TechRadar News

Google has announced the addition of an Enterprise Web Store for browser extensions for businesses using the Chrome browser and ChromeOS.

Set to enter preview later in 2024, businesses will soon be able to curate a selection of company-approved extensions to showcase within the employee-facing store, helping to standardize extensions across the business.

In doing so, companies will be able to minimize security risks by blocking access to unverified or potentially harmful extensions, which could compromise sensitive and confidential data.

Chrome extension stores

Behind the scenes, the new extensions store option will also feature Google’s security operations (SecOps) tools, offering real-time telemetry and risk scoring to give IT admins detailed insights into extension usage and potential threats.

At the same time, Google also announced several AI-powered enhancements for Chrome Enterprise and ChromeOS, including a ‘Help Me Read’ feature that summarizes documents, ‘Welcome Recap’ which helps users continue from where they last left off, and ‘Live Translate,’ which offers real-time audio translation.

Google also announced a handful of new and improved security features, like copy and paste control policies and screenshot protections, all in a bid to keep company data protected against third parties.

There’s also a new rollback feature for ChromeOS, which allows users to revert to a previous version of the operating system without losing data.

Mark Berschadski, Director for Product Management at Chrome Enterprise, and Naveen Viswanatha, Head of Product Management at ChromeOS, commented: “Securing the browser is a critical step to protect your organization from threats. Securing your physical devices is an equally important step.”

Via BleepingComputer

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Leica is a specialist in pricey special edition cameras, but its latest creation isn't simply a new colorway, but one to mark 70 years of its legendary M-system. The new Leica M3 Edition 70 is a nod to the rangefinder camera that started it all back in 1954, the M3, and it's a stunner.

Naturally, the M3 Edition 70 costs a pretty penny, but even by Leica standards it's an ultra-rare, ultra-expensive proposition – it'll set you back £19,000 (that's around $25,000 / AU$37,000).

That's if you can get your hands on one. Leica has limited this special platinum-plated edition M3 to just 250 units, with each unit's unique number engraved on the camera's hotshoe (see 001/250, below).

(Image credit: Leica)

It's not just the camera that comes in what we expect is an extravagant presentation box. The M3 Edition 70 is bundled with a Leica APO-Summicron-M 50mm f/2 APSH lens, Leciavit M fast winder and a film container (probably the sexiest film container ever and yes, there's a roll of film inside).

Film container not sold separately

The Leica M3 Edition 70 is limited to just 250 units – with an engraving on the hotshoe marking which one it is. (Image credit: Leica)

That Leicavit M fast winder is also available separately in three versions; black-painted, glossy black-painted and silver-chromed, for £900 (about $1,200 / AU$1,750). Sadly for most of us, we don't think that gorgeous film container is available separately.

Leica M3 Edition 70 will be available in 2025 from select Leica stores, although there's no specific sales start date just yet.

If you want a piece of Leica history but can't quite stretch to the M3 Edition 70, Leica is also publishing a new Leica M' book, which covers the history of the Leica M-System over 250 pages, complete with iconic photographs, which costs £45 (around $60 / AU$90). The book will hit online stores and authorized dealers from November 5.

Interested in giving film photography a go? Check out our best film cameras guide for our favroite options. It includes the recently reviewed the Leica MP, another rangefinder in Leica's M-System which, like the M3, is a wonderful antidote to today's fast-paced digital world.

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I have been waiting to try Visual Intelligence since Apple first unveiled the iPhone 16 in September. After all, there’s a new button (Camera Control) on my iPhone, and I haven’t been using it for photography.

Camera Control hasn't clicked with me after a month with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. I take a decent amount of photos with my iPhone, but any time I try to use the dedicated button, it feels cumbersome and confusing – so much so that I’ve resorted back to my trusty touchscreen and Lock Screen shortcut.

Enter iOS 18.2 Developer Beta, and I must emphasize: Developer Beta. Please do not try this on your primary device as it’s very much so still in development and not ready for the public. Anything I write about in this article is related to the feature itself, not the performance. Further, if you want to try Visual Intelligence for yourself, I recommend waiting until the official release of iOS 18.2 later this year.

I digress, back to Visual Intelligence. iOS 18.2 is now installed on my iPhone 16 Pro Max, and so far, I’m a big fan at the prospect of what Visual Intelligence can become.

What is Visual Intelligence? I hear you ask. Well, it’s an Apple Intelligence feature exclusive to the iPhone 16 lineup and takes full advantage of Camera Control. You launch it by long-pressing Camera Control and then snap a photo of whatever you’re looking at. From there, you can ask ChatGPT for information, search Google, or highlight any text in the photo. Think of Visual Intelligence as Apple’s version of Google Lens with its own hardware button to access on the fly.

My first impressions of Visual Intelligence

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

You can launch Visual Intelligence from anywhere, even the Lock Screen, which makes it incredibly useful whenever you want to do a quick search. My first test was taking a picture of my Game Boy Camera on my desk. As mentioned above, visual Intelligence gives you a few options, so I first used Google Search to find the product. Then, I asked ChatGPT for information, and it was able to tell me all about the Game Boy Camera’s history. From there, you can ask follow-up questions, so I asked, “When did the Game Boy Camera launch in Europe?” ChatGPT obliged with the correct answer.

While it’s still in development, Visual Intelligence worked a treat with a recognizable product like the Game Boy Camera - I’m not sure how often I’d use it to search for an item, but considering it’s just a simple long press away, it might become my go-to way of searching the web for things.

Another great use for Visual Intelligence is when you’re out and about and want to see information about a shop, cafe, bar, or restaurant. I tested it with a local coffee shop, and while it didn’t work like Apple showed off in its demo, I think that’s more down to the early beta version I’m testing than the feature itself.

In that demo, Apple showed that Visual Intelligence could determine a dog breed. I tried this with my French Bulldog, and while I could search Google for similar dogs, it couldn’t give me a straight-up answer.

(Image credit: Apple)

That kind of sums up Visual Intelligence in its current form. It has huge potential: I love the way it gives Camera Control a genuine purpose, and when it works, it’s fantastic. But it’s in very early development, and there’s a lot that, as expected, needs ironing out.

One thing is for sure, however: Visual Intelligence makes total sense to me now, and I finally understand why Apple added Camera Control to the new iPhones. It’s the kind of Apple Intelligence feature that I can see people turning to when they need a quick answer, as long as it works smoothly, and the ChatGPT and Google integration make it multi-faceted.

I love testing new iOS features, every year my iPhone’s lifespan is mostly spent in a beta state, and the iOS 18.2 developer beta feels like the most exciting one yet. After just a few hours with the software and without access to Genmoji or Image Playground yet (I’m on the waitlist), I can still confidently say that iOS 18.2 feels like the iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence we were waiting for.

I’ve just had a glimpse of what Visual Intelligence has to offer, and I’m incredibly excited to see the finished product later this year. Exclusive to the best iPhones, this could be the reason to buy an iPhone 16 - who would’ve thought it could be Camera Control?

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Sony has released a new PlayStation 5 software update.

Version 24.07-10.20.00 is now live on the platform and is a fairly small update that consists of quality-of-life improvements for system software performance and stability while also improving the message and usability on some select screens.

The main takeaway, however, is how Activities are now presented. According to the patch notes, Activities now display as 'In Progress', 'Not Started', or 'Completed', "depending on whether you have ever started or completed the activity".

PS5 Version 24.07-10.20.00 - Patch Notes:

• Activities now display as In Progress, Not Started, or Completed, depending on whether you have ever started or completed the activity.
• We've improved system software performance and stability.
• We've improved the messages and usability on some screens.

Last month, Sony released the PS5's biggest software update yet, which added a ton of new features ahead. Highlighted in the huge patch included an all-new Welcome Hub, a new control panel for players on the main page that allows a bunch of customizable options.

Trophy tracking was also added among the numerous widgets, as well as a battery life panel for DualSense, DualSense Edge, and PSVR 2 Sense controllers, among other improvements.

These recent PS5 updates arrive ahead of the global launch of the PS5 Pro on November 7, an enhanced version of the 2020 console featuring all-new tech, including Sony's new AI upscaling software, PlayStation Spectral Super Revolution (PSSR).

If you're still looking to get your hands on the mid-generation console, be sure to check out our PS5 Pro pre-order guide.

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As the final sprint in the US presidential election nears, online interference attempts by Russia, Iran and China are holding steady, new research claims.

The latest in a series of Microsoft reports notes how the respective nation states are each maintaining its own areas of focus, with Russia attempting to undermine the Harris-Walz campaign, while China has coordinated its attempts at members of Congress and down-ballot Republican candidates.

Iran has also demonstrated its ability to run concurrent cyber influence campaigns, maintaining its effort to influence the US elections while continuing to launch new activity as the situation in the Middle East escalates.

Increasing use of AI and deepfakes

Russia’s trend towards using AI and deepfake videos continues, with Russian threat actors releasing three new fake videos of the Harris-Walz campaign.

The first being an altered video of Harris supposedly making derogatory comments about her rival, former President Donald Trump. The second, generated by Storm-1516, alleges that Harris carried out illegal poaching in Zambia. A final deepfaked and AI enhanced video has been spotted doing the rounds on X (formerly Twitter) spreading disinformation about Democratic vice president nominee Tim Walz.

As for China, the focus has been on amplifying messages of antisemitism and corruption against down-ballot Republican candidates and members of congress who push for anti-China policies, such as Rep. Barry Moore, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, and Sen. Marco Rubio.

Iran has used escalating tensions in the Middle East to fuel its election interference, including attempting to organize election boycotts and rallies against US support for Israel. The main focus of these efforts being an attempt to further ostracize certain groups, and sow distrust and violence between communities.

Microsoft highlights that manipulated media can spread rapidly in times of heightened emotion, conflict, and competition. Disinformation spread by nation states is often shared widely between audiences on social media and taken as truth before being verified or debunked.

"History has shown foreign actors’ ability to rapidly distribute deceptive content can significantly impact public perception and electoral outcomes," noted Clint Watts - General Manager, Microsoft Threat Analysis Center.

"With a particular focus on the 48 hours before and after Election Day, voters, government institutions, candidates, and parties must remain vigilant against deceptive and suspicious activity online. Early detection and fact-checking remain essential to countering these efforts and maintaining election integrity."

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Google has shared details of SynthID Text, a new tool designed to watermark and detect AI-generated text, which has been released as an open-source.

Available via Hugging Face, developers and businesses can start using SynthID Text to embed watermarks into AI-generated text to make it easier to identify content created by genAI models.

The company hopes its new tool will help prevent misinformation, as well as ensure proper attribution.

Google can now watermark AI text

SynthID Text works by changing the distribution of tokens – the building blocks of AI-generated text, otherwise characterized as groups of letters that make up words or parts of words. Existing AI models already generate text based on probabilities, or guessing which word comes next. All SynthID Text does is change the likelihood of certain words being selected, creating a specific watermark pattern that it can later identify.

Google reckons that the tool can still function after text has been paraphrased or modified slightly, but the company did acknowledge some limitations. For example, short texts, translations and factual responses where there’s little room for variation can limit SynthID Text’s effectiveness. The company also noted thoroughly rewriting a response can “greatly reduce” detector confidence scores.

SynthID Text has already been integrated into Gemini since earlier this year, however Google isn’t the only player in the AI space. OpenAI, which makes the Gemini-rivalling ChatGPT, is unlikely to want to use its competitor’s tool. Instead, it has been exploring its own watermarking technology.

Moreover, it’s unclear how these different systems will interoperate in the future as AI-generated content becomes more widespread on the internet, and whether one system will emerge as an industry standard, or whether legal frameworks will enforce their use.

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Want a svelte streaming amp that looks for all the world like it was hewn by the Greek God Chrysus – the one most associated with precious metal? Devialet can help, with its all-new Astra (which is essentially the name of the Titan God of the stars, planets and so on).

The Astra Opéra de Paris edition is finished in 23-carat gold leaf by artisans from Ateliers Gohard. But under its stunning exterior, it is of course built on past greatness. In this case, Devialet wouldn't necessarily point you towards its spherical Devialet Mania (also available in a 'sunset rose' hue) or the company's fabulous high-end Dione soundbar which boasts the same drivers as those premium in-flight seats. No, Astra is the evolution of Devialet's first creation, the Devialet Expert amplifier, unveiled 15 years ago – yes, now I also feel as old as the Gods.

Devialet says Astra is "our most advanced integrated audiophile system yet", and despite its proportions of just 38.6cm x 38.6cm x 4.7cm – so about the same as a very high-end pizza box – and a pretty slimline weight of 7.2kg, it totes 2x300 watts of power. There's also Wi-Fi 6 for Airplay, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, UPnP and Roon Ready support. Bluetooth 5.3? Yes, it's here, although with only SBC and AAC codecs supported, you'd probably want to stick with Wi-Fi streaming.

Astra is a preamp, amp, DAC, streamer and phono stage in a single and ultra-compact unit. You can daisy-chain up to 8 devices, the built-in phono stage works with MM and MC cartridge turntables, the pre-amp out can be set to mono or stereo, and Devialet says its proprietary Speaker Active Matching (SAM) technology makes the Astra compatible with over 1,200 passive speaker profiles.

Connectivity? Ethernet, USB-C 2.0 (data port), digital coaxial inputs (up to 4x RCA 75Ω) digital optical ins (2x Toslink) analog inputs (up to 2x RCA stereo, plus that MM/MC phono stage with 13 equalization curves) are all here – and should you want to stack two of them for double the power, Devialet says that'll be seamless too, with the Devialet control app at the wheel.

Devialet's hi-fi lineup in undeniably stylish – and premium…

I've loved Devialet products since the company announced its luxury in-seat airplane sound systems – the subsequently news that they were arriving in business class on Japan Airlines last year.

For me, the Devialet Astra looks not dissimilar to the also-aspirational Beosound Level wireless speaker made my Bang & Olufsen – but machined from a single aluminum block then anodized, laser-engraved, brushed, and covered with 23-carat gold leaf, rather than the Hygge wood-texture look of the B&O product.

You also get a redesigned, battery-powered USB-C remote in the box. The large knob central to its design reminds me of the even-more-expensive Moon North 761 and 791 amplification system I spent a joyous evening enjoying last year, which can only be a Very Good Thing.

Each Devialet Astra Opéra de Paris in individually numbered – so you know it's not going to come cheap. Ready? The Devialet Astra Opéra de Paris is available now, priced £18,000, which is around $23, 340 or AU$35,070, before any associated duties.

Bit rich for the blood? That's OK, Devialet is also offering the Astra in 'Light Bronze' for just £14,000, or around $18,150. I'll take two…

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Black Ops 6 release times

(Image credit: Activision)

Black Ops 6 starts rolling out worldwide on October 24 at 9PM PT. Then, the game slowly goes live across each time zone, ending with Sydney on October 25 at 3PM AEDT. For the full info on the Black Ops 6 release time for your time zone, check out the sections below. If you're looking to get in as soon as possible, check out our Black Ops 6 preload guide.

Black Ops 6 release times start rolling out later today, beginning at 9AM PDT, allowing players to jump into the all-new campaign, multiplayer and other modes. It's all happening as a kind of rolling release, with the game going live at different times depending on your time zone. There's no Black Ops 6 early access this time around, either.

Depending on where you are in the world, you'll be able to get your hands on Black Ops 6 very soon indeed. From what we played of the beta, Black Ops 6 absolutely has a chance at ending up on our best FPS games list by the end of the year. The new Omnimovement mechanics are the star of the show, allowing you to dive in basically any direction while shooting. We'll have to see how the first season of content goes, but hopefully, this new Call of Duty game will be an impressive entry into the series.

To make sure you can jump into Black Ops 6 as early as possible, we've gathered together the Black Ops 6 release times for your timezone. We'll detail the Black Ops 6 release time for the US west coast, east coast, the UK, Europe, and Australia.

Black Ops 6 release times for PC

(Image credit: Activision)

Black Ops 6 will launch on October 24 at 9PM PDT for PC players. Here's the Black Ops 6 release time in your time zone:

• Los Angeles: October 24 at 9PM (PDT)
• Mexico City: October 24 at 10PM (CST)
• New York: October 25 at 12AM (EDT)
• São Paulo: October 25 at 1AM (BRT)
• London: October 25 at 5AM (BST)
• Paris: October 25 at 6AM (CEST)
• Johannesburg: October 25 at 6AM (SAST)
• Dubai: October 25 at 8AM (GST)
• Seoul: October 25 at 1PM (KST)
• Tokyo: October 25 at 1PM (JST)
• Sydney: October 25 at 3PM (AEDT)

Black Ops 6 release times for PlayStation and Xbox

(Image credit: Activision)

The Black Ops 6 release time for PlayStation and Xbox is midnight local time (October 25). This means that you'll be able to jump in as soon as October 25 hits. Make sure to have the game preloaded if you can, as it's if a hefty file size.

Black Ops 6 Game Pass launch time

(Image credit: Activision)

Black Ops 6 will launch on Xbox Game Pass at midnight local time. You'll need to have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Console, or PC Game Pass subscription to be able to download the game. You can also preload it now if you're a Game Pass subscriber.

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Hackers are targeting vulnerable Docker remote API servers, and using them to mine cryptocurrencies on the underlying hardware, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers from Trend Micro stated the crooks took an “unconventional approach” with this attack, noting, "the threat actor used the gRPC protocol over h2c to evade security solutions and execute their crypto mining operations on the Docker host."

"The attacker first checked the availability and version of the Docker API, then proceeds with requests for gRPC/h2c upgrades and gRPC methods to manipulate Docker functionalities."

Which tokens are they mining?

The experts explained that the crooks would first seek out public-facing Docker API hosts where HTTP/2 protocol can be upgraded. Then, they would send out a request to upgrade to the h2c protocol which, after conclusion, allows them to create a container. That container is ultimately used to mine cryptocurrencies for the attackers, via the SRBMiner payload, hosted on GitHub.

The researchers added the crooks used SRBMiner to mine the XRP token, native to the Ripple blockchain built by the company of the same name. However, XRP is a minted token that cannot be mined. We asked Trend Micro for clarification.

SRBMiner uses algorithms like RandomX, KawPow for mining. It can generate a number of different tokens for its operators, but not XRP. Among the available tokens are Monero, Ravencoin, Haven Protocol, Wownero, and Firo.

It’s safe to assume that the crooks were actually mining Monero, one of the most popular tokens among cybercriminals, given its advanced privacy and anonymity features. Monero is also commonly mined via the XMRig cryptojacker, and its ticker is XRM, quite close to XRP.

Trend Micro warned all users to secure their Docker remote API servers by implementing stronger access controls and authentication mechanisms, thus barring access to unauthenticated individuals. Furthermore, users are advised to monitor the servers for unusual activities, and implement best practices for container security.

Via The Hacker News

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Intel’s Arrow Lake desktop processors go on sale later today, officially at any rate – but the CPUs are already available to buy, though we most certainly wouldn’t recommend doing so.

VideoCardz spotted that someone on eBay in the UK is selling the Core Ultra 7 265K (which is the Core i7 equivalent, for those still not used to Intel’s new naming scheme). It’s exorbitantly priced at £450, although the ability to make an offer is present – and given that the retail price in the UK for the 265K is £380, you’d be pretty daft to pay a £70 premium at this point.

In the US, the Core Ultra 7 265K is also up on eBay with a couple of listings, though unlike the UK, these chips are just supplied in a plastic clamshell (the UK listing is at least the full boxed product).

That said, one of the US listings is at $340, so it’s at least cheaper than the $410 we can see the Core Ultra 7 265K is priced at Newegg. Officially, it’s still on pre-order at US (and UK) retailers, but that will change later today Thursday October 24, when the ‘go’ button is hit to make sales live.

Whatever you do, don’t buy these chips (or any others listed prerelease in this manner) – even when one may appear to be a bit of a bargain.

(Image credit: ShutterStock) Analysis: Steer well clear

As noted, these Core Ultra 7 265K processors are mostly at silly high prices anyway, although one might tempt you with that $340 asking price which is a fair bit less than you can get it at an official retailer. But note that the eBayer in question only has a couple of bits of feedback, and so you’re buying from a completely unknown source, as opposed to a proper retail channel where you’ll get full support and aftersales backup.

Even if the chip you buy on eBay does turn out to work, who knows whether it’s older sample silicon that might have been put through the mill in some way, and so could more likely manifest problems in the longer run. Issues you doubtless won’t be covered for in any way, shape or form.

And that’s not even considering that it isn’t, of course, even legal to be selling these chips in this way.

At this point, the temptation to get a next-gen chip early is pretty meaningless anyway – the full retail release is literally about to come about later on today. Just don’t let any low pricing fool you, either. And besides, you’ll need a compatible motherboard – Arrow Lake uses an entirely new CPU socket – and these listings are not offering that rather vital piece of hardware to go with the processor anyway.

In short, don’t waste your time – or money – in case you were in any doubt.

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Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered will feature a ton of enhancements including three performance options at launch.

Ahead of the game's October 31 release, Digital Foundry was able to take the remastered version of the 2017 PS4 game for a spin on PS5, highlighting the many upgrades the game has to offer.

While visuals have been enhanced in almost every aspect, whether it be the highly detailed character designs, lush environments, lighting, and effects, it's Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered's three frame rate options that are able to make those features shine.

Players will be able to choose between 30fps, 40fps, and 60fps, each of which offers their own trade-offs between performance and image quality, just like Horizon Forbidden West.

According to Digital Foundry, the game uses the same dynamic resolution scaling as the 2022 sequel with quality mode aiming for native 4K output, while performance modes slightly drop below targeting 1800p "on average".

"Thankfully, the anti-aliasing matches the current version of Forbidden West so it's very clean compared to the initial launch version of that game," Digital Foundry said.

The three frame rate options are "roughly the same" but image quality in performance mode is "strong enough" to be recommended over the others.

Developer Nixxes is working on Horizon Remasted and was able to confirm to the tech experts that it already includes PS5 Pro support which will be automatically activated when played on the new mid-generation consoles.

Performance is also "by and large, perfect", Digital Foundry added, explaining that each mode delivers on their performance targets, as well as for the 40fps unlocked frame-rate mode for VRR-capable displays.

For those who already own Horizon Zero Dawn, you'll be able to purchase the remastered upgrade for just $10 / £10 when it launches next week on PS5 and PC.

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Microsoft is adding Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to Windows' Photos app, enabling users to scan and copy text directly from images. This feature will be available on Windows 11 and Windows 10 when it is officially released.

On 22 October 2024, Microsoft announced upcoming updates to its Photos app, some of which are already available for preview to Windows Insiders via Windows 11’s Insider Channel. This allows Insiders to test and provide feedback on the new features before a full rollout.

For Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft also plans to introduce 'super resolution' to enhance its Photos app. These updates aim to improve the overall user experience by using AI to enhance and enlarge images by up to 8x their original size through the super resolution feature.

How does OCR work?

OCR will essentially allow users to effortlessly extract text from images. Whether you’re dealing with notes, pictures, documents, or screenshots, the app can automatically detect and copy text straight to your clipboard. This will streamline your workflow by letting you paste the extracted text into other apps, reducing the need for manual data entry.

Using the OCR feature is pretty simple: just tap the icon below an image to extract text. Microsoft designed the tool to make tasks like managing information in images easier and improve productivity. It’s particularly valuable for accessibility, as users with visual impairments or similar disabilities can have text read aloud or converted to formats compatible with screen readers.

The OCR feature can also benefit professionals, students, and researchers by enabling them to copy and paste text from images into emails or documents thus streamlining their work. Additionally, it supports over 160 languages.

Despite Windows 10 reaching its End-of-Life support on 14 October 2025, Microsoft will roll out these features to both Windows 11 and Windows 10 PCs. Microsoft is obligated to provide Windows 10 updates until support officially ends, and the operating system still has a significant user base due to hardware limitations, business needs, and personal preferences. As users eventually transition to Windows 11, they will already be familiar with many of the new features.

More improvements incoming for Windows users

There are additional updates coming too, like bug fixes for the Restyle image features on Copilot+ and Image Creator designed to improve overall image quality. If users want these new features, they’ll need to update their Photos app to version 2024.11100.17007 or higher via the Microsoft Store.

These features aren’t fully available yet, but Insiders are encouraged to send feedback to Microsoft. Their feedback can help resolve any issues and refine the features before they’re fully rolled out. For example, it was due to user feedback that Microsoft announced it is also introducing single-click support in the Photos app gallery, allowing for more efficient navigation.

While it’s great that Microsoft has introduced OCR to its Photos app, it is long overdue. Accessibility should be at the forefront of any modern app, especially given that leading tech companies like Apple integrated similar features, such as Live Text in iOS 15, quite some time ago. Features like this, along with other accessibility tools, should be standard across all platforms, not only to improve general productivity but more importantly to support users with disabilities.

Hopefully, this is a sign that Microsoft will make a greater effort to prioritize accessibility in the future, with more tools and updates designed with inclusivity in mind.

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Capcom and Sony have revealed new Monster Hunter WIlds-themed PS5 accessories and they are easily some of the nicest for the current-gen console yet.

Announced alongside the open beta for the game happening towards the end of October, the Monster Hunter Wilds DualSense Wireless Controller and PS5 Slim faceplates will be available exclusively in Japan and Asian territories. Pricing (thanks, Push Square) will be 12,480 yen (around $80 / £64) for the controller and 9,980 yen (around $65 / £50) for the faceplates.

The limited edition DualSense Wireless Controller is absolutely gorgeous, sporting a glossy crimson finish and emblazoned with various bits of Monster Hunter Wilds iconography. I'd say it definitely gives the 30th Anniversary DualSense a run for its money in terms of pure aesthetics. In any case it's a fine addition to the lineup of one of the best PS5 controllers.

The faceplates are much more subdued, offering a clean matte black look with a logo at the bottom right. If you're desperate to own either, or both, despite being available exclusively in Japan and Asia you'll likely be able to shop for them on import websites. Though you should expect to pay a bit of a premium here thanks to shipping and potentially customs costs.

Monster Hunter Wilds launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on February 5, 2025. An open beta is also on the way, taking place from October 31 to November 3. PS Plus members will be able to squeeze out a few extra days too, with an early access period beginning on October 28; that's almost a full week of monster hunting. The beta will include a handful of hunts to undertake as well as feature full character creation, so it's absolutely worth checking out if you're pining for the full release next year.

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Samsung has a new smart ring patent that could solve a major issue with the tech when it launches its next Galaxy Ring: sizing. Its recently revealed design shows a ring that can grow or shrink to better fit the wearer’s finger, and we're excited.

The best smart rings are pretty darn neat, but one significant inconvenience compared to the best smart watches is finding a ring that’s the right size. Smartwatches are adjustable and can fit virtually any size wrist, but unless you’ve worn a brand’s rings before, you usually have to get a sizing kit, test out sizes for a day or two, then finally order your wearable. This is assuming the smart ring maker even accommodates your ring size.

Even when you have the ring in your size, that’s not the end of it. If you swap brands you’ll need to do another sizing test. What’s more, ring sizes change over time. A traditional ring can be resized by a jeweller, but the same isn’t true for smart rings. This fixed shape also means you can’t easily pass the ring on when you’re looking to upgrade like you might with an old phone or laptop.

That’s where a recently published Samsung patent from the South Korean KIPRIS database comes in (via Galaxy Club). Samsung’s patent would solve this problem with an adjustable inner band. While the outer band remains the same diameter, the inner ring would be able to expand or contract to create a more loose or snug fit.

Not an instant fix

It doesn't appear this design will be able to drastically alter the size of a smart ring thanks to that rigid outer band, but it could still be super helpful. People caught between sizes could adjust the fit so it suits them better, and this design could ensure that even as your ring size fluctuates throughout the day your wearable always fits you correctly.

As with all patents, there’s no guarantee that we’ll ever see this adjustable ring as an actual product, but given how useful this feature would be we wouldn’t be surprised if a future Galaxy Ring – or a ring from its rivals – incorporated something like this into its design.

Hopefully this means the Galaxy Ring 2 will be adjustable, but we’ll have to wait and see what’s announced when the next-gen smart ring is unveiled – assuming it will ever launch.

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• The new iOS 18.2 developer beta gives us a glimpse of future features
• You'll soon be able to choose new default apps thanks to a new menu
• Other tricks include being able to delete stock Apple apps

Apple has just launched the iOS 18.2 developer beta, and with it come all sorts of useful new features for early adopters. The expanding launch of Apple Intelligence is grabbing all the headlines, but there are plenty of lesser-known additions to iOS 18.2 that are just as interesting.

One of our favorites is the way iOS 18.2 lets you set your own default apps for various categories (see below). Previously, you were locked into Apple’s choices when it came to your default apps for messaging, emailing, calling and more.

Now, though, that has all changed, and Apple lets you pick new default apps in the following areas: web browsing, calling and call filtering, emailing, messaging, passwords and codes, and keyboards. While some of these were previously available, you’ve not been able to change your default messaging and calling apps before.

You can manage these choices in a new Default Apps section in the Settings app. That makes it a lot easier to change your default apps with a few quick taps. Although Apple previously said that this section would be arriving for users in the European Union (EU), it’s actually available to people anywhere in the world. It’s thought that Apple will soon add the ability to change your default contactless payments app, as well as other settings.

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

Speaking of apps, iOS 18.2 also lets you delete a bunch of Apple’s own apps from your iPhone, including the App Store, Safari, Messages, Camera and Photos apps, provided you’re based in the EU. If you’re in the US, you can hide these apps instead.

The only apps that EU users cannot delete are the Settings and Phone apps – any of Apple’s other apps can be re-downloaded from the App Installation section in the Settings app.

Apple Intelligence tweaks and changes

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

There are a few other interesting new features in iOS 18.2 that have flown under the radar. Apple has integrated ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence and Siri, and in iOS 18.2 you can disable the prompts where Siri asks for permission to send your data to ChatGPT.

You can also direct all your Siri queries to ChatGPT by saying “Ask ChatGPT” at the start of your request, and also ask Siri to get ChatGPT to create an image for you (this bypasses Siri’s own Image Playground, which is part of Apple Intelligence).

While we’re on the topic of Apple Intelligence, iOS 18.2 has an intriguing twist on Apple’s Genmoji feature, which lets you create your own artificial intelligence emoji. While you need an iPhone that is compatible with Apple Intelligence in order to create Genmoji, any device – regardless of compatibility – can receive them. But what’s more interesting is that non-compatible phones can save received Genmoji to their emoji library and use them in their own messages. It’s a nice little touch for devices that can’t create their own Genmoji.

Note that in order to get the iOS 18.2 beta, you need to have an iPhone that can run Apple Intelligence – in other words, an iPhone 15 Pro, an iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any device from the iPhone 16 range.

If you want to try these features out, you’ll need to download the iOS 18.2 developer beta – with all the usual caveats that the versions aren't anywhere close to final, which means you can expect bugs, slowdowns and other issues. We’ve got all the info you need in our guide to downloading iOS 18.

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Bad news if you're living in or visiting Turkey soon. All the major social media platforms, including X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Telegram, and TikTok, have been restricted since yesterday (October 23). The block comes following a deadly attack on the headquarters of Turkey’s aerospace and defense company near the capital Ankara.

While you can generally bypass this type of restrictions fairly easily by using one of the best VPN apps, it may be more challenging this time as the government has previously blocked access to some of the most popular services.

Internet watchdog NetBlocks first reported the block (see tweet below) shortly after the attack occurred. Another local source confirmed to TechRadar restrictions were enforced at 5 pm local time and they are still in place at the time of writing. At the same time, internet speed connections also appear to be throttled.

⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show social media platforms including X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok have been restricted in #Turkey; the incident comes as authorities impose a broadcast ban over today's deadly attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries' headquarters in Ankara pic.twitter.com/6ChqiZxpRuOctober 23, 2024

"About two hours after the attack, the Turkish government once again did something that we, internet users, find hard to comprehend: it restricted access to social media platforms," Ali Safa Korkut, a Turkish journalist and Project Coordinator at Free Web Turkey, told me.

It isn't the first time that Turkey has pulled the plug on online resources during a time of crisis. In February last year, authorities blocked Twitter in the devastating aftermath of the earthquake that shook both Turkey and Syria. All major social media platforms were also restricted following the Istanbul blast in November 2022.

According to Korkut, such government censorship during natural disasters and alleged terrorist attacks is unacceptable.

"The throttling of all social media platforms and the government’s directive to mobile operators to slow down the internet is a serious violation of rights," he told me, adding that tests carried out with the Speedtest website show that internet connection speeds have also been limited.

Can a VPN help?

A VPN, short for virtual private network, is a security software that both encrypts your internet connections and spoofs your real IP address location. The latter skill is exactly why people generally turn to these services to bypass social media blocks like the one currently enforced in Turkey.

However, authorities have reportedly also been busy disrupting access to VPNs in Turkey. As of December 2023, Korkut explained, the Turkish government has blocked access to approximately 30 VPN services. Among these are some of TechRadar's top-rated apps, including NordVPN, Surfshark, and ProtonVPN.

"Therefore, as users living in Turkey, we are struggling more than ever to access the internet during restriction periods since December 2023. We have seen this happening again since yesterday," Korkut told me, adding that social media users dropped by 75% so far.

"Since very few people in Turkey know how to change DNS settings or use the Tor Browser, the internet in Turkey is currently at one of its lowest activity levels," he added.

Türkiye'den erişime engelli VPN servislerinin listesi: https://t.co/ttaery0W4m pic.twitter.com/OQHpGoHa5tAugust 4, 2024

Having said that, despite the alleged Turkey VPN ban, some providers confirmed a spike in sign-ups from the country back in August when authorities temporarily blocked Instagram, giving hope you may still be able to access some services using a VPN.

Whenever possible, I suggest signing up and downloading a reliable VPN service before entering the country to limit issues as much as possible. I also recommend downloading as many VPN apps as possible. This enables you to hop from one service to another in case of blocks. I recommend looking at our dedicated guide on the best free VPN services on the market to give yourself the most VPN options without paying for them all.

VPNs aren't the only solution, either, so also try out some alternatives. As Korkut suggests, the Tor Browser is another good option (and very easy to use) as it reroutes your internet traffic through at least three encryption layers while spoofing your IP location. Likewise, FreeBrowser is a similar tool you can use on Android devices to grant access to geo-restricted content.

Fortinet has confirmed a critical-severity vulnerability in one of its products, and urged customers to apply the released fix immediately.

In a security advisory, the cybersecurity company said it uncovered a bug in FortiManager that would allow threat actors to remotely execute arbitrary code, or commands, via specially crafted requests.

The bug resides in FortiManager’s fgfmd daemon, it was added.

Critical vulnerability

The vulnerable versions are:

Fortinet 6.2.0 - 6.2.12, 6.4.0-6.4.14, 7.0.0 - 7.0.12, 7.2.0 -7.2.7, 7.4.0 - 7.44, and 7.6.0.

Furthermore, a few versions of FortiManager Cloud were also said to be vulnerable: All 6.4 versions, 7.0.1 - 7.0.12, 7.2.1 - 7.2.7, and 7.4.1 - 7.4.4.

FortiManager Cloud 7.6 is not affected.

The bug is deemed critical, with a severity score of 9.8. It is tracked as CVE-2024-47575, and a fix is already available. Fortinet also said there were three possible workarounds, depending on the versions of the software in use.

Therefore, for FortiManager versions 7.0.12 or above, 7.2.5 or above, 7.4.3 or above (but not 7.6.0), users could prevent unknown devices from attempting to register “config system global”, “(global)# set fgfm-deny-unknown enable,” or “(global)# end”.

Users of FortiManager versions 7.2.0 and above, a workaround includes adding local-in policies to whitelist the IP addresses of FortiGates that are allowed to connect, while for 7.2.2 and above, 7.4.0 and above, 7.6.0 and above, it is possible to use a custom certificate which will mitigate the issue.

The company claims the bug is already being exploited in the wild, and urges its customers to protect their premises.

“The identified actions of this attack in the wild have been to automate via a script the exfiltration of various files from the FortiManager which contained the IPs, credentials and configurations of the managed devices,” the advisory reads.

“At this stage, we have not received reports of any low-level system installations of malware or backdoors on these compromised FortiManager systems. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no indicators of modified databases, or connections and modifications to the managed devices.”

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IT service provider Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has inked an expanded deal with Nvidia to accelerate the adoption of AI technology in multiple industries.

Nvidia has worked with TCS for half a decade on AI projects, but the new deal goes further, with significant investments in Nvidia's infrastructure. The new business unit will supply AI systems within the context of the company's needs and the state of the industries where they are deployed. TCS combines its own proprietary AI framework and domain knowledge with Nvidia's AI technology, including the AI Foundry, AI Enterprise, and NIM Agent Blueprints.

As part of the new arrangement, TCS will use Nvidia's AI tools to customize solutions to meet the challenges in a range of industries. For instance, TCS Manufacturing AI for Industrials uses AI to analyze enormous amounts of data and come up with actionable insights that respect the complexities of the manufacturing industry, and the TCS AI Spectrum for BFSI hosts AI solutions for the financial sector aimed at improving decision-making, regulatory compliance, and risk management for banks and financial institutions.

The TCS Cognitive Visual Receiving Solution for Retailers uses AI for automating product identification, quality checks, and attribute extraction in warehouse operations, while telecommunications companies can use the TCS AI-Native Telco Offerings to create AI-driven models to deal with network anomaly management, billing, and customer experience. Meanwhile, the Autonomous Vehicle Platform combines Nvidia's generative AI and TCS data to speed up the development of autonomous vehicle features.

Custom AI is key

“Curated AI journeys are derived at the intersection of deep-domain and deep-tech. This is a space that TCS has excelled at during every business transformation cycle. Our unique vantage point, at the intersection of business and technology, helps us identify the right opportunities for our customers," said TCS AI.Cloud Unit head Siva Ganesan. "With the Nvidia AI platform providing a robust backbone, our unparalleled scale and proven track record in delivering value, our customers now have a means to faster value realization.”

This expanded partnership highlights the importance of context-specific AI solutions in getting enterprises to adopt AI. Customized solutions are likely to be much more appealing to companies. Nvida's AI stack and accelerated computing infrastructure provide the technical foundation for industry-specific solutions while TCS’ deep industry expertise and knowledge ensures they're effective and do what the companies need.

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Fewer than one in four (23%) UK workers are using AI tools in their everyday roles, according to a study by Jabra, with more (25%) using the tech in their own personal lives.

The low uptake clashes with the apparent general acceptance among managers for AI – seven in 10 UK decision-makers expressed confidence in AI’s potential to boost productivity and efficiency among workers.

Despite this optimism, many leaders are lacking a clear roadmap of how to integrate AI effectively across their business, preventing employees from accessing the right tools.

Businesses need a clearer AI roadmap

Furthermore, 83% of UK business leaders admitted that they’re not actually sure how AI can improve operational efficiency, even though they acknowledge that it could.

“We see many UK organisations eager to jump on the AI wave, but some are still dancing in the dark when it comes to effective implementation and meaningful use," noted Jabra Head of Brand Communications Paul Sephton.

It’s not just the lack of guidance that could be affecting workers’ sentiment towards, and slow uptake of, artificial intelligence. More than one-third (37%) fear that AI could replace either jobs, with 85% stating that they would not trust AI for tasks requiring creativity and innovation.

Generational differences are also apparent – nearly twice as many Millennials and Gen Z workers use AI daily compared with their Baby Boomer counterparts. More millennials (47%) expressed optimism about its potential than Gen Z (37%).

Despite the challenges, more than half (53%) of UK businesses plan to increase their AI budgets, placing the UK among the top countries with the highest intent to invest in AI, trailing behind India and Japan.

Calling for meaningful implementation, Sephton added: “To avoid what we call “AI-washing” - simply jumping on the AI bandwagon - organisations must carefully evaluate the productivity gains that AI can offer and actively involve their employees in this journey.”

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If you needed more rumor spillage around AMD’s Ryzen 7 9800X3D, well, dig in, because now we have a full high-res product shot of the box for the chip.

The leaked pic comes from VideoCardz, which regularly picks up GPU and CPU-related rumors, and the photo of the packaging clearly shows it’s a Ryzen 7 CPU.

As a quick refresher, the rumors around AMD’s next-gen 3D V-Cache processors have insisted for a long time now that we’ll only get the Ryzen 7 9800X3D to kick off, even though Team Red has another pair of Ryzen 9 CPUs as part of this first clutch of Zen 5 X3D releases.

They are the Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Ryzen 9 9950X3D, and while typically you might expect the latter flagship to come out first, this time around, AMD is apparently pushing out the mainstream Ryzen 7 workhorse as the initial launch. (It was the other way around with Ryzen 7000X3D, with the Ryzen 9 processors arriving first, followed by the top-notch Ryzen 7800X3D later).

According to VideoCardz, the only packaging shot AMD is circulating is this pic for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, so the conclusion (add salt, naturally) is that this really is the only CPU due to be launched early in November by Team Red.

AMD recently confirmed that next-gen Ryzen X3D is arriving on November 7, so we can theoretically expect the Ryzen 9800X3D to go on sale then – in just two weeks’ time. We may see a reveal of the processor as soon as tomorrow, October 25, if other rumors are right.

(Image credit: VideoCardz / AMD) Analysis: Boxing clever against Intel

It’s still possible that AMD could have a triple X3D launch up its sleeve, perhaps – or maybe something entirely different, even – but the odds seem to have very much settled on the initial offering being the Ryzen 9800X3D. Indeed, this isn’t the first time the Ryzen 7 box has been leaked, but this time we’ve got a very clear shot of it – complete with the assertion that there aren’t any Ryzen 9 box photos floating around.

AMD’s timing is notable if it is indeed set to reveal the Ryzen 9800X3D tomorrow, as is the word from the grapevine, mainly because Intel’s Core Ultra 200S (Arrow Lake desktop) processors go on sale later today.

Team Red looks to be doing a traditional bit of extracting the wind from its rival’s sails, and from that perspective, it also makes sense that the Ryzen 9800X3D should be first off the 3D V-Cache diving board. This is the CPU that most PC gamers are interested in, and the one that’ll make the biggest splash, and indeed dent in Intel’s hopes. The Ryzen 9800X3D is an excellent candidate to become the new best CPU for gaming – a title currently held by the 7800X3D, we should note – certainly based on some of the spec and performance leaks we’ve seen so far, anyway.

Not all of those leaks are positive, admittedly, but VideoCardz also highlights a post on X from leaker Hoang Anh Phu which claims that AMD is calling 9000X3D the ‘2nd-generation’ of 3D V-Cache. To clarify, it’s actually the third series of X3D chips, but this suggests the architectural changes are enough to qualify as a whole new generation compared to 7000X3D – and that we can anticipate major reworkings and presumably impressive gains as a result.

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