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Microsoft’s new Windows 11 24H2 update has caused Intel Z890 motherboards to constantly crash or reboot, requiring users to change BIOS settings for a solution. This is another entry in the growing list of issues Windows users have faced with the major update.

According to a post (in Spanish) from El Chapuzas Informatico, who have closely monitored the situation, the issue with the Z890 motherboard appears to stem from an apparent conflict between dedicated and integrated GPUs. It doesn’t seem to be limited to one specific mobo, either; this glitch is reportedly occurring with boards from multiple brands including MSI and Gigabyte. It’s unclear at this point whether the blame lies directly with Microsoft’s update, or if Intel bears some responsibility here too.

The solution to the crashes requires users to enter the motherboard BIOS and disable their system’s integrated graphics before proceeding with any necessary BIOS updates. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound as though this issue will cause any irreparable damage to users’ boards, but it’s clear that Microsoft needs to release a patch ASAP to avoid any more potential problems.

El Chapuzas Informatico included this list of instructions for resolving the issue, originally provided by Asus. (Image credit: El Chapuzas Informatico ) The 24H2 nightmare update continues for Microsoft

The 24H2 update is proving to be a nightmare for many Windows users so far, with issues such as random BSODs (Blue Screen of Death) for those utilizing Western Digital SSDs, even before the current Z890 problem. This is especially frustrating for users since Windows updates are often automatically pushed when restarting or powering off their system (something that is still a major point of contention for many users).

While the current issue apparently isn’t bricking boards or causing any major damage, there’s no telling what other troubles the beleaguered Windows update could cause - there are plenty of PC users who maintain specific system configurations, and given the range of odd hardware-specific bugs with 24H2, it’s possible that some users could be hit with multiple issues that are hard to troubleshoot independently.

Fortunately, in this case, motherboard manufacturers are already pushing urgent BIOS updates to alleviate the problem, meaning there are solutions available - our hope remains that Microsoft acts fast to fix all the ongoing bugs, so we can properly appreciate the improvements that Windows 11 24H2 brings.

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Amazon has seized a number of internet domains used by Russian hackers to launch phishing attacks.

In a blog post, CJ Moses, Chief Information Security Officer at Amazon, said a Russian state-sponsored threat actor known as Midnight Blizzard (AKA APT29) was spotted running a large-scale phishing attack against government agencies, enterprises, and militaries.

The attacks were impersonating Amazon Web Services (AWS), the retail giant’s cloud arm, with phishing emails written in the Ukrainian language.

Midnight Blizzard attacks

The goal of the campaign was not to target AWS, or to steal AWS credentials from the victims, Moses noted - instead, Midnight Blizzard was looking for Windows credentials to use through Microsoft Remote Desktop.

“Upon learning of this activity, we immediately initiated the process of seizing the domains APT29 was abusing which impersonated AWS in order to interrupt the operation,” Moses added. “CERT-UA has issued an advisory with additional details on their work.”

CERT-UA is the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine, a specialized structural unit of the State Center for Cyber Defense of the State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine.

You may remember Midnight Blizzard as the threat actor behind the famed Microsoft attack that forced the company to completely revamp its security policies.

In early 2024, Microsoft revealed it had been attacked by the group, which managed to gain access to corporate email accounts in the company’s cybersecurity and legal departments.

The tech giant later confirmed that the breach was not confined, and that corporate accounts belonging to organizations outside of Microsoft were also affected.

Because of this, and a number of other incidents, the company was slammed by both the cybersecurity community and the US government, prompting the Secure Future Initiative - the company’s promise of a complete security overhaul.

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As I write this, I'm holding an Apple TV 4K in my hand, trying to imagine it in aluminum and as more than just a set-top streaming device. The tactile experiment is prompted by a fresh rumor from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, positing that the next Mac mini will be a design departure, shrinking to nearly the size of the Apple TV in my hand.

There were a lot of leaks in Gurman's posts about the already confirmed upcoming Apple Mac launch, which we expect this week.

The Mac mini rumor stuck out for me because I think it might change how people think about and use this sometimes dismissed or at least uncelebrated Mac. Starting at $499 (education price), the nearly three-pound computer has long been a relatively affordable entry point into the Mac arena. It lacks a keyboard, mouse, and display but also affords the budget-conscious a way to supply your own more affordable alternative accessories.

I've never considered the Mac mini a portable computer. It's a lot to throw in the backpack when you're not even getting a screen or keyboard to support it. This rumored redesign could change that.

The current Apple TV 4K is 3.66 inches x 3.66 inches by 1.2 inches tall and weighs less than half a pound. If the new Mac mini is close to that size, say 4 x 4 inches and 1.5 pounds, that might offer a different calculation when it comes to portability.

My thinking is that professionals and students who want, say, M4 power with them wherever they go – but would rather leave the MacBook behind – could throw this new Mac mini into their backpack (with a power source, I assume). When they arrive at a library, dorm room office, or someone else's home, they can just hook up to any available display, keyboard, and mouse, and get to work. The rumored extra ports on the front for additional accessories you can borrow is just icing on the cake.

I'd probably travel with my mouse of choice if it were me. However, I would assume someone has a decent Bluetooth keyboard I could borrow.

In a school scenario, districts could hand these little boxes to students for them to take home. Not only is the portability a plus but there are no moving or fragile (think a glass-covered display) to damage.

Hold the price line

Naturally, this won't work if Apple raises the price of the new Mac mini, charging a premium for this shrinkdown. The $100 discount for education should be included in the newest model. If not, it'll be a big missed opportunity for Apple.

Beyond education, I think creative professionals will love having their favorite platform in their backpack if they show up at a client who doesn't have a Mac on the premises. The benefit is that they can connect to the largest screen in the office for maximum workspace without lugging around a hefty 16-inch MacBook Pro.

In the home, you can hide multiple Mac minis as you squirrel away the all-black Apple TV 4K boxes underneath your TV. A small computer connected to a TV just waiting to do your Apple Intelligence bidding. It probably wouldn't even look out of place in the kitchen. I would, though, request some more color options on these ultra-tiny Macs.

I get that none of this works if Apple only gives the M4 Mac mini a shave instead of a haircut. A 6-inch Mac Mini would not be the radical redesign I imagined.

You might think I'm focusing on minutiae, touting a potentially minor change, but as I often like to say, it's the little – or mini-er – things that truly count.

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Cybercriminals have successfully breached at least 30 organizations using a vulnerability in SonicWall VPNs, security experts have warned.

Earlier in 2024, SonicWall reported discovering, and patching, a critical vulnerability in the SonicWall SonicOS. This bug, which is tracked as CVE-2024-40766, has a severity score of 9.3 (critical), and can result in unauthorized resource access, and even crashes of the VPN.

At the time, the company did not have any evidence of in-the-wild abuse, however just a few weeks later, both new reports from Arctic Wolf and Rapid7 have now warned users to patch immediately after hackers started exploiting the flaw.

Akira dominating

The improper access control vulnerability is affecting Gen 5, Gen 6, and Gen 7 firewalls, as well as the firewalls’ SSLVPN feature. The researchers warned that the crooks were abusing them to deploy Akira and Fog ransomware variants. Akira, which seems to be the more active of the two, usually targets firms in education, finance, real estate, manufacturing, and consulting industries.

Of the 30 recorded victims, 75% were infected with Akira, and the rest with Fog. However, it seems that the two threat actors are deeply connected, sharing the same infrastructure, and are not competing for the same attack surface.

Besides abusing the SonicWall vulnerability, the researchers also said that the victims most likely did not have multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled on the compromised SSL VPN accounts, which would make things a lot more difficult for the attackers. Furthermore, they were running the services on the default port 4433, which also played to the attackers’ strengths.

"In intrusions where firewall logs were captured, message event ID 238 (WAN zone remote user login allowed) or message event ID 1080 (SSL VPN zone remote user login allowed) were observed," Arctic Wolf said. "Following one of these messages, there were several SSL VPN INFO log messages (event ID 1079) indicating that login and IP assignment had completed successfully."

CVE-2024-40766 was added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, giving federal firms a deadline to patch up.

Via BleepingComputer

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Apple is rumored to announce a range of Mac devices this week (the company has hinted as much) and while I don’t know what the company has in store, it’s likely we’ll be seeing new MacBook Pros and an iMac 2024, all powered by the M4 chip that launched with the iPad Pro earlier this year.

While those are no doubt exciting products, one rumor has me really keen to see what Apple announces – an M4-powered Mac mini.

Yep, for all the promises of new MacBooks and iMacs, I really believe that an M4 Mac mini will be the most exciting launch (if it does happen).

(Image credit: Apple) I ❤️ the Mac mini

Why? Well, in a rather scary bit of Monday-morning calculation, I’ve figured out I’ve been reviewing and writing about laptops and PCs for almost 20 years. And over the (many) years I’ve been doing this I’ve got a sense for when new releases are iterative updates, and when they are truly exciting.

If the rumors are true, the new MacBooks and iMacs fall into the former category: iterative updates. There will likely be no new designs (both have had major redesigns in the past few years), with the biggest changes being the addition of the M4 chip.

I have nothing against the M4 chip. Since I reviewed the iPad Pro earlier this year, I’ve been desperate to see what it’s capable of in a Mac device where it can run much more ambitious software. But Apple’s rapid release schedule for its M-Class chips (there have been four major releases since the M1’s launch four years ago) means that generational leaps rarely make a huge difference.

If you’ve got an M3-powered MacBook Pro or iMac, you’ll won't see a big enough performance boost to make upgrading to an M4 version worthwhile. Heck, I use a 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 Pro chip for music production and video editing, and if Apple announces an identical-looking M4 Pro model, I’m just not going to be interested in upgrading, as the M2 Pro remains so good (and is only two years old), that it still does everything I need it to do.

So, why is the Mac mini different? After all, there’s an excellent Mac mini M2 model (which got a rare five stars from me in my review), and it’s also likely (despite some rumors suggesting otherwise) that it’ll come with the same design.

Well, for a start, I genuinely think the Mac mini M2 is one of the best devices Apple has ever made. This tiny, discrete PC can be placed almost anywhere, and thanks to a choice of either the M2 or M2 Pro chip, you’re getting an impressively powerful bit of kit in an almost silent small form factor PC.

Whereas the MacBook Pro and iMac have Windows 11 competitors, there’s simply no small form factor Windows PC that comes even close to the Mac mini.

And, unlike those other two products, there hasn’t been an M3 version, which means the leap between an M2 Mac mini and an M4 Mac mini will be much more noticeable.

The idea that you can hide a Mac mini behind a monitor or TV is incredibly exciting, especially considering the gaming improvements on the M4 chip. This upcoming Mac mini, if it does exist, could be the closest we’ll ever get to an Apple console.

Then there’s the price. The current Mac mini starts at $599 / £649 / AU$999, making it by far the cheapest way to get into the Mac ecosystem. If a Mac mini is announced alongside MacBook Pros and a new iMac, it’ll offer the same level of performance as the other devices using an M4 chip – but at a fraction of the price.

It also means the idea of upgrading isn’t quite as intimidating. If you spent $1,000+ on a MacBook or iMac, unless you’re rich, you’ll likely need something really special to get you to consider upgrading. If you’ve spent $599, the threshold for an upgrade that makes financial sense is considerablylower.

That’s assuming that Apple will keep the price similar, which might be too big of an assumption these days. But even the idea of a compact PC that costs around $600 and offers enough power to be able to play modern games like Resident Evil 4 Remaster, is incredibly exciting – and it's why in a week that promises a lot of announcements from Apple, it’s the new Mac mini I’ll really be happy to see announced. So, the waiting game begins...

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The Samsung Galaxy S24 FE has barely been out for a month, but we’re already hearing the first murmurs about its follow up – ostensibly named the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE.

These first rumors concern the chipset the phone will ship with, potentially marking another chapter in Samsung’s long struggle to implement its own Exynos chipset across its smartphone lineup.

According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by tipster Jukanlosreve, the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE could come equipped with Samsung’s proprietary Exynos 2400 chipset.

This apparently follows failed negotiations between Samsung and MediaTek, which first aimed to equip the Samsung Galaxy S25 series with a MediaTek Dimensity-series chipset, before shifting focus to the S25 FE.

This corroborates an earlier post from notable phone tipster Ice Universe (via Wccftech), who recently suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S25 series will use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, rather than the Exynos 2500 or Dimensity 9400.

Some comments on Jukanlosreve’s post ask why the Galaxy S25 FE would receive the Exynos 2400 rather than the rumored flagship Exynos 2500 chipset. In response, Jukanlosreve suggests that the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE will launch in April 2025 to directly challenge the rumored iPhone SE 4, which we expect will launch in early 2025 also.

This would apparently preclude the S25 FE from using the Exynos 2500, which Jukanlosreve implies could debut with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, rumored to launch in summer 2025.

This is in contrast to the usual fall release schedule of the Galaxy S FE series, not to mention very close to the release of the latest model – in fact, we’ve only just published our Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review.

We’d suggest taking this part of the rumor with a particularly large pinch of salt for the time being, as Samsung very rarely changes its release schedules and doesn’t tend to time releases in sync with competitors.

And the rest of these rumors – though a touch more substantial – are all totally unofficial at the moment, so be sure to keep up with our Samsung coverage and phones coverage for the latest official updates as we hear them.

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Business email attacks (BEC), a type of email-borne scams that impersonate executives, have “surged” in the third quarter of 2024, with the manufacturing sector hit particularly hard.

Analyzing 1.8 billion emails globally (208 million of which were malicious), researchers from VIPRE security group reported BEC made up more than half (58%) of all phishing attempts in the quarter.

It found most BEC attacks (89%) impersonated figures of authority, such as Chief Executive Officers (CEO), senior executives, and IT staff, and targeted those who are lower on the hierarchy chain.

Rising sophistication

In the first quarter of 2024, BEC attacks against the manufacturing sector made up just 2% of all attempts, rising five-fold to 10% in the third quarter of the year. VIPRE claims the rise may be due to the industry’s widespread use of mobile sign-ins and various worksites.

“Employees accessing systems “on the go”, often under pressure to meet production deadlines, are more susceptible to phishing attempts,” the company said.

For Usman Choudhary, VIPRE’s CPTO, email-borne attacks are growing more sophisticated by the day, and thus becoming harder to spot and neutralize.

“BEC email and phishing attacks are becoming more targeted and convincing,” he said. “Additionally malware distribution through malicious spam campaigns continues to pose a serious threat to organizations.”

VIPRE split BEC attacks into common scams (34%), commercial spam (30%), and phishing (20%), and stressed that combined, these attacks overshadow ransomware and malware, which comprised less than 20% of all email attacks.

Defending against BEC is just the same as against any other scam that starts with an email. Employees should be trained to be skeptical of all incoming email messages, especially those that require urgent attention and resolution.

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A new report claims that Apple has secretly tested an app that could help customers with prediabetes manage their food, and make lifestyle changes that could one day help shape the company's health software.

We've been hearing reports for years that Apple has been trying to crack blood glucose monitoring on its best Apple Watch models, to no avail up until now.

The latest reports indicate that Apple's non-invasive blood glucose tech (rather than "invasive" technology like continuous glucose monitors, so called because they use needles to pierce the skin) might still be years away. However, in the meantime, Apple appears to be testing an app that could help in the fight against diabetes.

Writing in his weekly Power On Newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple this year tested an app "to help people with prediabetes manage their food intake and make lifestyle changes."

According to the report, Apple doesn't currently have plans to release the app, but may integrate the technology into its future health products, "including a noninvasive glucose tracker that it’s been developing for more than a decade."

Apple's secret diabetes app

Could Apple's Health app help you manage your blood glucose in future? (Image credit: Future)

The app could reportedly show consumers how certain foods impact their blood sugar levels, based on measurements taken by existing blood sugar monitoring devices.

Gurman says the study was aimed at exploring uses for blood sugar data and what tools Apple could create for consumers as a result. Latterly, he reports testing on the app has been paused, but says the tests could pave the way for better food tracking on Apple's own health software or better third-party glucose tracking integration.

In the meantime, the report states that Apple's non-invasive blood glucose tech is "still years away". Its current prototype is an "iPhone-sized" device, but even at that scale, Apple is battling overheating and miniaturization challenges. Apple's system features lasers that shoot light into the skin with a view to providing specific blood sugar readings, even if early iterations may only be able to tell people if they're prediabetic.

While some knock-off smartwatches claim to include glucose monitoring, none of the best smartwatches out there actually offer the feature because of the aforementioned technical challenges. The FDA went so far as to warn against using smartwatches or even smart rings to measure blood glucose earlier this year.

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Google is developing Project Jarvis, a new AI agent that browses the web for you, taking the phrase “Let me Google that for you” quite literally.

The rumor comes courtesy of The Information which reports “three people with direct knowledge of the product” expect the new computer-using AI could be demonstrated as early as December “alongside the release of its next flagship Gemini large language model, which would help power the product.”

Just imagine asking Google Chrome to search the web and book a holiday for you, allowing Jarvis AI to take over as an automated personal assistant to get tasks done - it’s wild, almost like the web browsing equivalent of the self-driving car.

Jarvis AI is very similar to Anthropic’s recently announced improvements coming to Claude AI which let the model take control of your computer to browse the web, launch applications, and even use your mouse and keyboard. Imagine that, but confined specifically to Google Chrome.

The Information’s report also claims Google’s AI agent can “respond to a person’s commands by capturing frequent screenshots of what’s on their computer screen, and interpreting the shots before taking actions like clicking on a button or typing into a text field.”

While we could see Jarvis AI by the end of the year, the insiders who spoke to The Information claim it could be released to just a small group of early testers before a major rollout. As it stands, “The agent currently operates relatively slowly because the model needs to think for a few seconds before taking each action.”

Are we ready for AI agents?

AI agents, like Google’s Jarvis, are systems that can complete tasks without human supervision, whether that’s controlling a computer or simply marking emails as read. Most of the major players in AI are trying to launch AI agents that can help single users and businesses facilitate mundane computer tasks, but at the current stage, most are still just experiments.

How do you feel about AI browsing the web for you? I suspect the general consensus is that we don’t quite trust AI models to complete tasks without the concern of hallucination. That said, if these rumors are correct we’ll see exactly what Google has planned in just a few months, and whether or not it can convince the average consumer that it’s time we let AI take control of our web searches.

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Microsoft has announced changes to its senior leadership team across the EMEA market as part of its commitment to supporting new and emerging technologies such as AI and automation.

The company announced Clare Barclay’s appointment as President of Enterprise & Industry for EMEA, a role that will see her retire from her current position as CEO of Microsoft UK, which she has held since October 2020.

In her place, fellow Microsoft worker Darren Hardman will step in as CEO of Microsoft UK on November 1.

Microsoft EMEA leadership shake-up

Previously serving as Microsoft UK’s chief executie, Barclay’s successes include setting up high-profile partnerships with companies such as the London Stock Exchange Group, Vodafone and Sainsbury’s, with a focus on artificial intelligence.

In her new role, Barclay has been tasked with driving growth and digital transformation across 120 EMEA markets, working closely with partners and startups to encourage the adoption of AI tools.

Hardman, who joined Microsoft in May 2023, will lead the company’s operations through its next phase of growth. Having served as the UK&I CEO for Amazon Web Services, among other roles, Microsoft credited him for his extensive work in the UK tech sector. Before moving to Microsoft, Hardman worked with the government’s Digital Skills Council.

“Clare and Darren both bring unique strengths and insights to their new roles," noted Ralph Haupter, President of Microsoft EMEA. "With this strategic leadership transition, we will bring the best of our industry and AI execution to our UK and EMEA customers.”

The company also used the announcement as an opportunity to reinforce its commitment to Britain, adding that Microsoft employs around 6,000 workers in the UK with offices in Paddington, Manchester and Edinburgh, and a headquarters in Reading.

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No cursed tombs are safe as Netflix has renewed Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft for a second season – and I can't wait to see the adventurer fire her dual pistols once again as she takes on a man-eating marine beast in the upcoming series' next season.

The show's renewal comes just weeks after Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft premiered on the best streaming service on October 10, with Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger, Mission Impossible 7) providing the voice of the legendary archaeologist in this latest videogame adaptation.

Based on the famous videogame franchise first released in 1996, Lara Croft has since seen many iterations. From Keeley Hawes in the original video game series, to Angelina Jolie in the 00s movie adaptations, now she's going on another animated adventure in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft season 2.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft was one of four new videogame adaptations showcased during Netflix Geeked Week and has received mostly positive reviews upon its release with 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. While this doesn't make it one of the best Netflix shows, it's still a fighting fit TV adaptation that reimagines her legacy story.

What can we expect in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft season 2?

The first season was an origin story of sorts; one taking place after the events of the 2018 game Shadow of the Tomb Raider and saw the intrepid explorer confronts her traumatic past while unraveling an ancient mystery.

Season 2 is set to develop her character from a novice to her journey of becoming the legend she's known as today. Per a Netflix press release, season 2's official logline reads: "When adventurer Lara Croft discovers a trail of stolen African Orisha masks, she joins forces with her best friend Sam to retrieve the precious artifacts. Lara’s thrilling new adventure takes her around the globe as she delves deeper into the hidden secrets of Orisha history, dodges the machinations of a dangerous and enigmatic billionaire who wants the masks for herself, while discovering these relics contain dark secrets and a power that defies logic. Power that may, in fact, be divine."

Showrunner Tasha Huo teased some exciting details about Croft's character in season 2 to Netflix Tudum: “So season 1, thematically, is about Lara embracing how her dad dealt with grief, which was isolating. When we meet Lara, she’s very isolated … As we get into season 2, we’re trying to build Lara’s team over the course of the show, so she goes from isolated hero, who only wants to do things on her own - a lone wolf - to realizing, ‘Actually, I have this really cool team behind me.’"

Huo also hinted at a shark encounter in Lara's future, so there's high hopes that some classic Tomb Raider action is set to go down in season 2.

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We’ve just caught a sighting of Nvidia’s RTX 5000 graphics cards for laptops, which is hopefully a hint that these next-gen GPUs are inbound to be revealed soon, as the rumor mill already believes.

The mobile Blackwell GPUs were spotted by leaker Harukaze5719 on X, posted up as part of the PCI Device ID database, likely by laptop makers (most, but not all, of the IDs discovered by the leaker pertain to mobile parts).

2980 / GB10229c0 / GB1022c18 / GB203M, GN22 / 5090 Mobile2c19 / GB203M, GN22 / 5080 Mobile2c2c / N22W-ES-A1 / @mooreslawisdead leaked the picture5070 Ti Mobile5070 Mobile5060 Mobile5050 Mobilehttps://t.co/PGWZsH221XOctober 27, 2024

As you can see in the above post, these are supposedly the RTX 5090 mobile GPU, plus the RTX 5080, RTX 5070 Ti and vanilla RTX 5070, RTX 5060 and RTX 5050.

Those are the models Nvidia has on the boil in theory, but obviously take this with a liberal quantity of salt – and we don’t get any spec info here, just the purported GPUs that could make up the Blackwell family for gaming laptops.

The rumor mill has shifted somewhat in recent times to float the suggestion that we’ll get these laptop GPUs launched at CES 2025, so we could see some of them very soon – alongside RTX 5000 desktop graphics cards (possibly the RTX 5090, 5080, and the RTX 5070 on the desktop front).

Analysis: Fingers crossed for that RTX 5080 powerhouse

As noted, this is more evidence to add to the growing number of hints that we will indeed see next-gen Blackwell GPUs for laptops in just over a couple of months. It comes on top of a recent eye-opening revelation that we might see an RTX 5080 that uses the GB203 chip (the same one in the flagship RTX 5090 mobile) – which is what this fresh rumor suggests – and is nicely powerful as a result. Indeed, the RTX 5080 might be a big step up from the RTX 4080 mobile, if this pans out (which is perhaps why Nvidia is doing this – as the RTX 4080 for laptops was widely criticized as being a weak offering when it emerged).

If this latest info is right, it would appear to suggest that the rumored RTX 5080 is indeed the vanilla version of the graphics card, and not some kind of RTX 5080 Ti (which might be one explanation for how powerful it supposedly is). So, this keeps hope alive that the high-end for Blackwell laptops is going to be more impressive this time around.

The only variant (Ti or Super) mentioned at all here is the RTX 5070 Ti, in fact – though that doesn’t rule out Nvidia producing such spins at a later date. Team Green probably doesn’t yet know itself what route it’ll take when it comes to diversifying the RTX 5000 range later on down the line.

Via VideoCardz

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2025 could be a big year for iPads, as it now sounds like Apple might have refreshes for three models planned, namely the iPad Pro, iPad Air, and the base iPad.

This is all according to Mark Gurman, who recently claimed that we’d see the iPad 11 and a new iPad Air in the spring (meaning sometime between late March and late June), alongside the iPhone SE 4, and in his latest newsletter for Bloomberg he said the same again.

This time though Gurman added that the iPad 11 will apparently have roughly the same design as the iPad 10.9 (2022), but that it will get a speed boost – one that we imagine will also allow it to support Apple Intelligence.

In any case, these two tablets will be landing before too long if Gurman is right, but if you’re holding out for a new iPad Pro then you might be waiting quite a lot longer, as in the same article Gurman said he doesn’t expect this to land until either late 2025 or early 2026.

When it does, it will probably come running a new M5 chipset, but Gurman doesn’t expect other major changes, since the design of the current model is only around six months old.

The iPad Pro (2024) is still quite new (Image credit: Future) Mostly small upgrades

So while 2025 might be a big year in terms of the number of new iPads we see, it doesn’t sound like these new models will be massive upgrades on the current ones.

As such, you can probably safely buy the iPad Pro (2024) right now, since it’s likely still quite a wait for the next one, and possibly with only a new chipset to show for it. It might be worth waiting for the next iPad Air, since that could arrive in the first half of 2025, but the iPad Air (2024) is still fairly new, so again, we might not see many upgrades.

The most worthwhile of these products could be the iPad 11, since unlike the latest Air and Pro models, the iPad 10.9 (2022) doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, so even if this upcoming model does just have a new chipset, it could open up a whole new world of features.

As ever we’d take these claims with a pinch of salt anyway, but Gurman has a good track record, so there’s every chance these release timings will pan out.

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Last week, Apple dropped a seriously heavy hint that new Macs are indeed about to arrive – multiple Mac-related revelations are expected over the course of this week, likely consecutive launches over the next few days, starting today – and we’ve heard more about the spec of the purported M4-toting machines that are inbound.

Mark Gurman brings fresh rumors about the M4 Macs in the leaker’s latest newsletter for Bloomberg, and there’s exciting news about the entry-level MacBook Pro.

Firstly, we’re told that of the two M4 chips currently powering the iPad Pro (launched earlier this year), only the 10-core CPU (with 10-core GPU) will be in the base-level MacBook Pro models. So, the other CPU (a slightly weaker spin with a 9-core CPU, plus 10-core GPU) may be in the (also rumored) Mac mini or iMac, but not Apple’s new laptops (take all of this with seasoning, but Gurman seems fairly confident in his assertions at this point).

The even better news the leaker imparts is that “at least some low-end Macs” will likely come with 16GB of Unified Memory as minimum, and our guess – as previous churning from the rumor mill indicates – is that this means the MacBook Pro 14-inch will have 16GB with the entry-level model. We can expect low and high-end MacBook Pro 14-inch models, and a new MacBook Pro 16-inch, Gurman notes (as the leaker has previously said), including ‘higher-end’ M4 flavors (M4 Pro and presumably M4 Max).

Gurman also tells us that we’re getting an iMac 24-inch with vanilla M4, and two spins on a redesigned Mac mini (featuring a choice of the vanilla M4 and M4 Pro chips). As already rumored, it’s going to be an even more compact Mac mini, with two ports on the front, and with some versions there’ll be three connectors on the back (five ports in total).

The leaker further notes that the iMac 24-inch getting a relatively swift refresh to the M4 – compared to the gap between the M1 and M3 versions of the all-in-one – shows how important the new chip is to Apple. Mainly because the M4 is key in complementing Apple Intelligence, with its AI prowess being considerably peppier (the M4 sports 38 TOPS – a measurement of AI acceleration power – compared to 18 TOPS in the M3 chip).

(Image credit: Future) Analysis: M4 for all Macs as part of the big AI drive

All Macs are getting the M4 treatment because of this focus on AI and driving ahead with Apple Intelligence, and that does make sense. (Early in 2025, probably in Q1 Gurman believes, we’ll see a MacBook Air with M4, and Mac Studio and Mac Pro M4 models will purportedly follow later next year – maybe in Q2, then Q3 of 2025 respectively).

The M4 will clearly be a significant leap for AI processing power, and also for gaming, Gurman says, even though the gains over the M3 will be “noticeable but not stunning” on an overall level. In other words, an upgrade from the M3 may not be hugely compelling, but coming from the M1, the performance boost will be as significant as when Apple first switched to its M series CPUs from Intel machines, Gurman observes.

It all sounds quite promising then, especially if Apple can load up the MacBook Pro 14-inch entry-level with 16GB of RAM – though Gurman appears to pour cold water on the idea of all Macs having 16GB as a baseline for Unified Memory.

Apple Intelligence can run with 8GB of memory, the leaker notes (as seen with the iPad Pro), but given that the AI feature uses up a fair bit of RAM, that could leave a Mac lean for other apps – and it’s also lacking for future-proofing to boot – so surely 16GB at this point is a bare minimum for a Pro-targeted laptop? The question is: will this make the entry-level MacBook Pro 14-inch considerably more expensive? We hope not.

We might see new Macs as early as later today, and the most high-profile reveal is surely the MacBook Pro M4, so it’d make some sense to either start – or finish – with those laptops. In just a number of hours, then, we might know everything about the new MacBook Pros – or perhaps the new iMac 24-inch if Apple goes in reverse order of importance.

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There’s little doubt that we’ll see a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 in 2025 – and any lingering doubts now appear to have been dispelled, as codenames for these phones have leaked.

GalaxyClub (via GSMArena) claims to have received information about these phones, stating that they’re in the works with codenames of B7 (for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7), and Q7 (for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7).

So far, so unsurprising; but alongside these, GalaxyClub claims there’s also a device with the codename Q7M.

So what could this be? The site doesn’t claim to know, other than suggesting that it could be some variation on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, but it puts forward two possibilities. One is that this is the rumored tri-fold Samsung foldable phone, although we’d think that would launch as a completely different model, rather than as a variant of the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

The other suggestion GalaxyClub makes is that this could be a special-edition model, like we’ve recently seen with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, which is currently exclusive to South Korea. But that phone was codenamed Q6A, following on from the Q6-codenamed Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. So logically a successor would have the codename Q7A, not Q7M.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition is a slimmer, slightly better Z Fold 6 (Image credit: Samsung) Affordable or ultra-premium?

So what else could it be? The other two possibilities we can think of are either a relatively low-cost Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, or perhaps an ultra-premium Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra.

Of those, the latter might be more likely, since Samsung recently said it has no plans to launch a cheap Galaxy Z Fold model. But really this could be anything – or nothing at all, if this leak turns out to be wrong.

We might get more of an idea in July or August, as that’s when the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, and at least the standard model of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, are expected to land.

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In its first Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) designation in more than a decade, the UK government has now announced that data centers should be afforded the same mission-critical status as energy and water systems in a bid to safeguard them against potential threats. This important step aligns with broader European policy, acknowledging the essential role these facilities play in safeguarding data, powering cloud services, and driving technological innovation. 

As reliance on digital services continues to grow, particularly with the surge of AI tools and cloud-based applications, ensuring the security and resilience of data centers has become a top priority for governments and businesses alike. The UK's focus on boosting protections against cyberattacks and system failures highlights the increasing recognition of their role in maintaining societal and economic stability.

However, securing data centers alone is not enough. These facilities are part of a much larger networked ecosystem. Without robust interconnection and network infrastructure linking them together, the data they store and process cannot flow effectively across borders, industries, or platforms. As the world becomes more dependent on digital services, the ability to ensure uninterrupted, high-performance connectivity between data centers and networks is critical – not only for organizations or communities, but for entire economies.

Is protecting data centers alone enough?

We are currently seeing a massive boom in data center absorption and new construction projects, driven by recent innovations in AI. In the US, for example, our recently published study shows that current construction projects and plans for future projects will see megawatt (MW) capacity in the market grow by 160% in the next couple of years to around 28,000 MW, up from a little over 11,000 MW today. And that doesn’t include any new construction plans from colocation providers or hyperscalers that might be announced next month! We see similar booms all over the world, including the UK.

Data centers house everything from critical business data to the applications that power daily life. But as industries shift more toward AI, machine learning, and cloud services, it’s not the data centers alone but rather in combination with connectivity that are quickly becoming indispensable. This is because the seamless exchange of data is one of the most effective economic drivers in the modern world. The surge in demand for cloud computing, combined with the increasing reliance on AI-driven services, has led to exponential growth in the amount of data generated, stored, and exchanged. This makes the physical and digital security of data centers vital to the smooth functioning of modern society – a fact which the UK, along with its European counterparts, has now formally recognized.

There’s more to this picture, however. It’s not just about the data housed within these centers – it’s about how that data is moved, accessed, and utilized. The value of a data center providing services to enterprises is directly tied to its ability to connect with others through resilient, high-performance networks. Without effective interconnection, even the most advanced data centers struggle to deliver on their promise of real-time applications and low-latency services. In an interconnected global economy, the failure to prioritize connectivity and interconnection security – as well as data center security – threatens not just technological progress, but economic stability as well.

It's time to talk about interconnection

We’ve established the indispensable role of data centers in our IT infrastructure, but in reality their true value is locked until they are seamlessly interconnected. Interconnection platforms – or Internet Exchanges (IXs) – are hubs that encourage the aggregation of networks and cloud services, housed in multiple data centers, and allows them to connect and exchange data directly, bypassing the public Internet. 

Data center and carrier-neutral platforms are independent of any single provider, enabling organizations to choose the best data centers and the best network routes, without being tied to one specific vendor. They also enable many more options for creating a geographically redundant infrastructure to ensure the greatest resilience in the case of outages. This setup reduces latency, increases reliability, and prevents long-term vendor lock-in, giving businesses the flexibility to adapt and scale their digital connectivity while ensuring continuous, high-performance data flow across different networks.

In Europe, the framework supporting data-center-neutral and carrier-neutral interconnection has set a global precedent. By separating infrastructure from individual service providers, the European model not only boosts resilience but also fosters competition, driving down costs while improving connectivity performance. This neutrality is quickly becoming vital to sustaining the smooth, uninterrupted flow of data that aspirational economies now require.

The US is now following suit. The recently issued "Roadmap to Enhancing Internet Routing Security" is a clear recognition that the strength of a nation’s digital economy hinges not only on data centers, but on secure, reliable interconnection. Over the last decade, the US has adopted a model where data exchange is not dependent on any single provider or location. Instead, neutral Internet Exchanges and interconnection platforms are now able to offer improved resilience and cybersecurity of these data flows. This movement reflects a much broader understanding that vendor-neutral platforms enable more resilient connectivity by enabling organizations to reduce points of failure in their infrastructure and improving redundancy across the network.

Let’s go deep

One of the key drivers of this shift in the US is the nation’s growing concern around the economic and security risks posed by legacy, fragmented, vendor-dependent infrastructure. In a push to alleviate those concerns, more than 80% of US Internet Exchanges are now neutral, enabling multiple data centers and service providers to be woven together, ensuring that even if one path experiences issues, data can still move freely through alternative routes. 

The importance of this cannot be overstated. As AI-driven applications increasingly require real-time data processing and ultra-low latency, any disruptions in connectivity can severely impact business operations and broader economic activity. So even with the most high-performance colocation and hyperscale data centers in the world, progress and innovation will still be hampered without the use of neutral points of interconnection. The decentralized, redundant nature of neutral interconnection platforms creates a more secure and reliable environment for data exchange, bolstering not just national security but also the competitiveness of digital economies on the world stage.

Designating data centers as critical infrastructure is a positive first step by the UK government, akin to protecting vital buildings in a city. But just as a city relies on roads and intersections to function and keep things moving, digital infrastructure depends on networks and interconnection platforms to keep data flowing smoothly. To truly safeguard connectivity, governments must not only secure data centers, but ensure that the entire interconnection ecosystem, including networks and IXs, is robust, resilient, and well-guarded.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

It’s no secret that cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, while simultaneously growing in number and volume. Research from the Business Continuity Institute reports that cyber threats have increased in severity over the past year, with 75% of respondents reporting a rise in attempted breaches and 39.4% falling victim to a successful cyber-attack.

And this worrying trend is only expected to rise. In fact, our own research shows that a staggering 70% of UK business leaders expect their organizations to be hit by a cyberattack within the next year.

But, despite these concerns for the near future, the same study shows that only 35% of those leaders believe they are adequately prepared to handle such an incident. Clearly, there is a significant disconnect between the perceived risk of cyber threats and the level of preparedness among the nation’s businesses.

So, as the digital threat landscape continues to evolve, UK businesses find themselves in an increasingly delicate position when it comes to cybersecurity. The growing number of incidents facing modern companies is well documented in today’s headlines, leaving organizations in no doubt that this is a serious issue that every business should have near the top of their agendas.

In this landscape, how can companies become more confident in their ability to defend themselves against modern cyber threats?

Rising cyber threats: a reality for UK businesses

The gap between the anticipated risks of cyberattacks and the preparedness of businesses to address them speaks volumes about the current state of cybersecurity in the UK.

This discrepancy isn’t a question of ignorance but of confidence – or the lack thereof. With almost half (48%) of UK organizations reporting a cybersecurity incident in the past year according to our data, the threat is very real, and the same research reveals that the UK now holds the unfortunate title of being the most targeted country in Europe. And still, only one in three business leaders feel they have the necessary defenses in place. This points to a critical issue: while awareness is growing, true preparedness remains worryingly low.

That’s despite the real-life ramifications that can be expected when a business suffers a breach.

Not only could an incident have serious consequences for the business itself, but it could also have a negative impact on your employees and customers. Whether it’s financial losses, regulatory penalties or reputational damage, the stakes are high when it comes to having a lack of robust defense mechanisms. For example, in September 2023, MGM Resorts International suffered a devastating ransomware attack that cost the company an estimated $100 million – equivalent to roughly £76 million. A cyber-attack is a devastating blow to any company – but there are lessons to be learned when an incident like this makes the headlines.

Learning from experience

What stands out from the Cloudflare data is that sectors with higher attack frequencies, such as IT and technology, report feeling more prepared for future incidents. This is logical – experience breeds resilience. This confidence also likely stems from the sectors' early adoption of advanced cybersecurity tools and practices, equipping them to handle the evolving threat landscape.

SolarWinds is a great example of a business that took significant steps to overhaul its security practices after a breach – and come out stronger. The company enhanced its software development process with its Secure by Design principle, adopted a Zero Trust architecture, and increased transparency by openly communicating with customers and regulators. SolarWinds also collaborated with cybersecurity experts to continuously improve their defences, while contributing to industry-wide efforts to bolster software supply chain security. These actions helped the company recover, educate the wider sector and become more resilient against future cyber threats.

But while the IT and tech sectors are more prepared for such an incident, others are lagging behind. Industries like education and healthcare, which have faced fewer attacks in the last 12 months, display a shocking level of complacency. With our data showing that only 19% and 18% of these sectors feeling prepared for an attack, one has to wonder: are they playing a dangerous waiting game?

Just because businesses have been lucky enough to avoid an attack so far, it doesn’t make them immune in the future. And the industries that have yet to face a cyberattack are worryingly underprepared. A report from Microsoft and Goldsmiths, University of London has found that just 13% of UK businesses are resilient to cyberattacks, with 48% deemed vulnerable and the remaining 39% facing high risk. Given the sensitive nature of the data handled in industries like healthcare, a significant cyberattack could have devastating consequences. And as cyber threats become more sophisticated and frequent, hope is not a strategy.

Cybersecurity as a catalyst for business modernization

Despite the challenges posed by the growing threat of cyberattacks, there is a positive shift in how business leaders are approaching cybersecurity. Our research shows that over two-fifths (44%) see it as a driving force for modernization and the same amount consider it a key to getting boards to invest in essential projects.

According to a report by Aviva, attitudes towards cyber security are shifting, with more businesses recognizing the importance of robust defenses against potential threats. The company’s data shows that worries over cyber-attacks have risen from 40% to 57% since 2020.

This evolving perspective is encouraging, as it suggests organizations are recognizing the strategic value of strong cybersecurity measures. It highlights a recognition that robust defenses can offer more than just protection – driving innovation, streamlining operations and enhancing overall efficiency, as well as offering opportunities for operational improvements and data protection. This forward-thinking approach turns cybersecurity from a defensive necessity into a strategic advantage.

By embedding cybersecurity into top-level decision-making rather than treating it as an afterthought, businesses are positioning themselves to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

The need for proactive cybersecurity measures

In an era where digital risks are evolving rapidly, businesses must invest not just in advanced technologies but in fostering a culture where cybersecurity is treated as a strategic priority. Simplified, consolidated solutions are key, but without the right mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement across the whole organization, they will fall short.

Every company, regardless of its industry, must recognize the evolving threat landscape and take proactive steps to mitigate the risks. It’s time for every business to acknowledge that preparedness is more than just a checklist; it’s a mission-critical element of modern business strategy. Instead of being a reactive measure dusted off after a breach occurs, cybersecurity should be considered a proactive, central part of every organisation’s future-proofing plan. UK businesses are waking up to the reality of cyber threats – now they must ensure they are ready to face them head-on.

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The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could be the best Android phone of 2025, and you probably won’t have to wait until late in the year for it, with this handset likely to land in January or February.

As the launch is now fast approaching, we’ve unsurprisingly heard plenty about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra through apparent leaks and rumors, so we have a good idea of what to expect. This includes a bigger screen, a powerful new chipset, an upgraded ultra-wide camera, and possibly even a new name.

Below, you’ll find all the credible claims we’ve heard about this phone so far, and we’ll be regularly updating this article, so check back soon to stay in the loop.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next top-end Samsung phone
• When is it out? Probably early 2025
• How much will it cost? Likely upwards of $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199

A very high price

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

• Likely to land in January or February
• Could cost more than the S24 Ultra

Surprisingly, we haven’t heard any release date rumors yet, but Samsung usually launches new Galaxy S models in either January or February, so we’re expecting the same next year, meaning there’s probably not long to wait.

News about the potential price of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is less promising though, as numerous sources have said the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that we’re expecting it to use will cost more than its predecessor.

One source claimed the Snapdragon 8 Elite would cost around $40 more, with another saying the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be roughly 20% more expensive, and even Qualcomm itself (which makes the chipset) has said the Snapdragon 8 Elite will be pricey.

In which case, there’s every chance Samsung will pass that cost increase on to buyers, which means we might be looking at a starting price higher than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s $1,299.99 / £1,249 / AU$2,199.

Can you trust these rumors?

We predict the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will probably cost more than the S24 Ultra, given that its chipset is almost certainly more expensive, but we doubt it will be a drastic price increase.

A possible name change

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

• Could instead be called the Samsung Galaxy S25 Note

In one surprising claim, we’ve heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra might instead launch as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Note.

There’s some logic to this, since the Ultra line in its current form is quite similar to Samsung’s discontinued Galaxy Note line anyway, but it’s something that so far only one source has mentioned.

Can you trust these rumors? 

We're very skeptical of this claim, as while there could be some logic to a name change, it's only something we've heard from one source.

A bigger screen

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future)

• Could have a larger 6.9-inch display
• Likely to have more rounded corners than the S24 Ultra

Rumors suggest the main design change coming the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra could simply be more rounded corners.

You can see this change in leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra renders below. We’ve seen Galaxy S25 Ultra renders from multiple sources, and they all show more rounded corners, and an otherwise similar design to last year.

You can also see this design in claimed leaked images of a Galaxy S25 Ultra case, and a leaked photo seemingly showing dummy units of all three Samsung Galaxy S25 models.

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A leaked render of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (Image credit: @UniverseIce)Image 2 of 3

A leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra render (Image credit: Android Headlines / @OnLeaks)Image 3 of 3

A leaked photo of Samsung Galaxy S25 series dummy units (Image credit: @UniverseIce)

Beyond that, we’ve heard from tipster @Jukanlosreve that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 6.86-inch screen, but that disappointingly it will use the same M13 panel technology as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, meaning it might not be as efficient or have as long a lifespan as the M14 used by the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Serial phones tipster @UniverseIce has likewise said that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 6.86-inch screen. This would likely be marketed as 6.9 inches, and would be marginally larger than the 6.8-inch Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

They added that the display will be 73mm wide, making it a little bit wider than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s, but that thanks to smaller bezels and a slimmer frame the overall handset width of the Galaxy S25 Ultra would be slightly slimmer at 77.6mm.

The same source has said the full dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will be 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2mm. Another source has pointed to similar Galaxy S25 Ultra dimensions of 162.82 x 77.65 x 8.25mm.

For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 162.3 x 79 x 8.6mm, so that would make the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra a tiny bit taller, but narrower and thinner. We’ve also heard that the Galaxy S25 Ultra might be lighter at 219g, rather than the 232g of its predecessor.

And we have an idea of the colors it might be available in, with one Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra colors leak pointing to Black, Blue, Green, and Titanium shades. That said, another Galaxy S25 Ultra colors leak instead hinted it will come in Titanium Black, Titanium Blue, Titanium Gray, and Titanium Silver shades, so there's some disagreement.

Though even if one of these claims is correct, we’d expect additional shades will be made exclusive to Samsung’s online store, as that’s what the company usually does.

Can you trust these rumors?

We've now seen numerous leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, so we're quite confident of the design. As for a screen size increase, that's believable too as it would bring the phone in line with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

A new ultra-wide camera

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Future)

• Could have a new 50MP ultra-wide camera
• The other cameras are likely to be the same as on the S24 Ultra

We’ve not heard much about the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s cameras yet, but the most recent and credible leak on that front suggests the Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a new 50MP ultra-wide camera, up from 12MP on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

However, they add that the other sensors will have the same megapixel counts as their predecessors, meaning a 200MP main camera, a 50MP periscope camera (likely with 5x optical zoom), and a 10MP telephoto camera (likely with 3x optical zoom).

Way back in February we did hear a different selection of camera specs from leaker @BennettBuhner. They claimed that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a 50MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP 10x zoom camera, a 50MP 3x-5x variable zoom telephoto camera, and a new main camera that will stay at 200MP but have a larger 1-inch sensor. However, not only is this an early leak but they don’t have a very good track record.

Can you trust these rumors? 

We've heard surprisingly little about the cameras, so it's hard to say for sure what might feature, but a new 50MP ultra-wide sounds believable. The older camera claims mentioned here seem less likely.

A powerful Snapdragon chipset and more RAM

A Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra running Call of Duty Mobile (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

• Likely to use a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset
• Could have 16GB of RAM
• Might once again have a 5,000mAh battery

There has been some debate over which chipset certain Samsung Galaxy S25 models will use, but the consensus seems to increasingly be that every model will use the Snapdragon 8 Elite – and even when there was a debate, most sources suggested that the Ultra at least would use the Snapdragon 8 Elite.

Numerous sources have now spoken of the Snapdragon 8 Elite being used in the Galaxy S25 line, while talk of the other potential options – namely the Exynos 2500 and the MediaTek Dimensity 2400 – has died down, with the former apparently encountering major manufacturing difficulties, and the latter perhaps just being used in the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE. That said, we can’t completely rule them out yet.

All of these are top-end chipsets in any case, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite sounds particularly impressive, and should provide a major improvement to both the phone’s AI capabilities and its gaming skills.

Indeed, an early benchmark for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra using this chipset suggests it could be even more powerful than the A18 Pro powering the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Along with a powerful new chipset, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra might also have 16GB of RAM, which is up from 12GB in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and that should also help with AI.

As for the battery, the only credible leak so far points to a 5,000mAh one in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which would mean no change from the current model’s capacity.

Can you trust these rumors? 

We'd be very surprised if the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra didn't use the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. Claims of more RAM and the same battery size this year are believable too, though as we've only heard these things from one source we'd take them with a pinch of salt.

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Nextbase makes some of the best dash cams, including the iQ, which we labelled the smartest dash cam ever. However, the UK-based company's first smart dash cam is also the priciest add-on car security solution around, with some wide-ranging smart features that could be overkill for many users. That's where the new Nextbase Piqo comes in.

Think of the Piqo as a baby iQ: it has a similar fresh look, but is a much smaller and simpler package, with cleverly implemented 'Lite' versions of IQ's smart features that are designed to appeal to younger drivers.

The Piqo is available globally from the Nextbase website and leading retailers in two versions: 1K (HD 1080p) for just $129.99 / £99.99 / AU$199 and 2K (HD 1440p) for $149.99 / £129.99 / $299. Contrast that to the iQ, which starts at $399.99 / £349.99, and the Piqo's appeal is clear – particularly when you consider that you also need to pay for a monthly data plan to make the most of the more expensive model's smart features.

That's a big difference in price, so let's take a look at what the Piqo can do and where necessary compromises have been made.

(Image credit: Nextbase) A cleverly watered-down iQ

Video resolution in the 1K HD version of the Piqo is actually slightly more detailed than standard 1080p, with a 2560x1080 pixel resolution and 140-degree field of view. The 2K version, meanwhile, has a max resolution of 2560x1440 pixels and 145-degree field of view. Unlike the iQ, there's no 4K version of the Piqo.

I asked Bryn Brooker, Nextbase's Head of Marketing, why there's no 4K version of the Piqo, and he told me that according to Nextbase research, at least 83% of UK dash cam owners see no need for a pricier 4K dash cam, plus Nextbase is confident in the video quality of the Piqo.

Bryn also told me that the dash cam market is evolving. In 2020 the majority of dash cam customers were 45 years of age and older, but four years later and this demographic has reversed. Nextbase has consequently adapted the Piqo's design and features to appeal to a younger audience.

It doesn't have a screen – because most people today use their phones, after all. Instead, you can connect to the Piqo through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and view the video feed and recordings through an entirely new Nextbase app that's currently exclusive to the Piqo. The app is stripped back to make it easy for you to do key things such as view and share videos.

There are also new 'skins': customized overlays that display crucial stats on your video, such as speed. They're more for fun than anything else, but you get one skin thrown in with the free 'Solo' subscription, and can get more via the paid-for 'Protect' plan that costs £29.99 per year.

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(Image credit: Nextbase)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: Nextbase)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: Nextbase)

With its own data plan, the pricier iQ is an always-connected camera, with smart features such as emergency SOS, Guardian Mode, Witness Mode and Smart Parking that can update you in realtime, like if your car has been pranged while parked, or tell your loved ones if you've had an accident and upload the footage to the cloud for you. The Piqo has all of these modes, too, but here they're light versions.

For example, in Guardian Lite mode your emergency contact gets a text from the Piqo rather than the video being sent to them, which is what the iQ does. Likewise, Witness Lite mode uploads content when you are back home with a Wi-Fi connection.

Elsewhere, smart parking auto-records any prangs, but like any dash cam you'll need constant power for a feature like this. Nextbase sells two kits for constant power separately, the pro install cable kit and the connect cable kit. The Piqo is also equipped with G-Sense tech and automatically increases sensitivity when it detects the car is parked.

Other features include 10Ghz GPS and voice control, plus a newly designed and rigorously tested click mount. Overall, the Piqo seems like a clever implementation of smart iQ tech in a simpler and cheaper dash cam. We're currently reviewing the Nextbase Piqo and will share our experiences very soon.

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Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #505) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• SPELL
• LOVE
• PLEASE
• HOLD
• PRESTO
• MEAN
• THANK YOU
• SHAZAM
• AUDIBLE
• ABRACADABRA
• SIGNIFY
• TIDAL
• SUGGEST
• HAVE
• PANDORA
• CHERISH

NYT Connections today (game #505) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• Yellow: Not Spotify
• Green: Point towards
• Blue: I do
• Purple: Could conjure up a good response

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #505) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: AUDIO APPS
• GREEN: INDICATE
• BLUE: CHURCH OF ENGLAND WEDDING VOW VERBS
• PURPLE: MAGIC WORDS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #505) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #505, are…

• YELLOW: AUDIO APPS AUDIBLE, PANDORA, SHAZAM, TIDAL
• GREEN: INDICATE MEAN, SIGNIFY, SPELL, SUGGEST
• BLUE: CHURCH OF ENGLAND WEDDING VOW VERBS CHERISH, HAVE, HOLD, LOVE
• PURPLE: MAGIC WORDS ABRACADABRA, PLEASE, PRESTO, THANK YOU

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

There's no way that yellow today is the easiest one. Or if it is, it just points the way to this being a relatively tricky Connections to solve. The four AUDIO APPS here – AUDIBLE, PANDORA, SHAZAM and TIDAL – are all familiar to me, sure, but I'm a technology journalist and former music journalist. I sincerely doubt the average person will spot all four of these. It feels more like a blue group, or even purple.

To make matters worse, one of the words here – SHAZAM – could easily have gone with ABRACADABRA and PRESTO as part of MAGIC WORDS. Instead, the missing two were PLEASE and THANK YOU – which gave me a proper moment when I realized what the NYT had done here. Smart.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 27 October, game #504)

• YELLOW: SASSY CUTE, FRESH, SMART, WISE
• GREEN: AMBIENCE AIR, FEELING, MOOD, QUALITY
• BLUE: UNITS BAR, BEL, LUX, MOLE
• PURPLE: THE LITTLE ___ MERMAID, PRINCE, RASCALS, TRAMP

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.