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New research has claimed the shift toward carrier-neutral Internet Exchanges (IXs) is revolutionizing data center connectivity, providing geographical diversity, redundancy, and flexibility to meet the increasing demands of AI, cloud services, and data-heavy applications.

Over the past decade, there has been a 600% growth in the deployment of IXs in the US, according to a recent study by Dstream Group, conducted on behalf of DE-CIX, which found 80% of all US Internet Exchanges (IXs) are now data center and carrier-neutral.

Of the top 50 largest IXs in the US, 35 (70%) are neutral, the report found indicating a strong preference for this model among network operators. By being spread across various operators and locations within a metro area, neutral IXs help businesses avoid vendor lock-in and provide the opportunity for redundant connections. This redundancy is essential for resilience.

Why adopt neutral IXs over traditional models?

The study notes now the data centre and carrier model is proving more resilient and adaptable to modern connectivity needs.

In today’s digital world, the demand for robust, flexible, and resilient digital infrastructure is growing rapidly. With the rise of cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) - organizations require faster, more reliable connections to meet the expectations of modern digital services.

Low latency, high-performance interconnection, and network resilience have become essential in powering everything from real-time data analytics to online gaming and high-resolution video streaming. In response, data centers and Internet Exchanges (IXs) are evolving to meet these demands.

Unlike IXs operated by single carriers or data center operators, neutral IXs are distributed across multiple data centers and run by independent specialists, allowing them to offer more access points, improving network density and reducing latency.

Since they can connect to multiple data centers, they offer up to four times more facility connections than traditional models and they also offer geographical diversity which is a key factor in ensuring resilient connectivity.

Furthermore, neutral IXs are fostering collaboration within digital ecosystems by connecting a diverse range of data centers and networks, thereby promoting competition and innovation while offering businesses more choices. Rather than fragmenting the market, the introduction of additional neutral IXs often enhances growth, leading to a more robust and interconnected ecosystem.

The demand for data center capacity in the US is at an all-time high, driven by the explosion of AI, cloud services, and other data-heavy applications. Currently, the US has 11,200 MW of installed data center capacity, with an additional 5,500 MW under construction and 12,600 MW in planning. This indicates a potential 160% growth in the near future.

Primary markets like Northern Virginia and Dallas/Fort Worth are leading the way in data centre construction. However, secondary and tertiary markets such as Las Vegas, Reno, and Columbus are also emerging as important players in the data center ecosystem. These regions offer lower costs, tax incentives, and ample space and power availability, making them attractive for future data center development.

As traditional data center hubs like New York and Los Angeles face constraints related to space and power, secondary and tertiary markets are seeing growth.

Regions like Phoenix, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Chicago are emerging as strong competitors, with smaller markets such as Las Vegas and Reno gaining ground due to favorable conditions for data center builds. These secondary markets are well-positioned to support the next wave of growth in the data center industry.

“The past decade has demonstrated the immense value of the neutral and distributed model for driving digital growth in the US market,” said Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX.

“The study shows that these IXs, which follow the European model of neutrality, are not only future-proof, but essential to support the emerging needs of cloud computing, AI, and IoT to enable extremely low latency connectivity for critical current and future use cases."

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For decades now, I've been trying to reassure people that the coming robot revolution will not result in job loss for us humans. It's a notion I firmly believed – or at least did until this morning.

Earlier this week, Boston Dynamics released a fresh demonstration video of its new Atlas humanoid robot (see below). Unveiled earlier this year, this Atlas is a wholesale redesign and radical upgrade from its already impressive and Parkour-performing original Atlas. This new robot looks a lot more like us, though it can move in ways that none of us can.

The latest video is in some ways unremarkable: Another humanoid robot performing drudgery tasks we'd rather not perform. In this case, Atlas is sorting plastic engine covers between a supplier container with horizontal slots and something called a "mobile sequencing dolly" with vertical slots. It does so in the drab environs of what appears to be some sort of manufacturing facility, though it's probably just a warehouse in Boston Dynamic's development campus.

What's remarkable about the nearly three-minute video is that Altas is doing it all autonomously. That's right, unlike the remote-controlled Optimus robots Elon Musk and Tesla tried to pawn off as self-directed at his "We, Robot" event, there is, according to Boston Dynamics, no one guiding Atlas' motion or decisions.

In the video, Atlas faces a cart full of plastic engine cover trays. The robot first reaches for one, placing its two 'fingers' underneath the cover, and then pulls it forward. Atlas then releases its grip and rotates its hand so that one 'finger' is on top and the other is on the bottom, grabs the tray, and pulls it out.

Viewed from a distance, you'd be forgiven for assuming you were watching a slow-moving human worker. Of course, the next bit would belie that notion. Atlas appears to walk backward toward the vertical set of tray holders but also twists its body around as it moves. As I said, it can do some things not possible with a human body.

Before inserting the tray into its new holder, Atlas appears to examine it. Later, we see an inset video feed that shows us how Atlas's vision system is assessing the size and shape of the tray.

Atlas continues its work, crouching and bending down to grab engine covers on lower shelves. It all goes smoothly, except for one moment when a tray gets caught on the fabric edge of one shelf. Instead of pulling it back slowly, Atltas yanks it back before smoothly inserting the part.

(Image credit: Boston Dynamics)

Like I said, not exactly compelling viewing except when you consider what this means. Robots are widely used in manufacturing and warehouses but they're often not employed when fine motor controls are required and especially not in places that require on-the-fly decisions.

It's clear from this video, however, that we're on the path to where robots that look and work like us will soon stand alongside or replace factory workers. They'll do the job as well as us but also be able to walk backward while turning their head around 180 degrees.

Plus, with the introduction of generative AI, robots like Boston Dynamics Atlas will be able to report on their work, respond when you ask them questions about production levels, and even join you for some witty banter at lunchtime (they still won't eat but may plug in for an hour).

So now I have to adjust what I tell people about robots: They won't take our jobs yet, but in 10-20 years, you may be looking for another line of work.

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Smartphones can perform a million tasks, self-driving cars are just around the corner, and AI is everywhere… yet floppy disks - those relics of the 1980s - are still clinging to relevance in some places.

The Japanese government finally waved goodbye to floppy disks in administrative procedures earlier in 2024, and the German navy also decided it was time to cut ties with the ancient storage technology.

Now, in an equally overdue move, San Francisco transportation officials are bidding farewell to the floppy disk-driven control system of the Muni Metro, a move that isn't going to be cheap.

Five generations ahead

The city's Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) board has approved a $212 million contract with Hitachi Rail to upgrade the Muni Metro's train control system.

The existing system, installed in 1998 in the Market Street subway, still runs on software stored on five-and-a-quarter inch floppy disks, which must be loaded every morning. Additionally, it uses an antiquated wire loop communication system that is prone to disruptions.

According to Muni officials, the current system was expected to last 20 to 25 years and moves data slower than a dial-up modem. Some parts of the control system are no longer even made, and it cannot be extended outside the subway, along the on-street Metro corridors.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports the upgrade, for which Hitachi will provide 20 years of support, is part of a broader $700 million project to modernize the Muni Metro’s control system. By late 2027 and into 2028, the new communications-based system, which uses Wi-Fi and cell signals to track train locations with precision, will be in place.

While the current control system is limited to the Market Street subway and Central Subway, the upgraded system will cover the entire network, including surface lines. Muni Director of Transit Julie Kirschbaum described the new Hitachi system as "five generations ahead" of the existing one and touted it as the best train control system available on the market.

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We’ve been hearing rumors about a ChatGPT search engine for a while now, but now it's finally live. Rather than being a whole new website called 'SearchGPT', as many had expected, it’s simply an upgrade to the existing ChatGPT website, and all the ChatGPT apps for Windows, Mac, and smartphones.

When you are talking to ChatGPT it will now ask you if it should search the web, if it feels that would produce better results for you, but you can also manually instigate a web search at any time. As you’d expect, ChatGPT search is a feature that’s available immediately for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, and all ChatGPT Plus and Team users will get it today. However, all SearchGPT waitlist users will also be getting access today. Enterprise and Edu users of ChatGPT will be getting access over the next few weeks.

A new Citations bar will open on the right of the window when you click a source link. (Image credit: OpenAI) How it works

If you look at your ChatGPT prompt bar you’ll see a new search icon called Search. Tap or click this and you will be searching the web using ChatGPT, rather than engaging in a conversation. It’s a bit like the AI summaries that Google already provides in its search engine, but there is an easily identifiable link to sources after each piece of text. When clicked, the sources open up a sidebar that shows citations.

In case you were wondering, the waitlist for SearchGPT is now closed, so if you haven’t already signed up, it’s now too late. As for when the rest of the ChatGPT free tier will get it, OpenAI says, “We’ll roll out to all Free users over the coming months.”

ChatGPT search is perfect for all the jobs you'd normally use Google for. (Image credit: OpenAI)

What's interesting is that ChatGPT has partnered with various industry sources to provide its own maps, that aren't Google Maps, as well as weather, stocks, sports, and news information. OpenAI says it has "partnered with news and data providers to add up-to-date information and new visual designs for categories like weather, stocks, sports, news, and maps."

ChatGPT Search is already looking enticing and could be the first real threat to Google in years. With ChatGPT Search, you’re essentially getting the natural language capabilities of ChatGPT blended with up-to-the-minute information from the web, and that could be just what people are searching for.

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AMD’s entire CES 2025 lineup has reportedly leaked, promising a huge range of new hardware - including its new range of next-gen RDNA 4 GPUs.

The leak comes from ‘zhangzhonghao’ in a Chinese forum on Chiphell, who suggests AMD will be revealing: laptop CPUs, desktop CPUs, desktop GPUs, handheld gaming chips, and more - phew! AMD’s chief executive Dr Lisa Su previously confirmed that RDNA 4 GPUs will launch in early 2025 (as revealed to PCWorld), which adds some validity to this new leak. Here’s everything the leaker claims will be on show at next year’s CES:

• Ryzen AI Kraken Point (laptop APUs)
• Ryzen AI Max 300/Strix Halo (laptop APUs)
• Ryzen HX Fire Range/X3D (laptop APUs)
• Ryzen Z2/Z2G/Z2 Extreme (handheld APUs)
• RDNA 4 (desktop GPUs)
• Ryzen 9950X3D/9900X3D (desktop CPUs)

Now, if all that doesn’t mean much to you, don’t worry: I’ll break down the specifics behind each product family below. If accurate, this powerhouse lineup could place AMD as the frontrunner at CES 2025, despite Nvidia’s inevitable RTX 5000 series announcement likely overshadowing Team Red’s new GPUs. While AMD might continue to fall behind Nvidia within the desktop GPU market, it doesn’t seem to be all doom and gloom in other hardware departments.

Ryzen AI ‘Kraken Point’ - a new rival for Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite

Among the new Ryzen APUs launching in 2025 is AMD’s Kraken Point, reportedly in line to appear in new AI laptops. Olrak_29 on X, claims the APU will be taking advantage of the RDNA 3.5 architecture, with 8 compute units.

If it does show up at CES 2025, it will be yet another reason for AMD fans to be excited, particularly for the launch of new laptops. RDNA 2 has proven to be a success for devices like the Steam Deck, so the jump to the new architecture could be highly beneficial for thin-and-light gaming laptops since AMD reportedly aims to provide better performance and power efficiency.

Ryzen AI Max 300 / ‘Strix Halo’ - more power for AI laptops

Alongside AMD’s Kraken Point is the Ryzen AI Max 300 chip family (codenamed Strix Halo). It was already spotted as ‘Ryzen AI Max’ by ‘9550pro’ on X in a recent AMD chipset driver update - this name was already previously rumored to replace the codename Strix Halo.

Golden Pig Upgrade, a reliable AMD leaker, claims its strongest APU will feature 16 Zen 5 cores and 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units, which could make it one of the best gaming APUs from AMD while naturally also offering competitive on-device AI performance. The leak suggests that there will be three variants of the Strix Halo; Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (16 cores), Ryzen AI Max 390 (12 cores), and Ryzen AI Max 385 (8 cores).

CES 2025 looks set to the perfect stage for its reveal, so previous reports of an early 2025 release are likely true. The AI Max 300 chips won’t be available for direct purchase, but will ship in AI laptops as a more powerful alternative to the existing Ryzen AI 300 chips.

Ryzen HX ‘Fire Range’ / ‘Fire Range X3D’ - new CPUs for gaming laptops

The previous-gen Ryzen 7 7800X3D is already a beast for PC gaming on desktops thanks to 3D V-Cache, so new X3D laptop chips are always welcome. (Image credit: Future/John Loeffler)

AMD’s 'Dragon Range' 7000HX-series laptop APU successor, codenamed ‘Fire Range’, is rumored to be a leap from Zen 4 to Zen 5 - Golden Pig Upgrade returns to claim that the new mobile APU will still utilize FL1 packaging. This could indicate that laptops utilizing Fire Range will hardly require any design changes, as they can stick with the same FL1 mainboard socket the previous predecessor used.

The Dragon Range lineup includes chips like the powerful Ryzen 9 7945HX for gaming laptops, and Fire Range will be a direct followup to this - notably, the leak also mentions ‘Fire Range X3D’, indicating that we could be getting AMD’s rumored ‘Next-Gen 3D V-Cache’ feature to take laptop gaming performance to new heights.

Ryzen Z2 / Z2G / Z2 Extreme - more handheld gaming goodness

Gaming handhelds are on the verge of receiving some of the biggest upgrades yet if the Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip spec leak is legitimate. Golden Pig Upgrade once again posted on Chinese social media site Bilibili regarding the new handheld APUs, stating that the Ryzen Z2 Extreme will feature 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores and 8 Zen 5 CPU cores - in other words, a generational step forward for both the CPU and integrated GPU, along with a core count bump for the integrated RDNA graphics (the Z1 extreme only had 12 RDNA 3 cores).

It will also reportedly come with two other variants - the Z2 (with RDNA 3) and Z2G (with RDNA 2), potentially pointing towards greater competition and diversity within the handheld gaming PC market. As aforementioned, RDNA 3.5 is rumored to be built towards greater power efficiency and gaming performance - this would be a significant boost for Asus’ next-gen ROG Ally and Lenovo’s Legion Go successors.

RDNA 4 - AMD's next-gen graphics are on the way

AMD might play second fiddle to Nvidia in the GPU market, but that's no reason to discount RDNA 4 just yet. (Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

It’s no secret that AMD is turning its attention away from high-end graphics cards, with confirmation that the focus will now shift to mid-range and budget cards. This isn’t a surprise either, since Nvidia is clearly still dominating the GPU market and is expected to continue that trend with the RTX 5000 series.

As for RDNA 4, the focus will likely be on FSR 4 - newly driven by AI - along with potential enhancements to ray tracing performance which has historically been a weakness for AMD’s GPUs compared to Nvidia’s. It’s important to take this with a grain of salt, as there is still much to be revealed regarding the new GPU architecture.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D / 9900X3D - the new king of gaming CPUs?

With the Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU on the verge of its launch amid a barrage of leaks, all eyes will be on the next line of desktop processors that could feature at CES 2025. The 8-core processor is reportedly launching with ‘Next-Gen 3D V-Cache’, which will likely also be present in the leaked Ryzen 9 9900X3D and 9950X3D. The 9950X3D has the potential to become the single best CPU for desktop PC gamers, though pricing will obviously be the main issue here.

TechPowerUp revealed a report from Benchlife.info that claims the 9950X3D could utilize a total of 208MB of L3 Cache along with the 9900X3D using 204MB - a monstrous amount of cache memory which if true, would further amplify the rumors of Next-Gen 3D V-Cache that started with the incoming 9800X3D. With the new CPU’s launch right around the corner, it gives us confidence that AMD’s Ryzen 9 processors will follow suit…

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AMD has officially announced its Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, one of the worst-kept ‘secrets’ in the tech world this year (alongside Apple’s just-revealed M4 Macs).

The Ryzen 9800X3D is pretty much just as the avalanche of rumors suggested, with AMD confirming that as seen with previous spilled specs, it has 8 cores (16 threads) and a 4.7GHz base clock speed with a 5.2GHz max boost frequency. A rumor broke earlier today that the price would be $479 in the US, and this is now confirmed, too – a $30 hike on the MSRP of the 7800X3D.

Again, as leaked, this is an unlocked chip, so it can be overclocked. AMD explains that the Ryzen 9800X3D is ‘2nd-gen’ 3D V-Cache (as was rumored before), with the cache underneath the CCD (the die containing the cores) this time.

What this means is that the cores are now closer to the cooling solution, and therefore will be kept cooler – allowing for faster clock speeds compared to last-gen X3D.

The upshot is that AMD claims the Ryzen 9800X3D is 8% faster than the 7800X3D for gaming frame rates, as an average from testing across a large suite of some 40+ popular PC games (with a 7900 XTX GPU).

There are going to be some bigger boosts witnessed, and some games will witness double-digit gains (Star Wars Outlaws is singled out as one). AMD also claims the Ryzen 9800X3D is ‘up to an average’ of 20% faster than a system powered by Intel’s new flagship, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.

The Ryzen 9800X3D has a TDP of 120W and a total of 104MB cache, of which 64MB is the 3D V-Cache.

(Image credit: AMD) Analysis: Don’t forget about the higher lows

Everything is pretty much as expected, then, including that 8% generational gain for PC gaming frame rates that was previously leaked – and disappointed some folks. Perhaps that’s why AMD has qualified this press release quite considerably around the topic of gen-on-gen improvements – the figure is just an average, and some titles (in certain scenarios) will doubtless do quite a bit better than this. Although we don’t get a hint as to what some of the bigger uplifts might be.

What we do get is a clear comparison to the Arrow Lake flagship, albeit with some odd wording – what is ‘up to an average’ of 20%? Does it just mean the average is 20%? But if so, why stick ‘up to’ in there – it’s either ‘up to’ a top-end figure, or it’s an average, full-stop, surely? Or does it mean that it’s 20% if you pick a selection of certain games, but not all of them (AMD tested a bunch in that comparison)?

We don’t know, but given Arrow Lake has stumbled when it comes to gaming, we’d expect a favorable comparison for the new Ryzen 9800X3D anyway.

Notably, as part of building a case for the strength of the Ryzen 9800X3D, AMD highlights the chip’s generational improvement in terms of minimum frame rates. An example given is The Last Of Us: Part 1, where Team Red says the 9800X3D has a “similar average frame rate to the competition” (the Intel Core i9-14900K) but it is 31% higher when it comes to 1% low frame rates. What that means is that the Ryzen CPU delivers a more consistent smoothness, with fewer drops (or judders) to very low frame rates – and that’s definitely a good thing.

As ever, though, we need some independent testing to be sure that these claims pan out just as AMD has asserted in this press release. The Ryzen 9800X3D is set to go on sale come November 7, in a week’s time, at $479 as noted – and there will be some disappointment at the increase in MSRP gen-on-gen.

Still, it’s not a huge hike by any means – but some may be grinding their teeth that they didn’t pick up the 7800X3D when it was available for not much more than $300 on sale a few months back. We’ll just have to see how the Ryzen 9800X3D fares when we put the chip through its paces ourselves – and how much better the CPU might be than its predecessor in our benchmarks. Stay tuned.

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Google could add a useful new filter to its Gmail app that could help you more easily locate emails lost somewhere in your inbox.

Android Authority reports that after rummaging around in the code of the Gmail app (a version released earlier in October), it discovered the new filter option for the search box that’s present at the top of the screen in the mobile application.

As things stand, you can type your search term in here, and Gmail will return a couple of ‘top results’ as most likely suggestions for what you want to find, and a bunch of other results (labeled ‘results in emails’) below in date order (from most recent, going back chronologically).

The new filter is placed below the search bar and allows the Gmail user to choose between highlighting ‘most relevant’ and ‘most recent,’ and hopefully by switching, you could more easily find any given email if it’s not popping up readily after your initial search.

Android Authority further observes that the cards that are normally present only in shopping order emails – showing order and shipment details – are being displayed in search results, too.

Analysis: Still early days

Note that this change is only present in the Gmail mobile app, and not the web version of Google’s email client. However, it could come to the latter eventually – if anything comes of the filter at all, that is. Just because the feature is in the mobile app’s code, doesn’t mean it will be realized – it might just be an idea Google toys with, then ultimately abandons (given it’s not even officially in testing yet).

In case there was any doubt, Gmail remains the most popular email service, as shown clearly in a recent poll conducted by TechRadar – almost 70% of respondents said they used Google’s client. Google pushes forward with developing Gmail on a continual basis, of course, and we can expect AI to debut soon enough – in fact, Gemini is already in place for Google Workspace users.

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Cyberattacks are on the rise all year round, but retailers face heightened risk in their busiest periods around the winter break, experts have warned.

In its 2024 Retail Risk Report, Trustwave has revealed more on what to be on the lookout for this holiday season.

As expected, phishing remains the most popular primary attack vector, with 58% of incidents originating this way. The abuse of valid accounts and exploiting vulnerabilities were also common access methods. Over 90% of credential access attempts were brute-force attacks - so automated hacking is the trend for this Christmas.

Ransomware continues to plague the retail industry, especially in the US - who saw 62% of attacks - although the disruption to the notorious Lockbit gang is represented by its drop from a 34% to 15% share of the incidents - joint top with Play.

Ransomware continues to rise

Credential stealers represent a significant threat to ecommerce platforms since they capture personal information from the victims device like payment details, login credentials, and system information.

The report found that large retailers are targets for info stealers thanks to their huge user bases. Monitoring ‘Russian Market’, a popular dark web marketplace that specializes in the sale of stolen credentials, the report found that Amazon.com (47%) and Apple.com (28%) saw the highest distributions of stolen user sessions.

Studies have shown the retail sector has been hit by more ransomware attacks than ever this year. Since the average data breach costs $3.5 million in the retail sector, the consequences of vulnerabilities can be enormous.

The most targeted retail subsector is food & beverage retail, which accounted for 16% of the attacks, closely followed by apparel and home improvements retail - both at 15%.

It’s key for retailers of all sizes to be vigilant about their cybersecurity processes and conduct regular audits to combat the rise in sophisticated fraud schemes.

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More than 500 Amazon employees have reportedly signed a petition demanding that AWS CEO Matt Garman reverses his decision to mandate a five-day office week as part of the cloud computing giant’s return-to-office efforts.

The letter, seen by Reuters, details Garman’s unsupported claims that most workers are on board with the company’s RTO policy.

In the letter, workers express concerns about logistical challenges relating to the stricter policy, including difficulties travelling long distances to work and trouble arranging childcare.

AWS workers hit back at CEO’s RTO policy

A spokesperson for Amazon told Reuters it offers commuter benefits, elder care and subsidized parking rates, among other benefits, to help workers return to the office more permanently. Its current demands are in line with most tech giants – Amazon’s office workers are presently required to be in the office three days per week.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has already spoken out about his support for office-based working, citing productivity benefits and the added support for local economies that travelling brings. A company-wide effort earlier this year warned workers that they should attend the office, relocate or voluntarily resign.

"​​It’s past the time to disagree and commit… and if you can’t disagree and commit, I also understand that, but it’s probably not going to work out for you at Amazon because we are going back to the office at least three days a week," Jassy had said.

The ecommerce leader isn’t the only company to be fighting harder for in-person working, however its workers have been among the most vocal, signing in petitions and staging walkouts.

TechRadar Pro has asked Amazon to comment on apparent worker dissatisfaction with the incoming five-day policy, but we did not receive an immediate response.

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Apple’s full reveal of the new M4 Macs promises a range of upgrades powered by the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, but the manufacturer has omitted support for Wi-Fi 7 - despite the new technology present in the new iPhone 16.

The M4 chips have been long anticipated, with multiple rumors and leaks that indicated significant performance improvements. It now comes as a surprise to see that these powerful new Macs do indeed offer a big step forward in performance, but will not be utilizing the cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 connection standard - especially since the much weaker device, iPhone 16, takes advantage of this (well, besides its bandwidth limitation spotted).

Wi-Fi 7 is quickly becoming the new standard for internet connections, offering reduced latency and faster speeds. While Wi-Fi 6E is no slouch at providing great connection speeds (via the 6GHz band on supported routers), most held the expectation that the new Macs would make the upgrade - mostly due to the enhancements made in other hardware departments, but that oddly hasn’t been the case.

Excuse the Magic Mouse controversy. This is the real blunder from Apple…

Now, the weird charging port position on Apple’s redesigned Magic Mouse may have been a major point of contention for Apple fans this week, but the lack of Wi-Fi 7 hardware support for M4 Macs may be the new frontrunner of strange choices made by the tech giant.

This means we’ll likely be left waiting for M5 Macs to see the new technology’s inclusion - unless Apple launches updated M4 models later on (which seems highly unlikely), it could very well be a full year or more before this upgrade is done - all while the Wi-Fi Alliance barrels ahead with plans for Wi-Fi 8.

It isn’t just Macs that have received the short end of the stick in the Wi-Fi department; it’s also the iPhone 16, which actually does feature Wi-Fi 7, but has its bandwidth limited. First spotted by Les Numeriques (article in French) while testing, the iPhone 16 can only utilize 160MHz bandwidth despite Wi-Fi 7’s capability of 320MHz.

To give Apple the benefit of the doubt, this move could have been made to further enhance the device’s great battery life (we discuss this at length in our iPhone 16 review). Despite this, this limitation and the complete exclusion of Wi-Fi 7 on M4 Macs certainly doesn’t bode well for those searching for improved internet connectivity…

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Jumpy Pisces, a North Korean state-sponsored threat actor also known as Onyx Sleet, or Andariel, has recently shifted its focus to ransomware attacks, experts have warned.

In a recent technical analysis, researchers from Unit 42 said although Jumpy Pisces had previously focused on cyber-espionage and financial crimes, it has in recent times teamed up with the infamous Play Ransomware group (also known as Fiddling Scorpius).

Play emerged in the summer of 2022, and has since then grown into a formidable threat actor - so much so that in December 2023, the FBI warned about this group, claiming it compromised roughly 300 victims in its first year and a half of its existence.

Initial access brokers

"Since June 2022, the Play (also known as Playcrypt) ransomware group has impacted a wide range of businesses and critical infrastructure in North America, South America, and Europe," the agency said at the time. "As of October 2023, the FBI was aware of approximately 300 affected entities allegedly exploited by the ransomware actors."

The role Jumpy Pisces plays in this partnership is not definitively determined, but it’s most likely that it acts as an initial access broker (IAB), opening Play operators doors to different victims.

Unit 42 believes this change is significant because it shows that Jumpy Pisces is getting more involved in ransomware activities, and are using existing ransomware infrastructure instead of building its own. That makes the attacks more sophisticated, and possibly - more widespread.

However, BleepingComputer added that in an average ransomware attack, there are multiple parties involved. Most ransomware variants these days operate on an “as-a-service” model, meaning that the developers are not the ones infecting victims, and that the two end up splitting eventual profits. Add IAB to the mix, and now there are at least three separate threat actors engaged in a single attack.

In any case, companies should be extra vigilant, the researchers conclude, warning that this new teamup might lead to serious ransomware infections.

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• Sony Japan has announced a 'special event' for Alpha cameras
• The hands-on fan events take place from November 20 in Tokyo
• Separate rumors have suggested that a flagship Sony A1 II is imminent

It's been an uncharacteristically quiet year for new Sony cameras, but a new teaser and rumors suggest that the barren spell will end soon – possibly with a new Sony A1 II flagship camera.

Sony Japan has now posted a 'special event' teaser on its Alpha Universe page, where fans can get their "hands on a mirrorless Alpha" on both November 20 and 21. The page doesn't specify that it's for a new Alpha camera, but that's the suggestion – and some speculation from the reliable Sony Alpha Rumors suggests the camera could be the A1 II.

The original Sony A1 was a revolutionary mirrorless camera when it landed out of the blue in January 2021, combining a high-resolution 50.1MP sensor with (for then) incredible shooting speeds of 30fps. According to Sony Alpha Rumors, the successor could be a relatively mild upgrade (on paper, at least).

The site says the camera's "likely" specs will include the same stacked 50MP full-frame sensor as the Sony A1 but alongside faster frame rates and autofocus. There'll also apparently be a new AI chip and support for CFexpress Type A cards with the 4.0 standard (supporting twice the speeds as before).

Lastly, Sony Alpha Rumors says the A1 II will be "more expensive than the current Sony A1", which isn't a huge surprise given that the camera is almost four years old and that it'll be available to buy in "early 2025". As a guide, the Sony A1 cost $6,500 / £6,499 / AU$10,499 (body only) when it became available in March 2021.

With those 'special event' days announced by Sony Japan taking place from November 20, we'd imagine the new camera could arrive shortly before then – but the picture will no doubt become much clearer in the next few weeks.

Camera tech hits a ceiling?

(Image credit: Future)

If these Sony A1 II spec rumors are correct, they suggest that camera tech is hitting something of a plateau – certainly when compared to the original Sony A1. That flagship was the closest thing we'd seen to a 'no compromise' camera, one that could blur the lines between a high-resolution landscape body, a speedy sports camera, and an 8K video sidekick.

Since then, rivals have caught up, with hybrid cameras like the Nikon Z8, Nikon Z9, and Canon EOS R1 following its 'kitchen sink' blueprint and combining impressive photo and video power in one pro-friendly body.

According to the rumors, the A1 II may not blow the competition away again, but software upgrades could certainly nudge it back out in front for creators who want a single camera that does it all. Lens choice may also play a role, and Sony Alpha Rumors suggests that a new Sony 28-70mm f/2 zoom could be announced alongside the new flagship camera.

That lens will seemingly be Sony's first zoom lens with a constant f/2 aperture, but could also come with an inevitably high price tag of around $3,000 (which converts to about £2,330 / AU$4,570).

The new launches may not exactly be affordable, then, or dramatically shift the photography needle in the style of the original Sony A1 – but they could also potentially be new best-in-class tools that could trouble the upper regions of our best cameras buying guide.

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It’s Halloween and while some people are getting treats, others are getting new Windows 11 24H2-related issues – this time a glitch in Task Manager. Microsoft has confirmed as much, but luckily it’s reportedly not as much a cause for concern as other recent 24H2 issues have been.

Microsoft’s acknowledgement of the glitch was spotted by Neowin in a new notification in Windows 11 24H2’s Health Dashboard, which catalogs the issues and other things of note that Microsoft has publicized about the new feature update. Normally, Task Manager lists how many apps and background tasks are currently running on your device to help you quickly see what’s using up your computer’s resources.

Neowin explains that after installing the latest build version of 24H2, KB5044384, some users have been shown the incorrect number of apps and background processes, with Task Manager claiming they have zero apps or processes running - which is impossible.

What this means and what to watch out for next

If this sounds familiar, there are two things to note. First, we don’t currently know if there’s an easy fix for this. Second, it seems like this glitch doesn’t impact Task Manager’s functionality much further. You’ll still be able to do things like see all the programs, apps, and processes you have running, check details about them, and stop them if necessary even if the group headings say that you have zero apps and processes running.

Microsoft’s acknowledgment also states that it’s working on a fix and I expect it’ll be added to a future update soon.

As far as we know, this only affects those using Windows 11 24H2 and if you use an earlier version of Windows, like 23H2, you should be unaffected. Furthermore, this is seemingly only a visual glitch and the running of Task Manager and your PC are also unaffected.

This Task Manager bug is another item on the list of problems that we’ve learned about since Windows 11 24H2’s release - including network connectivity issues and blue screens of death. This isn’t the most extreme error, but it undermines the entire purpose of Task Manager, which is intended to provide a clear and easy-to-interpret breakdown of all your running apps and background processes. Updates like 24H2 are intended to provide improved stability and introduce new features, and as new bugs keep cropping up, that’ll be less and less likely to be the impression users get while trying to use it.

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Windows 10 is one of the most popular operating systems out there, and Microsoft is extending an olive branch of sorts to Windows 10 diehards who continue to resist the call to upgrade by offering Windows 10 users an additional year of security support, but it won't be free.

In a new blog post about the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11, of which there are several to be sure, Microsoft discloses that a new Extended Security Updates (ESU) program will be available for all users, not just enterprise or education users, unwilling or unable to upgrade to Windows 11 after support ends for the venerable OS on October 14, 2025.

For an additional $30, you'll be able to get security updates for Windows 10, but not any new features. Users will be able to enroll in the new ESU program later next year near the October 2025 end-of-support deadline.

The announcement of the new ESU program comes at the very end of the blog post, most of which is pretty much a hard sell on the benefits of switching to Windows 11, something that Microsoft has struggled to convince people to do.

Everyday users will have an extended security option normally reserved for enterprise users

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Every user's experience with Windows 11 will be different, but for many, the added hardware requirements and bad publicity around Windows 11 updates breaking some popular features of the OS have definitely played a part in customers' resistance to upgrading from Windows 10. The creation of the ESU program for all Windows 10 users, then, is both a recognition of that fact and a welcome development as far as customer service goes.

Normally, extended security updates are reserved for organizations and enterprise customers who have a lot of interconnected systems that rely on a common OS to operate and so are very resistant to upgrading.

People are typically shocked when they find out how many businesses, government agencies, and organizations are still using operating systems like Windows XP and Windows 7, but large companies and organizations build entire workflows, trainings, and bespoke software around these operating systems, and switching to a new operating system might have unforseeable consequences that can be very costly.

As such, Microsoft, Apple, and others typically offer these big customers long-term support programs where security updates are pushed out even if new features are not for a few years after general end-of-life support stops for more mainstream users.

This is the first time though that something similar is being offered to anyone willing to pay the $30 to keep Windows 10 secure for just a little while longer. Hopefully, this can be the start of a trend going forward for popular operating systems like Windows 10, as I'm sure many Windows 10 fans will gladly pay a small fee to keep using their preferred OS without risking their PC's security.

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Top cloud storage firm Dropbox has confirmed that it will be laying off one in five workers as part of a broader cost-cutting measure to tackle an evolving landscape.

The approximately 20% reduction in headcount, or 528 employees, will take place as part of what CEO Drew Houston described as a “transitional period.” The company also terminated 500 contracts in 2023, and a further 300 in 2021, as the tech sector grappled with a tough economy.

In a blog post entitled "An update from Drew", Houston described the challenges of “softening demand and macro headwinds” affecting its core business as well as complaints from within that the company has become too “complex.”

Dropbox layoffs

It’s unclear how the layoffs will affect different types of workers, but Houston said, “excess layers of management [are] slowing [the company] down.”

“And while I'm proud of the progress we’ve made in the last couple years, in some parts of the business, we’re still not delivering at the level our customers deserve or performing in line with industry peers," he added.

Moving forward, Houston said Dropbox’s plan is to make “more significant cuts” in parts of the business that have either received too much investment or are not performing as well as the company had hoped.

A separate SEC filing revealed the company expects to incur between $63 and $68 million in costs relating to the layoffs, including severance and other benefits.

Houston committed to supporting workers with 16 weeks of pay, including one additional week of pay for each completed year of tenure at Dropbox, healthcare support, the possibility of keeping company-issued devices, and more.

Further details about the company’s strategy are set to be discussed in upcoming Town Halls and other meetings, but it’s likely that further investments will be given to artificial intelligence.

Houston summarized with a hopeful message: “The changes we're making today, while difficult, come at a pivotal moment when the market is accelerating precisely where we've placed our biggest bets.”

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WhatsApp is launching a new way to organize your chats into custom categories, expanding on the addition of chat filters earlier this year.

The new Lists feature will allow users to create, edit, and organise lists of their chats, allowing you to, for example, separate work and personal chats, or keep family chats in one place.

Users will be able to create a list by tapping the plus button in the filter bar at the top of the chats tab. Both group and individual chats can be added to a list, which is then displayed in the filter bar. And once a list is created, users will be able to access editing options for the list with a long press.

Lists expands on and replace chat filters, which allowed users to view four pre-set groupings of chats: All, Unread, Favorites, and Groups.

The rollout of WhatsApp Lists begins today, and the company says the new feature will be available to all users “in the coming weeks” – though we don’t have a specific date for when the new feature will be available to everyone.

WhatsApp updates in 2024

It’s been a big year for the world’s most popular messaging app, as Meta continues to update WhatsApp in the hopes of retaining the top spot.

Updates like Lists aren’t groundbreaking on their own, but they do allow WhatsApp to stay competitive, especially as native cross-platform communication gets easier and easier.

Earlier this year, Apple finally adopted the RCS standard for texting, allowing for easier multimedia communication between iPhone and Android phones – the exact niche WhatsApp targets.

In turn, WhatsApp got a handful of new video tools in March, a redesign in May, as well as other updates throughout the year like new features for its Windows app and the aforementioned chat filters.

Furthermore, we’ve heard rumors all year that WhatsApp may bring greater integration with AI toolsets like Samsung Galaxy AI, or Meta’s own AI features, as well as an AirDrop-style file sharing system.

It’s clear that Meta are keen to keep people on WhatsApp as cross-platform relations improve and AI brings new features to native messaging apps – but for now, we’re just looking forward to trying out Lists for ourselves.

For the latest updates, be sure to keep up with our dedicated WhatsApp coverage, as well as our phones coverage.

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Microsoft has announced that Black Ops 6 was the biggest Call of Duty launch ever.

According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during Microsoft's first quarter earnings call on October 30, the latest title in the long-running shooter franchise set a record for day-one players and Xbox Game Pass members as the first Call of Duty game to be added to the subscription service (via VGC).

"Last week’s launch of Black Ops 6 was the biggest Call of Duty release ever, setting a record for day one players as well as Game Pass subscriber adds on launch day," Nadella said.

In addition, Microsoft's CEO revealed that unit sales for PlayStation and Steam "were also up over 60% year-over-year".

"This speaks to our strategy of meeting gamers where they are by enabling them to play more games across the screens they spend their time on," Nadella added.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, and Game Pass. In its first week of launch, it received two new updates in the form of the Infected game mode and the original 1950s Nuketown map.

Black Ops 6 and Warzone Season One are set to launch on November 14 and although Activision is keeping quiet on the details, we do know that there will be "all-new Multiplayer maps and modes, a terrifying new in-season Zombies map, as well as the introduction of Omnimovement and Black Ops 6 weapons and Loadout features to Call of Duty: Warzone".

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New research has claimed consumer awareness of privacy laws and regulations has been steadily rising, and is now at 53%, up from 36% in 2019.

Cisco's 2024 Consumer Privacy Survey claims this awareness is now translating into higher confidence amongst consumers, with 81% who are aware of their country’s privacy laws confident in their ability to protect data, compared to just 44% of those who have no understanding of the regulations.

Predictably, there's a strong correlation between age and awareness, as 65% of 18-24 year olds are aware of data privacy laws compared to just 24% of over 75’s. Almost everyone cares about data privacy though, with 89% wanting more control and to protect others online.

Stop telling ChatGPT your bank details

A staggering 80% of respondents were worried about GenAI potentially being ‘bad for humanity’, and 72% are concerned that GenAI will replace jobs. There are overwhelming concerns about misinformation, with 86% concerned that GenAI output could be wrong, and 80% uneasy about its potential to undermine elections.

Despite this, GenAI is being fed vast amounts of personal data - with 37% of users entering health information, 29% giving financial information, and 27% even telling chatbots their account numbers.

There have been reports of GenAI data being stolen, and accounts being hacked, so it’s definitely not a good idea to give your chatbot sensitive information (or anyone for that matter).

The report recommends checking other sources of information to ensure the output of GenAI is correct, and to get a clear understanding of how your data is used and who it could be shared to.

To protect your data, you should also be vigilant about updating your privacy settings and research your privacy rights.

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There's no doubt that Keira Knightley is the queen of period dramas, but this time she's swapping regency pomp for gun-toting revenge in the Netflix trailer for new spy thriller Black Doves, which puts the red in white Christmas.

It's certainly going to be a violent night as Knightley and Ben Whishaw (Paddington) play an unlikely spy duo who bring bullets, bloodshed and British wit this holiday season. Black Doves has already been renewed for a second season ahead of its release on December 5, so it has promise to become one of the best Netflix shows.

Knightley is unlike anything we've seen before as she plays a fearless spy hellbent on revenge after her secret lover is murdered. In the gripping trailer (see below), there's some seriously killer (literally) action scenes as Knightley stabs bad guys and jumps out of a burning building. The teaser also showcases Knightley and Whishaw's hilarious comedic chemistry, as well as Sarah Lancashire's (Happy Valley) mysterious character Reed.

What is Black Doves about?

Set against the backdrop of London at Christmas, Black Doves is a high-octane and heartfelt story about friendship and sacrifice.

The official Netflix plot synopsis reads: "Black Doves follows Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother – and professional spy. For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed (Sarah Lancashire), calls in Helen’s old friend Sam (Ben Whishaw) to keep her safe. Together they uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy linking the murky London underworld to a looming geopolitical crisis."

Black Doves isn't the only Christmas thriller arriving on the best streaming service as Carry-On is set to bring some Die Hard action this festive season. The potential best Netflix movie follows young TSA agent Ethan (Taron Egerton) who is blackmailed by a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman) to let a dangerous package slip through security and onto a busy Christmas Eve flight. It's definitely time to add some ass-kicking mystery to your tinsel and turkey.

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Opera has fixed a worrying security vulnerability, which could have allowed threat actors to access permissive APIs in the browser, and thus take over accounts, tweak browser settings, and even take screenshots.

Cybersecurity researchers GuardioLabs disclosed their findings, and dubbed the vulnerability “CrossBarking”.

The flaw revolves around the fact that multiple Opera-owned, publicly accessible subdomains, have privileged access to private APIs embedded within the browser. These domains support different features of the browser, such as the Pinboard, Opera Wallet, and others. By abusing browser extensions, crooks could inject malicious JavaScript into these domains, and thus gain access to the APIs.

Malicious extensions

"The content script does have access to the DOM (Document Object Model)," the researchers explained in a blog post. "This includes the ability to dynamically change it, specifically by adding new elements."

Access to the APIs then allow crooks to screenshot open tabs, pull session cookies to access different accounts, and modify the browser’s DNS-over-HTTPS settings to resolve domains through malicious DNS servers. This, the researchers further explain, could lead to victims opening fake bank sites and losing banking credentials.

To demonstrate that the vulnerability works, GuardioLabs published a small browser extension to the Google Chrome Web Store. From there, an Opera browser user picks it up and compromises their device. The silver lining here is that the extension requires permission to run JavaScript on any web page, and particularly those that have access to private APIs.

Luckily, Opera has already addressed the issue and fixed the flaw in version 113.0.5230.132, so make sure to update your browser to avoid any unnecessary risk.

Being omnipresent, browsers are an extremely popular target for cybercriminals. The most popular products, such as Chrome, Firefox, Sarafi, Opera, or Edge, are generally considered safe, but addons are a different story, since many are developed by third parties and don’t necessarily have the same approach to cybersecurity as the browser makers themselves.

Via The Hacker News

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