TechRadar News

• IKEA has launched a version of its smart home app for Apple Watch
• The app lets you control your IKEA smart lights from your wrist
• Support for other smart devices may be added at a later date

IKEA has released a new version of its smart home app for Apple Watch. The app hasn't been announced officially yet, but has appeared in the App Store and lets you control your IKEA smart lights from your wrist.

As Polly Allcock of Notebookcheck notes, the change log for the IKEA Home Smart app doesn't mention the new watchOS app, but screengrabs show that it will let you toggle your smart lights on and off, adjust their brightness, choose lighting scenes, and pick custom colors from a palette.

IKEA Home Smart for iPad, iPhone and Android also lets you control other devices, including smart speakers, blinds, and air purifiers, but the screengrabs of the WatchOS version only show options for smart lights. It's possible that more devices will be added with a future update.

To use the app, you'll need watchOS 10.6 or later, plus an IKEA Dirigera hub, which lets you connect your IKEA devices to one another, and works as a Matter bridge.

You may only be able to control IKEA smart lights through your Apple Watch at first, but support for other devices could be added later (Image credit: IKEA) More bright ideas

Don't have IKEA lights? Not to worry, you can use your Apple Watch to operate any smart bulbs and lamps that are compatible with Apple HomeKit. The exact options available will depend on which lights you own, but you'll usually be able to turn them on and off, dim them, and change their color with a tap and a swipe. See Apple's guide for full instructions.

Govee makes some of the best smart lights we've tested, and its Govee Home app for Apple Watch lets you toggle lights on and off, tweak their brightness, and check the status of other devices like smart thermostats and thermometers.

There's no longer an official Philips Hue app for Apple Watch (Signify, the company behind Hue, dropped it a few years ago), but you can still operate your Hue lights from your wrist using Apple HomeKit, or one of the many third-party apps on the App Store such as Hue for Watch.

How do you prefer to control your smart lights, and which apps do you recommend? Let us know in the comments.

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• New legislation could ban DeepSeek from government devices
• DeepSeek poses a threat to US national security, experts say
• US Navy and NASA have already banned the app

DeepSeek's AI app, which recently sent waves through the global AI market by offering a seemingly more powerful model developed at a comparatively lower cost than its competitors, should be banned from US government devices, lawmakers have said.

Two congress members are seeking to introduce a bipartisan bill to ban the app from government devices as it poses a national security threat to the US.

The bill, introduced by US Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Darin LaHood (R-IL), is titled the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act.”

Protect US AI market by banning DeepSeek

The two representatives are both senior members of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, with the bill being introduced after the DeepSeek app was branded a threat to US AI stocks, with recent research from Feroot Security alleging the app is feeding user information to companies under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“Our personal information is being sent to China, there is no denial, and the DeepSeek tool is collecting everything that American users connect to it,” Feroot analyst Ivan Tsarynny told the WSJ.

Some bans have already been introduced, with the state of Texas already banning the app from government devices, and the US Navy and NASA banning the app from their employee devices. If the bill is passed, the US would be following in the footsteps of countries such as Australia, Italy, and South Korea which have already introduced similar legislation.

“We simply can’t risk the CCP infiltrating the devices of our government officials and jeopardizing our national security,” Gottheimer said. LaHood echoed these sentiments, stating, “This commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation will ban the app from federal workers’ phones while closing backdoor operations the company seeks to exploit for access.”

“It is critical that Congress safeguard Americans’ data and continue to ensure American leadership in AI,” La Hood said.

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• Spotify has inked a new deal with Warner Music Group
• That could include a long-awaited Hi-Fi tier for super-fans and audiophiles
• Competing services have begun offering Hi-Res Audio as standard, though

Spotify is about to get more complicated, if a new announcement from the music streaming service is anything to go by.

On February 6, Spotify and Warner Music Group announced a new partnership deal to "deliver new fan experiences, a deeper music and video catalog, further paid subscription tiers, and differentiated content bundles."

The deal is likely to see even more music and video content added to Spotify's 80,000 track library, with support for a new 'superfan' premium tier expected to launch some time in 2025.

While this may finally give Spotify subscribers access to Hi-Res Audio – something that Tidal and Apple Music have offered for years – it also represents another complication in Spotify’s increasingly sprawling content offering.

A strength of Spotify has been its simplicity: it hasn’t split up its user base between various pricing options, other than ‘free’ and ‘paid’, and casual users don’t have to contend with whether to opt for Hi-Fi audio their smartphone speakers and budget headphones are incapable of recreating anyway.

Spotify also doesn’t need you to suss out various other content services at the point of subscription, as with Apple One or Amazon Prime’s group offerings. And if you stuck to the free tier, it’s very very easy to just pick a song and start playing.

But, as the service has ballooned in its scope and ambition, pursuing high-profile podcast hosts and expanded video content, Spotify has only got more complicated. There are now, in some countries, separate tiers without access to audiobooks, alongside various options for individuals and families, and a new superfan tier is only going to lengthen the list of options and bundles on offer.

(Image credit: Future) Cash grab

I’m also irritated by the suggestion of a further paywall for Hi-Res music. These days, both Apple Music and Tidal include Hi-Res Audio as part of its basic package, which does not seem to be Spotify’s strategy here – higher-quality audio is something to be further paywalled, rather than something to draw users to the platform in the first place.

Given that Spotify offers notably less money per stream ($0.00437) to artists than either Apple ($0.0056-0.0078) or Tidal ($0.013), let alone Qobuz (a plush $0.022), it’s hard to imagine those well-monetized superfans will funnel more cash to artists rather than Spotify's coffers.

But Spotify’s market position means that it’s unlikely to be punished for paywalling a feature included by default in its competitors’ standard plans.

Spotify is the dominant music streaming service, aided by a free, ad-supported streaming tier that brings its subscriber count to over 650 million – many hundred times larger than that of Apple Music or Tidal. Spotify is simply the place most people listen to music today.

I’m happy for Spotify users who’ve been waiting too long for Hi-Res Audio to hit the service. But this new strategy would only make me wonder why I haven’t moved over to another platform yet.

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• Global tablet market is now up 9.2%, PC market up just 3.8%
• The middle of 2024 saw 18% and 11% quarterly increases, Canalys finds
• Apple sells two in five tablets globally

The global tablet market had a much-needed boost in 2024, growing by 9.2% after a challenging year of decline in 2023, new figures from Canalys have claimed.

The firm noted although tablet shipments in the first quarter only rose by 1% year-over-year, the market then saw significant quarterly increases of 18%, 11%, and 5.6% in the subsequent quarters.

It also marks spiked consumer interest in affordable tablets, with the PC market growing just 3.8% throughout 2024.

Tablet sales are booming… finally

Although we’re still not at the pre- and intra-pandemic levels of 2020, total shipments by volume have been dropping in the world of tablets every year since, but 2024 marked the first year in the positive. In fact, with the exception of 2020, 2024 was the only other year of tablet sector growth since at least 2016.

Back then, Canalys Research Manager Himani Mukka commented: “The tablet industry has had a positive start to 2024, and the rest of the year should bring further relief after a difficult 2023.”

This year, Mukka added: “As the PC market pivots toward a commercial refresh cycle, there is also a recovery in demand for tablets.”

More than half (52%) of the channel partners selling commercial tablets expect shipments to continue rising in 2025, but Canalys predicts a more “constrained performance.”

Canalys tracked over 16,800 Apple tablet shipments in the fourth quarter, highlighting the prevalence of the iPad within the market. Its 42.3% market share, up from 39.2% in 2023, is more than double Samsung’s 17.8% share in second place.

2024 was an extremely busy year for Apple, with a refreshed iPad Mini launching in October and the M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro launching side-by-side in May. iPadOS also brought new Apple Intelligence features to the beloved devices in the final few months.

Though it may be propped up by Apple, Canlays also noted the effect of Chinese manufacturers on the tablet market. Huawei and Xiaomi took a combined 13% of the market in 2024.

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• Take-Two Interactive has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 6 is still on track for a fall 2025 release
• Many fans had feared a potential delay
• Take-Two CEO said the company “feel really good” about being able to hit it

Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive has stated that Grand Theft Auto 6 is still on track for a fall 2025 release.

In its most recent financial results, Take-Two listed GTA 6 as a fall 2025 PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S release. Many users on social media had speculated that the game would receive a delay, but this does not appear to be the case for the time being.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick also spoke to IGN ahead of the release of the report and stated that while “there’s always a risk of slippage” the company “feel really good” about being able to stick to that fall 2025 window.

Zelnick was also asked how development of the game was going. “I think the game is eagerly anticipated both internally and externally,” he replied. “We know that Rockstar seeks perfection. I never claim success before it occurs.”

GTA 6 is easily one of the most anticipated games of the year, with market research firm DFC Intelligence predicting that it will be “one of the biggest entertainment launches in history" and could generate more than $1 billion in just pre-orders alone. Game publishers are also reportedly not announcing firm release dates in order to try and avoid releasing new titles around the GTA 6 launch fearing that the buzz would drown them out.

Even so, Zelnick went on to say that “arrogance is the enemy of continued success [...] and we know that the competition is not asleep.”

The first trailer GTA 6 was officially unveiled by Rockstar Games on December 4, 2023. It showed that the game would take place in the fictionalized state of Leonida around the sun-drenched Vice City first seen in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Leaks indicate that it will star two protagonists, one named Lucia, who will pull off criminal capers together.

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• CISA adds an Outlook improper input validation bug to KEV
• The deadline to patch is February 27 2025
• Criminals are using it for remote code execution

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has added a 2024 Outlook flaw to its catalog of known vulnerabilities, warning users about in-the-wild abuse, and giving federal agencies three weeks (until February 27) to patch up or stop using the tool entirely.

CVE-2024-21413 is an improper input validation flaw plaguing Microsoft Outlook. It was discovered in 2024 by Check Point’s researcher Haifei Li, and was given a severity score of 9.8/10 (critical). Cybercriminals could craft special email messages, loaded with a certain type of hyperlink, that would allow them to run arbitrary code remotely. By exploiting this vulnerability, attackers can bypass Outlook's Protected View (a feature designed to open potentially harmful files in read-only mode) and instead open malicious files in editing mode.

Microsoft patched the bug in late 2024, and warned users that the Preview Pane can also be used as an attack vector. In other words, victims don’t even need to open the email to get infected - previewing it in Outlook would suffice.

Significant risk

The vulnerability was found in different Office products, including Microsoft Office LTSC 2021, Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, Microsoft Outlook 2016, and Microsoft Office 2019.

While there was no evidence of in-the-wild abuse at the time the patch was released, its addition to KEV means the vulnerability is now being actively used by miscreants.

"These types of vulnerabilities are frequent attack vectors for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise," CISA says.

Aside from the Outlook vulnerability, the agency added another four bugs, including a 7-Zip Mark of the Web bypass flaw, a Dante discovery process control flaw, a CyberoamsOS SQL injection flaw, and a Sophos XG Firewall buffer overflow bug. Federal agencies need to patch all of these before March 2025.

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• Microsoft Edge's uninstall document promotes the browser over Google Chrome, without any actual removal instructions
• It features a checklist on supposed advantages over Google Chrome
• There's no official way to uninstall Microsoft Edge, as the control panel only allows for a 'repair'

It's no surprise that Microsoft is making more attempts to shift PC users away from other browsers in favor of its own Edge option yet again - but its latest scheme could be a new low point.

As spotted by Windows Latest, a new 'uninstall document' was released by Microsoft, supposedly explaining how to remove Microsoft Edge from your PC, but surprisingly, it doesn't. Instead, it compares Edge to Google Chrome with a checklist (pictured below) of features that it claims are available on Edge but not Chrome (which isn't completely true) - essentially, it's doing the opposite of what most people would expect a document about uninstalling an app to do..

It’s a shame that this comes after Microsoft’s well-received privacy updates for Chrome incognito mode, which is a huge positive for its users. However, it’s now hit a low with this 'uninstall' document that users won't like at all. Microsoft already aggressively pushes Edge via pop-ups and ads in Windows 11, which many users consider to be invasive and annoying. Meanwhile, Chrome remains the most popular browser despite Microsoft’s boasts of Edge’s high user numbers in 2024, so it’s not a surprise that many may want to uninstall Edge.

It shouldn't come as a big surprise, since Microsoft has used numerous tactics to win users over to its browser - but this feels particularly disingenuous.

(Image credit: Microsoft) Reminds me of membership cancellation pages...

Trying to get rid of something, only instead to be bombarded with reasons for not getting rid of it, will feel awfully familiar to many people who have tried to cancel a subscription. Try to cancel your PlayStation Plus subscription, for example, and Sony will try to tempt you to stay with an offer on a 12-month premium subscription.

Amazon is also notorious for this - if you try to cancel Prime, you have to click through multiple pages convincing you to stay - and it was actually sued for this, mainly because its marketing tactics were viewed as deceptive and coercive by the FTC (US Federal Trade Commission).

So, Microsoft is far from the only company that is trying to change the minds of its customers wanting to ditch a product. However, there’s no denying that this move seems particularly strange - you'd expect a document which is supposed to give you instructions to uninstall a program to do just that, rather than the opposite by trying to get you to keep using it. It also feels a bit cheeky using the word ‘uninstall’ if there’s literally no way to officially uninstall Edge.

Personally, I think that essentially forcing users to keep a program installed on their PCs will instead push them further away from using it. Saying one thing but doing another could come back to bite Microsoft...

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• Caselani’s Type-Ami adds retro charm to one of the smallest EVs on sale
• Complete vehicle costs $13,400, or DIY kits come in at $5,200
• Nine different color options are available

For all of the Citroen Ami’s many charms, striking good looks don’t exactly rank top of the list. But one Italian coach builder has a solution for the awkward little quadricycle.

Based in the tiny town of Sospiro, Italy, coach builder and fabricator Caselani takes modern Citroen products and clads them in fiberglass so they look just like the iconic Type-H Van panel vans of the late 1940s.

The corrugated metal outer body panels and angular lines will forever go down in the history books as a classic piece of industrial design, but the plucky panel vans have recently enjoyed a resurgence thanks to swathes of hipster coffee and food trucks that have used them as a base for tasty operations.

Caselani will fabricate a modern interpretation of one of those (based on Citroen Berlingo, Relay and Dispatch vans) but it is the Ami project that really stands out from the crowd.

For a start, it takes a brave soul to use an Ami as a food truck, which means the Type-Ami is purely designed to raise smiles.

(Image credit: Caselani)

For €13,900 (around $13,400 / £11,600 / AU$21,300), Caselani will sell you a complete vehicle, including the option to swap the plastic seats and steering wheel trim for diamond-quilted faux leather.

That’s about $3k more than the standard Ami, but customers can choose from six classic 1950s colors, or opt for one of three more modern metallic hues. Oh, and you get jazzy 'steelie' style wheels thrown in, too.

If you already own one of the diminutive 8bhp, 28mph top speed city-slickers, you can option the DIY body kit for €4,440 (around $4,500 / £3,700 / AU$7,200), which adds the corrugated side panels, gloriously pug-nosed front end and a rear with ‘Type-Ami’ stamped in period correct white lettering.

It all comes with the right screws and brackets to self install, if you fancy many scraped thumbs and lots of swearing.

The lovable Ami gets even more appealing

(Image credit: Caselani)

As a reminder, the Citroen Ami is classed as a heavy quadricycle in France and, thanks to its 8hp electric motor and limited top speed, it can legally be driven by 14-year-olds... for around 46 miles before the 5.5-kWh lithium-ion battery dies or mom texts to warn that dinner is on the table.

But far from simply being a young teenager’s ticket to freedom, the Ami has gained popularity in Europe as cheap urban mobility, featuring on a number of inner-city car sharing schemes and finding homes with private buyers that want a fuss-free way to get to the shops and back.

The H-Van project is clearly a bit of fun that started as a one-off for the company’s founder, Fabrizio Caselani, but was soon made publicly available when the customer enquiries started flooding in.

Is the H-Van body kit completely pointless? Probably. But has that stopped me from wanting one? Absolutely not.

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• British engineering company IMI plc notifies London Stock Exchange of a recent cyberattack
• The company did not share the details, but this seems to have been a data breach

Top British engineering company IMI has confirmed suffering a cyberattack, filing a new report with the London Stock Exchange, notifying the securities exchange of “unauthorized access”.

“IMI is currently responding to a cyber security incident involving unauthorized access to the Company's systems,” the filing reads. “As soon as IMI became aware of the unauthorized access, the company engaged external cyber security experts to investigate and contain the incident.”

Other than that, the company did not share any details. It said it was taking “necessary steps” to comply with regulatory obligations, and that it will provide an update “when appropriate”.

Data breach

When reached out by TechCrunch, the company did not want to discuss the matter further, so we don’t know the nature of the attack, who the miscreants are, or how they managed to break into IMI’s infrastructure.

However the publication did find out, from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, that the company provided it with a data breach report, so it’s safe to assume that at least some company data was stolen.

The ICO is currently “assessing the information provided,” it was said.

IMI was founded in 1862 as Imperial Metal Industries. Its core business areas include precision engineering (advanced motion and fluid control solutions for industrial automation), critical engineering (valves and actuators for the energy and power industries), and hydronic engineering (heating, cooling, and climate control solutions for buildings).

The company serves sectors like oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, power generation, and transportation. In fiscal 2023, the company reported $398 million in profits before tax, up 6% compared to the year before.

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• Google Messages will likely add the ability to unsend messages in its next update
• Previously users could only delete messages from their own device
• The feature is as-yet unreleased, with no fixed release date

Google Messages will soon allow you to unsend messages for other people, rather than just deleting them from your own device, if a new feature found in an upcoming update makes it to release.

An APK teardown by Android Authority found that users will soon be given two options when trying to delete a message, with the existing “Delete for me” function joined by “Delete for everyone”.

Google Messages is the stock messaging app of Android, and as such can be found preloaded on all the best Android phones, from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to the Google Pixel 9 Pro to the OnePlus 13.

This new unsend feature is already common in modern messaging apps like WhatsApp and within social media messaging services like Instagram DMs. However, until now, deleting an RCS message on Google Messages only removed it from one’s own device – the recipient or recipients could still see the message as originally sent.

It seems the Google Messages version of this feature won’t be quite as quiet as the competition – unlike WhatsApp, Instagram, and others, Google Messages will actively notify the recipients that a message has been deleted.

For our technically-minded readers, the new feature was found in unreleased code destined for Google Messages version 20250131_02_RC00. The unsend feature has specifically been added in line with RCS Universal Profile v2.7.

Google Messages has a prominent place in the Android ecosystem, and recently became the default messaging app for Samsung Galaxy phones. As PhoneArena notes, it’s important that Google’s messaging service maintains the features users expect as the competition becomes more concentrated.

WhatsApp remains the world’s most popular messaging service, with over two billion users worldwide, but Google Messages isn’t far behind – a Google blog post from 2023 celebrated the app passing one billion RCS-enabled users.

As my TechRadar colleagues may be able to attest, I know the feeling of having a joke in a busy group chat not stick the landing – I’m glad to see that Google Messages is giving users the option of a second chance when they need it (even if it does come with a rather conspicuous announcement).

And though it seems very likely to launch with the next version of Google Messages, the unsend feature described remains unreleased without a fixed release date, so the details contained in this story could change with time.

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• GeForce Now does not have any plans available at all right now
• Day passes will be back in a couple of weeks, we’re told
• The wait for full subscriptions could be much longer, due to Nvidia’s transition to a new payment system for the service

Nvidia’s GeForce Now streaming service is currently not open to any new subscribers – on any of its plans – and apparently that situation is not going to change anytime soon.

Polygon reports that it has heard from Nvidia spokesperson Stephenie Ngo that day passes are coming back before too long, with Ngo informing us that new sign-ups for the single day experiences should return in “roughly two weeks.”

However, it’ll be a good while longer before the full subscriptions (monthly and biannual) that most gamers want come back into play, and we aren’t told exactly when. So those who are fed up with not being able to buy an RTX 5080 or 5090, and are thinking about going to the streaming side of the gaming pond instead, are rather out of luck.

We are given a reason for this disruption via an official announcement delivered on the GeForce Now subreddit. It’s because Nvidia is transitioning from a third-party payment processing system to take over these duties itself.

The firm said: “We expect the transition will take a minimum of 5 weeks.”

Ouch. There’s good news for existing subscribers, though, who won’t be billed during this period.

Nvidia noted: “Starting January 31, 2025, billing will be waived while we transition payment services. Even though you won’t be billed, your account remains in good standing.”

(Image credit: NVIDIA) Analysis: High demand plus payment change combo

Aside from the free time given to existing subscribers, which is clearly a nice bonus for those using the streaming platform already, this is also good news (in theory) for the service longer term. The hope is that it shows a commitment to GeForce Now, as bringing this system in-house is no small matter for Nvidia, as we can see from the length of the downtime here. In other words, it’s a move that was doubtless not taken lightly.

Still, that’ll be small comfort to those who might want to sign up for a subscription plan right now or in the near future.

There’s no clarity as yet as to whether GeForce Now subscribers will have to re-enter payment details for their subscription, but this shouldn’t be much of a hassle, even if it is required with the new system.

All this comes off the back of Nvidia temporarily halting most subscription plans a couple of weeks ago, seemingly due to high demand on the servers. Given this, it seems perhaps an odd time to also shift payment providers, but maybe Nvidia is taking the opportunity to perform server or infrastructure upgrades at the same time as repositioning its payment system.

Who knows, your guess is as good as mine – but hopefully after this next month or two of bumpiness in terms of subscription availability, it’ll be back to business as usual for GeForce Now and those who’d like to fully join the cloud gaming club. Quite possibly before there’s any big jump in the stock levels of Nvidia’s high-end Blackwell graphics cards, to be fair.

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Full spoilers follow for Severance season 2 episode 4.

You were warned, Severance fans. Before the critically-acclaimed series returned on January 17, numerous members of the press – myself included – said that season 2 episode 4, titled 'Woe's Hollow', would emotionally stun you. Indeed, I teased as much in my Severance season 2 review, but I wasn't convinced that many fans had taken any notice.

Now that 'Woe's Hollow' is out on Apple TV Plus, though, the critically-acclaimed series' fanbase is losing its collective mind over what happened in Severance season 2's latest chapter. As the dust settles on one of the show's best episodes so far, I'm here to answer your biggest questions about its ending, which mysteries it solves, and discuss some new theories that I have in the wake of its release.

This is your final warning: huge spoilers immediately follow for Severance season 2 episode 4. Bookmark this page for later, go and watch it right now, and then re-open this article once you've made it through the end credits.

Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained: wait, that's not Helly R...

"Goddamn it, Seth, do it!" #Severance pic.twitter.com/Pv9wq1Ox6nFebruary 7, 2025

Ever since episode 1 of the hit Apple TV Original's second season landed on one of the world's best streaming services, fans have suspected that something was amiss with Helly R. Many of us believed that she hadn't returned to Lumon alongside her fellow 'innies' and that Helena Eagan, the daughter of Lumon's current CEO, had infiltrated the Macrodata Refinement (MDR) team to spy on them for the nefarious biotech corporation. That's one of seven big theories I proposed following the release of Severance season 2's first episode.

Well, it turns out I and many others, including Irving B, were right. Irving B has been suspicious of Helly R since MDR discussed what they saw in the outside world in Severance's season 1 finale. Thanks to a weird dream he has (more on this later), plus the fact that Helena cruelly mocks him during a tense campfire conversation midway through this episode, Irving B determines that Helena is masquerading as Helly R. Confronting her the next day near Woe's Hollow's waterfall, he almost drowns Helena in a last-ditch, desperation-filled attempt to force Lumon's hand and confirm his suspicions.

Long story short: Irving B is right. Helena was planted as a mole within MDR to keep tabs on them and seemingly woo Mark S (the 'innie' of Mark Scout), so he gives up on finding Gemma, the wife of his 'outie', and uncovering more of Lumon's sinister working practices.

Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained: what is the Glasgow Block?

"Yes... DO IT, Seth!" (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Okay, but how did Helena manage to infiltrate MDR? The elevator, which leads to the Severed Floor, contains the technology that causes a severed employee's 'outie' to be replaced by their 'innie' when they begin their latest shift at Lumon. So, how was Helena able to bypass this when she "goes to work" at Lumon? And why didn't Helly R appear alongside her co-workers when the 'innies' were transported to the real world for the field trip (or ORTBO, as Severed Floor manager Seth Milchick calls it) that takes place in episode 4?

It's all down to the Glasgow Block. Another program at Lumon's disposal, it seemingly allows the company's unsevered managers to prevent a severed worker's 'innie' from materializing in certain situations. You know, like when the daughter of your company's CEO has been tasked with spying on some severed employees... Anyway, we know this is the name of this software because Milchick tells someone (presumably back at Lumon HQ) to turn it off as Irving B drowns Helena.

Interestingly, 'Glasgow' is one of the program names that we first glimpsed in the final episode of Severance's first season. Remember when Dylan G used the Overtime Contingency (OTC) to send Mark S, Irving B, and Helly R into the real world? When he's cycling through Lumon's override systems in its security room, 'Glasgow' is one of the pieces of software that appears alongside OTC. Clearly, Lumon has had the Glasgow Block application lined up for a while in case it needed to use it for myriad reasons. That raises questions about what the other programs do and whether we'll see them in action in future seasons.

Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained: did Kier Eagan really have a twin brother called Dieter?

Praise Kier!... or, rather, don't (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

'Woe's Hollow' doesn't just confirm that Helena was spying on MDR and what the Glasgow Block is. Indeed, the latest episode of one of the best Apple TV Plus shows also lifts the lid on some apparently critical details about Kier Eagan, aka Lumon Industries' founder who's worshipped by many of its employees. Revelations about Kier include him writing a fourth, secret appendix that few Lumon workers know about, his first encounter with Woe, one of the so-called Four Tempers, and that he supposedly had a twin named Dieter.

Of course, that begs the question: was Dieter a real person? I'm not buying that for one second. For one, Kier's claims about what happened to Dieter are incredibly outlandish. In the fourth appendix, Kier writes that, essentially, Dieter was turned into a tree after committing the cardinal sin of, well, masturbating. Go figure.

In my view, Dieter never existed – instead, he's the 'evil twin' to Kier's morally righteous persona that Kier must exorcise, whether that's through taming the Four Tempers or doing something else. Despite its sci-fi vibes and aesthetic, Severance is as much of an exploration of religious symbolism and ideologies (the battle of good versus evil and cultism to name just two), and man's duplicitous nature – after all, this is a show where people have an 'innie' persona and an 'outie' persona. Dieter, then, is just Kier's evildoing persona that he fabricated and then "defeated" to become the upstanding, virtuous individual he's depicted as within Lumon.

Want one last piece of evidence? Dieter is derived from its fellow German name Dietrich, which roughly translates to "people ruler". What does Kier Eagan do, even though he's long since passed from this world? Laud it over Lumon. He's the ruler of the people who work for him. Get it?

Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained: what is the Montauk Project?

Severance's Montauk Project may have ties to some real-world mysteries (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Severance season 2's fourth episode might have solved some big mysteries, but it also creates new questions and theories that need answering.

One of those is the Montauk Project. After he falls asleep, Irving B dreams that he's in a far more sinister version of the forest that MDR's company retreat is being held in. Surrounded by thorny shrubbery, he walks towards an unsettling sound, which turns out to be a group of moths that are flittering around a computer monitor. Or, rather, four monitors, because he stumbles upon an office layout not unlike the set-up that the MDR team has at Lumon.

There, Irving B sits at his desk and stares at what's on the screen. In the top left hand corner, the word 'Montauk' can be seen. Rows of numbers also litter the screen, but they're soon jumbled together to form the face of Helena Eagan. Some of the numbers also turn into letters that spell out her surname – clues that confirm to Irving B that he's right in his assumptions about Helena's infiltration.

Comment from r/SeveranceAppleTVPlus

But I digress. Unfortunately, there's no indication about what Lumon's Montauk Project is. I don't recall seeing it as one of company's 'innie' programs like the OTC or Glasgow Block from season 1 episode 9, so it's unlikely to be another piece of software that allows them to control the 'innies'. I doubt it's got something to do Project Cold Harbor, either, which is the project that Mark S needs to complete at Lumon and somehow has ties to Gemma.

'Montauk' is a name with real-life historical significance, though. For starters, there's a real-world conspiracy theory called The Montauk Project, which alleges that the US government conducted experiments surrounding psychological warfare and time travel in Montauk, New York. There's also The Montauk Monster incident – an event that saw an unidentifiable rotten animal carcass wash up on the shores of the New York City district in July 2008. MDR see a similarly styled carcass on their way to Woe's Hollow, which is a neat callback to this real-world mystery. It's possible, then, that references to Montauk in Severance season 2's fourth chapter are just the creative team's way of adding to the fictional and real-world puzzles within the show itself.

Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained: is Irving B dead?

I'm not convinced that Irving B is dead (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

It certainly seems that way. After almost drowning Helena to force Lumon to admit she's been spying on the MDR team, a furious Milchick tells Irving B that there's no choice but to "retire" him. As we know, that's code for "yeah, your 'innie' is toast". Considering Irving B almost committed "collegial murder" (Milchick's words, not mine"), it seems his time is up as a Lumon employee for his 'innie' and 'outie'.

Fortunately, Severance's creators spare us the pain of seeing Irving's 'innie' draw his last breath. Indeed, the screen cuts to black as Milchick tells Lumon to, well, sever Irving for what appears to be the final time. So long, Irving B.

That said, I don't actually think Lumon destroys a person's 'innie' when it 'retires' them – and it's got something to do with the previously mentioned Glasgow Block. You see, in the real world, there's a scientific tool called the Glasgow Coma Scale. It's used to determine a person's level of consciousness after a serious brain injury or some other traumatic experience.

they killed irving b bc he was too smart, too clever, too wise. little do they know he’s gonna make a comeback and burn the severance building like he promised #severance pic.twitter.com/4FN4fxFvj5February 7, 2025

I theorize, then, that the Glasgow Block is the program utilized by Lumon when it wants to 'retire' an 'innie'. That doesn't mean that said 'innie' is bumped off, though. Instead, I think they're simply placed into a comatose state. If required, Lumon can simply reawaken an individuals 'innie' if it needs them to.

If I'm right, that means that all of the supposedly dead 'innies' are still somewhere inside the brains of Irving B, Burt G, and any other severed employee who's been let go by Lumon. Long story short: there must be a way to bring them back and I wouldn't be shocked if one of the company's other 'innie' programs has the capacity to do so.

Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained: why did Irving tell Dylan to "hang in there"?

Will Dylan G understand what Irving B said to him? (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Before Irving's 'innie' is shut down (I refuse to believe he's dead), a guilty Dylan G shouts down to him to apologize for not believing him over Helena. Irving B responds by telling Dylan that it's okay and that he just needs to "hang in there".

This is an incredibly important callback to Severance season 2 episode 1. After Mark S' co-workers are welcomed back to Lumon and as they sit through that bizarre 'Lumon Is Listening' video (yes, that's Keanu Reeves voicing Lumon's anthropomorphic building in Severance season 2's premiere), a poster with the words 'Hang in there' can be seen on one of the walls. It also recreates the scene from season 1 episode 9 where Dylan G holds onto the two OTC switches to activate it.

Hang in there poster (Break room) from r/SeveranceAppleTVPlus

What does all of this mean? Irving B has hidden something behind that poster and wants Dylan G to find it. Remember: in last week's episode, Irving B told Dylan G that he'd sketched the painting (the one that his 'outie' has made numerous times) of the long, dark hallway with an elevator leading down.

I believe Irving B has been playing the long game here. He knew he was going to fired by Lumon if (or, rather, when) he forced them to admit Helena had been spying on MDR, so he put plans in place for his colleagues to continue their quest to find out what Lumon was really up to. Long story short: I think Irving B has hidden his sketches behind that poster. if Dylan G is clever and brave enough to find them, he can tell Mark S and Helly R about the sketches, and they can use them to find the elevator and, potentially, Gemma.

Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained: hang on, are those clones of the MDR team?

That's... not creepy at all (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Given other shocking events that transpire in 'Woe's Hollow', it's easy to forget another deeply unsettling moment that happens earlier in season 2 episode 4. As the MDR team begin their journey towards the titular location, they're apparently aided by silent versions of themselves, who point them in the direction of Woe's Hollow.

Severance fans have long believed that Lumon Industries' primary objective is unlocking the secret of human cloning. There are numerous threads on the main Severance Reddit page theorizing this is the case, with some viewers suggesting the series' adorable goats are all clones, Ms Casey is a clone of Mark's wife Gemma, and that the Severed Floor's newly installed deputy manager Ms Huang is a clone of Gemma or even what would've been Mark and Gemma's daughter. The purpose of all of this? To resurrect Kier by implanting his consciousness in a clone of his own body.

If – and it's a big if – this is the crux of Severance's story and/or biggest mystery, it would explain why MDR sees cloned versions of themselves as they try to find Woe's Hollow. Sure, these 'clones' could just be a mirage, but I'm struggling to determine how Lumon would make the 'innies' have hallucinations of themselves. I suppose they could be animatronics (Lumon has used them before), but the clone theory just makes more sense to me.

Severance season 2 episode 4 ending explained: how will MDR react to events at Woe's Hollow?

Mark S is going to have a very difficult conversation with Helly R in episode 5... (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

If Severance doesn't provide answers to questions 4 through 7 in its next episode, it's a sure fire bet that it'll provide answers to this and all of the below?

How will Helly R react to the fact that Helena has been masquerading as her? Will Mark S tell her that he slept with Helena (he thought she was Helly, for what it's worth) and, if so, will it destroy their burgeoning romance? Will Milchick keep his job as Severed Floor manager? And is Dylan G going to take Irving B's advice or will he sacrifice it in favor of seeing the wife of his 'outie' again?

It's going to be a long week to get answers to all of these questions and more. So, as Irving B said: "hang in there".

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• More revealed on Microsoft Teams "Storyline" feature
• Facebook-esque news feed would let co-workers share updates
• Likes, shares, and more could all be coming to Microsoft Teams

Keeping up with all the latest updates from your colleagues and co-workers could soon be a bit more difficult to avoid thanks to a new addition apparently coming to Microsoft Teams.

A report from The Verge has claimed a full social media news feed-esque feature is coming to the video conferencing platform soon, letting users post updates, news and more, with the ability to like and share.

"Multiple sources" at Microsoft have apparently confirmed the plan, the report says, with the feature, called Storyline, currently undergoing testing within the company.

Microsoft Teams Storyline

Storyline is not a new idea, having been quietly announced at Microsoft Ignite in November 2024, with echoes actually calling back to summer 2022 as an identically-named part of Viva Engage, but the report now offers a bit more clarity on how it will actually work.

Housed within the Chat section of Microsoft Teams, users will now see the option to add a "new storyline post" alongside creating a new message or channel post.

Posts will be shared across the new Storyline tab, accessed via a user profile, with users able to follow and subscribe to updates from their co-workers, along with the ability to write comments or react using emojis.

Microsoft says the new function can be used to celebrate or recognize particular work events or anniversaries, as well as major updates from employers and co-workers alike.

“Employee communications are often scattered across multiple locations, leading to frustration, delays, and overload," Microsoft had said about the feature at Ignite 2024.

"Storyline in Teams empowers leaders to share communications with an entire company, and simplifies the ways you and your colleagues share and connect. The Storyline integration provides a new way to discover content, contribute your ideas and perspectives, and express yourself while staying in your flow of work in Teams.”

Storyline is expected to launch for a public preview in Q1 2025, but there's no concrete release date just yet.

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• Google Maps is celebrating its 20th birthday
• These are some of the most popular spots and locations in its history
• Google has also shared some handy tips and tricks

Happy birthday, Google Maps: the venerable app has turned 20, and to celebrate, Google has listed some of the most popular places on its maps, as well as sharing a bunch of Google Maps tips and tricks that you might not have come across before.

The list of "some of the most-reviewed and most-photographed places" on Google Maps over the last couple of decades include restaurants, parks, monuments, museums, castles, and more – from Hard Eight BBQ in Texas to Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

Google has also shared some of the locations most popular in Immersive View on Google Maps, where you can actually see ground-level photography around and inside places: the Eiffel Tower, the Golden Gate Bridge, Big Ben, and the Griffith Observatory are included.

At the end of the round-up there are also some funny Street View photobombs, featuring animals snapped by the Street View cameras. The list is well worth checking out in full – see how many spots you've visited, and how many you could plan to see in the future.

Leave a tip

Air quality is one of the layers available on Google Maps (Image credit: Future)

Continuing the birthday celebrations, Google has shared a list of 20 things you didn't know you could do with Google Maps. If you did already know about any of these tips and tricks, you can consider yourself above average when it comes to tech knowledge.

A couple that caught our eye are the recently added Gemini AI integration that we previously reported on, and the air quality report you can find for wherever you're traveling to – tap on the layers icon (top right corner) to find it.

Google also mentions the offline maps feature (tap your profile picture then Offline maps in the mobile app), and the lists feature that lets you bookmark destinations and share them with others – switch to the You tab in the app to find your lists.

Here's a bonus tip Google doesn't mention: if you're using your phone with one hand, you can still zoom in and out of the map by double-tapping on it, then sliding your finger or thumb up and down. You're welcome.

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• Football Manager 2025 has been completely cancelled by developer Sports Interactive
• The game had already been delayed twice
• The developer stated that it "hasn't achieved what we set out to do"

Sports Interactive has announced the complete cancelation of the next entry in its behemoth football strategy and management sim franchise, Football Manager 2025.

Announced on the developer's social media accounts, such as the below on X (formerly Twitter), Sports Interactive apologized to fans, saying "we're sorry to have let you down." as the normally annual series will now skip a whole entry.

Sports Interactive regret to inform that, following extensive internal discussion and careful consideration with SEGA, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Football Manager 25. pic.twitter.com/tLRbq8305KFebruary 7, 2025

Previously touted by the developer as the biggest graphical and technical step up the series has ever seen, the transformation has not been deemed good enough for release yet, and Sports Interactive will now "shift our focus to the next release".

The developer also, interestingly, reveals that total cancelation was preferable to releasing the game in its current state and then patching it with regular updates - a practice almost always seen with video game releases, annual or not.

Addressing that choice, the statement says "We could have pressed on, released FM25 in its current state, and fixed things down the line - but that's not the right thing to do."

Sports Interactive adds that playtesting and internal evaluations have established that they "are getting close" but then added that "we're too far away from the standards you deserve."

It continued: "Each decision to delay the release was made with the aim of getting the game closer to the desired level but, as we approached critical milestones at the turn of the year, it became unmistakably clear that we could not achieve the standard required."

One can only hope that this means Football Manager 2026 will be something truly incredible, given the extra time that this disappointing news also offers the developer.

Usually released in October or November time, a couple of months into the European football season, all eyes will now turn to Football Manager 2026 with fans having to endure more of a wait, and a test of their patience.

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• Nvidia is apparently scaling back RTX 4060 production, big time
• This is another hint that the RTX 5060 could be arriving in March
• Don’t panic if you want an RTX 4060, though, as they aren’t going to be disappearing off shelves anytime soon

Nvidia is now drastically reducing the production volume of its RTX 4060 graphics cards, if fresh speculation from those apparently in the know is correct.

The first thing to be aware of is that this comes from the Board Channels forum in China (via VideoCardz), a regular source of gossip on hardware-related happenings populated by folks who are close to the supply chain over in Asia.

As such, the rumor pertains specifically to that region, but if Nvidia is pulling back supply of chips for RTX 4060 graphics cards in Asia, the same thing will surely be happening on a global scale.

According to the post on the forum, from February – so this is already underway – Nvidia is reducing RTX 4060 chip supply to its third-party graphics card manufacturing partners by at least 60% (compared to the final quarter of 2024).

Put simply, that means we could be looking at only a third of the volume of chips being produced by Nvidia and supplied to card makers, which would mean an identical drop in the level of new RTX 4060 (and 4060 Ti) graphics cards coming to the market.

As ever, though, this is just a rumor, so be careful about believing it too readily.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler) Analysis: Even if this is correct, the move will take time to filter through

The reason why Nvidia might be running down production – to a large extent – on a popular graphics card would seem to be obvious. In short, this is another clear indication that the RTX 5060 is imminent, with a number of rumors suggesting that this graphics card is set to launch in March 2025.

So, if the successor to the RTX 4060 is due to be unleashed next month, it’d fully make sense that this current-gen graphics card would start to be ushered out the door by Nvidia from around about now.

Again, exercise caution around the rumors for the RTX 5060 launch, but all these small pieces of the puzzle seem to be fitting together nicely enough.

Does this mean that, in theory, you soon won’t be able to buy an RTX 4060? No, it’s not as simple as that. Even if this two-thirds slashing of production is underway right now, it will take a while before that impact is felt on graphics cards that are actually shipping. Furthermore, there’s going to be quite a lot of stock in warehouses and other parts of the distribution cycle, too, and even when all of that sells through, there will still be some RTX 4060 boards being made.

This graphics card is still going to be on shelves for some time, then, but it will become rarer as this year rolls on, assuming this rumor is correct, as the RTX 5060 takes the limelight on the lower-mid-range GPU stage.

I’ll put my hands up and admit, I was skeptical that Nvidia would launch the RTX 5060 as soon as March, following the RTX 5070 so closely – but it increasingly seems like this is going to be the case.

It’s also worth noting that we just heard another positive rumor on the topic of the RTX 5060 and its cabling, with the GPU apparently not needing a 12VHPWR power connector (which will make upgrading a lot easier, and we go into exactly why this is the case here, if you’re interested).

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• Apple’s new Invites app has an interesting interface design
• It’s more reminiscent of visionOS apps than those made for iOS
• It might be a hint at iOS 19’s upcoming design rethink

Occasionally, we get a sneak peek at what Apple has planned in its future devices, and that seems to have happened with the recent launch of the company’s new Invites app. Because far from being a simple party-planning app, Invites sheds light on the sort of design we could end up seeing in iOS 19.

Open up Invites and the first thing you’ll notice is how much it has in common with apps made for Apple’s Vision Pro headset. As Apple enthusiast Parker Ortolani has noted, the app’s glassy, floating boxes and colorful backgrounds are very reminiscent of what you’ll find when using the Vision Pro.

It’s unlike most other Apple apps, which share a more familiar design language that has been present in iOS for years. With visionOS – the operating system that runs on the Vision Pro – Apple changed things up, and that seems to have translated across to Invites.

Interestingly, it’s not the first time we’ve seen an Apple app take a new direction in terms of the user interface. Ortolani pointed out that Apple’s recently-launched Sports app was also a departure from the traditional design ethos we’re used to seeing. And a recent leak of what’s claimed to be a new look for the Camera app in iOS 19 shows an interface that is similarly inspired by the Vision Pro.

Reading the tea leaves

(Image credit: Future)

With the firm’s two most recent apps both taking a turn away from the design principles of past Apple apps, does that mean something new is on the horizon? That seems to be Ortolani’s belief, at least. If Apple is starting to follow the Vision Pro’s lead when it comes to app design, this could perhaps portend a shift when iOS 19 is previewed in the summer at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

The last time we saw a significant app design shift was when iOS 7 launched in 2013. When that happened, Apple ditched the skeuomorphism that defined its past design philosophy and adopted a much flatter look for both the operating system and its apps.

It’s been over a decade since that major change, so it may well be time for another design rethink. And if Apple’s latest apps seem to be shifting closer to those found in visionOS, perhaps we’ll see a much bigger overhaul when iOS 19 is revealed to the world.

Ultimately, ensuring its apps share a common design language makes sense for Apple, as it means its users can find familiar elements and systems whatever device they’re using. And if that’s the goal, it’s possible that Apple’s other devices – from the Apple Watch to the Mac – could end up heading the same way.

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• Amazon is the “top corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Europe”
• 10 European countries got solar and wind power investments
• Amazon wants to be net-zero carbon by 2040

Amazon has boldly declared it is now the “top corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Europe,” giving it another string to its bow against Microsoft and Google.

In 2024 alone, the ecommerce and cloud computing giant says it added 26 renewable energy projects and 20 onsite installations up and down Europe, consisting primarily of solar and wind farms.

The biggest beneficiary of Amazon’s 2024 energy investments was Spain, with 15 new solar and wind farms and a further two onsite solar installations.

Amazon is betting big on European renewable energy

Amazon’s total reach now spans more than 230 solar and wind projects across Europe, with its renewable energy portfolio generating 9 GW of energy – enough to power the equivalent of 6.7 million European homes annually.

Italy, Greece, Finland, the UK, Germany, France and the Czech Republic also benefitted from extensive solar investments, with Northern Ireland and Portugal receiving investments in wind farms.

“Increasing the amount of renewable energy on Europe’s electricity grids is the fastest and cheapest way to help Europe’s economy decarbonize at scale and fight against climate change," noted Amazon’s EMEA Director of Energy for Europe, Lindsay McQuade.

Amazon is yet to release its 2024 Sustainability Report, but in 2023 the company said that it used "lower-carbon materials" like steel and concrete, and switched some of those out for wood, to save 46,700 tonnes of CO2e that year – the same amount of emissions that 11,100 US cars would produce in 12 months.

AWS is also reconsidering its backup generators, with sites in Ireland, Sweden, and Oregon now using hydrotreated vegetable oil for fuel rather than diesel.

Chief Sustainability Officer Kara Hurst confirmed Amazon's plans to smash Paris Agreement plans, reaching net-zero carbon emissions a decade early in 2040. She also confirmed that the entire company reached 100% renewable energy consumption seven years early in 2023.

The company also wants to be water-positive by the end of this decade – a topic of contention in the world of data centers, where powerful computers consume vast amounts of water for cooling.

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• The Google Pixel 9a could start at the same price as its predecessor in the UK
• The UK pre-order date is reportedly March 19, just like in the US
• Some of the Pixel 9a's colors might only be available on the 128GB model

The Google Pixel 9a is expected to land in March, but while most leaks so far have addressed the phone's US price and availability, we’re now hearing about Google’s possible plans for the Pixel 9a in Europe.

According to Dealabs (via GSMArena), the Pixel 9a will go up for pre-order on March 19 in the UK and the rest of Europe, and begin shipping on March 26. Those are exactly the same dates as we’d heard for the US, so it’s not overly surprising, but this both adds credence to those original claims and should reassure European buyers that they won’t have a longer wait.

This site also reveals the possible pricing for the UK market, stating that the Pixel 9a will start at £499, for which you’ll get 128GB of storage. That’s exactly the same starting price as the Google Pixel 8a, so you might not have to pay any more for this newer model.

The Google Pixel 8a (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) Pushing up the price

However, the phone's price could increase for the 256GB version, with Dealabs claiming that this model will cost £599, while the 256GB version of the Pixel 8a costs just £559. We’d take these claims with a pinch of salt, but a previous Pixel 9a price leak pointed to the same thing in the US, so there’s a good chance this is accurate.

We also have a bit more information on the possible Pixel 9a colors, with Dealabs echoing previous reports that the phone will be sold in Porcelain (off-white), Obsidian (black), Peony (pink), and Iris (bluish-purple), but adding that, in Europe at least, the 256GB model will only be sold in Obsidian and Iris, while the 128GB version will apparently be available in all four shades.

Given that all signs point to the Pixel 9a landing in mid-March, we should find out how accurate this information is soon. But based on other leaks, this phone could be worth waiting for, as it reportedly has a Tensor G4 chipset, a new main camera, a bigger screen than its predecessor, and a large 5,000mAh battery.

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• India’s Reserve Bank is launching new .bank.in and .fin.in domains
• They will prove the authenticity of a banking website
• Digital fraud is on the rise in the country

India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), is set to introduce a brand-new ‘.bank.in’ domain in April 2025 to combat digital fraud (via Reuters).

The central bank governor warned lenders against rising instances of frauds in digital payments – the new secure website domain is hoped to stamp out dodgy financial activity by proving authenticity.

Additionally, a separate ‘.fin.in’ domain is also set to be rolled out for non-bank financial institutions in the country, all in a bid to tackle rising cases of fraud.

Indian banking domains launched to tackle fraud

The governor confirmed that the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) will be the only domain registrar for the new .bank.in and .fin.in domains, imposing strict controls over who can register them.

The updated domains will help users differentiate between legitimate banking websites and fraudulent ones. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said that the initiative would also help reduce cyber threats like phishing attacks, which India has been struggling with more than ever.

Fraudsters typically use slightly different domain names that can look similar to legitimate ones, therefore having an exclusive set of trusted domains will help strengthen security. That said, threat actors could still use ‘typosquatting’ techniques, such as swapping the letter ‘i’ out for an ‘l’, so Indian banking customers will still need to bear this in mind when checking the domain in their address bar.

Other security measures employed by India’s financial sector include the Additional Factor of Authentication (AFA) for domestic digital payments.

Malhotra summarized: “The surge in digital frauds is a matter of concern, warranting action by all stakeholders.”

Detailed guidelines regarding the new domains are set to be issued separately by the RBI.

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