tells a different story.

Both models feature AMD’s Ryzen 9 HX 370 processor with integrated Ryzen AI technology.

Memory, storage, and GPU choices built for serious content creation

The P16 H7606WP comes with 64GB of LPDDR5X RAM running at 7500MHz, alongside a 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.

It pairs this with NVIDIA’s RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, a relatively new entrant in the high-end mobile graphics space.

The more affordable H7606WM steps down slightly to an RTX 5060 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage, but maintains the same AMD processor.

These configurations signal that Asus is targeting users who need performance on the move, whether for video editing timelines, 3D modeling, or high-resolution image workflows.

For creators looking for the best laptop for video editing or for Photoshop, these specs check off many of the technical boxes, at least on paper.

The display on both models is a 16-inch OLED panel with a 3K resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels.

Touch support is included, and color accuracy appears to be a key focus, although exact calibration data hasn’t been shared.

At just 1.85kg and 15–17mm thick, these devices are relatively light and slim, and those students seeking the best laptop for architecture might find this combination of portability and power appealing.

This device supports USB4 ports capable of 40Gbps data transfer, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and an infrared webcam offering both conferencing and secure login support.

Asus also claims up to 21 hours of idle battery life and 11 hours of video playback, but these numbers often fall short in creator-heavy workflows.

A standout inclusion is MuseTree, an AI-based image generation tool preloaded onto these devices.

According to Asus, users can create images using either text prompts or source visuals, giving artists a native tool for rapid concept work.

However, practical value will depend heavily on how well the software integrates into existing creative pipelines.

With pricing at roughly $3,420 for the high-end model and $2,400 for the base version in Japan, these laptops are clearly aimed at the professional tier.

Via Guru3d

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• AMD is surpassing Nvidia in one particular market, and I don't understand why

• MIPS once rivaled Intel and Arm, but now it's trying to matter again in AI chips
• From NASA probes to gaming consoles, MIPS quietly shaped modern computing before fading out
• Thirty years after leading RISC, MIPS is still hunting for a stable business model

MIPS, once a central player in the early RISC revolution and a long-time rival to Arm, has once again changed hands.

This time, in a somewhat ironic twist, the company has been acquired by GlobalFoundries, the chip manufacturer spun off from AMD.

The acquisition signals yet another chapter in the complex and turbulent history of MIPS, a firm whose legacy stretches from early workstation CPUs to powering the original Sony PlayStation.

A legacy before modern benchmarks

Decades before anyone asked what the best laptop for video editing or the best GPU might be, MIPS was already changing the rules.

The company’s journey began in 1986 when the MIPS R2000 became the first commercial CPU to implement the MIPS instruction set and one of the earliest examples of RISC-based architecture sold under a licensing model.

John Hennessy, a professor at Stanford University and co-creator of the architecture, led the initiative to offer an alternative to the dominant CISC designs of Intel and Motorola.

The R2000 was compact for its time, containing around 110,000 transistors, and delivered clock speeds up to 15MHz.

Although it never achieved the market penetration of Intel, MIPS carved out notable successes.

The R3000, introduced two years after the R2000, powered everything from Silicon Graphics workstations to the first-generation Sony PlayStation.

It even guided NASA’s New Horizons probe through its Pluto flyby and onward to the Kuiper Belt.

Despite its obscurity in mainstream conversations today, MIPS quietly persisted in key embedded applications.

“MIPS brings a strong heritage of delivering efficient, scalable compute IP tailored for performance-critical applications,” said GlobalFoundries' COO Niels Anderskouv.

Ownership of MIPS has shifted frequently, revealing a company in search of stable footing.

After being acquired by Silicon Graphics in the 1990s, it passed through the hands of Imagination Technologies, Tallwood Ventures, and Wave Computing.

It reemerged post-bankruptcy in 2020 with a pivot toward the open RISC-V architecture, a move many saw as an attempt to regain relevance in an era increasingly dominated by open standards.

However, MIPS's eVocore series struggled to impress, leading the company to launch its Atlas range of cores and the Atlas Explorer platform aimed at performance optimization.

With GlobalFoundries acquiring the firm, the narrative shifts again.

MIPS will now operate as a standalone unit focused on AI, autonomous mobility, and the industrial edge.

Sameer Wasson, MIPS CEO, claims, “Becoming part of GlobalFoundries marks the start of a bold new chapter for MIPS.”

Still, skepticism remains, particularly given the uncertain trajectory of the broader RISC-V ecosystem.

Via eenewseurope

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• xAI has launched the new Grok 4 and Grok 4 Heavy AI models
• Grok 4 requires a $30 monthly SuperGrok subscription
• The launch comes as Grok faces renewed criticism

xAI introduced new versions of its Grok AI model line. Grok 4 and its larger, more powerful sibling, Grok 4 Heavy, are part of CEO Elon Musk’s effort to position Grok as a serious competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude. That includes the new $300-a-month subscription tier called SuperGrok Heavy, which offers exclusive access to Grok 4 Heavy.

Musk boasted during the announcement livestream that “Grok 4 is better than PhD level in every subject, no exceptions. At times, it may lack common sense, and it has not yet invented new technologies or discovered new physics, but that is just a matter of time.”

And the model’s benchmark scores do suggest it's not hyperbolic to say so; it's a legitimate leap forward. Grok 4 scored 25.4% on the notoriously difficult Humanity’s Last Exam benchmark without tools, putting it ahead of Gemini 2.5 Pro and OpenAI’s o3. The bragging is even more apt for Grok 4 Heavy, because as a multi-agent version of Grok 4, it deploys several reasoning agents simultaneously. On the same test, it scored 44.4%, better than all current commercial offerings.

The takeaway, at least from a technical standpoint, is that Grok 4 is now firmly in frontier-model territory. That’s a meaningful shift for xAI, which just months ago was primarily known for its integration with X, the rechristened Twitter owned by Musk. xAI is clearly trying to be taken seriously as a legitimate AI research and enterprise company.

If you do pay the $300 a month for SuperGrok Heavy, you'll get not only access to Grok 4 Heavy but also developer tools, API usage, and be first to try out new and upcoming features like an AI coding assistant, a multi-modal agent, and an AI video generator. As OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic all roll out more expensive subscription tiers, xAI is likely to be keen to come out ahead in both timing and model quality.

Introducing Grok 4, the world's most powerful AI model. Watch the livestream now: https://t.co/59iDX5s2ckJuly 10, 2025

Grokking controversy

Of course, the benchmarks and demos shared by Musk and his team during the livestream could not quite overshadow how Grok’s official account on X this week spiraled into antisemitic madness.

The chatbot’s automated replies on X for hours included conspiracy theories about Jewish control of Hollywood, praise for Hitler, and even declaring itself as “MechaHitler.” The company swiftly deleted the posts as they appeared, and Grok briefly denied even making them before copping to the reality of screenshots.

Eventually, X deleted all of the eye-poppingly offensive posts and placed temporary restrictions on the account. The outburst appeared to be tied to a recent update to Grok’s internal system prompt that the company then reversed.

Musk didn’t address the incident directly during his Grok 4 livestream, nor did anyone at xAI offer a public explanation. Meanwhile, Linda Yaccarino stepped down as CEO of X on the very same day, though xAI insists the timing is unrelated.

With all that happening in the background, Grok 4's launch didn't have quite the clean innovation-centered debut xAI likely hoped for. And it's hard for the company to claim the praise for Hitler was simply a technical error when Musk, who is intimately tied to both X and xAI, has repeatedly insisted that Grok will be a non-politically correct AI model.

You can build the most powerful model in the world, but if users are constantly bracing for it to say something offensive or unhinged, that power won’t matter.

There’s no question xAI has the technical chops to build a top-tier model. But unless they start addressing trust, transparency, and content safety with the same intensity they apply to benchmarks, they’ll always be playing catch-up to companies with AI chatbots that don't remind people of major public relations disasters.

A company interested in what Grok 4 Heavy can do for them might be a little more hesitant to pay $300 a month if the first thing people think of when they hear about Grok powering the system is Holocaust denial. That kind of baggage is heavier than any dataset.

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• Ryzen Threadripper 9980X delivers unmatched power for multi-core workflows
• PassMark scores show AMD’s 64-core chip leading the desktop market
• Expensive but effective, Threadripper 9980X sets a new bar in performance

AMD’s new Ryzen Threadripper 9000 series has finally gone on sale, with the flagship Threadripper 9980X available to buy now from Tech-America for a decidedly premium $5,198.

That’s expensive for sure, but for professionals who need top-tier multi-core performance, early benchmarks show the new chip delivers value where it matters - the proverbial bang for your buck, if you will.

Built on AMD’s Zen 5 architecture, the 9980X has 64 cores with 128 threads. It’s not just the core count that sets the new chip apart from competition, but how it performs under heavy load.

Topping the charts

The new chip is capable of handling demanding tasks like 3D rendering, simulation, and video production with impressive ease thanks to a base clock of 3.2GHz and a boost speed of up to 5.4GHz.

In fact, PassMark’s benchmarks (see below) suggest that it delivers a level of performance that outpaces even workstation-grade chips with more cores.

In PassMark’s multi-thread CPU test, the 9980X scored 147,481, placing it at the top of the desktop performance chart.

That’s higher than the 96-core Threadripper PRO 7995WX, which posted 145,572 points.

Despite having fewer cores, the 9980X comes out ahead, likely because of its higher base clock and superior efficiency across workloads that scale with clock speed.

(Image credit: PassMark)Single Thread results

In single-thread tests, the picture is a bit different. The 9980X scores 4,594, which puts it behind more consumer-oriented chips like Apple’s M3 Ultra and Intel’s Core Ultra 9 285K. That’s not unexpected of course, since the Threadripper 9980X is designed for multi-threaded applications rather than everyday desktop use.

Compared to the previous-gen Threadripper 7980X, the 9980X shows about an 8 percent gain in performance. While that may not sound huge, it is enough to comfortably lead the current charts.

The chip also includes 64MB of L2 and 256MB of L3 cache, giving it plenty of on-die memory to keep things running fast.

Full reviews are expected soon, but early results suggest that AMD’s Threadripper 9980X is a serious upgrade for high-end users with deep pockets.

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• McDonald's recently introduced a new hiring platform called McHire
• It uses an AI-powered chatbot that collects resumes, CVs, and contact data
• Researchers managed to easily log into the backend and obtain all of the data stored by the AI

A third-party supply chain vulnerability exposed sensitive data on 64 million people who applied to work with McDonald’s, experts have claimed.

The company recently introduced a new AI-powered hiring platform, courtesy of partners Paradox.ai. Called McHire, it featured Olivia, an AI-powered chatbot that screens applicants, gathers their contact information, CVs and resumes, and makes them do a personality test.

The dedicated website, McHire.com, had a login link, which two security researchers - Ian Carroll and Sam Curry - used to log into the backend. They tried guessing the password, and after a first failed attempt (going with “admin” for both username and password fields), they succeeded on the second one - using “123456” in both fields.

Plugging the hole

Although it might come as a shock to some, Carroll told Wired easy-to-guess passwords such as this one are “more common than you’d think.”

Indeed, over the years, there were countless reports from security experts, warning about the use of passwords such as “password”, “iloveyou”, “123456”, “qwerty”, and similar.

Reaching the backend, they accessed all the data harvested by the platform, including personally identifiable information shared in CVs and resumes: names, email addresses, and phone numbers. In total, 64 million records were exposed.

While stealing names, emails, and phone numbers might not sound like much, cybercriminals can use it to create highly convincing phishing attacks, especially knowing that the victims applied for a job at McDonald’s at some point.

This can lead to more destructive malware and ransomware attacks, identity theft, and even wire fraud.

As soon as the discovery was made, Paradox was notified and quickly plugged the hole. The company told Wired that “only a fraction of the records” the researchers accessed contained personal information, and that the hole was not previously spotted by anyone else.

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Microsoft Outlook is recovering after a major outage affected users around the world.

Outage reports began to spike for the widely-used email provider earlier today, with Microsoft confirming an issue not long after.

After several hours, the outage now seems to be ending, but here's everything we know so far...

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Microsoft Outlook appears to be suffering a significant outage, with users across the world unable to access the platform.

Outage reports began to surface a few minutes ago, with Outlook.com apparently unavailable.

That's quite the spike in outage reports, courtesy of DownDetector.com!

(Image credit: DownDetector)

So what has Microsoft said so far?

Its official status platform confirms there is an issue with Outlook.com, so at least the company is aware of the issue.

"Users may be unable to access their mailbox using any connection methods," the page says.

"We're continuing to apply the configuration changes to fix the underlying problem and completing additional validation efforts to ensure authentication components are properly configured. In parallel to the current deployment of the configuration change fix, we're reviewing options to leverage an expedited deployment methodology in regions which are experiencing the highest levels of impact to provide the most effective relief where possible."

It adds impacted connection methods include, but may not be limited to:

- Outlook.com

- Outlook Mobile

- Outlook desktop client

For anyone trying alternate ways to try and log in to Outlook, it's worth noting Microsoft saying the outage affects the platform on web, mobile and desktop - so you might be out of luck!

This outage comes just as the East Coast of the US clocks in for the day, so it could mean a disrupted start for workers...

It's interesting to note Microsoft has yet to update its official Outlook, Windows and Microsoft accounts on X.

Reports of Microsoft Outlook going down first appeared more than 12 hours ago - but there's still nothing...

However the Microsoft Outlook Twitter account hasn't actually posted since June 11, so it may be that it's not active any more anyways!

As we try to find out more - here's some thoughts from Desire Athow, Managing Editor here at TechRadar Pro...

"Microsoft says that its Outlook desktop client, the popular Microsoft email client that is usually bundled with Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365), is also down, which is a bit of a surprise. No other Microsoft products are currently impacted by the downtime which leaves me to believe that it may be something to do with the email middleware itself rather than a more widespread data center infrastructure."

An update from Microsoft from its official status page - where the outage has now been upgraded from a "warning" to an official issues;

"We're continuing to apply the configuration changes to fix the underlying problem and completing additional validation efforts to ensure authentication components are properly configured. In parallel to the current deployment of the configuration change fix, we're reviewing options to leverage an expedited deployment methodology in regions which are experiencing the highest levels of impact to provide the most effective relief where possible."

Microsoft has promised another update by 4.30pm UTC - so in about an hour's time - but while it works, outage reports keep on rising.

(Image credit: DownDetector)

We've spotted the official Microsoft 365 Status Twitter feed is providing much more information on the outage - here's what it has to say...

We're currently investigating an issue impacting https://t.co/yThFCaxMLE. Please see our service health page for further details: https://t.co/48OL20htnj.July 10, 2025

We're now entering the second hour of the outage, and it seems thousands of users are still unable to access Outlook.com, on web and mobile.

There's no concrete updates from Microsoft - so we're sitting and waiting to see how this will go.

If you're just joining us - a quick recap...

Users have been complaining about a major outage in Outlook for the last few hours - coinciding with the start of the working day in the US.

The outage affects Outlook on web and mobile, and has been going on for some time - Microsoft says it is working on a fix, but outage reports remain high.

We may finally be reaching a turning point - nearly three hours in, and outage reports are finally beginning to drop at last.

There's still no further comment from Microsoft, but this could be the beginning of the end (we hope)...

(Image credit: DownDetector)

Here we are - Microsoft thinks it has finally fixed the issue at last! Anyone affected should be seeing a solution soon, we hope.

Our configuration changes have effectively resolved impact in targeted infrastructure. We’re now deploying the changes worldwide to resolve impact for all users. For more information, please see https://t.co/j9reNyhJlq.July 10, 2025

Outage reports are falling fast on DownDetector, so this is likely the end of the issues.

We're going to stay tracking for a little while longer, but Microsoft says users and admins should now be able to continue operating as normal.

One final update from Microsoft - for admins this time.

Impacted Enterprise admins can also access updates and additional information on this issue by viewing EX1112414 in the Microsoft 365 admin center.July 10, 2025